Horseback riding is perhaps one of the most sought-after activities today. And why shouldn’t it be? Besides offering a plenty of health benefits, equestrian sport helps one adopt a lifestyle that can be both challenging and calming. In 1967, when Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) was established, commoners perceived the sport to be for the elite. However, the perception faded with the advent of the equestrian academy that provided training grounds for the residents, too.
Agram Riding and Polo Academy (ARPA), located within the Army Service Corps (ASC) centre and college, is one such army school in Bangalore that runs coaching camps for horse riders interested in equestrian sports. Its ground, spread over 40 acres of land, includes show jumping arena, two dressage arenas, and two polo grounds. Competitive riding skills are taught to both young and adult equestrian riders to not just improve their balance and coordination, but to enhance their overall personality.
Source: SportsKeeda
The academy has many potential riders with 10-year-old Angel Beulah being one of them. Starting at the age f 7, Angel, a student of Bishop Cotton girls’ school, has been riding for the ARPA team since 2012. Her days start at 4:00 in the morning and she has won a medal for having control over the horse.
Source: The Hindu
“Horse riding helps an individual to be more dedicated, develops will power and determination. After joining the academy, I have seen this big change in my daughter. She concentrates better now and is enthusiastic about being around her horse. At times, it is tough for us to comfort her,” said Rajesh Fernando, Angel’s father.
Further, ARPA also conducts classes for the specially-abled student during weekends with Healing Horses, a non-profit organisation aimed to provide therapy for disabled persons of all ages, through the unique practice of therapeutic riding. These rides help students recover in a short period of time. In fact, Healing Horses is the first in India to introduce equine therapy or therapeutic riding.
“We use aged or retired horses to treat specially-abled kids. I give sensory inputs like eye-hand coordination, colour sense and smell through horses to kids, who are impaired with motor or sensory functions. A child develops broad vision by sitting on the horse, can hold everything ones a child starts to hold the string of horse, stimulation are given from all sides to improve their postural and muscular movement, which is also called physiotherapy,” said Pushpa Bopaiah, founder of Healing Horses, who has treated more than 400 specially-abled kids.
Source: Femina
“My daughter has learned more from the horses than us. Earlier, she was struggling to move her ankles and wrists, but this place has brought a major change in her body movements,” said Raghav S, father of Nikita, a paraplegic.
Another student, Anuj Arora, a gold medalist of ARPA, is looking forward to having a career as an equestrian. Talking about the game, Anuj’s father, Lt. Col Ashok Kumar said: “It is the easiest way to develop the personality. Kids learn to take quick decisions and adopt leadership skills in a short period of time. There is a need for awareness about this game. One has to pay a very subsidized fee of Rs3,000 per month, which includes the essential accessories for horse riding.”
We are living in exciting times. No, I am not talking about the terror strikes, the noisy budget session in our parliament, the stock market crash or the US elections. Something really exciting is happening in the skies, which are being termed as the most important discoveries in astronomy in a century! For a change, Indian astronomers are involved in two of them – meteorite death and gravity waves!
Gravitational Waves
Gravitational waves from merging black holes | Source: Livescience
A global network of 900 scientists named the ‘LIGO Scientific Collaboration’ has announced the discovery of gravitational waves. LIGO, which stands for the ‘Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory’ based in the US, has been studying the existence of gravitational waves for over a decade. Typically, energy is transmitted through electro-magnetic radiations such as X-rays, gamma rays, electricity, etc. This is the first time we are detecting that gravity can transmit energy as a wave, says Dhruv Paranjpye of Akashmitra, the Association of Amateur Astronomers in Pune.
Gravitational waves are the result of any disturbance in the fabric of space and time caused by an accelerating mass. These waves cause ripples in the fabric of space-time continuum, making it and contract. Does that mean that every time we run or dance, we are distorting the space-time around us by causing gravitational waves? Well surprisingly the answer is yes, says Tanmaya Dash from the Space Technology Students Society, IIT-Kharagpur.
Over a century ago, Albert Einstein had postulated about gravitational waves saying every mass causes a dip in the space-time continuum and every time this mass accelerates, it sends out ripples at the speed of light in all directions. So yes, each one of us can cause a dip in space and time and we do send out ripples, but they are extremely tiny to be detected. So how were these gravitational waves detected? Tanmaya Dash says in order to detect gravitational waves, we need something enormously massive that is accelerating at an extremely high rate. Scientists at LIGO found that an extraordinary event of two big black holes colliding a billion years ago gave a massive signal detectable by their machines.
Now, what does all this mean to the scientific community? Gravitational wave astronomy can open up doors for several new undiscovered phenomena in astrophysics, which can provide us with answers to the formation of the early universe. Further, there will be new ways to look at stars and space, and address the ultimate question: what happened before the Big Bang? Obviously, a few Nobel prizes could be in order! Indian scientist Prof. Sanjeev Dhurandhar from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA), who is a pioneer of gravitational wave research, is a strong contender for a Nobel Prize.
Death by meteorite?
Police investigating meteorite blast | Source: The News Minute
Normally, we commoners take such astrophysical issues with a pinch of salt, since they rarely affect our daily lives. However, here is some strange news that could jolt us from our slumber. Kamaraj, a bus-driver at the Bharatidasan Engineering College in Vellore died due to an explosion. Since there was no explosive material found at the blast site except from a bluish grey rocky object, experts believed it could be due to a meteorite falling from the sky.
Obviously, it is hard to believe that a person could die due to a rock falling from the sky. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics state that there are other chances of it being space debris, or objects falling from an aircraft or part of a broken satellite that managed to enter the earth’s atmosphere. Dhruv Paranjpye states there is a virtual observatory in Italy that tracks asteroids and near earth objects in real time, which can help us find if there was a meteorite shower on February 6th, when the blast happened. If it is proven that Kamaraj was actually killed by a meteor, then that would be the rarest of rare deaths that happens once a century!
Discovery of Planet Nine or Planet X?
Source: Science Mag
Scientists have now discovered a new ninth planet. Excuse me, didn’t we learn that Pluto was the ninth planet in our schools? Sorry, science syllabus changed a decade ago! In 2006, the International Astronomical Union ruled that a planet must meet three conditions: it must be in orbit around the Sun; must be massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity; and finally it must have cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. Sadly Pluto didn’t meet the third condition and was demoted to be a dwarf planet.
Now a new candidate has emerged to take that position. Researchers led by Mike Brown at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the US have found evidence for a new object nicknamed “Planet X” deep in the solar system. This hypothetical Neptune-sized planet is predicted to orbit our sun in a highly elongated orbit far beyond Pluto. The object is estimated to have a mass about 10 times that of Earth and orbit about 20 times farther from the sun than Neptune. This planet may take around 10,000-20,000 Earth years to make one orbit around the sun!
However, Dhruv says this finding is still a theoretical prediction that needs to be confirmed with an actual photograph of the Planet X. These findings are based on mathematical modelling and computer simulations of analysing the orbits of other distant objects in detail. It is too early to say for certain that there is a ninth or tenth planet in the solar system, as it is yet to be discovered via telescope. Ironically, Mike Brown is the same Caltech researcher who discovered there are many asteroid-type objects in the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune, which led to the demotion of Pluto!
In 1999, Kala Ghoda Art Festival (KGAF), one of the largest cultural art fair, was inaugurated. And since its inception, the fest has gained popularity and attracted many visitors from around the country. Starting on the first Saturday of February every year, the fair is a nine-day-long affair that promises to satiate every artistic need.
Organised by the Kala Ghoda Association, the event was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis last week. The entry is free and the fest will have visual art performances, theatre, cinema, literature including children’s literature as a sub-section, heritage walks, workshops, and stalls selling eco-friendly, handmade arts and crafts wares. Further, the auditorium at National Gallery of Modern art, lawns, and auditoriums at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahlaya (CSMVS), the garden of David Sassoon library, Horniman Circle Gardens and surrounding areas will be thrown open to public during the fair. Meanwhile, areas like Rampart Row will remain closed until the festival gets over.
Source: Urban-India.net
In addition to this, there is also a three-day ‘Make in India’ cultural fest at Cross Maidan, also organized by the Kala Ghoda Association. Music and Dance events as part of ‘Make in India’ will be held from February 15 to 17. Plethora of other activities will also be taking place at the same time to keep the visitors entertained.
Bibliophiles paradise
Discussion on literature during Kala Ghoda Fest. Source: Flickr
This is the place to be, bibliophiles! From the book swapping event at David Sassoon Library to the launch of Kala Ghoda inspired books, this place is sure to bring the intellectual crowd to the fore. There is an infinite opportunity for the readers to engage in some soul-stirring activities while they attend the Hope Street Poets session. Further, perspectives will be put forth and visitors will be encouraged to converse in events like ‘Pride without Prejudice’ and ‘Agents of Preservation,’ moderated by Vrunda Pathare.
Cinema and Theatre
Source: IndiaTimes.com
KGAF has always been a wonderful stage for theater artistes and, this time, they have an amazing line-up like ‘tee,’ a Maharashtrian folk tale), ‘Salam Bombay’ and ‘See no Evil, Speak no Evil, Hear no Evil, Do no Evil’ among others. Also, movies like ‘Court’ (India’s official entry to the Oscar), ‘Island of Magic’ are some of the movies to be screened during the festival.
Dance and Music
Source: JourneyMart
The festival has a lot in store for music and dance lovers, for there will be a Kathak Recital by Prachee Shah, a fusion of classical and contemporary dance performances by the Dance club of IIT Bombay, and promotion of the movie, ‘Sanam Re,’ directed by Divya Khosla Kumar. On Sunday, around 800 visitors watched Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons giving a scintillating performance at Cross Maidan.
Feast on delicacies
This one is really a treat for food bloggers and food lovers, where they will have sessions on food styling and photography. Further, Maria Goretti is all set to launch her own book and showcase her skills during the session. The festival also has a trump card in the form of Sanjeev Kapoor, who is all set to take the spotlight using his culinary skills.
Stand-up comedy
The fest is set to witness laughter overdose with stalwarts like Kautuk Srivastav, Anirban Dasgupta, Abhishekh Upamanyu, Atul Khatri taking the centre-stage.
Kolkata – the ‘City of Joy.’ No, this is just not another name given to a city, for there lies a deeper meaning to it. You need to actually visit the city to experience some finer elements of life firsthand. The land that brought art cinema to India, that nurtured Odissi and Kathak dances, created the Bengal School of Art, owns tomes of literature in Bengali, gave birth to Rabindra Sangeet, and fashioned a unique cuisine that blended Oriental and Indian culinary styles, is no doubt regarded as the Cultural Capital of India!
Delving into its history, the erstwhile ‘Calcutta’ was the first capital of the East India Company or the British Raj. Therefore, the British impact can be seen all over the city, starting from the iconic Howrah Bridge to the famous New Market to the magnificent Victoria Memorial with its angel signalling the advent of the modern civilization from time immemorial. The city’s buildings portray a harmonious mix of British and Indo-Saracenic architectural motifs.
The word ‘Bengali’ evokes a lot of emotion and is synonymous with art, culture, food, music, cinema and everything connected to finer aspects of life. Truly as the famous saying goes, “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow!” a Bengali was considered an intellectual leader during the British Raj. However, decay set in after independence and the Bengali Bhadralok seems to be still stuck with reminiscing in the retrospective! In fact the various addas can be seen in the city’s coffee houses, city halls and libraries, where the so called “intellectual crowd” engaged in heated debate!
In the early years of the Indian Independence Struggle, being the capital of the British Raj, Calcutta was almost the ideological centre of the freedom movement and nationalist thought.
In the Bengal Renaissance, Calcutta served as the source of socio-religious throughout the Raj. Prominent names include Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the social reformer, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, of the Widows’ Remarriage Act, and Swami Vivekananda, a pioneer of Indian religious philosophy in the west. During the same period, Calcutta pretty much became the cultural centre of the Indian Subcontinent.
The city of Kolkata can be defined as an archive colonial heritage; a birthplace of great ideas, great minds, revolutionaries, and revolutions; a dense, convergent flux of diverse ethnicities. In this article, I try to highlight some main features of the city’s culture.
Like most cities, an essense of Kolkata’s diverse ethnicity can be assimilated from its neighbourhoods and localities. There’s Central Kolkata, the business district, which has the urban park in the city, there’s South Kolkata, which houses the city’s wealthy, and there are neighbourhoods like Dharmatala, which merge historic buildings with residential complexes.
But the most important, from the lens of ethnic cohabitation, is probably Bowbazar. The area resides Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Parsis, all in a harmonious and mutually respectful coexistence. Apart from the commonly seen places of worship, there is a Zoroastrian temple, a Buddhist temple, a Synagogue, and an Armenian Church. Bowbazar’s living is a lesson in tolerance for the world.
Kolkata houses an enviable number of historical buildings, most of which are still in use. A substantial number of structures were built during the colonial period and are follow the European style. An evolution can be noticed from those built in the eighteenth century, like Fort William, and those built during last decades of the British Rule, like the Victoria Memorial.
Despite the acceptable western influence, Kolkata was also able to develop its own distinct, or rather a fusion, architectural style. This can be seen in buildings like the Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Rabindranath Tagore’s childhood home, the old Asiatic Society building, and the mansions on Bishop Lefroy Road. There are also areas like the Salt Lake City, which were planned in the decades following the Independence, and house modern, 21st century residential buildings.
Kolkata has been active in Literary and artistic research from a long time. The town has seen the dawn of the literary movement in the middle of the 19th century, which has given birth to a cultural revival in India. Rabindranath Tagore, laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature from 1913, has been the best exponent of the movement and continues to be enriched by his exceptional originality in poetry, music, drama and painting. Bengali literature is also blessed by works of some excellent novelists such as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Manik Bandopadhyay, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Chetropadhyay and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhya and many more.
The cuisine of Kolkata is influenced by the Mughals, Armenians, Parsis and British, culturally literate as the cultural capital of the nation that paved the path for the Indian Renaissance. With regards to foods, Kolkata is more than simply “Roshogulla” and “Sondesh,” because the entire state of Bengal is filled by cuisine wonders. Perhaps that is why Kolkata is called the “City of Joy,” because what’s happier than being the home of one of the most delicious food in the whole country.
Music, Dance and Cinema
Courtesy – Satyajitray.org
In Bengali culture, music and dance play a major role. In Kolkata, Baul traditions are a unique legacy in Bengali folk music.There are also various other folk music categories, such Gajan, Kirtan, Bhawaiya and many more besides Baul. Rabindra Sangeet has been largely appreciated throughout the city. Apart from that, every year, several conferences have been organised since on classical Indian music. Kolkata is the home of numerous internationally acclaimed traditional dancers like Shri Uday Shankar, who adapted Western theatre method to traditional styles of dance. The city is also a pioneering film production centre in India. International acclaim was accquired by the unconventional, forward-looking directors Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen.
The Kolkata witnesses numerous festivals through out the year. The most prominent one is Durga puja following by Kali puja, Saraswati puja and others. Durga puja is the prominent celebration and one of the most famous in the city. The city of Durga puja is known all over the world for its 4 days grandeur celebration. The artistic pandals and idols of Goddess are the main attraction for local and international tourists.
Museums and libraries
Victoria Memorial Kolkata
Kolkata has more than 30 museums which span a wide range of fields. Founded in 1814, the Indian Museum is India’s oldest, with important holdings featuring archaeological and numismatic divisions. The exhibitions show British links with India in Victoria Memorial Hall. Amongst its treasures is the Asutosh Museum of Indian Art in the University of Calcutta. Science City was one of the first of its kind in Asia to be a big science museum and entertainment complex. The Asian Society of Bengal, the Bengalian Literary Society and the University of Calcutta contain valuable library collections. The national library is the largest in India.
In literature, arts, and music, Kolkata has nurtured India’s and world’s greatest minds. Rabindranath Tagore, the world renowned Nobel laureate, Abanindranath Tagore, of the Bengal School, and Satyajit Ray, the father of parallel Indian cinema- all belong to a unending list of Kolkata’s greats.
Author Bio – Harry Jack is professional blogger & Marketer who has contributed to some of the best publications. At present he is working at The Squander. Harry loves writing on world culture & Lifestyle.
Have you seen a rickshaw puller reading newspaper? One can easily state this “everyone in Kolkata is an intellectual!” When in doubt, check facts – Kolkata’s literacy rate of 87% far exceeds the all-India average of 74%. There is no doubt education plays a major role in the life of Bengalis and everyone is overqualified for their job; this is particularly true for government clerks and other civil servants!
Owing to Bengali renaissance that happened during the British Raj, literature and fine art blossomed in the city. Prestigious institutes such as the Presidency College, Jadavpur University, Indian Statistical Institute and the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta have been the leading lights of education. In fact, the University of Calcutta was the first modern university in South Asia founded in 1857, which boasts of four Nobel laureates Ronald Ross, Rabindranath Tagore, C. V. Raman and Amartya Sen. Now can any city in India beat that?
Kolkata is known as India’s first city of books. The city is a temple for creative pursuits, especially in the field of literature. This article presents ten facts about literature and books in Kolkata:
The Kolkata Book Fair
There is no greater testimony for the city being a book lover’s paradise than the ‘Kolkata Book Fair’, which traditionally begins on January 29 and continues till February 9. The twelve day book fair is attended by more than 2.5 million people every year. It is said to be the world’s biggest non-trade fair and also the most participated book fair in the world.
Celebrated Authors
The city has been blessed by authors with literary contributions that are unparalleled. Bengali literature is rich with the works of authors like Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Michael Madhusudan, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sukanta Bhattacharya, Buddhadeb Guha, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Manik Bandopadhyay, Amitav Ghosh, Mani Shankar Mukherjee, Nirad Chaudhury, Samaresh Majumdar, Satyajit Ray and many more.
Literary style
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is credited with simplifying and modernizing the Bengali prose. The ‘Bard of Bengal’ Rabindranath Tagore introduced colloquial language to Bengali literature, breaking away from traditional models that were based on Sanskrit language. His works, both poetry and prose, have been described as modern, mercurial, fresh, and sensitive. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay was an exponent who delved into the romance and complexities of the human mind, especially that of the female. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay painted the realistic picture of the rural Bengali landscape in his works. Authors in the 1950s and 60s were a new breed and gave a modern dimension to their work and wrote with contemporary touch. Academy Award winning director Satyajit Ray was also a proficient writer of books for children.
Notable books to read
Popular Bengali reads include Pather Panchali, Devdas, Anandmath, Choker Bali, Parineeta, Aranyak, Gitanjali, Abol Tabol, Lajja, and Chander Pahar.
Timeline of Bengali literature
Bengali literature can be divided into two periods – the medieval and the modern. The medieval era, dating back to the tenth century, included mystic and spiritual songs and hymns. Modern literature came into existence post after the eighteenth century.
Oldest Works of Bengali Literature
The collection of works comprising mystical poems is called ‘Charyapada’. It was written in Abahatta, the common language from which other languages like Bengali, Assamese, Oriya and Maithili originated.
Hungryalism
This is a path-breaking literary movement that took form in Kolkata. Hungryalists comprise of avant-garde writers who have challenged contemporary ideas in literature and culture, making significant contributions to the language, since the sixties. Some of the famous poets of this movement include Binoy Majumdar, Malay Roy Choudhury, Tridib Mitra, and Falguni Roy. Fiction writers attached to this movement include Basudeb Dasgupta, Malay Roy Choudhuary, Sandipan Chattopadhyay and Subimal Basak.
The Prakalpana Movement
This is also a literary revolution that spawned in Kolkata in 1969. It is a bilingual (Bengali and English) literary movement that included many avant-garde writers in its fold.
Ghost Themes
Apart from romance, drama, thrillers and erotica, Bengali literature also includes supernatural themes. Ghosts are a part of the Bengali folklore and find their mention even in modern Bengali literature, including books, TV shows, and movies. Such themes were often found in the works of top writers like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Sukumar Ray, and Satyajit Ray.
Book Shops
If you are a book lover and happen to visit Kolkata, you should not miss on some of the city’s best book shops that are never short of titles and themes that you are looking for. The honorable mentions are Earthcare Books, The Bengali Brigade, Oxford Bookstore, Chitpur Road Printing Presses, Foreign Publishers Agency, and Seagull Books. You can also check out many second-hand book stalls at Free School Street, College Street, and Golpark that offer rare books at incredibly low prices.
Being a confluence for all types of people from across the world, food in Kolkata truly a gastronomer’s delight. One can sense that Bengali cuisine has a unique blend of Oriental and Indian culinary styles. The special dishes that deserve mention are ‘Sorshe Mach’ – fish cooked in mustard and oil, ‘Paturi’ – boneless fish steamed and cooked in a leaf, ‘Luchi with Cholar Dal’ – puri with pulses and the finally the mesmerizing ‘Mishti Doi’ – sweetened curd and ‘Roshogolla’ (Rasgulla)! In addition, no Bengali meal is complete without the mention of ‘Aloo Posto’ – potato with Poppy seeds, which is indeed a delicacy.
Kolkatans are crazy about food and they have a knack of trying out new dishes and experimenting with new recipes. Among fast food, Rolls and Golguppas are an all-time favourite. The Kolkata version of the famed Biryani has an additional egg and a big chunk of potato. For deserts, we have the best sweet meat ever made and if anybody disagrees to that, make sure they have a bellyful of ‘Chanar Sandesh’ – sweet made from cottage cheese) or ‘Shor Bhaja’ – another milk-based sweet and seal it off with a plate of ‘Darbesh’ – Bengali style Laddoos.
A glass of wine is not a common sight in an Indian dining scene. Well, for a country where wine consumption 1/8000th of France, this seems to be about right. That doesn’t mean there is no wine culture here. Take a closer look and you will find a flourishing wine paradise in Nashik, by the name of Sula Vineyards, situated 180 km from Mumbai.
Nashik – the wine capital of India
Rajeev Samant, founder of Sula Vineyards, Image Wikimedia
In 1996, Rajeev Samant, a Standford graduate, established Sula vineyards on his family estate in Nashik after quitting his corporate job in San Francisco. After experimenting initially with teakwood and mangoes, Samant realised that Nashik has just the right soil and climate that could support the growth of wine grapes. He then decided to cultivate a few varieties of wine grape like Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc in his family estate of 30 acres. This started what could be called a wine revolution in India. It takes about 2 to 2.5 years to get the right coup of grapes and finally in the year 1999, he got what he wanted— a perfect harvest.
Next year, Sula entered the wine scene of India and today, the enterprise is a sprawling 1,800 acre of cultivation and Sula Wines is recognized for its quality, its brand, and has found a respectable position with wine connoisseurs.
Sula Wine Fest 2016
Source: MissMalini.com
Speaking of wine, I am reminded of the Sula Wine Fest, which will be back with its 9th edition this weekend. The event will feature over 100 international and national artists, more than 25 genres, 23 nations and more than 30 gourmet food and beverage options.
Moreover,bands like The Cat Empire, Kailasa,Balkan Beat Box,Dub Inc, Success, Made in Barcelona,Delhi 2 Dublin,Reggae Rajahs, Madboy/Mink, Tribal Flora, Rodney Branigan and Aqua Dominatrix will be there to enthrall the wine and music enthusiasts this time.
Further, a variety of other activities such as foot massages, tarot reading, and grape stomping are sure to make the event bigger and better this year.
Trip to Sula vineyard
A group of 9 friends, including two teetotalers, left Mumbai at 7:30 am. The journey was a nice one, for the sudden shift from Mumbai’s metro aura to the bare rustic feel of rural can be startling, but in a pleasant way. However, a piece of advice: The journey takes around 3.5 hours by road, and there are very few places, where you can stop by to have snacks after you hit the highway. Therefore, if at all you plan to travel to this place, ensure that you have had a hearty breakfast either before you leave or before you enter the NH3. Another pointer here is to only enjoy the local dishes like Pahe, wada pav, missal pav etc. Anything other than the local cuisine will be a surprise and not necessarily a pleasant one.
The vineyard
We made it there by 12 pm and what grabbed our attention was the gate, which had this huge human-sized wine bottle. As soon as we entered the vinery, we found the reception/information desk to our left and the subsidized Sula wine shop to our right. And when I say subsidized, I really mean it!
The vinery also has a huge, beautifully maintained garden as the front yard. Here is a concrete area in the front corner of the garden, where you can experience the grape stomping fun. The stale grapes are somewhat already stomped and are brought out in a wooden barrel and we had a 20-minute window to stomp the hell out of the grapes that will be later used for wine making.
Wine and cheese
The deck at Sula vinery is made for the wine enthusiast to have a delightful time. It overlooked the garden, creating a perfect setting and we ordered the flagship product Chenin Blanc and Sula Brut Rosé. Now, this deck is a melting pot of culture. You will always find an interesting company here. As luck would have it, we met a couple who had returned from Switzerland and had bought along different varieties of cheese. They sent a platter to every table and we had our first grownup experience with wine and cheese.
After that, the laughs came easier, the talks got candid and the evening became much less lucid. Around 4:30 pm, we decided to call it a day and head back to Mumbai. However, before that, we stopped by a shop and bought lots of classy wine at an affordable price, the lowest being at Rs300, just to keep the memorable experience of wine making close to our hearts!
Starting with a cup of strong beverage early morning, the daily schedule of 75% of working women spans an average of 8 to 10 hours spent at the office followed (and often preceded) by a series of household activities. Today’s women find themselves sandwiched between the target lists of their office and check-boxed functions as house-makers fixated on the label of a ‘mother,’ ‘wife’ or ‘daughter’. Such a hurried lifestyle results in various mental and physical health issues.
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What makes the issues of working women any different from that of working men? While we have settled on the fact that the intellectual capacities of a person cannot be determined solely on basis of their gender, answers to the question – ‘Who is the caretaker of the house?’ are still dipped in the waters of socially conditioned outlooks. Thus, working women walk on a tight rope hung in the air, oscillating between the deadlines of office work and demands of home.
The changes in our lifestyle brought about by urbanization, marked by a system of cabin-ridden jobs have arrived at such a rapid rate that our bodies have found it incapable of adapting to it. Lifestyle diseases refer to those set of medical conditions which arise due to bodily inadaptability to the changes in our ways of living. These changes include sedentary working conditions, maintaining a rigid body posture for a long time, imbalanced diet, disruption in sleeping cycles and lack of physical activity. The most common lifestyle diseases that women suffer from are: multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and depression. A recent study on health of working women (between the ages of 32 to 58 years) revealed that 78% suffer from lifestyle-related acute and chronic illnesses such as obesity, hypertension, backache, heart and kidney diseases.
Among working women, the following factors have formed the matrix of ill-health:
Physical activity: While the morning and afternoons are packed with household work and office tasks respectively, working women do not find adequate time for exercise. They also feel anxious about lack of family members to share household work in case they opted for gym or exercise regimes during evenings. The long-term consequence of insufficient exercise is cardiovascular issues, breast cancer and diabetes.
Diet: Over 40% of working women do not find time to have a healthy breakfast in the morning. They either skip the breakfast or grab a bite of fast food on their way. Both of these habits conclude in higher insulin resistance and greater weight gain. Without opportunities for sufficient physical activity, women resort to fad and crash diets (like Atkins diet, Caveman diet, Lemonade diet and Hollywood diet) which wind up in lethargy, weight irregularity, nutritional deficiencies and low muscle and bone health.
Source
Smoking and alcohol: It has also been found that number of working women who smoke has drastically increased and is associated with stress and fear of weight gain with quitting. The demands of networking in the office have brought the habit of drinking to women’s tables, coupled with the psychologically luring media tactics (like Bailey and Four Loco advertisements). The habits of smoking and alcohol have the following consequences in the long run: mouth and throat cancer, liver cancer and cardiovascular issues.
Source
Duration of sleep: Recent studies have found that working women only sleep about 4 to 5.5 hours daily on an average. With low amount of sleep, the brain doesn’t reach the threshold over which it (enters deep sleep and) can renew the body tissues, release necessary hormones and ready the body for next day of work. Over a period of time, low amount of sleep (less than 7.5 to 8 hours) results in obesity, diabetes and heart illness.
Dress code: The common dress code for women in corporate houses includes tight clothing that causes meralgia paresthetica, a case of numbness in the region below thighs due to constriction. Formal clothing is also manufactured with synthetic fabrics like nylon, polyester and rayon which could contain carcinogenic chemicals.
Medical check-ups: The best way to steer away the repercussions of a disorder is by the earliest diagnosis possible. Due to lack of regular health check-ups, many lifestyle diseases are caught only in advanced stages, which eliminates the path of prevention and cure.
Mind of Gaia: Depression and Unhappiness
While there is much talk of the increasing representation of women in the work-life, the substratum of happiness is still far for working women. Having gained financial independence, they find both the home and office as domains that do not support but challenge their opportunities of well-being.
At work: Around the world, women are roughly paid only 60 to 75% of what men earn for work. Called ‘unpaid care work,’ women spend twice to ten times the time taking care of children, the sick and elderly than men do. Further, most of the women face sexist treatment from their male counterparts during their office work time.
At home: That they work the same amount of time and labour as the male members of the family do does not stand as a reason for them to expect sharing household responsibilities. Fueled by the desire to abundantly care for their family and community, they find themselves tugged in war between the demands of their home and office.
These conditions generally produce serious mental illnesses over a period of time. While sexist treatment at office leads to low self-confidence and a negative body image, the demands of home fuel anxiety and isolation. Unable to seek help due to the fear of being accused of incapable of handling responsibilities, they wallow in their pain, which in extreme cases also culminates in suicide and other self-destructive behaviour.
Holistic Living
Image Source
The cure for lifestyle diseases is fundamentally rooted in changing our ways of living. While medicines might help to reduce the symptoms, the illnesses can be managed and their onset prevented by breaking unhealthy habits and letting our approach be well-being oriented than only bodily health.
Well-being emphasizes on holistic cure instead of pinning down the symptoms and providing transient solutions. The five aspects of well-being are:
Balanced diet (with special consideration in case of medical condition)
7 to 8 hours of regular sleep
45 minutes of moderate exercise every day: Exercise can include any activity that allows you leisure along with bodily activity – walking your dog, yoga and sports.
Comfortable clothing: While choosing office attire, go for natural fabrics like cotton, silk, hemp and wool.
Positive ways of coping with stress: Those who face issues of sharing household responsibilities must initiate dialogue with their families about the same and create a space where every member can contribute towards house-care. Pick up a hobby that allows you to unwind and allow it to detox your stress. This could involve singing, playing with children and participating in social causes.
What would Bollywood movies be without music? Ever thought about that? It is difficult, ain’t it? Songs are an integral part of the movies. So much that now even before the film’s release, it is the music that first gets the opportunity in determining the movie’s success rate at the box office. However, its journey has not been that easy. Over the years, it has refined itself only to suit the listeners’ taste in music. And this is evident right from the nasal songs of the 1940s to the pop songs of the 2000s. As Indian cinema has completed a century, it would be interesting to look back at the journey of Bollywood music.
In the 1930, Indian movies had found the ‘sound,’ in the movies. However, the concept of playback singing was still at some distance, for the actors in the movies were not just good looking but were also great good singers. In fact, the filmmakers were even ready to compromise on the ‘face value’ if the actor possessed exceptional singing qualities. Songs lacked versatility and ragas were the only major constituent of Bollywood music. However, even during the nascent stage, songs became an integral part of the industry with an average of more than eight songs per movie.
The 1940s saw playback singing gaining popularity. The music at this point belonged to different gharanas. Lyrics were laboriously prepared to suit the theme of the movie. One of the most prominent styles of this era was heavy thumri-style. Further, nasal singing paved the way ahead for Bollywood music and required certain energy and strenuous training, an art Hemant Kumar excelled at. Under this decade, Bollywood movie industry was gifted with singers like Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar, Mohd. Rafi, S D Burman and Madan Mohan.
1950s
Ina Mina Dika – Source: Wikipedia
The 1950s belonged to a new, independent and confident India. Ironically, till Britons were here, people detested western lifestyle. However, after they had left, youngsters started embracing their culture. Songs were soulful, free of complicated ragas and saw a rapid, wholesome development. Instruments like trumpet, guitar, harmonica, oboe and sax were adequately used in the movies. Rock rhythms, too, were introduced and lyrics were inspired by the western style. Numbers like Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo, Ina Mina Dika gained popularity. Music directors were the biggest beneficiaries of this trend. Each music director had their own favorite team of singers, orchestra, and even stars. Pairs like Shankar-Jaikishan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal gifted perfect blend of music to Bollywood.
Western music that started in the 50s touched new heights in this decade. The industry saw a liberal use of jazz and rock-n-roll as actor/singer Kishore Kumar and music composer R D Burman rose to popularity. During the mid of the decade, cabaret songs were introduced and was liked by many instantly. This decade also saw youngsters thronging discotheques like never before and songs were composed only suit the dance steps. Indian musical notes saw fewer buyers and lyrics started losing its meaning. Fast music, heart throbbing beats, and alluring tunes dominated the decade.
Similar to the 60s, this decade, too, continued making movies that were largely based on the gangsters and the underworld. But alongside, family drama too gained prominence. Cabaret music was still alive, however, was slowly being taken over by the simple, melodious songs. These songs often depicted love, romance, and longing and were quite different from the 40s and 50s in terms of hitting the intricate musical notes, altering voice pitches or heavy lyrics. Simplicity was the mantra of these songs. They were more melodious and often had a humming quality. As for fast songs, the beats were often overshadowed by the wavering pitch of voice, a signature style of RD Burman. Around the same time, disco music gained popularity. Equally popular was the newly introduced ‘yoodleedoo’ style of Kishore Kumar, a style that requires hitting uneven notes.
1980s
Babbar Subhash, Parvati Khan and Bappi Lahiri recording “Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja” 1981 – Wikimedia
It was in this decade that the trend of fast songs and cabaret style lost its sheen. Disco music did continue, but it was not all about the beats. Some melodious notes were perfectly blended to give it a nice texture, an art that was introduced and developed by Bappi Lahiri. The latter years of this decade saw music directors inclining more towards soft, simple music. The decade also saw the entry of new genre in soft music, thanks to the likes of Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan.
1990s
A R Rahman composing Source
The songs in this decade are remembered for their romantic lyrics. After a gap of few decades, the lyricists gained importance they once enjoyed. Romance and longing were the main themes of the music in the 90s. The Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman was instrumental in popularizing keyboard music in this era. While Bollywood bid goodbye to Cabaret songs, the audience continued to enjoy soulful music. Besides soft romantic music, pop song and remix, too, became a huge hit among the music enthusiasts. Meanwhile, new age contemporary ghazals were also introduced and singers like Pankaj Udhas and Jagjit Singh garnered a huge fan base. In fact, ghazals almost became an indivisible part of romantic movies.
2000s
Versatility and experiment are the best terms to describe this decade. The year 2000 is accentuated by several short-lived trends. Heavy lyrics and intricate musical notes were reintroduced in this decade, especially in period movies. Ghazals were presented in a separate album rather than using them in movies. Though starting of the decade saw the emergence of youth-oriented songs, its latter part was more inclined towards composing a mature music with a more settled aura. However, there were simply too many genres, experiments, and musicians to ascertain a particular influence. We can rightly say that it was an era when the music industry wanted to redefine itself thoroughly and experiment with different genres.
Have you seen a rickshaw puller reading newspaper? One can easily state this “everyone in 
