Tips for Eco-friendly Living for a Guilt Free Life

April 20, 2015

I’m definitely not the right person to talk about eco-friendly living or conscious consumerism, for my hands quickly go to my wallet when a beautiful pair of shoes catches my fancy.

However, I feel slightly less guilty as I try to make-up for the environmental damage I inflict with the other practices I have inculcated in my life over years. Yes, it takes years of practice and then it becomes a habit.

My eco-friendly and nomadic friends and living in the villages, jungles and mountains with the bare minimum, convinced me that we could all live a happy life with very little. It aided all my practices.

Here are some of the things I practice; I am prone to buying a pair of shoes and other extravagances that could just gather dust in a corner or on a loft; though, I’m making a gradual effort to get rid of this habit too. Remember “Sharing is caring” for the environment, so here I am sharing my best practices and tips for eco-friendly living:

Eco-friendly Banana Fiber Bag — Banana Fiber Bag

Never leave home without a water bottle and refill it at every opportunity. Thus, you are avoiding single-use plastic tumblers or buying mineral water bottles while on the move. This practice is not only comfortable, but also keeps you hydrated all day. More than 90% of the PET water bottles are not recycled and they take hundreds of years to decompose. Believe me; I have travelled for days without buying a single bottle of water and I have never had trouble in finding fresh drinking water to refill my bottle.
Carry an extra shopping bag in a handbag and avoid polythene covers while shopping. It’s not a bad idea to make a one-time investment and buy a trendy shopping bag. Moreover, a reusable cloth grocery bag could carry much more weight than an ordinary plastic cover. There are many alternatives to a plastic bag these days like jute, cotton, synthetic material, etc.
Avoid taking food parcels as they always involve using layers of plastic sheets, aluminium foils and plastic containers to make it leak-proof. Besides, walking up to a nearby place to eat would mean burning some calories and tasting the local food as well.
Although an obsolete item, especially for women, keep a handy handkerchief and avoid using serviette/tissues as much as possible.
Use bath-powder made of lentils and soapnut instead of chemical soap/shower gels. Where I come from it is called ‘Sunni pindi’ and you will find the recipe online. It is chemical free and acts as a gentle scrub. Use boiled Reetha water for hand wash, Hibiscus leaves for shampoo. You have no clue, how much plastic, chemicals, energy and your waste contribution you will reduce by doing this that would go towards the landfill. Furthermore, most of your skin and hair-related problems would be well under control.
Exchange your old books for new ones. There are many second-hand bookshops; Blossoms bookstore is one such store in Bangalore. Further, there are dime a dozen websites to sell/exchange your old or unused goods for something else you want.
Separate wet waste and make compost out of it and use it as manure for your kitchen garden. Growing your own food and using your own manure is happiness too!
If possible choose products that are in glass containers over plastic containers. Don’t use straws while drinking juice or coconut water? Try it, it is fun.
Change old incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs. That can bring down your power bill by 30-40%.
Travel everywhere with E-tickets. It’s hassle free. I can tell the trend is catching up , for my father took to it too!
Buy your own coffee mugs and skip the paper cup and the stirrer.
Turn off the lights, shut-down your laptops when not in use.
Pay bills online and stop paper statements. Don’t opt for a balance summary receipt when you draw cash from an ATM.
Never brush your teeth or shave with a running tap; instead use a mug. You will save up to 20 litres of water a day. Water is a precious commodity, more precious than gold.

SmallSteps foldable bag

As you may have already realized, it is a long list and you are probably aware of all these things yourself. Putting it in practice is not very difficult; if I can do it, everybody can do it.
The name of the game is to buy products that are durable, sustainable and recyclable. Living an eco-friendly life and being a conscious consumer is not only heroic and better for the planet, it is also better for your own health and that of your family.

These things may seem trivial, but small habits like these will go a long way and have a big impact. If each one of us influence at least one more person in developing these habits in his/her life, then we have made the difference. I have influenced my family and a few friends to a small extent; initially, they detested me and resisted the change, but now it has become their way of living and without regrets!

If you need some inspiration to get you started watch this: Story About Stuff

Today, on the eve of Earth Day, let’s pledge to make the slightest difference in our way of living to build a better planet!
Is there something you do you want to share? Be generous and share away.

Image sources –
SmallSteps foldable bag
www.smallsteps.in

Indian drivers – smart or just plain careless?

Caleidoscope

April 15, 2015

Author – Grace Cherian

How many of us have had a real driving test? I’ll answer that for you, none. When you enrol in a driving school, you’re given a month’s training of how to drive; you’ll be taught the basics, gears, brakes and such. After a month you’re supposed to give a test.

When I had to go for my driving test, I remember being all nerves and wondering whether I’ll pass. Imagine my surprise, when I got there and everyone told me, “Hey you don’t have to do anything, just turn the steering wheel and the rest is done by someone else accompanying you in the car”. That is precisely what I did! And I thought, what? That’s all?

In case you’re wondering, that is all you’re supposed to learn! Did you know us Indians are repeatedly ranked as some of the worst drivers in the world? One may wonder why. Take our driving tests for instance; we’re not taught anything worth learning and if you go to other countries, passing a driving test is equal to going to the moon. It’s that hard! In India, on the other hand, passing a driving test is equal to passing the fourth grade. Driving licenses can be obtained by paying bribes and driving tests can be aced if you know the instructor.

No wonder us Indians make such crappy drivers. Try driving on Indian roads once and you’ll know what I’m talking about. We get no proper formal training about how to manoeuvre roads, how to drive in a lane and how not to use the horn as a steering wheel. However, Indian drivers are clever. You mustn’t make the mistake of thinking that they don’t know squat about driving. If they sense even the tiniest bit of weakness, you’re done for. They’ll just swoosh right past you, give your car a little scrape and you’ll just be left to wonder about what just happened. A smart overtaking? That is another instance when you’ll probably be wiggling your car, questioning yourself whether to let him go or not? Tough choices, you know!

According to the reports, 118,000 people have died on our roads! God forbid you slow your car down for a while; you’ll be honked to death! Every time you take your car out on the road, it’s going to be a life or death experience. Not to mention the hordes of rickshaws, auto rickshaws, bicycles, scooters and many such automobiles that welcome you on the way. I’m not complaining about those, I guess that is what makes India so unique, you’ll find a bullock cart and a Mercedes on the same road. But there must be something we can do to combat this reckless driving issue so that the vehicles are driven in harmony, and not crashing each other down.

Instead of passing on the blame, we can concentrate more on how to improve our own driving. No single person can make a difference but if we all put in a little bit of effort together, I think there’s a chance for a lot of improvement. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy biking. Keeps me on my toes!

Factfile –
Image Source – pexels.com

Shweta Bhattad buries herself for farmers’ cause

Levine Lawrence

April 14, 2015

“Art for art’s sake” is a slogan we often hear that is raised in defiance of those who think the value of art is to serve for some moral or social purpose. But today, fine art has become such a commercial venture that it is hard to find anyone who uses art for social causes. Art fairs and festivals bring together art connoisseurs and artists and millions worth of artworks are sold both online and in galleries.

In such a situation, I was surprised to find an artist and a voluntary organisation totally dedicated to the cause of art for social activism. However, to what extent can anyone take this “art for social causes” thing? How about getting into a coffin and be buried… That is exactly what a young artist in Pune did!

Shweta Bhattad is a young artist based in Nagpur who graduated from the MS University of Baroda with a masters in sculpture. She participated in a two-week long art exchange program hosted by “Khoj International Art Residency” and “Good Artists of Pune” in Pune. Around 20 Artists from India and abroad, participated in the event, which was all about art exchange and discussions about different art practices. On the ultimate day on 1 March 2015, participating artists displayed their art works in TIFA building.

Over the last three years, Shweta Bhattad has been working with farmers and villagers through a community art project named “Farmers Haat“. This project brings together likeminded people who are concerned about poor Indian farmers and ensure that they have direct interactions with them. These likeminded people are students from medical and engineering colleges, working professionals from NGOs, individuals, and artists who believe in the concept of working with farmers in their own ways.

Farmers Haat proposes to directly connect farmers with consumers to sell their produce. The basic idea was that if concerned people working in fragments can come together on a single platform and initiate “Farmers Haat”, then there can be a sustainable farmers market, where farmers come together interact and connect directly to consumers. Shweta Bhattad brought together likeminded people in such a place where artists can paint-sculpt-perform, musicians play music and people from different fields contribute in their own ways, so that it became a vibrant and sustainable community space.

Under the Farmers Haat banner, Shweta performed this daring act of being buried underground in a coffin in order to highlight the present dire situation faced by Indian farmers. Dressed in pure white saree, she was buried in a wooden coffin 2 feet underground for three hours, where she wrote continuously writing ‘Vishwas’ (faith).

Her act was with the belief that if a few of us are concerned and sensitive about social issues and if “we” come together, discuss, decide and act, then we can change such situations for better. For those who are concerned about Shweta being buried alive, she was continuously under CCTV observation by a doctor, who was helping her with a small air inlet through an oxygen cylinder.

Shweta Bhattad’s daring act has surely brought the issue exploitation of marginal farmers and has awakened us urbanites to realise the food we eat is grown by them under dire conditions. Due to this awareness campaign, there are groups of people in Pune, who wants to take this idea further and initiate weekly “Farmers Haat” to sell organic food.

Shweta is also involved in another art initiative “Gram Art Project”, which invites artists, and working professionals to join in a movement for rural life improvement upliftment of the underprivileged. It is currently working on open defecation & eco sanitation.

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Factfile –
Image sources & courtesy –
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Farmers-Haat/807274049347040?pnref=story
http://www.greenecosystem.in/blog/?p=97

The New Real Opportunity – Virtual Internships

Keerthana Muralidhar

April 8, 2015

Internship is a great opportunity for students to gain work experience and learn more about their chosen field of study. However, with so many students and graduates emerging from colleges across the world, how can companies accommodate all these students in order to give them a practical short-term experience before the students enter the real profession? Virtual internship presents a delightful solution to this problem.

A virtual internship consists of gaining work experience without physically being at the company headquarters. Virtual interns utilize technology such as web or teleconferencing, email, cloud software, and Google drive to complete tasks and assignments. This type of position is new to the marketplace, but with a growing demand for interns, it is quickly becoming a means for current college students or recent graduates to balance their busy lives and still gain practical knowledge.

Virtual Internships started becoming popular in the western world in early 21st Century, and now this has become an emerging trend in India as well. Companies directly recruit interns and also join hands with websites like Twenty19, Internshala, etc., which help them find interns who are interested in the field of work in which they require man power. The interns are trained in the work online itself, and their work is submitted through the virtual medium. Most of the companies pay a stipend to these interns, along with an experience certificate that could add value to the interns resume.

Vaibhav Kaley, CEO of Wondergrass states “Typically internships are sought by students to work in premier organizations. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) like ours hardly have any takers for mainly two reasons. One, we cannot afford to pay a sizeable stipend and second, we do not have additional resources to train the students. However, on the other side, large organizations get too many applications from students across India, whom they have no time to neither train nor assign a job of any importance.”

Sujit Hemadri of Urbanbinge.com feels that another major attraction for interns to join SMEs is to add value on important projects, which they otherwise wouldn’t have got an opportunity. SMEs, he states, utilize the skills of talented interns who want to take pilot projects and deliver them in 2-3 months. Sujit Hemadri adds, “This way an internship benefits both the parties – companies get fresh hands with interest to work on new projects, while students get to showcase their project work on their CVs.”

One might doubt how trustworthy is the new web media, when it comes to gaining a practical experience from a student’s perspective or how accountable would the interns be from the perspective of a company hiring interns. However, virtual internships are a boon to the Gen N as their benefits outnumber their drawbacks.

Their major benefits include:

Flexible Schedule: Being a virtual intern gives you the opportunity to manage a work schedule around the time slots that work best for you. This works perfectly for students who are looking for work experience, but have additional commitments i.e. student organizations, part-time jobs…homework.
Location & Time Management: Most virtual internships require only an internet connection to work, so you can set up shop anywhere.
Broaden Your Network: Since the freedom of a virtual internship can allow someone living in India to work for a company abroad. Participants have the opportunity to network with a whole new spectrum of professionals in their field.
Practical Experience: All internships give students hands on experience outside of the classroom setting. Being a virtual intern is no exception. Interns can work on multiple projects and learn how to be part of a virtual team. The experience teaches students how to overcome challenges like working with limited communication and with time change elements.
Ability to work under limited supervision: Not having constant supervision gives students the opportunity to learn how to be self-motivators and how to achieve deadlines without micromanagement. It also causes students to be more aware of the work they turn in because they need to meet deadlines and have to deal with the challenge of not being able to constantly be in touch with their superiors.

Divya Rocha, a final year student of Mass Communication in Hyderabad says “An online internship is perhaps the best for those who want professional hands on experience and at the same time need a more flexible timing and work culture.” She feels that as a creative person, ideas come best when one is in the most comfortable environment. Divya, who took up a virtual internship in Global Information Services, states with the world going viral through internet, her online internship has equipped her with the most crucial skills required in today’s corporate world.

From my very own experience of being a virtual intern, I would say that this new trend of virtual internships is like stepping stones to a good career for students today. Isn’t it cool to learn something new, gain experience for a better tomorrow in sweatpants and shabby hair at one’s own home?
Factfile –
Image sources – USDA Flickr

Memoirs of a Jackfruit

Neeraja Sundar

April 6, 2015

I’m curvy and I like it. I’m also big and green. My skin is not smooth but it is useful. I’m a hard nut to crack, well, literally not a nut. I’m the perfect example that beauty is just skin deep. But once you get past the exterior, I am absolutely delicious. Yes, I’m the Jackfruit.

I live in my hometown, South India particularly the Western Ghats region. Reflecting Indian culture, I live in a huge joint family with my parents, uncles and siblings. We also have second and third cousins who have settled abroad, i.e. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries. Occasionally, we do have get-togethers.

Annual ceremonies for the ancestors require only Indian fruits and vegetables to be used. And being the rare fruit that we are, our demand is high. So the twitchy restless cousin, who is dying to explore the world, trotted off eagerly. He has never once called to let us know how life is outside the tree. We got our information from other sources. We know that he would hang out with the fruits like mangoes and bananas, which would also grace the ceremony. Apparently we are liked best during the summer and autumn seasons. Our sweetness is at its peak anytime during March and September depending on the rains and our health.

Kerala is our home state and Keralites are so proud of their ‘Chakka’ that we have been crowned as the “fruit of the state”. The Malayalam New Year, Vishu begins with our auspicious presence right before a mirror. I shouldn’t say so myself, but I looked good. The day began with people looking at themselves and then at us. Their eyes flickered to me briefly before fastening on the ‘king of fruits’. I really hate Mango. He steals my thunder.

A brother of mine is of the harder variety with larger flesh, while I’m femininely delicate with soft flesh. My brother shrugs off his thick green coat ready to dive into the next phase of our adventure. Since there is so much of him, he decided to try different things. He felt that the seeds were weighing him down, so he shed them. Part of him leapt into the pan of oil and swam leisurely till he became crisp and red. Then he pulled himself out and rolled onto a mixture of salt and chilli powder. The chilli powder tickled his nose. ‘Achooo!!!’ The chips were ready.

Raw Chakka can be cooked as a curry to be eaten with rice. I got to meet the red chillies. But, remembering my brother’s experience, I kept my distance. The coconut, onion and curry leaves seemed nice enough. But onion suddenly started weeping. My brother, the gallant man that he is, leapt to comfort her as did coconut and the others. They ended up in a hot pan and had a good time as they became Idichakkai Thoran. Then we met jaggery and coconut milk. The rest of my brother frolicked with them and they ended up a pudding ‘Chakka Pradaman’.

Later, it was my turn. I too shed my green coat and seeds looking for something new to do. The seeds decided to gallivant in the sun. They acquired a fairly good ‘tan’. I heard that they taste really delicious after they dance on the hot charcoal. I segregated my bulbs and urged a portion to dive inside a bowl of sugary syrup. The bulbs dawdled in there before leaping into a tin. The next set of bulbs didn’t have that much of a sweet tooth. They preferred to dip in oil with salt and chillies. So I let them be pickles. Assured of a long life, I knew they both would go places.

Who doesn’t love jam or ice cream? I just found out that I can be both. Dividing the rest of the bulbs, I sent half of them to mingle with dry ginger and cardamom to create ChakkaVaratti. Since I am health conscious and ‘diabetically’ sweet on my own, I prefer to fraternize with jaggery. The rest of them decided to live in the refrigerator as ice cream. Ripe or raw, seed or flesh, I’m useful. My family home (the tree) too, has its uses in making furniture and musical instruments.

This summer, my brother and I got the chance to go on the world tour. Stuffed with the nutrients and appropriate sweetness, we jumped into the vendor’s cart. James Joseph, a hot-blooded young Malayali man with impeccable taste for the finer things in life has launched a brand, “JackFruit365” that would revive jackfruit in our own backyard of south India. Working as a software professional, Joseph saw ripe jackfruits abandoned on the roadsides during a visit to his hometown Ernakulam. That’s when the idea struck him.

Thanks to JackFruit365, lovers of the seasonal fruit can now buy freeze-dried jackfruit as well as a variety of dishes made from it – from pies to payasam– 365 days a year. The world has become our oyster! The Clark Kent in me has found her superpowers. After the disguise in me had been unveiled, I emerged as the Super Chakka, and not just in one avatar. Now, the various ‘MEs’ have been well packed into little cans and I’m off to America. Ta-Ta!!
Factfile –
http://www.livemint.com

Image Source
http://commons.wikimedia.org

Get Rid Of Pests From Your Business As Fast As Possible

Caleidoscope

April 1, 2015

Pests and rodents can be a significant problem for everybody. However, this is especially true when it comes to businesses for a variety of different reasons. Because of that, the majority of business owners will aim to get rid of them as soon as possible. While many may try to get rid of the infestation themselves, this could be a mistake. This is primarily because using sprays and other DIY pest removal methods may prove to be ineffectual and may result in your pest and rodent problem becoming worse relatively quickly.

However, there are quite a considerable amount of high-quality pest removal companies, such as Moxie Services, that are able to remove the infestation quickly and easily. Furthermore, the vast majority of these companies are much more affordable than many business owners might think. Price is often one of the more significant reasons why businesses might try to avoid using an exterminator. With their affordability, however, this doesn’t have to be an issue.

On top of this, there are quite a few other reasons why any company should consider hiring a pest exterminator as soon as they find an infestation.

Meet Health Codes

Hygiene and health codes are often the most important reason why many entrepreneurs will want to get rid of an infestation. This is especially true when it comes to the likes of hospitals and restaurants, among others, which can often be restricted by a variety of rules and regulations dictating their cleanliness. While some DIY methods may be effective in getting rid of the pests, this isn’t always the case. However, an exterminator will be able to get rid of the infestation much more efficiently than a business owner would on their own.

As health inspectors may visit your business at any time, it can be vital to ensure that your company gets rid of this infestation as soon as you find one. Exterminators are often the quickest way to do so while also being effective. As a result, they can often be the safest way of maintaining a healthy work atmosphere and ensuring that your business meets all relevant health codes.

There’s also the fact that your company’s reputation may take quite a hit should customers find out that you have a pest infestation. This is especially true when it comes to the likes of restaurants, although it can affect almost every type of business. As a result, getting rid of these pests as early as possible is the best way to prevent this damage to your brand.

Prevent Damage To Your Premises

Pests and rodents can cause a significant amount of damage to a building, especially when allowed to grow. This can be across the entire building and affect a few vital areas, including the likes of your wiring, plumbing, and much more. As a result, should the infestation not be treated quickly and effectively, then they can cause a considerable amount of damage that may cost a significant amount of money to repair once you’ve gotten rid of the infestation. Because of that, it can be somewhat of an investment to hire an exterminator and get rid of these pests and rodents as soon as possible.

Because of each of these reasons, it can often be much more beneficial to hire an exterminator than it would be to try to get rid of an infestation by yourself. There’s also the fact that if an infestation gets large enough, it can end up closing your business until it’s dealt with. This is especially true if the relevant health authorities become aware of it. This can often result in a significant amount of lost revenue during the time that your company is closed. The most efficient way around this is to hire an exterminator. This will also ensure that the chances of an infestation coming back is significantly reduced.

This can also mean that you should put a considerable amount of effort into preventing pests from coming into your business in the first place. One of the primary ways of doing so is by ensuring that your business is as clean as possible. By maintaining a high level of hygiene, the chances of pests or rodents being attracted to your premises are significantly reduced. As such, you may end up in a position where you shouldn’t need to hire an exterminator.

Can Mandatory Sex Education Ensure Child Safety?

Sreesvarna B

April 1, 2015

Sex-Education-India — Image courtesy – forcechange.com

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2015: The Sustainable & Social Impact Investing Conference:
www.gtqinternational.com

Most fairy tales end with a kiss and a ‘happily ever after’. Stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna Leela are narrated as bed-time stories to kids. We let kids watch inappropriate movies but hesitate to spend a minute to explain rights and wrongs.

Every day we find newspapers and television covered with news of a two-year-old or a four-year-old falling victim to the wicked fox. Most of the culprits turn out to be a known person to the child’s family. When this is the case, don’t you think it could have been avoided?

A child’s first teachers are her parents. In the present scenario, it becomes important for them to teach their child about the right touch and the wrong touch. They must teach the child to shout if the child feels a stranger’s touch is uncomfortable, hurting and scary. Parents will have to spend time with their child and tell their child that anything that happens when they are not around must be brought to their notice. They must build trust with their child and convince them that nothing needs to be hidden from them.

Children forever remember what is taught to them at an early age. When we teach them everything that we expect them to remember and follow for the rest of their lives, must not the basics of protecting themselves from sexual abuse be initiated at the same time?

Seeing parents fight, dad beating mom telling her to limit herself within the walls of the kitchen, the children will treat those who come into their lives later in the same way. Respecting a woman and treating her equal to men also comes under this larger topic of sex education. If a child learns this, he or she won’t commit crime later.

It is pleasing to see the media spreading awareness about this. “Young World”, a magazine brought out by The Hindu newspaper for children, publishes articles about the safety of a child. The front page of the magazine once in a while carries articles calling out to parents, showing them the various means of addressing this topic. Our good old Doordarshan has also taken a brave step to showcase the issue as a short documentary or advertisements.

Home is the first school for a child. Therefore like every other fact, a child must learn about sex (baby steps for their own safety) at an early age. If this is not done the child will learn it later from a wrong or a corrupt source. We don’t want the coming generation to live with scars and fears; we want every child to be a princess or a prince and not a victim of assault, so let’s take the initiative to help keep them safe.

Pest Infestation Damages To Your House’s Architecture

Caleidoscope

March 31, 2015

One of the most satisfying things in the world for an architecture lover is to build a family and share the wonderful world of art to their kids. Sharing something you love to your children and teaching them how to appreciate art is a unique experience. There’s no better example than creating a house full of artistic designs.

A house serves as a shelter for harsh elements of nature and a comfort zone for each member of the family. It is also one of the things that are able to capture the culture and the art of one place at a certain time. A home equipped with beautiful designs will be memorable to all the people who visit it. A good architectural design will also enable the house to withstand weather conditions and unexpected disasters. And last but not least, it will be a place of relaxation after a long day of hard work.

However, pests will not even care about your house’s great architecture design. During harsh conditions, they will enter your home, pillage some of your stored food, and even destroy your property. If you live in San Diego and you have a pest infestation in your home, you should consider contacting Joshua’s Pest Control at https://joshuaspestcontrol.com/locations/san-diego/ and let the professionals address your pest problems.

Most Common Pest Damages In A Property

1. Damages in the structure of the house

If you have an old house, especially if it is made with wooden materials, one of your most challenging opponents might be rats and mice chewing the structure of your house. A rat or mice can easily bore a hole in a wooden structure. This serves as entryways for them and other pests like cockroaches and ants.

This will not only affect the structural integrity of your home, but it can also become a huge money pit because of repairs. Rats and mice are not the only enemies. Termites and other wood pests will also cause your house more repairs.

2. Damages in the electrical system

Rats and mice can also destroy electrical circuits and wires by gnawing on the insulation around the cord. This is one of the greatest dangers in having a pest infestation in your home. It can increase the risk of accidental shocks when someone accidentally touches the exposed area. It also increases the risk of setting fire to the whole house, not to mention that electrical damages will require expensive repairs.

3. Damages to electronics and appliances

There are pests that are small enough to enter the holes in your electronics and appliances. Cockroaches can enter your TVs or other appliances. Their droppings and urine might damage the appliances and electronics beyond repair, and we all know that electronics and appliances are not cheap.

Another example is when ants are destroying your laptop via spaces in the keyboard. There is a possibility of them making a nest inside, which can destroy your device. If you have a lot of appliances and devices at home, and especially if you have IoT devices, you might want to have another layer of protection against pests.

4. Damages to your documents and books

Damage in a library is one of the most devastating when it comes to pest infestation. Rats, mice, and termites will have no problem in tearing a shelf down. The damages will be even more devastating when the documents that are destroyed are important and might be unreplaceable or are hard to acquire again. Examples include land titles, birth certificates, receipts stored for tax purposes, and more.

5. Damages in other household objects

Pests can also damage other house objects such as bags, shoes, clothes, and mattresses. It would also be dangerous if you have a toddler at home. Make sure that his or her toys will be well-stored to avoid contamination due to pest contacts.

When To Call A Pest Control Professional?

There are DIY remedies that are effective and available but only on a small scale. If you see a pest in your home, it is probably the time to seek help from a pest control professional. Don’t wait until there is more damage before acting and facing the problem. Call the nearest pest control services if you’re already experiencing property damage.

The Cost of Death – Hindu Funeral Rites

Manu Mukundan

March 30, 2015

Author – Manu Mukundan

‘Death’ is a dreadful word for Indians despite our scriptures enlightening us that it is just a ritual of our body passing through from life to another. Be it Munshi Premchand’s famous novel ‘Godaan’ or Bollywood movies, a death and the cost associated with it, is shown in a grim and often pitiful way. From helpless heroines with no one to help them with the funerals of their loved ones, to families that are plunged into debt, Bollywood has most often used this grim side of death.

Even though, most of it is true, I would like to explore the costs associated with death, and a world that thrives on after death rituals in the Hindu community, to which I belong. The poor along with the rich tend to be rather lavish when it comes to matters associated with death. This can be attributed to our staunch belief in afterlife and to the need for honoring the dead, both of which are basic elements of Indian society. After all, no one wants to hinder the soul of a departed from achieving ‘Moksha’ ¬– eternal peace.

Hindus are a class of people who have delved deeper into death’s spiritual nature. Each caste in the Hindu community has a vast array of rituals associated with death. Since, Hindus believe in the afterlife and reincarnation of the spirit, their Hindu funeral rites have a deep spiritual meaning. One of the major pre-death rituals is the ‘Godaan’, in which a person lying in his death bed donates a cow or its monetary value to a Brahmin. The fear of afterlife compel even a poor farmer to conform to this Brahmanic tradition. Renowned social reformer Jyotirao Phule criticized these rituals that they are a ploy by the social elite to give prominence to Brahmins and ensure their religious superiority.

In early days, Hindus used to burn the corpse of the deceased in a funeral pyre in the vicinity of their home. As the urban society grew, increasing objections from neighbours and lack of proper infrastructure, made Hindus to rely heavily on private crematoriums. Such crematoriums are typically located next to a river or a lake so that later the ashes can be immersed in the water body.

In Kerala, the banks of the river Bharatapuzha has evolved into a hotspot of such centres, private cremation centres that cater to the needs of the ever busy Keralite. These cremation centres offer all services related to a Hindu funeral, charge anywhere from Rs.1,000-10,000, and have the capability to cremate 10-15 corpses at the same time. Even though electric cremation centres run by local governing bodies offer the same service at prices like Rs.500, religious superstition and prejudice, have inhibited their widespread use. Hindus believe that the spirit is liberated only when the skull is broken, and since this is not done in the electric cremation centres Hindus are reluctant to use them.

Thus traditional crematoriums have become a highly profitable business with very low investment.
‘Dakshina’, is a word which one will hear a lot as he goes through after death rituals, and is money that a relative pays as gratitude for a service, mostly out of fear than gratitude. Most funeral directors receive Dakshinas that average between Rs.500-1000. The bones and ash collecting ceremony three days after cremation also requires another round of Dakshina. There have been instances where funeral directors have refused to release the mortal remains without prior payment of Dakshina. They claim that the deceased’s soul will not be liberated if they are not satisfied.

The next step where Dakshina pays a crucial role is Pindadaanam. Some famous centres where Keralites throng for Pindadaanam are Thirunelli, Thirunavaaya and Panchavadi. The fee charged by these temples for Pindadaanam is quite low, but here too Dakshina plays an important role. The road leading to the famous Tirunavaya temple is lined with posh, two storey homes of Ilayads and Brahmins, who supervise the Pindadaanam. This priesthood receives a modest payment from the temple authorities besides the Dakshina. Most people claim that their prosperity is a direct result of the Dakshina they receive. Due to fear of divine repercussions, Dakshina-a purely voluntary payment has now become compulsory. It is this fear of Divine repercussion that compels an already indebted family to borrow more and pay off the Brahmins, even at the peril of endangering their own financial future.

While this religious custom has become big business, we cannot solely blame the malignant section of our religious elite for exploiting the common man. For them, the common man’s financial and emotional conditions do not matter as long as they receive their cut of divine payment. It is our ignorance and blind beliefs that lead to such exploitation. This is a country where the government’s primary space agency takes replicas of spacecraft for blessings and to seek divine intervention. This blatant display of superstition at India’s premier temple of science is an example of how deep religious superstitions are entrenched in our society. Unless we get rid of this parasite that has attached itself to our society, it can never attain a wholesome evolution.

Factfile –
http://www.livemint.com
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
http://www.firstpost.com
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Image sources & courtesy –
Pradeep Parangath
Wikimedia Commons

Indian Cricket Fans and the World Cup Down Under

Caleidoscope

March 25, 2015

Author – Hemal Mehta

As an Indian living in Melbourne – Australia, I have witnessed too many sporting events in the last one-year. After all, Melbourne is called the sporting capital of the world and every month there will be one sporting event that takes over the city. Unfortunately, as an Indian, the only local sporting events in which I can cheer the Indian Team are perhaps ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and Australian Open to a certain extent.

Thus, the very thought of watching the Indian cricket team play World Cup here, was super exciting for all the Indians. Perhaps, the Indian Australians were even more excited than the local Australians. Cricket is a religion in India, but in Australia it is just another sport. In a country where they have invented a local sport – ‘Footy’ (with its own league matches) and where they have teams acing almost all sports, cricket is just another sport. As a matter of fact, even though Australia is the host nation for the World Cup, the local free to air TV channels do not broadcast all the matches. Only matches that have the Australian team playing are shown on free to air TV! That’s Australia for you!

Indians at the stadiums: Act 1

India’s first match was against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval. Adelaide is a much smaller city compared to other state capitals in Australia and is not even a big tourist destination. However, that really didn’t stop Indian and Pakistani cricket fans from taking an eight-hour road trip to Adelaide from Melbourne. It was a sold out match and the Indian cricket fans were just gearing up!

The next match was against South Africa at the legendary Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). I call it legendary because it is the biggest cricket stadium in the world, and the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere. It is an intimidating stadium, especially if you are not playing in front of your home crowd. Luckily for the Indian Cricket Team, there are many Indians in Australia. No matter which stadium they play at, they can be assured that fans will buy the tickets to watch them. This has not been the case for many other teams. As you may have noticed, most stadiums were rather deserted.

Coming back to the MCG, in a stadium that huge, you would expect a sea of fans supporting both teams. However, MCG was literally coloured in Blue. In a near-record crowd of 86,876, there were barely a few hundred South African supporters. It felt like watching a match at Wankhede Stadium. There was cheering in Hindi, people playing ‘dhols’, thousands of Indian flags, fans in ‘desi’ attires, Indian food trucks etc. The experience was thrilling. It was a Sunday and it was like a picnic for many Indian families. The crowd was loud, but well behaved. The energy in the stadium was unbeaten and it was an experience of a lifetime!

Indians at the stadiums: Act 2

The next game India played at the MCG, was the quarterfinals against Bangladesh. Whether it was the excitement of making it to this level or the winning streak India had, the Indian supporters definitely seemed to be on some sort of high. One of my Bangladeshi friends watched the match in the stadium and was disgusted by the whole experience. Mind it, it was not because her team had just lost. It was because of the way Indians made her feel during the match. She concluded that Indians had no common sense, respect or decency towards anybody around them. They curse in public and can even go to the extent of being rude to others while cheering the Indian Team. She was not the only one who complained that night.

Another Indian friend of mine shared his weird experience as well. A group of Indians in front of him constantly booed the Bangladeshi supporters and bullied them by literally showing them the ‘middle finger’. Fortunately, MCG has a strict policy against harassment and bullying. After a quick complaint from the Bangladeshi fans, the Indians were cuffed and escorted out of the stadium. My friend recalls it as being embarrassing and shameful.

I even read comments online from cricket fans that insist tickets should be rationalised country wise. They feel Indian supporters overpower every venue and it is just not fair for the other teams. It seems Indian cricket fans have rubbed other cricket fans on the wrong side.

Australian Indians – the world outside cricket

If I had to be completely honest, I confess that I feel shameful for the way Australian Indians behave during cricket matches. There have been reports of arrests not just at the stadiums but also at sports bars wherein Indians get into fights and break furniture while watching the matches. It may seem stupid or irrelevant or normal for Indians to get excited during cricket matches, but that’s not how the world rolls here. Australia is a highly multicultural society and the smallest of actions can seem racist. Every individual is skeptical about people from other races, and incidents like these just strengthen their negative bias towards Indians. It really does not matter how well the Indian Cricket Team plays, if a handful of Indian supporters play fowl – Indians across the globe lose anyway!

Image sources & courtesy – Hemal Mehta

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