Bringing Hijab Fashion Under Sustainable Scrutiny

June 26, 2017

Author – Sarah Ghanem

There is no doubt Hijab has been the most controversial cultural issue around the world over the last one decade. Ban on hijab, niqab or burkha across many countries and the fallout afterwards have been discussed on media every other day. While Muslims see Hijab as a symbol of modesty and freedom to practice one’s religion, others see it as oppression for women.

For those who don’t know the difference, a hijab is a headscarf worn by Muslim women that covers the head and neck, but leaves the face clear. Niqab is a veil for the face worn with an accompanying headscarf that leaves the area around the eyes clear. Burkha is the most concealing one-piece veil that completely covers the face and body, and leaves just a mesh screen for the eyes to see through.

Despite the ban and the controversy surrounding it, Hijab fashion is rising across the globe. The fast fashion segment is ruled by global brands such as H&M, Zara and Uniqlo, who offer affordable, trendy clothes that change as fast as the weather. While it took them forever to be more inclusive, but lately they are adding plus-size collections and modest hijab wear in their repertoire.

H&M’s decision to feature Mariah Idrissi in their campaign and Uniqlo’s collaboration with Hana Tajima opened many affordable options to hijab-wearing, fashion-forward women globally. And why wouldn’t they? Investing in modest wear is an asset in the long run; Muslim consumers spent an estimated $230bn on clothing in FY2016.

The problem with fast fashion

With each change of fashion season, fashion-conscious women are seen flocking to apparel retailers and department stores to get the newest trends. Following latest trends of hijab fashion season after season is expensive.

This is where fast fashion comes in: trendy clothing items are sold cheap, so that consumers would not mind wearing them for a short period of time before moving on to the next seasonal item. Although this ‘out with the old, in with the new’ mantra is kind to one’s purse, it comes at a huge human, social and environmental costs. Garment workers in third-world countries, are often exploited and paid poorly. To make matters worse, they are often working in less-than-ideal conditions. Although fast fashion is not entirely to blame, 20% of industrial water pollution originates from dyeing and treating fabric, which makes the clothing manufacturing industry the second highest pollutant of water around the world.

Islam and sustainable fashion

With their enormous spending power, one would think Muslim consumers would be at the forefront of putting the hijab fashion under sustainable scrutiny. Although it is not forbidden to want to look beautiful, one must remember that living an ethical life is encouraged in Islam; this includes avoiding wastefulness and oppression. Therefore, even though the act of buying clothes is permissible, buying clothes that we do not need from a retailer that is known to oppress its workers is not ethically equal.

However, not all of us have easy access to sustainable fashion brands. What can we do then? Changing our consumer habits and attitude towards new fashion pieces is the first important step to take. Purchasing a better quality hijab, at a slightly higher price, will allow us to get more wear out of it because they will last longer. One could also opt to purchase clothes made from reused and recycled materials such as this hijab made from recycled plastic bottles.

It’s cool to be green

More brands, designers and influencers are taking a stance at working towards a more ethical and innovative way to produce clothing. If one thinks wearing a hijab made out of recycled plastic bottle will be an uncomfortable experience, Emma Watson will beg to differ. She rocked a dress and a pair of shoes made entirely of recycled plastic during one of her press tour’s events for ‘Beauty and the Beast’. She even wore a dress made of recycled plastic bottles for the Met Gala in 2016! Sportswear giant Adidas announced that it has invented running shoes that one can decompose in one’s sink once they are worn out. According to Adidas, these shoes can last at least two years of use.

It takes some work on the consumer’s part but having them involved in the recycling process will make them more engaged with the cause to ensure that a sustainable world remains within the grasp of our future generations. Taking the first step to living a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle can be hard. However, it is important to take baby steps that will eventually encourage manufacturers to change the way they conduct their businesses.

About the author
Sarah Ghanem is a hijabista and a fashion consultant at Modanisa who is passionate about the modest fashion scene. Apart from keeping up with the latest hijab trends, she is also very keen on living a sustainable lifestyle, and always promotes eco-friendly choices.

Those Good Old Days of Vacationing at Grandma’s House

Caleidoscope

June 12, 2017

Quite a few personalities have spoken about the joy of being a child forever; about not growing up at all. Some grieve the curiosity that is lost in growing up and others reminisce about the pure silliness of being a carefree child in this vast world. I want to rally behind the second cohort.
While the life of responsibility I lead now with all its diversity and obligations is tasteful in its own way, on occasional evenings, I still sit back and reminisce about things past, which are somehow vivid and fragrant in a corner of my crowded mind.

The episodes I keep remembering are my annual visits to my grandmother’s place in Trichy during summer vacations. I along with my parents and my little cousins chug in a train bursting with people on vacation, accompanied by mother and her sisters, with a promise from the husbands that they would join us in Trichy as soon as their jobs permitted.

My mother being wary of outside food, would prepare a simple yet tasty meal of Puliodharai (tamarind rice) packed in boxes of aluminium foil along with fryums for all. After lunching on this, as the train touches its interval point, we would buy cups of steaming tea from platform vendors and unwrap the long packet of milk biscuits brought from home. Once the train arrives at Tiruchirapalli Junction, we would all be carefully unloaded and packed into a heavily bargained taxi for the short trip to our grandma’s house.

Grandma would be waiting outside the doorstep, looking expectantly out of her myopic eyes. After the cab is discharged, mother and her sisters would speedily rush to Grandma, as if they had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Keeping her introductory moments brief with her daughters, Granma would bend down to us kids, asking us all sort of questions, and would then curse herself for holding us on the doorsteps. A meticulously prepared elaborate dinner would be served us all. Over this dining, numerous stories would be exchanged, rumours would be confirmed, and fights involving ludicrous reasons and little limbs would ensue.

The vacation plan would definitely involve a visit to the temple of our family deity, with us restless cousins observing the necessary gestures and discipline at the behest of our mothers. Another ritual was to visit the Malaikotai temple atop the hill, whose 417 carved steps we would feverishly climb, often competing with one another, with our mothers cautioning us to be careful. With cameras being rare back then, we would enjoy each moment as if we wouldn’t come back again, without having to pause every now and then to record the personal moments to share with others or announce to the world. Such immersive experiences are now only available in the film of our minds.

When compared to our cramped city apartments, grandma’s house was a large mansion with numerous rooms for living, dining, pooja and storage. Obviously, the numerous nooks and attics provided an ideal space for us kids to play around. Evenings would be snack times, with Grandma preparing one speciality of hers each day, assisted by her daughters. The rationed snack would be enjoyed on the terrace amidst waves of chill breeze and a peeping red balloon in the horizon. People of the past, dead relatives and ex-neighbours, would be leisurely reimagined by the elders, and we children would be chasing one another in a corner, unaware of the things of future, and what we may come to be down the years.

Few days later, husbands would arrive either as a group or individually to be welcomed by the same pleasantries and enquiries. And then for the rest of the vacation, our fathers’ proximity would be our living space, far away from the ladies’ mature conversations we cannot participate in.
Then would come the day of having to say goodbye. Grandma would hesitantly embrace her daughters and tightly embrace us children and flower with good wishes and last-minute advices. Our fathers would smilingly join palms to the old lady and lift the trunks. The return journey would be enjoyable for us cousins, immediately nostalgic for the mothers, and business and work for the fathers; always the same, until we had matured enough to be the receptacle of silent exchanges among our mothers.

Now, writing this makes me feel how different I had been then – a bird in the sky, a flower in the wind floating around in my little free world – as compared to me now. To feel like a child again, I am craving to go back there, accompanied by my grown-up cousins and our old mothers, but we don’t have any excuses left. Grandma has died long ago and our ancestral house has been sold. If we have to go to Trichy now, we would have to stay in a hotel, eat food prepared indifferently, and roam around temples accompanied by the continuous disturbance of calls and messages from work. Today, I truly mourn the end of childhood, that blissful world that was!

Arjun Shivaram – A moonlighting writer in search of his voice. You would also like to visit his blog. https://arjunshivaram.wordpress.com/

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle – The Ultimate Mantra for Sustainable Lifestyle

Caleidoscope

June 5, 2017

Author – Shivansh Gupta

As the heat of blistering summer rises, as natural resources become scarce, we become conscious of the crumbling environment around us. Then when the World Environment Day arrives, we suddenly realise that we must need to do something for Mother Earth. Then we struggle to adopt some eco-friendly ways of living that are difficult to practice. Rather, if we understand that sustainable living can be easily adopted, then our lives would be much better and even healthier. Here are a few tips to adopt a simple sustainable lifestyle –

Eco-friendly Banana Fiber Bag — Banana fiber wicker bag

The critical first step of waste prevention has been overshadowed by a focus on Recycling. We need to get a better awareness of the importance of the ‘Reduce’ part of the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle mantra. For a better overview of how raw materials and products move around the world, see the video The Story of Stuff.

Replace Disposables: Wherever possible, replace disposable products with reusable ones (i.e., razor, food storage, batteries, ink cartridges (buy refill ink), coffee filters, furnace or air conditioner filters, etc.).
Simplify: Lead a simple lifestyle as much as possible. Only keep belongings that you use/enjoy on a regular basis. By making the effort to reduce what you own, you will naturally purchase less/create less waste in the future.
Determine Your Impact: The Eco Footprint, Greendex and Water Footprint calculators give you a great way to determine how you are impacting the environment.
Reduce Purchases: In general, think before you buy any product – do you really need it? How did the production of this product impact the environment and what further impacts will there be with the disposal of the product (and associated packaging materials)? When you are thinking about buying something, try the 30-Day Rule — wait 30 days after the first time you decide you want a product to really make your decision. This will eliminate impulse buying.
Observe an Eco-Sabbath: For one day, afternoon or hour a week, don’t buy anything, don’t use machines, don’t switch on anything electric, don’t cook, don’t answer your phone and, in general, don’t use any resources.
Buy second-hand goods: Purchase used products whenever possible. Some sources:
Local kabaadi stores, Ebay, Craigslist, Amazon (search on refurbished then click on links in left sidebar or search for specific refurbished product)
Freecycle helps find goods for free!
Neighbourhood garage sales (search in your area in the ‘for sale’ > ‘garage sales’ section
Used refurbished goods such as computers and local used furniture (search in your area)

Recycled-Pendent-Lights — Image Source – loverslights.wordpress.com

Make Your Own: Whenever possible, make your own products to cut down on waste and control the materials used. Here are some great inspirations: Pinterest DIY projects and apartment therapy household cleaning recipes.
Borrow From Friends: If you only need something temporarily, ask if a friend or neighbour would loan it to you.
Share With Friends: Share things like books, magazines, movies, games, and newspapers between friends and neighbours.

Buy
organic vegetables: Grow your own vegetables at your home balcony or buy organic vegetables from your local store.
Tree-Free Home: As much as possible, create a tree-free home:
Replace paper napkins with cloth napkins
Replace paper towels with a special set of cloth towels/napkins (or cut up old t-shirts for great towels) – store the used ones in a small container in your kitchen and just wash and reuse
Purchase bleach-free, toilet paper that is made from the highest post-consumer waste content you can find (80% minimum).
If you print documents, print on once-used paper and/or bleach-free, recycled paper with the highest post-consumer waste content available (or hemp/alternative-source paper, if you can afford it).
Switch to a digital organizer for tracking your to do’s and grocery lists. A few free suggestions: Wunderlist, Remember the Milk, GroceryIQ.
Reuse envelopes, wrapping paper, the front of gift cards (as postcards) and other paper materials you receive wherever possible
Read books, magazines, and newspapers from your local library or online (many have email newsletters)
Create and use note pads from once-used paper leave messages for family members/roommates on a reusable message board make your own.
Go Zero Waste: The ultimate goal is to learn how to reduce waste to zero at home. So practice the mantra of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle and you will attain eco-nirvana!

Factfile –
Image sources –
http://www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm

6 Amazing Features of an Electric Grinder

Caleidoscope

June 1, 2017

Most people use an electric grinder only to prepare smoothies and shake. However, if put to right use, this appliance can help you cut down the total time spent in the kitchen by almost half. For instance, the KENT Turbo Grinder and Blender is a coming of age smart appliance that comes with a high-speed blender that will allow you prepare soups, smoothies, dosa batter and even assist in grinding dry and wet masala for everyday use. This grinding machine is going to be a welcome addition to your kitchen. Here are the top 5 amazing features about this appliance that will enhance your efficiency in the kitchen.

# 1 High Power Motor

The appliance comes with a high-power motor that ensures effortless churning and grinding. Whether you want to grind rice and dal for dosa or make dry masala for your kitchen, the high-speed operation of this grinding machine that runs at 30,000 rpm will help you crush the hardest of ingredients within no time.

# 2 Advanced Safety Feature

Whether you are absent minded or not, one debacle that you may have experienced while working in the kitchen is running the blender without placing the lid on the jar. As a result, the content in your blender may have splashed all over the place that would have increased your time spent in the kitchen. However, thanks to advanced safety feature of the turbo grinder, the appliance will not start unless the lid of the jar is properly secured.

# 3 Preset Functions

The appliance comes with a total of 12 preset functions such as juice, smoothie, milkshake, ice-cream, soy milk, herbal tea, dosa mix, porridge, soup, powder, minced and steam cooking. By selecting one of these functions, you can use the grinding machine to get the desired results. The appliance also comes with a multispeed operation. Therefore, you can adjust the speed as per your need.

# 4 LCD Display for Easy Operation

The LCD display of this appliance will ensure that you use this appliance efficiently. All the buttons and reading on them is clearly indicated.

# 5 Heating Function

In most traditional blenders, you are instructed to cool down the ingredients before blending them. However, that’s not the case with this revolutionary kitchen product. This is because the heating function of the appliance allows you to prepare hot beverages like herbal tea, soups and soy milk in the most convenient manner.

# 6 Safe Usage

The appliance comes with overheating and overcurrent protection. This feature protects the machine from becoming overheated. As a result, the appliance is very safe to use. Thanks to this feature, there will be less instances of wear and tear and you can use this appliance in a safe manner for a longer duration of time.

Conclusion

Therefore, if you wish to prepare a full range of food in your kitchen, bring this unique appliance to your home today. We are leading incredibly busy lives and every evening or morning cooking a healthy meal for the family can be a tedious task. Processing the food can take a lot of time which is why you need to have a smart appliance in your kitchen that increases your efficiency in the kitchen.

Besides efficiency, this grinding machine will assist you to cook healthy food. You can use a wide range of seasonal vegetables to prepare soups, smoothies, and juices. Now, cooking at home will no longer be a burden. You can surprise your family members new and healthier recipes every day.

I Tried To Make A Difference By Volunteering in MAD

Caleidoscope

May 15, 2017

Author – Yashika Kapila

“People need to be encouraged. People need to be reminded of how wonderful they are. People need to be believed in – told that they are brave and smart and capable of accomplishing all the dreams they dream and more.” – Stacey Jean Speer

Before I realised, one session with Make A Difference was over. One year already? It was difficult to remember everything because I learned so much in such a short time – the good things and some great things in difficult times by being a part of a voluntary organisation. Make A Difference (MAD) is an non-profit organisation that works towards ensuring better outcomes for underprivileged children in orphanages and shelter homes in 23 cities across India.

For someone who always wanted to do social work, I was lucky enough to have got a chance – thanks to my dear brother. From a range of great projects, I chose the Discover project in Chandigarh, which emphasised on not only the education of kids living in shelter homes, but also on the personal growth of kids along with the mentor-child relationship.

My challenge begin as soon as I chose the centre since I was going to work in an all-girls centre. It didn’t only end there, I was a mentor to three kids who were quite different from each other. One was sweet and polite, other was sweet but disinterested and the third one was disinterested and thought all this was a waste of time. In the beginning, it was hard for them to open up and being a shy girl I could relate how difficult it is to talk about anything especially feelings and concerns.

Fortunately, our relationship steadily brewed like a good coffee whose beans are hard to find but once you do, you get the best coffee. Soon I got three amazing brave-hearted little sisters. I would wait for every weekend to meet them and sometimes go in between the week to talk to them or help them with their studies. While I was a mentor to them, they too were like my guides. While the mentor-child relationship was being the definition of something beautiful, the relationship with the volunteers wasn’t that easy as it was hard for me to initiate conversations with them as I always worried that I will make a fool of myself if I try to talk.

Being awarded the High Flyer, which is the title given to those who go the extra step for the organisation, I was chosen as the session lead for the camp. I had never been a speaker forget leading a project for so many people. Although they all were my friends, I was pretty nervous. I was working day and night for its planning, but it didn’t seem to come through to them cause I was afraid to be me, to let them know the thoughts I’d in mind regarding the work and everything else.

One of my best friends in MAD was my biggest strength and motivator who always believed in me, but I could see that fade away. Thankfully the camp went extremely well, the hardwork all the teams had put to make a difference for those kids’ lives could be seen bright and clear. I was also there to witness the positive change happening and people congratulated me for the success. However, they didn’t know the difficult phase the team went through because when you work in a team it does get hard at times and sometimes you feel like you want to give up. What is more important is to remember that you are working with your teammates for the right cause and you all want is to see it have a great impact in the end.

Today, I still am working with Make A Difference and it is all because the most difficult first three months changed me for better. My best friend reached out to me and we had an amazing conversation. What was more important that we realised where and what went wrong but also what best came out of it as it did turn out to be one of the most memorable experience I ever had. Because of it, today I can speak to people fearlessly express my thoughts, I learned how to be me and love it at the same time. It might not be easy to believe but I even led a session later that year which was a success. Oh, the smiles, the creativity, the courage I saw among my kids – they are the moments I live for. All that was possible because, in the end I chose to be optimistic and that my friend, made all the difference!

Factfile –
Image sources –
http://makeadiff.in/
https://www.facebook.com/makeadiff

5 Best NGO Volunteering Opportunities in India

Aanchal Setia

May 8, 2017

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”

The feeling of being able to help another soul makes us feel priceless. Every summer, in the midst of all the excitement and fun, many of us join voluntary organisations or non-governmental organisations (NGO) to take a step towards a better future. To help you make up your mind for volunteering, we have created a list of five best NGOs in India where you can volunteer to do some amazing work and create a profound impact on our society:

Smile Foundation

Founded in 2002, Smile Foundation is working as a catalyst to facilitate sustainable change in the lives of underprivileged children, youth and women. This New Delhi-based NGO strives to create a promising future for its members and aims to impart universal education which can turn children into productive assets, thereby laying the foundation for nation building.
Smile Foundation has been able to create a niche for itself through its two working models – social venture philanthropy and outreach. While the former model is based on the business concept of venture capital, the latter is about how the organisation directly implements development projects for underprivileged communities in villages and urban slums.
The organisation is directly benefitting around 400,000 children and their families every year. It has 158 welfare projects on education, healthcare, livelihood and women empowerment going in 700 remote villages and slums across 25 states in India. Being a believer of the principle of ‘Civic Driven Change’, Smile Foundation sensitises the civil society to become partners in its mission.

Udayan Care

Udayan Care is an NGO that is working towards regenerating the lives of disadvantaged children and women. Founded in 1994 by Dr Kiran Modi in Delhi, the NGO is committed to their aim of sustainable social development through various programs like Udayan Ghars, Udayan Shalini Fellowship, Outreach programme and Sugam Vedashram Project.
India is home to 31 million orphans with only 75,000 orphanage shelters and an adoption rate as low as 0.18%. To change this situation, Udayan Ghars were set up to nurture abandoned children, ensuring them opportunities to develop as capable individuals. Over the last 22 years, Udayan Care has spread its work among disadvantaged groups by establishing family homes, helping girls’ education, providing vocational training etc. To date, Udayan Care has nurtured around 15,000 young minds. The organisation wants to create a human chain of active citizenship for child rights by spreading awareness on these issues.

Helpage India

Nearly 100 million senior citizens in India and not a single place where they can feel loved in the last phase of their lives. This is the thought that encouraged Jackson Cole and Samson Daniel to Founded HelpAge India way back in 1978. Today, it is a leading charity platform in India working for disadvantaged elderly and has become the representative voice for India’s elderly. Dedicated to improving the status of India’s senior citizens, it works in 23 states providing medical services, poverty alleviation and income generation schemes in urban and rural India.

Headquartered in Delhi, HelpAge India has currently affiliations with 51 member countries. It envisions a society where the elderly have the right to an active, healthy and dignified life. They are integrating their programmes and services, and consciously moving from welfare towards development and long term sustainability for seniors. They are working closely with senior citizen associations and encouraging seniors to speak up for their rights. Recently, the NGO has launched HelpAge SOS app, a one-click emergency service for senior citizens who suffer any kind of abuse.

GOONJ

Founded in 1999 by Anshu Gupta, GOONJ is the first organisation to highlight clothing as a basic but unaddressed need. GOONJ uses underutilized cloth and other old materials as a powerful tool for social change, as a huge resource for rural/slum development and as a valuable asset for income generation. Its work is also setting a precedent in terms of preventing massive material wastage from becoming an environmental disaster.
Based in Delhi, GOONJ has built up a network in the remote parts of 21 Indian states. The network has grown to over 250 partner groups like Ashoka Fellows, Indian Army veterans, social activists, village panchayats and other grassroots organizations. Its initiatives such as ‘Rahat Floods’ provided relief funds to the flood victims of Bihar, Assam and West Bengal, while the ‘Ek Jodi Kapda’ project in 2010 donated clothes.

Sounds Of Silence

Founded in 2012 by Sumit Gandhi in Mumbai, Sounds of Silence is an NGO with just one aim: brighten the future of hearing-impaired students. It is an initiative straight from the heart of a chosen few who wish to fill the lives of a million hearing-impaired children across cities, borders and nations with the beauty of expression and the art of communication. Their vision is to ensure deafness with dignity, and a society where deaf people have equal opportunities to participate in all walks of life.
With its working models, SOS 1.0-Volunteering at Schools and SOS 2.0-BPO for Hearing-Impaired, Sounds of Silence has done a remarkable job. The organisation envisions a future where deafness is no more a ‘disability’. So far, it has been incorporated into the curriculum of 19 schools across 4 cities and has empowered 550+ hearing impaired individuals. Sounds of Silence intends to reach 5,000 hearing-impaired children to provide them with mobiles, train them in English and help them get white collar jobs.

Visiting the Original Bahubali in Shravanabelagola

Levine Lawrence

May 1, 2017

I suppose Baahubali 2 has been the most awaited sequel movie in the history of Indian cinema. The historical thriller film has aroused maximum curiosity and raked up much controversy during its release. The character of Satyaraj has been the eye of the storm both inside the movie theatre and outside. Hope people can now find out why did Katappa kill Baahubali and sleep in peace!

However, I was more intrigued by the movie’s story connection to the original Bahubali who lived in mythical times. When I saw ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’, I was disappointed to find the story has no connection whatsoever with its historical namesake. Recently, a friend of mine called me to his hometown that was close to Shravanabelagola and I was more than eager to visit the place.

Shravanabelagola is the location of the Gommateshwara statue that is dedicated to Bahubali, a much revered Jain saint. It is situated above a hill named Vindyagiri in Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district, Karnataka state. We decided to visit the place and trekked up the Chandragiri hill, which is a massive rocky hill rising abruptly amidst the plains of South Karnataka. The climb is easy since steps are carved out of the hill and flanked by iron railings. It is better to climb early in the morning since the mid-day sun will heat up the granite rocks.

I made an effort to climb up the 650 steps at one stretch without looking down so that the bird’s eye view at the top will be breath-taking. The panoramic view at the hilltop was truly spectacular. Odegal Basadi is the first temple we encounter when we reach the hilltop of Vindhyagiri. The temple is dedicated to Adinatha Thirthankara whose sculpture is carved out of black granite stone. Adinatha or Rishabhanatha is the father of Bahubali.

Then we enter Siddhara Basadi, the main temple housing the Bahubali statue, which is surrounded by a large pillared mandapa containing 43 carved images of various Jain Teerthankaras. Amidst the mandapa stands the majestic nude figure of Bahubali that is awe-inspiring not only for its enormous size but also serenity in its meditating face. Bahubali means one with strong arms, so the statue shows elongated arms intertwined by creepers since he was meditating motionless.

Standing at 57.5 feet height atop the Vindyagiri hill, the Gommateshwara statue of Bahubali is tall enough to be visible to visitors entering Shravanabelagola by road. Chavundaraya, a commander in the Ganga dynasty commissioned the statue and dedicated it in 981 A.D. The magnificent 57-foot (17 m) monolith is carved from a single piece of rock and is one of the largest free-standing statues in the world.

The legend of Bahubali goes like this – Rishabhanatha was a famous king in the Ikshvaku dynasty who renounced his throne to his sons, but there was a power struggle among the sons to become the king. The eldest one Bharata Chakravarti staked claim and other brothers gave up their own lands for his sake, but Bahubali decided otherwise. However, instead of their armies fighting, the king’s ministers advised the sons Bharata Chakravarti and Bahubali to fight among themselves and settle the issue. So they fought each other in various types of fights – Drishti yuddha – staring eye-to-eye, Jala Yuddha – a fight in water, and Malla Yuddha – wrestling.

Bahubali won in all the three fights and when he was about trounce Bharata by throwing him down, he is struck by the realisation that he is about to kill his own brother for worldly belongings. He then renounces everything and becomes ascetic who meditated without food, water and rest. Shravanabelagola is believed to be the place where Bahubali attained ‘Kevala Jnana’ or nirvana or omniscience.

After watching the religious rituals of Jain pilgrims, we came out of the main temple. We visited the Kalyani Pushkarini, the large pond at the foot of the hill, but we didn’t have time to visit other shrines in Shravanabelagola. We then had sumptuous Jain food in a nearby hotel where we got dhal, roti, rice, sambhar and buttermilk. Jain food items are prepared without using onion or garlic.

We visited Shravanabelagola in December when the weather was pleasant, but is not the right time due to summer heat. People who are eager to visit Shravanabelagola and see the massive Bahubali can do it during the upcoming ‘Mahamastakabhisheka’, an event that is organized every 12 years. Coconut milk, curd, jaggery, milk, saffron and sandalwood are used to anoint the saint Gomatheswara’s statue. Then next event is scheduled in 2018.

Factfile –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahubali
https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Shravanabelagola

Why Moving to Hyderabad Was the Best Decision of My Life

Caleidoscope

April 26, 2017

Author – Vijay Singh Rathore

The first time I went to Hyderabad was for a cousin’s wedding and that is when I fell in love with this spectacular city. I was stunned looking at how beautiful and well maintained the city was. That is when I started reading more about the city on the web and found out that Hyderabad is known as the “City of Pearls,” offers top quality living standards, has its culture intact and has relatively lower crime than other cities of India. Also, the city is home to many reputable English speaking schools and has lesser air pollution. Whoa! That’s something amazing. I mean, who doesn’t want to live in a city where they can breathe without worrying about health hazards.

I completed my graduation from a renowned college in Delhi and instantly started looking for writing jobs based out of Hyderabad. Because, I was in love with the city and knew that one day my efforts would take me there, I was in no mood to give up. Finally, after two years of struggle with MBA and thousands of job applications, I got a call from one of the biggest digital marketing agencies in Hyderabad, and they offered me the position of a content writer. Though the position was not what I expected; I was happy that I am finally moving to the city that impressed me the most.

Hailing from a city like Delhi, the initial few days of settling down in Hyderabad were a bit challenging for me. From finding beauty services at home in Hyderabad, electrician to renting a ride, everything was a little too steep for me. However, thanks to UrbanClap, it helped me with every single challenge I faced after moving to a new city.

Having said that, here I have a few points that justify my move from Delhi to Hyderabad and make a point that why it was the best decision of my life.

The City is Dipped Down in Culture

The rich 400-year culture and history of this city is one big point that makes it a great place to live. No matter where you are heading to, you surely will come across some or the other historical monument on your way. From the iconic Salar Jung Museum to the magnificent Golconda Fort, this city is steeped in history. The market around the Charminar still has a historical charm with biryani corners, chai shops and chudiwalas all around the place. Also, the old city is home to some of Islamic India’s most remarkable architecture.

A Paradise for Foodies

People who go gaga over food should definitely live in Hyderabad for a few years. From mouth-watering biryani to super awesome street food and atmospheric eating spots to try cuisines from all around the world, the city has everything on offer. I have been a foodie all my life, and Hyderabad still hasn’t shown any signs of disappointments to me.

Reasonable Cost of Living

Even though districts like Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills are home to sleek restaurants, glittery pubs, and huge malls, the cost of living in the city is reasonably low. One thing you must accept, wherever you plan to live in Hyderabad, you’ll be safe and have easy access to the local transport.

IT Hub

Known as the “Silicon Valley of India” the city has corporate offices of many big names including Facebook, Infosys, Google and more. Also, the city is home to many research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, and laboratories.

My favourite spot in the city is the “Ramoji Film City.” Filmy at heart, I love spending time at this most popular tourist spot. I have given my heart to Hyderabad, and I am never taking it back!

Images provided by author.

Water Conservation Lessons from Ancient Stepwells in India – Part II

Caleidoscope

April 21, 2017

Author – Jatin Chhabra

Read Part I Ancient Indian Stepwells Show us the Way to Conserve Water – Part I

Stepwell is an ancient scientific technique to store rainwater, that allowed usage at the time of drought. However, the medieval kingdoms that ruled the Indian subcontinent constructed these stepwells as a place of worship and social gatherings as well. Such fusion of science and culture is visible only in India, and we can experience this unique way of life by visiting these stepwells. Prolific traveller and stepwell documenter, Jatin Chhabra has visited the best of these Ancient Stepwells in India and recorded their historical value for posterity.

Agrasen Ki Baoli

Unlike other stepwells, Agrasen Ki Baoli is a well-maintained stepwell site right in the heart of India’s bustling capital, New Delhi. This 60 meters long and 15 meters wide stepwell was originally built in 1132 AD by the legendary king Maharaja Agrasen. It was later rebuilt in the 14th century by the Agrawal community to provide a resting place for travellers, and even today, Agrasen Ki Baoli is a quite famous among tourists visiting of Delhi.

Agrasen Ki Baoli has a strange story tagged with it since 1970s. It is considered to be a haunted place and some claim that the water in this stepwell was black (currently it’s empty). The water had such negative energy that it could hypnotize visitors to commit suicide by jumping into the well.

Well, I don’t know if this scary story is true or not, but I did find out about a suicide incident that happened in 2007 when a man committed suicide by jumping in this stepwell. But today the site has security guards watching over the place that is filled with a large number of tourists visiting every day.

Neemrana Bawdi

Neemrana was once an independent kingdom with enormous commercial potential and to provide shelter for its business commuters. The Maharaja of Neemrana built one of the deepest stepwells in India, the Neemrana Bawdi. Constructed in the 18th century, this stepwell is 500 meters long, built to provide water at the time of famine, and also a resting place for travelers.

Rani Ki Vav

Rani Ki Vav in Patan, Gujarat is the only stepwell that has gained the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site status. This stepwell is 27 meters deep and 64-meter wide, and is filled with 800 different sculptures of Indian mythology. The sheer dramatic look of this stepwell will give you a feeling that you are walking into an open-air art gallery.

Built in the 11th century, Rani ki Vav (means Queen’s Stepwell) was constructed by Queen Udayamati to honour her dead husband Bhima I, a famous king of Gujarat. This stepwell has a total of 4 platforms which have survived, and the final floor of the Vav is the main attraction as it has some of the best maintained sculptures that can captivate you.

Adalaj Vav

Built in 1499 AD, the stepwell of Adalaj, known as Rudabai Vav, that has a tragic story behind its making. It is a beautiful stepwell constructed by a Muslim Sultan to fulfil his promise given to a Hindu widow, Queen Rudabai. The construction of this Vav was initiated by Rana Veer Singh who wanted to create a stepwell for his people who were suffering from drought. But sadly, Veer Singh was killed in a battle against Mahmud Begada, the Sultan of Gujarat. Mahmud Begada wanted to marry Rana Veer Singh’s widow wife Queen Rudabai, who put a condition that first the sultan needs to finish the work of the stepwell started by her late husband for their people.

Mahmud Begada was impressed with the queen’s concern for her people, and thus he agreed to this condition to build a beautiful Vav which today is an excellent example of Hindu-Islamic architecture. The Adalaj Vav has extensive carving work done on its walls, pillars, beam and many artifacts of plants, leaves, and flowers are carved out on its walls. Every corner of this stepwell is an example of stunning craftsmanship, but this never allowed the sultan to wed Queen Rudabai who refused to marry the Sultan and committed suicide by jumping in this stepwell!

Pushkarani in Hampi

Most stepwells that I have seen in India are in the state of Rajasthan or Gujarat, since these arid regions face continuous droughts. But recently when I visited Hampi in Karnataka and I was surprised to see a stepwell here as well. In southern India, stepwells are referred as Pushkarani and are built alongside temples to store water used for religious ceremonies.

Hampi was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, which has been described as one of the richest empires in the world. Hampi Pushkarani was built for the temple of Goddess Kali, but sadly, the temple was destroyed in a war which took place in 1565 AD, when the neighbouring kingdoms of Bahmani Sultans defeated the mighty army of Vijayanagara and looted Hampi. Thanks to the restoration work, the city of Hampi has been brought back to present its glorious history.

http://jatinchhabra.com

Ancient Indian Stepwells Show us the Way to Conserve Water – Part I

Caleidoscope

April 17, 2017

Author – Jatin Chhabra

Have you ever wondered that what kind of scientific technology or infrastructure is required to provide water at your home? First, rain water is collected by forest and fed into rivers. This water gets stored in huge dams, then it is pumped through pipelines to water treatment plants and finally in taps of our homes. However, this process is not even 2 centuries old, and we humans have lived in civilized societies for more than 5,000 years. So, apart from filling a pot from the nearest pond or lake, how did our ancestors bring water to their homes?

India is a country blessed with some majestic rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari and Kaveri, but still, many regions in India face drought-like situations every year. In order to survive such drought conditions, stepwells were built across the country and the best of them are compiled here in a list by well-known stepwell traveller, Jatin Chhabra.

What’s a Stepwell?

Image of a stepwell (Panna Meena Ka Kund) — Panna Meena ka Kund

A stepwell has stairs to reach the bottom and room-like structures inside where commuters could rest, as the temperature in a stepwell is 5-10 degrees lower that the temperature outside. In simple terms, a stepwell is a combination of “well with stairs and rooms”, which act as a water reservoir and a resting place for travellers. What makes this well architecture unique is that it is only available in Indian subcontinent and it has improved from more than 4,000 years.
The oldest stepwell site in the world is the “Great Bath” at Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley Civilization. The Great Bath was a water tank with stairs built on all four sides to reach the bottom. Alongside the water tank, there were rooms that many archaeologists believe were made for bathers to rest. The same symmetric steps concept is visible in the ancient stepwells built across India between 4th Century AD and 19th Century AD.
Since July 2016, I was searching for my blog JatinChhabra.com a theme that captures the unique aspects of my country, India. And I finally found it in a DVD of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises 2012! It’s true; while watching this movie, I came to know about a stepwell named, Chand Baori. A close friend of mine suggested that the Batman movie production team stayed in Rajasthan to film some parts of the movie and it ignited curiosity in me about why they chosen that particular location.

Chand Baori

Chand Baori is one of the deepest and biggest stepwells in India. It is as old as 8th century AD and was built by King Chanda to solve the water scarcity problem in this region. The term Chand Baori means King Chanda’s stepwell and Chand Baori is simply astonishing 13 stories deep, and has 3,500 steps in total. I was challenged to enter and exit the stepwell using the same stairs, which is almost impossible since every single step in the Chand Baori is identical!
Chand Baori is in Abhaneri, a very peaceful village located just 95 km from Jaipur. Apart from Chand Baori, I have visited a total of 26 Ancient Stepwells across India, but the highest number of stepwells are in Rajasthan which is pretty arid.

Raniji Ki Baori

Constructed in the 17th century, Raniji Ki Baori or literally “The Queen’s Stepwell” is a royal stepwell built by Queen Nathavati of Bundi for religious ceremonies. Bundi is an unexplored tourist destination in Rajasthan and is also referred as the “City of Stepwells” because there are around 50 stepwells in the city.
In Bundi, elephants are seen as a symbol of royalty, and thus, in Queen’s Stepwell, more than a dozen marble statues of elephants can be seen. In the last three centuries, Raniji Ki Baori has remained as a place of worship, and all the festivals in Bundi start from this beautiful Stepwell. A few other notable tourist attractions in this city are the Bundi Palace and the 84 cenotaph temples of Shiva.

Hadi Rani ka Kund

Between Jaipur and Bundi, lies a small town that has a glorious but sad past. The town of Todarraisingh is famous for its beautiful stepwell, Hadi Rani Ka Kund that was built in 17th Century AD to commemorate the sacrifice of Hadi Rani, wife of the commander of Todar Raisingh, Ratan Chudawat. Ratan was a commander of a Rajput Army that was at war with the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb.

Just a day after Hadi Rani and Ratan Chudawat were married, Ratan Chudawat was ordered to march against the Mughal Army near Jaipur, but he was hesitating to leave his newly wedded wife. So to boost the morale of her husband, Hadi Rani sent her servant with a souvenir. It was her own head! Seeing this gory gift, Ratan Chudawat was filled with rage, and he fought bravely and won the battle against the Mughals. However, later he killed himself as he couldn’t bear the death of his wife and thus, the sacrifice by Hadi Rani was later honored by building a stepwell in Todarraisingh and it was named Hadi Rani Ka Kund.
Agrasen Ki Baoli

Read Part 2 Water Conservation Lessons from Ancient Stepwells in India – Part II

1...188189190...256 Page 189 of 256