The Funky Side of Auto Rickshaws

July 3, 2015

Author – Gunjan Sharma

Ever been into a Ganesh? Wondering what Ganesh is? It’s just another name for the cute little three wheeler called ‘auto’. Auto rickshaws have developed over the years but haven’t changed a bit. From noisy and polluting Ganesh to nature loving CNG driven tuk tuk; they still look like a small tricycle with covered-seats, and are now a major part of Delhi transport. These small yellow coloured vehicles are like bees which are desperate to take you all around the city! Their population is increasing so rapidly that in the coming years’ people will start breathing auto rickshaws with oxygen! I mean, they are just everywhere! They have become a part of our culture and life. Today, the second most occupied thing you find here after fashionable college girls is an auto rickshaw; they can be found in every corner of the city.

“Madam iska naam Kumkum hai, ye ek tempo se bahut jyada hai mere liye! (Madam, her name is Kumkum, she’s more than an auto for me!)” Vipin said when I asked him about the jhalar (hanging adornment).

They are adorable, fast and embellished with funky stuff which make them appealing, and I don’t mind taking a ride in a desi disco in motion with loud Bhojpuri and item songs. Their colourful hanging decorations, pictures of Bollywood stars on the upper line of windshield and seats, makes them even more attractive.

Despite having a usual capacity of six, autowala bhaiya can adjust around ten people at a time. This scene is not that common in Delhi and NCR due to strict traffic rules. However, I have seen them fully stuffed at times in the market near my hostel.

I have been travelling in autos for years, and I see a new bee in the hive almost every day. Other elderly bees would not let the new one get a passenger, for the obvious reasons that they are the seniors. But, these autowalas have their own rules which are hard to comprehend. Sometimes, they take the passengers in turns and at other times they fit as many people inside the tiny vehicle as they can, and will not let others catch the prey!

“kahan jaogi madam? Arey madam bolo naa, kahan jaogi?! (where will you go madam, hey, where will you go?!)” This is the first thing I always hear when I step out of the bus; I ignore them and find a desperately shouting autowala who is searching for one more customer to fill his already packed auto. But when you are not lucky enough to find an auto towards your destination, then you’ll be the one asking each of them if they can take you to your end. But they are sly enough to ask you a fare of all the passengers they would have carried, and you helplessly say yes! Because that’s the way our dear chaalaak autowala bhaiyas are!

“Bhaisahab tanik aage aajaiye, piche madam ko baithjane do! (Hey brother you come in the front, let madam sit there!)” This is what an autowala would say to make space for a woman, when the back seats are stuffed with male passengers.

Auto Rickshaws are like the lifeline of Delhi. An autowala can take you through the 3 inch gap between two vehicles on a fully fleshed road to your destination in seconds. Sounds rubbish? Get into an auto rickshaw on the roads of Delhi or NCR and you will believe me!

Auto rickshaws are not only the best choice to travel short distances, but also the best way to advertise! From the posters of ‘Bengali baba ka churan’ to the ‘Political campaigning posters, one can find anything and everything stuck on its back. My personal favourite is, “yeh zimmedar auto rickshaw, karta hai mahilaon ka samman aur suraksha! (This responsible auto rickshaw respects women and keeps them safe!)”; it is more like a safety call for the women passengers. Any auto rickshaw is no less than a chalta-firta quotation bank! I am a big fan of these quotations myself, so when I found some on Quora, I couldn’t resist but share these pictures with you!

Sometimes, autowala can be the best advisor to most difficult situations! During the 10 minute ride, dare to ask the driver about something difficult and he may end up giving you the best advice.

Well, this was my story as a passenger. For people like me, who would love to see the world through the driver’s seat, comes the ‘Indian Auto rickshaw Challenge’. This challenge started in 2006 and is still attracting a major amount of tourists with around five challenges per year. The fun part is, you get to drive the auto rickshaw in a given route like your own taxi. You are provided with the map, fuel and everything needed to complete the whole track within the given time limits in spite of the changing weather conditions and of course, the traffic police. After a real adventure and a very long journey of about 10-15 days, when you are at the last spot, only thing you want to say is “Hoola….I did it!” And go back home proudly, because you drove India’s best vehicle travelling through the heart of South India…

Image Source – Quora.com

Top 10 Indian Superheroes of All Time

Biswadeep Ghosh Hazra

July 2, 2015

Who doesn’t like super heroes? In fact we grew up with them didn’t we? We often talk about Spiderman, Superman, Iron Man, Flash and many uncountable names; but even here, we have awesome superheroes. From having powers and abilities like super strength to being able to traverse any distance in a matter of seconds, our Indian superheroes are up for the game every time.

Here is a list of our own Indian superheroes throughout the ages-

1. Shaktimaan

Shaktimaan attained his heroic powers through deep meditation and was capable of activating certain chakras which gave him powers. Shaktiman’s alter ego, a photographer for the newspaper Aaj Ki Aawaz, named Pandit Gangadhar Vidyadhar Mayadhar Omkarnath Shastri falls in love with Geeta Vishwas, a reporter for the same newspaper. Shaktimaan arch rival is ‘Tamraj Kilvish’ and who could forget his famous line “Aandhera Kaayam Raahe!” (Let the darkness prevail!).

2. Doga

One of the most popular heroes by Raj comics, Doga is a witness of a large number of crimes which makes him a sociopath. Doga’s powers and prowess are impressive. He has been trained by different teachers in several aspects like muscle development, hand to hand combat, martial arts, marksmanship and other things. Doga also has the ability to communicate with dogs and order them to do something for him; he could dodge bullets using the Black pepper art. Based in Mumbai he was raised by his four Uncles (or Chachas as he called them). Doga’s main enemy is anybody from terrorists to drug dealers to petty thieves.

3. Nagraj

Originally meant for destruction of humanity, Nagraj was the creation of professor Nagmani who decided to sell him to the highest bidder. On his first mission to steal an ancient golden statue he encounters a sadhu known as Baba Gorakhnath who helped Nagraj get rid of the mind control pill implanted by the evil professor and serve humanity. His powers range from shape shifting to releasing various types of snakes. Nagraj’s blood is more poisonous than any kind of snake and is composed of small snakes itself. From explosive snakes to the ones which help him fight spirits, he has it all.

4. Inspector Steel

Indian-Superheroes-Inspector-Steel — Source

After being in a deadly accident, inspector Amar loses his major body parts. To save him, his brain is transferred to a steel body thus making him a cyborg. This life saving operation was performed by his friend Professor Anees. Oddly familiar to Inspector Gadget and Robocop, Inspector Steel’s nemesis is Mechanic who despises machines and wants to kill them. His powers and abilities include x-ray vision, lie detector, scanners, a Mega gun which fires bullets and rockets automatically and a host of other gadgets.

5. Devi

Devi is based on the warrior goddess Durga; she was created by the gods to fight the evil God Bala in the man’s 2^nd century. Devi was reborn into the body of a young woman named Tara Mehta. She accidentally unawakens Bala’s devil incarnate; her boyfriend is a notorious gangster and is also the re-incarnation of Bala’s favorite general from the earlier life. Devi was protected time to time by the Durapasya who claimed to be human warriors of light.

6. Krrish

Krrish is an Indian superhero created by Rakesh Roshan and played by his son Hrithik Roshan. The story revolves around the extra-terrestrial ‘Jadoo’ who gives Krrish’s father abilities which got transferred to him. His powers include jumping to and from great heights, super human strength and super fast reflex actions. His nemesis is the megalomaniac scientist Dr. Siddhant Arya who wants to take over the world.

7. Ra-One

A superhero movie played by Shah Rukh Khan in a world where motion based sensor games makes its way into motion. Sekhar Subramanium created the game where the antagonist is more powerful than the protagonist (G-One) and when the villain Ra-One escapes into the real world, all hell breaks loose. Prateek challenges Ra-One (Raavan) and this makes him follow Subramanium’s son to kill him. G-One has super strength, can shoot blasts of energy from his hands and can shoot special bullets once the HART (Hertz Amplifying Resonance Transmitter) is put into its place.

8. Bheriya

Another hero by the Raj Comics, Behriya is part wolf and part human and is more mature than the foolish Kobi who has good intentions in his heart but is more aggressive. Though Bheriya has defeated Kobi many times, they are essentially linked and have one soul. Bheriya’s powers include hand to hand combat knowledge, communicating with wolves etc. His nemesis other than Kobi is Elephanto, Kaigula, King Luna and many others.

9. Shakti

Shakti is another woman superhero who wears a tiger skin and fights crime, especially the ones related to women in Delhi. Severely wronged by her husband (he killed their daughter), she was about to be her husband’s prey when goddess Kali infused her with powers. She can generate fire from her bare hands and has the ability to convert any metal into a weapon. Her third eye (covered with a head band) opens in extreme situations.

10. Parmanu

With the power of atom manipulation in his special suit, Parmanu fights crime and also seeks revenge on the people who killed his parents and school friends. The suit was designed by his maternal uncle and helps Parmanu fight villains by projecting blasts and also helping him fly and shrink size at will. During day he is Inspector Vinay who is busy catching criminals.

We take pride in our roots and want to see our identity represented in such fantastic characters. While the comic world is packed with superheroes, they are predominantly white. With these Indian heroes, there is a hope to offer an intriguing and exciting story for the fans, along with a hero that looks like us being embodied well in the media. The characters here offer excellent morals that each of us can pick up and take as an example. Furthermore, they have some of the coolest powers of all time. One that will leave you surprised and pleased.

When Should I Purchase Travel Insurance?

Caleidoscope

July 1, 2015

Travel insurance covers unexpected medical emergencies and events such as trip cancellation, death of a family member or relative, stolen or damaged luggage by an airline, and other losses incurred while travelling. Although there is a medical component in a travel insurance policy, the mistake people make sometimes is to substitute their travel insurance for a health insurance policy. It’s important to prepare for unexpected contingencies and buy a travel insurance well in advance.

5 Reasons To Purchase A Travel Insurance In Advance:

1. Coverage Against Trip Cancellation

Despite carefully planning, there’s always scope for a contingency that might force you to cancel the trip altogether, e.g. a family member falling severely ill. In such an incident you might lose the money you already spent on the advance bookings and hotel reservations. However, if you invest in a travel insurance online, the policy would pay for trip cancellations. The coverage would be available only if the policy has been purchased in advance. If you buy a policy when you are already thinking about cancelling the trip, coverage would not be available.

2. Coverage Against Illness After Buying The Policy

Travel insurance in India and abroad usually don’t cover illnesses which arise out of pre-conditions. However, if the illness happens after buying the policy, coverage is allowed. If you buy travel insurance online in advance and thereafter face an illness, it would be covered if it becomes chronic.

3. Enough Time To Modify Your Coverage

After buying the policy if you need an add-on to enhance the coverage, you can choose it later by paying an additional premium. This option is available only when you buy a policy in advance. If you buy the policy the last minute you won’t have time to reconsider the coverage features and modify the coverage even if you want.

4. Enough Time To Compare Options

There are more than a dozen travel insurance plans in the market and each offers something better than the other. To make a sound decision, compare each and then choose the one that suits you best.

5. Important Considerations Before Buying Travel Insurance Online:

If you want to purchase a comprehensive plan to cover trip cancellation, do it after making at least one payment towards your trip, but some plans require you to have some amount of money as advance. You will want to have a good grasp of your total expected trip cost. This will allow you to get the most accurate quote for the right travel insurance plan. You can even close the deal as close to the first payment or prior to when the plan is needed. Always make sure to buy travel insurance from best insurance company to get best assistance during your journey & claim process.

Now all that is left for you to do is pack your bags and read-up every listicle online on the destination you’re heading. We hope this article has helped you understand the importance of pre-planning for a travel policy.

How the Digital Space is Saving Indie-Filmmakers

Caleidoscope

July 1, 2015

Author – Ayesha Majid

Source

With Bollywood monopolizing Indian cinema, there is very less space for Independent Filmmakers to breathe. They have been coaxed into a corner by two main unions, the current superpowers of B-Town- the Producers and the Distributors. When it comes to mainstream cinema, creativity takes a back seat, and the wheels are controlled by the rich.

This unfortunate fate of those who wish to make a difference in cinema is being changed. A revolutionizing tool called the Digital Spectrum has taken the responsibility of giving a chance to millions of Indie-filmmakers all over the world. Although it came slightly late to India, it managed to catch on real quick. One of the best examples of a digitally funded film is the Kannad film named ‘ Lucia’. Despite belonging to the category of off-beat cinema, Lucia managed to raise Rs.51, 00,000 through an online crowd funding project. ‘I am’ by Onir is another such example.

A number of crowd funding websites like KickStarter and IndieGoGo have been a boon to indie-movie makers. These online portals allow creative enthusiasts to raise funds to make their dream come true. Filmmakers have made the best out of it. These platforms however take care of the first hurdle. The next very big step after funding is distribution. Distribution is basically paying theaters huge amounts of money to run their films. This only turns ugly if the film does not do well . In this case the producer faces a huge monetary loss. One such creative loss was the film Guzarish, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by UTV. Guzarish failed to reimburse the production costs which were exceptionally high thus making UTV go bankrupt .A role of a Distributor is no less risky. He has to have a strong foresight about the performance of the films, whether they will be a hit or a flop. One bad decision results in a big loss.

This risk has been reduced by Online Movie Distribution Portals. One of the most popular platforms named Distrify, allows independent filmmakers to sell their film to individual viewers. Anyone can rent the film by paying an amount equal to or lesser than that of a movie ticket. A video player is embedded in the site which allows you to watch films that have not been released in the mainstream media. In India, the pioneers of online distribution is the famous YouTube Chanel – The Viral Fever. They have their very own sister website known as TVF Inbox Office, which rents movies to viewers for a one time watch.

Social Media also plays a huge role in branding and publicizing a film. It is one advertising medium that gives maximum value for money. A number of well funded films are keeping a side huge budgets for online advertising as it has become one of the most effective tools. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have become the strongest tools of advertising in today’s world. After working on the distribution and marketing of an independent film, I realized the intense grip social media has in today’s advertising world. The facility to target ads online is precise and affordable, this way no ads are wasted on the wrong audience.

Having graduated with a Bachelor’s in Mass Media, I had the chance to intern on sets and assist script writers. These undoubtedly were the most enlightening experiences of my life. Assisting on sets made me realize the importance of each minute and the value of hard work. I learnt to toughen up, work long hours without complaining and give my best in completing every task that was assigned to me. A shoot waits for no one especially a brand new intern.

Being a filmmaker means, giving up nearly everything you have and accepting your crew as your family for the next 3 or how many ever months. It is impossible for someone to work on a film without touring for shoots, especially someone who is deeply passionate about his work. It is a constant circus, with sets being constructed and actors rehearsing. Everyday on a film set is dicey, everything you have worked for so many hours or weeks, boils down to those few minutes during which the camera rolls, from the dress designers to the actors,they have all been working to get that one right shot.
It is an experience of a life time and when you see such dreams being trampled by producers who do not possess the slightest idea about the time and effort put by the people, you either quit or break free and do everything in your power to fund your own film. And the Digital Media, gives filmmakers this power and the ability to fund and distribute their film, and turn their idea into a motion picture.

Top Indian Pop Bands and Singers that Ruled Our Hearts Forever

Biswadeep Ghosh Hazra

June 30, 2015

Music has been an inevitable part of Indian art and culture. Over the years, Indian music has evolved very much by adopting and experimenting with a number of genres, in order to match the taste of the audiences. From pop bands to metal bands to solo singers, our country has it all! But music as we know it today, has come a really long way. Amidst the wave of contemporary music and artists, certain musicians from our yesteryears still remain in our hearts forever.

Here is a list of five such Indian Pop bands and Singers that ruled our Music Industry a few years ago:

1. Colonial Cousins (Genre: Pop, Rock)

Top-Indian-Pop-Bands-Colonial-Cousins — Source

Colonial Cousins was formed by the legendary duo – Hariharan, the lead singer and Leslie Lewis, the composer. They started collaborating in 1992 by fusing Indian and Western music. Ever since the two came together, they have done jingles, albums, live shows and playback singing and are now into film music composing. This twosome is often cited as an example of fusion done right — where Hariharan’s deep and free-flowing vocals and Leslie’s innovative jazz arrangements create varied emotions in listeners’ hearts.

They bagged the MTV Asia Viewer’s Choice Award and then the U.S. Billboard Viewer’s Choice Award for their debut self-titled album. The duo gave the traditional Carnatic composition “Krishna nee begane baro” a contemporary twist and the world hummed along. They followed this success with two more albums “The Way We Do It” and “Aatma” both of which received a lot of love.

2. Lucky Ali (Genre: Indi-Pop, Bollywood, Folk)

Lucky Ali is a man who needs no introduction. The singer, who once ruled the pop charts, is widely known for his songs O Sanam, Tere Mere Saath, Jaane Kya Dhoondta Hai, and Mausam, among many others. Lucky Ali needs no introduction. His songs speak a unique language, they’re invigorating, soul-stirring and paired with his husky voice, the guy can truly teleport you to a different dimension. It was this distinctive music style and untrained voice he became known for – elements that helped him emerge as a leading figure in Indipop during the period. As one can imagine Lucky Ali is the recipient of several prestigious awards some of which include the Best Pop Male Vocalist at the 1996 Screen Awards and the Channel V Viewers Choice Award in 1997 and was also nominated under the category of indie-pop at the MTV Video Music Awards, which is an international level award for his debut album titled “Sunoh”.

3. Alisha Chinai (Genre: Indian Pop)

Top-Indian-Pop-Bands-Alisha-Chinai — Source

Known as the “Indian Madonna”, Alisha Chinai was a leading pop singer, who can be given the credit for bringing the trend of pop music to India. Alisha’s initial foray into the music industry was through her album, Jadoo, the music for which was composed by Anu Malik. She also had another album titled “Babydoll”. She was introduced to Hindi film music by the veteran music director and composer Bappi Lahiri whom she had many disco hits within many films in the 1980s including “Tarzan”, Dance Dance, Commando, Guru, Love Love Love etc, and by the 1990s she had become known as the ‘Queen of Indipop’. Her best-known songs were with producers Anu Malik and Biddu during the 1990s. Her most renowned song is Made in India from the album with the same name which went on to become one of the highest-selling pop albums of its time, making Alisha became a household name. In 2005, Chinai’s career reached a new high when she recorded “Kajra Re” for the movie Bunty Aur Babli. The song was an instant hit and won her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer.

4. Euphoria (Genre: Hindi Rock)

A favourite of millions, this band’s music is quirky and quite awesome to be frank. Dr. Palash Sen, the band’s front man has definitely come a long way since the its formation in the country’s capital, Delhi in 1988. My favorite sound tracks from this band are Mehfuz (Re Dhoom), Maaeri (Re Dhoom), Aana Meri Gully (2003) and Dhoom Pichuk (1998). This band has mastered the tempo in its own way which captivates their audiences.

5. Sonu Nigam (Genre: Indi-Pop, Classical, Playback, Semi-classical)

Perhaps there is not even a single person born in the 80’s and 90’s who did not hear Sonu Nigam’s mellifluous voice and even now we continue to hear his songs. A gifted child, Nigam started singing by the tender age of 4 and started recording for films by 19. Some of his famous songs are Sandese Aate Hai (Film: Border 1997), Sau Dard and Mere Haath Mein (Fanaa 2006) and Love is a Waste of Time (Pk 2014). My personal favorite Sonu song is Aajnabi Seher Mein (Jaan-e-Mann 2006) as it is very soul stirring.

6. Indian Ocean (Genre: Fusion, Rock, Folk)

Indian Ocean is considered as one of the greatest bands in India and the pioneers of fusion rock in the country. Formed at New Delhi in 1990, this band has reached its pinnacle a few years back with hit songs like Bandeh (Film: Black Friday, 2004). Their celebrated bassist Rahul Ram lent his voice to many films like Gulaal and D-Day. Some of the songs worth mentioning are Sone ki Nagri (16/330 Khajoor Road, 2011), Kandisa (Kandisa, 2000) and many others.

7. Usha Uthup (Genre: Pop)

Born in Bombay in a Tamil Brahmin family, Usha actually hails from Chennai. She pioneered the Indian pop in her own unique style which very few musicians have been able to achieve. Her deep voice coupled with music earned her many accolades; she sang at night bars previously and now does playback singing for many films including Don2, Disco Dancer, 7 Khoon Maaf and many others.

8. Silk Route (Genre: Folk Rock, Blues)

Top-Indian-Pop-Bands-Silk-Route — Source

Silk Route started in the year 1998 with their album Boondein with Mohit Chauhan as the lead vocalist and guitarist, Kem Trivedi on the keyboard, Atul Mittal as the lead guitarist, clarinet-player, and backing vocals, and Kenny Puri as the percussionist and drummer. The band is much endeared for the song Dooba-Dooba from their acclaimed debut album in 1998, Boondein a track that still plays in our heads from time to time. They have always been acclaimed for adding a distinct touch to their music by using acoustic guitars, talking drums and harmonica and primarily by the use of Recorder, a 17th-century European folk musical instrument played by Kem Trivedi. Citing Simon and Garfunkel and Dire Straits as their influences, Silk Route have bagged several major awards like Best Debut’, ‘Best Music Video’ and ‘Best Indian Group’ which helped them solidify their names and achieve notable mainstream success.

9. Bombay Vikings (Genre: Pop, Rock, Filmi)

Top-Indian-Pop-Bands-Bombay-Vikings — Source

Bombay Vikings was first launched in the year 1994 by Neeraj Shridhar, along with his co-musicians Mats Nordenborg, and Oscar Soderberg. Later as the original members of the band moved on, and Neeraj included new members. The band caused quite a sensation in India with their unusual style of blending of classical Bollywood and European music genres. In no time, they got immensely popular and it helped them surge the popularity chart in India and abroad. One of the major reasons for their popularity was that they were the first musical group from India to produce songs in the youth’s language; Hinglish.

From Kya surat hai to Woh chali and Chhod do aanchal – if you’ve grown up listening to indie-pop in the ’90s, this band will definitely tug at your heartstrings.

10. Motherjane (Genre: Progressive Rock, World Carnatic Music)

A relatively recent one in the Indian music scenario, this band has taken the world music scenario by storm. Formed in Kochi in 1996 their infusion of rock and Indian carnatic music is mind blowing. If you have not heard them before just give them a try. Songs worth mentioning are Disillusioned (2001), Fields of Sound , Broken, and Maktub (Maktub 2008). Music transcends our soul; you’ll definitely get this feeling after hearing Motherjane.

These are just a few among many musicians that created a wave in the bygone era. Who are your favourites? Let us know in the comments.

Taming the Spoiled Kids

Caleidoscope

June 29, 2015

Author – Ishita Gupta

My neighbour, Neetu Shah, has two children – Tanvi and Rachit. Rachit, who is now about 16 years old, has been a patient of asthma since birth and hence had to keep a check on his diet and physical health constantly; Tanvi is a college goer. Neetu believes in strict parenting and has been asserting various boundaries on both her children since their childhood.

On interviewing Neetu about her children, she laughed, as every mother would and explained how her kids are always bugging her about everything. She also told that they are the best thing that ever happened to her. However, after spending time with her children and observing their traits, I realised that Rachit had been extremely spoiled. I ask his elder sister Tanvi how Rachit is as a brother. Like every sister would complain, she sulked about how her brother would always have things his way and always bullies her. On asking her what could be the reason behind such aggression, I received a rather valid reply. Tanvi explained how her brother had always been pampered and given everything he’d demanded for. I silently observed Rachit playing on his laptop despite his mother scolding him to go and study. I asked Rachit, “Don’t you get tired of playing on the laptop all day?” “No, there are so many games. Plus, I have to play because all my classmates are playing this game”, he reverted back. Further, I noticed Tanvi messaging someone continuously on her cell phone. When I inquired her about the time she spends on her cell phone, she answered “Rather often. I have nothing else to do at home. And you may be wondering why I am consistently on it; well I only got my phone in 2^nd year of college. So it’s not like I’ve always been like this. I didn’t have all the privileges my brother has at his age.” Their mother, Neetu, overheard Tanvi’s reply and added that Rachit feels left out on seeing his sister getting such privileges, and doesn’t understand that she only got this liberty after she cleared her school exams and got into a proper college. She also told me that Rachit is always so angry, even on the smallest things. “We try and overlook his anger, since he has asthma and we worry that if we bother or scold him too much, it may affect his health”, Neetu finished. I noticed the expression of slight distress on Neetu’s face and realized how worried she was about Rachit, his studies and health.

Rachit and his Mom

On interviewing this neighbour of mine, I came to realise that the child is spoilt not solely due to his parents’ pampering or irresponsibility, but due to all the people who he comes across in his life. Friends and siblings induce the child to be attracted to the leisures, which the parents have to bow down and get for the child in order to control his/her tantrums. However, the siblings and friends cannot be controlled, given they are also young. So it is up to the parents to put a foot down and rectify the child’s behaviour.

Below mentioned are a few ways in which a child gets spoiled by the parents –

Immensely Pampered
Positive Behaviour of child is Overlooked
No Limitation on the Actions of the Child
No Rules and Regulations exerted
Too many Rules Eexerted
Giving in during child’s Tantrums

Child discipline experts assure that all this can be rectified. Experts suggest the following methods to reform the spoiled kids:

Establish Restrictions – The child should have clear regulations which they must follow.
Consequences for Breaking Rules– Cut off the privileges or take a favourite item of the child.
Reward for Good Behavior– The child gets rewarded for good behaviour. Rewards may include a surprise lunch at the child’s favourite place or some other treat.
Teach the child to accept “no” as an answer– If the child’s pleadings have been denied, don’t let tantrums change the answer.
Practice Ideal Behaviour– The child will only learn the kind of behaviour around them. Unruly behaviour will allow them to be unruly. Respect and kindness amongst parents, will induce the same qualities in the child.

The years of adolescence are the most critical years for both the child and parents. The child is plain confused as to what is going on around them and the parents don’t know how to help their child through this phase. It is during these years, that the child becomes mature or get spoiled. It’s all a matter of how you handle them and direct them into the right path.

Image – Pixabay

Gadgets And Gears Used By the Youth in 80s and 90s

Biswadeep Ghosh Hazra

June 25, 2015

Author – Biswadeep Ghosh Hazra

Source – Wikimedia

It is hard to imagine our existence without gadgets these days. Be it smart phones, tablets, laptops or a wide plethora of other goods and gadgets, we cannot stay for a moment bereft of them. Stripped off of these modern contraptions which make our life easier, we feel like we’ve been dragged back to the Stone Age! But, was it the same a couple of decades ago? The Youth of 80’s and 90’s had very little access to technology but, that was all they needed to be happy.

Here is a list of a few such gadgets which makes you nostalgic if you are an 80s or 90s kid-

1. Analog Cameras

Remember the Kodak/Yashica camera running on reels? Before the advent of its digital counterparts these cameras ruled our world, well our albums at least. With a limited photo quantity, these were our travelling companion and definitely the keeper of memories. Now-a-days we have digital cameras, DSLR’s and mobiles which can take umpteen photos. With a 47 mm lens and no pixel CCD sensor, photographers would have to look through the tiny glass hole present at the upward portion of the camera for adjustments as there was no screen on cameras.

Source: Wikimedia

2. Boom box/Tape Recorder

Another one of our favorites, the boom box was our constant companion over to the gym/aerobics class and also the best way to kill time. What could be more pleasant than sitting back and listening to your favorite song on high volume? The same instrument also served as a recorder and we did record the voices of our near and dear ones, even of our own! These boom boxes or tape recorders had different kind of cassettes; unlike the CD’s and DVD’s which we see flooding the market these days. They had magnetic tapes.

Source: Wikimedia

3. Video Games

Another great addictive addition to this list, we all loved playing video games a child. Be it Super Mario, Duck Shooting, Olympic Games or Contra we were addicted to these games throughout our childhood. Who knew these video games would be replaced with computers and laptops in the coming decade. My personal favorite was the shooting games like Duck Hunt and Clay Shooting using the fake plastic gun which possibly contained an infrared mechanism attached to the video game CPU. My favorite companies were Nintendo, Sony, Sega and a couple of Indian version brands.

4. Pager

Before mobile phones took the world by storm and made it even smaller, pagers were the closest to their mobile counterparts. They could deliver alphanumeric messages or even voice messages in costlier models. I still remember how people with pagers would fondly and proudly display their device which was (most of the times) attached to their belts. Pagers have a small green screen where the messages flash on. Pagers support direct connection protocols and are faster than cellular based communication and cannot be traced. Some of the popular companies which manufactured them were Motorola, Sony, Beetel etc.

Source: Flickr

5. Walkmans and Headphones

This golden period also gave birth to headphones and walkman companies like Sennheiser, Bose, Sony, Aiwa and many others. The first step towards iPods these walkmans were our first personalized music companions and I remember starting to head bang with my first walkman!

Source: Flickr

These are some of the contraptions widely used back in the eighties and nineties. Did we miss out on any? Let us know in the comments.

Retro Records: A Forgotten Era!

Caleidoscope

June 24, 2015

Author – Varina Rasquinha

I sip a cup of hot coffee while a scintillating piece of Jim Reeves music plays in the background. The old tape has started a queer groan, but it automatically gets subdued with time. After a really long time, I finally have brushed the dust off my cassette player. Turns out that I have found an immediate solace in the way the tape plays a soft music and I feel time-travelled backwards when in those days there were no DVD’s, CD’s or Blueray discs like today! I have preserved a huge collection of cassettes that are obsolete now. Boney M, ABBA, Andy Gibb, Donna Summer, LIPPS INC.; all of them neatly stacked but no more a requirement like those days when tape recorders and gramophones were the only music sources found in homes. I remember how I controverted with my family members as a little child regarding what cassette went next into the player. Different times. Different memories.

An old gramophone still persists in my uncle’s place which of course, is not used by the way. He narrated to me once about how in the early 80’s they assembled together as a family at dusk, in front of their gramophone and hummed to the music emanating with the contact of the record player’s stylus on the groove of a vinyl disc.

Today, these cassette players, phonographs have been solemnly replaced with CD / DVD players and Bluerays. Sadly, it does disappoint those who saw the archaic players long before the newer ones grabbed their place!

The old phonographs

These are popularly known as the gramophones and were widely used during the early 80’s and also in the 90’s. It’s also called the Edison’s phonograph as he used a similar machine that had a large horn projected outwards in order to amplify the audio signals, but it was all done mechanically. The first gramophone in India was fabricated in Kolkata in the year 1898. An Indian entrepreneur named Hemendra Bose was known to have imported the Edison’s phonograph to India and also made the cylinder record. This was then popularly named as the Bose’s record. Rabindranath Tagore recorded his song of Vande Mataram in the same. The first Indian song recorded using this, was by the The Gramophone & Typewriter Ltd in the year 1898, which was started by an eminent singer, Miss Goharjan. She was popularly known as the ‘first gramophone celebrity’ who cut 160 discs during her entire lifetime. The phonograph industry in India burgeoned with the copious contribution of Miss Goharjan.

The traditional phonographs have a stylus with a little crystal made of sapphire that is fixed to the peak of a metal bar that is supposed to run on a plastic gramophone disc. These microscopic bounces of the stylus are further transmitted and amplified. The stylus is further closely connected with a cartridge that comprises of a piezoelectric crystal. The gentle wobble of this crystal due to the movement of the stylus is enough for the transmission. The audio signals are amplified and are heard through a horn.

These phonographs were further modified to form the modern turntables which had the provision of using two kinds of discs. The long-playing record or LP are quite similar in thickness to the CD’s that we use. But there is one thing that differentiates it from a normal CD, the fact that Phonograph LP discs can store audio on either sides whereas CD’s store them on only one side. But you need to do the switching of sides manually.

Cassette Tapes:

The use of cassettes in India can be traced back to the 1970’s when it first started to get popular. MTV aesthetics were the reason why Indian cassette culture gradually emerged with the growth of the music industry.

Cassettes are nothing but magnetic tapes that make use of an electromagnet. There is a layer of oxide on the tape which is made to infuse the magnetic flux that it comes in contact with it, initially. The electromagnet that is used is of a very tiny size.

It has a coil wire which allows the audio signal through it. There’s a magnetic field created whose magnetic flux forms a fringe pattern which further magnetizes the layer of oxide that is already present on the tape. When the same audio signal has to be played back, the tape moves along its traversing path and creates a magnetic flux in its core. This will then play the audio signal after suitable amplification.

In a cassette player that we normally use, we find two such electromagnets inbuilt. There are also other features built in to clear the tape before recording. The head that is provided on the bottom left is for the same purpose, while the head present on the bottom centre is for the record and playback.

The rage of newer technologies is such that the older ones have turned out to be downright obsolete and submissive. They are however not in vogue anymore and mostly found in antique stores where they would lie admired and intact or would simply cross someone’s mind like it did to me!

Fact File-
www.explainthatstuff.com
www.electronics.howstuffworks.com
www.thecolorsofindia.com
www.kamat.com
www.commons.wikimedia.org
www.pixabay.com
www.commons.wikimedia.org

International Yoga Day Restores the Lost Glory

Poulomi Dave

June 21, 2015

There is a clear indication that a fitness consciousness is rising in India. This is evident in the number of gyms, health clubs, cycling groups and runners’ fraternities sprouting across the nation. Particularly, the rising craze of Yoga among Indians is quite prominent.

I was introduced to Yoga during my school years; these sessions were really interesting for most of us even though our Yoga instructor spent half of her time calming down all the hyperactive kids in order to make them perform all those asanas. Yoga has evolved greatly over the years. Today, there are so many different types of Yoga techniques that are taught, many of which have been invented recently – Hatha Yoga, Hot Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Post Natal and Prenatal Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyassa Yoga, etc.

Yoga is an ancient Indian discipline ultimately aims to unite mind, body, and spirit, and helps us to transcend the boundaries of the self to become one with the universal consciousness. This ancient discipline originated thousands of years ago, taught by the Rishis or Yoga gurus as they were called to their students. According to Panini, a 6th Century BC Sanskrit grammarian, the term “Yoga” is derived from two roots – Yujir Yoga (to yoke or unite) or Yuj Samādhau (to concentrate). Later in 4th Century AD, the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ were compiled, which laid the foundation of Yoga.

Even though Yoga has its origins in India it has been widely accepted all over the world, especially the West. Swami Vivekananda was the first Hindu guru who actively advocated various aspects of Yoga to the western audience, when he toured Europe and the United States in the 1890s. Hatha Yoga was the first type of Yoga that was introduced to the West in the 1920s by three students of T. Krishnamacharya (a prominent Indian Yogi) namely, B.K.S Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar, and Sri Pattabhi Jois. These three yogis went on to reinvent Yoga and they founded the schools of Iyengar Yoga, ViniYoga, and Ashtanga Yoga, respectively.

A second “Yoga boom” followed in the 1980s, as Dean Ornish, a follower of Swami Satchidananda, connected Yoga to heart health, legitimizing it as a purely physical system of health exercises outside of counter-culture or esotericism circles, and unconnected to any religious denomination. Numerous asanas seemed modern in origin, and strongly overlapped with 19th and early-20th century Western exercise traditions.

Yoga has gained a strong foothold in Hollywood, where celebrities like Madonna, Demi Moore, Reese Witherspoon and Robert Downey swear by Yoga to help them keep fit physically as well as spiritually. The first Yoga studio in Hollywood was established by Indira Devi in 1947, which led to a steady migration of celebrities to this discipline. A lot of prominent Yoga instructors are non-Indians namely Noah Maze, Heidi Kristofer, Elena Brower, Vanessa Hudgens and many more.

In India, TV as a mass media helped boost the popularity of Yoga through renowned practitioners such as Baba Ramdev and Shilpa Shetty. Today, this practice has evolved greatly over the years and a lot of these variants that have been created in order to cater to special needs. Some of the popular forms of Yoga are:

Ashtanga Yoga – designed to help adolescent boys calm their excess energy
Iyengar Yoga – a form of Hatha Yoga that emphasises on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of postures (asana) and breath control (pranayama)
Hot Yoga – a style devised by Bikram Chaudhary was used to replicate the heat and humidity of India where Yoga originated
Acro-Yoga is another new style of Yoga gaining popularity that blends the wisdom of Yoga with the dynamic power of Acrobatics and the loving kindness of healing arts
Hip-Hop Yoga is where you do sun salutations to the soothing sounds of Eminem
Doga is where people essentially use their dogs as props to deepen their poses!

Even though the way Yoga has been taught in today’s world has really diversified, there are still a few Yoga gurus as they call themselves who have tried to preserve the ancient or the most orthodox form of this art. For instance, B.K.S. Iyengar who recently passed away developed the Iyengar Yoga, a form of Hatha Yoga. He has systematised over 200 classical Yogic postures and 14 different types of Pranayama.

Yoga has greatly evolved over the few years and it will continue to do so, based on the needs of every generation that comes along. In the last few years, Yoga has found a big home support and a renaissance is beginning in India. The Indian Government is putting a serious effort to restore the lost glory of this discipline by declaring June 21st as the 1st International Yoga Day in order to incite mass participation throughout the country.

Factfile –
www.psychologytoday.com
www.buzzfeed.com
www.indiatimes.com
www.doyouyoga.com
Image sources –
www.bksiyengar.com
www.youtube.com
Doga- https://thedogknowledge…

Can Carnatic Music Become Contemporary?

Sreesvarna B

June 19, 2015

Author – Sreesvarna B

It always sounded funny to me when someone asks me ‘How much longer will your violin class go? Do you have to practice every day? What will you do after your classes get over?’ Questioning is as always a simple task but answering is not easy, mainly when you know that explaining your answers to the people asking these questions are going to be even more difficult.

At the age of five or six, most parents send their child to the Classical Music, Dance, Vedic or Harikatha classes. Though the child is very young to even comprehend why he/she is being sent to the class, they will get it eventually because these art forms doesn’t take just a few years but a few lifespan to master. And this, was repeatedly told by many famous performing artists who, even now, obediently visit their teacher’s place every time they forget the humbleness their skills must gain.

I see many parents happily boasting of about their child who took up the state level music exam at different stages and passed out distinction! But, does exam define the art of music and make you a master? For after this one exam, you find the parents waiting for a chance to ask the teacher when their child will be performing on the stage.

Practicing any of these art forms requires undivided concentration and a dedicated mind but in the present scenario, we find it missing for the child in a constant pressure to outdo in all spheres of life including academics and sport, which means a day off from practice doesn’t hurt anyone and whatever to be learnt can be done in class! Even then the child is not left alone but is burdened to excel without practice in the classes and the child slowly starts hating the class as they don’t have superpowers to cope up with everything. This leads to him or her deprived the joy of being a child.

For others who learn music for the sake of having a extra-curricular activity in their list which brings along fame, it becomes boring as their guru at one point or other will keep doing the basics and two lines of a chapter over and over again as months keep passing by. At the end, they would have neither understood the reason for spending their time for classical music nor the two lines they were going through till they gave up!

Another scenario that has come up is the ‘Cool factor’, where learning classical music, be it Carnatic or Hindustani, classical dance form or even more Vedas and Harikatha are termed as anti-modern and uncool! In these cases, the kids are ignored for they become boring and don’t know much about recent film music, jazz, rock and roll and most importantly, the so called modern thoughts!! Clearly this would be the best example for someone to explain what the word judgmental means!

And alas, the factor of age always remains and when we start enjoying the true meaning of these art forms, we hesitate to learn it as we are not very young and have other responsibilities! But this again, is a misconception that gets manifested for I have batch mates in my violin class who are much Older than me and I myself joined the class only a mere four years back.

After all of this the question remains, can Carnatic Music ever become contemporary???

This question was there a twenty years back too when my dad was in his phase of wanting to learn music. It was there when the most senior artist come on stage to do a manodharma (An extempore part of Carnatic Music), when the music sabhas and institutes where coming up and it’s lingering even today and only the time and trends can decide.

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