Tag: Article

Whenever I heard about the topic ‘Discovering Yourself’, I always thought that we already know about ourselves. So what was the point in discussing this topic? But I was wrong. The topic actually meant about discovering our secret about ourselves which even we might not know. When I understood the topic’s meaning, I gradually began to wonder what my secret ability was.
I tried to do many activities such as painting, singing, dancing etc. but none of them was my cup of tea. I then thought that my ability might be in academics. But I thought that academics could be done by anyone if they worked hard. Thus, I was back to square one.
I was searching for hidden qualities when I suddenly remembered that I like planting trees. In fact, I had another quality that I liked helping people. On my birthday I would plant trees and donate essential items to an NGO with the help of my parents. Thus, to me discovering myself was a very difficult but essential task.

2020! This year seemed to have a mind of its own. A mind where random thoughts over centuries have accumulated to one unified whole and thus has reacted, responded to show that all is heard, all is seen, all is noted.

As the days of 2020 passed, this perception molded into firmer belief. All the doings of mankind had taken a toll over his own race and Time had come to give us a taste of our own medicine, play our own tunes in retrospective and here we are – two to tango. So left forlorn, feeble and frightened, my poor self started to contemplate as I could feel 2020 breathing on my shoulder and watching me quietly, waiting for me to decipher the code of enlightenment.

However the journey for me had been quite a baffling one in the initial days nettled with fear, anxiety, inhibition, bewilderment; nettled with Why? How? When? Who? and so on. The tag line – ‘This is the new normal’ glaring with its headlight force, simply refused to seep in and register. How could this be the NORMAL?

Well, normal is just normal, isn’t it? It never shouts out to assert its presence, it is just there and we know it. But this weirdo – 2020, the bringer of Evil, could never be accepted as a part of our lives, it could never be accepted as one among us. All forces of the world unanimously agreed upon this and all in unison simply wanted to uproot this maleficent entity and throw it out of the universe to purge our earth of all the impurities and cleanse it again for rejoicing Humanity.

The creator, benefactor, seemed to smile in amusement and pushed forward a simple question – How long would you remain submerged in oblivion? How long would your race wallow in the pride of its superiority? Isn’t it the humans alone who have spread nefarious agents of calamity from time to time?

With this thought a chord in me suddenly untangled.

Well, I can’t truly claim ourselves to be the smartest of the lot now. After all, we misled, misplaced, mismanaged. We took our time to realize Earth. One short film came as an eye opener around midyear. It said – Earth doesn’t need you, it is self-sufficient and sustaining even without you. You are not the commander, but just a visitor. Know your place. Count your blessings. Think, rethink and conjure up ways of gratitude.

It seemed as if the soil under my feet softly slipped away, the glass palace of firm beliefs scattered into pieces. Realization!

Realization- though harsh at times, opens our eyes and saves our day, stops us from making blunders beyond repair. So now, I started unfurling a different side of me! I strongly feel, most of us have taken this journey like me. As a matter of fact, some were blessed to realize early, some took it late.
In our efforts to purge the earth, we ended up purging ourselves of our inner demons. I learnt to look beyond the meager and enjoy the broader view, I learnt to acknowledge and appreciate the little things that life offered and say ‘Please wait’ to colossal targets, I learnt to love and cherish instead of holding bitterness and despair. Rightly quoted by someone – “2020 is not the year to get everything you want. This is the year to appreciate everything you have.”

Thus, in this way, finally I managed to get out of my shell. I feel I finally could decipher the code of enlightenment which 2020 had planned for me. And so, I have rerouted my journey now and am wobbling my amateurish self towards the path of Glory. Now, that I have seen the reason behind the angelic presence of 2020, I dare not call it ominous any more. These days, Time is simply flying away, days are short, nights are shorter-there is so much to do, so much to cherish and so much to give. I don’t feel the warm breath of 2020 upon my shoulder anymore- maybe now that I have realized its worth, it’s slowly slipping out from my hand.

That you can say, is a perspective of my own. After all, it was a year with a perspective, right? An eye-opener, a game turner, an epiphany of life- whatever you may call it. The choice I leave on you.

Chanderi is a small historical village in Ashoknagar district in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It has a population of 35,000 people. It is believed that this town was established by Raja Shishupal. I visited Chanderi with my grandfather, Dr. Rajendra Lahoti.

In the 13th century the Chanderi sari weaving tradition began. The textile business of Chanderi reached its peak during the Mughal period. Chanderi has become additionally important because of the handloom industry since the 13th century and is still vibrant. The government has set up a Handloom Park to encourage training of new tailors. The design in the Chanderi saree is made during weaving hence it is a time consuming process. Thread is either silk or cotton and is usually imported.

The vast Chanderi fort was made by King Kirti Pal in the 11th century. The last rule was of the Scindhias. The fort has witnessed many wars and takeovers between Bundela Rajputs and Mughals and later between the British and the Scindhias.

Chanderi is mid-way between Bundelkhand and Malwa. Because of its location on the trade map, Chanderi was important to all. Once, the Mughal emperor decided to visit Chanderi. The governor wanted to throw a surprise to the emperor. He declared that the person who would carve a gate for the emperor by cutting through a hill would be handsomely rewarded. Workers started building the gate and soon the gate was ready. But since the worker failed to put hinges for the doors on the gate, he was not given his reward. Following the death of the worker, he was buried next to the gate. Since this gate was built by cutting through a mountain, it was named Katighati gate.

Beautiful architecture of Koshak Mahal on the outskirts of Chanderi. It was to be built 7 stories but because of the early death of the emperor, it was built only upto 4 stories.

 

There are many other sites worth visiting like Shehzadi ka Roza, Badal Mahal, mausoleum of Baiju Bawra, a resting place for camels and underground connected stepwells. There are many Hindu, Jain temples and mosques worth seeing. There is a good museum too. There are 2 MP tourism hotels. It is worth visiting the city in the monsoon and winter season.

Who Thought That a Human Could Be an Elephant?

We are aware that anything is possible in nightmares and dreams which we all see and even live when we are sleeping. But when you are awake and you see a man turn into an elephant, well that’s beyond your imagination, isn’t it? It’s befuddling to imagine but here we are, having at least one idol of Lord Ganesha in our houses! Humans and animals are entwined inextricably in this world.

Have you ever heard of a bird of paradise? There was a mention of it in my last English literature chapter: The Rumphius Story and a breed of a bird named Attenborough is one of them. It is known for its unique communication in all languages of the jungle. All of them!  I know, right? It sounds impossible but the bird can actually produce sounds ranging from that of a lion to a parrot. It has an alluring tail with feathers assembled like a peacock’s back and that helps it to catch various noises and the littlest notes of the jungle. It repeats whatever it hears, to attract a female mate for reproduction. You wouldn’t understand if it’s a cockatoo or a kiwi because every tone it reproduces is very precise.

In this video, you can see that bird making the noises of chainsaw and cameras that it might have heard in the jungle. It’s an amazing world!

It is the animals who actually have the rights on earth. We humans are short sighted; we utilize the earth’s resources and do not pay back. We are clever to just use the resources and not care about it. But all humans are not like this; some do care about our earth and protect it in many ways. Many people try and reduce global warming and some NGOs are  working to save our earth. Animals are using earth but not polluting it, we humans use the earth and pollute it. We selfishly kill animals for their products. These days we see so many animals suffering, like pigeons. They aren’t able to make nests and if they are able to, they have to make from wires, not twigs, because we have cut trees. We see butterflies with cut wings.

 

I saw one in my community garden. When I tried to pick it up and leave it by the side, I noticed that someone had already stepped on it- not even seeing the beautiful creature! 

Let us look around and learn to admire God’s handiwork.

Let me tell you a story emphasizing upon the necessary instigation of the conventional habitude of affixing oneself to moral grounds, and yet the long-lost practice of not floccinaucinihilipilificating the commonly deprecated masses. The story also focuses its light on the power of having an equitable mindset, along with the indispensable usage of felicitous vocabulary…

“Twenty years ago, I, along with my dad, was waiting for the night bus to come, so that we could finally head home. Dad used to work the afternoon and evening shifts at the Berryman Café, and I used to pack his lunch and take it to him every day after school. We used to spend the evenings together, and would leave for home at eight each night, either by walking, or, if I got lucky, sometimes by the bus.

The pouring rain had been engulfed by the darkness, and I was feeling quite warm, huddled in dad’s oversized coat, standing in the sheltered bus station. On the opposite pavement, a disheveled man in ragged clothes was sluggishly raking the leaves off the thoroughfare. His eyes blinked ceaselessly due to the incessant rain, as his hands unremittingly scratched his chin. The man hopelessly looked around, and then got back to finishing his work.

Another boy my age was standing in the shelter with his father, presumably waiting for the same bus. His father pointed his finger at the man, and said, ‘Son, if you do not study, you will end up being like him.’
On hearing this, my face instinctively turned towards my dad. He gently placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled. Gesturing towards the tattered man, he said earnestly, ‘Son, if you study, you will be able to make the world a better place for him.’”

This beautiful story, is the perfect amalgamation of true hopefulness, and parlance, and emphasizes upon the necessary complementation of psychology, and phraseology— it shows us the power that positive psychology can have on a child’s mindset, at the same time, cautioning us, that this consciousness needs the right words, to leave an everlasting impact.

The eventual goal of both the fathers was the same— first, to make their child realize the importance of education, which, will, when all is said and done, brighten the child’s future. However, the basic dominant contrast between the psychology of the two children, growing up, would be this— The first child would be in constant fear of his future, and thus, his intrinsic motivation to perform well in life, will, at any point of time, be directed by trepidation of ending up like the battered man he had looked down upon, as a child. On the other hand, the latter, would try equally hard to accomplish something in life, but with hope, and wishful thinking in his heart, and not perpetual anxiety.

It has been a desire in every Indian’s heart to help India become a super power and a world leader. Though this desire has been in our heart since many years, have we ever tried to put in efforts towards achieving this goal?

We all have actually become customers of foreign goods even for the ones of basic necessities though they can be easily produced in our country. It is also a surprise that we have become so much dependent that we are unable to stop ourselves from buying foreign goods even for the festivals celebrated in our country. Annually, about $480 billion is spent by our country on its import. So, don’t you think it would be better if all that money is spent on purchasing indigenously manufactured goods?

Just remember, India’s population is its biggest strength and if we all start preferring ‘Made in India’ over imported goods, India’s economy will see a jump. This will help us generate direct and indirect employment due to which our economy will witness an improvement in the economic development.

God supports those who work with hope and strategy.

Every country is desperate to sell their products to India since Indian market is so big. But we have Indian companies like Infosys, Airtel, Ranbaxy and TATA which are trying to innovate products which can beat foreign products and capture foreign market too. COCONICS, a new private–public company set–up in Kerala has announced to manufacture new laptops which will be completely Indian made and available at affordable prices.

Our Government has started taking steps to promote local goods and one such example is ‘Atman Nirbhar Bharat’.

Our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi reaffirmed that India has the talent to make the best products. He also stated that one of the key ways to a self–reliant India is to buy and promote local products.

So, a major part of this mission and even its success lies in the hands of us citizens. If the country gets united and only has an aim to make India a successful and developed country, then no one in this world will be able to stop us from becoming the New India which we have always dreamt of.

As quoted in the words of many analysts and researchers, “The Covid-19 pandemic is widely regarded as the greatest and the most severe problem faced by the entire world.,” This is a global pandemic and during these tough times it’s paramount for all the nations to cooperate and work together in favour of people’s health, their lifestyle and towards the benefit of the human race.

This ever changing world is constantly undergoing varied problems. The challenge lies upon each one of us and it entirely depends on the way we react to this pandemic. Embracing hope, utilising technology and having faith in the Almighty will definitely prove to be useful for all. Working individually and separately wouldn’t be helpful and this pandemic demands togetherness and unity.

But wait a minute, the lines quoted above would have definitely made you familiar with the severity of the crisis, isn’t it? But is it as minacious and deadly as we consider it to be. Yeah, I do agree that this pandemic has caused a turmoil around the world and has upturned the economy, but it must also have some latent benefits, right?

So let’s analyse the gravity of the situation and come to a final conclusion. Are you all ready? Tighten your seat-belts, breathe in and release and now let’s get started with a roller coaster ride and find out whether it will prove to be fruitful or detrimental.

A discussion and analyzation of a particular situation is the most suitable way to come to conclusion. Following the limits set by this statement, we shall discuss the pros and cons of this global dilemma.

Starting with the cons of this predicament: –

1. A major challenge posed by this pandemic is the worry of the people about the situation after the pandemic gets stabilised. Discussing the current situation of India, we all are well aware that the country’s prime activities are restarting and the situation is gradually normalising. A majority of the Indian citizens find staying at homes more suitable for their safety and they are unwilling to get out to work. The threat of catching this deadly virus is still a major fear among the people. This needs to be countered by influencing the opinion of the people and willing them to come out. Taking proper precautions is what is the need of the hour. An individual who remains responsible and aware shall survive the wrath of this hardship.
2. The economic sector has been hit quite severely by this virus and the revival of economic sector would be the next major task that the citizens and government would have to look upon. Revival of such activities would be quite difficult but it can’t be termed impossible. In a developing country like India, this challenge is a massive one as the country already has various issues that need to be looked upon. The government has already established a plan and under Unlock 1.0, the economic activities are gradually restarting. Taking advantage of the situation, India can achieve new heights and emerge as a world superpower. However, the country must also keep in mind its global obligations and duties that it needs to fulfil.
3. The global governments consider the lockdown to be the best and the most ideal way to assess the situation and to curb the spread of infection. Although the lockdown was beneficial it has the ability to create long term impacts on the lifestyle of people. Many psychiatrists believe that a prolonged lockdown or confinement in homes can lead to a global mental crisis as confinement can lead to depression, anxiety, boredom and lack of creativity. It is necessary to get an idea about the gravity of the situation and then take immediate actions. Practising meditation, pranayams can prove to be fruitful. Spending more time with family and the loved ones is also advised.
4. The highly contagious virus has been the centre of interest and attraction for the researchers and healthcare experts and this focus on a single facet can lead to another massive outbreak that can prove to be more lethal for the planet. World organisations such as WHO have constantly been asking nations to focus on other diseases as well.
5. With the onset of lockdown, the dependency of people on sources of information has increased dramatically. Be it a person of any age group, he/she has shown an increased inclination towards technology. Be it the online classes being attended by children, the office meetings being attended by job goers, the trial of new food recipes at home or the prime attraction for all social media- all these activities make use of an electronic gadget which in turn leads to the stress on eyes and can result in cognitive issues.

Talking about all the pessimistic aspects would have given you a scare and hence let us discuss the positive impacts to calm your nerves and to establish a sense of relief in you.

1. The so called lockdown has particularly provided nature with ample time to heal itself and revive its natural aura and beauty that attracts humans from far and wide. Humans like me and you have knowingly or unknowingly hampered the scenic beauty of the planet for our own benefits and pleasures. The mighty rivers, glaciers and forests have been provided time to recover from the injuries caused to them by humans. This pandemic has provided us a second chance to change our mindset towards Mother Earth. In other words, this one obstacle has provided us a heal and answer to another major issue that is CLIMATE CHANGE.
2. Crime is a term that scares and brings goosebumps to almost everyone. This incarceration in homes has several constructive impressions and a prime one being reduced crime rate. The crime rate in various countries has significantly reduced and this is another positive impact.
3. This indefinite period has provided us sufficient time to engage in something more productive that can prove to be instrumental in the long run and has also provided us family time. In other words, it has given us a break from monotonous life. We can now utilise our time in our own way and can give complete attention to our hobbies.
4. The Covid 19 pandemic is all about maintaining basic personal hygiene and the pandemic would definitely show a big change on our lifestyle. This pandemic would stress upon the need to ensure a good personal hygiene and hence the government would be compelled to make people aware of ways to maintain good physical hygiene. This sort of a situation has enabled the government to realise its shortcomings and it shall definitely help the government overcome these issues with a better dealing of affairs in the near future.
5. The government has proposed and suggested that citizens adhere to the ancient Ayurvedic ways to increase immunity and boost metabolism. These Ayurvedic recipes have grown up to be widely popular not only among the natives of India but also among the people of the world. Hence the image of India in the world has taken a pretty good shape and people have started believing in ancient Indian practices such as Yoga.
6. The lockdown has also provided us a wonderful chance to peep out of the window, look at the garden and spot a beautiful vibrant bird with all its wings stretched. This is a fascinating lockdown effect as the pandemic has helped the creatures to live a life in serenity and calmness. This time is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers as they can always spot some enchantress belonging to the ultimate flora and fauna.

We have got a hang of points in our bag and it seems as if these are sufficient to come to a final epilogue that will result in a termination to our prolonged discussion. Here comes the final end to our adventurous ride and before this we have a slight twist in our route. We shall now approach the steepest climb of this ride. So here comes a breeze of air, your hair goes wild and the wind and speed force you to make a weird expression. Hold your seat tightly everyone because here comes the final leap!!!

After going through the analysis thoroughly, many of you might have already anticipated the final outcome, and you might also be holding grudges against me for testing your patience, right??? We all have heard this phrase, ‘The more you wait, the better results you obtain.’ So gear up my friends because here breaks the suspense and comes forward the outcome.

We have clearly noticed that the pros and cons of this pandemic are diverse and seeing and observing closely we find that this pandemic comes with its own losses and profits. The benefits of the pandemic clearly outnumber the demerits. Therefore, we may conclude that each problem comes with its own challenges and the adversities of a particular issue bring in solutions to the other one. The incoming adversities bring terror but the after effects of every situation bring relaxation. These situations also strengthen us from within and the citizens are tested through these situations. So… there are no worries…. just sit down, and relax…say, “all is well” and here comes a sudden ray of hope from within which enlightens the gloomy days…and you might not even realise when the situation stabilises.

“CHANGE COMES FROM WITHIN”

Life is a journey and this journey constantly encounters ups and downs. Sometimes, life shows us its beautiful and winsome side; sometimes it shows us its gruesome side. Considering or regarding a situation as a favorable or unfavorable one depends primarily on the individual who faces it. We are all born on this planet for a solitary reason and all of us have our own distinctive outlook towards various oscillating situations. Some person may consider a peculiar circumstance to be a curse for him/her, whereas another person might consider the same condition to be a boon for him/her.

Talking about changing situation, the first contrivance that comes to our mind is a person’s “notion and attitude”. A mortal with a positive lookout tries his best to find optimism in surroundings, whereas the one with cynicism finds himself in a hopeless situation. Today, we are all stuck in our confined households and are in a situation of uncertainty and irregularity. Confinement in homes has proved to be a boon as well as bane for us.

Many psychiatrists see captivity as a reason for a global mental crisis, whereas a few of them regard it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to cultivate various ethical qualities and trends.

Relating and mentioning my personal experience, this “so-called” lockdown has given me a break from a monotonous life and has helped me develop new skills. This “isolation from the worldly distractions” helped me live in calmness and stillness. I also came across vast and moving experiences.

One such experience is concerned with my hunt for peace and spirituality. It was a warm and energetic day. I got up from bed early in the morning and quietly sat in the living room. My eyes fell upon the door leading to the balcony. Through the wooden door’s minute opening, I saw a tiny plant seeking my attention. I tried to distract myself from thinking about the minuscule plant but my attempt soon proved to be a failure. The more I tried to prevent myself from thinking about the plant, the more it called upon me to come towards it. Finally, I got up from my seat and walked towards the balcony. A composed blow of air welcomed me and with the incoming wind the plants waved at me. A bird chirped and a butterfly went past my ear fluttering its little wings. I sat down there on the clean sparkling marble floor.

After a few moments, I felt like meditating. Hence I got my yoga mat, laid it on to the floor, switched on the Bluetooth speaker, got it connected to the mobile and sat down to provoke my senses to some healing music. I sat in Sukhasan, closed my eyes and felt myself entering into a whole new world. The music included the sound of “OM” and in the background I could hear the sound of flute. The sun’s rays rejuvenated all the cells in my body and my mind’s chatter came to a gradual halt. I went deep into a subconscious state of mind and felt the Zen and optimism flow through the elongated nerve cells. At the end, I gently opened my eyes with a slight smile.

The rest of the day went as usual, quarrelling with my sister, playing and having fun, but somewhere deep within the soul, I could feel a long-lasting difference…

After change, the only thing that is constant and happens to each individual is pain. To an extent, it is unavoidable. Affecting people in more than a billion ways, each individual has to encounter it, at some or the other point in life.

But the question is, how much pain is a lot of pain?

There obviously aren’t any fixed parameters that indicate how much pain or suffering a person is going through. Instead, what we can say is that every person has their own personal limit of the amount of misery that is tolerable and the point after which it becomes intolerable, generally leading to what we call an outburst. What each one of us should know and follow is the art of respecting the parameters that someone else has set. Not every human might be as emotionally strong as you are; each individual has had a different past. Each person has dealt with different levels of trauma, each individual has his own way of deriving the learning from those experiences.

Respect the pain of each individual, for the phrase ‘a lot of pain’ cannot be generalized. Each one of us has the right to call their pain ‘a lot of pain’ and only through talking it out with a person who respects it can it be minimized, for “new beginnings are often disguised as painful endings”.