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Showing posts from 2013

Responsible Tourism: Te Aroha sets an example

Set in the sleepy little village of Dhanachuli in Kumaun, Uttarakhand, Te Aroha , with its yellow roofs, stands out. With tastefully done interiors and beautiful landscaping, the resort is different from any other resort I have visited so far -- and in more ways than one. Let us start with the name "Te Aroha". It means "the mountain of love" or "the loved one". And when you meet the man behind the resort, Sumant Batra , you fully appreciate why he chose this name.  More than business, Te Aroha is his passion. Each corner of the resort echoes this, and you can see how much love he has put into chalking out minutest of the details. The resort is named after the mountain of the same name in New Zealand. Click here to read the complete legend behind the name. Sumant was generous enough to invite some bloggers to Te Aroha for a bloggers meet this month. We stayed there from October 4 to October 6, 2013. During these three days, we got ample opportunity to

Who will ensure justice for Nirbhaya?

Photo courtesy Vaishali Ahuja My blog was silent on Nirbhaya rape case so far. In fact, my pen and my muse were both numb and paralyzed with thoughts too complicated for me to comprehend or explain. I was hurt -- I felt unbearable pain for the girl, her family, her friend, and all those who had known her and had to see her lose her battle for life in such a painful manner. I also felt cheated and confused. It was so hard to believe that the country I so vehemently defended when anyone dared to criticize it could allow such cruelty to happen. There was so much I wanted to say through these last few months, but I couldn't bring myself to write a word about it -- or for that matter -- about anything.  It is said that shock treats shock. When the Juvenile Justice Board found the "juvenile" accused guilty of the heinous crime, and yet couldn't sentence him to more than 3 years of confinement, I knew I had to write about it. I do not want to rant about how unjust

Must Visit - Reimaging: The People of India (1850-2013)

Anthropology owes a lot to photographers, who have played a very important role, intentionally and unintentionally, in documenting not only history and nature, but also society and culture. When photography was introduced in India, the photographers were British and some of the pictures they clicked are incredible reflections of their understanding of the Indian Society at that time. However, society has evolved and the old definitions of caste have changed considerably. And, therefore, it is but logical that these changes be captured and documented with a fresh perspective. And the exhibition "Reimaging: The People of India (1850-2013)" takes several interesting steps in this direction. The exhibition was inaugurated yesterday and will be on till 26 April 2013 at India International Centre. Timings are from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. The exhibition showcases several extraordinary portraits and compositions by Dinesh Khanna, Dileep Prakash, Mahesh Bhat and Sandeep

Manovikas-IGNOU Community College - People who chose to take action

When I was invited to the Ist Convocation Ceremony for the students of Manovikas-IGNOU Community College for Developmentally Delayed, I was delighted. In the past as well, I have attended events where Manovikas, founded by Dr. Alok kumar "Bhuwan", played an important role and I have always come back enriched and humbled. So I was looking forward to this event.  The convocation took place in the India International Centre on January 13th, 2013 at 1:45 PM. The event started with invocation of "Om Tat Sat", which means " Supreme Absolute Truth", or more literally "all that is". This was followed by a beautiful dance performance by the students of the Community College. The theme of the dance was National Intergrity and the unity amongst all religions. Through this dance performance,  I got the first glimpse into what these children were actually capable of. I was touched by their elegance and grace. On the dais, sat eminent people from v

2012 Nights by Vipul Rikhi: Stories that make you think

Even though the book is categorized under short stories, it has a very strong central narrative that runs through these short stories and connects each to another. All tales in the book pivot around the narrator's crumbling life in the backdrop of the seemingly inevitable disintegration of the entire realm of existence. The drunk narrative sucks the reader into its hallucinatory vortex and relentlessly makes one confront the very real questions one would rather avoid. The imagery used is powerful, disturbing, and beautiful at the same time.  The themes that the stories and the central narrative touches are at the core of many problems plaguing the world today. Without being didactic or preachy, the author effectively makes the readers stop in their paths and wonder about where the world is coming from and where it is headed. Even though the book is a serious work and deals with serious topics, the author's matter-of-fact vocal tone is refreshing and provides a much-need