The oldest city of the world the Varanasi city has its own beauty. The name “Varanasi” originates from the varuna and the assi river
The people, The river , the beautiful culture and the walls of this city tells different stories. The beauty of the city lies in the history of it. if you explore this city you found out from dusk to dawn it have several stories to tell so this article is all about Varanasi.
People call it the city of lord Shiva it is a belief of people that the city is standing on the trishool of the lord Shiva. There are lots of temples and ghats the first temple which I explore was the Kashi Vishwanath temple it is a temple of lord Shiva people go there and worship lord shiva in the form of linga.Priests pouring milk on the shivling it’s said that pouring milk and water removes the inferior energy and the shivling is beautifully decorated by different flowers people are desperate to worship lord shiva they travelled a lot to came here and they lost themselves in the adoration of lord Shiva believing that Shiva pardon the sins of the people. The second place where I went was Dashasamedh ghat the most famous ghat in Varanasi there are 84 ghats in which Dashaswamedh ghat , Manikarnika ghat ,Harishchandra ghat , Assi ghat , Kabir ghat ,Tulsi das ghat every ghat is famous for the memories of famous personalites for their work like tulsidas who written the RAMCHRITAMANAS which focuses on humanity. Dashaswamedh ghat is the most alert ghat where many ceremonies are taking place everyday the bestest thing I ever saw was ganga aarti how beautifully the priests do aarti the music the waves of the ghat and the alluring herons made that place speechless.We saw a lot of tourist taking bath in the river and praying..doing different kinds of exercises. After that the boatmen’s taking the tourist around the river and telling them all about the city …it’s history it’s culture etc .the saints are doing their whole makeup by putting tilak on their foreheads and wearing orange clothes performing various activities like lighting diyas and floating it into the river and blowing the conch and praying early in the morning. It’s a belief of people that the river have many properties who came here and take bath their body gets clean not by externally but internally it have many properties as I said people do cultivation and they consider it best for their crops. Many people sell ballons toys and many food stuffs like chaat and golgappas their …and this city is also famous for food stuffs the people of Varanasi are fond of food there are several food stuffs made for different occasions and also for different time like in breakfast they started their day by kachori and sabji and also a syrup filled ring [jalebis] which is most famous in varansi you saw a lot of crowd at such place and in the lunch time they mostly eat proper food after that they take some lassi and rabari and malai for desert and in last they take pans for freshness of mouth there are variety of pans which is must try to taste which is usually eaten for freshness after having food so people of Varanasi are fascinated by food .The story of Varanasi is not end here
People living in gallies and selling their products children’s are playing games women’s waiting for vegetable sellers all these activities are going on in the gallies of Varanasi. People often come here to buy ‘Banarasi silk sarees’ which is most famous here. And also Varanasi is famous for different dance forms and classical music many famous personalites like Ravi Shankar and ustad bismillah khan live there they give new insight for such activities. Then I move to saw the most famous university that is BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY it was found by the most famous freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya it’s the dream of every student to go for this university and everyone is aware about this university so this is my whole experience after exploring some parts of Varanasi there are thousands of things to explore one must go there and experience different things. I like to mention some lines of the poetry by Kedarnath Singh that is………..
किसी अलक्षित सूर्य को
देता हुआ अर्घ्य
शताब्दियों से इसी तरह
गंगा के जल में
अपनी एक टांग पर खड़ा है यह शहर
अपनी दूसरी टांग से
बिलकुल बेखबर!

Teejan Bai from Chattisgarh, a renowned Pandavani exponent was awarded  Padma Vibhushan awards in March, 2019 by the President Ram Nath Kovind for performing a traditional art form, Pandavani from Chhattisgarh, in which she enacts tales from the Mahabharata, with musical accompaniments.

Pandavani means stories of Pandava brothers in Mahabharat. It involves enacting and singing with instrumental accompaniment an ektara or a tambura in one hand and sometimes a kartal in another. As the performance progresses, the tambura becomes her only prop, sometimes to personify a gada, mace of Bhima, or Arjuna’s bow or chariot, while at other times it becomes the hair of queen Draupadi, allowing her to play various character with effective ease and candour. Her acclaimed performances are – Draupadi cheerharan, Dushasana Vadh and Mahabharat Yudh, Yudh between Bhishma and Arjun.

Teejan Bai was born in Ganiyari village to Chunuk Lal Pardhi(father) and Sukhwati(mother).  She belongs to the Pardhi Scheduled Tribe of Chhattisgarh state. She was trained informally under Umed Singh Deshmukh.

She was married at the age of 12 and was expelled by her community, the ‘Pardhi’ tribe, for singing Pandavani, being a woman. She built herself a small hut and started living on her own, borrowing utensils and food from neighbors, yet never left her singing, which eventually paid off for her.

She gave her first public performance in a neighbouring village at the age of 13 in Chandrakhuri (Durg) for Rs 10. She broke the tradition and sang in the Kapalik shaili of Pandavani, a first time for a woman, as traditionally women used to sing in the Vedamati, the sitting style. Teejan Bai performed standing singing out loud in her typical guttral voice and unmistakable vigor, entering what was till then, a male bastion.

A big break was given by Habib Tanvir, a theatre personality from Madhya Pradesh who noticed her talent and called her to perform for then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Later she received national and international recognition. She travelled all over the world as a cultural ambassador, to countries as far as England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Mauritius.She performed sequences from the Mahabharata in Shyam Benegal’s acclaimed Doordarshan TV series Bharat Ek Khoj based on Jawaharlal Nehru’s book.

She has been awarded the Padma Shri in 1987, Padma Bhushan in 2003, and Padma Vibhushan in 2019 by Government of India, besides 1995 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. She has also been awarded Fukuoka Award in 2018.

The company of pelicans, herons and silent lake

Stirs the inner thoughts makes your spirit awake

Today we are going to talk about jewels of Mysore which shines like diamond when daylight dances on it. Yes we are talking about Kukarahalli and Karanji Lake which is in true sense real jewels as when one goes there gets totally lost in the scenic beauty of its flora and fauna.

Fistly I will talk about Kukarhalli Lake which is bursting with visual appeal. When one enters the place, gets captivated by the calmness of lake and at the same time chirping of spot billed pelicans and black crowned night herons takes the viewer in another world.

There is a long walkway for joggers, dotted with stone benches to sit and relax under bougainvillea plants shade to relax. The place is full of calmness and energy as there is burst of flora and fauna. It has attracted many poets and writers towards it, like poet laureate Kuvempu. He got inspired by the serene lake and penned down many of his works. It stirs the inner thoughts and gives the mind food for thoughts.

The Kukkarahalli Lake gives an immense peace to the visitors and it is always enthralling experience to be in such a panoramic beauty.

 Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar was responsible for getting the lake created, in the year 1864, to provide water for irrigation to about 10,000 acres of land outside the city. Kukkarahalli Lake was created in the year 1864, to provide water for irrigation for areas outside the Mysore city. Dewan Poornaiah feeder canal, 27 km long, which passes through Hinkal, Bogadi, Kudremala and Manasagangotri outfalls into the Lake. Later on the lake was also used as a source of water supply to the city. Total area of Kukkarahalli lake is about 104 ha and the water spread area of the lake is 62 ha.  The lake is located at the heart of the city within the campus of Mysore University. The lake is partly bird sanctuary and partly aquatic habitat. Over the years, sewage and excessive land encroachments and blockage of water flow sources almost led to the eutrophication of the lake. The University of Mysore and the citizen forums of Mysore continue to make efforts to preserve the lake by implementing several remedial measures.

Now let’s move to Karanji Lake, the feel you get while walking on the largest aviary of India amidst the large bamboo trees will take your mind to some distant peaceful place. The beautiful natural setting of colorful and bright butterflies, sound of swaying stalks of towering bamboo trees, calmness of lake, and call of peacocks is signature of karanji lake. Explosion of visual appeal is there as large variety of fauna along with orchid garden attracts you and make you go away from reality.

When you are engrossed in such a natural beauty, Regional Museum of Natural history is there to create environmental awareness and to depict floral, faunal and geological wealth of the southern region of India.

The bewitching lake was formerly a part of the Mysore Zoo and is under the control of Mysore Zoo Authority. The Karanji Lake measures around 90 hectares, out of which 55 hectares is the water area, and 35 hectares is the foreshore area. It was initially constructed by the King of Mysore as a percolation tank to serve as source of drinking water for residents and was used for other chores like bathing, washing, etc. It became a property of Mysore Zoo Authority in 1976.

Karanji lake also known as Fountain Lake is ideal place for bird-watchers. There are around 147 species of birds which given mind peace amidst natural setting. This area presents amazing opportunities to get a glimpse of birds such as Sandpipers, Asian open bill storks, herons, egrets and grey pelican, etc are some of the common migratory birds that can be spotted here.

If you are mesmerized by butterflies then this place is right for you as it boasts of more than 45 captivating species of butterflies. One can see various host plants and nectar plants which have been planted here to facilitate breeding and sustenance of butterflies. These plants have also been brought from hill stations and other regions like Malnad. The butterfly park is inside an island in the lake. The path through the park eventually takes you to the bridge to the island which is a home to color bursting butterflies. It is a perfect place for relaxing and to get lost in the scenic beauty of nature as the area is adorned with lush greenery and abundance of fauna.

Large swaying stalks of bamboo trees and the call of elegant peacocks

Sparkling lake and sweet smell of orchid will give you a pleasant shock.

How often do you sit with yourself in isolation? Or how often do you practice meditation and try to find answers to your inner conflicts? Many of you might not find the time or have patience to sit and watch your own thoughts, right? Well, meditation is much like observing a movie but to take a seat and watch your own thoughts for 2 hours is especially difficult unlike watching an enticing two-hour movies easily, because it’s like watching your own reality dealing with your thoughts.
Sitting quiet for 15-20 minutes or even an hour is pretty challenging as you cannot completely detach yourself from the thoughts occurring in your mind. It is thus exhausting to many. But, if you can calm your mind, stay focused and confront your thoughts and challenges, your growth in life is certain.
Similarly, if you want to understand life and find your true self, it is important to understand that your life is not defined by what’s happening around you or the circumstances you are put through but it is actually defined by the way you look at things and the way you deal with your inner self at the times of crisis.
Seating in solitude and spending time with oneself is essential at times to understand and analyze yourself better. It helps you to become your own best guide by observing and analyzing the mistakes you have done so far in your life, the lessons learned from it and how you should make peace with yourself. After all, the entire experience of your existence is within you and nowhere else. Inner peace is thus very essential for one’s mental well-being.
However, the problem with today’s modern life is that we don’t give ourselves the much-needed time to stop and reflect upon the life we have lived so far, as we are too busy making an attempt to create a life or too busy trying to become someone we are not. This is where sitting in silence or meditating for few minutes can help us dig deeper into our inner self and ultimately help us discover our true self and also help in finding the true purpose of life.

In the times of Corona we had to make changes in the way we did things. And similarly there are some changes which have been decided for the elections that will be conducted in the time of pandemic. There is an upcoming election in the state of Bihar for which the election commission of India has put out certain guidelines.

The candidates who want to fight the elections have to fill online nomination forms. And then a printout of that form has to be submitted to the election officer. The affidavit will also be submitted online. The candidates will have to segment the security money online, although there is an option to submit cash as well. When the candidate will go to submit the nomination at that time he will not be allowed to bring more than 2 people with him. For the election campaign the candidate cannot take more than 5 people. During a roadshow not more than 5 cars are allowed in one part of the convoy, after half an hour 5 for the cars in a separate convoy can go for a roadshow. It will also be taken care that wherever an election meeting will be held necessary social distancing norms will be followed.

At the polling station 15 to 20 circles will be made at a distance of 6 feet to ensure social distancing. There will be three different chewing lines one for men, one for women and one for old and disabled people. At a time only one voter will be allowed inside the room and gloves will also be provided. At the entrance of every polling station there will be soap, water and sanitizer provided. Every voter will have to go through thermal checking. In case of water has temperature more than what has been set as appropriate then s/he will given a chance to vote at the last hours. As compared to 1500 on regular days only 1000 voters will be e called at one polling booth. It will also be taken care that one day prior to the the voting day the polling booth is properly sanitized. The number of postal ballot has been increased for physically handicapped people and those aged more than 80. The postal ballot service will also be available for essential service providers as well as people who have tested Corona positive.

How much it takes to be happy with what you have? Okay, so some would certainly say it takes absolutely nothing and one should one must be happy with whatever they have. But is this like what it seems like? Now. some would say that this is some sort of bookish or ideal thing which no one could apply in real life. I would say they both are correct with their respective opinions because being happy with what you have is not that easy when you notice that someone is living a better life than you and that too when you deserve more than whatever you have.

But this certainly doesn’t mean one relate this to their ego. Always remember you should be an intellectual thinker, not an overthinker. There is a correlation between higher intellect and lower life satisfaction rates. Those with a higher intellect understand how things function and prefer to ponder more. You may claim they have a particular attitude to issues around the planet. Therefore they seem to be more disturbed by egotistical, unreasonable, and illogical behavior. Simpler citizens tend to worry differently, and are also differently stressed. Realizing a happy future. Yet that is not to suggest that the two are explicitly connected. Often everyone struggles with the living.

But that doesn’t mean that you should not appreciate what you own. The things and the facilities which you have are still not available to many and some people don’t even know that they even exist. And being very specific appreciation is the key to happiness a multitudinous times and one must consider this mantra whether in any relationship or any field of life.

Practicing the act of love-opting to care for what you have rather than what you desire-makes life simpler, happier, and safer. The wonderful thing about gratitude is that the effect is instant, profound, and often benevolent. Mindfulness causes optimistic emotions. It’s a mental activity-an act of thought-that considers a thing’s importance.

It can be subjective or factual, the stuff. Appreciation is an event that is taking place and not a desire which will be held. Yet when regularly exercised it creates an appreciation ability that increases the emotional and social well-being.
You have countless opportunities to be thankful because it automatically causes good emotions the minute you do so. You can consider it, though, not as an emotion but as a catalyst for good emotions such as love, pleasure, and satisfaction.

For starters, offering thanks to a friend or sincerely appreciating his or her help will often offer you a feeling of joy. Such feelings will develop into emotions that over time build beliefs and virtues.I would say happiness is something you create not found and by this above-inscribed article I think I can conclude that One should appreciate what he has but he shouldn’t make this an excuse for procrastination and always look forward to the things and certainly try to achieve them.

It is being about more than 4 months of staying indoors and following social distancing. Gradually many business had started to adapted the work from home strategy and many had started to operate on precautions basis, but one major sector of economic as well as social growth which we are neglecting is the education sector. Schools and universities are closed since a long time and online classes is not comfortable enough with teachers as well as students. The concept of online learning is not much success for the areas lacking internet facilities and much high technological devices.

The lockdown has aggravated deep-set class and social differences, especially between private and public school systems. The Indian government spends 4.6 percent of its GDP on education. This is lower than in sub-Saharan countries like Kenya, Togo, and Zimbabwe.

According to a report from India today, The education sector is facing unprecedented challenges and needs to adapt and find solutions to keep children motivated and in their route to learning. NCERT is planning to issue guidelines regarding alternatives needed to carry out the purpose of teaching smoothly.

According to the World Bank, only half of India’s teachers are actually teaching on any given day because of sky-high teacher absence rates. When a large number of teachers don’t even teach when schools are open, it’s hard to imagine a better outcome when schools are under lockdown.

Amidst the situation of health and education there is much to be done in terms for securing a good future for the youth of the country. Providing the results for their hard-work is necessary for government to think upon. The COVID-19 epidemic is hitting everyone hard. But schools, which have always been placed for real-life, physical interaction, have been among the hardest hit. As hundreds of millions of students around the world struggle to study at home, it remains to be seen how educators and the sector on a whole will deal with the new learn-at-home reality.

every student is facing a problem of working in a direction whose path and destination both are unknown, which is a serious danger on the education spirit of our country.