Introduction to SEO

Search Engine Optimization, more commonly referred to as SEO, is one of the most crucial aspects of marketing. As such, if you’re working to market your blog or your business, you need to know what SEO means and what the rules and ways of SEO success are. While a successful SEO strategy isn’t an exact science, and its practice has been challenged on many fronts throughout the years, knowing the basics is still important to an effective marketing campaign.

What is SEO?

SEO refers to the process of making a website more visible on a search engine’s results page. To clarify, a great SEO strategy will put a company’s website at the top of the list on a Google search page, therefore increasing the likelihood that people will visit the site. Search engines strive to provide the most relevant results for a person conducting a search, so that when a person runs an internet search for “cupcakes,” the first thing to appear isn’t a cookie shop, but a bakery that specializes in cupcakes as well as a definition of the dessert. In other words, SEO helps to make a search relevant to the user and can be critical in driving traffic to your site.

Search engines work by searching the Internet to find text that meets certain criteria. This text is known as keywords and refers to the most important theme(s) of the website, company, or product. Scouring the online world to find keywords are why, as in the example above, a search for “cupcakes” yields a result of multiple pages about cupcakes, not cookies. Other important things that a search engine uses to rank a website include titles, headings, and links that make up the content of a website’s pages. Search engines also employ search engine indexing to find, digest, and store the content of a website. A search engine index refers to the set of data that’s used to base a final search result on.

The Importance of Keyword Research

Another important part of an SEO introduction is understanding the significance of keywords. We explained above that keywords are the specific words or set of words that best describe the theme or overall concept of an idea, website, business, or product. Keywords are the words that people use when conducting a search, and should be words that are included in the content of your webpage. Choosing the right keywords can help to drive traffic to your site, attract potential customers, and greatly improve your SEO ranking.

When deciding what keywords you should include in your text, you should consider things such as the relevancy of the keyword(s) to your website and company, as well as the competitors that are using the same keyword(s) (you can check this by running a quick Google search of chosen keywords yourself, and seeing what sites appear at the top of the list). To discover the value of your keywords, you can buy a sample campaign from Google AdWords, which will allow you to test the traffic generated by your chosen keywords. If all three things are in check—the keywords are relevant to your website, competitors are experiencing success with similar keywords, and a sample campaign yields high traffic—you should feel confident in moving forward with the keywords.

SEO Tools and Services

Although an SEO introduction is a fantastic place to start, as your marketing initiatives develop, you might want to think about acquiring additional SEO products and services. These resources are frequently made available by the search engines themselves, including Google’s Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools, Google AdWords Keywords Tool, Google Alerts, Google Trends, DoubleClick Ad Planner, Google Page Speed, Google Site Map, and others.

In addition to the tools offered by Google, you may also investigate additional internet tools or even employ a business that specializes in SEO marketing to build and optimize your website.

Get Rewarded for SLEEP

Get Rewarded for Sleep

Triparna Chakraborty from Kolkata was crowned “India’s first Sleep Champion”. Fifteen candidates were selected as sleep interns having slept nine hours for 100 days. The interns will be selected through various processes, they will be provided with mattresses and sophisticated sleep tracker. The interns will be counseled on ways to improve their sleep health through various empowering sessions with fitness professionals, nutritionist and wellness experts and Sleep specialists. The internship is provided by Wakefit.co it provides homesolutions that include furniture and mattresses. It is offering a novel internships to students.

For more information- https: //www. Wakefit.co/sleepintern.

ONAM

Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala it is time everything looks fresh. During this period flowers blossom , crops ripe and vegetables and fruits attain full growth. In this day Malayali nurtures an emotional bond that evoke rich memories of glorious past. For people away from Kerala, onam sets stage for nostalgic homecoming. It is an occasion of family reunions. In Kerala, onam embodies the spirit of its people. It is celebrated across different communities. All famous publications bring out special programs for the festival. The numerous television channels compete with one another to render better fare for their viewers. The railway run special trains, hotels have special tariffs, film industries churn out new releases to satisfy filmy appetite in Kerala. Most of home finance companies offer onam special rates during festive season. Home appliances and different consumer durables Markey come up with attractive discount rates and are sold off like hot pancakes. People will go on for shopping and most salaried employees will receive festive bonus and incentives during Onam. Street vendors are making brisk business in onam carnival. It is a revival for the market altogether. Malayali associations across the world actively celebrate onam with the same Kerala style. The handloom industries provide the rebate offered by the government. Weavers across Kerala organize variety of expo in different parts of the state to reach out the common people. Major jewelry showrooms offer alluring offers like bumper prizes like trips,cars etc through lucky draw. They offer discount on making charges of jewelleries. Tempting offers galore all around. Onam is festival of prosperity.

The myth behind Onam festival is that it is believed that during Onam, Mahabali, the erstwhile king of Kerala comes on for an annual revisit to his kingdom. According to mythology prosperity prevailed during reign of Mahabali and gods become envious of it, Lord Vishnu in order to put an end to Mahabali ‘s regime appeared in disguise as little Vamana. He requested land equal in size of his three footsteps. On being agreed Lord Vishnu took his full form physically and ethereally. The first step covered the entire celestial world. With second step covered the world of demons. Mahabali realized that third step would take earth which will affect his people. Mahabali pleaded to take the third step over him to spare his people. As mark of respect to his sacrifice of bebevolent monarch made for his people. Mahabali was allowed to visit his kingdom once every year. Onam is the time of year when malayalam calender begins. It is followed by monsoon in Kerala. Onam falls on mid- chingam the maiden month of malayalam calendar. With Atham the real countdown to Thiruvonam begins. Floral carpet is laid in front of household begins from Atham and continues 10 days till Thiruvonam. Rituals such as laying of pookkalam in courtyards of homes and gifting new clothes called Onakkodi are customs during Onam. Cultural events like Oonjalaattam, Onathallu, Pullikali, Thalapandu etc are organized in Kerala. Sadya in tender plantain leaves is part of festivity.

Zambia and Zimbabwe

Zambia is known as Republic of Zambia. The capital is Lusaka. Other large cities are Kitwe, Chingola. The main languages spoken are Bantu and English. Currency of Zambia is Kwacha. It got independence on 24th October 1964. The Government type is Republic. Zambia is in South Central Africa. It got its name from River Zambezi. It is originally known as Northern Rhodesia and it is separated from Zimbabve by Zambezi river. One of the biggest man made dam Kariba Dam is situated on Zambezi river. Maize, tobacco, millet,cassava, ground nut, cotton, sugar are produced. The country is rich with minerals such as copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, uranium, manganese.

Zimbabwe is known as Republic of Zimbabwe. The capital is Harare. Large cities include Gweru and Bulawayo. The main languages spoken are English, Ndebela and Shona. Currency is Zimbabwean dollar. The type of government is parliamentary democracy. It achieved independence on 18th April 1980. The country is rich in minerals like copper, nickel, gold, chrome and coal. More than 40 different types of metals and minerals are produced. Maize, ground nut, cotton and tobacco are mainly produced here. It is one of the largest producer of tobacco.

Nykaa Success Story

About Nykaa

Nykaa is a brand based in India that specializes in multi-beauty and personal care products. It had originally been set up as a sole e-commerce medium until it later began building up various retail outlets in many other urban cities across India.

Nykaa Founders

A graduate with MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Falguni Nayar begins to work at Kotak Mahindra in investment banking after her graduation. She became the Managing director at Kotak in 2005. She worked for Kotak Mahindra for about 18 years, during which she decided to move beyond the banking sector and experience in other sectors. She recognized the unexplored potentiality of the online beauty sector.

Nykaa was started in 2012 by Falguni Nayar and is headquartered in Mumbai. She entered the market to remove the irregularities in the beauty industry. Despite high demand, the industry was not up to the mark. Her expertise in Investment banking has made her value the sustainability of the business.

Despite being a capital-intensive industry, she decided to raise and accommodate funds accordingly. The company has pioneered in providing a one place shopping experience for all domestic brands, international brands, luxury & prestige brands, premium brands, niche, and cult brands.

Business Model of Nykaa

Its business model revolves mainly around inventory management as the company purchases the products directly from brands or distributors and then provides them to the customers on its platform.

Thinking about how it is different from marketplace models like that of Amazon or Flipkart?

Well in the latter, products are listed by third-party sellers for the customers to make a purchase, which is not the case of Nykaa. This helps Nykaa to secure its customers from any fraudulent sellers and maintain the authenticity of the platform.

Apart from this, exclusive collaborations with big brands in beauty and fashion, the creation of private labels across categories, and having a physical presence have all helped it stand out in a competitive e-commerce industry where buyers are generally vendor-sceptic and looking for the best deal.

Furthermore, the company’s offline stores are present in 3 formats – On Trend, Luxe, and Kiosks. On Trend & Luxe deals with trending and fashionable brand products. While Kiosk is specifically for featuring premium and luxury brands including Dior, MAC, Huda Beauty, Estee Lauder, and many more prestigious brands.

Apart from Amazon and Flipkart, purple.com is a direct competitor of Nykaa. Purple is one of the companies present in the online retailer business in the same segment.

Further, in order to interact with beauty enthusiasts, the company formed an online platform – Nykaa Network. This helps them connect better with the customers and provide them with a unique experience.

Nykaa’s Marketing Strategy

The main element is to promote brands and products via multiple channels, websites, and blog pages. It pitches the products digitally to reach customers in all regions of the country. To directly reach the right audience, the company also collaborated with Femina to conduct Femina Miss India over the last few years.

Another key to its success is its ability to create relevant, engaging, and relatable content for its audience. The focus is to connect with beauty enthusiasts through their YouTube and Instagram handles. The company’s ability to establish itself as a legitimate voice in beauty and, increasingly, fashion talks through social media platforms.

How is Nykaa operating now?

This India-based startup originally began as the sole e-commerce platform. Since then, the company is continuously expanding its operations.

It started with the online operations but then diversified into offline stores as well. Currently, the company has 76 brick-and-mortar stores. Earlier, it was only operating in the women’s segment. But in 2019, it entered into the men’s segment by launching Nykaa Men. As of now, the company has 300+ brands in its catalogue under the women, men, and kidswear sections.

Conclusion

The company is planning to expand further in the offline mode through its brick-and-mortar stores. It is planning to open 180+ stores by 2024. This will help the company to boost its sales and revenue. Apart from this, the company is launching an IPO soon, which could take its valuation to 4 billion dollars. It will be the first company in the online beauty marketplace to launch an IPO. Besides, the company is also planning to achieve profitability before going public.

We could say that Nykaa has become the amazon of the beauty industry. This platform has been instrumental in dispelling the misconception that e-commerce and beauty retail does not work well in India. Due to a continuous rise in sales and the profitability of the company, its plan to launch the IPO has been preponed.

One can say Nykaa has become into the Amazon of the cosmetics sector. Because of this platform, the myth that e-commerce and beauty retail don’t function well in India has been decisively disproven. The company’s plan to start the IPO has been postponed due to an ongoing increase in sales and profitability.

Appeals to the people, especially youth, to unite & fight against drug addiction

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has appealed to the Nation, especially the youth, to unite and fight against drug addiction, terming the menace as one of the stumbling blocks for India to achieve its full potential. He was interacting with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and youth at a function ‘An Interaction with NCC cadets and Pledge Against Drug Abuse’, organised by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in New Delhi on September 12, 2022. Cadets from all 17 State Directorates and youth from different parts of the country joined the event through video conferencing. The Raksha Mantri urged them to fight and eliminate drug addiction on the same scale as the country’s revolutionaries fought for the freedom struggle and ensured independence.

“India is moving forward in the direction of becoming one of the superpowers of the world. But, there are some limitations which are preventing us from achieving our true potential. Drug addiction is one such limitation. Despite having all qualities, our country has not yet been able to stand in the line of developed countries, as there are many people, especially the youth, who are in the grip of drugs. Youth are the future of the country. They are the cornerstones of the nation. If their present is intoxicated, their future can be easily guessed. We need to wedge a fight against drugs like we did for our Independence,” Shri Rajnath Singh said.

Elaborating more on the ill-effects of the drugs, the Raksha Mantri stated that it not only adversely affects the maintenance of law and order in society, but also gives rise to terrorist activities at national and international levels. He added that many international organisations accept that the money earned from illegal drug trade is used to aid terrorist organisations, which threaten the defence and security of many countries. There is an urgent need to work together and get rid of the menace from all sections of society, he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh urged the NCC cadets to form a group of 3-4 cadets and try to reach out to the youth addicted to drugs, informing them about the ill-effects of drug use. He exhorted them to first gain knowledge about the harmful effects of drug use as well as the how to easily approach de-addiction centres set up by the Government at various places. Through this, the cadets will be able to help those who wish to free themselves from the clutches of drugs. ‘Our NCC cadets are in a way another avatar of our armed forces. If our forces are protecting the country from external enemies, then our NCC cadets can protect the country from internal enemies like drugs’, he said.

The Raksha Mantri exuded confidence that the Nation will be free from the menace of drugs in ‘Amrit Kaal’ through the concerted efforts from all sections of society.

The interaction event was jointly presided over by Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar. The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment is the Nodal Department in the Government of India for Drug Demand Reduction. To create awareness among youth, children and community, Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) was launched by the government on August 15, 2020 in 272 identified districts. So far, more than eight crore people, including three crore youths, two crore women and 1.59 lakh educational institutions have become a part of NMBA.

With active involvement of NCC Cadets, the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment is expected to take this Abhiyaan to newer heights and achieve its objective of Nasha Mukt Bharat.

All India Institute of Ayurveda launches 6-Weeks programme on Ayurveda Day 2022

All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under the Ministry of Ayush, today launched the Ayurveda Day 2022 programme. AIIA has been chosen as the nodal agency for driving the Ministry of Ayush’s mandate for Ayurveda Day this year. The theme for the celebration is ‘Har Din Har Ghar Ayurveda’.

Ayurveda Day curtain raiser for the six-week long programme (12th September-23rd October) saw the virtual presence of Minister of Ayush Shri Sarabananda Sonawal, MoS for Ayush Dr Munjapara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, Secretary Vaidhya Rajesh Kotecha, Special Secretary Shri P.K Pathak and NCSIM chairman Vaidya Jayant Deopujari.

The Ministry of AYUSH celebrates Ayurveda Day every year on Dhanvantari Jayanti and this year it will be celebrated on 23 October. This year the Ministry is celebrating it in collaboration with all the Ministries and departments of Government of India so that every person of the nation is made aware of traditional system of medicine.

Speaking at the occasion, Shri Sonawal said, “The six-week programme is a noble endevour to take forward the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. The success of this programme will be possible only if we are able to reach every citizen of India, and therefore, over the coming weeks, we will focus all our energies to interact with and sensitise the people so that the message of Ayurveda can percolate down to all levels. ‘Har Din Har Ghar Ayurveda’ stresses on creating awareness of ‘Ayurveda for Holistic Health’ in every household. This will help our nation become healthy and strong.”

Sharing his views, Dr. Mahendrabhai said, “By joining hands with other countries, we aim to take Ayurveda to every house and make true the vision of “From Healthy India to a Healthy World”.

Director AIIA Prof. Tanuja Nesari shared the details of the programme and highlighted the key events that will take place over the next few weeks. The programme will see participation from various ministries of the Government of India with the aim of 3Js – Jan Sandesh, Jan Bhagidari, and Jan Aandolan.

More than tenfold increase in share in ‘domestic transportation of small passenger vehicles(cars)’

Railways, being a cleaner mode of transportation, not only helps automobile industry to quickly transport bulk volumes over long distances, but also gives opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint. Automobile traffic over Indian Railways has witnessed a tremendous growth during the recent past. This growth in automobile traffic has been the result of various initiatives viz. availability of specialized privately owned wagons. On the basis of the issues raised by the stakeholders in the automobile industry, including Society for Indian Automobiles Manufactures (SIAM), the Automobile Freight Train Operator (AFTO) policy has been liberalized from time to time. It allows automobile manufacturers to own their wagons specialized for their needs.

To accommodate SUV cars, new design of auto-carrier wagons is under finalization in RDSO in addition to existing BCACBM wagons.

To facilitate loading /unloading of automobiles, design-modification to the existing NMG wagons is also under execution (NMGH and NMGHS) based on the suggestions received from investors/logistics providers.

Also, for increasing short lead traffic, freight rate has been revised for NMG/BCCNR and BCACM wagons upto -1200 km. More terminals are being opened up for automobile traffic as per demands of the industry.

Presently, Indian Railway has a fleet of 90 NMG rakes. In addition, 43 BCACBM rakes have been inducted by approved Train Operators under AFTO scheme.

	Number of rakes loaded
2019-20	1,599
2020-21	2,681
2021-22	3,344
2022-23 (till Aug)	2,206

Comparison with last year:

	Number of rakes loaded
	2021-22	2022-23
April	270	369
May	123	392
June	284	443
July	317	494
August	320	508

Therefore, volume of transportation of small passenger vehicles(cars) by railways has increased by 68% YoY during the first five months of the current FY.

Modal share in ‘domestic’ transportation of ‘passenger vehicles (cars)’*:

2013-14: 1.50%

2014-15: 2.08%

2015-16: 3.62%

2016-17: 4.13%

2017-18: 4.50%

2018-19: 7.06%

2019-20: 11.17%

2020-21: 14.71%

2021-22: 16.00%

* These are estimates based on transportation of cars only. Domestic traffic of 2-wheelers and commercial vehicles have not been taken into account.

***

Khadi India organised an Exhibition and a Fashion Show ‘Aheli Khadi’ at NIFT Gandhinagar

by Shashikant Nishant Sharma

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s pivotal call has been the core objective of Khadi and Village Industries Commission to position Khadi as a Fashion Fabric. It has been a constant effort of the Prime Minister to promote Khadi for all, especially the beacons of our society- the youth.

With the intention to reach out to young audience and global market, an exhibition and to popularise khadi as a fabric and showcase its use for traditional and contemporary cloths ‘Aheli Khadi’ a Fashion Show was organized by Khadi India at the Tana Riri Auditorium, NIFT Gandhinagar on Sunday.

Shri Manoj Goel, Chairman of KVIC graced the function as chief guest. Eminent designers, fashion industry members, students and khadi institutions graced the fashion show.

Khadi is symbolic of the Swadeshi movement, and has been a front runner in establishing its robustness as a fabric that is both empowering and modern in its interpretation. That’s why Khadi has found favour with the younger generation, as it transcends from being termed as fabric and showcase its use for traditional and contemporary clothing, “Aheli” khadi means pure khadi; was showed during the fashion show.

Apparel for Yoga as “SWADHA” chic, now accepted as an effective medium of communication designed by NIFT designer was the prominent attraction of the fashion show.

Another attraction of the fashion show was “Aheli”; the fabric showcased at ramp was sourced from the khadi institutions to design for pan generational consumer. NIFT designers designed six distinct collections of apparel and sarees ranging from ethnic, fusion, western and casual look. Hand embroidery, stitch detailing and hand block printing has been used to add value to the exquisite khadi. Home linen collections were designed with Khadi fabrics of different weights and yarns combining Indian crafts with an International look to position Khadi as Global.

The show was designed and presented by NIFT students, who walked on the ramp as models.

Shri Manoj Goel, Chairman, KVIC in his key note addressed said; our effort will be to make “Khadi Global”. The aim of KVIC is to promote and pitch Khadi at a relatable, high design level, it also wishes to encourage use of khadi as an environmentally sustainable fabric to replace non-biodegradable unsustainable product in the domain of home and apparel.

International Conference on Green Ship Recycling & Vehicle Scrapping and Review Meeting of Development of National Maritime Heritage Complex

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that Gujarat is the business gateway of India and one of the world’s preferred maritime destinations. Addressing International Conference on Green Ship Recycling and Vehicle Scrapping in Gandhinagar today he said with a coastline of 1,600 km, Gujarat handles over 40% of India’s cargo throughput and contributes 18% of the total cargo transported using coastal shipping. He said Gujarat was the first state in the country to privatise the port sector, and by virtue of its strategic location, proactive policies, and robust infrastructure has emerged as the flag bearer of India’s maritime success story. Shri Sonowal said India is a leading destination for ship recycling and the planned doubling of capacity of Alang-Sosiya shipyard in Gujarat will create a large number of employment opportunities and bring in more economic prosperity to Gujarat and the country.

Taking about the Sagarmala Programme, Shri Sonowal said it has given impetus to the thriving maritime sector in Gujarat with projects such as port modernisation, rail, road, cruise tourism, RO-RO & passenger jetties, fisheries, coastal infrastructure, skill development, etc. There are 74 projects worth Rs. 57,000 crore under Sagarmala Programme in Gujarat, of which 15 projects worth Rs. 9,000 crore have been completed, 33 projects worth over Rs. 25,000 crore are under implementation and 26 projects worth Rs. 22,700 crore are under development, he said.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra bhai Patel said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat is now moving towards port-led development. Gujarat is India’s coastal gateway. He said the state is home to Alang, the largest ship-breaking yard in the world. Just as Gujarat has been dominant in ship breaking-recycling sector, it will also be in green recycling. He said Gujarat has the potential and the political will to become a hub for green ship recycling. The Gujarat government is committed to making Gujarat a global centre for green recycling. He said Alang also has a well-developed ecosystem and capacity for vehicle scrapping and will contribute majorly to the vehicle scrapping policy.

The International Conference on Green Ship Recycling and Vehicle Scrapping is showcasing the current status of ship recycling industry in Gujarat and the adoption of HKC Convention compliances. The conference is also facilitating discussion on how the EU shipping industry can take advantage of ship recycling facilities in Gujarat, and explore partnerships with EU member countries.

Highlighting the significance of the conference, MK Das, Additional Chief Secretary of Ports and Transport Department, Government of Gujarat, said the conference will put Alang on the global map as a preferred destination for sustainable ship recycling that has safe and environmentally sound ship recycling best practices in place. He said the conference will also help in exploring synergies between Alang’s ship recycling industry with the vehicle scrapping industry, and enable Alang to emerge as a vehicle scrapping hub.

Two sessions were also organised as a part of the conference. The first session on “Ship Recycling Industry in India and Compliances” focused on the Ship Recycling Act, the role of GMB, compliance with HKC and EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EUSRR), and safe and sustainable recycling.

The second session was on Vehicle Scrap Policy and saw an overview of the policy. It also showcased Alang’s capabilities as a hub of vehicle scrapping.

Representatives from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, CEOs, and national and international industry representatives from the shipping sector including shipping lines, ship recyclers, ship owners, etc. participated in the conference. The conference will be followed by a visit to the Alang ship breaking yard on September 13.

Shri Sonowal also visited the site of proposed National Maritime Heritage Complex near Lothal and reviewed the progress of the project in presence of senior officers of Government of Gujarat and Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The project is being developed by the Government of India through MoPSW for an estimated amount of Rs.3500 crore. The proposed Complex would showcase India’s rich and diverse maritime heritage and will be the first of its kind in the country and one of the world’s largest maritime museums dedicated to the legacy of maritime heritage of India.

Life size architecture of the Lothal will be depicted in the museum. The various components like, lower town, middle town, Citadel, cemetery, houses, pattern of the street, sanitation system, wells, industries/workshop and marketplace, etc. will be depicted in the museum. To provide First-Hand Experience to visitors, a working model of the Lothal dockyard, functioning of the warehouse etc. will also be showcased along with typical Harappan house with components like, oven, etc. The museum will portray renowned Harappan Water Harvesting and Management system excavated at the site of Dholavira.

Renowned architecture firm Ms. Architect Hafeez Contractor has been appointed as the Project Management Consultant of the project and have already prepared Concept Design & Plan for following 5 Galleries of phase 1A:

a) Gallery- 1 Orientation and oceanic mythology

b) Gallery-2 Harappans: The Pioneer Seafarers

c) Gallery- 3 Post Harappan Trajectories: The Impact of Climate change

d) Gallery- 4 India’s contact with the Greco-Roman world

e) Gallery- 5 Special exhibitions

The work on concept design of Gallery 6 (Emergence of Indian Navy) is in progress by Ms. Architect Hafeez Contractor in consultation with the officials of Indian Navy and consolidated list of artefacts for the galleries has been finalized.

The EPC work of the NMHC phase 1A has been awarded to Tata Projects Ltd. in Mar 2022 and is targeted to be completed by Mar 2024.

The project will boost the tourism in the state of Gujarat in turn developing the economy of the region including the nearby villages namely Saragwala and Utelia. The proposed six galleries planned in the NMHC project will focus on different time periods of the Maritime history to the visitors.

Speaking after the visit Shri Sonowal stated that the project will be developed as a new international destination for tourist and to stand at par with other renowned international museums of the world under the Sagarmala program of the Ministry of Shipping. He said It will also create an opportunity of employment for the local people and help them develop a number of cottage industries thus materializing the vison of Atmanirbhar Bharat of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

KERALA

Kerala

Kerala was formed on 1st November 1956. Chief language of state is malayalam. Main rivers are Periyar, Bharatapuzha, Pamba,Chaliyar, Achenkovil, Muvattupuzha. Mountains are Anamala is the highest peak, Karinkulam, Mukutti, Devimala. The main beaches are Kovalam, Varkala, Vizhinjam, Shankumukham(trivandrum)etc. The main waterfalls are Athirapally, Palaruvi and Vazhachal. The wildlife sanctuaries include Peppara lNational park, Silent valley, Parambikulam National Park, Periyar National Park, Eravikulam National Park known for its Nilgiri Tahr.

Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) is the capital of Kerala, it is a beautiful city with art galleries, palaces, beaches etc. Main places to visit are Sri Padmanabhaswami temple, Kuthiramalika palace museum, Kanakakkunnu palace, Science and technology museum and planetarium, Observatory tower, Napier museum, Sri Chitra Art gallery. Kovalam beach, Veli tourist village, Neyyar dam andvwildlife sanctuary , ponmudi hill resort and Varkala beach.

Kumarakom

At Kumarakom house boat sailing on backwaters. The kottayam, kollam, alapuzha route is famous for scenic beauty. Boat races are held here annually and it’s a royal attraction. Kumarakom bird sanctuary, Vembanadu lake is place for water ride.

Thekkady

Periyar wildlife sanctuary with artificial lake surrounded by evergreen forest and grasslands. It’s home to bison, antelopes, sambhar, monkeys, langur, elephants, tigers etc.Thekkady is centre inside Park with hotels and boat jetty. Kumily is the closest town.

Kochi

Kochi consist of Ernakulam, Wellington Island, Bolgatty, Mattanchery, Vypin Island, Fort Cochin etc. St. Francis church with tombstone of Vasco da Gama, the Mattanchery palace, the Jewish synagogue constructed in 1568. Other attractions are Bolgatty Island, Harbour, Chinese fishing nets, ParishathThampuran museum and Veegaland amusement park.

Thrissur

Thrissur is known as kerala’s cultural capital. Places to visit are Vadakumnatha temple, churches include Our Lady of Lourdes cathedral, Puthenpalli, Chandran church etc. Many important temple festivals including thrissur pooram, peruvanam pooram, Arattupuzha pooram, thaipooya maholsavam etc. Kerala Kalamandalam and Guruvayoor Sree Krishna temple is situated in thrissur.

Kannur

Kannur is the best place to enjoy Kerala’s ritual art Theyyam. Regular Theyyams are held in Parassinikadavu temple and at Kerala folklore academy. The Portuguese built St. Angelo fort and Kanjirode weavers cooperative are worth visiting. The famous Bakel fort and Kappil beach are places to visit.

Himachal pradesh

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh was formed on 25 January 1971. The capital is Shimla. The languages spoken by people are Pahari, Hindi, Punjabi and Kinnauri. The main towns are Shimla, Mandi,Dharmashala, Kullu, Manali,Bilaspur, Chamba, Kye- lang, Kalpa and Kangra. For shopping Pashmina shawls are famous, rugs, gudma, namdas are attractions. Dal housie- kulu shawls and Tibetan handicrafts, lakkar bazar are worth visiting. The main rivers are Beas, Chenab,Ravi, Satluj, Yamuna. Mountain ranges are Great Himalaya , Punjab Himalaya, Saket hills, Shimla hills, Shiwalik range, Missouri range. The main valleys are Kangra Valley, Mahasu Valley, Lahul Valley, Baspa Valley etc.

The famous places to visit in Himachal pradesh are Shimla known as summer capital of British India. The summer hill and the Prospect hill, the Viceregal lodge(Rashtrapati niwas), and botanical garden, the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, the Himachal State Museum etc are worth visiting. Many beautiful places to visit like Jakhu hill and temple, Skating rink, Annandale, Chadwick falls, Chail, Malhotra etc.

Dharamsala

It is ideal location for meditation, quiet walks, trekking, rock climbing etc. It is also referred to as “ Little Lhasa”.Tibet museum and the Tsunglagkhag temple. St. John’s church, the Kangra art museum, Tibetan institute of performing arts, Dip Tse- Chok Ling Gompa, library of Tibetan works, Tibetan medical and astrological institute, Dharamkot, Bhagsunath waterfall, Machhirial waterfall etc.

Chamba

Chamba on the banks of the river Ravi is famous for shikara hindu temples,Chamba rumal(miniature paintings), Brajeshwari Devitemple, Chamunda devi temple, Rang mahal, Bhuri Singh Musuem, Saloni and Bhandal valley.

Dalhousie

It is a hill station spreading over five hills. Main attractions include Gandhi Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Panjpulla, Moti Tibba, Karelnu, Khajjiar meadow.

Kullu

Kullu is famous and colorful during Dussehra festival in October and filled with picturesque lush green valleys. Mandi is gateway to Kullu Valley and the junction of roads from Kullu Valley, Kangra Valley and Shimla. Rani Amrit Kaur park, Rewalsar lake, prashar lake, Roerich gallery, Naggar castle, great Himalayan National Park etc are main attractions.Manali is the North of Kullu. The nearest airport is Bhuntar to Kullu and Manali. It is ideal place for trekking, mountaineering, rafting, skiing, jeep safaris, fishing etc.

Shree Swaminarayan temple doing great service to society all over the world

by Shashikant Nishant Sharma

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal today said that BAPS Swaminarayan temple was doing great service to the society all over the world. He was addressing Indian Community after a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Los Angeles.

Expressing his admiration at the beauty of the Shree Swaminarayan temple complex in Los Angeles and conveying his congratulations on the completion of 10 years of its existence, the Minister said that the presence of the temple was very befitting to the significant presence of Indians in the area and the contribution of Indians to the development and growth of the area of Los Angeles.

Paying his tributes to Pramukh Swami Maharaj on his centennial birth anniversary, he said that this was a very special occasion for all of us around the world who have received his blessings and learnt goodness from him. Reminiscing that he has had the privilege of having a special bonding with Pramukh Swami Maharaj Ji’s various programs over the years, Shri Goyal said that he also got a chance to actively participate in the 75th anniversary celebrations of Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Mumbai many years ago.

Shri Goyal said that he has always had the good fortune of visiting Shree Swaminarayan temples across the world and added that the temple in Los Angeles was very unique and beautifully planned and executed. The feeling of spirituality one experiences when visiting this temple in itself is very unique, he said.

The Minister observed that the contribution of BAPS in keeping Hindus together and keeping the spirit of Hinduism glowing and flowing all around the world is invaluable. He opined that when people moved out of India and experience the material facets of life, the, the next generation was observed to lose the connect to the motherland. But wherever Swaminarayan temple has come up, spirituality flourishes there and the next generation retains its connect with the motherland. They inculcate very good habits and practices. Therefore, this institution is doing great service to the society at large all over the world, he said.

Underscoring that Swaminarayan Bhagwan has always believed in humanity and spirituality and in service to society, Shri Goyal said that his teachings focussed on our role in giving back to the humanity at large. The wonderful teachings of gyan, bhakti and shraddha that Swaminarayan has taught us and Pramukh Swami Maharaj has propagated will remain with all of us. His teachings will continue to inspire and guide me all through my life, Shri Goyal said.

***********

Brazil

Brazil is known as Federative Republic of Brazil. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia. Large cities include Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife and Salvadore. Official language spoken is Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. The type of government is federative republic. Brazil is the largest South American state. It is land of dense forest and mighty rivers. The Amazon and the Sao Francisco cover the north of the country. Brazil’s industry has benefitted from its wealth of mineral resources. The major exports of Brazil are soyabean, sugar, coffee, iron, cocoa bean,maize, tobacco. It is also leading producer of orange, orange juice concentrate, cassava,sisal, alcohol and bananas. Brazil got independence on 7th September 1822.Currency of Brazil is Real. Brazil posses vast deposit of mineral wealth that include chrome ore, iron, phosphorus, uranium, copper, coal, gold, platinum. Oil is the state monopoly. The wax which was used for phonograph records and insulation is monopoly product of the state.

U.K (United Kingdom)

The official name of U.K is United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. The capital of U.K is London. The languages spoken are English, Welsh, Scottish and Gaelic. Large cities of U.K are Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds and Liverpool. The United Kingdom constitute greater part of British Isles which include England, Scotland and Wales. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. The capital of Wales is Cardiff. English and Welsh is spoken. Northern Ireland is also part of U.K. The United Kingdom’s system of government is known as constitutional monarchy. Ministers of the crown govern in the name of sovereign who is both head of state and head of government. Actual power is vested in hands of Parliament which is supreme legislative body in Great Britain. The Parliament consist of two houses – the House of Lord’s and the House of Commons. 84% of the people of U.K reside in England. Chief industries are iron and steel, chemicals, engineering, electronics, motor vehicles, metals and machinery, ship building etc. Agriculture and trawler – fishing are highly mechanized, country’s food supplies and most of its raw materials are imported. Chief crops are grain, sugar, fruits and vegetables. Thames and Severn are the largest rivers. The most famous church is Westminster Abbey. The most celebrated universities are Oxford and Cambridge.