“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity. “Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
I recently read “The Alchemist” again after procrastinating for a long time. I read it at a perfect time. The book is lovely and an inspirational masterpiece. Written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho in 1988. It was initially written and published in Portuguese. It is an international bestseller and has been translated to more than 70 languages. The book is relatively short having around 167 pages only. The theme is about finding one’s destiny or purpose in life.
The story is about a Shepherd boy from Spain whose name is Santiago. He keeps getting the same dream about treasures that are lying in the Pyramids of Egypt. He embarks on a journey to follow his dream after meeting an old king who offers him magic stones and advice. Santiago crosses the Mediterranean and Sahara to find his treasures in Egypt and also accomplish his personal legend which is his purpose in life. The book details his journey and the various encounters that he experiences when following his dream. Throughout the journey, Santiago meets many new people and a lot of difficulty which ultimately helps him to learn and grow the entire way. Does he find the treasures in the Pyramids of Egypt?
The story is very enchanting and bursts with optimism which I think is very important in our lives. The book shows that the journey to your destiny is as important as the destiny itself. I love how the book emphasizes on the importance of faith, hope and spirituality through the story of an ordinary boy. I think this book appeals to everyone because we all have dreams and sometimes, we just want someone to tell us that they may come true.
“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”
Highly recommended 🙌
Happy reading!

Indian culture is the world’s oldest civilization in India began about several years ago say 4500 years. Societies outside of Europe or North America were considered primitive and culturally inferior. But Indian’s made it significant advances in architecture mainly (TajMahal). Different regions have their own distinct cultures. Languages, religion, food and the arts are just some of the various aspects of Indian culture.

As mentioned before the Indian culture has several diversities and one such is Temple culture. As shown above, the temples of India differs from each other in their designs of construction. Indian states are filled with several temples which indicates a unique story in it. India is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other religions.

For generations. India has a prevailing tradition of the joint family system. It is when extended members of family- parents, children, etc. -live together. Usually, the oldest member is the head of the family. When considered about marriages, there are 2 types. one is love marriage and other is arranged marriage. Arranged marriage have long been the norm in Indian society. Even today, the marriages have been planned by their parents and other respected family-members. In most marriages, the bride’s family provides a dowry to the bridegroom. Traditionally, the dowry is considered to be the wealth of the bride’s family. There are several rituals followed by several religions.

Though the Indians have several changes in their rituals, all of them are always united by the pride called “THE INDIANS”. when considered with marriages in north India, it may takes place from 3-7 days along with haldi , mehendi, sangeeth functions. Similarly when considered in south Indian marriages, it may takes place from 2-4 days.

The above given is just a description about the Indian culture in temples and marriages. There are several in depth description for each and every culture in India for both the temples and marriages. The reason behind each and every ceremony in Indian marriages are always described with a story which also suits in the case of temples culture. As mentioned before, though there are several differences in every rituals, all the Indians are always united by their nation.

Private weather agency Skymet said on Monday that the rains will be triggered by the northward shifting of the trough line — on which monsoon rainfall largely hinges — towards the Himalayan foothills around July 13-14. The trough line is a low-pressure that stretches from west to east and takes along the heavy rain belt with it when it shifts.

In Bihar, heavy rains and floods have claimed 29 lives, according to Bihar State Disaster Management Authority. NERC reported that recent flooding had affected 1.554 million people in the state.

The rivers Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Ganga, Kosi and Sone are all above danger levels according to NERC, with further heavy rain expected. In 24 hours to 29 September 2019, Rosera recorded 290mm of rain and Bihpur and Koilwar both 270mm.

According to a CWC report of 29 September, the Kosi at Baltara, Khangaria stood at 34.9m (danger is 33.85m). The level of the Ganga at Bhagalpur was 34.24m (danger is 33.68m) and the Ganga at Patna Gandhighat was at 49.42m (danger 48.6m). The Sone river at Maner, Patna district, stood at 52.34m (danger 52m)

Nineteen teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to affected areas. Teams from the Indian Air Force have also been deployed.

The city of Patna and the surrounding district has been particularly badly affected. According to NERC, flooding has also affected areas of Buxar, Bhojpur, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Munger, Katihar and Saran districts

Bihar is surrounded by Nepal in the north, West Bengal in the east, Uttar Pradesh in the west and  Jharkhand towards the south. There are several rivers that run through the state: Ganga, Sone, Punpun, Falgu, Karmanasa, Durgavati, Kosi, Gandak and the Ghaghara, to name a few. Nearly 85% of the state’s land is under cultivation. Bihar also receives heavy rainfall all through June to October.

The state of Bihar has been facing floods since for a long time. It accounts for almost half of India’s average annual flood losses. In the year 1914, Bengal and Bihar faced floods. In the year 1934, Bihar was shaken by an earthquake which was again followed by floods.

The state has been facing floods ever since, but the frequency of floods has become high in recent years. There have been floods almost every year from 1979 which have caused extensive damage. Lakhs of people have lost their lives and their homes. The state has faced infrastructural losses worth crores of rupees.

In 2008, more than half of Bihar was submerged under water. The state witnessed its worst floods ever with more than 30 lakh people in more than 1500 villages spread across 16 out of 37 districts being affected. The worst affected districts were Araria, Saharsa, Supaul and Madhepura.

After the floods in 2008, Bihar faced a drought for two years and again in 2011, nearly 100 villages were flooded by the Bagmati river. Much of Bihar’s misery has been caused by the Kosi river, which is a major tributary of Ganges.

The Kosi river system drains about 60,000 km2 of eastern Nepal and southern Tibet before it enters Bihar. The basin includes almost half of the world’s 8,000 m plus peaks. North of the India-Nepal border, it is known as the Sapt Kosi or “Seven Rivers” in reference to its seven tributaries: Indrawati, Sunkosi, Tambakosi, Lihku Khola, Dudhkosi, Arun and Tamur. Its three main tributaries i.e. Sunkosi, Arun and Tamur join the river at Tribeni. Downstream of the Tibreni, the Sapt Kosi flows through a narrow gauge of 11km, before spreading over the Gangetic plains. As a result of the sudden decrease in slope below the mouth of the gorge, an inland delta is formed. It is interesting to note that the river has shifted more than 100 km westward in the past 200 years.

Figure: Sapt Kosi is formed by seven rivers in south-east Nepal. Image Courtesy: Hydrologic regime of the Sapt Kosi Basin, Nepal – Richard Kattelmann, University of California

What causes floods?

There has been increased conversion of forests to agricultural and continuous deforestation  which significantly contributes to the flood damage in India. There was an increase in the annual run off in the Sapt Kosi from the 1950s until the 1980s, but the rainfall also increased correspondingly at several stations in the basin.

Another reason for the flood damage is that Bihar lies in foot of Himalayas and have very low plain. 

The state government has built about 3000 kms of dam, but the flow of the river has grown 2.5 times resulting in the failure of dam in every flood.

So the big question is the state of Bihar prepared? The Disaster Management Department, Government of Bihar has come out with a number of schemes.

• Procurement of motor boats and other necessary accessories like life jackets, mahajals, tents, etc. for 28 flood-prone districts.
• To improve the response mechanism and tackle the impact of natural disasters effectively, a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is to be established on the similar pattern of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
• A number of warehouses will be constructed to store the relief and rescue materials and to keep them safe and secure.
• Establishment of Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) in all the districts to carry out rescue and relief work effectively.
• Since the communication system often becomes dysfunctional, procurement and proper maintenance of communication systems has been taken into account. Satellite phones, GPS instruments, hand packs, walkie – talkies will be procured.
• An Early Disaster Warning System is to be established.
• A plan has been prepared to generate awareness among the masses about the ways and means of mitigating the risk of disaster.

The budget for the above scheme crosses 5000 crores.

What more can be done?

A number of structural measures can be taken up in the state:

• Detention Basins: The state area has a number of depressions locally called chaurs which act as detention basins. These chaurs absorb a considerable amount of water of the first flood of the season. No man made detention basins or improvements in natural chaurs has been done.
• Dam: All the rivers have been embankment in the state. River Kosi is embankment on both the sides. But there are few gaps in these embankments which reduce its effectiveness. The maintenance and repair of these embankments must be taken into account.
• Channel Improvement: is not a usual practice.

Eyes are considered as the windows to the world, so any content when looked upon appeals to the eye only when it is interesting and attractive. This is where graphic designing comes into place, it is not only a marketing tac-tic but a tool that raises awareness amongst the public in different forms. Graphic designing is not only limited to the print industry graphic designing websites and other digital graphic development is also coming up.

Here’s some different type of graphic designing;

Visual Identity Graphic Design – This type of designing is the generating of different graphics revolving around a brand and promoting brand identity of an entity. The images, colours, shapes and fonts here, act as the fact of the business, which is an intangible entity.

Marketing and Advertising Graphic Design – This kind of designing is a hybridization of marketing and designing, wherein creatives propagate an entire idea of the business focusing greatly on the logos, typography and the different elements to appeal to the public.

Motion Graphic Design – This is more of a subset of graphic design that harnesses different film-making and video making techniques to make the creative more interactive, as moving visuals with audio and attractive animation stimulate senses faster than just simple images.

User-Interface Graphic Design – It is the process of creating different creative interfaces on software and computers. Here, appeal isn’t the only thing that the creator focuses on, but the design he/she creates should be highly user-friendly and understandable. Art and Illustration.

Graphic Design – This type of designing follows an intent of communication and problem solving, creating original artwork based on the decorative guidelines of storytelling. It is used in gaming, comics, info-graphics, t-shirt designing and more.

Happy designing!🤗

There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried……

Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so …..

My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady . . . . Few and mean as my gifts may be, I actually am, and do not need for my own assurance or the assurance of my fellows any secondary testimony.

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy to live in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

“Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” ~Sonia Ricotti

The scent of sanitizer once again pervades my home. And as much as I am grateful for it, every time I use it, that astringent, alcoholic smell takes me straight back to the out-patient chemo ward at the hospital.

It’s been nearly seven years since I was a fortnightly visitor there, but the sanitizer and masks make me feel like I’m in a weird flashback.

It’s surreal to see the whole world now facing what was one of the hardest parts of my treatment regimen.

I was in quarantine for almost ten months.

Risk of infection, and hence, delay in treatment, is one of the biggest fears faced by anyone who has ever had any kind of chemotherapy. I only left the house to go to the hospital, and when I did, I wore a mask.

We discouraged visitors, and the few people who did come over also wore masks and sat a good six feet away from me. For an inveterate hugger, this was incredibly isolating.

And now, this is the new normal for everyone.

I find myself thinking a lot about that time in my life, and I realize that I had hit upon a coping strategy that worked excellently then, and is still something I lean on.

In a word, that strategy was surrender.

Surrender is an odd word to hear from someone who had to “fight cancer.” But when I say surrender, I mean to accept what is. To be fully aware of what is. To stop wasting your precious resources on things you cannot change.

Here are three practical steps that can help you translate this nebulous concept into reality.

Step 1: Make a list of every single thing you cannot change about the situation.
The moment I got home after getting my diagnosis, I went to my room, sat facing my window, and went through all the things I knew had to happen. I had to have chemo. That meant I might have pain. I would have to stay at home. I would likely lose my hair. And so on.

What does being in lockdown or quarantine or self-isolation mean for you? What are the everyday aspects of it that you’re going to bump up against? What are the little pin pricks of annoyance that could balloon into giant stabs with a blunt sword? Think of every possible thing and write it down, no matter how small.

Step 2: Go through your list, one by one, and vent about each point.
When I was undergoing my treatment, I wrote nearly every day. I wrote about what it felt like to lose my eyebrows, to spend New Year’s Day at the hospital, to only be able to keep down boiled mashed potatoes.

Everything on your list is real, and worth your attention. Take the time to journal, to vent and really work through how you feel about all of it. Let yourself express all the little things that you may think are silly, or overreactions, and especially the ones you feel ashamed of, or guilty for, having on your list in the first place.

If you have trusted friends, this is a great time to set up a support call system, where you take turns venting. The other person’s only job is to say, “Thank you. What else?” You can set a pre-determined amount of time to go one way, and then switch. At the end of both (or all) participants’ venting, you could include a judgement-free discussion.

Yes, this is a time to be grateful for our blessings, but that doesn’t mean we hide from our truths. Leaving feelings unacknowledged means leaving them to fester. You deserve better.

Step 3: Find your silver lining.
For the first six months, I had alternating “tough weeks” and “good weeks.” In the tough weeks, all I could do was sleep. In the good weeks, however, I studied everything from logic to science fiction on Coursera, I played board and card games with my family, and I ate like a horse!

Whatever your situation, and no matter how difficult, where is your silver lining? What can you do for yourself, even if it’s for five minutes a day?

Please don’t think I am urging you to use this time to be the most productive you’ve ever been, or finish a dream project that you’ve never had time for. We’re in lockdown, not on sabbatical, and no one expects you to scale new heights in this time. Even if you make it through the day, more or less intact, that’s good enough, and you’re doing enough.

I’m just asking you to look a little further. See what you can find, in spite of, or maybe inspired by, the items on your list, that can bring you some joy.

I have an amazing friend who dressed up in a unicorn costume and surprised her husband when he was working from home. My talented sister is coming up with fabulous ways to take everyday household items and make toys and sensory experiences for my one-year-old. Another friend is baking. People are putting daffodils in bunches on their driveway for others to help themselves to.

All over the world, people are finding ways to grow into better versions of themselves, and these versions are as varied and beautiful as wildflowers.

Taking it further
I always knew I would need six months of chemo, so I was mentally prepared for six months of isolation. However, after my six-month scan, my oncologist said I needed radiation therapy, just to be on the safe side. And my heart sank. And after the radiation was done, she told me I needed to stay home for another couple of months, to give my immune system time to recover, just to be on the safe side.

Those seven words began to seriously grate on me.

But that last extension was sheer torture. I felt fine, wasn’t going to the hospital for any kind of treatment, and still had to stay at home. Those two months felt longer than the eight months I’d already endured and pushed me to my limit.

And that was when I learned another huge lesson. When things are tough, trying to get through it by counting on it all getting better soon isn’t the best way to deal with things. If there’s any change or delay, you’re going to have to deal with a backlash that stings like a rubber band rebounding onto your cheek.

Focussing on when it will all be better or over is just setting yourself up for disappointment. None of that is ever under your control, so you’re better off working on the one thing that is always in your control: how you respond to situations.

When you do a thorough job of anticipating most things that might come up, you tend to also automatically think of how you will deal with them. And if you’ve also released the emotional charge that might be associated with these issues, your response is filled with grace and peace.

As for me, my first outing was a spontaneous visit to a bookstore opposite the hospital. I had just got the all-clear from my doctor, and my mum and I decided to hop across the road and spend some time around books. Which, I have to add, is one of my favourite places to be! We had a fabulous time, and my first outing was so much better than anything I could have planned. I still have the book I bought that day.

So, what potentially amazing experiences for you are hiding in plain sight in the present moment? Try these three steps and notice how your awareness expands and your appreciation blooms.

Things outside will continue to be unpredictable, and you may have to go through the steps more than once. But each time you do, you will learn more about yourself, develop better response strategies, and be more grounded in the present.

Surrender, and like Confucius said, be the green reed that bends in the wind, instead of the mighty oak that breaks in a storm.

Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR is planning to launch indigenous Covid-19 vaccine for public use by the 15th of August after completion of all clinical trials. ICMR has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited to develop this path breaking, Covid-19 vaccine.

ICMR has asked Bharat Biotech to fast track the clinical trial mechanism and ensure that the subject enrolment is initiated by 7th of July.

AIR correspondent reports that this is the first indigenous vaccine being developed in India and one of the top priority projects of the government. The vaccine is derived from a  SARS-COV2 strain isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune. ICMR and Bharat Biotech are jointly working for the pre-clinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine.  

Recently, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation, the National regulatory body for Indian Pharmaceuticals and medical devices, has granted approval to Bharat Biotech India to conduct human clinical trials for Corona Vaccine called ‘Covaxin’.

In a surprise visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Leh early this morning. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief MM Naravane also accompanied the PM on his day long visit to Leh.  The Prime Minister was briefed by Personnel of the Army, Air Force and ITBP at a forward position in Nimu amid ongoing tension with China.

Located at 11,000 feet, the region is among the world’s toughest terrains, surrounded by the Zanskar range and located on the banks of the river Indus.

AIR correspondent reports, with an aim to  boost the morale of soldiers, PM Narendra Modi is in Leh. Without any information to many, PM Modi landed in Leh. Immediately on his arrival PM Modi took off to Nimo, a nearby village where Military engineering services have given him a demonstration of equipment that meets the requirements of Army personnel along the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh.

At the technical area, the PM is being received by the Ladakh Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur and MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal. PM Narendra Modi ‘s visit definitely sends a strong signal across the border about preparedness.

PM Modi will be briefed by the senior Army officials at Hall of Fame in Leh. 

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the  visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ladakh and his meeting with army soldiers and encouraging  them, has certainly boosted the morale of the army. In a tweet, Mr Singh said, the borders of the country have always remained  secure in the hands of the army. He  thanked the Prime Minister for this move.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also said in a tweet that India is so proud of Mr Narendra Modi who is in Leh today to encourage our brave soldiers.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ladakh will tremendously bolster the morale of our armed forces. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the  visit of  Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Leh will surely boost the morale of our valorous soldiers. In a tweet, Mr Shah said that Mr Modi is  with our brave and courageous personnel of Army, Air Force and  ITBP at a forward location in Ladakh.

does it happen to you, too? this unnamed feeling that comes quietly and leaves you feeling empty? you’re doing nothing, and suddenly, you feel terribly sad. this sadness that you feel suddenly and you don’t know where it’s coming from?

you’re sitting with your family and the spirits are high. you are laughing with them and everyone is happy. but suddenly, you go quiet, as if someone said something mean to you. but no one spoke a word. you can still hear everyone talking and laughing, it’s just you who has changed from within.

it’s like someone or something unplugged your “happy-fuse”. you no longer feel the way you were feeling moments ago.

you’re out with your friends, celebrating, and this feeling returns. you start to feel lonely and want to get back home as quickly as possible. you’re suddenly annoyed by the little things everyone around you does.

you don’t have tears in your tears. you want to cry, but tears don’t come to you. you’re so lost inside your head, trying to look for a reasonable explanation to what just happened? you cannot shake this unnamed feeling.

inside your head, you start searching for a reason, for that moment where it went wrong, but there’s nothing. to your friends, you have zoned out.

and then, someone brings it up, “something happened?”, or “are you lost?”. how do you explain someone something when you don’t even understand it yourself? how do you explain that you need a moment alone, away from everything, and this unnamed feeling is an uninvited guest that’ll leave you empty for minutes or weeks?

do you feel this way, too? if you do, i hope whatever is hurting you, i hope you make peace with it.