We were planning for quite a time about how to celebrate Christmas eve this time. After long deliberation, we zeroed in on visiting the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park at Ormanjhi in Ranchi. I last visited it some 13-14 years ago. The place has since been changed a lot. It was a nice day spent at the zoo watching the animals enjoying their winter sun in captivity. Continue reading Christmas Eve | Visit to Ranchi Zoo
Varanasi is one of the most visited religious destinations in India, thanks to its historic ghats, splendid temples and the distinct flavour of the city itself. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, a fact that makes it even more fascinating as a popular tourist spot in India. It is the river Ganga though, which lends the city its identity. Indeed, the city and the river have become synonymous with each other. We went for the evening river cruise for the fabulous views of the river Ganga, the ancient Ghats and the Ganga Aarti. Continue reading River Cruise | River Ganga, Varanasi
We were travelling from Prayagraj to Varanasi. Due to some last moment changes in the programme, we visited Sitamarhi a.k.a. Sita Samahit Sthal, which is in between Prayagraj and Varanasi. In Varanasi, we went to worship at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in the morning. This is the first time I visited since the renovation of the place. It’s awesome. But, I was missing the emotional connection, which is lost in the renovation and reorganisation of the system at the temple. Continue reading Road Trip | Prayagraj to Varanasi
Somen Debnath has been travelling across the world on a bicycle to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS. Starting from his home at Basanti Village in South 24 Paragana district of West Bengal at the age of 21 on 27 May 2004, Debnath has been on the road and travelled over 185,400 km and visited 170 countries. During his journey, he was in Baghdad, Iraq for a few days in 2013. I then met him and interacted with him during his stay in Baghdad. Continue reading Somen Debnath | Cycling around the world for AIDS awareness
When something is memorable, it means that it is easily remembered, particularly if it is something special or out of the ordinary. These are experiences which involve anticipation, emotional involvement, and altered perceptions of time – think about how “time flies when you’re having fun,” and they involve a process of doing and undergoing. I recollected one such memorable experience, which I still remember. Continue reading Epic Moment | Successful Change Management
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent three months in Baghdad with his associates Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala on his return to India from Mecca. The holy site is in the backyard of Baghdad railway station surrounded by graveyards. War, insurgents or looters have wiped any trace of a historical footnote that had preserved the memory of the Sikh Guru’s 16th-century journey through Arabia and his stay in Baghdad. There is no trace of anything Sikh on the site now. Continue reading In Search of Guru Nanak’s Shrine in Baghdad
After 30 years, Anirudhya Mitra narrates his experiences as a journalist in India Today covering the drama of the hunt for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins. The excruciating attention to detail and research are commendable even as the author struggles to condense such thrilling stuff into a cogent and accessible narrative. I appreciate Anirudhya Mitra for writing the book, albeit a bit late, and for providing a deeper understanding of the circumstances, possibilities, and cover-ups. Continue reading 90 Days by Anirudhya Mitra | Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi’s Assassins
A lack of affordability, accessibility, and awareness surrounding healthcare services throughout India continues to inhibit the penetration of quality medical services, especially in rural regions and tier III urban centres, where the majority of the Indian population lives.
In our endeavour to make quality healthcare available at smaller centres and to the deprived sections of society, the Medibriefcase organised a free medical check-up camp at the orphanage — Vatsalya Dham — in the Ramgarh district of the Jharkhand state. Continue reading Medibriefcase & Medical Check-up Camp
A recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. We have seen just as the market can become overwhelmed with greed; it can also succumb to fear. Just as greed dominates the market during a boom, fear prevails following its bust.The recession is nothing but the greed of big businesses to be more profitable by reducing quality and using unfair practices and also of careless arrogant employees giving pathetic service as long as profits are coming. Continue reading Are Greed & Stupidity Causes of Recession?
The prominence of the worship of Durga dates back to a time in history that can best be described as the hoary past often considered to be similar in nature to the gradual development of mother and nature worship across the globe. The ornamentation is evolving through the ages. There were mainly two kinds of embellishments or saaj that used to be made then – sholar saaj and daker saaj. But nothing remains forever. Now, Durga idols are decorated with colourful sarees and ornaments. Continue reading Decorating Goddess Durga
Indrosphere 