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12 Winter Destinations In India For 2023
We have twelve must-visit Indian winter destinations that should be on your travel bucket list
The Delectable History of Diwali Dishes
The festival of Diwali is not just a time of feasting, fireworks, and family gatherings. It is also a time when the most delicious and mouthwatering dishes are prepared and served. We delve into the origins of some of the most popular Diwali dishes.
Fall in love with this super healthy Banana Flower Chutney
0 Indian cuisine has managed to make use of literally every part of the Banana tree. May it be the wise old recipe of a Kidney stone cure – Banana Stem stew/soup, or the modern adaptation of halwas – Banana leaf halwa that has made people question reality, the Banana tree is packed with large health benefits and an even larger versatility in the Indian cuisine! One such adaptation of the Banana flower is a creamy, spicy and lip smacking chutney that just makes every tiffin better. This recipe takes about 15 mins to make, and is extremely easy and basic, that even an amateur cook can make it. Loving such mouth watering recipes? Follow for more! What you’ll need: ● 100g of Banana Flower● 2 tbsp Oil.● 100g Onion.● 3 Garlic Pods● Red Chilli powder to taste● Lemon sized Tamarind● 50g Tomato● Salt as Required.● Mustard Seeds● Asafoetida How to make it: ● Remove and separate the petals from the bracts as we’ll only need the petals for this recipe.● Clean and dry out the petals and add to a hot pan with oil, onion, garlic, tamarind, and tomatoes and the spices and cook until soft.● Once everything is completely cooked, let it cool before blending into a fine paste.● Temper this delicious South Indian delicacy with some mustard seeds and curry leaves and serve with soft, fluffy idlis or crispy, crunchy dosas! Note: It is very common to add urad dhal to the mix and cook along with the other ingredients before blending for that extra creamy texture. Some recipes mention the addition of the banana flower’s core that is cut, cooked and blended with the other ingredients, but can be avoided if not preferred.
Is Mental health as important as your Physical Health?
0 We live in an era, where innocent people are shamed, bullied and trash talked for seeking help from professionals for wanting to have better mental health. Somewhere along the line, we, as a society, forget that individuals who need mental health support, but are bullied and neglected or ignored, are the ones causing major damages to the very same society. Being fit and healthy physically is not just the only criteria to call a person healthy. The mental aspect of a human plays a crucial role in moulding their lives and that of the ones around them. Just like how excess water kills a cactus, excessive stress, anger, sadness and pressure results in fatal scenarios for the victim. It is high time that we recognise the importance and need of a healthy mental state of a human. Because we reap what we sow, and sowing unhealthy mental practices and unattended mental illness into our society is simply going to result in a society that doesn’t accept kindness or empathy and grows vulnerable without a social bond. Here are some tips to ensure that your mental health and peace are unharmed by the hardships of life. Share and spread mental health awareness into your circle and help become a part of a healthier and safer society! Start to appreciate and thank more Appreciating and being thankful for what we have at hand is one of the first steps towards attaining mental peace. By thanking and appreciating even the tiniest acts in your household, workplace or even your local community/society, you not only make someone’s day better, but also start realising how complex our lives are and how interdependent we are with one another. The habit of being thankful and appreciating the efforts is a constant reminder that we’re all equals, effectively reducing a major part of your everyday fights/ arguments. When overstimulated, take a step back Sure, not all of us have a smooth sail throughout our day. We have our ups and downs and at times, even hit rock bottom. Even though this rock bottom keeps redefining its depth every time an issue pops up in your life, it is important to remember that there is a rainbow around every corner, and no matter how bad your day is, it will end soon, and you will get your peaceful me-time to de-stress and relax. Keeping this in mind, remember to take a step back whenever you’re feeling overstimulated by strong feelings and emotions like anger or sadness. If you feel like your anger is shooting through the roof, it is time for you to take a deep breath and reassess the situation before you say or do anything you might regret in the future. If you find it hard to relax yourself or take a step back when you’re angry, try drinking a glass of water. Since humans can either swallow or breathe at a time, you will be forced to take a decent interval between your breathing patterns, and ultimately relax a little before you proceed further with your argument. Keep reaffirming positive phrases A boat doesn’t sink unless there’s water inside it. Remember this the next time when you’re in self-doubt. You are what you feed your thoughts. Your thoughts are extremely capable and can shape your present and future. So try and avoid self-hatred phrases and remember to reaffirm positivity. Even if the whole world keeps looking down on you, you still have yourself to climb up the ladder. Right from birth till death, you are the only person who is going to be with you, and actually know what you’re going through. Others can empathise and sympathise all they can wany, but no one can actually and truly know what you’re going through, so don’t be so hard on yourself and seek out help if you need it. Nobody can define the threshold and tolerance limits for your mental health. If you feel like you need external support to make your mental health better, get that help immediately.
Tips for a wealthy health
0 When I was young, my mom used to bless me with a wealthy health and a healthy wealth every time I started something new. This phrase has always puzzled me, as I was more used to hearing blessings to have a wealthy and healthy life, but never once heard the phrase “Wealthy health and a Healthy wealth”. So what does this phrase mean? Is it important to have a wealthy health and a healthy wealth? If so, how do we enforce the concept of a wealthy health into our daily lives? To answer all these questions, we first need to understand what ‘Health’ is. Health is the overall fitment of an individual with respect to their well-being, soundness of mind and body. It’s a state of living that every individual must thread their routine into. May it be having a balanced diet, an ample number of hours dedicated towards physical fitness, and ensuring that your mental stability and wellness is monitored and looked after. Being healthy doesn’t imply eating more vegetables, fruits, smoothies and salads and avoiding heavy processed junk food. A healthy individual needs a good, balanced and nourishing diet, a good workout routine or a physically engaging activity session and most importantly, having the ability to smoothen the ups and downs of your mental state. It is equally important for any individual, irrespective of their gender and sexuality, to have to pay attention to what they eat, how much they’re working out, heal their mental scars and safeguard oneself from any potential hazard that could hurt your mental wellness, and to be spiritually awake to build faith and belief of greater good and be able to travel beyond the ups and downs that life throws at you. Once you master the art of such balanced health, you are in a state of wealthy health, which, along the way, would lead you into gaining a healthy wealth that you can expand, protect, save and reinvest in. So, the next time you think about becoming a well-off individual with a serene retirement, take the vital steps to keep your health wealthy to keep your wealth healthy! Here are a few tips to keep a well-rounded and balanced health, or as my mom would call it, a wealthy health. Follow for more such health and wellness related content to understand the need and importance of being a healthy person! Empty a glass of water on an empty stomach – A lot of studies have revealed that drinking a glass of water on an empty stomach has adverse benefits like aiding digestion, rehydration from your long sleep, flushing out the toxins, and even clear out your skin! Workout first, scroll later – Scientists strongly advise to not start your day by scrolling through your phone. Just like how staying off your phone at least an hour before sleep is important for your brain activity, similarly, engaging with your phone right from the start of your day can have its own impacts on your brain activity. It is believed that the posts, news, information and interactions that you experience via your mobile phone right from when you wake up sets your mood for the day and has a risk of slowing down your comprehensive thinking for the day. Breathe fresh air, not smoke – Humans are known to breathe at least 20,000 times in a day. In the 24 hours we get, it is mandatory for every individual to get at least 20 mins of fresh air in a green location like a park or a lake. This is crucial for the physical and mental health of every human, and when compared to indoors, the air that we breathe outdoors, typically in places like parks are known to give out additional energy and boost us when low, or calm us when we’re tensed up. Watch your habits – Even our smallest of habits can have substantial impact on our bodies and minds, like an everyday cigarette can cut down years from your lifetime, or how your unhealthy eating desires and cravings that you give in to can be slowly rotting you from the inside. Learn to thank and be kind – Being a kind and charitable person not only helps you get a sense of satisfaction that you’re doing something good with your incomes and revenues, but also a content feeling that you’re giving back to the society that has raised you. Along with this, you learn to thank every individual’s efforts, time, and emotions when you do small acts of kindness regardless of the credit that you might or might not receive. Remember, you too, are a part of the society, and this means that what you sow into your society will be harvested years into the future by your own generations. So spread gratitude, love, equality, and most importantly, kindness and compassion in your society, so that you can inspire a whole generation to be a better human.
Heritage of India – The Cholan architecture
0 Ruling for over 1,300 years, the Chola Dynasty is the longest and largest dynasty in the world. Devoting towards Lord Shiva with an impeccable loyalty to their throne and justice, the Cholas had a reign that thrived in foreign trade, military, arts, science, architecture, farming and political prowess. Almost every face of the great Chola empire was sculpted to perfection and subject to futuristic thinking, constant upgradation, out of the box thinking and a thirst to learn new ways to make their dynasty better. While discussing the Heritage of India, one can never miss the rich and diverse socio-cultural bindings of the Chola empire, particularly the everlasting architectural wonders that were built at least a thousand years ago! In this ongoing series, we look at the flabbergasting Cholan architectural wonders that have become the statement of India with its deep rooted cultural heritage and the fact that these aspects have made India stand out in the international crowd. Follow for more such interesting contents that celebrate the cultural heritage of India! Vijayalaya Choleeswaram Temple, Pudukottai One of the oldest temples ever to be constructed by the Cholas, this hidden, yet magnificent UNESCO Heritage temple was built around 1,160 years ago around 862 CE (Common Era, aka AD). This temple, just like the other Chola temples, is devoted to Lord Shiva, and was overlooked by the ancestor of the great king Raja Raja Chola, Vijayalaya Chola. This architectural wonder is one of the earliest and first mountain cave temples carved out by the Cholas, standing tall on top of the rocky hills of Narthamalai, Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu. Constructed by what the modern architects call ‘Built-On Architecture’ in the Dravidian style of construction on a rock-cut method. The process of Built-On Architecture may sound simple and easy, and even similar to the times when we, as kids, stacked stray rocks on top of each other, except, Vijayalaya Chola used this method of stacking to make an intricately detailed and carved temple by stacking rocks on top of each other on top of a rocky hill! The wonders and mysteries of the Vijayalaya Choleeswaram simply do not stop there. The carvings and detailings of the temple tells the stories of how scientifically and technologically advanced the Cholas were even in the early stages, where sculptures and carvings of genetically modified animals were discovered. The sculptures of a creature called ‘Yaali’ can be seen here. What makes this creature different from the others? The word Yaali is, in fact, a combination of the words ‘Yaanai’ (Elephant) and ‘Puli’(Tiger), in Tamil. In simple terms, the Yaali was believed to be a genetic modification of an Elephant and a Tiger. This stands as a living legend of the practice of genetic modification and DNA alteration in the ancient India, as almost 3-5 different types of Yaali can be seen here, like Simha Yaali, the Lion faced Yaali and Neer Yaali, a water-based Yaali that had the face of a human! The construct of the temple is also a mystery, as the main gopuram with the garbagraham inside is circular from the top and is continued down to maintain a cylindrical shape in the garbagraham. Typically in Dravidian style temples, the garbagraham is a square, and such cylindrical main chambers are quite rare in Hinduism. Although there are a large number of allegations that this mysterious, yet majestic temple was built by one of the forefathers of the Pallava Dynasty, the Mutharaiyar Kings from the Mutharaiyar Dynasty, but later renovated and reconstructed around by the Chola king Vijayalaya Cholan. This, however, is certainly a controversial discussion with strong arguments towards the former and latter theories since there is no concrete evidence to who actually built this brilliant masterpiece that still stands tall after almost 1,160 mighty years, setting aside all the differences and theories.
Magical Astronomical events of August 2023
0 Our world is full of majestic mysteries that baffle us every now and then with its wonders and outworldly elements and facets. The Sky is vast enough to cover this large blue sphere and puts on the most brilliant show this month by acting as a screen, giving us the front row seats to the vividly bewitching astronomical events! Astronomical events are phenomena that occur in Space due to various elements like the gravitational pull of a planet that pulls space objects like rogue rocks into its orbit, painting the sky with bright meteor showers every once in a while. Such events can be observed from Earth with the help of Telescopes and sometimes, these magnificent events are visible to the naked eye! Astronomical events like Eclipses, Meteor Showers, Super Moon, Blue Moon, Equinoxes, Planetary alignments, Asteroids, Comets and etcetera can be predicted with accuracy and are eagerly awaited to be witnessed. Here are some of the most awaited Astronomical events of August 2023 that are visible to the naked eye and can be witnessed in India without any equipment like Telescopes! Perseid Meteor Shower The Perseid Meteor Showers, commonly known as the ‘Shooting Star’, happen every year around 11th and 13th of August. This astronomical wonder is caused by the Earth orbiting near the leftover debris of the long lost Comet Swift – Tuttle, and can be witnessed only once in a year to the naked eye. Lunar Occultation of Antares Lunar Occultation refers to the phenomena when the Moon appears to have moved in front of another celestial being, like a Planet, Asteroid or a Star. The word ‘Antares’ simply refers to a bright star on the Scorpion constellation. On August 24th this year, the Moon gets aligned with three bright Morning Planets, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, and is visible before sunrise to the naked eye. Blue Moon The term ‘Blue Moon’, unlike the common misconception of the Moon being blue in colour, is quite a rare event that happens at least once in 2-3 years, although this frequency can vary. The Blue Moon simply means the second full moon that occurs within a single calendar month. Loving such breathtaking astronomical events? Follow to know more on such upcoming astronomical events!
REFRESH & RESTART : Thanks to Amrit Bharat Station Scheme nearly 100 stations in Southern Railway will get a much needed facelift
0 TEXT: B. GUGANESAN, CHIEF PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER A major revamp is being carried out at the stations of Southern Railway. This falls in line with the ongoing initiative of Indian Railways to consistently improve its stations, envisioning long-term progress. Southern Railway has pinpointed 90 of its stations to be enhanced under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme(ABSS). The primary objective of this scheme is to create comprehensive Master Plans for these stations. The implementation of these Master Plans will then aim at significant upgradation of the facilities at these train stations. Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the Southern Railway division plans to renovate a total of 90 railway stations. Each of its six divisions is tasked with the overhaul of 15 stations. In the fiscal year 2022- 23, consultancy contracts worth Rs 13.88 crores were awarded to facilitate this renovation.The tasks under these contracts comprise creating a comprehensive blueprint that plans the station’s advance on a long-term basis, in a planned manner, incorporating a forward-looking vision. These master plans, prepared by the appointed consultant, have been authorized by the railway administration for all the stations involved in the revamping project. Following the blueprint, tasks to be accomplished under Phase-I of the scheme were identified. Contractors have been awarded work for 35 stations based on these plans, even as the process of finalizing tenders for the remaining stations is about to conclude.Generous funding of Rs 934 crores has been allocated to this ambitious renovation project in the fiscal year 2023-24 This massive overhaul work under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is part of an effort to modernize railway infrastructure and enhance the overall railway travel experience, and is progressing at a brisk pace SANCTIONED WORKS UNDER THE AMRIT BHARAT STATION SCHEME IN SOUTHERN RAILWAY DIVISION NO OF WORKS SANCTIONED COST (IN CRORES)CHENNAI 44 251.91SALEM 22 150.47PALAKKAD 26 195.54THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 15 108.00TIRUCHCHIRAPPALLI 22 123.47MADURAI 19 104.56TOTAL 148 934.00 Key Features The Amrit Bharat Station initiative is designed to roll out new amenities for passengers, enhance and upgrade the current ones. As part of the Phase-I advancement, under the Amrit Bharat Scheme, specific enhancements are being planned for the selected 90 Southern Railway stations for example Foot Over Bridges (12 m wide FOBs are planned at 13 Nos. of stations Escalators and Lifts (2 Nos. of Escalators & 48 Nos. of lifts sanctioned at various stations across SR) Improvements to circulating area Two/four wheeler parking Landscaping / Horticulture Integrated Passenger Information System Signages Improvements to Platforms & Platform shelters SS benches, Taps & Wash basins Better illumination & Power supply arrangements CCTV Measures taken for fast tracking the work Guidelines have been issued to Gati Shakti units regarding drawings, detailing and timelines for completion of each workThe progress of ABSS work will be monitored by DRMs and reviewed by GM regularly