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safargenie · 6 months ago

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Varanasi Allahabad Ayodhya Naimisharanya Tour Package

Are you ready for an unforgettable journey through some of India's most sacred and historically rich cities? Our Varanasi, Allahabad, Ayodhya, Naimisharanya Tour Package is designed to take you on a spiritual and cultural adventure like no other. Each destination in this package has its unique charm and significance, promising a holistic experience of India's heritage.

Varanasi: The Spiritual Capital Historical Background

Varanasi, also known as Kashi, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Situated on the banks of the Ganges, it has been a major cultural and religious hub for thousands of years. It's said that a visit to Varanasi is a journey to the soul of India.

Key Attractions

· Kashi Vishwanath Temple: This iconic temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and a must-visit for any devotee.

· Dashashwamedh Ghat: Famous for its evening Ganga Aarti, this ghat is a spectacle of devotion and spirituality.

· Sarnath: Just a short drive from Varanasi, Sarnath is where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. The site is rich with Buddhist history and monuments.

Activities to Do

Take a boat ride on the Ganges during sunrise.

Attend the mesmerizing evening Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Explore the narrow alleys and vibrant markets of Varanasi.

Allahabad: The City of Sangam

Historical Background

Allahabad, now known as Prayagraj, is a city of immense religious significance, particularly for its Triveni Sangam where the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet.

Key Attractions

Triveni Sangam: This confluence is considered one of the holiest places in Hinduism, attracting millions of pilgrims during the Kumbh Mela.

Allahabad Fort: Built by Emperor Akbar, this fort stands as a testament to the city's historical significance.

Anand Bhavan: The ancestral home of the Nehru-Gandhi family, now a museum showcasing India's struggle for independence.

Activities to Do

Take a dip at the Triveni Sangam.

Explore the historical artifacts at Allahabad Museum.

Visit the beautiful Anand Bhavan and learn about India's political history.

Ayodhya: The Birthplace of Lord Rama

Historical Background

Ayodhya is revered as the birthplace of Lord Rama, one of the most beloved deities in Hindu mythology. The city is dotted with temples and historical sites that attract devotees and history enthusiasts alike.

Key Attractions

Ram Janmabhoomi: The site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama.

Hanuman Garhi: A temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, known for its stunning architecture.

Kanak Bhawan: A beautiful temple dedicated to Sita and Rama, often visited by newlyweds seeking blessings.

Activities to Do

Participate in the evening aarti at Ram Ki Paidi.

Explore the ancient temples and ghats.

Enjoy a serene walk along the banks of the Sarayu River.

Naimisharanya: The Sacred Forest

Historical Background

Naimisharanya is a revered forest mentioned in various Hindu scriptures. It is considered a significant pilgrimage site where many sages performed penance and meditation.

Key Attractions

Chakra Tirth: A sacred pond believed to be created by Lord Vishnu's discus.

Lalita Devi Temple: Dedicated to Goddess Lalita, a form of Shakti.

Pandav Kila: An ancient fort associated with the Pandavas from the Mahabharata.

Activities to Do

Take a holy dip in the sacred ponds.

Visit the ancient temples and participate in rituals.

Meditate in the tranquil surroundings of the forest.

Tour Package Details

Our tour package is meticulously planned to provide a seamless and enriching experience. Here are the details:

Duration of the Tour

The tour spans over 7 days and 6 nights, ensuring ample time to explore each destination thoroughly.

Inclusions and Exclusions

Inclusions: Accommodation, breakfast, guided tours, transportation between cities, entry fees to monuments.

Exclusions: Airfare, personal expenses, meals not specified in the itinerary, travel insurance.

Accommodation Details

Stay in comfortable and well-rated hotels that offer a blend of modern amenities and traditional hospitality.

Best Time to Visit

The ideal time to embark on this tour is between October and March when the weather is pleasant and conducive to sightseeing.

Seasonal Highlights

Winter (October to February): Pleasant weather, ideal for outdoor activities and sightseeing.

Spring (March): Mild weather, perfect for enjoying the natural beauty and cultural festivities.

Travel Tips

Packing Essentials

Comfortable clothing, suitable for both hot and cool weather.

A good pair of walking shoes.

Personal medications and a basic first-aid kit.

Health and Safety Tips

Stay hydrated and carry bottled water.

Be mindful of local customs and dress modestly, especially in religious sites.

Use mosquito repellent to avoid insect bites.

Local Cuisine to Try

Each city on this tour offers a unique culinary experience. Here are some must-try dishes:

Popular Dishes in Varanasi

Kachori Sabzi: A spicy and flavorful breakfast dish.

Malaiyyo: A frothy and creamy dessert, best enjoyed in winter.

Popular Dishes in Allahabad

Allahabadi Tehri: A fragrant rice dish with vegetables.

Guava with Masala: Fresh guavas sprinkled with a special masala mix.

Popular Dishes in Ayodhya

Peda: A sweet delicacy made from condensed milk.

Thandai: A refreshing drink made with milk, almonds, and spices.

Popular Dishes in Naimisharanya

Prasad: Temple offerings, often simple yet delicious.

Local Sweets: Various traditional sweets available in the local markets.

Cultural Etiquette

Dress Code

Dress modestly, especially when visiting religious sites. Avoid wearing revealing clothes.

Behavior Tips

Respect local customs and traditions.

Remove your shoes before entering temples.

Avoid public displays of affection.

Conclusion

Embarking on the Varanasi Allahabad Ayodhya Naimisharanya Tour Package is more than just a trip; it's a journey into the heart of India's spiritual and cultural essence. Each city offers a unique glimpse into the country's rich heritage, making it a truly transformative experience. Book your tour today and immerse yourself in the divine and historical splendor of these sacred destinations.

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#varanasi #ayodhya #prayagraj #Allahabad #kashi #Naimisharanya

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privatedriverinindia · 2 years ago

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Top Seven holy cities of India - Sapta Puri

Top Seven holy cities of India

Seven of holy cities of Sapta Puri are Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya (Haridwar), Kasi (Varanasi), Kanchi (Kanchipuram), Avantika (Ujjain) and Dvaravati (Dwarka)

India, known as the Land of Gods and Deities, has an inexhaustible number of Pilgrimage Sites. India, the world's most ancient civilization, is not only rich in heritage opulence but also has a glorious mythological past. Every year, tens of thousands of people flock to holy shrines in search of solace or blessings. Tourists from all over the world are drawn to the long journey to many popular pilgrimage destinations. Religion and beliefs are deeply ingrained, and there are numerous Religion Tours in India to choose from. Some of the most popular pilgrimage destinations to visit in 2023 are listed below.

Thousands of people travel to India from all over the world in search of spiritual enlightenment. In addition, the majority of these pilgrimage sites are hidden away in areas of breathtaking natural beauty. We select the top 7 pilgrimages to make in India, a country known for its temples and pilgrimages.

Suggested Tour: Char Dham Tour Packages, Kedarnath Badrinath Yatra

Ayodhya

Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram. He is said to be Lord Vishnu's seventh incarnation. It is the holiest city in India and has long been an important part of Uttar Pradesh's economic, political, and historical history. Ayodhya is about 6 kilometres from Faizabadon on the Sarayu River's bank. This 9000-year-old city served as the capital of Raja Dashrath's prosperous kingdom. This auspicious city contains over 700 temples, making it one of India's most sacred cities. Some of the best places to visit include Ram Janam Bhumi, Kanak Bhawan, Sita ki Rasoi, Hanumangarhi, Gular Bari, Daashtrath Bhawan, Nageshwarnath Temple, Treta ka Thakur, and Dashrath Bhawan.

Varanasi

Varanasi, also known as Shiv ki Nagari, is said to be India's oldest city. There are nearly 20,000 temples in the city, which can be found on every street corner. Lord Shiva is said to have built the holy city of Kashi with his hands, which is why it is known as India's spiritual capital. It is widely held that if you die in this city, you will achieve Moksh (salvation). Varanasi is all about the sacred Ghats, which will provide you with the most scenic and tranquil views of the holy River Ganga. Manikarnika Ghat, Dashashwamedha Ghat, Pancha-Ganga Ghat, Asi Sangam Ghat, Varana Sangam Ghat, and Kashi Vishwanath are the main attractions in Varanasi.

Suggested Tour: Golden Triangle Tour with Varanasi

Mathura

Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, located in Uttar Pradesh near the cities of Vrindavan and Goverdhan. Lord Krishna is also thought to be Lord Vishnu's incarnation, who came to save the world from the evil and powerful King Kansa. Mathura, known as the "heart of Indian culture," is filled with multicoloured temples. The best time to visit this holy city is during Krishna Janamashtami, when the entire city is in full swing and everyone is excited to celebrate Krishna's birthday. Apart from being significant for Hindus, Mathura is also known for magnificent Buddhist art that dates back to the golden age of Indian culture.

Haridwar

Haridwar is the literal translation of Haridwar (gateway of Lord Vishnu). It is where Hindus come before embarking on the Char Dham Yatra (Hindu Religion's Four Abodes) for the ritualistic bath in the holy Ganga water. Bhagirath prayed to Lord Shiva and was successful in bringing Ganga to Earth for the benefit of humanity, according to Hindu religious books. Har ki Pauri is said to be the first place Ganga landed. Mansa Devi Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, Maya Devi Temple, and Chandi Devi Temple are among the prominent temples in Haridwar. Every 12 years, the world-famous Kumbh Mela is held in this holy city of India. Suggested Tour: Haridwar Rishikesh Same Day Tour

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram is one of India's seven sacred cities due to its divine temples. Kanchi, located on the banks of the River Vegavathi, is also known as the City of Thousand Temples and the City of Gold. Advaita philosophy was spread in this city by Adi Shankara, a great Hindu philosopher. Kanchipuram is only 75 kilometres from Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu. This is why it is one of the most visited holy cities in India. Kanchipuram has approximately 108 Shaiva temples and 18 Vaishnava temples. Kanchipuram's famous temples include Ekambareswarar Temple, Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kailasnathar Temple, and Kamakshi Temple.

Ujjain

Ujjain is one of India's Sapta Puri - seven sacred cities - and is located on the banks of the Kshipra River. This holy city is thought to have emerged during the reign of Samudra Manthan. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas located here. Ujjain has a long history with Lord Krishna, as it is said that Krishna and his elder brother Balram came to Ujjain to be educated by Muni Sandipani. In Ujjain, there is a Gopal Temple with silver statues of Lord Krishna, Balram, and Muni Sandipani.

Dwarka

Your Sapta Puri Tour will be incomplete unless you visit Dwarka, which is said to be the place where Lord Krishna spent his life after King Kansa was assassinated. It is yet another sacred place in India to visit for mental peace. Dwarka tells the story of Krishna's life when he moved the capital of the Yaduvansh Kingdom and how it eventually submerged in the Arabian Sea after Krishna's death. Poetess Mirabai, who taught the world power of Krishna Bhakti, was also from this divine city.

#sapta puri #Top Seven holy cities of India #Seven holy cities of India #Top Seven cities of India

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anika95sharma · 6 years ago

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Sacred and political: Over 1 million people to attend Kumbh mela in January

Spirituality, politics and tourism: welcome to the Kumbh Mela, the world's largest gathering of humanity, that begins next month in India.During the Kumbh Mela, to be held in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, millions of pilgrims including naked, ash-smeared ascetics, will bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and a mythical third river, the Saraswati.Devout Hindus believe that bathing in the waters of the Ganges absolves people of sins and bathing at the time of the Kumbh brings salvation from the cycle of life and death.The government says about 100 million to 150 million people, including one million foreign tourists, are expected to attend over the eight-week festival period beginning on January 15, and the scale of the efforts to feed and house the pilgrims is immense.

Organisers are erecting temporary bridges, 600 mass kitchens, more than 100,000 portable toilets, and vast tents, each sleeping thousands of pilgrims at a time, in a pop-up city on the banks of the two rivers.And yet, based on tradition, there shouldn't be quite such a giant event next year - which is where politics and tourism promotion comes in.The Kumbh Mela is traditionally held every three years in one of four cities along India's sacred rivers, with one of the largest of those in Prayagraj.

The next Kumbh Mela, meaning "festival of the pot", was due to be held in the city in 2025.But with a general election due by May in which the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faces a tough contest, the northern state of Uttar Pradesh has transformed a smaller Ardh, or "half" Kumbh Mela, into a full version of the festival.The BJP controls both the federal and the Uttar Pradesh governments.And this "half Kumbh" may by some measures end up being one of the biggest Kumbhs yet because of the state's massive promotional efforts, especially as Prayagraj â€“ which until recently was known as Allahabad - is seen as the holiest of the four sites.Besides the upcoming election, the promotion coincides with an international charm offensive to improve the image of Uttar Pradesh, India's most READ MORE ON

BS / BUSINESS STANDARD

#Kumbh Mela #bs #Kumbh Mela politics #kumbh #politics over Kumbh Mela #allahabad #prayagraj #india news

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uttarpradeshscam-blog · 5 years ago

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The Dark Underbelly Of Uttar Pradesh Crime and Politics

The state of Uttar Pradesh has always been considered as a hotbed of politics and crime. Some of the more notorious criminal gangs of India operated in the state of Uttar Pradesh for a very long time. Dreaded gangs of kidnappers operated from the state, often going as far as southern states to carry out kidnappings for ransom. Over a period of time, these criminal activities evolved into other equally notorious activities such as organized crime with help from political connections. Most of the gangs were well entrenched in the corridors of power, with connections in the bureaucracy of various government departments.

All political parties in the state of Uttar Pradesh are known to have fielded criminals for elections. This deep-rooted malaise has caused considerable loss to the government and has harmed the reputation of the state of Uttar Pradesh irreparably. The present form of criminal activities involves white-collar crime. Embezzlement of funds and rigging of bids are a part of the many activities that are typically carried out by organized gangs of criminals. The latest scam to hit the state of Uttar Pradesh is the fake tender scam that has sullied the image of the government in the conduct of the Kumbh Mela. This was perpetrated by Amit Mishra, a resident of Amethi, and currently a resident of Faridabad and Umashankar Tiwari, a resident of Daraganj, Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad).

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Regarded as a prestigious event with a large number of individuals flocking to India for the event from all corners of the globe, the conduct of the Kumbh Mela demands extensive preparations and infrastructure requirements. This is in the form of tents, blankets, food, utensils and an extensive list of equipment and supplies necessary for the conduct of the event. As most industries and suppliers are aware of the event, any request for participation in the tender is easily accepted.

Kumbh mela 2019 the biggest scam of our times. main accused umashankar tiwari and amit mishra absconding

The latest scam involved the floating of fake tenders in the name of the Uttar Pradesh tourism department. Since most contractors and suppliers were aware of the fact that the event was being conducted, none bothered to check the veracity of the claim. To lend an error of legitimacy to the fake tender, the main conspirators - Amit Mishra, a resident of Amethi, and currently a resident of Faridabad and Umashankar Tiwari, a resident of Daraganj, Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) - got an individual to impersonate as the director of a government department. Gullible individuals, who were desperate to win the order, ended up being cheated by two individuals who are the ring leaders of an organized gang. The victims were introduced to an impersonator who went on to give assurance that the tenders would be awarded to them. In return for this favor, they were happy to part with money as bribes. Little did they realize that they were about to lose their money to fraudsters.

The politically connected criminals ran out of luck when the present government followed up the case in an effort to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. The investigation revealed the deep-rooted nexus between authorities and criminal gangs. It came to light that the criminals easily hopped from one political party to the other, and enjoyed the benefits of political patronage.

Reference Links-

https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/metro/lucknow/other-news/looking-for-helpers-from-the-political-corridor-behind-the-bars/articleshow/65465534.cms

https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/lucknow-city-two-arrested-in-fake-tender-case-of-kumbh-mela-18285453.html

https://www.amarujala.com/lucknow/fraud-for-the-tendor-for-kumbh-mela?pageId=1

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/fake-kumbh-tenders-stump-tourism-department/articleshow/65077993.cms

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/lucknow-two-held-for-fraud-in-tourism-depts-name/articleshow/65286248.cms

https://www.amarujala.com/lucknow/fraud-for-the-tendor-for-kumbh-mela

https://www.legendaryencounters.com/2019/06/09/fake-tender-and-umashankar-tiwari/

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werindialive · 4 years ago

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External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar defends the government’s decision to allow election rallies and Kumbh Mela

External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that there were so many religious gatherings, political rallies and events organized in India because the second wave of COVID took everyone by surprise. He also said that the India government is “moving heaven and earth” to ensure everyone gets Oxygen.

Jaishankar also talked about the India’s vaccine diplomacy and said that India has signed international agreements with foreign countries and is obligated to send vaccine under the Covax agreement. “There was an obligation to give vaccines at low cost to a number of nations. We also had concerns with our immediate neighbors and didn’t want the pandemic on our doorstep,” he said. Attending a virtual interview with the head of a leading media house, Jaishankar kept on repeating that the government hasn’t taken the eye off the ball. However, he also said that the entire country let its guard’s down when they expected the first wave to be over.

“At the end of February, we were looking at less than 10,000 cases a day. It has now gone up 38 times,” he said.

“It can't be religious crowds are a problem but protest crowds are fine,” he said. “Yes, with benefit of hindsight it’s very easy for people to say we shouldn’t have allowed gatherings of any kind but remember a year ago we were pilloried for doing exactly that. In a democratic country you cannot not have elections. We are a deeply democratic and political country. Suppose the government had said let’s not do the election, imagine the reaction! A year ago, when we did the lockdown, we did it because we were not prepared for the pandemic. Yet I saw in this Freedom House report that we did the lockdown to deal with CAA protest… Elections are sacrosanct,” he added.

For more political news India in Hindi, subscribe to our newsletter.

#election rallies #Dr S Jaishankar #second wave of COVID #second wave of COVID 19 #coronavirus #vaccines #india fights corona #top news stories #leading india news source #corona outbreak #CAA protest

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olgagarmash · 4 years ago

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Neglect of India’s health system fueled its Covid catastrophe – STAT – STAT

Covid-19 is surging uncontrollably throughout India, disrupting big cities like Mumbai and devastating rural areas where there is extreme poverty and hardly any health care. The heart-rending images of funeral pyres set up in public parks, burning an endless line of bodies, is only a glimpse into the tragedy unfolding across the country.

People are waiting outside hospitals — where there are no longer any beds or even oxygen — in 100-degree heat with their sick and dying loved ones.

The pro-nationalist government of Narendra Modi is partly to blame for not stopping the Kumbh Mela Hindu religious celebration that brought 2.5 million people to the Ganges River, and for carrying on with political rallies that attracted masses of people. But far more than hypernationalism is responsible for this catastrophe.

During the 20 years that I reported on health for The Times of India and trained reporters to cover this beat, I saw how the health sector was neglected during India’s growth and development.

India’s health care system was envisaged soon after its independence in 1947 as a three-tier system that could cover the entire country. It was to have a primary care system at the village level, a secondary care system to cover smaller urban centers, and tertiary care for specialized treatment. Over the years, though, the emphasis moved to for-profit tertiary care hospitals, mainly in big cities, with state-of-the-art that provided care mainly to the urban rich. Profits from these hospitals, which go into paying the high salaries of doctors and top executives, took precedence over attempts to regulate them or stop malpractice, such as overcharging patients or unnecessary surgeries.

Successive governments before Modi’s supported this unplanned growth, paying little heed to the health infrastructure that was underfunded, poorly staffed, and falling apart. Sushma Swaraj, a senior politician in the Bharatiya Janata party — today’s ruling party — who I interviewed in 1999 on the party’s absence of focus on health care in its parliamentary election manifesto, told me, “Health is a thing for the rich. We in India have to focus on getting bread to the poor.”

Leaders from other political parties voiced similar views. Few in the government or the legacy media considered health care to be an issue of national importance.

I have covered epidemics and pandemics in the past, though nothing as tragic as the spread of Covid-19 in India, and have seen the resulting chaos. In 1994, for example, after news emerged of cases of pneumonic plague in India, rumors of an airborne infection of plague prompted thousands to flee the city of Surat in western India and be admitted to hospitals in Delhi. There, as I found in my reporting, a specialized Hospital for Infectious Diseases was completely lacking in resources. I have also seen families wiped away in the AIDS epidemic in India’s villages with little access to testing or treatment and little attention paid to them by the government or the media.

The fact is that the poor in India have struggled to get health care for decades. Most health expenditures in India are paid for out of pocket and paying for health care is among the leading things that push people below the poverty line. A 2017 study by the Public Health Foundation of India found that health expenses were responsible for driving 55 million Indians into poverty between 2011 and 2012. As many as 90% of the poor have no health insurance.

Government after government has promoted medical tourism that entices people from the United States and other countries to come to India’s for-profit hospitals for dental, cosmetic, and other procedures. India’s ministry of tourism recently expanded its visa regime to allow e-tourist visas for medical tourism, a $3 billion industry that is expected to grow in the years ahead.

This has been at the expense of neglecting the vast network of health systems designed to serve the poor, who have always taken the brunt of neglecting public health.

The lack of oxygen to treat people with Covid-19 has drawn international attention. But this isn’t the first time the oxygen supply has been broken. Year after year, India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh sees outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis among children, a disease spread by the bite of a mosquito. In 2017, 30 children died suddenly at a hospital, likely due to a disruption in oxygen supply, though that could not be conclusively proven. It is, however, a reminder of what is happening in hospitals across India that have been running out of high-flow oxygen, resulting in deaths.

With little or no demand for improvement in health care from the middle class and elites, India’s public health system has taken a big hit over the years. Covid-19 has strained it to the breaking point and beyond, driving people from villages and smaller cities into bigger urban centers that are already unable to manage the surge of patients.

In the heat of the moment, it is easy to blame the Modi government for India’s feeble response to the Covid-19 surge. But bringing lasting change will require a long hard look at the planning and neglect of the past 74 years in independent India — both by India’s ruling classes and the media.

Kalpana Jain is a senior editor for ethics and religion at The Conversation U.S., a former reporter for the Times of India, a former Nieman Global Health Reporting Fellow, and author of “Positive Lives: The Story of Ashok and others living with HIV” (Penguin Global, 2003).

source https://wealthch.com/neglect-of-indias-health-system-fueled-its-covid-catastrophe-stat-stat/

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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India's second Covid wave hits like a 'tsunami' as hospitals buckle under weight Graveyards are running out of space, hospitals are turning away patients, and desperate families are pleading for help on social media for beds and medicine. India reported 295,041 cases of coronavirus and 2,023 deaths Wednesday, its highest rise in cases and highest death increase recorded in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a CNN tally of figures from the Indian Ministry of Health. “The volume is humongous,” said Jalil Parkar, a senior pulmonary consultant at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, which had to convert its lobby into an additional Covid ward. “It’s just like a tsunami.” “Things are out of control,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy in New Delhi. “There’s no oxygen. A hospital bed is hard to find. It’s impossible to get a test. You have to wait over a week. And pretty much every system that could break down in the health care system has broken down,” he said. To prove his point, at least 22 Covid-19 patients who were on ventilator support died Wednesday waiting for oxygen supplies that were lost in an accident, a senior official from the Nashik district in the Indian state of Maharashtra said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Tuesday, acknowledging the country’s “very big battle” against Covid-19. He appealed to states to “use a lockdown as their last option,” even as the capital New Delhi entered its first full day of a week-long lockdown. On Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned that failing to halt movement in the city could lead to “tragedy.” “We don’t want to take Delhi to a place where patients are lying in hospital corridors and people are dying on roads,” Kejriwal said. On Tuesday, he warned that some Delhi hospitals were “left with just a few hours of oxygen,” as authorities scrambled to convert sports complexes, banquet halls, hotels and schools into much-needed treatment centers, with the goal to add 6,000 additional beds within days. “Our healthcare system has reached its limit. It is now in a state of distress. It has not collapsed yet but it is in distress,” Kejriwal said. “Every healthcare system has its limits. No system can accommodate unlimited patients.” With shortages being reported across the country, local and state leaders appealed to the federal government for more oxygen and medicine. Modi appeared to answer those calls on Tuesday, announcing plans for the delivery of 100,000 cylinders of oxygen nationwide, new oxygen production plants, and hospitals dedicated to Covid patients. But experts fear it’s too little, too late, as positive patients compete for limited resources and mass gatherings threaten to spread the virus even further. In Wednesday’s incident in which the 22 people died in the Indian state of Maharashtra, senior official Suraj Mandhare told reporters the oxygen was lost due to a leakage from a tanker at the Zakir Hussain hospital. “There was a valves leakage in tankers in Nashik, it was a large scale leakage, definitely this would impact the hospital where the tankers were headed,” Maharashtra’s health minister Rajesh Tope told reporters Wednesday. The district administration is coordinating with hospital officials to make oxygen available to patients who need it at the earliest, Mandhare said. The patients who died required oxygen as their “pressure” was low and the leakage from this shipment meant that they did not receive the supply in time, Mandhare added. India’s Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah tweeted about the event saying: “I am distressed to hear the news of the accident of oxygen leak in a hospital in Nashik. I express my deepest condolences on this irreparable loss of those who have lost their loved ones in this accident. I pray to God for the health of all the other patients.” In Maharashtra there is currently a daily demand for 1,550 metric tons of oxygen for Covid-19 patients but the state manufactures 1,250 metric tons of oxygen which is being used entirely for medical purposes. The remaining 300 metric tons are being supplied by other states, Tope told reporters Wednesday. Maharashtra has 3,343,359 cases of coronavirus including 685,552 active cases and 61,343 deaths according to the Indian Ministry of Health on Wednesday. Pleading for help online With few official options available, families are turning to social media for help. Mumbai resident Anil Tiwari, 34, lost his father to Covid-19 in November last year. Last week, his 58-year-old mother tested positive. She was admitted to hospital but needed an intensive care unit (ICU) bed, Tiwari said. “I’m crying, running to get ICU bed for my mother,” Tiwari tweeted on Monday. “Kindly help to save my mother I love her more than anything.” After days of effort, including calling the municipal authorities to get on a waitlist, Tiwari’s mother was finally given an ICU bed, Tiwari said on Tuesday. But now, she needs oxygen, which the hospital is in short supply of. She is still able to walk, but is having difficulty breathing, Tiwari said. Demand for the drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients has spiked during the second wave, prompting the government to temporarily ban the export of the medication to increase its supply in the domestic market. The Indian government has approved the drug for emergency use within hospitals, though the World Health Organization (WHO) says evidence does not suggest the drug lessens the risk of dying from Covid-19 or needing mechanical ventilation. Abhijeet Kumar, a 20-year-old college student, took to Twitter to raise money to pay for Remdesivir injections for his 51-year-old uncle. Kumar said his uncle had been in hospital in Raipur, in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, since April 9 after testing positive for Covid. “The injections are very expensive,” Kumar said. “They are saying it costs between 12,000 to 15,000 rupees (about $160-200). He has gotten two doses of the injection but he needs a third and we can’t afford it … my uncle works as a plumber.” Seven major manufacturers of Remdesivir have slashed prices to between 899 rupees and 3,490 rupees (about $12-47) due to “the intervention of the government,” according to a government memorandum on April 17. But several states have acknowledged that high demand and low supply has created a black market for Remdesivir and similar medications. Even many doctors and nurses, too, are frantically searching for open beds and treatment options for their own loved ones, said Parkar, the pulmonary specialist in Mumbai. “Everybody is sick,” he said. “A time has come that we don’t have beds for our own colleagues, for our own parents, for our own extended family.” Complacency and public gatherings The second wave, which has long surpassed the first wave in both new cases and infection rate, was “a situation that was created by complacency,” said Laxminarayan, from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy. After the first wave ended in the winter, the government and public relaxed too much, due to a mix of Covid fatigue and a false sense of security, experts say. In early March, weeks before cases began climbing again, the federal health minister declared that India was “in the endgame” of the pandemic. This kind of triumphant rhetoric meant residents relaxed their Covid-safe behavior, such as social distancing or wearing face masks, experts say. And, despite warnings of Covid risks, large gatherings continued to take place — sports matches resumed, elaborate weddings went ahead, and movie cinemas reopened. The biggest gathering by far is the Kumbh Mela, an important Hindu festival and one of the biggest pilgrimages on Earth. Millions of Indians are traveling from across the country to Haridwar, an ancient city in Uttarakhand state, to attend ceremonies and prayers and take holy dips in the Ganges River. The festival officially began on April 1 and ends later this month. There are Covid-safe guidelines in place — visitors must register online and provide a negative Covid-19 test to participate in the holy baths, and thousands of officers are conducting surveillance — but experts worry it won’t be enough to contain the risk, given the sheer number of attendees. Several million are expected to visit on “auspicious” days. “The Kumbh Mela could go down as one of the largest mass super spreading events ever, simply because of the size of the number of people who show up there for the ritual bathing in the Ganges,” said Laxminarayan. For weeks, Modi, who has a significant Hindu base, refrained from commenting on the Kumbh Mela and its Covid risks. But earlier this week, he finally appealed to pilgrims to avoid congregating in Haridwar. “Now Kumbh should be carried out symbolically amid the ongoing corona crisis,” Modi tweeted on Saturday. But for some, Modi’s message rang hollow, as the prime minister continued to hold massive political rallies ahead of parliamentary and local council elections in four states and one union territory. Videos from Modi’s rallies, including one in Tamulpur in Assam state on April 3, show him speaking before massive crowds, packed tightly together and cheering. In West Bengal state, a significant election ground, tens of thousands attended rallies by Modi’s Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress Party. Modi’s rallies have attracted sharp criticism from several other political figures, including a former finance minister who called the mass rallies “completely insensitive” given the Covid crisis. In the face of surging cases, the Indian National Congress, India’s main opposition party, has suspended all public rallies in West Bengal. And on Monday, the BJP said it would only hold “small public gatherings” with a cap of 500 people in the state due to “the difficult phase of the pandemic.” Meanwhile, the Kumbh Mela hasn’t been ordered to stop, nor have any new rules been imposed. Uttarakhand state has issued a series of new restrictions including a night curfew and cap on public gatherings — but the festival is exempt. Haridwar has seen a spike in infections, with more than 6,500 new cases reported since the Kumbh Mela began. Several religious sub-groups, including Juna Akhara and Niranjani Akhara, have since asked their followers from out of state to return home and follow guidelines. Some states and cities are requiring festival returnees to be tested and quarantined. But medical workers fear it’s too late. “It’s already gone on for a couple of weeks. Now, of course, they are dispersing, but they may be carrying the virus back to their homes at this point,” said Laxminarayan.”It’s truly a terrible situation at this point.” CNN’s Esha Mitra contributed to this report. Source link Orbem News #buckle #Covid #hits #hospitals #Indias #tsunami #wave #weight

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watchonlinewds · 4 years ago

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Covid 19 coronavirus: Health officials to unveil updated Covid-19 information

There are no new community cases of Covid-19 and just one case in managed isolation, according to the Ministry of Health.

The new case is a contact of a previously reported case who is in quarantine; that means the seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is four.

The Ministry also said that two previously reported cases had been reclassified.

"Both are now deemed historical and were reported in their respective countries of origin, so are not included in New Zealand's figures. This has created a net change in our total confirmed cases of -1 since our statement yesterday," the ministry said in a statement.

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The total number of active cases in New Zealand today is 100 and the total number of confirmed cases is 2234.

The latest update comes amid a heightened focus on the vaccination rollout.

Yesterday, Bloomfield revealed the Government's budget for vaccines was $1 billion.

He also said that people will be able to walk in to a clinic and get the Pfizer vaccine jab from July, when the Government plans to be able to roll out an average of 280,000-odd doses a week for six months.

That would, he said, enable the Ministry of Health to reach its goal of vaccinating every eligible Kiwi who wants to be vaccinated.

Efforts will be made - including through mobile stations - to ensure people in rural and harder-to-access areas will have as much of a chance to get a jab as anyone.

So far, there have been 135,585 total doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered in New Zealand.

New research from Horizon Research shows that 69 per cent of respondents said they are likely to take the vaccine.

But one in five respondents said they were unlikely to take a vaccine if offered, and 9.4 per cent say they will "definitely not".

It comes as the Government comes under increasing pressure on its MIQ testing regime.

A security guard – whose firm was contracted by the Government to work at the Grand Millennium MIQ facility tested positive for Covid last week.

‌

It was subsequently revealed that he had not yet received the vaccine.

As well as this, he had not received a Covid-19 test since November last year – National leader Judith Collins said this was "unfathomable".

But First Security – the company the guard worked for – said that the Government's testing register didn't raise any red flags until March 26.

This led to questions being raised about the efficiency of the system.

Speaking to media yesterday, Chris Hipkins offered somewhat half-hearted confidence in the Government's frontline testing register.

Although he has referred to it as a "good tool", he has doubled down on the fact the ultimate onus is on the employers of private frontline staff.

"I wouldn't say there was a failure to oversee testing."

He said case B – the security worker – had been sent "at least four text messages" telling him to get tested.

But as the country grapples with control of the virus, a scandal is emerging that goes to the very top in India's handling of the pandemic.

On Wednesday, local news reports and footage emerged from what is alleged to be mass corpse burning in the central Indian city of Bhopal.

India Today reports that "the number of deceased Covid-19 patients who are being cremated or buried in Bhopal city is far higher than what the official records have been stating over the past days".

The report continues: "The cremation grounds in Bhopal that would see about 5-10 bodies being brought earlier are now seeing 35-40 bodies on a daily basis.

"While the government has called most of these suspected cases of Covid-19, the opposition has said it's a tactic to hide the real figures."

The publication claims that a total of 187 bodies were cremated at the two sites between Thursday and Sunday, despite the official death toll for the region being just five.

Harvard epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding called the situation "extremely worrisome" in a thread on Twitter.

"Deaths being suppressed," he wrote. "At the 2 crematoriums in Bhopal, 187 bodies were cremated following Covid protocols in 4 days — all while official death toll remained at just 5."

It comes as hundreds of people tested positive at the site of the world's biggest religious festival.

The virus was detected in more than 1000 people in just 48 hours in the city of Haridwar, which lies along the holy river where the Kumbh Mela festival is being observed, officials said.

A new wave of coronavirus infections is sweeping across India, with experts blaming massive religious events, packed political rallies in poll-bound states and crowded public places.

The government on Wednesday postponed high school exams for 15- to 18-year-olds, which were to be held from May to June, amid the resurgence of the virus.

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economyandfinancialnews · 4 years ago

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Playing politics over vaccines will not help the cause

The Opposition should develop credible policy alternatives instead of blaming the Govt, and the Centre must be transparent in distribution of the COVID shots

Should political parties play politics over COVID-19? That is what is happening over the delivery of vaccines in the last few days. It has resulted in a fight between the Opposition-ruled States and the Centre for more doses of the coveted jabs as the former and the latter have accused each other of “discrimination” and “neglect” respectively.

When COVID-19 hit the country in January 2020, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi took the Chief Ministers (CMs) and even the public on board about how to effectively deal with the situation. He held several meetings with the CMs and consulted and guided the States, promising them of all possible help. They worked in tandem.

The pandemic helped the Governments focus on the deteriorating healthcare system, lack of hospitals and facilities, inadequate social protection, the need for more funds for the health sector, health insurance and so on. Both the PM and the CMs needed each other and leaned on each other to tackle the enormous medical emergency.

However, both were looking at an electorate and their position at the end of their terms. Therefore, it became an individual race for every one of them. However, whether the Government mishandled the lockdown last year came into question. Still, the lockdown itself did not turn into a political issue. Even the Opposition parties could not go beyond a point to criticise the Modi Government.

Now, after one year, with the pandemic running into its second wave, politics seems to have taken over. When things go wrong, it is politics that comes to the fore.

Now, there are vaccine shortages and there was an obvious miscalculation on the part of the authorities. If something goes wrong, the Centre blames the States while the States blame the Centre for not delivering the required doses of vaccines. The demand pertaining to the shots has also gone up. The initial response from the public was one of “wait and watch”, but now there is a clamour for vaccines as India became the second worst-hit nation in the world.

While the BJP touts Modi as the saviour of the people and lauds his efforts in handling the pandemic, the CMs of the non-BJP ruled States are now alleging that they are getting a stepmotherly treatment. The fact is that all the political parties have realised that COVID-19 has become a long-term game and they cannot simply sit and not play politics over it. So, everything, right from the approval of the vaccines to allocation to the States, is being politicised.

Former CM of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav has declared that he would not take the “BJP vaccine”. Others have questioned the efficacy of the vaccines and rightfully the promise of vaccine avalibility made to the people in poll-bound States by the ruling party.

It is a time of reckoning for the State Governments and all political parties. Recently, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, while addressing the CMs of Congress-led States, asked them to prioritise COVID-19 containment. She also accused the Modi Government of “mismanaging the pandemic situation by allowing the export of vaccines resulting in vaccine shortage” in India.

She said: “As the principal Opposition party, it is our responsibility to raise issues and push the Government to move away from PR tactics and act in the interest of the people.”

The current wave of infections will test the country’s health infrastructure and improvements in it since last year. Maharashtra was the worst-hit State during both the significant surges of COVID-19 cases. As of April 8, almost 24 million doses were in stock and another 19 million were in the pipeline. Some 3-3.5 million doses have been administered on an everyday basis, according to data made available by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The second wave came when people started celebrating the success with respect to effectively tackling the first wave. The period also coincided with the Assembly elections in five States and mega religious events like the Kumbh Mela. On March 7, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan even declared that “we are in the endgame of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

However, this is not the appropriate time to question “who” and “why” with respect to the mishandling of the crisis. The real question is what the Centre and State Governments have done during the pandemic and what they can do to contain the second wave. The Opposition must understand that it should be more vigilant, active, public-spirited and courageous.

The Opposition parties should play their role as an institutional watchdog and develop credible policy alternatives instead of blaming the Government. The Modi Government should be transparent in distributing the vaccines and in addressing the concerns of the CMs of the Opposition-ruled States. All the sides should realise that this is an unprecedented crisis, and playing politics will not help.

The writer is a senior journalist. The views expressed are personal.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/columnists/playing-politics-over-vaccines-will-not-help-the-cause.html

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marwahstudios · 4 years ago

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Spiritual Start of 9th Global Festival of Journalism with Photo Exhibition of Kumbh Mela

New Delhi: “It is a spiritual start of 9th Global Festival of Journalism by show casing most beautiful and unique pictures of Kumbh Mela which is the real representation of uniting human race. I congratulate the organizers International Journalism Centre and the Photographer who has captured the real moments during Kumbh Mela,” said Balmiki Praad Singh the former Governor of Sikkim while inaugurating the photo exhibition of H.E. Muhammed Cengic Ambassador of Bosnia And Herzegovina on the first day of 9th Global Festival of Journalism Noida 2021 online.

“How do so many millions of people live so peacefully in such a small place with so little? You will realize that over population is not the problem of the world. It is our lack of tolerance. When you learn the secret of co-existence in the Kumbh, you carry it wherever you go and you become an embodiment of that same energy. I welcome you all here to see for yourself a show to be admired captured by a diplomat away from his routine of political and social commitments. The exhibition is fulfilling the theme of Love Peace and Unity through art and culture,” said Dr. Sandeep Marwah President of Marwah Studios and Chancellor AAFT University of Media And Arts.

“Pink skies, pristine waters, a divine presence and people from all over the world. There are a plethora of reasons why the Kumbh becomes the cynosure of all eyes. It is a showcase of diversity, religion, spiritual heritage, human magnanimity and many more things. This biggest collection of people at one place at one time induced me to click pictures with my own camera. I am fascinated with Kumbh Mela and it’s a life time experience to be there with your own camera. An opportunity to make extra ordinary pictures welcomes you there,” said H.E. Muhammed Cengic Ambassador of Bosnia And Herzegovina while showcasing his pictures online.

Harris M senator WBAF, Dr. Hemlata S Mohan Chairperson Centre for culture Resources and Training Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Anuradha Sharma Classical Dancer associated with ICCR also expressed their views. Ashok Tyagi Secretary General ICMEI, Sushil Bharti Director Broadcasting Marwah Studios, Haripriya Director Events AAFT, Rajiv Mathur Director ICMEI were also present there.

#Photo Exhibition Inaugurated at 9th Global Festival of Journalism

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brookstonalmanac · 4 years ago

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Events 2.10

1258 – Mongol invasions: Baghdad falls to the Mongols, bringing the Islamic Golden Age to an end. 1306 – In front of the high altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, Robert the Bruce murders John Comyn, sparking the revolution in the Wars of Scottish Independence. 1355 – The St Scholastica Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days. 1502 – Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India. 1567 – Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, is found strangled following an explosion at the Kirk o' Field house in Edinburgh, Scotland, a suspected assassination. 1712 – Huilliches in Chiloé rebel against Spanish encomenderos. 1763 – French and Indian War: The Treaty of Paris ends the war and France cedes Quebec to Great Britain. 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Champaubert ends in French victory over the Russians and the Prussians. 1840 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom marries Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. 1846 – First Anglo-Sikh War: Battle of Sobraon: British defeat Sikhs in the final battle of the war. 1861 – Jefferson Davis is notified by telegraph that he has been chosen as provisional President of the Confederate States of America. 1862 – American Civil War: A Union naval flotilla destroys the bulk of the Confederate Mosquito Fleet in the Battle of Elizabeth City on the Pasquotank River in North Carolina. 1906 – HMS Dreadnought, the first of a revolutionary new breed of battleships, is christened. 1920 – Józef Haller de Hallenburg performs the symbolic wedding of Poland to the sea, celebrating restitution of Polish access to open sea. 1920 – About 75% of the population in Zone I votes to join Denmark in the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites. 1923 – Texas Tech University is founded as Texas Technological College in Lubbock, Texas. 1930 – The Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng launches the failed Yên Bái mutiny in hope of overthrowing French protectorate over Vietnam. 1933 – In round 13 of a boxing match at New York City's Madison Square Garden, Primo Carnera knocks out Ernie Schaaf. Schaaf dies four days later. 1936 – Second Italo-Abyssinian War: Italian troops launch the Battle of Amba Aradam against Ethiopian defenders. 1939 – Spanish Civil War: The Nationalists conclude their conquest of Catalonia and seal the border with France. 1940 – The Soviet Union begins mass deportations of Polish citizens from occupied eastern Poland to Siberia. 1943 – World War II: Attempting to completely lift the Siege of Leningrad, the Soviet Red Army engages German troops and Spanish volunteers in the Battle of Krasny Bor. 1947 – The Paris Peace Treaties are signed by Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland and the Allies of World War II. 1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower warns against United States intervention in Vietnam. 1962 – Cold War: Captured American U2 spy-plane pilot Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. 1964 – Melbourne–Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collides with and sinks the destroyer HMAS Voyager off the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, killing 82. 1967 – The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified. 1972 – Ras Al Khaimah joins the United Arab Emirates, now making up seven emirates. 1984 – Kenyan soldiers kill an estimated 5000 ethnic Somali Kenyans in the Wagalla massacre. 1989 – Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first African American to lead a major American political party. 1996 – IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess for the first time. 2003 – France and Belgium break the NATO procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq. 2009 – The communications satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 collide in orbit, destroying both. 2013 – Thirty-six people are killed and 39 others are injured in a stampede in Allahabad, India, during the Kumbh Mela festival. 2016 – South Korea decides to stop the operation of the Kaesong joint industrial complex with North Korea in response to the launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4. 2018 – Nineteen people are killed and 66 injured when a Kowloon Motor Bus double decker on route 872 in Hong Kong overturns.

#Events

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olgagarmash · 4 years ago

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People are waiting outside hospitals — where there are no longer any beds or even oxygen — in 100-degree heat with their sick and dying loved ones.

During the 20 years that I reported on health for The Times of India and trained reporters to cover this beat, I saw how the health sector was neglected during India’s growth and development.

Leaders from other political parties voiced similar views. Few in the government or the legacy media considered health care to be an issue of national importance.

This has been at the expense of neglecting the vast network of health systems designed to serve the poor, who have always taken the brunt of neglecting public health.

via Wealth Health

#IFTTT #Wealth Health

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Sunday, January 17, 2021

‘Spend as much as you can,’ IMF head urges governments worldwide (Reuters) Policymakers worldwide should embrace more spending to help revive their stuttering economies, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Friday at Russia’s annual Gaidar economic forum. Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva did not give any specific economic forecasts, but made clear her desire for governments to up their spending and that a synchronised approach internationally was best for growth. “In terms of policies for right now, very unusual for the IMF, starting in March I would go out and I would say: ‘please spend’. Spend as much as you can and then spend a little bit more,” Georgieva said. “I continue to advocate for monetary policy accommodation and fiscal policies that protect the economy from collapse at a time when we are on purpose restricting both production and consumption,” she said.

States Brace for Armed Protests in Wake of U.S. Capitol Attack (NYT) Bracing for the potential of violent protests in the days leading up to the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, state officials are calling up National Guard troops, erecting imposing fencing and shutting down Capitol grounds in response to the F.B.I.’s warning that armed protesters could target the capital cities across the country. A survey by The New York Times of all 50 states found at least 10 that are activating National Guard troops in their capital cities. The moves by state officials point to the growing fear over continuing violence around the country in the aftermath of the mob attack last week on the U.S. Capitol in which assailants supporting President Trump’s efforts to overturn the presidential election forced their way inside the building.

Mexico hits another record for COVID-19 cases (AP) Mexico posted a record spike in coronavirus cases on Friday, with 21,366 newly confirmed infections, about double the daily rate of increase just a week ago. The country also recorded 1,106 more deaths. It was unclear if the spike was due to the presence of the U.K. virus variant, of which only one case has so far been confirmed in a visiting British citizen. The country has now seen almost 1.61 million total infections and has registered over 139,000 deaths so far in the pandemic.

Maduro ally presses for dialogue with Biden (AP) A close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Friday he’s hopeful the Biden administration will roll back a “cruel” sanctions policy and instead give room for diplomacy that could lead to the reopening of the U.S. Embassy and the release of several jailed American citizens. Jorge Rodríguez’s comments came in his first interview since taking the helm of Venezuela’s National Assembly over strong protests from the U.S., European Union and domestic opponents. Rodriguez, extending an olive branch to the incoming U.S. president, said the ruling socialist party is eager for a new start after four years of endless attacks by the Trump administration that he believes not only exacerbated suffering among Venezuelans and failed to unseat Maduro but also punished U.S. investors who historically have been important in the OPEC nation. It’s unclear if the Biden administration will accept the overture or continue with the hardline policy of regime change it inherits. In the meantime, there’s no end in sight to an economic crisis that has sent millions fleeing and those left behind lacking basic goods, including gasoline, in a country sitting atop the world’s largest oil reserves.

UK shuts travel corridors and requires negative Covid tests to enter (The Guardian) Boris Johnson has announced a dramatic tightening of the UK’s borders, with all international arrivals to be forced to quarantine as well as demonstrate they have had a negative Covid test. After months of criticism of the government’s lax border policies, which Labour claimed were “costing lives”, the prime minister said he was tightening the rules to prevent new variants of the virus reaching the UK and safeguard the vaccination programme. He also underlined the desperate situation facing England’s hospitals, urging the public to think twice before going out at the weekend. “There are now more than 37,000 Covid patients in hospital across the UK and, in spite of all the efforts of our doctors and nurses and our medical staff, we are now seeing cancer treatments sadly postponed, ambulances queueing, and intensive care units spilling over into adjacent wards,” he said.

Now, really? Italy political chaos sparks dismay (Reuters) Italy faces political turmoil. That after former prime minister Matteo Renzi pulled his small party out of the ruling coalition, stripping it of a majority. Now it’s unclear what will happen, but it’s hardly the best timing. The country is mired in its worst recession since World War II. It’s also battling the second-highest death toll in Europe in the ongoing health crisis. Small businesses in Rome said leaders should be focused on helping them, not squabbling over power.

Undeterred by the pandemic, Hindu pilgrims gather in India (NYT) As India prepares to begin an ambitious coronavirus vaccination program this weekend, more than 700,000 Hindu pilgrims gathered to take a dip in the Ganges River on Thursday, the start of the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. The faithful who traveled to Haridwar, the holy town at the foothills of the Himalayas that is the site of this year’s pilgrimage, said a dip in the freezing waters will cleanse them of their sins and provide blessings that extend through several generations. The authorities said that about 1,000 people had been fined for not wearing masks or maintaining social distance, but Sanjay Gunjyal, a police official monitoring the crowd, acknowledged the difficulty of trying to enforce the rules. “In a limited space, crowd management and maintaining social distancing is extremely difficult,” he said. “Their belief system was paramount and not the fear to catch Covid,” said Manoj Singh Negi, a spokesman for the police department monitoring the event. “That they got to touch the holy waters was the overriding sentiment.”

Damaged roads, lack of gear hinder Indonesia quake rescue (AP) Damaged roads and bridges, power blackouts and lack of heavy equipment on Saturday hampered rescuers after a strong earthquake left at least 46 people dead and hundreds injured on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island. Operations were focused on about eight locations in the hardest-hit city of Mamuju, where people were still believed trapped following early Friday’s magnitude 6.2 quake, said Saidar Rahmanjaya, who heads the local search and rescue agency. Cargo planes carrying food, tents, blankets and other supplies from Jakarta landed late Friday for distribution in temporary shelters. Still, thousands of people spent the night in the open fearing aftershocks and a possible tsunami.

Russia to Exit Open Skies Treaty, Escalating Military Rivalry With U.S. (NYT) Russia said on Friday that it was pulling out of a decades-old treaty that allowed countries to make military reconnaissance flights over each other’s territory. The decision by President Vladimir V. Putin to leave the accord, the Open Skies Treaty, matches an action taken by President Trump in May. The treaty, which dates to 1992, is of limited use to the United States, which has a network of spy satellites. But it has been important to European allies as a way of keeping track of Russian troop movements along their borders. When Mr. Trump announced the American withdrawal, which was completed late last year, he predicted Mr. Putin was “going to come back and want to make a deal.” He did not. And Russia’s move signaled that the country did not intend to make it easy for the administration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to reverse Mr. Trump’s rejection of a series of arms-control and military monitoring treaties.

In Uganda, Museveni steamrolls to a sixth term (Washington Post) Longtime Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni won a sixth term as president with about 60 percent of the vote, according to election results Saturday, in an election that highlighted the many tactics used for decades to steamroll Museveni's opponents. While voting Thursday was largely peaceful and orderly, the campaign period displayed the architecture of Museveni’s 35-year grip on power: relentless and violent crackdowns, widespread arrests, and attempts to bar journalists and independent observers. His ability to keep deploying them, election after election, also has been indirectly bolstered by the billion-plus dollars his government receives annually in Western aid money, primarily from the United States and U.S.-backed lending institutions. The State Department’s assistant secretary for African affairs, Tibor Nagy, tweeted Friday that Uganda’s election was “fundamentally flawed” and that the United States was assessing options to respond. But, to many critics of Museveni, such statements are undercut by the U.S. aid money — totaling $936 million in 2019 — that just keeps coming. “The international donors, and particularly the United States, are the biggest enablers of Museveni’s authoritarianism,” said Godber Tumushabe, a Ugandan lawyer and activist. “They underwrite all of Uganda’s public services — health, infrastructure, etcetera — which allows Museveni to spend massively on a security apparatus and a network of patronage.”

#headlines #news

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studywithds · 5 years ago

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06-03-2020 | NewsPaper Analysis

06-03-2020 | NewPaper Analysis | StudywithDS

1. Adivasi farmers taste success with polyhouses: News:'Polyhouse farming'-an intiative in semi-arid region of Telangana-by two Adivasi farmers. Polyhouses: Modern Farming method-under controlled environment-for plant's growth. House or tent made up of 'Polyethylene' Green-house: Broader term includes polyhouses Glass/ timber/polyethylene/Etc,. Green-house Effect: Gases in earth's atmosphere traps the sun's heat- makes earth much warmer. How Green-house works? Day-time: sunlight penetrates and warms the plant. Night-time: traps the refflected heat and makes warm inside. Advantages: Crops can be grown throughout the year without depending on season. Insect, pests and diseases are less. Quality of produce is high. Fertilizer application is easy and controlled. Dis-advantages: Ensuring nutrient availability: not very less (or) not excess. Constant monitoring and soil testing necessary. 2. India among least-free democracies, says study: Freedom in the world 2020 Reports: A Leaderless struggle for Democracy Democracy and pluralism are under attack across the world. Citizens protests across the world: Bolivia, Haiti, Hongkong, India, Etc,. Global Freedom declined consecutively for 14th year. In 2019: Deterioration of political rights and civil liberties in 64 countries. Improvements in just 37 Countries. 2020 Report: Countries in to free, partly free, not free categories based on their score in political rights and civil liberties. Assessed 210 countries and territories: 84-Free; 67-partly free; 59-Not free. India in specific findings:'Free' Status India's commitment to pluralism and individual rights are under threat. India's Score is 71/100 The Freedom House report said that India showed a deteriorating trend when it came to personal autonomy Year Political Rights Civil Liberties Total Score 2017 35/40 42/60 77/100 2018 35/40 42/60 77/100 2019 35/40 40/60 75/100 2020 34/40 37/60 71/100 Top Five countries in the free category:Finland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, LuxembourgBottom Five countries in the free category:Botswana, Peru, India, Timor-Leste, Tunisla Reports treats 'Indian Kashmir' As a separate territory - status declined from partly free to not free. Our Neighbourhood and BRICS: Our Neighbourhood: Partly free- Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Srilanka; Not Free- China, Myanmar, Afghanistan BRICS: Not Free- Russia, China; Free- Brazil, South Africa Recommendations: Respect, protect and fulfill human rights Strengthen public support for democratic principles by investing in civic education. Guard against manipulation of open democracies by authoritarians. Fighting manipulation of media and social media. Preventing interferences in elections. Strngthen laws against foreign influence over Govt. officials. To defend democracies across the world Support democracy in foreign policy- democracy strengthening programmes in foreign assistance, supporting civil society and grassroot democratic movements. Form alliances with other democracies Targeted Sanctions an individuals and entities involves in human rights abuses and corruption. 3. Centre sanctions eight food processing projects for T.N: News: Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee(IMAC) Sanctioned 10 food processing projects. Under PM Kisan Sampada Yojana. 8 Projects in Tamil-Nadu. 100% FDI: Automatic route in food processing industries approval route for trading: Food products manufactured or produced in India. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana: SAMPADA: Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters. Implemented by Min. of Food processing Industries. Central Sector scheme Launched in 2017 for the period 2016-2020. Objectives- Supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease Agri-waste. Modern Infra-structure for food processing: mega food parks and individual units. Creating effective backward and forward linkages: Linking farmers, processors and market. Robust supply chain infrastructure for perishables. Imapcts: Growth of food processing sector. Better returns to farmers. Employment opportunities- rural areas. Reduces wastage of agri produce. Enhanced export of processed food. It is an Umbrella Scheme: Mega foos parks Integrated cold chain & value addition infrastructure Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities Creation of Infra-structure for Agro-processing Clusters Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infra-structure(Lab and HACCP) Human Resources and Institutions 4. DDA told to form special purpose vehicle for Yamuna rejuvenation: Yamuna River: Origin:Yamunotri glacier on the Banderpunch peak in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Joins Ganga at allahabad(Prayagraj): As a right bank tributary - longest tributary Triveni Sangam - Kumbh Mela Festival Highly Fertile alluvial region: 'Yamuna - Ganges Doab' Tributaries: First 170KM stretch: Rishi Ganga, Hanuman Ganga, Tons(Biggest and most extensive tributary of Yamuna), Giri After 170KM, Other Tributaries: Right bank- Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken; Left bank- Hindon, Rind, Senga, Varuna States/UTs in which the river and Its Tributaries flow through Uttarakhand Himachal Pradesh Uttar Pradesh NCT of Delhi Haryana Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Yamua's Catchment basin: 10.7% of total landmass of country 40.2% of the Ganga basin News: NGT directed DDA- to constitute special purpose vehicle(SPV)-for 'Rejuvenation of the Yamuna river' SPV Functions: Ecological restoration of the flood-plain zones of Yamuna Setting up of bio-diversity parks, artificial wetlands. Phytoremediation of drains at the river mouth locations. NGT- Delhi, Haryana and UP Govts: steps on sewage management, industrial pollutants and solid waste discharged into Yamuna. 5. Should the sedition law be scrapped?: Usefulness of Section 124-A: section 124-A misused by the Govt to suppress dissent. Supresses free speach and free thought of the citizens. Useful tools in the hands of the police. KedarNath Singh v/s State of Bihar(1962): Interpretation of section 124-A has to be against the state, not against the Govt. 124-A Sedition: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in India, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to 3 years, to which fine may be added, or with fine. Explanation 1: The expression "disaffection" includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity. Explanation 2: Comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the Government with a view to obtaining their alteration by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section. Explanation 3: Comments expressing disapprobation of the administrative or other action of the Govt. without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section. Relevance of section 124-A + should this section be repealed or not? Who should repeal section 124-A Judiciary or Parliament? Relevance of section 124-A: Relic of colonial legacy. Regarding repeal of section 124-A: A1- has to be repealed: Section is administered by the police force, a burden to the judiciary A2- Need not be repealed: Judiciary must act towards protecting the fundamental rights of the citizens(Article 19 & 21) Political regime can misuse other provisions of law Judiciary should set up a search committee in every state and judge of High Court should suo motu quash the baseless sedition cases. 6. EPF interest rate lowered to 8.5%: Salaried employee is set to get 0.15% less in interest on Provident Fund deposits for 2019-2020, with the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees' Provident Fund on Thursday reducing the interest rate from 8.65% to 8.5% The "Central Board recommended crediting of 8.5% annual rate of interest on the EPF accumulations in the EPF members accounts for 2019-2020", Ministry(Labour and Employment) said. 7. SEBI app for airing investor grievance: Complaints arising out of issues that are covered under the SEBI Act, Securities Contract Regulation Act, Depositories Act and rules and regulation made thereunder and relevant provisions of Companies Act,2013 This app is a mobile version of the EBI Complaints Redress System(SCORES)launched in June 2011 and has received, on average, 40,000 complaints every year. Total 3.57 lakh complaints have been resolved using the SCORES Platform. This app has all features of SCORES, which is presently available electronically, where investors have to lodge their complaints using the internet medium. Read the full article

#CurrentAffairs #DailyCurrentAffairs #DEEPIKA #DEEPIKASINGAMSETTY #GOVTEXAMCURRENTAFFAIRS #RAILWAYS #SSC #studywithDs #UPSC

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sriramjanmbhumi · 5 years ago

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Trust Members श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र

The Members of Ram Mandir Trust Declared in #Ayodhya AS Sri Ram JanmBhoomi Trust (श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र).

Sri Ram JanmBhumi Trust has been formed for construction of #RamTemple in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi on Wednesday stated its plan in the Lok Sabha. He told that the name of this trust will be 'Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust'. Home Minister Sri Amit Shah said that the Trust will have 15 members (१५ सदस्य ) and one of them will be from the Dalit Community (दलित समुदाय) .

9 Members (9सदस्य) have been elected in the Trust. Government officials will be selected in place of the remaining 6 Members (6सदस्य ) As Nominated Members (पदेन सदस्य). Among the 9 Names that have been selected are senior lawyer K Parasharan, Mahant Dinendra Das, Vimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, Yugpurush Paramanand etc.

The Nine Members of The Trust (श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र) are as Follows:-

1. K. PARASARAN (BRHAMIN) (के. परासरण, ब्राह्मण)

The most important name among the members of the trust is K.Parasharan(Senior Advocate). He has Advocated the Ram Janmabhoomi case in court. In the end hearing, Parasharan of the person arguing himself has a special contribution in the decision of this court case. Parasharan, who has been honored with awards like Padma Bhushan (पद्म भूषण ) and Padma Vibhushan (पद्म विभूषण ), has also fought cases against Setu Samudram (सेतु समुद्रम) .

Parasharan, who Advocated on behalf of Lord Ayyappa (अयप्पा स्वामी) in the case of Sabarimala Temple (सबरीमाला मंदिर) , has a good hold on history and Ved Purana, along with the Indian Constitution. In the Ram Mandir case, when it came to prove the existence of the temple, he resorted to the verses of Skanda Purana (स्कन्द पुराण). He has been entrusted with the responsibility of occupying the land for the Ram temple.

2. Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj, BRHAMIN (जगद्गुरु शंकराचार्य स्वामी वासुदेवानंद सरस्वती जी महाराज, ब्राह्मण):-

The Ashram of Badrinath's Jyotishpeeth Shankaracharya Vasudevanand Saraswati is in Alopibagh (Prayagraj). Swami Vasudevanand remains active enough in Prayagraj Kumbh (प्रयागराज कुम्भ) also. Vasudevanand Saraswati, born in Jaunpur district. He was Named Somnath Dwivedi (सोमनाथ द्विवेदी) before retiring The Common Life. He is a Disciple (student) of Lord Shantanand Maharaj of Jyotishpeeth.

Sometime back, Jyotishpeeth Peethadhishwar came into the discussion due to a dispute with Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati regarding the post of Shankaracharya. So far this matter is going on in court. He has been associated with the Ram Mandir Movement since the beginning and has played a major role in Persuading (Agreed) the Major Parties to Build the Ram Temple.

3. Jagatguru Madhawacharya Swami Viswa PrasannaTeertha ji Maharaj, Brahmin (जगद्गुरु माधवाचार्य स्वामी विश्व प्रसन्नतीर्थ जी महाराज, ब्राह्मण):-

Vishwa Prasanna Tirth Ji Maharaj is the 35th Guru of Pejawar Math located in Udupi, Karnataka. He took over the responsibility of the Monastery (मठ) after the Demise (Death) of Guru Vishwesh Tirtha Swami in December last year. Pejawar AdoKshaja Math has a special place in the promotion of Dualism (द्वैतवाद) in Hindu philosophy. In Ayodhya, the Math played a big role in connecting people in favor of Ram Temple in the 1990′s.

Before the Commencement of Rath Yatra (रथ यात्रा) of Sri L.K. Advani, Vishwesh Tirtha blessed him. Less information has been found about the political trends of Prasanna Tirtha. He Was Born in the Devidas Bhatt family of South Kannada District, Prasanna Tirth came in contact with the Monastery in 1988 and spent most of the time under the supervision of Visvesh Teertha. 53-year-old Prasanna Tirth is known for building a large number of Gaushalas (Cow Shelters) and has given credit to his guru for being elected to the Trust.

4. YUGPURUSH PARMANAND Ji Maharaj, Brahmin (युग-पुरुष परमानंद जी महाराज, ब्राह्मण):-

Parmanand Ji Maharaj, born in the year 1935 in Mavai Dham (मवई धाम) village of Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh, is a member of the Guiding Board (मार्गदर्शक) of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He has been associated with the #RamJanmaBhumi Movement since the beginning. While staying in his Ashram in Haridwar, he has participated in almost all the meetings related to the #RamMandir.

Parmanand Ji Maharaj's Akhand Param Dham Ashram runs Schools and Goshalas (Cow Shelters) all over the country. He can be seen in pictures with #RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and #PMModi on the website of the ashram. He has also been associated with the Clean Ganga Campaign (स्वच्छ गंगा अभियान) and has written over 150 Books. In his Sermons (उपदेश) he has also supported the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

5. SWAMI GOVIND DEV GIRI JI MAHARAJ, Brahmin (स्वामी गोविंद देव गिरी जी महाराज, ब्राह्मण):-

Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj was born in 1949 in Belapur village in Ahmednagar district. Before coming to the field of religion, he used to be named Kishore Madan Gopal Vyas, started teaching from the age of 17. After taking a bachelor's degree in philosophy, he received the Degree of Darshanacharya from Varanasi.

Swami Govind Dev is a master of Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, English and Gujarati languages. In 1986, he founded the Geeta Family and opened Bal Sanskar Kendras in 16 states. Four years after this, Maharishi Vedavyas Pratishthan was established and 34 schools were opened for the study of Vedas and Sanskrit. They have visited Nepal, America, Canada, England, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar etc. to give religious teachings.

6. VIMALENDRA MOHAN PRATAP MISHRA, Brahmin (विमलेन्द्र मोहन प्रताप मिश्रा, ब्राह्मण):-

Sri Vimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra of Ayodhya Raj Pariwar (Family) has been made the Trustee of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Trust. After the announcement of this Trust, Ayodhya Commissioner Sri M. P. Aggarwal left the post of Ram Janmabhoomi receiver. People pronounced Vimalendra As Raja Saheb and affectionately Pappu Bhaiya.

In 2009, Vimalendra contested the #LokSabha election on a #BSP ticket from Faizabad and lost to Nirmal Khatri of the #Congress. After this, he got away from politics. Presently, he is also a member of the Board of Guardians of Ramayana Mela Samiti.

7. SRI KAMESHWAR CHAUPAL, Dalit (श्री कामेश्वर चौपाल, दलित):-

Home Minister Sri Amit Shah tweeted that a member of the trust will come from the #DalitCommunity. Kameshwar Chaupal, who gave the slogan of “Ram with Roti (राम के साथ रोटी)”, has been made a member of this Trust. Chaupal Laid the first brick on 9 November 1989 while laying the “Foundation Stone” of the Ram Temple. After the foundation stonework, the name of Chaupal came into limelight all over the country and he actively joined politics.

Seeing the fame of Sri Kameshwar Chaupal, the Bharatiya Janta Party (#BJP) gave him a Lok Sabha ticket from Rosda in 1991. Defeated in this election. Contested in 1995 from the Bakhari assembly seat of Begusarai, it could not be won. Became member of Bihar Legislative Council in 2002. In 2009, He gave the slogan of Ram with Roti.

8. MAHANT DINENDRA DAS, Brahmin (महंत दिनेन्द्र दास, ब्राह्मण):-

Mahant Dinendra Das, the Head of the Ayodhya meeting of Nirmohi Akhara, has also got a place in the trust. They were also parties in the “Ram Temple-Babri Masjid” dispute. Mahant Dinendra Das, a native of Mathia Saraiya near Mayabazar in Ayodhya District, was made the #Mahant of the Ashram at the age of 10.

When he came to Ayodhya to study BA, he joined the #NirmohiAkhara here. He became a Naga in Nirmohi Akhada in 1992, UpSarpanch (उपसरपंच) in 1993. “Sarpanch Mahant Bhaskar Das” gave him the Power of Attorney in 2017 and after his Death, the Panchs made Mahant Dinendra Das the Abbot of the Arena.

9. DR. ANIL KUMAR MISHRA, BRAHMIN (डा. अनिल कुमार मिश्र, ब्राह्मण):-

Sri Anil Kumar Mishra, a Native of Ambedkar Nagar District. He is a Homeopathy Doctor by profession and has been running a “Clinic in Ayodhya” for the last Four Decades. He is the Registrar of the #UttarPradesh #Homeopathic Board and is also the District Homeopathic Officer of Gonda. Both of these posts are going to retire soon.

Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh's Awadh Province Chief Anil Mishra strongly opposed the #Emergency imposed by Late Srimati Indira Gandhi on the country. Sri Anil Kumar Mishra, an #RSS volunteer since 1981, has played an active role in the #RamTempleMovement. On being made a member of the trust, he said that getting a chance to serve #Ramlala (रामलला) is a big thing for him.

● EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS (पदेन सदस्य):-

Besides of these 9 Trust Members, There are 6 Ex-Officio Members (पदेन सदस्य) In the Sri Ram JanmBhoomi Trust (श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र), Ayodhya.

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hrk4 · 5 years ago

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The year that was...

Dear Friends:

Season’s Greetings!

Ten years ago, in December 2010, for the first time I wrote my reminiscences of the year. It was inspired by a short photo-blog that my friend Aditya J. wrote after his first few months in Seoul, where he had been sent onsite. Looking at my work over the past decade through my writings should have evoked in me some sort of emotional response, be it joy or disappointment or pride or despair or even disdain. I read through all the older posts (which, in total, came to around 10,000 words) and by the time I was done, there was a strange feeling of “Ok, fine, but never mind. What next?” It was not apathy, for I undertook most of those activities with genuine interest. It was also not dissatisfaction, because I’ve accomplished a fair deal in ten years given my limitations and circumstances. It was more an acceptance of what has happened without any sentimental coloring added to it. There was inexplicable sense of detachment; a feeling that these memoirs are those of a familiar character but not me.

When I started writing these end-of-the-year e-mails—initially to a small group of family and friends, and later online—there was a need for me to prove to the world that I was indeed doing something of value, especially given that I had quit a mainstream career and was pursuing my interests full-time. It was perhaps a plea, a boast, a shout that was aimed at bringing people’s attention to the fact that I was not wasting my life but actually doing something worthwhile. By the end of the following year, I seem to have realized that it was really pointless trying to prove anything to anybody. However, this cute little exercise in self-awareness was captivating for the sort of perspective it offered me. And I decided to write it again. And again. And again. For ten years on the trot. It is now aimed merely as self-reflection and I post it online simply because there are a few people who have shown interest in browsing through these yearly jottings of mine. Maybe there is yet a self-indulgent streak in me but I suppose this annual drill has a modicum of value.

In the grand—and painfully slow—process of the maturing of the mind, I found (to my utter surprise) that a few precepts that I had known in theory for several years seemed to be slowing blossoming into practice. More and more I moved towards my sva-dharma, my innate nature. I began refusing opportunities, staying away from certain people, avoiding particular institutions, putting a stop to certain activities – basically saying No! to anything that took me away from my natural temperament. I was also privy to several episodes in the lives of my friends where they suffered a great deal simply because they went against their fundamental nature. Only now do I truly understand what Krishna said in the Gita when he said, “The dharma of another is dangerous!” I also began realizing the value of being more inclusive and getting work done rather than trying to do everything myself. I ended up doing something that I had deemed impossible when I was a college freshman.

One accomplishment that I’m genuinely glad about this year is losing fifteen pounds (at least it sounds more than seven kilograms!) Mostly thanks to the persistence of my friend Shreesha and the good nature of people around me who allowed me to act whimsical with regard to food and pushed me to exercise. Another is the publication of the Bhagavad-Gita Audiobook, which appears as a series on Shaale. I had recorded this with Jurgen Nigli and Somsubhra Banerjee in 2015–16 but had somehow not found the time to edit and bring it out. I’ve started publishing it from Gita-Jayanti 2019 and it will run as a series with 20+ episodes (a new episode every Saturday).

This year I was involved with the production of quite a few books, the prominent ones being Art Gallery of Memories – Volumes 1, 2, 3 (by D V Gundappa), Evolution of the Mahabharata (by S R Ramaswamy) and Shiva Rama Krishna (by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh). I designed a bunch of books and also worked on the digitization of portions of some Sanskrit texts. I made my Kannada writing debut with an essay I co-wrote with my friend Vikram for the anthology ‘ನಿರ್ಲಿಪ್ತಿ.’ I got a chance to present a few lectures and workshops through the course of the year for variegated audiences on different topics. I also attended two excellent workshops on Indian temple art and architecture.

My unfinished projects and failed schemes are, quite naturally, far more in number but I’ve learnt not to take those too seriously. One year’s failure is another year’s success. One year’s incompleteness is another year’s discretion. This became amply clear when upon the request of my colleague I prepared my curriculum vitae after a gap of seven years.

In April 2019—along with a group of friends—I completed reading the five-volume pièce de résistance of Bharat Ratna Pandurang Vaman Kane – History of Dharmaśāstra, which runs into some six thousand pages. The study group started in October 2016 and met once every week. We read fifty pages before every session and met every Wednesday night for a few hours, discussing the nuances with rich insights provided by all participants. I continue to be a part of several study groups with friends, which is really a wonderful way to spend ‘social time’ without feeling guilty for having wasted the hours and yet having a great deal of fun. As part of these study groups, I got the chance to read two classics – Macbeth and Parva. महापुरुषसंसर्गः कस्य नोन्नतिकारकः? (When has the company of a great person ever failed to elevate the lives of others?)

A few months after I finished reading the History of Dharmaśāstra, I had the golden opportunity to meet P V Kane’s grandson in Pune (along with my friends Kashyap and Raghavendra). He shared wonderful stories about his grandfather and was glad to hear about our study group that read the entire work from cover to cover. Sudha Murty, the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation had invited the Prekshaa team for dinner to her home and we had a great time interacting with her as well as with N R Narayana Murty and Rohan Murty about a variety of topics related to culture. Along with my friends Arjun and Kashyap, I had the great fortune of visiting Dr. S L Bhyrappa’s home twice this year.

I had the remarkable experience of encountering the works of two great artistes of our time: I saw a couple of dance concerts of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, who is a phenomenon in the world of dance and culture. No music, no film, no drama can come anywhere close to watching her perform live. I say this as an ardent connoisseur of all these arts. I got the chance to see the paintings of Sri. G L N Simha and also meet him briefly. A most unassuming man, he has painted some of the finest works related to Indian traditional texts.

2019 was a year of meeting several friends (who don’t live in Bengaluru) and of making new friends. It was also a year of losing many elderly relatives and friends. We can’t avoid old age and death but we sure can prepare for it better.

As always, my year is incomplete without a certain amount of travelling. Apart from trips to Ajanta-Ellora, Belur-Halebidu, Chennai, Harihara, Hampi, Kanchipuram, Mysuru, Panjim, Pune, and other smaller towns and villages, I had the chance to visit two important pilgrim centers – Prayagraj for the Ardh-Kumbh Mela and Kanchipuram for the darshana of Atthi-varadar. Although I’m rather faithless in many ways, it was fascinating to see the devotion in millions of our people. It is rather discouraging when I come face to face with the truth that simple faith of the so-called ignorant masses is what keeps Sanatana-dharma alive and not the kind of stuff that I do. That said, I can’t not do what I do because my joy lies here :)

I look forward to 2020 with a hope to cultivate more focus, more stillness of mind. Can I be happier for longer? How can I be more mindful on a daily basis? Can I live with lesser? How can I best choose my projects? – these are the sort of questions I shall probably be grappling with through the year.

One more year has whizzed past. Perhaps I’m just getting used to the speed. Or perhaps I’m somewhat more confident of slowing down in the future. Who knows what’s in store! I smile as I look towards tomorrow.

Wishing you and your family a joy-filled, healthy, and prosperous new year!

Cheers, Hari

PS: At the start of the year, India’s political situation was rather dicey. The country was going to have the once-in-five-years Lok Sabha elections. PM Narendra Modi had done a decent job during his first tenure (2014–19) and there was not a single leader in any party (including his own) who came close to him in terms of either integrity or skill in implementation. The opposition parties were threatening to unite across board with the sole agenda of defeating Modi. Inspired by what Dr. S L Bhyrappa told me and my friends when we met him in 2018, I called for a meeting of a few friends on Republic Day 2019. We all had the same goal: to get Modi re-elected in 2019. To ensure that we don’t have a hung parliament and to give another chance to a politician who had done something positive after ten long years of absolute corruption, deceit, and anti-nationalism, we wanted to work in our own humble way. Starting from that meeting on a warm Saturday afternoon, we went a long way in our campaign. It was entirely funded and run by volunteers who came together of their accord. What we did in terms of the details is unnecessary here but it came as a huge relief that Modi & co. stormed back into power in May 2019. The extraordinary work that they have done in the past six months makes me feel that everything we did during those early months of the year was worth it. Things are not perfect but at least we can be happy that the best people among the ones available to us have been elected to the highest offices of the country. I don’t know what value I added in the process but the process added a lot of value to me!

#memoirs #newyear

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