The onset of monsoon also heralds a host of festivals that promise great food and gala time. Nikita Shastri explains the multi-dimensional beauty of the season dotted with various festivals celebrated by different communities. The festive air is also marked by harvesting that has a blend of economy and mythology. Vallam Kali or the snake-boat race is an important event held during Onam, a monsoon festival in Kerala India is a land of festivals where a diverse mix of groups and communities celebrate every occasion and event. Monsoon is a big event for India and its people. Not only are…
Author: shubhangi
As the skies pour their bounty, one thing that any Mumbaikar worth his salt eagerly awaits is to pamper his gastronomy. Manu Shrivastava paints a colourful picture of the metropolis ready to indulge in a variety of street food that starts with the humble but ubiquitous bhuttas in all nooks and corners to the mouth-watering kebabs, bhajias and assorted items served in almost all lanes. Kebabs on skewers getting ready for customers If there’s one thing about the monsoons that the quintessential Mumbaikar looks out for, it’s the cuisine that comes associated. It’s a regular sight: Kebabs on skewers being…
Kriti Kalra says there is something about the rains that pumps adrenaline into people – to enjoy their bliss and soak in its cool climes. The weather is just right to enjoy travel, jaunts, excursions and what have you with nature at its heavenly best. There are some downsides, of course, but the positives far outweigh them. It is a time to let hair down and bask in nature’s glory. Meghalaya in the North East is one of the best destinations to travel during monsoon When the first few rain drops of the monsoon season touch the water-parched land, it…
While rains bring relief and pleasure, they also become triggers for related infections and diseases. Anushka Singh says these maladies are manageable with regulation precautionary measures and timely intervention as preventive measures. Maintaining hygiene, early diagnosis and few steps can go a long way in staying safe and healthy during the monsoons. Drastic temperature changes during monsoon make the body prone to bacterial and viral infections As the monsoon winds make their way into the Indian subcontinent landmass, the discussions on ‘heavy rains’, ‘disruptions’ and ‘diseases’ make their way into the social circles and in newspapers. In India, the monsoon…
India has always relied on a monsoon-dependent economy. The unpredictability of the scenario is slowly becoming a thing of the past what with modernisation of agriculture. Explaining the phenomena with relevant facts and figures, Nandini Rao says the budget focusing on modernisation of agriculture is a good augury Kharif crops are sown at the beginning of the first rains and harvested at the end of monsoon season in In mid- April, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) gave a forecast of a ‘normal and fairly well-distributed monsoon rains’ for most parts of the country in the months from June till September.…
Rains and romance go together and Bollywood has exploited this equation to the hilt. Ruchi Verma traces the film industry’s fascination for rains through films where rain itself is a character in the storyline and concludes that the rains are there for a reason and often mark a ‘twist’ in the storyline or highlight an interesting or an important event in the narrative. A romantic song or a tragic scene is incomplete without Mumbai’s thundering showers Bollywood’s connection with the rains is legendary. A romantic song or a tragic scene is incomplete without Mumbai’s thundering showers. If there’s one thing…
Manjira Majumdar reveals the transformation of Goa from what was once a hippie hunting ground with assertive Portuguese influences to a tourist paradise that assures a rocking time to its visitors. After the lull brought in by the pandemic, this picturesque state is back to its throbbing, pulsating ways. Beyond its “food and drinks” culture, it is a melting pot of sorts where the Cross and Tulsi co-exist harmoniously thanks to the seeds sown by the sons of the soil. A preview of what is defines Goa beyond its usual trappings. Vivid coloured houses in the Latin quarters For long,…
It is an irony that while the country weighs in on ‘Vocal for Local”, a simple, cost-effective technology called Mangal Turbine – designed by a Bundelkhand farmer – that substantially improves lift irrigation and makes life easier for poor farmers by reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, has no takers. Creativity to what avail, asks Bharat Dogra. In these times of climate change, we need technologies that can reduce fossil fuel consumption. Mangal Turbine is one such which can reduce diesel consumption with many other benefits. Unfortunately, the invention as well as the inventor remain neglected for reasons unknown. Mangal…
Bharat Dogra argues that putting rice fortification on fast track is ill-advised and while it is harmful for several reasons including reduced nutrition value and incompatible logistics, it also puts the business in the hands of big businesses. His alternatives: Promote creative, sustainable, ecologically protective livelihoods in addition to well implemented nutrition programmes in villages and cities. Indigenous rice varieties grown in India The government has recently announced a schedule to fast-track rice fortification in India. According to it the supply of fortified rice to ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services), mid-day meals, other nutrition and welfare schemes as well as…
Historian and film maker Uma Chakravarti Ye Lo Bayaan Hamaare (2021) is the intriguing name of a long documentary film directed jointly by Uma Chakravarti and Priyanka Chhabria. It was one of the biggest crowd-pullers at the recently concluded 8 th Kolkata People’s Film Festival in Kolkata. The Festival is organised by the People’s Film Collective, a people-supported, independent, volunteer-led festival that showcases politically committed contemporary documentary and fiction films from India and South Asia. Uma Chakravarti is an Indian historian, academic and filmmaker, who has written extensively on Indian history involved with issues relating to gender, caste, and class.…