Sanskrity Sinha: Beyond 5Ws & 1H

Africa's dwindling lion population: Wildlife expert reveals why big cats are slowly dying in Kenya's Maasai Mara

2016-05-13T01:47:00.001+05:30

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The article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTimes.

The Maasai Mara game reserve in Noarok County, Kenya, has been witnessing what experts call an age-old conflict between its indigenous people and predators. Lions have been the worst affected as their population in Mara has declined by a third in the last two decades.

While the Maasai people – ancestral inhabitants of the region after whom the reserve has been named – have claimed their safety as the primary reason for killing animals, experts state that there is more to it than meets the eye. The most recent attempt to kill lions in Mara, located about 300km southwest of Kenya's capital Nairobi, was made in December 2015 when two tribesmen allegedly poisoned and killed eight lions. Among these were seven from the famous Marsh Pride that featured on the BBC wildlife programme Big Cat Diary in 2007.

Two of the lions of the pride died due to poisoning. Another Marsh Pride lioness called Siena, whose two-year-old cub was among those poisoned, has unfortunately not been seen since the incident.

To understand the reason behind the killing of lions and other wild animals in Maasai Mara, IBTimes UK exclusively spoke to travel and wildlife expert Brian Jackman, an award-winning journalist and author. He is a patron of Tusk Trust, of which Prince William is the royal patron.

Jackman talked about solutions, including granting the national park status to the reserve and empowering local people to reap benefits from the presence of lions through eco-tourism such as the conservation safari offered by Tusk Trust's long-standing partner, The Ultimate Travel Company.

Excerpts from Brian Jackman's interview:

What are the wider problems surrounding incidences like the poisoning of lions in Maasai Mara in early December? Why do tribesmen want to kill the endangered species? Is it just for their safety or is there more to it?

Every night, tens of thousands of cattle encroach into the reserve when visitors are safely out of sight – but the likelihood of a conflict between predators such as lions and hyenas is greatest at this hour. Not only is this illegal, but it is inevitable that cattle would be killed by lions when deliberately driven into harm's way.

When two cows were killed in early December, tribesmen retaliated by leaving poison [in food] that killed the world's most famous lions. This makes no sense. The Masai Mara is after all a national reserve, of vital importance not only to the Masai [people], but to Kenya and the world at large. This sorry state of affairs is testimony to the appalling management of the Reserve, run by the Kenyan equivalent of a local council when ideally it should have been made a national park many years ago.

[According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) national parks are state-owned and have stricter regulations for conservation and protection, where as reserves may or may not be owned by the state and the level of protection is determined by local laws.]

On 4 January, as the Kenya-based animal welfare and rescue organisation David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust reported, a lioness with a snare around its neck was found in the Mara. Could it be an attempt to kill or capture?

It is extremely doubtful that this was an attempt to kill or capture a lion. Snares are widely used by poachers employed by the illegal trade in bush-meat. Their targets are other species – mostly antelope, wildebeest and zebra; but lions are sometimes caught by accident and elephants also suffer horrible injuries when caught by the trunk.

Lioness Sienna from the famous Marsh Pride is missing since the poisoning incident. What could have happened to her? If dead, why was her carcass not found?

Sienna, aged 11, was one of the Marsh Pride's best-loved matriarchs and has never been seen since the poisoning incident in which the veteran lioness Bibi was killed. The most likely explanation is that she wandered off before collapsing and her carcass eaten by hyenas [Jackman does not see involvement of poachers].

What Kenya should do to end the conflict between people and predators?

What needs to be done to protect the lions of the Masai Mara sounds simple: Uphold the law and stamp out corruption. As one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Mara ought to be a national park, but politics have made this an impossible dream – until now. Maybe it is time for President Uhuru Kenyatta to step in and save the Mara and its lions before they are lost forever.

Additionally, it is worth pointing out that schemes are already in place whereby livestock owners are compensated for the loss of animals due to predation. I also believe it would be helpful if more land was set aside exclusively for grazing in the Greater Mara beyond the borders of the National Reserve, in the same way that private conservancies have been established to protect wildlife and promote responsible eco-tourism.

Africa's lion population is dwindling. Could you throw some light on the general plight of lions being harmed across the continent?

Back in the 1960s Africa still had around 200,000 lions. Today there are fewer than 25,000 and the population is likely to fall again by half in the next 20 years. This decline is reflected in the Mara, where the lion population has fallen by a third in the past 20 years, although lions are increasing in the surrounding wildlife conservancies. The main causes are loss of habitat, conflict between lions and livestock herders, and trophy hunting in countries where it is still allowed, such as Zimbabwe and Tanzania. The only glimmer of good news is the recent discovery of between 100 and 200 lions in a remote part of Ethiopia where they were not known to exist.

Why introducing yoga courses at Indian varsities is not a Hindu nationalist ideology

2016-05-13T01:34:00.000+05:30

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This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTimes

Indian universities may soon be offering courses in yoga studies. The ministry of Human Resource Development has assigned a committee to develop department of Yogic Art and Science for universities across the country, said media reports.

The 12-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's yoga teacher H R Nagendra will identify courses as well as the qualification for faculty members and eligibility criteria for students opting for studying yoga in higher education.

The decision to start a separate department devoted to studies of yogic science was taken in early January in a meeting chaired by Human Resource Development minister Smriti Irani.

Popularising yoga has been one of the core agendas of the Indian government since Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power in May 2014. Proclamation of 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by United Nations General Assembly was the country's first milestone in this regard.

Proposed by Narendra Modi and introduced by India's Ambassador to UN Asoke Mukerji, the resolution on International Day of Yoga received an overwhelming support from over 170 member states. The resolution considered yoga's role in promoting sustainable development as it embodies the unity of mind and action.

Though India has several yoga schools, the inclusion of yoga studies in universities will bring the ancient knowledge into mainstream education. However, the move may fall prey to suspicion of being a political propaganda of the government, which has been blamed for politicising yoga for subtly promoting its Hindu nationalist ideologies as yoga is often perceived as a Hindu religious practice.

But Indian yoga gurus beg to differ. Speaking to IBTimes UK, Raj Kamal, a degree holder in Applied Yogic Science, said yoga is not connected to Hinduism only. He applauded the government's initiative to use yoga as what he called a "soft diplomatic tool".

"It is no politicisation or imposing of religious ideologies. The government is using yoga as a soft diplomatic tool to connect with people," he said, adding that yoga education at university level will "create employment in an industry which is estimated at more than $3bn (£2bn)."

"There is a dearth of certified yoga teachers in the world and the demand for qualified yoga trainers is huge. Yoga studies will help fill this gap," Kamal said. He added that certification from government-recognised universities is a must to curb nexus formed by private institutions who are providing certificates for money, a problem that has gripped the yoga industry.

Kamal, who runs the Yoga Wellness Center in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, argues that yoga studies in higher education will pave India's way to claim to an ancient knowledge that originated in the country.

"India can claim to yoga. We have scriptures and ancient documents dating back to more than 2,500 years ago detailing about yoga. But you have to have the infrastructure – authentic trainers, qualified practitioners, state-of-the-art yoga studios – to claim your ancient knowledge," he said. "Yoga study at university level is a welcome move."

He added that introducing study of yoga as an alternative medicine at an early stage of lifestyle will affect the overall wellness of the young population.

Indian Group Drafts Youth Agenda with Fresh Perspective

2013-05-27T16:52:00.000+05:30

A group of young Indian professionals from diverse academic backgrounds has drafted a youth agenda, which they claimed is one its kind in the country. The document, Youth Agenda for India, is the result of months of study by members of Young Leaders Think Tank (YLTT), which is a partner organisation of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, a German non-governmental and non-profit organisation that works towards promoting social democracy.

"The key distinguishing feature of this document is its fresh approach for prioritizing youth issues in a country of limited resources and diverse youth population," said Sachin Kumar, a study team member and one of the authors of the report.

The study team undertook a unique exercise and methodology to develop the Youth Agenda for India - to be made not only 'for' the youth, but also 'by' the youth.

"The uniqueness of the document is its methodology which takes into cognizance the scientific aspects of research, re-modeled to maximize the outcome," said Mandvi Kulshreshtha, a member of the study team.

"Another distinctive feature of this study is the layers of validation - of issues as well as solutions - enunciated by the key stakeholders, i.e. the youth themselves."

The YLTT Youth Agenda for India (YAFI) identifies 32 issues related to learning or education, work and employment, citizenship and health that concern the youth of India. It presents possible future scenarios of these issues and suggests various curative and preventive measures to address them.

"Some of the recommendations that came out during discussion rounds have never been articulated in any study or policy document. If we are able to put in action even half of those recommendations, we can ensure socio-development changes benefiting all," asserted Mandvi.

Some of the high priority issues across all categories mentioned in the document include access to skills-based training, employment-driven training facilities, local employment opportunities, quality of elected representatives in politics, women's absence from the job market post marriage, rural to urban migration, need for infrastructure, level of school enrollment by gender, and more.

The YAFI document aims at reaping the demographic dividend of the young population of India by sensitizing policies that may help address the aforementioned issues from the perspective of the youth.

"Two-third of the population of India is under the age of 25. According to estimates of experts, by 2025 this demographic dividend is likely to increase manifolds in the age group of 15-59. With growing pool of fresh labour, India has the potential to steer the world in the economic and political arena," said the authors of the document.

The study findings were presented and formally disseminated early May among several stakeholders - UN Solution Exchange, policy makers, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Planning Commission - during a two day national workshop on Building Perspective on Youth Policy at Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The RGNIYD, an autonomous organisation under the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, develops the National Youth Policy for the country.

"Youth Agenda is a good initiative of looking how demographic dividend is going to affect young people in the country," said P Siva Kumar, faculty, School of youth Studies and Extension, RGINYD.

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTimes.

The changing tide: How Saraswathy Ganapathy showed Karnataka village women the way to self-reliance

2013-05-13T15:33:00.000+05:30

A doctor by profession, Saraswathy Ganapathy, 69, has changed the lives of women from villages in Karnataka, showing them the way to self-reliance and, most of all, self-belief...discovers Sanskrity Sinha...

Bespectacled, wearing a simple block-printed sari, Dr Saraswathy Ganapathy looks delightfully genial. Her voice reaches out and her eyes make an instant connection. It’s easy to understand what helped her walk the lanes of browbeaten villages in Karnataka’s Kanak¬pura district with her team from The Belaku Trust and make inroads with deprived natives. Ganapathy established the Trust to empower and rebuild the lives of women in the region. At their modest office in J P Nagar in Ben¬galuru, Ganapathy sits with papers and files piled up on her table. “If you want a picture of me at this table, you will have to blur the foreground,” she says, smiling instantly. She claims she is not as good at posing for camera like her celebrity husband Girish Karnad who, she says, can smile all day long. But then, she is innately a cheerful person, with maternal warmth—indeed, she is a mother not just to her two children but to the women of Kanakpura.

By training, Ganapathy is a paediatrician but she never went into practice. “My parents were physicians and I automatically drifted towards the profession; also because in those days one didn’t need to pull strings to get into medical colleges. If you were good, you got in; if not, you were thrown out. Medicine was exciting.” Despite the “excitement”, something kept Ganapathy from practice. “I did intensive care in paediatrics in the US. I had no intention to stay in the US but ended up living there for 15 long years from 1966-81….” she pauses for a moment and continues. “We had to spend a fortune to keep a small premature baby weighing 2 pounds alive, only to discover later that he was blind, deaf and suffered from brain dysfunction.” Such experiences would often make her ask herself: “Have you really done anything?” Back in India, she says, it was crazy to see normal, healthy babies dying just because the mother didn’t have a clean blade to cut the cord. “Gradually, I started feeling that wasn’t the way I wanted to go; finally, my husband proposed to me and I decided I would come home,” she says with a mischievous smile, followed by a quick statement, “That’s all I am going to say about ‘him’, by the way.”

Ganapathy’s playful side is tangible as she speaks—minimally, of course—about her hus¬band. “When I phone some ministers, I go as ‘Dr Ganapathy’ and often can’t get them to talk to me. As soon as I say I am ‘Mrs Karnad’, I’m welcomed with banni, banni, banni [welcome in Kannada],” she says laughing. “That’s fine with me. He is our chief trustee and it helps us.” And although Ganapathy acknowledges her husband is a “terrific playwright”, her identity is evidently her own—a woman in her own right. “I always felt women are superior,” adds the 69 year-old.

Shortly after returning from the US, Ganapathy formed a group and started a small health research project in the villages of Kanakpura. “During our research, we came across a house which was one of the poorest setups I have ever seen,” she recounts. “The husband had tuberculosis, the wife’s eyes were pale as she was severely anaemic and their eight month-old baby was all skin and bones because of malnourishment. At that point, we were very new in the area as we had only been doing research. Helping them monetarily was out of the question because they would have gone broke again in a few days. We asked the woman what she needed to earn a living and she instantly told us she wanted a sheep. We were surprised why she didn’t ask for a chicken or a goat. She replied, ‘A goat has to be taken to the forest…I don’t have the energy. Chick¬ens get sick and need more space. I can tie a sheep outside my home, I can feed it grass and if I can get a pregnant one, I can sell the lamb right away’.”

So they bought a sheep for her; and within a year, she had seven! She also started taking care of other villagers’ sheep and earning substantially to lead a decent life. “That made me believe that these people know what they need, but they don’t have the means,” observes Ganapathy. “That’s why I’m annoyed with our government schemes.” While working on public health in villages, Ganapathy had several other revelations about social issues that had an indirect impact on women’s health. One such issue was child marriage. “We spent some three to four years in Kanakpura; we knew the women and the villagers and they knew us. We felt there was need for interven¬tion.” But challenges lay ahead. “We realised that owing to the cultural and social beliefs of these people, it would be very difficult to bring in a change overnight,” she explains.

With a few other likeminded people, Ganapathy formed The Belaku Trust in 1995. The Trust offers opportunities to village women by engaging them in the making of recycled paper products, block-printed materi¬als such as scarves, and by training them in embroidery skills, to enable them to become self-reliant. The Trust works with various women’s groups, income-generation groups, women from the community they have trained to work with health awareness project teams, and youngsters.

The scope of the Trust’s activities, over the years, has provided its participants valuable life experiences and also translated into much contemporary lore. Ganapathy recalls an incident when one of the women in the group complained about her husband forcing their 16 year-old daughter into marriage. “Though there are reasons for this—the villagers feel the girls are vulnerable to sexual crimes and are safe only if married—we called up the groom’s family and said it was illegal to marry a girl who was below 18 years of age. We told them to call off the wedding or face police action. It was quite dramatic but eventually the wedding was called off. What’s remarkable is that, with the support of Belaku Trust, this woman had the courage to stand up to the elders in her family, her own husband and the village to support her daughter and save her from a forceful marriage.”

Women and villagers fondly call Ganapathy “Saras Madam” and look up to her as a pillar of support. Baneen Karachiwala, who has worked with the Trust for six years, says, “Dr Ganapa¬thy is more like a teacher and mentor. You can go to her with any problem and you won’t find anyone more encouraging and supportive.” The Trust also has volunteers belonging to other nationalities involved in its various projects. Viktoria Baskin from Australia, who has been interning at the Trust since September 2011, says, “It’s inspiring to see Dr Ganapathy at work. She is very sharp and not afraid of anyone.”

With minimal financial support from local government, Belaku Trust is mostly dependent on individual donations. “We are not here to make revolutionaries out of these women,” says Ganapathy. “We intend to create a pool that can recognise its own problems and look within itself for solutions and decisions. Our plan is to ideally make ourselves redundant. We would like to provide these women access to resources through which they can make that change happen.”

The road to empowerment is never an easy one. Over the past 17 years, Ganapathy has fought many battles—caste, ritual, cultural, gender. The Trust came to know of a village where female foeticide and female infanticide were the norm. “In one case, we interfered, took the infant to an orphanage and she was adopted. She is a beautiful little girl today,” shares Ganapathy with a sigh of relief. Women from tribal villages, widows, abandoned women, landless and unlettered women have all benefitted from the Trust. In return, the good doctor has learnt more than she has taught. To bring a change in society, a change in attitude is a must, she believes. She has witnessed this not only in the women but the men too.

“All men are not bad, all of them don’t victim¬ise women, but their upbringing makes them the way they are,” she reasons. “After a certain age, you can’t change that outlook. We have worked with young men from high schools and colleges and tried to talk to them about some of these issues but it’s astonishing how early those attitudes are set. That’s discouraging. We have been thinking of involving men at all levels. A lot of youngsters do respond, but the response is very slow. I think the success will come only when they see real changes around them.”

Despite the many disappointments encoun¬tered on the way, the success stories point to a bright future. “It’s important even if you get one woman who is willing to change and do something differently,” Ganapathy emphasises. ”She may not have the money to do it; the men and elders in her family may not let her do it; but when you show them that small win¬dow of opportunity, they sort their lives out.” The Trust also provides scholarship for girls from poor families and financial aid for families with serious medical problems. Sometimes young girls come, get married and go away, but through our training programmes they take a skill with them, particularly embroidery, that they can use somewhere else.”

One notable success story is Kodahalli village; an awareness campaign by the Trust about alcoholism and related domestic violence boosted the will power of the women who managed to make the entire village liquor-free. “Today, women have much more self-confidence,” asserts Ganapathy. “They are now willing to travel, take decisions to keep their business going and tell their families what they want. Education has begun to make an impact in some areas to some extent. But I would like to see much more happening.”

—Sanskrity Sinha

Featured in Harmony - Celebrate Age Magazine June 2012

In the saddle: Risaldar Major Hariram on his life as an equestrian sportsman

2013-05-13T13:07:00.000+05:30

From building Bangalore Turf Club’s reputation as a centre for equestrian sports to training children, Risaldar Major Hariram has many a colourful feather in his cap, discovers Sanskrity Sinha.

Decked in high riding boots, a helmet and a T-shirt boasting ‘BARI’ (Bangalore Amateur Riding Institute), Risaldar Major Hariram comes across as a tough sportsman. But when this animated silver begins to speak, he reveals a jolly side. “I thought I would live to be 200 but life is uncertain,” laughs the 78 year-old former Army man, who wishes he could never stop riding.

Hariram is a riding instructor at Bangalore Turf Club and he keeps his evergreen spirit alive by surrounding himself with the children he teaches and, of course, horses. On their way to the stables, a bunch of kids greets Chacha and he merrily waves back.

“I have loved these animals ever since I can remember and I cannot start my day without a ride,” says Hariram, whose affair with horses began at the age of 10. “Before Independence, every farmer family who grew chickpeas and owned more than 2-3 acre of land in Rohtak also owned horses. My grandfather was an excellent rider and I used to saddle the horses for a ride in the fields at 5 am. I didn’t know this childhood playfulness would be my destiny and, one day, a source of living.”

That story began to unfold when Hariram joined the Cavalry of the Indian Army in 1951. “We studied Urdu in school but, after Independence, Hindi became compulsory. I literally wanted to escape studying Hindi as I had never studied the subject before. So I enrolled with the Cavalry, where I taught horse riding as an Army instructor for 12 years,” says the mercurial silver with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

His career move opened another chapter in his life, for the enthusiastic rider discovered the highly competitive world of equestrian sports. Soon, Hariram was participating in show jumping competitions, and went on to create records. Among these is a national record he set on the Army's Raising Day in Meerut. “On 8 December 1970, I jumped 7 ft and 2.5 inches, a record that still stands!” A few months later, Hariram set an international record when he jumped 6 ft, 7 inches at the Delhi Horse Show at the Red Fort. “One of the judges, who had also judged my national record, sarcastically told me this jump was not as high as my national record. I told him he could record it as 4 ft if he wished. I had still set a record!”

Before these stunning performances, Hariram had already won 65 gold medals at several shows, some of them team events. “Winning at polo in Pakistan gave me a major boost. I became more hard-working as I used to practice for seven to eight hours a day on eight to nine horses.” Hariram is also the only rider to have won gold at show-jumping contests for four consecutive years, from 1959 to 1962.

Risaldar Major Hariram retired from the Army in 1980 but his love for horses lingered. He was acquainted with the then Maharaja of Patiala, Maharaja Captain Amlendra, who was also a minister in the government. Considering Hariram’s reputation with horses, he was invited by the Maharaja to run his stud farm. “For eight years, I supervised every activity on the farm, from deciding on a horse to be bred to taking care of pregnant horses,” says our expert horseman while savouring the memory.

A cheerful senior with a magnetic charm, Hariram’s career took another turn in 1989, when he landed his present job at Bangalore Turf Club. It was a journey that was full of twists and included recommendations from two royal families and a senior Army man who had participated in competitions along with Hariram! “The Bangalore race course was then known only for racing and betting and the state equestrian federation wanted to introduce equestrian sports to the city. So they needed a riding instructor,” explains our senior. “The club had no infrastructure for riding then and I was asked to train 32 children to prepare them for a show in 21 days.” Not only did Hariram accomplish this feat, he also put on a flawless show-jumping performance along with the kids!

Hariram lives on the premises of the turf club and has been a riding instructor there for 24 years. But not a day goes by when he doesn’t think of his favourite animals who helped him hold his head high. “Leading Boy, an Indian breed, was one of my favourite horses. I left him in Meerut when I moved to Bangalore but I visited him once every year. He died serving the Army in Gaya. My other favourite is Pratap, also an Indian breed. I won three competitions with him. He too died in Gaya,” recalls Hariram with a faraway look.

He adds with obvious fondness, “Chatak and Patak, both Australian breeds, were also magnificent animals, and I met them when I was posted in Kashmir. They were very mischievous and it took me around three years to master and befriend them. My consecutive win for four years was made possible by Patak.”

Hariram’s most precious memory, though, is of his father, whose words he will never forget. “When my father left to take part in the Second World War, he left saying my love for horses should not make me ship school. But I dropped out of school in Std VI. He practically stopped talking to me after that. Almost 30 years later, when I set the international record, my father had just one thing to say: ‘Today, you have finished your studies’.”

The feature was published online on www.harmonyindia.org in 2012

UK Church Bans Yoga for its ‘Hindu’ Nature: Indian Gurus Explain Why Yoga is Non-Religious

2012-09-28T11:23:00.000+05:30

Father Chandler, a priest at St Edmund's Church in Southampton, has banned a yoga instructor from conducting classes on the church's premises. Fr Chandler has indicated the practice of yoga (an ancient form of physical, mental and spiritual exercise) is a Hindu religious practice and is therefore inconsistent with the Catholic Church's doctrines.

"Yoga is a Hindu spiritual exercise. Being a Catholic church we have to promote the gospel, and that's what we use our premises for. We did say that yoga could not take place. It's the fact that it's a different religious practice going on in a Catholic church. It's not compatible. We are not saying that yoga is bad or wrong," Fr Chandler explained in a BBC report.

Yoga - A 'Universal' Phenomenon

However, the banning of yoga classes and Fr Chandler's remarks have drawn criticism from several quarters, including teachers and practitioners from India, who describe the basic concept of yoga - the elimination of distracting forces within the mind - as being prevalent in religious texts of all faiths, including Christianity.

Raj Kamal, who holds a degree in Applied Yogic Science from the Bihar School of Yoga (one of India's oldest and most acclaimed schools, located in the eastern state of Bihar), debunked the connection between yoga and Hinduism by pointing out its existence in multiple cultures across the world.

"Archaeological findings of Mayan and Incas paintings, ancient cave paintings in Russia, Australia, China and elsewhere have all shown people in yogic postures," he explained, while also adding that Christian texts, like the Apocalypse of Peter, contained references to mental and spiritual states of mind similar to yogic practice.

Yoga and Hinduism

The connection between India and yoga (and consequently the Indian religion of Hinduism and yoga) arose because the form of the exercise most popular today was created in that country. Indeed, even the word "yoga" is of Indian origin.

Kamal, who now runs the Yoga Wellness Center in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, admits the fact "yoga" is a word from the ancient language in which Hinduism's religious texts are written can create confusion. And it doesn't help, he adds, that groups with particular agendas tend to portray the practice of yoga as being intrinsic to that of the Hindu religion.

However, Devatma, a teacher and co-founder of the Yoga Wellness Center, points out that despite such misinformation, the practice has followers from across faiths and that continues to grow.

"If yoga was a Hindu religious practice, we would not have had people from other religions, including Islam and Christianity, coming to us to learn it," he stresses, adding, "Yoga is about practicing various asanas (postures) to quiet your mind."

Devatma further argues that the role of meditation in yoga, which requires the chanting of the word "Om", is misunderstood. The perception sometimes is that because "Om" is a Sanskritic verbalisation it has links to Hinduism. The truth, he explains, is it is simply a technique of meditation and has no religious significance.

"Om is a meaningless word. When you chant Om or Ameen (Muslims say it after offering prayer), both show same frequency of 136.1 Hertz," Devatama added, reiterating yoga was simply a "universal" phenomenon which has become hugely popular. The fact mass yoga classes were organised in New York City to welcome the summer solstice would suggest the same thing.

"Yoga is such a universal phenomenon and such is its fame there are many variations and schools across the world - like the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School and even Christian Yoga," Devatma concluded.

Christian Yoga

There is a school of thought in the US, a yogic school of thought, which believes there can be a Christian approach to yoga. The instructor of the Christian Yoga school, Susan Bordenkircher, is a certified yoga instructor and the creator of a video combining Hatha Yoga (an intense form of abstract meditation) and Christian meditative techniques.

Commenting on the St Edmund’s Church, Bordenkircher said that yoga was designed to bring mind, body and spirit into harmony and can be used in the context of any faith.

“Yoga predates Hinduism by hundreds of years and was designed as a lifestyle approach which involved a spiritual component. The spiritual component was designed to align with one's personal faith, not one particular religious practice or denomination. The Hindu faith was one of the first (but not the only) to take the practice of yoga and make it part of their religion,” she said, adding, “As Christians become more educated and experienced in yoga, they often can enjoy a ‘Christian spiritual experience’ of cultivating a calm, contemplative spirit that is quiet enough to hear God, to encourage a deeper prayer life, to be thankful for body, breath and movement and to be fully present to experience the life for which we are created.”

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTimes.

Human Safaris Threaten Peru’s ‘Uncontacted’ Mashco-Piro Tribe; will it go the Jarawa Way?

2012-02-28T18:44:00.000+05:30

This article by Sanskrity Sinha was published on IBTimes on Feb. 28, 2012.
Within a month of the release of the first close-up pictures of the “uncontacted” Mashco-Piro tribe of Peru, concerns have surfaced regarding “human safaris” allegedly threatening the tribe.

A few incidents of human safaris reported along the banks of Manu River at the Manu National Park in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, where the Mashco-Piro people live, have caused worry among tribal rights groups that these safaris will eventually take the form of those happening illegally in the Jarawa reserve of India’s Andaman Islands, which pose a great risk to the indigenous Jarawa tribe.

What happened with the Jarawa?

A video showing two naked Jarawa women dancing for tourists on the Andaman Trunk road that cuts right through the Jarawa reserve, the land they inhabit, caused much uproar last month. In fact, illegal tourism in the Jarawa reserve was first exposed in 2010.

Despite a ruling by the Indian Supreme Court in 2002 which ordered the highway to be shut down, the Andaman Trunk road is still a mute witness to illegal human safaris that put the Jarawas at risk of acquiring infection from contact with the outside world through food items and clothes offered by the tourists.

The video, an example of the height of the tribe’s exploitation, called for prompt action from the government.

Peru’s Mashco-Piro Seeing the Jarawa’s Fate

Peru’s Mascho-Piro tribe seems to be falling in a similar trap as the Jarawas. Some tourists boating on Manu River were seen dropping off a piece of cloth close to the land of the Mascho-Piro on the riverbank.

In yet another incident, two young filmmakers, who visited the Manu National Park last year, were taken along the stretch of the Manu River by a tour guide who encouraged them to stop and take photos of the tribe, according to Survival International, a leading organization working for tribal rights worldwide.

Human Safaris: Mascho-Piro vs. Jarawa

Despite similar attempts by tourists to establish contact with the two tribes in Peru and the Andaman Islands, Survival’s Chloe Corbin feels that there are still many differences between the kind of human safaris being carried out at the Jarawa reserve in the Andaman and the Manu River in Peru.

“The Andaman’s tour operators are acting illegally on a road that was ordered shut by India's Supreme Court, whereas in Peru, the river running along the Manu National Park is not closed to tourists/the public. In fact, the area is very popular with bird enthusiasts who take trips around the Park to spot unusual wildlife,” Corbin told IBTimes.

Corbin said that human safari is at a very early stage in the Manu National Park, a well-known tourist destination in southeastern Peru, unlike in the Andaman where it’s “well-established.” Also there is no evidence of direct contact with the Peruvian tribe.

“As far as we know, the Mashco-Piro has not been directly contacted by tourists, nor has been ordered to dance/entertain onlookers, as is the case in the Andaman,” he said.

Up to now, the Mashco-Piro people have remained “uncontacted,” which puts them at a higher risk from outsiders. The Jarawa tribe, on the contrary, has developed at least some immunity due to intermittent contact with the outside world since 1998, when some of the Jarawas started appearing on the Andaman Trunk road.

“If contact was made, it's quite likely a common cold could kill members of the tribe, whereas the Jarawa have now endured over a decade of contact, making them more immune. Mashco-Piro people have not, and this makes the health risks even more pronounced,” he added.

Apart from the differing intensity of menace from human safaris, Corbin said the Mashco-Piro tribe is threatened by logging and oil and gas projects as well, unlike the Jarawa for whom the main risk is only from poachers, tourists and tour operators using the illegal Andaman Trunk Road.

“The Mashco-Piro people are being driven out of their forests to the water's edge by illegal logging in the Amazon, and low flying helicopters from oil and gas projects.”

Violent Attack on Outsiders

Sightings of the Mascho-Piro tribe have been reported by the park ranger staff, birdwatchers and tourists in the past one year. These indigenous people were often spotted running after tourist boats along the Manu River and even firing arrows at tourists in some cases, according to National Service for Protected Natural Areas (SERNANP), the state agency responsible for regulating the Protected Natural Areas in Peru.

Though the agency remains clueless about the reason why these people often come along the riverbank, officials took an attack on a park ranger by a blunt arrow in October last year as a warning signal from the tribes asking outsiders to keep away from their region.

Peru has the third largest number of uncontacted tribal groups in the world after Brazil and New Guinea. Peruvian authorities consider that “uncontacted tribes should under no circumstances be contacted,” and for the Mascho-Piro tribe, which remains “uncontacted” till date, officials believe there is still time to not let it go the Jarawa way.

“There is still time to act – to make people aware and stop unscrupulous tour operators before contact is forced (like in the case of the Jarawa) and their land rights exploited,” Corbin concluded.

Sumba Island Tour in Indonesia: Where Mock War Heralds Good Harvest

2012-02-28T18:23:00.000+05:30

This article by Sanskrity Sinha was published on IBTimes on Feb. 23, 2012.

Traveling to a far-flung island with only a few luxurious retreats perhaps leaves you with minimal chance of opting for the place, but Sumba Island in eastern Indonesia surprises you with auspicious offerings.

The island's western province recently held the two-day traditional Pasola war festival in the remote village of Kodi Pangedo where spectators gathered to watch two groups of highly skilled Sumbanese tribal men on horseback flinging spears at each other.

Sometimes, when the wooden spears hit a participant making him bleed, the villagers sigh in a belief that the blood will fertilize the land giving them rich harvest of rice and corns, their lifeline for livelihoods.

The West Sumba people follow the ancient ritual of the war game to celebrate rice planting season and seek God's blessings for a good annual yield. This year's war festival was held Feb. 16 and 17.

The villagers of the West Sumba province may wound themselves in the mock battle but the uniqueness of this cultural event would hardly keep tourists at bay.

While traditional Sumbanese houses are an architectural delight away from the mainland, the island's textile, hand-woven double-ikat clothes are a specialty which visitors would want to take back with them. The island is also known for sandalwood, megalithic tombs, Stone Age villages, which have remained untouched for centuries, and horses.

Sumba Island's scenic natural beauty with panoramic, sandy beaches, which are still less-traveled, is yet another attraction, which the country's tour operators believe cannot be overshadowed by the famed tourist hot spot Bali.

Sumba Island is an ideal getaway to experience the serenity of Indian Ocean. The island boasts of only four resorts - The Sumba Nautil Resort on the south western coast, Newa Sumba Resort on the Northwestern coast, Monalisa Cottages in the town of Waikabubak in west Sumba and Nihiwatu Resort, the only luxury resort, which has been acknowledged as one of the world's five best eco-hotels.

The island is connected by 15 regular flights per week from Bali's Ngurah Rai airport. It takes an hour's flight to reach Sumba.

Ancient Goldmine Discovered in Ethiopia, Are We Close to Solving Biblical Queen of Sheba’s Treasure Mystery?

2012-02-28T18:21:00.000+05:30

This article by Sanskrity Sinha was published on IBTimes on Feb. 15, 2012.

An ancient goldmine discovered on a hill on the Gheralta plateau in northern Ethiopia is said to be the treasure trove of Queen of Sheba, the biblical legend who traveled from Ethiopia to Israel to meet the king and showered upon him tons of gold about 3,000 years ago.

Called by different names such as Balqis in Islamic tradition and Makeda in Ethiopian culture, the queen is mentioned everywhere in biblical history as the “Queen of Sheba.” Legend has it that she was charmed by Israel’s King Solomon’s wisdom and gifted him four and a half tons of gold that she had brought with her, according to Hebrew Bible.

Considered apparently a rich queen in biblical accounts, the source of wealth of Queen of Sheba has remained a mystery till date.

However, British archaeologist Louise Schofield claims to have struck an enormous goldmine, which she believes was possibly the source from where the queen derived her wealth. The mine’s current location is said to be in the ancient kingdom of Sheba, which in modern times spans across Yemen and Ethiopia.

An excavation team led by Schofield, a former British Museum curator, has found the entrance to the mine that is covered with a boulder as tall as 20 feet. Sabaean inscriptions, symbols carved on the stone and remnants of a temple of Sheba’s deity, the Moon God, found near the excavation site indicate that the goldmine belonged to Sheba, according to Schofield.

“An initial clue lay in a 20ft stone stele (or slab) carved with a sun and crescent moon, the "calling card of the land of Sheba", she was quoted as saying by The Observer.

"I crawled beneath the stone – wary of a 9ft cobra I was warned lives here – and came face to face with an inscription in Sabaean, the language that the Queen of Sheba would have spoken," she added.

Though the actual size of the mine is not yet established, Schofield said that initial tests showed that it is huge and has proper underground passageway, some four-feet down, to walk inside.

“The fact that we might have the Queen of Sheba's mines is extraordinary," she concluded.

Reign Falls: Did 200-Year Drought, Less Rainfall Cause Collapse of Classic Mayan Civilization?

2012-02-28T18:20:00.000+05:30

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

This article by Sanskrity Sinha was published on IBTimes on Feb. 24, 2012.

The decline of the Classic Mayan Civilization that expanded from 250 to 900 AD has been an ever intriguing topic in the world of archaeology with many unexplained theories being speculated as the cause for the end of the civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula and Central America.

However, a severe drought condition is widely considered to be the culprit.

The Mayan civilization flourished till 17th century before Spain invaded the last independent Mayan city of Tayasal in 1697. However, some climate scientists believe that a massive drought struck the regions of the Classic Maya Civilization and persisted for 200 years from AD 800 to 1000, around the same period when the civilization collapsed.

“The disintegration of the Classic Maya civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula and Central America was a complex process that occurred over an approximately 200-year interval and involved a catastrophic depopulation of the region,” authors of a latest study titled “Collapse of Classic Maya Civilization Related to Modest Reduction in Precipitation” wrote in their research paper.

The study published online in Feb. 24 issue of the journal Science analyzes how reduction in precipitation due to droughts could have led to the fall of the Classic Maya Civilization.

“We present a quantitative analysis that offers a coherent interpretation of four of the most detailed paleoclimate records of the event,” the researchers, Martin Medina-Elizalde of National Oceanography Centre at the University of Southampton, UK, and Eelco Rohling of the Yucatan Centre for Scientific Research in Cancun, Mexico, said.

With the help of advanced technology to estimate the rates of rainfall and evaporation between 800 and 950 AD, the researchers found that the droughts occurring during the disintegration of the Mayan civilization represented reduction in annual precipitation by up to 40 percent.

According to the two paleoclimatologists, the fall in precipitation may have happened due to “a reduction in summer season tropical storm frequency and intensity.”

The Classic Maya Civilization period saw significant development in art, culture and architecture of the Mayan people. The Classic period was socially, politically and economically more active and during this time, the Mayan population increased.

The gradual decline of the civilization over a period of 200 years coincided with widespread episodes of drought, but their nature and severity remain an enigma, the researchers concluded.

Evidence of Early Bronze Age Massacre Found in Turkey

2012-02-28T18:15:00.000+05:30

This article by Sanskrity Sinha was published on IBTimes on Feb. 25, 2012.

Mass killings, systematic violence or warfare seem to have existed across all stages of the human civilization. A mass burial excavated at Titris Hoyuk, an archaeological site of Early Bronze Age (3000-2000 BC) in southern Turkey, shows evidence of massacre that happened about 4,000 years ago.

Skeletal remains of at least 19 individuals, including three women, two children and an infant, were found placed on a plastered basin buried under a house floor in Southeast Anatolia in 1998.

Turkish archaeologist Omur Dilek Erdal, who examined the human remains in terms of cranial traumas (head injuries), has revealed that his study provides links to possible massacres among ancient population.

The study findings, published in the current issue of International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, suggest that about 16 of the adult skeletons showed signs of more violent cranial traumas, which were probably caused by spears or axes.

"The frequency of cranial trauma was 81.3% among 16 available adult crania. The fact that the perimortem traumas were observed on both sex groups and the presence of two children and an infant on the basin suggest the possibility of these individuals being subjected to an attack or a massacre," Erdal noted in his research.

Erdal of Hacettepe University, Department of Anthropology, Ankara, also suggested that the distressed social and economic situations following the fall of Akkadian Empire may have forced incidents of violence and massacre in Titris Hoyuk. The Akkadian Empire reigned in Mesopotamia, the region that constituted the present-day southeastern Turkey.

Earlier, it was widely believed that the Anatolians did not experience violence, but the latest research on the skeletal remains of Titris Hoyuk site depicts that violence rather spread in Anatolia during the Bronze Age (3000-1200 BC), starting in the Early Bronze Age .

"Current interpretations of the fractures identified on this sample, which includes individuals from all age and sex groups, ranging from infants to old adults, suggests that they were victims of violence," Erdal said.

Large scale development of fortifications at Titris Hoyuk towards the end of the Early Bronze Age is yet another factor that intrigues archaeologists to believe that massacres may have occurred at this ancient site with outside invaders having killed the people.

Jarawa People in ‘Beastly Conditions’ Survived Tsunami 2004; Will They Succumb to Govt.’s Call for ‘Mainstreaming’?

2012-01-17T11:32:00.000+05:30

The Indian Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - one of the country's leading political parties - called for the assimilation of the Jarawa tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The call for assimilation, which came on Friday, said the group should not be left in their "beastly condition" and should enjoy the benefits of development.

"It would be totally unfair to leave Jarawas in a beastly condition forever. At the same time I am certainly not the one who would like to expose them to mall and junk culture," the Minister of Tribal Affairs, V. Kishore Chandra Deo said.

The call came in the wake of recent uproar over video footage that shows Jarawa women being forced to dance naked for tourists.

Illegal "human safaris" on the Andaman Trunk Road (ATR), which cuts through the restricted Jarawa reserve in India's south Andaman Island, continue to threaten these indigenous people with the risk of exposure to an outside world that could bring them disease, illness and even death.

Ironically though, while exposure to their fellow men could prove fatal, the tribe has survived some epic natural disasters.

Despite being close to the epicenter of an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude in December 2004, not a single Jarawa died... either from the quake or the ensuing tsunami that claimed the lives of about 227,898 people, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report.

"Jarawa, who have little contact with mainstream society, all escaped from the waves. The Jarawa were deep in the forest hunting, and when they felt the earthquake, they are said to have stuck their bows and arrows in the ground in an effort to reduce its intensity," Sophie Grig, a Senior Campaigner with Survival International, a London-based organization working for tribal people's rights worldwide, told IBTimes in an exclusive interview.

Does this mean the tribe has a better understanding of their environment?

"They knew the waves were coming because they'd seen the seas recede and felt the earthquake, they knew to flee to higher ground. Their sophisticated knowledge and understanding of their environment may well have saved them," Grig added.

Grig said that besides the Jarawa, three other tribes of the Andaman survived the tsunami - the Sentinelese, who have no contact with outsiders; the Onge and the Great Andamanese, both of whom have been assimilated by the government and have regular contact with outsiders. However, many from the "assimilated" Nicobarese tribe of the Nicobar Islands died during the disaster, she added.

The government's latest stance on "mainstreaming" the Jarawa people seems to have cast fear over their survival from "forceful" assimilation into mainstream society. Experts believe that forcibly mainstreaming tribal people could prove catastrophic, for these people have little or no immunity to common diseases and the risk of exploitation is ever present.

"When tribal people around the world have been forced into the 'mainstream', rates of disease, depression, addiction and suicide soar," Grig said, adding that no government in the Americas has advocated assimilation for more than thirty years.

She said that compared to other tribes like the Great Andamanese, who have been given the benefits of government's assimilation policy, the less-contacted Jarawa people have better health and quality of life. They may be poor in monetary terms but they are supposed to be the inhabitants of "their" land, and any kind of assimilation for that matter, would mean they could be forced to lose those rights.

"Minister Deo must move away from the idea that tribes will inevitably end up 'mainstreamed' or that their life is 'primitive' or 'beastly'. The Jarawa have thrived in their forests for more than 55,000 years. The Jarawa's land and its resources must be protected so that they can continue to live in their forest and only they must decide and control what, if any, 'developments' or changes they want," she concluded.

This article was published on IBTimes.

‘Don 2’ Review: Watch for the Villain Who Has Heroic Traits

2011-12-24T22:01:00.001+05:30

The witty villain with a wicked smile who can't resist being playful even amidst a conflict situation, seems amused by the world around and whose win-win attitude ever is just killing. You know what's on his mind, yet you can't read his mind - that's how one finds Don, the villain (Shah Rukh Khan) in director Farhan Akhtar's "Don 2".

Don, the protagonist, is the villain and hero, to be precise. Don's characterization portrays a juxtaposition of both good and the evil. He kills his enemies but is portrayed to have a kind heart for women.

Don wants to steal currency plates from Berlin and become the biggest criminal of Europe winning over European drug cartel. We are told at the beginning of the film (through a voiceover from Don) that Don has gained supremacy in Asian drug market in the last five years ever since he fled from the police, as shown at the end of the 2006 Bollywood prequel "Don: The Chase Begins Again" that was a remake of Amitabh Bachchan-starrer 1978 cult film "Don."

To achieve his aim, Don goes back to team with his enemy Vardhan, who is locked in a Malaysian jail, by surrendering to Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and Inspector Malik (Om Puri), who are after him since 2006. The two escape the prison and Don retrieves a secret tape from a locker in Zurich, which only Vardhaan could access. He uses the tape to blackmail the vice-president of a currency printing bank in Berlin into giving him codes to access printing plates.

Don succeeds in his mission to steal the plates and bewilder (as typical with the character) the police and his team. He helps police capture Vardhan and returns fake plates to the bank, seeking in turn his release. However, the vice-president who takes the plates back is killed in a car blast, due to which it is assumed that the original plates are destroyed. Don has the original plates at the end.

The plot of this heist film is predictable and the audience should know that whatever goes in the film is not happening with situation...every move is pre-planned by Don himself. That's what the "Don" franchise is all about.

"Don 2" has moved on in many terms from its prequel, especially in capturing some of the best world destinations. There is also development in the characters as the story plot moves from Asia to Europe, with more Hollywood-like chasing and action sequences to keep you hooked. For instance, the car chase scene between Don and Roma on the streets of Berlin and ending at Brandenburg Gate can't resist you from applauding Don's stunts. He is the villain but seems to exhibit many heroic traits.

"Don 2" is a must watch for some other fine reasons too. The subtlety in humor through short and punchy dialogues and presence of human emotions in some scenes (for instance, when Roma is unable to shoot Don and when Don asks Vardhan to let go a captive woman) makes this film slick.

The film has moved on to some extent in showing the growing romantic interest (at least Don pretends so) between Don and Roma. When Roma is shot, he looks concerned and his constant attempt to flirt with her leaves you clueless about what's on his mind - does he actually love her or does Roma unknowingly like him? The relationship between the two is mystically intriguing. Such a portrayal of love interest in "Don 2" sets it apart from many action-packed Bollywood dramas.

The background score and song sequence (the one that celebrates the coming back of Don from jail) matches with the prequel, and does not let you get bored.

The film has perhaps only one loose end: Roma and Inspector Malik fail to realize why a wanted criminal like Don wants to surrender. If he has, he should have some motives. But instead of thinking about it, they seem to be at relief. The film's plot gives an easy ride to Don's plans without much obstacle.

The review was published on IBTimes on Dec. 24, 2011 http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/272407/20111224/don-2-review-shahrukh-khan-villain-hero.htm

U.S. Entrepreneurial Activity Healthier than Rest of the World, but Hitches Remain

2011-11-26T10:33:00.002+05:30

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTimes, published on Nov. 25, 2011.

With a minimal 2 percent increase in established businesses and a persistent rate of opportunity-driven ventures, the entrepreneurial scenario of the United States was still healthier than rest of the world in 2010. However, a small decline in early-stage entrepreneurial prevalence depicts the downside, according to a recent study by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM).

The start-up entrepreneurial ventures in U.S. dropped from 8.0 percent in 2009 to 7.7 per cent in 2010, said GEM in its report on the National Entrepreneurial Assessment for the USA, published on Nov. 14.

Although having a high Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) among the innovation driven economies, the United States had the highest discontinuance rate. According to GEM findings, financial difficulties, unprofitable businesses and problems getting finance were the most common reasons for discontinuing a business.

Timothy Sykes, a 30-year-old New York-based trader, says how he had to shut down his hedge fund, Cilantro Fund Management LLC, after he suffered a loss of 35 percent of its value. However, opportunity drove Sykes to venture into new business.

"My hedge fund investors weren't clamoring for their money back; I simply recognized greater opportunity so I took advantage," Sykes told IBTimes. He founded a publishing company called Millionaire Media that aims at educating the public on how to make money in various industries like the stock market and internet marketing through materials taught by actual millionaires.

However, it was in the year 2007 when Sykes went after opportunity. The recent scenario depicted by GEM report reveals that necessity-driven entrepreneurship is driving U.S. young entrepreneurs and there has been a drop in the rates of opportunity-driven ventures, even as the total percentage of opportunity-driven entrepreneurs remains higher.

Matt Wilson, 25, of New York who co-founded Under30CEO, which provides resources, advice and online marketing services to aspiring young entrepreneurs, says his company was born out of necessity.

"When I graduated, I realized the lack of entrepreneurial resources for my generation and we decided to build them online at the global level."

"Students are no longer being handed a job when they are handed their diplomas and are looking for new opportunities. Graduates that would have normally looked to work on Wall Street are now looking to start their own ventures and are looking for the knowledge and know-how," he said.

Another key finding of the U.S. entrepreneurial assessment report hints at growing commitment to social entrepreneurship, which strengthens economic model.

"As an entrepreneur, you have to make money, but I believe that my social model has been instrumental in improving my economic model," says Alex Hodara, owner of Hodara Real Estate Group that sells multifamily investment properties around the Boston area.

Hodara's company donates $50 per deal to One Year for Cancer, Inc. ever since their first rental deals. Their donation of $1,000 to BU's Habitat for Humanity brought in many customers, he explained.

Hodara, 24, further started a reality show called "Making Moves" to help people follow their dreams. The social impact of the show paid off when an investor who read about it ended up buying $3 million in real estate investments, he added.

Other brighter sides of entrepreneurial activity in the U.S. showed the country emerge as world leader in innovation with an increase in innovation-driven ventures by 8.3 percent last year. The report finding suggests that opportunity-driven entrepreneurs are more innovative than necessity-driven entrepreneurs.

Hodara, who started his rental company after being a real estate agent in Boston during his first two years of college, says that real estate brokerages have an awful reputation in Boston.

"People think of agents as pushy and cut throat. I saw an opportunity to change that, so I started a real estate brokerage run entirely by students," he said.

Hodara's innovative approach towards an opportunity eventually helped his company become the "First Student-run Real Estate Brokerage in America."

The long-standing economic gloom in the United States had its due effect on entrepreneurial activity in 2010, but entrepreneurs believe that the entrepreneurial spirit is deeply ingrained in Americans' thoughts; though they see competitions from around the world in future.

"Newer technologies and the Internet allow driven individuals from anywhere in the world to start businesses cheaper and faster now than ever before. As this reality becomes more widely known, the U.S. will continue losing market share as people from all over the world become entrepreneurs," said Sykes.

However, the fact that U.S. entrepreneurial activity is currently healthier than most of the countries, gives a boost to their hopes of "explosive" growth, profit and expansion plans even around a looming economy.

"I project we will grow from selling investment property to investing and developing deals ourselves; soon we will be making moves all over the world" Hodara said.

U.S. Officials Sacked for Frisking India’s Former President; Did TSA Go Too Far?

2011-11-26T10:32:00.000+05:30

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTimes, published on Nov. 18, 2011.

Two Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials involved in the recent frisking incident of former Indian president Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam at a U.S. airport have reportedly been sacked, according to an Indian national daily.

Though there are no confirmed reports of the lay-off either by TSA or U.S. Government, the Hindustan Times reported Thursday that the U.S. authorities had fired the executives for "exceeding their brief" as they made former Kalam, who is also an eminent scientist, face security checks a second time after he had boarded his aircraft.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement Nov. 13 that Abdul Kalam went through the prescribed private screening procedure at the John F. Kennedy airport in New York Sept. 29, before boarding an Air India aircraft to fly back home.

However, the frisking incident followed as TSA agents requested Air India staff for President Kalam's jacket and shoes since they had not been checked during the screening, the MEA explained.

Subsequent to the protest lodged by the MEA over the incident, the United States Government and TSA Administrator extended their apology to Kalam and the Indian government last week. "Appropriate procedures for expedited screening of dignitaries had not been followed," said the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi in a statement.

Although the U.S. government and the TSA said that they were taking corrective steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future, under existing US regulation, Abdul Kalam does not fall into the category of persons exempt from security screening.

"The two governments are also planning to hold discussions to explore appropriate mechanisms for facilitating airport procedures for dignitaries, in accordance with national regulations," said an MEA spokesperson.

U.S. dignitaries, in contrast, are always exempt from security checks as a gesture of courtesy and respect in India.

Frisking in 2009 on His Homeland

Kalam was subjected to a similar frisking incident in his home country also. He was forced to undergo pre-board screening by the staff of the Continental Airlines on April 21, 2009.

As per TSA policy, "While traveling from an international location to the U.S. on an U.S. commercial aircraft, former Heads of State, and other VIPs, are screened according to the same screening procedures as for any other passenger."

"There are reports that the government of India has an official list of VIPs and their spouses that are exempt from pre-board screening procedures. However, such a list does not mirror U.S. requirements for passengers that are exempted from pre-board screening when traveling aboard U.S. commercial aircraft," TSA had said in a statement following the security screening of Kalam in 2009.

In yet another incident with an Indian VIP in the same year, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was questioned for two hours by U.S. immigration officials until the Indian Embassy sought his release.

Another Pat-Down Row in the Making?

The whole frisking affair brings back the memory of last year's fuss over airport security measures adopted by TSA ahead of holiday season when air passengers were subjected to pat-down searches and intrusive body scanners.

An outrage over TSA screening methods involving an eminent personality ahead of holiday season this year could be just an indication of what's in-store for travelers around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, supposed to be the busiest days of air travel in a year.

Following the outcry of travelers, young and old, who called TSA measures as privacy-stripping, and U.S. President Barack Obama's intervention, who asked TSA officials to ensure travel safety through "less intrusive" security rules, the U.S. security agency announced last month that Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines would be deployed across 29 U.S. airports.

These machines are designed with technologies that strengthen travelers' privacy by eliminating passenger-specific images during screening process while ensuring the highest level of security, said TSA Administrator John S. Pistole. Currently 78 airports nationwide have the AIT machines.

However, for those who refuses to get scanned through AIT machines, pat-down search will be the only option left.

While the U.S. government should definitely mull over finding more "dignified" ways of security checking for dignitaries, especially eminent persons like Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, TSA's commitment to security cannot be ignored.

According to TSA, its officials have detected more than 800 guns and other weapon around the country so far this year. In a recent incident, TSA's checkpoint screening helped in the arrest of a passenger with two pistols, three ammo magazines and eight knives while he was trying to board a plane at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) Oct. 20.

When Steve Went Off to an ‘Ashram’ Before Getting into Apple’s Job

2011-08-27T14:42:00.001+05:30

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTimes.

Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs once reflected upon his thoughts about Microsoft founder Bill Gates that actually reflected a lot about Jobs’ past and pre-Apple days.

"I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He'd be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger," Jobs told New York Times in a 1997 interview referring to Gates.

That’s what Steve, who resigned as CEO of Apple on August 24, 2011, did when he was young.

Deeply affected by the spread of Indian spiritualism, the 1955-born “techie” businessman visited India in 1974 as a hippie for what he calls “spiritual retreat” and a philosophical quest.

That was not something preposterous for a teenager boy, who was adopted by foster parents but later his biological parents happened to tie the knot and gave birth to and raised a child, Jobs’ biological sister.

Steve Jobs, who has been battling his health for quite some time now, was born as Steven Paul Jobs to an American mother and a Syrian father in San Francisco, California on February 24, 1955.

While at Cupertino Junior High School and Homestead High School in Cupertino, California, Jobs was often seen attending after-school lectures at the Hewlett-Packard Company, where he soon worked as a summer employee with Steve Wozniak, who later became the first employee of Apple.

After his graduation from high school in 1972, Jobs enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but dropped out after first semester. Even then, the businessman had his own way of learning and earning. He audited classes at Reed, returned Coke bottles for food money, and didn’t refrain from getting weekly free meals at the local “Hare Krishna” temple.

Needless to say from where did he receive “call” for seeking enlightenment backpacking around India?

Jobs returned to California in 1974 to take a technician job at popular video games manufacturer Atari, primarily to save money for visiting India in search of spiritual enlightenment – just like the way ancient spiritual teacher Gautama Buddha was enlightened in India.

And Jobs is said to have returned as a “Buddhist” indeed, at least in appearance with his head shaved and in traditional Indian attire.

During his stay in India, Jobs experimented with psychedelics, calling his “acid” (lysergic acid diethylamide) experiences "one of the two or three most important things he had done in his life".

After nearly two years of his return from India, Jobs founded Apple in 1976 along with his college friend Steve Woznaik. Was he already enlightened?

Well, some at Kainchi Ashram, where Steve stayed, located in Nainital in the India’s northern state of Uttarakhand do believe that Steve Jobs got the vision to create Apple at the ashram.

What actually drove the pancreatic cancer survivor, Jobs, to India or how he got “deeply” spiritual remains unexplained by him, but what Apple’s former CEO wished for Microsoft founder is apparent.

“He'd be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger."

Reviving monsoon glories around Karnataka waterfalls

2011-07-26T16:24:00.000+05:30

Smelling the moist soil, watching the shower by windowpane, feeling the gentle kiss of sprinkling water drops on face, the mist that blurred vision, thunderstorms that scared in sleeps, flash of lightning that was a treat in power-cuts, the bright sunlight next morning, two rainbows crossing each other high over the west blue skies, a few wandering clouds and visits to the waterfalls – the season of monsoon is as much about the childhood memories of rains as the adventure it brings along, especially in Bangalore.

The southern state of India is blessed to have four major rivers that flow from plains through gorges mothering various waterfalls that adorn Karnataka as a haven for some of most known falls. As monsoon floods waterfalls of the Western Ghats, it's time you descend to these rapids of some of the mighty river of South India.

Mekedatu Falls
Located about 92 kilometres from Bangalore, Cauvery water cascades through a narrow ravine at Mekedatu, which means a goat's leap, metaphorically referring to the narrow channel, in Kannada. It seems an exaggeration to assume that the gorge is so narrow that even a goat can leap across. However, the way water currents have cut through granite rocks over time makes one wonder if the fall was named so without any logic. During monsoon, you cross the confluence of river Cauvery and Arkavati at Sangama in a coracle, before heading to the falls four kilometres away. Mekedatu can be reached via Kanakpura road or Muddur on Mysore road.

Shivanasamudra Falls
If you have nostalgic memories of the old, classic Indian films, a visit to Shivanasamudra Falls ought to spread the nostalgia around. About 35 kilometres ahead of Mekedatu, Shivanasamudra Falls remind you of a scene from the Hindi classic film ‘Pakeezah' in which Salim (Rajkumar) proposes marriage to Sahibjaan (Meena Kumari). The scene uncovers beautifully against the backdrop of Shivanasaudra Falls. The white waters flow down two rocky cliffs called Gaganachukki in the West and Barahchukkin in East. Monsoon floods Cauvery sufficiently before it splits to form these rapids. Tread around the nearby locations and you will have childhood memories of wet paddy fields, mountains on horizon, a narrow river and old bridges of your village revived. What's more? A dip in the shallow waters beneath Barahchukkin falls is all you need to lift your monsoon spirit!

Pearl Valley
They say that visiting a waterfall in monsoon could be dangerous, but this is when one should enjoy the mist from the fast falling currents as they strike the rocks; the touch of the showers; the freshness in water and a new season at a backyard waterfall. Pearl valley, also called Muthyala Maduvu in local language, in Anekal village located around 44 kilometres from Bangalore beyond Bannerghatta Biological Park is indeed in the city's backyard and very safe to visit, to be precise. It's no serenading fall, but a thin stream that gushes down to form a small, knee-deep pool of water symbolizing a pearl. That's why the name. The lush green environment, a temple near the pool, grazing cattle in the vicinity and winding, zigzag path across the surrounding hills treat you with an ideal monsoon outbreak.

Abbey Falls
How about driving away to a nook to cherish monsoon? Abbey Falls are located about 270 kilometres from Bangalore in Kodagu (Coorg) district and about 10 kilometres from Madikeri. Nestled inside a coffee and cardamom plantation, Abbey Falls have been formed with several small streams dipping down in the Western Ghats into a deep, rocky gorge. It falls from a height of about 70 feet. A bridge over the ravine lets you have a panoramic view of the scenic fall of the mighty Cauvery.

Gokak Falls
How about chasing monsoon further away towards Karnataka-Maharashtra border? The region has a spectacular waterfall. Located about 570 kilometres from Bangalore and six kilometres from Gokak in Belgaum district, Gokak Falls are yet another waterfall originating from a Western Ghats river Ghataprabh. A narrow, wooden hanging bridge across the river and overlooking the fall's gorge provides an old world charm to the place. It's a class apart. What could be a better place to get away from the doldrums to the cheery old memories than in the rains besides a vintage bridge?

Walking through the ruins of Nalanda

2011-07-22T20:47:00.001+05:30

Who says only fear and emotions give goose bumps? Strangely, I felt them while visiting Nalanda University.

Visiting the site of Nalanda University in Bihar came as a shock rather than the excitement of a historical tour. As I stood in the queue to take the entry tickets I could see long green lawns embellished with blossoming flowers. I was enchanted by the green environs, well-maintained gardens on either side of the passage that played its perfect role in leading my way to this ancient learning centre’s entrance, where I got the first glance of the ruins.

What used to be one of the first residential universities of the world stood in ruins. The university building that was once considered an architectural masterpiece was sacked to stacks of bricks. One of the greatest universities in history and the finest Buddhist learning centre lay still in front of me…silently… as a milestone for the decline of Buddhism in India. Shooing away my disturbing thoughts, I joined a group of tourists who were following a guide, to know what went wrong.

Nalanda University was an epitome of architecture as it was of learning and education. It was established under the reign of Gupta Emperors in 450 AD. Built with a capacity to house 10,000 students and 2000 teachers, the complex had numerous compounds, dormitories for students, temples, meditation halls, a laboratory, a library and almost every possible infrastructure that one seeks in an educational institution. It won’t be preposterous to assume that the concept of such an educational institution was surely ahead of its time.

The university had a library with nine floors. Researchers and archaeologists believe that the university library had a mammoth collection of 9 million incredible volumes! Nalanda University was in its pinnacle of glory days when the decline struck in the end of 12th century. This epitome of learning was burnt to ashes, never to rise again. The complex was put on fire in 1193 by Islamic invader, Bakhtiyar Khilji.
The thought that if we had such a library today, how rich India would have been in ancient manuscripts, left me feeling the great loss.

The guide took us to the dormitories to show the remains of students’ rooms. The full structure is no more there but what has emerged from the excavation is marvellous. Stone beds and study tables by the bed side survived the fire that engulfed the whole building. The tables have small circular pits at one corner, supposedly used for putting ink.

Stepping delicately on the ruined bricks, further took me to the basement where lay the kitchen. People came to know that it was kitchen by the burnt rice found there during excavation. Later, I saw a few blistered rice grains kept along with other stuffs found during excavation in the Nalanda museum.

Wandering along a gateway caught my attention. I stepped up its winding stairs and was surprised to find an entry to a long corridor – seamlessly and symmetrically constructed. There were rooms on either sides of the corridor. I assumed these rooms were classrooms, as even these days’ classrooms are constructed in the same manner. It was unbelievable to see the only construction in Nalanda University left with a roof, for these were in the basement. Rest all had become a part of the crust that was excavated.
I felt like running through the corridor the way I used to run on my school’s corridor. With the sound of air gushing across my face, I felt as if I was going back in time. It was actually a journey into the epic era!

As I came out of the premises of the ill-fated institution, I was preoccupied with the thought that nothing can bring back the lost legacy of Nalanda University – not even UNESCO’s declaration that Nalanda University is a World Heritage Site. I turned back and looked at the ruins for the last time… though this was poignant and full of pathos.

Remembering Charlie Chaplin, the little tramp on his 122nd Birthday

2011-07-19T20:16:00.000+05:30

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTIMES.COM

The sixteenth day of April in the year 1889 had really been kind in giving this world, and later Hollywood, a prodigious actor and director, whose films have outshone every great film in getting messages across in simpler, emotional and humourous but effective manner. Charlie Chaplin not only proved that camera is the language of silent cinema but also gave cinema the beautiful art of mime.

The eminent Indian cartoonist R.K. Laxman, once said, “The instinct to laugh has survived all the wars, tragedies and sufferings that fill the history of our world.” This is why, perhaps, every film of Charlie Chaplin has observed a good-humoured approach to life. In almost all his films, Charlie Chaplin has shown some social affair or any political issue as a matter of laughter rather than for serious concern.

However, it would be a mistake to say that only humour has been the core of Chaplin’s films. In fact, every film of Chaplin has combined pathos and satire with tender humour. One such film is ‘The Immigrant.’ Released in 1917, this two-reel film not only made Chaplin internationally famous but also showed his great gift for being able to portray social satire on the silver screen.

Another film that showcased Chaplin as a legendary comic actor and director is ‘The Kid.’ ‘The Kid’ was the first feature length film directed by Chaplin in the year 1921. It portrays the story of a little tramp (Charlie Chaplin) and a kid (Jackie Coogan) whom the tramp finds on street as an infant. The story grows with the growing attachment between the two. The conflict situation arises when some people try to hand over the kid to an orphanage. In the end Chaplin manages to elope with the kid and the child is united with his mother.

'The Kid' projects many hilarious situations but at the same time, it is a satire on the conditions of asylums during the beginning of twentieth century. Moreover, in certain scenes ‘The Kid’ also generates pathos. The dream sequence in which, Chaplin is in poignant memories without the child, is the evident example.

It would not be preposterous to say that Chaplin’s work of art on silver screen got a glitz with ‘City Lights’ in 1931. He called the film, “A comedy romance in pantomime.” However, the film continued projecting the vein of social criticism in which the cause of the poor is defended against that of the rich. It is a sentimental film in which the unemployed tramp (Charlie Chaplin) falls in love with a blind flower girl and goes through a series of misadventures, including robbery and a jail term, to raise money for the operation which can restore her sight. ‘City Lights’ was just Chaplin’s another piece of masterwork featuring subtle comedy, spoof and pathos.

Chaplin’s brilliance was an actor and a mime. The exquisite art of mime can be seen in the last scene of ‘City Lights’ in which, the final shot freezes on Chaplin’s face with stem of a flower in his mouth. This is the scene when he finds the blind flower girl who can now see and recognizes him. Though he accomplishes what he had desired for, an overwhelmed expression on his face tickles a disturbed emotion somewhere within us. This is because perhaps it’s a moment of finding a treasure, which the unemployed tramp does not think himself worth possessing!

As a director, Chaplin produced great works of comic epic. It is said that it’s very tough to make audience laugh and even tougher to sustain the laughter. Undoubtedly, Chaplin’s films have this remarkable quality to sustain a comic situation. Be it the boxing scene in ‘City Lights’ or the scene of making a meal of a boot in ‘The Gold Rush’(1925), Chaplin’s humorous approach to matters have always made people laugh.

Chaplin’s handling of character was always according to the requirement of the story plot. For instance, portrayal of the child (Jackie Coogan) in ‘The kid’ is so identical with the way Chaplin acts, be it in walking or clowning around, it’s difficult to realize that he is not the real father of the kid.

Charlie Chaplin even evolved his image as “the little tramp,” wearing a bowler hat and carrying a cane, strongly. The brilliant characterization and costume of “the little tramp” has kept the spirit of Charlie Chaplin alive even today. This image is so much embedded into the psyche of audiences that even if we find the little clown; in his oversized shoes, baggy pants and an undersized coat; though quite rich at the end of his film ‘The gold Rush,’ it seems only a delusion.

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTIMES.COM

End to criminal society, a major winning plank for Nitish Kumar

2011-06-23T20:03:00.000+05:30

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTIMES.COM

When the Janata Dal (United)-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came to power in Bihar five years ago, state highways leading to the capital city had new sign boards saying, “Keep smiling, for, you are in Patna”.

From the smile, it turned into a sustainable development that the government embarked upon in Bihar. It strengthened the initial psychological impact, which is returned in the form of a thumping majority for the coalition government in Bihar on Wednesday.

When he took over, law and order, education system, infrastructure and the entire governance was in shambles that it was known called a 'Jungle Raj' that he had to inherit and refine. The Nitish Kumar government, over the last five years, has done well to dismantle the 'Jungle Raj', says a media professional from Bihar.

“The Dalits or untouchables were given bicycles, clothes and more, that led them to vote positively, not for the candidate of their caste, but for the one who fulfilled their necessities,” Satish Mishra, Gaya bureau chief of Hindustan, a national daily, pointed out. He said Nitish's governance has changed the psychology of the people in Bihar. "People now see development and not caste," he said.

Mishra says that an improvised law and order situation in the state has reduced crime record in Bihar. “Once kidnappings used to be the main source of news from Bihar, now criminals are aware of the tough administration,” he said.

According to Vinod Kumar Tiwary, district crime reporter for Hindi daily Hindustan in Sasaram of Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government set the state police free in arresting criminals, unlike the earlier governments when criminals enjoyed the support of politicians, and very rarely arrests were made.

“Police were suppressed during Lalu’s regime; Nitish gave them the freedom to independently carry on their responsibilities. As the administration got tough, criminals either fled or were arrested,” Tiwary told IBTimes over phone, adding that fast-track courts in Bihar convicted and sentenced more criminals than courts in any other Indian state in the first 18 months of the present government.

In May this year too, a fast track-court in the state gave life sentence to nine criminals, accused of kidnapping an eminent doctor, in just an 18-day trial, a record verdict in Bihar.

Another notoriety that has crippled Bihar is the feudal set up embroiled with wide distinction between upper and lower castes that was exploited much during Lalu’s reign. However, it is getting over and will soon vanish, if the present government continues to be in power, believes Rajesh Kumar, a senior journalist in Gaya.

“Nitish Kumar, who himself belongs to a lower caste never encouraged caste-based favors in governance, his focus on development was tangible throughout his term,” Kumar said.

Kumar, who has been covering the Department of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution System regularly as part of his beat, feels that the second term will be more challenging for the JD(U) government as Nitish Kumar still has to work on the problems faced by farmers and consumers, and the corruption and loopholes in the public distribution system. Lack of resources in agriculture and Naxalism are some major issues he should deal with now, he said.

Speaking on the problem of Naxalism, Vinod Tiwary equally stresses the need for the government’s intervention. He mentions that earlier this year in the Rohtas region of Bihar, Naxalites hired 25 boys and 10 girls aged above 18 years at 1,800 rupees per month, to work for them.

“If Naxalites can pay 1,800 rupees to youths making them hostile against governance, why can’t the government employ them in police at 3,000 rupees per month to curb those Naxalites?,” he says.

Since unemployment is their main concern, these poor youth hope the second term for the Nitish Kumar government would find a way out, says Mohammad Azhar Zaman, bureau chief of Urdu Shara newspaper in Gaya.

“Though teachers were recruited in public schools and that has sent a lot of confidence among the people, the state government has to work a lot to attract industrialists and investors to boost the economy of the state,” he said.

Earlier this year, Bihar registered 11.03 percent growth in GDP that made it the second fastest-growing state economy in India after the western state of Gujarat that recorded 11.05 percent growth over the same period.

Besides, women power in the state has emerged significantly with equal seats reserved for women as men in local municipal bodies and there has been a rise in the number of children attending schools.

As the chief minister was attributing his success to his developmental work, compliments on his governance pouring in on social networking sites provide a deeper insight.

“The victory in 2005 elections was not being considered positive by many as people thought that majority voted Nitish because they were angry with Lalu's (earlier government) government but this landslide win isn’t anymore the result of anger or frustration; people have seen the change and they wanted Nitish back,” Sonam Singh, a resident of Bihar working in Pune, writes on her Facebook.

Another Facebook user from Bihar, Kasturi Jha who works in Bangalore, writes, “Nitish Kumar won over Bihar with appropriate actions and not with mere words. People could see the change and thus the trust grew manifold.”

“When I was a kid I never went out with family in the evenings, drive down roads late night, walk out of the house all alone. Fear was perhaps the most dominating factor. I find a sea change and today when I see the same government, which brought this change, I feel elated,” reads the Facebook message of Sushmita Pandey, who grew up in Bihar.

This article has been written by Sanskrity Sinha for IBTIMES.COM

Enjoy a date with the Alps at Mt. Pilatus

2011-06-20T18:24:00.000+05:30

Arriving in Switzerland is itself romantic. The green pastures, grazing cattle, unending landscapes that blur into horizon and many more such picturesque spots take you by awe. And of course, Switzerland cannot be described without the mention of the beautiful Alps.

Now picture this – climbing across the rocky mountain in Switzerland on a Cogwheel, with loveliest brown Swiss cows flaunting the famous Swiss cow bells, magnificent green slopes and huge hill tops that stretch till the blue skies, in the backdrop.

Well, all that is possible while visiting Mount Pilatus near Lucerne, a north-central city in Switzerland. In fact, a visit to Mt. Pilatus gives you the wholesome enjoyment of rides on a cogwheel, toboggan (an open sled carrying people down the slope), cable car, aerial gondolas and even a boat ride in Lake Lucerne.

Journey to Mt. Pilatus begins from Lucerne, which lies on the shores of Lake Lucerne and is well connected by train or bus from all the major cities in Europe. From Lucerne, you can either board a bus or train or choose to cruise across Lake Lucerne to reach Alpnachstad, from where the world’s steepest cogwheel train chugs up the Pilatus Mountain.

Reaching Alpnachstad by train or road should take you an hour while by lake it takes double the time. But reaching by Lake Lucerne is recommended the most for you to enjoy the serenity of turquoise waters of the lake while soaking in the beauty of Mt. Pilatus in sight. All you need is to take a day’s time out for Pilatus expedition; otherwise it’s a half-day excursion.

The enthralling surrounding enamors as one goes up on the cogwheel train. Glimpse of Alps moving up and down our eye-sight every time the train crosses through a tunnel take passengers in surprise. It’s a magical moment that fleets away before you prepare your camera for a quick click. As the cogwheel creeps further, you feel being in the lap of the great Alps that stands magnificently looking over Lake Lucerne. Ecstatic is the word to describe the view from the top.

On top of a mountain is always a heavenly experience where sun, sky and the mountains all around never let one realize that another world too existed beyond. On top of Mt. Pilatus, in Swiss Alps, at 7,000 feet (2,132 meters) above sea level, imparts similar thoughts. Take a stately walk around the mountain on top that turns out to be more awe-inspiring at every twirl. There could be some narrow, snow-clad passages; so watch your steps. What follows next is the extreme of adventure.

There are two options to get back – on a cable car or aerial gondola and on the toboggan, if you are that adventure-freak. Pilatus toboggan track is the longest in Switzerland. As you get down, a leisurely five- minute walk takes you to Alpnachstad bus stand and from there 15-minute ride back to the Lucerne train station.

In fact, the whole round trip from boat rides on Lake Lucerne to cogwheel to cable car/toboggan and finally from bus ride to the Lucerne station is popular as “Golden Round Trip” among tourists. Tickets for the same are available on Lucerne station as well as on the Lake Steamer section. Even though the period between May to October is considered best for visiting the place, carrying warm clothes is a must any time. To see the beauty of Alps at the confluence of fall and winter when the rocky mountain boasts of both greeneries and the white snow, visit there in October.

The breathtaking mountainous panorama, the pristinely serene Lake Lucerne, the thrilling ascent on the steepest cogwheel, the freaking descend down Mt. Pilatus and more excitements notwithstanding will have you craving for more. And forgetting to buy some tiny Swiss cow bells is a strict no-no.

Radio Feature: Coral Reef

2011-06-19T22:47:00.001+05:30

Press 'Play' to listen to the radio features by Sanskrity Sinha at Radio Deutsche Welle Germany.
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Language: Hindi
Duration: 10 Minutes

Radio Feature: Indian Retail Protest

2011-06-19T22:45:00.002+05:30

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Language: Hindi
Duration: 10 Minutes

Radio Feature: मै हिन्दी हूँ (I am Hindi)

2011-06-19T22:43:00.001+05:30

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Language: Hindi
Duration: 10 Minutes

Radio Feature: Water Management in India

2011-06-19T22:40:00.001+05:30

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Language: Hindi
Duration: 10 Minutes