February

Have you seen people collecting garbage from rubbish dumps? Often, children do so, as well as adults. Suman More, who lives in Pune, started doing it when she was just 13. She continued this work even after she got married and had children of her own. She would work the whole day, looking for anything she could sell. She would bring some of the garbage home, and her husband and children would help separate it into various types of waste. At the end of the day, her earning would usually be just Rs.15! […]

The Nilgiri Tahr is a mountain goat. It is easy to identify because of its horns, which curve backward from its head. Its Tamil name is Varaiaadu. It is also known as the Alpine Ibex. […]

Bodh Gaya in Bihar is one of the most sacred places for Buddhists. It is believed that, around 528 BC, a young prince, Siddhartha, who had given up his right to the throne and was travelling around the country in search for wisdom, was attracted by the peaceful surroundings there. He settled down under a Peepul tree, vowing not to move till he had received enlightenment. Three nights and days later, on a full-moon night in the month of Vaisakh (April-May in the modern calendar), he achieved what he was looking for – Bodhi. He spent the next seven weeks at the place, thinking about the enlightenment he had received. He came to be known as The Buddha, the Enlightened One. […]

The Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, is one of the 12 Jyothirlingas which are considered to be the dwelling places of Lord Shiva. It is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for Hindus. […]

When we hear the words ‘Grand Canyon’ we automatically think of Arizona, USA, and the spectacular canyon there. Few people know that we have a smaller, but still very impressive version of USA’s Grand Canyon right here in India. It’s called the Gandikota Canyon. You’ll find it in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadappa District. […]

The word Kathakali is a combination of two words – katha, meaning story, and kali, meaning performance. So it means a story which is performed. It is one of the classical dance forms of India, and comes from the State of Kerala. […]

Many Indian women wear rings on their toes. They are traditionally a symbol of marriage. In many communities, the bridegroom slips rings onto the toes of his bride during the wedding ceremony. […]

Tenali Raman and his wife were travelling to Hampi. While passing a village situated at a foothill, they noticed a huge gathering. Curious, they stopped and pushed through the crowd. […]

An ant, searching for food in a forest, felt thirsty. He bent down to drink water from a river. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew him into the water. The helpless ant struggled to climb up to the bank. Every time he tried, he fell right back into the water. […]

I firmly believe that dogs and children are a wonderful combination. A pet dog teaches your kids to love animals, care for them and lose their fear of dogs. They learn compassion and responsibility. And also grow up with a companion who showers them with unconditional love. […]

I was all excited when Lalitha Akka invited me for dinner, as she has the most amazing reputation for creating a feast for the eyes, mind and the palate. […]

A lion terrorized and attacked a group of animals every day leaving many injured and killed. The animals worried about their dwindling numbers, held a meeting and approached the lion. They spoke to him of a plan.
“Oh, mighty lion,” said a samba deer, “Please do not attack us. We will come to you one at a time every day. This way you will never go hungry.”
“Alright. I agree to your plan. But remember, if no animal comes, I will kill all of you.” […]

There was a farmer named Gopal in the village of Harpanahalli. He was very hard working. He did not while away time in idle chatter. He avoided going out with friends and wasting time roaming around the village. All his friends made fun of him. […]

Gandhiji made the spinning wheel and Khadi famous. Even today, when we think of Gandhiji, the image of him sitting in front of the spinning wheel with is his legs folded under him, one hand on the wheel and one hand twirling the thread, comes to mind. Gandhiji also used the spinning wheel as a symbol of the Indian Independence Movement and included it on the Flag of India. […]

With so many things happening in our lives, good and bad both. And with so many challenges being thrown at us at various points in our lives, it’s not always easy to keep a control over one’s self. Especially keeping a control over our emotions and of course our minds. The Bhagavad-Gita puts a great emphasis on the control of the mind. The mind is likened to the sixth sense, and is described as fickle and unstable in nature. […]