மதுரை அரசு ராஜாஜி மருத்துவமனை அமைந்துள்ள பனகல் சாலையில், ஒரு டீக்கடை முன் அதிகாலை நேரத்தில் தினமும் ஏகப்பட்ட கூட்டம். டீ வாங்கத்தான் இவ்வளவு கூட்டமா எனச் சென்று பார்த்தால், எல்லோரும் இலவசமாக அந்தக் கடையில் பாட்டில், பாட்டிலாக சுடுதண்ணீர் வாங்கிச் செல்கின்றனர். பேரல் பேரலாகக் கொண்டு வரப்படும் தண்ணீரை ஒரு ஊழியர் கேஸ் அடுப்பில் சூடுபடுத்திக் கொண்டிருக்க, மற்றொரு ஊழியர் அந்த சுடு தண்ணீரை வாளியில் வருகிறவர்களுக்கெல்லாம் இலவசமாக வழங்குகிறார்.
நம்மூரில் குடிதண்ணீருக்கே குழாயடிச் சண்டை நடப்பது வழக்கம். ஆனால், இந்த டீக்கடையில் கடந்த 30 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேலாக, ஏழை நோயாளிகளுக்காக சுடுதண்ணீர் வழங்கும் சேவையை வெளியே தெரியாமல் செய்து வருகின்றனர்.
இந்த டீக்கடை உரிமையாளர் பி.சி. தங்கம். முன்னாள் மாநகராட்சி கவுன்சிலரான இவர் இறந்துவிட்டார். இவரது மனைவி ஆனந்தவள்ளிதான், தற்போது இந்தக் கடையை நடத்துகிறார். இவரும் கவுன்சிலராக உ ள்ளார். ஆனந்தவள்ளியின் கணவர் பி.சி. தங்கம் இந்தக் கடையைத் தொடங்கும்போது, மருத்து வமனைக்கு வரும் நோயாளிகள் குடிக்க, மருந்து, மாத்திரைகள் சாப்பிட அவர்களுடைய உறவி னர்கள், அப்பகுதி டீக் கடைகளில் சுடுதண்ணீர் கேட்டு வருவார்களாம். அவர்களிடம் கடைக்காரர்கள் ‘டீ வாங்கினால் ஒரு டம்ளர், 2 டம்ளர் சுடுதண்ணீர் தருகிறோம் எனப் பேரம் பேசுவார்களாம். சிலர் சுடுதண்ணீரெல்லாம் தர முடியாது என விரட்டுவார்களாம். அதனால், சுடுதண்ணீர் வாங்குவ தற்காகவே கடைகளில் பார்சல் டீ வாங்குவா ர்களாம். சுடுதண்ணீருக்கு அவர்கள் திண்டாடுவதைப் பார்த்த பி.சி.தங்கம், தனது கடை ஊழியர்களிடம் நோயாளிகளுக்காக யார் வந்து கேட்டாலும் எந்நேரத்திலும் இலவசமாக சுடுதண்ணீர் போட்டுக் கொடுங்கள் என்றாராம்.
அன்று முதல் இன்று வரை, நோயாளிகளுக்கு இலவசமாக சுடுதண்ணீர் வழங்கி வருகின்றனர். கணவர் இறந்தபின், அவரது மனைவி ஆனந்தவள்ளியும் இந்த சேவையைத் தொடர்ந்து வரு கிறார்.
தினமும் 2 வணிக சிலிண்டர்கள்
இதுகுறித்து கடை ஊழியர்கள் அழகுசுந்தரம், திருமலை ஆகியோர் ‘தி இந்து’ விடம் கூறுகையில், “அறுவை சிகிச்சை செய்தவர்கள், கட்டு போட்ட வர்களுக்கு மருத்துவர்கள் சுடுதண்ணீரால் உடம்பை துடைத்துவிடச் சொல்வார்கள். சுடு தண்ணீரைதான் குடிக்கச் சொல்வார்கள். நோயாளிகளுக்கு மருத்துவமனையில் சுடுதண்ணீர் வசதியில்லை. அதனால், நோயாளி யின் உறவினர்கள் வீட்டில் இருந்து சுடுதண்ணீர் கொண்டுவர வேண்டும். இல்லையென்றால், டீக்கடைகளில்தான் வாங்க வேண்டும்.
டீ வாங்கினால் மட்டுமே கடைகளில் பாட்டிலில் ஒன்று, இரண்டு டீ டம்ளரில் மட்டும் சுடுதண்ணீர் கொடுப்பார்கள். சுடு தண்ணீர் வாங்குவதற்காக ஒரு நாளைக்கு மூன்று, நான்கு முறை டீ வாங்க வருவார்கள். அதனாலே, மருத்துவமனையை சுற்றி டீ கடைகள் ஏராளம். மதுரை அரசு மருத்துவமனைக்கு தென் மாவட்டங்கள் முழுவதும் இருந்து நோயாளிகள் வருவார்கள். அவர்கள் சுடு தண்ணீரை வீட்டிலிருந்து எடுத்து வர முடியாது. சுடு தண்ணீருக்காக அவர்கள் தடுமாறுவார்கள். அவர்களுக்காக தினமும் சுடு தண்ணீர் வழங்குகிறோம். தினமும் 6 பேரல் சுடுதண்ணீர் கொடுக்கிறோம். இதற்காக தினமும் இரண்டு வணிக சிலிண்டர்கள் செலவாகிறது. ஒரு சிலிண்டர் விலை ரூ. 1900-க்கு மேல் விற்கிறது. டீக் கடையில் கிடைக்கும் வருமானத்தில் ஒரு பகுதியை சுடு தண்ணீர் வழங்குவதற்காக செலவிடுகிறோம் டீக்கடை முன் சுடுதண்ணீர் வாங்க கூட்டம் குவிவதால், காலை நேரத்தில் வியாபாரம் பாதிக்கும். அதனால், அதிகாலை 5 மணி முதல் 7 மணி வரையும், மாலை 3 மணி முதல் 7 மணி வரை மட்டுமே சுடு தண்ணீர் வழங்குவோம். அந்த நேரத்தில்தான் நோயாளிகளுக்கும் தண்ணீர் தேவைப்படும் என்றனர். இவர்களைப் பார்த்து, தற்போது மற்ற டீக்கடைக்காரர்களும், தினமும் குறிப்பிட்ட சிறிது நேரம் இலவசமாக சுடுதண்ணீரை வழங்கத் தொடங்கிவிட்டது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.
Ever since the Wright Brothers managed to get their Wright flyer airborne in 1903, the history of aviation has been dotted with a number of fascinating, landmark moments. This list will run through 14 of the most innovative, important and incredible airplanes ever to grace the skies, and tell the remarkable stories that made them such trailblazing groundbreakers.
The Wright Flyer is famous for being the first airplane to successfully take flight. Designed and built by pioneering inventors and entrepreneurs Orville and Wilbur Wright, it achieved its feat on the beaches of Kitty Hawk, when Orville Wright piloted the airborne plane for 12 short seconds, covering 120 feet. The flight may have been short, but it was to prove one of the moments of the century, and the brothers toured with their plane to show off their achievements to skeptical audiences throughout the world. It was during this tour that they flew about Le Mans in France and kick-started an aviation revolution across Europe that was to change the world.
The Lockheed SR71 Blackbird was a long range, strategic reconnaissance aircraft operated by the US Air Force. Despite the fact that the Blackbird last flew in 1999, it still holds the record for the fastest flight speed ever recorded by an air-breathing manned aircraft at 2,193.2mph (3,529kph), a record that it has held – remarkably – since 1976. It once flew from London to New York (a distance of 3461.53 miles or 5,570.79km) in a ridiculously fast 1 hour 54 minutes in 1972, but Incredible speed was not the Blackbird’s only selling point. Throughout its commission it was also the highest flying plane in the world, capable of flying at an altitude of 85,069 feet or 25,929m. Of course, these attributes were not just for show, they helped the plane carry out crucial reconnaissance missions without detection, and evade missile fire when under attack.
3. Spitfire
The only plane to be manufactured throughout World War II
The Supermarine Spitfire was used extensively by the British Royal Air Force and other Allied countries during and beyond World War II. It has achieved iconic status for its role during the Battle of Britain when used by heavily outnumbered allied pilots to repel invaders from the German Luftwaffe. It was also produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft, and was the only plane to be continuously manufactured throughout the war. It remained in production until 1954.
The Wright Brothers had proved that man’s dream of flying could become reality, but it was left to a tiny plane called the Benoist XIV to bring that dream to the paying market. The small plane was specifically designed in the hope of carrying passengers, but suffered problems in its early days. The summer of 1913 saw its first attempts to establish itself as a passenger plane, but the plan failed and the aircraft was a wrecked. It wasn’t until the winter of 1914 that the designer Thomas Benoist partnered with businessman Percival Fansler to offer commercial flights between the Florida cities of St Petersburg and Tampa. Finally, on January 10th 1914 pilot Tony Jannus flew former St Petersburg mayor Abram C. Pheil across the route for the princely sum of $400.00. Although regular flights were priced at $5.00, Pheil had paid more at auction for the honor of being the very first passenger.
The de Havilland Comet is regarded as both a trailblazer and a tragedy by aviation historians. It was the first jet-powered passenger plane, capable of cruising at high altitudes – and brought with it new levels of comfort and fresh possibilities for passenger flights. However, the Comet was beset by design faults leading to a number of awful accidents including three incidents in 1954 where planes broke up in mid-air. The tragedies ushered in a new era of extensive accident investigation and informed future aircraft design testing as engineers learned from the mistakes made by the Comet’s designers, including the use of catastrophically inadequate airframes.
The German built Messerschmitt Me 262 become the first jet-powered fighter aircraft when it was first commissioned in 1942, bolstering the Luftwaffe fleet in the middle of World War II. Allied attacks on fuel supplies and problems with the reliability of the engines meant that its impact on the direction of the War was not as great as the German military hoped, and it was not in production for very long. However, its jet engines offered a degree of maneuverability and speed that was not replicated elsewhere at the time, and its design would inspire future military aircraft into the jet-powered age.
7. Gossamer Albatross
The first human powered aircraft to cross the English Channel
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Gossamer Albatross was the product of aviation experimentation in the early 20th century. However, it was actually designed and built in the late 1970s. Paul B. McGready was the man behind the concept, and the Albatross was intended as a man-powered craft capable of long distance travel. On June 12th 1979, it achieved its ultimate goal when amateur cyclist and keen pilot Bryan Allen successfully flew it from England to France in 2 hours 49 minutes, reaching a top speed of 18mph. The super-lightweight composition of the Albatross has gone on to inspire the design of solar powered electric aircraft seen today.
8. Cirrus SR22
The first plane to have a life-saving ‘whole-airplane parachute’
The Cirrus SR22 has been the best selling single-engine, four-seater aircraft since it was introduced in 2001 – and for good reason. It features a composite construction fitted with a parachute that works on the entire plane. The parachute system has saved well over 100 lives over the course of the Cirrus’s production run, and has given confidence to budding pilots who can take the controls without the same levels of danger associated with other light aircraft. 19 year old Ryan Campbell flew in a Cirrus when he became the youngest pilot to fly around the world in 2014.
Concorde is one of only two supersonic jets to ever carry commercial passengers and became synonymous with luxury travel and wealth. It first flew in 1969, but was not actually the first of its type – the Soviet built Tupolev Tu-144 beat it into flight by two months and the two types of plane were to be pitted in a commercial battle for years to follow. However, it was Concorde’s distinctive design that became best known throughout most of the world, and it remains an iconic symbol of aviation history today, even though it took its last flight (in a blaze of publicity) in 2003.
The MQ-1 Predator was the first ‘unmanned aerial vehicle’ (more commonly known as ‘drone’) to be used in conflict. It is capable of being piloted remotely for up to 14 hours, monitoring its target and completing missions before returning to base. The plane has been used on reconnaissance missions primarily but is also capable of firing missiles, making it a trailblazer for a new era of drone warfare that is changing the face of military conflict.
The Blériot XI was designed and piloted by Frenchman Louis Blériot, becoming the first aircraft to successfully fly the 22 miles of the English channel on July 25th 1909. The accomplishment was one of the foremost achievements of the ‘pioneer era’ of aviation in the early 20th century, and sees Blériot take his place alongside the likes of the Wright Brothers as one of the most influential innovators of early aircraft design. His achievements changed the way aviation was viewed and inspired the famous ‘Britain is no longer an island’ headline from British newspaper the Daily Express once news of the successful Channel crossing broke.
The Boeing 747 was the original ‘jumbo jet’ built to transport more passengers than ever to faraway vacations. Much of the increase was provided by the ‘upper deck’, typically reserved for first class passengers. For 37 years it held the record for passenger capacity, after being originally introduced in 1970, and its design was even more impressive considering engineers had to hand-draw 75,000 technical sketches in the days before computers could do the job for them. The design was so good, in fact, that further advancements stalled and commercial passenger aviation remained unchanged for a number of years.
The Bell X-1 was the product of a research experiment by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the US Air Force, designed in 1944 and built in 1945. It was intended to break the sound barrier, and it did, achieving the first Mach 1 flight ever on October 14th 1947, in a plane pilot Chuck Yeager named Glamorous Glennis after his wife. The legacy of the Bell X-1 was vast as the research techniques informed future designs of supersonic aircraft and the flight data was crucial to American military design in the latter half of the 20th century.
Solar Impulse represents the fruits of a Swiss led project to build a solar powered aircraft capable of flying long distances. The project has been in development since 2003 and has achieved a number of successes, included manned test flights, a continental flight across the USA and a re-design that saw the development of Solar Impulse 2, a second model that is currently on a round-the-world trip conducted in 13 stages over two years. As of the 23rd of October 2015, Solar Impulse 2 has completed 8 of those stages and sits in Hawaii ready to complete the final 5 stages of its journey back to Abu Dhabi, from where its journey began in March 2015.
Their families are poor and do not know what IIT is, but these children dream of IIT and working for ISRO and NASA one day. One man and his family have helped 333 such children turn their dreams to reality.
As Bihar goes to the polls, Archana Masih/Rediff.com salutes its greatest success story.
IMAGE: Basant is the son of a village farmer whose family doesn’t know of IIT. He says he didn’t even dream of making it to Super 30. Photographs: Archana Masih/Rediff.com
In a narrow, ordinary lane, running by the side of a railway track in Patna, lives an extraordinary man.
The neighbourhood has several slender gullies and his house stands at the end of one. It is called Shanti Kutir, named after his dadi, where he stands on the verandah in a t-shirt, shorts and chappals.
“Namaste, swagat hai aapka (Namaste, welcome),” says Anand Kumar, undoubtedly one of India’s greatest teachers, who tutors underprivileged children free of cost for the IIT entrance examination with tremendous success.
Anand Kumar’s Super 30 has attained legendary status. In the 12 years since it began, 333 poor students have passed the IIT entrance exam. When he began in 2003, 18 students had been successful; since then, most among the entire batch of 30 students have made it to the IITs year on year.
IMAGE: Anand Kumar is a mathematician who has been tutoring underprivileged kids to clear the IIT-JEE.
It is a hot Saturday morning and the students have been given a week’s holiday for Durga Puja. This group of 30 only has boys. There have been 15 to 17 girls in past years that have been successful in passing the IIT-JEE.
The last batch had one girl, Nidhi Jha, who stayed with Anand Kumar’s family while the boys reside in a rented hostel nearby. She was the daughter of an autorickshaw driver and featured in a French documentary for her wonderful achievement. Nidhi is now studying at the Indian School of Mines.
Another girl, Pragya Verma, went to IIT-Bombay and is now at the University of Minnesota.
Abhishek Raj — whose mother laboured to supplement the household income to pay for the notebooks, pencils of her children at the government school — went to IIT-Kharagpur, then to the US and is now in England.
Shashi Narayan, the son of a hospital worker in a government hospital, who won the Erasmus Mundus scholarship for research in France, has recently taken up a teaching position in England.
Their tutor sits opposite me and speaks about his graduates with pride. “I had got admission in Cambridge, but could not go because we did not have the money,” he says, “Par mere students mere sapney mein rang bhar de rahe hai (My students are fulfilling my unrealised dreams).”
IMAGE: Boys in the current Super 30 batch. Thirty children are selected after an entrance exam. 333 have cracked the IIT-JEE so far.
While I have talk to Mr Kumar, he briefly leaves the room and returns with a cup of tea that he has made himself. I tell him he shouldn’t have taken the trouble and he says it was no problem at all — he didn’t want to trouble the ladies of his home who are busy with something else.
His wife Ritu is an alumnus of IIT-Roorkee and helps the students with their notes and scholarship applications. They have a little boy who recites a poem about how voters should not vote under duress or bribe but with their own clear conscience.
Some students from his current batch sit in the next room. They have trains or buses to catch in a few hours that will take them to their homes for the short holiday. They are shy, simple, boys who sit on a bed in a room full of framed citations for Super 30 and Anand Kumar.
This is where they come for their classes every morning from their hostel which is a short walk away. The classes are conducted by Mr Kumar and two other tutors, while the administration is looked after by his younger brother Pranav. The meals are cooked in Mr Kumar’s home by the ladies of the family and sent to the hostel.
Till they found a rented space a few years back, the students lived in the same house, while Mr Kumar’s mother cooked for them all.
IMAGE: Anand Kumar with his mother, who along with other ladies of the family, cooks for the 30 boys.
“Getting into Super 30 is very difficult. It is like breaking a matka with a kankar (grain of sand),” says Rohit Kumar, a graduate who has come to visit.
Rohit bears the confidence that a college campus in a city instills in students. The four village boys who sit with him and are in the current batch have a raw innocence about them. Two of them say their parents don’t know what IIT is.
One of them is also called Anand Kumar. The other is Basant Kumar. They are both 17.
“No one in my family knows about IIT. I want to do computer science and then do something for the country,” says Anand, the son of a farmer from Gorakhpur.
Sitting cross-legged in a pink checked shirt opposite him is Basant, the son of a farmer from Maniyar Bigha village near Gaya.
“No one knows what IIT is in my home either. I had read about Super 30 in a newspaper, filled the form and sat for the entrance test in Patna,” says the lad who wants to first get a good rank and hopes to join ISRO or NASA.
All the four boys sitting with me are from government schools. I ask them how good was the teaching and they say there were one or two teachers who taught well, while most of the studies, they had done on their own.
They had no tuition, no extra classes. Getting a seat in Super 30 was unbelievable and introduced them to a whole new world of study. “I have never studied math like what Anand Sir teaches us,” says Manjit Kumar from Gurmia village.
IMAGE: Manjit and Anand stand in front of their pasted study notes in the hostel.
Basant, who is getting late for his bus, excuses himself politely, but before rushing out, says, “If I had a dream within a dream, I could never have dreamed that I would be in Super 30. I can’t even say this is a dream come true because I never had such a big dream.”
The boys are sitting with their bags, some have bottles of water. Anand and Manjit haven’t decided whether they should go home. Their studies will get hampered at home, they say, and they cannot afford it.
I ask them to take me to their hostel and on the way Manjit tells me that he has decided not to go home. His books are kept in a bamboo rack left behind by a student from the last batch. Physics equations written by hand are pasted on sheets of paper on the wall. The boys’ stay, meals and coaching is free, but they pay for personal expenses like phone bill, books etc.
They tell me they need around Rs 400 per month from their parents for their expenses. Not more, that is enough, says Anand.
Mr Anand Kumar sustains his band of 30 from the money earned by providing coaching in the evening to those students who can afford it. He also plans to launch an online tutorial for a fee. Super 30 does not accept any donations.
IMAGE: The boys each have a bed, study tables and keep their books around them.
The boys take me around their modest rooms just as lunch time approaches. I ask Anand what he thinks is needed most in our country today.
“”Good teachers,” he says with the sincerity of a student who has experienced the shortcomings of our education system.
One of the last things Mr Anand Kumar says before I left is this: “A good teacher is the harbinger of the biggest change. Noneta can do what a teacher can.”
As the boys leave for the day, one by one they touch his feet.
“People ask me to stand for election, but I feel the respect I get from my students I will never get as a neta.”
He takes me inside to introduce me to his mother whose hand-made papads he would sell house to house to buttress the family income in those early days.
When he had started Super 30 a decade ago, this house where he conducts the classes and lives, was small. It is still not very large, but has a heart big enough to accommodate 30 bright minds each year — and within its walls are some of our country’s greatest success stories.
Condé Nast Traveller (CNT) just released the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, and for the fifth year in a row, Italy is the No. 1 destination that travellers want to visit.
The awards are based on the ratings and feedback of more than 128,000 readers — the highest level of participation in the magazine’s history.
Other Readers’ Choice Awards include the world’s best cruise lines, hotels, spas, airlines, and much more, all of which you can check out here.
ITALY: Who can resist the call of pasta and beautiful people? Not many, according to the CNT readers who’ve voted for Italy as the world’s best country to travel for five straight years. Italy is all about leisure — sip wine for hours in Venice’s Piazza San Marco, make friends with a hammock on a villa in Tuscany, or find a spot on the cliffs of Riomaggiore with a good book.
iStock / Lukasz Janyst
Riomaggiore, one of the colourful villages of Cinque Terre.
FRANCE: The country that gave us cabaret, Champagne, and hundreds of cheese varietals is one of the most romantic places on earth. In the springtime — an excellent season for a trip to France — the editors of CNT tout Morzine for some of the most beautiful hiking you can imagine. Under two hours by car from Morzine, Lake Annecy is an enchanting detour.
AMERICA: CNT readers are highly drawn to America’s glittering metropolises, family-friendly theme parks, and beautiful nature. New York’s Catskill Mountains, Georgia’s Golden Isles, and an investment banker’s hotel passion project in Montana, The Ranch at Rock Creek, are a few of the destinations that the magazine’s editors recommend.
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Autumn in the Adirondacks.
SPAIN: Since Ferran Adria’s ell bulli restaurant rose in Catalonia, Spain has been the world’s undisputed epicentre of cutting edge cuisine. Planning an entire vacation around the fine dining restaurants you want to splurge at and the most famed tapas spots is a good idea. A Fodor’s forum suggests visiting Spain in April for the best weather. You can also catch Barcelona’s food-filled April Fair.
Paella sizzles at Barcelona’s annual April Fair.
GREECE: CNT named Athens, Greece, one of its cities to watch in 2015. In the midst of a financial disaster, a spate of new museums, hip hotels and shops, and pop-ups are spurring a cultural renaissance in the capital city. For travellers, the turquoise waters and salt air of Mykonos will always be a draw.
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A restaurant in Mykonos’ Little Venice neighbourhood.
NEW ZEALAND: This is destination for adventurers. You can rough it in a cabin with no electricity on the beautiful Great Barrier Island, submerge yourself in the healing waters of Maruia Springs, hike through volcanic terrains in Tongariro National Park, or enjoy world-class fly fishing in Queenstown, where you can also get what many say is the best burger on the planet at Fergberger.
Sheep on the mountains of the north island of New Zealand. Shutterstock
THAILAND: Whether you choose to eat your way through Bangkok, island hop around Phuket, or board the glamorous Eastern & Oriental Express, Thailand will seduce you with its vibrant culture, exotic cuisine, and Utopian resorts. Recently there’s been a rise in holistic health and wellness resorts, where you can detox and refuel with yoga and Ayurvedic spa treatments.
Floating food purveyors tend to their stock………Shutterstock
TURKEY: Go to Turkey to see the gorgeous mosques, majestic castles, and natural wonders such as Pamukkale (aka ‘Cotton Castle’), a plethora of glittering white travertines filled with mineral-rich water. Also go for the newly built Soho House in Istanbul’s romantic Beyoğlu district.
Pamukkale, natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey.
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INDIA: From the sandy beaches of Goa to the ancient Buddhist caves of Ajanta, the sites to see in the second most populous country in the world are endless. Far from the crowds of Mumbai, the northern Kashmir is often described as India’s Switzerland, where the pace is slower the skiing is quite good.
The peaceful ebb of Dal Lake in Kashmir Shutterstock
SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Town ranked No. 6 on CNT’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the world’s best cities. With the glorious Table Mountain and one of South African hotelier Sol Kerzner’s luxurious One&Only resorts, it’s certainly a draw, but the vineyards of Franschhoek and the safari lodges of Kruger National Park also beckon.
Table mountain, one of the seven new world wonders of nature, in Cape Town.
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VIETNAM: Wandering chef Anthony Bourdain says going to Vietnam changed his life. ‘It just seemed like another planet; a delicious one that sort of sucked me in and never let go,’ he told CNT. We’d be happy just to sip Vietnamese coffee and eat pho all day, but the adventurous can descend into the world’s largest cave, Hang Son Doong, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
Rice fields in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam. Shutterstock
SRI LANKA: If you’re lost, this is where you can find yourself. Fill a backpack and take the island’s ‘charmingly decrepit’ railway to wherever. Buy fritters and curry dishes from train hawkers, look out onto seemingly endless fields of tea, and hop off to see sites like the Golden Temple of Dambulla and the famous markets of Pettah.
A train from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy travels through the highlands of Sri Lank
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NETHERLANDS: Forget why twenty-somethings flock here. Go to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other crannies of this gorgeous country for the incredible museums, unparalleled coffee, and stunning countrysides. We suggest splurging on a stay at the newly built Waldorf Astoria — a collection of six townhouses with a Guerlain Spa — on Amsterdam’s oldest and most storied canal.
Dusk in Amsterdam. Shutterstock
MEXICO: Look out Spain and Italy, Mexico’s culinary scene has entered the ring. The country logged three restaurants — Pujol, Quintonil, and Biko — on the 2015 World’s 50 Best Restaurants List. All three are in Mexico City.
Mariachi on the streets of Campeche. Shutterstock
PORTUGAL: Small but mighty, the Spain neighbour has a distinct culture, cuisine, and language. In the summer, head to the western village of Comporta, Portugal’s answer to Ibiza. And no trip to the country is complete without a glass of port wine from the Douro Valley.
Wooden footbridge to Camilo beach. Shutterstock
IRELAND: From castle hotels to boisterous pubs and the greenest countrysides your eyes will ever behold, Ireland is a feast for the senses. CNT recommends renting a car and taking the world’s longest road trip on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Nightlife at Dublin’s Temple Bar quarter. Shutterstock Patricia Hofmeester
JAPAN: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are a few of the hot spots to explore in Japan. Home to more than 2,000 breathtaking Buddhist temples and shrines, Kyoto was voted the No. 1 city in the world by Travel and Leisure magazine this year.
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Three geishas walk on a street of Gion in Kyoto.
CANADA: From wilderness camping on Vancouver Island to a stay at North America’s oldest Ritz-Carlton in Montreal, Canada nets travellers of all types. A ride down the toboggan lanes in Quebec City is a must in the wintertime.
Quebec City in winter. Shutterstock
MOROCCO: The home of Casablanca is a treasure trove of spice markets, surrealist landscapes, jaw-dropping mosques, and world-class surfing. The cuisine is like none other, with a mix of Arab, African, Persian, and French flavours.
Camel caravan going through the sand dunes in the Sahara Desert.
The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is famous for being the driest place in the world. It is a virtually rainless plateau that sits across a location nearly 600 miles wide and is 50 times drier than the Death Valley in the United States, with an average rainfall of just 1 millimeter per year across the region, while some weather stations have never reported any precipitation since they started keeping records.
Atacama’s landscape has been carved by volcanic activity in the area and looks like no other. When you see the beautiful colors of the lagoons, volcanic peaks and vast salt basins that cover the desert, you will see why it is one of the most up-and-coming travel destinations in the world.
Lake view near Piedras Rojas (Red Stones) at over 4000m altitude
Given that the Atacama Desert is famous for being the driest place on Earth, it may come as a surprise to many to see a series of high altitude lagoons dotting across the area and providing a beautiful color contrast against the red volcanic landscapes. However, many hundreds of years ago, small periods of heavy rainfall caused water to accumulate in basins and create small lakes. Other lagoons formed from melting glaciers during the last ice age and have remained until this day. The lakes are generally extremely salty and given that more water evaporates in the area than falls, the lakes are technically drying up – although they will still be around for a while.
View over Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley) near the town of San Pedro.
Many visitors flock to the area to experience its famous ‘otherworldly’ landscape. The comparisons with faraway lands are not just aesthetic either – they are grounded in science. Samples of soil taken in the desert have been found to have a similar composition to samples taken from Mars. NASA even uses the area to test roving vehicles and other instruments before they depart on missions for the red planet.
Despite the harsh conditions, nature (as it so often does) has found a way to thrive. Many varieties of weird and wonderful plant life add some color to the landscape, and a number of animal species have made the desert their home. Llama-like vicunas, small and furry viscachas and the elusive South American Grey Fox are among the mammals of the region, while a variety of birds can also be spotted including three different types of flamingos.
The desert was at the center of a huge land dispute between Chile and Bolivia in the 1800s. Because the area is home to the largest supply of sodium nitrate, it is a lucrative source of economic possibilities. The mining industry remains a big business today, and there are many abandoned towns that provide a reminder of the mining practices of yesteryear. Chile won the land dispute, which is still the cause for some resentment across the border today.
The desert is largely isolated with a just a few small towns dotting the landscape. Visitors can arrive by air or overland into the largest town in the region – Calama – and most head for San Pedro de Atacama, from which many tours of the region can be arranged. The remoteness of the desert and lack of ambient light ensure it is a special place to be after night falls, offering not only spectacular sunsets above ethereal scenery, but also incredible views of the stars after nightfall. It is a one of the best places in the world to gaze into the milky way and it’s easy to arrange stargazing trips to please any budding astronomer.
They wanted to inspire young people of India to take up mountaineering. So Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar scaled a 6,180 metres high unexplored peak, becoming the first people to do so.
Two mountaineers, Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar, have become the first people to scale a ‘six-thousander’ peak located near the Bara Shigri glacier.
The term ‘six-thousander’ refers to a peak that is 6,000 metres high, or taller. This particular peak is 6,180 metres tall. It overlooks the Spiti Valley, and gives a view of the Himalayan landscape from an altitude of over 19,000 feet. Bara Shigri glacier is the largest glacier in Himachal Pradesh.
The duo wanted to go for an unexplored peak to inspire young people to take up mountaineering, and they completed the mission on Oct. 14, returning on Oct. 20.
They also named the peak Mount Kalam in the memory of the former Indian President. –
Arjun, who had climbed Mount Everest in May 2010, comes from Noida. He had also tried to scale Mount Makalu in Nepal this year, but was stopped because of the earthquake. Bhupesh hails from Bulandshahr and he has scaled 17 Indian peaks till now. –
Bhupesh Kumar
It is a technically challenging mountain with lots of deep snow, hidden crevasses and abundant rock. Climbing the mountain in an extremely cold environment was difficult. But we scaled it successfully,” Arjun told The Times of India. According to him, around 300 peaks in India are ‘six-thousanders’
They had left Noida on Oct. 8, reaching Batal camp in Himachal Pradesh on Oct. 9. From there, they climbed to Scout Camp (4,100 metres), Intermediate Camp (4,400 metres), Base Camp (4,750 m) and Summit Camp (5,500 metres). On Oct. 14, they scaled the peak and hoisted the Indian flag there.
The foundation stone for building of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital city, Amaravati, was recently laid. Did you know that the small city is very rich in terms of its heritage? Here are five interesting facts you should know about the country’s newest state capital.
After a long wait, Andhra Pradesh is finally ready to welcome its new capital city, Amaravati. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the state’s new capital on Thursday. Here are five interesting facts about the city:
It is one of the oldest cities in Indian history. A small town in Guntur district, Amaravati has about 2,000 year old heritage. It was the capital of Satavahanas during 2nd and 3rd century BCE. After the fall of kingdoms like Pallavas, it was later captured by Britishers during the colonial period. Its rich heritage includes Amareswara temple, Mahachaitya (the great stupa), Buddhist sculptures and slabs with Buddhist inscriptions.
2. Asia’s largest chilli market is located near Amaravati in Guntur.
Vijayawada railway station which was constructed in 1888 is one of the busiest railway stations of India. It has more than 250 express and 150 freight trains passing through it, serving 50 million passengers every year. The railway station has ten platforms and is the only station in India to have five entrance gates with booking counters.
5. The world famous Kohinoor diamond came from “Kollur mines” in Kollur Village, which is now part of the Amaravati.
Vindhya E Infomedia, a BPO in Bangalore, is known for it its quality of work. But what’s special about it? The organization was started with the vision of employing differently abled people, and has been doing so, very successfully, since the past 10 years now.
Pavithra Y S, a 21-year-old B.Com graduate was brainstorming ideas about doing something meaningful in her life, with her husband Ashok Giri who is an IT professional. “We just ended up choosing to start a for-profit enterprise that would also offer growth opportunities for the so-called ‘disabled’ people,” she says.
Pavithra uses the term ‘so-called’ because Vindhya E Infomedia, the social enterprise that was born as a result of that brainstorming session, has proved that the disabled are just differently enabled people who are completely capable of being a part of the productive work force.
Vindhya E Infomedia, located in the Rajajinagar Industrial Estate of Bangalore, is now in its 10th year of operations.
The company does Business Process Outsourcing for many industries such as micro finance, banking, insurance, IT and ITES where data is the key to making decisions. Turnaround time (TAT) is critical in choosing vendors, and in that respect, Vindhya is the BPO of choice in the banking and financial services industry.
A service provider to top notch companies like Schneider, SAP and many leading banks, it is known today for its quality.
“In fact, our company has brought down TATs drastically in this sector. And it is all because our differently-abled employees deliver their best. For them, this is important not just for their career advancement but more because they want the rest of their disabled community to be able to get the job opportunity that they have got. They work as if they are being appraised every moment,” says Pavithra.
So is there an optimum match between the skill sets of the differently abled and the BPO industry’s requirements?
“There are a couple of requirements, but in my opinion the most important one is ‘attitude’. All of them come with a ‘can do’ attitude. ‘Give us any work and we will deliver it’, they say. And they do,” explains Pavithra.
The hearing and speech impaired mostly do data processing. Training for the hearing impaired is conducted through sign language which is also the universal language used at Vindhya E Infomedia.
Training session in progress for Non-Voice Process Executives –
How Pavithra learnt the sign language makes for an interesting anecdote. In the early days of the company, two hearing impaired girls walked into the office for jobs. At that time, Pavithra did not know that such a thing as a sign language exists. ‘Give me a job and I’ll teach you the sign language,’ one of the girls told her.
Vindhya E Infomedia’s training manual for the 1,200 able and differently enabled employees is written in simple English with clear photos to illustrate processes that the employees need to be trained in. Candidates who apply are expected to have basic English comprehension and computer usage skills. They are then trained to use specific software and communicate in English. While there is a formal training module, informal tools such as reading English language newspapers, and conversing between employees in English also helps.
Although Vindhya was started with the aim of creating a 100 per cent production team of differently abled, it has employed the abled too, in order to bring in other skills sets into the company. This, in fact, has spurred the differently enabled to perform even better because of the healthy competition at workplace. The abled employees, many of them women, work on client sites.
“Our work ethic is hard-core professional. While we nurture the differently abled, no concessions are given for non-performance. Our work force is very disciplined,” says Pavithra.
Recruitment is a multi-pronged process. Initially, they approached NGOs that trained the differently abled. But now they have also set up camps in Tier II cities to create awareness about job opportunities and to recruit from there.
In addition to this, they do campus recruitment as well. Even so, what works best is word-of-mouth because ‘referrals are important in creating trust between employer and employee’, says Pavithra.
Setting up Vindhya E Infomedia was Pavithra’s first work experience and Ashok Giri, her husband, mentored her for the first two years after which he joined the company as CEO and Director. Like any other startup, they operated on a shoe-string budget. Pavithra remembers how, soon after they started, they were to celebrate their daughter’s first birthday. But with the already stretched budget, they could not make any grand plans. When their employees got to know about this, they pooled in and bought a cake, some snacks, and held an impromptu celebration.
Thus the tradition of having a monthly birthday celebration of the employees started.
Initially, they were also low on cash and for some months it was difficult to pay salaries. But the employees were so thrilled to have a job that they were willing to forgo this, provided food and accommodation were taken care of. Thus they rented out a house where employees could share accommodation and three meals were provided at the work place every day.
It is heartening that many of the employees from the initial batch have moved out of shared accommodation, found spouses within the company and bought homes of their own.
Pavithra narrates the story of how she found her front office receptionist when one of her vendors mentioned a guy who had lost both his arms in an accident. She was not sure if she could employ him, but his ‘can do’ attitude was so infectious that she hired him as a receptionist. With some training in spoken English he handled his job well and his people skills were so good that he was moved to the HR department and is now the Assistant Manager, HR.
“We named our company Vindhya because we believed that like the mountain range that continues to grow, our company too would grow, not just in business but also in human potential. We could see that happening from Day 1 – people walked into our company and their lives changed. As did ours as we kept learning from each other,” sums up Pavithra.
“When we did client presentations, people often wondered if we could deliver the goods. Time and again Vindhya E Infomedia has proved itself to be the best in its class. Our work culture of integrating the specially enabled with the able has worked well for us and our clients, who have solidly supported us through our decade of existence. To this day my husband and I try to recollect how our conversation of starting Vindhya started and neither of us remembers it. I believe this enterprise was just meant to be.”
Aloe vera is perhaps the most genuine and versatile cure-all plant there is, offering a plethora of health benefits – the word ‘vera’ after all, does mean true or genuine. In the past, it was considered to be the plant of immortality by the Egyptians, and has been used since time immemorial for its soothing and curing properties.
The Aloe vera plant is luscious with thick, fleshy stems and spiny leaves. The plant’s miraculous benefits are located within the stems, which contain aloe juice and gel – a substance that is used in numerous medicinal, cosmetic, and health treatments.
Aloe vera juice can be bought (preferably organic, and pure) from a health shop or a well-stocked supermarket. Alternatively, if you’ve got a couple of plants at home, you can just as easily make your own juice
Cut and open a few stems of the plant from the middle section. Opt for the outer stems as they are the most mature, and have the highest concentration of antioxidants.
Upon squeezing the stem, aloe gel will ooze out. Store it in a bowl, then put the gel in a blender and add 1 cup of water.
To get pure aloe vera juice, blend the ingredients and consume within 3-4 days, before it loses its antioxidants.
What Makes Aloe Vera so Nutritious?
Aloe vera (both juice and gel) is packed with antioxidants and antibiotics and works as stimulators of cell growth. It also has scar and pain inhibitor properties. The entire leaf is at times used to treat ulcerative colitis, metastatic cancer, infectious disease and chemotherapy treatment. The plant is also rich in the following vitamins and minerals, making it a highly nutritious ingredient.
Calcium
Sodium
Iron
Potassium
Manganese
Zinc
Folic Acid
Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E
Amino Acids
15 Health Benefits of Aloe Vera
Aloe juice can be consumed internally, or applied on the skin and hair. It is also a general health tonic that you can consume every morning to reap all of its benefits.
1. Use it to cure bowel problems
Due to its high anti-inflammatory properties, aloe vera is just the thing to take if you suffer from bowel problems. It promotes good bacteria in the gut and keeps all digestive disorders at bay.
2. Use it to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
This auto-immune disease attacks the body tissues, especially the membranes lining the joints, causing inflammation and stiffness. Drinking aloe juice for two weeks however, can help reduce inflammation in the body. Aloe also contains anti-inflammatory compounds that help to reduce the pain and stiffness to a great extent.
3. Use it to treat heart reflux
If you suffer from severe digestive problems, drinking aloe vera juice reduces the symptoms of heart reflux, and stabilizes the alkaline levels of the body. Aloe juice has a soothing effect on stomach walls and reduces heart burn and discomfort. It is also an ideal treatment for constipation, due to its laxative properties.
4. Use it to reduce cholesterol levels
To keep your cholesterol levels in check, as well as increase levels of good cholesterol, include fresh aloe juice in your daily diet.
5. Use it to regulate blood sugar levels
When consumed regularly, aloe vera helps to regulate blood sugar levels. On this note though, it is important to consult with your doctor, for the correct dosage. Often times, aloe can interfere with the medicines that you take to curb blood sugar.
6. Use it to relieve sinus and chest congestion
If you tend to suffer from constant sinus problems, opt for aloe vera. It is rich in magnesium lactate that works as an antihistamine, which helps in reducing the problems of sinus and chest inflammation due to various allergies.
7. Use it to help fight cancer
Aloe juice contains high levels of anti-carcinogenic properties that hinder the growth of tumors.
8. Use it to build immunity
Consuming aloe juice on a regular basis, replenishes the amino acid deficiency in your body. Due to its high vitamin content, aloe boosts your body’s immune system and self-defense mechanism.
9. Use it to fight the common cold and cough
Aloe juice is the best natural solution for anyone who suffers regularly from colds, coughs, flu, stuffy nose, bronchitis and other respiratory disorders. Aloe contains a good dose of Vitamin C, which ensures protection from common colds that occur with environmental changes.
10. Use it to combat signs of ageing
Aloe contains anti-ageing properties, keeping the skin supple and rejuvenated. It also lightens blemishes. The gel can be rubbed directly on your face.
11. Use it to remove dead cells and stretch marks
Aloe vera moisturizes the skin, and helps to remove dead cells, wrinkles and fine lines. The juice may also be used to remove stretch marks.
12. Use it to heal wounds
The blend may be used to heal cuts and wounds. It can also be used for dermatitis and insect bites when applied externally.
13. Use it to reduce eye irritation
It’s easy to create your own natural eye wash with aloe vera gel – just mix 2 teaspoons of aloe gel in a cup of water. You can also add a teaspoon of boric acid. It’s also the perfect remedy to reduce reddening and irritation in the eyes.
14. Use it to maintain gum health
Fresh aloe vera gel can be directly applied to the gums, reducing pain and inflammation. It can also be used to treat gum bleeding, caused by bacterial infection.
15. Use it to promote healthy weight loss
If you’d like to lose weight naturally, try aloe vera – an easy and natural weight loss solution that reduces weight by stabilizing the metabolic rate, reducing the lipid levels, and helping burn fat.
Disclaimer: You should not consume more than 4 ounces of aloe vera juice per day. Excess intake of aloe vera can cause nausea and liver inflammation. It should also be taken with caution when taken with water pills, diuretics, and blood sugar lowering drugs. If any feelings of discomfort arise upon taking aloe vera, report to your doctor – some people may face allergic reactions.
‘I like talking in Tamil, and I enjoy eating thayir sadam (curd rice), dosa and idli. My dream is to play at the Margazhi Dance and Music Festival in Chennai, which is held in December. If I make enough money from sangeetham, I will stop working in companies. After all sangeetham is my life.’
Hidenori Ishtalks to Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com about his fascinating journey from a small town in Japan to Tamil Nadu, for the love of music.
It is funny talking to a Japanese person in Tamil, but then Hidenori Ishi is almost like a true Tamilian now. He can speak Tamil way better than English; he enjoys eating idli and dosa; and dreams that someday he’d perform at Chennai’s Margazhi Festival. Being fluent in Tamil, he also prefers the interview to be done in Tamil.
Music indeed has no boundaries, and Ishi’s story bears witness to how music can truly alter a person’s life. In 2007, he made Tamil Nadu his home, and since then there has been no turning back.
He learnt the local language, travelled to unknown places in search of a guru, and also learnt to play kanjira and thavil. Today Ishi has a job with the Customer Service Department of Nippon Express (India), and when he is not working, you’ll spot him playing thavil and kanjira at temples and at marriages. Despite his father’s objection, Ishi continues to live in India and presently has no plans of returning home, as sangeetham is his life now.
The inspiring musical journey of 33-year-old Ishi from Japan to Chennai is one filled with awe and wonder.
Growing up in Japan
‘I grew up in Kamakura, a small town which was once the capital of Japan. It is famous for its Zen Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. My family consists of my grandparents, who are farmers, and my parents. My father worked in a government department, while my mother is a housewife.
‘Though there are no musicians in my family, I was drawn to music because of a close friend, Kohei Ueda, who plays the guitar and the mandolin beautifully. Back in school, Ueda used to have musical concerts in our city, and I never missed a single concert of his. Fascinated by the musical instruments Ueda played, I wanted to join his band. However, back then I couldn’t afford to buy a musical instrument, and my dream remained unfulfilled.
Lessons in English
‘Ueda and I were so crazy about music that the news of an American band performing at the Hawaiian Islands prompted us to make a trip there. It was my first trip abroad, and I didn’t know a single word of English then. Though we had a great time there, we found it difficult to communicate with people. We then decided to learn English, and the very next year, in 2003, Ueda and I headed to Canada. We were there for a year with a working visa so that we could work and also learn English at the same time.
‘Armed with a working knowledge of English, we decided to visit India. After all, it is the land of Buddha, and we have so many Buddhist temples back home. We had heard many stories about India from friends. Then, I started reading about India and the places to see.
The Indian Chapter
‘In 2005, we landed in Delhi, but our first experience was not a pleasant one. It was night and we had to go to the railway station to board a train for Goa. We were looking out for a bus to take us to the station when a person approached us and offered to drop us to the railway station for the same price. We agreed, but they took us to a hotel instead. When we protested, they said there were no trains headed to Goa at that hour. Obviously they were lying. We were dropped to the railway station, but we ended up paying more than we would have paid as bus fare!
‘We then travelled to Goa, Agra, Mumbai and also visited Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad. When we were in Mumbai, we heard that (Ustad) Zakir Hussain was performing. He has performed in Japan, but we never had the good fortune to hear him live. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, we attended the performance which was brilliant; I still remember every moment of it!
‘From Mumbai, we went to Kashi (Varanasi). A visit to a music school there got us interested in learning to play the tabla. That was the first music class I ever attended. Apart from the classes, I also looked forward to the delicious Bengali food of rice and fish served at the lodge where we were staying.
‘Two-and-a-half months later, I returned home and decided to join Ueda’s band as a part-time tabla player.
Chennai Bound
‘I had carried a few of Zakir Hussain concert DVDs to watch once back home. In one of the DVDs, I saw V Selvaganesh playing the kanjira. It was so mesmerising to watch him! I wanted to return to India and learn to play the instrument. So, I started saving money for my next trip. At that time, my parents had no complaints about me travelling to India.
‘By 2007, I had saved enough to visit Chennai. Unfortunately, in January, when I landed, Selvaganesh’s school was closed for Pongal. Thankfully, one day I visited a kacheri and saw Madipakkam Gopal Krishna playing the kanjira there. It was the first time that I heard the kanjira live. At that time, I didn’t know it was a rare instrument and not many people played it.
‘Drawn to the kanjira, I got Madipakkam Gopal Krishna to train me. For the next six months, until my visa expired, I stayed in a lodge and went to his house every day to learn the kanjira.
‘Later, when I returned with a fresh visa, I made Selvaganesh my guru,and I studied under his guidance till April 2008. I used to practise for five-six hours daily. Selvaganesh gave me plenty of opportunities to play the kanjira at kacheris in temples, which boosted my confidence. By the time I left his place, I was quite articulate in Tamil! Through Selvaganesh, I got introduced to Triplicane K Sekar, and I started learning the thavil from him. Now, I play more thavil than kanjira.
Studying at a College for the First Time
‘As the money I had saved was almost exhausted, I decided to return home. Before heading back, I made a trip to the green city of Thanjavur and Chidambaram to visit the temples there. There I met Thanjavur T R Govindarajan, who was a professor at the Thiruvaiyaru Music College. Hearing about my interest in music, he asked me to enrol for a three-year course to play thavil.
‘That was the first time I attended a college as I had begun working soon after my schooling.
In India Again!
‘After getting my diploma in May 2011 I returned home. However, my heart belonged to India. I had not learnt how to play the keertana on thavil, and I yearned to play more. However, this time, my father wasn’t happy with me returning to India. However, I had made up my mind.
‘Back in India, I went to Chidambaram. I joined the Annamalai University to learn under the guidance of Thirukadaiyur G Babu.
‘In 2014, I got a degree, and by then I had learnt to play the keertana quite well.
Living It up the Local Way
‘Now, I have a 9-5 job in Chennai. Early mornings and weekends are dedicated to playing the thavil at temples and at weddings. I like talking in Tamil, and I enjoy eating thayir sadam (curd rice), dosa and idli. My dream is to play at the Margazhi Dance and Music Festival in Chennai, which is held in December. If I make enough money from sangeetham, I will stop working in companies. After all sangeetham is my life.
‘I’m not sure how long I’ll stay in Chennai, nor do I know what the future holds for me. However, one thing is certain, thavilwill always be a part of my life!’
Photographs: Ramesh Damodaran
Shobha Warrier / Rediff.com in Chennai Source….www.rediff.com
Take off with Natarajan 