"To whine is to err". Why whining is not an option in New India.

It takes time to understand, but the truth can be harsh sometimes. The truth is, apart from our two national holidays i.e. Independence day and Republic day we have 363 days and on those days too we are the citizens of India. I know, everyone of you must be thinking that 'Yeah, we know it!', but the real thing here is, do you feel it?

So here comes the big question - As citizens of India, are we doing enough for our country? Do we have that pride in ourselves to call ourselves Indians who believe in doing rather than participating in collective whining and whimpering.

In a country with a population of over 1.25 billion there will be problems somewhere or the other. If there is not, then there are people who are in constant search of problems and they find it too as they lack in optimism and action. They will find problem with roads, cleanliness, transport etc. and start complaining about it. In a scenario where a person has met with a road accident, the people in the vicinity are heard complaining and discussing about road safety instead of calling an ambulance or providing first aid to the victim. The things which we do defines us, so why not try our best to do the possible.

These problems are meant to be solved and they will be solved only if we the people take it as an opportunity to serve the nation by taking up the responsibility that we are the creators of New India.Collective action is the need of the hour and of course time is a factor, but where immediate action can't be taken atleast the problem should be reported. The whole world is a tap away today and reporting a problem hardly takes any time. We all have seen that our honorable Railway minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu and EAM Ms. Sushma Swaraj use twitter to help the people in distress. People are even heard today saying that if you are stranded in some galaxy far away, then just tweet and Sushma ji will come to your rescue. A point to be noted that their work is not less than any superhero. 

Talking about reporting tools, yes, there are apps and websites which can be accessed via your mobile phones to report various problems. The government of India has also launched emergency helpline numbers to help people in need. Please check below for the important numbers. Soon we will be having a single emergency number 112 in our country which will act as an all in one solution.

• Police- 100
• Ambulance-102/108
• Fire-101
• Women Helpline- 181
• National highway emergency- 1033
• Rail Emergency- 182
• Rail Complain- 138
• Women & Child Helpline- 1091(Women)/1098(Children)

So next time when you come across a problem, knowingly or unknowingly, make sure that you act on it. The honorable Prime Minister of India has started working for the New India. So do not fall back, its time we all work together for our nation. Its upto you if you believe it or not but there is nothing greater than the happiness you feel after doing something for the country. India is a great country with young blood. If we all work together then anything is possible but first, get up and be the change!

Matkas: An Indian method of cooling water

It's a hot sunny day. Your throat is parched. So what do you do? Reach for that bottle of cold water in your fridge? Refrigerators and freezers typically make up about 17% of total residential electricity consumption and the continual opening and closing of that fridge door doesn't help! "Matkas",by which you can cool your drinking water by up to 14° C (~25° F ) lower than room temperature without using any electricity! While a matka won't eliminate your need for a refrigerator, it could help you reduce your refrigerator's electricity consumption.
A matka is a terracotta pot. Various sizes are available. A variation of a matka with a longer slender neck called a "surahi" is also used for storing water. "A matka is made of mud and has many minute pores (extremely small holes). No matter how tightly you pack the mud, these pores remain. It is through these pores that the water, placed inside the matka, oozes out." This continual evaporation of water from the side of the matka causes the water to cool.
Water from a matka is comparatively gentler on the throat; hence people who are prone to cough and coldsare advised to consume it from such earthen pots than straight from a refrigerator.
Nowadays, you’ll also see jug-shaped earthen pots to store water, they are handy and will also look nice on your dining table. So this summer, bring on those cute looking matkas, delicate surahis, and jugs for refreshingly fresh and cool water. But make sure you scrub and clean them regularly

HOLI...Even the Rainbow bows to the spirit!

Holi is the festival of colours. It is the time of the year when people get drenched in a myriad of colours. From people playing with 'gulaal'(coloured powder),'pichkaris' n water baloons to the savouring of sweets like 'gujiyas' n 'malpuas', Holi has its own spirit n charm . No wonder Holi is a such a popular Indian festival! While the above is a constant for most hindus all over the world, the festival also comes with some unique regional ceremonies!

Nowhere it is celebrated with so much charm and enthusiasm as in Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Nandgaon - the places associated with the birth and childhood of Lord Krishna.the festivities last a complete 40 days, concluding finally on the day of Holi! The best of classical and folk dancers come together from all over the country to depict the love story of Krishna and Radha. At Barsana Holi assumes the name of Lathmaar Holi. Here, women of Barsana give a tough time to men of Nandgaon as they come to play Holi with them. Women drag the unlucky captives, beat them, dress them in a female attire - yet all is in the spirit of Holi.

In Haryana, there is a tradition that the brother's wife beats her brother-in-law with her sari rolled up into a rope in a mock rage. All this is done in good humor and in the evening the brother in law brings sweetmeats for her. 

The most enjoyable tradition of Holi, of course, apart from the play of colours is the tradition of breaking the pot. It is celebrated with much fan fair in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Here a pot of buttermilk is hung high on the streets. Men form a huge human pyramid and one on the top breaks the pot with his head. All this while women keep singing Holi folk songs and throwing buckets and buckets of water. The tradition has its roots in the mischievous nature of Lord Krishna who was so fond of butter milk that he used to steal it from every accessible house in the village. To hide the butter from young Krishna, womenfolk used to hang it high. All in vain!  Gujarat has strange ways of celebrating Holi. In Rajkot, soon after the Holika is burnt, people from across the town rush to the Aji dam to watch a strange custom where people shower abuses. It's called 'faag'. One of the villages in Junagadh has a novel way of celebrating Holi where black is preferred to any other colour.

For Sikhs, Holi calls for the display of their physical strength and military prowess as they gather at Anandpur Sahib a day after Holi to celebrate Hola Mohalla. The tradition was started by the tenth and last guru of Sikh religion, Guru Gobind Singh ji and is being religiously carried forward.

Holi is celebrated in the most dignified manner in the state of Bengal. At Vishwa Bharti University, founded by Rabindranath Tagore founded the tradition of celebrating Holi as 'Basant Utsav' or 'Spring Festival'. Students decorate the campus with intricate rangolis and carry out prabhat pheris in the morning. Clad in a traditional attire young boys and girls sing songs composed by Gurudev and present an enchanting view to the onlookers who gather in large number here. In Orissa, Holi is celebrated as Dol Yatra where the idols of Radha and Krishna are placed on a decorated palanquin and taken out in a procession. 

                                                             

When spring comes by, Jaipur gears up for a twin celebration, that of Holi and the Elephant Festival. Apart from the beautifully adorned elephants, the heart racing Elephant Polo matches and the grand processions of folk dancers and singers, the most unique aspect about celebrating Holi in Jaipur is enjoying smearing colour on your loved ones faces of elephant backs! The Jaipur Elephant Festival is a great opportunity to see elephant, the sturdy symbol of Rajput royalty.

Holi delicacies include gujiya, mathri, malpua, puranpoli, dahi badas, etc. After a frenzied play of colours people love to gorge them up. The thing noteworthy though is the fact that the spirit of Holi remains the same throughout. It is the festival which generates the spirit of brotherhood and bring people close - and this is what matters most than anything else.