Roots and Reflections - Exploring Ideas, Experiences and Wisdom

                                                                     With the scientific innovations and new and newer devices and with the new technology and technological boom, the society has been caught in the quagmire of digital addiction. Digital addiction especially in the younger generation and in very small children has become a growing menace affecting the health of those addicted and affecting the family relations. Small children and the youth are so  addicted that they are lost in using mobiles and are engrossed with the mobile phoning that their attention seems to be attracted towards the mobile phones unmindful of their surrounding environment and even calling them physically does get no response from those who are engrossed with the excessive use of mobiles. As they say excesses of everything is...

  Halflong is a mountainous and beautiful place in Assam and is rightly called as the mini-Switzerland of India for its scenic beauty, mountain peaks, streams, pastures and greenery. Its view is mesmerizing and a feat to eye. It is most wonderful landlocked place and is not only the epitome of natural beauty but symbolizes the cultural diversity for which not only Halflong is famous but cultural diversity is the hallmark of whole India. In Halflong seven diverse communities and their cultures flourish side by side and their festivals, traditions and customs are celebrated jointly with great reverence and respect. This place is mesmerizing and soothing to ones eye as there are beautiful mountains, streams, and greenery which catches and attracts the attention of visitors. Its culture is as beautiful as its natural beauty. The culture of Halflong symbolizes diversity which is the chief characteristic of this beautiful place. The communities such as Demasa, Naga, Kuki, Khasi, Bangali,...

The Maratha New Year Festival, Gudi Padwa, which is observed in Maharashtra and Goa, and the Kashmiri Pandits' New Year festival, Navreh, both demonstrate, honor, and symbolize India's rich cultural diversity and serve as a litmus test for the idea of India's unity and diversity. It was on Chaitra Shuklapaksha, Kashmiri Pandit community and Marathas of Maharashtra both celebrate the day with pomp and show. These communities both celebrate the new year day with zeal and jubilation, and it also shows how the Indian ethnicity or communities diversity on their New Year day celebrations in multiple ways which says volume about the significant and rich cultural diversity of India.  That the Marahtas and Kashmiri Pandits celebrate their new year on the first day of Chaitra month of the Hindu Calendar is no accident. Gudi Padwa and Nevrah are spring festivals, and both communities will celebrate them joyously, flaring the gaiety of their spring. We should be proud of our manifold c...

Since ancient times, Lord Shiva has enchanted the people of this nation. Representations of Lord Shiva have been found on the carved seals discovered in Mohenjo-Daro and are among the oldest Gods of the Indian civilization. Jammu has several Lord Shiva cave shrines and one such natural cave is exists in a delightful natural setting in Jakhole Panchayat of Kathua District. To reach the cave shrine, you leave the National Highway (Jammu–Pathankot) at Rajbagh (Ujh) and approximately 12 Km north eastern drive away, crossing Jasrota, Dhanni and Bakhta villages, you arrive at Jakhole village after which it is approximately 5 km on foot along a scenic pathway to reach the famous natural Shiva cave shrine, known as Mahanal, which is 150 years old. It is approximately a fifty min journey from Lakhanpur and thirty five mins from Rajbagh to Jakhole village. Shiva is recognized for truth (satyam), goodness (shivam) and beauty (sundaram), who has his supernatural determination-abode in a cave at Ma...

                                              Whole of Jammu and Kashmir is the land of shrines, temples and other religious places and spirituality is the main attribute of this place and so pilgrim tourism has a big scope in the overall tourism of the Jammu and Kashmir. The development of pilgrim tourism along with the overall tourism is very much the need of the hour and the development and exploring the tourist potential of the two will ultimately result in the significant development of the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Some three, four decades ago Kashmir was infamous for militancy ,killings and violence and the people were hesitant to undertake visit to J&K.  However, those difficult times are over and history now, and the winds of optimism, normalcy, peace, and development are gathering to provide this place a good name to which it deserves. Jammu and Kashm...

‘’Water, water everywhere  not a drop to drink is not a theoretical postulate but a practical proposition as well and so it is true about the water need, crisis and management of the portable and drinking water, No water, no life should be the maxim and principle which should guide us in preserving water and making judicious use of this scarce resource. Even though water is in abundance on the earth but drinking water is a scarce commodity and this forces and guides us to conserve water. On 22 March every year we celebrate world water day and on this occasion every year we resolve and pledge to use drinking water most economically and judiciously and make efforts for the conservation of water so that it can be used and consumed by ourselves and our future generations.  Many functions were organized by the government and NGO’s, voluntary associations and the general public to bring home the point that water conservation is must for the sustenance of all life forms on the earth....

                       The River Vitasta is a sacred river of Jammu and Kashmir that flows through capital city of J&K, Srinagar, which is located on its banks.  For the people of Kashmir in general and Pandits in particular, Vitasta is profoundly significant and is greatly revered and respected. According to rumours of the good olden days and not so long ago this river was filled with clean and cool water and was deep and wide. However, today, because of the greed of man, it is no longer so clean, its size has been exploited and width has shrunk, and it is now filled with dirty and scant water. We will have to act now with care for the future of this sacred river, and save it from degradation or exploitation. Over time, everything passed, and this sacred river came to be known as the river Jhelum. Therefore, in present time, this river is known as the river Jhelum. This does not, however, diminish the cultural, spirit...

In the summer, the lovely Bani and Sarthal valleys of District Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir have been having an influx of tourists, adventure enthusiasts and others seeking to escape the heat and enjoy the pristine natural surroundings of the Bani-Sarthal area for the last several years. The glaciated valley of Bani can also be accessed through Banikhet-Kheri Dam (Hut Maska) at one and a half hours from Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh. Sarthal is only 24 kms from Bani and has nice meadows in the vicinity, it also sees a similar number of tourists from Kathua, Bhaderwah, Pathankot and other areas of J&K and Himachal. Upon arrival at Bani, sightseers are enchanted by the beauty of this area. The lush green meadows of Dhagger, Roulka, Doulka, Sarthal, Chattergala, Banjal and Duggan, all located not too far from Bani are not only picturesque, but also make for refreshing locales. The eager nature tube of tourists visit these places and immerse themselves into the bounties of nature, in poll...

International Mother Language Day on February 21, 2025, was commemorated worldwide including India and JK UT, with enthusiasm and devotion. This Day is annually celebrated on this day all across the world. The Day is about to raise awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism, as it is very important to promote and preserve linguist diversity and to love, do respect all languages. Mother Language Day is part of the larger campaign "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by people in the world", as it was adopted on May 16,2007, by UNGA in a UN resolution declaring the year 2008 the International year of languages. Languages provide the primary mode of communication in the society, there are over 8000 languages in the world, and each and every language provides an essential mode of communication. All languages are important forms of communication, and should not be language hate, language chauvinism. In fact, one langu...

The Ramadan is the fasting month in which all the Muslims around the world fast. It is a fasting month on the Islamic calendar, where Muslims all over the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. It means so much to the Muslims: fasting, penance, charity, discipline, abstinence, and remembrance of God; it requires full fasting during that month. During Ramadan, one does not commit any evil act; one does everything good, particularly helping the poor and exercising self-restraint. This is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar: fasting, praying, meditating, and doing good acts toward all humanity. It is that one pious month of Ramadan from which one can discipline oneself, practice self-control, and give up material things. It was actually the month of Ramadan in which Prophet Muhammad was inspired. It was during the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which is when fasting was decreed by Allah from sunrise to sunset, so a person could be granted the right to fast, thereby improving...

The horrible truth of drug addiction.has struck our youth at many levels, and moved into lives, family, and communities into utter destruction and decay, and drug addiction started killing young people.Four centuries ago, drugs and narcotics came down from the developed Western countries, where the affluence of the upper class acted as a catalyst for the drug menace. In our country, addiction drugs first started from the upper classes, but then it got serious and was spread to college youth and university students. Very regrettably, in the youth area, a great many started thinking that it is "in" or that being addicted gives some kind of fashion, thereby inspiring many others. Tremendous irresponsibility there is since the numbers of addicted youths remain unknown in the country. However, deep under-the-ground situations based on the seizing of illegal drugs throughout the country and statistics from the poisoned addicts under reformative treatments almost fail to satisfy exp...

  It is not only about colors but is about fun, frolic, wonder, love, enthusiasm, fervor, Positivity, Energy, Joy, Unity, diversity, Harmony and Brotherhood. India is the country of diverse cultures, traditions, customs, rituals and festivals and in different parts of the country different festivals are celebrated with pomp and show. Holi is one such festival and is rightly called as the festival of colors but is celebrated although in different ways across the length and breadth of India, however the sprinkling of the colors is common to all parts of the country .The festival of Holi fosters the unity and togetherness among the people of the country and therefore this festival of colors has got special importance for national cohesion and unity. The festival of Holi is celebrated to bade goodbye to winter and to welcome the season of spring and thus the Holi symbolizes positivity in life and is celebrated to encourage and have the feeling of positivity which is so important...

The Indian cricket team had again lifted the ICC Champions Trophy, thus boosting the pride and stature of the country and its 150 crore Indians with the assertive and categorical victory over New Zealand in the final match for the ICC Trophy. This is really a momentous occasion for India. The Indian cricket eleven, its captain, Rohit Sharma, along with other players deserves a pat on the back for this emphatic win. It is a matter of pride and satisfaction for India, the Indian team, and all Indians that once again, their team has done laurel to their nation by winning the title. The Indian cricket eleven has won the ICC Trophy for the third time. Bravo team, but do not get complacent. Continuing to act in the same spirit and with great vigor and enthusiasm should be your endeavor in the future as you keep conquering all with him. In sports, an "emphatic win" usually reserved for referring to cricket means a decisive and dominant victory wherein the Indian Team outclassed the ...

Men and women are two sides of the same coin and in human life, two wheels, a man cannot live without a woman and every successful man has a woman behind him. The importance and works of women in the overall social, economic, technological, scientific, cultural, and moral development of the society are very much monumental and cannot be exaggerated. In Hindu scriptures, the place of women is very high because women have been accorded an enviable position in our religious texts. Rig Veda declares: "Yater shithristo samanata tatra ramantey deva".It means where women are respected; gods travel there. Thus women should be respected and honored. The names of Hindu deities have women name precede them. Thus, we say, Laxmi Narayan, Gouri Shanker, Sita Ram, Radhey Shyam, etc. Today, women and men stand equally on the same platform and excel in almost every field of life. The contribution made by women toward the development of the society resembles none and International Women's ...