Missing experiencing monsoons in COVID-19 times? Let’s tour these 5 desert cities virtually

July 9, 2020, 5:48 AM

As COVID-19 has left us packed inside our houses, the beautiful monsoon is forcing us to go outside and relish the beauty which nature has spread around in desert state. We are hence providing you the list of beautiful destinations where you should travel when things normal under ‘New Normal’.

So here comes the detailed list:

Bundi: Monsoons make Bundi a mesmerising place with Taragarh Fort reflecting all its splendour and glory as rains give a beautiful view. The stepwells, aesthetically carved havelis and Nawal Sagar Lake will leave you stunned once you make a visit in this historic town.

The small town is blessed with beautiful stepwells, or baori which once were the only method of obtaining and storing water here. You shall be surprised to see that there are over 50 stepwells that rise and fall depending on the water table. The most famous boari is Rani Ki Ji Baori also called as Queen’s Step Well which was built in 1699 by the spurned queen. Dabhai Kund and Nagar Saga Kund (called as Janana Sagar and Ganga Sagar) constructed between 1871 and 1875, are 2 step wells are yet another beautiful sites which shall leave you stunned with its beauty.

Missing experiencing monsoons in COVID-19 times? Let's tour these 5 desert cities virtually — Bhimlat Waterfall

Jodhpur: Also called as Blue City, Jodhpur visually treats eyes in many ways. The houses here are painted in blue shade which gives a pristine view. The beautiful forts and temples make it a reason to visit this place during monsoon as rains add a pristine sheen to all-famous Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jaswant Thada Mausoleum, Ghanta Tower, etc.

Keoladeo: Known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, the Keoladeo National Park is one of the world’s most important bird breeding and feeding grounds. Blessed with over 370 species of birds and animals including the basking python, deer, nilgai and painted storks, this place has been visited by Bird lovers and ornithologists from all across the world. The Indian ornithologist and naturalist Salim Ali is the man behind creating the Keoladeo National Park.

The trek of the park can be covered by walking on foot, cycle or rickshaws. In fact, the park management has trained the rickshaw pullers in bird watching and they make for extremely knowledgeable guides.

Mount Abu: This hill station is called as Shimla of Rajasthan which is blessed by many lakes, gardens, hills and waterfalls. Once you have stepped on the land of Mount Abu, you are certainly vulnerable to losing yourself amidst its greenery and evergreen beauty. Located in the Aravalli Range, Mount Abu is a must-visit destination for you if you have never been to a surreal location blessed with beauty in diversity.

Udaipur: Blessed with many beautiful forts and palaces and lakes, monsoon makes this city look like a heaven with clouds hovering around over the blue surface of its lakes. Breeze embraces the rooftop of the City Palace and rowing in Lake Pichola are a surreal experience during rains. Monsoon remains one of the best time to visit Rajasthan. A boat ride on a pleasant day or evening will make your holiday in Udaipur even more magical and mesmerizing that you would expect it to be.

Wanna catch the fancy of painted havelis? Visit Shekhawati in Rajasthan

EBNW Story

July 8, 2020, 1:03 AM

Wanna see an open art gallery in Rajasthan existing in the form of colourful frescoes?

If yes, you should take a tour to Shekhawati and you are bound to fall in love looking at the mesmerising art flowing on walls and ceilings here.

The age-old havelis exist in vast spread nine villages of Shekhawati region, namely, Mandawa, Laxmangarh, Fatehpur, Nawalgarh, Ramgarh, Bissau, Chirawa, Dundlod and Mahansar.

In fact, the history of Shekhawati region is quite interesting which once housed 22 ‘crorepatis’ including the biggies namely Oswals, Mittals, Birlas, Goenkas, Singhanias etc. All of them have had their roots here in the region

The town symbolises a striking similarity as almost all havelis used natural colours till the 19th century. While Lime was a substitute for white, indigo, vermilion, ultramarine, verdigris, etc was used in prayer rooms and bedrooms. The themes of these havelis reflected the colourful frescoes speak the stories of mythology, local festivals and love stories.

Now let’s discuss a few havelis which have been luring the tourists from world across:

Seth Arjundas Goenka Haveli: Situated in Dundlod, this haveli is one among those constructed way back in 1875. It houses 20 rooms, accommodates a fortified gate and is also housing a museum.

Wanna catch the fancy of painted havelis? Visit Shekhawati in Rajasthan

Ramgarh Fresco Hotel: This is yet another haveli which speaks how traders collected a vast wealth and later were spending it to beautify their havelis.

In fact, Ramgarh has the largest number of frescoes existing in Shekhawati. The once Khemka Haveli has now been converted into a century-old Haveli called as Ramgarh Fresco Hotel. Regular walking tours are organised around this painted town.

Piramal Haveli: Seth Piramal Chaturbhuj Makhania built this haveli in 1928 which accommodates a big garden in present times which has two pillared courtyards too.

It also houses colourful wall tiles and pretty kitsch frescoes, which show flying angels and gods with motorcars. Presently, Neemrana group manages this property.

Once you visit this region, you shall hear the stories how the Shekhwati region came into being. The story dates back to the 15th century when Rao Shekhaji (1433-88) conquered north region of Amer, called as Shekhawati. This region changed the fortunes of many businesses.

The traders made money and spent in making beautiful artistic havelis due to which this region, even in present times, remains the largest open-air gallery in Rajasthan.

Fashion from rustic rural lanes

EBNW Story

July 8, 2020, 12:18 AM

Are you aware of the fashion trends being followed by Rabari community from Gujarat who wear huge earrings which are as big as their ear lobes and in fact their skirt in red and black goes in direct contrast with their blouse and tattoo designs.

Surprised? Yeah, in fact, it is very surprising to see the women walking with elan reflecting their traditional style statements.

Speaking to EBNW, Rami Ben, one of their community members says, “Our family members ensure that girls aged 15-16 years get their ears completely pierced before their wedding.”
She adds that ear piercing process starts with a small neem stick which is pushed into the ear. As it gets bigger, the number of sticks going inside also become bigger making a cut through the earlobe.
The community members have big tattoos on their arms, which they say is their tradition.

Fashion from rustic rural lanes — The tattoo work on her hands contrasts with her skirt

“Earlier, our mothers and grandmothers used to make dots with a tattoo needle. Now machines are doing the same.”

The dots in the tattoos match with the designs on their dresses — dotted skirt in red and black matched with either a black or red blouse.

The Rabaris basically are a semi-nomadic tribe, found in arid regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan who are adept in the embroidery and crafts.

The objects they embroider highlight significant events, rites and rituals and values in their lives. The girls from this community traditionally embroider blouses, skirts, veils, wall hangings, pillows, purses, etc.

Appliqué, Heer Bharat, Kathi and Bead Work etc make their artwork.

When traditional methods are merged with modern means to defeat corona

EBNW Story

July 7, 2020, 11:34 PM

A small town in Rajasthan has been using traditional methods with modern means to defeat COVID-19 which is spreading its tentacles soon and fast in village lanes of Rajasthan.

This small town is none other than Dungarpur, a tribal dominated district, which has merged simple traditional methods with modern means using puppet shows and pictorial stories to spread awareness on COVID-19.

The district administration in this town are using traditional methods of puppet shows and chitra katha which were packaged in the form of e—puppet show and e-chitrakatha. To ensure that messages reach out to maximum people, it ensured that the dialogues were also recorded in the local Wagadi dialect.

When traditional methods are merged with modern means to defeat corona — People watching puppetry show to make themselves aware of corona precautions

A beautiful video series was prepared keeping the interest of students who were staying back in home during lockdown.

As the writer of the series was Alok Sharma, who is working as a teacher in Jawahar Navodaya Vidhyalaya in Dungarpur, he wrote an interesting script to spread awareness on symptoms and prevention from corona.

The series also presented the advisories to be followed at home and while going out about social distancing.

This innovative model is garnering praise all across and eventually, it was also released in Hindi language and shared on different social media handles.

Also, Information and broadcasting ministry’s regional outreach bureau also shared this on its official twitter handle

With these e-series, an attempt has been made to solve the curiosity and doubts of the common man in a simple and easy language with excellent dialogues.

The series speaks on spread of corona virus infection, its symptoms, prevention and treatment precautions for pregnant women etc. It also attempts to address the innate curiosities arising in the minds of people residing in rural areas. These promotional materials are being widely publicised on social media especially WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Her songs & saris have set newer trends in Bollywood; meet Usha Uthup, who is a style icon @72!

EBNW Story

July 7, 2020, 11:20 PM

Usha Uthup started her career from a nightclub in Chennai

Her starting salary was Rs 750 a month in 1960s

She was the only singer to have been singing in the nighclub wearing a saree

Do you know that renowned Bollywood singer Usha Uthup started her career from a nightclub in Chennai somewhere around 1960s drawing a starting salary of Rs 750 a month?

The legendary singer, who is known for her distinguished style with a big bindi on her forehead and pretty saris, in fact, went to a night club for singing wearing sari.

On her first day of her job in the nightclub, the first comment she received was, ‘What will this Amma sing here?’

However, she remained deterred.

“There were other girls who were wearing short dresses, those black dresses but I was draped in sari. I avoided all comments and concentrated to give my best and soon all those comments turned into compliments, says Usha speaking in an event in Jaipur.

But the singer holds all positive memories from her first job; in fact, she quotes it as her preliminary school where she learnt a lot.

With her distinguished voice, Usha Uthup made a mark in the industry which needs no introduction. In fact, her husky voice demarcates her from rest of singers.

Also, her ability to sing in myriad languages makes her the queen of music industry.

This wonderful singer has given her voice to numerous songs sung in Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and of course Hindi.

Usha sings all her songs with equal elan.

When asked how she manages the show in all these languages, she promptly answers ‘Because I am a true Bharatiya.’

She is quick to say that she was born in a Madrasi (Tamilian) family, then she studied in Mumbai, married to a Keralite and lived in Kolkata.

“Doesn’t this sound amazing,” she asks.

She strongly feels that one needs to break the set notions no matter where you are and accepts that even Bollywood has set certain stereotypes in the industry.

“While renowned singers including Lataji and Asha ji (Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle) were given the songs of Bollywood heroines, I was asked to sing for vamps in films. However, I managed to break the notion that good females always come with that feeble, sweet voice.

“Ultimately, I started singing for Bollywood divas — be it Rekha, Sridevi among many others.”

Am proud to have my signature style of singing, she says adding, “I can’t sing like anybody, but only like me. What I can do on stage, I can, but not all that everyone else is doing,” she said.

Meet this 23-year-old fashionista who rolls out Laado range for your lovely kids

EBNW Story

July 7, 2020, 4:31 AM

Women have phenomenal energy and there creativity remains unlimited, no matter what comes the challenge and what remains their age!

These facts prove real looking at Laado, a superb ethnic clothing range for kids, launched by a 23-year-old fashionista Harshita.

The young girl studied the psyche of parents who were sick running from one boutique to another to buy the best for their child.

Harshita wondered how she can make it convenient for them to shop for their kids and launched her brand- Laado which comes equipped with the beautiful and comfortable festive clothing for children starting from newborn to 16 years of age.

Meet this 23-year-old fashionista who rolls out Laado range for your lovely kids

Harshita says, “We all shop for new lehengas or anarkalis to add on to the Diwali joy- but what about kids? Should they celebrate Diwali in jeans or a skirt? Moms are often at a loss when thinking about what their toddlers should wear for a wedding- it makes them wonder how they could have saved times had there been more options for kid’s festive wears? Going further, the problem of their ever-changing sizes is yet again a challenge.”

Looking at tremendous issues being faced by parents, “We, at Laado, launched a one-stop solution to all these troubles and created a range of vibrant and elegant options for festive clothing for children.
We encouraged customisations in terms of size, colour and even designs- in order to create the perfect outfit for your little munchkin.”

Harshita says Ladoo promises parents of providing a seamless experience of a boutique.
“We just made life easier for so many parents. A child’s laugh is infectious, and we are dedicated to bringing smiles and cheer on children’s faces.”

The young girl also has a soft heart for a few unfortunate ones, for which she decided to donate 5% of her profits to the children’s NGOs. “I want to bring smiles for all kids and hence have been donating 5pc of my profits to NGOs working for kids,” she says.

Ladoo knows how to win millions of hearts by her simple deeds. Isn’t it?

Here comes a good news; Jaipur to get the world’s 3rd largest cricket stadium

EBNW Story

July 5, 2020, 3:12 PM

The Pink City shall get world’s 3rd largest cricket stadium with 75,000 capacity

The Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad is the largest stadium in the world third while the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia is second largest.

While Motera has a seating capacity of 1.10 lakh, the MCG can accommodate 1.02 lakh spectators

The audience in the new stadium to come shall get world-class facilities

The new green stadium shall bask under the sheen of latest flood flights

It shall have sufficient space to accommodate around 4,000 vehicles in the stadium

If you too are feeling low watching all negative news of Corona crisis and seeing many of your favourite Bollywood celebs saying good-bye, here is some good news for you…!

Say cheers as Jaipur in Rajasthan shall get the world’s third largest cricket stadium soon which shall have a seating capacity to accommodate around 75,000 spectators.

Here comes a good news; Jaipur to get the world’s 3rd largest cricket stadium

This world-class green stadium will be well-equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as modern grand pavilion stands, corporate boxes, plush sports field, modern club house and many other world class features for indoor games and sports training facilities.

It shall have two restaurants for the audience, 30 practice nets for players and a press conference room with a seating capacity of 250.

The stadium construction would progress in two phases; the first phase will be developed with 45,000 seating capacity while the second would have a seating capacity of 30,000.

Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) Secretary Mahendra Sharma said that the stadium shall spread over 100 acres of land. “The land has been finalised in Chonp village, 25 km from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Delhi Highway and the construction is expected to begin in the next four months,” he added.

Sharma informed that after the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad and the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, the Jaipur stadium shall be the third largest stadium. While Motera has a seating capacity of 1.10 lakh, the MCG can accommodate 1.02 lakh spectators.

Mehta and associates LLP and Delhi based sports design consultancy firm GRAS, who will build the stadium, have given a presentation of the design to RCA chief patron C.P. Joshi and RCA President Vaibhav Gehlot, Sharma said.

Guru Purnima: Significance and History

EBNW Story

July 4, 2020, 8:09 PM

Guru Poornima is being celebrated with zeal and fervour all across the nation on Sunday.

However, are you aware of reasons why we have been celebrating this festival since ages and centuries? Do you know the significance and history of this festival?

If no, we are here sharing the glorious history of this festival, exploring reasons why this festival has been celebrated in our country since decades.

A glance into some interesting facts:

Guru Poornima has a deep meaning hidden in its name: Guru Poornima in itself is a paradoxical term, with ‘Gu’ meaning darkness and ‘ru’ standing for the removal of darkness. Thus, a guru is believed to be someone who removes all darkness from our lives.

Teachers in different parts of the world are respected on this day: People of different age groups pay respect to teachers all over the country. In Nepal, this auspices day is celebrated as Teacher’s Day. In fact, gurus, including spiritual to secular ones, are being given all due respect on this auspicious day.

Lord Buddha gave his first sermon on this day: It is believed that Lord Buddha gave his first sermon on this day. Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh after five weeks of achieving enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, where he gave the sermon on the full moon day. The followers of Buddha hence celebrate Guru Poornima to worship him.

Shiva transmitted Yoga learning to his disciples: Even Lord Shiva, it is believed, did transmit the learning of yoga to his disciples, the ‘Saptarishis’ or seven sages on this day.

Ved Vyas, author of Mahabharata was born on this day: Guru Purnima is also called as Vyasa Purnima. as it is believed that Ved Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata was born, on this day who is a pioneer of the guru-shishya tradition.

A Jaipur Allegory — Look out, the Elephant’s coming

EBNW Story

July 4, 2020, 4:47 AM

The Jaipur polo team trounced the English teams and won the Royal Windsor Cup in 1933

Comprising Prince Prithi Singh, Rao Raja Abhay Singh, Rao Raja Hanut Singh & Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, the team also won Hurlingham championsip

Their unbeatable achievement prompted English cartoonist The Tout to sketch the Jaipur team mounted on an elephant and the British team running scared

Are you aware of the glorious Indian story which might once made headlines in England when the Indian teams trounced English players in Polo and won the Royal Windsor Cup in the year 1933?

In fact, this is an amazing story which bespeaks of the unbeatable achievement of the Indian team which had prompted English cartoonist The Tout (P. R. Buchanan) to sketch the victorious Jaipur team, being shown in all its rich might mounted on an elephant, reflecting regality and royalty while the British team was seen running here and there, scared, off ground.

Even the caption of the sketch was quite interesting and read: A Jaipur Allegory — Look out, the Elephant’s coming.

The victorious Jaipur team comprised Prince Prithi Singh, Rao Raja Abhay Singh, Rao Raja Hanut Singh and Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II who visited England and won every tournament, including the Hurlingham, the Royal Windsor Cup and many others that they played.

After making a clean sweep of major international tournaments, the Polo Bar was set up at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur which narrates the tale of the glorious polo connection it shares with the world. The mighty trophies, black and white pictures of polo teams from erstwhile era and the classy accessories, for once, at once, take you in another era where Jaipur team ruled the Polo World.

The trophies, won by the Jaipur Maharaj over the years in different parts of the world , are installed on the wall bespeaking interesting tales related to Sawai Man Singh II who was a world-class polo player with a handicap of 10.

Being a part of the Jaipur team, Sawai Man Singh II along with Hanut Singh of Jodhpur, another 10-goaler, won the Indian championship from 1932-39.

In fact, Sawai Man Singh’s love for Polo stood intact for all his life and he died during a polo match in England at the age of 58 at Cirencester, Gloucestershire, about 90 miles from London whic speaks volumes for his love for this pristine sport

The heritage Craft of Thikri Art will leave you bemused with its rich artistry

EBNW Story

July 4, 2020, 2:55 AM

Are you aware of the Thikri Art, which, in modern times, is also called as the mirror inlay or glass mosaic which has been adorning the walls and ceilings of plush palaces of colourful Rajasthan?

If not, you should visit the pristine palaces of royal state which will definitely leave you surprised and stunned with rich artistry basking under the glory of heritage craft bespeaking the rich stories of handcrafted legacy which is around over 400 years old but is being kept alive with the adept hands of artisans engaged in this ancient technique.

These artisans are people who are skilled in the art of inlaying hand cut pieces of mirrors using diamond scalpels to make perfect shapes which are then arranged into ceiling and walls’ frescoes. They form the beautiful and amazing geometric mirrored mosaic patterns which is finally named as the “thikri” art.

The heritage Craft of Thikri Art will leave you bemused with its rich artistry — A peek inside the gorgeous mirror mosaic-ed walls of Amer Fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Considered as the treasure trove of Indian art and craft, Thikri art bespeaks a story of a beautifully detailed example of colorful glass inlay work, which comes equipped with a rich and regal design that becomes alive on palace walls.

Since ages, this traditional art form from Rajasthan has been beautifying and adorning the walls, ceilings and niches of a house and even panels, tiles and furniture.

In fact, many landmark palaces and heritage kothis of Rajasthan including the famous Amer Fort and Jaipur’s City Palace, stand as a testimony to this heritage art form.

The ancient art comes as a rich legacy, which has been transferred from generations to generations to keep it alive in modern times.

Thikri art can also be termed as an eternal artistic technique from the bygone era, which uses hand blown glass pieces on a powdered limestone base for creating intricate geometric mirror patterns.

These art pieces are studded with meticulous attention and skilled craftsmanship, to add a tinge of an unworldly charm to them which make them highly decorative.

Wanna see the regalia and opulence of Thikri art? Plan a visit to Rajasthan and you shall get a chance to watch the sumptuous lifestyle of the Rajput royalty in medieval times.

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