Life and Its Experiments

This Village in Maharashtra is the first Book Village of India

Ruby Singh

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March 14, 2018

This Village in Maharashtra is the first Book Village of India

Bhilar in Maharashtra: The first Book Village of India

My search for unique stories brought me to a small village Bhilar in Maharashtra. Located between Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar in Satara district, Bhilar is a quiet and sleepy village. It became cynosure in May 2017 when it was declared as the first book village of India by the Maharashtra government. The quaintness was actually brewing a literary storm which burst out in the form of one of a kind of initiatives. Bhilar in Maharashtra is the first book village or Pustakanche Gaav (as called colloquially) of India. A small village with no literary nexus is now cherished by all the bibliophiles.

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Pamban Bridge: India’s Answer to London’s Tower Bridge

Ruby Singh

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February 18, 2018

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Pamban Bridge: India’s Answer to London’s Tower Bridge

Pamban Bridge connects Rameshwaram, the holiest city in India to the mainland India. The bridge is nothing less than an architectural marvel. Rameshwaram, one of the holiest towns in Hindu religion braces thousands of disciples every year. Needless to mention, the Pamban Bridge is a mandatory path that everyone has to take to venture into the holy town. You might not get a perfect look if you are on a train journey, but if you are travelling by road, you can get an up-close and intimate tryst with the bridge.

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Rameshwaram: How to Reach and Things to Do

Ruby Singh

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January 31, 2018

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Rameshwaram: How to Reach and Things to Do

You must have definitely heard the name Rameshwaram either from your parents or grandparents. Primarily because Rameshwaram is one of the chaar dhaams of Hindu religion along with Dwarka, Puri and Badrinath. I have heard so much about these dhaams from my maternal grandfather. He would always say until you visit all these dhaams, the purpose of your life isn’t fulfilled. He also emphasized on the fact that visit to these dhaams is purely based on the calls from the divine forces and not on your wish. Irrespective of your planning and plotting until the God himself calls you, you will never make it to these auspicious dhaams.

When I was planning my trip to Rameshwaram, it attracted a lot of eyeballs. I mean I could have gone anywhere in the country and yet I was planning for Rameshwaram, which is stereotyped to be an elderly affair. But the thought of divine forces calling gyred in my mind and I went ahead thinking it could be a mild insinuation from the mighty God himself.

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Forty Rules of Love, All at One Place

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

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January 30, 2018

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I am not a voracious reader but I am trying to be one. Quite late in my life, but I have understood that the key to good writing is reading. Lots and lots of it. Since November 2017 I made a pact of reading 2 books every month. Keeping it easy for myself so that I don’t fret and eventually give up. And to my surprise, I have been doing quite well. It’s the second half of the January 2018 and I am left with 30 pages of my second book of the month. Gleefully pats her back. Now after quite a bit of self-admiration, I come to the point of discussion which is a book called “Forty Rules of Love”. The book is written by Elif Shafaq and is probably one of the best reads of my life.

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Ponmudi: Hill Station near Trivandrum

Ruby Singh

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January 22, 2018

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My quest for discovering interesting places brought me to Ponmudi. Ponmudi, a small hill station located approximately 65 kilometres away from Trivandrum will leave you wondering how marvellous Mother Nature can be. You think you have seen the best mountain ranges and then you visit Ponmudi and its awestruck views shake you out of your little imagination bubble. It is a popular escaping destination for people living in Trivandrum and thus tops the list of “One-day Trips from Trivandrum”. A visit to Ponmudi came highly recommended from a lot of people. And hence it easily made it to my “Things to do in Trivandrum” list. One full day was dedicated to the pristine beauty of Ponmudi.

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Mirzaya: The Places We Will Go!

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

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January 15, 2018

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The clouds were this close to me, I could feel them on my face. I walked closer to the edge to feel the intensity. Watching my foot every step so that I don’t tumble, the moment I raised my eyes I saw these two hand in hand. The guy kept looking back and checking on her. You know Mirzaya, that’s the thing with you too, checking on me all the time.

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Lets go to Hussain Sagar

Lifestyle

Ruby Singh

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January 13, 2018

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22 Kund Snanam and Ramanathaswamy Temple Darshan in Rameshwaram

Ruby Singh

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January 12, 2018

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22 Kund Snanam and Ramanathaswamy Temple Darshan in Rameshwaram

As the clock struck 3 in the afternoon I checked in my hotel S R Residency. My plans of retiring for the day went for the toss after a short conversation with the receptionist of the hotel. He suggested not to delay the darshan for the next morning and advised to go the very same day. He added that the crowd will be limited at this hour and you can experience hassle-free darshan. Though the enervated body would have given anything for few hours on the cosy bed, the mind and heart had other plans. There is no point in delaying the only thing for which I have come to Rameshwaram, and with this thought, I made my way to the Ramanathaswamy temple.

Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameshwaram is one of the holiest temples of Hindu religion. It is also a part of the coveted Chaar Dhaams of Hindu religion along with Dwarka, Puri and Badrinath.

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Sungudi, The Tie and Dye of Madurai City: Current Scenario and Revival

Ruby Singh

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January 8, 2018

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Sungudi, The Tie and Dye of Madurai City

I was introduced to the term “sungudi” during my recent trip to Pochampally. Sungudi is essentially the traditional tie and dye, only that it is specific to Madurai city. It also works on the resist methodology just like the conventional tie and dye. My trip to Madurai was in order when I was in Pochampally so I collected all necessary details to witness the art of Sungudi. Madurai sungudi is basically cotton fabrics adorned with designs and patterns made using tie and die. Unlike Bandhani which is done on georgette and silk, sungudi is only done on cotton.

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Dhanushkodi: Where Reality Coexists with Tragedy and Hope

Ruby Singh

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January 1, 2018

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Dhanushkodi: Where Reality Coexists with Tragedy and Hope

I visited Dhanushkodi as part of my Rameshwaram itinerary. After returning from Dhanushkodi and calling it a day, I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t get enough of the scenic view of the journey from Rameshwaram to Dhanuskodi. Butter smooth roads with glistening water of the Bay of Bengal on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. While all things pretty and merry I still can’t get rid of the emptiness that has settled in my heart seeing the ruins and broken structures of Dhanushkodi. What a beautiful place it would have been if it wasn’t for that hapless day of the tsunami. A visit to Dhanuskodi, which is located just 25 kilometres away from Rameshwaram, in the state Tamil Nadu will leave you astounded with its soul-stirring stories.

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