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My favourite city of dreams – MUMBAI
Firstly, let me mention that there are millions out there, who still love to address this city as ‘Bombay’ (I’m definitely one of them!). But herein, just to be technically correct with the official city name, we’ll refer to it as Mumbai ~ Amchi Mumbai! Straight out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, my first encounter with the spirit of Mumbai was when I took a cab to the railway station. My cab driver was a lady, full of life and an equally competent Mumbai-style driver. The most amazing aspect was the way she interacted, with almost every passerby at every traffic junction. They knew each other and she was…
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A fun-filled bachelorette at GOA
GOA – rightly called the “Holiday Capital” of India! A group of old friends from different parts of the country, a bachelorette party – dedicated to a very special friend, mellifluous music, the typical beach repertoire, bikes, extraordinary cuisine and a perfect end to the trip within the serene confines of the magnificent churches. This sums up my first experience called “Goa” in a nutshell. Travelling from Mumbai to Goa, we reached the Mudgaon station way past midnight, had piping hot tea to activate our drowsy cells and were all set to experience the extravaganza called “Goa”! Heading towards the Ancora Beach Resort (where we put up for a formality I would…
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Women’s Day Special – A Thank You Note to the Amazing “MEN” in our Lives!
I grew up wondering why there is a specific day assigned to celebrate womanhood – March 8 (International Women’s Day). Researching through the annals of history, I realised that International Women’s Day first emerged as a result of labour movements at the onset of 20th century, across the world. Witnessing a couple of turning points in the world then (which included women gaining suffrage, movements prophesying equal rights for men and women, protests against employment gender discrimination etc.), United Nations (UN) established March 8 as a global day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the globe. Additionally, it serves as the UN day for…
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A Common Man’s Tryst with Words in Odisha
I had always dreamt of bringing stories of common people to the masses – stories that are common – yet uncommon, stories that are real and inspirational, stories about a nobody who is definitely a somebody, stories about amazing people we meet in our regular lives! And I finally get an opportunity to write about my conversation with a passionate human being, who is one amongst us and a celebrity of his own artistic might. Today, we have with us, a very passionate and young writer from Odisha, who believes in pouring his heart into his words. Despite having taken up law and public services for a full-time career, his…
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The good old carefree days of the ‘HOLI’days
….When Holi was all about family, friends, colours and more colours! Today I reminisce about the bygone times of childhood, when it took just colours to make us smile, just sweets to get us delighted and just friends to get us charged with excitement for the entire day. Right from the day we became aware of this vibrant festival of colours – HOLI, until the present day laden with busy schedules, assignments, responsibilities and what not, the significance of Holi kept evolving with time. I still remember the time, when my brother was a toddler and I was his trainer and guide for the day of Holi. The excitement always…
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Hypocrisy Of The Great Indian Society : Do We Actually Respect Women? #TruthAboutSociety
Just when we ushered in the new year brimming with optimism, new hopes and resolutions, we got to witness the “Padmavati” (now called “Padmaavat”) row in all the leading newspapers, tabloids and TV shows. Berserk and visibly irritated with the irrational vandalisation by the so-called guardians of our history, I decided to browse elsewhere just for a whiff of fresh air. Then, my eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of an online news website notification. It read – “Woman, 22, Pulled Out Of Car In Gurgaon, Raped In Front Of Husband”. I was deeply appalled. Here I was, hoping for brand new beginnings and our nation was still struggling to wriggle out of…
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An Open Letter From A Newly-wed Indian Bride To Her Father
Disclaimer: Before people start reading this article with a preconceived notion, let me clarify that this article is not about baseless allegations or any form of reprimand on the ‘in-laws’ in our country. I have been lucky enough to have considerate and kind in-laws and the views expressed in this letter is a generic summary of first-time experiences of a newly-wed Indian bride post marriage, based on both personal experience and the observations of others. Since daughters are dearest to their fathers, my letter is addressed to all the fathers, who I believe are the best confidants and the biggest support system for all their daughters. Their actions always speak…
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CASTE – The invisible line demarcating the Indian society
This part of the globe is constantly looked up to by the rest of the world, for morals, religious beliefs, value systems and what not – India, being the favourite destination in the hunt for morals. In a bid to boast these values, we still hold on to an age-old concept of casteism in independent India. This has somehow brought in multiple questions in my mind – Is our society educated enough? Is the education effective enough to get rid of the society’s ignorance? Can we boast of being a country which believes in “equality in diversity”? Are human beings humane enough? and many more such questions…. A personal account on caste…