Author: Ashok Mathur

Freelance Journalist.
Writes regularly for English daily newspapers.
Is an English Language Teaching Specialist.

Categories
Festivals

Jagannath Rath Yatra in Udaipur

About the people of Mewar, it has been rightly said that they have saat vaar and nau tauhar that means that there are seven days in a week but nine festivals to celebrate. They are always so busy celebrating festivals that hardly does the din of one dies, preparations are afoot for celebrating the next one.

One such procession is the annual Jagannath Yatra that starts from the famous Jagdish Mandir. Related to the Yatra is a fascinating ritual. The idol of Bhagwan Jagannath, who is worshipped as a living being is bathed every day. However, on Jestha Shukla Poornima, he is bathed with water of 108 golden pitchers. He is also offered mango juice in big quantity. No wonder he gets sick. To keep him warm, he is shifted from his ‘Singhasan’ to a resting place in the same room. For the next fortnight, he is given ‘Kada’ by the priests and is looked after by sister Subhadra’s older brother Balbhadra and Sudharshan chakra. He is given only fruits to eat.

The devotees do not get his ‘darshan’. But they visit the temple regularly to find out how is he getting on. There is no ‘Puja archana’ with ringing of bells. When he gets well on Ashad Shukla Ekam, a big variety of food is offered to him. His mother Devki used to give him Dal & Bhaat (rice) and roti. He relished it. So his devotees bring these food items for him. Regular ‘pooja’ also starts on this day. The devotees waiting for a fortnight for darshan, the lord himself goes round the town to bless them.

According to Pandit Hukum Raj, the Mukhya Pujan of Jagdish Mandir, there is a long history of Jagannath Yatra. The tradition started about 365 years ago when the ‘Pran pratishtha’ of the Mandir was performed and the idol of the lord was taken only around the premises of the temple. When the state of Mewar was merged with greater Rajasthan, there were difficulties in the Yatra as earlier it took place in the presence of the erstwhile rulers. After the passing away of Maharana Bhupal Singh, efforts were made to revive it. Due to the efforts of Raghunand, the erstwhile ‘pujari’ of the temple, various sects of the Sanataris come forward together for the organization of the Yatri. The small beginning has now become a big event with the active participation of several communities. It was decided to take the procession around the city about twenty years ago. The old ‘rath’ (chariot) was taken down the stairs of the temple by Raghunandan which highly elated him and the idol mounted on a camel cart went round the various parts of the city.

Cleaning and beautification of the ‘rath’ started days in advance by a small team of specialists. The silver white chariot has wooden horses and this year, it was painted with color, oil paint. A couple of days before the yatra, after the ‘evening aarti’ and after sprinkling gangajal and goumutra and setting up Ganesh in Jagdish Chowk the chariot was brought there in parts.

This year for the lord’s ‘parikrama’ in the premises of the 300 year rath has been replaced by a new one and gifted by a devout couple of Udaipur. The ‘rath’ was taken out in a procession led by Goswami Vageesh Kumar of Dhwarkadheesh Mandir, Kankroli, Mahendra Singh Mewar and Vishwaraj Singh Mewar.

The ‘rath’ was mounted on a camel cart. Dhwarkadheesh Prabhu band was in attendance. Women dressed in saffron clothes, carrying pitchers on their head were part of the big procession. The colorful procession that started from Sheetlamata Mandir, Samore Bagh passed through Bhatiyani chohatta came to Jagdish mandir.

From Jagannath Dham located in Hiran Magri Sector 7 would start the Shahi Yatra of Jagannath Swami, Subhadara, Balbhadra and Sudharshan Chakra on the lines of the processing in Jagannath Puri, Odisha. It would start from the Mandir premises at 11 a.m and passing through Jodar Nursery, Savina chouraha, Phal-Subzi Mandir, Reti stand, Shiv Mandir, Macchla magra, Patel Circle, Kishan Pole, Rang Niwas and bhatiyani Chohatta join the main procession at Jagdish Chowk. There would be ‘aarti’ at different places including the Maha-aarti with 31,000 ‘dias’from 8:30 to 9:30 pm in Bapu Bazar, according to convenor Dr Pradeep Kumawat.

The preparation for the big event had started weeks in advance. Nimantran Patrika was prepared as the members of rathyatra samiti met the mahants of various sects. Political and social leaders and public in general to participate in the procession. The route of the yatra Ghantaghar, Bada Bazaar, mochiwada, Bhadbhuja Ghati, Bhopalwadi, Santoshi Mata mandir, teej ka chowk, Dhanmandi, Marshal chouraha, etc. has been decorated with flags. Several religious and social organizations would welcome the yatra at different places.

For the first time, a helicopter would shower 400 kg rose leaves at Jagdish chowk in 5 rounds. The yatra would be welcomed back at Jagdish mandir with aarti attended by thousands of devotees. Arrangement of mahaprasad for 8000 to 10,000 has also been made.


The eagerly awaited yatra not only brings about harmony among different sects but also provides an opportunity for worship that enhances the religious faith.

Categories
Social

Ashadham Ashram | Helping those in need

A visit to Ashadham Ashram located in a remote corner of Sajjan Nagar near Sajjangarh fort arouses mixed feelings. The sight of sick persons, men, and women, young and old, suffering from different diseases touches one’s heart. On the other hand, watching the highly dedicated team of sisters engrossed fully in caring for the inmates gladdens ones’ heart.

Set up with the aim to accept people without any discrimination of caste, creed, and religion, Ashadham Ashram believes that everyone is the child of one God and serve the destitute, the poor and the abandoned. It tries to support them mentally, physically and socially to make them lead a life full of hope, happiness, and enthusiasm. This is being done by looking after them and treating them movingly.

Source: Ashadham Ashram

The story of how Ashadham Ashram was founded is quite dramatic. Sister Damian and Sister Bernadette who are members of Prabhudasi Sisters, Ajmer, were instrumental in starting this Ashram. God has wonderful plans for each one of us and without his mercy, care and help nothing can be accomplished. This has been true with Sister Damian. In the last phase of her teaching career, she thought of studying Ayurveda and serve the society. So she took permission from her Mother Superior to take this course. After the completion of her course, she along with Sister Bernadette went to Udaipur. Bishop Dr. Joseph Pathalil, to seek his blessings to start this new work. After listening to them the Bishop suggested that they should do something for the poor and needy people of the society. The sisters readily accepted this advice. Soon after this meeting, they found Lali, an 85-year-old lady lying on the roadside near Court Chouraha with both legs fractured and wounds decaying, as there was nobody to look after her. Nobody went near her as her wounds were stinking. The two sister took pity on her, bandaged her wounds gently and took her to the hospital in an auto. The doctors and nurses cured her. Every day, the two sisters visited lali with the help of the District Collector, the relations of Lali were identified and she went home. However, after a couple of days, Lali was again found lying on the road. This time, the sisters took her to a rented house arranged by a St. Pauls School teacher Ramesh Verma. They were morally supported by Advocate Fateh Singh Mehta who stood strongly with them to face all the legal challenges. Thus with its first inmate, Lali the noble mission of Ashadham Ashram started on 11th November 1997.

Source: Ashadham Ashram

Within a couple of days, more such people were taken to the sisters and the number soon increased, so they were shifted to the staff quarters of St. Paul’s school with the permission of the Bishor. The people in the neighborhood were very helpful and came forward to supply whatever was headed by the inmates. As the number of the destitute increased rapidly, a generous social worker donated three lands in the suburb of the city in a locality called Sajjan Nagar and since then, the Ashram is being run there. A registered society named Ashadham Ashram society came into existence.

Ashadham Ashram is serving the abandoned and needy persons of the society by providing them food, clothing, medicines, shelter and getting treatment by admitting them to hospitals. If any relative comes to take an inmate, he is allowed to return home. Inmates who are fit enough are being trained in different skills such as rope making, paper craft, preparing vermin compost, taking care of cows, etc.

Categories
History and Culture

Tourism in Udaipur Gets A Boost | Know About The Developments In Our City

The tourism industry has got a big boost as Udaipur has been included in the list of most beautiful cities of the globe. It is fast becoming one of the most liked holiday destinations. In the list of Trip Advisor travelers’ choice ranking, there are three cities of Rajasthan – Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur – among the top ten. New Delhi is at the top followed by Goa and Jaipur. Udaipur gets the 6th place while Jaipur and Jaisalmer bag the 6th and 8th rank respectively. Not to be left behind, Udaipur hotels have also won laurels. Among the top 25 hotels of India, the ranking of hotels of Udaipur is The Leela Palace (2nd), Taj Lake Palace (4th) and Oberoi Udai Vilas (7th). The Leela Palace, Udaipur has also bagged 13th place among the top 25 hotels of the world. Earlier, Udaipur has been given top ranking as a leisure spot by Conde Nast Traveler India Reader award and as the most beautiful city of the world by travel and leisure magazine.

Source: The Leela

It augurs well that several agencies such as forest department, tourism dept., Municipal co., and urban improvement trust are making concerted efforts to boost tourism in and around Lake City. Some already existing spots of tourism importance are getting facelift whereas some new ones are being developed. Baghdara Nature Park, that is about 20 km from the city would now be a big attraction for nature lovers as they would not only be able to watch wildlife like panthers and crocodiles at close quarters but spend nights in tents to be in the lap of nature. To make the stay of tourists, more facilities like a zip line, zig-zag adventure sports, and a cafeteria have been provided. On the neighboring hills have been planted 500 plants. The private agency that would be managing all these facilities would also look after the safety of the visitors. The choupati at Swaroop Sagar is the first of its kind to be built on the Swacch Bharat theme, would cost about 2.70 crores. There would be steel frames on either side. Garden area is to be developed in small parts with walking tracks. The 200 by 60 feet choupati is to have 6 stalls with 6 modular kiosks to keep the area clean.

Ecotone Park on the bank of Badi that is about 10 km from the city where one can reach either through Rampura and Gorela or through Fatehsagar bank, has been developed to enable tourists to have a close view of wildlife and stay in the tents at night, according to OP Sharma, DFO. To know more about Ecotone Park and camping, click here.

Source: Patrika

The badgaon hill that covers an area of about 400 hectares is also being developed as a tourist spot by UIT. Situated in Sector 14 of the city, Nela talab has also been developed on the lines of Fateh Sagar with an attractive main gate, sitting space and LED lights, rows of coconut trees also add to the attraction. Religious places like Amrakhji and Badbadeshwar are also being developed.

According to UIT Chairman Ravendra Shrimali, Nandeshwar is being developed as a tourist spot with an amusement park more greenery, broader approach roads, viewpoints and renovation of the ancient Mahadev Mandir and Baori. Udaipur Paal is also being made more attractive for tourists.

During this monsoon season, tourists on way to Mount Abu would have another new attraction at Kanan Kuteer, Ghata Nadi with facilities for trekking in dense forests, stay in newly built rest house and camps. Van Surakhsa Evam Prabandh Samiti, Thamlaberi would provide food, guides, and safety. At the processing center, tourist can watch how different products like juice and shampoo are made from aloe vera, amla, sitaphal. Segura hill, Bedwas on the road to Chittorgarh is also being developed as eco-park with selfie points having Mewari paintings, models of wild animals, huts for shade, flower, plants and creepers and a long boundary wall for safety.

Located about 100 km from Udaipur, the Kolda region has a green forest, flowing rivers and waterfalls, dense sanctuaries. After traveling about 70 km one comes across high hills and serpentine roads, the view of numerous palm trees near the Kalibor and Sabarmati dams is extremely charming. Between the hills flows the Vakal River, other attractions include the herbal plant gardens near Jogiwad dam, the bridge viewpoint, and the famous Phulwari ki Nal sanctuary spread over 511 sq. km.

Source: TripHobo

To commemorate the sacrifice of Panna Dhai to save Maharana Pratap’s life, Panna Dhai Panorama is coming up fast, near her village Kameri, about 10 km from Amet on the Deogarh road. Located on a hill, it is to have a huge 9 feet statue of Panna Dhai. There would also be an auditorium, tourist resting hall, a museum, and a library.

Nearer home, for the entertainment of tourists at night in Sahelion ki Badi, programmes of music, dance and puppet shows are to be started. At present, the Badi has only ancient fountains and a garden. The work on Kalangan art gallery is also progressing fast. On average, the Badi has a footfall of about 7 lac Indian and foreign tourists every year and the number goes up during festival time. The lawns and the huge variety of colorful flowers in the Vibhuti Park near Fatehsagar Paal have also become a big attraction for tourist. Some creative persons from Gadio Luher community have introduced heritage bullock carts that have brass nails and colored stripes. No wonder tourists in the city enjoy joy rides on them.

It seems with the addition of this attraction, the number of tourists in Udaipur would shoot up.

Categories
News

Udaipur scores a position in top 100 cleanest cities of India

Udaipurites seem to be highly elated as Lake City has made tremendous progress in the recent Swaccha Bharat ratings. From last year’s ranking of 310 out of 434 cities, it has jumped up to be 85th out of 485 cities this year. In Rajasthan also, it has jumped to the 2nd position from 10th. Only two cities of Rajasthan are there in the first 100 at a national level in cleanest cities – Udaipur and Jaipur.

State-wise, Rajasthan is at number 8 in the cleanest province in the nation with its two towns in the first 100 list. Jharkhand occupies the top position with its 9 cities in the top 100 while Maharashtra with 29 cities among top 100, Chhattisgarh with 7 towns in top 100 and Madhya Pradesh with its 19 cities among top 100 are placed second, third and fourth respectively. In the first phase of ranking on the basis of cleanliness 4203 big and small cities were evaluated. Small cities were divided into five groups. Those of Rajasthan were included in the west zone. Out of 4000 total marks for ranking, 1200 were allotted to documentation, 1400 to direct observation and 1400 to citizen feedback. The percentage of marks for ranking was: collection and transport – 30%, ODF – 30%, processing, and disposal – 25% and innovation, IEC, and capacity building got 5% marks each. In west zone, Jhalrapatan secured the first position in Rajasthan (102nd in zone), Ratangarh got the second position in the state (115th in zones, Dungarpur secured the third position in Rajasthan (126th in zones) and Pratapgarh secured 4th position in Rajasthan (153 in zone), Rajsamand and Banswara got 572nd 790th position respectively. Among big cities, Chittorgarh was placed at the 323rd position.

Udaipur scores a position in top 100 cleanest cities of India
Source: Hindustan Times

In the service level progress, an on-the-spot inspection was done by the swacchta survey on the basis of a document prepared by the municipal corporation. The city secured 564 marks out of 1400. The score was extremely low as compared to the marks given by the corporation itself. This may be due to negative marking under direct observation, the team from New Delhi visited railway station, bus stands, markets as lakes and took feedback. The score was 940 out of 1200. A lot has been done for cleaning the lakes. The corporation has made joint efforts with the railway and roadways authorities for cleanliness. Awareness among the public was also created. For citizen feedback, swacchata app was downloaded.

The corporation had made a large number of people download the app with the help of Parshads and had made full preparation for citizen feedback. The city was evaluated on the basis of the resolution of public complaints and the time taken by the employees of the corporation in doing so. Out of 4000, the city scored 1118.47 marks that is much higher than the average 1986.27 of Rajasthan and 1913 of the country.

Udaipur scores a position in top 100 cleanest cities of India
Source: The Indian Express

The rank and score of some other small places of Udaipur division were: Salumber 445 with 2003 marks, Fatehsagar 779 with 1407 marks, Bhindar 796 with 1352 marks, Kanode 847 with 1456 marks.

The positive factors that contributed to the good rank included the declaration of city as ODF, launch of door-to-door collection of garbage is good progress in solid waste disposal, use of AP, public awareness about the campaign, fixing up of targets of work, effective presentation of the work done, focus on regular cleaning increase in the number of trippers and biometric attendance of workers.

Some weak areas included the lack of proper functioning of online services such as building permission and collection of urban development. The city doesn’t have a proper system of solid waste management as good bidders are not available. Due to lack of public awareness hoardings and banners are placed in wrong spots. There are no toilets at several places. The existing ones are not properly maintained. No decentralized system exists for transport and segregation of garbage. The number of trippers has to be increased and the public should learn to use the services of trippers and dustbins.

Udaipur scores a position in top 100 cleanest cities of India
Source: Udaipurtimes

In the opinion of the municipal commissioner, Siddharth Sihag, the city deserved to be among the top 20 in the country. The city has done well in spite of the fact that it lacks proper transport, solid waste management, and door-to-door garbage collection facilities. He appreciates the contribution of the public and his team City Mayor, Chandra Singh Kothari says that the corporation analyzed the weaknesses and then worked on them. The focus was on coming up to standards laid down for evaluation. The huge public support has been a big positive factor in getting good ranking.

In the ranking under Rajasthan health programme, Udaipur has secured 9th position in the state. The areas included in the ranking done for the first time are child health, maternity health, prevention of diseases, patient feedback, family planning, seasonal diseases, vaccination, safe delivery, waterborne diseases, leprosy, TB, etc. The marks allotted for evaluation were: Input-25, Intermediate-50, output-25. On the basis of this evaluation, the first ten districts were marked green, the next ten were marked yellow and the last ten as red. In all the programmes, there were cut off benchmarks and the districts that did not meet the benchmark and the districts that did not meet the benchmark in each head were given zero marks.

Udaipur got high marks in disease control. The performance in child health care was also good. Out of 58 PHCs, only one gave feedback. The weak areas were maternal health, sterilization, and delivery system. The first ten districts in order of merit were: Sikar, Ajmer, Sriganganagar, Bhilwara, Kota, Rajsamand, Junjhunu, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Chittorgarh.

The aim of the programme, according to medical and health department, is to generate healthy competition and improve performance in weak areas.

In the opinion of Dr. Sanjeev Tank, CMHO, Udaipur the aim of the district is to rise to the top rank, weak areas would be strengthened with hard work. This year the district was not able to do well due to lack of proper data entry. The patient feed was also a weak area. In disease control, the performance was good. All the officers would now be able to perform better as their ranking in the programme would be made available on the desktop.

Categories
Social

26 June is International Day against drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking- Know how its related to our city!

Today is International Day against drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the whole of the nation is talking about it. Let us have a close look at its adverse effects on our people.

The celebration of International Day against drug abuse has a special significance in Udaipur.  Opium is grown in parts of Mewar and neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh. It is reported that its products are easily available in Lake city and are bought at an extremely high price. By foreign tourists, especially in the areas close to Lake Pichola. Those engaged in this business fall victims to addiction and in turn when they do not have adequate money to buy drugs, they are involved in undesirable activities.

With its determination to strengthen action and co-operation to achieve the goal of a world society free of drug abuse, the UNO General Assembly decided to observe June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by a resolution of 7 December 1989. The resolution recommended further action with regard to the report and conclusions of the 1987 International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The end of the first century of drug control coincided with the closing of the General Assembly Special Session on Drugs. These anniversaries stimulated reflecting on the effectiveness and limitations of the drug policy. The review resulted in the reaffirmation that illicit drugs continue to pose a health danger to humanity. That is why drugs are and should remain controlled. With this sanction in mind, member states confirmed unequivocal support for the UN Conventions that have established the world drug control system.

Mewar and Opium

Former Professor and Dean, MLSU Dr. P.S. Ranawat says that Mewar was an important grower and exporter of opium, mainly to China. It was consumed mainly for its medicinal effects. Maharana Fateh Singh banned its uncontrolled cultivation and consumption in Mewar through his order of 1913 so as to curb the reappearance of the addiction of opium amongst the public. It is still grown under Union Govt. supervision and collected and distributed by the Narcotics Commissioner for medicinal use.

Source: THE HANS INDIA

According to Dr. Ashish Ameta, drinking may cause cancer of the mouth, throat, and food pipe and mental disorders. It may adversely affect heartbeat, blood pressure and muscles of the heart. Ulcers in the stomach may result in death, these are some other ill effects of consumption of wine. Lungs and the respiratory system are likely to suffer as a result of drinking and smoking. The indirect effect on kidney may cause excessive urination. Other ill effects of drinking include insomnia, increase in weight and weakening of muscles. In males, the sperm count goes down whereas in females there is a danger of breast cancer.

So, in the opinion of Ameta, one has to keep away from drinking to be free from all these problems. He adds that as per the report of Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, out of 1,38,000 deaths due to road accidents, 40% are caused by drivers who are drunk. Drinking might make a man violent that might result in serious crimes.

According to eminent psychiatrist Dr. D.M. Mathur, the family of the addict can play an important role in preventing and curing addiction. The common symptoms to be observed include a sudden change in behavior such as frequent changes in mood, irritation etc. Keeping away from one’s family and friends, carelessness about one’s appearance, losing interest in activities such as hobbies, games and other things, change in sleeping habits- waking at night and sleeping during the day, redness in eyes, and frequent bouts of cold and cough. Mathur feels that early detection of the malady, prevention, and proactive measures can save a lot of suffering of the addicted person as well as his family.

Dr. P.C. Jain who has been running a free Nasha Nivaran Kendra for over two decades feels that addiction can be easily cured if the person is determined to give up his habit and takes regular treatment. He should tell his family, friends, and neighbors that he has decided to get rid of the habit. He should give up the company of those who are addicts and encourage others to do so. It is advisable not to keep drinks or drug at home. Physical exercise, yoga, mental rest and meditation help a lot. Keeping a diary and noting in it whenever one deviates from one’s promise not to take drugs helps a lot. Rewarding oneself for not taking drugs for quite some time is also useful. It is better to keep oneself busy so that there is no time to think about the addiction. To keep reminding oneself about the fate of the family in case one passes away due to the addiction is yet another effective measure to keep away from this deadly habit.

The concerted efforts of the govt. and several other agencies in Lake City to root out various forms of addiction, it seems, would go a long way in creating a healthy atmosphere.

Categories
Health & Fashion

Know The Importance of Yoga on This International Yoga Day 2018

It is rather strange that in our country people realize the value of a thing only when foreigners say so despite the fact that our ancestors have proved its worth on the basis of experiments conducted for centuries. The importance is one such example. The idea of observation of yoga day at international level was floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was accepted in 2015. In record time, it was accepted by 177 members of UNO general assembly. General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon said that yoga can be practiced by everyone at different levels whatever might be their age and capability. There is no question of discrimination. This traditional Indian practice is an easy way for physical, mental and spiritual health.

The international day of Yoga is celebrated every year with the aim of creating awareness about the advantages of the ancient method of Yoga among the public. Yoga experts tell us that yoga is the best and easiest way to keep ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. In today’s stressful life one can keep himself healthy and fit through the practice of Yoga exercises. Breathing exercises are an integral part of the body but also calms the mind. According to spiritual guru Swami Muktananda, the mind and prana (breathing) are twin brothers. Being two aspects of the same supreme consciousness, they are closely related to each other. What happens to one also happens to other. If one is controlled, the other is automatically controlled. When this happens, one establishes communion with the self and manifestation, compassion, love, and bliss. Some other benefits of Yoga include help in developing a positive attitude towards life and strong willpower and ability to enhance concentration and clarity in thinking.

It is not easy to provide proper healthcare facilities to our huge population due to physical and economic constraints. In our country, 235 persons out of every one lac suffer from heart problems and 25% of deaths in India are caused by heart attack. India is among the top five countries in the world with over six crore patients so far as diabetes is concerned. Every year about ten lac persons become new victims of cancer. Out of this, about six lac die. In the 2018-2019 about 52,800 crores have been set aside for medical facilities. Though serious diseases cannot be cured by Yoga alone it is able to develop immunity against diseases that is so important for our country.

source: financial express

We are told that the teaching of Yoga in Udaipur started way back in the mid nineteen seventies when a group of professors of MLSU, Udaipur formed a club. Some heads of religious organizations from different countries were invited to teach yoga. Several camps of different durations were held. Started in the 1980s was Yoga Sewa Samiti in Ambamata colony.

In Lake City, several Yoga centers are being run by teachers trained by Baba Ramdev. On the other hand, there are other places where they are managed by individuals like advocate Puran Mal Jain and Umesh Shrimal. For example, the one at Bhopalpura ground, near govt. Girls Senior Secondary School. Started in 2014, the center, according to Kamla Jain, is attended regularly by 25-30 ladies and 5-6 men. The number of men might be lesser due to the fact that they get busy right from early mornings. Some near features such as recitation of Gayatri mantra, Mahamrityanjayo mantra and listening to Gitasav before Yoga exercises begin have become an added attraction. And that has helped in boosting the number of participants. The rapid improvement in the condition of some participants suffering from diseases such as Asthama and diabetes has convinced them about the efficacy of Yoga exercises.

Source: lifealth

Yoga has not only become extremely popular among Udaipurites but there are also some among them who have created world records. Gopal Dangi, who comes from Rama village, Kailashpuri near Udaipur holds a world record doing Shirshasan for three hours, thirty-three minutes and thirty-three seconds under the guidance of Yoga experts such as Shobhalal Audichya. He practices different types of Yoga Asanas in the morning but Shirshasan is his favorite exercise. He voluntarily participates in Yoga programs at different places on Sundays where he teaches Yoga to the public including foreigners free of charge. He advises everyone to keep fit through Yoga. He feels that it is strange that foreigners come to India to learn Yoga that is our tradition whereas we ourself do not give it due importance. He believes that yoga is not just physical exercises but a means of creating positive energy. It is universal and should not be linked with any religion or country.

Categories
Places to Visit

Know about Haldighati Museum on Maharana Pratap Jayanti

Haldighati Museum

Located on a high hill on the west of Chetak Magri between Khamnore and Balicha village on the border of Udaipur and Rajsamand district is the splendid Maharana Pratap Museum. It covers an area of about 15000 sq. meters and is about 40 km from Udaipur. Situated near Chetak Smarak built in the memory of Pratap’s faithful steed Chetak, the area used to be deserted. Impelled by a stray remark that this place near Haldighati where the famous battle between Maharana Pratap and Raja Man Singh was fought deserved a museum. Mohan Shrimali who belongs to Balicha village took up the stupendous task of building a museum to showcase the life and achievements of legend Maharana Pratap. In this project, Shrimali got the support and guidance of the great freedom fighter and member of the constituent assembly, Balwant Singh Mehta. He resighted from his well-paid govt. job sold his parental farmland and pucca house and took a loan to complete his dream two crore project in 12 years. The museum was inaugurated by the erstwhile governor of Rajasthan Anshuman Singh on 19th January 2003 in the presence of other dignitaries.

Haldighati Museum
Source: Tripadvisor

The museum displays in the form of attractive models, pictures are tableau of the royal emblem of Mewar, the sacrifice of Panna Dhai, Mahara Pratap discussing his strategies with his ministers and chiefs, Pratap’s union with his horse Chetak, scenes of Pratap’s life in the jungle, eating bread made of grass, the vow taken by Gadia Lohars not to live in houses, scenes of Chittorgarh and other events related to Pratap’s life. The models some of which are made from fiber are operated by electricity and become lively by the accompanying music, sound and light effects. Also highlighted are those persons who were associated with the battle of Haldighati. Mansingh Jhala, Hakim Khan Soori, Ramshah Tanwar, Shalivahan Tansror, Pratap Singh Tanwar, Bhilu Rana Punja, Veer Pradhan Bhamashah, Veer Purohit Jagannath, Kalyan Podiyar, Mansingh Sajjawat (Delwarora), Tarachand Kavedia, Rana Sangha Chundawat, Bheemsingh Dodia, Ramdas Rathore, Mansingh Sonagora (Pali), Mahasahani Jagannath, Purohit Gopinath Rawal, Krishnadas Chundawat, Mehta Jaimalla, Barkat Jaisa Sauda, Barkat Kesav Sonda, Bhawani Singh Tanwar, Mehta Ratanchand Charan, Roma Sandhu, etc.

Haldighati Museum
Source: yogoyo.com

Also on display are portraits of Meera Bai and Maharanas of Mewar dynasty including Maharana Kumbha Singh, Maharana Sangram Singh, Maharana Amar Singh and Maharana Udai Singh. Objects that are associated with our ancient culture such as Rahat that was used to draw water from wells Kolhu to extract oil, Chadas, Telki, Ghani, Rath, Bullock cart, Agriculture implements, musical instruments, dresses, utensils, locks, etc. are also there in the museum. Also on display are the traditional lifestyles of different castes and several kinds of weapons. There is also a huge library to which 6000 books have been added recently that is a treasure house of knowledge, especially for researchers. Films are screened in the 50 sealed theatre where it is proposed to double the capacity. Light and sound show is another attraction. Also showcased are rural industries and handicraft products such as the attractive Molela Terracotta items. A small artificial Lake also attracts the visitors.

Balicha area is famous for Cheti Gulab that flowers only once in a year in the month of Chaitra. It is said that the species was brought here by the army of Akbar and that is why the area is called Shahi Bagh. Not only is the process of making Gulab Sharbat, Gulab Jal and Gulkund displayed in the museum but villages have been trained to make a living out of it.

Haldighati Museum
Source: hopping miles

No wonder the museum has not only been visited by big personalities such as President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Central Ministers like Jaipal Reddy, CP Joshi, Hansraj Bhardwaj, and several governors and Chief Justices of India but also highly praised by them. The number of visitors has now shot up to lakhs.

Mohan Shrimali founder of the museum

For his commendable efforts, Mohan Shrimali has been honored at national and state level by several government organizations.

 

To know about Pratap’s journey to Haldighati – click here.

To know about Haldighati battle- click here.

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World Voluntary Blood Donation in Udaipur  

Source: Awareness Days

Yesterday was the World Blood Donor Day (14 June 2018).

Kudos to Udaipurites for getting together to help their brother in a highly adverse situation. Recently, there was a crisis in the Blood bank of MB Hospital, Udaipur when the stock of blood came down to 77 units of blood including the 11 units that had been donated by the relatives and acquaintances of the patients. The 66 unit blood was of A+, B+, O+ and AB+ groups. 30 units were ready while 36 units were untested. This caused a big risk for those seriously injured in road accidents, complicated surgery, and blood deficiency cases. According to doctors, the situation was so bad that blood was procurement daily from places such as Bhilwara and Mount Abu. The hospital administration issued an alert to doctors that they should inform the patients that in case of an emergency, blood had to be procured by themselves.

Source: RemediumOne

Then the city woke up in response to a call by a local newspaper (Dainik Bhaskar) and organization such as Arjun Bagh, Samutkarsh Samiti, Bajrang Sena, Secure Meter, Mahesh Sewa Sansthan, Badi Sadri, Jain Mitra Mandal, Udaipur cement works for voluntary blood donation. ‘Raktadaan Jeevandaan camps were organized at several places and over 550 units of blood was collected in a short time. Then there was no need to get it from other places and it was possible to meet the daily demands of children Hospital (15 units) 240 registered thalassemia patients were (10-15 units, neurosurgery patients (10-15 units) patients in emergency (10-15 units) gynecology patients (8-10 units) and other patients (5 units). It had become difficult to meet the daily demand of 55 to 60 units, an adequate number of blood donors were not coming to the camps due to vacations in schools and colleges. Before this 50-60 units were being donated every day.

According to specialists, a healthy person can donate blood once in three months without feeling weak or any other physical problem. The donor should be in the 18-60 year age group and weight over 45 kg. He should not be a patient of serious diseases such as HIV AIDS, TB, Skin disease, Jaundice, Malaria or diabetes. His hemoglobin level should be not below 12.5 grams. He should not have had tattoo within the last one month.

Kappu- who has a world record in donating blood

According to Ravindra Pal Singh Kappu, who has set a record by donating blood over 81 times, blood donation saves lacs of human lives every year. Blood donation is the only means of securing this precious fluid that cannot be made through any process known so far. Social and religious organizations can do a lot in blood collection by enthusing their members to take part in this humanitarian activity at regular intervals. The youth can play an important role in ameliorating the pain of human being by donating blood in govt. or private blood banks in their neighborhood. It has several advantages. It keeps the level of iron normal and thus also helps in reducing the weight of the body. The biggest advantage, perhaps, is the feeling of satisfaction of doing something for the benefit of others.

According to Dr. Ramesh Joshi, Fr. Superintendent MB Hospital, Udaipur, the body contains 5-liter blood on average. The hemoglobin level should be between 12 and 16 grams. If it comes down to 2 to 2.5 grams, it is dangerous. This generally happens in cases of serious accidents. In addition to carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide to different parts of the body, blood also takes nutritive elements of the food to different organs. It also circulates the hormones secreted by different glands. Urea, cretatin, uric acids etc. are taken to the kidney by it and then expelled out of the body. The medicines taken by a patient are also carried by it. Doctors advise us to take food that contains folic acid, protein, vitamins etc. regulates to increase blood in our body. Some rich sources of these are Spinach, apple, green leafy vegetables, aamla, sprouted cereals, eggs, fish, etc. according to Dr. Sanjay Prakash, HOD transfusion medicine, seriology tests take about four hours to see whether the blood has infections like HIV, Hepatitis – A, B, Malaria etc. It takes about one hour for blood transfusion. So the blood donors, relatives, and friends are asked to reach the bank a couple of hours before.

According to Shyam Singhvi, Founder, Saral Blood bank in Udaipur the requirement of blood ranger is roughly from 20,000 to 25,000 units, out of which about 18,000 to 20,000 units are collected from volunteers. Other sources include relations, neighbors, and friends of the patients. About 90% of the requirement is met easily. And for the remaining amount, emergency calls are made to 150 to 200 donors. It can be said that nobody dies due to the paucity of blood in Lake City.

According to Dr. Chandra Mathur, former HOD, Pathology and Transfusion Medicine, RNT Medical College, Udaipur, it is heartening to see that Lake City people are becoming aware of the need of voluntary blood donation. Religious and spiritual organization such as Muslim Mahasabha, Jain World and Sikh Samaj Yuva and social organizations are also organizing camps where their members and others donate blood in large number. Recently, 400-500 unit blood was collected on Mahaveer Jayanti. People like Ravindrapal Singh Kappu, who has been honored at national and international level, chip in by creating awareness about blood donation by distributing 25000 color posters and booklet on blood donation. Dr. Mathur suggests that by making donation compulsory for getting driving license, Voter, identity card, Pan card, Aadhar card, etc. A larger number of people could be involved. Information about blood donation should also form a part of the school and college syllabuses.

 

Udaipurites are fully conscious of the problems related to blood donation in the city. It is evident from the fact that recently a group of blood donors presented a memorandum to the district collector to be forwarded to the CM. Uneducated villages are still being cheated by agents. In a large number of cases, the relatives of the patients are found to be ineligible as they are malnourished with low hemoglobin level. The demands of the group included the scrapping of blood donor card system and supply blood to all the needy persons.

When needed help of all the organizations should be taken privation of blood banks should be stopped. For the sake of transparency, the availability of blood in all the blood banks of the state should be made available online. No charges should be taken for blood transfusion products and tests. Storage capacity of govt. blood banks should be increased. Blood banks of private hospitals should take blood from other blood banks.   

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World Environment Day 2018 | Let Us Read What the Experts Have to Say

world environment day
world environment day

Fortunately for us, nature has blessed Udaipur region with abundant water resources in the form of several huge lustrous lakes such as Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udaisagar, Rajsamand and Jaisamand and rivers like Ayad, Berach, Som, Jawai, and Sabarmati. Udaipur is surrounded by the hills of Aravali ranges of different heights such as Nimach Mata, Bhuwana, Balicha, Odi, Eklinglji, Chorbavari, thoria, Machla Magra and Sajjangarh. In addition to this, there are several small lakes and baris(stepwells) and kunds. There are wildlife sanctuaries such as Sajjangarh, Jaisamand, Phulwara Ki Nav, Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, Sitamata Sanctuary. It is the only area that has both a biological park (Sajjangarh) and a biodiversity park (Amberi).

All these places are home to a huge variety of fauna and flora. In addition to these, the city has two big gardens viz Gulab Bagh and Saheliyo Ki Bari.

These natural resources are not only sources of sustenance of Udaipurites but also attract a lot of tourists both inland and foreign. In turn, it becomes our duty to save the environment.

world environment day
Source: World Atlas

According to S.K Verma, former IFS, the crisis has been caused due to rapid urbanization that is the outcome of some important factors such as natural increase of population as was the inclusion of adjoining rural areas of nearby villages. The migration s due to many activities of mining manufacturing trading etc. that attract rural people seeking jobs and availability of opportunities for good education and better living conditions in urban areas.

Environment degradation is basically caused due to fragments or pieces of work an at times even work at cross purpose, giving rise to further complications in conservation and use of land, forests, grazing land, water bodies and environment. Things become worse when the public joins the neglect and misuse of lakes system, and air water and noise pollution. Eco-friendly architecture is being replaced with multistoried complexes that are becoming heat islands.

world environment day
Put a smile back on the Earth’s face today
Source: dribbble

In the master places of the city terms such as biodiversity sustainability and conservation of spaces habitats for biodiversity are yet to find a meaningful place. The impact is obvious – air toxicity is causing health hazards, groundwater is being used thoughtlessly, forests are decreasing fast, heat islands are multiplying, migratory birds are giving Udaipur a miss and animals like the Panthers are being killed when they come to human habitats in search of water and food.

According to Prof. NS Solanki Agro metrology dept. Rajasthan College of Agriculture Udaipur as in other parts of the country and the world, global warming is having an adverse impact on the pattern of the monsoon in Mewar- Vagad Region. A survey of monsoon in 30 years has revealed that monsoon in this area is being delayed by 14 hours every year and thus in the last 30 years by about 20 days. Before 30 years rains used to start between 15 and 19 June. Then the monsoon arrived on 25 or 26 June. If this trend continues, after 30 years would come in August. The rainy days in the southwest monsoon season from June t September that used to be 21.9 between 1961 and 1990 have come down to only 17.6 now. The number of non-seasonal rainy days has increased. all this affects the crops adversity. If the preservation of the environment is not taken seriously crop pattern would have an extremely adverse effect.

Source: pinterest

There are several ways in which global warming and pollution can be controlled. People traveling to the same place carpooling to reduce air pollution public transport and not personal cars should be used. Cloth bags can be used in place of plastic ones. Planting saplings to keep the earth green is a useful way. Rainwater harvesting is also an effective way to solve water. There are several measures to reduce CO2 emission and reduce electricity bills such as switching to CFL, LED bulbs, using a table lamp while studying for provides more effective lighting; going out to play for a couple of hours every day instead of watching TV or computer. Switching from a desktop to laptop, turning off lights and fans at the plug point when not in use.

Use of energy efficient electrical appliances such as frost-free refrigerator, split air conditioner and solar water heater would help. To reduce unnecessary use of microwave oven it is better to eat together. To save trees it is advisable to minimize the use of paper by using one side paper and passing on used textbooks. It is better to switch all the off ignition at traffic lights and inflate vehicle tyres regularly.

The common man should become aware of the hazards of not conserving the environment and contribute in various big and small ways of preserving it.

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Today is World’s No Tobacco Day | Read The Initiative of World’s Health Organization

world no tobacco day
world no tobacco day

World’s No Tobacco Day is celebrated all over the world on May 31st every year. This year the theme is ‘Tobacco and Heart diseases’. The aim is to increase public awareness on the link between the use of tobacco and heart and other cardiovascular diseases that include stroke which combined are the world’s leading causes of death. Emphasis is to be laid on the feasible actions and measures that key audiences including government and the public can take to reduce the risk to heart health posed by the use of tobacco.

This year the event coincides with the range of global initiatives and opportunities aimed at adverting the fast increasing use of tobacco and its effect on public health, particularly in causing the death and suffering of millions of people all over the world. These actions include the ‘WHO- supported global heart and resolve’ initiatives that aim to reduce cardiovascular disease deaths and improve care and the third United general assembly high-level meeting on the prevention and control NCD’s being held this year.

The goals of the campaign this year include increasing awareness within the broader public on the impact of the use of tobacco and the exposure to second-hand smoke on cardiovascular health and to provide opportunities for the public, governments, and others to make commitments to promote heart health by protecting people from use of tobacco products.

Source: health24

Monitoring tobacco use and implementation of prevention policies are needed. People can be protected from exposure to tobacco smoke by the creation of completely smoke-free indoor public places, workplaces, and public transport. For giving up the use of tobacco facilities such as cost covered, population-wide support, including advice by health-care providers and national toll-free lines. Tobacco users have to be warned about the dangers of tobacco use by implementing plain/standardize packaging, and/or large graphic health warnings on all tobacco packages and implementing effective anti-tobacco mass media campaigns. Comprehensive bans have to be imposed on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. Taxes on tobacco products have to be raised to make them less affordable.

The harmful effects of the use of tobacco are highly alarming. Cardiovascular diseases kill more people every year than any other diseases and about 12% of all heart disease death are due to the use of tobacco and second-hand smoke exposure. Tobacco use is the second main cause of heart diseases after high blood pressure. A shocking report of Global Adult Tobacco Survey of India reveals that in homes 52% young persons are affected by secondary or passive smoking that is smoking by others. Researchers have found that in the homes where adults smoke in the presence of children, the latter suffers from the diseases such as ear infection, asthma, pneumonia, chest trouble, skin and throat related problems, underweight, etc.

Whatever may be the reason for starting smoking – to distress, to show off or to pass time – the effects are manifold. Smoking affects the nerves and mental system. It causes worry, uneasiness, restlessness, headache, etc. it is the cause of several breathing problems as it affects the lungs adversely.

Source: guardian.ng

According to experts, there are several ways that decrease the desire to smoke such as the use of milk products, potato chips, fried walnuts, almonds, and dates. Vegetables and fruits such as carrots, brinjal, lemon, orange, and strawberry also help.

Members of the family and friends can help a lot in giving up smoking. It is always better for a person to let others know that he has decided not to smoke as they can remind him of his resolve. Cigarettes, ‘bidies’, etc. should be kept out of his reach. The company of other smokers is to be avoided at all cost.