14-year-old, Gauravi Singhvi from the City of Lakes has swum for nine hours from Juhu Beach (Khar Danda) to Gateway of India at the southern tip of the metropolis (Mumbai). Gauravi entered the sea waters in Mumbai at 3:30 am today (6 Feb 2018) and achieved her target by 12:30pm.
Gauravi told the Mumbai Media that she will swim from Khar Danda on the west coast to the Gateway of India which is 48 kilometers. She also stated that she started participating in different swimming competitions from Class 3 and practices day and night.
Gauri Singhvi swimming Source: ANI
Earlier, in March 2017, she was the first girl to explore the route from Sea Link near Worli Koliwada to Gateway of India which was a distance of 36 km.
Gauravi is a resident of Udaipur and has always been passionate about swimming and wants to swim the English Channel and also the Arabian sea.
Her coach Mahesh Paliwal said that Gauravi practices regularly for 8-10 hours and after today’s challenge she will be practicing for the English Channel.
Know What Udaipur’s Cancer Specialist has to Tell You on the World Cancer Day
On the occasion of World Cancer Day, February 4, this year, it is perhaps worthwhile to know about the condition of the dreaded disease in the city, the main causes, symptoms, remedies etc.
Facts and Figures about Cancer
The recent figures about the disease are quite alarming, while over 26% of all deaths in India are from heart diseases, 7% are from cancer. Cancer, diabetes, and hypertension account for 35% of all deaths in India. Over 10 Lac new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year in India. Cancer cases in India are likely to increase from around 14 lacs in 2016 to over 17.3 lac by 2020. Deaths due to cancer are projected to go up from 7.36 lac annually to over 8.8 lac by 2020.
According to a recent survey in Rajasthan, there are about 2.5 lac cancer patients in the state and to it every year about 40,000 new patients are dead. It is possible to save about 60% of the patients if treatment starts at an early stage. According to specialists Rajeev Gandhi, Cancer Research Centre New Delhi, the growth of cancer was about 36% twenty years ago but now it has gone up to 65%. Due to the supporting system of chemotherapy, the side effects have gone down. With the new technique, the hospitalization period has become shorter and the tolerance of the medicine has also gone up.
According to Dr. Narendra Rathore, HOD, Cancer Dept., Govt. M.B Hospital, Udaipur, 10 lac people out of about 1.25 lac become victims of cancer and there are 24,000 cancer patients in Udaipur. The figures of cancer patients in Govt. M.B Hospital Udaipur are in the year 2005 (3000 outdoor and 1300 indoor), 2010 (4200 outdoor and 1450 indoor), 2014 (5300 outdoor and 3800 indoor) and up to December 2016 (10,200 outdoor and 8200 indoor). According to Dr. Rathore, cancer of mouth, tongue, uterus, breast, large intestine, liver, prostate, and blood fall into the category of main cancer. In men, the main cancer is in mouth, lungs, and stomach. Thirty percent of cancer is of mouth and neck. Among women the cancer of breast, cervical and large intestine is common out of total cancer patients 28% have cervical cancer.
Last year in Govt. M.B Hospital, Udaipur 30 to 50 cancer patients came in the outdoor radiotherapy dept. daily and there were 30-40 indoor patients. Everyday radiotherapy was given to 60-70 patients in two shifts from 9 am to 7 pm. The patients came from far off places such as tribal areas, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Neemach, Mandsaur, and Jawra. Last year a new cobalt therapy machine costing 4 crores was installed with the help of which radiation therapy was given in 1.5 to 2 minutes whereas the old machine took 5-6 minutes.
Dr. Shankar Vangipuram
According to former Dr. Shankar, Director, Radiation Oncology, Geetanjali Medical College Hospital, Udaipur, cancer is the general name for a group of more than 100 diseases. Although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancers start because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancer can cause serious illness and death.
What is a Tumour?
A tumor is an abnormal lump or collection of cells, but all tumors are not cancer. Tumours that are not cancer are called benign. Benign tumors can cause problems. They can grow very large and press on healthy organs and tissues. But they can’t grow into (invade) other tissues. So, they also can’t spread to other parts of the body. These tumors are seldom life-threatening.
Signs of Cancer
Talking about early signs of cancer, Dr. Shankar says that they could be new lumps or growths on the skin. A sore or bruise that does not heal, a mole that changes in shape, size or colour or bleeds in unusual circumstances, an ongoing cough or hoarseness that last longer than three weeks, indigestion and difficulty in swallowing, a change in bowel or bladder habits for no good reasons, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss or tiredness and blood anywhere it normally should not be- in urine, bowel motions or from spitting.
What can cause cancer?
In 75% cancer cases, there are modifiable factors such as smoking, obesity, diet, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, and air or water pollution and in 15% cases, it is due to modifiable factors like infections, ionizing radiation, hormones, occupational factors. Non-modifiable factors like age, sex, race and genetic become the cause the remaining 10% cases. Smoking a main cause of cancer causes 14 types of cancer. The most damaging components of tobacco smoke are tar, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, oxidizing chemicals, dangerous metals and radioactive compounds. Obesity is another cause of cancer and for safety, one has to do physical activity and set behavioral and diet goals.
The main cancer fighting, foods are strawberries and blackberries, leafy vegetables, garlic, grapes, tomatoes, apple, broccoli, cabbage, tea, and coffee.
Ultraviolet rays from are welding torches and mercury lamps can also cause cancer. Some particles are known as primary particles that are emitted directly from a source such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, and fires can also cause cancer. Secondary particles that are formed in complicated reactions in the atmosphere of chemicals such as sulphur-dioxides and nitrogen oxides that are emitted from power plants industries and automobiles can be sources of cancer. Indoor pollution through biological pollutants like molds, bacteria, viruses, and pollen can also cause cancer. Second-hand tobacco smoke when some other is smoking is also dangerous.
Also dangerous are combustion pollutants that come from sources such as fuel burning stoves, furnaces, fireplaces, heaters and water heaters using gas, coal, oil, wood or other fuels Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can enter the homo through cracks in the foundation, floor and walls, drains and other openings is also harmful. So also, asbestos that is present in many products found in the home including roofing’s, floorings etc. Formaldehyde, found primarily in adhesive and bonding materials is also harmful. Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy (radio waves), a form of non-ionizing radiation.
Tissues nearest to where the phone used a cell phone for 50 minutes, brain tissues on the same side of the head as the phone’s antenna mobilized more glucose than did tissues on the opposite side of the brain. The researchers note that the results were preliminary and possible health outcomes from this increased glucose metabolism were still unknown. Individuals who are concerned about radio frequency exposure can limit their exposure, including using an earpiece and limiting cell phone use, particularly among children.
Concerned about the suffering of cancer patients the Union Govt. is set to roll out a massive door to door screening programme for the early detection of cancer heart disorders and diabetes which account for over 35% of deaths in India. Under the initiative, the Govt. aims at testing over one-third of the population comprising zoo districts across the country in one year. The program is among the preventive- care measures planned by the health ministry and is targeted at people in the age group of 30-69 years, who constitute almost 37% of the total population. This population is highly vulnerable to non-communicable diseases that are responsible for 55% of the premature mortality in the same age group.
Nearer home, realizing the importance of education as an important component of cancer control programmes, Dr. V. Shankar has initiated Cancer Olympiad in Udaipur. It comprises a series of planned activities aimed at educating the youngsters of the various age group to understand cancer and to recognize the initial signs and symptoms of some common cancers. Intra-school competitions include coloring, drawing, poster making, short story writing, slogans, dance, dance drama, skit, quizzes etc. Run for Fight Against Cancer is another event. Dr. Shankar feels that the importance of proper preventive measures and treatment is being realized by Udaipurites.
A 2-day state level literary event is being hosted in the City of Lakes!
Young and talented youth from Rajasthan are taking part in the conference which is organized in collaboration with Rajasthan Sahitya Academy. The writers are gathering from various districts like Barmer, Nagor, Sirohi, Jaipur, Dholpur, Baran, Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh.
‘राजस्थान में युवा लेखन’ (young and budding writings of Rajasthan) is the topic around which young writers would discuss the forms of contemporary writing. About 80 young writers of less than 35 years of age are participating in this event.
The event inaugurated at 10 am on Saturday (3 February 2018) in the academy auditorium. Youth activist Pravin Ratlia was invited as the chief guest and Bhagwan Sahay Jatwa, Secretary of Udaipur’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), was the special guest on this occasion.
The closing ceremony will be held at 11 am on Sunday (4 February 2018), in which UIT Chairperson Ravindra Shrimali and Maharana Pratap Agriculture and Technology University Registrar Priyanka Jodhavat will be guests.
On Saturday, Poetry recitation and storytelling sessions are being hosted in which lectures by experts and letter reading by the young writers will be the main attraction.
On Sunday, there will be lectures, recitations on various fictional prose genres.
During this two-day event, senior writers from all over the state, like Sawai Singh Shekhawat from Jaipur, Kundan Mali of Udaipur, Surendra D. Sini of Churu, Malay Penari of Udaipur, Naveen Nandana, Jyotipunj, Surendrasinh Rao, will works in close liaison with the young writer attendees.
Back in those days, studying in an ‘only boys’ school had its own charm and for Udaipur, St. Paul’s was THE school to be. Although now a co-ed, St. Paul’s happens to be one of the oldest of schools to be established in Udaipur and has seen generations graduating, studying from the same staff and hence, still remains a popular choice for most of the parents to put their sons into (now daughters too!)
‘Satyam Muktaye’ is what the motto engraved on the wall right above the stage, says and this is what every Paulian carries, in a true sense!
Here’s to reminiscing the best time of our lives :
Cleaning shoes before checking
We all remember how scared every student used to be of getting caught before we got in lines to go to our respective classes. Who is ever going to forget the way we used to rub our shoes with our pants in order to clean them so as to not get caught!?? (Raise your hands if you ever got reprimanded because of it!)
PT periods on Saturdays
Weekends are meant for relaxation but only a Paulian can relate to this one here. Those first two periods of exhausting exercises that drained us so bad and then going back to the class trying to wipe off the sweat under those age-old ceiling fans!!! Saturdays were tough but equally fun.
Joy of having a free period
We returned home happy if we ever got a period free and moreover if the substitution teacher agreed to take us to the ground. Whattay wow feeling, wasn’t it?
School functions were boring until…
Well, let’s agree to disagree, we always waited for that thrilling dance performance on the latest item numbers from our seniors or friends. Those surely sent a shiver down our spine and were, without a doubt, the most awaited part of every function. Also, those drooling faces when the refreshments were distributed at the end of each function. So good!
Santa Claus, Children’s day, School Fete…
These were some events every Paulian waited the whole year for! That filmy entry of Santa Claus on a bicycle at the Christmas function; teacher’s dancing to item numbers, the joy of putting up stalls and dressing up with the best of clothes for the one day we were actually allowed to. Our happiness knew no bounds then! Apart from this, Annual day function, St. Paul’s foundation day, Republic and Independence day parades were nothing less than a festival for us.
Those dreadful yellow and red cards
Amidst all this happiness, came some moments where some of us got scared to the core; and that was when the teacher caught us red-handed talking or creating some nuisance in the class. Just the mere mention of Yellow/Red card was enough to make us pee in our pants.
The IT hall
This was the hub for any kind of extra-curricular activity that was going to be held in school, be it yoga classes, music events, occasional movie screening or any other competition; this huge room was a store to many memories and also a respite from studies as being here meant relaxation for at least a few hours.
Diary notes for you-know-what…
And before the red and yellow cards began to be issued, diary notes was the master tool of the teachers! You arrive late to school, you got one; you did not complete your homework, you got one; you forgot to bring your classwork copy; take one more! And the worst part, you had to get them signed by parents to show to the teacher the other day, and you thought getting a note was the scary part?
Rama ki kachori
I’ll be committing a sin if I didn’t mention Rama in this article. No story or conversation is complete without the mention of Rama in it. The first person every Paulian went to after the school got over and a haven for students coming to school without lunch boxes. He is a part of every student’s fond memory of St. Paul’s.
Never mess with us!
Well, everyone knows this, Paulians are not to be messed with and are the best at almost everything that they do. We slay!
More power to you!
Gratitude isn’t enough for those who shaped us into what we are today but that is all we can give to our alma mater! Thank you all the teachers, and every member involved in making us who we are today.
The time spent here has undoubtedly been the best time of our lives. There’s truly no end to our memories from school.
Tell us your favorite memories of St. Paul’s. I’d love to read all of them!
Places of worship in Udaipur is something everyone must know. Here we are listing the major churches in Udaipur.
Rajasthan Pentecostal Church
The Rajasthan Pentecostal Church was established by Late Dr. Thomas Matthew, an Apostle of North India. It was in the year 1963 that he started the church; earlier the church was under the Shepherd Memorial, and it was 1987 when it got its own building and management at Rani Road.
Since then, the daily meetings and prayers are conducted at the church, which is Independent for its own practice.
By 2005, there were over one thousand local churches that had been birthed as a result of the work that began in Udaipur by Late Dr. Thomas Matthew. Also, till 2005, Late Dr. Thomas Matthew was pastor of the church. On the 24th November 2005, en route Punjab to preach, he passed away in his sleep, after him Pastor Paul Thomas Mathews took over.
The church has a great architecture, able to accommodate almost 500 devotees at a time.
Rajasthan Pentecostal is of the Protestant churches of the city. The church also helps in the field of education and healthcare. It has educational institutions and hospitals, St. Matthew’s School at Rani Road is one of the institutes.
The Rajasthan Pentecostal Church is affiliated to Filadelfia Fellowship Church of India (Regd.), a national fellowship of 1600 affiliated churches.
Address: Opposite Sanjay Park, Rani Rd, Malla Talai, Udaipur
Shepherd Memorial Church
The Shepherd Memorial Church is carved in the Scottish architecture and is the oldest church in Udaipur. The first worship was offered in this Church after sanctification on 05 July 1891.
It was built by the Scottish Missionary and a Medical Doctor from Aberdeen, Scotland, Rev. Dr. James Shepherd (02 Feb 1847 — 29 Mar 1926) who with the great help of the then State Executive Engineer Mr. Campbell Thompson constructed the church. The church is named after Dr. James Shepherd. It is said that the land for the construction of the church was given to Dr. Shepherd by the Maharana of Udaipur.
Campbell Thompson also constructed lake Fateh Sagas Dam, Railway Line to Chittorgarh, Victoria Memorial Hall (Saraswati Library in Gulab Bagh).
The church is located near Chetak Circle, also known as Church of North India. Shepherd Memorial is a protestant and an independent church and nearly 300 people can pray together in the church. In its earlier days prayers were conducted by Dr. James Shepherd after whom the clergy has changed 18 times and now prayers are being conducted by Rev. Jitendra Nath since 2016.
Address: Shepherd Memorial Church, Church of North India, Chetak Circle, Udaipur
Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral
As per a source, there is a story behind the establishment of this church. A devotee of Our Lady in Germany sent a statue of Our Lady of Fatima to India and remained in Ajmer unopened from 1964 to 1967 in the Bishop’s House.
Bishop of Ajmer helped the Tridium management of Udaipur in fulfillment of their want of a life-size statue of Lady Fatima, where the statue was never opened from its cover. The Tridium Management welcomed to take it.
It is said that Late Rev. Fr. Avito Coutinho expressed amazement seeing the statue which arrived from Ajmer. He was spellbound by the beauty of the statue and immediately decided to take it for their worship. It was kept in a cover till it found a decent place for worshipping, which later on came to be the church where it is now.
In its initial days the statue of Our Lady of Fatima was kept in a newly constructed block in St. Paul’s school campus then it was shifted permanently in the Our Lady Fatima Church.
The church has a huge hall for prayers in which 500 devotees can pray. Also, it is the largest church in Udaipur and has beautiful interiors.
There are many institutions which come under the management of the church, as follows:
Mary’s Sr. Sec. School
Teresa’s Sr. Sec. School
Paul’s Sr. Sec. School, Udaipur
Teresa’s Sr. Sec. School
Asha Dham
Missionaries of Charity
Maitri Sadan
Teresa Hospital
Prerna Press
Address: Opposite St. Paul’s Sr. Sec. School, Bhopalpura, Udaipur
St. Gregorios Orthodox Church
The church at St. Gregorios celebrates its Foundation Day in January 1987. It was created as a parish of Malankara Orthodox Church but the Church was named after St. Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala who is the Patron Saint of the Church building.
A statue of the Patron Saint of is also erected inside the prayer hall, of the Church. It is an orthodox church, and the infrastructure is similar to the churches in Syria.
Source: Udaipurtimes
Malankara Syrian Christians’ history dates back to their origin when St. Thomas, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, came to India in 52 A.D. A major section of the parent body of St. Thomas Christians constitutes the Orthodox Church under the Catholicos of the East with headquarters at Devalokam, Kottayam. Today, the Church is running a number of Schools, Charitable Institutions like Old Age Homes, Orphanages, Hospitals, etc. all over the country.
The Church can occupy as much as 200 devotees at a time. The Diocese of Delhi Malankara Orthodox Church was the governing body of the church, which later on got acquired by the newly established Diocese of Ahmedabad.
Address: St.Gregorios Orthodox Church, P.B.No.172, Khar Kuan, New Bhupalpura, Udaipur
Emmanuel Mar Thoma Church, Udaipur
The Mar Thoma Christians migrated from Kerala to Udaipur, after which they felt a necessity of having a place to worship. Thus, they formed “Malayalee Syrian Christian Congregation” which accommodated Mar Thoma and Orthodox Christians. Rev. K. V. Varkey, of Mar Thoma Church Valsad, Gujarat was the first Mar Thoma vicar who visited Udaipur and conducted Holy Communion on 4th September 1966 at the Shepherd Memorial CNI church, Udaipur.
The desire of the Martomites was fulfilled on 6th March 1993, and Rev. Geeverghese Mar Athanasius, Bombay-Delhi Diocesan Bishop laid the foundation stone of Emmanuel Mar Thoma Church Udaipur & the dedication ceremony by Rt. Rev. Dr. Issac Mar Philoxenos Episcopa on 27th August 1994.
Later, the members felt the need to have a separate room for the guests who visited the parish. The construction of the guest room was completed in the year 1998.
Address:Emmanuel Mar Thoma Syrian Church 61, Sukhadia Nagar, University Road, North Ayad, Udaipur
About the series: ‘Places of Worship in Udaipur’
Motive behind carrying out the series
The series carries a sole motive of making the people of the city aware of the places of worship. The series has already covered prominent Temples of the city and the second segment is ‘Churches of Udaipur’.
This information is collected from valid sources to form an article.
Feel free to contribute to this article, by sharing data of any church we have missed. 🙂
The privilege of having the largest fish aquarium in India is something to take pride in. Yes, we are talking about the Fish Aquarium, ‘UNDER THE SUN’, situated close to Vibhuti Park. Located at a hot-spot in Udaipur- the Lake Fatehsagar Paal. Under The Sun is the largest public aquarium gallery in terms of gallons of water, numbers, and species of fish in the entire Nation. Inaugurated on 21st October 2017 by the home minister of Rajasthan, Gulab Chand Ji Kataria, the place has approximately 180 species of fish both from marine and fresh water. Photography is permitted inside the fish aquarium which makes it even more exciting as visitors can carry memories with them.
The aquarium is a 125-meter-long gallery which hosts a number of small as well as large aquariums with various fish.
Variety of fish:
The species of fish have been brought from around the world viz. South America, Brazil, Senegal, Japan, Africa, Malaysia, Congo, Indonesia, America, China, and marine fish are from the Indian Ocean. They also have some of the rare species of fish like Mormyrus Rume, Alligator Gars, Marine Water Stingray, Senegal Dragons, Puffer Fish, Archer Fish and other sea creatures like – Sea Urchins, Sea Anemone, Fire Belly Newts, Indonesian Mud Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Albino frogs, Fresh Water Scampi and more.
There is a marine section where you can see a variety of amazing and unique brackish water fish. This section has 5 Marine Water Aquariums. In which fish like Clownfish, Brown Banded Bombay Shark, Blue-Eyed Yellow Tang, Blue Tang, Sea anemones, Sea Urchins, Hermit Crabs, StarFish, Fox Face Rabbit Fish, Trigger Fish, Two-Spotted Damsel, Blue Damsel, Mono Angel, Emperor Angel Fish, Turbo Snail can be seen.
Management and Structure of the Aquarium:
As you enter the aquarium, a mild music is playing and you come across a beautiful architecture. UIT Udaipur has spent Rs. 2 crores in the construction of the aquarium which is evident, and another 3 crores have been spent on the interiors of the gallery which is even more evident. The whole inside of the place is covered with insulating material and not much light enters the premises, to give the aquatic life their natural habitat.
The aquarium gallery is built and is being managed by the team of Manshapurn Karni Mata Ropeway, headed by Mr. Kailash Khandelwal. Anjali Azad Dubey, known for her green designs at her firm “Pratham Interiors” gave creative consultancy for the interiors of the aqua gallery. The consultancy for procurement, wellbeing, and maintenance of fish is provided by wildlife expert Mr. Aashish Mahesh Baagla who is based in Mumbai.
Opportunities at the Fish Aquarium:
It has good opportunities for the students of the Fisheries college of Udaipur as they can learn about various international breeds of fish and other aquatic animals. Mr. Aashish Mahesh Baagla has trained the students of the Fisheries college, who look after the aquariums under his guidance.
The aquarium poses as a major tourist spot as it drives not only local people but also tourists from the entire globe. As per the management stats, it has a monthly foot-fall of around 50,000 people.
Other attractions at the Under The Sun Fish Aquarium, Udaipur:
World’s First Aqua Trick Art Museum by World Renowned Artist Mr. AP Sreethar
India’s First Aqua Live Virtual Reality Experiences- for feeling sea life in an immersive 360-degree environment. It is an Award Winning oceanic VR Experiences deployed through state of the art and latest VR Gadgetry
Interaction with fish at the Touch Pool where you can feed as well as touch the fish
The OMG Tank- the only fish tank in India where you can get inside and experience life underwater, without getting wet.
A cafeteria for your munching needs
Free high-speed Wi-fi
Tickets at ‘Under The Sun’ fish aquarium Udaipur:
For the Aquarium
Adults: Rs. 118 (inclusive of GST)
Children (Below 15 yrs): Rs. 47 (inclusive of GST)
Foreigners: Rs. 236 (inclusive of GST)
Virtual Reality Experience: Rs. 118 (inclusive of GST)
Trick Art Museum: Rs. 100 (inclusive of GST)
Timings of the Aquarium: 8 am till 11 pm
Address: Fatehsagar Lake Paal, adjacent Vibhuti Park, Udaipur
During the last five days of the month of Magh, Baneshwar Dham, where the three sacred rivers, Som, Mahi, and Jhakad meet, attracts a huge number of tribal’s not only from Rajasthan but also neighbors states such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. It is believed that the fair is about 500 years old; located at a distance of about 123 km from Udaipur, 45 km from Dungarpur and 53 km from Banswara and perched on the top of a hill is the highly revered temple of Lord Shiv. Leaving the main road, one has to go Sabla and then reach Baneshwar. The temple is situated near the delta of the rivers Mahi and Som. It was named Baneshwar after the Vagdi Language word ‘Ben’ for Delta and ‘Ishwar’ for Lord.
Image Courtesy: Rahul Soni
The beliefs and rituals of the Bhil tribes
Performing rituals for Moksha
The tribals consider Baneshwar, the ‘trisangam’ of the river as the most sacred place for immersing the ashes of their dead as are Kashi, Prayag, Haridwar, Pushkar etc. They believe in doing ‘tarpan’ of the ashes that results in their ‘moksha’. Right from the morning on Purnima, thousands of tribal coming from different directions gather at the ‘sangam’. The ashes of men are wrapped in white cloth while those of women in red color one and then kept in earthen pots. With the help of their ‘guru’ the tribes perform elaborated rituals on the bank of the rivers. Then with their family, they enter the water and begin wailing. They stand in water and pay the last homage to the dead ones who left them during the previous year. After a cleaning bath, they put on fresh clothes and worship gods and goddesses then it is the turn of those pilgrims who do not bring any ashes to have a holy bath, recite mantras and perform rituals.
The legend of the Shivling at Baneshwar Dham
It is time now for the visitors to go to temples. After climbing up a long flight of steps, they reach the Baneshwar Shiv temple. According to a legend related to this temple, once a cow used to go near the Shivlingam and offer her milk to it. It had no milk when it returned home in the evening. Naturally, it made its master very curious to know the reason for all this. One day he followed the cow and seeing it near the Shivlingam got him infuriated. The frightened cow began to run away and in the process, the 20 cm high Lingam was hit by its hind leg and broke into five pieces. Since this then, this ‘Khandit Lingam’ is being worshipped.
Puja is performed twice during the day. Darshan starts at 4:30 am when the ‘Lingam’ is washed with water and ‘kesar’ is offered. In the evening there is bhasma-aarti with five flames. Darshan is open up to 11:00 pm. Devotes can offer flower, fruits, ghee, coconut etc. On this holy spot was built a beautiful temple by Aashkaranji, the Maharawal of Dungarpur in 1453. A Bhil Meena was appointed as the priest of the temple. A big fair began to be held here. And without any consideration of caste and creed, everyone was allowed to worship here. Pilgrims visit the Radha – Krishna’s Hari Mandir, and also the Brahma Mandir, Panchmukhi Mandir, Gayatri Mandir, Shabri Mandir, Raja Bali Temple, Bhagwan Nishkalank Mandir, Ram Jharikha Asharam, Valmiki Mandir, Hanuman Mandir etc.
The happenings at the fair
On the occasion of the big far, the Peethadheeshwar of Sabla who is a descendant of the saint Mavji comes to Baneshwar in a procession in a palanquin with pomp and show covering a distance of about 5 km. Thousands of devotees join the yatra. Also, brought from Maninda Math at Sabla to Baneshwar Dham is the 16 cm silver idol of Mavji on horseback in a palanquin.
Image Courtesy: Rahul Soni
First of all, the Mahant takes a dip in the water at Baneshwar Dham. This makes the water holy, it is believed. Then it is time for pilgrims to have a bath. Devotees get a chance to have the ‘darshan’ of the Mahant in Krishna Mandir for five days. The new devotees are initiated and they wear ‘Kanthi’ on the neck. Rasleela is performed for devotees. With great enthusiasm are sung and heard bhajans about the legends associated with Mavji and his teachings. So also, about Mavji and Mehudi who are believed to be Lord Krishna and Meera Bai. A big number of saints and Mahatmas of different sects also put up their camps in the fair for the benefit of their devotees.
The exhibition at Baneshwar
Visitors to the huge fair not only avail this opportunity to perform rites and have ‘darshan’ of temples and saints but also enjoy themselves. They take advantage of the exhibitions about government beneficial schemes of the govt, awareness programs of the health depts. etc. Many of them take part in various games and sports organized by Tribal Area Development agency culture programs, magic shows, and aerobatic shows and swings etc are some other attractions. Shopaholics get a big chance to shop from a big range of articles including plastic items, cosmetic items, bangles, shoes, clothes, artificial jewelry, trinkets, sickle, scythes, axe-heads etc. Also, on sale are weapons such as spears and swords. As archery has a long tradition, there is a big demand for bows and arrows made of bamboo.
Image Courtesy: Rahul Soni
Mavji and the history
Baneshwar Dahm has become a sacred place as the great saint Mavji Maharaj did ‘tapsya’ in this region for a long time. He was born at Sabla village in Dungarpur district. He was the son of Keshar Bai and Dalamji. Since his early childhood, people began to revere him due to his saintly nature and miracles. He lefts home at the age of 12 and performed ‘tapasya’ for twelve years in the cave of Sunaiya hills near Sabla. Then he reappeared at Baneshwar and gave ‘darshan’ on Magh Shukla Ekadashi. In his memory is held the Baneshwar fair. Due to his divine deeds, he established himself as a great saint and came to be revered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. As the scriptures say the ‘rasleela’ of Lord Krishna and the ‘gopis’ at Vrindravan got interrupted. At the request of the ‘gopis’, the Lord promised that ‘ras’ would recommence when he would appear in the form Mavji at Baneshwar.
Mavji wrote several ‘granths’ that include Gyan Rathmala, Guru Shisya Samwad, Prem Tatra, Prem Gita, Shri Bhagwat Mahapurana, Sehaj Gura, Samras Amrit Sagar and Sudanand. All of them are replete with Govind Geets, Krishna Leela and ‘rasleelas’. He also wrote five chopda’s in 776 pages which describe the past, the present and the future. They are written in Devanagri script and the language is a mix of Hindi, Vagadi, and Gujarati. Some of these forecasts have already come true viz Hindus and Muslims would eat together, there would be inter-caste marriage and the low will become high and the high low. Mavji did a lot for social equality at a time when there was much discriminative. He allowed people of all communities to enter temples and do puja and perform ‘rasleela’. He favored widow marriage and he himself married a widow of Patidar Samaj.
In the fair is showcased the tribal culture of the region in its various aspects. One can watch or participate in dances like Gair and Ghumar that are peculiar to the region and games like Gida Dot, that is like hockey and archery. Indian and foreign tourists take the advantage of witnessing the rich folk culture and also love to participate in some activities.
Day by day the City of Lakes is developing and expanding its periphery as a tourist hub. Famous for its lakes, havelis and luxe hotels the city added one more tourist spot, the Wax Museum. Situated at Sajjangarh Road, the wax museum is a great attraction for tourists.
Interesting facts about the Udaipur Wax Museum
It is designed as well as inspired by the theme similar to that of the celebrity wax museum at Madame Tussauds, London
The Wax Museum, Udaipur is the fifth wax museum in India and one of its kind in Rajasthan
There are 15 statues in total at the Wax Museum, Udaipur
Earlier there were statues of Hollywood celebrity like Barrack Obama, Michael Jackson, Bruce Willis, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Arnold, Harry Potter, which are replaced by Indian Celebs as of now.
Right now, there are 15 statues, which all are of Indian celebrities like APJ Abdul Kalam, Kalpana Chawla, Mother Teresa, Sachin Pilot, Sachin Tendulkar, Amit Shah, Mahatma Gandhi, Amrita Devi Bishnoi, Maharana Pratap, Padmini, Meera Bai, PM Narendra Modi, LakshyaRaj Singh Mewar, Panna Dhai. There is a statue of Mr. Bean in addition to all these Indian Celebs.
The statues go for maintenance which takes around 6 months and after every two years, the statues are replaced with new ones.
The statues are procured from London
Each statue costs 15 lac Indian Rupees
All the wax statues are kept in an Air Conditioning room maintaining a constant temperature of 32 degrees
The Wax Museum, Udaipur has a horror house, 9D cinema, mirror maze other the wax statues
You can visit the official site of wax museum at Udaipur at Wax Museum Udaipur
Udaipur Wax Museum Tickets:
Wax Museum: Rs. 150
Horror Show: Rs. 100
9 D Cinema: Rs. 150
Mirror Maze: Rs. 80
Combo Pack: Rs. 300
Timings of the Udaipur Wax Museum: 9am to 9pm
The wax museum was inaugurated by Lakshya Raj Singh Mewar of Udaipur in 2016. The museum attracts not only Udaipurites but also a lot of Indian and International tourists. It is a great addition to the city and as photography is allowed, it serves as a superb selfie point for people to have their photographs clicked with celebrities.
Tell us your experience at the Udaipur Wax Museum, did you love it/got amazed by the statues?
Photos By: Siddharth Nagar & Wax Museum Management
The Government of India is making efforts to keep the Nation clean and free from litter. Hence for the same, 3 years back, it started a campaign called the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Since the time of commencement of the campaign, the Govt. has taken major steps forward in keeping India clean.
One of the additions to the campaign is the Swachhata App.
What is Swachhata App?
The Swachhata App is an initiative of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in association with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). It is a 4th generation complaint redressal mobile and web platform. It is available on Play Store for Android and App Store for iOS.
This solution is for all the 4041 towns and cities of India.
How to use the Swachhta App?
All you need to do is click a picture of the garbage dump or any other problem and upload it to the App. Also, the citizens can upload the complaints with or without photographs as well and share them with other citizens on the Application and comment on the work done.
The complaint would be marked on the right side of the complaint as Open, On the Job, Rejected, etc. This shows the status of the complaint so you know whether your complaint is addressed or not.
Once a citizen has posted a picture, it will automatically get forwarded to the concerned municipal authority. All urban local bodies have been mapped to this app. Problems like overflowing dustbins, garbage dumps and sweeping have to be done within 12 hours of lodging of a complaint. If there is no water supply or electricity in public toilets or there is a blockage, it will have to be fixed within 12 hours. A dead animal lying on the road will have to be removed within 48 hours.
Issues covered under the Swachhata App:
Garbage dump
Garbage vehicle not arrived
Dustbins not cleaned
Sweeping not done
Dead animals
Public toilet(s) cleaning
Public toilet(s) blockage
No water supply in public toilet(s)
No electricity in public toilet(s)
One new feature added is that now you can also vote upon any complaint relevant to you. You will get regular updates on the status of the complaint in the form of a push notification with the ‘Resolved’ image uploaded by the assigned sanitary inspector/engineer. You can also reopen the complaint if you are not satisfied with the resolution of the complaint.
Also, you can edit or delete your complaint as well. You can use photos from your phone’s Photo Gallery to upload on the Swachhata App.
It is indeed a transparent and accountable system of grievance redressal.
How to Install the APP?
The App looks like this on the Android Play Store
You can visit their website for a detailed knowledge about Swacch City project at Swachh.City
Download it from App Store or Play Store under the name Swachhata App
Tell us how much would you rate the Swachhta App and also if you have been using it, tell us your reviews of the App.
Who doesn’t love birds with their multi-hued feathers and different forms of the body flying high in the azure sky, perched on branches of trees, swimming effortlessly on the still water of the lakes or driving into the water in search of their prey? The sight of these beautiful avians, one of God’s most attractive gifts to man, always gladdens one’s mind and soul.
Well-known all over the world is the glorious cultural and historic past of Mewar. The intricate sculpture and fascinating folk traditions of the region are unique. In addition to all this, 24 important bird areas in the states, there are six in Udaipur viz Jaisamand lake and sanctuary Phulwari Ki Naal and Sajjangarh sanctuary Sei Dam, Udaipur lakes and Baghdara crocodile park. There are four more such regions in the neighboring districts namely Kumbhalgarh sanctuary, Sita Mata sanctuary, Mount Abu sanctuary and Serari Dam. Thus, South Rajasthan can boast of ten important bird areas. To all these, two more Todgarh-Raoli and Bassi can be added that is home to a huge variety of water and other kinds of bird. No less than 242 bird species have been sighted in Udaipur region.
flamingos near menar
Out of them, about 102 species are water birds and the remaining ones belong to the categories that live on earth and trees. About 150 species of migratory birds visit the lakes of Udaipur and neighboring area during the winter season. The district has its own identity as the sight of a large number birds of different species and wild animals can be seen easily. When in the months of October November as winter sets in, the number suddenly goes up.
Udaipurites who are lucky enough to be able to watch a good number of migratory birds in the winter season are often curious to know why the birds leave their country and come all the way to distant India. From the European countries and North Asian that become extremely cold during winter, they fly thousands of km away. At home, on the surface of winter bodies, there is snow, as also on the ground. The result is that the insects and the fishes that the birds feed on, either die or hibernate till the end of the winter season. In the absence of easy availability of food the birds fly long distance and migrate to countries that are warm, where lakes do not freeze and there is ample supply of food. In countries like India at that time summer season is just over and monsoon sets in. The lakes are almost full and there is greenery all around. So, food is available in plenty. Migratory birds live and lay eggs in Europe and Russia during summer, experts tell us. As the days are long they get enough time to hatch their eggs. Food is also available in good quantity, so the chicks grow faster.
Source: Udaipur Kiran
How these migratory birds passing through narrow passages make their way without being hindered by obstacles?
In the case of animals, when they move forward, they feel that objects that are near them seem to come close to them faster than those which are far. Similarly, birds ensure that the pictures of objects on their both sides are in keeping with their speed and then they feel secure.
To save energy for long flights, migratory birds start accumulating fats in their body months in advance in the summer season. Another interesting thing about such birds is that they fly only during the night and rest in the day as to avoid human disturbances and for safety. They fly continuously without any break. During long journeys, they fly in a V-formation or line. When one feels tired it takes a position at the back and is replaced by one who is fresh. Bar-headed goose is a migratory bird that can fly at the highest level that is 10-12 km from the ground. Flying at such a height where there is little oxygen and temperature is minus fifty degree Celsius it reaches Udaipur and other places in Mewar region and Rajasthan. The amazing thing is that they sleep in the air while flying overseas and oceans. Their brain sleeps while their muscles keep functioning covering a distance about 5000 km at the rate of 500-600 km per day, they reach Udaipur to add to the beauty of the water bodies. The longest journey of 11,000 km from North pole to South pole from the Arctic to Antarctica is undertaken by the bird named Arctic Turn. Out of the about 150 species migrating birds that come to Udaipur every year 170 were spotted in the Bird Fair held in December last year.
Source: Udaipur Kiran • Bird Watchers gathered to see birds
One can easily sight some common residents birds of Udaipur region like Common Coot (Tikadi), Little Grebe (Chhoti Dubdubi), Painted Stork (Jhanghil), Black-necked Stork (Luharjang, Asian Openbrill (Ghonghil), Woolly-necked Stork (Haji Laglag), Great White Pelican (Safed Hawasil), Black-headed Ibis (Kala Bujja)., Black Ibis (Kala Bujja), Greater Flamingo (Bada Hansawar), Red –wattled Lapwing (Titcahri), Little Cormant (Choota Pawan Kauva), Common Hoopoe (Hudhudid), Short-eared Owl (Chhot Kanna Ullu), Egyptian Vulture (Safed Giddh) and White-browed Fantail (Safed Nachni) in summer can be seen Indian Pitta (Desi Naurang), Rosy Starling (Gulab Mainn) etc. Winter visitors include Bar- headed Gouse (Seenkhpar), Pintail (Neessar), Red-chested Pochard (Chhoti Murgbi) etc.
Source: Udaipur Kiran
It is perhaps worthwhile for bird lovers to know where bird watching can be done. Built by Picchu Banjara, Pichola the biggest and the most famous lake of the town is one of the places where a large number of birds of various species can be sighted. Babool and other bushes are suitable for resident birds to build nests for breeding after monsoon season. It is fascinating to watch nests of Open Bill Stork during the breeding season. Nest colonies of Egret and Heron species in areas close to the lakes are also a sight worth watching. Fatehsagar built by Maharana Jaisingh and renovated by Maharana Fatehsingh is another huge lake good for bird watching, especially near Rani Road where winter is not very deep and there are trees where birds can build nests. However, the noise of motor boats that disturbs the peace is a negative factor. Connected with Picchola lake is Rangsagar lake built by the erstwhile Maharanas and Swarup Sagar built by Maharana Swami Singh are other spots suitable for watching birds of various species. So also Jal Burz and Kalka Mota Nursery near Doodh Talai. This year early in November about 600 birds of different species such as Schoveller, Common Pochard, Pintail Common Teal Ibis, Common Coot, and Spotted Dove were spotted in Roop Sagar and Badi Lake near Udaipur. Rajsamand that overflowed this time after 8 years also had a good number of birds.
In lakes near Udaipur such as Ghasa, Mavli, Kadla Losing, Nandeshwar, Bhatewar can also be seen birds in large numbers. The lakes near Menar also attract a huge number of birds of several species. Dhand Talab has been a home to over 600 Grey-leg geese that have come from a distance of 6000 km. The special feature of lakes near Menar is that the villagers do not use the lake water for irrigation and do not allow people to pollute it. Groups of young men not only guide the tourists but also provide horses to them. They have put up tents for the tourists to stay in very intelligently they have found a new way of caring morning and at the same time promoting tourism.
Source: on the high road
Udaipurities can now drive some 25 to 50 km away from the city, have an exciting close view of beautiful birds and spend an enjoyable day.
Tickets at ‘Under The Sun’ fish aquarium Udaipur:
