German cow activist allowed to stay in India

Friederike Irina Bruening, who has devoted her life to the service of the ailing and abandoned cows, has finally been allowed to stay in India after intervention from the Narendra Modi government.

Last week, after her request for a visa extension was denied, Bruening threatened to return the top civilian award 'Padma Shri' that she had received in recognition for her work towards cow protection.

Following this, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj took to Twitter announcing that she had asked for a detailed report in the matter. On Monday, Bruening received a new visa allowing her to continue to stay in India.

"We have around 1,800 cows in our shelter at the moment. Five to fifteen cows are brought in every day," says Bruening.

Living in India for last 25 years, Bruening, 61, has spent around USD 225,000 from her own pocket on running the cow shelter. The monthly cost of running the shelter is around USD 45,000.

Many of the cows brought in there are visually impaired or wounded in road accidents, while some are sick after having consumed large amounts of plastic waste. Fifty per cent of cows that come in usually die.

Bruening, who is now known as Sudevi Dasi after having converted to Hinduism, says “killing a cow is the worst thing one can do.”

The cow protection movement has been a religious and political movement in India aiming to protect cows, whose slaughter has been broadly opposed by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs.

The laws prohibiting slaughter and consumption of beef have been strengthened in the country, prompting people to abandon their old and week cows which they earlier used to sell for slaughter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said cows were an important part of India’s tradition and culture.

Meri Zindagi - the band with a difference

The unique 'Meri Zindagi' band is known for its soul-stirring songs centering around issues such as female education, gender justice and equality.

What makes this six-member band extraordinary is that it comprises only women who play on the electric guitar, the synthesiser and the drums.

Keeping away from Bollywood singles, the band focuses on songs that address social issues and advocate women empowerment.

While performing at 'Kumbh Mela' this year, the band highlighted the malpractice of child marriage.

“One out of every five girls in Uttar Pradesh (UP) is a child bride. All her aspirations and dreams die the moment she gets married. With our songs, we wanted to question the relevance of this practice. The audience understands, interacts and appreciates when they listen to such songs. Many people inspired by the lyrics met me after the performance and showered praises on us,” says band's founder and lead singer-songwriter Jaya Tiwari.

In 2010, when they had just begun, getting the audience was a hard task. The number of people who turned up in their shows was quite discouraging. The band could not even afford to buy basic musical instruments. But this did not deter them from their ambition to perform.

Today, 'Meri Zindagi' is UP's first and only rock band that sings melodious songs about equality, girl education, male dominance, justice, female foeticide and domestic violence.

Tiwari came up with the idea of forming the band after noticing how baby boys at an orphanage were adopted immediately while girls had no takers.

“Over a period of time, I realised that the only babies left at the orphanage were girls. Depressed, I began to think about how I could bring change in the people's attitude,” recollects Tiwari.

The best way to empower these girls was to form a band and make some of them part of it. Unfortunately, it did not work out.

She then started looking for like-minded instrumentalists to form the band. The first to be auditioned was Tiwari's own student Niharika Dubey.

"Jaya knew me but that gave me no added advantage and to pass the audition was mandatory", says Dubey who plays synthesiser.

Later more girls joined the band. At that time, the band owned no musical instrument other than a guitar. Having no money, they picked up whatever they could find to create some music — spoons, glasses, plates, bowls and tongs. In order to ensure that some of the band members who happened to be college students did not miss classes, they would practice in the parks early in the morning.

Gradually, people started taking notice of this women-only band. Youtube and Facebook took the fame of songs such as ‘mai ri mera byah na rachana’ to another level. The song asks mothers to give girls a chance to live their dreams instead of getting them married at a young age. The motive is to encourage girls to believe in themselves and not be merely confined to the kitchen.

The band's gut-wrenching song on female foeticide ‘teri galiyon mein na aayenge kabhi is raat ke baad, maa, meri maa’ went viral to the extent that they started receiving invitations from organisations such as UNICEF, Breakthrough, BBC Media Action, WaterAid India and State unit of Mahila Samakhya - the autonomous government organisation working for women’s empowerment.

So far, the band has composed over 70 songs for women helpline 1090 and UP Women Police. Besides, they also support the education of needy and poor girls in UP's capital Lucknow.

“I feel proud to be associated with this band because I have not seen any band that practises what it preaches,” says Anamika Jhunjhunwala, 17, the youngest member at the drums.

Interestingly, some young members of the band had to leave because of academic compulsions. They were replaced by other ambitious musicians like guitarist Poorvi Malviya, and vocalists Swastika and Saubhagya.

Though the trio has now moved out of Lucknow to complete their post-graduation, they still continue to be a part of the band because for them music is their life and only with this can they bring a change in the society.

Minimum polling in maximum security

Khalid Jehangir addresses the small gathering in Kangan in Ganderbal district. 

We had arrived two days before the polling day. This was the last day for campaigning and not many people came out to listen to their leaders due to incessant rain. 

Election observers feel that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not perform well in Kashmir in 2019 general elections despite the fact that the party won many seats in last year’s municipal and panchayat (local body) polls. The good performance was a result of the poll boycott call by the two main regional parties from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) — the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

All the poll-related advertisements issued by BJP are green in colour with not even a trace of saffron. People in Kashmir feel closer to green because of its association with Islam and Pakistan. Many believe that green was Prophet Mohammad’s favourite colour. Green is also the colour of the Pakistani flag.

And finally, D Day. 

Srinagar reported a total turnout of 14.05 per cent during polls on Thursday. Total turnout in 2017, when NC's Omar Abdullah won the seat, was a mere 7.13 per cent. 

Maximum polling booths in state capital Srinagar and outskirts remained empty and looked abandoned as people chose to stay away from polling. 

While a massive poll boycott was observed in areas falling under Srinagar old city and Budgam constituencies, Ganderbal district saw low voting.

According to reports, as many as 50 polling stations saw not a single voter turning up. Majority of these booths stood in Khanyar, Habba Kadal and Eidgah constituencies. 

The day witnessed total shutdown called by leaders of several Kashmiri separatist groups against the elections, internet gag, clashes and tight security arrangements by the authorities. 

All the shops and other business establishments remained shut.

The streets and roads appeared deserted as public transport went off the roads. 

Fortunately, no untoward incident took place during polling which was conducted amid tight security due to a boycott call by separatists and threats by militants.

With this, we sign off. Have a great day.

World's seven wonders in Delhi

You may not be able to see all the seven wonders of the world in one lifetime but how about seeing them all at one place without feeling the pinch. For last six months, a group of five artists has been working on creating replicas of seven wonders of the world in Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan. Interestingly, these masterpieces are made out of scrap that includes grass cutter, typewriter, poles, pipes, and other spare parts.

The initiative is undertaken by South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) as part of the Clean India project which aims at using waste materials to recreate the iconic structures.

With this, the city which is the worst polluted in the world will now thankfully be known for its world-class sculptures.

The park is accessible to the public between 11 AM to 11 PM and the tickets can be purchased manually from the ticket counter at the entry point. For the convenience of visitors, the parking facility is created near the park. 

The SDMC alongwith the Horticulture Department turned the two-hectare ugly landfill site into a magnificent park that now hosts these sculptures.

Spread over 7 acres and barely 100 metres away from Hazrat Nizamuddin Metro Station, the park is expected to attract thousands of visitors everyday.

The park hosts replicas of the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, Christ the Redeemer of Brazil, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Rome's famous Colosseum and the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The entry fee collected from the visitors will be utilised for the maintenance of the park. 

The wind and solar power are harnessed to energise and light up the seven wonders of the park. A total of three windmills of one kilo-watt each, three solar trees of five kilowatts each and several rooftop solar panels of ten kilowatts each have been installed inside the park. The park is entirely lit up through renewable energy.

Great Pyramid of Giza. The project materialised with the help of five artists, seven supporting artists and seventy welders and other helpers. 

Of course, there is a small gate in the Pyramid but it is made only for maintenance purpose.

Sixty feet replica of the Eiffel Tower made solely out of scrap is also part of the one million dollar project.

Rome's Colosseum

All the replicas had been painted initially, later the paint was removed to give it the rusty look of scrap. 

"It took us one day to paint, but twenty days to remove that pain", says artist Niten Mehta. 

 The artists had visited Agra city before creating the replica of Taj Mahal. 

    I love monkeys and this one is amazing.

Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer 

"We want to convey a strong message to people on recycling waste. Also and this park gives access to all the people who will never be able to see the original monuments," says an art executive.

        The thirty feet high statue of Liberty

The material came from the scrapyards which otherwise is sold in auctions by SDMC. Around 150 tonnes of waste was used to make replicas.

Artists having a look at the scrap

With this, signing off. Adieu.

Pride of Sikhs - Dastaar

Pride of Sikh culture - Dastaar - is an article of faith that represents honour, self-respect, courage, spirituality and piety. It is an important part of the unique Sikh identity. A Sikh can be easily identified among lakhs of people with his turban. 

 "If we go back in history, turban was worn in every religion. All the Sikh Gurus, Jesus Christ, Lord Rama and Krishna wore turban. But later everybody forgot turban but Sikhs didn’t. They say that the relation of hair with turban is the same as that of the relation of a nail with skin. Sikhs should also keep a long beard to go along with the turban, as both enhance the personality of the follower," said Gurdwara Bangla Sahib's 'Head Granthi' Baldev Singh. 

A sikh would not let anyone touch his turban but, if required, he uses the same piece of cloth to help an injured person or save a woman's dignity. 

"My aim is to make turban famous worldwide. I want to see turban on every Sikh’s head. I want every one of the Sikh community to know that turban is a gift from our Gurus and it is the identity of a Sikh", Gurjeet Singh, a trainer at 'Japjaap Sewa Trust' that teaches turban tying at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib every Sunday, said. 

 Away from his father, Vishal could not learn turban tying from him and and hence made his way to the Gurdwara to learn the art. 

Six-year-old Japjyot Singh comes to the Gurdwara every Sunday. By now he knows the basics of turban tying. His keen participation is inspiring others to come forward and learn the art of turban tying.

In the pic, he is assisted by one of the trainers of the Trust.

Ever seen such a cute boy with a beautifully tied turban?

Kapoor Singh, who regularly does 'sewa' (voluntary service) at Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, is an ardent follower of Sikhism. So much so that he vowed to completely transform his looks by adorning the grand Sikh headgear. 

Note: Turban tying is taught every Sunday at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib between 3 pm and 7 pm next to the 'sarovar' (holy water body). Anybody can join and learn free of cost.

Social Media -Rule it, Time it

In this age of technology, we take mind off one platform and the next moment we are active on another. We don’t merely shift from one app to another, we get addicted - addiction to such an extent that we fail to prioritise things. We are constantly looking for notifications on our phone screens. Fair enough, we are not harming anybody, but we are definitely harming ourselves. We have lost the track and focus. That is definitely not the goal of life. Are we really balanced? Are we at peace doing all this? Excess of anything is bad, they say. We solely are responsible to create balance and harmony in our lives.

Why is this happening?

Life is such that we are generally stressed due to various reasons. We want to de-focus from problems and relieve stress. With that as a motive, we actually end up spending too much time on social media. This helps to some extent if we want to just divert mind from the main problem but eventually it turns into an addiction. It affects our daily functioning. We simply start but don’t know when and where to stop. This is an aimless journey doing no good to our brain and soul. We are only losers, no one else.

How to know you are addicted?

If you can’t keep your phone away for long, you are addicted. If you are tempted to look at your phone screen again and again, you are addicted. If you are looking at your phone even while talking to someone, you are addicted. When your focus is not on the conversation but on your phone, you are addicted.

What to do?

Life must have a balance. No harm in being active on social media but one needs to know where to put a fullstop. Realise before it is too late. Anything that acts as a hurdle in your routine and disengages you from your responsibilities and priorities, crush it before it causes irreparable harm to you. Discover your addiction in time and move past it. We need to grow mentally and spiritually. You rule social media, don’t let social media rule you. Social media is not the source of happiness. The source of happiness lies within you. Help yourself, because no one else can. 

Puppychino - Delhi's first dog cafe

This cafe in Delhi is catering to humans who don't want to leave their four-legged comrades wasting away at home.

It is Delhi’s first pet-friendly cafe that welcomes dogs and other pets. 

The cafe is divided into two parts - one where dogs and humans can sit together, second where dogs can play. People visiting the cafe without their pets can play with Puppychino official mascots - Simba (Husky), Bobo (Labrador), Kiara (Husky) and Moose (Labrador). Bobo and Simba are entitled to two weekend offs due to greater footfall and resulting difficulties.

The idea is to create a space where both humans and pets can have fun and relish their food together. The menu boasting of amusing dishes such as Snoopy Spaghetti and Toothsome Pancake give canines all reasons to spoil themselves silly. And of course, there are two different menu cards for humans and their pets. 

“We kept a lot of things in mind when we created the menu. We have gluten-free options for dogs allergic to wheat. The cream is replaced with yoghurt as a healthy option. Sugar and chocolate being unhealthy for dogs, pancakes are topped with vanilla ice-cream for that rare indulgence. We also serve dog beer which is made with chicken stock and molasses,” says Nayani Tandon, the mastermind behind the cafe.

The food items are well tried and tested for at least a month before finally included in the menu. 

At Puppychino spa, dog owners can get their pets showered, groomed and scented. They also can purchase accessories like lashes, collar, bandanas and a lot more. 

The cafe also offers a day boarding facility on need-basis. The dog is required to have visited the place earlier to get familiarised with it. Visitors need to inform the staff about the temperament and behaviour of their pet so that precautions may be taken.

Puppychino in association with Pet Home Boarding also hosts pool parties for both dogs and humans where they relish food and beverages.

Puppychino is a self-financed cafe that organises adoption events to encourage adoption over buying. They work as an alliance with NGOs and shelters like Friendicoes, Paws for a Cause for dogs, Purrfection and Adopt till you Drop so that dogs and cats can find a home with a loving owner.

Olli - The First Self Driving Vehicle

Finally, here comes a self-driving bus that has been brought out by IBM’s supercomputer platform Watson in partnership with Arizona-based Local Motors. The 3D printed autonomous bus is called Olli.

With this, the self-driving car segment will become more aggressive.

Olli will be hitting roads in Washington, DC first, then Miami and finally Las Vegas. The new vehicle was launched at the super grand opening event of the new Local Motors facility in National Harbor, Maryland.

Local Motors is preparing to test the bus in cities outside the United States such as Berlin, Canberra and Copenhagen.

Local Motors CEO and co-founder John B. Rogers said in a statement, “Olli offers a smart, safe and sustainable transportation solution that is long overdue. Olli with Watson acts as our entry into the world of self-driving vehicles, something we’ve been quietly working on with our co-creative community for the past year. We are now ready to accelerate the adoption of this technology and apply it to nearly every vehicle in our current portfolio and those in the very near future. I’m thrilled to see what our open community will do with the latest in advanced vehicle technology.”

Just like Uber, Olli can also be booked and paid on the app.

Advanced vehicle technology of IBM Watson called the Internet of Things for Automotive helps improve the passengers’ experience and allows them to have a natural interaction with the vehicle.

While in transit, passengers can interact with the vehicle about various topics such as the functioning of the vehicle, their destination, suggestions on restaurants and historical sites.

Most of its components are printed on a 3D printer making it an absolutely unique vehicle. Olli has 30 sensors that stream relevant data to and from IBM’s cloud. It can carry up to 12 people.

“We hope to be able to print this vehicle in about 10 hours and assemble it in another hour”, said Roger.

The company claims Olli not only helps in cutting down the output of emissions in dense urban areas but also helps in reducing noise pollution.

All good things come with a caveat, Self-driving vehicles are no exception. 

It is not easy to create and maintain maps for driverless vehicles.

For instance, when Google had to test a self-driving car in a new city, its employees had to first drive the vehicles all across the streets manually to build a rich and detailed 3-D map of the area. Rotating Lidar camera on the car's roof emitted laser pulses to measure its surroundings, and the people on Google's mapping team then looked into the data to classify different features such as crossings, driveways, intersections and fire hydrants.

Lots of companies are constantly working on various types of autonomous technologies, one of them being partial autonomy.

Social interactions with robots may not be as easy as it appears

An even bigger obstacle is that driving is an extremely social process that requires frequent thoughtful interactions with other drivers, riders, and pedestrians. In such situations, robots may prove to be inefficient as they lack generalized intelligence and common sense that humans possess.

To deal with tough situations, the company may decide to hand over the controls back to the humans when computers are not confident of what to do. The biggest drawback of this approach is the threat it poses with shared control on a self-driving vehicle. For example, in the case of a crash like situation, a sudden shift of control to human may be unexpected and fatal.

Bad weather adds to the problems of self-driving vehicles. Vehicles fog sensors don’t work efficiently in bad weather. Vehicles are being tested at ill weather locations.

Many countries need regulations to ensure the safety of automated vehicles

This is more of a political problem in countries which are yet to approve its use. Their main concern is the safety of passengers. Many companies may not be able to justify to the level needed by authorities.

Cybersecurity can be a major issue if not dealt with smartly

Manufacturers have to be dead sure that their vehicles would not be hacked. With the vehicles getting more intelligent and automated, it is much easier to disrupt its functioning.

Software companies have been working on the issue for quite a long time.

The arrival of such technologies could have a simulating impact on the car industry, letting smaller startups battle and even move ahead of the industry’s established giants.

Shahpura Haveli - A Hidden Treasure

Built over 300 years ago, Shahpura Haveli has undergone a meticulous transformation under the direction of Rao Bishan Singh Ji. A further renovation and expansion project under the direction of later ruler Rao Pratap Singh gave Haveli the magnificence that it now boasts of. 

Situated in Shahpura, the Haveli is approximately 200-km away from Delhi. 

It is situated amid rural residency and the approach road to it is pretty narrow. Taking help of people in locating the hotel will only result in disappointment as not many are aware of its existence. However, with Google map, it can be easily located. 

A blend of modern technology and Indian architectural features, the Haveli's imperial interiors reflect the lifestyle of the emperors who lived there with their extended families. Having now been turned to a hotel, it offers accommodation in five suites.

The Haveli is also known for its unique hand-painted Darbar hall, the glorious hall of mirrors with excessively intricate work.

It is now a dazzling heritage hotel with beautifully and cautiously carved exteriors and majestic interiors.

The two in-built restaurants specialise in Rajasthan cuisines along with Asian and European delicacies. 

The guests can also relish their dinner with premium cocktails in the open surroundings of the garden as well as the terrace.

With its five luxurious rooms, the hotel offers unique experiences of royal Rajput way of living. All the accommodations are designed and furnished in the best standards of luxury.

Cosy beds with a feather-soft fabric, gracefully decorated lounges, en-suite bathrooms and exclusive courtyard, these are some of the delights that define the grandeur of the accommodations at Shahpura Haveli.

If you are looking for modern luxury along with noble hospitality, Shahpura Haveli is the place for you.

Joyfulness in Godfulness

'Nanak dukhiya sab sansaar'

(Hey Nanak, the world is in distress)

Are we really sad or is it our mind that tells us to believe we are sad. We have lost the ability to look at the overall goodness of life. We pick up one issue of life and on the basis of that, we label our life as sorrowful.

We are always cribbing about what's happening in our day-to-day life. We complain to God, "why me?" We never question ourselves at the time of performing 'karma.' There is no injustice in the court of the Lord. We reap what we sow. But if we have a true Guru, he can reduce the intensity of pain and sufferings we go through. This happens only when we surrender unto him. This is probably the toughest task. 

We usually surrender when we don't achieve anything from all of our futile efforts. That's not surrendering. Surrender is leaving everything to God in all circumstances. If you have surrendered, you will see much involvement of God in routine activities. Everything will turn out to be magic. You will automatically thank God in every situation; thank God for showing good times and thank God for reducing the intensity of your sufferings that you are/were supposed to undergo. 

God is never happy to see his child cry. But for that, you have to behave like his child. Parents love kids who trust and follow them. You show your 'innocent child love" to God and he will love you forever. If he is the primary character in your life, you are his primary character as well. He will take care of your past, present and future.

We should learn to thank God when we get something we desire. We should thank God even when we don't get what we want because that is also his wish. Apparently, he is working in our best interests. Who knows we may be asking for things which can be potentially dangerous for us? He only knows what is right for us.

We are running after materialistic things and perishable beings. Human relations are variable vis-a-vis absolute relation with God. 

In Sadhguru's words that really impacted my thinking, "a relationship is a variable reality, it is not an absolute reality. If you want to have an absolute relationship, you must choose God because it’s an absolute. You can handle it whichever way you want. If you didn’t think of him for ten days, another eleventh day if you think of him, he is still there. You do that to your husband or wife or somebody important to you, he will hold it against you. So if you want to have an absolute relationship, you must choose God, you should not choose human beings.”

Basically, no person is bad. He/she has some limited or special role in your life depending upon your own 'karma' and your past life connection with him. Never curse anybody because you don't know what role he is assigned by God to play in your life. Forgive. Thank God. Move on. 

If you want to cry, cry before God. Talk to him. Never think he is inactive and not paying attention. The more emotionally you call upon him, the faster will be his reaction. Mind you, he loves you and doesn't like to see you cry. You are his child. You broke your connection with him, he didn't. 

Look for signs

The more you experience something, the more you believe in it. I never believed in angels but I am sure there is some positive energy that is trying to guide and help us every now and then in every possible way. They try to communicate with us through signs and thoughts they impress upon our minds. Talk to the angels/positive energy that is always ready to assist you whenever you seek help. Spend some time in solitude, meditate to be able to listen to them by way of impressions they leave on your brain. 

In order to live a gifted, abundant, joy-filled life, we must see it differently. We must look at the goodness of life which has been possible only with his grace. We must thank him for making our life much easier and comfortable compared to some who don't even have shelter to live under. 

Our life is not as distressed as we have made it with our thoughts. 

'Kiv sachiara hoiye kiv kude tute paal

Hukam rajai chalna nanak likhiya naal'

(How do we become truthful and how can the veil of illusion be torn away?)

Guru Nanak Dev ji says live in alignment with 'Hukam' (divine order) because everything in the universe happens according to the will of the almighty God. The whole of the universe is subject to the 'Hukam' of the Creator. Nothing ever happens without the will of the Lord. This commandment implies the complete surrender to the Supreme.

PS: I don’t advertise but one book that literally changed my attitude towards life is “The laws of the Spirit World” by Khurshed Bhavnagri. It changed my life and can change yours too.