Weekend Getaways- Nandi Hills

Voila, so finally here i am to write a review on Nandi hills to cover and uncover all the details about the place, and everything related to this place. For any of the information which i have not been able to put in, you can always mail me

Journalist inside::Diwali Special::Significance Of Festival of Lights

Significance Of Festival of Lights
‘The festival of lights’ is celebrated with much enthusiasm and zeal in all of north India. In fact the festival of Diwali is regarded to bring the supernatural joy and brightness in a person’s life with the hope of discovering light amidst darkness, achieving happiness in place of ignorance and spreading love amidst hatred and violence. The tradition of lighting the diyas on Diwali holds much importance as in Hindu mythology the light signifies goodness and vitality. In cities candles and classy neon lights often substitute these diyas.

The word "Diwali" is the corruption of the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" - Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row. It means a row of lights and indeed illumination forms its main attraction. Every home, the hut of the poor or the mansion of the rich is lit with the orange glow of twinkling diyas-small earthen lamps to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Multi-colored Rangoli designs, floral decorations and fireworks lend grandeur to this festival which heralds joy, mirth and happiness in the ensuring year.

Diwali Decorations

Every house glitters like a jewel in the dark night sky during Diwali. People go out of their way to ornament their houses, streets, market places, schools and even slums with glittering decorations. It all starts a few weeks before Diwali when the frantic spring-cleaning gets underway. Every member of the household is expected to play a role in this ritual cleaning affair. Floors are scrubbed, thee walls whitewashed and the kitchen immaculately dusted. Every man, rich or poor, young or old, follows this custom. Since Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year, it is considered auspicious to make a good start by cleaning all the rubbish of the last year. It symbolizes not only the cleaning of the house but spiritual cleaning as well. It is also said that Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity does not visit houses that haven’t been spotlessly cleaned. Once the cleaning and whitewashing has been done, it is time for the beautiful decorations to be bought out.

Diyas

Diyas are small oil lamps made out of clay. Diwali is Sanskrit for row of lamps, therefore it is but obvious that Diyas are an integral part of Diwali celebrations. They come in different shapes and sizes and patterns ranging from the intricate Rajasthani varieties to the poor man’s Diya made out of simple clay. Rows of Diyas line the entrance to the house and the areas surrounding it. This is done to guide the Goddess Lakshmi when she makes a visit to everyone’s humble abode to bless them with success.

Rangolis

Rangolis are one of the oldest and most beautiful Indian art forms. They are patterns, usually depicting Nature, drawn on a floor or wall with powdered color mad e out of natural vegetable dyes. These Rangolis are drawn at the entrance of the house, again to welcome Goddess Lakshmi.

Idols Of Gods and Goddesses
On this auspicious day, the idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi are worshipped. They are first thoroughly cleaned, then ornamented in jewels, many a times the jewels are real gold and pearls and at other times they are garish cosmetic jewelry. These idols then occupy the pride of the place in the family mandir (temple).

Diwali Lights and Lamps
Many people decorate their houses with rows and rows of electric lights in different colors. These lights cascade from balconies, are coiled around a tree or strung along electrical wires in the market place. They create a mesmerizing atmosphere with their shimmering glow.

Origin Of Diwali Rangolis
According to the Chitralakshana, the earliest Indian treatise on painting, when the son of a King’s high priest died, the king was most distressed. Brahma, lord of the universe decided to help the king and asked him to paint a likeness of the boy on the wall so that Brahma could breathe life into him again. That was believed to be the first Rangoli. Another legend has it that God, in one of his creative moods, extracted the juice of a mango and painted with it the figure of a woman so beautiful that the painting put all the maidens in heaven at shame!

The Indian Kings and royal families to gave impetus to this art form which it was believed that only the very skilled could attempt. The Chola rulers are notable in their propagation of the art of Rangolis. Like Hindu and Buddhist Mandalas, the reason for using powder or sand as a medium for creating Rangoli (and its resulting fragility) is sometimes thought to be a metaphor for the impermanence of life and Maya.

Diwali Fireworks Do and Don’ts

• An adult should always supervise the use of fireworks by children.
• Check the area before igniting fireworks to ensure that all inflammable and combustible materials are removed.
• Follow all safety precautions issued with the fireworks.
• Ensure that your children don't engage in dangerous pranks such as throwing lighted crackers or sparklers at others, or try to make fireworks themselves.
• Never use fireworks inside a vehicle
• Never ignite fireworks while holding them. Put them down, then ignite them and walk away.
• Wear close-fitting clothes of thick material instead of loose or flowing garments.
• Flying fireworks - rockets, missiles, etc. - should always be lighted in open grounds pointing straight up.
• Firecrackers, bombs and flowerpots should not be lighted holding them. It is always safer to light them from the side without bending over them.
• Keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water nearby to extinguish any incipient fire.
• Keep burn ointments handy
• Use a candle or an agarbathi to ignite fireworks. They burn without an open flame and provide a greater and safer distance between your hands and the fireworks.

Diwali calendar:

Here’s a Diwali Calendar which will keep you well informed over the next couple of years. However, the dates are subject to change depending on the lunar activity.

YEAR	DATE, MONTH AND DAY
2006	21 October, Saturday
2007	09 November, Friday
2008	28 October, Tuesday
2009	17 October, Saturday
2010	05 November, Friday
2011	26 October, Wednesday
2012	13 November, Tuesday
2013	03 November, Sunday
2014	23 October, Thursday
2015	11 November, Wednesday
2016	30 October, Sunday
2017	19 October, Thursday
2018	07 November, Wednesday
2019	27 October, Sunday

Journalist inside:: Grooming the Ravana

It's Festival season all around and the shops and malls have been lit up across the country to mark the festivals season onset, in where countrymen shop in bulk for sweets, gifts and other items which they find to be auspicious and cheaper on price, due to lot of Dushera and festival dhamakas and bumper sales. Buying something for half the price than any other time of the year, will definitely make it look auspicious though even if god doesn't mind or bother giving it a thought.

The exchange of sweets, utensils, clothing has found its way since the civilization inception which symbolizes prosperity and happiness. The history of exchanging gifts can be traced back with the birth of Christ when three Magi blessed the Lord with some precious ones. Studying the tradition on a deeper level tells us that even Christians have borrowed this custom from the Germans and Dutch. Also the christians started exchanging gifts with each other's families to mark the occasion, dressing up the christmas tree and exchanging good-luck gifts called Stenae (lucky fruits). These would also be hung to the tree which would remind them that spring would come again and reap them the same good times and fruits they saw. In India, in earlier times, people would give more value to love token given as gifts and families would enjoy those moments with their neighbour and friends and gift them lot of items which in turn adds a human touch and value and also mutual exchange would add love and sharing inculcated into the society. The same tradition would set roots for helping each other during times of needs and that where the people in villages and small towns are more glued together when it comes to festivals or natural calamities. In olden times, people would prepare lot of sweets and those would be distributed across to all. Most of the emphasis was given to Dried fruits and sweets.

But with times gone by, those traditions have caught dust and now look gloomy from where we stand. Gone are the days when that home made sweets and hand made gifts used to hold importance. For specially the festivals, new product ranges are launched into the market and the upper brass finds it quite an offence to deal with anything below certain standards. It has to be a costly affair and the gifts received from others are also kept under the tight scrutiny so that the favour can be returned with the came price or same in kind. A thalli of laddus and dry fruits has already been exchanged up with chocolate hampers, suit length gift hampers and holiday packages, gift

coupons worth thousands which can be spent over a mall near you. Certain section of the society also makes sure to not let any stones unturned when it comes to show off during these seasons. Babus, ministers and other section which sits on a strong position in govt. body are often have people queued up to gift them their love which is normally in cars, land acquisitions and also in favours which can go up to any level. Due to the festival season, people get a reason to present something worthwhile to the other party so soften and getting their work done, be it a pending land case or a management seat for their kids in near future....

Vijayadashmi, called as dashera marked the win of truth over mighty falsehood and evil and teaches us that its not long when one's ego and evil inside will reap similar results but in spite that, we have commercialised the whole festival and expensive gifts and favours may have shine and luster in them, but lack lot of love and harmony which was inculcated long back by our scriptures and holy books. have we lost the human touch or have the colors or our festivals going bright because ostentatious us, is still unanswered...But true, somewhere we are only grooming the Ravana inside all of us, inside our society and try to burn its effigy ever year and rebuild it through the rest of it.

My Management collection: what is Supply Chain Management?

Supply chain management (SCM) is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations of the supply chain as efficiently as possible. Supply Chain Management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption.

Problems addressed:
Distribution Network Configuration: Number and location of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centers, warehouses and customers.
Distribution Strategy: Centralized versus decentralized, direct shipment, Cross docking, pull or push strategies, third party logistics.
Information: Integrate systems and processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory and transportation etc.
Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory including raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods.
Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and the methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain.
Supply chain execution is managing and coordinating the movement of materials, information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional.

Activities/functions
Supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to managing the movement of raw materials into an organization and the movement of finished goods out of the organization toward the end-consumer. As corporations strive to focus on core competencies and become more flexible, they have reduced their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other corporations that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and improving inventory velocity.

Different models and groupings:
Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Management Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF).

Supply chain activities can be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels of activities.

Strategic
Strategic network optimization, including the number, location, and size of warehouses, distribution centers and facilities.
Strategic partnership with suppliers, distributors, and customers, creating communication channels for critical information and operational improvements such as cross docking, direct shipping, and third-party logistics.
Product design coordination, so that new and existing products can be optimally integrated into the supply chain, load management
Information Technology infrastructure, to support supply chain operations.
Where to make and what to make or buy decisions.
Align overall organizational strategy with supply strategy.

Tactical
Sourcing contracts and other purchasing decisions.
Production decisions, including contracting, locations, scheduling, and planning process definition.
Inventory decisions, including quantity, location, and quality of inventory.
Transportation strategy, including frequency, routes, and contracting.
Benchmarking of all operations against competitors and implementation of best practices throughout the enterprise.
Milestone payments

Operational
Daily production and distribution planning, including all nodes in the supply chain.
Production scheduling for each manufacturing facility in the supply chain (minute by minute).
Demand planning and forecasting, coordinating the demand forecast of all customers and sharing the forecast with all suppliers.
Sourcing planning, including current inventory and forecast demand, in collaboration with all suppliers.
Inbound operations, including transportation from suppliers and receiving inventory.
Production operations, including the consumption of materials and flow of finished goods.
Outbound operations, including all fulfillment activities and transportation to customers.
Order promising, accounting for all constraints in the supply chain, including all suppliers, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and other customers.

Supply chain management Scenario
Organizations increasingly find that they must rely on effective supply chains, or networks, to successfully compete in the global market and networked economy. During the past decades, globalization, outsourcing and information technology have enabled many organizations such as Dell and Hewlett Packard, to successfully operate solid collaborative supply networks in which each specialized business partner focuses on only a few key strategic activities (Scott, 1993). In the 21st century, there have been a few changes in business environment that have contributed to the development of supply chain networks. First, as an outcome of globalization and proliferation of multi-national companies, joint ventures, strategic alliances and business partnerships were found to be significant success factors, following the earlier "Just-In-Time", "Lean Management" and "Agile Manufacturing" practices.

Journalist inside:: Terrorism: Road to killing people and fighting over religion

Terrorism has been doing lots these last six months and we have been at our best in discussing and cribbing behind the politicians. The minister declared 2 lakhs per person to the families of who have died in the blast and well till date we hear about such money being declared by the ministers in front of the media, but getting that money by that family in exponential time and inversely proportional ratio is just another equation which is unsolved yet.

I was shocked to read about the comments from various communities and also the responses of the online community over the blogs and news sites was even more disheartening. Today i was just going through an article over Rediff which talks about how secure are the malls and cinema halls around us and how these places become easy targets for the antisocial elements. Even i do agree and i end up feeling and discussing with my friends as to how everything is moving on, and that's all based on trust. How many times i have felt that railway lines are all exposed and one can do damage at any place as most of the times it crosses from very isolated places. Planes hijack, anything is not a unknown threat as we are all aware of what happened to Mr. Rippin Katyal and during that phase of time when lot of hijacks happened. Today too when i travel by planes, as i happened to be a frequent flier, i have noticed, that security may be tight from where the passengers entry and board the planes but the ones left for the staff, the outlets for food and luggage are left completely on the trust and mercy of the staff and not much can be done if one of them turns out to be an unscrupulous one. Anytime things can go out of hands and this is the same case in discussion these days with all the news hounds going Gung-ho. The malls have clearly been a soft target for the visitors never been put under scanner. As a matter of fact, the pass way which is supposed to be the metal detector machine, is used in scanty and when the malls have huge rush, even the authorities would ask the visitors to detour the pass way and go ahead.

Terrorism has always been able to take the best out of us due to some of our own mistakes in society and that will continue on the same path, if we do not stop complaining about our politicians, and start acting on the least we can do towards it. The politicians, i believe have not played their parts yet and the maximum we can do is by either participating in campaigns like LEAD INDIA by times group to nurture the best among us and make the field of politics more wanted and urged, or we can expect a better government in times to come where we see young scindias, gandhis and pilots taking the battle fields with their legitimate corporate looks, huge qualifications and strong backgrounds promising a future which will belong to the youth of our country. I read an interview in the news paper yesterday, where Shahrukh khan, rightly quoted that "politics is something for which one needs to be selfless". Quite true. We need politicians who are self less and are motivated to take the country to greater heights, not the ones who fry their kebabs when bomb blasts happen and try get their subtle group of followers to get more fan followings but distributing few sympathetic words and some bucks. Sometimes i wonder that with such coalition government we have been doing so well, with sensex crossing 19Ks and economy going Atlas, what if the goose group of our politicians turn to be likes of rajiv gandhi.We have the best mix of talent to beat anyone anywhere.

Talking about our responsibilities, i am sure we always happen to shun them and end up giving reasons for why can't we contribute or how are we took weak to contribute. But, i am just trying to figure out if we really are that bad. In this world of technology and Internet, we can always try to play our part if we can not go out and fight with the terrorists. we can help people by supporting the views and add to the strength of the agenda. But we move off the responsibilities by lot of ways. We tend to read about discrimination and think, "O god, how does these people do that...Thank lord, we never did so" but do we tend to send across that message to other people. I am sure you may have been born and brought up in such a way that you never felt the heat of racial or religious discrimination but you got to understand that lot of people read and make perceptions out of it. Just on that article on rediff, I felt very sorry when i read couple of comments. One of the fellows was shouting out saying that people should not only put Muslims terrorists responsible for everything, as this time it can be sikh militants too. This is sad and funny too when youth of today, having access to Internet and all that around them, start discriminating among castes and religions and fail to understand the basics. Militancy in any form can have no reason to be justified and the militants will never belong to any religion. People have not even known the meaning of word "JEHAD" but have been associating with militants and supporting them. We have to understand that the religion is only one, that's of humanity. Now you may sign prayers and lit candles at St. martins church, take holy dip at darbar sahib at Amritsar, may be singing the evening aarti at Ganges or fulfilling a life long dream of visiting the shrine at holy city of Mecca, they all will teach you to love the people and help the poor. They will never label the as Hindu or Muslims. they will always label as Evil and Fair. When we label the people with their castes and religions and hold them responsible, aren't we disrespecting our religions, or can we say that such a youth will promise a better India.
We need to put more of contributions towards the betterment of our nation by writing and reading more and supporting the voice. The youth needs to be understanding the basics right under the umbrella of Humanity and then can they become the torch bearers for the future. Till the time, we do not understand our own responsibilities, start acting on them and send strong vibes across the society, We would have more events taking off the best among us and keep us divided when still we all stand up to the hymes of JANA GANA MANN...

Worth collecting : E-mail Dos and Donts

DO... Use a descriptive subject line

There is nothing more annoying than receiving e-mails in your e-inbox with no heading, or a heading that does not explain what the content of the message is all about. When one receives multiple messages every day, the subject-line is important when reviewing and prioritising e-mail that is in one's mailbox. Also, if you include a descriptive title, your message is almost guaranteed to be read before the ones with blank or meaningless titles.

DO... Use opening and closing salutations

Some people have forgotten that e-mail is interpersonal communication between human beings. Basic civility still applies.
There is nothing much more impersonal than receiving an e-mail that doesn't at least say 'Hello...' or 'Hi...' for the opening; and 'Regards...' or 'Thanks...' or 'Take care...' or 'All the best...', or something similar as the closing.

DO... Use capital letters sparingly

The use of all-caps is shunned on the Internet. It's called SHOUTING. Every once in a while a word or two in capitals for particular emphasis is okay, but avoid overdoing it.

DO... Check spellings, grammar and format

Make a point to ensure that your e-mail is relatively readable. It doesn't have to be a work of art, but at least respect the basic rules of spelling and grammar. Most e-mail programs have a spell-checker option. Use it.

DON'T... Think that e-mail is instantaneous

Believe it or not, e-mail is not as reliable as a telephone call when it comes to timely communication!
The Internet is a loosely connected network of computers and telecommunications equipment owned, operated and managed by many independent companies, institutions and government organisations. Your e-mail must often travel a complex and circuitous route to get to its destination. For example, if someone schedules maintenance on a computer or a piece of equipment on the network that your e-mail must pass through, your message may be delayed and you won't even know it.

worth collecting : Boosting your self-confidence

How many times during your growing years did your parents tell you to walk straight or sit up straight? You may have casually dismissed it, or maybe you didn't really pay attention. As an adult, though, you realise the wisdom of the advice.

Simple practices like these don't just help you physically but also psychologically. Psychologists say that there are many little ways that can instantly help boost self-confidence. Here are some easy tips on how you can do just that.

Grooming
The first thing that works for a confident person is his or her personal hygiene. Right from your hair, your face, your body, your fingers, and your skin -- keep them clean and well maintained. Brush everyday twice, if you can, even after meals. You can even pop in a mint after your meals. Take care of your skin by eating the right food and drinking lots of water.

Dress for success
Dressing well and appropriately can do wonders for one's self esteem. Wear clothes that fit you well. If you are on the healthier side, wear clothes that aren't too tight yet not loose or baggy, which just adds to the bulk and does not make you look any better.
Choose your clothes wisely -- it's quality not quantity that counts.
Pick up a few outfits that make a statement.

Good posture
Good posture has an immediate and lasting impact on your confidence. Do you recollect the time you were at the door, about to face an interview? What did you do instinctively? Didn't you take a deep breath? By doing that two things happen -- your stomach goes in and your head is held high.
Always hold your head high, throw your shoulders back, keep your back straight and walk with confident steps. Practice in the mirror a few times to make sure your doing it right, without looking too stiff.

Walk smart
Do you take small, shuffling steps? Do you fling your arms around when you walk? Stop! You may be doing something sub-consciously that does not really compliment your style.
Be aware of how you walk. Be quick and energetic with a spring in your step. Try this age-old trick. Place a big book on your head and try to walk without dropping it. This is a great way to improve posture and gait.

Smile often
To complete the look, make sure to smile. Smile as often as you can and, if you can manage, let a tiny smile hang around the corners of your mouth. In all your interactions, look people in the eye, greet them and smile. You'll see the other person transform in front of you.

Be empathic
Your confidence levels rise drastically when you successfully connect with people around you. For that you need to be empathic towards your family, friends and colleagues to begin with.

Learn to calm yourself
This is probably the most important factor when it comes to confidence -- being able to face every situation calmly. But this does not come naturally to everyone, which is why you need to train yourself.
Find activities that calm you -- like talking a walk, listening to music, dancing, talking to your friends, reading, writing, gardening, cooking . Do it once or twice a week or month, depending on the time you have.

Empower yourself
Knowledge almost always boosts self-confidence. Empower yourself with knowledge -- of your surroundings, of your job, of people, of the world around you. A good grasp of current events helps you strike up meaningful conversation and ensures that you're not left out.
One of the simplest things to do is read the newspaper, talk to people and be aware and observant.

Keep a soul knick-knack
A soul knick-knack can help you tide over those times when your confidence is tested. It could be your guru's photo, a gift from a loved one, your lucky charm, or even a photograph of a loved one. This soul knick-knack needs to be something that can bring a smile to your face, specially during testing times.

Find solutions to problems
Do not procrastinate or run away from your problems. The sign of a confident person is that he or she takes the problem head on and finds a solution. If you don't think you can handle it on your own, there is no shame in seeking help.

Talk about it with friends or colleagues, or write it down while listing out various solutions, pros and cons.

List of books i own

Now this is gonna be a dedicated page to list in all the books i have in my Library till date:

1, Still reading Khan
2, Paradise - Khushwant Singh
3, Bachelor or Arts-KR Narayan
4, Speaking Tree-Volume 2
5, Spouse- Shobha De

I will try and make sure that after spending some time out here i should be able to put more details about the books and their reviews from my perspective too....i already have 400+ books with me now, so i hope i would be able to catalogue them properly.
luv,
saurabh