Festivals: Greetings on Kartik Purnima

Today is Kartik Purnima, the Hindu festival of holy bath (snaan), charity (daan) and religious fervor. The festival is celebrated on the full moon day (purnima) of waxing moon period (Shukla Paksh) of Kartik month (as per Hindu calendar). 

Origins of the Kartik Purnima Festival

Kartik Purnima is celebrated in equal zeal by all Hindus and the origins of this festival are related to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu – the two major traditions of Hinduism.

It is said that Bhagwan Vishnu goes into Yogic Sleep (Yog Nidra) for four months and on this very day he wakes up and hence on this day all gods (Devtas) celebrat Diwali by lightening earthen lamps (diyas) as well as doing aarti. Therefore, all devotees of Lord Vishnu celebrate this day by doing vrata, lighting diyas, and doing charity.

On this day, Lord Shiva had killed a demon called Tripurasura who had greatly troubled the world and hence gods (Devtas) celebrated this day as Diwali by lighting earthen lamps (diyas). Remembering the same, Hindus celebrate this day as a festival.

The Custom of Holy Dip or Bath

On this day, taking a holy dip in Ganga and other sacred rivers is considered a sacred act. Thousands of Hindus go to Haridwar and other holy river banks (ghaat) to take a holy dip on this day.

On this day, moon shines the brightest in the year. It is believed that if one takes a dip or bath at the holy rivers on this day, one benefits from the effect of moon which falls on the river water. Holy bath starts at around 4 am in the morning and continues whole day as per Hindu calendar.

The practice of Holy bath on Kartik Purnima is one of the most ancient Hindu practices still going on since thousands of years. Next holy bath will happen on the Makar Sankranti day.

The Custom of Charity (daan)

Giving alms or doing charity is considered sacred on this day. It is believed that if one gives daan on this day then one remains prosperous all through the year.

Custom of Tulsi Puja

On this day, Tulsi (a plant of religious and medical significance) is also worshipped and earthen lamps are offered to it in the evening. Hindus believe that lighting earthen lamps near Tulsi plant in the evening brings good fortune, health and prosperity to the family.

Other Names of the Festival

Kartik Purnima is also called Ganga Dashahra or Dev Deepawli.

References: News19, Hindustan, AmarUjala, AajTak

- Rahul Tiwary

Travelogue: Ahinsa Sthal Jain Temple in Delhi

Ahinsa Sthal is a Jain temple located in Mehrauli, Delhi. The main deity of the temple is Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara (human spiritual guide). A magnificent statue of Tirthankara Mahāvīra is installed here.

Lord Mahavir idol at the top of a hill-like structure 

Sunset as seen from the top

Scene from the ground level

Rahul Tiwary | November 2019

Travelogue: Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in Delhi

There are several types of museums all over the world. But have you so far come across a museum of “toilets”? Yes, you heard it right! There is a museum of toilets, right in the capital city of India.

I noticed this place on Google Maps. And once while I was passing from nearby, I decided to halt and make a visit. This is “Sulabh International Museum of Toilets” and it is situated in Mahavir Enclave area of Delhi. The exact location is too inside the lane so you can either follow the mobile maps or else you can watch for a name-place “Sulabh” written at the entry of the lane in Mahavir Enclave.

The museum consists of pictures from the beginning of history explaining how the toilet system developed in India as well as across the globe. There are real toilet seats, models and other artefacts in the museum. 

At some places in Europe, the toilet seats were “decorated” so that while those were not being used, those appeared like a show-case. 

In the above picture, you can notice a wooden toilet seat in the shape of a “book” near the wall. 

Besides it there is a wooden toilet seat which played a duel role of a table as well as toilet. While it was not used, it served as a table. When used, its upper cover was just detached and then the person could sit over it. It was portable and came handy for places like hunting or war where it was carried. 

Above, you can see a “throne toilet” which was used by a king from Europe. The King had an ailment due to which he took very long time in toilet and could get nature’s call abruptly. Hence he made this throne which was also a toilet. He could sit over it and also attend to discussions and talk to people while using the toilet. 

Several types of toilets and related washroom stuff  from the past.  

“SquatEase” is a new type of toilet developed which is easy on the knees and hence comes to help for people who can’t squat in regular Indian style of toilets. It is an innovative product by a young entrepreneur from Pune. You can read more about it here. 

Toilet and double pits design which needs least maintenance – this is highly rewarded design by Sulabh

A toilet design where the water from hand-wash (left) is used for flush

About Sulabh International

Sulabh International is an India-based social service organization that works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. The organization counts 50,000 volunteers. Sulabh International is the largest nonprofit organization in India.

Sulabh was founded by Bindeshwar Pathak from Bihar State in 1970 .And have 50,000 volunteers Innovations include a scavenging-free two-pit pourflush toilet (Sulabh Shauchalaya); safe and hygienic on-site human waste disposal technology; a new concept of maintenance and construction of pay-&-use public toilets, popularly known as Sulabh Complexes with bath, laundry and urinal facilities being used by about ten million people every day and generates bio-gas and biofertilizer produced from excreta-based plants, low maintenance waste water treatment plants of medium capacity for institutions and industries. Other work includes setting up English-medium public school in New Delhi and also a network of centres all over the country to train boys and girls from poor families, specially scavengers, so that they can compete in open job market.

Bindeshwar Pathak has been conferred with the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize for his contributions towards his work. Sulabh International awarded Gandhi Peace Prize for year 2016 jointly with Akshaya Patra Foundation in 2019.

An Interesting Question About Indian Vs Western Toilets

While I was seeing the museum, a Sulabh volunteer came and politely asked me to ask any queries if I had so that he could answer. I took the opportunity to ask a question I had in my mind for long time. Why do we see a difference between Indian style of toilet (which needs squatting) and Western style of toilet (which needs sitting)? Why did India and Europe develop different styles of toilet instead of a single style?

His answer was most educating. He explained it as follows:

In ancient Indus Valley Civilization of Mohenjo-daro, people had sitting toilets similar to the Western style of toilets we had today. Here is a picture of the same:

The toilet was made of bricks. People used to sit on it and the waste went down and passed through drains to outside of the city:

Looking at this arrangement, I could not stop but be proud of our ancestors. They had this design in India (Indus valley) around 2500 BC – i.e. about 4500 years ago. Wow!

Afterwards, when Aryan Civilization developed and spread in India, Aryans had a different set of concepts and rules of hygiene. Aryans believed in not “touching” the toilet seat while using the toilet because otherwise germs and disease could spread. Therefore, they did not have sitting toilets but squatted while using toilets.

This practice and concept of hygiene was also adopted by many Islamic regions who still practice it today.

Squatting also had some health benefits, e.g. it helps those who have constipation problem.

Now, this practice had a side-effect. Because of maintaining “distance” from objects while using toilets was necessary, people went to places far away from their homes, for example in the fields or in the forest, to defecate. This developed the practice of what we call “open-defecation”. It was “open” in the sense that it was not inside homes. And current government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting against this “open-defecation” practice in rural part of India and has been largely successful.

This practice of keeping defecation at a distance from homes was actually helpful during the old period. In Europe, one of the reasons behind “black deaths” or “bubonic plague” which killed one third of Europe’s population was poor sanitation. People in Europe used pots inside their homes for toilets and lacking alternatives, threw away the waste on the streets, leading to the plague disaster.

Hearing this explanation of the historical background, I felt enlightened. I came back from this museum with more knowledge and empathy about this.

If you are curious enough, do pay a visit to this unique museum of toilets. And praise Sulabh International and its founder.

- Rahul Tiwary

Travelogue: Aero City, New Delhi

Aero City near New Delhi Airport is a beautiful place to visit; be it for shopping, hanging around or for meetings. Here are some of the pictures taken in the evening (and hence some are appearing blurred). 

Rahul Tiwary | November 2019

Sports: Fans Waiting to See MS Dhoni in Action

Dhoni hashtag was tending on Twitter. I gave it a look. On the top of the page itself, I saw below Tweet and I was touched deeply. 

This Tweet expresses the feelings of a Dhoni fan so well. 

Dhoni has not been playing Cricket for some time. In the beginning, just after World Cup, news came out that he has gone to serve the Army and hence taken a couple of months off. He returned from the Army, but still did not appear in the final-11 list of players for next Cricket series. It was declared that Dhoni himself has opted out. A couple of more months passed and no positive news. Then in the end, an insensitive and arrogant statement came from one of the selectors that they were “moving ahead without Dhoni”. Fans did not know how to react. What was Dhoni’s fault? He had just finished a successful World Cup run; where his “under-utilization” was one of the reasons why India had lost the Cup. What had Dhoni done to deserve this? Subramanian Swamy commented that it was “envy” in the play, how selectors and BCCI management was (mis) treating Dhoni. Who knows the full picture? But millions of his fans world over have been waiting and their wait seems to be never ending. This is a reason why such trends appear on Twitter every once in a while. 

In a way Dhoni represents what is best about India. He is calm and composed most of the time, but aggressive when required. He is ethical and smiles amidst adversities. He is rock strong, but human at the same time. And above all, he is a Family Man. Dhoni's fans can't love him enough.

With hope and prayer to see Dhoni playing Cricket once again soon. 

Rahul Tiwary 

Movie: Panipat - Sensational Trailer

Business: Patanjali FMCG Products (Part-2)

After my earlier post: Will Patanjali Survive? Some Successful Patanjali FMCG Products, which btw, got a very good reception with 113 page views in first few days, I realized that I could have posted a few more products from the Patanjali stable which I use. Therefore here are a few more FMCG products. If it needs to be said, I have been using these for many years and like these.

Patanjali Moong Dal Namkin and Tasty Peanuts

Patanjali Milk Biscuits and Orange Cream Biscuits 

Patanjali Whole Moong

Patanjali Ata Noodles – I find then much better than Nestle’s Maggi Noodles

Patanjali Gonyl Floor Cleaner (Contains Gomutra) and Toilet Cleaner (HCL Free)

I shall try to post more pictures of Patanjali products I use. 

- Rahul Tiwary

क्या दिवाली पर पटाखे जलाना गलत है?

क्या दिवाली पर पटाखे जलाना गलत है? यह सवाल आजकल सबके मन में है। खासकर सोशल मीडिया पर इस बारे में हर दिवाली काफी बहस छिड़ती है। यहाँ मैं अपने विचार संक्षेप में लिखता हूँ।

पटाखे प्रदूषण (पॉल्यूशन) फैलाते हैं - यह सच है। पर यह भी सच है कि सिर्फ दिवाली के पटाखों का ही विरोध होता है, बाकियों का नहीं। दशहरा, शादी-ब्याह, कोई बड़ा उत्सव, क्रिसमस, क्रिकेट मैच में जीत, खेल आयोजन, नया साल - इन सब मौकों पर पटाखे छूटते हैं, पर विरोध सिर्फ दिवाली के पटाखों का ही होता है। राइट-विंग के लोग या कन्जर्वेटिव्स (परम्परावादी लोग) सोचते हैं कि ये हिंदुत्व का विरोध है इसलिए वो दिवाली के पटाखों का समर्थन करते हैं। पर असल में बात कुछ और है।

जहाँ तक यह बात मुझे समझ में आती है - दिवाली के पटाखों का विरोध इसलिए होता है क्योंकि हमारे देश में हर जगह दिवाली मनाई जाती है, इसलिए उस दिन एक ही समय बहुत ज्यादा पटाखे जलाने से सच में पॉल्यूशन की ज्यादा समस्या होती है। बाकी अवसरों पर कम समस्या होती है इसलिए विरोध नहीं होता है। जिस तरह बकरी और बाघ दोनों में जान है पर बकरी को मारना गुनाह नहीं पर बाघ को मारना गुनाह है - क्योंकि कुछ बकरियों के मरने से कोई बड़ी समस्या नहीं होगी पर कुछ बाघ मर जाएँ तो उनकी प्रजाति विलुप्त हो जाएगी। उसी तरह बाकी अवसरों पर पटाखे जलाने पर कोई खास समस्या नहीं होती है पर घनी आबादी वाले जगहों पर दिवाली के दिन एक साथ पटाखे जलाने से समस्या हो जाती है - इसलिए बाकी अवसरों पर और कम जनसँख्या वाले जगहों पर पटाखे जलाना गुनाह नहीं, पर कुछ बड़े शहरों में (घनी आबादी के कारण), अदालत ने पटाखों पर "बैन" लगा कर गुनाह बता दिया - ये बात समझी जा सकती है। और इसमें कुछ गलत नहीं।

तो हम यह कह सकते हैं कि कम आबादी वाले शहर, गाँव, या विदेश के शहर (जहाँ अप्रवासी भारतीय रहते हैं), या बड़े शहरों के ऑउटस्कर्ट्स, जहाँ अधिक जनसँख्या का घनत्व नहीं होता और इसलिए पटाखों का प्रदूषण कोई बड़ी समस्या नहीं है, ऐसी जगहों पर पटाखे जलाना गलत नहीं है। और घनी आबादी वाले शहर या इलाके, या ऐसे जगह जो पहले से ही प्रदूषित हों (जैसे दिल्ली), ऐसे जगहों पर दिवाली के पटाखे जलाना गलत माना जाना चाहिए।

- राहुल तिवारी 

Festivals: Diwali Rangoli in Office

Credit goes to all the folks who made these wonderful pieces. 

Rahul Tiwary

Travelogue: Diwali at Connaught Place in Delhi

- Rahul Tiwary 

Business: Will Patanjali Survive? Some Successful Patanjali FMCG Products

A few years ago, Patanjali was considered as a giant-killer. Its array of products threatened the domination of so many foreign brands which had built their reputation over decades. Patanjali not only challenged them, it challenged them in a manner which scared them to their bones. Patanjali clearly targeted the foreign brands as “foreign” and positioned itself as the best “Indian” brand that was supposed to be there fighting the foreign dominance in the FMCG sector. But Patanjali’s selling point was not only about being “hard code Indian” – its products are natural or herbal which is craze all over the world; are healthier option and are cheaper too! Hence Patanjali generates the following sentiments:

1.      Patriotism in buying Indian brands

2.      Natural or Herbal products

3.      Healthier, e.g. uses aata instead of maida

4.      More economical 

This combination was lethal. Patanjali was supposed to dominate Indian market in a matter of last 2 years. But, it did not happen!  Patanjali's Annual Sales figures tell the story:

·        Year 2016: Rs 5000 Crores

·        Year 2017: Rs 10000 Crores

·        Year 2018: Rs 8135 Crores

·        First 9 months of Year 2019: Rs 4701 Crores

Foreign brands woke up and strongly countered Patanjali. On one hand, they themselves launched natural and herbal products. Secondly they launched more ads, took more celebrities and spent more money on promotion (which Patanjali did not do). At the same time some malicious rumors were spread among people that Patanjali products were not good and failing the quality tests (which was never proved). Hence the foreign brands were able to contain the rocketing sales of Patanjali! 

We see that the foreign brands used below tactics: 

1.      Launch competitive natural or herbal products

2.      Taking in Indian celebrities as brand ambassadors

3.      Increasing spending on marketing and promotions

4.      Spreading rumors against Patanjali 

The question is: will the foreign companies’ strategies work in the long run? I have my doubts because of following reasons:

1.      The core competencies of foreign companies is not Ayurveda

2.      The natural variants of brands are ‘cannibalizing’ their core brands

3.      Clutter of natural vs chemical products will confuse their core consumers

4.      If they continue this path, they will increasingly disconnect their global image

5.      People will ultimately switch to “hard code Ayurveda” companies

Due to above reasons, I think the foreign companies strategy is more of a tactic to stop and choke Patanjali in the short term, rather than being a long term strategy. 

Now, what is Patanjali’s response and will Patanjali really be Stopped? 

I think Patanjali will not be stopped since the foundations on which its branding is done, are too strong. There always be consumer trust in “Indian Ayurveda” as compared to the foreign companies making pseudo-Ayurvedic products. There is an upward trend in patriotic flavors currently which is expected to continue. And Indians will always distrust chemical based products; the increasing health hazards that we see will only add to their sentiments. 

What is interesting to be seen is, how Patanjali sustains in the next 2-3 years. By that time, the fate of the war would have been decided. 

At this note, I present to you some of the successful Patanjali brands from the FMCG space: 

Patanjali Aata Noodles – Healthier and only Rs 10!

Patanjali Coconut #Biscuits - kids favourite and coconut delight! 0 Maida and 0 Trans fats. 

Patanjali Dalia - healthy and delicious! 

Patanjali Poja (Chura) – good quality at low price!

Patanjali Namkin Biscuits – Zero Trans-fats and only Rs 5! 

Patanjali Agarbatti (incense sticks)

- Rahul Tiwary

Sports: Why Day Night Test Cricket is a bad idea!

The newly elected BCCI President Sourav Ganguli is strongly pitching for Day-Night Test Cricket. He wants the second Test match between India and Bangladesh to be held in Day-Night format. Media is widely spreading the chorus without questioning the reasoning behind the demand. 

It is understood that Test Cricket invites less number of watchers. But the reason is not that the game is played during the day. The reason is that the game continues for 5 days! No one has such kind of time and hence Test Cricket is one of the most "Outdated" games today. And Day-Night format will not solve this problem. 

Then the question is - what is the problem that Day-Night format of Test Cricket supposed to solve? No one has any good answer! 

But the pitfalls are many. Day-Night format will lead to increased cost or expense in conducting the matches. Also, it will mean the employees and supporting staff will have to work at inhuman hours in order to make the arrangements. Their families and kids will suffer apart from their health. The BCCI or their super-rich President may not be worried about increased cost, since their coffers are filled with gold, but the human cost of conducting the matches at inhuman hours should not be over-looked by the decision makers. 

The sane thing to do about this proposal is to ask questions. And if there are no good answers, simply disagree with the proposal!

- Rahul Tiwary

Travelogue: India Gate at Night

Do you know that India Gate is illuminated with colorful light during the evening/night?

Here is India Gate, New Delhi at night: 

- Rahul Tiwary