yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

Where the Buddha gave his first sermon . . . . .  Last week I returned from Sarnath hassled – a frame of mind I do not associate with the place. Roads have been dug up and blocked. Drains are being constructed and vendors have been shifted. Select monuments including the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara are under restoration. It is a Sarnath taken over by dust, noise and chaos. Increased tourist numbers ( spill over of the record spike in number of people visiting Banaras ) further exacerbate the situation. Image Credit: Pawandeep Kaur I am unclear whether this is being done under the Smart City project or for the upcoming G20 meetings in town or for another reason. I sadly wonder though how long it would be before I resumed my trips to Sarnath! Notwithstanding the current scenario the peace and calm associated with Sarnath have been eroding over the years. Not much unlike the names previously used for the place, names that seem to have disappeared: Rishipatana, Mrigadava and Mrigadaya....

Walking Education Campuses Nimesh Ved and Sanjay Dwivedi Published at The Hindu Education Plus . We thank the team there.  We also thank Pawandeep Kaur for the image.    Learning during the schooling years warrants moving beyond the conventional classroom set-up as well. This is all the more crucial in a society like ours that seldom invest time and thought towards expanding the child’s horizons. Exposure visits can help meet this need. They enable learning in a non-formal and fun-filled environment. Multi-day trips to mountainous and forested landscapes are, of course, a wonderful option. Financial and logistical challenges however ensure that these trips are out of bounds for majority of our schools. Many schools are then left with the option of going out, with children, for some hours in and around their towns and cities. Some schools visit spaces like museums and events like book-fairs . A few also venture to the banks and factories. One option we have e...

Inked in India - Fountain Pens and a Story of Make and Unmake Authors: Bibek Debroy with Sovan Roy Year of publication: 2022 ISBN: 978-93-552-0564-3 Publisher: Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd Price: 595/- Number of pages: 190 The first-ever documentation of all known fountain pen, nib and ink manufacturers in the country, Inked in India will be of great interest to the fountain pen aficionados and economic enthusiasts alike. In the early 1900s, a Bengali doctor created the first Indian fountain pen in Varanasi. Despite this early start, foreign-made pens dominate the Indian market, with no notable Indian brand available to customers. Published at the Deccan Herald . Thanks to the team there. And of course the Fountain Pen makers for the sheer joy in writing that they provide.  The Fount of Imagination Inked in India presents the story of the Indian  presents the story of the Indian fountain pen - from the first pen made to the recent tax rate applicable on the pens. This jour...