A prolific author of Kannadian and English literature, Sudha Murthy has written non-fiction, short-story collections, fiction novels, travelogues, and children’s books. Her books have been translated into different languages. She has received the R.K. Narayan Award for Literature and the Padma Shri in 2006, and the Attimabbe Award from the government of Karnataka for excellence in Kannada literature in 2011. Presently she is the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, a renowned philanthropist, and a member of public healthcare initiatives of the Gates Foundation. She fascinates the readers with her simple and engaging writing style with an in-depth portrayal of the characters.

Below is a list of top 10 books by Sudha Murthy, that will inspire you to become a better person.

1. How I taught my grandmother to read

This book is a compilation of 25 inspiring stories from the author’s personal life experiences that portray various life lessons and forgotten values in a simple yet unique manner. The story ‘How I taught my grandmother to read’ beautifully portrays the relationship between a teacher and a student as the twelve-year author teaches her grandmother to read alphabets and words in Kannada and making her literate. From an encounter with JRD Tata to a train ride with the president, Sudha Murthy inspires the readers through her precious anecdotes.

2. The day I stopped drinking milk

The title story is about how a tribal woman from the flooded village of Odisha teaches a life-long lesson to the author after which she refrains from drinking milk forever.  This book contains a cascade of heart-touching anecdotes based on different characters that made life-changing impacts on Sudha Murthy’s life. The way she changed a village girl’s life with a ticket from ‘Bombay to Bangalore’ is worth reading and appreciating.

3. Mahashweta

A tale of courage, hope, and resilience amidst the trials and tribulations of a vitiligo patient is what that frames the story of Mahashweta. Anupama’s colorful life turns completely white (Mahashweta) when she discovers a white patch on her skin. Abandoned by her husband and in-laws, she returns to her village to takes refuge, only to be turned down by people. Despite the numerous hardships life throws at her, she is determined to mend her life. This takes her to Bombay which does not remind her of leukoderma and helps her to restore respect, success, and independence.

4. Dollar Bahu

Sudha Murthy’s ‘Dollar Bahu’ centers on a mother-in-law who makes consistent comparisons between her two daughters-in-law, one living in India and the other staying in the U.S. While the mother in law praises the one living in America, calling her as Dollar Bahu, the other daughter-in-law is not liked much by her. A trip to the U.S makes her realize that dollars don’t matter in front of love and respect given by the family.  The story portrays the fragile relationships existing in every family in a heart-rending way.

5. Wise and otherwise

Sudha Murthy’s book ‘Wise and otherwise’ will take you on a voyage of some harsh realities of life and engages a myriad of emotions inside the reader’s mind. The book depicts the tragedy of innocent Tara, who was sold in a red-light area by her own brother for money. The author also narrates the story of a young man who abandoned his aging father in an old-age home and pretended to be a stranger to him. The book consists of a collection of 51 compelling stories that will keep the readers engaged through the author’s lucid writing style.

6. The mother I never knew

‘The mother I never knew’ comprises of two novellas about two that explores the lives of two different man Venkatesh and Mukesh who set out for a journey in search of the mother they never knew. Venkatesh discovers that his father had an extra-marital affair and goes in search of her step-mother only to find her in a pitiful condition. Meanwhile, Mukesh comes to know that he is an adopted son and travels in search of his biological mother, ultimately complicating the situation even more. The choices they must make to bring the situation to normalcy will play a great impact on their lives. Sudha Murthy explains the complexities in a simple and hopeful manner.

7. Grandma’s bag of stories

Who would not love a story, when grandma is the storyteller? Sudha Murthy brings back the lost memories of childhood in this book and narrates the stories from a grandma’s point of view. Anand, Krishna, Raghu, and Meena spend a beautiful summer with their grandma listening to her bag full of enthralling stories. Tales of monkeys and mice, bears and gods, kings and cheats would spring out from her bag.  A princess that turned into an onion, a queen who discovered the silk and many more are in store.

8. Gently falls the Bakula

The Bakula flower is symbolic of the love between two neighbors Shrikant and Shrimati whose fragrance fades away with time. Shrimati stood as a silent pillar and assisted Shrikant to pursue his dreams after joining an IT company. The story centers around two characters Shrikant and Shrimati but mostly focusses on the sacrifices, sufferings, and choices of Shrimati to make her husband a successful person. But a meeting with her old History professor makes her rethink and analyze what she has missed in her life. Sudha Murthy realistically portrays the hardships and silent sacrifices of every homemaker in our country.   

9. The old man and his god

This book by Sudha Murthy is a potpourri of different emotions and personalities of common men and women of India. The author narrates ‘real’ experiences she had with several people across the country conveying the struggles and hardships they face on a daily basis. Then there are some truthful and honest people who are poor but would never bargain their principles for anything, not even money.  The title story is about an old man who is visually impaired and stays in his little Shiva temple. He refuses any help from people and is a man of his own, and a true who inspiration for readers.

10. The magic of the lost temple

‘The magic of the lost temple’ is a fictional story and revolves around the central character Nooni. Being a city girl, she finds her grandparent’s village surprisingly lagging behind time. But soon she adjusts herself to the environment and masters all kinds of work like papad-making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a bicycle, with her new-found friends. Soon things get complicated when she discovers an ancient stepwell in the midst of the forest and decides to find out the mystery behind it. Join Nooni in her exciting adventure of finding the magic of the lost temple of Karnataka.  

A counterfeit item is a common word in our heads. With the current advancements in technology, fake products are hard to differentiate from the legitimate ones as they are branded the same way. Being a very popular brand, some Hublot watches for you are fake, and this has been largely effected through selling items through numerous online platforms. Despite the fact that some Hublot watches for you are already in the market, both fake and original, there are different signs that you may utilize to identify the genuineness of your Hublot watch. Here are 6 unique features for Hublot watches that you can use.

1. Quality Control

Being an expensive and a popular brand, Hublot is extremely keen on its quality control measures, which is amazingly unrivaled. Based on this attribute, you should expect that some Hublot watches for you do not have particles, dust, dirt, or any other foreign materials under its case. All the Hublot watches do not contain any fingerprints or scratches. Most of the imitations for Hublot watches may not observe the strict quality control measures for the company, and thus quality will be compromised to a greater extent.

2. Screws

Most of the individuals who make imitations for the Hublot watches may not be keen on the screws that are utilized by Hublot. An original Hublot watch will have H-shaped screws that are exclusively used by the company. Therefore, if you see a Hublot watch that utilizes regular steel screws, be sure that it is a fake one and you will not be conned. However, some imitators may be keen on the screws, and you should, therefore, check on other design features before making the purchase.

3. The Glue used on the Hublot Watch Crown

Almost all the cheap imitations for some Hublot watches for you are not keen on the glue to use on the crown. However, some of the high-end imitators have captured this attribute and attempt to make it as perfect as possible. However, what the imitators do not get right is that a fake glue used in sticking the Hublot logo to the watch’s crown that is fake usually leaves some thin line of glue that has hardened, or some small bubbled. This problem is an indication that the watch has some issues with its legitimacy. If you are keen enough, you will find that the logo of the fake watch is uneven or misshapen. For an original Hublot phone, you can never experience such issues.

4. Check the Back of your Hublot Watch

You should take the initiative of turning around your Hublot watch and have a look at the rotor. For an original Hublot watch rotor, you will notice that its movement is very smooth. The imitators of Hublot watches fail to achieve this attribute, and thus the movements of the rotor for imitated Hublot watches are jagged, whereby some have an appearance that is saw-like. A real Hublot watch will have the term “Hublot Genève” written at some place on the watch. Imitators have a sticker with the words and do not engrave them as appropriate.

5. Check for Possible Grammar and Spelling Issues

Some of the imitators make extremely obvious mistakes in their writings on the imitated products because most of them do not have English as their first language. For this reason, you will probably find at least one mistake related to grammar or spelling. As a customer, you should look for these errors to ascertain the quality of some Hublot watches for you. It is important that you read all the wordings and messages on watches before making actual purchases. A single grammatical or spelling mistake may be an indication of fakeness on your Hublot watch.

6. Check your Wristband

Some Hublot watches for you have distinctive wristbands that cannot be easily replicated by imitators. An original Hublot watch has a wristband that is highly textured with dual-recessed strips. You should note that some imitators have also textured their wristbands, although most of them have created smooth ones. Check for this feature to ascertain the originality of some Hublot watches for you.

Imitators of different products are very determined to make money despite their unacceptable behavior. With much of the businesses going digital whereby you purchase through online platforms, you should be informed on how you can differentiate between a fake and an original Hublot watch. It is my sincere hope that the 6 tips I have provided are capable of helping you in finding an authentic Hublot watch that serves you the best.

When it comes to purchasing the home of one’s dreams, a Best Best Home Loan often comes as a saving grace, since it provides the home buyer with the much needed financial aid. While there are numerous perks of this credit, including tax benefits, enhanced financial stability in the long run, and the eventual ownership of a residential property, there is one drawback that Home Loan entails – a long-term financial commitment.

More often than not a Home Loan requires the borrower to pay anywhere between 10-40% of their monthly income towards the EMIs. Moreover, these EMIs need to be paid for as long as 120 to 360 months.

At the time of borrowing ICICI Home Loan or a Home Loan from any other bank, the borrower may be confident about their ability to service the loan for the extended time period, however, in some cases, certain unforeseen circumstances may leave the borrower hanging high and dry. In such cases, it may become a little difficult for the borrower to keep up with the strenuous repayment schedule, and may lead to defaults in payments.

If you are facing such a situation, or are anticipating it in the near future, you must first know what is meant by a Home Loan Default. When you fail to pay your EMIs as dictated by your home loan agreement, you are considered as a Home Loan Defaulter, and this phenomenon is known as Home loan Default.

Rights of a Home Loan Defaulter

In the circumstance of a Home Loan default, the lender has the right to recover the loan amount. Considering the fact that a Home Loan is a Secured Loan, the lender also reserves the right to seize and even sell off your home if you miss your EMI payments for an extended period of time. That being said, the lender is liable to maintain decency when trying to recover the amount, as well as when they seize the property. As a matter of fact, the Reserve Bank of India, along with the Indian Banking Association has drafted a set of guidelines to safeguard the borrower from any inappropriate behavior from the lender’s end.

Rights of a Defaulter against the Bank

Below mentioned are the rights you can exercise against your lender in case of a default –

• If you haven’t been able to pay your EMI for over 90 days, you reserve the right to be served with a notice, wherein your lender must provide you another 60 days to make the payment. If you are still unable to pay the accumulated amount, only then can the lender take any legal action.
• Within the first 150 days of being unable to make your EMI payment (including the 60 days of the notice period), you reserve the right to reach out to the lender, stating your problem. If you believe you will be able to make the payments at a future point in time, you can also file an application regarding the same. In this case, it is the obligation of the lender to revert back to your grievance within a span of 7 days.
• If you find yourself in a situation where due to the extended default, the bank is seizing your property, you must understand that you have the complete say in arriving at the right value of the property. In fact, you reserve the right to raise an objection, if the value of the property decided by the lender is lower than you see fit.
• You reserve the right to introduce the lender to a prospective buyer for the property if you believe the buyer is offering an apt price for the same. 
• In case the lender decides to sell off your property through an auction and recovers an amount over and above what you owe to the lender, you reserve the right to receive the balance amount.

Rights of a Defaulter against the Collection Agents

In case you are unable to pay your EMIs for a period exceeding 150 days, even after receiving the notice, your lender may send the collection agents for recovering the amount. Contrary to popular belief, the collection agents are required to behave in a decent manner and are not entitled to use any unscrupulous collection tactics. Below listed are the rights that you can exercise when dealing with collection agents.

• When a collection agent visits you, you are entitled to identify them as a safety precaution. To this end, you should ask them for the ID issued by the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance, as well as an authorized letter from your lender. If the agent is not carrying any of these two documents, you need not entertain them.
• A collection agent can only get in touch with you from 7 am to 7 pm on any working day. Besides, the agent is only authorized to speak with the loan defaulter and not with any other member of the family, unless the defaulter is beyond reach.
• The collection agent must maintain a respectful behavior towards you at all times. They are not entitled to use derisive language, physical force or any way of threatening you in order to recover the amount. You reserve the right to courteous treatment as the customer of the bank.

We understand that your time as a loan defaulter may be extremely stressful, but you must recognize this time as a bump in your financial journey rather than considering it as the end of the road. Now that you are aware of your rights, we believe you will be able to deal with this situation rather efficiently and come out of the same at the earliest possible!

More than a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing, with its origins in the Vedic culture in India, Ayurveda comes under the category of natural healing. The term Ayurveda is taken from Sanskrit and can be divided into two parts. ‘Ayus’ connotes Life, and ‘Veda’ connotes Insight, Science, as well as Knowledge. Therefore, if the two parts are joined, they connote ‘Science/Insight of Life.’ It thus offers a body of wisdom or insight, as designed to aid people in staying energized, whereas comprehending their complete human potential.

Ayurveda prompts one of a well-adjusted health and self-motivated amalgamation, in the midst of the surrounding area, body, soul and mind. A number of course, of action is outfitted by Ayurveda, as linked to ideal day-to-day, as well as periodic routines, along with the right usage of one’s senses. It is hence considered to be a holistic system of healing, which dictates the entire lifestyle of an individual.

Leading Ideas

• Ayurveda defines the three fundamental energies or ‘Doshas’, which governs the inner and outer surrounding areas of an individual. It is a customized method applied to one, and each one has the altered bodily and mental (mind-body) statutory factors.
• Ayurveda is an essential study by means of bearing in mind all the characteristics of human beings – the unrefined physical body and understated emotional, psychological and mystical facets.
• Distinct responsibility and energetic partaking with consideration of an individual, in order to recuperate and keep up enduring health.
• The methods executed are natural, appreciating that apart from the unrefined components and the activities, there are existent certain delicate vital dynamisms, behind nutrients, all sorts of herbs and additional healings, thus aiding at transporting subtle, yet noteworthy effects, as well as properties.
• Ayurveda is a lucrative business. Once, an individual gets the flavor of how to implement the right method in order to maintain a healthy balance, their entire life is free of extra charges.

This ‘Science/Insight of life teaches an individual the tactics of preserving a sound, healthy, in a wider sense, while bringing bliss and gratification in their lives.

Tools Ayurveda relies upon restoring balance and preserving the health

‘Panchakarma’ and ‘Rasayana’ therapies are employed in deeper purification and the rebuilding of an individual. Perfect way of life changes, habits, diet, various herbs, Ayurveda, exercises, medication and natural procedures similar to oil massages and sweating are all implemented. An individual can always consult a practitioner of Ayurveda, who might be of great help. They can always help in recognising the current constitution (Prakruti) and the existing imbalanced conditions (Vikruti). One will slowly be able to appreciate the social causes of the existing disparities and hence advice on the ways and means to change the lifestyle, diet, herbs to restore balance.

Divine Experience

The early Indian prophets perceived a dual notion behind the way of life: Spirit (Purusha) and Mother Nature (Prakruti). The union of Spirit and Matter comes up with all. Collectively they are mindfulness and creativeness.

A Cosmic Intelligence (Mahat) emerges when these two forces come together, which contains in it the seeds and laws of Mother Nature. Amidst human being it exists in the form of Intellect (Buddhi) – the ability to perceive, discern and develop the mode of enlightenment.

Ego gets created from the intellect of an individual, which hence transforms into a separate sense of self (Ahamkara).  This very principle of division, giving an individual the experience of getting divided from the unity of creation.

The Ego gives rise to a conditioned mind or consciousness (Manas) creating the protective layers of thinking, thus binding an individual to the prison. This then unites with the unconscious (Chitta), so that one rests under the impact of certain duress and motivates from the instinctive dominion and afore.

The spiritual goal of Ayurveda is to be living a life of concord along with cosmic intellect, thus achieving the distinct intellect and enlightening the unity with Mother Nature and Spirit. This asks for going past the ego and avoidable self-consciousness.

Threefold version of guns

Nature consists of 3 basic qualities:

3 basic qualities are consisted in Mother Nature:

• Refinedness, insight, intellect, as well as accord (Sattva)
• Vigour, action, excitement, as well as turmoil (Rajas)
• Apathy, obscurity, tediousness, as well as conflict (Tamas)

All of the above mentioned qualities are necessary in nature, but the Sattva is the right quality of mind. Rajas, as well as Tamas present in the mind, becomes those impurities which weaken the perception. When Sattva is prime, one bares his aptitudes for verity, morality, modesty and curiosity in the good of the whole. A prevalence of Rajas produces the worth of influence, stature, power and control. Tamas traps an individual in anxiety, obsequiousness, and lack of knowledge and the forces of deferment.

Sattvic lifestyle is recommended by Ayurveda, which includes food and all types of herbs, along with this quality. Rajasic and Tamasic actions, food and also the types of herbs can be used to counter each other and validate balance and harmony, as well.

Finding a sense of balance

The mental, physical and emotional aspects of human beings, as a singular unit influencing the combination of elements in the system can be viewed by Ayurveda. If an imbalance occurs in the elements, it results in Srotas (the fluids and energy transported via the channels in the body), to get blocked, resulting the disease. The prime method of treatment and prevention of illness is over the cleaning of these Srotas, which is characteristically over Swedna (fomentation) and shiatsu/massage therapy. It is thus stressed by the doctors of Ayurveda that these treatments will never have any sort of long-lasting effect, if the individual does not abide by the well-adjusted lifestyle comprising of a hale and hearty diet, regular exercise and meditation on every day basis. To make certain of receiving the unadulterated sense of balance in life, one needs to identify and appreciate their Dosha type or Prakruti, and make the alterations in accordance.

In sultry sunny days, it’s quite complex to gulp down food from one’s throat, for the tormenting weather already robs our spirits from the desire to eat. Although we feel famished, but we lack the desire and courage to eat. But who convinces this body!? It demands what it demands, no matter it’s owner is in the mood or not. So, today let’s talk about something which nobody can deny to eat even in rough monotonous weathers. Ah, cakes are wonderful things which tempt every spirit, even the dullest and sickest ones. But in order to give the discussion a healthy touch, let’s talk about a healthier version of cakes.

You must have heard that maida, eggs, and sugar are essential ingredients of every cake. But in this article, I’m going to talk about such a nutritional and healthy veg recipe of a cake that requires no maida, eggs, and sugar. To make it more interesting, I’m going to give it a real mango flavor taste. Curious to know it, no? So, let’s begin with the recipe.

Healthy Veg Cake Recipe (Mango Flavour)

Before talking about the recipe, let me first give you a tip.

Always use measuring cups and measuring spoons if you want your cake to be an exact replica of the recipe.

Ingredients

Whole Purpose Wheat    – 2 Cups

Baking Powder    – 1 Tsp

Baking Soda   – 1 Tsp

Curd   – 1 Cup

Jaggery (Grated)   – 1.5 Cups

Oil   – 1 Cup

Milk   – 1/2 Cup

Water   – 2 Tbsps.

Mango Puree   – 1 Cup or Chopped Mangoes   – 1 Cup

Vanilla Essence   – 1 Tsp or Cardamom Powder   – 1 Tsp

Extras

Oil    – 1 Tsp (for Greasing)

Butter Paper (for wrapping the inside of the tin mould)

Method

Part I

• Take a tin mould (whichever shape you like) and grease it with oil.
• Cover the inside of the mould with oil-greased butter paper.
• Then keep the mould aside.

Part II

• Sieve properly the floor, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Then keep the bowl aside.
• If you are using chopped mangoes, then make a puree kind of mixture of mangoes using a mixer or blender. Then keep it aside. If you are already using mango puree, then skip this step.  
• As in this article, I’m talking about a healthier version of cake. So here, we’ll be using jaggery instead of sugar. (Note: You can also use brown sugar. If you are using brown sugar, then skip the next step, and use powdered brown sugar)

• Mix jaggery with 2 tbsps. of water and make a smooth paste. You can use either a mixer or an electric beater. Then transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Add oil in the bowl containing jaggery mixture and mix well.
• Now, add the rest of the main wet ingredients, i.e., milk, curd and mango puree to the mixture. Beat the whole mixture till it turns smooth. (Note : Always use cut & fold mixing method for perfect results)
• Now, pick the bowl containing the dry mixture of floor, baking powder and baking soda.
• Start adding the flour mixture in the bowl containing the mixture of wet ingredients.
• Add the floor mixture in multiple batches (at least 3 – 4). Let me elaborate a bit. After adding every batch, mix well. Only then add further. This helps in preventing the formation of lumps.
• Now, add vanilla essence or cardamom powder (whichever you are using) and mix well. (Note : Do not over-mix the batter)
• In case you find the batter to be excessively thick, then you may add some more milk to smoothen the batter. Mix it well to reach the required consistency.
• Ta-da, your batter is now ready. But don’t overexcite yourself. The main challenge is to bake a perfect cake. So now, let’s move on to the baking part.

Part III

• Firstly, transfer the batter in the mould and tap it.
• As microwaves and OTGs are not available in every house. So, let’s learn to bake this cake in a cooker. Take a cooker according to the size of your mould.
• Take a small plate having a width of around 1-2 inches and keep it inverted inside the cooker.
• Turn the flame on. Close the lid of the cooker. But do remove the whistle and rubber of the cooker lid.
• Keep the cooker on medium – high flame for 10 minutes.
• Then carefully place the mould inside the cooker and close the lid.
• Keep the cooker on medium – high flame for 5 minutes. Then reduce the flame to low.
• Let the cake cook for 50 – 60 minutes.
• After 50 minutes, you can check the cake by opening the lid. Just put a skewer inside it on 2 – 3 random spots. If it comes clean, then it means that your cake is ready. If not, then continue to cook for a few more minutes (as per requirement).
• When the cake gets cooked completely, take out the mould. Let it cool down at least for half an hour. (Note : Never be in a hurry to unmould your cake; be patient for fruitful efforts)
• When the cake is bit cool, then unmould it using a wire rack.

• Let it cool properly. Then enjoy with hot or cold beverages (as per your preference).

Happy eating! ☺

Isn’t it weird that the perception of Beauty is determined (by some people) by the amount of melanin pigment your body secretes? Time is an age-old proof that beauty has always been equated with fairness. The lesser the melanin, the more white you are. And the whiter you are, the more beautiful you look. So the skin should be as white as possible. This witless concept of ‘beauty’ is deep-rooted within the minds of people since ages. However you may try to uproot it, you will always find a vicious seed sown long time back in some mind or the other. The endless obsession of people for fair skin is often considered as a symptom of the British colonial hangover.

How it feels to be a dark-skinned girl in India

One day when I had worn a light make-up and appeared before my family, my own aunt complimented, “Oh! How beautiful she looks, isn’t it?” After a small pause, she continued with a pitied look on her face, “If only she were a little fairer, she would have looked more beautiful.” This remark literally sounded as if all the beauty I possessed got spoiled just because of the slightest mistake that my skin is dark. Suddenly, my maasi retorted, “What is in a color? She is so beautiful that her skin color doesn’t even matter.” 

I remember I didn’t mind my aunt’s words at all, because I know my self-worth. I am lucky to be raised in a family which has taught me that fair skin is not a marker of beauty, but a beautiful mind is. I have been loved the way I am since childhood, in fact, loved much more I must say, which encouraged me to escape this vortex of prejudice since a very young age.

But colorism has tampered so many minds in India due to which people, especially girls, fail to realize their self-worth. I have seen girls literally hating their dark skin, and fruitlessly struggling to lighten it. I have also seen mothers smearing their daughter’s faces with homemade pastes only to make them fair. Even some of the matrimonial ads too demand a ‘fair’ complexion, and sometimes ‘beautiful’, which is most often synonymous to being fair. Isn’t it a little unfair? Honestly, I have hardly seen fair-skinned people struggling to darken their skin. The obsession for fair skin has overlooked the beauty lurked within the darkness of one’s skin.

Celebrating the darkness

Some global campaigns like unfair and lovely, dark is beautiful and many more have been launched to fight colorism and celebrate the beauty of dark skin.

Pax Jones, a 21-year-old photographer and a black woman from the University of Texas, launched the ‘unfair and lovely’ campaign with some other women in social media. Named after the fair and lovely brightening cream, this movement was started to break anxieties among women by embracing their dark skin tones and celebrating its glory. Jones had created a photo series of beautiful images of two of her South Indian classmates, sisters Mirusha and Yanusha Yogarajah, who looked really stunning in their beautiful dark skin. The campaign encouraged dark-skinned people to post their unedited raw images on social media to celebrate their beauty.

Another such campaign named ‘Dark is beautiful‘, was launched by Kavitha Emmanuel, founder-director of Women of Worth, in 2009. This campaign meant to glorify the beauty and diversity of all skin tones using slogans such as ‘Stay UNfair, Stay beautiful’. Nandita Das, an Indian actress, director, and social activist was also involved in the Dark and beautiful campaign, and said in an interview, “I see a lot of young girls completely losing their confidence, having a great sense of lack of self-worth, low self-esteem purely because they are not fair. When I supported this campaign, I was amazed by the overwhelming responses I was getting to it. And I was shocked by the kind of stories from young girls saying they could never wear different colors because they were told they were too dark to wear”.

“I would not trade my skin for anything in this world. If I had to come back in another life, I would still choose to come back as a black girl”, says Olivia Sang, a Kenya based fashion model in a video clip from the official page of this campaign in Instagram.

Dark is Divine

The prejudice of dark complexion didn’t exist earlier in Hindu mythology. Some of the Hindu deities were also dark-complexioned like Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Vishnu, and Mother Kali to name a few. Draupadi, the princess of Panchali born out of the fire was also dark in color and her skin shone like bronze. Colorism is thought to have rooted in the human race, even though its origin is still not defined. Colorism in India reinforced due to the British colonial rule, thereby encouraging the supremacy of white complexion over the dark.

A Chennai based photographer Naresh Nil came out with a Facebook photo series titled ‘Dark is Divine’ in December 2017. This initiative aimed to celebrate darkness in a unique way by portraying the divine aspect of darkness. This two-month project focussed on re-imagining the Hindu mythological deities as dark-skinned individuals. Models with dark and dusky complexion were handpicked for this project to bring out the beauty and, most importantly, the divinity that lies within the darkness.

Dark is beautiful!

In my opinion, Beauty is a subtle and divine aspect of your soul which can never be judged by something as superficial as your skin tone.    It is not confined to any specific set of parameters which will notify you how beautiful you are. Possessing a dark or dusky skin tone is as beautiful and divine as having a fair one. Dark is beautiful when its naturality is not tampered by application of any whitening skin products or unnatural bleaching. Dark is beautiful when it is respected for being dark. When you are comfortable in your own skin, or you can say, in your own dark skin, then Dark is beautiful.

A comparatively young garden, Auckland Botanic Garden consist of unique designs while giving it a distinct identity. Over 10,000 plants are present, from all over the world, and was founded in 1982.

Chock-full of more than 10,000 beautiful and attractive plants, Auckland Botanic Garden is known as the gardener’s nirvana. One can always plan out an extended tour, while appreciating the varied species of plants, over a cup of coffee! To start with, edible plants come to the list first, where varied sorts of vegetables, edible flowers, and nuts, encourages the ‘healthy’ factor amongst the visitors. They turn out to be the real motivating factor amongst them.

New Zealand’s natural vegetation comprises of these unique features of natural vegetation. But the special feature of this garden is an assortment of endangered natural species. Things turn out to be more exotic, past the lower lake. Exotic varieties of palms, from around the world, grow alongside many natural and matured trees. Hue and color are the key factors all through the year. With a huge variety of exotic roses, camellia and magnolia gardens, a collection of plants from the southern part of Africa is also present. That particular area of the garden is known as the world’s costliest floral kingdom.
Once the upper lake along with the intriguing rock garden is crossed, the edible theme can be found in the informative and aromatic herb garden. These all herbs are hence utilized generously for making all sorts of medicine, dyes, insect repellents, cosmetics, and perfumes. Adjacent to this place is the library, with a huge collection of many books, which aids in giving answers to any challenging question. Auckland Botanic Garden is located very close to the southern highway, around 30 minutes’ drive from the main city.

Also read Top 5 Most Beautiful Gardens in Delhi

Garden’s history

The initial concept for the botanical garden, situated in Auckland region came into light in 1926. The residents voted for the same and after a few years of decision making, the garden was made. This garden covered a land mass of 80 acres, which was very difficult to acquire, initially. An ad hoc committee was formed in order to find a suitable place, and hence develop it into a botanical garden. After a long search, an area in the suburbs of Manurewa was inspected thoroughly, and hence got transformed into the said garden.

The whole land was given on lease for grazing till 1970. Various types of soil tests were carried on, and thus proved that the area was suitable for the further development of the botanic garden. The master plan was passed by a scientific advisory board. After a lot of experiments under strict vigil, the garden was opened by a person named David Bellamy. Most of the basic facilities like, car parking, toilets, courtyards and visitor’s anteroom, all were present at the southern tip of the gardens. In the following years, various home gardens were opened, under the supervision of Unitec Horticultural Classrooms, annually the garden started being reviewed.

On or after 2010, a chain of low-profile water management or stormwater designed creativities were added around the garden, like the roof edifices with 2-3 roofs, stagnated swales, rain parks and the riparian cultivated area around the lakes. This particular location got transformed into a large Dinosaur Zoo in 2016 and remains heavily populated throughout the year.

Visitors

In recent times, the annual visitation to the garden reaches to approx. One million people.

Responsibility

The responsibility of Auckland Botanic Garden is threefold.

• The garden contributes to society’s well-being and appreciation of plants.
• To replicate the variety of those plants are displayed in the region’s benign climate, along with its sundry backdrop and folkloric blend.
• To meet the requirements and interests of the civic and be informative to the populace around.
• Exploration

The exploration of the botanical garden in chiefly directed at the identification of plants and their suitable growing local conditions. Various panels are active, based on the exploration of native plants, perennial ones, as well as bulbs and shrubs. Many trials get conducted each year, to enhance the growth of the plants. An advisory leaflet is followed, which gets restructured yearly.

Upkeep of plants

Auckland Botanic Garden is a powerhouse of plants, both from New Zealand and all over the world. Some of them are threatened with extinction. Collections of plant cultivars, those are uncommon in cultivation, recently, are also present. When the plants grow, they are provided with plant material from the Gardens itself, which hence assist in research work. Education, cultivation and reintroducing them back to into the wilds or horticultures (commercial).

Assemblage

Auckland Botanic Gardens include certain important assemblages:

– A short-walk which highpoints the characteristic features of the selection of natural plants. It is also known as New Zealand Native Identification Trail.

– A pathway is marked leading to a Native Forest Trail, covering 30 hectares of land mass.

– Ornamental natural plants combined with creatively designed gardens generate natural plant ideas.

– A special Rose Garden is made at the corner of the Gardens, having various species of Roses.

– An assemblage of florae are carefully chosen for assessment and study.

– Apart from Rose Garden, an edible and Herb garden is also constructed, thus attracting people from around the world.

Anteroom

The anteroom named Huakaiwaka, is a building with contemporary styling, which was opened in 2005, having in it an information counter, display boards, a café and several workplaces.

Reading room

The reading room of the garden is housed in a separate building, which was opened in 1992, and was financed by a famous social organisation of New Zealand. The reading room consists of 2,500 books (approx.) and a number of horticultural journals and magazines. Around 10,000 plus items is present in the catalogue. The reading room can be accessed by the general public, any time of the year.

Ellerslie Flower Show

A very well-known ‘Ellerslie Flower Show’ is organised every year, and is quite a successful event. For many years, consecutively, the Auckland Botanic Gardens were utilised for this very show, but in 2008 it got relocated to Christchurch’s Hagley Park.