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June 6, 2018 Travel, Within India

8 Most Popular Buddhist Destinations in India

Buddhism is now an important religion worldwide.

In every part of the world there are followers of Buddhism. Prince Siddharta became Lord Buddha after gaining in divine enlightenment or nirvana under the Bodhi tree. His teachings on life and spirituality constitute the holy doctrines of Buddhism. The religion came into being around 5^th Century B.C.E. in the ancient kingdom ‘Magadha’. After King Ashoka’s conversion from Chanda Ashoka to Dharma Ashoka the religion started spreading like wildfire. The king made Buddhism his own religion and started preaching about Lord Buddha’s teachings everywhere. In many parts of India Buddhism shows its strong influence. There are many relics associated with Buddhism such as stupas, monasteries, caves in these places.

A standard Buddhist travel in India package will take you on a tour of the popular Buddhist destinations in India. Given below is a list of some of the most popular Buddhist destinations of the country

Rajgir, Bihar

Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir, Buddhist travel — Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir

Located in Bihar’s Nalanda district, nearly 60kms southeastward from the capital city of Patna, Rajgir is a renowned Buddhist destination known for its Buddhist ruins, rock-cut caves, shell inscriptions, forts, monasteries. It is said that Rajgir had been one of the fond retreats of the Lord who is said to have delivered several sermons at this place. Shanti Stupa, Saptaparni caves, Gridhakuta Hills, Ancient ruins are some of the prime attractions of Rajgir for tourists and pilgrims alike.

Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh

Mulagandhakuti Vihara Temple, Sarnath, Buddhist travel — Mulagandhakuti Vihara Temple, Sarnath

11kms away from the famed Varanasi town of Uttar Pradesh, the holy town of Sarnath is situated. As per history, the first sermon on dharma was delivered by Lord Buddha at Sarnath. Some of the major tourist attractions associated with Buddhism that you get to see in Sarnath are Dhamek stupa, Sarnath museum, Chaukhandi Stupa, Mulagandha Kuti Vihar and Stupa built around 3^rd Century BC by Emperor Ashoka.

Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh

Japanese Temple Kushinagar, Buddhist travel — Japanese Temple Kushinagar

Kushinagar is another important Buddhist pilgrimage destination in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the vicinity of the Gorakhpur town. According to legends and history, this was the place where Buddha attained his Mahaparinirvana or highest form of salvation.

Bodhgaya,Bihar

Bodhgaya in Bihar is one of the most revered and holy pilgrimage sites for the Buddhist community. The place is located at a distance of nearly 100kms from the capital city of Patna. According to historical, mythical and religious records, it was in Bodhgaya that Prince Siddharta attained his divine enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and became the ‘Buddha’ nearly 2600 years back. There are many important Buddhist sightseeing places at Bodhgaya such as Mahabodhi temple, The great Buddha statue, Chaukramana. Each year thousands of pilgrims throng these sites to pay their tribute to the lord.

Sravasti, Uttar Pradesh

Buddha Statue at Sravasti, Buddhist — Buddha Statue at Sravasti

Sravasti, another city in Uttar Pradesh is a holy pilgrimage destination for the Buddhists. As per the tales, this was the place where Lord Buddha answered his critics the spiritual way by showing them innumerable divine manifestations of his own self. He showed himself seated on a magnificent thousand-petalled lotus and streams of water and fire shooting out from him. The World Peace Bell is an important tourist attraction of Sravasti.

Kapilavastu, Indo-Nepal border

Kapilavastu, Buddhist travel — Kapilavastu

The historical and religious significance of Kapilavastu is immense. This holy town is located on the Indo-Nepal border in eastern UP’s Siddharthanagar district. Kapilavastu is believed to be Lord Buddha’s birthplace. Stupa complex with Kanishka’s inscriptions, Palace Site, archaeologically excavated stone caskets bearing relics from the life of Buddha are the prime attractions of Kapilavastu.

Sikkim

Sikkim, the northeast Indian state shows a very strong influence of Buddhism. The Sikkimese culture and natives of the state are imbued with the religious philosophies of Buddhism. There are several Buddhist monasteries in the state of Sikkim and most of these monasteries belong to the Kagyu and Nyingma order of Buddhism. Some of the most renowned monasteries of Sikkim include Enchey, Rumtek, Pemayangtse, Tashiding, Labrang, Phodang, Phensang etc

Ladakh

The part of Ladakh that coincides with the area of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shows a strong influence of Buddhism. That region of Ladakh, in particular, shows a culture intricately connected with Buddhism. Several monasteries, gompas, fairs, festivals, art forms, oral literature make a part of Ladakh’s culture and in each of those, the influence of Buddhism is remarkably exhibited. The region is dotted with many renowned monasteries such as Thiksey, Hemis, Spituk, Shey, Rangdum, Lamayuru, Alchi, Phyang. Each of these monasteries come with an ambience charged with spirituality.

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Panch Kedar – Five Chosen Abodes of Lord Shiva in Himalayas

June 4, 2018 Events and Festivals, International

What to do this World Environment Day?

World Environment Day- Plastic pollution

World Environment Day is the UN’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.

Trashing ocean- World Environment Day — by Ingrid Taylor, Stop Trashing My Ocean …

This year the theme for World Environment Day is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.

The theme invites us all to consider how we can make changes in our everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on our natural places, our wildlife – and our own health.

While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become over-reliant on single-use or disposable plastic – with severe environmental consequences. This World Environment Day join in raising awareness and inspiring action to form the global movement needed to beat plastic pollution for good.

Individuals, the private sector and policymakers all have critical roles to play.

• Plastic pollution is a defining environmental challenge for our time.

• In the next 10-15 years global plastic production is projected to nearly double.

• Avoiding the worst of these outcomes demands a complete rethinking of the way we produce, use and manage plastic.

• Individuals are increasingly exercising their power as consumers. People are turning down plastic straws and cutlery, cleaning beaches and coastlines, and reconsidering their purchase habits in supermarket aisles. If this happens enough, retailers will quickly get the message to ask their suppliers to do better.

• While these steps are a cause for celebration, the reality is that individual action alone cannot solve the problem. Even if every one of us does what we can to reduce our plastic footprint – and of course we must– we must also address the problem at its source.

• Consumers must not only be actors but drivers for the behaviour change that must also happen upstream.

• Ultimately, our plastic problem is one of design. Our manufacturing, distribution, consumption and trade systems for plastic – indeed our global economy –need to change.

• The linear model of planned obsolescence, in which items are designed to be thrown away immediately after use, sometimes after just seconds, must end.

• At the heart of this is extended producer responsibility, where manufacturers must be held to account for the entire life-cycle of their consumer products. At the same time, those companies actively embracing their social responsibility should be rewarded for moving to a more circular model of design and production, further incentivizing other companies to do the same.

• Changes to consumer and business practice must be supported and in some cases driven by policy.

• Policymakers and governments worldwide must safeguard precious environmental resources and indeed public health by encouraging sustainable production and consumption through legislation.

• To stem the rising tide of single-use plastics, we need government leadership and in some cases strong intervention.

You may like to read International Mother Earth Day

UN environment on Twitter- World Environment Day — Show us how you plan to #BeatPlasticPollution as we countdown to # WorldEnvironmentDay

Beat Plastic pollution if you can’t reuse it, refuse it.

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Every year there is a specially designed theme for World Environment Day which is decided by the host country.

Recalling last year’s theme The World Environment Day 2017, ‘Connecting People to Nature’. The motto of 2017 theme was to drive people to step outside and re-connect with the world and nature once again. The UN believes that people need to enjoy nature once again, so they realise the value of the planet and do their bit in bringing about change.

I recently came across an interesting book titled ‘The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert. She has won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in General Non-fiction.

Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us.

In The Sixth Extinction, two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert draws on the work of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines, accompanying many of them into the field: geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs up the Andes, marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef. She introduces us to a dozen species, some already gone, others facing extinction, including the Panamanian golden frog, staghorn coral, the great auk, and the Sumatran rhino. Through these stories, Kolbert provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind’s most lasting legacy; as Kolbert observes, it compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

The environment on Earth has been deteriorating, which is often referred to as the planet is ‘dying’. As the number of trees keeps depleting and the pollution rates reach sky-high, there are simple steps that each person can take to protect and save the environment.

Our cosmic oasis, cosmic blue pearl
the most beautiful planet in the universe
all the continents and the oceans of the world
united we stand as flora and fauna
united we stand as species of one earth
black, brown, white, different colours
we are humans, the earth is our home.

Our cosmic oasis, cosmic blue pearl
the most beautiful planet in the universe
all the people and the nations of the world
all for one and one for all
united we unfurl the blue marble flag
black, brown, white, different colours
we are humans, the earth is our home.

~ Abhay K

sources http://worldenvironmentday.global/

http://www.pulitzer.org/winners/elizabeth-kolbert

May 30, 2018 Lifestyle

Pick to Pack: What Tops to Bring for a Woman’s Travel

Travelling is an exciting thing to do; it’s something one looks forward to. It is actually a dream that probably everyone has. Travelling, however, has costs too, and one of the challenging things about it is packing clothes.

In packing clothes before you travel, it is important to bring only the necessary clothes so that you wouldn’t have to carry a lot and bring excess garments in your luggage. You surely don’t want to stress yourself out with bulky bags overloaded with those clothes as you travel.

T-shirt

Let’s start with the basics. Take with you easy-to-pair t-shirts so you can just mix and match them with any other clothes anytime, anywhere and in any weather. You can also consider bringing shirts with a variety of designs and styles. You can bring shirts which are printed, plain and patterned so you can have a lot of options. You may never know if you’ll feel like wearing something bright or if you’ll have to wear something of smart casual.

Jacket

Jackets may be space-consuming, but you wouldn’t lose anything by bringing them just to be sure. Surely, there will be places where the temperature is low, and you’ll need to bring a jacket so you’ll regret not. They’re also stylish especially if you’re not into showing much skin. Some countries wherein you’ll be travelling may also be too sunny so wearing a jacket, although it’s hot, will also protect your skin from getting burnt and damaged.

Tube

There may be clothes which have plunging necklines. A tube is very friendly in such circumstances especially if you’re engaging in physical activities and adventures during your travel. They can be used as inner garments for see-through tops as well. They can be worn as is also depending on the thickness of the cloth.

Cardigans

You can put on cardigans for sleeveless tops or sleeveless dresses. They can also be an alternative for jackets and sweaters, without covering the front body, still showcasing your beautiful outfit’s look. Some places which you might visit like museums and historical places might not allow clothes which are too revealing or skin-showing-off, so cardigans may be used to cover yourself just in case you’re wearing a sleeveless to the place.

Sleeveless tops

They’re ideal for warm weather and can be worn plainly or with a cardigan or a jacket. These tops can be used as inner garments too if you’re not too comfortable with wearing tubes since tubes don’t have straps and have the tendency to get dispositioned on your body. These are ideal if you’ll be sunbathing in famous beaches and resorts in your destinations. If you don’t want to wear a swimsuit, you can consider wearing sleeveless tops partnered with swim shorts.

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As a woman, there probably are a lot of clothes you’d want to put in your travel bag. This is a common challenge for anyone, especially for women. You may need to consider a lot of factors like the weather and the activities that await you as you travel. You can’t just put in your bags clothes that seem fashionable or good for picture-taking. Always remember that what happens off-cam is much more important than what’s there seen in the online world.

Top 5 Reasons Why Street Art is Important

In the last couple of years, I have come to appreciate street art. I now go out of my way to see street art and even go on street art walking tours if they are offered. There are so many reasons why people love street art and why it is becoming more popular or important for people from all walks of life. Street art is an important part of history and identity for many metropolises, and sometimes even has the ability to breathe life into communities.

People are starting to accept that the creative and talented people involved are seen as artists, not vandals. And that their work, however ‘urban’, is still worthy of being considered art. People are becoming more open-minded to urban and street art and appreciating where this art form has come from.

Here are the top reasons why Street art is important and why you should love street art.

1. Street art is freedom and diversity

Art is about expression, creativity, freedom, asking and raising questions, protesting, analyzing, and even beautifying. A way to step beyond convention. There’s freedom with putting work in the street. You don’t even need to be considered a ‘legitimate’ artist; don’t need to have thousands of fans, have a huge social media presence, be taken seriously by galleries, or be picked up by an artist agency. all over the world.

Street art is a very diverse form of expression for people from all over the world. There are street artists in nearly every country in the world who are influenced and inspired by a multitude of cultures and styles. This has resulted in a wide and diverse body of urban or street art found all over the world.

2. Mystery & Intrigue

There are so many questions when you’re a street art lover! Who did it? Why did someone put this work there? What does it mean? Does it even mean anything?

But with the invention of Instagram, it’s now easier than ever to find artists’ official profiles and learn more about their work and why they do what they do. But a lot of street artists prefer to remain anonymous or use aliases for both privacy and legal reasons. There are also still artists who don’t even tag their work so the intrigue and mystery live on.

3. Political or Social Statements

Graffiti and street art have always had a history of being influenced by the present political and social issues. A lot of people have painted on the walls and buildings in their cities as a form of anonymous political protest.

Some political statements are quite controversial; scrawled illegally and boldly in various countries and for various reasons. When people feel they have no power or influence but want to express their anger, hatred or defiance towards political injustice, this kind of art happens. But it is still a peaceful kind of protest.

4. Colourful surroundings = Happier Life

Art in the street makes people happy and can cheer them up. Street art makes their day and their commute more interesting and adds character to what would otherwise just be grey and boring. Art reminds people to feel alive. It’s there to beautify a space. It wakes people up, inspires and motivates them. And sometimes it can make people think.

It may have some broader social commentary, or just be there to bring some chaos to the establishment. Street art takes the ‘normal’ and makes it a thousand times more interesting. Even if you live in poverty, there’s something about bright colors and beautiful art that seems to fill the area with a contagious, buoyant optimism.