Thanks to the real-life bat, the reel-life Batman became a superhero. I have vivid childhood memories of the trees near my school from which more bats hung than leaves. During summery dusks, they’d glide away en masse in a procession. I believe, even then as today, people would’ve been susceptible to the viruses spread by their droppings. But such cases were unheard of. Rather, people fed upon this fascinating creature to cure their ailments— like, rheumatism, asthma, and chest pain; and used bat hair to treat shivering during fever.
Whenever that sweet tinkling sound traverses through my balcony, my entire mood rejuvenates. I crane my neck, investigating its source, and scan my lushy green enclave for a soft jingling song. Tracing the tsee…tseer… notes, I rejoice with delight on spotting the chirpy, cute, bundle of joy—the Indian White-Eye.
“Why didn’t you spot the Tiha today, dear?” That’s what my mother used to remind me on the New Year eves, when I was a little child like you. The Indian Roller bird, or the Tiha in Odia, is a very good omen. Believed to be a harbinger of happiness, sighting it is considered auspicious, especially at the beginning of any major life event. In fact, such is the faith in its sanctity that its feathers are preserved as lucky charms. Do you know Odisha, Telangana, and Karnataka have also declared it as their state bird?
If there is ever a bird that can rival even a hulk in roaring aloud, then that birdy has to be the Brown-Headed Barbet. This little creature’s blaring decibels can screech through the morning silence and can knock anyone out of their afternoon siesta as well. Its challenging, almost enticing, avian call proceeds like: tur-r-r-r kutrook-kutrook-kutrook...
A thoughtful reflection on the value of Gobar Times with an understanding of what it is about, why so, how...and a little bit more.
Performing tangible actions to achieve credible solutions—making eco-friendly cleaning agents and raising awareness on chemically-intense products to control pollution. ******************************************************************************** The unsettling sight of the Bellandur Lake—a foamy, cloudy demon gargling bubbles—and plastic litter—baffling mounds disposed irresponsibly—motivated me to act and revive our wonderful world. We all know that the climate crisis is going off the charts and the practise of ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle’ is gaining alarming urgency. Thus, it&…
Flood, drought, rainfall, snowfall, heatwave, cold wave, storm, cyclone, cloudburst, forest fire… You name it, we have it! But the biggest question is how and why? ************************************* The modern life we have created is good for us but not for the environment. This energy-hungry human lifestyle is heating up the world at a rate that is not sustainable for the planet. In the past 170 years or so, industries have flourished and have made the Earth hotter by over 1oC. India, for instance...
From privileges for a few to rights for all There was a time, not so long ago, when the so-called ‘civilised’ world was divided into free humans and slaves. Free humans were those who had the right to own property while the slaves were those who were considered as property. Free humans had the privilege to make decisions not only for themselves but also for their slaves. As we learnt from others who we thought were less civilised than us...
This dream of Gobar Times magazine emphasizes upon spreading awareness for mitigating the climate crisis. ********************************* We are living in a time of panic and distress, yet we continue to be in a state of delusion. Climate change is real. If we do not accept this truth and take control of the situation, we will face extinction. While an overload of information we receive every day on climate change dehumanises the crisis and makes it distant and unreal, a huge chunk of the subject that usually gets left out from the data...
A vision for rebuilding Mother Earth through ‘Harmony’ and ‘Students Solidarity’. ******************************* Imagine if I were the editor of Gobar Times! Could there be anything more exciting than working on a magazine that brings topics related to Nature to the notice of young environmentalists across the country? The first thing I would do is...