Food is happiness (and vice versa). We may never need an excuse to sink our teeth into a lip-smacking delicacy, but what food do we eat when we want to celebrate? What festivals do we celebrate as an excuse to savour the season’s first delights? What is the connection between the food we eat, the festivals we have, and our environment? In this day and age of food that is fast and largely unhealthy, do our festivals play a role in bringing to our plates food that is good? Let’s get a taste of it all, as we step into this festival season...

An alert issued regarding unhealthy packaged foods, and how food nutrition labels can and cannot help us to become aware. ************************************************************************************** I know you all kids must be excited about Dusshera and Diwali. The whole month you’ll be exchanging sweets and offering scrumptious feasts. Our friends and families will enjoy beautifully wrapped gifts of savouries— chocolates, candies, chips, soft drinks, and what not! Their advertisements will flood our television screens and social media, and even masquerade as a renewed form of celebration with the …

Well, Christmas is not much of a fairytail for the future, as it is faced with the consequences of climate change. ********************************** This summer, I got a chance to visit Santa Claus--the real one—in the Arctic Circle. Growing up we’ve all heard stories about the spirit and wonders of Christmas, either in school or home, or through movies and TV. 

To burst or not to burst?’ is a question many young humans might be asking as the patakha (firecracker) season begins. Teachers and doctors tend to advice against firecrackers but there’s always a paan-chewing uncle or a macho friend who’ll bully you kids into becoming enthusiastic arsonists. It’s usually a tough choice to make. Some additional information is always a good help in firming up ones’ resolutions. Therefore, let's throw some light on the history, chemistry, and eco-friendliness of patakhas.

Rivers are an essential part of our lives and the ecology. But we turn them into drains. Here is how we can help save our rivers.

Festivals have two dimensions, one religious and the other celebratory. Festivals origianally gave thanks to natural forces. But with time, an evil eye was, as it were, cast on our natural resources. People burst firecrackers, made idols with nonbiodegradable materials and toxic paints and played with colours that pollute the air, land and water. But some tribes whose livelihoods depend directly on natural resources celebrate their tribal festivals while maintaining an ecological balance.