big-logo
Posted on by admin

In today’s era of globalization and westernization, we often find ourselves neglecting our cultural heritage. As Indians, we possess a wealth of traditions and resources within our own land, yet we frequently seek them elsewhere. Sometimes it takes foreigners to come and explore our culture, embracing our lifestyle, and teaching us what we already know to make us realize the significance and magnificence of our own heritage. Have you ever wondered why this happens? The answer is quite simple: it is due to ‘unawareness.’

Lack of Awareness:

Yes, it is true that many of us lack knowledge about our own culture. We do not possess as much understanding as we should. So, how can we acquire this knowledge? Who holds the key to it? How can we overcome this state of ignorance? One possible answer to all these questions is by learning Sanskrit.

Learning Sanskrit extends far beyond the mere recitation of shlokas, mantras, religious rituals, poojas, or mythology. It encompasses a much broader scope. To truly grasp its magnanimity, we must approach Sanskrit as a language in its entirety. By doing so, we can unlock the vast treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom that this language holds.

An ocean of knowledge:

When it comes to Sanskrit texts, it is indeed an expansive ocean of knowledge. It encompasses a vast array of subjects that span various domains. From Vedas to puranas, economics to religion, medicine to physics, literature to drama, philosophy to yoga, architecture to culinary arts, astronomy to geometry, Sanskrit texts offer everything literally.

What exactly Learning Sanskrit is:

Let us begin with the fundamentals. Learning Sanskrit primarily involves understanding the language through its grammar. This journey can effectively commence at the school level. By gradually acquiring knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, learners can develop the ability to read and comprehend Sanskrit texts.

Why do we need to learn Sanskrit?

In today’s world, it is natural for us to seek strong and compelling reasons before investing our time and resources into any endeavour. We often require exciting outcomes to motivate us to pursue something. This mindset is not inherently wrong. That is precisely why it becomes crucial to comprehend the significance of learning Sanskrit and recognize its numerous benefits.

Let us now see, what learning Sanskrit offers you:

  1. Knowledge – The pursuit of knowledge itself is a compelling reason to learn anything, and it should always be a primary motive. As mentioned earlier, Sanskrit texts encompass a vast array of knowledge rooted in rigorous study and logical reasoning. Our Sanskrit heritage contains a wealth of information from various fields, including sciences, arts, literature, linguistics, and philosophy. Whether one seeks scientific principles, artistic inspiration, profound philosophical insights, or linguistic intricacies, Sanskrit has something to offer.It is not surprising that foreigners are consistently drawn to these texts, motivated to learn Sanskrit and harness its knowledge to foster personal growth and contribute to the development of their countries.

    This knowledge has the power to deepen our awareness of our roots, culture, and magnificent heritage, filling us with immense pride. It will reveal the splendour of our history and the vast wisdom our land has long held. Embracing this knowledge will enable us to dispel misunderstandings and controversies that arise from those with incomplete or no knowledge.

    Apart from this there are additional benefits that come with learning Sanskrit,

  2. Ease to learn other languages – It is observed that learning Sanskrit grammar makes the learning of other languages easier.
  3. Clarity of speech– It is a proven fact that recitation of Sanskrit shlokas makes our speech clear and fluent.
  4. Clarity of thoughts – Reading original texts serves as a powerful means to gain awareness of facts and access unadulterated, authentic knowledge.
  5. Career opportunities – Sanskrit language presents abundant career opportunities in various fields, including teaching, research, oratory, and related domains.
  6. Uniqueness – The field of Sanskrit remains relatively unexplored, and its inherent beauty is still unfamiliar to many. Consequently, acquiring proficiency in Sanskrit can set you apart and bestow upon you a unique identity.

In conclusion, learning Sanskrit serves as an asset for our personal development. It enriches us with a deep awareness of our glorious culture and heritage, imbuing us with profound wisdom. This understanding instils within us a deep appreciation for our land and motivates us to preserve the sanctity and purity of our heritage.

Let us not wait for others to recognize the importance of our culture. Through our own pursuit of knowledge and understanding, we can uphold the legacy and promote the richness of our heritage. By cherishing and honouring what we have, we contribute to its continued vitality and ensure that future generations can embrace and celebrate our culture with the same pride and reverence.

Posted on by admin

Why do we have day and night? Why is the sky blue in color? Does my brain sleep when I sleep? Why does mixing colors make new colors? Why do I feel woozy in my stomach when a plane takes off?

These are just some of the innumerable questions that kids ask adults day in and day out. How often do we come across hassled parents who complain to their colleagues or friends about the incessant bombardment of questions from their kids?

Well! If you are one of the parents who fall in this category consider yourself lucky. You are blessed with a curious child. It does become overwhelming to keep up with the constant barrage of questions on all topics under the sun. However, embrace your kid’s curiosity .

We all are curious by nature. We are bugged by the unknown. As adults we have greater means to seek solutions for things that we do not know. For today’s teens the internet has made everything available at a mouse’s click or a touch button on mobiles. The younger lot who still cannot use the above rely on elders or books to quench their curiosity.

We must take steps to nurture the curiosity in kids whether early learners or teens. The use of 5 senses can ensure that curiosity remains as a continuous streak in a child’s life. It has many far reaching impacts on the child’s development.

  1. It makes the brain active – When the hows, whys , whens and wheres become a child’s friend, they ensure constant brain activity. It also develops one’s creative horizons. The child while yearning to satisfy his curiosity may come up with plausible reasons. Thus, the habit of building multi scenario options for a specific task gets developed automatically.
  2. Persistence in tasks – The immediate effect of the above can lead to the second advantage of curiosity – a persistent child. The constant need to find answers to the questions popping up in a child’s mind leads to not giving up the quest of seeking them.<When a child tries to conjure multiple ways or answers for a question, he / she inherently becomes a relentless learner. The thought of quitting doesn’t occur to them easily. This can be very helpful in academic subjects where at times kids find it difficult to understand the concepts. This habit of continuous perusal to find answers makes them take the difficulty head on.
  3. Develop social skills – A curious child never shies away from asking questions or seeking help from others. White he / she may do it in order to find a satisfying answer, it inadvertently makes them open up to people and interact. Having people skills goes a long way in building one’s character in life.
  4. Curious kids are happy kids – It is self explanatory. In the process of quenching their yearning to seek an answer most kids enjoy the “Eureka” moment. This happens when they finally are able to find the answer to their questions. It brings in a sense of being elated, having done something good.
  5. It develops empathy – Imaginee a child going on a journey and making new friends. The interactions lead to knowing one’s interests , likes and dislikes.A curious kid by striking a conversation helps others to open up and forget about their worries. It may be a temporary phenomenon. Yet, it makes the other person forget the worldly woes while enjoying a boisterous conversation with a kid having questions about everything. Some may find this irritating, the child nevertheless engages the other person to interact and be more aware amongst the present group.
  6. A curious kid is achievement oriented – This premise stems from the fact that the child wants to know everything about the person / thing / event / phenomenon he /she is curious about.

Let’s take a small example – a child seeks to know why the sky is blue. Upon knowing he further wants to know why it is grey sometimes? Reddish at dawn and dusk? Where do the stars disappear when the sun comes up? Does the sun really set in the ocean in the evening?

The chain of never ending questions leads to knowledge increase. He doesn’t stop at the first question but tries to understand all related areas too. This further builds the trait of a single minded focus on solution seeking. This focus is what leads to great achievements.

The next question would be what role should parents play to keep the curiosity fire burning in the kids?

It can be done in the following simple ways –

  1. Allow the kids to imagine and conjure.
  2. Guide them towards the possible solutions, but make them choose the outcome themselves.
  3. Reinforce their curious behavior by accepting to answer or embark on a journey to do it with them
  4. Let them try new things and fail. Failure allows them to cancel out the negatives and reach the answers.
  5. Ask them open ended questions. This helps their minds to seek answers.
  6. Teach them the importance of observation, deduction and conclusion.
  7. Do not enforce your thoughts and dogmas on them. Give them the freedom to form their own opinions. One can correct it later, but the child must feel that he found the answers to his questions. Do not dish it out to them on a platter.

It is said that –

Knowing the answers helps in school:

Knowing the questions helps in life.

Let your kids question you. It is these questions that would build a lifelong passion of learning.

Don’t fear curiosity . Let your child embrace it wholeheartedly.

Posted on by admin

The most beautiful musical instruments can be found in nature. The renditions are more dominated by the lower frequencies, which gives them a calming and tranquil character. When white noise is at a certain frequency, it is known as “green noise”. This noise is defined as an “ambient noise in nature.”

The homogeneous distribution of energy across the frequency range that characterises green noise makes it special. These sound profiles closely resemble the background noise found in a natural setting. Green noise is gaining immense popularity among the urban population at a very fast pace because it can be downloaded on your phones and one does not have to take a day off to be close to nature.

There are many ways in which natural music can aid our mental as well as our physical well-being:

  • Enhances quality sleep: If you live in an urban area and do not have access to any natural retreat, green noise can be very helpful. It can induce sleep as it masks other unnecessary ambient sounds and helps you to relax.If you have sleep disorders or if you are not able to sleep because of anxiety, green noise can be very helpful as it promotes production of delta brain waves which are associated with deep and a sound sleep.
  • Starting the day early: If you wake up when the sun rises and continue this practice for a long time, you will notice that your body changes for the better. Nature has a wonderful alarm clock for us in the form of a rooster.By waking up as early as the rooster, you will stay more active, and feel fresh during the day. However, for those residing in urban areas, petting a rooster is not possible, so playing green noise before going to bed can help you sleep on time and wake up without feeling groggy.
  • Improves relaxation: Certain natural sounds like the rhythmic chirping of birds, waves crashing ashore, raindrops falling on a tin roof and so on have a deep impact on our mind.Woodland sounds are the most effective sounds as they reduce the fight-and-flight response in the body also called sympathetic response and increase the parasympathetic response which is also called the rest-digest response.
  • Meditative quality: Slow moving water is another great example of green noise. There are many natural sounds that have a low pitch. Moving water, for instance, can induce sleep in a person and make him feel more at ease than any other natural sound.Whenever you go to any meditation centre, you will notice that sound of moving water is played more often than ever. Green noise has a positive impact on our autonomic nervous system which maintains our heart rate, and keeps our blood pressure stable. This will also enable you to meditate properly and concentrate on your senses in a better fashion.
  • Works as an excellent mood booster: Ever since the pandemic hit us, the stress level among the general population has been on a rise. With our fast-paced lifestyles and unhealthy diet, our psychological health has taken a hit. By exposing yourself to the right kind of music, we can work on our attitudes towards life.Listening to natural sounds can divert our attention from trivial things in life, reduce our stress hormones and even frame a positive mindset.
  • Allows proper psychological development: You can live a healthy life if you can get enough sleep, practise meditation, and even keep a good outlook on things. You will be able to unwind much more effectively if you take frequent brief pauses while studying and listen to the appropriate sounds.By adopting this simple habit, you will realise that you will be a different person altogether. People around you will also feel the difference and you will be a very psychologically safe as well as a secure person who cannot be perturbed easily by anything.

Nature has a direct impact on our mental and physical health. Since music is an inherent part of nature, it has proven to be helpful in generating positive emotions and enhancing our concentration. Neuroscientists have proven time and again that music can improve our behaviour and health. While taking a break from studies, you can listen to your own Spotify playlist or even download such sounds on Apple music, so that you can start the relaxation process without any delay.

Posted on by admin

“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”

“We don’t need a list of rights and wrongs, tables of dos and don’ts: we need books, time, and silence. Thou shalt not be soon forgotten, but Once upon a time lasts forever.”

Here we go. Straight up diving into the mind of the legendary Philip Nicholas Pullman. The importance of books, imagination and creativity goes a long way. Mr Pullman, born on October 19, 1946 in Norwich, England, reassured us time and again with his prolific stories, thus making him one of the most significant literary figures in British literature. Pullman has written children’s novels, young adult novels, short stories, picture books, comic books and non-fiction books.

Mastering the fantasy genre, Pullman once quoted “The writers we call the greatest of all – Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Proust, George Eliot herself, are those who have created the most lifelike simulacra of real human beings in real human situations. In fact the more profound and powerful the imagination, the closer to reality are the forms it dreams up.”

Pullman’s most acclaimed work ‘His Dark Materials trilogy’ went on to become one of the most celebrated pieces of literature. It’s a coming of age story with two children wandering through parallel universes. The trilogy consists of books ‘Northern Lights’, ‘The Subtle Knife’ and ‘The Amber Spyglass’. His other quite recently published trilogy ‘The Book of dust’ borrowed elements from ‘His Dark Materials’.

Other books of Pullman include the likes of ‘The Haunted storm’, ‘Clockwork or all wound up’, ‘The firework maker’s daughter’, ‘The Good man Jesus and the scoundrel Christ’; the list goes on and on.

Pullman has actively initiated campaigns against library closures and went out of his way to endorse the merits of reading and literature in general. He also believed that children shouldn’t be spoon-fed and shouldn’t be specifically made to read a particular thing at a particular age necessarily. Instead he firmly held an opinion that kids should have the freedom and liberty to explore their world at their own pace and in their own ways. Simply put, Pullman is to be hugely credited for popularizing the act of reading and celebrating books and it’s significance across the globe.

Pullman’s books possess a philosophical touch, with themes spanning across God, religion, society, worldview, purpose of life, etc finding a mention on a recurring basis.

His books have been translated into numerous languages globally, making him an internationally renowned name in the field of literature worldwide. He has been bestowed upon with prestigious laurels like ‘Carnegie Medal’, ‘Astrid Lindgren Award’, ‘Guardian Prize’ to name a few.

“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” Pullman left no stone unturned to promote and celebrate books and the humongous role literature has played in the intellectual development of kids.

It’s time to revisit that feeling, that emotion, that childlike innocence which introduced us to the world and made us imagine and realize a lot of things in the most joyous possible manner.

Posted on by admin

I recently visited the Punjab Vidhan Sabha building and was totally amazed by the design and architecture. When my mother floated the idea of the visit I was confused whether to accompany her and her group of students as I had my Science exam the next day. But I decided to go and am glad that I made the decision.

We were told to report an hour before the allotted time as there would be lots of security checks. I did not expect so much security. I was amazed. But yes, there was a lot of security checking. There was a lot of protocol to be followed. We were told not to carry or wear black scarves. We had been given instructions not to wear belts, watches and anything of metal.They checked our names from the list that had been sent earlier.

After all the checking we moved in a queue to the waiting area from where we were ushered into the Chamber. We were made to sit in the visitor’s gallery from where we could see the whole house.

There were many protocols to be followed there, too. We could not cross our legs and talk: even whispering was not allowed. The first sight of the Chamber was surprising. I thought that it would be a boring, old building but I was totally wrong. The building was differently shaped and full of vibrant colours. Then, I started paying more attention to the work being done in the house. It seemed at first sight that not much work was being done but on close scrutiny I realised that officials of the House were carrying out their duties.

I saw how the Speaker and Marshals maintain order in the House. It was then that I came to know that everyone who comes into the Chamber has to bow in front of the Speaker to show respect to the Chair. I saw the Speaker discharging his duties with grace and strength. He gave equal time to both the ruling party and the opposition party.

The inside of the Chamber was absolutely stunning. The vibrant colours, the shape of the building and the seamless transition between two floors had me transfixed. I was so interested that I came home and googled to know all about the building and the Chamber.

There was so much that I did not know about the building. It was established in 1952 and completed in 1962, which explains the old- time look and feel. It was constituted with 175 members but now there are only 117 members. There are 117 members from 117 single seat constituencies. It was preceded by the Interim East Punjab Assembly.

The most surprising thing was that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When it was made a heritage site in 2016 all the alterations done to it over the last five decades were undone. I never knew this and was really surprised. The official name of the building is ‘The Architectural work of Le Corbusier, an outstanding contribution to the Modern Movement.’ On the net, I also read about the main door. I had not been able to see it because it is opened only on ceremonial days. It looked very beautiful and had many images on it.

I couldn’t really understand what each image represented. So, I read that the imagery represents Solstices, Lunar eclipses and the Equinox. It has greenery representing Garden of Eden and, in the centre there is the tree of knowledge. The door had to be airlifted from Paris in those times.

I resolved to work hard to become a person of eminence so that I could see the ceremonial doors being opened. I also realised that law making is a serious job. The speeches, arguments and debates by the Honourable Members of the Legislature were serious. They had done their homework well. Questions and answers flew from one Member to another. The Speaker tried hard to maintain order in the House. There were many stenographers who were noting all the proceedings of the House. They were continuously scribbling. They would get up in turns to go and file what they had noted.

Later, our doubts were cleared by the officials of the House. They told us that the different colours of the chairs were designated for the ruling and opposition parties. There were designated seats for the Chief Minister as well as the leader of opposition.

My visit was very fruitful. I learnt a lot. All the students were also amazed at the magnificence and aura of the prestigious House. Such visits should be encouraged so that students learn the hard work that goes behind every law and government functioning.

Posted on by admin

The adventures undertaken by Dorothy and her friends in this book, The Wizard of Oz, were fantastic. It is the first action book /novel that I have enjoyed reading.

A children’s book with high fantasy, magic, and wizardry. L. Frank Baum, the author of this book, also wrote 17 further books about the Wizard of Oz. There have been numerous film adaptations of the narrative. The most well-known ones were created in 1939 and 2013. He desired to create a mysterious, imaginative, and magical fairy tale.

The Wizard of Oz tells the tale of a journey to a fantastical fairyland. There is a cyclone at the start and Dorothy’s home is transported to the land of Oz by the cyclone. I had a wonderful time reading this interesting book. It is based on exploring what comes next – just like suspense.

Posted on by admin

I was introduced to Wizkids during COVID pandemic when my son participated in a few competitions launched by the team. The topics were varied and interesting. The fee was nominal that made it accessible to all and it had a pan-India base. I felt my son would be able to compete with children of his age across the country. It would help him to gauge his strengths and weaknesses. And that is how I started my journey with the team. When they decided to come out with an online newspaper – “The kids Carnival”, I was asked to contribute.

Mansi, the founder of wizkids , started it as a one-woman show. I talked to her and loved her passion. I learnt from my conversations that she is from the corporate world but wanted to step into a field that encouraged creativity. She wanted to work with children. She told me that her husband supported her in her endeavour.

As I started writing for her, I realised her passion was for real. As the newspaper took flight, she hired young professionals to join her in fulfilling her dream. Her decision to hire more people meant that the team was growing. And sure enough, a lot of dynamism entered the working. The competitions in the form of a ‘wizkid Contests’ continue as do the issues of the newspaper. It has become very colourful, child-friendly and interesting. I have introduced a few writers to the newspaper and they are enjoying the whole experience. Personally, I get to write for children and for that I have to think like a child. This makes the whole process very interesting. In fact, writing articles for the magazine acts as a stress buster. I enjoy playing with words to keep them simple for my target audience- the children.

Writing for “The kids Carnival” is sheer delight. I look forward to writing for every issue. I am sure that this venture will become a favourite of the children across the country. It will occupy a place of pride in the hearts of children as they step into their teens. It will bring back a sense of nostalgia and they would recommend it to others. I foresee it growing phenomenally. I look forward to reading every successive issue. My journey has been very fruitful. I wish Mansi and her team the very best. I am confident that they will soar.

Posted on by admin

On a sunny March day when I had given my consent to guide budding poets at Wizkidscarnival, little did I know what I was in for.

As I’d always believed in having an eventful life, I was completely unperturbed by the unexpected offer from the founders. After all, what is life if not a series of surprises?

Paradoxically, this very conviction has robbed me of feeling surprised at many surprising situations in the past.

Returning to Wizkidscarnival, I found myself completely unprepared for what followed.

For starters, the entries grew in numbers, first steadily and then overwhelmingly; so much so that we have to get extra hands and minds!

Gradually, the poets worked on their feedback and the qualitative level grew up too, again steadily and overwhelmingly, which of course was expected, but what I was not expecting was the emotional connect I’d be going to forge with these children.

Nor was I prepared for the contrasting feelings I was soon going to experience!

Like, I was not prepared for the irritation I felt when a child misread an instruction and lost a rank, but at the same time I was not at all prepared for my disheartened self when some erratic parent pushed a child too hard just for a rank!

I was unprepared for the profuse emotion I’d feel when a child would recite melancholia with amazing perfection; and equally unprepared to soothe the heart-ache they gave me with their profound imagery!

I found myself unfit to rein in my own laughter in moments when my sombre graceful poets giggled uncontrollably while a younger sibling barged into the video during recitals, and equally ill-equipped to hide my amusement as my little poets mouthed words complicated enough to tie their tongues into knots! I also found myself unprepared for that swell of pride in my heart when they’d recite with perfect decorum, that gulp in my throat when a child recited a wounded soldier’s emotions with nuanced cadences, unprepared for the variety of poems I’d be introduced to, unprepared for the diversity of my own country I’d experience through submissions from Kottayam to Kashmir and West Bengal to Jaipur, the entire length and breadth of the nation!

Oh, I was unprepared for the wonderful glimpse I got into the mind of tomorrow’s generation, a mind with clarity, a mind with focus, a mind proud of their own culture while being receptive to others, a mind fertile with imagination, and a mind which can easily co-exist with a sharp brain and a delicate heart. How unprepared I was to get dazzled by the brightness of their intellect and ability!

Unprepared for my growing admiration for these participants which became kinda pupils of mine , unprepared for the self investment I eagerly did while guiding them as I patiently read and listened to their poems till the wee hours of dawn…

For a self proclaimed introvert, who never corrected anyone unless it was in my Life Science lecture room- my ethical and moral jurisdiction, this journey from a class of sixty post-graduate students with scalpels in their hands to a batch of hundreds of youngsters with literature on their minds, has been incredible, something I was not prepared for.

I felt blessed as I could discern the soft but steady footsteps of literary growth, could listen to the frantic scratching of pen on paper as my young poets scribbled and scribbled; as they burnt midnight oil working on themselves and blossomed, their mental emotional petals unfolding unlocking poetry into the air.

Life indeed had caught me off guard, but strangely enough, I’d never felt more grateful!

And why wouldn’t I ?

Haven’t I always believed that the best gifts are the unexpected ones?

Hence, what can be more valuable than to be in the august company of the future poets and writers of my country, to behold the literary tomorrow of my nation, and to experience it unfurl, gently… one word, one phrase, one poem at a time.

Posted on by admin

It was my second month of joining wizkids as content strategist. I was getting acclimated to the role and the new work environment. This was a completely different work set up compared to my previous HR & Marketing roles. The excitement of working in the kids sector ( a long cherished dream) along with the unique concept of Wizkids made me thrilled and apprehensive at the same time. The routine was to have daily sessions with the founder and my boss Mansi to chalk out different current and future strategies.

It was during one of these sessions that the conversation veered towards the founders intent of starting a newspaper for the kids. I was asked to bring some ideas to the table regarding the same. Thus began my preliminary research of surfing through the existing newspapers for our target audience – kids aged from 3-15 yrs.

A study of these various publications gave us the content that was being meted out to kids. It ranged from informative to entertaining. While we were happy to bring out such an edition, a need was felt to cater to the primary mentors and support system of the kids – the parents. I embarked on the journey of designing a newspaper with my thoughts and inputs from Mansi. We were very much aware that a long process of tweaking and iterations would follow till the end product was in sight. Yet, this was a start in the right direction.

The first major deliberation was about naming the newspaper. We proposed and refused quite a few choices like wizkids news, wizkids for you, wizkids carnival monthly et al.. It was like something was missing in all of them. During one such deliberation session we had the “EUREKA” moment. “The kids Carnival” and it got unanimous approval.

With one step finalized, we moved on to the next steps of choosing sections and deciding contents. We wanted the newspaper to not only give information to the kids but act as a reading source for parents and enable the showcasing of superb creations of kids participating in diverse contest formats on our digital format. After a few rounds of back and forth, the structure too was finalized.

With the skeleton in place now began the process of adding panache to it in the form of visual representation. Many designs were drawn and discarded. Some did not seem a fit while others came across as dense. This carried on for two months. After working on more than a dozen designs, the newspaper look was finalized.

Yet, this was just a pit stop not the finish line. By February 2022, things were moving steadily towards fructification of the vision envisaged in December 21. The road to the finish line could be seen on the outlines, and the march towards it continued.

By the next fortnight a detailed discussion began on the theme and overall look of the newspaper. Plans were chalked out on the drawing board, discussed, modified and finalized. The target was set to bring out the first edition on the anniversary of Wizkidscarnival on 23 Apr 22.

Time just flew by and so many things yet needed to be done. Panic started to set in about meeting the target. With so many external variables, things looked gloomy at a point. Plans were not being met, hurdles were faced in getting the expert views, formats compatibility posed issues. It almost looked as if the deadline was going to be missed. The founders provided emotional support and guidance so much so that they were involved in every minute details of the paper. Bit by bit things fell in place. With the content & structure in place, the deliberations with the tech team began . Now the finish line seemed within reach. From hereon things moved with small glitches that were ironed out and “The kids Carnival”’s first edition was live on 23 Apr 2022.

What started as a mere idea in the morning hours of a December call was now complete with perfect execution. As we are coming out with the anniversary edition of the newspaper, nostalgia struck me. I wanted to pen down this journey that was exhilarating and stressful at times but full of hope.

Over the months, we tried our best to come up with innovative themes and content for the kids as well as insightful articles for parents. We tried our best to showcase the diverse talent of kids who associated with us in the form of the creative showcase section. From time to time the founders too shared their vision with articles.

As we embark on a new phase there are many things in the pipeline. New themes, new sections and varied experts to satisfy the readers’ thirst for knowledge , fun and learning.

I would like to thank all our readers who have supported “The kids Carnival”’s endeavor thus far. Rest assured, we shall keep innovating and broadening the horizons to make “The kids Carnival” your go to destination.

Posted on by admin
  • Nature has never failed to inspire us. A bird’s melodious voice, rustling of the leaves, the sound of breaking of waves, or the flowing of a river. Such sounds are innately musical and have a profound effect on our minds.All these sounds can be grouped under Bio music or Eco music. This term is used to describe the inherent musicality present in nature including the various sounds of nature from birds, and animals.

    Fun Fact: Birds and whales have vocal learners i.e.; they can compose their own songs in addition to the music taught to them by their parents. Therefore, it is safe to claim that all living beings have the natural ability to make music. It is a recreational activity and an important part of our lives.

    These natural sounds have been a source of great inspiration for some of the best musicians and poets across the world.

    • Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony Number Six is one such melody that is inspired by nature and while being ages old continues to be one of the most well-known melodies in the entire world.
    • Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons is another such melody that pays homage to all the 4 seasons that we come across in a year. The music has a playful, crisp and carefree tone that resembles the Spring season which is about birth and frivolity associated with the childhood of a human. The summer music is sombre, followed by autumn in which the cool air is signified by the softly arching strings. Then finally comes winter associated with the circle of life coming to an end along with Vivaldi’s composition.
    • Berlioz composed the Symphonie Fantastique which resonates with a thunderstorm. The slow movement of the symphony is symbolic of distant thunder.

    Not only foreign symphonies but even Indian melodies have also been inspired by nature. Songs from the movie Swades have been greatly inspired by nature as the movie is all about a person connecting with the nature of the country, in which he was born.

    There are many poets who have also been inspired by nature. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are two of the most famous English poets who have always been inspired by the simplicity of nature and the same simplicity is reflected in people who are close to nature. Closer home Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Sohan Lal Dwiwedi have brought out the beauty of nature through their works.

    Nature has been cherished by many other famous literary figures as well as playwrights like Shakespeare. He employed the forces of nature to draw a parallel between the emotions of characters and how these feelings were reflected in nature. The Tempest by William Shakespeare opens with a storm set off by duke-magician Prospero to entice his usurping brother to the island where he has been exiled. A world-famous musician Tchaikovsky composed a symphony based on these dramatic occurrences in the play.

    To connect with nature, one should be more aware of one’s surroundings. It is a must to go for walks with pets and if there is not one, justenjot walks in nature’s lap . If one ever listens with intent, there is an ample amount of music present in nature. National parks are a great place to start. Listen to the silence, the sound of a water body , a brook. Even listening to the wind pass through the branches of a tree can be soothing in nature.

    Music is a structural organisation of sounds. When all these sounds are framed in an organised manner, they become melodious as well as rhythmic. This pattern of rhythmic sounds is already available in nature, thus, inspiring people to make a symphony.

    Nature has inspired other art forms as well. Artists have always been inspired by the myriad of colours present in nature. Artists have tried to depict the dawn and the dusk as beautiful scenes in their paintings and poets have tried to encapsulate them in their writing. Therefore, nature is the best teacher irrespective of profession, race, caste, or class.