Facts of India
Land & people
Area: 3,287,590 sq km
Population (July 2007 est.): 1.129 billion
Capital: New Delhi
Languages: National language is Hindi, and English the language for official communication. About 15 major
languages and 844 different dialects are spoken in the country.
GDP per capita (2006 est.): $3,800
India is bound to the southwest by the Arabian Sea, to the southeast by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean to the south. To the north, northeast and northwest are the Himalayas. Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) constitutes the southern tip of the mainland Indian peninsula. India is bordered by Pakistan and Afghanistan to the northwest, China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north, Myanmar to the east and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia are island nations to the south of India.
India’s geography is diverse with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts, plains, rainforests, hills and plateaus.
South of the Himalayas lies the fertile Gangetic Plain. The Ganges drains the south slopes of the Himalayas and flows eastward to the delta at the Bay of Bengal. The Indus, another major river, flows through a small portion of India on its way from the Himalayas through Pakistan and out to the Arabian Sea. The Deccan region lie south of the river valleys and this plateau occupies much of central and southern India. To the east and west of the Deccan lie the Eastern Ghat and Western Ghat. These are mountain ranges on the east and west coasts.
Administratively India is divided into 28 states and seven Union Territories
GETTING AROUND
Out and about
The best way to cover distances in India is by air and there are many airlines offering domestic travel.
Indian, with the most extensive network, is the country’s main domestic airline. Air India and several no-frills airlines also operate many domestic routes. Some airlines offer special unlimited travel programmes that allow multiple flights over a certain period of time.
India’s rail network is the second largest in the world, and you can reach anywhere in the country by train. But train journeys between major destinations can be time-consuming.
For extensive railway information, log on to www.indianrail.gov. in. Indian Railways Indrail Pass is a discount ticket for unlimited travel over a specific number of days and can be purchased by both foreign
nationals and non-resident Indians. Passes are available overseas or through travel agencies in India and offer unlimited travel on trains for the period of their validity.
Buses offer choice on main routes with private operators supplementing government buses on many routes. Rent-a-car services are also on offer.
The destination of choice
Conde Nast Traveler ranked India among the world’s top four preferred holiday destinations.
India, one of the oldest civilizations and the world’s largest democracy, is now poised on the high growth path. India has made an extraordinary transition into one of the world’s most significant emerging economies in the space of a little over a decade. The macro-economic indicators are at present the best in the history of independent India with high growth, increasing foreign exchange reserves and huge in-flow of foreign investment.
The Indian economy is the fastest growing economy among the major democracies of the world. The tourism sector has leapfrogged in recent times. India is a transformed tourist destination — competing to give the best to visitors. Improvements in accessibility and infrastructure, well-trained human resources, diversification of the tourism product and an integrated marketing campaign under the banner ‘Incredible India’ have helped India achieve an unprecedented growth in terms of, both volume and value.
During the last five years foreign tourist arrivals have grown by 78 per cent while the growth in foreign exchange earnings has gone up by 122 per cent during the same period. Tourism has been one of the largest net earners of foreign exchange for the country recording earnings of $6.6 billion (about Dh24.2 billion) in 2006. This growth and a successful campaign have won India wide spread international recognition in the field of tourism.
Making waves
Conde Nast Traveller ranked India among the top four preferred holiday destinations of the world. Lonely Planet selected India among the top five destinations, in a survey of 167 countries. ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) ranked India as the number one among top 50 places for 2006. The Incredible India campaign has been ranked as the highest recall advertisement worldwide by Travel and Leisure.
The World Travel and Tourism Council, in its projection covering 174 countries, has predicted an annual growth rate of 8.8 per cent during the next decade for India, the highest in the world. The target is to reach a figure of 10 million tourist arrivals by the year 2010. India is the fastest growing passenger and cargo market in the world, according to International Civil Aviation Organization.
Tourism in India is being positioned as a major engine of economic growth and efforts are being made for optimally harnessing its direct and multiplier effects for employment generation and economic development in the country. The total direct and indirect contribution of tourism to India’s GDP stands at about 5.9 per cent and the total employment in the tourism sector, both direct and indirect is about 41.85 million, accounting for 8.78 per cent of the total employment in the country.
Various initiatives are under way in the tourism sector with the objective of providing visitors with a world-class experience that differentiates itself as a spiritually enhancing, culturally enriching, physically invigorating and mentally rejuvenating experience.
Development of infrastructure, which requires large scale investment, is being promoted in the public-private partnership mode by providing financial support to bridge the viability gap or by making outright subsidy grants of up to Rs100 million (Dh9 million). Projects such as tourist trains, cruise vessels, cruise terminals, convention centres, golf courses, etc, are eligible for this assistance. A single window policy for clearance of tourism projects and a proactive land policy, by prior identification of land for tourism projects, are the other measures being adopted for encouraging investment in the tourism sector.
Foreign investment in the tourism industry is encouraged and overseas investors are allowed to invest up to 100 per cent equity on repatriation basis. Foreign companies such as Kuoni and Thomas Cook have been extremely successful.
Hotel chains
Investments in hotel projects in India have earned high rate of return. Leading international chains such as Sheraton, Hilton, Radisson, Marriot, Holiday Inn, Country Inn, Inter-Continental, Accor, IBIS, Novotel, Shangrila and Hyatt have already established their presence in India, while at the same time, Indian chains such as Taj and Oberoi have made their presence abroad.
The Indian aviation sector has shown remarkable growth with tremendous growth in flight and seat capacity to the country. Delhi and Mumbai airports were handed over to private companies and modernisation of Kolkata and Chennai airports is expected to start soon. The government is also planning to revamp 25-30 non-metro airports. Two new international airports at Bangalore and Hyderabad are being developed through public-private sector partnerships.
India presently has about 100,000 star-category hotel rooms. With business travel growing at a rapid pace and with a major growth in tourist arrivals, there is a growing demand for star category hotel that presents tremendous opportunity for investment in the hotel sector. The Commonwealth Games scheduled for 2010 presents additional possibilities to enhance the availability of hotels.
Bed and breakfast options
The present estimates show that India will need at least 100,000 additional star category hotel rooms in the next five years. With one-third of India’s population travelling every year within the country, there is a growing demand for value-for-money hotels, which are also being developed in partnership with several national and international brands.
India has also taken up the initiative to make available bed and breakfast establishments, which are common in Europe. The new scheme to register these home stay facilities have already been put in place. The detailed guidelines will help in maintaining standard and quality for the budget tourists who wish to avail these facilities in the country.
An Advance Passenger Information System and long term visas for tourists are on the anvil to facilitate visitors. India is a 365-day, year-round destination, with varied attractions and activities to attract all interests and age groups.
The promotion and publicity initiatives taken by India Tourism include participation as partner country at the International Tourism Bourse 2007, held in Berlin in March 2007.
A visible and effective presence at major international Travel Fairs and Exhibitions, outdoor advertising campaigns undertaken in Zurich and Davos (during the World Economic Summit), Cannes (Cannes Film Festival), London, New York and other cities worldwide are amongst other significant promotional initiatives. India will also be the host country for the PATA Travel Mart 2008, to be held in Hyderabad in September 2008. The culture and heritage of the country, amply reflected in its monuments, arts and crafts, dance and music styles, vibrant and colourful fairs and festivals, forts and palaces provide excellent opportunities for product options.
India has a total of 26 world heritage sites — the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri in Agra, Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, the Churches and Convents of Goa, Buddhist sites at Ajanta and Ellora, Sanchi and Bodhgaya, the magnificient Hindu temples of Khajuraho, Mahabalipuram and the Konark Temple in Orissa and the ancient ruins of Hampi among others. A CNN Survey on perceptions of different countries from the point of view of richness in culture and heritage places India and China at the top of a list of 15 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.
The mighty Himalayan ranges with snow-clad peaks provide ample opportunities for adventure sports such as skiing, heli-skiing, mountain climbing, rock climbing, river rafting, hang gliding, etc. The forests with abundant varieties of flora and fauna provide rich experiences for trails in dense tropical jungles and sightings of rare animals including the famous Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sunderbans and the Asiatic Lions of the Gir Forest. The Andaman and Lakshadweep group of Islands are famous for snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities.
However, while developing and promoting tourism, no country can afford to forget or undermine the importance of sustainable tourism and the need of protecting the environment. India, a region with the world’s greatest bio-diversity and with varied natural locales is an ideal destination for eco-tourism products. World famous national parks and tiger reserves, the riverine estuaries and deltas including the Sunderbans, mountains and forests, the coral islands, the long coast line with its beaches, backwaters and lakes are some of the highlights of our eco-tourism sector.
Modern attractions
About 74 per cent of Indians live in villages and no tourism experience can be complete without witnessing the rural tourism product. A number of rural sites have been identified to showcase rural life, art, culture and heritage, nature and landscape in and around such villages.
Conference and Convention Tourism is an important segment. MICE Tourism is a $280 billion (about Dh1,027 billion) industry worldwide, with about 400,000 major conferences held every year.
Indian medical tourism has become popular. India has a rich heritage in the areas of traditional and natural medicine. It has also made tremendous advancement in providing modern medicine and healthcare facilities at competitive rates. Heart surgeries, kidney and liver transplants, plastic surgeries, knee replacements and dental care are available at a fraction of the cost elsewhere. The recent introduction of the medical visa for one year, extendable upto three years, is also a step in the right direction.
Cruise tourism is growing fast globally. The long coastline and the beautiful hinterland containing rich cultural and touristic treasures, the Andaman and Lakshadweep group of islands of India will prove irresistible for growth of this sector.
India, with several golf courses boasting playing conditions and supporting infrastructure comparable to world standards, is ready to be announced to the world as a Golf Tourism destination. Even Film Tourism through promotion of Indian locales among foreign film makers has become increasingly popular. India is a shoppers’ paradise.
With a treasure trove of its traditional handicrafts, gems and jewelleries along with modern shopping malls in cities across the country, India is a great shopping experience. The luxury and heritage hotels and palaces in the country provide the perfect venue for tourists to enjoy their holiday.
The path to superpower status
India’s new face, of a global pool of well trained and highly motivated IT professionals, came into being after the remarkable growth in the technology sector.
Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India. Critics may pan the comparison in hindsight, but it’s a fact that the city and its inhabitants have almost single-handedly managed to make the world’s IT services cash flow come India’s way.
Reverse brain drain could also be attributed to the phenomenon that is Bangalore today. The jobs and all that comes with them are just as good or better in some cases than what Indian IT professionals could dream of in the US. It’s simple maths. If the money is as good and the expenses in India are less than half those in the US or Europe, think of what one gets to gain by working in India.
About a decade after the India Shining mantra, the daggers were out with pessimists filling up newsprint and newsreels with what the ‘real story’ behind India’s IT resurgence was all about. Terms such as hi-tech coolies were bandied. The fact is that India’s new face — that of a global pool of well trained and highly motivated IT professionals — only came into being due to the remarkable growth of the IT sector.
Says Ankit Venkatesh, a systems engineer, “Hi-tech sweatshops, low tech sweatshops. What does it matter? Yes, the jobs are boring but we are paid good money, are we not?”
The world needed cheap labour to outsource their requirements to and they had a great outsourcing hub. Besides, urban India had the unique advantage of being well versed in the Queen’s English. English is considered the lingua franca of the modern world and since business mostly originated from the US and Europe, communication was easy as ABCD. And in these days of five-minute deals where crucial decisions are made in minutes or seconds, communication is the key.
It was a win-win situation for India. Growth doesn’t necessarily mean development, but it definitely aids in development. India’s economical growth benefits sections of India’s society (mainly urban India). The benefits may stall to a trickle when the focus is rural India, but the Indian government is taking steps to see that it turns into a flood.
It’s easy to paint a dismal picture. Indians may be spending time stuck in traffic jams, idling in their Korean or Japanese cars staring at their Swiss watches and listening to music on Chinese sound systems.
But think of the situation even a couple of decades ago in urban India when cars were still considered a luxury by the middle-class as they were left to the mercy of public transport systems susceptible to daily breakdowns. Scenes across Indian metropolises today are starkly different. If the modes of transport are more in some cities, existing ones have been improved by several notches in others.
It is true that India needs to invent and produce more products and find solutions that can bridge the digital divide, but it is also true that India needs the money to do all this. That is precisely what India is doing through the outsourcing mantra. Make the money first, do the inventing later.
American industry benefited a lot and continues to benefit from the research that is carried out in the country’s universities. Fresh ideas from fresh minds is a thought that could be exercised with effect in India as well.
A recent survey by Dataquest (India) of the top 20 IT companies in India showed that six were founded by Indians and except for one, all of them rely on services abroad for 80 per cent of their revenue. But this does not mean Indians are not innovative. One look at the various project theses submitted by students and academics in engineering colleges and research institutions across India shows that Indians come up with several product ideas that are not only creative, inexpensive and useful every year.
Feasibility studies
The need is to give industry heavyweights access to these ideas and get them to conduct feasibility studies. The wireless in local loop (WLL) phone is an example of successful university-industry collaboration that resulted in the creation of a new Indian product.
This sort of collaboration pioneered by the younger generation of Indian entrepreneurs can alone make India a technical superpower to reckon with in the global scene.
While starting an industry in India is relatively easy, lack of product-oriented industries is a problem. Most engineering and technological companies are in the service and consultancy sectors.
This is true for even manufacturing industries in the energy, space and transportation sectors. This is because Indian entrepreneurs find this much easier than developing a new product and marketing it. Yet the latter is what made new world countries such as the US developed nations.
However, this also means India requires change in its existing laws. Currently Indian law doesn’t allow declarations of bankruptcy by companies. Indians need to use their votes to pressure their politicians and government to change it. Indian venture capitalists are hard to find for entrepreneurs based in small towns, as is the lack of diversification in family-owned businesses, except for a few that have been doing business for decades.
The Indian tech industry can learn from the Indian film industry and improve their business model. They stuck to their creativity while the rest of the world followed Hollywood. The Indian film industry grew, making more than 600 films a year, but mainly for the domestic market.
The IT sector can similarly create products for the domestic market and then for the overseas market. Aping the western model may work in the short term but in the long term it kills innovation and increases dependency on others.
Mahatma Gandhi made khadi for a reason — self-empowerment. Therefore, for true empowerment in a global world, Indians need pioneers and inventors of new technologies and products that solve their own problems first. These can also be adapted to address problems faced by people in developing countries. This would mean a market of four billion customers.
Instead of looking at the developed world as their main market, Indians need to dust off research projects in libraries across India and create products that they can sell to this market. They would not only be improving the planet but also making money.
For India to become a developed country, we need alternative energy, water production, and housing implemented on a massive scale while simultaneously being environmentally responsible. India also needs to lead in future technology research such as particle acceleration, robotics, aviation development, defence, space and mass transport.
Concentrating on long-term development instead of short-term growth is a mantra that India is implementing. It’s the ladder to superpower status and the people who matter in India know this. And yes, it can be done. Remember, Indians invented the numerical system.
A story about storeys
Indian realty has emerged as a global destination for several top construction companies, architectural firms and allied industries.
An economy on overdrive, a rapidly growing population, burgeoning urbanisation and land that simply can’t increase in size is a sure fire recipe for a realty boom. This is just what is happening in India. After the manufacturing and services sectors, realty and construction are the new areas of growth.
According to a Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) survey, the real estate sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33 per cent, from $12 billion in 2005 to $50 billion by 2010.
With the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy in the real estate sector liberalised, several foreign developers have been able to enter India, tie up with local players and further buoy the charged market.
Global real estate giants are giving India a close look. Three of the largest real estate developers in the Middle East — Emaar Properties, Al Rostamani Enterprises’ KM Properties, Al Ghurair Group’s ETA Star and realty investment major Kingdom Hotel Investments — are investing in hotels, malls, healthcare, housing, IT parks and integrated townships across the country.
Middle East developers
Emaar has already inaugurated Novotel Hotel in Hyderabad. It also plans to bring Armani to India through a truly exclusive hotel chain that will boast only 10 such establishments in the world.
Additionally, Emaar proposes to set up hospitals, clinics and medical centres in South and East Asia in a bid to eat into the estimated regional market of $10 billion.
KM Properties has set up a $2.3 billion real estate development fund for hotel development across Middle East and Asia and is looking at investing more than $500 million in India.
ETA Star is looking at investment opportunities in Indian hotels apart from IT parks, residential and commercial projects. It has already set aside $100 million to be invested over the next five years. Kingdom Hotel Investments has also earmarked $1 billion for India.
Evidently, the money is simply pouring in.
The growing potential in real estate development has attracted the US-based investment bank Morgan Stanley, which has invested $68 million in Mantri Developers, a midsized construction firm in Bangalore, and Merrill Lynch, which has invested $50 million in Panchsheel Developers, a regional builder.
Morgan Stanley plans to invest more than $1 billion over the next four to five years.
Foreign investment
Overseas companies have also poured money into funds that invest in Indian developers. GE Commercial Finance Real Estate has invested $63 million in an $800-million fund that is building IT parks. Calpers and the Oregon Public Retirement Fund have invested $100 million each in the IL&FS India Realty fund.
Real estate funds set up to invest only in India have already raised more than $2.7 billion. J.P.Morgan, Britain’s Knight Frank and others are planning to invest as much as $4 billion
Warburg Pincus, the largest private equity investor in India, and Deutsche Asset Management, the largest active managers of real estate funds in the world, are all watching Indian realty with intent.
GIC Real Estate, an arm of the Singapore government, is also planning to invest several hundred million dollars in Indian real estate over the next two years.
Joint ventures
According to an estimate by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), overseas real estate giants such as Royal Indian Raj International, Blackstone Group, Goldman Sachs, Pegasus Realty, Citigroup Property Investors, Lee Kim Tah Holdings, Salim Group and GE Commercial Finance are likely to bring in a capital of $8 billion.
It also points out that Tishman Speyer of the US has tied up with ICICI Bank to invest $1 billion, while Kotak India Real Estate Fund is raising $100 million.
An estimated 25 million non-resident Indians (NRIs) living in 125 countries are also investing in immovable property in India. The chamber forecasts that investment in real estate will go up from $12 billion (about Dh44.13 billion) in 2005 to $90 billion (about Dh331.02 billion) by 2015.
Encouraged by the Indian government’s commitment to infrastructure development, global giant General Electric (GE) recently announced its plans to set up a $300 million to $500 million infrastructure fund for the real estate sector.
GE’s statement came after Citigroup, Blackstone, IDFC and IIFCL announced their respective plans to set up $5 billion fund for infrastructure development.
Reports also suggests that GE is looking at financing real estate and is planning a $2 billion, fund to be invested across all types of real estate which includes residential, retail, townships and special economic zones (SEZs).
Urban infrastructure
The Hinduja Group plans to develop 4,000 acres of land held by its listed units for residential and commercial use under a company called Asia Property Development Ltd, and Delhi-based real estate firms DLF Ltd and Unitech Ltd have land banks of 10,255 acres and 10,900 acres respectively.
Indian business groups such as DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd and the Wadia Group have also forayed into real estate development.
Mumbai-based Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) is planning to invest Rs800 million (about Dh72.8 million) in the real estate and urban infrastructure over a period of three to five years through its subsidiary L&T Infrastructure Development Project Ltd (L&T-IDPL).
Private equity investors
The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC), with a 25 per cent stake in L&T-IDPL, would also be contributing to the investment. L&T is developing residential projects in Chennai, Vishakapatnam, Chandigarh, Nagpur and Mumbai. Godrej Properties, the real estate arm of the Rs750-million Godrej group, is in deliberations with private equity investors to raise Rs20 million for its two realty projects in Hyderabad and Kolkata.
Outsourcing and technology giants Xansa has also entered into an agreement with Alpha Tiger Property Trust Ltd for sale and leaseback of the company’s real estate interests in India.
Residential accommodation has also peaked dramatically across the board. In the recent Regional Economic Outlook for the Asia Pacific region, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that in terms of prices of residential properties India stands second only to New Zealand in the region.
It added that the real estate stock prices in India increased 14 per cent during 1999-2006.
“India is the most exciting real estate market in Asia,” says Michael Smith, head of Asian real estate investment banking at Goldman Sachs. “It’s one of the last major countries in Asia with an improving market.”
Global business
According to experts, India’s domestic real estate market is worth about $14 billion. “It is currently growing at 30 per cent per annum,” says Manoj Vaish, President and CEO, Dun and Bradstreet, India, which provides global business information.
“Last year it was sort of a gold rush for the Indian real estate sector. A massive influx of FDI was witnessed into this sector,” he says.
According to Rajni S. Ajmera, President, Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), “Indian real estate has emerged as a global destination for the world’s top construction companies, architectural firms and allied industries.”
The realty boom has now shifted to the smaller Indian cities, including Guwahati, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Ludhiana, Surat, Kochi, Indore, Vishakhapatnam, Mysore and Coimbatore.
Construction industry
The realty boom has quite naturally led to a spurt in construction activity. In 2006, after computer software, telecommunication and financial sectors, the construction industry was the fourth major recipient of FDI.
According to a survey by global executive search firm, EMA Partners, riding on the fast growing IT, ITES, retail and financial services boom, the Indian realty market is expected to witness a massive demand for architects and civil engineers.
In fiscal 2007-08, more than 1,000 architects and 5,000 civil engineers are expected to be added, a growth of 30 per cent over last year. The real estate sector boom has also led to a mushrooming of Indian billionaires.
According to the Forbes list of billionaires, five Indians from the real estate sector with a combined wealth of $24.5 billion (about Dh90.1 billion) figure in the coveted list.
Indian realty is big business.
An ancient way of living
Yoga is practiced to attain mind and body integration and live a peaceful life.
Some of us may have attended yoga classes or learnt a few yogic body postures. However, what exactly is yoga and how does it help us? Is it just a more relaxed exercise routine from India compared to aerobics? What is the origin, history, and meaning of yoga? Does it have any relevance at all to our modern day world? Can everyone practice it?
What is yoga?
Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yug, which means to join or integrate. It refers to the joining or integration of the individual human spirit to the universe inside an individual’s self. This helps increase our self-awareness and consciousness of the present through mind-body control. Yoga recognises and almost insists on the interdependence of the body and mind. While modern medicine agrees that the mind plays a significant role in certain illnesses such as psychosomatic and nerve disorders, Yoga goes a step further.
Yoga Master G. Krishnan who runs two yoga schools in Aathur and Salem, Tamil Nadu, says, “The mind plays an important role not only in illness, but also in all ordinary, everyday events that lead to illness. By mind-body integration, yoga refers to both means and end.
“The end is a reference to the integration of the body and mind and the means refer to the ways to attain this goal. Therefore, yoga can be defined as a system of practices or exercises that help one attain complete mind-body integration.”
Therefore, yoga is holistic and doesn’t divide a person into parts such as mind, body and soul and seek relief for each separately as the psychologist takes care of your mind, the physician/surgeon takes care of your body and the priest takes care of your soul.
Does this mean yoga is a religion? Yoga Master G. Krishnan says, “No, for it has no religious affiliation or content.” Do you have to be of a certain age to practice yoga? “No, you can start anytime, as age is not a factor,” says Krishnan.
Because yoga doesn’t need any fancy gadgets or clothing, it can be practiced by almost anyone. Yoga is a practice based on ancient, scientific discoveries in India for a happy, disease free and peaceful life.
Origin of yoga
Sage Pathanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutras, is acknowledged as the father of yoga. These sutras became the basis of the yogic practices today. Pathanjali is considered the first Siddhar — enlightened beings in Southern India who left behind works in verses after attaining siddhi.
However, details about their lives are scarce as they took to living in seclusion and secrecy, in their pursuit of samadhi. As most Siddhars attained jeeva samadhi (or living tomb, which is how the last resting place of the physical remains of the saints are referred to) inside temples, the authorities refuse forensic personnel permission to dig up and date the physical remains.
The jeeva samadhi of Sage Pathanjali is located inside the Brahmapureeswar Temple in Thirupattur village, which is situated in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Classical dance
Other works credited to Pathanjali are the Naatiya Sastra and Varma Kalai. Naatiya Sastra lays the basis for the Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam, still performed in Southern India, especially Tamil Nadu. Varma Kalai is believed to be the world’s first martial art form and its offshoot, namely Kalari Payattu taught in Kerala. Pathanjali’s disciple, Pullikaal Munnivar also attained jeeva samadhi in Thirupattur.
Pathanjali’s yoga teaches an eightfold path that begins with the achievement of a balanced psychological attitude, through practices of breath control and asanas designed to concentrate without having his/her mind distracted by superfluous thoughts and concludes in transcendental meditation. It advocates a preventive method for a healthy body and peaceful mind by mastery of the individual self.
According to Pathanjali, the mind is the king of all our senses and attaining control over it will help an individual attain complete mastery over oneself.
Types of yoga
Pathanjali’s three disciples took up the Yoga Sutras and taught it. Through the centuries, and in different parts of the world, followers adapted, interpreted and redefined it. As a result, today we have various systems of yoga. The three main types of yoga are:
Hatha yoga
Hatha Yoga is the best known form of yoga in the world today and is more physical in nature because of its breathing exercises and body postures. This type lays great emphasis on body control from which everything else flows.
Mantra yoga
Mantra yoga lays emphasis on chanting, be it a single word or a mantra repeatedly to attain mental focus and eventual control over the mind and body. This type lays more emphasis on meditation than body exercises. This is also known as Tantric or Laya yoga. This is more common among Tibetans.
Raja yoga
This is a toughest system of yoga where the person devotes his/her entire life to the pursuit of service to others, meditation and self discipline to attain complete control of mind over matter.
One will find practitioners of this form in the Himalayan mountains where yogis (hermits) manage to survive in extreme cold without food or water and often in scanty clothes.
Relevance of yoga today
The socio-economic structures of today’s world dictate that we work all day, both mentally and physically at an inhumane speed. This takes a heavy toll on both our mental and physical health. As a result, we become easily prone to stress and this weakens our immune system. The mind, when disturbed or stressed is not only prone to depression but makes our body easily prone to diseases. This is where yoga helps as it tends to strengthen our immune system.
Modern medicine has proved that when one is under stress, co-ordination between the various organs of the body is poor. This makes people susceptible to injury and lowers the functional effectiveness of our body. Every disturbance, be it physical or psychological interferes with the tonic rhythm of our muscles, blood vessels and even our respiration. Yoga, through its breathing exercises and postures, helps practitioners maintain a positive mental attitude. This in turn helps them retain good mental health, which in turn keeps people’s body fit. This makes the immune system stronger.
Yoga, an ancient way of living, has become more relevant than ever before in today’s world, which lives on the mantra of more. Irrespective of one’s age, religious affiliation, social status, or physical stature, if one is seeking to close the gap between what an individual is and what that person believes she/he is, yoga is the answer. As a result, yoga is for everybody.
Tryst with destiny
Interviews with a few South Indian freedom fighters.
The freedom struggle in South India involved people from various denominations of society, but their deeds and sacrifices are hardly talked about, as documented evidence is scant.
It’s only on talking to these people that one realises that their actions were as daring, chivalrous and brave as the ones in the history books.
Three similar freedom fighters hailing from small hamlets in the state of Tamil Nadu speak about their contributions to the freedom movement.
Excerpts from interviews with three living legends…
S. Thangavel Pillai
Keelavaaladi (Keela-vaa-la-di) is a sleepy village in Lalgudi, Tamil Nadu. It’s home to S. Thangavel Pillai, an 84-year-old freedom fighter. He lives in a small house with his wife and 60 years after India gained its independence, continues to follow the Gandhian way.
Tell us about yourself and your family.
I was born in Mannargudi in Thanjavur district in 1924. I’m the seventh of eight children. I studied up to first form (equivalent to 6th standard today) at Findlay High School.
I worked for the Khaadi Sangam from 1946 to 1984 as an accountant and later as quality inspector. I married in 1959 and have five children. I bought a house here to stay after my retirement.
What inspired you to join the freedom movement?
As a teenager, I maintained accounts for a jeweller in Mannargudi. During the evenings, I would go to listen to the speeches of leaders such as T.K. Srinivasan and Kodumudi Rajagopal.
Did you participate in any movement?
I participated in the Quit India Movement. When news arrived of the arrest of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and others during the Quit India Movement, the tension was felt in Mannargudi as well. On August 15, 1942, we destroyed the collector’s records, the railway signal and people ripped off railway tracks, but we harmed no one. It was truly a mass movement as ordinary people took part and there was no leader. Fifty three of us were arrested. I was sentenced to two years imprisonment with 15 lashings daily.
What was jail like?
I was imprisoned at Alipuram jail in Andhra Pradesh. We slept on sacks and were given kanchi (rice pudding) with worms in it. Avoo Durai (a Britisher) said if I wrote a letter of apology to the British government, I would be spared the lashings. When I refused, he asked the jailor to give me all the lashings for two years in a single day.
While being lashed, I fainted and was hospitalised. Once well, I served the rest of my sentence.
We organised a protest in jail for the bad food and were beaten again.
Have you met any leaders?
I’ve seen T.K. Srinivasan, Rajaji and Kamarajar. The jails had gradations: Leaders such as T. Prakasam, R. Venkataraman and Kamarajar were imprisoned in B-class while I was in C-class. I saw Gandhi when he visited Trichy in February, 1946. It was then that I decided to join the Khaadi Sangam.
What are your views about India today?
We live freely today. India has progressed a lot. But Indian leaders and administrators of my time lived for the country. It’s sad that they don’t today. But there is hope.
Pillai apologised for not being able to offer me coffee. I thanked him for his efforts to help us live free. Smiling, he said it was a group effort and gave me the address of a fellow freedom fighter in Srirangam where I headed next.
P.M. Gopalaswamy
I got P.M. Gopalaswamy’s address in Srirangam village from Pillai. Seated outside his home, clutching his walker and enjoying the evening breeze, 87-year-old Gopalaswamy is the picture of contentment. Few know that that the veteran freedom fighter has interacted with Gandhi.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Peruvallanallur village in Lalgudi in 1920. I was an only child and studied up to third form (8th standard) at Lalgudi High School. I married in December 1941 and have three children (two sons and a daughter) and grandchildren. I live with my wife in Srirangam.
What inspired you to join the freedom movement?
As a young boy, I used to listen to and was inspired by the speeches of Satyamoorthy, Rajaji and Nondi (lame) Ramamurthy.
Tell us about your involvement in the freedom struggle.
In 1936 I joined the Ahimsa Thondar Padai and was elected as the group’s leader. We spread awareness about the freedom movement among youngsters and helped organise meetings. In 1939, I hid some leaders in my house and the next year, was one of the few asked to do individual satyagraha. I was arrested and jailed — first in Vellore and then transferred to Bellari prison in Andhra Pradesh. I was released in 1941 after serving my six-month jail term. In 1942 I didn’t participate in the Quit India Movement as I was a follower of Rajaji who disagreed with Gandhi about not supporting the British during the Second World War. So those who refused were suspended from the Congress for six years.
Have you met any leaders during the freedom struggle?
I saw most of them during the Ramkar Congress Conference in 1940. While travelling to the conference, I got off the train to meet Gandhi personally. He was living at Sevagram then, near Wardha. It was afternoon and we were informed that he was resting. We waited for more than three hours. He then came out and smiled and asked where I was from. I said, “Trichirapalli”. He replied, “Trichirapalli. Are people still dirtying the banks of the Cauvery?” I replied “Yes.” Then he picked up a slate and wrote Kadavul (Tamil for God) in Tamil and asked, “Is the spelling correct?” When I nodded, Gandhiji explained, “I learned some Tamil when I was in South Africa.” Our talk was interrupted by visiting leaders and then by a Sindhi merchant. The merchant wanted Gandhi to give him a certificate. Gandhi refused, joking, “You do good work. Why do you want me to give you a certificate?” Leaders continued to pour in to talk to Gandhi, but I had to catch the next train, so I paid my respects and left.
How different is India today from pre-independence India?
Even if the shackles are made of gold, you are still a slave. That was how we felt then. Today, despite its faults, India is a free country.
However, Indians during those days generally valued discipline, fairness and truth. It is not so today. It started going downhill from the mid-sixties. Though today’s India is progressing despite corruption and inequality, we need another freedom movement by today’s youth to get rid of social evils.
Thangavel Mahalingam
Thangavel Mahalingam is an 87-year old freedom fighter who still wears clothes made from khaadi. He lives at his son’s home in Thanjavur.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in 1920 in Panchanathakottai village located in Thanjavur District. I was the second of six children. I studied up to third form and got married after India gained its independence. My wife is no more. I have five children — three sons and two daughters.
Have you met any leaders?
I’ve personally met Nehru and been to his house after independence and saw Gandhi when he came to Trichy.
Who motivated/inspired you to take part in the Quit India movement?
Dr. Gopu and T.K.Srinivasan from Thanjavur came to Panchanathakottai and told us about Vellayane Veliyeru (Quit India Movement). I wanted to take part. We had to inform the local police if we participated in any freedom struggle, so my friend and I wrote to the local police station to inform them. We were promptly arrested. I was imprisoned for two years in Alipuram prison located in Andhra Pradesh.
What was the jail experience like?
They beat us a lot each day. The jailor used to be irritated with me and used to say, “You are too young to be even a cowherd and you think you can get the British out of India?” We were given spoilt kanchi (rice pudding) and would wait until the jailors left to pour it out. At times, we would be really hungry and so would pick the worms out of the gruel and eat it.
Has Indian society changed since independence?
It has. In the past, people would not be jealous or envious of others.
They would be fair in their dealings. Today, most people, especially leaders, are not. Now, people only talk about politics and do not really care about freedom.
Just a thought… freedom fighters such as these ought to be treated with deference and their presence should be a boon. It’s surprising that hardly anyone in their villages could show me the direction to their homes. Today’s Indians cannot afford to take such heroes for granted.
Tiffin time goes tech savvy
Mumbai’s dabbawalas are famous not just for the amazing service they provide, but also for the unfaltering accuracy with which they operate .
Four years ago, when the BBC splashed Mumbai’s dabbawalas across TV screens worldwide the buzz was all about how this massive network functioned seamlessly, without a hitch and especially without the help of modern, information technology. The mind boggled at the thought of a lone Raghunath Meghe (el presidente) sitting in his shantytown office, organising the massive workforce that delivered hot meals to executives and businessmen throughout the bustling metropolis of Mumbai.
With no computers or online services, this lean machine was a management marvel; it made its way into business school case studies, into the headlines of major broadsheets across the globe and even caught the attention of Prince Charles. It even earned itself a Six Sigma certification long before most companies in India knew what it was. Before that, the stars of Mumbai’s lunch hour operated akin to invisible men, barely noticed and never missed.
A practice that originated almost two centuries ago, the concept of the dabba is quite simple — freshly cooked and packed food is brought to the work place from the home. The pick-up and delivery service began when the city began to grow in size and population.
Case study
In today’s Mumbai, the dabbawalas of the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers’ Association (MTBSA) are a godsend. Beating traffic, the inclement heat and rain of the summer, and over 25 million people, they collect lunch-boxes packed with devotion and a hot meal and deposit them on desks citywide — at 12:30pm, give or take a few seconds.
The dabbawalas were unsung heroes before the Beeb came to Mumbai and turned the spotlight on them. The TV spots led to news features and op-eds and the Indian media finally turned to the 5,000-man army as a source of great pride.
These men finally got noticed, not just for the amazing service they provided, but also for the unfaltering accuracy and organisation with which they operated. So great was their exposure that Ivy League schools bowed to their uncanny precision and blogs spelled out, just how much logistics titans such as UPS and FedEx could learn from them.
Changing with the times
The publicity and India’s IT boom has finally pushed them into the next generation, where SMS and online booking systems have replaced legal registers and excel files have taken over delivery route allocations.
People looking to book for a daily lunch delivery service can now reach the complex network through various channels. A new website, www.mydabbawala.com, offers interested parties a chance to register their interest in the service; SMS systems have also been established to make the ordering process simpler.
This move has been heralded as a welcome change, but it begs the question — will high-tech systems make the network less efficient?
Keeping the legacy alive
As the MTBSA begins to rely on the IT infrastructure to manage its network, it will be left open to more errors. System crashes and weather interference with broadband relay could cast a shadow over their 125-year-long reign over executive bellies. The biggest worry is this: will impressive yet unreliable high-tech systems replace the tiffins’ coloured, alphanumeric coding that plays a central role to the efficiency of the network?
So far, the coding remains intact and the association continues to grow every year, putting home-cooked delicacies in the hands of expectant, hungry executives and students.
We can only hope that they stick to the original idea no matter how big they get — keep processes and systems lean, keep your workforce smart and hard working and keep the food hot.
The great Indian tea party
India accounts for 27 per cent of the world’s tea production.
India is home to the mystical Darjeeling tea, the strong Assam tea and the flavoury Nilgiri teas. All true teas are made from the processed leaves of varieties of the tea bush, Camellia Sinensis, a shrub that was first discovered in China about 2750 BC.
More than 3,000 varieties of teas are produced. The raw leaves are affected by the soil in which they grow, the climate, the weather and the time of picking, much like grapes that are used to make wine. There are also many different ways of processing the tealeaves.
Tea is categorised into different types — white, green, oolong, black and flavoured, depending on the manufacturing process.
Tea-making process
Manufacturing processes vary from country to country, but there are two basic methods — orthodox and CTC (cut, tear and curl). As the name suggests, orthodox is the traditional method of making tea, by rolling it. Orthodox teas are characterised by long, black leaf and golden tips. To make CTC variety, green leaf is fed into high-speed rollers equipped with tooth-like ridges. This process brings out the guttiness and colour of the teas and increases cuppage. All black teas, Orthodox and CTC, go through four basic stages of withering, rolling, oxidation and firing.
The early 19th century witnessed the discovery of tea in India. Generations of tea growers have perfected the art of making tea, which begins from the fine plucking of the leaf, processing state-of-the-art factories and ends up as the perfect cuppa. Stringent quality control ensures production of tea according to international standards.
With the production of more than 950 million kg, India produces all kinds of tea. The country is however, the largest producer of black tea in the world. With tea estates spread over half a million hectares and a workforce of more than three million, India accounts for 27 per cent of the world’s tea production.
The vastness of the land, variations of soil and climate with four distinct growing seasons — first flush, second flush, rains and autumn — enables production of a large variety of teas having their own unique characteristic. There is a tea available to cater to every taste and blend and India can well be termed as a one-stop supermarket for tea.
The flagship of Indian teas, Darjeeling tea, is prized by connoisseurs across the globe. Nestling in the foothills of the snow covered Himalayan range, the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal in North-Eastern India grow this exclusive tea at altitudes ranging from 600 to 2,150 metres.
The cool and moist climate, the soil, the rainfall and the sloping terrain, all combine to give Darjeeling tea its unique muscatel flavour and exquisite bouquet that cannot be replicated. The first and second flush Darjeeling teas are considered the world’s finest. To protect the origin and purity of these exclusive teas, Darjeeling tea has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) status. As tea from this region, always famous for its flavour, fragrance and quality, is a brand by itself. The first tea seed was planted in 1823 in the northeastern part of India. Tea gardens have flourished since and the whole of the Brahmaputra valley is one great green carpet of tea.
The state of Assam is the single-largest tea-growing region in the world. It produces tea that is low grown, full bodied and has a special malty characteristic of its own. The distinctive second flush Assam teas are valued for their rich taste, bright liquors and are considered one of the choicest teas in the world.
In south India, on the Nilgiri hills, which are the picturesque range of undulating hills, tea grows at elevations ranging from 1,000 metres to above 2,500 metres. This region produces tea with the right balance of fine flavour and brisk liquor. Unlike the seasonal Darjeeling and Assam tea, the Nilgiri tea grows throughout the year.
India has also emerged as the largest producer of organic tea in the world. Organic tea is nature friendly, naturally grown and processed. The organic process involves planting tea bushes along with leguminous plants, using herbal pesticides and natural fertilisers. A lot of care is taken to preserve the natural flavour of tea.
Tea is an integral part of Indian culture. The country not only produces significant volumes of tea, but is also the largest consumer of tea in the world. Nearly 75 per cent of the tea produced is consumed within the country itself but exports, have still been about 200 million kilograms annually. Demand for Indian tea has shown an increase in recent years. In 2006, India exported 203.86 million kg accounting for three per cent of world tea exports. Indian tea has a major market in the UAE and other west Asian and north African (WANA) countries. In 2006, India exported 75 million kg to the WANA region with the UAE alone importing 22 million kg.
Branding Indian tea
Other important destinations of Indian tea are the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, the UK and other European countries. Considering the demand for pure Indian tea and to prevent the misuse of the Indian tea brand, the Tea Board has developed a logo for Indian tea in the form of a tea picker with India Tea written below. This logo distinguishes Indian tea from tea of other origins. To ensure that the consumer gets pure Darjeeling, Nilgiri or Assam tea, the Tea Board has also created a logo specific to each region. This logo can be used on a pocket only when it contains 100 per cent Darjeeling, Assam or Nilgiri tea.
In order to further ensure the quality of Indian tea, the Government of India has laid down specifications defining the standards of quality, which the Indian tea exporter has to conform to while exporting tea. Because of its quality and strength Indian tea is considered indispensable by blenders of most of the leading international brands. Pure Indian tea, however, continues to be the ultimate choice of the most discerning connoisseurs throughout the world.
Posted by beknown 