honey bee network

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?

It was realized around 1988-89 that, both on efficiency and ethical grounds, the prevalent mode of knowledge extraction from people, and dissemination among them, were non-sustainable. This knowledge asymmetry has been historic. Knowledge has been extracted, documented without any acknowledgement to the source of knowledge. The documented knowledge has not been communicated to the knowledge holder for feedback. These practices have not only impoverished the knowledge holders by pushing them further down in the oblivion, but also have hampered the growth of an informal knowledge system, that is robust in nurturing creativity. While there were numerous public/ private channels for diffusing innovations produced in formal sector, similar channels for diffusion and value addition of informal innovations were not available. So much so that knowledge rich and economically poor people could not benefit, particularly in marginal environments, from the formal technologies, nor could they learn from the innovations, due to lack of extensive knowledge network. People’s knowledge has been utilized in some cases for developing value-added products. In most cases, the beneficiaries of value added products were not the same as the providers of the knowledge. Thus the knowledge asymmetry reinforces the subsequent asymmetry in communication, power, benefit and reward sharing. The benevolence of the knowledge providers becomes the source of their impoverishment.

It was to overcome this ethical and professional crisis that the Honey Bee Network was born some sixteen years ago. Honey Bee is a metaphor indicating ethical as well as professional values, which most of us seldom practice. A honey bee does two things that we intellectuals, often don’t do. It collects pollen from the flowers and flowers don’t complain and it connects flower to flower through pollination. Similarly our innovative and ethical approach to knowledge extraction, our sincere attempt to build up people to people communication and our commitment to let reasonable benefit be shared with the knowledge holders, qualifies us to identify ourselves with the great metaphor of Honey Bee.

WHO ARE WE?

Honey Bee Network is a crucible of like-minded individuals, innovators, farmers, scholars, academicians, policy makers, entrepreneurs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). A Network having presence in more than seventy five countries, what has made Honey Bee Network tight knit and efficiently functional is its philosophy. Honey Bee signifies a philosophy of discourse, which is authentic, accountable and fair. The Network has been woven around three basic ideals. The Network believes that a knowledge system in order to become sustainable has to be both just and fair. Hence, while collecting knowledge from the knowledge holder, the Network has made it a norm to acknowledge the knowledge provider with name and reference, if otherwise not desired by the knowledge provider. This particular practice has come handy in protecting the IPR of the knowledge provider. In the second place, the source of knowledge i.e. in the case of Honey Bee Network, the traditional knowledge holders and grassroots innovators must be acknowledged, if otherwise desired so by the knowledge holders themselves. Finally, any proceed that accrues from the value addition of local traditional knowledge and innovation; a fair and reasonable share must go back to the knowledge holders. These have been the guiding principles of the Network, which are fundamental to the functioning of the network and constitute the major non-negotiable for the Network.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Over the last sixteen years or so, the Honey Bee Network has lived the very spirit of the philosophy that it holds so dearly. Moreover, the actions that have followed the philosophy have grown and matured over a period of time and their trajectory of maturation has been based upon the strong realization of the essence of the philosophy. ‘Honey Bee’ Newsletter, the creative mouthpiece of the network, is published in seven Indian languages (Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Oriya) other than English. The very logic tells that any documentation and dissemination of local and traditional knowledge and innovations in English, certainly connects us globally but alienates locally. Living out the concern, the regional language versions reach out to the thousands grassroots knowledge holders, who otherwise would have been alienated from the benefits of knowledge, they themselves contribute in the first place. Acknowledging the very source of the traditional knowledge, the Honey Bee Newsletter and its regional versions carry stories of the local ingenuity with the consent of the knowledge holder. Another source of acknowledging the local genius has been preparing the database of the traditional knowledge and grassroots innovations and Honey Bee Network, over the last twenty years has documented more than 1,00,000 ideas, innovations and traditional knowledge practices. Honey Bee, true to its metaphor, has been the source of pollination and cross-pollination of ideas, creativity and grassroots genius, without taking away the nectar from the flower for ever.

WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS?

The journey for the Honey Bee Network has been both adventurous as well as insightful. However, more than anything else, the journey has been mutually enriching, thanks to all the partner organizations, who constitute the Honey Bee Network. Following are the institutional collaborators of the Honey Bee Network

1. Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI)
2. National Innovation Foundation (NIF).
3. Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN)
4. SEVA, Madurai.
5. Pritvi
6. PEDES, Kerela.
7. Innovation Club, Orissa.
8. Network of Gram Vidyapeethas.

Besides the institutional collaborators we have individual collaborators from Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan (Mr. Sundaram Varma), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarachal (Mr. Kamaljeet) and Punjab (Mr. Janmeyajay Jhol).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who can be the member of Honey Bee Network?

Honey Bee Network is open to people belonging to all the walks of life. Our network consists of people ranging from academicians to field practitioners, from research scholars to grassroots innovators, from technical professionals to green agriculturalists. Any body with a strong commitment for the improvement of local knowledge network, innovations, grassroots creativity, conservation of bio-diversity, natural resource management, augmentation of innovation, intellectual property rights etc. can be the members of Honey Bee Network.

Why should you become the member of Honey Bee Network?

India is the fourth largest economy in the world and envisions to become the global knowledge leader by 2012. However, this is unfortunate to see that the entire preparation to become global knowledge leader has only encompassed the formal domains of knowledge. Unearthing the huge reservoir of local knowledge that lies with the traditional and grassroots knowledge holders can help India fasten the pace of achieving the status of knowledge leader and a creative society. You can contribute in your own way:
• If you feel that lots of poor people are so poor not because they can not think, but because their ideas and initiatives do not get space for expansion and fulfilment.
• If you think that there are many dreams that you had which you could not fulfil in your life but would like others to fulfil them sooner rather than later.
• If you want to invest in green ideas which involve risk but may help society as well as our lives if successful.
• If you yourself have some innovative green idea and do not know who to contact for making it grow, generate wealth and make this world greener, fairer and more humane.
• If you are a scientist or technologist and can pursue research yourself or guide your students to add value in local knowledge and innovations.
• If you are an entrepreneur who wants to scale up some other innovator's innovation.
• If you are a scientist who can add value to the existing activities of the Natural Product Laboratory and incubation processes of the innovations.
• If you are a policy maker who no more enjoys stifling initiative of others and instead enjoys helping others grow.
• If you are a teacher who can persuade your students to take pride in scouting and augmenting grassroots innovations and help liberate the colonized minds of the elite.
• If you are a student who is interested in unravelling the creative potential of the grassroots genius, identifying the local innovations and knowledge heuristics, obtaining the PIC forms etc through research and dissertations.

How much time, can I give for Honey Bee Network?

Time is certainly not the criteria for joining hands with Honey Bee Network. What matters is the burning desire on your part to take India step forward by putting the whole range of issues pertaining to traditional knowledge, grassroots innovations, bio- diversity, entrepreneurship etc. in perspective. If you are staying abroad, you can disseminate the local knowledge and unique practices of your region and make it an innovative and knowledge rich society. Your time contribution may range from one day a week to one hour per day. You can also think of giving certain days per week or a few months. Time is yours, so is your commitment.

How can I become the member of Honey Bee Network?

You can certainly sign in the guest book with your proposal of volunteering. However, you can also write to us directly at info@sristi.org for membership queries.

Do I have to pay for the membership fees?

No, there are no such membership fees for joining Honey Bee Network. However, we would certainly look for a member, who is contributing to the mission of the network in a meaningful way. However, for subscribing to Honey Bee, the newsletter, you have to fill up the subscription form. Even if you don’t want to become the member of Honey Bee, still you can write to us about you.

நூலகம் ஒரு அறிவு களஞ்சியம்

Library of Alexandria

The Royal Library of Alexandria, or Ancient Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, was probably the largest, and certainly the most famous, of the libraries of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and existed, and functioned as a major center of scholarship, at least until the time of Rome's conquest of Egypt, and probably for many centuries thereafter.

Generally thought to have been founded at the beginning of the third century BC, the library was conceived and opened either during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter or during the reign of his son Ptolemy II. Plutarch (AD 46–120) wrote that during his visit to Alexandria in 48 BC, Julius Caesar accidentally burned the library down when he set fire to his own ships to frustrate Achillas' attempt to limit his ability to communicate by sea.^{[citation needed]} According to Plutarch's account, this fire spread to the docks and then to the library.

However, this version of events is not confirmed in contemporary accounts of Caesar's visit. In fact, it has been reasonably established that segments of its collection were partially destroyed on several occasions before and after the first century BC. A modern myth (no older than the late eighteenth century) attributes the destruction to Coptic Christian Archbishop Theophilus of Alexandria in 391, who called for the destruction of the Serapeum; but in fact there was no connection between the library and the Serapeum, and no good historian of late antiquity takes the claim seriously. A more credible but still disputed version of the story, not recorded till the thirteenth century, blames the Muslim sacking of Alexandria in 642.^[1]

Intended both as a commemoration and an emulation of the original, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in 2002 near the site of the old library.^[2]

குழந்தைகள் தினம்

20 November is Universal Children's Day. 14 November is Children's day in India.

Picture of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Universally, Children’s Day is celebrated on 20th November, every year. This date was chosen as a day to celebrate childhood. Prior to 1959 Children’s Day was universally celebrated in the month of October. This was first celebrated in the year 1954, as decided by the UN General Assembly. Basically this day was instituted with the sole aim of promoting communal exchange and understanding among children, as well as to bring about beneficiary action to promote the welfare of children, all over the globe. The date 20th November, was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the day in 1959, when the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly adopted. In 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed on the same date, which has been sanctioned by 191 states, ever since.

However, while 20^th November is universally celebrated as Children’s Day, in India this day has been preponed to 14^th November, the date the marks the birth anniversary of independent India’s first Prime Minister – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

The reason why his birthday has been chosen for the celebration of children is because of his love and passion for children. Pandit Nehru is also regarded as the country’s special child to have been the first Prime Minister, after her long struggle for independence.

The day is marked with a lot of activities for children. But the fact remains that only a section of the country’s children actually have an opportunity to celebrate their existence. Schools organize events and activities that their students thoroughly enjoy, but there is an entire populace of young ones that are left ignored on this special day – the downtrodden street children.

Instead of celebrating it with pomposity in schools and clubs and hotels, why not bring a difference into the lives of children who are unprivileged. While celebrating being a child, the fortunate ones should be reminded about their good fortune to have all that they are endowed with, while there are others who can barely feed or clothe themselves.

Thus, while this day was globally instituted to provide children with basic Rights, maybe one can make a difference to a child’s life by doing something special. Parties and celebrations happen all the time, but how about taking the fortunate children to homes that shelter street children and have them befriend those kids, donating clothes, toys, stationery, books, etc.

Another way of celebrating this day differently would be to have your children, whether as teacher or parent, organize a party for some underprivileged children. In fact, if this is done in every neighborhood, imagine how many smiles there will be across the nation.

Childhood is about innocence and playfulness. It is about joy and freedom. Maybe on this day you can make your own child sign up to sponsor the education of an unprivileged child, either through an NGO dedicated to educating and providing better living conditions for street children, or maybe you could do so for your employee’s child.

Celebrating Children’s Day is about giving children the right to enjoy and grow into healthy and educated citizens of the country, and if you can teach your child the value of sharing with others what they are lucky to have, then not only your child will grow into a responsible human being, but also another child who otherwise could have ended up being a delinque, had it not been for your thoughtfulness.

As mentioned earlier, Children's day in India is celebrated on Pandit Nehruji's birthday as a day of fun and frolic, a celebration of childhood, children and Nehruji's love for them. As a tribute to his love for children, Nehruji's birthday is celebrated all over India as 'CHILDREN'S DAY

Children's day was first celebrated worldwide in October, 1953, under the sponsorship of International Union for Child Welfare, Geneva. The idea of Universal Children's Day was mooted by late Shri V.K. Krishna Menon and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954.

20 November is Universal Children's Day. First proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1954, it was established to encourage all countries to institute a day, firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world's children.

20 November is the anniversary of the day when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was then signed on the same day in 1989, which has since been ratified by 191 states.

Trees

Tallest trees

The heights of the tallest trees in the world have been the subject of considerable dispute and much exaggeration. Modern verified measurement with laser rangefinders combined with tape drop measurements made by tree climbers, carried out by the U.S. Eastern Native Tree Society has shown that some older measuring methods and measurements are often unreliable, sometimes producing exaggerations of 5% to 15% above the real height. Historical claims of trees of 130 m (427 ft), and even 150 m (492 ft), are now largely disregarded as unreliable, and attributed to human error. Historical records of fallen trees measured prostrate on the ground are considered to be far more reliable. The following are now accepted as the top five tallest reliably measured species:

1. Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens): 115.56 m (379.1 ft), Redwood National Park, California, United States[10]
2. Australian Mountain-ash (Eucalyptus regnans): 99.6 m (326.8 ft), south of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia[11]
3. Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii): 99.4 m (326.1 ft), Brummit Creek, Coos County, Oregon, United States[12]
4. Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis): 96.7 m (317.3 ft), Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, United States[13]
5. Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum): 94.9 m (311.4 ft), Redwood Mountain Grove, Kings Canyon National Park, California, United States[14]

A view of a tree from below; this may exaggerate apparent height
Stoutest trees

The girth of a tree is much easier to measure than the height, as it is a simple matter of stretching a tape round the trunk, and pulling it taut to find the circumference. Despite this, UK tree author Alan Mitchell made the following comment about measurements of yew trees:
“ The aberrations of past measurements of yews are beyond belief. For example, the tree at Tisbury has a well-defined, clean, if irregular bole at least 1.5 m long. It has been found to have a girth which has dilated and shrunk in the following way: 11.28 m (1834 Loudon), 9.3 m (1892 Lowe), 10.67 m (1903 Elwes and Henry), 9.0 m (1924 E. Swanton), 9.45 m (1959 Mitchell). . . . Earlier measurements have therefore been omitted." ”

—Alan Mitchell; in a handbook "Conifers in the British Isles".[15]

As a general standard, tree girth is taken at 'breast height'; this is defined differently in different situations, with most forestry measurements taking girth at 1.3 m above ground,[16] while those who measure ornamental trees usually measure at 1.5 m above ground;[3] in most cases this makes little difference to the measured girth. On sloping ground, the "above ground" reference point is usually taken as the highest point on the ground touching the trunk,[3][16] but some use the average between the highest and lowest points of ground[citation needed]. Some of the inflated old measurements may have been taken at ground level. Some past exaggerated measurements also result from measuring the complete next-to-bark measurement, pushing the tape in and out over every crevice and buttress.[15]

Modern trends are to cite the tree's diameter rather than the circumference; this is obtained by dividing the measured circumference by π; it assumes the trunk is circular in cross-section (an oval or irregular cross-section would result in a mean diameter slightly greater than the assumed circle). This is cited as dbh (diameter at breast height) in tree and forestry literature.[3][16]

One further problem with measuring baobabs Adansonia is that these trees store large amounts of water in the very soft wood in their trunks. This leads to marked variation in their girth over the year (though not more than about 2.5%[17]), swelling to a maximum at the end of the rainy season, minimum at the end of the dry season.

The stoutest living single-trunk species in diameter are:

1. African Baobab Adansonia digitata: 15 m (49 ft), Big Baobab, Limpopo Province, South Africa.[18]
2. Montezuma Cypress Taxodium mucronatum: 11.62 m (38.1 ft), Árbol del Tule, Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico.[19] Note though that this diameter includes buttressing; the actual idealised diameter of the area of its wood is 9.38 m (30.8 ft).[19]
3. Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 8.85 m (29 ft), General Grant tree, Grant Grove, California, United States[20]
4. Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens: 7.44 m (24.4 ft), Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, United States.[citation needed]

Charles Darwin reported finding Fitzroya cupressoides with trunk circumferences of up to 40 m (130 ft)[21] implying a diameter of about 12 m (40 ft), but this may be an anomaly as the largest known measurements are about 5 m.[22]

An addition problem lies in cases where multiple trunks (whether from an individual tree or multiple trees) grow together. The Sacred Fig is a notable example of this, forming additional 'trunks' by growing adventitious roots down from the branches, which then thicken up when the root reaches the ground to form new trunks; a single Sacred Fig tree can have hundreds of such trunks.[1]

Occasionally, errors may occur due to confusion between girth (circumference) and diameter.[23]
Largest trees

The largest trees in total volume are those which are both tall and of large diameter, and in particular, which hold a large diameter high up the trunk. Measurement is very complex, particularly if branch volume is to be included as well as the trunk volume, so measurements have only been made for a small number of trees, and generally only for the trunk. No attempt has ever been made to include root volume. Measuring standards vary.

The top four species measured[24] so far are:

1. Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 1,487 m³ (52,508 cu ft), General Sherman[24]
2. Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens: 1,203 m³ (42,500 cu ft), Lost Monarch[25]
3. Montezuma Cypress Taxodium mucronatum: 750 m³ (25,000 cu ft), Árbol del Tule[26]
4. Western Redcedar Thuja plicata: 500 m³ (17,650 cu ft ), Quinault Lake Redcedar[24]
5. Kauri Agathis australis: circa 400 m³ (15,000 cu ft), Tane Mahuta tree[24] (total volume, including branches, 516.7 m³/18,247 cu ft)[27]

However, the Alerce Fitzroya cupressoides, as yet un-measured, may well slot in at fourth or fifth place. The largest angiosperm tree is currently a Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) in Tasmania, with a volume of 368 m³.[28]
Oldest trees

The oldest trees are determined by growth rings, which can be seen if the tree is cut down or in cores taken from the edge to the center of the tree. Accurate determination is only possible for trees which produce growth rings, generally those which occur in seasonal climates; trees in uniform non-seasonal tropical climates grow continuously and do not have distinct growth rings. It is also only possible for trees which are solid to the center of the tree; many very old trees become hollow as the dead heartwood decays away. For some of these species, age estimates have been made on the basis of extrapolating current growth rates, but the results are usually little better than guesswork or wild speculation. White (1998)[29] proposes a method of estimating the age of large and veteran trees in the United Kingdom through the correlation between a tree's stem diameter, growth character and age.

The verified oldest measured ages are:

1. Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Methuselah) Pinus longaeva: 4,844 years[30]
2. Alerce Fitzroya cupressoides: 3,622 years[30]
3. Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 3,266 years[30]
4. Sugi Cryptomeria japonica: 3,000 years[31]
5. Huon-pine Lagarostrobos franklinii: 2,500 years[30]

Other species suspected of reaching exceptional age include Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba (over 3,500 years[32]), European Yew Taxus baccata (probably over 2,000 years[33][34]) and Western Redcedar Thuja plicata.

The oldest reported age for an angiosperm tree is 2293 years for the Sri Maha Bodhi Sacred Fig (Ficus religiosa) planted in 288 BC at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka; this is also the oldest human-planted tree with a known planting date.[citation needed]

A.R.Rahuman won the award of soundtrack

28/09/2009

Top Composer To Attend World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony

Source: Film festival

The World Soundtrack Academy is happy to welcome an impressive amount of top composers at the 9th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony and Concert on October 17 in Ghent. Among them Alexandre Desplat and AR Rahman.

Following nominees have confirmed their presence Alexandre Desplat (nominated for Composer of the Year and Best Original Score of the Year) Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek (nominated for Best Original Score of the Year) A.R. Rahman (nominated for Best Original Score of the Year and twice for Best Original Song Written Directly For a Film) Anna Chalon (nominated for Best Original Song Written Directly For a Film) Jérôme Lemonnier (nominated for Discovery of the Year) Andrew Lockington (nominated for Discovery of the Year) Atli Örvarsson (nominated for Discovery of the Year)

Baby excaping in train accicdent

Moment a baby fell in front of a train...and lived

By Richard Shears

collected by NSP

Passengers watched in horror as a pushchair carrying a baby rolled off the edge of a platform in front of a train.

The pram and the six-month-old infant were dragged along under the engine as the driver desperately fought to slow his 250-ton train.

No one on the platform believed the child could possibly have survived.

See the shocking footage here

But when ambulance officers arrived a few minutes later they were astounded to find that, not only had he escaped with just a minor bump on his head - but he was safely back in his mother's arms.

Rescue workers found the child amid the wreckage of the smashed pushchair under one of the carriages. There was a gap between the bottom of the carriage and the lines of just a few inches, but it was those inches that made the difference between life and death.

The drama, at a suburban railway station in Melbourne, was captured on video footage obtained by the city's Herald Sun newspaper.

The mother, pictured, momentarily distracted as she hitches up her jeans several feet from the edge of the platform, suddenly realises the pushchair is rolling away from her.

Enlarge

Enlarge

The carriage rolls to the edge of the platform - and, as the mother realises what is happening and darts toward it, topples onto the tracks - directly into the path of the oncoming train

Enlarge

Despair: The mother, at the edge of the track, frantically reaches as the train roars into the station - but she cannot reach her baby in time

Enlarge

Still believing the baby is dead, workmen struggle to get him out from underneath the train

She instinctively lunges towards it, but she is still two or three feet away as it tumbles over the edge.

In a split second, the train comes into the station at 30mph and ploughs into the pram.

The mother's frantic body language, with her hands to her head, leaves no doubt that she believes her baby has been killed before her eyes.

Last night police and railway officials were describing the baby's survival as 'a miracle'.

They believe that the pushchair acted as a protective shield.

Another factor was the swift reaction of the train's driver who slammed on the brakes when he saw the pram rolling across the platform.

He could not stop the train immediately but slowed it enough to lessen the impact.

Jon Wright, an intensive care paramedic, said: 'All the baby needed afterwards, apparently, was a feed and a nap.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1220773/Melbourne-babys-miracle-train-escape-run-over.html#ixzz0UFwA5PAU

Today we have celebrated National Boss Day (16/10/09)

Boss's Day (also known as Bosses Day or National Boss Day) is a secular holiday celebrated on October 16 in the United States. It has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their boss for being kind and fair throughout the year. The holiday has been the source of some controversy and criticism in the United States, where it is often mocked as a Hallmark Holiday.

Boss

Patricia Bays Haroski registered "National Boss's Day" with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958. She was working as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deer field, Illinois at the time and chose October 16 because she forgot that the birthday of her boss, who was her father, was actually on the 16th. Four years later in 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner backed Haroski's registration and officially proclaimed the day.

National Boss's Day has become an international celebration in recent years and now is observed in countries such as Australia, India and South Africa and very recently Ireland.

Hallmark did not offer a Boss's Day card for sale until 1979. It increased the size of its National Boss Day line by 90 percent in 2007 by creating collections of new and innovative cards.

Diwali

How do you celebrate Diwali? By lighting diyas, bursting crackers and eating sweets! But as we do this every year, how about bringing in a

6 novel ways to celebrate Diwali (TOI Photo)

positive change this time, which will help people around as well?

Traditional way to save electricity
Diwali is also known as the Festival of Lights. So this time let’s decorate our houses with traditional lamps and diyas rather bulbs. This was how in earlier times, people touched up their homes with cotton wicks dipped in ghee or oil. This will help you save electricity as well. This will add a traditional stroke with social responsibility in the festival.

Food wise
There are many people who cannot afford even one square meal so, how can they afford Diwali celebrations? In this season cut short your list of crackers and use that money in buying them food. Your joy will be doubled and your kitty will brim over with blessings and wishes.

Celebrate with a new expression
Our country is a blend of several religions and festivals too. Then why not celebrate this Festival of Lights with our Muslim, Christian and Sikh friends? Use this opportunity to introduce one culture to another. Such an act will encourage unity and teach new morals to your kids.

Make a new family
Diwali is family time. But what about those elders and kids who have no families. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could take out some time this Diwali to meet them. There are several old age homes and orphanages dotting the city so finding them shouldn’t be a problem. This is the time to exchange your happiness with their gloominess. So go ahead and put a smile on at least one such pretty face.

Have a healthy Diwali
Post Diwali pollution is always on an all-time high despite there being a ban on crackers. Say no to crackers if you haven’t done so already and gift saplings to friends and relatives along with sweets. This effort will sweeten the celebrations of your loved ones. Plants are great for a pure and positive environment.

Decorate the neighbourhood
Every year we paint and touch up our homes. But no one pays attention to that garbage dump in the corner. It stinks to the high heaven and is a veritable house of all ills. Have it cleaned up and painted afresh. At least for sometime, flies and mosquitoes will be less. Let’s join hands to clean the society as well as it will encourage positive atmosphere in neighborhood and double the joy of festivity.