Books: A World of Their Own Books are like best friends, dependable. They are always there sitting where you last left them waiting for you to pick them up. When you want to be alone in a room full of people they provide you a secret getaway. They can make you smile even when you have had the saddest kind of day. They share their story with you, slowly but surely...

Teacher: A Friend, a Philosopher and a Guide Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” The teacher imparts education hence the role of the teacher is of paramount importance both in the present and the future of a student. Teachers serve the society by instructing and guiding countless students through the different stages of their growth. They prepare them to take...

The Ganges According to Hindu mythology, the river Ganges was once a river of heaven that flowed across the sky. She agreed to fall on the earth to help a king named Bhagiratha; whose ancestors had been burned to ash by an ascetic, to free them from the earth and raise them to heaven. Based on this myth, Hindus travel great distances to scatter the ashes of their loved ones in...

Woman – A Goddess? She is the creative force of the universe in almost all its expressions. Life begins in her womb and it is in her guiding hands and tender care that it finds expression. The reach of her arms can provide succor to many at once and just one hug from her could heal everything from a broken knee to a broken heart. She works relentlessly; often putting more...

Beauty Contests How many times have we subjected ourselves to it?? The bling bling of the flash bulbs followed by the eyes widening, the hand rushing to the mouth in incredulous wonder, and then a prefabricated perfect smile slipping into place while a sash fits in place and yet another woman is crowned – most beautiful of them all. Beauty contests endorse an ideal of female beauty to which only a...

A Woman behind the Success of a Man As cliched as “A woman behind the success of a man” sounds there have been many instances when grown up men have attributed the success in their lives to women. It might have been a mother, a sister, an aunt, a friend but there has always been one thing common among all these women, they chose to stand in ‘the wings while their...

Eve Teasing Eve teasing is a typical social crime. It is the sexual harassment or molestation of women by men. It is prevalent almost everywhere, but in India, especially in the cities; you can’t be a woman and not have been its victim at some point in your life. It ranges in severity from sexually evocative remarks to out-and-out groping. Wherever you go in India, be it the mall, the bus...

Care or Career — A Difficult Choice In the days before women’s liberation, women were expected to play only one role and that was as home maker. This involved being wife, mother, cook and clean up. woman. Perhaps life was simpler back then. The men took care of providing food and shelter and the women took care of the home. Women’s liberation has meant that women can now think beyond the...