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Pranathi Kasarla, 19, is a student of SMEC who has been juggling with academics and her passion for clothing art, i.e, fashion designing since as early as her ninth grade. <\/p>
As an adolescent of 13, she was inquisitive and explored her passion for art by creating new clothing designs on paper struggling to get it right, being an amateur at that. <\/p>
Her obsession for designing started with a ditzy argument among a couple of students at school about how clothes MUST cost a fortune to look beautiful. She recollects how she was strongly against this statement and went on to get her own unique style of clothing at affordable prices, since she only had to show and explain her work to a tailor.<\/p>
\u201cMy first real time design was a traditional half-saree that I had designed for myself in my 10th grade\u201d says Pranathi who has never stopped designing since then. She had been a young seller on an online clothing store, showcasing her designs and earning through her passion while being just 16 by then. She has went on to offer her clothing designs to her friends and tells us that she designed for almost half of her class in her latter years of education. <\/p>
Pranathi's favourite designers include Neeta Lulla and Manish Malhotra; she aspires to shine among them some day whilst aiming to provide luxury clothing at affordable prices. She believes in sticking to reasonable pricing when it comes to clothing. In her free time, she prefers going through IFA's work and jots down tips she could take from IFA and various other sources depending on their display pieces. <\/p>
Not having the required monetary backup to let her designs reach the consumers through models, she turned into a model and marketed for her own clothing art. She\u2019d faced a fair amount of opposition within her household to be able to pursue fashion designing as her major career path and thus split her interests into civil engineering as well. <\/p>
\u201cI have been happy with Civil Engineering as well, I am doing good in both ways though the pressure\u2019s a bit high while juggling both\u201d explains Pranathi about how Civil Engineering has also been a part of her. Pranathi helps her friends play dress-up when required and vows to never let her passion for designing leave her.<\/p>
There are a couple of her designed clothes donned by her in the pictures linked with the article.<\/p>
Pranathi has done projects in her field of study as well and had visited IIT Bombay for a group project that she had been involved in. She is one determined and dedicated woman in whatever it is that she takes up!<\/p>
You go girl.We wish Pranathi all the success that she deserves for her future endeavors! <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563630426331","data":"5d3023498bb03"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563630426332","data":"5d330e795f934"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563630426333","data":"5d30234fc1e4a"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563630426334","data":"5d331b719a6b3"}]
Yes, I am a girl and I talk like a girl, walk like a girl and cry like a girl. I'm not weak or ashamed of it. I am a girl and I meant to do things like a girl only but that doesn't make me any less. It's funny how you compare my gender to compare my capabilities and worth in society. <\/p>
I have grown up listening to people saying me<\/p>
\"You are too skinny, eat.\"<\/p>
\"what are you wearing? You are too fat to wear that.\"<\/p>
\"You're wearing that?! Your clothing is distracting boys.\"<\/p>
\"You'd be soo much prettier if you wore makeup.\"<\/p>
\"You're wearing too much makeup. You look like a clown.\"<\/p>
\"You can't sit like that.\"<\/p>
\"Girls, they complain about anything and everything.\"<\/p>
\"Girls can't do that. That is a man's job.\"<\/p>
\"May I speak to the man of the house.\"<\/p>
But I always asked myself that what made them say those things to me, what made them say my clothing is the distraction, what made them say I can't do a man's job, what made them think that I'm weak and can't be the man of my house. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563001103639","data":"5d297fdcbc53b"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563001103640","data":"
And girls, its okay if you cant be another Priyanka Chopra or Mary Kom. You don't have to look good all the time. Just embrace yourself and try to discover your inner strength. You are not a liability, you are efficient enough to earn bread for you and your family too. Your clothing is not a distraction, their intentions are wrong.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563001103643","data":"5d2b33f65bac8"}]
\"My art is a way to express myself\" she says recollecting her journey with colors. Adepu Medha, a 2nd year CSE student of CMRCET loves to work with pencils and paints. She is our hidden gem. She has learnt the basics from 'How to draw books' and her school, but taught herself a lot of techniques.<\/p>
<\/p>
A mother is one's first teacher, and it's her mother who introduced her to to drawing. \"When I was in nursery, my mom wanted me to participate in a drawing competition, in which children from nursery to second grade participated. So she picked a simple picture, and she made me practice that same thing for weeks, like she was really patient, held my hand, monitored my every stroke and on the day of the competition, unexpectedly I won! It was an inter school competition. I was treated like a pseudo celebrity or something after winning the competition. I just got the hang of it and there had been no looking back since then\" she says. <\/p>
When she saw that all the older kids working way harder than she did, she realized that art is something which came naturally to her. She initially started off tracing cartoons on story books. She used to love telling her classmates that she drew it on her own she confesses. That gave her confidence she says. <\/p>
Her love for the art grew with her she says. Her school played a great role in her story full of colors. Her art class was her favorite part of the week because she got to be the star of her class, she confesses. \"I learnt pencil sketching, poster color painting, craft work, pottery, acrylic painting, glass painting, and all the other basic stuff one could think of...\" a proud Silver Oakes, Bachupally alumni recollects. When she started drawing without tracing she loved drawing anime and other cartoon characters she recalls.<\/p>
Later, gradually, she started pencil sketching. \"I give myself new challenges all the time.My friends used to show me some amazing pictures, like their favorite scenery, or some complicatedly beautiful pictures, and they're like...now that you draw so well, how about this, let's see if you can do this and I immediately say I can do it!And I kinda face all the trouble afterwards trying my best to do it, teach myself, practice like hell, trying real hard not to make a fool out of myself, and that's how I get out of my comfort zone, for an introvert like me, and I have never failed to deliver what had been asked of me....so yeah....win win\" she says.<\/p>
She says, she personally enjoys sketching portraits, she says human faces fascinate her, especially those of women. They have excellent features she says. Her first portrait was that of Yami Goutham. She thought it was difficult, but she did it. And the 6th grader was over the moon. She started off with her eyes but could finish the entire portrait, it was a great deal for her. <\/p>
When asked if art is just her hobby, or if she wants to make it her profession she says \"Yeah, absolutely, it's my hobby, and I'd like to keep it that way, cause this shouldn't be earning you a living.... it's something that's supposed to satisfy your soul. It's something that brings you happiness every time you do it....and when i do it for others, I wanna see that awesome smile on their face, and how they could keep something hand made by me...it remains them of something nice, probably me sometimes.\"<\/p>
<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264858","data":"5d30ad0f92a67"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264859","data":"5d30ad0453949"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264860","data":"5d30acfb052ce"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264861","data":"5d30aceb61d7d"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264862","data":"5d30ace0021cd"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264863","data":"5d30acbed29d0"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264864","data":"5d30acb509514"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264865","data":"5d30aca95ced3"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264866","data":"5d30ac975305b"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563472264867","data":"5d30ad6b636b8"}]
The Motto of the MVSR Engineering College \u201cTECHNOLOGY TRAVERSES TERRESTRA<\/b>\u201d which means that Technology can move the Earth\/land. This is a college where theoretical and practical teaching go hand-by-hand. \n\nMVSR Engineering College is college with a pleasant ambiance and away from the city culture with no pollution and noise. Campus is located at Nadergul, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana and is affiliated with Osmania University. The college was accredited by AICTE<\/b> and approved by NBA<\/b>. This is one of the campus that provide the course of Automobile Engineering.\n<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563778980710","data":"5d31ffedbcae2"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563778980711","data":"
Maturi Venkata Subba Rao Engineering College or simply MVSR Engineering College was established in the year 1981 and is sponsored by the Matrusri Education Society. This Education Society was founded by the group of visionaries and philanthropists in the year 1980. Maturi Gopala Rao, the architect of Nagarjunasagar Dam as Founder Chairman, Arshadharmasri Late Sri Maturi Venkata Subba Rao as Founder Secretary and also few other doctors, industrialists, businessmen have come together to form Matrusri Education Society. \nThe college was inaugurated in 1981 by Sri T. Anjiah, Chief Minister, AP, at temporary premises at Ameerpet, with an intake of 180 in Civil, ECE and Mechanical disciplines.\nIn 1986 inauguration of the administrative block at Saidabad Campus by Sri P. V. Narasimha Rao, Minister of Human Resources, Government of India and the present campus is on use from 1997 which was inaugurated by M. Gopal Rao.\n <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563778980712","data":"5d320026e4214"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563778980713","data":"
Our college has a Maggi stall and an Ice-cream stall besides canteen. Masala maggi is something interesting in the maggi stall and choco nuts is in case of the ice cream stall. \nCanteen is one of the hangout spot in the college where students usually chill out by spending time with each other.\n <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563778980714","data":"5d3200404b3b3"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563778980715","data":"
Besides being one of the top college in Hyderabad academically, several fests are conducted by the college every year. Branch wise fests are also conducted by their respective branches other than the main college fests. <\/p>
\nAthlema <\/b>is a National Annual Sports Fest of MVSR Engineering College, where in 2500 students from various engineering colleges participate in the Sports and Games. Boys and girls participate in various events, such as Kabbadi, Cricket, Foot Ball, Volley Ball, Basket Ball, Throw Ball and many more. <\/p>
\nSangamam <\/b>provided the platform for students to display their cultural and literary skills, provided an opportunity for MVSRians to develop their organizational abilities and importantly capturing the audience with vivid celebrity performances. <\/p>
\n\nSAMAVARTHAN<\/b>, a biennial national level technical fest of MVSR Engineering College for promoting the technical activities amongst engineering students. The fest has evolved over the years featuring with excess of events that relate to all disciplinary of engineering, robotics, entrepreneurship and many more. It is a platform to showcase and celebrate innovation, teamwork and all zeal for science and technology of all the students.\n <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563778980716","data":"5d32005fa0949"}]
Even in soothing environments ,at times we need escapes.... The same applies with college days... A hectic day needs an escape for sure... Speedbyte is such a place... <\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563635989198},{"id":1563638645165,"type":"img","data":"5d333aeaca457"},{"data":"
The food is delicious... it is nice place to have birthday parties and to ditch your regular lunch box... The place is serene to click pictures with good background and the ambience here is good<\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563638618593},{"id":1563639556122,"type":"img","data":"5d333e79c0573"},{"data":"
There is also go karting touch to it... it is approximately 10-15 kilometres from Vignan... <\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563639542871},{"id":1563640006990,"type":"img","data":"5d33403cc5eb5"},{"data":"
Birthday bash have a major part in getting this place getting a recognition <\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563640014539},{"id":1563640190939,"type":"img","data":"5d3340f4b68bb"},{"data":"
The next best place is Ramoji Film City... Ramoji Film City is known for its worldwide fame... Ramoji Film City is known for its carnivals and events.... Ramoji Film City ist nearly 10-15 kilometre from Vignan .... There are many shootings that go on continuously in Ramoji <\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563640085999},{"id":1563641163019,"type":"img","data":"5d3344c0df928"},{"data":"
There are events , shows going on and there are shopping zone and hotels too <\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563641152070},{"id":1563641276615,"type":"img","data":"5d33453274b4d"},{"data":"
The next destination is Mount Opera.... This place is best for dry rides as well as water rides.. The giant wheel is special attraction which lies on the top of the mountain... Water rides are the eye-catchers ... It is approximately 10-13 kilometres<\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563641266725},{"id":1563641694970,"type":"img","data":"5d3346d4a0a4c"},{"data":"
Next time you are around do try these places <\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563641687224}]
We all skip classes, don't we? Well, we cannot lie to ourselves and say NO to this because we know it's a YES! Let's go through some of the most affordable places around our college where we burst the monotonous college campus bubble!<\/p>
LETTING THE TUMMY WRAP- A WRAP!<\/p>
-Turkish Shawarma, Kompally: This is a famous spot people from our college and the colleges in our surrounding areas prefer to go to, to get their hands on some of the tastiest Shawarmas they could ever taste, with a 'Turkish' twist. The place has recently changed its name to \"Sha Sha Shandar Shawarma.\" This is a basic outlet with outdoor seating consisting of a couple of stools. Chicken Shawarma (without salad) is the best pick from this place. The other items that it offers include Aloo Tikki Wrap, Chicken Lollipop, Falafel Wrap, Corn Samosa, Hara Bhara Kebab etc.<\/p>
Address- Beside Spencers Super Market, Suchitra X Roads, Kompally, Medchal Road, Hyderabad.<\/p>
We also frequently visit the Sharjah point located in a lane in the Jaiberi colony adjacent to the Turkish Shawarma point. The Cadbury Sharjah at this Sharjah point is a must try- though it's only available in the winters for obvious reasons.<\/p>
<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563643847105","data":"5d334fe67ebb3"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563643847106","data":"
SWEET TOOTH CALLING! <\/p>
\n-Brown Bear, Kompally: is the place we head to if we're craving for some sugar and bread bites desperately. It's a tiny bakery with minimal seating and attractive cake decor. My personal favorite from this little sugar palace is the chocolate doughnut- freshly baked and evenly heated. Apart from offering the best desserts at reasonable prices- in the area, it also consists of a wide range of chocolate varieties and some quick snack options like Samosas, Sandwiches, Hotdogs etc! <\/p>
Address - Shop 2, Pride Arcade, Pet Basheerabad, Quthbullapur Mandal, Kompally, Hyderabad. \n\n <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563643847107","data":"5d3350076d69b"}]
Today\u2019s World is interested in 2 W and 1 H.\r\nWhat? \r\nWhy? \r\nAnd How? \r\n\r\nWHAT IS STUMAGZ? \r\n\r\nSwami Vivekananda says that Youth are the pillars of the nation and are powerful as a ruler, that they can decide and change the future. Swami also adds \"The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong\". Stumagz creates that world for us(youth) where we can make ourselves strong in our inherent talents. Stumagz is an online student platform where one can showcase their own talents and potentials to this world. Stumagz aims to give the student community a voice and a place where they can express themselves to be noticed by this world. Students can write articles and stories where they can express themselves. Students can also start a project and raise a requirement for people they need or for any help they need in their project. Besides these, Stumagz also provide services to start an event. Stumagz also arranges and organises events that a company wants to hold in a college or any educational institution.\r\n\r\nWHY STUMAGZ? \r\n\r\nStumagz helps students in bringing their potentials out and show them to the largest community called students. From a singer to a speaker and from a pianist to a programmer, every talent is appreciated and encouraged in this platform. Stumagz is a platform where one can show the world that studies isn't the thing to judge a person. Students can show that they can even excel in other streams of life rather than only in the academic life. Stumagz also encourages students by presenting awards to the best in their respective categories like the best article writer, the best photographer and many more. They provide students to show themselves not only in the application but also in the events conducted by the Stumagz team. Stumagz do suggest companies with the students who has that potential in them on any requirement notification raised by the company. \r\n\r\nHOW TO STUMAGZ? \r\n\r\nStumagz is a user-friendly application where one can easily understand in the first look. Students can write articles on any topic they are interested in and the college team need to acknowledge and approve it. Photographers have an option to upload their best clicks and show them to the world. Lyricist and story writers can even write them in type of a story. Projects can be created in the app and raise any requirements for the team members. Events can also be created, conducted and broadcasted(spread out) by help of Stumagz. \r\n\r\nStumagz is the right platform to show oneself up in this current world. Keep yourself working up in the Stumagz and show this world your works through the India's largest Student's digital platform, Stumagz.\r\n\r\nDo Stumagz \r\nShow Stumagz \r\nShow this world what you are \r\n\r\r\n#dostumagz #showstumagz #showyourself<\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563552241066},{"data":"
<\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563552559551},{"data":"
<\/p>","type":"txt","id":1563552557501}]
EAGLE..<\/p>
King of Birds...<\/p>
Why is it called \"King of Birds\"? <\/p>
Eagles fly at a height where other birds cannot fly...Eagle builds it's nest at very high altitude points to save their babies from enemies.It builds the nest so strong which could even withstand in very harsh situations such as Huge winds,Heavy rains.It uses at most 7 different materials to build its nest.Coming to the center part of nest which is so soft that it babies can comfortably\/Happily stay there.Outer part of nest is as hard as Ambuja cement.<\/p>
To make my point clear,I am considering there could be a conversation like below between eagle and babies.<\/u><\/p>
After babies emerges from egg,Eagle daily brings food for their babies and feed them and say,\"Listen children,don't worry you are in protection of King of birds.I'll feed you daily,You must also fly like me at highest peaks.I want to see you people fly high.I only expect this from you.(as every mother does)\".<\/u><\/i><\/p>
Those babies are very small.They are new to the world.They say \"Okay mom,But what is flying?How to fly?\"<\/p>
To that cute babies question Eagle open its wide wings and shows them the movement of wings and say \"Like this children,its very simple.Once try to fly\".<\/p>
Babies do the same as Eagle but stops quickly as they experience pain.Little babies say \"It's very painful,it's better to sit here in the nest\".<\/p>
Every day Eagle encourages its babies to fly.But babies feel sitting in nest is more comfortable than flying.<\/p>
One day eagle starts removing it's own nest.It slowly removes the soft part of nest.The thrones starts touching baby hawk bodies.Babies in pain and anger would think their mother is a psycho.Small babies,never expected they could travel through such situation.But Eagle will be crying for making their babies feel pain and removing its own nest.Eagle knows how much time and hard work resulted that nest.<\/i><\/p>
Eagle then take their babies on its back and starts flying high,now babies feel it more beautiful and praises their mom.But suddenly that feel turns into fear.Eagle leaves it babies at that high point.Imagine you are in position of that baby and when you see the ground how it feels?The same feeling .The small baby will afraid a lot.It definitely starts scolding its mother for doing this to her.But when it is about to touch the ground,when the final chance of baby to fly and survive is gone.The eagle move fast towards its baby and again carry it on her back and take to the high place.The baby will regret for scolding her mother and praises her mother.<\/p>
After many attempts like this ,Finally baby starts flying slowly.Baby is happy as she is flying like other birds,more than that mother feels more happy that her babies are going to fly like her in future.<\/u><\/b><\/i><\/p>
In the same way we will be tested in our life,Suddenly sorrow hits our happy life.Sorrow rules us.The thing we must be sure about is we are learning from each and every test.It's not like praising god or parents in happy times and blaming the same god or parents in our sorrow times.<\/b><\/u><\/i>We will be forced to travel in hard situations.It hurts having no hope<\/u><\/i><\/b> where in past you had everything.Parents may take off your phone,they may cut off your pocket money as you are spending too much of money.God may bless you with lots of happiness and money and the same god push you into tough conditions to teach you a lesson for your bright future.You must stick to your god and parents in every situation.Believing someone when their is possibility of getting out is belief,but believing someone when there is no possibility of getting out is called hope.<\/u><\/b><\/p>
We must have that hope on our God and parents.Parents are the only people on earth who never ruin their children hope.And God is the only one in entire creation who loves you more than your parents do.<\/b><\/u><\/p>
Losing comfort for a comfortable life is worthy!!!!! <\/u><\/b><\/p>
So learn from each test instead blaming like the baby.Of course baby hawk doesn't know that it will live like a king,so it blames her mother.But we know this thing,So whenever sorrow rules your life pray to the God.<\/b><\/p>
And whenever you are enjoying the life then thank god!<\/b><\/p>
Never Leave Your Parents. <\/i><\/u><\/p>
Source-Deuteronomy 32:11<\/u><\/b><\/p>
<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563729058372","data":"5d34991445123"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563729058373","data":"5d34991e8037f"}]
Novels based on Indian mythology are increasingly becoming popular in the recent times, with most of them being the writers\u2019 perspective of stories from Hindu epics. Naveen Durgaraju, an engineering graduate and a techie, is a Hyderabad based novellist who is known for penning thrilling novels set in a post-apocalyptic world, with various elements of Indian mythology. Over four years, Naveen wrote two books and is currently working on his third book.<\/p>
Writing, for him, was more of a hobby than anything else as he explains, \u201cI used to read a lot and when I was in college, I used to blog constantly. My friends used to tell me I should write a book. A couple of years after I finished college, I felt I should try penning down a novel.\u201d<\/p>
It was after he started writing a book that he realised writing a book is a completely different ballgame compared to writing a blog. \u201cI started off as an amateur writer and then realised that a novel needs a point of view and then went about learning those aspects of writing. I found the narrative style in Game of Thrones series really interesting and I decided to follow a similar style of narrative, though not the same. After a lot of reading and a lot of YouTube tutorials on this kind of writing, I went ahead with my first novel Vajra,\u201d says the writer whose first book debuted in 2014.<\/p>
But why this theme? To this, Naveen says, \u201cI grew up listening to mythological stories and I realised it has a high potential in terms of genres. Elements of mythology can be applied to any genre and that\u2019s what I did with Sinners, my second book. As this is set in a post apocalyptic world where the society crumbles. This book explores various aspects of humanity, from religious fanaticism to dictatorship and more. It also blends horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres along with mythological elements. Mythology has this kind of potential.\u201d<\/p>
Having sold out two print runs of this book, he's working on a sequel to that now and has finished about 65% of the third book in the series. <\/p>
With a full time job, it is definitely not easy to be a writer too, so how does he multi-task? \"I make it a point to write at least 500 words a day, no matter how late I come home. Even if the quality of that is bad, I continue as I can always edit or rewrite it later,\" is his answer.<\/p>
For students who aspire to be writers, Naveen has a clear-cut message. \u201cWrite without fear. Write what you want to. Write without fear of judgement, of market, of society, of money or acceptance. In writing as in all things, be fearless, be honest and you\u2019ll succeed,\u201d says the author writer.<\/p>"}]
To say Chester Bennington and his band Linkin Park is influential would be a gross understatement. Linkin Park rapidly earned fame across the world, as well as India with their relatable lyrics and Bennington's iconic voice. No matter where you were from, you had at least heard one Linkin Park song, it was omnipresent. It was the middle class, English speaking child's solace, a source of strength and an outlet for their angst all rolled into one. <\/p>
So when the news broke last night that Chester took his own life due to depression, I refused to believe it. It simply couldn't be, how did we miss the signs? How could we not see what Chester was going through when he had helped us off the brink, so many of us? Why did it happen?<\/p>
I've been staring at the screen for hours now, glassy eyed and wondering what to write, I just can't bring myself to write about his death. As a dear friend and fellow fan says it, 'How can you put it all into words when you can't face the feelings?'. No matter how hard I try, there is no way I'll be able to say what I'm feeling at the moment in words. Perhaps it simply cannot be said, or a better writer than I would be able to do so. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1500620697082","data":"5971a880e364a"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1500620843589","data":"
Back in 2002, my experience with English music was limited to the occasional Brittney, Michael Jackson, Aqua (who can forget 'I'm a Barbie girl'?) and if I was lucky, Cher with her iconic voice. The existence of heavier genres of music was completely unknown to me. Then I met Jason, a few years my senior, who introduced me to Shadow on the Sun by Audioslave and Numb by Linkin Park on the same day. Chris Cornell's Audioslave had only got together the previous year and released their first album in November 2002, a fact I would discover later as I explored more music thanks to the kick in the backside by Linkin Park with Numb. I loved Numb so much, it opened the doors for me to explore heavier and more niche genres of music that I would have never done had it not been for them. Linkin Park shaped my taste in music, and my taste in music is how I made friends in college. <\/p>
This is the story of many a Linkin Park fan in India, many who eventually graduated to heavier genres of music, many who were inspired to pick up an instrument and collaborate to form a band, and that was just the tip of their influence. Chester, who could sing like an angel and scream like a demon, gave a voice to all our angst, anger and frustration in our formative, most vulnerable years. Chester's voice was there whenever we felt nobody in the world understood us, when we had a bad breakup, when we were in pain and felt there was nothing one could do. <\/p>
His voice was the voice of my generation, the kids of the 90s who became adults in the 2000s. To a lonely teenager, his voice was the only friend I had at one point, telling me that it was okay, telling me that I was going to be alright. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1500621860292","data":"5971b1d5efa63"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1500621976528","data":"
Jason, the guy who introduced me to the two most influential bands in my life, took his own life a few months into 2003. It was my first brush with the concept of suicide and the first I had ever heard the term depression. I was too young to understand, but I remember feeling very sad for him. I couldn't understand why he would leave everything behind and choose to die and 14 years later I still don't have an answer to why, but I fully understand how. <\/p>
It had to be a cruel twist of fate that both Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington took their own lives, much like the person who introduced me to them. There was a time during my teenage years when I thought that suicide was selfish and that a person with suicidal tendencies should continue to live, no matter what. But the thing is that anyone saying this isn't looking at the world through the perspective of a man so depressed, he felt suicide was the only way out. It still is selfish, but it is even more selfish of you to expect someone severely depressed to continue living just because you never had to face the same kind of depression they have. <\/p>
There is a need for a conversation about depression. So many people just laugh it off, so many people ignore it, friends and family disappear from sight the moment you say you're going through depression. The stigma surrounding the mental disorder has to change, people tend to forget that the brain is an organ too and can get sick. So let me say this now, if you know someone who is depressed, or if you are depressed, please, I beg of you, seek help. Talk to someone and seek help, don't dig yourself into a hole so deep, you see suicide as the only way out. I'm here to talk, message the page or my profile directly, and I will listen. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1500622635613","data":"5971b1b84df01"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1500622638092","data":"
It was beautiful to see so many people come out with shock and condolences on social media last night, from regular music listeners to the occasional, on\/off fan, from social media power users to those who never use social media, from us 90s kids to the ones who grew up in the 2000s. The shock and grief, in its own way, is comforting in its own way, you know you're not alone in your grief, as people come together and express shock over what happened and you grieve together, talking about your favourite Linkin Park memories, talking about how Chester's voice spoke to you, growing up. <\/p>
It is an excellent indication of Chester's legacy and his status as an icon, looking at the sheer number of people not just from India, but from across the world, posting about Chester, sharing their stories about their favourite LP songs. So in the end, it really did matter, his work will continue to inspire and protect further generations of kids going through their formative years. I suppose the only regret we will have is that we couldn't save the man who saved us with his voice. <\/p>
If they say<\/i><\/p>
Who cares if one more light goes out?<\/i><\/p>
In the sky of a million <\/i><\/p>
Who cares when someone's time runs out?<\/i><\/p>
If a moment is all we are<\/i><\/p>
Or quicker, quicker<\/i><\/p>
Well I do<\/i><\/p>"},{"type":"youtube","id":"vid-url-1500623295587","data":"3kaUvGSLMew"}]
Let it never be known that Hyderabadis are an ungrateful people. The city prayed for a miracle, and miracle it did get, followed by events which would make Bonalu, the festival to thank the great Mahakali, part of the city and the state's history. <\/p>
In the early 19th century, a plague had broken out in the city of Hyderabad, causing death, destruction and misery. During this time, a military regiment from Hyderabad was deployed to Ujjain who, upon hearing about the plague ravaging the city, prayed to the Mother Goddess in the Mahankaal Temple, promising to install a statue of Mahankaali in the city, should the plague be fought off, which did happen. Hyderabad recovered, slowly but surely. <\/p>
So when the regiment returned, they installed a wooden statue of the goddess, offering her a Bonalu, an offering of food, and as I said before, this city is not ungrateful, it soon turned into a tradition and spread over the entire state. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563605697359","data":"594f32353f5db"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563605697360","data":"
This tradition of the working class, as it has been called, has always started the first Sunday of the month of Ashadam, and it's always a Sunday too because of its roots in the celebration of the working class. You see, the working class lacked the means to calculate accurately the lunar calendar and decide when the festivals are, back in the day it was a privilege reserved for a few privileged classes. The fact that traditional Hindu festivals start on carefully calculated dates according to the Lunar Calendar and Bonalu, on the other hand, is on the first Sunday of the month of Ashadam has become one of the most distinctive things about the festival. <\/p>
Speaking about the festival with noted Artist Ramana Reddy, I discovered a bit more, \"You can call it an artistic expression to show thanks to the Goddess for helping save the city,\" he says over the phone, \"the whole city and state comes alive with colours, enticing people to come see the processions from far away. While it was a festival for the working class when it originated, it has now become a festival to unite people in its own way.\" <\/p>
Tribute to a tradition need not always be traditional, and Ramana Reddy showed exactly how when he designed a tribute to the festival of Bonalu for the Telangana State Republic Day Tableau in 2015. <\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563605697361","data":"594f36951ddf1"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563605697362","data":"
While the Goddess has many names depending on the people who worship her, the offering of Bonam, a shorter more tongue-friendly version of Bhojanam and the feast that follows it is common everywhere. It is paradise for the non-vegetarians among us as this is one festival where nobody cares that you're eating non-veg on a festival day, but really, that is just me being happy to have an excuse to eat some delicious food. <\/p>
Before the feast, however, before the offering of Bonam is made, the procession that goes into the temple is perhaps one of the most iconic things about the festival. Women, carrying Bonalu, amidst the steady beat of the dappu, enter a trance-like state, which is said to be the Goddess herself entering the woman's body. Called Sigam, it is believed that these women can predict the future. <\/p>
However, leading the procession, the women going to temple with their offerings, is Potharaju, traditionally believed to be the Goddess's brother. Potharajus, played by able-bodied men, their faces decorated yellow and red with turmeric, look scary and intimidating but are far from it. The Potharaju exists to drive off any evil that may come their way, dancing to the fervour of the dappu, scaring any evil back to its place amongst the minds of any who wish them harm. <\/p>
The role of Potharaju is usually kept within the family and, in the case of the Lal Darwaza temple here in Old City, the men from a single family have been Potharaju for over 100 years. Catching up to Posani Sudhakar, a descendant of this line, the first question I asked was what being a Potharaju meant to him, \"It is something my family has been doing for over 100 years now,\" says Sudhakar, with a hint of well-deserved pride in his voice, \"and now my son, Ashwin, is a part of the tradition too. He is the one who will be performing this year at Lal Darwaza.\"<\/p>
\"It is a tradition that brings the entire city together,\" he continues, speaking about Bonalu, \"and now it is a part of the whole state's tradition, where variations of the Mother Goddess is worshipped, but we are all doing the same thing, giving thanks for saving the city when it needed saving the most.\"<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1563605697363","data":"594f3c822bb71"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1563605697364","data":"
As someone who did not grow up in Hyderabad for the first few years of my life, and whose family doesn't celebrate Bonalu, I found myself asking artist Ramana Reddy whether the festival has grown bigger since the formation of Telangana State, and he said, \"We definitely have more participation now, but the tradition has always been there, just beneath the surface. It just didn't get enough media coverage, but now that it is a state festival, things are changing.\" <\/p>
Speaking further about the tradition and its connection with the youth, he said, \"With Urban India developing rapidly, it is perfectly normal for the youth to move away from religions, putting it a bit lower on their list of priorities, but traditions such as Bonalu bring out the best in them at times, we see a tremendous amount of participation in the festivities by the youth, and I think the tradition will continue for a long time to come.\" <\/p>
I remember, as a child who had grown up on spy novels and American sitcoms, asking my mother why we didn't have Thanksgiving in India, because it seemed like such a nice thing to do, being thankful. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Bonalu itself was a festival of giving thanks and happened in the city I grew to love. While I cannot claim that it is a tradition of my family, I can certainly say that it is the tradition of my city and, in my own way, I'm thankful that the city was not ravaged by the plague back in the day. <\/p>
Happy Bonalu to everyone! <\/p>"}]
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