Text of the poem "My Grandmother's House" by Kamala Das

My Grandmother's House 

-Kamala Das

(The poem is in free verse & it was first published in Kamala Das's "Summer in Calcutta" in 1965.)

There is a house now far away where once 

I received love... That woman died, 

The House withdrew into silence, snakes moved 

Among books, I was then too young

To read, and my blood turned cold like the moon ← Simile 

How often I think of going

There, to peer through blind eyes of windows or 

Just listen to the frozen air, 

or in wild despair, pick an armful of 

Darkness to bring it here to lie

Behind my bedroom door like a brooding← Simile 

Dog... You cannot believe darling(addressed to her husband), 

Can you, that I lived in such a house and 

Was proud & beg now at stranger's doors to

Receive love, at least in small change?  

-Kamala Das

Text of the poem "The Looking Glass" by Kamala Das

 The Looking Glass

-Kamala Das

(A lyric that present a true and realistic image of the lustful relationship between every man and women)

Getting a man to love you is easy
Only be honest about your wants as
Woman. Stand nude before the glass with him
So that he sees himself the stronger one

And believes it so, and you so much more
Softer, younger, lovelier. Admit your
Admiration. Notice the perfection
Of his limbs, his eyes reddening under
The shower, the shy walk across the bathroom floor,
Dropping towels, and the jerky way he
Urinates. All the fond details that make
Him male and your only man. Gift him all,
Gift him what makes you woman, the scent of
Long hair, the musk of sweat between the breasts,
The warm shock of menstrual blood, and all your
Endless female hungers. Oh yes, getting
A man to love is easy, but living
Without him afterwards may have to be
Faced. A living without life when you move
Around, meeting strangers, with your eyes that
Gave up their search, with ears that hear only
His last voice calling out your name and your
Body which once under his touch had gleamed
Like burnished brass, now drab and destitute.

-Kamala Das

Bird Flu to strike again after pandemic Covid-19

 Latest Outbreak seen early in Janurary of 2021 in India

The World has not been overwhelm from the pandemic known as Covid-19/Corona Virus and the poultry has struck by bird flu. 

The Flu was confirmed by the only institute in India located Bhopal named as 'National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases'. 

Bird Flu is endemic till but if it mutates and become easily transmissible from individual to individual, it can take form of Pandemic.

In the beginning of the year 2021, Bird Flu has been reported among 

• Wild Geese in Himachal Pradesh.
• Crows in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh
• Ducks in Kerala

              and in other states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat

Reports on Date: 9th January 2021

• Pong's Dam Lake(Himachal Pradesh)- 1,800 migratory birds 
• Rajasthan- 250 crows were found dead  

 

Bird Flu: - Also called Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza(type A) or H5N1; 

1. A viral infection that can affect Birds, humans and other animals as well.
2. Transferrable Disease 
3. Symptoms: - Cough, Fever, Sore Throat, Muscle Aches, Headache, and Shortness of Breath.
4. Two strains of the virus - H5N8 and H5N1 have detected until 9 January 2021.
5. There are many strain - mild and cause low-egg production while other are severe and lethal.

How Bird Flu spreads?

• Wild Aquatic Birds such as Ducks & Geese are the natural reservoir of Influenza A viruses.
• A central players(the originator) of the ecology in the virus. 
• From Aquatic(water) Birds, many species of birds migrate and go to long voyages thus spreading viruses in various places.
• Sometimes this type of virus spreads to mammals like pigs, horses, cats and dogs.

History of Avian Influenza type A virus

• The virus was first detected in 1966 in Geese bird in China.
• In the year 1997, it was first detected in humans during the poultry outbreak in Hong Kong and from then it was detected in wild birds & poultry in more than 45+ countries.
• This virus is endemic for Six countries. 
• Bangladesh 
• China 
• India
• Vietnam
• Indonesia
• Egypt
• In 2003, again it was re-emerged.

Reports of Bird Flu till today(Date:12th Jan. 2021)

1. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will have a meeting to review the Bird Flu situation in the state.
2. The presence of Flu was confirmed on last sunday dated: 10th Jan. 2021.

Bihar's first 200-feet Glass Bridge

 Bihar's First Class Bridge

Today, we are gonna talk about Bihar's first Glass Bridge which is at a height of 200-feet. This is India's second bridge after Lakshman Jhula at Rishikesh.

More information is written below, have a look at it.

Bihar's Chief Minister at Glass Bridge

Why it is made ? What has happened ?

• In order to boost tourism in the state of Bihar, Bihar has built an amazing and boosting tourism factor that is 200-feet Glass Bridge.
• The inauguration of the Glass Bridge is expected to be done next year 2021 in Rajgir, Nalanda district of Bihar.
• Rajgir hills is surrounded by five hills named Ratnagiri, Vipalachal, Vaibhagiri, Songiri and Udaygiri.
• It is also an important Buddhist, Hindu and Jain pilgrimage site.
• The bridge will offer other adventures for the visitors who are more thrill.
• Note: The total length of the glass bridge in Bihar is 85-feet and it is 6-feet wide, and it is situated at a height of 200-feet.

India's MAP view 

Bihar State Map view 

Rajgir Glass Bridge View through Google Map 

Hill view of Rajgir

 

You can see the two ridges parallel to each other. The area around the ridges is covered with many other historical places. Rajgir Hills are also more important sites related to Budhism, Hinduism and   Jainism. 

• The Bridge will give more boost to tourism in Bihar. 
• This Bridge will allow 40 peoples to visit at a time.
• It is stated that the Bridge is built on the line of 120-metre-high glass bridge in Hangzhou province of China. (The glass bridge of China is famous already you have seen many times on instagram or other social media platform.)
• The Glass Bridge of China is much greater than the Glass Bridge of Rajgir, Bihar, India.
• The Glass Bridge of China measures 430 metres (1,410 ft) in total length and 6 metres (20 ft) in width, and is suspended about 300 metres (980 ft) above the ground.
• The bridge is path between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in the northwest of Hunan province.
• Nalanda district is already popular for its prime hotspot of tourism.
• Other place famous in Rajgir is Nalanda University.
•  Nalanda University, announced as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
• Jungle safari has been building to give more potential to tourists & the Glass Bridge will be part of the Nature Safari.
• Ropeway is also there, while the Safari will take the tourists to explore dense forests, the Ropeway too have around 18 glass covered cabins. 
• Every cabin of Rope way will have a capacity for 8(eight) tourists & cover the distance of 750 m in Five minutes. To see how Ropeway looks click on the highlight word:- Ropeway      
• Not only this, other sport adventures are included like Air Cycling, other places are going to built such as Butterfly Park & Ayurveda.
• For Stay/accommodation purpose, cottages will be there. 
• Other famous places: Son Bhandar Caves, Brahmakund & Vishwa Shanti Stupa.

Air Cycling in Bihar

Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China

  

Rajgir Glass Bridge in Bihar 

The key difference we can see only that the Glass Bridge of China is knotted with both ends and the Glass Bridge of Bihar, India is something like hanged and tied with one knot.