Time Hhas Come to Get BAck BIHARIES THERE YOU ARE CALLED BIHARI AND WE CAN AGAIN BUILF A VIHAR WHERE WHOLE WORLD WILL COME TO GAIN SWARSWATI |' BLESSI

Migrants keen to return

AAROHI KESHAV

Patna is promising, say youths. Telegraph picture Patna, Sept. 12: The days of Patna shrouded in darkness is over. The fear and sense of insecurity are gone from the minds of its citizens. There were days when businessmen did not dream of new ventures. The local means of transport refused late-night rides. Women and children remained confined to their homes after sunset and the educated section preferred to move outside the state to settle in other cities for a better lifestyle and safer environment for themselves and their children. Nobody felt safe, be it children, women businessmen, hawkers or senior citizens. The situation, however, has undergone a change in the past four to five years. Now, women are seen going out for shopping and returning home late from work. Businessmen drive around in SUVs and sedans and are eager to start new ventures in the market. Retired citizens are returning back to the state to live among their relatives. The educated youth are refraining from the high-profile jobs and are coming up with innovative ideas to change the picture of Bihar, to get it recognised on the world map. Postgraduates from top schools like Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) are working in various offices in the city or are setting up their own business. Yachna Srivastava is a 2004 batch postgraduate from TISS and works in the development sector in Bihar. She said: “During our campus recruitment, I had got a offer to work in Bihar. It became a major concern for my family and friends and I didn’t take the job. Then while working in one of the donor companies, I was asked to visit Bihar to meet people from the NGO sector. It was 2007 when I first visited Bihar. Once here, I realised that Bihar is as same as all the other states in India.” Yachna is now married and works in Patna. She said: “My work includes travelling to remote areas of the state. I travel alone but I never face any problems at all. I have no issues in working here, I feel completely safe. I feel the state is negatively portrayed.” Dr Ravi Chandra, a dentist and a rural management postgraduate from IRMA, returned to his native state after working in the development sector in other states for two years. Once back, Chandra formed the Bihar Development Trust with the sole aim to improvise the living standard of the poor by providing them with sustainable livelihood. He said: “I had the desire to do something for Bihar and its development. That was not possible while residing in other states. I feel that Bihar needs professionals who can help the rural and urban poor to move up in the social structure and empower them.” The trust was started in 2007 with Rs 5,000. Chandra now plans to convert it into a 20 billion dollar enterprise. Vikash Pathak, another native from Bihar had left the state in 1995. A MBA from the Institute of Petroleum Management, Gandhinagar, Pathak returned to Bihar in 2009. He left his high-profile MNC job in the oil sector and came back to work here with the aim to establish successful economic models in context of Bihar. He feels that Bihar needs young professionals like him who can exchange their ideas and help in the development of the state. Aarti Srivastava’s family is originally from Bihar. She was, however, born in Jamshedpur and brought up in Pune. She never thought of returning to Bihar but in 2007, her family decided to shift to Patna. Now, a schoolteacher at Kidzee Kankerbagh, she is very happy with her stay in Patna. Aarti said: “I never wanted to come back here. But once I shifted here and joined this school I felt no difference between Patna and Pune, except for few malls and multiplexes. As Patna is fast growing, I am sure it can soon beat any other city in India.” These are just few of the professionals who are back to the state with a will to do something for it. Many more like them are just waiting to get back to their native land and have the feeling of one’s own state.

INTLLECT LEVEL OF PATNA

Library keeps alive a dream cut short

AAROHI KESHAV

Patna, Dec. 21: Rakesh Kumar Library in Srikrishnapuri area is the endeavour of a mother to preserve the memory of her son after his untimely death. The library, set up 22 years ago, is a godsend for youths of the area preparing for competitive examinations. It subscribes to various magazines and journals that can be accessed for a minimum fee. But for Madhuri Gajendra Narain (72), the founder, the library is a source of catharsis as it ensures that her son (after whom the library is named) is remembered. “After the death of my son, I went into depression. My family members went back to their regular lives, but I brooded over the books my son left behind. I decided to set up a library because seeing children read makes me very happy,” said the septuagenarian mother. Her son would have also been very happy to see his books helping youths, she said. Rajesh was a lecturer in the history department of BD College in Patna and his only passion was books. “He believed education was everyone’s birthright and transcended all social hierarchy,” said Madhuri. After a heart attack cut short Rajesh’s life at the age of 30 in 1987, his mother set up the library in their house. At first there was only one room and a few books. But as the number of students increased, the library expanded to four rooms. Countless numbers of books jostle for space on the shelves. “The number of books increased with time,” said Madhuri. The members can borrow most of them for a meagre fee of Rs 25 per month. There are now 6,000 books covering various subjects like history, politics, anthropology, chemistry, physics, literature and latest editions of general knowledge books. At first, the library was used to impart education to children from poor families. But now a large number of students, preparing for competitive exams, also visit the place to access various journals and encyclopaedia. The library is open from Monday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm. Madhuri’s husband Gajendra Narain, a retired IPS officer, chips in to assist her in running the library. He also guides students preparing for competitive exams. “I was very fortunate to know about this library and be guided by an IPS officer,” said Rahul Raman, who cleared the admission test for Indian Military Academy in Dehradun recently. “I shall be forever grateful to them for their help,” he added. “After I retired, I thought it would be a good idea to help my wife in fulfilling her dream. It gives me a lot of satisfaction,” said Gajendra. He added: “Whenever students preparing for competitive exams come to us, we try to help them. Their success and gratitude make us very happy.” Sonali Kumari, who is about to appear for a banking exam and is a regular at the library, said: “This library is very cosy and has the perfect environment for studying in peace. Bigger libraries don’t have that.” “Gajendra uncle and Madhuri aunty also provide the best guidelines, whenever we need any held,” added Sonali. Not surprisingly, many students who have benefited from the library keep returning to its cosy rooms whenever they are in town.

SWARSHWATI PUJA GODESS OF KNOWLEDGE

Puja fever hits foreign shores

AAROHI KESHAV

A girl carries an idol of goddess Saraswati. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey Patna, Feb. 7: As the days get longer and warmer and the board examinations draw closer, students across the state prepare for a festival that could get them high marks — Saraswati Puja. Not only students pray to the goddess of learning, nowadays artists, intellectuals and anyone associated with knowledge or arts seek her blessings for success in their pursuits. With the advent of globalisation, the benediction of the goddess has spread over the ocean. Lara Dutta, a resident of New York, said she celebrates Saraswati Puja at her home every year and also takes part in the celebrations of the Indian community in the Big Apple. “It helps our children — most of whom have been born in the US — to understand their culture and heritage. We celebrate Basant Panchami as a community festival. Children are encouraged to put up skits and perform. It is just like my childhood back home,” said Dutta. In Patna, youths don yellow attire to celebrate the advent of spring. “I worship Saraswati every year because it is only through her blessings that I achieve good results,” said Abhiroop Kumar, an IIT aspirant. For Abhiroop, Saraswati is a goddess not only of learning but also the source of human civilisation. “She is the goddess of human consciousness and wisdom. A devotee of Saraswati not only becomes learned but also very wise,” he added. Ramashankar Mishra, a priest, said: “Knowledge is infinite and so is the human ability to learn. But the irony is that education is always limited. Formal education teaches us to advance in our careers and earn a living. However, it cannot teach us how to live a good life. “Education helps us find the meaning of life and connect with our consciousness, which in turn, leads to enlightenment. For that, we need to worship Saraswati,” Mishra said. Even Buddha needed the blessings of the goddess and so the Buddhists worship her as well. In the Vedas, she is depicted wearing a white sari, bedecked with white flowers and pearls, perched on a white lotus and playing a veena. For sociologists, the festival is not just a religious ritual. It is also an event that bonds people through cultural events organised on that day.

KIDS IN BIHAR

Little angels have a blast on school annual day - Former IT minister calls for stop on brain drain and innovation in teaching methods

AAROHI KESHAV

Students of Holy Cross International School perform at Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Ashok Sinha Patna, Feb. 6: When most of the schools in town are busy preparing for their annual examinations, the students of Holy Cross International School got an opportunity to let their hair down and chill out. The seventh annual function of the school was organised at Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir on Frazer Road today. The students’ chorus started off the programme with Saraswati Vandana to welcome the guests. Chief guests Janardhan Singh Sigriwal, the labour minister, and former IT minister Anil Kumar inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp. Inaugurating the function, the former IT minister said: “Firstly, I congratulate the school for its tremendous effort to the field of education. In such a short span of time, it has become one of the best schools in the state.” He added: “Bihar has always been the land where the best minds are born. The Bihari students are present in every field. As an IT minister, I have travelled to various countries like the US, the UK, Canada and others. I was amazed to see that most of the IT sector workers are from Bihar and are doing a great job. This clearly shows that Bihar has talent and now our aim should be to retain them and stop the brain drain.” He said the teachers are the best guides and it is their duty to make innovations in teaching style and encourage students to take up activities which they are good at. In the end, he congratulated the teachers for their good work. Sigriwal, in his speech, said: “There are a lot of schools operating in the state but this school is working differently, as it gives equal importance to extracurricular activities to help students in their overall development.” He promised to provide all possible support to the school. The chief guests gave away awards and trophies to the students for academic excellence, co-curricular activities and attendance. Students from all age groups performed various dance numbers. Tiny tots swayed to Bollywood numbers like Zoobi doobi and Lakdi ki kathi, enthralling the audience with their simple steps. The seniors performed on other Bollywood numbers. Many students performed Maharashtrian, Punjabi, Bihari and Rajasthani dance forms to showcase the diversity of the country, holding the parents spellbound. Addressing the students and the parents, school director B.K. Thakur said: “I am very happy to see the students performing with such vigour. I wish them great success in life. Discipline is the key to success, so one needs to be disciplined in order to be successful in life, only being excellent at studies is not sufficient,” he added. He also addressed the parents and urged them to understand their children and look for their area of interest. He requested them not to overburden the students with studies and compare with other kids. An excellent dance performance by the students brought down the curtains on the event.

LITTI AND MOMOS GOING TOGETHER IN BIHAR

Capital finds fresh taste in Tibetan delicacy - Momo stalls mushroom all over capital, favourites of both college students and office-goers

AAROHI KESHAV

Customers gorge on momos at a roadside stall in Patna. Picture by Ashok Sinha Patna, Feb. 14: Along side the litti chokha and egg roll, it is the momo — a Tibetan steamed dumpling that is rulling the streets of Patna. Merely a year ago, one could hardly find a momo stall in the state capital except for one at Mauryalok complex. However, within a year, momo stalls have mushroomed all over the state capital. One can now easily spot a group of college students and office-goers stopping for a quick bite of the tasty delight. Manoj Kumar, the first to open a momo shop in Patna said: “A year ago, only youngsters and visitors preferred it.” He said: “Now, my stall is buzzing with customers of all age groups. In the evening, one has to wait for 10 to 15 minutes to merely place their order.” He said: “The sale is good on weekends, which goes up to Rs 3,500 to 4,000, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, people here prefer vegetarian momos because of their religious belief. Each plate of non-vegetarian momo is priced at Rs 40, (eight pieces) vegetarian momos cost Rs 20, for eight pieces and paneer momos cost Rs 30.” Momos are made with flour-and-water, the dough is then stuffed with a mixture of meat and vegetables. Piping hot, the momos steamed or fried are served with a spicy sauce and a bowl of steaming soup. Pratiksha Kongari, a college student who was standing at a momo stall surrounded by her friends said: “Quite often, we come here and gorge on tasty steamed momos. I love momos because they are not spicy and oily. Moreover, steamed momos are supposed to be good for health.” She said: “It is a tasty delight for us because we are tired of having the usual street food like bhel puris and egg rolls.” Abhiroop Sinha, a management student said: “Whenever I have an urge to have non-vegetarian food, I prefer having a mouth full of momos.” Momos are not only famous among the youngsters but the craze for the delicacy has really caught on with the senior citizens of the capital too. G.D. Verma (65) was enjoying the delicacy in the company of his wife when this correspondent caught up with him. A smiling Verma said: “I like momos because they are steamed and tasty. Because of my health problem, my doctor has advised me not to consume oily food. Whenever I wish to eat snacks, which are non-spicy and non-oily yet delicious, I opt for momos without the sauce without any second thought.”

BIHAR SPA

Capital embraces lifestyle changes - Only spa in Bihar celebrates first year of uninterrupted service; clientele crosses 100

AAROHI KESHAV

At Chandan Sparsh in Patna, customers relax and pamper themselves. Pictures by Nagendra Kumar Singh Patna, Aug. 23: Relaxation has found a new meaning in the capital. Working professionals, who earlier used to spend their weekends sleeping or shopping, are now taking some time out to pamper themselves, get some heath treatment. Spa services are in demand in Patna and making the most of this craze is Chandan Sparsh at Boring Road area. Chandan Sparsh group is a known name in spa treatment. It started its first centre, Lambency Chandan Sparsh, in Ahmedabad in May 2008. Soon its branches spread out to Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Patna. Chandan Sparsh is the only spa in Bihar. The Patna centre was inaugurated on September 25, 2009. It will be celebrating its first anniversary in the last week of September. When asked what made her come up with the idea, Sneha Singh, the owner of the Patna branch, said: “While travelling with my husband to various places, I used to visit spas regularly. However, in Patna, I could not find any such centre. This bothered me. I always felt Patna should have a spa where people could come and relax.” She further added: “In Patna, people only knew about beauty parlours which unfortunately offered little options. Many of them were not even clean and hygienic. I wanted to raise the bar and offer something different from the existing beauty parlours in the town.” Chandan Sparsh is equipped with unique globally patented FDA-approved technologies. It ensures that any chemicals or any artificial products are not used on the cilents. Absolutely natural, sandalwood-based wellness products are used for various therapies and treatments. Chandan (sandalwood) is the basic ingredient in all the therapies. The spa is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm. One can just walk in and avail spa services. Its regular clients have membership cards. The spa offers three types of membership — Rajat membership for Rs 20,000 for six months, Swarn membership for Rs 40,000 for one year and Akanksha membership for 80,000 for one year. For walk-in clients, the charges range between Rs 999 and Rs 1,400. The cost of services, the owner claimed, is cheaper than Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. “It will be brought down even further,” Sneha promised.“First I was hesitant to pay Rs 20,000 for six months. But once I visited a spa in Delhi and found it very refreshing. Later, I decided to join Chandan Sparsh in Patna. I visit it only once a week. It gives me a rejuvenating feeling. It de-stresses me helps me start afresh the next week,” said Ashok Kumar, a distributor of medicines. At present, Chandan Sparsh has more than 100 members under these three categories. Its clientele mostly include business executives and IT professionals. Besides skin treatments and massages, the spa also offers number of different therapies, including reflexology, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy and meditation. According to Sneha, people of Patna are becoming health conscious and are eager to spend some money on relaxation and health treatments. Earlier, it was a practice limited to metros. Not many people in Bihar knew about spa treatments, and those who knew, weren’t very keen to spend money on such services. Now, Patna is coming of age. It is accepting changes with open arms and adopting them in its day-to-day life. So, flow with the winds of change all the week, and on weekends, lie down and get pampered.

GANDI JI KHADI AGAIN FROM VIHAR

GenY finds khadi ‘cool and trendy’

AAROHI KESHAV

A poster of the film Kurbaanshows Saif Ali Khan sporting a khadi attire Patna, Oct. 24: Khadi, once the signature apparel of writers, politicians and philosophers, has undergone a transformation to become a fashion fad for the young generation. The fabric has gained a global recognition, courtesy the fashion industry, which is promoting the fabric in a never before way. Khadi apparels are being worn by ramp models, displaying an array of outfits from bridal sarees to beachwear. The cloth has grabbed the fancy of international fashion designers too. Young politicians and Bollywood actors, sporting khadi attire, have also made the fabric popular among the youths. Khadi, in its new avatar, caters to the clothing needs of all, regardless of their economic status. It offers the customers a wide range of fabrics depending on their budget. Khadi is not just restricted to cotton. It blends with other fibres to make raw silk khadi, matka khadi, poly khadi, tussar silk, and many more. Also, khadi has undergone a transformation and become more colourful and feel-good fabric. It’s available in varied colours and prints, due to which the youths are finding it “cool and trendy”. Akash Sinha, a third-year college student, said: “I like wearing khadi. I can wear khadi kurtas with jeans on any occasion, be it a normal day in college or some party at a friend’s place.” He further added: “It gives me a lot of confidence as my attire is unique from that of my friends.” Most youths feel khadi shirts and kurtas go great with a pair of jeans and kolhapuri chappal (slippers). It is also an all-season fabric. It gives warmth in winter and keeps one cool in summer. Khadi silk, though a little expensive, gives a very elegant look. It is no more a fabric for the politicians. Younger generation believes it can also be worn as an informal wear. Raj Kumar, a khadi shop owner in Kankerbagh area, said: “Earlier, khadi was mostly preferred by the older generation or middle-aged men and women. Now, it is being demanded by the younger generation as well. College-going students visit my shop and ask for stitched kurtas.” The kurtas are economicall and at times available at discounted rates. This makes them more affordable for the college students. The prices of khadi kurtas start from Rs 125 onwards. Sonam Sharma, a chartered accountant, said: “Whenever I have to attend a meeting or meet clients, I make it a point to wear khadi sarees, as it gives a very elegant look and leaves an impact on people’s mind.” Khadi is hand-spun and hand-woven. Mahatma Gandhi had advised people to wear khadi instead of fancy foreign fabrics. He had described Swadeshi (country-made goods) as the soul and khadi as its body. Khadi is different from handloom in a way that it is completely handmade whereas yarns for the handloom fabrics are processed at mills. Yarns of khadi fabric are made through a spinning wheel called the charkha. Due to its price and rough feel, Khadi was not preferred by brand-conscious people but now the demand for khadi apparels have grown so drastically that even the million workers involved in the spinning process are unable to meet the market demand. Hema Kumar, a fashion designing student in Patna, said: “We get a lot of projects and each has to be different and unique from the other. I prefer to buy khadi fabric because of its earthy yet classy look, which makes it stand out in the crowd.” He further said: “Khadi materials are quite cheap as compared to other materials and are easily available too.” Earlier, the fabric was mostly available in government-sponsored Khadi Gram Udyogs. Now, a number of garment shops have started selling khadi clothes as the demand for the fabric has soared. Big garments brands like Fabindia are involved in selling clothes made of khadi and their client base includes customers from all sections of society.