Happy Birthday Ruskin Bond Sir

Happy 81st Birthday to  my favorite author Ruskin Bond. I simply love your books which is full of fun. You are an inspiration for the youngsters like me.

Your books are one reason for me to love English language. One of my prized possession is the autographed book of yours"The Blue Umbrella" gifted by my uncle and aunt.

Thank you for your writing, specially for children.

A Chance Meeting with Cricketer Mithali Raj

Dussehra pooja holidays are always fun filled, especially wearing traditional ethnic clothes, eating a lot of savouries, going to temples, arranging Dussehra dolls at my home with friends and relatives visiting to see the them.

Every year we adorn our house with Dussehra Dolls (Dussehra Gombe). 

My mom's art work

Village scene : Bathukamma, made by me :)

We buy new dolls every year. We perform Dussehra pooja from the seventh day to the tenth day(Saptami to Dashami). My mom arranges a different theme every year and I assist her. We light an oil lamp which is lit continuously for four days.  

Dubai Scene

Krishna & Gopikas

Children's Garden

My friends : Adithi & Shreya

I love going with my dad to his office for Dussehra pooja every year. This year too, I went to my dad's office and guess what?

I had this chance meeting with India Women's Cricket Team's Captain Mithali Raj, when my dad was taking me around his office introducing me to his colleagues. I was on cloud nine when I met her. I immediately requested her for an autograph, which she readly gave with a friendly smile. I was so happy after meeting her. I am even more happy because my autograph collection has a lady cricketer's autograph.

With Mithali Raj

I enjoyed my vacation and it was special having met this famous Sportswomen, a Hyderabadi! 

Now I'm waiting to get back to school and meet my friends. 

An Awesome Gift

Love you Mama and Mami and thanks for the wonderful gifts you brought for me; the most memorable and special is the personally autographed book "The Blue Umbrella" by  Ruskin Bond that you thoughtfully got for me from Dubai. (My uncle and aunt met Ruskin Bond at a Book Store in Dubai)

Ruskin Bond is my favorite author and poet. I have read his books and poems and simply loved them. My mom introduced me to Ruskin Bond by asking me to read his book "Collected Fiction". I especially like his short stories, The Woman on Platform No.8, Chachi's Funeral and The Story of Madhu.

I am grateful to have an autographed book of my favourite author, which is another of my prized possession. 

My English curriculum has a poem, Granny's Tree Climbing written by Ruskin Bond. He has written many books for children, some dealing with his own childhood , others dealing with the lives of contemporary Indian children.

Bond spent his childhood with his grandparents in their house in Dehradun, where he grew up in the company of a number of pets. He developed a deep love for nature, which is evident in most of his works.

The poem Granny's Tree Climbing has been taken from An Island Of Trees, which is a collection of short stories and poems dealing exclusively with Bond's love  for nature.

I wish I get the opportunity to meet Ruskin Bond Sir.

My Telephonic Conversation With The Cricketing Legend - VVS Laxman

A dream come true! I finally spoke to the Cricketing legend  VVS Laxman. I had been pestering my mother for  an opportunity to say 'Hello' to him.On 3rd Jan,2014, I called my mom who was travelling from Mumbai to Hyderabad with VVS Laxman and was aboard the flight which was about to take off. Mom suddenly told me " Here speak to Mr. VVS Laxman" and I was so stunned that I said " No Mom ". But mom said  "Speak" and I heard a very pleasant voice. Here is our conversation.

Laxman: Hi Adithi, how are you?

Me: Hi Sir, I am fine .

Laxman: How are your studies?

Me : Fine

Laxman: Do you play any sport?

Me: No,but I am interested 

Laxman : Which sport ?

Me: Basketball.

Laxman: Good

Me:Ya........ Sir, did you run the marathon in Nashik

Laxman: No, I didn't (laughing). Ok then, bye and good luck.

Me : Bye

My proud possession - Personally autographed bat from VVS Laxman

I was overwhelmed and lucky to have spoken to such a great person. He was so sweet. Now, I want to meet him!

A Short and Sweet Trip to Ooty

Drinking "Garam garam chai" in winter is a top of the world feeling . 

This winter break my maternal uncle, aunt and cousins, Gauri and Raghav from Dubai, visited India and we had the opportunity to travel together for a short holiday to Wellington near Ooty in Tamil Nadu. My other maternal uncle who is a Pediatrician in the Indian Armed Forces is posted at the Military Hospital,Madras Regimental Center -Wellington.

We visited Mysore for a day on Dec 25th to attend a family get together and from there we proceeded in a TATA Sumo to Wellington on Dec 26th.

We drove through Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and Madhumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. 

We were fortunate to have spotted a herd of Deer, Langur Monkeys and Peacocks. The drive uphill was a little tiring as it took nearly 6 hours.

But as soon as we reached Wellington and saw my little cousin Advait dancing with joy on seeing us, we forgot our tedious journey. 

The next day Dec 27th, we set for a sight seeing trip to Ooty. This was my third trip to Ooty and I was a little bored initially. 

We drove to Doddabetta which is the highest peak in South India located at 8650 feet above sea level in the Nilgiris Hills. 

The highlight of the Ooty tour was visiting the highest elevated Tea factory in South India, for the first time. A walk inside the tea factory gave us a glimpse of the machinery used and the process of preparing the tea powder from the tea leaves. We were given some hot masala chai as a sample. On the same premises, there was a small homemade chocolate making unit with a sales counter that sold varieties of yummy chocolates. We bought a few delicious varieties and relished munching them. 

Then we proceeded  to visit the indoor "Thread Garden" which is made up of sixty million meters of thread and is located opposite Ooty lake. It is indeed a very creative and innovative place.

We took a break for lunch and lastly visited the famous Botanical Garden.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip with my three cousins, parents, uncles and aunts. This was a memorable vacation for me.

Veeresalingam Kandukuri – A Social Reformer of Andhra Pradesh

Veeresalingam  Kandukuri  (16 April 1848 – 27 May 1919) – A Social Reformer of Andhra Pradesh

Veeresalingam is considered,” The Prophet of Modern Andhra Pradesh”, as he awakened the Andhra Society from their orthodox customs and superstitions. He was a reformer and the first person to write a novel, book, drama, on natural science and history in Telugu and Telugu prose for women. He wrote Abhagyopakhyanamu, a humorous satire on Andhra Society.

Veeresalingam started a magazine named Vivekavardini in which he propagated women’s education, widow remarriage and the rights of women. He opposed Kanyasulkam (price of bride) and marriage of old men with young girls.

He was affectionately called as Veeresalingam Pantulu.

India's Struggle For Independence - 1857 Revolt.

History is my favorite subject in school. The word Independence means freedom, to me. And I feel lucky to be born in an independent country like India. But when I read the history of India especially the freedom struggle, I was astounded by the bravery, courage, determination and love for motherland by our freedom fighters. 

I did a project on the "First War of Independence -1857" more popularly called as "Revolt of 1857" and beginning of the long struggle for freedom from the British Rule. 

Bahadur Shah Zafar

Begum Hazrat Mahal

In the Indian Sepoys struggle for Independence, they were lead by the Kings of Princely states  like Bahadur Shah Zafar II (Delhi), Tantya Tope (Gwalior), Rani Laxmi Bai (Jhansi), Begum Hazrat Mahal (Awadh), Raja Kunwar Singh (Rajput Royal of Jagdishpur) and various others.

The cause for revolt were many; like the economic, social, religious and military being the immediate causes.  In the course of Revolt, the Sepoys broke out into an open revolt at Meerut in April, 1857.

Rani Laxmi Bai

Kunwar Singh

The Revolt was started by the Sepoys but the participation of the peasants and the artisans gave the Revolt it's real strength . It reflected the Hindu-Muslim unity. 

Although the Revolt was a great event, it was effectively suppressed by the East India Company, for the fact that it was not spread out to other parts of the country.  The Heads of the Princely States were more interested to protect or get back their Kingdoms/Provinces and did not act in cohesion with others. Bad planning and execution was the main cause for the failure of the Revolt.  However, it started the beginning of the end of the Rule of the East India Company and paved the way for taking over by the British Monarchy. 

Tantya Tope