It is cheap: Sun drying your clothes is much cheaper than buying a clothes dryer and dryer sheets. It is technically free of cost and saves money.
Sun Drying Clothes Promotes Energy Conservation: Sun drying laundry conserves energy and helps to protect the environment by saving precious fossil fuels. It is the pinnacle of green laundry and sustainable living. According to Pew research centre, there are more than 90 million clothes dryers in the United States and sun-drying clothes can reduce the average household’s carbon footprint 2,400 pounds a year. Experts determined that if all Americans line-dried clothing for just half of a year, it would save 3.3 percent of the country’s total residential output of carbon dioxide.
Sun drying clothes enhances freshness and helps remove strong odors: Sun dried clothes and sheets smell much fresher than clothes that are tumble dried without the use of additional chemical laundry fresheners like dryer sheets and fabric softener. This is particularly important for those sensitive to perfumes and dyes used in detergents and dryer products. And fresh air is less expensive than dryer sheets.
Sun drying is gentle on clothing: Tossing and tumbling in a dryer can cause wear and strain on clothing fabric due to stress on seams and snags from buttons and zippers. Excessively high heat in the dryer can ruin some fabrics and cause irreversible damage. When not tumbled around and subjected to the high heat of the dryer, clothing and home linens don’t wear out, fade, develop holes, or pill as quickly.Line drying prevents clothes from withering or shrinking each time it’s sent to get dried, and it will also save the cost of re-purchasing them over time.
Sun drying helps whiten and disinfect laundry: The ultra-violet rays of sunlight help to bleach and disinfect laundry. This is particularly beneficial for white sheets, towels and cloth diapers. However, for dark-colored clothes, excessive sunlight can cause some harm. So keep dark colors in the shade, if possible, to prevent fading.
Sun drying increases physical activity: Hanging up laundry is a physical activity that you can do inside or outside. Fifteen minutes of hanging laundry or removing it from the line burn 68 calories. That’s saving enough calories to enjoy a snack of 20 olives or three mini candy bars. There is something very therapeutic about sun-drying clothes outside, especially when the weather is refreshingly beautiful. Sun-drying clothes means a little extra time in the sun which is good for vitamin-d and for overall health.
It reduces wrinkles: After drying your clothes from pins on a clothesline, hang them up outside and let the wrinkles dissipate. Since the clothes are weighed down by the water, they naturally stretch to their original form, thus removing any wrinkles that may appear.
If people around the world, especially in the US, used a clothesline for sun drying just once a week, we could make a huge difference in reducing the damage we are doing to our environment with our dependence on fossil fuels, which is not only important for the planet, but is absolutely vital for the health of our families and communities too.
On 23rd June, 1948 Olympic day was introduced at the Sorbonne in Paris. Basically it was introduced to celebrate the birth of modern Olympic games on 23rd June, 1894. The aim or purpose of this is to promote active participation of the people in sports across the world regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. Olympic Rings are the symbol of Olympic games which is known throughout the world and is the visual ambassador of Olympism for many people. The design was first created by Pierre De Coubertin. The Olympic rings are the global symbol of The Olympics.
The Olympic symbol consists of five rings with different colors. while using these colors it shall be from left to right as blue, yellow, black, green and red. These rings are interlaced with each other from left to right. At the top clue, black and red rings are situated whereas yellow and green are situated at the bottom. It expresses the Olympic movement and represents the union of five continents and meeting of athletes at the Olympic games throughout the world. The founder of the Olympic movement is Pierre de Coubertin. These five rings represents different parts of the world. Many countries participated in the Olympics every time. In 2018 winter Olympics about 91 countries participated. Hence, Olympics are held every four years.
History of the Olympic Rings:
1913- Olympic rings are introduced to public for the first time. With white background five rings are interlaced with blue, yellow, black, green and red.
1920- Olympic flag made their first appearance at the games of the VII Olympic Antwerp 1920.
1957- The IOC (International Olympic Committee) approved the symbol with slightly different from Coubertin’s original in which the rings intersect with each other.
1986- It is officially decided that to add gaps between the rings by the IOC.
2010- the official version of Olympic rings returned to its original with an interlaced design as of Coubertin’s vision.
The last summer olympics were held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil in 2016 and the last winter olympics was held in PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018.
Summer Sports include Archery, Artistic Swimming, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, cycling BMX, Cycling Mountain Bike, Cycling Road, Cycling Track, Diving, Dressage, Equestrian Eventing, Equestrian jumping, Fencing, Football, Golf, Gymnastics artistic, Gymnastic rhythmic, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Marathon swimming, Modern pentathlon, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Trampoline, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water polo, Weightlifting, Wrestling freestyle and Wrestling Greco-Roman.
Winter sports includes Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice hockey, Luge, Nordic combined, Short track, Ski Jumping, Snowboard and Speed Skating.
All the rights and the use of Olympics properties belong to the IOC and not limited for the use of profit-making , commercial or advertising purposes. It will be used only with the written consent of the IOC. Now a days, Olympics games are developing much more than just a sports event. As participation of the countries are increasing.
The greatest glory of life lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
What if I fall? Waht if I could not succeed? What will be everyone’s perception? These are some questions which the part and parcel of everybody’s lives. Personages are worried thinking about the failures and it’s consequences there on. No, its not completely their own fault. It is the kind of mindset that everyone has acquired in this “cut throat“ competitive world. Success is a must. Be it a kid of class first or a CEO of an MNC, nobody wants to face the shame of failure and want to succeed in a go. The question however is, does, everyone succeed? What happens to those who have to go through the misery of defeat?
Looking back to the history, since human civilized on the earth, the Homo Sapien is constantly striving hard to keep inventing and find new dimensions on the planet starting from invention of wheel to a space ship. All this could have been a reality because these great scientists maintained the spirit of never say die. Most of the scientists, be it Newton or Einstein, have failed miserably in their attempts hundreds of times, even because the laughing stock of the town, but, what they adhered was the ability and spirit to learn from their mistakes, and crown humanity with world’s most revolutionary inventions.
The world revers the Father of India, Mahatma Gandhi who is known for his methods ofsatyagraha and non-violence. A lean man, wearing a dhoti with his efforts drove away the British from India. Isn’t it awkward that a saint like Gandhi, made mistakes too? Incidents from the Indian freedom struggle are an example of it. When Mahatma urged the folks to agitate peacefully and non-violentely, the incidences of violence were very common from different parts of the country. Gandhi understood his mistake and immediately called off his strike. He accepted where he fall short and came back with improvements with even more vigour. If a saint like him has the will and heart to accept his ahorr falls, then everyone can!
A lantern among such examples is Helen Keller. Being a blind, she have had immense sufferings all through her life. But, zhe challenged even the toughest of obstacles of her lives, learnt from them and has forever left her name, in the minds of mankind. In most of her beautiful words she had said –
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
The man behind the “theory of Black holes“, Stephen Hawking has set an example for the world as to how allphysical barriers are too small to stop the willingness and dedication to achieve something. Human is the most cunning of all animals, excellent at making excuses for the mistakes. Instead of making the excuse, if one look at the other side of the coin, mankind has the ability to make the best out of those mistakes.”Experience is the best teacher in world ” is a popular saying, which most of us are aware to exist but only a few are aware enough to apply.
If the stories mentioned above are too great to apply then the motivation is not far from anybody. Seeing an ant crawling on the floor, most of the people try to block it’s path midway. But, does that make it stop then and there? She moves back, chooses a different path and heads towards her destination again. If an ant, who is nothing compared to an human size keeps with herself the courage to redefine hert path then why are humans lagging behind in the practice.
The biggest jolt is the number of increasing suicides because of failures in one or the other things. The peer pressure to perform good, excel in the field, not able to maintain a healthy and happy relationship, not able to earn a good amount of money and respect are few reasons cited behind the steps taken such as suicides. But the actual culprit is the narrow vision of the people which restrict s them from seeing the larger gains of failures. Nobody is willing to accept the mistakes in a world where they think, they are perfect and can never commit mistakes. This blindfold of pride and never changing attitude is the actual reason behind such cases. People somehow lack the desire to explore and pertain ignorance towards garnishing themselves.
No one is unaware of the great success story of Indian mars explorer mission – Mangalyaan, but the success story would be incomplete without the mention of the failure of its predecessor Mangalyaan -1. If the scientists never possessed the courage to gulp the failure and work harder on Mangalyaan -2, India could never have created the history and added feathers to its crown. The success stories of IAS officers are too fascinating to admire and learn. One of the most prominent lines all of these stories is the vigorous enthusiasm to learn from mistakes. The most horrible nightmares for an aspirant is the failure in the examination in first attempt. But, the stories of the officers demonstrate, how they cleared the examination in 2nd, 3rd attempt, or even last attempt. These lessons taught the world that persistence, patience and will work together to achieve goals as big as this. For a person unwilling to learn from experience even the last attempt is equivalent to the first.
People get depressed or disappointed in lives on tasting a sour chocolate from the box but they forget that as they keep on tasting, someday they will find the sweet one.
None is perfect in this world and it is obvious for everyone to make mistakes. But, it is the handling of the mistakes that differentiates an ordinary person from an extraordinary person
Space missions and experiments have become a field of research as we acknowledge new discoveries with every trip to space . Human advancement in space and related technology in the late 50’s led to sending satellites in space and later in the late 60’s landing on the Moon opened new phases for human understanding of space. Since then humans have achieved new advancement in the technologies and the machine which has opened many of these new operations. Landing on the moon was a great step for humans to understand their ability to travel to different planets too. Spacex is coming up with their idea of sending manned spacecraft to Mars in the early 20’s . It Is expected to carry astronauts by 2024 and are planning a full setup forming base for humans.
But as we know the last mission which landed on the moon was dated Dec 17 1972 . Various other astronauts have made a moon walk and left their remains as footprints still present on the surface of the moon. Eugene Cernan and Harrison Smitt hold the record to be the last men walking on the moon. This mission accomplished the longest moonwalk and collected more than 500 samples of this lunar soil. They covered a distance of 20 miles with the help of a lunar rover, collecting samples and understanding terrain, while driving around. The remains or the marks of their journey till remains as we see through satellite. Due to absence of winds , there is no phenomenon which could move or distort those marks. NASAhigh resonance cameras recorded those prints present there after more than 3 and a half decades since the last landing on the moon. In 2009 .
But some other picture depicting the marks of footprints shocked the scientists as soon as they saw them. These were more than the size of a normal human being and were following a trail depicting a proper moment over the surface. It is just like we leave a trail on the deserts , but due to wind it gets hidden or distorted. But on the moon the scenario is different but the marks remain forever as there is no wind to distort them. It was interesting to notice these movements or marks since they were present about “30 miles from the landing site, while humans have never travelled on the surface of moon for more than 20 miles.”
But since we do question the existence of life in space , scientists were interested to know what could be the reasons for those if not humans or Aliens. So they came up with the thoughts like :
They could be due to meteors which do hit and Impact the surface of the moon. But still doubted as the occurrence is in a straight line . While meteors and asteroids do hit and make craters which we see, but not a line.
Other scientists came up with a belief that these could be a tube of lava. We know that there are a number of volcanoes on the surface of moons. Scientists believe that there is still lava present inside the surface and is still running causing lava tubes to form . We could come up with this observation as is the case on earth and there are various tubes through which lava still flows.
These tubes are supposed to be as long as several kilometers under the surface of the moon.
There could be many other beliefs of scientists, but the belief in tubes, if it is there, can be beneficial for humans to set up their base on the moon. It is believed to be strong, tough and resistant from external damage. This could be safe from the radiations and also provide suitable temperatures for humans. Along with those would also save from meteors which do fall frequently on the surface. But it could be an issue of concentration, since we know that lava still flows underground through this tube and we are not sure that these caves are dead or not, so it could be an area of concern if we do reach the moon and set up base in them.
“The unusual activities or observations do bring out the fascination of humans to know about thee. The major field humans are working on is to find life in space, and observations like these do keep those expectations alive.But if not, we do find out something new every time which could help us in near future, in understanding space. And thus making our future travel and trips more secure . “
Nobody likes to fail in their life in any task or work. Everyone likes the taste of success. Success gives you pride, popularity, money, and happiness. But it is not possible to be successful every time in your life.
Sometimes, you fail in your work. Failure is not liked by anyone. It makes you feel that you are not worthy enough of anything. It makes you weak emotionally. But there are many things that can be learnt from failure. I have listed down a few below:
● Failure motivates us to keep trying and not losing hope until we achieve our goal. It teaches us the importance of hard work. It teaches us to not take things for granted and become more serious about our work.
● Failure helps to boost our imagination skills and makes us innovative in life. Because when you fail in your work once, you try to attempt so many different and new ways and create your own methods to gain success in your work. In this process, your mind works in a way to keep improving your thought process.
● Failure gives you some valuable life lessons. It shows you, who is with you during your tough times because people always stand by you when you are successful. But they do not always support you in your failure. Failure thus displays the real side of your dear ones.
● When you fail in a particular task, you do feel bad about it. No one likes to lose and you are always scared to accept your defeat. But, failure will mentor you to face your fear of not winning a task. Once you face it, you become familiar with it and this removes the fear of losing out from your mind. It boosts your confidence and you take more efforts to win your task.
● When you don’t succeed in your work, you feel depressed. But, you also start finding out ways to get out of your depression. You begin to work on yourself. You train yourself to focus on all the good and positive things and stay away from the negativity. Failure thus helps you to become emotionally strong.
● Everyone has failed in some or the other phases of their life. Failure teaches you to be inspired by others. It teaches you to be happy with your struggle rather than success. It teaches you to learn from other’s life struggles and get inspired from them, how they faced failure in their work and overcame it successfully.
● Failure helps you to experience more. You get a better and deep understanding of your work and how things work. Through this experience, you bring some changes in your strategies and develop new ones to become successful.
So, whenever you feel low or insulted because of failure and want to give up on your work. Just remember, that everything in this world has a positive side too and teaches us a lot, so never miss an opportunity to learn from it.
Likewise, failure can also be a good tutor and you can become a better person once you start accepting it. Learn to never give up on things easily, keep trying for it and also accept your defeat with gratitude.
Fats are not always harmful to the human body. Like other essential nutrients for the human body, fats are also important but everything in a huge amount will affect our body negatively.
There are two types of fats good fats and bad fats
Good fats are unsaturated fats and omega 3s are healthy for our body they boost our energy level, fight fatigue, improve our mood, and even help in weight loss.
while bad fats such as saturated fats or trans fats are responsible for our weight gain, fatigue, raise cholesterol which ultimately causes many serious cardiovascular diseases, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.HDL cholesterol is the “good” kind of cholesterol found in your blood.LDL cholesterol is the “bad” kind. The key is to keep LDL levels low and HDL high, which may protect against heart disease and stroke.
When we hear cholesterol it always has a bad impression in our mind. We think it is not good for our body but as like other nutrients cholesterols are also important in a sufficient amount for our body, until it doesn’t become bad for the health.
Most of the foods that contain these types of fats are solid at room temperature, such as:
butter
margarine
shortening
beef or pork fat
Most saturated fats are animal fats. They’re found in high-fat meats and dairy products.
Eating too much-saturated fat can increase blood cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.
Traditionally, doctors have linked higher saturated fat intakes with increased heart disease risks. This idea has been called into question more recently.
Short for “trans fatty acids,” trans fat is generated synthetically and appears in foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These are the worst fats for you. You might find trans fat in:
fried foods (French fries, doughnuts, deep-fried fast foods)
Like saturated fat, trans fat can raise LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol. Trans fat can also suppress high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels or “good” cholesterol.
Essential fatty acids- These are the fatty acids can not be synthesized. There are two types of essential fatty acids-
Linoleic acid (Omega 6)
Alpha linoleic acid
Linoleic and Linoleic acids are the essential fatty acids that are derived from foods containing Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
Alpha Linoleic acid is a type of omega-3 fatty acid. The best source of Omega- 3 is oily fish. It can also be derived from other marine sources, such as algal oils. ALA, on the other hand, is mainly obtained from nuts and seeds.
Here are the amounts of omega-6s in 100 grams (3.5 oz) of the following foods:
Soybean oil: 50 grams
Corn oil: 49 grams
Mayonnaise: 39 grams
Walnuts: 37 grams
Sunflower seeds: 34 grams
Almonds: 12 grams
Cashew nuts: 8 grams
Here are the amounts and types of omega-3s in one serving of the following foods:
Salmon: 4.0 grams EPA and DHA
Mackerel: 3.0 grams EPA and DHA
Sardines: 2.2 grams EPA and DHA
Anchovies: 1.0 grams EPA and DHA
Chia seeds: 4.9 grams ALA
Walnuts: 2.5 grams ALA
Flaxseeds: 2.3 grams ALA
Anything that we consume in our diet should be healthy along with the taste.
Next time do check whether you are consuming something which is not good for your health…
References-
1. Siri-Tarino, P.W., et al., Saturated fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease: modulation by replacement nutrients. Curr Atheroscler Rep, 2010. 12(6): p. 384-90.
2. Hu, F.B., Are refined carbohydrates worse than saturated fat? Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(6): p. 1541-2.
I remembered my first day in college, our vice-chancellor arranged a seminar for all departments 1st-year student, he motivated us, told us about the future that is in our hand, and one thing that I always keep in my mind he told that every student should know to code, I knew the importance of code language, programming, Artificial Intelligence but I really not aware of their history how it was developed, so after the session, I am starting to know about code languages during this time I came came to know about a man “Alan Turing” his life, passion for mathematics and machine, code languages, computer science, just mesmerized me.
Alan Mathison Turing the Father of Modern computer science and Artificial Intelligence. Today Mr. Turing’s 108th birth anniversary. He was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalization of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, which can be considered a model of a general-purpose computer.
His revolutionary idea was to create a machine that would turn thought processes into numbers. The machine would read a series of ones and zeros from a tape which described the steps needed to solve a problem or task.During the Second World War, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park, Britain’s codebreaking centre that produced Ultra intelligence. For a time he led Hut 8, the section that was responsible for German naval cryptanalysis. Here, he devised a number of techniques for speeding the breaking of German ciphers, including improvements to the pre-war Polish BOMBE method, an electromechanical machine that could find settings for the Enigma machine.
German Enigma Machine
BOMBE
Reconstructed form of Bombe now in the national museum of computing,England
Turing played a crucial role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic, and in so doing helped win the war.he and fellow scientist saved lots of life by code breaking.
The man who is a pioneer of modern mathematics and computer science, his invention, theories changed today’s technology. Tribute to the world’s great Inventor Mr. Alan Mathison Turing🙏.
All of us are much aware of the technology that succeed but some technologies are their that doesn’t able to make history and miserably fails .Let’s look over them.
Apple Newton
Apple Newton was a Apple’s handheld Personal digital assistant.Main idea behind this was to create a portable and easy to use computer that “it had to fit the Apple’s CEO john Sculley’s pocket”,eventually Newton’s team jokingly said that they have to break into the house and sew larger pockets in all of his pants.The PDA could take notes, store contacts, and manage calendars and could use it to send a fax.It also include the feature that could translate handwriting into text but ultimately this feature led to the sudden death of the PDA. Due to poor architecture they barely make it working.However,it’s development accidentally lead to ipad,thus proving that one can learn from their failures and get along a way to success.
Google+
Google+ was a social network owned by Google and launched on 28 June,2018.But Google+ was a massive failure .Google+ was launched without having a proper plan ,just to compete with Google+.In its last time it was having a huge bug which led to exporture of data of millions of users ,ultimately led to death of Google+.Google+ is not only a social network that has shut down ,GoogleBuzz was lauched in 2010 and retired the next year and there are many more.
Tata Nano
Tata Nano was car manufactured and marketed by Indian automaker Tata Motors ,primarily in India at the price of 1 lakh .Due to cost cutting car was lacking qualities .To lower the price airbags were removed without even thinking about the safety measure and instead they use only one wiper and there were many techniques to keep the price low as possible.Due to its poor build quality it failed miserably and eventually the sales keep on declining.In 2016-2017 Sales reached 7,591 for model .Due to low sales , Tata motors eventually announced the end of production in May, 2018.
iSmell
iSmell Technology was among the all crazy gadgets developed by DigiScents Inc.It was designed to emit smell that corresponded to a user visiting a site or opening an E-mail.There was no flaw in the design but in the idea .There was no need of this type of product , and ultimately it didn’t get attention and fails miserably .It’s deadly defect was that it was consider ridiculous by many and ultimately company get bankrupt.
Windows Phone
Windows Phone was too late to enter in the market.In the business to lead one have to come first with idea ,or come with best quality or ,the cheapest and Windows failed in both quality and the price.The one thing which are people more decline to is number of apps.Though apps were available on the both the platform but Android were more polished.Phone has a poorly designed mobile Operating system which is one of the reason of it’s failure .They failed to support the mobile OS as needed .Neither they have a good interface to build high market.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comment below and have a wonderful day.
Drawing is one of my favourite pastimes. I have loved drawing since I was a child and it still remains my favourite thing to do whenever I am bored and want to be entertained.
Drawing is actually not that easy as it looks. It involves immense efforts of an artist to bring a picture to perfection. But, if we exclude all the difficulties involved in the process of drawing, then it can be a real pleasure. It offers various benefits.
● Drawing improves your creativity skills. This is because you think of different ideas and ways to make your drawing more attractive and effective. It is a kind of exercise to your brain, wherein your mind is stimulated to think of innovative ways to present your thoughts artistically.
● Drawing is a great way to show your concepts to the world in your way. It gives a chance to show your talent to others and impress them with your innovative skills. You get to show your perspective of life through your art.
● Drawing is real entertainment. You just enjoy yourself thoroughly while doing this activity. You get to play with different types of colours. You just focus on completing your artwork without worrying about anybody’s opinions or judgements.
● Drawing can be an inspiration for people. You can use your art to spread a significant social message and motivate others to get involved in it as well. Your drawing can help to bring a change in people’s attitude and way of thinking.
● Drawing is a great way to preserve the culture and tradition of a country or religion. Through drawing, an artist can conserve the heritage and show it to the future generations and the entire world.
● Drawing can bring you closer to your family and friends. When you involve them while painting, you get a chance to have fun with them, create some good memories and connect with them.
● Drawing is also an alternative career option. If you know this art really well and love to do it truly then you can consider making it a source of income. You can become a drawing teacher at educational institutions, take online classes or conduct art exhibitions.
● Drawing proves to be helpful to improve your motor skills. The way you hold your painting brush or a pencil or other colours is a good exercise for the muscles of your fingers and hands.
● Through drawing you can express your ideas. You can paint out all your emotions on a paper and get relief from stress. Drawing makes you optimistic and keeps you away from all the negativity happening around you.
● Drawing helps to improve your concentration and makes you more focussed in real life. While drawing, you get so involved in your work that nothing seems to be more important to you. You simply keep focussing on each and every minute detail of your artwork to make it perfect.
So, whenever you are running out of ideas to entertain you when you are exhausted and want to have fun then, drawing can be a considerable option. Along with entertaining you, it also will benefit you in numerous ways. All you need to have is just a piece of paper and some colours and a pencil. Just grab all these things and get started with your artwork.
Manali is a resort town nestled in the mountains of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh near the northern end of the Kullu Valley in the Beas River Valley. It is located in the Kullu district, about 270 km north of the state capital, Shimla, 309 km north east of Chandigarh and 544 km northeast of Delhi, the national capital. The small town, with a population of 8,096, is the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and from there over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. It is a popular tourist destination and serves as the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti district as well as Leh.
Manali is named after the Sanatan Hindu lawgiver Manu. The name Manali is regarded as the derivative of ‘Manu-Alaya’ which literally means ‘the abode of Manu’. Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. Manali lies in the North of Kullu Valley. The valley is often referred to as the ‘Valley of the Gods’. Old Manali village has an ancient temple dedicated to sage Manu.
The British introduced apple trees in the area. The first apple orchard was set up by the British near Patlikuhal, before this, no Apple trees grew in the area. To this day, apple— along with plum and pear— remain the best source of income for the majority of inhabitants. Both Rainbow and Brown Trout was also introduced into the rivers and streams of the area by the colonisers.
With the increase in disposable incomes and somewhat owing to the rise of disturbances in Kashmir in the late 1980s, Manali witnessed a surge in tourist traffic. This once quiet village was transformed into a bustling town with numerous homestays as well as the occasional boutique hotel. During the warmer summer months, cafes and restaurants can be seen doing brisk business.
How to go
By air: The nearest airport is at Bhuntar, located approximately 50 kilometres away from Manali. Domestic flights connect Bhuntar with Delhi and Chandigarh. Once at the airport, you can take a pre-paid taxi to Manali. However, owing to weather conditions, flights are not the most reliable option for getting to or out of Manali.
By bus: Manali is very well-connected to important tourist destinations like Leh, Shimla, Kullu, Dharamshala and New Delhi by means of a network of state-run as well as private buses. The bus journey from Delhi to Manali is 550 kilometres, and it is advisable to book your tickets in the air-conditioned Volvo coaches, as the buses are more comfortable than ordinary ones, keeping in mind the long distance of the journey.
By road/self-drive: The drive up to Manali is simply breathtaking! You can catch scenic glimpses of the adjoining mountains and valleys from almost every turn that the twisty uphill road throws you in. Though a lot of tourists prefer a self-drive up to Manali, it is advisable to hire a taxi in case you are not comfortable with driving in mountainous regions.
Popular Places:
Solang Valley: A valley between the Beas Kund and the Solang village tends to be a favorite for all its visitors as well as the locals. Also known as the Snow point, the Solang valley is famous not only for the glaciers and snow-clad landscapes but also for the countless activities that one can enjoy here.
Rohtang Pass: Rohtang pass is the stretch which connects Manali to Himachal’s dreamier and dessert like landscapes, Spiti and Lahaul, and is one itself. This vast snow desert is a landscape like only a few other and a view one should not miss, while here.
Beas Kund Trek: The Beas Kund trek is a perfect weekend getaway trek with outstanding views of Pir Pinjal mountain ranges over the Beas River. Let your soul get wooed by the spectacular meadows of Dhundi and Bakarthach and finally, the glacial lake at Beas Kund which is worth all the hiking.
Paragliding: The hillside town of Manali is famous for paragliding. At 2050 metres above sea level, it is an ultimate location for the sport, with its beautiful green valleys, stark blue skies, and snow-capped mountain peaks. The picture-perfect valley boasts of ideal wind conditions for paragliding and is thronged by both international and domestic tourists. Starting with a basic training course, the operators are well organized, competent and trustworthy.
Hadimba Temple: Hadimba temple, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, is a peaceful place surrounded by towering deodar trees. The temple is dedicated to Hidimba, the wife of Bhima, one of the five Pandava princes from the great Indian epic Mahabharata. The main attraction of the temple is the three day Hidimba Devi Festival, which attracts devotees from all over the world and features colourful folk dance performances.
Skiing: A major tourist spot of North India, Manali is known for its excellent skiing conditions with skiing enthusiasts visiting from all over the country. The undulating slopes of Solang Valley and Rohtang Pass offer a perfect terrain for amateurs to learn their first move while an ideal grounds for professional skiing in Manali. So, if you are an adventure lover, leave yourself in the hands of your professional trainers to feel the thrill of skiing in the picturesque setting of Manali.
Chandratal Baralacha Lake: Chandratal Baralacha is a perfect trek destination steeped with all the right elements – nature’s beauty and enough challenges to be thrilling and tranquillity. Perched at an altitude of 4,300 meters, Chandratal is one of the high altitude lakes in the Himalayan region. Located on the Samudra Plateau of Spiti Valley, the most delightful sight of sunset gleaming upon the turquoise waters of the lake, pristine landscape, mountain passes, several gushing streams, verdant meadows, the gush of colourful orchards and exotic wildlife make Chandratal Baralacha Trek an unforgotten experience to cherish forever.
Why visit Manali?
Trekking Trails: Trekking is one of the most popular activities that many people love to do because it makes them feel more adventurous and close to Mother Nature. Manali is considered a paradise for trekking enthusiasts as it is the starting point of many amazing trekking trails. The most famous trek is the Hampta Pass, which starts from Jobri Nala. Some of the other treks are Beas Kund, Bhrigu Lake, Dashaur Lake, Patalsu Peak, Lamadugh, Hampta Circuit, Deo Tibba base camp, etc.
Vibrant Markets: Markets and mall roads are considered the lifeline of hill stations. Manali is home to a vast Tibetan market where one can find and shop varieties of clothes and souvenirs. The old Manali area is home to several cool cafes where one can chill out and spend a pleasant evening.
Waterfalls: Waterfalls are the only place where one can sit for hours and enjoy the sound of gushing water. Manali houses a famous waterfall called Jogini waterfall situated around 7.5 km from the main city. The place is perfect for spending quality time.
Mountain Biking: The most exciting thing about the mountains is the road and mountain biking can give you once in a lifetime experience. The curvaceous and adventurous roads can amaze anyone with its thrill. So if you are an adventure buff then it’s a must try activity in Manali. Bikes can easily be rented in Manali.
Hot Sulphur Baths: The natural hot water springs are one of the most exciting phenomena and found in the mountains. Taking a bath in these springs can give you an amazing relief. Manali houses one hot water spring situated at Vashisht Temple.
So this summer head out to Manali to beat the city heat and have a memorable trip. What are you waiting for?
International Journal of Research (IJR) 