Kisholoy is produced by members of Ananda Mandir. The articles or photographs of this magazine are copyrighted and should not be reproduced in any other forms without the consents of the owners. For information contact Dipakksarkar@hotmail.com.
We would like to acknowledge the contributions from the following members:
Sponsors: Amitabha Bagchi, Anjan Lahiri, Anup Rakhit, Arun Bhowmik, Ashok Rakhit, Biswajyoti Nayak, Bisajit Sarkar, Debajyoti and Sikha Chatterji, Dipak K. Sarkar and Shirley Sanderson, Indrani and Subrata Dhar, Jai Prakash Biswas, Nimai Ghosh, Mita Sinha, Mitra Purkayastha, Nilotpal Paul, Rik Sen, Riteka Ghosh, Santosh Mukherjee and Ambalika Mukherjee, Shyamal Sarkar, Surya Dutta, Utpal Sengupta, and Anasuya Sen.
Article: Anooshka Sen (age 8). Anshini Biswas (age 11), Kurchi Das (age 11), Anuraag Sarkar (grade 11), Auroni Sen (age 12), Aniket Roychoudhury (age 12), Ruhani Sarkar (age 13), Anirudh Sarkar (age 14), Sayan Shuvra Chakraborty (age 15), Aishik Sen (age 16), Shivan Mukherjee (age 17), Swayam Shuvra Chakraborty (Bittu) (age 17), Shama Dinesh (age 21), Guru Chakravarty (well wisher) Soumi Jana (well wisher), Biswa jyoti Nayak (Priest)
Editors: Utpal Sengupta, Dipak K. Sarkar, Sudipta Choudhury
Magazine Composer: Dipak K. Sarkar
Picture Gallery
By Anooshka Sen (age 8)
Alpana from the drawing competition at Ananda Mandir
The Future of Earth
By - Anooshka Sen (age 8)
Last weekend I saw a very nice movie called WALL-E. It was an animated science fiction movie about the future of planet Earth. This is from a time when the planet was full of trash with no sign of life, and humans had long left to live in a spaceship. Humans were also in search of a new Earth like planet. Wall-E was an old solar power robot left on planet Earth. His daily routine was to compact the trash that filled earth and stack them. WALL-E would save things that he liked and bring them to his home, an old bunker. One day when WALL-E was doing his work he came across a small plant that had recently germinated. WALL-E took the plant and carefully put it in an old shoe in his bunker. Then one day WALL-E saw a spaceship land on earth and out came a sweet looking modern robot. The modern robot started scanning everything and noticed something moving. It got scared and started shooting LASERS (lasers) at it. It was a roach, WALL-E’s only friend. Then later that day WALL-E and the modern robot came face to face and introduced themselves. The new robot's name was Eva. WALL-E was very curious and impressed by Eva’s new design and looks because WALL-E was an old generation robot. WALLE took Eva to his home and showed the things he had collected. When he showed her the baby plant, Eva scanned the plant and stored it inside her. Her arms were tucked in and she stayed still with a green plant indicator in her belly. This indicator was proof that life form was detected. WALL-E was surprised and also sad since Eva had turned motionless. He tried his best to wake Eva but nothing worked. The next day the same spaceship returned and took Eva away. WALLE followed and climbed onto the side of the spaceship. Soon WALL-E was in space. The spaceship attached onto a larger spaceship where all the humans had migrated and now lived.
Inside the spaceship it was a different world and nothing resembled the present world. It was very hightech and robots did everything. The humans did not have to walk and they didn’t even talk to each other. They had robotic seats to carry them and computer screens to entertain them. Food was also readily supplied by the robots. Since they never moved and simply sat and ate food, it made the humans fat and they were not even able to stand on their feet. WALLE followed Eva where robots were taking her and finally they took Eva to the captain's control room.
Image
Image source: www.jonnegroni.com
According to the instructions in the spaceship manual, the captain was supposed to see the evidence of life and take the spaceship back to earth as the little plant was proof that earth can now sustain life again. But the robots did not want that so they hid the plant. Eva and WALL-E looked everywhere for the plant, and suddenly WALL-E found the plant and hid it inside him. In order to go back to Earth Eva and WALL-E needed to put the plant on a scanner and the autopilot would start the return journey to Earth. The robots tried to stop them, but WALL-E and Eva were able to take the plant to the scanner. The scanner scanned the plant and on detecting proof of life from earth, started the return journey back to earth. Upon returning to Earth, the humans had to work hard again to make the earth green and full of life.
So watching this movie made me think that Earth’s resources are very precious and limited. We should be very careful in using them. Also, we should all act responsibly and reduce waste as well as pressure on earth’s environment. This way we can keep our big blue planet habitable and beautiful for a long long time.
Reference: WALL-E (The movie)
The End –
Image source: www radiodisneyclub.com
Picture Gallery
By - Ashish Kuriyan (age 4)
This painting was inspired by Dr. Suess' story of the Lorax, which is a story about the destruction of the environment. The painting represents the truffula trees.
Picture Gallery
By - Arianna Mukherjee Chakraborty (age 5) and Boidurjo Bandyopadhyay (age 6)
Arianna Mukherjee Chakraborty (age 5)
Boidurjo Bandyopadhyay (age 6)
Picture Gallery
By - Sophie Pancoast (age 6) and Ella Pancoast (age 8)
Artist - Sophie Pancoast (age 6)
Artist- Ella Pancoast (age 8)
Picture Gallery
By - Adeeptarshi Thakur (age 12) and Srijani Chakraborty (age 15)
Adeeptarshi Thakur (age 12)
Reason for painting The arch of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: " Did you know the Cabo arch is also known as "Land's End." Why, I would like nothing better than to achieve some bold adventure, worth our trip. With the wavy water and madness of the weather, when I reached in front of the arch and saw a "Dragon drinking water" it made me Awe. My adventure was very much worth it.
Srijani Chakraborty (age 15)
Srijani note: A lively procession makes its way up a hill; the sounds of the drums and dance fills the air. An effervescent moment is captured with black pens and pencils.
Jiyon's note: This is a half and half, abstract, watercolor painting showing the sun and the moon. For the sun there are warmer shades of pink, orange, and yellow, and for the moon there are cooler shades of blue and purple. There is a silhouette of a tree in the middle of the drawing.
Picture Gallery
By - Jiyon Banerjee (age 11)
Jiyon's note: This is a sketch inspired by an image take in the Yellowstone National Part. My inspiration for this sketch came from the beauty of the mountains and rivers in Yellowstone National Park.
Darcy Goes to Durga Puja
By - Anshini Biswas (age 11)
Darcy was unhappy today. Her parents were going away for a few nights to meet their friend out of town. They wanted Darcy to come with them, but Darcy did not want to go. Her parents’ friends did not have any kid her age who she could play with.
“Why don't you call a babysitter to watch me?” Darcy said. Darcy's mom thought about that for a second and said, “We don't know any good babysitter that will stay overnight.”
“Well, um... why don't you let me stay at a friend's house.” Darcy suggested. Her parents looked at each other for a second and then her dad said, “That… actually may be a good idea. Who do you want to stay with?”
“Tanya,” Darcy blurted out in excitement.
“Ok,” Darcy's mom said, “I'll call Tanya’s mom and ask her if you can stay with her for a few nights.”
“Yay!” Darcy exclaimed.
Next day after breakfast, Darcy’s mom drove her to Tanya’s house. It was a quick fifteen minutes drive.
When they reached there, Darcy and Tanya immediately started planning their day together. They started with some board games, like Monopoly and Uno and then eventually started to talk about what they wanted to do tomorrow.
“Tomorrow is Durga puja,” Tanya said with excitement.
“Oh, what's that?” Darcy asked curiously.
“Durga Puja celebrates the victory of goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasur.”
“That sounds interesting,” Darcy said.
“Good, we’ll have fun together.'' Tanya said. They played some more board games and then they had their dinner and went to bed.
The next day Darcy along with Tanya and her mom all drove to the Durga Puja together. When they got inside, they found many stalls with people selling books, sweets, dresses, and more.
“What are those white balls called?” Darcy was pointing to a table that displayed different foods.
“Those are called Rasogollas,” Tanya explained. “It's an Indian sweet. Do you want to try one?”
“Yeah, sure,” Darcy said.
Tanya paid the guy running the stall and bought two Rasogollas for them. They both had one each.
“I like it!” Darcy said with a smile on her face. And then she pointed to another food. “What are these brown triangles?” she asked curiously.
“Those are called Singaras,” Tanya explained. “Let's try them.”
“It's a little spicy, '' Darcy said after biting into one.
“I find it spicy too, but I really like the outside crust, Try the crust.” Tanya said.
Then they both ate the outside crust of a few Singaras, and dumped the inside in the trash, making sure that Tanya’s mom doesn't see them; she doesn't like Tanya wasting food.
After that they went inside the hall. In the hall they saw Durga Thakur, and beside her they saw other gods, goddesses, and even some animal statues.
“Those are beautiful,” Darcy said.
“I know, right,” Tanya agreed. they're called “thakurs.”
“What does thakur mean?” Darcy asked.
“It means God.” Tanya answered. “The god in the middle is called Durga thakur and the gods on the sides are called Ganesh thakur, Lakshmi thakur, Saraswati thakur, and Kartik thakur. Durga thakur's weapon is pointed towards Mahishashur the demon.”
“Wow, that's amazing,” Darcy said.
“I know, right” Tanya said, Darcy and Tanya watched people do the ‘anjali’. It was funny watching them try to perfectly throw the flowers so that they land on Druga thakurs feet.
Soon it was time for the cultural program. Tanya was participating in the opening ceremony, so she left to get ready for the program. Meanwhile, Darcy sat in a seat next to Tanya’s mom and with her phone she took pictures of Tanya dancing. The program was so colorful and lively with music and dance. Everyone was wearing such beautiful Indian clothes and it was enjoyable.
After Tanya finished her program, she hung out with Darcy again. While they were playing together, they noticed that Tanya’s mom was looking for something with a panicked look on her face.
“Auntie, are you looking for something?” Darcy asked.
“Yeah, I lost my wedding ring.” Tanya’s mom answered in a sad and panicked way.
“When did you see it last?” Darcy asked.
“Well, I noticed I lost it during the cultural programs, when I was clapping my hands” Tanya’s mom replied.
Darcy and Tanya split up and started looking for the ring. Darcy looked around the auditorium for the ring, while Tanya checked the restroom and the hallways. Neither of them could find it. Tanya’s mom even asked someone on the stage to announce that she lost her ring and a few of Tanya’s mom's friends also started looking for it.
After some time, Darcy ignored the commotion and sat down. She started thinking sequentially, where it might’ve fallen. Then, she remembered something. She walked toward the riser where all the Thakurs were displayed. She asked one of the volunteers if she could get up on the riser near the Thakurs and after he said yes, she got on there and started looking underneath all
the flowers. After a few minutes Darcy came back holding the ring in her hand and a happy smile on her face.
Tanyas mom was both happy and surprised, “How did you find it?!” she asked with obvious relief on her face.
“Well, I remember this morning when you were getting dressed up you were telling Tanya how you lost some weight recently and all your clothes are a bit loose now. Then when you were driving the car, I saw that you were fidgeting with your ring every now and then. I figured that your ring might have been loose because you lost some weight recently. Then I remembered during the Anjali how you and everyone else were trying to throw the flowers so that they landed on Durga thakur’s feet. I told myself that maybe at that time your ring flew off your finger because it was loose. So, I checked underneath all the flowers and found your ring!”
“That's amazing Darcy. Thank you so much I can't believe you observed that and were able to find it under all the flowers.”
Tanya’s mom gave Darcy a big hug.
Soon it was time for dinner. During dinner they had all their favorite foods. There was pizza and pasta. Per Tanya’s request Darcy even tried some of the mutton and she actually liked it.
They all came home happy, and Darcy promised Tanya that she would join them for next year's Durga puja as well.
Unveiling of Tagore's Statue at Ananda Mandir on September 19, 2021.
Chitrokoot’s First Vacation
Anshini Biswas (age 11)
Just a few days back, one fine evening my parents came over to my room and told me that we were going on a vacation in spring break. I started dancing with joy! Even though we weren’t going that far away, and we’d only be there for four days, I was still so excited! I love going on vacations, so I’m always happy whenever we go on one. But since the pandemic started, we have not gone on any vacation in the last year, so I was extra happy! I immediately ran downstairs to Chitrokoot and told him, “We're going on a vacation!”
Chitrokoot looked a little bit confused and then he said “woof.”
I think he also got excited because this would be his first vacation ever! In case you have not figured it out yet, Chitrokoot is my pet dog.
The next few days I happily packed my bags, I even packed a secret bag of chocolate! My parents and I soon realized that we did not have enough things, so we went shopping and got some extra food, clothes, and a few other things. The night before, I couldn’t sleep in excitement. I kept checking my backpack to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Then finally the day came.
These days my parents worked from home, so they finished work and started loading the car with all of our bags. We fed Chitrokoot his dinner, and off we went! When we started driving, Chitrokoot was both calm and anxious at the same time. When we got to the highway, he got very excited because he has never been on a highway before. He was trying to jump on the window and look outside. We had to calm him down with music.
However, the real story started when we got there. You see, Chitrokoot only does his business on the grass in our backyard. However, the house we rented had only concrete in the backyard, and he refused to do his business there. Of course, we didn’t know all of this until we got there, so there was nothing we could do about it.
The next morning my dad gave Chitrokoot his normal food, but since he was not doing his business, he stopped eating. We tried to make him eat by putting treats into his food and giving him less kibble. My mom even tried to feed him with her hands, but nothing seemed to work. The morning soon went by and the evening came. I was expecting Chitrokoot would eat this time, but he still wouldn’t. At that point, we were getting worried. My parents were discussing if we should take him to the Vet but since it was a new place they did not think it would be a good idea to bring him to a new Vet.
That evening, I watched a movie and then got ready for bed. I turned off all the lights and fell asleep. Suddenly, I woke up and heard a rustling sound from downstairs. I curiously went downstairs and found Chitrakoot chewing trash! I was very tired so I decided to just bring him upstairs and put the gate up so he could not go back downstairs. I went back to sleep. After a little while, I woke up hearing a big bang. I jumped out of bed and woke up mom and dad because I was scared. I thought maybe someone broke into the house. We slowly crept towards the stairs and found Chitrokoot knocked down the gate! We picked the gate up and went back to sleep. For the rest of the night, he was silent.
The next day when I woke up and went downstairs, I saw vomit on the floor and my mom cleaning it. I was confused because Chitrokoot was not eating any food, so where did the vomit come from? Then I remembered that he was eating some trash last night.
My dad tried to make Chitrokoot do his business again in the backyard of the house, but he started refusing to do anything. However, after a little while, he did it! It appeared that him eating the trash really did the trick. When my dad brought him back into the house he jumped at his food and started eating as if he hasn’t eaten in a week. We sighed in relief. Finally the boy is back to eating his food again. He finished his food in less than a minute.
When he was done eating, I went over to him and whispered in his ear “Why weren’t you eating for the past 36 hours?”
He sniffed me a little bit and licked my cheek as if he was saying sorry. I gave him a tight hug and said, “let’s enjoy the rest of this vacation.”
He looked at me and said “woof”.
- The End –
Hazel and the Seasons
By - Kurchi Das (age 11)
Hazel was out in her backyard leaping and running around on a hot summer day. As she danced, birds chirruped along with her. What a nice day…
Hazel hopped over to the blooming garden and eyed the little ants scurrying across some leaves. She even spotted a lively, little, ladybug sunning on a deep green leaf. Ha, Hazel thought, lively-little-ladybug! She leaned into a tiny bright and sunny-yellow flower, its petals rounded downward. Hazel had a little knack for crafting up some nicknames for flowers and creatures in her lovely garden. Now you can probably tell that she is pondering about the nickname of the yellow flower. Of course! Hazel thought, it is a sunny-yellow color, it’s tiny, there are a lot of them, so…Why not call them “sundrops”? There, that’s a beautiful name! Hazel continued. Wait, she caught a glimpse of a little orange thing on a tree…a leaf? Is it autumn already?
- The end -
A Memoir on the Wisest Man
I
Ever Knew
Anuraag Sarkar (grade 11)
My grandfather was an amazing person.
Whenever I met him, his eyes were always beaming with confidence and wisdom. He would often look over my history homework and remark about the failures and victories of many prominent figures. He would also passionately recommend novels he had read in his childhood and talk about why one was a better read than another. I was planning on having lively conversations with him and asking for book recommendations the next time I travelled to India, however, that opportunity will never come.
Everything started going downhill when my grandfather got a sore throat. One of his greatest and worst qualities was his confidence and calmness in any sort of situation. During this time, however, it was detrimental. He told almost no one about his sore throat, and when the family eventually found it out, he claimed that it came from a cold beer that he recently had. Although we were a little relieved by his consistent reassurance, my mother pressured him into getting a Covid test.
When the Covid test came back, we were all in shock. The results on the letter had large words on the top that jumped out from the rest- POSITIVE. When my aunt called us about it, I remember my mother almost breaking into tears. Seeing her so upset made it seem like the world around me was burning down. I had never experienced such a strange mix of emotions before. I felt upset. Knowing how many lives Covid had taken in the past year. I felt angry at my grandfather, who did not ever wear a mask. But even with such negative emotions coursing through me, I felt hope, knowing that there was a high chance that my grandfather could survive this ordeal. At the time, I had thought that God was only giving him a test- a test that he would pass with flying colors.
Because of the sudden news, my entire family was chaotic. Grandfather had to go to the hospital, which made everyone worried. Although his entire family was scared out of their minds, my grandfather still took everything casually. He wore a bright colored shirt and laughed when we video called him. When he set out to go to the hospital, it was as if he was going out for an exciting school field trip.
The next few days were a mess. My parents stayed up extremely late to wait for any news. My mom barely got any sleep, which was evident by her sluggish movements. Oftentimes, I would see her sitting on the couch for hours on end, staring at the wall and waiting for any phone calls. Although I was not very attached to my Grandfather compared to the rest of the family considering they live very far away, seeing my mother look so terrible always made me feel worried and upset.
A few days after being admitted to the hospital, my Grandfather’s health only worsened. He found it extremely difficult to breathe and eventually had to be put under a ventilator so he could expel carbon dioxide effectively. My parents started to resemble lookouts- they were always vigilant, stayed up late, and were alarmed by any texts and calls.
Everything seemed to have come to an end when Grandfather was taken out of the ventilator. We had gotten a call from our Aunt, who excitedly conveyed how he no longer had Covid-19 and was able to breathe successfully. When we heard the news, my parents and I had taken a collected sigh of relief, and we were thrilled that the worse had come to pass. My mom video chatted with Grandfather, and although my mother bombarded him with questions about his health, he only returned those questions nonchalantly with inquiries about his business.
After a few more days, however, we got another phone call while my mom was cooking. When she
picked up the phone, our aunt frantically explained that Grandfather had been put under the ventilator again and was not feeling well due to an infection. All of a sudden, the happy atmosphere vanished and was instead replaced with panic.
Deep in my heart, I still held hope that Grandfather could survive. I reasoned that if he had managed to survive the ventilator the first time, he would surely survive the second.
But my hopes were shattered when we got the fatal call. I was in the middle of virtual school at the time. While writing an essay, I heard loud, frantic words.
“He’s no longer here.”
My mom had begun crying profusely, and my dad started comforting her. I felt a sudden shock, and stood still for a few minutes. Slowly, I went up to my mother and tightly hugged her. According to my aunt, Grandfather died of cardiac arrest due to being incredibly weak from the infection.
Before Grandfather’s death, I had thought that death would be followed by dramatic changes. I had an image of death bringing large waves of sudden character changes or a wave of emotions. But I was surprised to see that instead of chaos, I was instead met with silence.
It was a very terrible silence. The entire family stopped moving, and the previously bustling house felt as if it was abandoned. My mother was no longer cooking in the kitchen, and my father was no longer slouching on the couch watching TV. Instead, both were behind closed doors in the bedroom dealing with their emotions.
Although it was not chaotic, the stillness was unbearable. It became increasingly apparent that Grandfather would no longer be around to give his tidbits of wisdom or laugh with us. When we had heard that his ashes had been dumped in the Ganges river, this void grew even more. Despite all this, however, I did not grieve. My main concern was my mother, and I instead focused on trying to cheer her up.
One day, I was lying on the bed unable to sleep. My mind wandered to my deceased Grandfather, and I was suddenly reminded of the many memories I had with him. I began to think about the times he would walk around to different stores in the morning to bring my sister and me sweets. I also remember the time he gave me a big smile after I organized all the books on his bookshelf for him. With all these memories flooding in, it finally hit me that my Grandfather was gone, and I cried for the first time since his hospitalization.
- The End –
Drawing of Kavya Sarkar (age 5)
Picture Gallery
By - Roopkatha Bagchi (age 11)
Abstract art
Performances by Ananda Mandir youth members at the NABC 2021 Program
Hiking the Utah National Parks
By- Auroni Sen (age 12)
My trip to Utah during the COVID-19 pandemic was certainly a very different experience. The reason my family and I decided to travel to Utah for a week was because Utah had many national parks where people could hike. Hiking on the mountains is an activity that is unlikely to expose you to COVID-19 or put you at risk.
On our first day, we flew to Las Vegas, rented a car, and then drove across Arizona and Nevada to get to Utah. We stayed in a small town called Moab, where Arches National Park was located.. After we had lunch, we drove to Arches National Park. We hiked up to a famous arch called the Delicate Arch. The hike was a long hike. The trail was narrow, and steep. Sometimes it was rock , and sometimes it was sand. There was no shade, and it was very hot. The view behind the arch was the view of the whole park. Our first exposure to hiking the national parks in Utah was certainly a memorable one, as we were just getting acclimatized and picked one of the tougher hikes as our first. However, the effort was well worth it once we saw the Arch at the summit.
The next day, We went back to Arches National Park to hike. We did 2 shorter hikes. The first hike was Park Avenue. Although it was steep in parts and there was no shade, it was early on in the morning, there wasn’t much sun. This was the most picturesque hike in Arches National Park, in my opinion. The second hike was to Landscape arch, which was relatively on ground. At one point, the trail suddenly changed to sand. Landscape arch was a nice view, so we stayed around the area and got lovely pictures. People had the option to walk further on this sand trail, hike up the rocks, and arrive at another arch called the Double O Arch. We decided to not continue to Double O Arch, but even without climbing up these rocks, we still had a pretty good view of the arch. We also hiked smaller trails in the Windows section, which had gorgeous views of numerous more stone arches.
We rested in our vacation rental in the afternoon and carried on to Canyonlands National Park at around 4.00pm. Here we hiked to the Mesa Arch and Grand View Point, which were relatively easy compared to our previous hikes.
The next day, we drove to another National Park called Zion National Park. We did a long hike that day to the Emerald Pools. The hike took us through various mountains and had many different paths. It was full of twists and turns. There was a small path that led to a stream which people could cross by stepping over rocks. At the end of the trail was a small waterfall surrounded by rocks. The view was amazing!
At the end of this day, we had a special treat waiting for us. My parents had reserved a tent for our overnight stay in a little town called Virgin, very close to Zion National Park. Now this was no ordinary tent. It was in an area where there were many tents set up. Our's was a large tent with a plush bed and it's own bathroom inside. Beside it was a smaller kid's tent with twin beds. There was no electricity inside the tent, but they gave us battery operated lanterns with battery packs to charge them. Of course there was no air conditioning, but it is amazing how the desert cools down at night after 100 degree F temperatures during the day. The lobby was also a very large tent with a restaurant, where we had dinner that night.
Pretty delicious food for a camp site. There were fire pits outside, where we toasted marshmallows and made smorgasbord. I will never forget this experience. I learnt from my mother, that this was apparently called "glamping" (glamorous camping). Great for people like us who want their own bathrooms with a hot shower and comfy bed to sleep on after a long day's hike. Oh and before I forget to mention, no WIFI here ....!
After a restful sleep in this majestic tent, we were ready for the highlight of our trip the next day. We went back to Zion National Park early in the morning, to hike up to Angel's Landing, the main attraction of Zion National Park. We had heard a lot of mixed reviews about this. This was the hardest hike of our trip. The hike was laid out like this: first, you had to walk uphill without any shade. There were a lot of twists and turns at this part. Then, you walked straight uphill until you came to “ the wiggles”. The wiggles trail is a connecting, steep ,narrow trail with more than 20 sharp switchbacks. This was hard to hike, but eventually we made it up to the top viewpoint called Scout Lookout. It was so well worth it. The view was breathtaking. You had the option to continue up to the top of the second half, but the only way to get to the top of the second half was to climb up the steep rock using a long chain ( connected to the hill) as support.
We couldn’t do this part, because we didn't have the experience.
The hike down was easier, because we were walking downhill. We treated ourselves to a comfort food after this hike, in order to celebrate our achievement. There was another hike that we would have loved to do, called the Narrows. But we were out of time and did not have the right gear. You actually have to hike through a river for about 4 miles.
The day after that, we went to Bryce Canyon National Park. This park has the best views of all the parks we visited on this trip. We took this long hike which connected from one end of the park to the other. The Navajo and Queens-garden trail was a mixed one. Sometimes it was uphill, sometimes it was downhill, and sometimes it was flat. There were a lot of trees at one point and the trail was sandy. At the end it got extremely steep and there was loose gravel, so we had to be careful not to slip and fall. We were quite exhausted after this hike. Within the park there are viewpoints that one can drive to, which have the most amazing views of canyons which have temple-like formations. We enjoyed all of these drives.
Here, my mother had chosen a rustic cottage to stay, in order to experience the surroundings.
The next day, we drove back to Las Vegas, but not before we visited our last destination, Kolob Canyons.
At the end of our trip, we were all proud of ourselves, to have completed all these challenging hikes, and that too in the peak of summer, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees F in some places.
I loved the whole experience!
The World Around You
By Auroni Sen (age 12)
As I step outside, I can hear the soft buzzing in the trees
As I start to move closer, it becomes louder
And then I see one
On the ground
Laying still
Watching me With it’s glowing red eyes
I carefully move around it
And after I pass it It lifts up it's wings And flies up into the air
And I watch
As it goes higher and higher Until it's gone
- The end -
Performances by Ananda Mandir youth members at the NABC 2021 Program
Waiting
By - Aniket Roychoudhury (age 12)
Waiting. For anything, Something to tell me, This would be all over soon. An announcement came. A ray of light, In the darkness. We’d be coming back to school in April.
So, I waited. Went through with school. Went to classes virtually.
The silence there was the real killer. As soon as it started it wouldn’t ever stop. Someone would speak, And then the silence started. It grew and grew. In between exchanges It ate up everything, Until someone was brave enough to break it.
I lived through March into April, Only to get disappointed. It was cancelled.
And again, we were told we’d be coming back in May. Waiting. Only to get disappointed again. Repetition. Over and over again. June.
And we never came back then either. Still waiting, For things to go back to normal.
A New Life
By - Aniket Roychoudhury (age 12)
During the wait, There was so much to get used to.
I used to be the early bird, Now I could be the lazy cat that curls up in the sun. Everything used to be hurried Like the people during rush hour. Now there’s no need for speed. It was like summer break came early. But it was Miserable.
A world once beautiful, With splashes of color everywhere, Like abstract art. Is now gone. What’s replaced it is an alien world. A gray world. Gloomy. Boring.
School was once fun. Laughter and happiness, Flooded the school. My first thought of school used to be Friends.
Now, I stare at a screen. With only small tiny boxes for me to view friends. A once free world, Where I could meet anyone at anytime, Now it has walls Barring me from meeting anyone. And anyone from meeting me. Awaiting a new life.
- The End –
The Rollercoaster
By - Ruhani Sarkar (age 13)
Life’s like a rollercoaster, With its own ups and downs... and thrills and scares... And bumps along the way.
Panics that come along when the ride gets dark; As the long late afternoon shadow casts a spell on life; And the sparks of joy when an accomplishment is made; As the exhilarating amusement is on the peak of the ride.
When we take a deep breath And prepare for a rough downfall, The roller coaster assures steep ascent Some happy moments worth to recall!
Never know what is coming next at the crest, Just the awesome thrill or fear of ultimate drop. But the choice is ours to enjoy or dread the ride... Life is full of surprises, Scream with horror or embrace with pride!
- The end -
Performances by Ananda Mandir youth members at the NABC 2021 Program
The Real Durga
By - Ruhani Sarkar (age 13)
“Durga…...eee Durga…..., go and oil your hair! There will be people to see you. Hurry up! ” Amma yelled while cooking the parathas.
Eleven years old Durga was milking her cow, which was tethered to the mango tree in their front yard. She always wondered, “Why can’t I play with Raja and Dev? They are playing without getting told to lose weight and try to be fairer."
She kept the milk can on the verandah and amassed hay to feed the cow Her twin brothers Raja and Dev, who were only 8, were busy playing football with a big, round grapefruit and perturbed her so much that she couldn’t hear herself think.
She went to her room and looked at her clay dolls she played with, and thought, “Who will take care of them? Will I ever get to play with them again?”
“Durga, a suitor is coming today and he is very rich. You will be married next week. Oil your hair! What will they think? Wash your face too.” Amma shouted from the kitchen.
Durga felt a heaviness in her chest. She looked at the mirror hanging on the earthen wall of their bedroom. What could she see in the mirror was a child’s face burdened with lots of unsolved questions, “Who will brush her hair and kiss her goodnight before bed? Who will wake her up in the evening if she falls asleep without taking food? Who will cuddle her when she is sad?” A tear rolled down her face as she thought about all the things she would miss after marriage.
Durga was devastated. She still wanted to complete school and become a teacher. The last thing she wanted was a marriage. Finally, though she was very skittish, she gathered all her courage to tell her father about her feelings.
“Bapu, may I speak to you, please?” Durga quivered while Banwarilal was cutting some corn. “I don't want to get married, Bapu. I still want to continue my studies, and be a teacher. Please, Bapu,” Durga begged with teary eyes.
“What? Such an audacious demand is not tolerable in this family. NO, of course not. Look, your husband has not demanded any dowry, and he has enough money to feed you. Only men can work, and you will get married to him. That is final. How can you be so selfish?” Banwarilal screamed and vehemently denied his daughter’s plea.
Durga ran out of the house as quickly as she could. She ran and ran down the rocky hills until she felt the sweet breeze of the jewel blue Ganges.
She soaked her feet in the crystal clear water of the holy river and whispered to herself, “If I have to stop the marriage, I need to do something fast. My new husband’s family is coming in the evening.”
Durga and her family lived in a small village in the foothills of the Himalayas. They didn’t belong to the elite class of people of the village whose children went to town to get higher education. They were just poor farmers, so they had to marry their daughters off to a somewhat rich boy They didn’t even give a second thought about it.
Her mother also got married at the age of ten, and Durga was born when she was only thirteen. Durga had seen her mother suffer. Her mother, Sharmila, had no education, hence, no voice. Sharmila was not capable of thinking by herself and couldn’t make a single decision on her own. It felt like she was a prisoner in her own home. Most of the time she was sick and depressed. Durga didn’t want the same to happen in her life. Then, a ray of hope sparkled in her mind, as she thought, “MS. BHAVNA! She is the only hope.”
Durga’s elementary school teacher, Ms Bhavna, always told her students, “Marrying under the age of 18 isn’t legal and it doesn’t comply with the law. If this happens, girls are free to go to the police and district magistrate. They can stop the child marriage.”
But, the parents never listened, and the girls in her class started to slowly drop-out one by one, getting married.
Durga rushed to Ms Bhavna’s place and told her all about the situation.
Ms. Bhavna looked at Durga’s eyes and was surprised to see how circumstance had forced the little girl to shake off her childish immaturity and made her as grown up as possible, “Oh my, we must tell the district magistrate. We need to stop this, at once.” Ms. Bhavna hurried to get her purse as she dragged Durga to the magistrate’s office.
The magistrate informed the police, and they headed towards Durga’s house.
“Banwarilal, you need to change your perspective towards girls. Your daughter can get an education, a job and make money by herself. She can get married later on. Think about it, do you want her to get married at such an early age and suffer her whole life? Don’t you want her to be happy? Child marriage is a human rights violation and is against law If you still get your underage daughter married, we will put you into prison,” one police officer explained to Durga’s father.
Ms. Bhavna called Sharmila separately and said, “ You are her mother Sharmila, you should know how difficult and painful it is to get married at such a tender age. Look at you, you are only twenty four and already with three children. Your health has taken a toll for giving birth to so many children at this young age. Do you want the same fate for your little girl? Don’t you want her to enjoy her childhood? Let her grow up. Don’t you want her to live a respectful happy life?”
Sharmila broke down and started to cry, “ No, I don’t want my girl to suffer as I did. I want her to get education and grow.”
Banwarilal was in unison with Sharmila and hugged Durga, “I promise, I will never make this mistake again. I am so sorry, you are not getting married now You can study as much as you want.”
Durga was very happy and thanked Ms Bhavna and the police officer for helping her Ms. Bhavna said, "If anyone deserves applause, it is you Durga. You have shown lots of courage to stand up against this heinous crime of child marriage. If every girl comes out and raises her voice against getting married at an early age, our society will be so much better. In the quest of a better world, everyone, including a small child, can contribute in her/his own way. We don’t need to fight against evil people all the time, sometimes, we need to fight against evil practices of society too. You are our real Durga, the goddess who fought against the evil and tried to make a safer world, safe for everyone including the girls.”
Footnotes: Estimates suggest that each year, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get married in India, which makes it home to the largest number of child brides in the world - accounting for a third of the global total. Nearly 16 per cent adolescent girls aged 15-19 are currently married”. unicefindia.org
- The End –
The Boy
By - Ruhani Sarkar (age 13)
“Do you love me?” Boy asked while finishing the boring tasteless sandwich in the morning. “SORRY. I - AM- NOT- PRO- GRAMMED- FOR- THAT,” said Bleep in a sharp monotone voice.
“Oh, yes!!! I know, Bleep. That is what you are programmed to say.” “ THANK - YOU.”
“Ughh. Always the same answer. These robots are so stupid. ‘Sorry I am not programmed for that,’ ” mimicked Boy
The empty cup, saucer and dishes clattered as Bleep collected them and whirred away to the kitchen.
Boy looked at his mother’s photograph hanging on the wall. The last time he heard, “I love you” was three years back when his mother took her last breath. That was also the last time someone called him William.
For Robo Island he was just “BOY”.
Boy once asked his mom, “ Why don’t you program them to call me by my name?”
Mom said, “Let’s keep it simple for them. They will get confused otherwise.”
Boy’s mother, Professor Deborah Spencer, was a famous scientist known for inventing the first humanoid robots. The island was filled with robots of all sizes, small, medium, large, extra large. She cut all contacts with friends and family, and came to a remote island to concentrate on her work on Artificial Intelligence. Her creation were humanoid robots and her son- Boy
Boy was the only human on Robo Island after his mother passed away. He cried every night, because he missed his mother and was tired of seeing dumb robots all the time. He had everything a child could want. But, what he didn’t have was a family, a loving mom or dad, a human touch. His life was perfect. But he didn’t want a perfect life, he just wanted a normal human life. He missed his darling mother and missed going out with her. He did not even understand how she expired. On the dreaded morning, three years back, his mother was found lifeless in her lab. It was too much for a seven year old. There was no one to hold his tender hands. There were robots everywhere, none of them consoled him. Professor Spencer did not expect this to happen. Her machines were not programmed to handle that.
There were pictures of them taken on the beautiful beach, photos of him as a baby, his mother cuddling him tightly. He tried discussing about his mom to Bleep and Blorp, but they had no emotions or feelings. They didn’t remember the love that their creator gave them.
Boy came out of his room and went to the beach where he and his mom used to play. He remembered her trying to lure him to the water, and how she used to pick him up. He looked at the endless horizon where the rising sun cast a r osy hue across the morning sky. Boy sat under the huge palm tr ee and it immediately embraced him with a cool breeze This was the only place where Boy came w henever he felt sad. The palm tree probably remembered his mother and always tried to console him with its rustling l eaves. As he sat under it, he could feel its gentle air touched his cheek which made him remember his mother's goodnight kiss. Boy's ey es welled up with tears as he recalle d the sweet memories that ended too soon.
“I have to do something,” said Boy, “ I can't live like this. I need to go to the human world wher e kids play with kids, not with machines, w here people laugh, and wher e people cry. M aybe, Blorp can help. It is loaded with millions of information.”
Boy rushed back strai ght to Blorp.
" Hey Blorp, how are you doing buddy?” Boy asked.
" I - AM - GOOD. THANK -YOU,” replied Blorp.
" Did Professor Spencer upload her contact information in you?”
‘“SHE - DID - BOY.”
“Excellent,” Boy’s eyes glittered with hope.
“Show me your contacts,” Boy asked Blorp.
“SORRY. I - HAD- TOO - MANY - iNFORMATIONS. CONTACTS - HAD -BEEN PER-MANENTLY- DELETED- A- MONTH- AGO - DUE - TO - LOW -STORAGE.”
“What! After all these, you don’t have storage. Wonderful, just wonderful,” Boy replied with a tone of despair as his hope shattered into million pieces.
He needed a new plan. He went to the beach again to cool himself down and surfed for a gazillion years. Time slowed down as he was riding waves. He was on flow. With every crushing wave, Boy’s mind soothed down.
"Focus, focus, only focus." Boy encouraged himself as he was scanning the waves for horizon.
As his body gave up, a totally exhausted Boy slumped down on the beach. The smell of the warm ocean breeze and the soft sand refreshed him.
“Oh! what’s that?” Boy exclaimed as a shiny huge parabolic object popped up from the glistening sand.
Boy had no idea what it could be. There was only one robot, the youngest one, who could scan and identify it.
It happened to be a satellite disc. Boy researched and researched. Then, he set the satellite on the biggest pole he could find in the center of the island. He figured out how to connect the million wires from the satellite to the main power. This took a month.
“This should work. Uhh! let's just wait until years to come to find out that it was all for nothing,” Boy sighed as he looked at it.
The satellite was on, and it was standing there for at least two months. Then, a miracle happened.
One morning, Boy woke up with the much awaited sweetest sound he ever heard.
“Beep….beep...beep…..”
The satellite gave a beeping sound.
Boy rushed to the main lab to see what was happening.
“The satellite is working! I don't believe it! It is happening. It works!” Boy exclaimed.
“ Hello, can you hear me?” Boy was panting with excitement.
“ Yes, I can hear you. What’s your name, son?” A manly voice filled up the room.
Then, there was an awkward silence. It was the first time Boy head a human voice other than his mom's
Tears rolled down his eyes. He couldn’t speak.
“Can you hear me, son? What’s your name?” The voice asked.
“I ..uh... am… Boy,” Boy stuttered and fumbled.
“No no no, sorry, William..uh.. Spencer. My mom...uh...Professor Deborah Spencer.”
“The missing professor? The missing scientist Deborah Spencer? What..What..? You gotta be kidding, child,’’ the awestruck man asked unbelievably.
“Yeah..uh.. I believe that is her. But.. she is no more. Please help me.. Get me away..Away from this island,” Boy said, “ Please, please, please.”
“Sure, I have your position. We are going to get you very soon,” the voice died down. He knew they were coming for him, and he just needed to wait for a while.
Next day, he heard the whirring sound of a helicopter. Boy sprinted out of the building as fast as a flash of light. First, he couldn’t believe his own eyes.
“Are they real? Am I day dreaming?” Boy whispered to himself as two men got out from the helicopter of homeland security and approached him.
“Mr. William Spencer, we are here to take you out from this Robo Island,” one of the men
assured Boy.
Mr Smith, the elderly officer, said, “We have contacted your grandma in Texas, she is waiting for you. The National Department of Science and Technology will be here soon to take care of the robots.”
Boy took some time to come out of the state of euphoria. Then he said, “Just a moment, I need to say goodbye to someone.”
Boy ran as fast as he could and stopped near the palm tree. He hugged it and kissed for the last time. With tearful eyes Boy said, “ Good bye, my friend.”
As Boy approached the helicopter, he turned back and saw the huge lab and shelter where he spent ten years of his life, where he spent the most memorable moments with his loving mother for years. The beach, the palm tree, Bleep, Blorp, everything came in front of his eyes in a flash as he went aboard.
He asked the officers, “Can I come to visit this island?”
“Sure you can, son,” replied Mr Smith.
The helicopter took off, as Boy saw the Robo Island vanishing behind the clouds. A whole human world was waiting for the ten year old wide eyed boy to embrace him with love and compassion.
- The End –
Separation
By - Sayan Shuvra Chakraborty
(age 15)
I don’t miss him
He’ll be back in a couple of months
I don’t miss him
I’m bored
I’m not usually bored
Whenever I’m bored I go annoy him
But he’ll be back in a couple of months
I’m bored
I stifle a laugh at a joke at 3 in the morning I hold it up to show him
Ah I forgot
He’ll be back in a couple of months
I send it to him and wait to hear back
I don’t miss him
He’ll be back in a couple of months
I don’t miss him
– The End –
Kisholoy members Participate in Various Activities
Independence day celebration at Ananda Mandir
The youth and children together are singing the
Indian National Anthem
Ruhani Sarkar reading about her thoughts on Independence of India
Adwaita Goswami singing Bandemataram
Food collection on Independence Day
Soumyanil and Rishabh arranged the kids' snack area on Independence Day
Dance performance by the student of Rhythm School of Music and Dance
How mistakes in science could lead into an amazing discovery
By Anirudh Sarkar (age 14)
Humans have on several occasions taken spiders into the Space in order to study the effect of gravity on the process in which they create their webs. This originally began as a relatively unsuccessful PR experiment for high school students. The experiment however yielded the information that light plays a larger role in arachnid orientation than thought before.
The experiment that failed for high school is now conducted by NASA. The goal was straightforward, given that spiders built their intricate webs in optimal positions in order to catch prey. Furthermore, these spiders have their heads pointed in the direction of gravity. They do this because it is easier for them to catch and secure their prey when they have gravity on their side. So, that raises a question for scientists: what do they do in space where gravity is not part of the equation anymore? NASA wanted to inspire middle school students approximately 10 years ago to find an answer. Although simple at the first glance, this task was not easy to execute. Species of spiders in the international space station were sent with a spider and a backup, in case the first one had died. However, something went wrong.
Upon travel, the backup spider (in case the first one died) had broken out of its reserve. Furthermore, for safety reasons, the spider could not be recovered. As a result, several problems occurred. The spiders spin their webs on the ship that were interconnected with one other making for an awkward construction. As a result, the food that scientists had prepared for the spiders with (flies) had reproduced to a surprising amount during the trip. Their babies grew to such a number that when opening the ship, the spiders could not be seen over all of the fly larvae. This was one of the most aggravating failures of this experiment for NASA. In a new opportunity in 2011, four spiders were used. Two went to the international space station, and two stayed on Earth. So how did this go wrong?
A mistake had already occurred before the flight was even commissioned. The spiders that were taken for testing were supposed to be juvenile females. At a juvenile stage, it is quite difficult to differentiate sex in spiders. In the experiment, two of the spiders turned out to be males, however, one of the males was on the station, and one on earth. This was extremely lucky as it made the experiment actually executable. The spiders did what they were meant to do, spun their webs and design changes between being on the international space station, and on Earth. They analyzed 100 webs and their orientation, which revealed that the webs built in the space station, which had no gravity, were significantly more symmetrical than the ones on Earth. However, something else was also noticed. The spiders that constructed their webs under lamps or in the dark were different. Webs in space, under a light were as asymmetrical as those on Earth.
This essentially indicated that light played a role in the orientation of the spider webs in space. This actually happened to be an act because one of the crew members Zschokke, said that since the lamps were attached at the top of the chamber, they would never have discovered the effects of light on web-making. Further analysis showed that spiders in the dark oriented their body in random directions, yet when exposed to light they fixed it.
- The End –
Energy of the Future - Fusion or Fission?
By - Aishik Sen (age 16)
What do you think are some of the humanity’s biggest threats? There are many good answers to this question, but the best is climate change. One significant contributor to climate change is energy production. According to iea.org, in 2020, about 29% of the world’s energy production came from renewable sources. The other 71% came from nonrenewable energy, the majority of which produced waste that would negatively affect the Earth. “On top of emitting 1.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, coal-fired power plants in the United States also create 120 million tons of toxic waste”(gem.wiki). The same source also tells us that coal-fired power plants create many heavy metals as waste. Switching to more reliable forms of renewable energy could prevent further damage from nonrenewable sources. In 2021, we are approaching the most reliable, as well as the most efficient, form of energy production: nuclear fusion.
So what exactly is nuclear fusion? To put it simply, it’s what our Sun does to power itself. It takes the most basic element in the universe, known as Hydrogen, and combines multiple Hydrogen atoms to create Helium. During this fusion, some of the mass is converted into energy. The simplest way to consider this is through Einstein’s most famous equation about special relativity, E=mc^2. “E” is energy, “m” is mass, and “c” is the speed of light. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, or almost 300 million meters per second. In the equation, “c” is squared, so “c^2” would be 34596000000 in miles per second, and 9.0e16 in meters per second. This inconceivably large value is the reason why nuclear fusion produces so much energy. It’s also part of the reason why nuclear fusion hasn’t already become part of the production of energy across the world.
At this point, you might remember that you’ve heard of nuclear power before. It’s true, nuclear power has been used for energy production since the mid-1900s. “Nuclear energy now provides about 10% of the world's electricity from about 445 power reactors”(world-nuclear.org). But the energy in question is not nuclear fusion, it’s nuclear fission. While fusion is combining multiple small atoms to create energy (like Hydrogen, which has 1 proton), fission creates energy by breaking apart very large atoms (like Uranium, which has 92 protons). It does produce a lot of energy, but also creates a lot of radioactive waste. This waste, along with the power plant itself, introduces many risks. If the name
Chernobyl means anything to you, you’ll understand why. The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 was an accident within the Number 4 reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor that caused massive amounts of radiation to spread across a large area, which is still uninhabitable 35 years later. Chernobyl had fission reactors, and as we can see, even the slightest mistake can have huge consequences.
In that case, why is nuclear fusion any better? It produces far more energy than nuclear fission. The most important thing about nuclear fusion is that it’s safe. Fission reactors break apart dense Uranium into slightly smaller atoms, but those atoms are still considerably large and the waste is highly radioactive. Fusion reactors combine Hydrogen to make Helium, a gas found everywhere on Earth. Helium is what we use to fill up balloons. Fusion reactors also don’t have the possibility of an accident or explosion. If the conditions aren’t met for a proper nuclear reaction, the reaction simply will not occur, ensuring that nobody is harmed if something goes wrong. However, the conditions are extremely difficult to maintain, which is what makes it so difficult to maintain a fusion reactor. If the plasma is too hot, or too cold, the reaction will stop. If there is too much fuel, or not enough fuel, it will stop. If the magnetic fields aren’t set up to handle the plasma perfectly, it will stop. While these conditions do make it safe, they also make it difficult and expensive. However, if used properly, it will create unimaginable amounts of energy that can eventually replace all the energy created by nonrenewable sources.
Nuclear fusion is an energy source that we are very close to achieving. Once we successfully harness the power of nuclear fusion, the energy production of the world will evolve by leaps and bounds, and hopefully lead to many more interesting scientific discoveries.
References:
- Iea. “Renewables – Global Energy Review 2021 – Analysis.” IEA, https://www.iea.org/reports/globalenergy-review-2021/renewables.
- Global Energy Monitor. “Coal Waste.” Global Energy Monitor, Global Energy Monitor, 7 June 2021, https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_waste.
- “Nuclear Power in the World Today.” Nuclear Power Today | Nuclear Energy - World Nuclear Association, https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclearpower-in-the-world-today.aspx.
- EUROfusion. “Research for Tomorrow's Energy Supply.” Eurofusion, https://www.eurofusion.org/fusion/fusion-vs-fission/.
- The End –
Technological Trends for 2021 and Beyond
By Shivan Mukherjee (age 17)
As we recover from a global pandemic, the world has attempted to make a return to normalcy. However, rapid innovations caused by the pandemic are here to stay. Our new normal will be characterized by a greater reliance on technology and a constant need to evolve. The pandemic started a period of constant technological change - caused, in large part, by workers in their homes - with a few major trends coming out on top as most rapidly growing.
Some of these top trends include:
1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Blockchain
3. 5G
Artificial Intelligence (AI):
4. Robotics Process Automation
5. Cybersecurity
Although AI has been around well before the pandemic, the technology has continuously evolved, most recently to help doctors make diagnosis and businesses to predict consumer behavior. COVID-19, in many ways, accelerated this adoption of AI with financial services experiencing a 37% increase in adoption and retail services 20% . The pandemic served as an impetus for business owners to take risks in order to address their challenges. Moving forward, there has been a consensus that confidence in using AI has increased as well. As it advances, the scope will only continue to expand, making it one of the hottest technological trends in the future.
Blockchain:
Blockchain is an unchangeable digital ledger that can be used to store transactions and data. While commonly connected to cryptocurrency, Blockchain as a whole contains many applications beyond. And further, it is these same applications that have become more prevalent since the rise of the pandemic. Blockchain can be used to not only securely share medical data, but also make international payments, monitor supply chains, provide advertisement analytics and identity security. Blockchain originated in the early 1980s but it has only recently begun to see its claim to fame. The challenges in Blockchain pertain not to implementation, but towards acceptance of the technology. These challenges of security concerns and new technology skepticism that had originally prevented Blockchain from impacting Government have now stepped aside to some extent because of the pandemic. As a result, Blockchain has already begun to revolutionize industries, and it is only a matter of time when it is accepted everywhere.
5G Networks:
The promise of 5G is a promise of data rates that performs 100 times faster than existing 4G LTE network technology. This ability to handle such great amounts of data means that not only will consumers be able to access more information at the snap of their fingers, but businesses can use these more expansive networks to enhance their own applications. More specifically, the latency and bandwidth improvements that 5G networks provide can be used to benefit connectivity ranges and speeds across the globe; it can even help make previously thought impossible ideas, such as connected cars, a reality. This technology can act as a catalyst to arm existing technology with more sensors to find data and even act as an impetus towards the growth of the global
Robotics Process Automation:
Robotics Process Automation (RPA) refers to the use of software to emulate human actions and complete tasks. This is most relevant in industries that deal with highly repetitive tasks like insurance, finance, and healthcare. RPA can be used hand in hand with machine learning algorithms, making the automation processes much more intelligent and more adaptable to a wider set of scenarios while maintaining accuracy in their work. While RPA implementation has been steadily increasing year by year, a Deloitte survey suggests “near-universal adoption” in the next 5 years. Especially in work from home environments, RPA can be used to simplify internal processes so that productivity can be maximized and hassle can be minimized.
Cybersecurity:
With such an increased reliance on the internet, the value of Cybersecurity has become greater than ever. Data breaches and attacks not only open up companies to liability, but regular consumers as well. Exposed data exposes everyday people to the risk of identity theft and further security breaches across platforms. In response, companies have been progressively increasing their investment in Cybersecurity. Although Cryptocurrency has many positives, criminals can easily be paid for cybercrimes and get away with it. With applications in cloud data storage, IOT devices, data privacy for companies, and legacy/outdated systems, cybersecurity is more indemand now than ever before.
These trends, while general, contain a wide variety of applications in a more digital world. When classrooms were closed, the development of online learning systems helped connect hundreds of millions of children to schooling. A similar number of adults were sent home from their workplaces as well. The 105% increase in daily usage of the internet between the hours of 9:00AM to 5:00PM was met with resilience from an infrastructure standpoint. These trends are only made possible because of the availability of the internet during the pandemic. And, with 5G networks helping connect people with even faster speeds than ever before, the possibilities for connection and innovation will only continue to grow.
The human brain is considered by far the most powerful and efficient computer ever created. Artificial intelligence (AI) and computers have come a long way and by all rights, they exceed human intelligence in many facets. However, the human brain is still much more efficient in the practical applications of artificial intelligence and consumes as much as 10 times less energy in data processing and decision making. Unlike the human brain, existing computer architecture presents a memory bottleneck in its operation. Particularly in the use of model training in medical imaging, AI workloads can consume great amounts of memory due to the high resolution of medical data. The separation of the processing units and memory units in traditional Von Neumann computer architecture is effective in conventional computing but it is largely inefficient when dealing with AI models.
As such, scientists have begun to try and emulate our brain, creating a new neuron inspired paradigm for computer architecture. Here the memory and the processing units are intertwined and work to create connections between electronic neurons, representative of human synapses. There are commonly 2 stages in an AI model: the learning phase and the inference phase. The advantage of these neuro-inspired chips is that, by emulating the workings of a human brain, there is a much greater optimization of energy efficiency and performance on the chip itself. Consequently, it allows for the possibility of on- chip learning as opposed to the constant use of the Cloud to store data with AI algorithms. This would allow for the greater security and flexibility of the use of AI. Not to mention, the ability for on- chip learning would steadily bring neuro-chips closer to emulating the brain function.
While these chips may still be in early stages of development, their increased capabilities and future possibilities depict a bright future. Neuro-inspired chips may soon become commonplace in small IT Devices and allow new brain-like devices to perform their tasks anywhere without the need for Cloud.
References:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-020-0435-7#Fig1 https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/artificial-intelligence/posts/memory-bottleneck-healthcare.html https://singularityhub.com/2016/03/17/this-amazing-computer-chip-is-made-of-live-brain-cells/ https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-advancements-neuro-inspired-chips.html - The End –
Blood to Oil
By - Swayam Shuvra Chakraborty (Bittu) (age 17)
What am I?
Crimson
Lethally typed, combinations differentiating between styles, tastes of myself I live in your body but not in your heart You need me, for without me, you remain cold, lifeless
What am I?
Blood, I smile at the book. Words, riddles I’ve read hundreds of thousands of times. Since birth. The old book has survived centuries, in its worn out binding and yellowed pages. We are temporary, but words are forever. Is that how the quote went? Well, if they were here, they would see how wrong that really is. Humans are forever, not by choice, not by wish, but by curse. Not being able to die is a fate worse than death itself. Words have become temporary, each book, each written letter infinite, beautiful, expensive. In a world where money needs to be conserved, not for normal purposes, food, water, all of it is given to us. The money is for blood, for body, organs and skin.
My birthday was yesterday, that means my days at the factory will start soon. My father came by to visit me on my birthday, his legs filled not with blood, but with oil, his skin replaced with metal. He was ancient, stopped counting after his heart was changed to iron. I’m the youngest of his children. My mother still has her right eye, her left is no longer filled with the blue iris it once was, now it is grey, the iris changed into a black camera lens. Her fingers have started to decay, I think she might be able to afford a replacement that isn’t steel, if she can get human fingers, they may last. This is what she tells herself. Soon I’ll be working at the factory. I will be making the same parts that will be given to the poor, will be given to prevent death. I will have a hand in changing blood into oil. Changing life into metal. A statue of humanity, broken and replaced. Fixed, over and over again. A Japanese plate filled with more gold than pottery. Weighed down by a lack of humanity. When does a person cease to be a person? When they lose their life? When they lose their morals? Their conscience? No, because those that live now don’t have any of that. A person ceases to be a person when their blood becomes oil. When their decaying body isn’t laid to rest, but changed into metal. Money is the only god because immortality hasn’t made us gods. It’s made us monsters. I pray for money, so that I may have blood for as long as possible.
What am I?
A fountain of black
Limitless in worth but disgusting in taste Coveted and now feared I have become the new blood of humanity What Am I?
Oil, I smile, maybe a new riddle should be added to my book. I pick up my pen and write it in with silver fingers glinting. I stare at the metal sun rising above me and walk off towards a new, grey, day.
Do you want to split the world with me?
The world
The multiverse divided, under each of our rules
A piece
A part
For you or I
You may take the stars
If I could have the oceans
The moon will be yours, but the clouds are mine
Plant-life and mountains can be taken and given
Reality can fracture Under our belief
And the time, in between Can stretch to meet our grasp
Our resolve
If either of us is in dearth or need
A hand can be given
To bridge the gap
A small smile can follow
Knowing
A gentle brush
That guides infinity and splits it up
A part for you
A piece for me
The multiverse divided Under each of our rules
Do you want to split up the world with me? You may have whatever you want If I can take what’s left All I need Is left behind
A part for you
A piece for me
- The End –
I want to dance on the stage. I don't like online dancing. I want to see all my friends running around the stage, people are watching, talking, and eating.
Drawing of Ritika Sarkar (age 7)
Contemplating Existential Angst
By - Shama Dinesh (age 21)
Lying awake at 3 am and listening to the distant echoing of the passing wind, one might begin to feel existential dread creeping its chilly arms around one’s weakened heart. It may even leave one wondering whether one’s struggles and failures have any purpose or if they are one inconsequential life that fades away in a few years. Or, it can be lucky to merely exist as a memory!
With a society that is urged to meet insurmountable expectations, any person can easily feel inadequate; their failures may hang before their eyes only exaggerated by the scorn of their peers. The fear of disappointment often impacts the effort put into achieving one’s goals; it makes any favorable outcome below expectation seem to be their incompetence.
Is it wrong to seek validation from the society that we live in? Of course, not. Is it futile to believe that your actions can make a positive difference in the world you struggle to survive in? Absolutely not. Does it mean your life is worthless if you fail to make it big in terms of the standards set by the society? Never.
Nothing we do matters in the end anyway. We all fade away to mere memories and sometimes not even that. We barely have time to look past the day, and turn old and grey; we hardly do anything in life we are proud of. We may save a life today only to end tomorrow. No one needs us. We don't need anyone either. But that doesn't mean we don't want anyone. It is a choice we make.
You may not make a huge impact on the universe or even on someone's life. But any of your actions- kindness or otherwise- may define a moment in their lives. Sure, it may be forgotten soon. Or, they might remember that moment forever.
Our actions need not be grand gestures that alter the course of history. It is okay to not waste away your entire life in pursuit of grandeur. Our lives are not defined by one single moment of success. It is millions of moments that we choose to spend in the glorious light of the day or the engulfing darkness of the night. It is a cluster of memories that we choose to make with the ones we love.
Your actions today may not shape an entire generation. You may not be one of the historical figures that you grew up reading about. That never invalidates your existence. You are unique to this world, with your own stories, your own hardships, your own emotions, and your own identity. You live by your own set of ideals and values that can never be imitated by another. You are enough by yourself.
Do not be consumed by the dread of not knowing the purpose of your life and your actions. Here is a little secret. Nobody truly knows. Scholars and philosophers over millennia have attempted to figure it out, but there is no one true answer. In fearing the unknown the future bears, you merely end up losing the precious moments that occupy your present.
The purpose of life is not to be famed, lead a glorious life or accumulate wealth beyond your wildest dreams. These are the walls of a lonely prison where people confine themselves. There is
more to life than being “successful” per the social construct. Life is too priceless to be reduced into any definable terms. If you attempt to measure the purpose of your life by failures and successes, you will be flawed!
It is okay to not be the “main character” of your life because life is neither a movie nor a video game. You cannot be the main character or the supporting cast because there is no such main character or supporting cast. It is just you, with all your imperfections and beauty that can make your existence a paradise of its own.
- The End –
Marionettes
By - Shama Dinesh (age 21)
The curtain rises and applause fills the room The puppet show is back in the phantom town The master moves the pieces at his will with strings He remains their king with the ghostly crown
The puppets dance at their master’s command While the children laughed and the adults smiled Yet no one ever noticed the marionettes That lay broken, unwanted, cast aside
The bright marionettes were welcomed with cheers Their sadness masked with painted smiles The marionettes played their part in silence Fearing abandonment, with no one for miles
The marionettes killed their own in cold-blood
For the amusement of the spectators who didn’t shed a tear Robbed of their dignity, their choice, their voice Losing themselves within their darkest fear
The marionettes never grew a heart They were made of wood, plastic and metal Yet they found themselves in pain, silenced and Consumed in their anguish that never settled
Their arms snapped off, their legs were torn But the marionettes continued to play Till one moment when they were shattered beyond repair They were thrown outside at the end of the day
Soon the pretty marionettes were forgotten and replaced; The play never stopped, but the show was over for the broken Marionettes
- The End –
Sri Krishna’s Journey in Life Brindaban to Kurukshetra
By - Guru Chakravarty
The story of birth of Krishna inside a prison in Mathura where his cruel uncle Kangsa kept his own sister Devaki (Krishna’s mother) imprisoned so that he could kill Krishna as soon as he was born is known to all Indians, young and old. Krishna, recognized as the Supreme God himself, had planned his own escape to Gokul, and eventually to Brindaban where he lived up to about 10 years of age. His playful acts of devotional love with Gopis form the basis of the Vaishnav culture of Hinduism, and is well chronicled in the Bhagavat Puran. He left Brindaban to go to Mathura to kill Kangsa, as the destiny was written.
Then, we see a grown-up Krishna as the charioteer of Arjun in the Kurukshetra war, guiding the good against evil, establishing truth and peace in the land. In the process, he recited his advice to Arjun, which in essence has become the most important source of knowledge about Hinduism, and is known as Gita.
Here we will discuss the part Krishna’s life, in between Brindaban and Kurukshetra, which is not talked about as much as his life at Brindaban or his teachings of Gita at Kurukshetra. This part of his life starts when he was 11 years old.
Killing of Kangsa
Krishna, accompanied by his elder brother Balaram, came to Mathura to kill Kangsa and to get his parents out of the prison. But first, Krishna wished to tour the city surrounded by all the people of Mathura who eagerly awaited his arrival. A young woman approached him on the road. Her neck, chest and waist was crooked, so she was known as “Tribakra”. With Krishna’s grace, all her physical difficulties were removed, and she was turned into a lovely lady. Kangsa was waiting for Krishna in a high stage (mancha) in his sports pavilion. As the boys entered the arena, Kangsa ordered an attack on them by a huge elephant named “Kubalaypirh”. The boys lifted the elephant by his tusks and threw him on the ground, killing him instantly. Then Kangsa sent two of his best wrestlers – Chanur and Mustik, to wrestle with the boys. The giant size wrestlers were easily defeated by the boys and got killed. Finally, Krishna jumped up into the high stage and brought Kangsa down to the ground. After a brief fight, Kangsa was killed. All the dwellers of Mathura were happy to see the end of a cruel and evil king. Krishna freed his father Basudeb and mother Devaki from prison. They all went back to Gokul. The two brothers received their upanayan and teachings of Vedas, Astronomy and Chhanda from Sandipani Muni.
Building his own kingdom at Dwaraka
Kangsa’s two wives were revengeful and they went to their father Jarasandha to ask him to destroy Krishna. When Jarasandha, with his huge army planned to attack Krishna and his followers, Krishna came up with a great idea. To save lives of his Yadav followers from an unnecessary war, he wanted to make a new kingdom for the Yadavs. He created a fort in the middle of a sea, and a beautiful shining city inside it, and named it Dwaraka. Then, with his enormous power, he transported all residents of Mathura safely to Dwaraka.
Rukmini Haran
From her childhood Rukmini heard all great achievements of Krishna and secretly prayed to be married to him. However, her elder brother Rukmi wanted her to get married with his friend, King
Shishupal. So, Rukmini secretly sent a letter to Krishna to please come and get her before the arranged marriage with Shishupal happened. On the day of wedding, Rukmini went to a temple in a chariot to pray to God. After the worship, when Rukmini got on the chariot to return home, all of a sudden, Krishna appeared from nowhere and drove off the chariot with Rukmini. Together they went to Dwaraka and get married in the proper way.
Later, Krishna married other women, but Rukmini was always regarded as the leading wife of Krishna. Satyavama was another of his favorite wives. In one very special situation, Krishna had to liberate sixteen thousand imprisoned women from a demon king, Narakasur. Lord Indra requested Krishna to save the universe from Narakasur. When Krishna complied, all the rescued women prayed to Krishna to take them as his wives. Krishna married them all to bestow honor on them as his wives.
Krishna meets the Pandavas
Krishna met the Pandavas at the Swayambar marriage of Draupadi. Hundreds of kings came to the Swayambar, including the highly known people like Duryodhan and his brothers, Karna, Krishna, Balaram and many others. Arjun and the Pandavas were living outside of their palace at the time in disguise as poor Brahmins because the evil Kauravas tried to kill them. Still the Pandavas decided to come to the Swayambar, disguised as poorly clothed people, not in kingly attire. When the time came for the aspiring grooms to try out the competition, they all failed except Karna who was the only one capable to raise the bow and ready to shoot the arrow. At this time, Draupadi announced that she would not marry Karna because he was raised by a lower caste king. Karna put down the bow angrily with disappointment. Finally, Arjun, in an attire of a poor Brahmin, could easily shoot the arrow at the target. Draupadi smiled at Arjun with affectionate eyes, and put a garland around his neck. Then Arjun took her hands and went out along with the other Pandavas. Krishna and Balaram followed them to their residence.
When they reached home, Arjun announced rom outside to mother Kunti, “Oh Mother, we brought our staple for the day”.
Kunti said from inside, “OK, you all share it”.
When they entered, Kanti realized her mistake and said. “Oh my God! I am so sorry, I said the wrong thing. Oh Yudhisthir, you make it right”.
Yudhisthir looked at Arjun “Oh Arjun, you won Draupadi in a legitimate Swayambar and you alone is the rightful husband”.
Arjun said, “I don’t want to be impious. You must be married first, then Bhim, me, followed by Nakul and Sahadev”.
Yudhisthir asked Draupadi, “Would you accept all five of us as your husbands?”
Draupadi gave them a positive answer with a heavenly smile.
At this time, Krishna and Balaram came into the house and announced themselves to Mother Kunti. Yudhisthir asked, “How did you find out about us. We are living in anonymity.”
Krishna said, “No one but the Pandavas is capable of such remarkable achievement at the Swayambar”.
Soon after, in a meeting attended by all senior people of the royal family, and Krishna, Dhritarashtra agreed to give half of the Kuru kingdom to the Pandavas. Krishna then helped the Pandavas to build the city of Indraprastha as their capital city. The special friendly relationship between Krishna and Arjuna begins with the building of Indraprastha. Krishna’s friendship with Arjuna was so deep that Krishna asked Arjuna to elope with his own sister, Subhadra. This he did to strengthen the bond between Pandavas and Yadavs.
- Krishna played a crucial role at the Kurukshetra war without picking up a weapon himself. His advice to Arjun at the battlefield, compiled as Gita, forms the pillar upon which Hinduism stands today.
- The End –
Drawing of Arohee Dhora (age 6)
Ananda Mandir Youth Group Magazine
Saradia Kisholoy
Diversity and Smile
Kisholoy group is the youth group of Ananda Mandir. Any youth member of Ananda Mandir can join this group. If you are interested to join please send an email to Dipakksarkar@hotmail.com.
