Anika Choudhary

As we grow up, the fear of change begins to dawn upon our minds. We feel scared to leave our family, friends and our home behind on this certain route of growing up. But, why is change so feared? Why are we hesitant of taking chances that may change our lives for the better? It's something interesting to ponder about.  If you immediately find the answer to such a question, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are quite great at introspecting. It may also mean that you haven't thought about the question nicely.  I recently searched for an answer to this question myself, and I suppose that I have reached an answer.  We don't have the fear of leaving home or family and friends as much as we have the fear of forgetting the memories that we shared with them. When we leave a place that is dear to us, or when we have to move away from our close ones, we begin to miss the memories that we shared with them. We are scared to go to a new place where we have no memories of. For how...

On the midnight of the glorious New Year of 2025, I would like to reflect back on a beautifully memorable trip that I went on last year. The vivid experiencess of this trip taught me a lot of new things and reminded me of old values hidden deep inside my mind.  My family and our family friends went on a trip to Mathura that is situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It started with the 7 of us narrowly missing our early morning train to New Delhi, from where we would take a train to Hazrat Nizamuddin and another to our destination. We changed trains twice. All of us were tired and the experience of the third train had us completely worn out. We were quite relieved to have reached our guest house in the late afternoon. But, I had contacted a fever, which left me quite weak. But as they say : "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going". Thankfully, my fever and its side effects remained for only that day with the help of an antibiotic and several paracetamols. Th...

Today, on the pious day of 12 October, 2024, we are celebrating Dusshera; a festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil.  Dusshera is not just a festival but a celebration of the virtuous values it represents. At the heart of this festival lies the epic tale from the Ramayana, where Lord Rama won in battle against the demon king Ravana. This legendary battle symbolizes the victory of righteousness, courage, and the ultimate victory of light over darkness. The celebrations of Dusshera are a spectacular blend of rituals, performances, and communal harmony. The sculpture of Ravana is set ablaze, signifying that the light of goodness shall always put an end to the gloomy shadows of evil.  In various regions of India, Dusshera is celebrated with unique customs and traditions. In North India, particularly in cities like Delhi and Varanasi, grand Ram Leela performances narrate the story of Lord Rama's life, drawing large crowds. In Mysore, Karnataka, the festival is known ...

Let's explore one of the most pressing issues of our time that often goes unnoticed amid discussions on climate change and pollution.  Habitat loss is defined as the destruction of natural environments (such as forests, etc.) that are inhabited by wildlife. The destructions of these habitats leads to a decline in the biodiversity. Habitat loss is a serious problem which has quite a few causes.  1.  Urbanisation: Due to the growing population, the need for housing and better facilities also grows. This leads to the expansion of urban areas by the conversion of natural landscapes into residential and commercial areas to meet the people's demands.  2.  Deforestation: Cutting down trees to serve as firewood, create paper etc. lead to the destruction of forest ecosystems.  3.  Pollution: Contaminants in air, water and soil can lead to the degradation of habitats making it unsuitable for the survival of wildlife.  The consequences of habitat loss are pr...

"Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet" -Vietnamese Proverb Raksha Bandhan, the festival celebrating the beautiful depth of sibling love, will be celebrated on 19th August, 2024 with joy and enthusiasm across India. This festival holds deep significance in the country's cultural heritage, symbolising the bond between siblings.  On this day, sisters tie rakhis around their brother's wrist, signifying their vow to protect their brother. In return, the brothers give gifts to their sisters, promising a commitment to their well-being.  The origin of Raksha Bandhan leads back to the ancient times of India. There are several different stories as to how this festival came into being. Here is one of them:  According to Hindu mythology, once Lord Krishna had cut his finger. Draupadi (the wife of the Pandavas) tore a piece of cloth from her saree to bind his bleeding finger. In exchange, Krishna promised to protect Draupadi whenever she needed it. This simple act p...

When we start something in life, trying to continue it can become quite hard. One moment, everything is going the way we want and the next day, the situation can be completely opposite. We feel compelled to leave what we started. That is because we feel that continuing it is just useless. But remember, dedication, consistency and commitment always pays off. It is indeed difficult to find the strength to keep going. But once you do, you are already halfway to achieving your goals.  So no matter what happens, never leave what you started. Who knows? Perhaps it may bring you some fun and unexpected surprises. So when you feel like you want to give up, just stay calm and keep going on.