Aries
8-7-2025
Personal Life: వ్యక్తిగత జీవితం
Profession: వృత్తి
Health: ఆరోగ్యం
Emotions: భావోద్వేగాలు
Travel: ప్రయాణం
Luck: అదృష్టం
Blog
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Do We Need to Reconsider Our Flying Guilt?
While working on a research paper on climate adaptation in tourism, I had an eye-opening consultation with a Kerala-based social enterprise.
Over a decade of working in local villages, they developed a strong community tourism model that embeds tourism into the existing agrarian routine of farmers, and allows travellers to authentically engage with the community. Since inception, their primary audience has been conscious travellers from Europe, seeking slow travel and meaningful experiences that bring economic and social prosperity to regions of Kerala off the typical tourist trail.
Flying guilt – or flygskam – though, has had unintended consequences. The same conscious travellers, ridden by flying guilt in recent years, have repeatedly cancelled their trips to the region. Their decision to pursue lower footprint travel that doesn’t involve flying has directly impacted community tourism in these parts of Kerala, where tourism revenue beautifully supplemented increasingly unpredictable agricultural incomes.
Is Flying Guilt Productive?
When I first wrapped my head around my personal flying footprint, I thought this guilt will keep me in check – and it does. Instead of jumping on cheap airfares or impulse flight buying, I now think long and hard about the impact of every flight I take.
Tourism is linked to vital wildlife conservation efforts
Even though tourism has had adverse impacts on local ecologies around the world, wildlife conservation models around the world are often linked to tourism.
In Uganda for instance, I was surprised to learn that Bwindi National Park is home to lucrative gold deposits, but the forests and mountain gorillas retain their habitat only because gorilla tourism yields more money. Gorilla permits cost a whopping 800$ per person!
Some island nations depend entirely on tourism – and flying!
The greatest pushback against the flying shame movement comes from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which includes islands like the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles, whose economies are heavily reliant on tourism. The only way for travellers to reach them is by long distance flying.
Sustainable aviation remains a distant dream
The Airbus Summit I recently attended in France came as a reality check that we are FAR from achieving global sustainable aviation goals. SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) is projected to contribute only 4-5% of total jet fuel consumption by 2030, which will likely be offset by air travel growth. Electric and hydrogen powered planes – though promising – are still in their initial R&D phase, with much to be done to get the entire ecosystem technologically and financially ready for take off.
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Gemini gets more personal, proactive and powerful
The Gemini app has seen incredible momentum recently—and today, we’re introducing new capabilities to help you do even more.
Here’s what we announced at Google IO:- Gemini Live with camera and screen sharing, is now free on Android and iOS for everyone, so you can point your phone at anything and talk it through.
- Imagen 4, our new image generation model, comes built in and is known for its image quality, better text rendering and speed.
- Veo 3, our new, state-of-the-art video generation model, comes built in and is the first in the world to have native support for sound effects, background noises and dialogue between characters.
- Deep Research and Canvas are getting their biggest updates yet, unlocking new ways to analyze information, create podcasts and vibe code websites and apps.
- Gemini is coming to Chrome, so you can ask questions while browsing the web.
- Students around the world can easily make interactive quizzes, and college students in the U.S., Brazil, Indonesia, Japan and the UK are eligible for a free school year of the Google AI Pro plan.
- Google AI Ultra, a new premium plan, is for the pioneers who want the highest rate limits and early access to new features in the Gemini app.
- 2.5 Flash has become our new default model, and it blends incredible quality with lightning fast response times.
Get deeper insights: now add your own sources to Deep Research
Starting today, you can get a complete, customized Deep Research report that combines public data with your own private PDFs and images. This means you’ll get a holistic understanding, cross-referencing your unique knowledge with broader trends, all in one place, saving you time and revealing connections you might have otherwise missed.
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Vegan bento box
Whether or not you’re taking a shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo Station, please stop by The Bento Shop near platform 8, for their incredible vegetable (vegan) bento box. A must in Japan for first timers, but also repeat visitors. Thank me later!
Saido
A small resto in Jiyugaoka, with a focus on Japanese food like bento boxes, soba noodles and katsu curry. The food is more like art, as I often found to be the case across Japan. Book beforehand, listen to the staff’s explanation of where the ingredients are sourced from, and prepare your tastebuds for a treat!
Vegan Cafe PQ’s
An all-vegan cafe on Kappabashi street, with a seasonal and varied lunch menu. Depending on the season, you could try the hydrangea set, fig curry, black sesame latte, butterfly pea curry and lots of interesting flavors. They use fair trade chocolate, veggies from no till farming and organic grains, and offer a plethora of vegan desserts.
Even as someone who seeks vegan and preferably healthy, organic and gluten-free local food, I felt spoilt for choice in Tokyo. Get the HappyCow app, and you’ll find plenty of delicious vegan / vegetarian friendly places to eat in the city.
On one of my first days in Tokyo, I learnt that Japanese tea masters practice for several years before they can conduct a traditional tea ceremony. The tradition started as a peace and strategic offering among Japanese samurais, and often takes place in obscure, understated buildings – that open up into tranquil tea rooms. I absolutely love the accidentally vegan and incredibly colorful mochi cakes often served with matcha tea in tea ceremonies.I was surprised to see a lot of tea ceremonies on offer across Tokyo now. This one is with a tea master with 20+ years of experience, and takes place close to Nishi-Nippori station, from where you can also walk down to the ancient Yanaka Cemetery and Nezu Shrine.
Soak in the calming beauty of a Japanese garden
I love all sorts of green spaces – forests, urban parks, plantations. But Japanese gardens take green spaces to a whole other level. Think calming water streams, small shrines and old bridges, spread amid semi-wild landscaped green areas.
Shinjuku Gyoen was the residence of a feudal family during the Edo era, and is now a national garden with 20,000+ native Japanese trees, orchids and cactii. Though best known for sakura (cherry blossom) in the spring, it is beautiful and serene all year around, especially in autumn. It’s a quick walk from Shinjuku station.
For something a bit wilder, consider following the green trail in Todoroki Valley, a short walk away from Todoroki Station. In the middle of residential Tokyo, this tree-filled valley has its own little river, old shrines, and ends with a stunning view of Todoroki Fudo Temple.
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10 Day Japan Travel Itinerary
At first, Tokyo can seem just like the photos. Fancy skyscrapers, scores of businessmen darting about in dark suits (especially at the busy Shibuya Crossing), flashy city lights, busy metro stations. But the contrasts soon come into view. Old Buddhist temples, obscure tea rooms, eclectic cafes, soothing green spaces. Even as someone who seeks a slower life on the countryside, I loved getting a feel of Tokyo, and recommend atleast two nights in the city.
Where to stay in Tokyo
Tokyo Station HotelThe Tokyo Station Hotel is a quintessential Japanese icon, located in the 17th century Marunouchi – once the residence of Japan’s most powerful warriors, and now designated Japan’s living cultural heritage. Its restored red brick architecture, views over the Imperial Palace, and luxurious maisonette (duplex) rooms, make it an experience in itself. Its central location means you’d be walking distance from the Tokyo Station metro, shinkansen station, the popular neighborhood of Ginza, and the tree-lined Nakadori Avenue.
Hotel Chizanso
Once a garden devastated by the air raids of World War II, Hotel Chinzanso is a heritage hotel within a stunning Japanese garden, home to 10,000+ trees in the heart of Tokyo! That means you can experience cherry blossoms in spring, fireflies in the summer and fall colors right in your backyard. It’s located an easy 10-minute walk from Edogawabashi Station, offering easy access to the rest of the city.
Other Space Asakusa
Asakusa, with its old town vibe, the ancient Sensoji Temple, walking streets filled with izakayas and hip cafes, and proximity to the Sumida River, was my favorite neighborhood in Tokyo. In the otherwise expensive city, Other Space Asakusa is a relatively affordable, no frills boutique hotel in the heart of Asakusa.
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On a spring evening in Japan, we had just returned from a stunning day of hiking amid volcanic landscapes on Kyushu Island. After a soul-satisfying meal of koya dofu, seasonal veggies and udon noodles, I was ready to call it a day.
On a spring evening in Japan, we had just returned from a stunning day of hiking amid volcanic landscapes on Kyushu Island. After a soul-satisfying meal of koya dofu, seasonal veggies and udon noodles, I was ready to call it a day.
But when my partner and I arrived at our family-run guesthouse, our Japanese hostess had been waiting for us – to invite us to join her and a few other guests to celebrate a local festival at the Shinto shrine nearby! So we piled into her car, no idea where we were headed.
In the orderliness of Japan, where people queue neatly even to board a packed bus, I was surprised by the chaotic energy of the festival. Shinto priests swayed haystacks lit on fire, cheered on by onlookers. Then the ‘goddess’ arrived in a palanquin, to be married inside the shrine. The hay swinging was passed on to the ordinary folk, and I too took my turn to light it on fire and swing it around my body, as adrenalin surged through me!
On a spring evening in Japan, we had just returned from a stunning day of hiking amid volcanic landscapes on Kyushu Island. After a soul-satisfying meal of koya dofu, seasonal veggies and udon noodles, I was ready to call it a day.But when my partner and I arrived at our family-run guesthouse, our Japanese hostess had been waiting for us – to invite us to join her and a few other guests to celebrate a local festival at the Shinto shrine nearby! So we piled into her car, no idea where we were headed.
In the orderliness of Japan, where people queue neatly even to board a packed bus, I was surprised by the chaotic energy of the festival. Shinto priests swayed haystacks lit on fire, cheered on by onlookers. Then the ‘goddess’ arrived in a palanquin, to be married inside the shrine. The hay swinging was passed on to the ordinary folk, and I too took my turn to light it on fire and swing it around my body, as adrenalin surged through me!
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10 Days in Japan: An Immersive Japan Itinerary for First Time Visitors.
On a spring evening in Japan, we had just returned from a stunning day of hiking amid volcanic landscapes on Kyushu Island. After a soul-satisfying meal of koya dofu, seasonal veggies and udon noodles, I was ready to call it a day.
But when my partner and I arrived at our family-run guesthouse, our Japanese hostess had been waiting for us – to invite us to join her and a few other guests to celebrate a local festival at the Shinto shrine nearby! So we piled into her car, no idea where we were headed.
In the orderliness of Japan, where people queue neatly even to board a packed bus, I was surprised by the chaotic energy of the festival. Shinto priests swayed haystacks lit on fire, cheered on by onlookers. Then the ‘goddess’ arrived in a palanquin, to be married inside the shrine. The hay swinging was passed on to the ordinary folk, and I too took my turn to light it on fire and swing it around my body, as adrenalin surged through me!
On a spring evening in Japan, we had just returned from a stunning day of hiking amid volcanic landscapes on Kyushu Island. After a soul-satisfying meal of koya dofu, seasonal veggies and udon noodles, I was ready to call it a day.But when my partner and I arrived at our family-run guesthouse, our Japanese hostess had been waiting for us – to invite us to join her and a few other guests to celebrate a local festival at the Shinto shrine nearby! So we piled into her car, no idea where we were headed.
In the orderliness of Japan, where people queue neatly even to board a packed bus, I was surprised by the chaotic energy of the festival. Shinto priests swayed haystacks lit on fire, cheered on by onlookers. Then the ‘goddess’ arrived in a palanquin, to be married inside the shrine. The hay swinging was passed on to the ordinary folk, and I too took my turn to light it on fire and swing it around my body, as adrenalin surged through me!
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Quiz test post –The name “Taj Mahal” is of Urdu origin, and believed to be derived from Arabic and Persian,
The Taj Mahal (/ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl, ˌtɑːʒ -/ TAHJ mə-HAHL, TAHZH -; Hindustani: [taːdʒ ˈmɛɦ(ɛ)l]; lit. 'Crown of the Palace') is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.Construction of the mausoleum was completed in 1648, but work continued on other phases of the project for another five years. The first ceremony held at the mausoleum was an observance by Shah Jahan, on 6 February 1643, of the 12th anniversary of the death of Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around ₹32 million, which in 2015 would be approximately ₹52.8 billion (US$827 million).[4]
The building complex incorporates the design traditions of Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture. It employs symmetrical constructions with the usage of various shapes and symbols. While the mausoleum is constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, red sandstone was used for other buildings in the complex similar to the Mughal era buildings of the time. The construction project employed more than 20,000 workers and artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the emperor's court architect.
The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Islamic art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded as one of the best examples of Mughal architecture and a symbol of Indian history. The Taj Mahal is a major tourist attraction and attracts more than five million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World initiative. The Taj Mahal and its setting, surrounding grounds, and structures are a Monument of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India.[5]
Etymology
The name "Taj Mahal" is of Urdu origin, and believed to be derived from Arabic and Persian, with the words tāj mahall meaning "crown" (tāj) "palace" (mahall).[6][7][8] An alternative derivation of "taj" is that it was a corruption of the second syllable of "Mumtaz".[9][10] Abdul Hamid Lahori, in his 1636 book Padshahnama, refers to the Taj Mahal as rauza-i munawwara (Perso-Arabic: روضه منواره, rawdah-i munawwarah), meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb.[11]The building complex incorporates the design traditions of Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture. It employs symmetrical constructions with the usage of various shapes and symbols. While the mausoleum is constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, red sandstone was used for other buildings in the complex similar to the Mughal era buildings of the time. The construction project employed more than 20,000 workers and artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the emperor's court architect.
The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Islamic art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded as one of the best examples of Mughal architecture and a symbol of Indian history. The Taj Mahal is a major tourist attraction and attracts more than five million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World initiative. The Taj Mahal and its setting, surrounding grounds, and structures are a Monument of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India.[5]
Etymology
The name "Taj Mahal" is of Urdu origin, and believed to be derived from Arabic and Persian, with the words tāj mahall meaning "crown" (tāj) "palace" (mahall).[6][7][8] An alternative derivation of "taj" is that it was a corruption of the second syllable of "Mumtaz".[9][10] Abdul Hamid Lahori, in his 1636 book Padshahnama, refers to the Taj Mahal as rauza-i munawwara (Perso-Arabic: روضه منواره, rawdah-i munawwarah), meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb.[11]Inspiration
Shah Jahan, 17th century painting
Artistic depiction of Mumtaz Mahal
The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, to be built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died on 17 June that year while giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum.[12][13] Construction started in 1632, and the mausoleum was completed in 1648, while the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.[14][15]The imperial court documenting Shah Jahan's grief after the death of Mumtaz Mahal illustrates the love story held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.[16] According to contemporary historians Muhammad Amin Qazvini, Abdul Hamid Lahori and Muhammad Saleh Kamboh, Shah Jahan did not show the same level of affection for others as he had shown Mumtaz while she was alive. After her death, he avoided royal affairs for a week due to his grief and gave up listening to music and lavish dressing for two years. Shah Jahan was enamoured by the beauty of the land at the south side of Agra on which a mansion belonging to Raja Jai Singh I stood. He chose the place for the construction of Mumtaz's tomb after which Jai Singh agreed to give it to emperor Shah Jahan in exchange for a large palace in the centre of Agra.[17][18]
Architecture and design
Main article: Origins and architecture of the Taj MahalThe Taj Mahal complex is situated on a platform on the banks of the Yamuna River.
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture.[19] Inspirations for the building came from Timurid and Mughal buildings including the Gur-e Amir in Samarkand (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty) and Humayun's Tomb in Delhi which inspired the Charbagh gardens and hasht-behesht plan of the site.[20][21] The building complex employs symmetrical constructions with the usage of various shapes and symbols.[19] While the mausoleum is constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, red sandstone was used for other buildings in the complex similar to the Mughal era buildings of the time.[22] The entire complex sits on a platform measuring 300 metres (980 ft) in length and 8.7 metres (28.5 ft) in height on the banks of the Yamuna river. The platform is built with varying patterns of dark and light colored sandstone.[23]Exterior
The eight sided main structure with large arched doorways and minarets on a square plinth
The mausoleum building is the central structure of the entire complex. It is a white marble structure standing on a 6-metre (20 ft) high square plinth with sides measuring 95.5 metres (313 ft) in length. The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners forming an eight-sided structure that is approximately 57.3 metres (188 ft) long on each of the four long sides.[24]The building has four identical sides with iwans (arch-shaped doorways), topped by a large dome and finial. Each side of the iwan is framed with a 33-metre (108 ft) high pishtaq (vaulted archway) with two similarly shaped arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of archways is replicated on a smaller scale on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical.[25] At the southern side of the platform, facing the garden, there are two flights of stairs on either side which are partly covered and provide the only access from ground level up to the mausoleum building.[23]
The large onion dome topped by a finial
Finial, tamga of the Mughal Empire
The predominant feature of the mausoleum is the 23-metre (75 ft) high marble dome that surmounts the tomb. The onion shaped dome sits on a 12-metre (39 ft) high cylindrical drum with an inner diameter of 18.4 metres (60 ft).[26] The dome is slightly asymmetrical and is topped by a 9.6-metre (31 ft) high gilded finial.[19][27] The intermediate zone between the drum and the dome is supplanted by an ornamental moulding with a twisted rope design.[23] -
To Chile, With Love.
Dear Chile,
Before I landed within your borders, I had heard many people wax eloquent about the beauty of your mountains, forests, rivers and lakes. And no doubt, I was awed by their beauty too.
But I had no idea that it would be the beauty of your people that would really overwhelm me.
While quarantining in a drab hotel room in Santiago, the nurse who came for one of many precautionary Covid tests, told me that quarantine could be really isolating, gave me his card and told me to call him if I felt like I was losing my mind.
On my birthday – spent in quarantine on Robinson Crusoe Island – a passionate diver baked me the most delicious vegan chocolate cake, without ever even having met me!
A young conservationist from the island shared with me the profound responsibility she feels to protect the island’s fragile, rare, endemic ecosystem – and her dream to travel solo someday too.
Many, many islanders shared their life stories with me, but one let me in to a dark, personal part of his life. To bear witness to someone’s journey, on the other side of the world, in a language that isn’t my own, is perhaps the most humbling part of travel.
Creativity and art flow in many people’s blood across the island and continental Chile, but a long time resident invited me time and again into his idyllic home, poetic world, art collection and fascinating stories. Every conversation made me want to learn more Spanish, so we could have more profound discussions.
Knowing how hard it was to find lunch on the island – with most restaurants closed during the pandemic and shops usually out of basic supplies – a sweet island family often invited me to share their family meals: garbanzo (chickpea stew), lentejas (lentils cooked Chilean style), stirfried veggies with rice, vegan desserts and much more.
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Image of a "Test News" graphic overlaid on a background of blurred people, suggesting a news report. Test astrology functionality
The Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Chandigarh and Gurugram. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore, Punjab, by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five persons as trustees.
The Taj Mahal (/ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl, ˌtɑːʒ -/ TAHJ mə-HAHL, TAHZH -; Hindustani: [taːdʒ ˈmɛɦ(ɛ)l]; lit. ’Crown of the Palace’) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.
Construction of the mausoleum was completed in 1648, but work continued on other phases of the project for another five years. The first ceremony held at the mausoleum was an observance by Shah Jahan, on 6 February 1643, of the 12th anniversary of the death of Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around ₹32 million, which in 2015 would be approximately ₹52.8 billion (US$827 million).[4]
The building complex incorporates the design traditions of Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture. It employs symmetrical constructions with the usage of various shapes and symbols. While the mausoleum is constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, red sandstone was used for other buildings in the complex similar to the Mughal era buildings of the time. The construction project employed more than 20,000 workers and artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the emperor’s court architect.
The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Islamic art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”. It is regarded as one of the best examples of Mughal architecture and a symbol of Indian history. The Taj Mahal is a major tourist attraction and attracts more than five million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World initiative. The Taj Mahal and its setting, surrounding grounds, and structures are a Monument of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India.[5]
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test
The dog is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from an extinct population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. The dog was the first species to be domesticated by humans, over 14,000 years ago and before the development of agriculture.
Loans worth Rs 67 crore taken by Dalit families have been waived off, said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after a Cabinet meeting.
खान सर एक टीचर हैं, तो ज़ाहिर सी बात है कि इन्होंने घूंघट और बुर्का पर ज्ञान दिया ही होगा।
अब खान सर की शादी हुई तो
खान सर ने अपनी पत्नी का नाम भी नहीं बताया, और जब रिसेप्शन में आशीर्वाद लिया तो
उन्होंने अपनी पत्नी को घूंघट में ही रखा और किसी को भी चेहरा नहीं दिखाने दिया।… pic.twitter.com/9r5ZCGMDGL
— Jaiky Yadav (@JaikyYadav16) June 3, 2025
