Posted on by sphere of humanity

Our Trip to Wayanad

By Balagopan and Adithya.M

Wayanad is a hill station in Kerala, which attracts a large number of local as well as foreign tourists. The chilling climate in Wayanad with its marvellous natural beauty makes it one of the best tourist attractions in God’s own Country and called as the green paradise of Kerala. Some of the major tourist attractions in Wayanad are Edakkal Caves, Chembra Peak, Lakkidi View Point, Kuruvadweep and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. We were on a budget trip and also wasn’t in a hurry to visit all the locations.

Our Trip to Wayanad

We reached Wayanad in the evening. It was already getting dark, much sooner than other parts of Kerala. We stopped at Lakkidi Viewpoint, which is the gateway of Wayanad. Nearly 300 people were relaxing and enjoying the beauty of nature. We parked our bike on the side of the road where several other cars and bikes were parked. There was no proper parking area, so it was a bit dangerous to park the bike on the side of the road without much lighting. So we parked our bikes with putting on the parking lights so that  the vehicles approaching can identify our bikes and thus make it safe We were amazed to see the scenery from there. It was pretty dark and the view of fog rising from the valleys to the top of the hills was an experience to remember forever. Everyone was busy clicking photos of the raising fog but I saw most people were complaining they couldn’t catch any proper pictures in the camera since the fog was covering all the views in the already dark valleys.

My friend didn’t want to leave the viewpoint but we had to move on. We didn’t have any reservation for the hotel, so we had to drive around and find a place to stay. The first hotel we noticed was Hotel Pepper Wayanad Gate, which is along the highway itself just 2 kilometres from the viewpoint. Even though we had seen good reviews of Pepper Wayanad Gate, we decided to skip it since it was beyond our budget. We reached Kalpetta, which is a small town but still active in the night. There were many hotels and we found one small hotel, which is close to the main junction and looked matching our budget. We walked into the reception and asked for a room. The guy in the reception stared at me as if I have come asking for a free room but showed me a few options. We took a double bed non-A/c room on the third floor. I was wondering who would need an A/c room in the chilling weather there. One good thing about such budget hotels is, they don’t charge anything extra for the rooms with good views. After all, most people coming into such hotels just need room to sleep at the best price and they don’t care for the views from the room. But we were lucky to get a room overlooking the hills. We opened the window and the view of mountains and valleys at far was really amazing.

We planned a trip of three days but later extended for one more day as we couldn’t cover all the places It was a fabulous trip and we enjoyed a lot. After several hours of driving, we both were tired and decided to sleep early after a quick dinner in the “thattukada” (country style restaurant) next to the hotel. Maybe because we were too hungry, the dosa and chutney tasted like the best food I have ever eaten! We had a chat with the hotel guy about the places to visit in Wayanad, other than the places we had already visited. He told about a list of activities to do in Wayanad including trekking, hiking, off road riding, camping and rafting. Also, gave the contact number of a company who arranges such activities for the tourists. We promised to come back to do all activities we missed doing this time and decided to try the bamboo rafting the next time which is a great experience as many told us about their rafting experience. We would definitely try rafting next time.

Posted on by sphere of humanity

From the land of Cashews to the city of Nizam

By Sandra Vasanth and Safa Salim

Hyderabad-the pearl City of India has its own place in my heart since childhood. I don’t know the exact reason for that though. Maybe it is because of the mesmerizing movie scenes depicted from there ?

Somehow I happened to know about the Ramoji film city. So to me, Hyderabad was merely Ramoji. So with much hurdles and pleadings, Appa finally agreed to take us there.

There was a very good welcome in the Rajiv Gandhi airport. But the excitement soon had a dull phase. The place welcomed us with its unbearable heat and hot winds stabbing directly to our face. We waited there till our Uber arrived. The first thing I would appreciate in Hyderabad is it’s clean,smooth roads. Despite the roads that bursts at the seams in Kerala, Hyderabad roads deserved much appreciation. The Uber stopped before Amrita castle. After the security check,we were allotted our rooms. If there is a heaven on earth ,I would like to call the room no 503 of Amrita castle as one(The AC which was used rarely when guest arrived there in home was now pathetically recalled).The Stay was itself another wonder.The resort occupied room in tunnels and we called it “tunnel of fireflies”.


Wherever you go,you will find a Malayali there. We too found one-Johnson uncle,a name we used to hear ever since the trip was planned. Uncle took us to the heart of the coral city. The city took us back to a time when beauty and craftsmanship went hand in hand.Uncle just like a guide,was talking about Hyderabad continuously about its History and Geology. In fact there was a lot to talk about his 36 years of experience in the city. 

Numberless bangles,clothes, streetfood, colours, waved their palms at us. Various “akka,akka” resonated in our senses. We pretended to neglect all these considering our wallet and we gathered the courage to walk forward regardless of these attractions. Amma was thoroughly missed during all these times.     Whenever Hyderabad strikes in anyone’s mind,it would be Charminar! This is considered as the centre base of the city, built around 1591. Some people say there’s an underground tunnel connecting Golkonda fort to Charminar,possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutub shahi rulers.     

Golkonda fort-An outstanding example for brilliant engineering and magical architecture.

Infact the stunt scenes of “Aadhi” the malayalalm movie,are shot from here.     Salar-Jung museums:One of the three National Museums of India.Endowed to the nation after the death of Salar Jung.

HITEC city-Hyderabad information technology and engineering consultancy city abbreviated as HITEC CITY.     

Snow world- A paradise founded for the unbearable heat outside,this is how I would like to define the creation. Falling in white flakes,absolutely phenomenal dusting of snow,blanket of snow and music played in between takes everyone in euphoric feel.

Altogether,a Paisa-Wasul experience.     

RAMOJI FILM CITY-A magical realm filled with excitement and wonderful surprises at every turn.
As the world’s largest integrated film city and India’s only thematic holiday destination with magic of cinema.   
 It leaves all the visitors with some memorable experiences.To help u from sunburn,the medical team before kickstarting the journey provide you with pills to withstand the unbearable heat(Imagine the climate there!).     Overall a must visit place and should not be missed if one goes to Hyderabad. 


PS: Not spoiling the thrill by giving more details.Go enjoy the fantasy land all by yourself.   

 Birla Mandir,Qutub shahi tombs,Necklace road,Lumbini park are other attractions here.
Well,the place has everything which a person wants.

You have good place to chill,you have great places to explore,you have water parks,great restaurants,some lakes here and there.

Well,if you are a night owl,this place will cover you up.

You have good places to eat even if it is midnight.Some good stretches of roads to drive on.Then for the food lovers,the place is a heaven,you just need to know where to go.Some of the must eat things if you are going to Hyderabad are:the famous bawarchi biriyani,kurbani ka meetha,the haleem you could grab during ramzan,irani tea,famous icecream etc.   

 Gokul chat in koti,dhai puri and dhai pappdi are must try.

Another spot for foodjoints is sindhi colony near paradise.The dosa centres which opens between 2am and 5am to soothe your tastebuds.And if I continue more, I will run out of space telling about the place.   

 Despite the beauty the place offers,traffic and pollution are very bad here.Terrible autowalah baiiyas who honk,drivers who drive on wrong side-because of the median they argue,lack of civic sense in general,I might be stretching out on a limb here when I say this and even offend a few but it’s the bitter truth.   

 All these being said, I still believe Hyderabad as one of the most hospitable cities to live notbwithstanding the recent telungana agitations,where people from different   religions and states who speaks differet languages live in harmony.

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The three R principle

By Ashika S Kumar and Arundathi M.

Image Copyright : Pexels Stock Photos

In the present world waste has become one of the biggest problems affecting each and every part of our environment. Anyway we cannot completely avoid waste production, but what we can do is to take self precaution and thereby reducing the amount of waste produced.


When we first hear the word Waste hierarchy many questions may arise in our mind like, What is its purpose ? What it really means ? What is the need for it ? and so on.
Actually it is a part of waste management process and is used to reduce the amount of waste. It mainly involves three processes: Reduce,Reuse and Recycle.

They are known as the three R’s of waste management process. These are essential for a sustainable living as they help as to reduce the amount of waste we have to throw away. The ideas behind three R’s are really simple:

• Reduce: To reduce the amount of waste we produce.

• Reuse: To reuse the items before replacing them.

• Recycle: To recycle the items which can be recycled.

When we take a deep look into each of the process we may feel it is so easy, but it does not seem so easy when we start to follow it in our life.

1. REDUCE :

       The first R is all about reduction in the amount of waste we produce. Reduction is the main among the three as, if the amount of waste produced is less, the things to be reused and recycled will be automatically reduced. Some methods we can adopt in our life to reduce wastes are:

¤ Buy only necessary things.

¤ While buying a product rethink the fact whether it can be reused and recycled.

¤ Try to avoid buying food materials having too much of packing.

¤ If possible completely avoid the use of plastic.

¤ Reduce the use of electricity, For eg: Lights should not be used during day time.

¤ Reduce the amount of petrol by using public transport systems.

¤ Reduce the wastage of food by making only the sufficient amount of food and the rest can be used in compost making.

¤ Shopping can be reduced by buying things which are durable and long lasting.

¤ Shopping of new clothes can be reduced by using the old clothes by mending them.

¤ Using second hand goods is also one of the method to reduce the waste.


2. REUSE :

     Reuse simply refers to using the same thing again and again for different purposes. It refers to the reuse of object as it is without treatment. It is a sustainable process as it reduce pollution and waste.
Reusing is better than recycling because it saves the energy which is used to dismantle and re-manufacture products. It also saves the forest and water supplies as it reduces the need for raw materials. Examples of reused items include anything bought as second-hand including furnitures and clothing.

    Here are some methods to practice reuse in our daily life :

    ® We should make sure that we are not buying things unnecessarily until the one wit us is damaged. This can save money as well as the space in our storage room.

    ® After cleaning thoroughly we can reuse food containers.

    ® Rather than throwing things away, (old things and food that is left out )it could be donated to the poor.

    ® Make new things from the things in trash.

    ® Glass bottles could be reused by storing nails and screws in it.

    ® Use the both sides of a paper for printing. OR use the unwanted papers for writing the list of grovery items , notes etc.

    3. RECYCLE :

           Recycling is an energy consuming process in which the item is turned into raw material that can be used again.It reduces the waste disposal as it transforms the used materials like plastic, glass and paper into new material. Also recycling plays an important part in sustainable living for decades. In UK, recycling is a very expensive process. Examples of recycled materials include fibreglass from glass bottles , insulation materials from newspaper or plastic bottles.

           Here are some benefits of recycling :

           ✓ Reduces the amount of waste

           ✓ Conservation of natural resources

           ✓ Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of material.

           ✓ Prevents pollution .

           ✓ Helps to create job opportunities in manufacturing and recycling industries.

           ✓ Saves energy.

   Some methods of recycling in our daily life :

           • Kitchen and garden waste  can be recycled by making your own compost. Compost has great use in garden as it contains nutrients essential for the growth of plants.

           • Old newspapers , magazines , notebooks etc are recycled to new paper or cardboard.

           • Food cans made of steel could be melted and moulded into new cans.

           • Drink cans which are usually thin and light is made of aluminium could be easily recycled.

           • Waste wood is turned to new wood products.

           • Glass is very easy to recycle . Waste bottles and jars are melted and used again and again.

           • Waste vegetable oil could be recycled to a useful vehicle fuel called biodiesel.

           • Plastics are hard to recycle. Plastics can be recycled into more durable products like flower pots and plastic pipe. Another solution is the use of bioplastics which are environment friendly.

So the 3 R’s ( Reduce, Reuse , and Recycle)  are a way of life , we must understand that it is our duty to take good care of our planet that depends on our deeds. It is not someone else’s issue , it is the responsibility of the person you see at mirror every morning.

You CAN make a difference!!!

Posted on by sphere of humanity

A Starry Night

By Sita S and Malavika Mohan

Picture Credits/Artist : Malavika Mohan

A thousands winked.
Following the stars,
You were right there,
Hanging between the land
And the twinkles.
A wreath crowned my heart
A deep cold breath left me
A moment of bliss
Encircled my eyes
Wonderment of nature.
One day I would recite this,
Under the same stars,
With your breath sharing mine. 


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What makes people create litter?

By  Bhavya and Swetha

Image Copyright : Pexels Stock Photos

Litter is any kind of rubbish terrified in minor amounts, uniquely in seats anywhere it doesn’t belong. With time, it masses up. The ritual is illegal for the reason that it expenses municipalities millions of dollars annually in attack costs. It  portrays a boisterous photograph of a spot  faith glass, cooking scraps or acerbic wastes. The accomplished reach to communal struggling tools use on family member of steadily fare packaging, cigarette butts, ultimate pick-me-up bottles, chewing gum wrappers, cracked down electrical tools parts, toys, without optimism glass, cooking scraps or acid wastes.

                                         Litter originates from seven chief sources.

Four are stationary sources – household gibberish LP areas, subject sabotage photograph album areas, matter and built-up loading docks and construction and knocking down sites.

Three are heartbreaking sources – discovered trucks, motorists and pedestrians. 

Animals may take for the substance of litter floating in the dampen as fare and may possibly fill up on them or they may progress entwined in it. They discover their rations amongst the ruin and tin make a choice up the microbes and develop into carriers for diseases that may assemble frequent sick. Litter is bad for the environment. It wastes our raw resources. Hazardous chemicals can leach out of the litter and pollute the soil and water bodies located nearby. These toxins then enter the human body via the food chain. The contaminants also stunt plant growth and cause health issues in animals living in that area.

                                   The main reason for people makes more litter is of their laziness to dispose off waste properly and the fact that no strict actions is taken against such offenders. People are too lazy to find a dustbin or a garbage disposal area and instead litter where they are. They believe they can get away with it and not have to deal with the consequences. Moreover, people are about their personal enclosure and living space only and want to keep only that clean. They do not care about public places because apparently it is not their place. In extra to intentional littering, more or less partially of litter on U.S. roadways is at the moment unintended or inadvertent litter, regularly fragments that cascade off unacceptably protected trash, recycling compilation vehicles and come and get somebody trucks. Population levels, interchange density and proximity to remaining disposal sites are factors recognized to correlate with elevated litter rates.

Indifferent or lenient directive enforcement contributes to littering behavior. Other causes are inconvenience, power and monetary conditions. Illegally dumped harmful misuse may be a effect of the outlay of sinking resources at designated sites: certain of these price a fee for depositing dangerous material. Lack of approach to close conveniences that agree to risky unwanted may deter use. Additionally, ignorance of the laws that make conform the decorous disposal of risky devastate may instigate shady disposal. Population may criticize a need of well-placed bins for their littering. Risky resources may regularly be incorrectly disposed of in the bins and they tin encourage dumpster diving.

                                    Approachable containers such as thesis cups, cardboard provisions packets, false hot drink bottles and aluminum drinks cans search out packed up with rainwater, as long as breeding locations for mosquitoes. In addition, a initiate or a lightning speed know how to edge a enliven if it strikes litter such as a manuscript bag or cardboard box. Litter know how to be harmful to health. waste declining from vehicles is an escalating origin of automobile accidents. Discarded dangerous goods, chemicals,tires, sharps waste and pathogens resulting from litter canister make happen inadvertent destruction to humans.

                                   Increasingly, in attendance comprise been hard work to consumption technology to screen areas level to dumping. In Japan, a learning used Geographic in order Systems (GIS) to chart areas of dumping based on locate characteristics. Another cram second-hand satellite imagery to expose potential illegitimate dumping sites. Litter traps be able to be old to capture litter as it exits storm water drains into waterways. However, litter traps are no more than actual for considerable or balanced bits and pieces of litter and be required to be maintained. A topical dividing line litter assess showed a dissimilarity in the organization of lane litter and storm water litter. Litter ruins people’s enjoyment of the countryside and makes open spaces feel like waste grounds

Be part of the solution, not the pollution.