Tag: udaipur

Categories
Festivals

Hariyali Amavasya Mela 2019: Udaipur’s way of welcoming Monsoon

Hariyali Amavasya Mela 2019

If you have ever heard about Udaipur, its culture and traditions, there are hardly any chances you haven’t heard about the Mela (fair) of Hariyali Amavasya. Hariyali means greenery while Amavasya refers to the no-moon day as per Hindi terminology. It is a festival to rejoice rains due to which the earth gets covered with a blanket of greenery. Every year this festival is celebrated with high energy and enthusiasm in the Mewar region. There are many rituals associated with this fest, and people in Northern states of India celebrates this with great fervor.

Hariyali Amavasya Mela 2019
Credits: Siddarth Nagar

 

As it is a known fact that rains are considered as blessings of God and to show gratitude towards nature and its blessings, people celebrate Hariyali Amavasya to welcome the onset of monsoon. Like Rajasthan it is also celebrated in other Northern states of India such as Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. In Maharashtra it is celebrated as ‘Gatari Amavasya’, in Andhra Pradesh as ‘Chukkala Amavasya’ and in Orissa it is known as ‘Chitalagi Amavasya’. As with the names, the rituals and traditions vary in different parts of the country, but the spirit of celebrations remains same.

Hariyali Amavasya Mela 2019
Credits: Siddarth Nagar

Being an Udaipurite I still remember, how eagerly as kids we used to wait for this day. The chief thing that attracted us the most about this festival was the Mela (fair) and which still is. We eagerly used to wait for this day which was marked by a school holiday and it was customary to visit the fair to enjoy rides and food with family. Everywhere you could see, are the vibrant colors, the bustling crowd and the vendors shouting out loud. While the women folks mainly loved to shop at the fair stalls, however, we as kids would make it sure not to miss out any of the rides and food was ofcourse our motto of life. The interesting part is, still after so many years nothing has really changed except the climatic changes.

 

Hariyali Amavasya Mela 2019
Credits: Siddarth Nagar

Let’s know some interesting facts about this Mela:

  • It is believed that the first Hariyali Amavasya Mela was set up by Maharana Fateh Singh, to celebrate the completion of a reservoir near Dewali pond, which eventually became a tradition and is still continuing.
  • Hariyali Amavasya is a two day celebration where the last day is usually reserved for women.
  • Like any other festival, this festive fair is not confined to a particular religion but gathers people from all the religion, class and castes which is certainly a mark of cultural integration.
  • The famous dish of Rabdi-Malpua is the showstopper of this mela. Most people just visit to palate the renowned dish which is also considered as a monsoon cuisine by locals.
  • Public places such as Moti Magri, Saheliyon ki Baari etc which usually have an entrance fee during other days of the year are kept free for these two days.
  • The Mela is more of interest to the tribals and rural crowd near Udaipur region, who comes up in huge crowd in traditional costumes and jewelry.
  • Also elderly folks of this region have a strong belief, that it will definitely rain on the day of Hariyali Amavasya.
  • The wooden sword wrapped with colorful papers, a colorful feathered hat and small trumpets of paper called Poopadi in native language are the souvenirs which validate your presence at Mela.
  • Women collectively pray for good rainfall and bountiful harvest.
  • Green is the color of the day and ladies in the Mewar region wear green which represent their love for nature.
  • Several schools and social groups & organizations celebrate it a day before, organizing cultural programs.
  • It is considered auspicious to plant a sapling on this day which is also having religious significance as per Hindu community.

This year Hariyali Amavasya will be observed on 1st of August, which will also be a collector declared holiday for schools, colleges and all government organizations. Observing the increasing popularity of this festival among domestic and international tourists,efforts are also made by Municipal Corporation of Udaipur to have this historic fair registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Hariyali Amavasya Mela 2019
Credits: Siddarth Nagar

While the festival is the time to rejuvenate and rejoice, there is an increasing threat as well from past few year, about depleting rainfall and vanishing forests in the Aravali region. As true Udaipurites lets join hands to protect our environment and trees so that our future generations could also enjoy this historic Mela.

Categories
More

7 Tips To Play a Social Media Strategy for Your Wedding

Social media platforms offer everyone an opportunity to talk to the world about an event, product or service. After getting engaged, people tend to think of how to make people aware of the wedding plans and the like.

There’s so much to do through social media to get people to notice your event, but there are tips that make it easy to succeed in your social media strategy. The good bit is, it doesn’t cost a fortune to work out the tips. 

The following are social media strategy tips for your next wedding. 

 

  • Create an Instagram Business Account

 

The reason why I am insisting on a business account is that it has lots of useful options that ordinary accounts don’t have. An Instagram business account has the following options:

  • Contact buttons

With a business account, your profile will displace CTA features like Call, Email and Directions buttons directly above your feed. This makes it easy for visitors to contact you with a click of a button. You definitely grab the attention of many visitors with a click.

  • Link Your Pages

If you didn’t know, the owner of Instagram owns Facebook as well. Additionally, it is easier to link your Instagram business account to Facebook. Then it will be easy to share your feed in both places, respond to messages and reply to comments from inside Facebook.

  • Analytics

Analytics is apparently the best feature with a business account. This is because your account can track your engagement on your posts and display the statistics. This is the most useful information for generating new content, creating your Ad’s and engaging with your audience.

  • Swipe Up

It has been rumored that soon all Instagram business counts will receive the swipe up feature sooner or later. Currently, swipe up is only given to those with 10 thousand followers or more. 

 

  • Create A Hashtag

 

Hashtags work. They make your content viewable by anyone who has an interest in your event as it goes beyond just your followers. Hashtags can help you engage with friends by joining the conversation about your wedding. 

A hashtag in twitter helps you to reach beyond your follower list. While hashtagging about your wedding, use short word hashtags like #marywedspeter. Also, be careful to fill your content with too many hashtags, this may portray you as desperate and certainly dilutes your message. 

Even though hashtags are useful and drive engagement, they don’t always work on every single social media platform. They are not meant to be used on Facebook or LinkedIn. 

 

  • Design Ad’s To Promote The Event

 

Ads require little to no investment regarding money. However, if done correctly, it can help you reach a larger audience who you may not have connected with yet.

With Facebook Ads, for example, you can target a specific audience which is likely to get interested in your event.  

Always design a professional-looking Ad to give the best first impression. You can use a customizable template to help your event stand out. 

 

  • Post Images On Event Preparations

 

If you have a blog, the better. But that doesn’t mean social media can’t be of help.

There are plenty of plugins that prompt visitors to use or share the image. This will often lead to a reader sharing the image and spreading the word.

Ensure you post a beautiful and relevant image that your readers will be proud to pin, so use bright colors and sleek graphics to people to love and share. 

 

  • Relevant Quotes From Guest 

 

Guests and friends will definitely grace your wedding. A wedding without one or two guests speakers may be dull and so you need to feature one guest quote about your event. Although it’s not reasonably okay to disclose who your guests are, much of your audience may not even know who this person is or what they’re about.

By posting their quotes, you’re telling your audience what to expect on your big day and that they will learn a relevant lesson. Make the quotes and images shareable, most importantly.  

 

  • Post Continual

 

Of course, your audience needs an update of anything towards the wedding. They expect an update on the dates, theme, and venue details. 

Grab the photos of your wedding spot and talk about it continually. Choose a romantic getaway from the Caribbean and get your audience want to visit here early in advance. Who can resist the charm of Royal Barbados, a perfect spot for a total romance and relaxation, under the Caribbean sun!

 

  • Host a live video session on Facebook or Snapchat

 

Live videos are currently gaining immense popularity. Live videos will make your viewers ask questions which you can answer immediately concerning your event. You could also host a Snapchat story Q&A session to encourage participants to ask you questions about your big day. 

While doing a live video, use a beautiful image to catch followers’ attention and make you definitely stand out to your Facebook fans definitely. Encourage them to interact with you on other social media platforms to foster trust in you and your wedding event. 

 

Categories
News

Let’s know how to use QR Code!

usefulness of QR Code

A black and white logo kind of image having a random structure uneasy to understand, can be found now and then, on the packaging of electronic gadgets, or you can see it on business cards, presentations and even on the walls of the building. Many of us still don’t understand what is it meant for or what is this called?

Yes, I am talking about QR Code or the short form of Quick Response Code. This is a kind of square barcode (two dimensional) that was first developed and used in Japan. It is just like any other barcode to store in information in a machine-readable optical label. The data contained by a QR code can be anything from simple text, to an email addresses, to phone numbers and so on. These are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media to put it into your laptop, smartphone or any other smart and handy gadget.

QR Codes

 

QR codes store data using patterns of black dots and white spaces, arranged in a square grid. These patterns can be scanned and translated into human-readable information, with the help of an imaging device, like a camera or a scanner, although the most common way to scan QR codes nowadays is to use your smartphone’s camera and a specialized app for reading QR codes.

Now talking about its utility, it is excessively preferred nowadays because it can store (and digitally present) much more data, including URL links, Geo coordinates, and text. The other key feature of QR Codes is that instead of requiring a chunky hand-held scanner to scan them, many modern cell phones can scan them.

Scan QR Code

However, most people still have no idea what QR Code is all about, and many even fear using them particularly while using them for financial transactions, because of increasing cases of cyber frauds and the risk of getting dragged into electronic scams. Even while making payment at restaurants, hotels, petrol stations, business sites and payment getaways many people avoid using it. But the thing which most of us might not be knowing is that QR Code is extremely safer and simpler to use as compared to card-based payments in which one has to enter his confidential pin. However, it also has its fair share of small risk associated, which cannot be entirely eliminated.

QR Codes on Buildings

Nowadays, QR codes can be seen on magazine adverts, billboards, textbooks and even on T-shirts. Once you scan a QR code through your cell phone, it may give you details about that business, allowing users to search for nearby locations, or details about the person wearing the t-shirt, show you a URL which you can click to see a trailer for a movie.

QR Codes in Textbook

With the advancement of ICT’s and digitization invading every zone, QR Codes have now also been introduced into textbooks. A recent initiative has been taken by Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) to introduce QR codes into textbooks to enable students, teachers and parents to access study material digitally through online app Diksha. This inventiveness is to help students go an extra mile to learn and understand the subject, with the additional study material in their small handy devices. Through the Diksha app, students can scan QR Codes in their books and can access detailed information about a topic or the whole subject.

However, it is disheartening that not only the students but most teachers and parents still do not know how to use the QR codes implanted within coursebooks. Thus recently a piece of news has also been published by UdaipurBlog to make people aware of the initiative.

Hope, knowing its benefits, now we will embrace the positive developments like digital learning through QR codes, that technology is offering to us and make it beneficial for the growth of society.

Categories
News

No warning or prevention signs at tourists spots: Authorities taking no action!

warning boards

Udaipur being the most preferred tourist destination particularly in the monsoon season is attracting large number of people all around the world. Not only the tourists but locals also frequently visit lakes and other beautiful spots in large numbers during monsoons. However, the biggest issue is that, there are no restrictions on taking pictures and selfies on these sites, which sometimes becomes a reason of unwanted accidents.

Observing the picturesque beauty of lakes, valleys and other such picnic spots, people generally forget to notice danger zones and blind spots which has ended lives of many people in the past. Also, the increasing craze of photography and selfies is the major reason behind such unacceptable accidents.

risky zones

In a meeting held in the month of March, between Tourism Development board and UIT & Nagar Nigam, it was decided to place warning boards near lakes, hilly regions and tourist places. However, till date no action has been taken in this regard. Observing the increasing number of selfie-deaths, a meeting by tourism department will be held on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. to take more stringent actions.

Administration and people must take collective action to prevent such mishaps in  future. Authorities must appoint guards at highly risky areas, together with placing warning signs . Moreover, people must show responsive attitude while visiting such places.

Categories
News

No more overloaded school auto-rickshaws and vans: High court’s strict orders

Overloaded vehicles

overloaded auto rickshaws

After the strict instructions from high court and its orders regarding the safety of school-going children, administration has decided to take strict actions against auto drivers and also the schools with which they are affiliated. Increasing cases of accidents and parental complaints have forced local authorities to pay serious attention to the issues. It must be noted that auto drivers have built unions and are hauling more than their carrying capacity. Small kids are even made to sit in the boot area of rickshaws, keeping their lives at highest risks.

Observing the scenario, followed by high-court’s orders, a meeting between traffic department, district transport authorities, NGO, van and auto union members was held on Tuesday. Representatives from different schools, were also invited to bring to their notice about the severity of the issue and get an assertive support from them.

It was also directed that schools must issue strict instructions and do not allow overloaded vehicles in their campus. Besides, they must also ensure that rules are duly followed by the vehicle drivers. Each school must have complete information about the drivers, including their name, vehicle no, phone no, licences and other relevant documents. Parents must also to be enrolled in road safety clubs of every school. Any negligence in following of rules by schools and/or drivers will be dealt with strictness.  Traffic inspector, Netrapal Singh stated that, “only drafting of challan is insufficient, hence more stringent actions will be taken as this issue is related to lives of children”.

Categories
News

No rains No strong wind flow: Still increasing cases of falling electric poles have become a major issue

slashed power pole

slashed power pole

Udaipur,Even no heavy rainfall or strong wind flow has been observed during the past two weeks, still there are increasing cases of falling of power poles in Udaipur. Recently the falling of a power pole in Badgaon Panchayat, took a toll on lives of two innocent kids. Even after the mishap, local authorities and Nagar Nigam are taking no serious actions to avoid further damages.

A second similar case has been observed on Saturday morning when an electric pole fell on the ground in Dhar Panchayat region. The pole also had a small transformer affixed on it and luckily there were no vehicles or individuals standing near it, otherwise it could have done enormous damage to life and property. As per one of the witnesses “the pole suddenly started shuddering, observing which the people nearby distanced themselves from the pole and in a few seconds the pole flattened down on the road. After, observing the increasing number of such incidences a major question has been raised upon the work of Nagar Nigam. In such case people should remain alert and should not stand near any kind of poles, as even there are chances of getting electrocuting.

Categories
News

Udaipur among the World’s Top 10 most beautiful cities!

Udaipur lakes

598 mtrs above the sea level and spanning over a stretch of only 37 sq km, a small beautiful town in the south of the largest state of India, lies a place, which is famous for its Royal Rajput-era palaces and scenic locations, which is home to exquisite valley views, tranquil lakes and some of  world’s most influential & majestic architectures, a place which is on the bucket list of so many tourists, a place where many plan their dream destination weddings, a place that carries a wide history and culture, with it, Yes it is none other than, Udaipur, the city where my heart lies. Many of us call it  ‘the City of Lakes, Venice of the East, and the Kashmir of Rajasthan.

Lakes of Udaipur

It is one of the favorite travelling destination among the globetrotters and hence it was nominated as the No 1 City in Asia in 2018. Making its mark, the city occupied a place among World’s top 10 beautiful cities. This year Udaipur ranked 6th in Asia and 10th in the ‘World’s Best Awards’ for best cities of the world by renowned travel magazine travel and leisure. Not only this, the Leela Palace Udaipur ranked the no 1 hotel among World’s 100 best resorts, together with 38th place held by Taj Lake Palace while Oberoi Udaivilas at 49th, by the readers of the same T+L magazine. The magazine says that “a breathtaking view of Lake Pichola is just one reason, Travel + Leisure readers gave for choosing this Udaipur’s hotel as their favorite”.

The Royal Palaces

From the ornate palaces and narrow winding streets, to the boutique jewelry stores and bustling markets, is what made travelers all around the earth to nominate it as the best travelling destinations. The City of Lakes hold so much treasures which could only be explored by renting a rowboat and sailing through the lakes or escaping into the narrow old city lanes which demonstrate the true Mewari culture.

Besides this, the cinematic history of the luxurious Taj Lake Palace and the Royal City Palace, are cherry on pie, which this city  boasts of.  Taj Lake Palace has also been voted as one of the Top 10 Asia resort hotels.

Thank you world and Udaipur folks that helped it mark its presence among 4,416 cities of the world.

Categories
News

World Population Day: A special report on Udaipur’s population growth

World Population Day

How many of us knew that 11th July is observed as World Population day? And even if we get to know about it, do we really know why it is celebrated or what impact does it have? Lets get to know some really interesting facts!

As per the United Nations Development Program 11th of July, every year, is observed as World Population Day.  The chief aim behind this, is to create awareness about increasing world’s population and to search solutions to the issues pertaining to it. It is not an event that has got a recent recognition, however it would be quite interesting to know that it was established by Dr KC Zachariah in 1989 to recognize this day as World Population Day. The inspiration for this was drawn from”Five Billions Day” which was celebrated on the same date in 1987. UN’s Development Council back then recognized the urgency and need to divert the focus of international community on increasing population and consequently depleting global resources. Since then it has been celebrated for nearly 3 decades from now.

Now it’s crucial to know that India in the second most populous country of the world after China. Lets see a sneak peak at some statistics:

  • The current population of India is 1,369,018,830 as of Wednesday, July 10, 2019, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
  • India’s population is equivalent to 17.74% of the total world’s population
  • India ranks number 2 in the list of most populated countries
  • The average growth rate of India is around 1.1 % per year.

This means that India will add 1.49 Cr in 2019 that is near to current population of 74th ranked Somalia. While it is estimated that by 2024, India will most likely overtake China to become the most populous country on the earth.

Now, having a look at regional data, it has been identified that Rajasthan is ranked #7 in the list with population of 7.83 Cr which is an equivalent to the population of Thailand. While we talk about Udaipur, as per the data revealed by Medical, Health and Family Welfare Department, it has been recognized that Udaipur’s population is growing at an average rate of 1.8-2 % annually, which means population goes up by about 20,404 every year, which is quite alarming. Even if we compare it with India’s growth rate it is pretty much higher. In 2018 it was measured to be 642,518. 

However, Lakecity has an enhanced economic base. Tourism, horticulture and mineral industries make real contributions to its economy . The handicraft and cottage industry divisions of the city critically impact in adding to the growth of economy of the city. However, the increasing population in adding extraordinary pressure on local economy and resources. In Udaipur, about 2% of households are below poverty line. Other major challenges include water shortages, traffic, congestion and unemployment among youngsters.

On this day it is crucial to think high about the consequences if we continue to grow at this threatening rate!

Categories
News

Udaipur Division’s first Women IG Appointed

Udaipur's New Women IG

Transfer of 38 IPS officers including IGPs, DIGs and SPs has been recently announced by Rajasthan Government. Accordingly, on Monday, July 8, IPS officer Vineeta Thakur has been appointed as new and also first women Inspector General (I.G) of Udaipur division. While the current I.G Praful Kumar has been transferred to Jodhpur, as Commissioner of Jodhpur, following the orders of Department of Personnel (DOP).

Upon joining her seat she stated that her chief aim will be to work for protection of women and weaker segments of society. She further stated that, observing the increasing cases of online theft and cyber crimes there is a dire need to provide special training to police officials to curb them. She also added that Udaipur being the tourist destination, hence special focus will be given to protect visitors and eliminate tourists’ related crimes.

Categories
News

RJ Suri of Radio City 91.9 FM starts Future Ki Baat

RJ Suri of Radio city in conversation with his listeners
RJ Suri of Radio city in conversation with his listeners

If you look around today, everyone is very much concerned about their secured future. Everyone wants to know how they can save for tomorrow, how can they make their future more hassle and risk-free. Some are confident by buying lands, while some by investing in the stock market or mutual funds. Some dream of a safer future by buying gold, while some by investing in big insurance policies. Everyone around is just worried about one thing that they don’t need to worry about their safer tomorrow. Now, some people spend time planning for their future, and on the other hand, some people take comparatively less time to plan for it.

Radio City's RJ Suri starts Future ki Baat
Radio City’s RJ Suri starts “Future ki Baat”

Some people like to plan their future while they are 24 to 25, while some think about their future after getting married, and some after having children. Now, this is the concern which was troubling Radio City’s RJ Suri too. And we all know that when a radio jockey is concerned about anything, then he can’t resist himself without sharing it with his listeners.

RJ Suri of Radio city in conversation with his listeners
RJ Suri of Radio city in conversation with his listeners.

That’s why RJ Suri, who runs a morning show at Radio City 91.9 FM, which starts from 7 and runs till 11, he started sharing concerns about the same and talked about how to make his future more secure. Udaipurites even started to give their opinions to Suri. Everyone exclaimed that, yes, planning for tomorrow should be done by every person. Anyone can land into trouble and need a big amount of money to get out of it, you never know. When asked by RJ Suri, what to do for his secured future, some people advised him to buy a piece of land, while some insisted him to invest in mutual funds. Being sarcastic, few also advised Suri to open a shop of samosas, as we Udaipurites are very famous for our tickling taste buds. So now that so many investment ideas had come to Suri, it confused him. Hence, RJ Suri called a Financial Advisor in his show, who guided Suri about how can he plan for his coming tomorrow, along with this Udaipurites also started taking pieces of advice from the Financial Advisor for their secured future. So that now we have talked about a secured future, and everyone feels that it needs to be talked about. Udaipurites, if you too are concerned about your future, tune to 91.9 FM every morning at 7. RadioCity 91.9FM would also like to introduce Udaipurites to its print partner, Dainik Navjyoti. So, let’s come together to discuss and act upon our secured future.