Jan 2014 - The Golden Orange by Rotary Club of Nagpur

January 2014

DIALOGUE

RADHAKRISHNA PILLAI (AUTHOR OF BEST SELLER 'CORPORATE CHANAKYA')

I n d i a continues to be an enigma not only for the foreigners but also for Indians. With a r i c h heritage and history of more than 5000 years, India has wealth of knowledge. Ironically this was lost and/or forgotten in past 500-1000 years of foreign invasion. Reclaiming India is a mission where few individuals are treading on different path. One of them is Mr Radhakrishna Pillai, the author of best selling book 'Corporate Chanakya'. In a freewheeling discussion with Team GO over lunch, he shared his thoughts on different topics from economy to politics on which Chanakya is considered as master. Following is the excerpts. Team GO - Why suddenly there is so much interest in ancient Indian text such as Ved, Ramayan, Mahabharat or Chanakya and its application in present context? RP – When temperature reaches 100*C, we see water boiling, but that doesn't happen in a flash. First it becomes lukewarm then warm, hot and finally reaches boiling point. Similarly these ancient texts were being studied for a long periods of time. How they can be applied in present political and economic environment and whether they are still relevant were debated. Post independence nobody in the world thought that there could be a concept called Indian Management mostly due to image of India as a poor country. Till may be 1960/70's people were skeptical. By 80s they at least acknowledged that there is Indian M a n a g e m e n t p h i l o s o p h y. 9 0 s s a w development of this theory. This decade saw the growth. It is just that these timeless principles are now being widely acknowledged all over the world. We have seen the fantastic response 'Corporate Chanakya' then there is Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi that is very well appreciated by all sections. We now come across various management Gurus, spiritual leaders with scientific bent of mind extensively using Indian text. This to me is very encouraging trend. But to say that this is recent phenomenon would be wrong. Probably I am lucky to be at the right place at the right time but essentially these texts itself are timeless and

we are fortunate enough to be at the time when the story is unfolding. I have no doubt that this trend will gather speed in times to come. Team GO – Unfortunately Indians need affirmation from west to readily accept even if that concept is truly Indian eg Yog. It's the case of 'Ghar ki murgi dal barabar'. In this background what has been your experience when you propagate Chanakya's idea in India and outside India? RP – With such a rich legacy it's but natural to be proud of that. But unfortunately we stop there. It is always good to be proud of ones heritage but don't just glorify your past. Question is how best we can implement that in current environment. Surprisingly contrary to general perception, Indians are more adaptable to ideas of Chanakya than foreigners. One reason could be we already know who Chanakya was, how he helped an ordinary person become a king. We know that his tenure is considered as the golden age in Indian history. Somewhere the goodwill of Chanakya works!! Foreigners offer different angle to these concepts. The acceptability and the adaptability are low but they make up with huge amount of curiosity. So in a way it suits me since I'm able to spread the message to foreigners and make Indians adapt these eternal ideas. Team GO – The way business or government used to function during Chanakya's days are entirely different from modern age. Now we are in a globalized economy, operate in multi currency, taxation structure and national agendas. Do you think his principles are relevant even today? RP - There are principles and there are trends. Even in a household a grandmother will wear a nine-yard sari, mother would prefer five-year sari while the younger one prefers jean. Wearing cloth is important; the form can change from generation to generations. E.g. modern political studies say that the role of government is to make last man in the last village happy. Chanakya said the same thing in his book. Today there might be hundred departments for tax collection; in his time there were just around 18-20. The source of taxes may vary, number may increase or decrease but Chanakya has written how to impose tax. Taxman, according to him should be like a bee, who take just enough honey from the flower that will make her happy and at the same time keeps flower fresh and fragrant. Now nobody will dispute this principle and that's the beauty of Chanakya's Sutra. So to answer your question, yes; the principles are very much relevant, we have to use our judgment to adapt to modern context.

Team GO – There is contradiction. Indians, in general think that it is important to forgive and f o r g e t . Chanakya on the other hand suggest complete annihilation o f e n e m y. How do you view this? RP – It is always a good idea to have emotion but don't get emotional. Modern Indian history is filled with numerous events where we have suffered due to our inherent ability to get swayed by emotions. Maharana Pratap to 1971 war, even in victory we portrayed ourselves as weak or may be accidental winners. We must appreciate the fact that winner has to behave like a winner without sounding arrogant. The reason to completely annihilate enemy is simple. Even doctors suggest complete removal of limb if it is decaying. If not; it will soon destroy full body. If we can do this to our own body why not enemy? Team GO – On the topic of Wealth Creation, it can happen only if there is an investment. In current economic environment this is sorely missing. No industrious person/nation is willing to invest in India? What's the thought of Chanakya in these circumstances? RP – Investment will come. Chanakya has clear ideas on how to attract investments. Money has to find place where it is put to productive use. Today nobody is looking at India for whatever reason. But we are not in a hopeless state. There are I'm sure ample opportunities to make money. Problem is, we are not able to offer conducive investments climate. But we have other attributes that can be used to attract money. Our culture is one very strong point; our soft powers are another pull factor. We just have to direct them to right people/nation. Chanakya says when in distress; go to friends, don't go to bank. Similarly India has to look out for friends rather than rich investor. A rich investor will come only from commercial view. Japan for example could be an excellent partner in our progress. They are fascinated by India. They are also close to us culturally and importantly they have money to invest. Once the cycle of investment starts wealth creation happens provided we have set house in order.

Contd. Page No 4

President’s Message Happiness with peace of mind forms the most stimulating combination to rejuvenate one's life to achieve ultimate experience of "bliss". Rotary's multiple service activities provide a wide choice for one to get involved in activity of interest to achieve this divine pleasure. Routine everyday monotonous professional activity in the same circle of society sets in fatigue and monotony which can be quickly overcome by exposure to a completely different surrounding in the company of Rotary families, all engaged in the same pursuit, offering refreshing environment. This allows breaking away from the shackles of self imposed roles being enacted all throughout the day, to be a completely changed personality for exuberantly enacting the commands of the heart. Our Rotary club, an extended family rich in values, talent and experience, offers excellent potential to execute projects and requires only the initiation of an idea to conceptualise and implement. I call upon the Rotarians to involve actively and utilise this opportunity in imparting their skill and might to derive the satisfaction of spreading happiness around. During the last six months we devised programmes and projects to gel the members for making the club vibrant and hope to reach pinnacle of activities in months to come as planned. We are ushering in New Year and wish all the members of our club a very healthy, prosperous, happy and blissful year ahead. Yours in Rotary, -Prashant Kale

STAY CONNECTED Bouquets and brickbats most welcome. Sincerely request you to share your comments, criticism, appreciation and ideas. This will help us make this publication more insightful and interesting. Needless to say the best ones will have Dinshaw's guy knocking on your door. Do write in to parag@thinkconsultants.net

CREDITS Director: Sohrab Kanga Chairperson: PP Shabbir Shakir Editor: Parag Paranjpe Processing: Eskay's Scanner Designing: Gurushree Graphics Printing: Shabbir Shakir Paper: Courtesy BILT

FRONT PAGE Enthusiastic Participants at RYLA Radhakrishana Pillai at Public Meeting District Governor at Official Club Visit Make a Wish Project by Slum Development Committee

Thinking Otherwise No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come. It was very much evident in recent victory of AAP in Delhi Assembly. Though it would be too early to comment on how it will actually work out, there is no denying the fact that AAP managed to draw an army of selfmotivated volunteers. The extensive and clever use of social and mainstream media ensured that the last man on the street is in sync with the leaders. The philosophy and the culture of AAP was whiff of fresh air. The scourge of corruption was spreading far and fast. People probably saw a genuine effort to get rid of this demon. Guest speaker this month, Radhakrishna Pillai shared Chanakya’s thought on corruption. Corruption, according to Chanakya can only be curtailed. It cannot be eliminated. I’m sure people will be far happier to see corruption coming down if not going away completely. But trust Indian intelligence and humour to make most out of any situation. This particular story belongs to first Nizam Nizamulsuf. He had one ‘Diwan’ named Fidvi Khan who was caught taking money. (The dreaded ‘C’ word was very much present then as well) Nizam took him to task. This is what he had to say (Just that it doesn’t lose essence; reproducing it in Hindi)

vius dke djokus ds fy, lHkh yksx vyx vyx iSrjs bLrseky djrs gSA ckn'kkg us vxj iSls fy, rks mls *is'kd'k* dgrs gSA ot+hj ys rks *utj*] [kkulkek ys rks *nLrwj* vkSj fdlh egdes ds vQlj ys rks mls *'kqQjkuk* dgrs gSA dksbZ eqykfte ys rks *rgjhj*] eq¶rh ys rks *esgjkuk*] gqdwer dk dksbZ ukSdj ys rks *t+jhu*A vkSj vkt fQ+fnoh [kku us iSls fy, rks vki mls *fj'or* dgrs gksA\ I sincerely wish the country maintains the sense of humour so badly needed during these trying times. Hope new years brings cheers in everyone’s life without having to use any of the adjective mentioned above!! HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR!! -Parag Paranjpe

DG’S OFFICIAL CLUB VISIT It was immense pleasure to welcome our Honorable DG Rtn Kishor Kedia to our nutrition and child care project at Antar Bharti ashram Shala. Indeed this day, 13th Dec 2013, was a lucky day for these school children as they got an opportunity to show their activities to the ROTARY authorities and take their blessings. On a beautiful and enthusiastic morning of December 13th these tiny kids did welcome our guests by beautiful roses and singing a special welcome song. The programme started by chanting three OMKARAS together. Rtd Col. Hastak, trustee of Ashram gave the introductory speech with information on his intentions while starting this Ashram Shala. Blessings to Children and best wishes to organizers were forwarded by DG Kishore Kedia. In his speech, DG Kedia said that, he too has had his education in a Marathi medium school and he knows how knowing

ORGAN DONATION Rtn. Dr. Ravi Wankhede Chairman of Organ Donation Awareness Committee was invited by the Care Hospital, Nagpur to sensitize the Critical care & Operation Theatre staff about the need for keeping an eye on impending Brain Death patients who could be potential organ donors. It was organised on 16th December at Care Hospital. Earlier he gave detailed information about the subject. Dr. Ashwinikumar Khandekar, Consultant Nephrologist at Care Hospital, introduced him. There was a lively question answer session following the presentation. Mr. Ravi Mannidar, Chief Administrative Officer proposed vote of

ANTAR BHARATI & MATRU SEVA SANGH

Marathi has helped him. Children recited several poems taught to them. DG distributed Nutritious diets of palak parathas and wheat flour laddus. He appreciated the devotion level of the chairpersons. Director Sanjay Sethi gave vote of thanks. Chairpersons Shailaja Pingle and Gogi Bhasin arranged programme. The occasion was graced by President Prashant Kale, President elect Bharat Goenka, AG Rajeev Agarwal, Joint

Secretary Manju Shahni and the ever smiling first lady Mrs Smita Kale. - Shailaja Pingle There will be a best letter prize every month. So keep writing. Also mail your photograph along with your letter.

AWARENES TALK AT CARE HOSPITAL, NAGPUR

thanks. Ms. Kalpana, Transplant Coordinator

in the waiting area of the Hospital. Rotarian

also spoke about her short experience and the

Sharad Paliwal represented the Rotary Club

need to display posters depicting the subject

of Nagpur.

RADHAKRISHNA PILLAI (AUTHOR OF BEST SELLER 'CORPORATE CHANAKYA') Team GO – Can you share Chanakya's view on corruption? How it can be eliminated? RP – Corruption can't be eliminated. It can only be curtailed. Even countries that score high marks in Transparency International ranking on corruption can say that there is no corruption. Toothache gives constant pain, cancer on the other hand may not be painful always but it certainly brings death. Corruption however is both a toothache and a cancer. It pinches us day in, day out and also causes death!! According to Chanakya there are two types of corruption done by three types of people. The government needs to put proper checks and balances at all levels and all people. Need

based corruption where person indulges due to emergent requirement. This according to Chanakya is ok but must be checked else it become Greed based corruption. This is certainly a no-no. Similarly corruption by a thief, by bureaucrats and politicians. Police should deal with a thief indulging in corruption. However there should be strict watch on corruption by bureaucrats and politicians. Team GO - On a lighter note, what would have been the suggestion of Chanakya to Arvind Kejriwal? RP- No, its very pertinent question. Chanakya has defined certain traits of a leader. A leader

- Shiraz Doongaji Contd. from Page No 2

has to take a decision. It may turn out to be incorrect but leader can never keep it pending. A good leader will take decision and own the responsibility of its consequences. A decision can be arrived at either by; taking opinion of people, taking experts advise and finally gut feeling. The first option will have limited scope since a leader cannot go to people for all and sundry matters. Arvind Kejriwal on being posed with tricky situation has to decide soon and not keep it pending. (By the time of this interview, AAP has already conducted referendum) -Team GO

5th DECEMBER

The 5th Business Meeting of this Rotary year was held on Thursday 5th December 2013 at Udyog Bhavan at 6pm. Many members attended the meeting. President Prashant Kale welcomed all the members and greeted all the members & spouses who celebrated their Birthdays & Anniversaries during that week. Hon. Secretary Rtn. Sunil Bhatia read the minutes of previous Business meeting and the house approved the same. Forth coming project Announcement were made by Dinesh Naidu, Jatin Sampat, Parheez Gimi, Dr. Shivani Bidaye, Rakhi Bhatia, Rina Sinha.

PDG Vishwas Sahasrabhojanee informed about the Rotary South Asia Literacy Summit (RSALS) to be held in New Delhi on 14th & 15th December and requested everyone to attend. PP Vijay Naidu gave inputs regarding Rotary International Convention in Sydney, Australia and requested to attend. In important Board decisions President informed the house about DGNC Elections to be held in Amravati on 4th January 2014. President Kale requested President Elect Bharat Goenka to introduce the Board 2014-15. Bharat Goenka called every Board member of his team and

TALK BY DR. SUDHIR BHAVE

The guest speaker for the evening was Dr Sudhir Bhave, renowned psychiatrist & counselor. The topic he spoke on was, 'Stress Women face in Modern Times, due to multi tasking'. Dr Bhave said, one of the main reasons for stress was that the family system has disintegrated from joint family to nuclear ones & that the women are anxious to excel in

every role. Be it the Career or Motherhood. Education has empowered women & they don't want to compromise in their marriages & careers and are hence less patient. The roles our grandmothers & mothers played were essentially housewives but nowadays, the younger generation wants equality. He said, one of the main ways to reduce stress was to plan the day ahead & also, whether the woman has a career or is a housewife, she should have â&#x20AC;&#x153;ME TIMEâ&#x20AC;? of at least half to one hour. One could go for a walk, listen to music or watch a TV program, to de stress. The Ladies Meet was a full house with most women, wanting to know about how to bring up children in Modern Times. He advised; never to feel guilty about lack of time spent

BUSINESS MEETING

introduced them. The team is President ElectKhushnoor Chugh, Vice President - Alok Goenka, Hon. Secretary-Manjot Singh Kahai, Jt. Sec.-Rina Sinha, Treasurer-Kapil Bahri, and nine directors, Sanjay Sethi, Gogi Bhasin, Monal Malji, Dr. Rajesh Singhania, Pritesh Tank, Namita Sharma, Vinita Chaturvedi, Beena Mathews & Prashant Rajurkar. PDG Bobby Srinivas & Parag Paranjpe released the Golden Orange. Yatin Malji read attendance report. Meeting was adjourned after singing of National Anthem. - Sunil Bhatia

LADIES COMMITTEE

with children. 'Quality Time' is better than ' Quantity Time'. He also advised the women, never to over indulge children, with the latest gadgets, because of peer pressure. Dr Bhave patiently, answered all the questions & queries. Nisreen Maimoon gave the vote of thanks & yours truly welcomed the ladies & conducted the meeting. - Shalini Naidu

REGULAR MEETING

The Chitnavis Centre awaited the Rotarians as they eagerly trooped in to taste the Poetic Meat on Thursday, Dec 26th. Calling the Meeting to Order , President Prashant Kale welcomed the Rotarians to the

DG CLUB ASSEMBLY Our 2nd Club Assembly, which is also called DG Club Assembly, was held on 13th December 2013 at Hotel Centre Point, Ramdaspeth at 9.30am with Breakfast. District Governor Kishor Kedia chaired the assembly with Asst. Governor Rajeev Agrawal assisting him. President after formally welcoming everybody requested all the Directors of All Avenues of Service to present their reports and plans of the projects under their committees, which everybody did very systematically. Treasurer Bharat Parikh apart from presenting his report of the committees also gave details of the financials of our club. DG Kishor Kedia in his address to club said that he is very much

POETIC ‘MEAT’ brand new venue which he suggested to become the “home” of Rotary Club Of Nagpur . Mahendra Kamath briefly apprised the Rotarians about the successfully concluded RYLA. Rina Sinha , Chaiperson, Programmes ,gave an account of the last meeting addressed by Dr. Pillai. She then introduced the concept of Poetic Meat. “Hinglish Khichda “ is what the evening will unfold , she said. Vinita Chaturvedi then took the evening forward. In her inimitable style , she introduced each poet /poetess before requesting them to recite their verses. While Sunil Kakani's recitation brought forth

the present day socio-political scenario in a humourous way , Anuradha Paul had lines written tongue-in-cheek about the goings-on in a woman's mind and inside her bag –which she equated to a hold-all ! Dr. Bhaswati Dutta took us down Nagpur roads from Rani Jhansi Square to Mokshdham. Supanto Banerjee's random thoughts on concept of HOUSE and HOME and “A Fable of a Broom-Stick Utopia “ ended the evening of poetic fare. Rina Sinha proposed a vote of thanks. -Khushnoor S. Chugh

13th DECEMBER satisfied with the functioning of our club and is sure that we will deliver as per our plans. He spoke about the District Conference to be held on 4th & 5th January 2014 at Amravati and requested everybody to participate. He also said that club should increase the Micro Credit budget. He said that we should increase our membership strength by 10% every year. He requested to make more members of our club as PHF and Major Donors. He also said that this year when he visits any club, he wants that he should not be given flowers & bouquets, instead he said he will be happy if we give pencils or pens to be distributed in schools to increase the education. He said that he will try

to come for the Walkathon and appreciated our plans for opening of Skin Bank. He also complimented Dr. Ravi Wankhede and Mamta Jaiswal for a commendable work. He also complimented our club for 27 Interact clubs. He complimented the Blood Donation committee for collecting good number of Blood units. He assured us of full co-operation from his side. Many members of our club attended this meeting. Jt. Secretary Manju Shahani proposed Vote of Thanks. The assembly was adjourned after singing of National Anthem. - Manju Shahani

COMMUNITY WELFARE

CARDIGAN DISTRIBUTION

Winters, for us are merely taking out warmers from our wardrobes and ENJOY THE CHILL. But the less privileged it is a curse to have winter round the corner when they have no woolens to wear. With each passing year the weather pattern is becoming erratic. This year we witnessed very harsh summer and heavy

rainfalls. Winters too are likely to be severe. Our community welfare committee, realizing the need, distributed about 60 cardigans to the Antar Bharti Ashram at Khamla. We have been running yearlong project of providing nutritious food to inmates. The children from age group 6 months to 7 years got the

EYES THRU ROTARY

WCL KANHAN

On Sunday the 22nd Dec Eye Surgeons Dr. Ajay Sood, Dr. Yashpal Lamba and Dr. Prashant Chaudhari reached Kanhan, Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital of WCL at 10 am

along with the staff. Dr. Prashant Chaudhari checked all the 44 patients selected for cataract surgery,42 were found to be fit for Cataract Surgery. Dr. Ram Wankhede Ophthalmologist WCL worked hard in screening the patients. Dr. Mulchandani another Ophthalmologist from city joined us later in the day. There was a small program of inauguration. After seeking divine blessings from the almighty, our surgeons started operating. We had four Microscopes 3 from Rotary club and one from WCL. 42 patients were finally operated by around 3.30pm. ALL PATIENTS RECEIVED IOL. After the

TALLY TRAINING PROGRAM AT UNTKHANA

Physical disability is not a barrier in moving ahead in life! Welfare of specially abled committee, after a rigorous hunt for a tally

cardigans by the hands of President Prashant Kale. The nutrition committee headed by Shailaja Pingle also distributed almonds to the children. Rtn Ann Vanita Shukul and Rtn Ann Shailaja Pingle worked hard for the success of the project. - Rakhi Bhatia

operations we had a small thanksgiving program. WCL Chief Medical Officer thanked the doctors for their services. -Dr. Prashant Chaudhari

WELFARE OF SPECIALLY ABLED

trainer could get to start the tally training course at Untkhana. The committee did some primary research and found that many small shop owners and even at offices & manufacturing units there is huge demand for qualified accountants. Tally being the most sought after accounting package, it was thus natural that employability, after completing this course, will be high. About 30 students are taking the training with immense zeal. The class goes on for 2 hours everyday. It shall go on for 2-3 months and at the end of the course the children will also sit for a proper exam. The

committee has already got request from club members for these trained accountants. - Rakhi Bhatia

BLOOD DONATION Tuli College of Hotel Management Enthusiasm was tremendous amongst the students of TCHM when they saw the team of Blood Donation Committee putting up camp in the premises of their institute. Members of Rotaract club started motivating students to donate blood. Tuli College of Hotel Management conducted blood donation camp at their premises at Koradi Road on 20th of December 2013. Students of B. Ed College from Tuli group institutes were also part of this camp. Rtn Urvashi Yashroy was instrumental in facilitating this camp, which also included a general health check up camp. A total of 29 units of blood were collected. Principal of the college Ms. Arti took special efforts in gathering the students and motivating them. Chairperson Rtn Rajesh Yadav, Dr. Sheela Mundhada, Rtn Urvashi Roy were present amongst the Rotarians. Shivaji Science College Pauni A total of 16 units were donated at the Shivaji Science College, Pauni, Bhandara Road. Principal and teachers motivated the students for donating blood. A small speech on blood

donation was delivered by the Principal to motivate students. R & Y Associates Blood Donation activity is become part of the curriculum of R & Y. Through out the year the blood donation from their staff goes on for one or the other patient. Hence donating blood is nothing new to the committed employees of R&Y Associates. The company is owned by our very own Rtn. Nimish Sutaria & Rtn. Shivkumar Rao & Rtn Rajesh Yadav. The high level of awareness on the virtues of blood donation can be attributed to motivational efforts by owners. It was indeed very striking to note that none of the donors had to be reminded or coaxed into donating blood; they walked in like self-motivated people with a duty to accomplish. Staff from other locations of this company also did not miss this opportunity and their steady flow ensured that the camp reached a magical figure. The camp, which was a huge success, started early at 8.00 AM and donors were seen marching to the venue since early morning. The hall was soon crowded with eager donors and people

actually had to wait their turns. The camp continued till about 2.30 PM and the collection at end was a phenomenal 80 units, despite scores of rejections for medical reasons. A big thanks to Rtn. Nimish Sutaria, Rtn Rajesh Yadav and Rtn. Shivkumar Rao for making this camp a remarkable one. Special mention of Rotary Ann Sharmila Sutaria who donated blood and also took efforts in recognizing the donors for their good work. Rotarians attending the camp included President Prashant Kale, Secretary Sunil Bhatia, Director Sanjay Sethi, Chairperson Rajesh Yadav and Sheela Mundhada, Shiraz Doongaji, Nimish Sutaria and Shiv Kumar Rao.

ORAL HYGIENE & AWARENESS CAMP

The oral healthcare committee conducted two awareness camps on oral hygiene. The camps were conducted at Little Jewels Kindergarten and Jain International School at

Katol Road on 14th and 15th December. Rtn Dr Pooja Poddar with the help of interesting PowerPoint presentation comprising cartoon characters explained the importance of dental

care. Tiny tots enjoyed this wonderful presentation. Present on the occasion were Director Dr Prashant Chaudhary and Anmol Badjatia. - Prashant Chaudhary

The President Prashant Kale welcomed all the riders. After breakfast the ride continued to Wadgaon Dam from where we headed to Rohit Dhaba for lunch & rode our way back to Poonam Chambers. The second ride was to a recently excavated 2300-year-old archeological site at Mansar. The bikers met at Poonam Chambers at 11am

from where we went to Mansar for a light breakfast. On the way to Ramtek from Mansar is where these archeological ruins are located. Rtn. Dinesh Naidu enlightened us about these ruins & also showed us some other interesting sites along the way, like the location where it is said that Kalidasa wrote the epic Meghdoot & the Tri Vikram statue of Vishnu. Senior, but young at heart Rtn. Sharad Bhave & Rtn. Umesh Sharma, his gracious wives had joined us on this ride and were very enthusiastic about joining us on more RAG projects in the future. Rtn. Dinesh Naidu had organized a wonderful lunch sponsored by local MLA Ashish Jaiswal at MTDC Rajkamal Resort. The ride concluded at Poonam Chambers at 5:00pm. - Parheez Gimi

ROTARY ADVENTURE GROUP

The year started with a support ride to the SVMM (Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission) project being held at village Deoligujar on Wardha Road. The bikers flagged off from Poonam Chambers at 11am, headed onto the Wardha road - from where we reached the SVMM medical camp to encourage the Doctors & all present there.

MANTRAS ON WEALTH CREATION ‘India is about the past wisdom applied to the present for a glorious future' said worldrenowned author of the book – Corporate Chanakya, Radhakrishnan Pillai while beginning his address on Chanakya & His Wealth Creation Ideas at the Persistent st Auditorium on Saturday 21 December 2014. Radhakrishnan Pillai emphasized on the need to use past wisdom by explaining how Chanakya who was born in 3rd century B.C in India had written 6000 sutras classified into 15 books, 150 chapters and 180 topics can be put to use even today as the economic trends change but the basic principles of wealth

remain the same. The first step in creating wealth is ANVEEKSHIKEE (A Sanskrit word meaning – Investigation) which in today's context is structured thinking. Wealth, he said, is in 4 stages – • Identification of your needs • Creation of wealth in the most legitimate manner • Management of wealth prudently, and • Distribution of wealth equitably. He aptly explained how the 4 stages can be achieved by looking in and not necessarily looking out for answers. On a lighter note he said, we Indians generally confuse worrying with thinking. We now also confuse being

PUBLIC MEETING alone with feeling lonely. He cited various sutras of Arthshastra describing them as action points for the audience explaining them in detail with examples and advised the audience to pick at least one of them to move forward. He said the only way to identify, create, manage and distribute wealth is by a simple formula – WORSHIP YOUR WORK. Earlier, President Prashant Kale welcomed the speaker and Rtn Girish Deodhar introduced him. Rtn Rina Sinha conducted the proceedings. Rtn. Shivkumar Rao proposed the vote of thanks. The program concluded with the National Anthem. - Shiv Rao

COMMUNAL HARMONY WEEK

INTERACT ACTIVITY

Communal Harmony week was observed at Centre Point School, Katol Road from 19th to 26th November. A series of activities were earmarked for this week. Throughout the week a group of children from each religion rendered prayers in the morning assembly. Students from Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christianity and Zoroastrian community sang Hymns from their holy books to spread the message of Communal Harmony. The School Choir in the morning assembly sang Songs

based on tolerance towards all religion. Esther Tudu Madam spoke to the students on how to be tolerant towards all religions, in the morning assembly. Meeta Guru Madam spoke to students in Hindi how all religions can co-exist with each other in a secular way. In order to spread the message to the students they were asked to express their feelings for Communal Harmony in different ways. An Inter House Poster and Slogan completion was held for students of classes 6th and 7th on Communal Harmony. There was an inter house recitation

competition in Hindi for class 8th. For class 9th & 10th there was an inter house Rangoli completion. The student's portrayed their feelings towards Communal Harmony very artistically through the medium of Rangoli. Interact Volunteers' went round selling stamps spreading Communal Harmony. These stamps were sent by CBSE. The money collected will be sent to the organization who rehabitate those children and families affected by Communal Harmony. - Shuba Sarma

INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY 21st November has been decided as INTERNATIONAL CHILDRE'S DAY by United Nations. Teachers and Staff members contributed money and fruits, biscuits etc .were bought and distributed to needy

children. Five Institutions received Oranges, Bananas, and Biscuits by enthusiastic Interactors. Navjeevan Sanstha Godhani, Government Girls Hostel Katol Road, Shraddanand Anathalaya, Providence School

- needy students and YMCA School for slum Children were the institutions who received these fruits and biscuits.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT YMCA SCHOOL Christmas is an occasion of joy, delectation & happiness. To celebrate this festive event Me & the Interactors of CPS Katol Road accompanied by two of our teachers Shuba ma'am & Ashwini ma'am went to YMC School a primary school for the under privileged children on 12th Dec 2013. Making the event traditional and exciting for the children we decorated a Christmas tree & all of us danced and giggled together. The little kids were

jubilated to see the Santa Claus, my friend Harsiddhi. She as Santa danced and distributed the chocolates to the kids. After a while we also distributed the Christmas cup cakes to them. All kids enjoyed the treat and were very delighted to convey their love by performing a dance for us. We were delighted to see them. It was a wonderful Christmas celebration. - Shuba Sarma

- Shuba Sarma

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;JOY OF GIVING'

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Joy of Giving', an on the spot activity organized by Slum Development Committee was held at two centres; Prakasha Educational & Social Multipurpose Society, Seminary Hills on 7th December and for the handicapped children of Matru Seva Sangh on 10th December. In this project, a 'Wishing Tree' was placed and some cut outs of leaves were distributed to the children. To capture

their innocence, the children were then asked to write on the leaves their wish for anything they wanted to possess. The leaves were then pinned on the Wishing Tree. The idea behind this was to know the need of individual child, which would enable us to fulfill them as per their desire. The children were given healthy food packets. They also sang many songs for entertainment. The Wishing Tree and pinned

SLUM DEVELOPMENT leaves with amazing wishes written on them such as a dress, airplane, school bags, remote control car, toy car, elephant, make-up kit, iPod, video games, sports equipment, mattress, moisturizers etc. was placed at the Club Assembly for the Rotarians. The response to fulfill the wishes so expressed by the Rotarians was overwhelming. Many members came forward and sponsored desired gifts. This project initiated by Slum Development Committee was appreciated by one and all. The committee chairpersons Rtn. Neerja Shukul, Rtn. Ragini Sahu, Rtn. Kusum Pandey and Rtn. Sushma Hedao are working hard for the collection of gifts to fulfill all the wishes of the children at the earliest. Thanks to all the Rotarians for their co-operation in making the project a big success. - Ragini Sahu

IT TRAINING PROGRAM The concluding function and certificate distribution for the month long computer training program in association with Datta Meghe Foundation was held at 4 PM on 5th December 2014 at premises of Prakasha Institute. The camp was for the ladies of nearby Slum at Seminary Hills. On completion of the training program, exam was held and most of the students secured high grades, some in fact secured A+ grade. Many housewives are hoping to secure some job with the help of this certificate. The joy and

pride on the faces was visible. It was highly satisfying to see reward for good work by the committee. Present on the occasion were Rtn

Shiv Rao, Parag Paranjpe, Committee chairpersons Ragini Sahu, Kusum Pande and Neerja Shukul. - Ragini Sahu

CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL More than 100 kids from various slums and orphanages joyously cheered, danced, sang and clapped away at the 'Christmas Carnival', a joint venture of Rotary Club on Nagpur and Sunshine Foundation, held at Mecosabagh School, Nagpur on Saturday, December 21st 2013. The guests were amazed and surprised by the kids who were so enthusiastic, beautifully dressed up, cheerful and extremely well behaved. The children presented an amazing selection of dances. As a special attraction, Rotary Club had arranged for a magician who enthralled the children with his tricks. A guitar stringing quartet of young men called 'Local Vocals' by Savio John, led the children to carol singing. Santa Claus made a

dramatic entry and distributed sweets. He was promptly attacked by a hoard of excited children. The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated and the welcome of guests and children was ceremonious. The Rotary Club of Nagpur graciously provided attractive gifts and delicious snacks and lunch to the children and the guests present. The event was graced by the President of Rotary Club of Nagpur, Mr. Prashant Kale , who cut the Christmas cake along with the gracious Rotary Club and Sunshine Foundation guests who were present in large number and joined in the celebration with the children. It was a wonderful Christmas celebration enjoyed by the children through the joint efforts of Rtn.

Neerja Shukul, Rtn. Ragini Sahu, Rtn. Kusum Pande, Rtn Sushma Hedao, Director Rakhi Bhatia and Deepti Karat, Abhijeet Barse and Madhur Bhoyar of Sunshine Foundation. - Ragini Sahu

CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATION

ROTARACT Rotaract club of Sadabai Raisoni organised a children's day gala for the students of Guru Govind Singh Educational Institute. It is said that the happiness is multiplied when you share it with others however it is more pompous when you see little kind souls smiling cause of you. This saying well demonstrated by the students of Sadabai Raisoni girls. They managed to put up a well organised children's day celebration for the students. The celebration started with an informative and interactive speech by Miss Reshma Poduval on why we celebrate

children's day. They organised a fancy dress competition for 4th, 5th and 6th class students. The students were beautifully dressed up as various characters like energetic chota bheem, dangerous vampire, kind fairies and beautiful butterflies also an event of picture colouring for 1st and 2nd standard students. The students participated very enthusiastically and the winners were given prizes for their participation. Chair person of rotaract club of SRWC Rtn Mrs. Namita Sharma was also present. The Rotractors and teacher in charge Miss Shama Ghanmare worked very keenly

and hard to make this event a grand success. - Ateeba Zoya

CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL AT KURVEY'S BLIND SCHOOL

Christmas waves a magic wand over the world and everything is softer and more beautiful. Hislop College Rotractors decided to share this happiness with visually challenged children of Kurve Blind School. On 13th December 2013, A Christmas carnival was organized by the Rotaract Club of Hislop College with the help of Specially Abled committee of Rotary Club of Nagpur. The event started at 3 p.m. DG Rtn. Kishor Kedia, AG Rtn. Rajeev Agrawal, President of Rotary Club of Nagpur, Rtn. Prashant Kale were there to grace the occasion. The event started by a paragraph writing competition, in which around 35 blind children participated. It was really a great experience to see the children using brail to put their thought their thoughts on the paper. Kailash Inwate, Yogesh Thakrey and Aarti Manmade were given 1st 2nd and 3rd prize respectively. A cricket match followed the paragraph writing competition between students of the blind school divided into two team's viz. Blind Workshop Wing Team and Blind School Team. Enthusiasm and zeal of these children were amazing. It seems that their being not able to see was no hindrance for them. Commentary added

excitement and many spectators assembled to watch this interesting conflict of bat and ball. Winner of the match was the Blind Workshop Wing Team. Amongst the players Pappu Bhokde was declared as the Best Player, Nyaneshwar Borkate was declared as the Man of the Match and Jitendra Ukey bagged the Best Bowler position. All the participants were felicitated by nice and useful gifts, which were given to the students by the dignitaries present. Rtr. Mukesh Pratap Singh and Rtr. Shonali Kanjilal conducted the prize distribution ceremony. Following the cricket match, the students were treated to a good

dinner organized by the Rotaract Club of Hislop College and Rotary Club of Nagpur. Children were treated to with sweets and were enjoyed alike by all. The children sang songs and enjoyed the event, the company, compassion and contribution of the members of Rotary and The Rotaract Club of Hislop College. Rotractors of Hislop College generated the entire fund for this project by selling old newspaper. All the Rotaractors worked hard for the success of the event. The event brought smile to every child and every member present there. Ms. Jigisha Naidu

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provided valued guidance and supports the event through the team of her Rotaractors. Director of Youth Services Rtn. Jatin Sampat, Director of the Community Services Rtn. Raakhi Bhatia, Co-Chairperson Rtn. Namita Sharma, Co-Chairperson Rtn. Sapna Vastani and Rtn. Manish were present during the event at the school. Teacher In-charge of Rotaract Club of Hislop College Jigisha Naidu and the non-teaching staff of Hislop College Navjeet Singh and Vicky Ingewar were also present. Presidents and Secretaries of SRWC, Tuli college of Hotel Management, Center Point College, Tirpude College, IGGMC Rotaract Club were also there to cheer up the children. - Ruchita Haldar

GURUKUL 2013

A serene farm environment + 42 young minds + 2 of the best trainers our club can offer. At the onset the plan of the RYLA team was to deliver young minds the best in leadership development and training that was handled abley by Rtn Mahendra Kamath and Rtn Rajendra Jaiswal. The students were divided into 4 groups; The Leading Lights, Tapori Gang, The Rich and Famous & The Super Stars. Team building is one of the major challenge in leadership skill. Therefore, all the teams have allocated specific tasks throughout the program covering technical sessions, organisation of various tasks like maintaining discipline, food arrangement, morning wake up & work outs, social evening, bon fire n night trekking etc. to test the synergy of the group and testing of leadership skills. These groups were allotted to the students a day before departure so that they can prepare themselves. The requirements and expectations were also mailed to them beforehand. President Prashant Kale welcomed the Rotaractors and urged them to take advantage of the sessions that were to take place. Then trainers took charge of the program soon after. Sessions on Goal Setting, Leadership traits, communication and Effective Public Speaking took place. In between the session, traditional lunch and high tea were served to the participants. Then came the fun part in the form of team games like tug of war, treasure hunt along with Tractor and bullock cart ride. Elections for the post of Leader of Leaders was declared for next day and nominations were invited from the 4 groups for the same. And the time was given for preparation of the Cultural evening. Then, the adventure of the day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Night Trek. It

was a great experience for all participants to trek in the wilderness. Hot milk were served to all after the return from trek at the bon fire before calling it a day. However most of the night was spent preparing charts and candidate speeches for the next day. Day 2 began at 5:30 am. After freshening up & exercise session, teams got ready for the campaign. In midst of all this, technical sessions on thinking out of the box and team building were held. The students were enlightened about various aspects of leadership challenges which shall be faced by them in their lives. Multiple activities were going on simulteniously; On one side the elections and on the other side sessions and if that was not sufficient, the teams were performing tasks allocated to them as regards to Discipline, cleanliness & food serving. We saw votes being promised and all the students forgot that they belonged to colleges, but only to a Group which had to win the election. The candididate platform saw the practicality of all Leadership Training. We saw Rotaractors delivering speeches more confidently and playing bigger and clear roles in their teams, which we aimed to achieve. It was indeed a feeling of great satisfaction to see the Rotaractors get out of their shells and taking roles in their teams. The sessions after lunch also saw a drastic change. More involvement, lesser inhibitions to participate and much better delivery of Public speaking skills. The concluding session was a session on achieving EXCELLANCE where trainers gave tips on having win win attitude. In the Valedictory function all the participants were awarded GURUKUL 2013 completion certificate along with individual assessment of their strength &

CAFE LOUNGE RESTAURANT

RYLA

weaknesses. Prizes were distributed at the hands of President Prashant Kale, Bharat Goenka and Vijay Naidu. Result of election was declared and to everuones surprise an unlikely cadidate emerging winner defeating many strong candidates. Awards were given to outstanding participants and outstanding performers. It was great to see Mahendra and Rajendra take up the concept and present it in such an efficient and simple manner. How can we forget the contribution of Manisha & Sanjay Agrawal, Pinki Batra and Nisha Kamath. We also cannot forget the immense help and support given by Namita Sharma. The program would not have been completed without full support and dedication of director Jatin Sampat. His single minded persuit for it helped to bring everybody on the board and deliver beyond expectitions. The Presidents of Rotaract Clubs and the teacher in charge were also of great help. Amitabha Sharma and Indrajeet Mulick, Rotaract Committee Chairs Sapna, Litesh & Shalini deserve many thanks for working behind the scene. Host of Rotarians and IYE students joined RYLA during these two days. Rtn Mamta Jaiswal & Manish Jaiswal, Manju & Sunil Bhatia, Mamta and Manjot Kahai, First Lady Smita, Hetal Sampat, Akash Agrawal, Dinesh Naidu, Aeyjaz Akolawala all joined at some point in time. We thank each one of them for their support. Big thanks to President Prashant Kale and entire board for keeping faith and supporting the project. All in all a great event with great implications for the youth â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our leaders of the future. We look forward to GURUKUL 2014 and its participants............. -TEAM RYLA

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport Nagpur.

President Welcomes DG

DG Addressing club members

Chairperson Neeta deserves applause for wonderful program

The registration team

Abnash Khurana takes the Centre Stage

First time - Past Secretaries recognised for their contribution

President welcomes Mr Sharma

Habeeb Khan sets the tone

What is he thinking?

The audience enjoying evening

Charter night Viju humming to melodious tune

Rockstars PDG Sule and PP Yogesh Thakar

Come 13th December and our club gears up to welcome, receive and host the District Governor for its Charter Nite celebrations which traditionally is the most important evening in the Rotary calendar. This year, in a slight twist from tradition, the club hosted famed Hasya Kavi Padamshree Surender Sharma who regaled the audience with his special brand of tongue-in-cheek humour. The evening kicked off with another twist in the tale with the President recognising Past Presidents of the club in pageant form, where the Past Presidents along with their better halves took Centre stage and posed for a picture rarely seen by our members, that of all being on stage together. Even the Secretaries of the club who had not progressed to become President were honoured and recognised. When Shri Surender Sharma took the stage, he touched on social and national issues, which not only had the audience in splits, but also got each one thinking. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this little giant proved that his words were worth a thousand pictures. This was also the first time that our charter night was outsourced, in the sense that members and their families were not involved in putting up a show for fellow members. Following Shri Sharma's rendition, PP Yogesh Thaker and his orchestra took us back decades by performing yesteryear hits with soothing and haunting instrumental numbers. A few Past Presidents also sang to the accompaniment of our in-house musical genius. Needless to mention, the house of friendship and dinner which followed were enjoyed by all present and the nip in the air was perfectly matched with the high levels of enthusiasm and involvement of Rotarians and their families. Chairperson Neeta Singh was ably supported by stalwarts PDG Satish Sule and Vilas Kale to present an unforgettable evening. Habib Khan also accompanied Neeta on the mic and the both of them ably conducted the evening. -Sohrab Kanga

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go by his pokar face, he can make everyone laugh

All Past Presidents

AT THE HOME OF RTN. DEVENDRA & SANGEETA PAREKH

TAKE ROTARY HOME "Chamach Hatao... Desh Bachao"," Vote for Jhoota Party", "Neta ji aage badho Hum tumhare saath hain"...Don't be mistaken... this is not the report of Winter Session held at Nagpur. This was the theme at the Take Rotary Home held on 14th December at residence of Rtn Devendra & Sangeeta Parekh. Their home reflects the flamboyant and ornate style and was perfect comfortable setting for a lovely evening. We had 40 Rotarians and Anns - a mixture of old and new. The guests donned a political avatar and the

mood was set from the word go. After a short introduction round PP Chandru Shahni gave interesting insights into the world of rotary. The game was the highlight of the evening. Completely conceptualized and conducted by dynamic Rohan Parekh scion of the Parekh Family. The bhashan, the naare, the vaadas all could be heard with a lot of laughter. Yummy starters and soup kept the chilly winter away. The dinner showcased the culinary skills of the lovely ladies and was treat for all. Wonderful guests and Enthusiastic Hosts

made a memorable evening. Chairperson Sonal Singhvi, Sonal Ajmera and Timmy Bawa orgainzed the evening. -Sonal Singhvi

AT HOME OF VARSHA & PARAG PARANJPE We spoke to our hosts about arranging a TRH and they suggested that we organize a lunch with Maharashtrian cuisine. And it turned out to be perfect for a Sunday afternoon, at the beautiful home of Varsha and Parag Paranjpe on 1st of Dec. The beautifully laid lush green lawn turned into garden of fun and laughter. The perfect blend of old and new members, made the afternoon enjoyable. As usual it started with a customary round of introduction. Ruchi and Rahul Chaudhary came up with

very interesting games. PP Dr. Manmohan Daga shared rotary information. He threw light on Hemalkasa Project, which is in real sense a service to the mankind. A delightfully tasty Maharashtrian food was prepared by even our non-Maharashtrian ladies, which of course blew our calorie intake! Manjot Singh 'Neela' proposed a vote of thanks in his own unique style. Varsha, Parag and Parag's mother played a perfect host who heedfully took care of everything. Chairperson Shefali Shah and

Sonal Ajmera put their best foot forward to make it a memorable one. -Sonal Ajmera

AT HOME OF SHIV KUMAR & GEETA RAO With gracious host Rtn. Shiv Kumar Rao and his bubbly better half Geeta Take Rotary Home becomes an evening to remember. A wonderful theme of broach for females and stole/scarf for men made the gathering look royal. A judicious mix of old and new; wherein the loud and the quite made the evening happy and enjoyable. A perfect weather for a perfect evening where 24 Rotarians and Anns gathered. Chairpersons Shefali Shah and Sonal Singhvi came up with a very interesting introduction game, which acted as an icebreaker and was enjoyed by all. All the members sportingly participated. This was followed by Rotary Information by PP Atul

Shah who in his own unique style stumped the audience with a wonderful quiz, which included information from Rotary Club of Nagpur to Rotary International. Everyone enjoyed delicious appetizers. The dinner, which as always is a potluck, was relished by one and all. From starters till desserts it was a yummy treat for all. Rtn. Rina Sinha proposed the vote of thanks. Rtn. Sunil & Manju Bhatia were adjudged the Best Dressed Couple; Nilufer

Rana won the Best broach and Rtn. Prashant Kale won the best scarf. New members Rtn. Umesh & Hina Agrawal won the fun game. It was an enjoyable evening with perfect Host who took care of everything meticulously.

AT HOME OF PRAMOD & ANITA JAIN Rtn. Pramod & Anita Jain, wonderful couple with a beautiful house and a warm heart.... the evening was perfect for another exciting "Take Rotary Home" where guests and hosts were seen in beautiful red and black attire. The lovely cool evening started with the introduction round where the husbands gave red roses to their better halves. PP Rtn. Vishwas S gave useful information about the upcoming projects and how we could be a part

of it. Live orchestra, hot soup and barbeque snacks set the mood for a fun filled antakshari. Everybody from the play back to bathroom singers enthusiastically participated in all the rounds and made it a memorable evening. It was followed by some nice solo and group performances. The dinner, as always was a potluck was relished by all. Starters to desserts were a yummy treat for all. R'Ann Neeru Bhatia was adjudged the Best Dressed

Female, Rt. Vishal Agrawal Won the best dressed male. The best dressed couple was shared by Rtn. Sharad & Pushpa Bhave and Rtn. Shibu & Beena Mathew. PP Atul Shah proposed the vote of thanks. Chairpersons Shefali Shah, Shriya Mokadam and Sonal Singhvi organized the evening. - Shriya Mokadam

CHILLING OUT FOR THE INTERVIEW WHEN FULLY SKILLED TO CRACK IT th

On the 7 & 9 of December the Sadabai Raisoni girls had a wonderful training by experts Rtn Sharad Bhave & Rtn Beena Mathew as they were about to face interviews by IBM & Wipro Companies. The girls were given proper techniques to make cv by Bhave sir & also grooming tips & handling possible questions by Beena Mathew. Mock interviews were conducted to train them more effectively. The students learned discussed & interacted

LIFESKILL WORK SHOP

on the various possible answers for the interview questions. At the end of the day It was to create confidence remove fear & achieve self belief in the students. The presence of Principal Amina Vali, Rtn Namita Sharma added to the value of the sessions. The IBM selected 13 students from the college after the interview as shared by the jubilant Amina affirmed that the training session was successful. - Beena Mathew

EXPRESS & IMPRESS AT TIRPUDE COLLEGE Around 70 students of BBA gathered to attend the session 'Express & Impress' by Rtn Beena Mathew on 11th December 2013. In a friendly environment the students interacted & learned the importance of creating the right impressions with proper body language. Rotarians Prashant Rajurkar, Namita Sharma, Shalini Naidu added their valuable presence. - Beena Mathew

THREE REASONS TO STRENGTHEN ROTARY'S IMAGE Over the past two years, Rotary has undertaken an unprecedented amount of research to study the effectiveness of how we communicate with each other and also to look at perceptions about the organization from the community at large. What's likely not surprising is that we determined we have all of the strengths necessary for greatness in our second century of service. However, when we looked at awareness about our organization in the greater public arena, they quite simply don't know about us. It is very easy to ask the question – how can this be true? Global research shows that when asked – four in 10 people have never heard of us, another four know us in name only, and the remaining two only have some familiarity, which is often colored by misconceptions. How can we attract and engage new members and partners when they don't know who we are? Personally, I think that in order to keep Rotary relevant and enticing for the next 100 years, we need to be innovative, forward thinking, and adaptable to ensure that the rest of the world views us the way we view ourselves. Here's what I like most about the Strengthening Rotary initiative: 1. It helps us explain who we are, what we do,

and why we matter. Through this process, we have introduced a new framework to help Rotarians better define who we are when asked the inevitable question – what is Rotary? We Join Leaders – Exchange Ideas and Take Action. Of course each Rotarian's story is different but if we could highlight the common ground, it begins to form a compelling call to action. We are leaders who act responsibly and take action to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges. When we are all singing off the same song sheet our message is amplified and it becomes much easier to engage people in Rotary. 2. It helps us present a strong, unified image to the public For so long we did our good work quietly and not for recognition. While this was noble it made it difficult for people to understand the good work of Rotarians. Now that “telling our story” has become a priority, we need to make sure that we have a united voice. An exciting new visual identity kit and guidelines have been launched and they provide tools for individuals, clubs, and districts to create a look that begins to introduce continuity across the globe. Of course, there remains room for personal

FROM RI creativity but a unified look and feel will propel Rotary into a very bright future. Everyone will know who we are, what we do and why it matters! If you've visited rotary.org within the past few months, you've probably noticed evidence of this initiative in the form of simpler, more action-oriented words and visuals. I am also so heartened to see the materials that Rotarians are creating with these new tools. They are stunning and I have heard from countless Rotarians that they love the fresh new look and feel. 3. It will help us attract new members and supporters Strengthening Rotary is essential to Rotary's future. As we share our story in a more clear and compelling way, like-minded people are going to want to be part of our great organization. This really is one of our best membership opportunities. In the end, if we can elevate awareness and attract and engage new members and partners, our good work will spread and “doing good in the world” will not only remain our organizational compass but it will help us soar to new heights. -Jennifer Jones

TRAVEL BUG

THREE OFF THE BEATEN TRACK PLACES TO VISIT THIS WINTER

Chadar trek, Ladakh

Want to live on the wild side? To test the limits of your endurance? To ask a basic question every minute of the endeavour â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why do I do this to myself?â&#x20AC;? Well I certainly do! Cause then this trek is just for people like me and you. Considered a must-do on every adventurer's wish list, this is a 7 day trek on the frozen Zanskar river bed and possible only in the peak of winter (January & February) when hell freezes over to minus 25 deg C. Having been to Ladakh for a whole two weeks in September, and seen the best of all weather conditions out there, be it rains/snow/ sunshine/ wind, I am still preparing myself for this out of the world trip. However, if you can brave the cold and the altitude, then it's not really a very tough trek as you are walking on flat elevation on the frozen river. The only thing you don't know if when the ice will break But then that's why you are an adventurer in the first place! Ice forms, breaks and changes colour every few hours, so as you trek you are forging a new trail all the time. Besides being an adventure, you are bound to get some pretty excellent photographs. There are many trekking outfits in India that plan this trip and its best to select the one with the most experience. Combine it with the famous Spithup's monastery festival and it'll be a trip to remember for a long time. This is on the top of my bucket list for sure. Manas National Park, Western Assam You tend to dream of destinations and places far and away as being the ones where you will get the most awesome of experiences. But nothing prepares you for the sudden

onslaught of beauty, nature and wildlife as you wake up in one of the prettiest Parks that we have in India. It has rightly chosen by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1985 due to the wonderful bio-diversity that characterises this beautiful jungle. Travelling through the north east, we had visited its more famous cousin, the Kaziranga in the same state when we were convinced by our guide to take a detour to the Manas on our way back to Guwahati just around 145 kms away. Why did we not plan it before, I wonder. Manas is a favourite amongst wildlife lovers, photographers and the conservationists, you get to see a lot of them in their element in this park. It spreads out on both sides of the Manas river with the splendid backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas. The park harbours more than 20 endangered species and we got to sight a few

of them, the Rhino, the Elephant etc. There's much to do besides the safari's, there's bird watching, river rafting, jungle walks, bodo village visits, the whole worksâ&#x20AC;ŚWe obviously stayed over, and decided on the Bansbari Lodge a 16 room decent lodge with electricity! Quite a pleasant stay but then in the North East you don't really expect luxury. The visit to Manas, combined with the trip to Kaziranga and Nameri truly completed our unique wildlife circuit in Assam. Thanks to our guide! Living root bridges, Cherrapunjee I stood still at the edge of the medieval forest around me. I had read and heard about this magical place from so many sources that it almost seemed like returning to a home I had never stepped into before. The monsoons had just ended, the vegetation was lush and dense all around me, the song of chirping birds and forest insects filled up the air. Adjusting my day

pack and kicking my boots in, I started the hike towards the living roots bridges, a unique natural phenomenon deep inside the jungles of Meghalaya, further down from Cherrapunjee one of the wettest place on earth. Here, nature takes the task of building the bridges for man. These living bridges of Cherrapunji are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree which produces a series of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or even in the middle of the rivers themselves. These root bridges, some of which are over a hundred feet long, can take over ten to fifteen years to become fully functional, but they're extraordinarily strong - strong enough that some of them can support the weight of fifty or more people at a time. There are some double decker ones also! It's the local tribes who have cleverly realized they can use these trees to their benefit and make them grow in the manner they want. Soon I was in their midst, marvelling at a site that is still a lesser known secret of the natural world. I spent a couple of hours amidst this thick rainforest, feeling the trees, gazing up to peer into streaks of natural light that made its way through the natural foliage, soaking in the the damp smell of the forest as it filled my lungs. Then my guide nudged me and said it was time to walk back up the forest path to our hotel. I took a sip of water and readied myself for the long walk up.

-Farzana Haque

KYC AND BEYOND th

This is the 5 edition of the KYC and I have received quite a few acknowledgements of the shelf value of these articles. Hope this new addition will be equally informative. Man since time immemorial was at the mercy of nature. Be it rain, fire, sun, floods or any variations of nature and its calamities. It was but natural that he started worshipping them to please and appease them. Divine worship started thus and continues till date. As the social structure became complex each community started idolizing its own deities depending upon their conveniences and preferences. This saw the birth of organized worship and the need for places of worship-the temples. This issue will dwell upon the TEMPLE architecture of our city-Nagpur. Temples of Nagpur: During the Bhosala reign Nagpur was quite prosperous and peaceful and was a cultural hot spot. It was but natural that the rulers of those time built temples and other places of cultural engagement. Raje Raghuji Bhosale I and II built more than 400 temples amongst themselves during their reign from 1730 to 1816. Nagpur temples were mostly devoted to Shiva and majority of the temples built were dedicated to Mahadeo. Hanuman temples were the next in popularity followed by Vitthal Rukmini temples while Ganesha and Laxminarayan temples trailed behind. Scattered temples dedicated to Bhavani, Nagoba, Balaji and Khandoba are also found in the city. However the numbers are very few. Bhosalas of Nagpur were pretty powerful on the hierarchy of the Marathas and played a crucial role in their expansion as well as cultural activities. Raghuji I's empire extended upto Bengal, Malwa, UP and Orissa. It was but natural that cultural and architectural influences of these regions merged into the architectural character of the Bhosala temples at Nagpur. However since Orrissan temples were the most prominent in the Indian temple history-architecturally, the Orissan character

and influence is clearly seen in the temples here in Nagpur. However the purity of form and the intricacy in details were generally missing. Shiva temple at the foothills of the Sitabuldi fort and Sangameshwar temple are the best examples of this influence. The iconography and the scultures also have a distinct Konark influence. The Malwa region extending upto Indore and beyond into Rajasthan also had architectural influence on the Bhosala temples. This can be clearly seen in the Rukmini Temple,Kelibagh Shiva temple and the Jagteshwar temple in Budhwari. This stylke was popularly referred to as the “Bhumija” style of temple architecture. However due to this varied cross cultural and architectural influences Bhosala temple architecture in Nagpur could not assimilate and evolve into a definitive style which can be assigned to it and remained for the entire duration of the Bhosala reign as cross influential and assimilative. No distinctive mention as a style is seen or mentioned in the annals of Indian Temple architecture. Nor the region could influence the development of temple architecture in any way. This might have happened due to the subjugation of the Bhosala kings by the British and almost decimating their empire to a non entity. Had the Bhosala period started a little early or extended beyond the British for a prolonged period of time, it would have been fair to say that it might have given birth to a fused assimilated style of temple architecture which could be called its own. Some of the few remarkable temples in Nagpur are Lakshminarayan temple, Ganesh Temple Jumma talao, Kalikar Ram mandir, Thadeshwar Ram mandir, Vitthal Rukmani temple, Kashibai temple, Keli bagh temple, Mahdeo temple, Ram mandir at nawabpura, Shiv mandir teen nal chowk, Bhuteshwar mandir, Poddareshwar ram mandir, Itwari Shiva temple, Shiva temples at Ruikar road, Ganesh peth and various other places, Sangameshwar temple, and various other temples totaling to about 100 in the city and surrounding areas.

FOR COMPLETE SOLUTION OF YOUR DIAGNOSTIC NEEDS, NABL ACCREDITED Dhruv Pathology Laboratory, Aditya Enclave, 3rd floor, Opposite Somalwar School,Nagpur-10, 0712-3265328 Dhruv Laboratories. J-11 Laxmi Nagar WHC Road, Nagpur. Ph: 3295328

Although there are many notable temples in the city as mentioned above, I shall discuss only one of them – The Kalyaneshwar temple or the Shiva temple at Telengkhedi. I was associated with this temple for a long time and was responsible for its restoration. Cleaning up is the probably the right word. There is an interesting story associated with this. On the eve of Mahashivratri, one of my clients requested me to give a colour scheme for the painting of the Shiva temple, since he was bored with the same old white colour of the “chuna putai” year after year. Since this gentleman was sponsoring the whole exercise, I went to see the 'site'. I was more than horrified to see the state of affairs at the temple. The shikhara was coated with years of lime wash and looked an ugly mound, resembling of more like Gaudi's Sagrada familia church in Spain. I was forceful enough to convince the client not have the temple painted once more and was also instrumental in convincing the temple committee to help me clean the whole temple of the years of lime wash. So started the operation clean up and slowly and gradually the original stone carvings of the shikhara and the lovely marble pillars and columns started emerging. The temples was painstakingly washed by jets of water from the fire brigade, layers and layers of lime wash was removed by thin soft wire brushes and finally the whole temple was cleaned up. What you see today is the hard work and support of so many devotees and all those who helped me collect funds for the clean up. It was unbelievable for my eyes to see that more than 6 inches of lime wash layers accumulated over the years on the shikhara and beautiful white marble columns in the sabha mandap were covered with lime wash year after year. How insensitive we can all be to our heritage and how blind can one be to the sensitivities of our ancient architecture was evident here in full force. I only wish as time passes we all will get more sensitive towards our heritage and will be able to establish an emotional connect. -Habeeb Khan

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Nivedita Pendharkar

NEW MEMBER One more Vijay prodigy (there seems to be no dearth of them) is Nivedita Pendharkar. This eligible, good-looking girl is a creative genius in the field of advertising. Director at Shells Advertising, she is in charge of developing new business, handling the creative presentations & basically looking after the overall working of the company, which she joined as a fresh graduate, 18 years ago. Rotarian Sanjay Arora, her boss, she says is a cool guy who doesn't give any stress or pressures to his employees. He gives them a free hand & allows them all to grow. Having worked with Sanjay for so long, had given her an insight into Rotary long ago. Even though a non-Rotarian herself, she knew almost everything about Rotary. She knew Madhavi Naidu, who also had a short stint at Shells & through Madhavi she knew Vijay who encouraged her to become a Rotarian herself. A dutiful daughter, she gave up her dream of making it big in Mumbai, (was selected by Madison Media Agency), as her parents- both retired, needed her. She once applied for the Group Study Exchange but due to her passport not being in order, she was dropped. Born & raised in Nagpur, she is one of 4 siblings, has always led a comfortable life with a Masters in Marketing & Sales from Bhavans. Advertising was just one of her subjects & today that is a career for her. She loves to read & would like to travel a lot. But a busy career, just about allows her, short treks over the weekend. Maybe one day she'll realize her dream of experiencing the Metros. Till then or until Mr. Right comes along & takes her away, we at Rotary Club of Nagpur, make the most of her. - Manju Shahani

Umesh & Hina Agrawal This Rotarian helps people get married. No, he is not a priest but without his help, the groom would be incomplete. Yes friends he dresses them up, through the 5 apparel stores that he has, for men. Manyawar (at Dharampeth, Sadar & Gandhibaug), Men's in Sitabuldi & Turtle at the Empress Mall, all carry outfits for men. From 3 piece suits to all sorts of Indian dresses & accessories. Umesh Agrawal, whose grandfather started the renowned 'Friends', way back in early 50s, his father & uncles, added the famous, 'Gaysons' to it & today, Umesh along with his 22 year old son, Aditya, has these 5 stores in addition to which they supply Uniforms to Corporate houses. 16-year-old Pratyush is still studying. Umesh, an ex Bishop Cotton School, student, did B Com from the GS College & MBA from Babasaheb Ambedkar College, before he joined the family business. His life was quite simple & straightforward till he saw Hina. He saw her on a CD & the Thunderbolt struck. He wanted to marry her & her alone. Hina, lass from Kanpur, started practicing Kathak from age 8. A brilliant dancer, she was dancing at a family wedding, which also happened to be, Umesh' elder bhabhi's brother's wedding. Hence the CD. So after that, bhabhiji had just one mission to get her dear devar, the bride of his choice. Things fell in place, the families approved & today we have both Umesh & Hina still dancing to each other's tunes. Once the big joint family, split, Umesh & Hina happened to buy an apartment on the same floor as Vijay & Madhavi. They didn't need much persuasion to join Rotary & feel fortunate that they were inducted during Atul's tenure. They both are quite enjoying Rotary. Umesh likes attending, medical service projects. Hina would love to spend more time in Rotary but home & hearth & sewa of the Thakurji keep her busy. Devout Krishna Bhakts, this couple is an asset to the Rotary Family. Welcome Hina & Umesh! - Manju Shahani

HOW FRUIT TREES SAVE GIRL'S LIVES By Amaranth Tiwari Bhagalpur, Bihar In India, where traditionally boys have been preferred over girls, a village in backward Bihar state has been setting an example by planting trees to celebrate the birth of a girl child. In Dharhara village, Bhagalpur district, families plant a minimum of 10 trees whenever a girl child is born.? And this practice is paying off? Nikah Kumari, 19, is all set to get married in early June. The would-be groom is a state schoolteacher chosen by her father, Subhash Singh. Mr Singh is a small-scale farmer with a meager income, but he is not worried about the high expenses needed for the marriage ceremony. For, in keeping with the village tradition, he had planted 10 mango trees the day Nikah was born. The girl - and the trees were nurtured over the years and today both are grown up. "Today that day has come for

which we had planted the trees. We've sold off the fruits of the trees for three years in advance and got the money to pay for my daughter's wedding," Mr Singh told the BBC. "The trees are our fixed deposits," he said. The village looks like a forest or a dense green patch In Bihar, payment of dowry by the bride's family is a common practice. The price tag of the bridegroom often depends on his caste, social status and job profile. The state is also infamous for the maximum number of dowry deaths in the country. But the mango trees have freed Nikah's parents of undue worries. And their story is not unique in Dharhara village. With a population of a little over 7,000, the village has more than 100,000 fully grown trees, mostly of mango and lychee.? From a distance, the village looks like a forest or a dense green patch amidst the parched and

R. I. P. NELSON MANDELA

In 1996, routine polio immunizations in Nigeria and other African countries were anything but routine. Competing health priorities and lack of funding hampered many governments from putting polio eradication high on their agenda. The drive for a polio-free Africa needed a playmaker. Enter Nelson Mandela. Herb Brown, Rotary's president in 1995-96, recalls seeking the South African leader's support. "President Mandela was so gracious and listened as we described the problem," Brown says. "I told him only he had the influence to persuade the countries to resume immunization." Mandela agreed to help. "I'm well aware of Rotary and all the work you've done, and all the work you did while I was in jail," he told Brown. At a press conference, with Brown at his side, Mandela asked all the heads of state in Africa to open their doors to polio National Immunization Days. Mandela

helped launch the Kick Polio Out of Africa campaign later that year with 1996-97 Rotary President Luis Giay and Rotary Foundation Chair Rajendra Saboo. Almost immediately, Africa's polio eradication effort was back on track. Using soccer matches and celebrity endorsements, the campaign raised public awareness of polio and helped spur more than 30 African countries to hold their first National Immunization Days. In recognition of his vital work, Rotary presented the Rotary Award for World Understanding to Mandela in 1997, then Rotary's highest honor. "We chose President Mandela because of his significant contributions to world peace, human rights, and freedom," said Giay, adding that Rotary members especially appreciated "his strong support of the eradication of polio throughout Africa." Mandela called the award "a tribute to the people of South Africa's rainbow nation."

BOBBY'S BUBBLES arid cluster of villages in the area. 'Great value'? And most residents can be spotted sitting in the cool orchards outside their homes. "Now, we've stopped doing traditional farming of wheat and paddy. We plant as many trees as we can since they are more profitable and dependable," said villager Shyam Sunder. The villagers have been planting trees for generations Mr Singh paid for the weddings of his three daughters after selling fruits of trees he had planted at the time of their birth. The villagers save a part of the money earned through the sale of fruits every year in a bank account opened in their daughter's name. "This is our way of meeting the challenges of dowry. -Bobby Shrinivas

ROTARY INFORMATION Rotary's work toward eradicating polio "has shown the power of a global network of people who are ready to roll up their sleeves and put their heart and soul into saving children from disability." Mandela donated the award's $100,000 prize to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. Following his death, Rotary members in South Africa lauded Mandela as "one of the 20th century's iconic symbols of freedom and equality," "the father of the nation," and "a leader of service." "Mandela was a man who overcame unimaginable hardships to emerge as one of the greatest leaders of our time and one of our greatest humanitarians. His legacy of courage, determination, and commitment will forever inspire us to move forward in our effort to achieve a better, more peaceful world," said Rotary President Ron Burton. - Rotary News

SOUTH ISLAND – NEW ZEALAND, A WANDERERS PARADISE… The Rotary Sydney Convention is just 6 months away. A must visit for every Rotarian don't you think? Are you planning to attend? Well, the obvious question that arises in your mind is if I travel all the way Down Under, should I just attend the conference and come back from the 1st to the 4th of June or do I explore all that Australasia has to offer. To answer that am sure you need a bit of help! The Wanderers Nagpur, brings forth to you a series of explorations that you can enjoy when you are out there with your friends and family. In this first edition we'll be suggesting the best things to do in South Island, New Zealand. This stunningly beautiful island made famous by its amazing natural beauty, excellent drives, Lord of the Rings – the middle earth tagline and being known as the adventure capital of the world, is divided across by the Cook Strait so comprises of the North and the South – both equally inviting and a pleasure to visit. Just a short flight away from Sydney, it's the perfect week to ten days getaway pre or post the convention. However keeping in mind that perhaps you might have a time constraint of how many days you have to indulge in before or after the convention, we are dividing the activities of New Zealand across the two islands making it simpler to select either one, or perhaps both. The special's and must do's on your visit to South Island are: Enjoying New Zealand's 'Great Walks': The South Island offers the opportunity to experience six of New Zealand's eight 'Great Walks' including Milford Track, Routeburn Track, Abel Tasman Coastal Track, Heaphy Track, Kepler Track and Rakiura Track. Kiwi spotting: Visit Stewart Island for one of the best opportunities to see the rare Kiwi Bird in its natural habitat. Explore the Catlins Coast: take the

Southern Scenic Route to reach the remote, wild coastline of The Catlins, home to rare species of flora and fauna and a petrified forest. Cruise Milford and Doubtful Sounds: Overnight cruises on the sounds are the best way to immerse yourself in the majestic scenery. Kayaking on the sounds is a great chance to see fur seals and bottlenose dolphins. If you can't stay overnight, a full day visit is a must Abel Tasman National Park: Walk through native bush onto golden sand beaches; cruise or kayak the waters of this magnificent National Park. You can hike the Abel Tasman Coast Track, a mixture of bush walking and gentle climbs, with water taxis to pick you up at various places. Nature and wildlife experiences on the Otago Peninsula : Eco-tours abound on the Otago Peninsula including a rare chance to see a penguin nesting area up close and visit the only mainland colony of albatross in the world. Get into adrenalin and adventure: Queenstown is home to bungy, jet boating, white water rafting, canyoning, paragliding, sky diving, fly-by-wire. Glaciers: Hike, heli-hike or gaze in awe from a scenic flight over the magnificent Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers on the West Coast of the South Island. Ride the TranzAlpine Train: Voted one of the top rail journeys in the world, from Christchurch this journey takes you through dramatically different scenery from the patchwork farmlands of the Canterbury Plains and into the dramatic Southern Alps then into the pristine rainforest of the West Coast. Go whale watching and swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura: The local Maori tribe run the whale watching boat tours, and the