Varanasi is known to be a religious hub in India, attracting hindus and buddhists from all over the world. The city is located on the banks of the ganges, creating a beautiful ambience for visitors to come and worship by the river. When walking on its banks it is common to see hindu devotees bathing in its waters to purify themselves, and to wash away sin. Although ...
Tiger Past and Present
There is about 2,500 tigers estimated to be in india today, representing about 70% of the worlds tiger population. This is a relatively scarce number and is the result from centuries of hunting taken place from the Mughals, British, and various poachers. However conservation effects such as project tiger have helped to increase these numbers, and sets the population up for ...
Hindu rituals and the environment
Hinduism and the environment The five elements of earth, air, fire, water, and space are believed to make up brahman in the Hindu faith. Upanishad explains that “From Brahman arises space, from space arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water and from water arises earth”. Brahman represents the divine and ultimate god. Any pollution done to the earth is ...
Ghost Towns Of The Sea
John Williams See video on bottom of post. Ghost Towns Of The Sea The Andaman Islands are known for complex and beautiful coral reef ecosystems. These ecosystems are important for the islands’ eco-tourism and fishing industry. Red Skin Island, in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, is a beautiful recreational park with snorkeling and hiking. I got the ...
Flooding In Chennai
John Williams Flooding in Chennai Poor infrastrure and harsh monsoon seasons cause tremendous flood damage in India. The Chennai floods of 2015 costed india’s economy $3 billion in repairs. The cities problem derives from industrial developers encroaching upon the Ennore creek and Kosasthalaiyar rivers. This in turn has caused hundreds to suffer, who ...
Auroville
John Williams Auroville blog post Auroville, a compound located on the outskirts of Pondicherry, was founded by Mirra Alfas during the mid 1960’s. During the mid 20’s, she traveled to Pondicherry, India to meet the famed Yogi, Sri Aurobindo. There, she became his prodigy, and she gained most of her wisdom from his teachings. Together Alfas and Aurobindo founded the ...
My Hat
John Williams Blog post India past and present 5, october, 2017 My Hat in Hyderabad While in Hyderabad, a group of students and I decided to go to Charminar and do some shopping. While walking I noticed a shop that was specifically selling elaborate hats. The hat was a turban and was decorated with many colors and jewels. I was captivated by its beauty, so I decided ...
Zen traffic
John Williams Zen Traffic: India’s traffic Having stayed in India for the past week, I couldn't help but notice one trait of India’s people, and that is the calmness in the storm of mechanical chaos. With over 8 billion people populating this giant metropolis which is chennai, you will find it hard to maneuver your way around all the different bodies. This includes ...
