Artlexicons

‘Jeevika’ roughly translating to livelihood is enhancing the lives of small and marginal farmers in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. The multipronged strategy was conceptualized by Udhampur’s District Development Commissioner Dr Piyush Singla to store discharge of perennial water bodies in a ‘pond’, made of polythene sheets. The water would then be supplied to the farmers’ fields through a drip irrigation system. These Polythene ponds would increase the assured irrigation of Agriculture land cultivated by small and marginal farmers while also ensuring a sustainable ecosystem that conserves water. Given the fact that Udhampur district is predominantly agrarian where 80 per cent population resides in rural areas and is dependent upon agriculture as their main source of livelihood, the initiative will enhance the water usage capacity and help in generating sustainable livelihood.

Dear Arundhati Roy The words you wrote over twenty years of your life summed in the book ‘The ministry of utmost happiness’ gave me an understanding of Kashmir that was clearer than my experience of living in this state all my life. I was 13 when I started reading and in six years of me burying my head in fiction, I hadn’t yet found a voice that resonated with me more soundly than yours. Once while randomly browsing youtube I had come across an interview of yours and was more amazed by your hair than anything else. It took me just 30 seconds into the video to realize whatever you were saying matched exactly what was in my head. Only you could put it more blatantly and gloriously than my 19-year self could. I got your book as a gift on my birthday. It was the first and only book of yours that I read. How funny is it, that you might be reading my words for the first time on your birthday as well? The letter was supposed to be a short birthday greeting. I am sure you got many f...

If you've made it this far into 2020 without knowing what it is like to binge watch various shows on OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime and Disney+ Hotstar, my condolences. You don't know what you're missing out on.  But even though Netflix has revolutionised the way we watch content, giving space to diverse content, some of its choices are questionable. Dropping Bojack Horseman after the sixth season and now cancelling Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act are two of those major bad decisions that Netflix seems to have made. In the case of Bojack Horseman, however, at least there was closure.  But with dissenting voices getting crippled across the globe, Patriot Act was one such uncensored show which dared to speak truth to power, in a hilarious manner. It was the first US talk show hosted by an Indian American and South Asians couldn't get over it. Even the desi teens in the U.S loved hearing a familiar voice who had gone through familiar situations. His take on political hot...

It is unnerving but not unexpected that modern-day erotica is becoming mainstream. It started with Fifty Shades of Grey, continued with 365 Days which topped the Netflix chart as most-watched movie for weeks at length and so I decided to read some new adult romances to understand what the obsession is about.  The closest thing to 365 Days is The Italian Billionaire's Kidnapped mistress by Kyra Radcliffe .  A look at the Book blurb will show you exactly what I am talking about. You can go to Amazon to buy the book or take a look at the sample chapters.  Book Excerpt: Tori Parsons thought she had it all ... until her fiancé, Cesare, broke her heart and left her at the altar. When she discovers Cesare is to marry another woman, she  crashes the wedding, determined to call it off.  Enter Alfonso Marchese, the handsome billionaire brother of Cesare’s new bride. Alfonso will do anything to protect his family, and the last thing he wants is to see Cesare’...

Photography/Blog Article Written by Karla M.Cortes With Freelancing boom, comes new avenues The US has experienced a freelancing boom within the past five years with over 57million Americans doing freelance work. Freelancing encompasses a variety of industries that range from construction to writing. Yet there is one freelancing field that constantly gets looked over in the writing industry. That field is proofreading. With every great book comes an even greater proofreader. The person behind the scenes, making sure every comma, word, and phrase is properly conveyed and emphasized for the reader’s experience is much more needed than you’d think. In short, there is and will always be a market for proofreaders.

I have had so many friends from Ladakh who studied twice as hard when they came to Jammu. Whether it is the difficulties with language or acceptability, or simply the pain of being away from home, it makes focusing upon studies harder.  Today, when I saw a Ladakhi girl, Stanzin Sharap, top Class 12th in Jammu Zone, I was ecstatic.  On a similar note, I was watching the movie “Axone” and it gave me a reality check about the troubles people from North-east have to undergo, the cultural differences and the general apathy of people in a strange city. I remembered when I was in college, I used to go out of my way to befriend classmates from Ladakh who used to remain huddled together among “their own”. And I never found anything but kindness and compassion in them. My friends and I would compliment their dressing style, their hair and their voice, on their face AND behind their backs. Because to us, being different didn’t mean being odd. But I realise now that one person’s...

Add to Goodreads Buy on Amazon My Rating: 1/5 stars “Women are stuck in a cycle of insecurity perpetuated by the way men treat them, and we are constantly fighting to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we are okay.” ―  Tarryn Fisher,  The Wives Book Blurb: Thursday’s husband, Seth, has two other wives. She’s never met them, and she doesn’t know anything about them. She agreed to this unusual arrangement because she’s so crazy about him. But one day, she finds something. Something that tells a very different—and horrifying—story about the man she married. What follows is one of the most twisted, shocking thrillers you’ll ever read. My Review:  I refuse to believe that this book is written by Tarryn Fisher. Tarryn, who is known to write amazingly villainous protagonists that fill you with dread as much as they invoke empathy sorely disappointed me with "The Wives", especially the character of Thursday.  Having read every single book written by...

The general meaning of “static” is fixed or stationary while “dynamic” means flexible or capable of change. The terms are used in different contexts but when it comes to technology or media, Static Media means the kind of media that is not interactive, whose composition cannot be changed and which is less complex in its functionality. It remains the same for a long time. It is more stable because there is no possibility of change in its basic form. For example, a newspaper will remain the same and though its content may be changed from time to time, its basic format, layout, composition, production will remain the same. Once it is printed, there is no scope for any change or modification in it. Dynamic media, however, are more complex and can be customised according to the user. Its characteristics are not fixed and can be changed from time to time. It is flexible and can easily be changed or modified. Dynamic media uses dynamic content that is constantly updated according to t...

According to Techopedia, “Transmedia is commonly defined as a narrative or project that combines multiple media forms.” Transmedia is the merging of various media forms to share one narrative across. It follows the principles of media convergence wherein similar content is shared across different media. The name itself suggests that Transmedia means “beyond Media”, that is beyond a single medium. At the most basic level, transmedia stories “are stories told across multiple media. At the present time, the most significant stories tend to flow across multiple media platforms.” The Digital era has made sharing Trans-media narrative across multiple media easier and it is important to impart content this way because it has a wider-range. Within a few seconds, the same kind of content can be shared on different platforms in text, image, video, audio form or a mixture of it all. Transmedia narrative goes beyond boundaries and is not restricted to just Digital Media or old Media. ...

Add to Goodreads Buy on Amazon My Rating: 5/5 stars “What happens when people open their hearts?" "They get better.” “Despite your best efforts, people are going to be hurt when it's time for them to be hurt.”   About the Book: A magnificent blending of the music, the mood, and the ethos that was the sixties with the story of one college student's romantic coming of age,  Norwegian Wood  brilliantly recaptures a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.  

Sixteen people died after they were run over by a goods train in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. But before the details of their gruesome deaths are analysed, let’s recall some other gruesome things that have happened in the past few months. A video surfaced on social media showing how people of China skinned, boiled and ate dogs. It turned the stomachs of the animal lovers and even some others who don’t associate with such labels. How dare the Chinese commit such atrocities! These innocent creatures, what is their fault? But when the Coronavirus Lockdown began in India and it was seen that many labourers who were starving or walking miles and miles to reach their homes were dying, a common question that was being asked was “Why don’t they just stay where they are?” It is easier to pose those questions when the dead are not known to you. If anyone has had a death in their family; with a smoker dying of lung cancer, a person dying of cardiac issues, a person facing severe illnes...

New Media Ecology: Before understanding New Media Ecology, it is important to understand the term Media Ecology. The term Media Ecology emerged accidentally through an exchange of letters between Marshal McLuhan and Neil Postman. In a letter exchange, McLuhan wrote the terms Media and Ecology separately and Postman remarked that Media Ecology can be a theory. Marshal McLuhan Media Ecology, besides being a theory became a Doctoral program in the University of New York namely “Ecology of Media” that aimed at observing, researching, understanding and developing concepts that would be the sustenance of the theory. [1] “Media ecology looks into the matter of how media of communication affect human perception, understanding, feeling, and value; and how our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances of survival. The word ecology implies the study of environments: their structure, content, and impact on people.” [2] Marshall McLuhan has made a great contribut...

A computer is an electronic device which can be used to process, store or transfer data. A basic computer model consists of hardware and software. The external elements of a computer or its physical structure are known as hardware. For example Motherboard, Graphics card, Keyboard, CPU etc. Software is a set of instructions embedded in a computer system through which it accepts and acts on commands. For example: Word processors, games or web browsers. The operating system of a computer is also considered as software. A computer has evolved over the years in size, proficiency, functioning, shape and every other aspect. Despite technology making old computers obsolete with new models, the necessity of computers hasn’t died yet. Even with laptops (which are considered a modern form of computer) and mobile phones which are basically compact computers, an entire computer setup with monitor and CPU is still used in office spaces and by those requiring higher features than flexibility....

These images were part of a series of photographs by Associated Press photographers which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. Three Jammu and Kashmir-based photojournalists— Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand won prestigious Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Kashmir’s lockdown after the dilution of Article 370. Border Security Force (BSF) soldier keeps vigil near the India Pakistan border at Garkhal in Akhnoor, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Jammu.  Photo by Channi Anand Kashmiri Muslim devotees offer prayer outside the shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani in Srinagar, Kashmir. Hundreds of devotees gathered at the shrine for the 11-day festival that marks the death anniversary of the Sufi saint. Photo by Mukhtar Khan A Kashmiri man walks on a snow covered footbridge as it snows in the interiors of Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir.  Photo by Dar Yasin Six-year-old Muneefa Nazir, a Kas...

You don’t expect a Pulitzer Prize winner to walk you to the door and wait till you have left the sight on a day which is supposed to be HIS ‘big day’. But that is exactly what Channi Anand does and that is exactly what Jammu’s hospitality is all about. He welcomes all the love and appreciation that comes his way while ignoring the feeble attempts to overshadow this victory through means of regionalist hegemony. “It’s a matter of prestige for all of Jammu and Kashmir. This award is for all the journalists working here,” he says as his family makes all attempts possible to make him look camera-worthy. Usually the one behind the camera, he was shy to speak up about his journey. He is used to letting his photographs do the talking and while receiving the most prestigious awards for journalism was a dream-come-true, he had little to say about how all the events unfolded.   “The award ceremony began at 12 at night and I was awake till 3 am. As soon as my name was announced, I ...

The price for wisdom is sanity In a world of wise men, A fool is who I wish to be Without lavish cars and big homes Sitting mindlessly under a tree I ponder upon the mysteries of the world Hoping my dreams turn into reality If life was a seed buried beneath dirt Then hope would be raindrops falling Get up, grow big and bring a change You’re not to be taken for granted So, is there a world you long to see? Are you the somebody you want to be?

To my almost best friend Hii! It has already been 2 years and 6 months and you still haven’t replied to my last text. People wonder how crazy it is to have an almost best friend on the internet. Yes, there is a thing called an almost best friend. How mad it is to get upset just because one of your internet friends suddenly stopped sharing the best coke studio's music with you, forgot to share semester results and all the gossip of real life crushes with a virtual friend. Suddenly they are nowhere on the internet. How crazy is it to spend hours thinking of them. We became friends because I posted lyrics of a song that was your favourite and then we started talking about music. Conversations began when I posted about how badly I needed chemistry revision and you shared your chemistry notes with me. Our love for books, psychology and trees made us almost best friend. Your love for Anarkali and my love for sarees made us switch to each other’s likings. For the first three months, I ev...

“We’re not bad people. We just have bad habits. Everyone has something dark inside them. In my case, it’s smoke residue.” She gazed away at the horizon, “If somebody knew the true you, they would judge you. If somebody knew the real me, they’d laugh at me.” “I’m not laughing and I know you better than you know yourself. Look at me,” he said, his face an incomprehensible mask. Sometimes she wished she could look at him the way he looked at the world. All heart, no soul. There was that passion in his eyes, it burned her skin just looking into those caramel irises. But his soul was a deep abyss, and thus the mask. He lured her with that look, but she couldn’t make that leap. Because if she fell, just this once, there would be nowhere to land. And she wasn’t...normal. She couldn’t feel. So she pushed him away and didn’t look back as  he  fell. Deeper and deeper into the ocean beneath.   I turned the page but it was blank. ‘Huh! It’s like you sit down for coffee a...

난날믿어내등이아픈건 날개가돋기위함인걸 “ I believe in myself; My back hurts in order to let my wings sprout.”                                                                                        -Wings by BTS Culture, according to Google Dictionary is defined as “the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.” In the globalised world, integration of culture has become possible through mass media. K-pop fandom is one of the most vastly growing phenomenon across the world and Jammu & Kashmir, a Union Territory in India is no exception. T...

Twenty years ago, without the will of anyone wanting me to come to life, I was born. I, who now stares into the deep abyss of the universe unafraid but still gets scared while looking at my own reflection. I, who shouts out her mad glory in the face of the world and everyone in it am so disheartened by my own silence that I forget to recognize my own voice. I, who buzzes like a maniac spreading energy to even the saddest souls am so tired today that it is hard to keep on breathing every second.

“What do you mean she killed herself? My daughter is no coward! You are lying. I need to see her. I need to see my Priya.” The man was banging his fists on the table, anger bursting through his bloodshot eyes as he demanded to see his daughter. “She wasn’t weak,” came a voice from behind him. He looked back to see a girl, the same age as his daughter’s. Her clothes were tattered, lips swollen. There were bruises on her face and marks all over her arm. “Do you know what happened?” the man walked over to the girl in hysteria. “Can you tell me where my Priya is?” The girl was barely holding backher own tears and rage. This man’s helplessness made her choke on her own words. “She wasn’t weak, but this world didn’t deserve her. We were coming back from tuitions together and a few men grabbed us. They-” she stopped mid-word to let out a sob. Her hand went straight to her mouth covering it and she turned her face away. “They tried to force themselves on us but she fought them. She t...

I have turned so indifferent when it comes to you, I think even hatred would be better than this. Do you realise what being someone's buddy means? A person can only have one buddy in their life. And that person comes before everybody else. It is like soulmates, only, you CHOOSE the person and then place utter faith in them, out of your choice and they do the same. That buddy is placed higher than everyone else in the world, whether it is family, friends, love or even oneself. And you already knew the kind of person I am, always placing people above my family, doing anything for my friends, never believing in love. But I did always place myself on the highest ground. Everything came after. But it is different with a buddy. I could take it if someone messed with me or someone else I cared about but for that buddy, I'd burn the world down before a single bad thing befell him. It is the person you want next to you when you are convulsing on the floor in the darkness, hoping fo...

Social Media Network is a virtual community or website that brings people together. It may be to talk, share ideas or interests or make friends. Social Media can also be defined as a group of websites where users network socially. In today’s time, many social media networks exist like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr etc. but there are certain characteristics that all these social media networks share: User-based:  Social Media networks are based on the content and actions of the users. Users generate content, consume it and also share it. The flow of information is not one-sided and without the users, the network would be completely empty. For example, our Facebook Newsfeed is filled with the content generated by people we have friended on Facebook or the pages we have liked. Without them, the Newsfeed would be empty. Flexible:  Social media networks are flexible in many ways. It allows changes in the network itself, in the content as well as the...

I watched my life as if it were happening to someone else. I did not live it. All the mess I created, unleashing my chaotic mind upon the tangent of relations so carefully accepted, weaved, built upon by myself; the things and people I moved away from, distancing myself, leaving behind just scrapes of memories more unhappy than not, I wonder if someone ever did that to me what would I think of them? But I don’t. As empathic as I feel towards someone’s death or a child crying for his mother, I don’t for those closest to me and what agonies I relay upon them through my words, actions or indifference. They get masked by the self-centeredness and then I wonder, why they all leave in the end. And then I complain and yell and shut myself again to never step out of the cage I crafted with my own essence of being. But this tender part of me, with its mischievous curiosities and desires, reaches out yet again to another broken soul. I wonder if I can make you whole again. I never think I’...

Giving gifts is often the hardest thing to do unless you are gifting something to book lovers. Then the entire bookish community opens up to you, giving suggestions. The easiest and the best gift to give to a book lover is always a copy of the book on their TBR (to-be-read), but there are always other bookish items that a bibliophile would always treasure. 1.         Stylish Bookmarks I am sure I am right when I say that there are never enough bookmarks for a booklover. I know how I leave spoons, torn paper and basically anything I find handy inside books, using them as bookmarks. But ever since I started using actual bookmarks with either paintings on them or sketches of my favorite characters or some of my favorite quotes, I have realised that bookmarks are quite fun. There are many online stores that sell customised bookmarks but I suggest searching for an artist on Instagram, someone who creates bookmarks and lives in the same city as you. ...

“And what happens tomorrow?” he asked in a gentle tone. Delilah smiled at him and planted a firm kiss on his lips. “Tomorrow we die.” The look in her eyes wasn’t one of horror or fear. It was the look of determination. 24 hours till death. Rory was worried about it but Delilah just walked around like she had no care in the world. First day of high school was a terrifying prospect according to him but as long as Delilah stuck with him, some of her enthusiasm started rubbing off on him. Rory had always wondered why a girl like her, so lively and fun would choose to befriend him. The most exciting moment in his life before he met her had been when he had caught a squirrel and kept it as a pet, for three days but even that didn’t last long because it died. He forgot it needed to be fed too. He had been upset for days until Delilah moved next door and with her, her pet dog Sunshine. She was perfect, like a unicorn, always spreading smiles on faces. And she let him pet sunshine. ...