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...