When God had finished creating the world, He decided to use Seychelles as the icing. Kalyan Patra gives a brief introduction to a group of islands that are a thousand miles from anywhere and absolutely unique. An archipelago that has fortunately escaped the destructive attentions of twentieth-century man. So Eco-conscious are Seychellois that even the anniversary of their revolution falls on June 5, World Environment Day »»
UNIVERSALLY REGARDED as a symbol of beauty, serenity and prosperity, the lotus has been revered since antiquity and for Hindus, it is the holiest of flowers. Said to represent Brahma the Creator, it is used extensively in worship. »»
Atul Sharma trekked the Kalichoo Pass with friends old and new, along with a lot of sheep. He brought back some rare photographs, happy memories and of course, his pressure cooker. »»
Trekking down memory lane, Ganesh Saili reminisces about the now elusive wild flowers that once covered the Uttarakhand hills with a multitude of colours. »»
Snakes have always been both feared and revered the world over. Dr. Iqbal Malik visits a snake charmers' village to learn about these much-maligned creatures and lay her own ghosts to rest. »»
In even the worst of conditions, Nature finds ways for some life forms to flourish. In the giant, open super sewer of New Delhi that is known as the Najafgarh drain, Sharad Gaur finds hosts of birds, ducks and unfortunately, two-legged creatures that hunt them. »»
IN ALL THE hullabaloo over our diminishing forest wealth, we do not hear anything about our orchards. We take them very much for granted. But our fruit gardens are disappearing too, as the towns and cities grow larger and denser. In small towns all over the country, private orchards often provided the open green spaces and parks that were otherwise only found in New Delhi or State capitals. There are some lovely parks in New Delhi (though not evenly distributed) and some good ones in Lucknow, but where are they to be found in cities as diverse as Shahjehanpur and Saharanpur, or, for that matter, Ambala and Amritsar? »»
TWO OF THE most obvious features of thick-billed parrots are their colour and voice. The emerald green feathers sparkle and shine in sunlight and crimson red shoulders and broad patches on the sides of their faces stand out. Piercing orange eyes are surrounded by patches of yellow skin. The outstanding feature is a bright yellow band of the under-wing coverts. »»
Of birds and beests and other animals in the wild. Marian and Roger Reeve tell us about the numerous creations of Nature that they encountered during their long awaited visit to Kenya. »»
