What is the cherry blossom festival?

The Japanese call it 'Sakura Matsuri' It is a festival held in spring every year all over Japan and also in a number of other countries. It celebrates the blooming of the cherry trees and is a time for locals to have a picnic or hanami and enjoy the pleasant weather outdoors. There are blossom-viewing parties held both in the cities and the countryside.

The tree that is so revered is the Yoshino cherry tree or sakura that puts out exquisite pale pink blossoms. The cherry blossom is Japan's national flower. It is grown for its ornamental beauty and does not bear fruit.

Short but colourful life

To the Japanese, cherry blossom symbolises the ephemeral or transient quality of life. It features prominently in Japanese art, literature and folklore. At the picnics and parties, guests compose short poems or create brush paintings on the spot in celebration.

Cherry blossom festivals are a Occasion for street fairs, with stalls selling local craft and food. Visitors can also relish traditional theatre and dance performances.

The arrival of the cherry blossom is tracked closely with round-the-clock - news reports providing updates on exactly where and when the fabled flowers will appear. The blossoming begins in January in Okinawa and reaches Kyoto and Tokyo in April. It blooms last in Hokkaido in the northern reaches a few weeks later. The flower was used to whip up patriotic fervour during World War Il with the soldiers' sacrifice compared to the falling of the blossoms. Japanese pilots on suicide missions painted the cherry blossom on the side of their planes.

Blooming friendship

Japan has gifted thousands of cherry trees as a goodwill gesture to several countries. The cities which have nurtured these cherry orchards hold a cherry blossom festival every spring, just like in Japan. One such city is Washington D.C. which received 3,000 trees from Japan in 1912.

Every spring, the Tidal Basin along the Potomac River in Washington DC erupts in a shower of white and pink as thousands of cherry blossom trees bloom in all their glory.

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What is the "wall of humanity"?

The Wall of Humanity' is a noble initiative where people leave their old clothes, toys, books, furniture and other usable household items near a designated wall which may later be collected by the needy. The concept originated in Iran in 2015. At the time, Iran's economy was in bad shape and people with limited means were finding it tough to deal with the harsh Iranian winter. That's when some youths in the city of Mashhad came up with the idea of helping the poor in a manner which would not make them feel embarrassed.

"Leave what you don't need, take what you do"

They began to hang their old clothes on the city walls and it soon became a trend known as 'Deewar-e-Meherbani. A similar campaign was started in Pakistan by a young boy, which came to known as 'Deewar-e-Insaniyat. It included donations of food, clothes, medicines and books for the needy.

In India this concept first immerged in form of 'Neki ki Deewar in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. Today, similar such walls of humanity have sprung up in dozens of Indian cities including Mumbai, Chandigarh, Mysore, Allahabad, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Aurangabad, Bhopal.  

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How theatre education can help a child?

Theatre is one of the oldest forms of entertainment in the world. It had its beginnings in ancient Greece when the followers of the Greek god Dionysus started indulging in festivities to honour the god. It started off as a medium for the recollection of old myths. And over time, it has turned into a performing art that sees a lot of experimentation. Learning theatre can help a child in more ways than one. As we celebrate World Theatre Day on March 27, let us take a look at how theatre education can help a child.

It all started in the 6th Century. That was the time the Greek theatre had its genesis. Its origins can be traced to the followers of the Greek god Dionysus. The devotees or Dionysians would hold ceremonies for the god which would be filled with festivities. In these ceremonies, they would sing and dance in a choral form and narrate the stories from Greek myth. The art of theatre was just evolving.

Ancient Greek port Thespis was born in the city of Icarius. Regarded as the first actor in Greek drama, he was also the inventor of tragedy and the first to stage a tragedy at Dionysia. He gave a fresh spin to drama during a chorus when he stepped out and started reciting and performing portions of the text. Thus, he became the first actor. Now you know why actors are called thespians. It is in honour of the Greek performer Thespis. Soon a structured form of drama developed.

Performing arts

It is a widely accepted fact that kids who are involved in performing arts have an edge over others in several aspects. Be it music, dance, or acting, the performing arts not only make a child acquire enhanced cognitive, motor, and social skills but empower them to tackle most of the challenges that they may encounter later in life. It is also observed that they also achieve more academically. Getting onto that stage can help you in more ways than one. Let's read up on how involving oneself in theatre is beneficial.

A multidimensional art

Theatre is one art that encompasses a range of art forms, such as dance, music, literature, fine arts and so on. The creative, intellectual, and emotional aspects of a child get developed when they indulge in theatre. Theatre also builds a new community for the kids. It is more like an extended community where participants get to meet people of varied perspectives as well as from diverse backgrounds. This helps them make a wide circle of friends.

Quick thinkers

If you are in a play, then you learn to think on your feet. If you were to forget your lines, then you learn to improvise on the go. Moreover, the trick is to ensure that the audience does not know what went wrong. A number of challenges could arise that may disrupt the flow of a play. So you learn to keep your calm in the face of chaos. This makes one a quick thinker and enhances problem-solving skills.

Theatre is a blend of music, dance, acting, and delivering of lines of speech or monologue. Being part of a play lets one experience all forms of art as well as become more expressive. It helps them communicate better and introduces them to a whole new Vocabulary and ways of communicating. Skills such as articulation, vocal projection, and emotional expressions improve with theatre. Thus a child learns to communicate better and in unique ways.

Exposure to history, art, culture

 Theatre offers an introduction to kids to art history, and new cultures. It gives them good exposure and helps them appreciate varied cultures and people of all kinds.

Self-esteem

Confidence is a life skill. When a child learns to articulate better on stage, face a crowd, and perform, it boosts their confidence. Theatre teaches a child to be assertive, speak up, be confident, and be comfortable in n crowd. Moreover, theatre gives instant positive feedback. When the crowd cheers you on laughs at your joke, or cries with you, it can be very rewarding.

Responsibility and teamwork

A group performance, theatre would need exceptional teamwork to succeed. The kids learn the need to work together as a team to put out a great show. They also understand personal responsibility, the need to know their lines and deliver them perfectly. They learn to be responsible not just for their own act but also for the team as they move towards a common goal.

In theatre, there is space for everyone. However different you may be from the norm or your peers, theatre accepts you for who you are You may be an eccentric or a recluse, but wherever you belong in the spectrum, you will always be accepted.

Emotional intelligence

As one grows up and strides through life, one understands that it is not just the intelligence quotient that matters, but emotional quotient too. Theatre is akin to empathy training. It helps you grow and transmute into any person you want to be when you play a character. Thus you also learn to walk in other person's shoes and experience life from their perspective. Further, a child with a theatre background grows into a person who is more inclusive, tolerant, and empathetic

In a nutshell, theatre gives you the platform to express yourself in the most colourful of ways. Are you ready for the first act?

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Is glass a solid or an exceptionally slow-moving liquid?

Artists have worked wonders with glass ever since its discovery. A look at glass art...

Is glass a solid or an exceptionally slow-moving liquid? While scientists have not been able to figure that out, artists have worked wonders with glass ever since it was discovered in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia. Glass is an incredibly versatile substance to work with. Its ability to withstand extreme temperatures, resistance to chemical reactions and transparency make it ideal for use as vessels and window panes and also enables artists to give free rein to their creativity as they fashion beautiful objets d'art.

Artworks created from glass can be categorised into three types:

Glass art - large modem glass sculptures, usually displayed in public spaces. For example. "The Sun" created by American glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.

Art glass - small decorative pieces, designed especially for display at home (not for daily use) such as crystal ware from reputed brands.

Studio glass - sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. These include beautiful works of art like stained glass and Murano glass.

Gothic churches of Europe take pride in their lustrous stained glass windows. Each window was carefully crafted by piecing together small bits of coloured glass to form an intricate mosaic, be it a biblical scene or simply a geometric pattern. The glass pieces were held in place by soldered metal strips. The rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris are spectacular examples of this art form.

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Will Parthenon Marbles return to Greece?

 

Speculation has been intensifying over recent months that a deal could be struck to return some of the marble sculptures, which have been on display in the British Museum since 1832 after being controversially stripped from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin, a British diplomat.

Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, became British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in 1799. In 1801, he negotiated what he claimed was permission from the Turks - who then controlled Athens - to remove statues from the Parthenon.

The British Museum maintains that Elgin was an official diplomat and had acted with the permission of Turkish authorities. Greece argues that the Turks were a foreign force acting against the will of the people they had invaded.

The Marbles which were taken to Britain include about a half-around 75 metres - of the sculpted frieze that once ran all round the building, plus 17 life-sized marble figures from its pediments and 15 of the 92 metopes, or sculpted panels, originally displayed high up above its columns.

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Who is Salvador Dali?

Salvador Dalí was a Spanish Surrealist painter and printmaker known for exploring subconscious imagery. Arguably, his most famous painting is The Persistence of Memory (1931), depicting limp melting watches.

"More than 100 years after his birth, the art world cannot quite figure out if Spanish Surrealist painter Salvador Dali (1904-89), was a genius or a madman!

He was just 14 when his works were first exhibited. At 17, he was admitted to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, but was expelled after four years for defying his teachers.

The French Surrealists were then trying to apply the theories of Sigmund Freud to painting and writing. Dali knew of Freud's study of dreams and was fascinated with capturing them in paint.

International acclaim was not long in coming.  In 1933, he put up solo exhibitions in Paris and New York City. He became Surrealism's poster boy.

In addition to Freudian imagery - staircases, keys, dripping candles - he also used his own symbols. His most famous painting "The Persistence of Memory", features three 'melting' watches, and a fourth covered by a swarm of ants. One of the watches is draped on a strange form that is meant to be Dali's deflated head!

As his fame grew, Dali diversified into jewellery, clothes and furniture design, painted sets for ballets and plays, wrote fiction, produced a dream sequence for the Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Spellbound" and set up displays for store windows.

He cut an extremely eccentric figure, with his dashing clothes and moustache. He once showed up for a Paris lecture in a Rolls Royce stuffed with cauliflowers. For a book promotion in New York, he dressed in a golden robe and lay on a bed!

In 1974, Figueres in Catalonia, Spain, opened the Dali Theatre-Museum with works donated by him.

PROFILE OF TIME

In Dali's paintings, the concept of time is different, it melts. Everything is fluidic. The Profile of Time, a sculpture by Dali, has the soft watch hanging and drooping from the branch of a tree. The watch appeared for the first time in Dali's 1931 painting ‘The Persistence of Memory'. The watch can be seen to be melting and finishing off as a huge drop.

APPARITION OF FACE AND FRUIT DISH ON A BEACH

The painting by Dali works on illusion. He called them 'double images'. In this, there are three simultaneous images at work in a single painting. Dali's double image paintings had a huge fan following. It is more like a puzzle. Here, one can see an illusion of a face, the image of a dish full of fruits, that of a dog.

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What is surrealism?

Surrealism is a movement in art and literature pioneered in France in the early 1920s. Read on to know more about it.

Surrealism is a movement in art and literature that seeks to portray the workings of the unconscious mind as manifested in dreams and aims at expressing visions free from conscious rational control. It was pioneered in France around 1924 under the leadership of French poet and critic Andre Breton. Surrealists were influenced by the theories on dreams and the subconscious mind as explained by Sigmund Freud, the Austrian father of psychoanalysis.

Although surrealism was embraced by various kinds of artists like poets, writers, film-makers and photographers, it had its strongest impact in the field of painting. Surrealist artists used techniques like automatism (used by Freud for his patients) which refers to creating art without conscious thought. They believed in the spontaneity of expression, uninhibited by societal limitations. They would paint scenes that make no rational sense. For example, in one of his paintings, Belgian artist Rene Magritte showed a normal table setting that includes a plate holding a slice of ham, from the centre of which stares a human eye.

Surrealists hailed from different nations but Paris remained the centre of the movement. It petered off with the onset of World War II although many critics still consider it a relevant cultural force.

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Play of geometry and layers

The intricate mola panels of Panama are created by the indigenous people of Kuna, using the reverse applique technique.

There was a time when the indigenous Kuna people of Panama wore little clothing and covered their bodies instead with elaborate and colourful body art. With the passage of time, when they began wearing clothes, they transferred the workmanship to their textiles, giving rise to the handmade textile art of mola.

 Mola panels are made using the reverse applique technique. Layers of different-coloured cotton cloth (up to seven layers) are sewn together. Then each layer is cut out in a pattern, revealing the cloth underneath. The largest pattern is cut out from the topmost layer, with progressively small designs being cut out from the lower layers. The edges of each layer are folded and sewn down with fine, almost invisible stitches. The beauty of the mola lies in the intricacy of the design and the finesse of the sewing.

Molas are characterised by vibrant colours and complex geometric patterns. They are often hailed as 'living history books' as the designs reflect the Kuna symbols of nature and their culture. The traditional costume of the Kuna woman includes a blouse adorned with mola panels.

FACT FILE

*Molas are characterised by vibrant colours and complex geometric patterns.

*They are often hailed as ‘living history books’ as the designs reflect the Kuna symbols of nature and their culture.

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What is special about Nagash painting of Saudi Arabia?

Get to know about the nagash painting of Saudi Arabia. Nagash painting, also known as Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, adorns the interior walls of traditional Arabic homes.

Tradition in Saudi Arabia dictates that the man builds the house and the woman decorates it. The women of the Asir province express their creativity by painting frescos on the interior walls of their homes. Known as Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, the traditional folk art form is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The paintings are paintings are also called nagash in Arabic.

The white gypsum walls provide the broad canvas for the home artists. They draw geometric lines, triangles, squares, diagonals and tree-like patterns in bright hues of blues, greens, yellows and reds. The patterns reflect the cultural and weaving heritage of the communities. While some communities draw simple open designs, others make more complex patterns edged with a black outline, adding structure to the design. Traditionally, the women used natural colours-yellow colour was extracted from  turmeric, black from coal, blue from indigo dye and green from grass. They used brushes made from camel or goat hair. Often, the painting is a communal affair where the ladies of the house invite their female guests to contribute in the beautification of the nagash.

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WHAT IS VAN GOGH SELF- PORTRAIT DISCOVERY?

It has been found on the reverse side of one of his painting, hidden behind glue and cardboard. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter, generally considered to be the greatest after Rembrandt van Rijn, and one of the greatest of the Post-Impressionists. He sold only one artwork during his life, but in the century after his death he became perhaps the most recognized painter of all time.

The sensational discovery was made when an x-ray image was taken of Van Gogh's Head of a Peasant Woman" (1885) in advance of a forthcoming Impressionism exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, the U.K.

Currently, the self-portrait is covered by layers of glue and cardboard believed to have been applied to the reverse of "Head of a Peasant Woman" before being framed for an exhibition held in Amsterdam around 1905. Experts are researching to see if they can uncover the self-portrait, but warn that removing the glue and cardboard will require delicate conservation work to avoid harming the painting on the other side It's believed Van Gogh painted the self-portrait after he moved to Paris and was exposed to the work of French Impressionists.

"Head of a Peasant Woman", which shows a local woman from the town of Nuenen in the Netherlands, was donated to the National Gallery of Scotland collection in 1960 by a prominent Edinburgh lawyer. It will feature in the "A Taste for Impressionism" exhibition on The Mound in Edinburgh on till November 13, 2022, together with an illuminated copy of the x-ray image.

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Why is Mona Lisa so famous? Does Mona Lisa have her own mailbox?

The Mona Lisa is a half length oil-painted portrait by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It has been described as the best known, most visited, most written about, most sung about and most parodied work of art in the world. The masterpiece has been on display at the Louvre in Paris since 1797. Mona Lisa is the only painting to have her own mailbox at the Louvre because of all the letters that are addressed to her. This painting is painted as oil on wood. The original painting size is 77 x 53 cm (30 x 20 7/8 in) and is owned by the Government of France. In France, it is actually illegal to buy or sell the Mona Lisa. It is the most famous painting in the world, and yet, when viewers manage to see the artwork up close, they are likely to be baffled by the small subdued portrait of an ordinary woman.

Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda, is the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. This painting is painted as oil on wood. The original painting size is 77 x 53 cm (30 x 20 7/8 in) and is owned by the Government of France and is on the wall in the Louvre in Paris, France.

This figure of a woman, dressed in the Florentine fashion of her day and seated in a visionary, mountainous landscape, is a remarkable instance of Leonardo's sfumato technique of soft, heavily shaded modeling. The Mona Lisa's enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof, has given the portrait universal fame.

The Mona Lisa's famous smile represents the sitter in the same way that the juniper branches represent Ginevra Benci and the ermine represents Cecilia Gallerani in their portraits, in Washington and Krakow respectively. It is a visual representation of the idea of happiness suggested by the word "gioconda" in Italian. Leonardo made this notion of happiness the central motif of the portrait: it is this notion that makes the work such an ideal. The nature of the landscape also plays a role. The middle distance, on the same level as the sitter's chest, is in warm colors. Men live in this space: there are a winding road and a bridge. This space represents the transition between the space of the sitter and the far distance, where the landscape becomes a wild and uninhabited space of rocks and water which stretches to the horizon, which Leonardo has cleverly drawn at the level of the sitter's eyes.

The painting was among the first portraits to depict the sitter before an imaginary landscape and Leonardo was one of the first painters to use aerial perspective. The enigmatic woman is portrayed seated in what appears to be an open loggia with dark pillar bases on either side. Behind her, a vast landscape recedes to icy mountains. Winding paths and a distant bridge give only the slightest indications of human presence. The sensuous curves of the woman's hair and clothing, created through sfumato, are echoed in the undulating imaginary valleys and rivers behind her. The blurred outlines, graceful figure, dramatic contrasts of light and dark, and overall feeling of calm are characteristic of da Vinci's style. Due to the expressive synthesis that da Vinci achieved between sitter and landscape, it is arguable whether Mona Lisa should be considered as a traditional portrait, for it represents an ideal rather than a real woman. The sense of overall harmony achieved in the painting especially apparent in the sitter's faint smile reflects the idea of a link connecting humanity and nature.

In the Renaissance which brought together all human activities, art meant science, art meant truth to life: Leonardo da Vinci was a great figure because he embodied the epic endeavor of Italian art to conquer universal values: he who combined within himself the fluctuating sensitivity of the artist and the deep wisdom of the scientist, he, the poet and the master.

Credit : Leonardo da vinci

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Where is Rani-ki-Vav also known as Queen's stepwell located?

Rani-ki-Vav is an underground stepwell located in Patan, Gujarat. Situated on the banks of the river Saraswati, this spectacular stepwell was built in the 11th century AD by Queen Udayamati of the Solanki dynasty in memory of her husband King Bhimdev 1.

A stepwell is a multi-tiered well with water that can be reached by descending a series of steps. Rani-ki-Vav has seven storeys of stairs and hundreds of intricately carved sculptures of Vishnu and other deities adoming its walls. It is over 65m long from the entrance to the well, 20m wide and 27m deep. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014. Did you know the site, before being unearthed by the Archaeological Survey of India in the 1980s, remained covered in mud and slush because of it being flooded by the river Saraswati for around 800 years?

Step wells of India have always mesmerized tourists from far and wide, for their unique architecture and carvings. Not only does Rani ki vav in Gujarat belong to this class of picturesque landmarks of India, it also has a special historical beginning to it. Read more to explore and quench your thirst about the ancient architecture of India. If you are travelling here for the first time, you might get confused as you won’t see a tall museum or the remains of a ruin because it is built inside an opening in the ground, which makes it special. The east facing well constructed in seven storeys is approximately 64m long, 20m wide & 27m deep. As you go down, you will see over 800 sculptures in the seven galleries, majority of which are devoted to lord Vishnu. It is amongst the finest step wells in India, and one of the most famous legacies of the ancient capital city. Various pillars and walls which are beautifully sculpted in Maru-Gurjara architectural style are a mesmerizing sight. The lowermost level of the well is blocked by stones and silt now but earlier it was used as an escape route to the neighbouring villages. It is one of the largest and the most sumptuous structures of its type. Rani-Ki-Vav is now considered to be the queen among the step wells of India. It is said that the size of the Rani Ki Vav is so huge that the tourists appear as ants climbing an anthill.

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What is Kintsugi art in japan?

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of sealing cracks in broken pieces of pottery using gold powder and lacquer. A direct translation of the word means 'golden joinery'. By emphasising the cracks, the need to mend them and renew an object, the 400-year-old technique reflects the larger Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi that tells you to look for beauty in imperfections.

The art may date back to the late 15th century,  when Japanese shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa returned a broken Chinese tea bowl to China to have it repaired. The bowl was given back to him held together with unattractive metal staples. At the time, staples were the main method used to fix broken, yet valuable, vessels. Tiny holes were drilled on either side of the broken pieces and then metal staples were bent and used to hold them in place.

The result was practical, but not very attractive. Yoshimasa's experience may have triggered a quest by Japanese craftsmen to find a new type of repair that could make damaged items look new — or even better.

The craft became so beautiful and so revered that collectors developed an appetite for the mended pieces. Some people were accused of purposely breaking prized items just so they could be repaired with the golden art. Some say that an item repaired by kintsugi looks more beautiful than when it was whole. When a ceramic vessel undergoes this mending transformation, its once-smooth surface becomes covered with rivers of colored zigzags and patterns. Because the repairs are done with meticulous skill (and with precious metal), the mended fractures look immaculate and artistic.

Credit : The Hugger 

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What is so special about Lake Titicaca?

The biggest knitted objects in the world are the 62 self-fashioned Uros Islands in Peru's Lake Titicaca (the world's highest navigable lake at 12,500 feet above sea level).  The most remarkable thing about Lake Titicaca is its floating Islands and the people who live there. Each island is no more than 90 feet wide and is strong enough to hold several hundred people, buildings and boats (balsas). The Uru people collect totora reeds, which grow in the lake, and weave their dense roots together to form sturdy layers called 'khili' (about one to two metres thick). These are anchored with ropes attached to sticks driven into the bottom of the lake. The reeds at the bottom of the islands rot away fairly quickly, so new reeds are added to the top constantly, about every three months. If well maintained, an island can last for 30 years.

The houses and boats of the Uro people are built from the same reeds using a similar technique to that of the islands. They also make handcrafted items that they sell to visitors to the floating islands. About every six months they have to lift up and move their houses and buildings so that they can add another layer to the reeds of the floating island. When the Totora is pulled for construction, part of the root is eaten because it’s a rich source of iodine. It is also used for pain relief, tea and to cure a hangover. Fishing and hunting for birds is one of the main ways of getting food on the islands. The Uros also eat the guinea pigs and ducks that they keep on the islands. Waterbirds are also kept on the island but for helping them fish or for their eggs. On the islands, there is a traditional school and a Christian school that are the main sources of education on the islands. As the kids get older and start looking for university they will likely leave the lake and head to the mainland to study in Puno.

The Uro’s way of living is one to marvel at but is also extremely difficult and steadily disappearing. Many still live in the traditional way, hauling reeds into their boats, reconstructing the islands, heading off onto the lake to fish, but many of the young people are leaving and start a different life on the mainland. Daily life here depends mostly around the reeds that grow in the lake, they provide food, housing and transportation.  It is a life of hard work and long days in a harsh climate.

In recent years, tourism has become an important part of the Uro economy. People have opened their homes and welcomed visitors from all over the world. Their unique lifestyle and breathtaking Lake Titicaca make the floating islands a must when passing Puno.

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Which school students write with both hands?

Veena Vadini School in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, is India's only 'ambidextrous' school whose 300 students write using both hands together at the same time. These students have a high speed of writing with both hands and can finish a three-hour long exam in one or one and half hours! When a new student joins the school, he/she holds the pen with one hand, and is taught to use the other hand after a month. After that, they are taught to use both hands together. B. P. Sharma, founder and principal of the school, was inspired to start the school after reading about the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was ambidextrous.

 Only 1 in 100 people can write with both hands but at the Veena Vadini School in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, all 300 students are ambidextrous.
Their training starts from class 1 and by class 3, they become comfortable enough to write with both hands.
The students are taught 6 different languages including Roman and Arabic and students of class 8 can easily write 2 different scripts at the same time. BP Sharma, the founder, states that Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president, who was Ambidextrous, was the inspiration behind the initiative. He also claims that his students take at only 1.5 hours to complete a 3 hour exam.

Credit : Our Time 

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