Ghumakkad Is Eleven!

Eleventh birthday! Not mine but of our blog, your blog! (www.ghumakkadhb.blogspot.com)

As Ghumakkad's blog completes 11 years, it is a moment of joy, thrill and excitement. Like the Baya Weavers in the picture below who go about building their nests from scratch. Patiently but steadily. Suspended up in the air but held firmly with a branch of the tree. Our blog is also somewhere up in the 'cloud' but bonded securely with you, the readers!

Thanks for being there to support Ghumakkad all these years.

The Journey

Ghumakkad started as a travel blog. Our inaugural story was a set of eight posts on picturesque Bhutan. Initially the blog was by invitation . Naturally it had very limited page views in the first three years. Once opened to public, more readers enjoyed browsing it. See the graph below which shows the current page views at 291,000 with more than 3900 comments. This is the 582nd Post of our blog.

The Content

Our blog has a variety of content with pictures. Some of the themes are listed below with links to connected stories:

• Travelogues like A Train journey in USA, Scuba diving at 65, Hiking up the Tiger's Nest in Bhutan, Toddler on a Hike

• Wildlife including The Big Five of Africa, Tigers of Tadoba, Birds of Ranganathittu, Rescuing a Black Winged Stilt

• Environment including Trees (White Jamun?, Neem Trees Under Attack), plants (Friendship With Plants), insects and flowers (Brahma Kamal)

• Online Contest called Kaun Banega Ghumakkad which has completed 80 editions so far!
• Lesser-known India series Hindola Toran, Devarakonda Fort and more

• Entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship stories like Dreams to Reality, Young Entrepreneurs Bootcamp, Startup Fever Grips VVISM

• Teaching and learning (Ghumakkad is a teacher!) including real-life case studies and Innovations in A Convocation

• Obituaries of leaders like Dr Abdul Kalam and martyrs like Capt Ravi Shankar

• Motivational posts specially during Covid

• Guest stories including those written by the children (Coyote Gulch Hiking in Stream), Covid survivors (I Got A New Life) and Animal Lovers like Rohini

• Picturesque Quotes having one of our pictures with a famous quote like Claude Monet on Nature and another one by a KBG winner.

• Adventure and Endurance like An Ironman in the Family, Women Hiking in Water

The Readership

Thanks to the wider reach of internet, our blog is read globally. Readers from India account for only 55%, balance coming from across the globe. See the colour coded world map below.

Most Viewed Posts

Capt Ravi Shankar's life story has been read more than 7000 times. We salute his supreme sacrifice.

Another story on 'Brahma Kamal The Queen of Night' has been read by more than 4000 readers. It shows the readers' interest in environment and Nature related posts.

Acknowledgements

There are numerous people who have helped us grow. We place on record our appreciation to the following for their unstinted support.

Trixie Asirvatham our content advisor

Chitra Shanker our advisor on plants, trees, insects and birds

Ramya Sriram logo designer of our KBG Contest

We also thank each one of you for your continued support without which Ghumakkad wouldn't have been here! Do give us your feedback to help us improve.

Onwards to the 12th Anniversary of Ghumakkad next year!

Thanks for browsing. Stay connected

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 24th May 2023/ Secunderabad

Postscript:

26th May 2023. Commander GR Sreenivasan, a reader from Bangalore wrote: "Fabulous compilation of unique and interesting  information mostly related to nature and wild life, meticulously  compiled and recorded for the benefit of present and future generations when many things will either become extinct or degraded due to climate change. What a way to celebrate, worship and express gratitude to the creator of this universe." (We hope that mankind doesn't degrade the environment to that extent- Eds.)

#GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB #11thAnniversary #BlogAnniversary #HarshBhargava #ThrillOfWriting #JourneyOfLife #BringingSmiles #makingadifference #kbgcontest #kaunbanegaghumakkad #wellness #motivation #inspiration #positivity #nature #environment #teachers #learning #india #mysteriesofnature #travelforfun #beatthelockdown #wildlife #keepgoing #blogger #pictures #photowalks #powerofobservation #students #adventure #lesserknownindia #PQs #picturesquequotes #learningtogether #bayaweaver

Brahmi or Gotu Kola Answer KBG-35

"Nasturtium"
"Aak"
"Mallow"
"Giloy"
"Guduchi"
"Ajwain"
Many answers came in response to KBG-35.
None correct!

Then what is the correct answer?
Answer was in the clue that it is a herbal plant.
We had also given you an option to name it in any language.
The correct answer to Kaun Banega Ghumakkad KBG-35 is:
Brahmi ब्राह्मी (Hindi)
Gotu Kola or Spade Leaf (English)
Mandukaparni (Ayurveda)
Saraswati (Telugu)
Centella Asiatica (Botanical name)

Why did we choose this Plant?
Gotu Kola or Brahmi has known medicinal properties. Our elders knew about the herb and used it for generations. In fact many of the readers confided that they got the answer from their parents or grandparents! 

Readers may refer Ayurtimes, an excellent web resource for more details about this herb. Gotu Kola is helpful in many health conditions some of which are listed below:

• Mental fatigue
• Memory Loss
• Low retention power
• Inability to concentrate
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia (sleeplessness)
• Convulsions
• Epilepsy

Where does it grow?

It is a wildly growing weed near rice fields and wet places. The pictures for KBG-35 contest were all shot at Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) in Hyderabad India. Many readers in India confirmed having seen it in the vicinity of rice fields on long drives.

How is the Herb Used?

All parts (especially aerial parts) of Gotu Kola herb are used preparing Gotu Kola powder (Mandukaparni Churna), extract, tablets or capsules. 

Winners

We had close to 300 participants online with more than 30 correct answers. First three correct answers came within five minutes of posting! All three winners once again are women. Come on men folk, faster response next time!

We congratulate the winners and thank all those who took part in KBG-35.

1. Sangeeta Agarwal PhD, Biotechnologist, formerly with DuPont Research Centre in Hyderabad, works with the Department of Biotechnology in New Delhi.
2. Praneetha Mudholkar, Marketing Faculty at VVISM Hyderabad. Loves travelling and meeting people. Past winner of KBG many times.
3. Ratnaja Gogula PhD. Former Professor IBS Hyderabad and former Program Lead, Technology Entrepreneurship Program at Indian School of Business Hyderabad. Creative teacher, painter and nature lover she lives in Hyderabad. A past winner of KBG.

Credits

The idea for KBG-35 to showcase a herb was given by Dr Chitra Shanker who works at IIRR. Being locked down, I couldn't travel to take pictures. She took all the pictures and undertook the research as well. Thanks much Chitra.

Hope we succeeded in alleviating your lockdown boredom to some extent. Thanks for browsing. Stay connected for more KBGs.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 22nd May 2020

#nature #plants #trees #naturephotography #wildplants #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe #greenfields #herbalplants #gotukola #brahmi #saraswati #spadeleaf #mandukaparni #centellaasiatica

Kaun Banega Ghumakkad No.6

What's in a name?
Why not give our Nature Quiz a name?
We all have names.
The flowers, trees, plants, rivers, forts, palaces, places- the subjects of our Contest- all have names.
So, our contest or quiz has also got a name.
Kaun Banega Ghumakkad कौन बनेगा घुमक्कड़ KBG in short. Meaning who will become a ghumakkad -the wanderer?
Hope you like the name.

We are at KBG Contest No. 6.
This time we test your knowledge of places and monuments.
Where is the mosque shown in the picture located?

As earlier, first three correct answers will be featured in next edition of KBG.

KBG No.5 Results
Following Tree was to be identified.

The correct answer is 'Gliricidia Sepium'.
Research courtesy Chitra Shanker.

Few lines about the tree and it's value courtesy Wikipedia.
The flowers are located on the end of branches that have no leaves. These flowers have a bright pink to lilac color that is tinged with white. A pale yellow spot is usually at the flower's base. See the close up picture below.

Gliricidia sepium is native to tropical dry forests in Mexico and Central America. In addition to its native range it is cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions, including the Caribbean, northern parts of South America, central Africa, parts of India, and Southeast Asia.

It is used for many purposes including live fencing, fodder, firewood, green manure, intercropping, and rat poison.
It is widely used in the form of poles for live fencing in India. So, if you want to recharge your soil and prevent rodents, plant a gliricidia sepium!

The following readers came close to the answer:
Ramya Sriram (@thetapcomics)
Neha Misra
Sushma Sangoju

However, the KBG Winner's Badge goes unrewarded this time.

Background
For those who came in late, starting 2019 Ghumakkad launched a series of online contests for his readers. Idea is to spread the awareness about Nature, wildlife and our heritage. It will also help in knowledge sharing. First three correct answers will get featured in the subsequent contest in the blog. The winners are likely to come from anywhere in the world.

We sign off with our logo.

So, what are you waiting for?

Key in the answer to the picture of the mosque shown above, where is it located?

You might win the KBG Badge!

Thanks for browsing.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 11th Feb 2019

#nature #wildlife #travel #contest #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #awareness @ghumakkadhb #KBG #KBGContest6 @thetapcomics 

Ghumakkad Nature Contest #4

Name the plant.
Guess the flower.
Identify the fort.
Have you seen this bird?
And so on.

Starting 2019, Ghumakkad launched a series of online contests for his readers. It will spread the awareness about Nature, wildlife and our heritage. It will also help in knowledge sharing. First three correct answers will get featured in the subsequent contest in the blog. Perhaps we can have an online get together of the Winners at some point of time. The winners are likely to come from anywhere in the world.
Special thanks to Dr Chitra Shanker for being the knowledge resource.

We are at Contest #4.
Name the Plant.

 Here is another view of the same plant.

Write your answer in the comment field below or on FB/eMail/ Instagram link through which you came to this page.
_________________________________________________ 
Winners of previous Contests are listed below.
Contest #1
Guess the Flower

Correct answer: Bhindi भिन्डी okra flower in our yard in Secunderabad India.
Winners:

1. Raghu Suryavanshi
2. Parvathy Gopu
3. Souravi Roy Sharma

___________________________________________________ 
Contest #2
Guess the Flower

Correct Answer: Tulsi तुलसी. Used for puja in India.
Winners:

1. Padmashree Radhaswamy
2. Vinay Prasad
3. K Jyotsna

________________________________________________

Contest #3
Name the Plant

Correct Answer: Ajwain Patta अजवाइन पत्ता not Ajwain plant.
Winner: None.

Our knowledge resource Chitra Shanker clarified that the plant is Ajwain patta, not Ajwain. Many readers including Padmashree, Jyotsna, Divya Parmar, Subbu Subramaniam, Vanashree identified it as Ajwain. It is Ajwain patta. The plant as featured does not produce ajwain seeds which we use for cooking. Picture of Ajwain plant follows courtesy Chitra Shanker.

Hope you are enjoying the Contest. Do give us ideas to make it more interesting.

Congratulations to all the winners so far.

Thanks for browsing,

    -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/18th Jan 2019

#nature #wildlife #travel #contest #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #awareness