Ghumakkad Enters The Double Digit

Your blog, Ghumakkad's blog, turns ten today. Ghumakkad thus enters the double digit with lot of excitement and hope!

How did it start ?

Our set of eight stories on Bhutan, which is so picturesque, was the starting point. From a mere travel blog, Ghumakkad has transformed many folds. And we haven't looked back since then. First three years had only a handful of page views since it was a blog by invitation. Once we made it open, the growth has been overwhelming. See the graph below showing 258,000 page views.

Our Content

Over the years with the support of our readers, we have been able to broaden our content. Telling stories with pictures has been the format. However, the stories are no longer limited to travelogues. Here are few snapshots of our broad spectrum.

• Beating the Covid Gloom: We did more than a dozen stories to bring cheer into our Covid-affected life. We also shared real-life stories of two Covid-survivors of the 1st wave, one each in India and USA. Each story highlighted the power of positivity in those gloomy days. Some of the quick links are given below. 

I got a new life - A Corona Survivor's Tale

Take the Virus Head On - Survivor recipe from another Corona Warrior

Breaking Free In Lockdown

Bouncing Back In Lockdown

Every Day Is A Sunday

Stay Home Stay Safe

Lockdown Is ... Happiness

• Kaun Banega Ghumakkad (KBG): During the Covid-dominated period, KBG online contests have been very engaging and educative. It provided the much needed diversion from gloomy news and charts of Covid. After the first 50 editions of KBG, which posed a question to the readers (to name a plant, tree, insect, fort or a flower), next 23 editions instead asked the readers to give a caption to a picture. The readers creativity in suggesting the captions was overwhelming. Some of the contests which were well contested are An Arch to Captivate You, Lazy Lions, Mutualism by Nature. We will soon be celebrating the 75th edition of KBG. 

• Guest Stories: Ghumakkad always encourages the readers to contribute guest stories for our blog. Rohini Tiwari's story 'A Squirrel Comes Home' has been read by more than 600 readers!

• Bird Rescue: Read how few bird lovers in Secunderabad rescued a Black-Winged Stilt injured by the kite thread manjha.

The manjha spares no one. Few years back, we had rescued a fruit bat injured by the manjha. You may browse the story 'Rescuing an Injured Bat'.

• Nature: Nature continues to inspire Ghumakkad. Can a tree or a plant be your valentine? Or birds and animals? Or insects, bees, butterflies and moths? Yes, why not? Stories like Nature as Valentine and deriving Inspiration from a Butterfly were appreciated by scores of readers. 

• Saluting the Veterans: Our story '50th Year of 1971 War' which featured Naval children besides the Veterans, showcased the motivation of the younger generation.

• Lesser Known India: Though our physical travel was severely curtailed during last two years due to Covid, we did manage to feature two destinations, one each in Telangana and Rajasthan. Read the story 'Devarakonda- The Fort Which Needs Your Support' which highlights the efforts of local community in restoring a 800-year old fort. 

We had featured the Havelis of Khichan Rajasthan in the announcement of Winners of KBG-28. Khichan has some incredibly sculpted Havelis made of red sandstone. Glimpses. 

Learning Together:  In keeping with Ghumakkad's motto of learning together, we believe in sharing our knowledge and experiences. We had conducted a 'live' case study based on Hindi feature film 'Shershaah' last year. Our story 'Shershaah- Beyond The Movie' evoked keen response form not only MBA students but also the faculty members.

Through the movie, we could bring out lessons on 20 different aspects of OB, HRM and Strategic Management.

Most Read Stories

Taking stock on 10th anniversary of the blog, our most-read story continues to be the tribute to a fellow BITSian who gave his life fighting the terrorists in J&K 25 years ago. We salute Capt Ravi Shankar for the supreme sacrifice. Do browse the story 'An Immortal BITSian', if you haven't read it so far. 

The table below lists other most-read stories from our blog during the last ten years. Apart from the stories related to my alma-mater BITS Pilani, it is heartening to that readers have liked the story on Brahma Kamal the Night Queen highlighting one of the Nature's many miracles.

Our blog's readership is not confined to India. As shown in the map below, more than 45% of our readers come from countries across the globe. We thank each and every reader.

For a snapshot of our first eight years as a blog, do browse our story 'Ghumakkad is Eight'.

Moving On

With the Covid restrictions being lifted, Ghumakkad hopes to resume our travels and bring you more stories. Do share your pictures and stories through our blog.

Acknowledgements

There are numerous people who have helped us grow. Some of them had been acknowledged in our 6th Anniversary post. In addition, 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

Anchita Nidhindra, Manik Srivastava, Joyshree Banerjee and Akanksha for being the KBG Jury members

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.

We are reminded of an ad for chocolates which said 'Never too old for a chocolate'. Ghumakkad started blogging at sixty. So folks 'never too old to start blogging!'

    -   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 13th May 2022

#GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB #10thAnniversary #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

Ghumakkad is Eight!

Hurray!
Your blog turns EIGHT today.
Time to express our gratitude to each one of you.
A big thank you from www.ghumakkadhb.blogspot.com team.

The Journey
It has been an exciting journey all the way. From a mere travel blog, Ghumakkad has transformed many folds. Our set of eight stories on Bhutan was the starting point. And we haven't looked back since then. First three years had only a handful of page views since it was a blog by invitation. Once we made it open, the growth has been overwhelming. See the graph below showing 194,700 page views.

 Our Spectrum
Here are quick links to give you a taste of the wide canvas of your own blog:

• Kaun Banega Ghumakkad  KBG online contests, the logo for which has been designed by well renowned illustrator Ramya Sriram. You may click on some of the well contested KBGs like San Jose Gurudwara, USA, Daly College Indore, Fox Millet and Al Noor Mosque Sharjah UAE. 35 editions of KBG have been keenly contested so far.

• Wellness: Our posts on Beating the Covid-19 Boredom, Bouncing Back in Life, Yoga for grandpas, Learning from flowers have appealed to the readers. The idea has been to bring a smile on the face of our readers. Lockdown has been gloomy. How to liven up our life during such trying conditions? Read on.

•  Reader's Contribution: It has been a pleasure to showcase the stories written by our readers. Browse the stories here Coyote Gulch- Hiking in A Stream written by a ten year old hiker and Women Hiking in Water by four adventurous women who nearly got swept away! The latter hike is hailed as one of the top-5 adventure hiles by NatGeo in USA.

• PQs: Pictures leave a lasting impression on our minds. Picturesque Quotes created using Ghumakkad's picture have inspired many readers. Sample a picture of a suspension bridge with the quote superimposed. More than 100 PQs have been created and shared through our blog. 

• Video Clips: Most of our stories also have a short video clip or two. The readers have particularly liked the clip from our story on Ross Island in Port Blair.

• Tips for Teachers: Ghumakkad being a teacher has always believed in sharing of knowledge. Some of the stories which were liked by the teachers and students alike are Learning from Students, When Students Select B-Plan Finalists and Uri The Movie with Many Lessons in Management.

• Nature: Nature continues to inspire Ghumakkad. Stories like Nature's Clock have intrigued scores of readers.

• Treasures of India: India has plenty to explore for a traveller like Ghumakkad. Forts, Palaces, Temples, Churches, Mosques, Villages and Ruins- it is so exciting. Treasures like Laknavaram Lake not so well known, but a great getaway. Hill stations have their own charm. Whether the Himalayas in the north or the Nilgiris in the south, hills always fascinate us. Browse the story Why Kodaikanal written by two teenagers pictured above. 

• Wild Life: The thrill of sighting a Leopard in a city like Jaipur! Who won't feel excited?

All Time Greats

Many readers ask 'Which is your favourite story?' To which I respond 'Whichever has been read by most readers!' A quick glance at the blog stats gave us the following data:

Readership
Your blog has global readership as seen in the graph below.

Road Ahead

With prevailing lockdown and travel restrictions worldwide, Ghumakkad may not be able to travel far. But there is so much to observe and learn from our immediate surroundings. We will strive to bring smiles to your faces despite the lockdown. In addition, we will also take you to places which we have been but are yet to post the stories! Those of you who wish to contribute a guest story are most welcome.

Acknowledgements

There are numerous people who have helped us grow. Some of them had been acknowledged in our 6th Anniversary post. In addition, we place on record our appreciation for Trixie Asirvatham, Chitra Shanker and Ramya Sriram for their unstinted support.

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.

We are reminded of an ad for chocolates which said 'Never too old for a chocolate'. Ghumakkad started blogging at sixty. So folks 'never too old to start blogging!'

    -   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 25th May 2020

#GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB #EighthAnniversary #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

“I wouldn’t trade entrepreneurship for anything else”

“I wouldn’t trade entrepreneurship for anything else” replied Anjali Raj when asked about her entrepreneurial journey. Co-founder of 'ILove9Months', Anjali is driven by the passion to make  pregnancy healthy and memorable. 

Anjali belongs to the 1st batch of BBA from IBS Hyderabad where she was my student. Even as a teenager in 2010, she had her focus to do something different. She participated in many events which involved team work.

She went on to do her Masters from University of Warwick, UK. She followed her passion to become an educator. She is a Certified Childbirth Educator,  Lactation Educator, Pre and Postnatal Yoga Instructor, Prenatal Barre Instructor, Infant and Child Feeding Counselor and has been trained in KG HypnoBirthing.

After working as a birth and lactation educator in Bengaluru, Anjali is now driven to empower the women of India through knowledge, advocacy, and evidence-based techniques. Her ultimate goal is to impact as many women as possible through her skill and passion.

Anjali's story is part of the series titled 'Proof of the Pudding'. "Proof of the pudding is in the eating" goes the old proverb. For a teacher like Ghumakkad, what is the pudding? 'Pudding' for any teacher is his/her graduating students. Then how  this 'pudding' in the form of former students is to be 'eaten'? 'Eating' can be symbolically equated with the placements or performance of former students in real life. This story is about Ghumakkad's former students who have become entrepreneurs. Most of the 2500 or so MBA, PGDM and BBA graduates taught by me have taken up a job. By embarking on the challenging path of entrepreneurship, few of these former students have proven the proverbial pudding beyond doubt! Who are these ten entrepreneurs? Are their business ventures diverse?

Their enterprises may not be huge, but they have followed their heart. They have pursued their passion. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with these former students and to learn their success stories. Thanks are due to each one of them for sharing their journey after graduation.

Name	MBA Graduation	Business Area	Venture Name & Location
Prabudha Saurabh	MBA(HR) IBS(2010)	Career Coaching	HRscope Consultants, Patna
Prashant Jadenavar	MBA(HR) IBS (2010)	Entertainment/ Theatre and Performing Arts	XpressionZ, Bangalore
Kirti Sharma	MBA(Mktg) IBS (2012)	Image Consultant, Corporate Trainer	Tualmagis, Mumbai
Aayushi Kasliwal	MBA(Fin) IBS (2012)	Designer Soaps- manufacture and supply	Soapatite, Indore
Preksha Jain	MBA(Mktg) IBS(2013)	Designer Apparels and Accessories	Preksha Jain – The Fashionate, Kolkata
Anjali Raj	BBA IBS(2013)	Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby	ILove9Months, Kochi
Ishita Raksha and Nidhi Upadhyay	BBA IBS(2013)	A Gourmet Dessert Studio	17 Sugar Street, Hyderabad
Sriram Gundepudi	MBA(HR) VVISM(2016)	Employability Skills Training	Digi Freaks, Hyderabad
Amruth Charan	PGDM(Fin) VVISM (2016)	Digital Marketing, Web/App Development	Aresol India, Visakhapatnam

Anjali shared her entrepreneurial journey with us. Excerpts:

Has your entrepreneurial journey been as exciting as you had expected it to ​be?

My entrepreneurial journey has been a roller coaster ride! It’s definitely been exciting and fun, but this comes with its share of pressure, low times and intensively challenging situations. That said, I wouldn’t trade this for anything else!

What are the key challenges that you are facing in your enterprise and how do you plan to overcome it​? ​

Our biggest challenge is Lack of Awareness and Advocacy at every level of the societal pyramid regarding the importance of maternal wellness and its direct impact on maternal/infant health outcome. Secondly, India being a diverse nation has a lot of age-old tradition and norms including myths. Our challenge is to honour and blend age-old traditions with science, but keep myths at bay. We are managing these challenges by increasing awareness levels at every level and within the multiple stakeholders like the government, hospitals, corporates etc.

Our final challenge remains funding to grow and scale the organization. By proving our concept and increasing traction through our MVP, we aim at raising funds.

What is your message for present students who want to take the entrepreneurial dive​?​

I would always encourage students to take the dive into entrepreneurship. However, know the pros and cons, prepare yourself for extreme hard work, lots of rejection and challenging situations. If someone wants to get into entrepreneurship because they think its easier to be your own boss and work stress is lower, one couldn’t be anymore wrong!

'I love 9 months' is a team of three women dedicated to antenatal and postpartum wellness. In their words "We work towards empowering women to make the right choices during their pregnancy and after. We believe that every woman deserves the right to know how best to take care of her body and mind during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum." 

Anjali and team have won several awards. They were selected to share the stage with the Prime Ministers of India and Israel during recently concluded India-Israel Innovation Bridge. See the pictures below.

Govt of Kerala also honoured them for their outstanding work.

For those readers interested in knowing more about maternal  healthcare and the work done by ILove9Months, here is a short video.

Anjali is not the one to rest on her oars. She is working for her PhD at University of Warwick to assess the benefits of yoga for women who have conceived post a miscarriage. We wish Anjali all the best in her socially relevant endeavours.

Readers may also browse two related stories posted earlier:

Can Startup Management be taught?
Social Entrepreneurship- Learnings

Thanks for browsing. 
More stories of passionate entrepreneurs will follow. Stay connected.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/2nd March 2018

#StartupIndia #IndiaIsraelInnovationBridge #WomenEntrepreneurs #ProofOfThePudding #IBSHyderabad #ILove9Months #GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB #AnjaliRaj #MaternalHealth