Joyce Banda: Malawi's first female president

She took power over the weekend following the death of 78-year-old President Bingu wa Mutharika, who died in office after heading up the southern Africa country since 2004.
Mr Mutharika's decision to appoint her as his running mate for the 2009 elections surprised many in Malawi's mainly conservative, male-dominated society - which had never before had a female vice-president.
She will never be president, how can a mandasi [fritter] seller be president?
Callista Mutharika, Malawi's former first lady
Equally surprising was her decision to publicly stand up to her boss - by refusing to endorse his plans for his brother, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mutharika, to succeed him as president in 2014 when he was due to retire.
She was promptly thrown out of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party - and subjected to daily doses of derision at public rallies and on Malawi's state airwaves.

A senior ruling party official openly said Malawi was "not ready for a female president", while First Lady Callista Mutharika said Mrs Banda was fooling herself that she was a serious politician - saying she was a mere market woman selling fritters.
"She will never be president, how can a mandasi [fritter] seller be president?" Mrs Mutharika said.
Joyce Banda campaigning with Bingu wa Mutharika


Joyce Banda fell out with the late President Bingu wa Mutharika
Mrs Banda took all this in her stride, saying she was glad to be identified with market women since more than 80% of Malawian women belong to that category: "Yes, she's right, I'm indeed a mandasi seller and I'm proud of it because the majority of women in Malawi are like us, mandasi sellers."
She also resisted calls for her to resign as the country's vice-president - she was elected not appointed so she could not be fired by Mr Mutharika - and instead set up her own People's Party.

Charity work
Most African women are taught to endure abusive marriages... because they are not empowered economically, they depend on their husband
Joyce Banda

Born in 1950 in the village of Malemia near the southern town of Zomba, Joyce Hilda Ntila was the eldest in a family of five children.
Her father was the leader of Malawi's police brass band and her youngest sister, Anjimile, ran pop star Madonna's charity Raising Malawi until it closed in December.

She left her first husband in 1981, taking her three children with her, because he was abusive.
"Most African women are taught to endure abusive marriages. They say endurance means a good wife but most women endure abusive relationship because they are not empowered economically, they depend on their husbands," she told the BBC about her decision.
Eight years later, Mrs Banda founded the National Association of Business Women, a group that lends start-up cash to small-scale traders - making her popular among Malawi's many rural poor.

That work also earned her international recognition - in 1997, she was awarded, along with former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano, the US-based Hunger Project's Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger.
She also set up the Joyce Banda Foundation, a charity that assists Malawian children and orphans through education - she has a degree in early childhood education.


Joyce Banda cut her teeth in politics in 1999 when she won a parliamentary seat on the ticket of the former ruling United Democratic Front.
She held a number of cabinet positions under former President Bakili Muluzi and Mr Mutharika during his first term.
Who is Joyce Banda?

1950: Born
1981: Left her abusive husband
2009: Elected vice-president
2011: Fell out with President Bingu wa Mutharika but he failed to have her removed from her post
2012: Sworn in as president after Mr Mutharika's death
Southern Africa's first female head of state
Has large charity to help educate and empower women
Her father was a well-known musician; her sister was hired to work in pop star Madonna's school
She puts her achievements down to her happy marriage to retired Chief Justice Richard Banda with whom she has two children.
"My dear husband, Richard, has been the driving force behind my success and rise to whatever level I am now. My story and legacy is incomplete without his mention," she said.

Mrs Banda's presidential challenges are huge: Aside from handling political divisions and possible opposition from Mr Mutharika's allies, she has to address Malawi's serious economic difficulties.

It is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 (60p) a day.
And former President Mutharika fell out with most of Western donors - on which the country depends for financial support.
The cutting off of direct aid resulted in the country's worst shortages of foreign currency, fuel and essential drugs.
But she has immediately made her mark - sacking Malawi's police chief Peter Mukhito, accused of mishandling anti-government riots last year in which at least 19 people were shot dead, and Patricia Kaliati as information minister.
In the wake of Mr Mutharika's death, Ms Kaliati had held a press conference saying Mrs Banda had no right to take over as president - despite what the constitution said.

The head of Malawi's state broadcaster has also been replaced.

Are Entrepreneurs Born or Created?

Dad always said, “Only suckers work for someone else.” A tidy philosophy, but narrow. The Old Man and I didn’t share a vision—yet here I am, self-employed like him, for fifteen years and counting. Did I inherit some Sinatra-ish gotta-do-it-my-way gene? No? Well, maybe it was just something in my psyche.

There are business people, and there are entrepreneurs. Two different species. Nothing new in that observation. People have been trying to figure entrepreneurs out for a long time. And for good reason: They’re responsible for a lot of the wealth and innovation we’ve enjoyed throughout the modern age.

Jibran Malek’s blog, on Masschellange.org, traces the term’s storied past. Over 250 years, we’ve come to know entrepreneurs as risk-takers, “resource hackers,” even “wild spirits.” From areas of low productivity and yield, they make great things.

Outliers
They have a way of leaving business as usual behind. That makes them outliers. Most people have an investment, financial and otherwise, in the status quo, and like stability. Given this, there’s strong resistance against the entrepreneurial impulse—so strong that few can stand up against it. Yet entrepreneurs do. Where do they get their strength?

Professor Saras D. Sarasvathy believes that entrepreneurial thinking differs from conventional business strategy. Normally, we identify our goals and our available means to achieve them. We try to find the fastest, most cost effective approach. We evaluate the results we expect for viability. Business people are, he says, like military generals.

Innovators, on the other hand, are explorers in uncharted waters. They start with what they’ve got and run with it. The goals emerge organically. They’ll try something, pivot, and pivot again. They’re very action-oriented. Business as usual simply wouldn’t have tried some of these gambits, the source of some of our most iconic success stories.

The DNA of it

According to many, it’s not a talent or a mindset we can learn in school. It’s simply in the blood.

With three colleagues, Scott Shane co-directed a study that found that helpful qualities pass between the generations—in the DNA. In a blog post for the New York Times, he writes that “the tendency to be an entrepreneur and personality traits of extraversion, openness to experience, and sensation-seeking have a common genetic component.” Your blueprint, he says, will make you more or less able to see opportunities, start a business, and make money.

James V. Koch is president emeritus at Old Dominion University. He told Entrepreneur.com that entrepreneurs have to take risks. Tolerance for that sort of life, its ambiguity and uncertainty, are heritable. “The notion that I can add six inches to someone’s height and that will make them an NBA player is bankrupt. So why do we think we can send someone to a business school and change their risk-taking preference?”

According to Forbes.com, fluid intelligence and a balanced personality are key. So are pattern recognition, logic and abstract thinking. Also, a capacity to work well with others, to be friendly but firm—you know, to get things done.

How are your kids shaping up? Is the little guy or girl smart, confident and “in charge”? Is the family educated and stable, but he or she has scant regard for the rules of the house? You could have a mogul in the making.

(I note here with some interest that IQ and conscientiousness are irrelevant. With this in mind, I am tempted to contemplate my career; but I resist the urge.)

Dr. Koch reminds us that inherited traits are a double-edged sword. Looking at the entrepreneur, he describes an almost artistic temperament—often mercurial, intuitive and over-optimistic. Their highs are high, their lows are low. “A very large proportion of entrepreneurs fail. They tend not to be as devoted to consensus decision-making. They violate the status quo more often. Many don’t accept defeat or losses gracefully. They are energetic, and a higher percentage tend to be loners and work long hours.”

Brave New World
Well, if you’ve read Brave New World, I can guess what you’re thinking. Might as well go to the lab, book a session with the analyst, get this settled. I had a dot com idea, but maybe I should just play bass. Wait, there’s more to this.

Julian Lange, senior professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College, rejects any idea of cookie-cutter personalities suited best for business adventure. Natural talents aside, technical and leadership skills must be learned and optimized. The venue itself of school, being around other like minds, contributes to networking and getting vital feedback.

There may be characteristics that correspond to entrepreneurs, but it reminds me of what Thomas Edison said about genius—that it was “one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”

People in sports or music might have great talent or physical strength, but the people who are the most outstanding might not be the people with the most physical strength. Often they are people who work hard, try to overcome deficiencies and put things together in a package that works for them.

As usual, life isn’t easily categorized. Statistics show a weave of factors, including family, society and luck. Most who succeed come from the middle class, and have parents with degrees. (And half of them had someone in the family already self-employed.) They had over a decade’s experience in their field; didn’t like working for others—and, one has to add, often had a hard time finding work.

You could look at my grandfather and his reiterations in my father and me and note that there are hardly three generations less alike. My grandfather came from Europe, with nothing—the kind of nothing that makes you hungry. He built himself into a business owner, a land owner, a crop farmer, an employer. Did my father inherit that, or learn by example? How did I, a student of world religions, wind up starting a web development company?for more info, check out avant career

The Amazing Pushkar Fair In Rajasthan

Indias’ largest cattle fair, Pushkar mela, is a camel and livestock fair celebrated every year at Pushkar in Rajasthan. The five-day fair commenced on October 31 and ended on November 6, 2014. It is a captivating and unexpected glimpse of an old traditional-style Indian festival.

Pushkar Fair is one of the worlds’ largest camel fairs which not only witnesses the trade of of livestock but has also become one of the most important tourist attractions in Rajasthan. An impressive and decorated 50 thousand camels are displayed in Pushkar, raced and traded during this fair every year. The reason for the attraction of tourists in the fair are competitions like “matka phod”, “bridal competition” and “longest mustache”.

The main aim of this fair is to accelerate the trade of livestock, which includes camels, sheep, cows and goats amongst the local people. This fair was initiated by local cattle traders to do business, but is now Indias’ largest cattle fair which attracts large number of tourists.

The main attractions of the fair

Camel Race
A traditional camel race is the first event in the Pushkar. In this event more than 50,000 camels are raced to the finish line before the music stops. Though the main purpose of the fair is to trade camels, this event attracts foreign as well as Indian tourists.

Gorband

One of the most important events during the fair is Gorband. Here the camels are decorated in Rajasthani attire and with colorful bridles. The hair of the camels is shaved into various designs, cut and tied so that the camel looks beautiful. Every year dozens of camels take part in this event.

Horse and Camel Dance

The Pushkar Fair is incomplete without the Horse and Camel Dance event. In this event, most of the traders take part with their horses and camels. All the participants in this event dress in colorful costumes and perform a dance with their animals to music.

Kabaddi Match

A contact sport, kabaddi a south Indian sport, is also one of the main attractions of the fair. The match takes place between locals verses foreign tourists and the wining team gets the trophy.

Turban Competition

In Rajasthan the turban is popularly known as a ‘pagri’, a symbol of pride, honour, equality and respect. Usually, this event is organized for foreign tourists. In this competition, foreigners have to tie a turban in a minimum period of time. This particular event symbolizes the rich culture of Rajasthan.

Major forts in DELHI

RED FORT

 Built in Red Sand stone this imposing fort is 3 kms in perimeter with the height of the wall varying from 18 to 30 meters at places. When the Red fort was being built Yamuna used to flow on its one sides and there were deep moats on the other. Today Yamuna flows almost a kilometer away from the fort and the moats have dried up. In the evening the Delhi Tourism organises a light and sound show which narrates the history of Delhi in context of the Red Fort.

The Lahore gate, the main entrance, has some emotions and sentiments attached with the Indian independence as the Tricolour flutters on the top of this gate. On 15th August the Indian Prime minister addresses the nation from here. As soon one enters in the fort from the Lahore gate There is a small Bazaar, here all kinds of items are available. This Shopping arcade was known as the Mina Bazaar and was open only to women on Thursdays's during the Mughal era.

The arcade leads to the Naubat Khana or the drum house where the Musicians used to play drums on the arrival of Emperors or princes. Just above the Naubat Khana is the Indian war memorial museum which has a rich collection of armours, guns, swords, and other items related to war.

The Dewan-i-Am or the place of public hearing had a wall paneled with marble in laid with precious stone which were removed during the mutiny of 1857. The Dewan-i-Khas or the place for special hearing was the area where the emperor used to hold meetings with his ministers. Next to Dewan-i-Khas are the royal baths or the Hammams and Shahi Burj which are closed for public viewing. The white marbled Moti Masjid or the pearl mosque was the private mosque for Aurangzeb.

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LOTUS TEMPLE IN DELHI

Lotus Temple : Symbol of Peace and Prosperity

Address Bahapur, Kalkaji, New Delhi, India


ReasonsReasons to be here -
Peace, Piousness and self - placation!

 Entry Fee -
Free

Visitors Timings -
All days of the week except Monday: 9:00 AM-7:00 PM


Travel DirectionWay to reach -
The best way to reach the Lotus Temple is take the metro. The nearest metro station to the temple is the Kalkaji Mandir metro station.

Traveller's PickTraveller's Pick - About Lotus Temple

Lotus Temple or Baha'i Temple, called in more traditional way, is a house of worship completed in the year 1986 under the supervision of Persian architect Fariborz Sahba.

Lotus being a symbol of peace and prosperity all around the world, the shape of the temple personifies the purpose for which the foundation of this marvelous man-made architectural was laid. Lotus temple is made of pristine marble blocks, cement, dolomite and sand and the entire ascetic value is coddled by the group of nine pools filled with crystal clear water. In accord with the mores of Baha'i religion, the temple is open to everyone from anywhere in the world who is looking for inner peace and wants to break the shackles of trepidation.

The sanctum of "27 blooming petals" stands at 40 meters tall with a capacity of accommodating more than 2000 people. Embodying equality, humanity and religious unification, Lotus Temple, which is among seven Baha'i Houses of Worship around the world has won laurels all around the world both for structural design value and inherit rationale behind the construction.

Been an ideal place to meditate, pray and relax, this temple has much more in-depth allusion than one can see with his or her bare eyes. Lotus Temple highlights the fact that every human holds a key for better future of the entire mankind and with a combined effort, we, the human race, will be able to foster a new world where parity will not depend upon cast, creed or religion.

The Lotus temple has the capacity to accommodate nearly 2500 people and has nine doors that open in a central hall. The whole structure is made of white marble that adds to the glory of the temple. It is about 40 meters tall surrounded by nine ponds and appears as if the temple is floating like a Lotus flower in water.


"Your first step in the premises of Lotus temple with usher you into the world where, the aura of kindness and benevolence will engulf your mind, body and soul and your life will get a new perspective."


NearbyNearby Attractions -

Kalkaji Devi Temple - Considered among one of the few places where dreams transcends into reality with the help of god’s benediction.

Kalkaji District Park - Best way to get closer to Mother-Nature and to revitalize your senses amid lush green surroundings.


TipTRAVELER'S ESSENTIALS -

Considering the nature of the place, people are expected to maintain silence inside the prayer hall. Also dress conservatively and remove footwear before entering the prayer hall to comply with the religious norms.

Chattarpur Temple in New Delhi

Chattarpur Temple

Echoing the cultural and spiritual diversity which is an integral part of Indian roots, Shree Adya Katyayani Shaktipeeth Mandir, popularly known as Chattarpur Temple is an ode to one of the most formidable avatar of Goddess Durga, Bhagwati Maa Katyayani. Situated just 4 kilometers away from Qutab Minar in South Delhi, Chattarpur Temple is brook of religious profoundness and a dyke for theism.


Created in 1974, Chattarpur Temple came into existence as result of the vision of Baba Sant Nagpal Ji. With status of largest temple complex right next to the Akshardham Temple, Chattarpur Temple located in Delhi is carved entirely out of marble pieces. Cholas and Chalukyas style of architectural insight are prime influences on the overall construction style of this sanctum providing yet another testimony of the nation's unity in diversity.





Within the walls of the Chattarpur Temple complex, one can visit 20 different types of temple devoted to Indian gods and goddesses in various forms viz. Goddess Laxmi, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha. As a part of conscience and spiritual ablutions, "havans" are performed every Sunday in "Yagyashala" which is a site not to be missed. Besides this, the main shrine, 'vimanas' and 'gopurams', are inscribed with poetry which is yet another captivating art found in the premises on the temple's complex.

"Chattarpur Temple in South Delhi is an intrinsic envelope of spiritual aura where people will be able to come in terms with the true essence of human life"

Nearby Attractions -

Kalpa Vriksha Tree - Right outside the premises of the temple, this tree is believed to be wish- granting benediction from the gods themselves.
Baba Sant Nagpal Museum - A museum commemorating the life of the visionary of Chattarpur Temple, Baba Sant Nagpal, stores the work that he did all through his life for the people living in the state of destitution.


TRAVELER'S ESSENTIALS -

Dress conservatively to venerate the religious norms and maintain decorum when inside the temple's premises.

Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi

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