A STORY FROM PANCHATANTRA

 Might is not always right

     A large herd of elephants lived by a pond deep in the forest. In the summer, the pond dried up and the elephants went in search of water.    

     After walking a long way, they found a big lake. The elephants rushed in excitement,trampling upon the many hares that lived in burrows around the lake. Unmindful of the distress and death that they had caused, the elephants had a good time splashing in the water. 

     When they left the lake to return home, the survivors got together and discussed their predicament. 

     “The elephants will come here every day. We have to do something to keep them away,” one of them said. He then came up with a plan. 

     The following day, the hare climbed up a hillock and waited. As expected, the elephants passed the hillock on the way to the lake.

     “Stop,” cried the hare. “You cannot go to the lake. It belongs to the Moon God. He looks after us. He is very angry that you have killed our folk. You have to apologise to him and go away.”

     The king elephant asked, “Where is your Moon God?” 

     The hare then took the elephant to the lake and showed the reflection of the moon on the water. 

     “See, he has come to console us.”

     The king elephant was awestruck. He bowed and apologised to the moon. He then left quietly with his herd.

DO YOU KNOW

 How henna stains skin?

     Henna is a type of dye that's derived from leaves of the henna tree. When left on the skin, henna paste temporarily stains the skin a reddish-organge colour. It's used around the world to decorate the skin with intricate pattern and body art, known as mehendi, for celebrations such as weddings, birthdays and on festive occasions.

     To produce a dye, the dried leaves of the henna tree are first pulverised into a powder and mixed with a combination of oils or an acidic solution such as lemon juice. The resulting paste known as red henna can then be applied to the skin or hair to alter its colour. The change in colour is due to dye molecules in the henna tree's leaves called lawsone. When lawsone comes into contact with skin cells, it latches onto a protein called keratin, which holds onto the dye until the skin cells are naturally exfoliated away. Once the henna paste is applied, it typically needs to sit on the skin for several hours for the lawsone to penetrate deep enough through the skin's cellular layers to stain for a few weeks.

     Another additive called p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), an ingredient in hair dye, has been added in recent years to create 'black henna' in some parts of the world. However, the use of PPD has been made illegal in many places, including the UK and EU, because it poses a risk of causing severe skin reactions.

How far into the skin can henna penetrate?

[1] Henna paste: Henna is applied directly to the skin so the lawsone molecules can penetrate skin cells and bind to keratin molecules.

[2] Stratum corneum: This is the outermost layer of the skin's epidermis, where keratin-carrying cells called keratinocytes rapidly reduce.

[3] Deep saturation: When applied to the thickest layer of skin, found on the back or on the hands, lawsone can penetrate 30 cell layers deep.

[4] Granular layer: Henna doesn't penetrate into the granular layer, which acts as the skin's impermeable barrier against water.

[5] Basal layer: The innermost layers of skin, where new protective keratinocytes are produced.

Ancient origins: The exact origins of henna are difficult to determine. There's evidence of the dye being used in early Babylonian civilisations from around 1894 to 539 BCE and during the time of ancient Egypt, between 3100 and 395 BCE. Henna was used to decorate the bodies of the deceased, and in some cases on the strips of linen wrappings used for mummification. Much like the keratin found in hair and nails, lawsone is resistant to decay and remains on the body after death. When archeologists examined the remains of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, they discovered that his hair, while white at the point of his death, had been stained bright orange with henna.

FASCINATING FACTS

 Primitive reflexes in babies 

     This is one of the primitive reflexes that all newborn infants have, but are lost as they grow past six months old. Many of these reflexes are to protect the baby and carry a survival advantage, but some have no benefit. 

     In the swimming reflex, placing a baby face down in water will cause them to kick and paddle. The aim is to buy enough time until someone can come and help. It carries risks, however, since the baby may swallow large quantities of water or aspirate it into their lungs.

     Another example is the palmar grasp, where placing an object --- such as finger or toy --- into baby's palm will cause a strong grip.

BEAUTIFUL AND FRAGRANT

 Coral Jasmine

     The coral jasmine or night-flowering jasmine (Nyctanthes arbour-tristis) is a highly versatile plant that is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions all over the world as an ornamental and medicinal one.

     Though native to the sub-tropical Himalayan regions of India and Nepal, coral jasmine is found throughout India and South-East Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The tree holds special significance in Hindu mythology as it is believed to have made its appearance along with nectar when the ocean was churned by the devas and asuras. It's Sanskrit name, parijata, means 'descended from the sea'. It is regarded in Hindu mythology as a wish-fulfilling tree.

     A popular story from the puranas(ancient texts) goes that Krishna had brought the Parijat tree from Devaloka (heaven), gifted to his wife Satyabhama, who had insisted on having this tree in her garden. It was cleverly planted by Krishna at the end of Satyabhama's garden so that all the flowers fell in Rukmini's garden so both his queens were satisfied.

     The tree has fragrant flowers, which are offered in worship and strung into garlands. The coral jasmine is also prized for its many medicinal uses. 

     The tree is a small deciduous one growing to a height of 30 feet, with rough, flaky greyish bark. The leaves are opposite, about 4 inches long and 3 inches broad, dark green on their upper surface and light green and hairy beneath. The flowers which grow in clusters of two to seven, have a white corolla with five to eight lobes and a bright orange-red centre. They blossom in the evening, filling the air with a strong fragrance and fall off at daybreak. The fruit is a round or heart-shaped brown capsule, 2cm in diameter with two lobes, each containing a single seed.

     All the parts of the coral jasmine tree have been used by traditional and folk systems of medicine since time immemorial, to treat a wide range of ailments. Ayurvedic physician Sushruta prescribed a mixture of parijata bark, boiled with rice gruel and rock salt, for application in the eyes to treat various eye disorders. The bark, boiled with dry ginger and long pepper, is consumed for two days to cure malaria. About five grams of the bark are eaten with betel nut and betel leaf to get relief from too much of phlegm.

     The juice of the leaves, mixed with a little sugar is given to children to expel intestinal worms. The fresh leaf juice, mixed with honey is given for the treatment of chronic fever. A paste of the leaves with a little black pepper is swallowed with water to treat cough and cold. A decoction of the leaves is prescribed as a remedy for sciatica.

     A paste of the crushed leaves is used for external application to treat piles. A medicated oil is prepared by boiling the fresh leaves in mustard oil, is applied for skin problems. A decoction of the flowers is taken, up to a week, for gout. A paste made of the crushed seeds is applied to the scalp to halt hair fall and to obtain relief from lice. 

     The corolla tubes of the flowers yield a bright yellow-orange dye. This was used in the past to dye the robes of Buddhist monks. Coral jasmine essential oil is fragrant. It is an ingredient in the making of perfumes.

A TRIBUTE TO TEEN FREEDOM FIGHTER FROM ASSAM

Kanaklata Barua

Kanaklata Barua was born on 22 December 1924 to Krishna Kanta and Karneshwari Barua at Borangabari, Gohpur, Darrang district (now in Sonitpur District), Assam. She was also called Birbala, Kanka. She was nicknamed Kali because of her dark complexion. Her ancestors were ministers in the court of the Ahom kings.

Kanaklata Barua lost her mother when she was only five. Her father, a farmer and social worker, remarried but he died when she was thirteen. She studied at the local school till Class III but then dropped out to take care of her younger siblings Rajani Kanta Barua and Dibyalata Barua and to do household chores.

Freedom fighter Jyoti Prasad Agarwala established a group called the Mrityu Vahini (Death Squad) in Tezpur. Kanaklata Barua joined the Mrityu Bahini wing of the Gohpur sub division.

On 20 September 1942, the Mrityu Bahini decided to hoist the national flag at the Gohpur police station. A procession of unarmed villagers led by Kanaklata Barua started their march towards the police station. Kanaklata held the flag high, shouting slogans of freedom. The British police warned the procession of dire consequences if they proceeded further. Undeterred, the procession continued marching ahead.

It was then that the teenage Kanaklata said aloud these inspiring words, “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒏. 𝑶 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔! 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍. 𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅. 𝑵𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒖𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕.”

Kanaklata was about to hoist the flag when the British shot at her. She died on the spot and attained Veergati. She was then only 17 years old.

DO YOU KNOW

Why soap bubbles are spherical?

     The skin of a bubble is composed of a thin layer of water molecules sandwiched between two layers of soap molecules.

     Water on its own has a high surface tension due to intermolecular forces causing molecules to pull on one another, trying to minimise the surface area and be as flat as possible. 

     Soap reduces this surface tension, but the effect of surface tension is still present in a bubble, causing the bubble 'film' to be stretched. A sphere is formed as it is the shape with the least amount of surface area for its volume. 

(Surface tension is the tendency of fluid surfaces to shrink into the minimum surface area possible.)

THE KING OF FABRIC

Cotton

     Cotton is a natural fibre derived from cotton plants whose uses date back to the fifth millennium B.C.
     The soft and fluffy cotton is primarily composed of cellulose, an insoluble organic compound found in plants. This cotton is spun into yarn that is then woven to create a soft, durable fabric. Cotton fabric has become one of the most commonly-used fabrics with excellent wearability, and is widely used in clothing fabrics, decorative fabrics and industrial fabrics. With the in-depth development of textile printing and dyeing, a variety of cotton fabrics are becoming more and more abundant with an improved quality in terms of their appearance and performance. The benefits of this versatile material are many. Cotton clothes have the advantage of being soft and comfortable, durable and breathable as well. It is a natural fibre that can be produced on a large scale to clothe millions around the globe whilst still being affordable and accessible.
* Cotton is an all-weather fabric. Its fibre structure keeps you cool in the summer whilst providing a layer of added insulation in the winter.
* As a natural material, cotton is 100% biodegradable and compostable.
* Cotton is an incredibly versatile material that can be used in anything right from silky soft dresses to stiffer smart shirts. Cotton can be woven into a variety of thicknesses to alter its strength, warmth and feel to create fabrics like denim, suede, corduroy, jersey, poplin, etc.
* What makes cotton special is its strength and durability. When cotton gets wet it is actually stronger, which is the opposite of most cellulose fibres such as rayon (wood pulp). It also helps your clothes last longer, and is the key to any sustainable wardrobe.
     A debate about the superiority of natural cotton versus synthetic fibres has been happening for decades. Though synthetic fibres have only been in the market for a couple of hundred years, they are now competing in the production and distribution with natural fabrics that have been around for thousands of years. This fast rise in consumption is due to the high demand for affordable, fast fashion. Synthetic fabrics can be found everywhere — home decor, clothing and in commercial environments, too. They certainly have advantages such as durability, conducive to mass production and resistance to stains and water. However, synthetic fabrics have one significant disadvantage; they are destructive to the environment. If not recycled, they end up in a landfill where they take many years to break down into smaller pieces called microplastics. These tiny pieces of plastic find their way into our oceans, food, water supply, wildlife and food chains, which are harmful to our health and are responsible for the decline of our wildlife and our oceans.
     To conclude, cotton has an environmental edge since it is natural and biodegradable. With more emphasis on the usage and production of organic cotton and conventional cotton practices inching towards environmentally friendly methods, this fabric is here to stay.