Friday, 9 March 2012

JanakJimmy's Giridarshan blog: “Jimmy! My Silent Hero in Social Service! My pione...

JanakJimmy's Giridarshan blog: “Jimmy! My Silent Hero in Social Service! My pione...:                        “Jimmy! My Silent Hero in Social Service! My pioneering   partner!”    I    dedicate   my first blog on my first wedd...

Happy Holi and Happy International Women Day ! March 8, 2012

In the memory of my beloved husband Mr. Jimmy McGilligan, a dedicated environmentalist who developed many solar devices and environmental friendly technologies for sustainable development at Barli Development Institute For Rural Women and for  many other places , today I have conducted training of making wet colours for Holi from Palash flowers on a solar cooker here in Village Sanawadiya where normally if one has lost a loved one, specially a husband , is expected to be mourning and no connection with Holi…I am sad and miss him every moment but he has left me with  lot of learning  ,a  Scheffler Solar Cooker, Giridarshan family, knowledge as well as  experience .He  continues to inspire me to share all this with people, no matter where I am !
 It is a special day in the History that Holi is on International Women Day!
 I want all the women to come out of shackles of unhealthy socio-cultural  practices that impede their development and rights as equal members of society.
As an envrironmentalist ,I  also appeal all the  people that  rather than  burning a huge amount of fuel wood and dungcakes  on Holi and further  add to environmental degradation , can celebrate Holi  with home-made sweets, love, prayers, traditional songs and dance and use natural colors.
 It is well known that traditionally ,the  tribals in Central India used to play Holi with wet colours  prepared from Palash flowers. The Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma) also known as Tesu, or Dhaak ...,  boiled and soaked in water over night to produce  yellow coloured water, which also had medicinal properties.Commercialisation of culture and all the festivals has resulted into  increase in the use of synthetic  /chemical colours  that has increased many diseases ,actually the joyful event actually turns into a health problem like skin .
One of efforts is to revive the healthy socio-cultutal practices.
Happy Holi !Happy International Women Day!
Dr.(Mrs ) Janak Palta McGilligan
"Giridarshan"
Village & Post  Sanawadiya
Kampel Road, District Indore
M.P. India 452016
Phone +91-9977713397/9425032935