Premier Magazine PH Vol. 2 - Issue 2 February 2022 India Special Issue

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 2.2 FEBRUARY, 2022 ISSUE

ABOUT THE COVER February is our "homage to love", and the many forms it takes on. The most powerful source that drives and humbles us yet has the capability to do the opposite depending on where all these energies are focused. Most importantly, love can do the most impossible things possible if given much thought and dedication. And so we decided to search for it in India. And for obvious reasons, we found our way to the Taj Mahal and found more!

On our cover is Sarai Llamas's creative design, particularly on medical art. We can't think of a unique way to celebrate life depicting the intricate images of the human anatomy. Sarai shared with us some of her amazing works and a quick but interesting conversation to complete our Premier selection.

IN THIS ISSUE Mark Twain, best known for his adventure stories of American boyhood, was enthralled by the legend and sanctity of Banaras, he once wrote: "Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together". ... To every visitor; Varanasi offers a breath-taking experience. The most sacred Hindu site, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India ? is considered as the most sacred Hindu city, located on the banks of the Ganges, and one of the oldest continually inhabited cities of the world. Nothing fascinates us than discovering the rich culture of South Asia and how they connect with the rest of the world.

Ushering in the month is the year of the water tiger and India is the home to Bengal tigers, listed endangered as there are only a few thousand left worldwide. Is there a future left for the courageous cats? Filipino veteran photojournalist, Linus Escandor shared some of his amazing shots during his 30-day journey in North India. He visited a few locations and came up with some visually captivating scenes.

And as the world continues to fight the unseen, we took on the natural path to Indian spices that make up most of the world's supply and some of the world-famous aphrodisiacs known to men. Read on because there's more to incredible India than just yoga.

In the meantime, let's breathe in hope and breathe out love.

The Publisher

SARAI LLAMAS How has life been for you since 2020?

I think that like everyone else, 2020 has been a year that has marked a beginning and an end. It has been the beginning of what many insist on calling "the new normality", but to which I am honestly having a hard time getting used to it. Not because of my work, because my office and my work material were in a room in my house, and I had been working online for years. But yes because of the number of situations in social life to which we have had to say no. 2020, as I was saying, has marked the end of social life as we knew it. But I'm not discovering anything that all of us don't already know.

You're in t he Medical Art . Tell us more about it and how you st arted w it h t he discipline.

I discovered my true passion (which has become my vocation and my job) five years ago, in October 2017, thanks to the Italian gynecologist Dr. Fabrizio Damiani. I started working for him, illustrating different surgical techniques and I fell in love with anatomy, surgery, and medical illustration. It was a real coup-de-foudre!

Your kind of art is quite dist inct ive, do you see it grow ing in t he near fut ure?

I have too many ideas, but too little time! But I am already renewing many of my concepts and my way of exposing them to the public. I want to continue doing what I do, but using different instruments. Creative people constantly experiment and I'm doing it right now.

W hat interest s you grow ing up? W ho are your influences?

I am an "old soul" person. My real "influencers" (if I can afford to call them that) died centuries ago: Caravaggio, Michelangelo Buonarroti, W illiam Hunter, Antonio Scarpa, Vesalius... I am passionate about the art world and living in Italy I can allow myself the luxury of enjoying the beauty of the art world in a much more personal way.

Ot her t han w hat you current ly do, w hat ot her t hings preoccupy you as an individual?

I have three children, so I am concerned about the world that we are leaving them as an inheritance. Many thought that the 2020 pandemic would make us better individuals and I don't think this has happened, in fact, I think the opposite has happened.

AN OLD SOUL IN THE NEW WORLD W hich of your art work/ project s would you consider your most memorable work?

Good question for which I have no answer (I'm laughing out loud right now). Let me explain: I am an extremely self-critical person with all my work, so much so that I don't have any hanging on the wall at home. That is why I think that my best work of art is the one that is yet to come...

The advert ising indust ry has been affected by t he pandemic, budget allocat ions become lesser as priorit ies have been diverted to more import ant indust ries like t he healt h indust ry, w hat would you opt to consider?

Everyone tells us that better times will come, but we do not live in the future. Right now it is too easy to fall into the most absolute pessimism and think that there is no way out for many of our projects. I have seen many people devastated by this reason. But I have also seen the exact opposite: in situations like this, I think we can find other ways. As Hannibal said, "Aut inveniam viam aut faciam", I shall either find a way or make one.

W hat do you do for fun?

Hmm... design?

It is true that designing amuses me a lot, especially when I get to do my personal projects. But it is also true that I also need to get away from it so that new ideas can arise. And for this, nothing better than a walk in the mountains or in the woods with my children. I am also an avid reader (I love learning new things) and a prolific consumer of movies and TV series.

We w it nessed how It alians addressed t he pandemic during t he first year, some heart breaking and some brought us hope (remember t he performances on t he balconies?) W hat were you doing and t hinking during t hat t ime?

I remember very well the first weeks of the pandemic in Italy. It was something that really took us all by surprise. I remember how at first we all went out to the balconies, at eight in the evening. It was the first weeks of lockdown and everything that happened seemed unreal, almost like something out of a movie. But when we collided with the true reality and saw that what at first seemed to be two weeks of isolation was turning into months... Italians stopped going out on the balconies because the situation (especially from the point of view of health and also labor and economic) began to be very worrying. In my house, we stopped watching the news so that our children could experience this situation in the most serene way possible and we tried not to make it something to be obsessed with.

Worried yes, but without falling into despair.

"You are what you do. You are what you say you do. But you are also what people remember about you. And, above all, you are what those people feel when they remember." - Sarai Llamas

Any fut ure plans or a new direct ion you would be t aking soon? Part ing message to art ist s like you.

I do not make plans for the future, rather I let the future design my plans. They are the people I meet who are challenging me with new projects and who are also changing my way of doing things. I will continue working, I will continue creating, I will continue experimenting and, above all, I will continue learning. That's all I know.

And that's what I wish for all artists like me. - PremierPh

India, a feast for t he Senses

Madhya Pradesh, the ?Heart of India?

Madhya Pradesh is a melting pot of various cultures of different dynasties and these beliefs can be seen even today in the state?s tradition. As the state celebrates its 67th Foundation Day on 1 November, explore its varied and wonderful culture, a large state in central India that retains landmarks from eras throughout Indian history. Begun in the 10th century, it's Hindu and Jain temples at Khajuraho are renowned for their carvings of erotic scenes, most prominently Kandariya Mahadeva, a temple with more than 800 sculptures.

The eastern Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks, noted Bengal tiger sanctuaries, offer guided safaris.

The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.

Photo: Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India Courtesy of Varun Pyasi

The Spices of Life Welcom e t o t h e w or ld of spices. An d n o, it is n ot plan et Ar r ak is bu t m yst ical In dia, t h e cou n t r y in Sou t h Asia. It is t h e seven t h -lar gest cou n t r y by ar ea, t h e secon d-m ost popu lou s , an d t h e m ost popu lou s dem ocr acy in t h e w or ld. It su pplies appr oxim at ely 70 % of t h e w or ld's spices. In dia is t h e w or ld's lar gest pr odu cer , con su m er an d expor t er of spices; t h e cou n t r y pr odu ces abou t 75 of t h e 109 var iet ies list ed by t h e In t er n at ion al Or gan izat ion f or St an dar dizat ion (ISO) an d accou n t s f or h alf of t h e global t r adin g in spices. In FY20, spices w or t h US$ 3.62 billion w er e expor t ed. https://www.ibef.org

TOP IM PORTERS OF SPICES 2021 (in billion In dian r u pees)

1. USA - 44.13 B 2. Ban gladesh - 21.77 B 3. UAE - 14.05 B 4. UK - 8.39 B 5. SRI LANKA - 8.32 B 6. GERM ANY - 5.89 B 7. KSA - 5.44 B 8. JAPAN - 4.04 B 9. SINGAPORE - 3.89 B 10. SPAIN - 1.82 B https://www.statista.com/

" Th e in cr ease in con su m pt ion of spices w or ldw ide h as been at t r ibu t ed t o m or e an d m or e people r u sh in g t o st r en gt h en t h eir im m u n it y. Th an k s t o t h e ef f or t s of t h e Aayu sh M in ist r y an d t r adit ion al k n ow ledge abou t spices bein g a st r on g im m u n it y bu ilder , an in cr easin g n u m ber of In dian s ar e t ak in g t o h igh er con su m pt ion of spices. Bu t t h e r isin g expor t s t r en d does sh ow h ow t h e w or ld is ben ef it in g f r om t h ese it em s as w ell," said ASSOCHAM Secr et ar y Gen er al Deepak Sood.

Wh ich spices ar e m ost expor t ed f r om In dia?

Ch ili w as t h e m ost expor t ed spice f r om In dia in t h e f iscal year 2021, w it h an est im at ed volu m e of over 601 t h ou san d m et r ic t on s. Cu m in f ollow ed w h ile t u r m er ic r an k ed t h ir d. In dia spice expor t s accou n t ed f or over 1.5 m illion m et r ic t on s an d 3.6 billion U.S. dollar s in valu e t h at year . Wit h an est im at ed pr odu ct ion volu m e of over t h r ee m illion m et r ic t on s, t h e st at e of M adh ya Pr adesh w as t h e lar gest pr odu cer of spices acr oss In dia in 2021. Rajast h an an d Gu jar at w er e t h e ot h er m ajor pr odu cer s t h at year .

THE M OST EXPENSIVE SPICES IN THE WORLD 1. Saf f r on ? $1600 t 0 $5000 per pou n d Saf f r on com es f r om a par t icu lar f low er t h at ?s n at ive t o Cen t r al Asia, an d t h is is t h e r eason w h y it ?s so expen sive. Th e spice it self is t h e st igm a of t h e f low er , an d each f low er h as on ly abou t t h r ee st igm as. It ?s qu it e labor iou s t o h ar vest , so in or der t o get a pou n d of saf f r on , you ?d n eed r ou gh ly 80,000 f low er s. How ever , you r eally w ou ldn?t n eed t h at m an y f or you r cook in g. A st r an d of saf f r on cou ld br in g t h e m ost w on der f u lly sw eet f lavor t o you r dish es. Th e addit ion of saf f r on also adds color lik e n o ot h er spice lik e it . It br in gs abou t a h in t of golden yellow t h at ?s as st u n n in g as su n set it self .

2. Van illa ? $50 t 0 $200 per pou n d Th e pr ice poin t obviou sly depen ds on t h e t ype of van illa you h ave, bu t eit h er w ay, you can agr ee t h at it ?s pr et t y u p t h er e. Given t h e f act t h at van illa f lavor s m an y t h in gs, you ?d t h in k t h at it ?d be m or e af f or dable. M an y com pan ies copy t h e essen ce of van illa t o add t o dish es, bu t t h er e?s n ot h in g in com par ison t o som e f r esh van illa. Lu ck ily becau se of t h e st r en gt h of t h e spice, you on ly n eed ver y lit t le of t h e spice in or der t o get t h e f lavor s acr oss. M exico an d M adagascar pr odu ce som e of t h e best van illa in t h e en t ir e w or ld, bu t t h ese cou ld cost you u p t o $200 per pou n d.

3. 3. Car dam om ? $30 per pou n d Th e f lavor s of car dam om ar e ver y st r on g. Som e say t h at it ?s a f lavor pr of ile t h at you w ou ld h ave t o gr ow t o lik e; ot h er s say t h at car dam om is deliciou s in deed. St ill, t h er e ar e ot h er s t h at r ef u se t o t ak e car dam om at all. Th e f lavor of t h is par t icu lar spice is qu it e st r on g, bu t in t h e r igh t am ou n t s, it can t u r n an or din ar y dish or bever age in t o som et h in g special. Th is spice is n at ive t o In dia an d com es in t w o dif f er en t t ypes: black or gr een car dam om . Th e car dam om w e m ost ly associat e w it h t h e n am e an d t h e f lavor is t h e gr een car dam om . Th e black car dam om h appen s t o h ave a m in t y t ast e an d a sm ok y ar om a in com par ison . m on eyin c.com

Love and other Drugs . . .

Pick your preferred Aphrodisiac Fert ilit y Goddess The goddess of love has an ancient history. Isht ar/ Ast arte w as t he Semit ic goddess of love. In Greece, t his goddess w as called Aphrodite. Aphrodite w as worshiped especially on t he islands of Cyprus and Kyt hera. The Greek goddess of love played a crucial role in t he myt hs about At alant a, Hippolyt us, Myrrha, and Pygmalion. Among mort als, t he Greco-Roman goddess loved Adonis and Anchises. The Romans originally worshiped Venus as t he goddess of fert ilit y. Her fert ilit y powers spread from t he garden to humans. The Greek aspect s of t he love and beaut y goddess Aphrodite were added on to Venus' at t ributes, and so for most pract ical purposes, Venus is synonymous w it h Aphrodite. The Romans revered Venus as t he ancestor of t he Roman people t hrough her liaison w it h Anchises.

The beaut iful goddess Venus is probably most familiar from t he armless st at ue know n as t he Venus de Milo, displayed at t he Louvre, in Paris. The st at ue is Greek, from t he Aegean island of Milos or Melos, so one might expect Aphrodite, since t he Roman goddess Venus is dist inct from t he Greek goddess, but t here is subst ant ial overlap. You'll not ice t he name Venus is often used in t ranslat ions of Greek myt hs. N. S. Gill The name comes from the Greek ????????????, aphrodisiakon, i.e. "sexual, aphrodisiac", from aphrodisios, i.e. "pertaining to Aphrodite",the Greek goddess of love.

Throughout human history, food, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/ or pleasurable. However, from a historical and scientific standpoint, the alleged results may have been mainly due to mere belief by their users that they would be effective (placebo effect).

Let us take you back to ancient times and check on the list of "natural aphrodisiacs" from India supported by Science and proven effective for ages.

Photo by Tanya Pro

M ilk is considered to be the champion of aphrodisiacs.

Photo by Daniel Sinoca

Saf f r on was a favourite amongst the ancient Egyptians. Cleopatra used to believe saffron had aphrodisiac properties. She in fact is famous for bathing in milk with saffron.

Gar lic. The diallyl disulfide within the garlic increases one?s testosterone levels.

Ash w agan dh a, known as winter cherry and poison gooseberry, was a popular ancient Indian aphrodisiac. Mixing it with milk and a pinch of nutmeg is recommended. This drink is also beneficial in providing the user with a good night?s sleep, alongside its aphrodisiac purposes.

Th e sh ilajit resin is extracted and derived from rocks that contain it.The herb can be purchased in powder form or as a supplement. It can be taken by dissolving it in milk or water.

Nu t m eg?s aphrodisiac properties can improve vigour.

The ground powder form is derived from the fruit of Jatiphala which is very is well known for its fragrance and aroma.

Sh at avar i is sourced from the roots of the Asparagus racemosus plant. It has been used for centuries in Indian ayurvedic medicine.

It is also known as sayavari or satavar and is especially good for women.

Fen u gr eek is a great ancient Indian aphrodisiac for women.

Gok sh u r a, also known as gokhru, is found in the sub-Himalayan forests of India.

You can consume it as Gokshura churna (powder), mix it with honey, or take it with milk, twice a day after meals. Or take a tablet with water twice a day after meals.

Saf ed M u sli also called Chlorophytum borivilianum, is a rare herb from India that is also used widely in ayurvedic medicine. NISHAH MALIK Photo: Mahdi Dastmard

Honey, Bees, and the Gods The Hindu gods were often associated with bees. The gods Vishnu, Krishnu, and Indra were called Madhava, the nectar-born ones, and their symbol is the bee. Vishnu is represented as a blue bee upon a lotus flower, the symbol of life, resurrection, and nature.

The Hawa Mahal Palace, Honeycomb Architecture built in Red and Pink Sandstone The Hawa Mahal palace is a five-story pyramidal-shaped monument that rises to about 50 feet (15 m). The top three floors of the structure have the width of a single room, while the first and second floors have patios in front of them. The front elevation, as seen from the street, is like a honeycomb with small portholes. Each porthole has miniature windows and carved sandstone grills, finials, and domes. It gives the appearance of a mass of semi-octagonal bays, giving the monument its unique façade. The inner face on the backside of the building consists of chambers built with pillars and corridors with minimal ornamentation, and reach up to the top floor. The interior of the palace has been described as "having rooms of different coloured marbles, relieved by inlaid panels or gilding; while fountains adorn the centre of the courtyard".

Lal Chand Usta was the architect. Built-in red and pink coloured sandstone, in keeping with the décor of the other monuments in the city, its colour is a full testimony to the epithet of "Pink City" given to Jaipur. Its façade with 953 niches with intricately carved jharokhas (some are made of wood) is a stark contrast to the plain-looking rear side of the structure. Its cultural and architectural heritage is a reflection of a fusion of Hindu Rajput architecture and Islamic Mughal architecture; the Rajput style is seen in the form of domed canopies, fluted pillars, lotus, and floral patterns, and the Islamic style as evident in its stone inlay filigree work and arches (as distinguished from its similarity with the Panch Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri).

The entry to the Hawa Mahal from the city palace side is through an imperial door. It opens into a large courtyard, which has double-storeyed buildings on three sides, with the Hawa Mahal enclosing it on the east side. An archaeological museum is also housed in this courtyard.

Hawa Mahal was also known as the chef-d'? uvre of Maharaja Jai Singh as it was his favourite resort because of the elegance and built-in interior of the Mahal. The cooling effect in the chambers, provided by the breeze passing through the small windows of the façade, was enhanced by the fountains provided at the centre of each of the chambers.

The top two floors of the Hawa Mahal are accessed only through ramps. The Mahal is maintained by the archaeological department of the Government of Rajasthan.

Photo by Kirti Kalla

Photo by Annie Spratt

Honey Bees Just Shrunk t he Big C A study conducted by Dr. Ciara Duffy from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research showed that honey bee venom was found to destroy two different kinds of breast cancer cells. A high concentration of honey bee venom can kill 100% of cancer cells without affecting normal cells.

Melittin is effective on its own and is a great example of something found in nature that can be used to treat human diseases. It can be lab-grown and can also be used with existing chemotherapy drugs. These would enter cancer cells and increase their deaths with the help of melittin hiding out in cell membranes. When tested in mice, combining melittin and chemotherapy medication was effective in reducing tumors.

Dr. Duffy took out the venom from 312 honey bees and bumblebees in Perth Western Australia, Ireland, and England. The honey bee venom affected breast cancer cells similarly no matter where the bee was from. However, bumblebee venom was not able to kill cancer cells.

Past research shows that honey bee venom dates back to 1950 when an article published in Nature demonstrated tumor growth reduction in plants. Dr. Duffy states that researching the effects of honey bee venom on different cancers has grown considerably in the last two decades.

This study is highly significant because it shows why honey bees are so important to our overall health. Who knows their venom can treat a highly aggressive type of breast cancer? Nature will always give us the solutions to all our problems if only we learn to respect and take care of our environment.

Source: Daily, Mark TwainScience said ?India is the9/2/2020 cradle of the human race, the birthplace human speech, the mother of history, the Photo byofMeggyn Pomerleau grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition.?

Melittin, a small component of honey bee venom, destroyed cancer cell membranes and reduced the chemical messages that signal growth and reproduction to the cancer cells.

Mark Twain said ?India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition.?

A Golden Moment for Maxence "Max" Parrot

Canadian snowboarder, Max Parrot is the reigning Olympic champion in slopestyle, winning gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics and also won a silver in the event at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Parrot has also won six gold medals at the Winter X Games and two gold medals at the Winter X Games Europe. Parrot was diagnosed with cancer in early 2019 and went through extensive chemotherapy. He would recover from cancer that year and return to competition and his winning ways. While competing at Winter X Games XXIV in 2020 he won the gold medal in the big air competition, beating fellow Canadian Mark McMorris.

OC: Do you have any advice or any techniques that you use to bring yourself back to the present moment?

MP: You know since I fought through cancer, I feel like I don't care about anything nowadays. We give so much attention to meaningless things and give them so much thought. We put pressure on ourselves for so much stuff that in the end doesn't really make a difference in your life or how you?re living. Just by realising that, especially with my career, when I have so much going on and I?m getting asked to do a lot of stuff, over time I've learnt to say no because before, I was the guy who would say yes to everything. I just never really had time for myself. Now, I get more time for myself and more time for the things that are really important to me. So that's a way for me to be more organised and I would say it's been working really well that way.

OC: When you say you?ve been spending more time on yourself, what sort of things have you been doing?

MP: I?ve realised that when I do yoga and meditation after that, I often find so many solutions. By clearing your mind, you can see the problem more clearly, and you see what's important and what you can let go of. I also play guitar. I live on a mountain in Quebec so I do a lot of mountain biking with my dog especially. He loves to run just next to me. I actually opened a restaurant in Quebec this year. We hired a chef who's a good cook, you know, I love eating, I just don't like cooking.

OC: You get a lot of media attention and interest in not just your snowboarding, but in your private life as well. How do you feel about that?

MP: I've always been an open book, so I don't really have a private life. I'm not scared to tell anyone about my bad days or my good days on social media. I just want to be as authentic as possible. I feel like the public wants to see you when you're a little bit more vulnerable. I think for me, it's a way to show them my downs and how I can overcome them and overcome all the challenges that life brings. And again, it's a way for me to inspire them to try to keep on fighting when there's anything happening in your life. Through the Olympics and everything, I've got more and more attention over the years. I have grown my audience and it just makes me inspire more people, I hope. - Olympics.com

The Business of Bees

The st at ist ic show s t hat worldw ide, India has t he largest number of beehives, tot aling around 12.2 million, followed by China w it h about 9 million and Turkey at 8 million. w w w.st at ist a.com Bees provide us w it h almost all our food direct ly or indirect ly because t hey pollinate our fruit s and veget ables and only 1/ 3 of our food is pollinated independent ly. Bees also produce honey w hich is a nat ural healing agent , it 's good for t he heart , skin, dest roys bacteria, is safe for digest ion, is safer t han sugar, lowers cholesterol, has ant ioxidant support , restores sleep, and can even help cure cancer. Even t hough India seems to have more beehives, China is t he largest producer of honey, t he largest beekeeping, t he largest exporter, and t he highest domest ic consumpt ion of honey. The count ry produces 650 tons of honey annually and nearly 3/ 4 of t his is locally consumed. According to t he report , t he average annual product ion of honey worldw ide w as about 1.77 million met ric tons in 2020.

The global honey market is expected to grow at a compound annual grow t h rate of 8.2% from 2021 to 2028 to reach USD 17.34 billion by 2028.

Billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani has regained t he st at us of Asia's richest person, a day after Gaut am Adani had surpassed t he Reliance Indust ries Ltd chairman on net wort h, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

It t ook on ly a day t o u n seat an ot h er billion air e an d k eep t h e t it le of Asia's Rich est Per son . As of Febr u ar y 9, 2022, M u k esh Am ban i is in t h e 10t h spot on t h e Bloom ber g Billion air es In dex global list w it h a n et w or t h of $89.2 billion . Am ban i's n et w or t h h as eclipsed Gau t am Adan i's $86.3 billion . Last w eek , bot h M u k esh Am ban i an d Gau t am Adan i su r passed M ar k Zu ck er ber g on For bes' list of r eal-t im e billion air es af t er h e lost $29 billion in n et w or t h . Th e Bloom ber g Billion air es In dex h as been t opped by Elon M u sk w it h a n et w or t h of $238 billion . M u sk is f ollow ed by Jef f Bezos ($186 billion ), Ber n ar d Ar n au lt ($166 Billion ), Bill Gat es ($129 billion ), Lar r y Page ($124 billion ), Ser gey Br in ($119 billion ), War r en Bu f f et t ($116 billion ), St eve Ballm er ($109 billion ), Lar r y Ellison ($99.7 billion ).

M u k esh Am ban i's Relian ce In du st r ies Lim it ed (RIL) is an In dian m u lt in at ion al con glom er at e com pan y, h eadqu ar t er ed in M u m bai. RIL's diver se bu sin esses in clu de en er gy, pet r och em icals, n at u r al gas, r et ail, t elecom m u n icat ion s, m ass m edia, an d t ext iles. Relian ce is on e of t h e m ost pr of it able com pan ies in In dia, t h e lar gest pu blicly t r aded com pan y in In dia by m ar k et capit alisat ion , an d t h e lar gest com pan y in In dia as m easu r ed by r even u e. It is also t h e t en t h lar gest em ployer in In dia w it h over 236,000 em ployees.RIL h as a m ar k et capit alisat ion of US$243 billion as of Oct ober 2021.

Th e com pan y is r an k ed 155t h on t h e For t u n e Global 500 list of t h e w or ld's biggest cor por at ion s as of 2021.

Source: Bloomberg , Forbes, Fortune Global Photo: Forbes.com

INDIA is leading t he bounce back from COVID-19 among major economies of t he world - (OECD) Wit h a 12.7 % gr ow t h in GDP,Q3 of 2021, In dia r em ain s t o be on e of t h e st r on gest econ om ies in t h e w or ld. It placed sixt h in t h e over all GDP an d t h e t h ir d-lar gest in Asia.

Th is w as ?m ain ly dr iven by f ixed in vest m en t an d pr ivat e con su m pt ion?, t h e OECD said in it s G20 GDP gr ow t h Qu ar t er ly Nat ion al Accou n t s r elease, com par ed w it h a con t r act ion of 11.6% in t h e pr eviou s qu ar t er .

Join in g t h e list of t h e m ost r esilien t cou n t r ies ar e Sau di Ar abia, Fr an ce, Tu r k ey an d It aly.

Th e Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),is a 38-cou n t r y gr ou pin g t h at advises policym ak er s. Toget h er w it h gover n m en t s, policym ak er s an d cit izen s, t h ey w or k on est ablish in g eviden ce-based in t er n at ion al st an dar ds an d f in din g solu t ion s t o a r an ge of social, econ om ic an d en vir on m en t al ch allen ges. Fr om im pr ovin g econ om ic per f or m an ce an d cr eat in g jobs t o f ost er in g st r on g edu cat ion an d f igh t in g in t er n at ion al t ax evasion , t h ey pr ovide a u n iqu e f or u m an d k n ow ledge h u b f or dat a an d an alysis, exch an ge of exper ien ces, best -pr act ice sh ar in g, an d advice on pu blic policies an d in t er n at ion al st an dar d-set t in g.

The view from a room at the Taj Mahal Towers hotel in Mumbai - Gateway Of India, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra Photo by Raj Rana

Va r a n a si , t h e mo st sa c r ed h i ndu ci t y

Hinduism, the third-largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam , is around 1.2 billion of which, 1.1 billion Hindus live in India or 94 % of their entire populace. It is quite telling though that most people in India are regarded as spiritual. The earliest known sacred texts of Hinduism, the Vedas, date back to at least 3000 BCE, but some date them back even further, to 8000-6000 BCE; and some Hindus themselves believe these texts to be of divine origin, and therefore timeless. There is no known figure comparable to Buddha or Jesus.

Photo by Snowscat

All act ion is prayer. All t rees are desire-fulfilling. All w ater is t he Ganga. All land is Varanasi. Love everyt hing. - Neem Karoli Baba Varanasi (Benares, Kashi) is t he oldest living cit y in t he world. It is t he most sought-after pilgrimage tow n for Hindus. It is believed, if anyone dies in Varanasi t hey at t ain salvat ion and freedom from t he cycle of birt h and rebirt h. Sarnat h, just 10 km aw ay, w here Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment , at t ract s devotees of many fait hs. It is also a cent re of know ledge. As t he spirit ual capit al of India, t he cit y draw s Hindu pilgrims w ho bat he in t he Ganges River?s sacred w aters and perform funeral rites. Along t he cit y?s w inding st reet s are some 2,000 temples, including Kashi Vishw anat h, t he ?Golden Temple,? dedicated to t he Hindu god Shiva.

GHATS OF VARANASI The great well-const ructed river banks are called Ghat s. On t hese ghat s, are located high pavilions, palaces, temples and terraces, w hich add furt her charm to t he beaut iful riverbank. The ghat s are frequented by t he people w hich include early morning bat hers, priest s, people pract icing medit at ion and yoga, st udent s and tourist s as well. The eternal crematorium is located at Manikarnika Ghat . It is believed t hat t he person, w ho is cremated at t his place, at t ains salvat ion from t he cycle of birt h and deat h. For cent uries, pilgrims have t raced t he perimeter of t he cit y by a rit ual parikrama (circumambulat ion) paying homage to shrines on t he w ay. Among t he most popular routes is t he Panchat irt hi Yat ra, w hich t akes in t he Pancha (five) Trit hi (crossing) of Assi, Dashashw amedha, Adi Keshva, Panchganga and finally Manikarnika. The devotee, accompanied by a priest , recites a Sankalpa (st atement of intent ) and performs a rit ual at each st age of t he journey.

A very relaxed w ay to see t he ghat s and it s life in t he morning and evening is by boat .

The photo was taken in 2020 during a daily ritual ceremony along the Ganges river in Varanasi India.

Photo by Atharva Tulsi

In t his land of t he Ganga (Varanasi), t here w as an educat ion of cult ure. But , more import ant ly, t here w as a cult ure of educat ion. - Narendra Modi

People of Varanasi - Ganges ceremony Photo by Lewis J. Goetz

TIGERS: The Keystone Species Tigers. Why do we care? They're integral to the health of the ecosystems in which they live. As apex predators, they keep prey species under control. This protects the vegetation, which in turn maintains the integrity of streams, forests and croplands that provide people around the world with clean air, water, food and financial benefits.

Their decimation is caused primarily by poaching, and the Illegal trade of tiger parts, loss of habitat, human conflict, and climate change. Perhaps the most significant factors are poaching and illegal trading of tiger parts. In fact, the extinction of the Caspian and the Javan tiger can be directly linked to hunting.

With nine sub-species, 3 are already extinct - Caspian , Bali and Javan . South China and Malayan Tigers are critically endangered, however, there have been no recent sightings which makes it possible that both are also extinct. Siberian, Bengal, Indochinese and Sumatran are all declared endangered species on the IUCN red list.

The Bengal tiger or the Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris Tigris) is found in parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. It lives in varied habitats? grasslands, subtropical and tropical rainforests, scrub forests, wet and dry deciduous forests, and mangroves. Male Bengal tigers range anywhere from 180 to 258 kg and females range between 100-160 kg. Males in the wild usually weigh 205 to 227 kg (450-500 lb), while the average female will weigh about 130 kg (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002). However, the northern Indian and the Nepalese Bengal tigers are considerably bulkier than those found in the south of the Indian Subcontinent. The Indian government's estimated population figure for these tigers is between 3,100 and 4,500, some 3,000 of which are found in India alone.

However, many Indian tiger conservationists doubt this number, seeing it as overly optimistic. The number of Bengal tigers in India may be fewer than 2,000 (IJ 2005), as most of the collected statistics are based on pugmark (footprint) identification, which often gives a biased result. Even though this is the most "common" tiger, these tigers are under severe pressure from both habitat destruction and poaching.

Source: www.newworldencyclopedia.org, TX2, WWF, businessstandard.com

Prem ierR ecom m endstheClassics A major motion picture back in 2014 starring Helen Mirren and Om Puri, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, and produced by Oprah W infrey, Steven Spielberg, Juliet Blake, DreamWorks Studios, and Participant Media.

"That skinny Indian teenager has that mysterious something that comes along once a generation. He is one of those rare chefs who is simply born. He is an artist."

And so begins the rise of Hassan Haji, the unlikely gourmand who recounts his life?s journey in Richard Morais?s charming novel,The Hundred-Foot Journey. Lively and brimming with the colors, flavors, and scents of the kitchen, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a succulent treat about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.

Born above his grandfather?s modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumière, a small village in the French Alps.

The boisterous Haji family takes Lumière by storm. They open an inexpensive Indian restaurant opposite an esteemed French relais? that of the famous chef Madame Mallory? and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villagers and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family, does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages? charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.

Laureus World Sports Awards April 2022 Photo: Laureus World Sports Awards

?I?m delighted to be nominated for t his Laureus Aw ard and it 's a great honour for me to be recognised in t he w ider sport ing world for w hat I achieved in Tokyo,? Neeraj Chopra said after his nominat ion. ?I feel privileged to be able to represent my count ry and w in India medals at t he global st age, and now to have t his recognit ion from Laureus and be considered alongside such except ional at hletes is a really special feeling,? he added.

Neeraj Chopra?s fellow nominees for t he aw ard are tennis players Emma Raducanu and Daniil Medvedev, foot baller Pedri, t riple jumper Yulimar Rojas and sw immer Ariarne Tit mus.

Photo: Tokyo 2020

The Relat ivit y of Trut h In t he end, no movie is ever as good as t he book. Read it first .

Life of Pi is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist is Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger which raises questions about the nature of reality and how it is perceived and told.

The novel has sold more than ten million copies worldwide. It was rejected by at least five London publishing houses before being accepted by Knopf Canada, which published it in September 2001. The UK edition won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction the following year. It was also chosen for CBC Radio's Canada Reads 2003, where it was championed by author Nancy Lee. The French translation L'Histoire de Pi was chosen in the French CBC version of the contest Le Combat des Livres, where it was championed by Louise Forestier. The novel won the 2003 Boeke Prize, a South African novel award. In 2004, it won the Asian/ Pacific American Award for Literature in Best Adult Fiction for the years 2001?2003. In 2012 it was adapted into a feature film directed by Ang Lee with a screenplay by David Magee.

On film, Life of Pi enjoyed tremendous success. Its most significant achievements lie in breaking new ground in visual effects technology. 86% of the shots involving Richard Parker are CGI and the filmmakers even dabbled in using Motion Capture technology to bring Richard Parker to life, the same technique used to capture the performance of Andy Serkis in the creation of Gollum. (It is significant to note that the visual effects team behind Life of Pi beat The Hobbit for the Best Visual Effects Oscar.) The film also had to overcome the huge challenges posed by such a daunting number of scenes that take place on the ocean. Blue screen technology was greatly improved by the making of this film and allowed the filmmakers the control they needed while giving the film an added element of fantasy.

Source: google , wikipedia

Won 4 Oscar s 81 w in s & 135 n om in at ion s

Prem ierR ecom m endstheClassics

Photo courtesy of Macrumors.com

?Walter Issacson biographer of Steve Jobs: I remember sitting in his backyard in his garden, one day, and he started talking about God. He [ Jobs] said, ? Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don?t. I think it?s 50/50, maybe. But ever since I?ve had cancer, I?ve been thinking about it more, and I find myself believing a bit more, maybe it?s because I want to believe in an afterlife, that when you die, it doesn?t just all disappear. The wisdom you?ve accumulated, somehow it lives on.?

Then he paused for a second and said, ?Yea, but sometimes, I think it?s just like an On-Off switch. Click.

And you?re gone.? And then he paused again and said, ? And that?s why I don?t like putting On-Off switches on Apple devices.?

Joy to the WORLD! There IS an after-life!?

After-Life Rem em ber in g STEVE JOBS, a cr eat ive en t r epr en eu r w h ose passion f or per f ect ion an d f er ociou s dr ive r evolu t ion ized six in du st r ies: per son al com pu t er s, an im at ed m ovies, m u sic, ph on es, t ablet com pu t in g, an d digit al pu blish in g.

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, and died in 2011 of pancreatic cancer. This year would mark his 67th birthday. ?Simply handing over your iPod to a friend, your blind date, or the total stranger sitting next to you on the plane opens you up like a book." (Steven Levy)? ?Steve Jobs had a tendency to see things in a binary way: "A person was either a hero or a bozo, a product was either amazing or shit? ? Walter Isaacson,Steve Jobs ?So that?s our approach. Very simple, and we?re really shooting for Museum of Modern Art quality. The way we?re running the company, the product design, the advertising, it all comes down to this: Let?s make it simple. Really simple.? Apple?s design mantra would remain the one featured on its first brochure: ?Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.? ? Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs

?If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there's room to hear more subtle things - that's when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before. It's a discipline; you have to practice it.?

?I think the biggest innovations of the twenty-first century will be the intersection of biology and technology. A new era is beginning, just like the digital one was when I was his age.? " Th at w as t h e m essage: Act u alize you r self ," on e of t h e at t en dees at St eve's m em or ial, M ar k Ben iof f , CEO of Salesf or ce.com r ecalled. " If you look back at t h e h ist or y of St eve an d t h at ear ly t r ip t o In dia...h e h ad t h is in cr edible r ealizat ion t h at h is in t u it ion w as h is gr eat est gif t ," Ben iof f said. " He n eeded t o look at w or ld f r om in side ou t ...h is m essage w as t o look in side you r self an d r ealize you r self ." In t h e box w as a book by Yogan an da abou t self r ealizat ion . Au t obiogr aph y of a Yogi w as on e of St eve Jobs' f avor it e r eads.

Source: inc.com

?Rem em ber in g t h at you ar e goin g t o die is t h e best w ay I k n ow t o avoid t h e t r ap of t h in k in g you h ave som et h in g t o lose. You ar e alr eady n aked. Th er e is n o r eason n ot t o f ollow you r h ear t .?

Photo by Md Mahdi

?I think different religions are different doors to the same house. Sometimes I think the house exists, and sometimes I don?t. It?s the great mystery."

St eve Jobs plan n ed ever y det ail of h is ow n m em or ial ser vice, h eld at St an f or d Un iver sit y in Oct ober 2011, in clu din g t h e br ow n box each at t en dee r eceived as a f ar ew ell gif t , a book called Au t obiogr aph y of a Yogi by Par am ah an sa Yogan an da.

?The older I get, the more I see how much motivations matter. The Zune was crappy because the people at Microsoft don?t really love music or art the way we do.

We won because we personally love music.? ? Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs

How do they love PH? Let us count the ways.

Philippine Import s by major part ner count ry December , 2021

Ch in a

USD 2.14 B

Kor ea

USD 1.02 B

Japan

USD 971.4 M

In don esia

USD 882.1 M

USA

USD 877.5 M

Th ailan d

USD 611.8 M

Sin gapor e

USD 581.3 M

Taiw an

USD 554.4 M

M alaysia

USD 502.0 M

KSA

USD 407.7 M

Philippine Export s by major part ner count ry December , 2021 USA

USD 1.01 B

Ch in a

USD 925.15 M

Hon g Kon g

USD 861.61 M

Japan

USD 859.39 M

Sin gapor e

USD 441.9 M

Th ailan d

USD 257.6 M

Net h er lan ds

USD 229.0 M

Ger m an y

USD 224.7 M

Taiw an

USD 204.0 M

Kor ea

USD 188.1 M

Source: https://psa.gov.ph/

The lifeblood of t rue part nerships relies on common goals and object ives. 2020 - 2021 were t rying years w hen t rading bet ween count ries has been crit ical t he world over.

Only t hose w ho remain t rue allies w ill cont inually support each ot her in t imes of great upheaval.

Photo by Luca Bucken

Prem ierR ecom m endstheClassics Rabindranat h Tagore and his Beaut iful Mind

"Each country of Asia will solve its own historical problems according to its strength, nature and needs, but the lamp they will each carry on their path to progress will converge to illuminate the common ray of knowledge."

- Former Vice-President of India M. Hamid Ansari on Rabindranath Tagore Author of the "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful" poetry of Gitanjali, he became in 1913 the first non-European and the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore's poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial; he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West. - www.nobelprize.org Highly prolific Tagore (nicknamed "Rabi") was born on 7 May 1861 in the Jorasanko mansion in Calcutta, India. He was a Bengali polymath, a composer and wrote the national anthems for both India and Bangladesh, as well as an educator, social reformer, philosopher, painter, poet, novelist, dramatist, essayist, story-writer , linguist and grammarian. He was a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. Between 1878 and 1932, Tagore set foot in more than thirty countries on five continents.

Discover his numerous works compiled over the years in his honor. He was called many things, a humanist, universalist, internationalist , the Bengali Renaissance man but most of all, he's India's Rabindranath Tagore.

Photo courtesy of Britannica.com

"So I repeat we never can have a t rue view of man unless we have a love for him. Civilizat ion must be judged and prized, not by t he amount of power it has developed, but by how much it has evolved and given expression to, by it s law s and inst it ut ions, t he love of humanit y." ? S?dhan?: The Realization of Life, 1916 Tagore 1916 page 111

An Icon of Indian Cuisine

Vikas Khanna Vikas Khanna is the author of numerous cookbooks, including Flavors First: An Indian Chef 's Journey and Bliss of Spices: The Essence of Indian Kitchen. He's been named one of the sexiest men alive and created the most expensive cookbook at $13,000. Talk about his epic achievements! it would require another book.

The Michelin star chef "braved" his way through the pandemic by launching the Feed India campaign in April 2020 to support orphanages, old age homes, trans communities, as well as quarantined areas in villages to provide meals. This was further highlighted with a feature last year in the New York Times, now operating in 125 cities in India.

Khanna?s mother urged him to help at a time when India was suffering gravely.

During the pandemic, Khanna reached out to his boatman friend in Varanasi for help, and through community support, managed to help neighboring boatmen and artisans. ?I changed my body clock to sleep at 4 pm, so I could wake up when India does. I was doing everything myself? getting donors, giving updates, hoping to inspire people to start something similar.? , Khana told GQ. His story is part of the Glenfiddich Irrepressible, which narrates intriguing experiences written on paths discovered by embracing the unknown. GQ India celebrates them.

Did you k n ow Vik as Kh an n a's book called Ut sav: A Cu lin ar y Epic of In dian Fest ivals is t h e m ost expen sive cook book at $13,000?

His book was the very first cookbook to be launched at the Cannes Film Festival. It took the Michelin Star chef more than 12 years of photography, research, and writing. Vikas' documentary called Kitchens of Gratitude focuses on the healing power of food and its association with world religions was released during the Cannes Film Festival in May 2016. It marked his debut as a director and proves that the iconic chef shows no signs of stopping when it comes to helping his people and making India truly proud.

Photo courtesy of rediff.com

M. Night Shyamalan's Labor of Love I love m y st or ies bein g m u lt i-layer ed, an d com in g at it f r om dif f er en t an gles, so t h at you don't u n der st an d t h e f ilm 's t r u e em ot ion al m ot ivat ion u n t il t h e ver y en d. M . Nigh t Sh yam alan There's not a film wherein M. Night Shyamalan will not get you thinking.

It has been his trademark as a filmmaker and writer over years of great stories and movies. His films will challenge your psyche every time even after decades after you've watched his films. Thanks to his idol, Steven Spielberg as he inspired a very talented and unique storyteller. His films were almost always the topic of discussion as he has an uncanny ability to keep moviegoers guessing . He knows how the human psyche works and we are always in awe.

He has come a long way since his first film set in India called Praying with Anger (1992). And recently he has attended Berlinale as a juror. His latest film, Knock at the Cabin will also be in theaters next February 2023 and yes it is another horror film with Universal. Admittedly, he loves to scare people out of their wits as if boggling their minds with mystery wasn't enough. Not bad for someone who has earned $3.3 B over two decades for his films.

He has written and directed most of his films and our favorites include The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender, After Earth, The Visit, Split, Glass and Old. Just a few misses for us but who don't want a thinking man's film once in a while? " When you say 'fear of the unknown', that is the definition of fear; fear is the unknown, fear is what you do not know, and it's genetically within us so that we feel safe. We feel scared of the woods because we're not familiar with it, and that keeps you safe." M. Night Shyamalan Photo courtesy of tass.com

Photo courtesy of Sincerely Media

?the world gives you so much pain and here you are making gold out of it - there is nothing purer than that?

-Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey

Rupi Kaur is a Canadian poet, illustrator, photographer, and author. Born in Punjab, India, Kaur emigrated to Canada at a young age with her family. She began performing poetry in 2009 and rose to prominence on Instagram, eventually becoming one of the most popular "Instapoets" through her three collections of poetry. Rupi Kaur's World Tour 2022 starts this May. Check out her official website for more details. https:// rupikaur.com/ pages/ world-tour

?I?m breathing aren?t I? that?s gotta be a sign that the universe is on my side.

If I?ve made it this far, I can make it all the way.?

-Rupi Kaur, Home Body

LINUS ESCANDOR

A 30-day Journey The month of June always brings me unforgettable memories. It is when I always had the most exciting trips and adventures of my life. W hether it is climbing the highest mountain in the Philippines, scaling the most dangerous peak, or going overseas for a backpacking trip is just one of those once-in-a-lifetime exploits. I think of so many places that I dreamed of going to and finally decided that I will explore India this time. It is hard to travel alone and it is quite lonely just like what I?ve experienced last year when I backpacked around South East Asia so I asked my good friend, Engr. Randyfo Rodriguez from GMA 7 network adventurer and always willing to explore new heights as we did a lot of adventures together in the past. Randy is a good travel organizer and a writer so it will not be hard for the two of us to embark on this journey. W hy India? That?s the question we always heard of whenever we mention the trip. They say it?s not good there and we receive many more negative words. In spite of these, we still go for it since India has a very diverse culture, with centuries-old monuments and fortresses that are a must-see before you disappear on earth. W ho would not want to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal for example?

in North India

W ho would not want to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal for example?

The India Gate is a war memorial located astride the Rajpath, on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called Kingsway.

Amidst the hassle and some disappointments, our trip to India can be described in two words, simply amazing. I never thought we can actually do this with our tight budget and limited time. You just have to enjoy every minute of it. The train travel, monuments and forts, the spicy foods, and the people we met, all add up to an experience that I will cherish for a lifetime. Every click of my camera captured the best life has to offer to give me more reason to practice and enhance my craft for the next generation to see. We came home not only with a hard drive full of memories but with a contented heart and a brand new outlook on life. I hope this experience will inspire many of our countrymen to travel the world and see things from a different perspective so we can appreciate our own country and love it more. From India let me say Jai ho!

We made the trip without our mobile phone, which makes the travel more exciting. - Linus Escandor II PremierMagazinePH

New Delhi is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, and the Supreme Court of India.

The city of Varanasi is a very good location to shop. You will find a variety of shops and things that are affordable.

Varanasi is a bustling city with more than 3.5 million occupants (known locally as Banarasis).

Varanasi is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh dating to the 11th century B.C..

Photo locat ion: Jaisalmer, a former medieval t rading center and a princely st ate in t he western Indian st ate of Rajast han, in t he heart of t he Thar Desert . Know n as t he "Golden Cit y," it 's dist inguished by it s yellow sandstone architect ure.

Linus Guardian Escandor II is an Independent Photojournalist and Documentary Photographer currently living in Manila, Philippines. A self-taught photographer who has taken part in collective exhibitions in Bosnia, Berlin, France, London, New York, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. He focuses on themes of environment, health, social and human rights issues.

Linus Escandor II first worked as staff photographer of Manila Bulletin, one of the oldest and largest Philippine broadsheets, covering calamities, conflicts and politics, and, since 2016, has worked on assignment for international news organizations such as CNN International, Reuters, The European Press Agency, The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Zuma Press, Anadolu Agency, Red Bull, ESPN and La Vie/ Groupe Le Monde

"Our t rip in India can be described in t wo words, simply amazing."

- Linus Escandor II

"I think everything in life is art. W hat you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. W hat you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink tea. How you decorate your home.

Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How you?re writing looks.

And the way you feel.

Life is art."

Helena Bonham Carter

Photo by Ahmed Carter

Today, bot h brides and grooms put on mehndi designs to bring happiness and success into t heir marriage. Instead of doing it t he night before, t he mehndi is added days before as, according to superst it ion, t he darker t he color of t he henna, t he more love w ill develop bet ween t he t wo. https:// www.theskullandsword.com

Photo by Jayesh Jalodara

Body Art

The body as the medium

Body art is an expression in many forms. One of them is tattoos. The many kinds signify different meanings to different cultures. They made an impression on our modern era despite the practice is in fact ancient. W hat most of us fail to understand is that tattoos bring out the hidden part of a person and make them visible to the human eye. But in multitudes, they're not that easy to comprehend.

They are both a discovery to the bearer and the observer, a visual representation of an individual. To some, they are regarded as the windows to their soul on ink.

Tattoos date back many thousands of years and we have firm evidence that tattooing is an ancient art form after discoveries of tattoos on mummified skin were found. The oldest evidence of human tattoos is believed to be from between 3370 BC and 3100 BC. In 1991, a mummy of an Iceman was found, his body adorned with many tattoos of horizontal and vertical lines. His body was found to be at least 5,300 years old. Many people have different theories of what the tattoos symbolized and why they were there. The tattoos were located on various joints throughout the body and it is believed that the tattoos were used like acupuncture to relieve joint pain.

In India, colors, signs, shapes, and numbers are imbued with symbolism in both the Hindu and non-Hindu populations. For those who have devoted their life to religion, clothing and bodily markings are particularly important. From being used as a sign of status to jewelry-like markings, tattoos have been around in India since ancient times. But just how old this custom is, remains a mystery. From the dense, rain-soaked mountain jungles of the northeast to the dry deserts of Rann of Kutch in the far west, tattoos have not always been about beautifying the human body; they have been used for diverse reasons by different communities across the country.

Hindus regard the forehead as an especially pure part of the body. Hindu men and women wear markings on the forehead, women often adopting a red dot or small decoration known as a 'bindi'. The marks worn by holy men (ascetics) on the forehead are usually applied with the fingers although in the past they might have been burned into the skin. Alternatively, they may be applied with a stamp.

The tradition of tattooing was venerated across the agrarian and forested landscapes of India. The ancient maze-like carvings on prehistoric rocks were copied by tribal communities on their bodies. They called the process gudna (burying the needle in Hindi)and flaunted the markings as jewelry ? the kind of jewelry no one could take away from them even if they were to lose all their worldly possessions.

Across the world, getting a tattoo nowadays is seen as a sign of independence and rebellion. Many young people get inked to show who they are, their identity, and what makes them distinctive, Source: Pitt Rivers Museum Body Arts | Hindu facial markings http:// web.prm.ox.ac.uk/ , thebetterindia.com, authoritytattoo.com

Henna in Kolkat a Photo by Evan Clark

Tw o of t h e m ost com m on m ean in gs associat ed w it h t h e t iger t at t oo ar e pow er an d st r en gt h . In n at u r e, t h e t iger is t h e t op pr edat or in it s en vir on m en t . ... Th er ef or e, a t at t oo can r epr esen t a f r ee spir it or in depen den ce. Alon g w it h t h ese posit ive con n ot at ion s, t h e t iger can also sym bolize dan ger , ven gean ce, or pu n ish m en t . Th is Adam Levin e t iger t at t oo w as in spir ed by an am azin g book of Tibet an dr aw in gs accor din g t o People M agazin e. In Japan ese t r adit ion s, a t iger goin g dow n r epr esen t s am bit ion s an d det er m in at ion .

Photo: tattoo.com

Pr iyan k a Ch opr a h as t h e w or ds ?Daddy ?s Lil gir l? in h er f at h er ?s h an dw r it in g en gr aved n ear h er w r ist t o r epr esen t h er close r elat ion sh ip w it h h er f at h er .

Pr iyan k a lost h er f at h er t o can cer , w h o w as a f or m er su r geon . Th e act or descr ibed h er f at h er as som eon e w h o w as ever yt h in g sh e w an t ed t o be. "A per son I alw ays look ed u p t o, w it h a k in d, gen t le an d sen sit ive spir it ," sh e sh ar ed w it h People M agazin e.

Photo: zoomtventertainment.com

W hang-od Oggay turns

105 The oldest tattoo artist, Apo W hang-od celebrates her 105th birthday this February 17; she is a Filipina tattoo artist from Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines, and a member of an indigenous group that inhabited the mountains above the Chico River. W hang-od inked her first design at the age of 15, and nearly a century later, she's still giving charcoal-ink tattoos to visitors in her tiny village of Buscalan, using the thorn of a calamansi tree to draw intricate patterns, She's also looking to the future, training her niece and locals to carry on Kalinga tattooing traditions. She is often described as the "last" and oldest mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattooist) and is part of the Butbut people of the larger Kalinga ethnic group.

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 2.2 FEBRUARY, 2022 ISSUE