# Anuradha Goyal > Anuradha Goyal – Author, Speaker, Columnist, Blogger ## Posts - [Circle Of Life Through Mass and Class](https://anuradhagoyal.com/circle-of-life-through-mass-and-class/): In my five decades of life, I have seen my lifestyle oscillating between mass and class. What used to be common in my childhood became down-market, as new flashy things from the West became aspirational. But by the time my youth was making an exit, the same old things of my childhood were becoming elite and fashionable. Let me take a few mundane examples. Our grocery shopping used to be in cloth bags or thailas. We carried them to the store and re-used them till they were no longer usable. Then came the era of fancy plastic bags with store […] - [Who Does The City Really Belong To?](https://anuradhagoyal.com/who-does-the-city-belong-to/): Who does the city really belong to? Those who are born there, those who made it their home, those who migrate there to work and build a life, or those who work for it? Recently, I spent a few weekend mornings collaborating with The Ugly Indian team in cleaning a major traffic junction and footpaths close to my home in Bengaluru. Besides the aesthetic and hygienic changes around me, it made me meet fellow citymates who care enough to get their hands dirty on a morning they could have lazed around. As novices, we learnt to hold paint brushes, struggled […] - [Blurring Lines Between Public and Private](https://anuradhagoyal.com/blurring-lines-between-public-and-private/): As our digital personas grow and real-life ones shrink, the divide between what is public and what is private is blurring. As of now, it is leading to confusions, conflicts, outrages. Sometimes their magnitude drags the authorities to places where they do not belong naturally. When my parents’ generation decided to join Facebook, it took a lot of effort to convince them that not everyone on social media is your friend. Not every link is to be clicked, not every friend request to be accepted and, most importantly, not to treat the social media wall as your drawing room and […] - [Anaamdas ka Potha by Hazariprasad Dwivedi](https://anuradhagoyal.com/anaamdas-ka-potha-hazariprasad-dwivedi/): I have read a few books by Hazariprasad Dwivedi ji and would always remember his book on Kabir that gave me so many more insights into my favourite poet and his works. His book on Nath Sampradaya is like a research thesis on the subject. I picked up Anaamdas ka Potha thinking it would give me access to the oldest known works of Kabir but it turned out to be such a simple and yet profound story. Upanishads are said to be the most evolved literature of India and probably the world. It is not easy to understand them, as […] - [Panch Tattva Model for Quality of Life](https://anuradhagoyal.com/panch-tattva-model-for-quality-of-life/): Visuals of floods, landslides, broken bridges, traffic jams, floating cars, garbage piles dominate my screens as I sit down to write this column. As the disaster mode settles, we will again go back to language wars, caste debates and regional pride. We will let our political leadership dictate our debates—each faction working on proving the other more corrupt. What we forget is that all elected leaders are sent there to work for us—at least that’s the promise. We need to hold our public representatives, the bureaucratic structure that reports to them, and ourselves responsible for cleaning our pancha tattvas—the five […] - [Many Shades of Patriotism](https://anuradhagoyal.com/many-shades-of-patriotism/): Operation Sindoor brought out a million shades of patriotism. Most of us born after the 1971 war had not really seen a war. Yes, there was Kargil, but it was localised to the Kargil hills and most of India did not directly feel the heat of it. It also happened way before the ubiquity of cameras and media platforms that allow anyone to share videos, broadcast an opinion or draw out an analysis. I remember my father once said, “War can create stronger bonds than peace.” Now I have realised the truth in his words. Some young social media influencers […] - [Life Work Balance Is Need Of The Hour](https://anuradhagoyal.com/life-work-balance/): I see two sets of people around me. One overworked with no time for anything else, and the other hardly with any work. Both have their own challenges—one has no time to breathe and the other has all the time only to breathe. The first ones are the working-age group, mostly working in a corporate environment. This group spends long hours in traffic to reach their offices, where the employers expect them to work long hours so that stakeholders can be well rewarded. They spend their most youthful years, the 20s and 30s, slogging to earn a good life for […] - [Human Rights In The Era Of Dog Love](https://anuradhagoyal.com/human-rights-in-the-era-of-dog-love/): Sharing rotis with cows, dogs or birds before you eat yours is a principle that many Indians follow. Living harmoniously with animals naturally comes with defined boundaries. They do not enter your house and you take care of their basic food needs. However, in the last 2-3 decades, the way we live has dramatically changed. We no longer have houses with lawns and boundary walls. Most of us live in dense urban pockets with small common areas. These lead to conflicts, including defining the boundary beyond which animals become a safety threat and bring down the health and hygiene standards. […] - [Warp And Weft of Technology Evolution](https://anuradhagoyal.com/technology-evolution-cycles/): We are living in an era of abundant technology, when everything we do has a tech element in it. Next to divine forces, it’s technology that is all-pervasive. I wonder if it is a new-age manifestation of the divine or the latest mayajaal, a web of illusions to keep us trapped in this universe. Like living beings, technology keeps evolving, re-inventing itself and coming back in new avatars that it is not easy to keep pace with. You keep up at one end and can lag at another. Technology adoption cycles are interesting, as they can allow a laggard to […] - [The Kumbh Of Digital Spirituality](https://anuradhagoyal.com/digital-spirituality-landscape/): As the Kumbh Mela rumbles to a close this year, everyone is in grip of FOMO—fear of missing out—induced by influencers covering the fair. I, too, appeared on a podcast to talk about the spiritual significance of this 12-yearly mela and my experience of spending time at an earlier Kumbh. We spoke about the use of artificial intelligence and radio-frequency technologies this time of digital spirituality. Soon, all my screens were buzzing with ads of different apps promising a hassle-free trip to Prayagraj and luxury tent accommodations; some even assured home delivery of Ganga water from the Sangam in case […] - [Planning Your Life Beyond Work](https://anuradhagoyal.com/planning-your-life-beyond-work/): Stepping into the new calendar year means surfing through a barrage of forwarded new year greetings. Answering the ones personally addressed with a hint of originality, I was transported to childhood days when we used to write new year greetings on postcards to every family we knew. Then came the era of greeting cards that were sent with a personal note mentioning the names of all family members of both the sender and the receiver. Those with cameras would send a recent picture. This was a yearly contact with all the people who were part of our lives, personally or […] - [Visual Shouting of Pervasive Advertising](https://anuradhagoyal.com/visual-shouting-pervasive-advertising/): I was recently on a boat ride on the Ganga at Varanasi, nostalgically looking at the ghats—the most beautiful riverfront one can see for miles. The view was marred by bright advertisements of guest houses, sari shops and travel companies. Almost every boat had an advertisement painted on it—a jarring interruption in my spiritual sojourn that sent me back to where I came from. Our urban landscapes back home are full of advertisements. Once upon a time, we recognised taxis as black-and-yellow and autos as green-and-yellow; but now they sell all visible space on their vehicles to advertisers. The same […] - [The Environmental Cost Of Convenience](https://anuradhagoyal.com/environmental-cost-of-convenience/): On my morning walks in the university campus where I am a scholar-in-residence, I initially saw piles of waste everywhere. It is oldest living city in the world represented by the tallest leaders of our times; so the piles were disheartening. Media has worked overtime to convince us that the city has been cleaned, heightening my disappointment. However, within next few days, I saw sanitary workers filling their trucks with the garbage piled up on the roadside. The trucks would fill in no time, leaving leftover garbage on the streets. Constant observation made me realise that there is a limit […] - [Tackling The Source Of Problems](https://anuradhagoyal.com/tackling-the-source-of-problems/): Come elections, and newspaper front pages and social media timelines are full of new hospitals being launched or their foundation stones being laid, mostly in poll-bound states. Thousands of crores are being spent on these planned hospitals. On the face of it, it seems like a noble thing to do, much needed in society. However, what percentage of this are we spending on preventing the diseases? How much are we spending on eradicating the factors that cause these diseases, especially the ones that come due to chemical-infested food or lifestyle? We design cities and roads only for vehicles, close all […] - [Are We Prepared For Digital Accidents?](https://anuradhagoyal.com/are-we-prepared-for-digital-accidents/): A Microsoft glitch triggered by an update from its security partner Crowdstrike recently brought down computer systems around the world. While we noticed airports and banks going down, many big and small businesses were impacted and incurred substantial losses. It was a short-lived digital version of what we saw during the Covid pandemic. Digital Accidents we have endure? Analysis paralysis dominated the screens that were still working. Some blamed negligence on the part of the company, while others worked out a conspiracy theory in a jiffy. This could have been a simple glitch that could be both intentional and unintentional. […] - [Crowd Management To Avoid Stampedes](https://anuradhagoyal.com/crowd-management-to-avoid-stampedes/): The last thing I wanted to experience in the beautiful valley of Kashmir was getting struck in a traffic jam. Yet, that is exactly what I had to brave every time I stepped out to be at the venue for a Jammu and Kashmir tourism conclave I was speaking at, or to visit the temples in and around Srinagar. At the tourism conclave, the topics of concern included meeting the heightened needs of tourists—from accommodation and transportation to development of new destinations and dealing with the waste they leave behind. Problem of plenty – when the demand is way higher […] - [A Mundane Wishlist For Modi 3.0](https://anuradhagoyal.com/mundane-wishlist-for-modi-3-0/): With the cacophony of the elections settled, the Modi-led NDA or Modi 3.0 has started its third stint and second decade in power. Let me take this opportunity to ask for some mundane things that seem to have been missed in plain sight, but would give instant relief to a large section of common Indian citizens. Make all government websites more secure with an updated security certificate. As a small website owner, I ensure that my site is safe for my visitors even when there is no data collection or financial transactions done. GoI websites are responsible for providing first-hand, […] - [Redefining Brahmacharya For The New Age](https://anuradhagoyal.com/redefining-brahmacharya-for-the-new-age/): It is easy to tempt anyone on diet to have a samosa or a piece of cake at a birthday party, but it is impossible to make a person on fast eat anything that their fast does not allow. This is how culture works. Applying old frameworks to new-age problems and situations can sometimes provide us simple solutions. This is especially true for the problems that come from innate human nature, that remain unchanged in this ever-changing world. Every time I see people struggling to lose weight or build a healthy habit by following influencers or reading online, I am […] - [A Case Against Automated Voice Messages](https://anuradhagoyal.com/case-against-automated-voice-messages-ivr/): A deluge of automated voice messages is the latest menace we all are facing. A series of numbers starting with 713xx is used solely to send you voice-recorded messages at any time of the day, including early morning. You can keep blocking the numbers, but they will keep coming back with a different one. What do these messages say? The one I receive most often says they are from the ministry of home affairs and calling for a Swachhata Sarvekshan or cleanliness survey. If only I could answer them, I would tell them how they spoil my peace of mind […] - [Chaitra – Time For Nava Samvatsara](https://anuradhagoyal.com/chaitra-time-for-nava-samvatsara/): Chaitra – the first month of the Indian Hindu Calendar derives its name from Chitra Nakshatra, in which the full moon will shine. Any new beginning, even if it is the annual revolution of the Earth around the Sun must start with a celebration. No wonder then this is a time of celebration across the country. Chaitra – Nava Samvatsara or New Year Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana celebrate it as Ugadi. Which comes from the word Yugadi – the beginning of a new Yuga. Yuga here refers to the new year. Maharashtra celebrates it as Gudi Padwa. You would see […] - [Delicate Balance of Gender Roles](https://anuradhagoyal.com/delicate-balance-of-gender-roles/): Come March and every woman has her inbox full of invites for attending women’s day events, discounts for purchases to pamper oneself and, sometimes, awards to recognise our achievements. Organisations try their best to make their women employees feel special using gifts and celebrations. At the few events that I participated in, I got to hear a lot of women—mostly successful women from the corporate world and entrepreneurs. Sometimes a film actor, performing artists or sports professionals joined in, but I would also call them solopreneurs for this conversation. Not many men were on the stage, in some cases they […] - [Saundarya Ki Nadi Narmada by Amritlal Vegad](https://anuradhagoyal.com/saundarya-ki-nadi-narmada-amritlal-vegad/): Narmada Parikrama has been on my mind for quite some time now. I read about it in some scriptures and then a lot on internet. Someone recommended reading Saundarya Ki Nadi Narmada by Amritlal Vegad. It took me someone to get my hands on this book but I can not thank enough the person who recommended it. It is a masterpiece. Amritlal Vegad ji did the Narmada Parikrima or parkampa as it is mentioned in the book in parts and partially but still this book is a must read. One of the reasons for this is that he did the […] - [Slow Return Of The Indian Joint Family](https://anuradhagoyal.com/slow-return-of-the-indian-joint-family/): Indian Joint family living in palatial houses is now a stuff of fiction. A few generations back, it was the norm. In fact, the big houses were built keeping in mind the growing family, which it was assumed would live together. One or two members may step out and settle faraway, but most people stuck together. This was especially true for business families, as they were tied both personally and professionally. Post independence, migration to urban India and then to the western world became a trend. So people flooded to cities like Delhi and Mumbai in search of livelihood. Those […] - [Innovating For The Spiritual Economy](https://anuradhagoyal.com/innovating-for-spiritual-economy/): On the day of pran pratishtha at the Ram mandir in Ayodhya, I was on a roadd trip. I saw every big and small temple celebrating it with yagna, kirtana, paath and bhandaras. Every home, shop and temple were lit up with lamps in the evening. It felt like Ayodhya has expanded itself to cover the entire expanse of Bharat. It is a spiritual resurgence like none of my generation or maybe the post-independence generations have seen. Spiritual economy would follow. With all cameras focused on Ayodhya, I was reminded of the dusty little town on the banks of Sarayu that I walked around […] - [Conference Planning Needs A Conference](https://anuradhagoyal.com/conference-planning-needs-a-conference/): The G20 summit last year brought a flurry of high-visibility conferences around India. Since the 1990s’ economic liberalisation, conferences have dominated the corporate world. They are an excellent way for industry experts to come together and share their knowledge, dwell on challenges, provide and seek support, and network for new opportunities. Then came the Jaipur Literature Festival, which brought authors and readers to the same space and made them interact. Both sides loved it so much that every nook of India now has a literature festival. I have been to a few of them as a speaker and a few […] - [Sati – An Evaluation during Colonial Times by Dr Meenakshi Jain](https://anuradhagoyal.com/sati-during-colonial-times-meenakshi-jain/): Sati is one of the most uncomfortable topics for Indians. My school textbooks told me that this was an evil practice ended by benevolent British officers who ruled us. It gave me the impression that every woman burnt on her husband’s pyre. I looked at my widowed grandmother, the person I was closest to, and wondered if she was saved because of the law enacted by the Britishers. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was another figure that my textbooks told me to be thankful to. So, I grew up believing all this. As I traveled around, I discovered Sati stones in […] - [Uniforms Designed for Identity And Comfort](https://anuradhagoyal.com/uinforms-identity-comfort/): Sitting outside the ICU in a hospital had me talking to the young security guard on duty there. Her job primarily was to ensure that impatient attendants of the patients do not unnecessarily enter ICU, and when they do go, they wear the proper attire. Sharing her life story and challenges, she mentioned the discomfort of wearing tight-fitting shirts and pants, hospitals norm for uniforms. She spoke how she wore a sari or a suit from home and changed in the hospital for her duty. She felt shy socially and found the uniform uncomfortable. As she showed me her beautiful […] - [Navagraha Purana by V S Rao](https://anuradhagoyal.com/navagraha-purana-v-s-rao/): Navagraha Purana was on my reading list since I started learning astrology. Navagraha or the nine planets are the basis of all astrology, all over the world. So having a good understanding of them is the first step in understanding the very concepts of astrology. One of my favorite astrologers always says that planets behave just the way we humans do. We are happy with our friends, unhappy with our enemies and neutral to those who are neutral to us. So, it is important not just to understand the basic nature of planets but also their interrelationships. Our scriptures tell […] - [The disproportionate influence of Bollywood](https://anuradhagoyal.com/bollywood-disproportionate-influence/): Ganesh utsav and Navratri brought in the festive season and, along with them, the DJ parties featuring popular Bollywood dance numbers. It set me thinking on the level of intrusion in our lives that we have allowed this one industry. Film and television is one of the most visible industries today. Only cricketers and politicians can probably get close to that level of visibility. Like any other industry, it provides employment to many creative, technical and business professionals. It plays an important role in the society. They entertain us and allow us to be happy, to be away from everyday […] - [Mobile Phone - A Parrot in my Pocket](https://anuradhagoyal.com/mobile-phone-parrot-in-my-pocket/): My mobile suddenly stopped working as I tried clicking a fountain on my evening walk at a lake. No tactics could bring it back to life. Till I reached home and reconnected using an alternative phone, a million thoughts, and a zillion fears crossed my mind. The situation was slightly better than the Mobile Phone – A Parrot in my Pocket, being stolen or lost. That would have involved visiting a police station, filing an FIR, dealing with the service provider to disable services, and the potential risk of misuse of personal data besides privacy issues like identity theft and […] - [Pre-Pay For All Your Troubles](https://anuradhagoyal.com/pre-pay-for-all-your-troubles/): My water purifier, endorsed by no less than a Bharat Ratna, went kaput. None responded to our service request on the App, the only point of contact. When he did show up, the service guy was from another company and, hence, didn’t take any responsibility for the delay in service. Calls to the customer care number said they entertain only sales queries. Pre-pay was the only option to use their services. A couple of years back, a high-end television from the biggest Japanese brand in India had a problem with its power unit. The company was legally responsible for supplying […] - [The Taxing Life Of Solopreneurs](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-taxing-life-of-solopreneurs/): It is that time of the year when we solopreneurs ensure that the tax deducted at source matches the one in the 26 AS statement. My taxes are deducted throughout the year as I receive payments. Still, the final updates in the income tax records usually happen around June or even July, when the last date for filing returns is close enough. As a small solopreneur, I am ready with all my data in April. After that, it is all about waiting and chasing. Usually, waiting happens in the case of banks, which, despite all the automation, take their time […] - [Overhaul That Aviation Industry Needs](https://anuradhagoyal.com/overhaul-that-aviation-industry-needs/): Social media is full of airline woes – unreasonable fares, no refunds, overpriced food, canceled flights, and an attempt to sell every possible seat and anything that can be commoditized. Buying a ticket does not guarantee a flight, seat, or class you booked. At the same time, airlines or the aviation industry are not making great profits. Flying has changed greatly in the last few decades, from being an elite privilege to mass transportation, just like buses and trains. If the number of airports and airport capacity has multiplied in the last decade, the number of air travelers has increased […] - [Addressing The Mess Of Big Data](https://anuradhagoyal.com/addressing-the-mess-of-big-data/): Moving from Goa to Bangalore meant interacting with various agencies to update my address. In my head, I just had to update my Aadhaar card, and the rest should be a cakewalk. Well, not really. Big Data is not that simple to update. Addressing The Mess Of Big Data It all began when I uploaded the electricity bill to update my Aadhaar. It was rejected instantly. BESCOM still carries an old address format and an even older PIN code leading to a mismatch. Banking Update My bank’s relationship manager stepped in to update my communication address using biometric authentication. It […] - [Biography of Lala Shri Ram by Sonu Bhasin](https://anuradhagoyal.com/lala-shri-ram-biography-sonu-bhasin/): Shri Ram College of Commerce, Lady Shri Ram College, Modern School, and Sri Ram Center for Performing Arts are reputed institutions of Delhi. Not many of them connect the dots to the man behind all of them – Lala Shri Ram. He was one of the pioneering industrialists of Delhi. In this Biography of Lala Shri Ram by Sonu Bhasin, I got to learn a few things. It talks about the entrepreneurial atmosphere in North India in the early 20th CE. Then, there are always lessons from the life of a businessman who created many enterprises and institutions. Biography of […] - [Night Economy In India Needs An Indic Way](https://anuradhagoyal.com/night-economy-in-india-opinion/): Around midnight, struck in traffic on my way home from the airport, I read about our policy planners trying to create a vibrant night economy in major cities. Last year Delhi government announced its intent to develop Night Economy. It means economic activities beyond the regular daytime working hours. Inspiration comes from London and New York, that attribute 6-8% of their economy to night-time hours, primarily from restaurants, pubs and entertainment options. Do we need night economy? The argument is that it will create new jobs and business activity. I think the increase would be marginal as most of these […] - [Where is my walking space in the city?](https://anuradhagoyal.com/where-is-my-walking-space-in-the-city/): ‘Walking around’ is my most beautiful memory from my few days in cities like Vancouver, Victoria or London. You can walk a few blocks for everyday needs, work, or admire the surroundings or seasons using the ample walking space. Walking is also my favourite way to explore a destination, especially in the mornings. Of the 15-odd cities and towns I have lived in India, the most walkable were the army cantonments I grew up in. Panaji in Goa is perfect for walking. You can walk along the river or market without the nearby traffic bothering you. Unfortunately, the hot and […] - [Money Matters in Mahabharata](https://anuradhagoyal.com/money-matters-in-mahabharata/): In Mahabharata, When the Pandavas enter the forest to spend 13 years after the game of dice, they are disappointed. Draupadi and Bheema blame Yudhishtira for their condition and loss of the money, wealth, riches and kingdom. Yudhisthira is feeling guilty of this but he is so dedicated to following his dharma that he just accepts their condition. Shaunak Muni quotes Janak of Mithila, and tells different life lessons to Yudhisthira that has lot of wisdom on money matters. Let’s look at some of them. Just like living being fear death, a wealthy person is always afraid of the King, […] - [Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel](https://anuradhagoyal.com/psychology-of-money-by-morgan-housel/): Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel is a recent bestseller. It deserves to be one. As the book itself says, it does have its share of destiny associated with it. It is well timed with two viral words of the day – Psychology and Money. Who does not want to understand the mindset to make more money. Thankfully, the book does not give a single pill to make money and quickly become rich. Buy Pshycology of Money at Amazon Using excellent storytelling, it helps you understand what money means to you – personally and as society. It then tells you […] - [Maya MahaThagini Hum Jani - Kabir](https://anuradhagoyal.com/maya-mahathagini-hum-jani-kabir/): माया महा ठगनी हम जानी तिरगुन फांस लिए कर डोले, बोले मधुरे बानी केसव के कमला होई बैठी, शिव के भवन भवानी पंडा के मूरत होई बैठीं, तीरथ में भई पानी योगी के योगिनी होई बैठी, राजा के घर रानी काहू के हीरा बन बैठी, काहू के कौड़ी कानी भगतन की भगतिनी होई बैठी, ब्रह्मा के ब्रह्माणी कहे कबीर सुनो भई साधो, यह सब अकथ कहानी Maya is the biggest con I know of She roams around with three guna trap you in her hand, & speaks the sweetest words At Keshav’s home she lives as Kamala, at Shiva’s as […] - [Pilgrimage Versus Tourism We Must Understand](https://anuradhagoyal.com/pilgrimage-versus-tourism-difference/): We often hear of the Jain community in business papers, at economic events and in the start-up world –- the world of wealth and business. Or we know them for their simple, non-violent living and vegetarian food. I often end up choosing Jain meals during my travels. They were trending of late on social media platforms, protesting to save Sammed Shikhaji – a sacred hill where 20 of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras took Nirvana. The government wanted to convert it into an ecotourism hub, threatening the hill’s religious sanctity. Incidentally, such transformation often gets interpreted as a place where non-vegetarian […] - [Gift Economy - Not That Mug or T-Shirt Please!](https://anuradhagoyal.com/gift-economy-of-india/): We have just strolled past the peak season of gifting. On the one hand,  advertisements served us a bouquet of options to pick gifts from, leaving us tempted at the very least. On the other, almost everyone in the corporate world was struggling to find a gift as a secret Santa while curious about the gift they would receive. Can the Gift Economy suppliers and planners be creative, and thoughtful? My shelves are filled with gifts – mostly mementos from conferences and seminars I took part in. There are coffee mugs that I end up using as pen stands. T-shirts […] - [Anger and Forgiveness - Mahabharata Stories](https://anuradhagoyal.com/anger-and-forgiveness-mahabharata-stories/): If I ask you which is better between Anger and Forgiveness, more often than not you would choose to say – Forgiveness. Is that not what we have been taught – To err is human, to forgive the Divine? Anger and Forgiveness – Which is Better? In the 3rd Section or Vana Parva of Mahabharat, when Pandavas have been defeated in the game of dice, they go to live in the forest for 12 years. After sending back all those who accompanied them to the forest, those who visited them like Krishna and Drishtdyuman, they settle near the beautiful lake […] - [Diabetics Of India Need Serious Innovation](https://anuradhagoyal.com/diabetics-of-india-need-serious-innovation/): Don’t travel too much, said my doctor. The reason was unhealthy food and a disturbed eating schedule. Well, I can’t disagree with her. It is not easy to get simple, home-like food while travelling. And yes, most days, your eating schedule goes for a toss, even if you travel for well-organised events like conferences or literature festivals. Both factors directly impact health and especially for diabetics of India like me. Roughly 10% of the Indian population is diabetic. After age adjustment, the prevalence in the adult population would be far more. Add to it the undetected cases, and our diabetic […] - [Persistent Pain of Dynamic Pricing](https://anuradhagoyal.com/persistent-pain-of-dynamic-pricing/): Everyday groceries are what I carried for my friends in London every time I visited them from my small town outside the city limits of London. Cost of the same product used to be substantially lower in my small town in the same superstores. About two decades ago, this was my introduction to dynamic pricing, which has different price points for different customers at different times. Around the same time, back home, Air Deccan introduced us to the idea of Re 1/- flight tickets. People spent hours on their website hoping to get a nearly free ticket. This also meant […] - [Unemployment, Moonlighting, Quiet Quitting](https://anuradhagoyal.com/unemployment-moonlighting-quiet-quitting/): Unemployment always makes headlines in India. As a student, it mattered a lot as employability defined the life ahead for most of us. I was fortunate to get my first job through campus placement, so I have never really experienced unemployment. My generation saw a boom in businesses post-liberalization, followed by the rise of startups and the celebration of entrepreneurship. However, the political news never divorced itself from unemployment. A section of society was always looking for jobs, particularly government jobs. Juggling Unemployment, Moonlighting, and Quiet Quitting Come to the pandemic pause, many things changed irreversibly for us. Those who […] - [My Life in Full by Indra Nooyi](https://anuradhagoyal.com/my-life-in-full-indra-nooyi/): I have always admired Indra Nooyi for many reasons. I share my birthday with her. Having worked for Coca-Cola I understand the world of Pepsi, even when I was trained to look at it as a competitor. So, it was time to read her biography, My Life in Full, which I assumed is an autobiography till I read the acknowledgments section. Written in a chronological fashion, My Life in Full, her story begins in Chennai in a middle-class joint or she says, a multi-generational Brahmin family. She begins by explaining what it meant to be Brahmin – it meant limited […] - [The Saga of Over Communication](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-saga-of-over-communication/): Two books ordered from a local e-commerce portal started their journey from two different cities to my humble abode in Bengaluru. From the moment I placed the order to the delivery time, I received 28 emails, as many SMSs, if not more, and some WhatsApp messages. This over-communication is not counting the spam emails I will receive to push other products the portal sells. I was informed of every movement of the books until they were delivered, followed by delivery confirmation and finally a feedback request on the delivery process and then on the product. Saga of Over-Communication Email volume […] - [Where have all the Cotton Garments gone?](https://anuradhagoyal.com/indian-cotton-garments/): At a shopping mall in Bengaluru, I was searching for cotton garments that I could wear every day. However, I returned home with barely anything—almost empty-handed! Pure cotton garments, especially innerwear, are difficult to find. Those garments that are ‘cotton’ also have some percentage of synthetic material mixed that is usually mentioned in fine print on the label. When I asked Twitterati about cotton brands other than FabIndia, the choices were really limited. Those who suggested khadi ashram have never really visited it. This made me think about the missing cotton and its journey, from humble and ubiquitous to premium and elite. […] - [Lala Company by Rajiv Gupta](https://anuradhagoyal.com/lala-company-by-rajiv-gupta/): The Good Indian Employee’s Guide to Survive a Lala Company is the full name of the book by Rajiv Gupta. The author’s name is as common as the Lala companies which contribute 70% of the GDP in India. I picked this book up to understand the nuances of family-run businesses. The choice of title and the cover image did tell me that it is a rather satirical take on the Lala companies. As a reader, you do enjoy books that tell you the serious issues in a lighter vein. I was still looking for insights and did I get any […] - [Long-form content in the age of Reels and Shorts](https://anuradhagoyal.com/long-form-content-in-the-age-of-reels-and-shorts/): I have been creating digital content since 2004, from the time when blogging was a new tool and none of us knew what the future held for it. Many platforms, tools, and trends have come and gone in these 18 years. Only a few managed to sustain themselves in the long run. Most bloggers have also transformed into Instagrammers—those good with visuals become YouTubers—who find it easier to shoot than writing, and podcasters. We have always been a society that loves to listen rather than read. Then there are micro-blogging platforms like Twitter and Koo that let you say something […] - [6 Must Read Books To Enrich Your Life & Be Successful](https://anuradhagoyal.com/must-read-books-for-life/): No, I am not giving you another list of 5 Books you must read. I do not believe there is a single list that fits any two persons on this earth. The books we like to read, depend on who we are, what we like, what we want to read for, and what are overall goals in life are. I can definitely share my tips on some of the books that you can read to know more about yourself, your world, and this world we inhabit.  This is not a book list but categories of books that you can read. […] - [Startup Premier League: Investors vs customers](https://anuradhagoyal.com/startup-premier-league-investors-vs-customers/): For various reasons, emails from start-up founders reach my mailbox. Some want to work with me as bloggers, some just want to bounce ideas, and by some stretch of imagination, some want me to invest in their businesses or be their brand ambassador. I enjoy listening to new ideas and business models so at times we end up talking and it made me think about Startup Premier League. Last week a founder wrote to me identifying himself by his company name. He insisted he will reveal details only on a call, and his perseverance had us talking. Since I am […] - [Lotus In The Stone Review by Ananya Ganesh](https://anuradhagoyal.com/lotus-in-the-stone-review-ananya-ganesh/): This is a review of Lotus In The Stone by teenager Ananya Ganesh.  Lotus In The Stone was recommended to me by my mother, who read it on a flight, loved it, and decided she would discreetly leave it in my bedroom – and then not-so-discreetly ask me if I was finished reading it every five seconds. I did finish reading it, albeit later than she probably expected me to, and I found some aspects of the book so interesting that they were worth commenting upon. To begin with, I must say I loved the writing and the tone of […] - [The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-courage-to-be-disliked-by-ichiro-kishimi-fumitake-koga/): The courage to be disliked appeared on my Twitter timeline sometime ago. A quick look online told me it is one of the bestselling books. However, what intrigued me was its title. Once I started reading it, I was introduced to Alfred Adler, a psychologist contemporary of Freud and Jung but rarely known outside the psychology circles. His approach is contrarian to the other two. He sees the future independent of the past and interpersonal relationships at the core of our joys and sorrows. It denies theories around trauma. I also assume there is a fair bit of Judaism inbuilt […] - [India’s Sunshine Moment in Public Technology Leadership](https://anuradhagoyal.com/india-public-technology-leadership/): Why has India not produced a Google or Twitter or Amazon? It is a question that has been asked a million times, with no convincing answer ever found. Well, all the big digital product companies primarily flourished in the West, which had the right breeding conditions for them. The rest of the world became a consumer and beneficiaries of these technologies. India’s first defining moment in its new-age technology journey came around the turn of the millennium when we helped the world deal with the infamous Y2K problem. The next moment came about a decade later when the first-generation digital […] - [Abundant opportunities in silk to weave](https://anuradhagoyal.com/opportunities-in-silk-to-weave/): India is the biggest consumer of silk and the second-largest producer of it. The silk industry must thank the women of India for their eternal love for the fiber as saris remain the biggest driver of consumption. The use of silks is intricately woven into our religious and social rituals, be it our weddings or temple customs, thus ensuring a regular demand for the fabric. While China remains the biggest producer of silk, India has its own indigenous varieties, mostly wild silk, collectively called Vanya silk. It includes Tussar silk from the Tussar Belt in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh […] - [My Experiments with Gandhi Marg by Dr. Virendra Singh](https://anuradhagoyal.com/my-experiments-with-gandhi-marg-dr-virendra-singh/): Gandhi Marg or the path of Gandhi usually refers to the experiments that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi did during his lifetime. He even used the word experiment to title his autobiography. Now the author of this book was inspired by a Katha or a story that he heard about Gandhi ji. He liked the process by which Gandhi ji ensured that he never repeats the same mistake. For this, he used a stepwise process. Author Virendra Singh has simplified that process to a three-step process, where every time you commit a mistake, you accept it, you commit to not repeat it […] - [Decoding the logic in the logistics sector](https://anuradhagoyal.com/decoding-the-logic-in-the-logistics-sector/): When we wrote letters on blue envelopes or sent new year greeting cards, the post office was the only way to send them far and near. Postman, our link to our world, was a much-awaited man. Growing up in small towns, my father would explain how our post would go from our small town to the nearest big town, then the big city, to be sent to the big city closest to the destination, then to the nearest big town, further to the closest post office before it is finally hand-delivered by the postman. I later learned that this model […] - [Gujarmal Modi – Entrepreneurs who built India by Sonu Bhasin](https://anuradhagoyal.com/gujarmal-modi-entrepreneurs-sonu-bhasin/): Not many of us have heard the name Gujarmal Modi unless someone in the family had a connection with the businessman. Those of us who have lived in Delhi and Western UP, know of Modinagar which was not just established by him but is also named after him. I remember it more for the mandatory Jain Shikanji stop during my Delhi – Meerut trips. The biography of Gyjarmal Modi is part of a series called ‘Entrepreneurs Who Built India’ by Sonu Bhasin. I think it is a great idea to write this series on lesser-known but important businessmen of India, […] - [How well are we using what we have?](https://anuradhagoyal.com/how-well-are-we-using-what-we-have/): Maintaining an existing water tank earns you a bigger punya than constructing a new one, said a Purana I was reading as it listed the various deeds that earn you spiritual merits and demerits. I looked back at my life lived in 10 states and 15 cities of the country and all I remember is India under construction. No matter where I lived, there was construction going around, be it houses, public buildings, roads, flyovers or bridges. I have often wondered if I would ever live peacefully without the noise and dust of construction. This quote made me think about the onslaught of infrastructure […] - [In Defence Of Small Businesses, Dear Sharks!](https://anuradhagoyal.com/in-defence-of-small-businesses-dear-sharks/): This article In Defence Of Small Businesses, Dear Sharks! by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on Feb 07, 2022. I have been binge-watching Shark Tank India. It comes as a breath of fresh air for multiple reasons. The biggest of them is the fact that it is one of the rare shows on television without the essential tadka of Bollywood. Second, even with a bit of drama created for TV, it is infusing the viewers with ideas, giving them a glimpse into the world of business, and how investors think and act. I […] - [The Fearless Traveller by Monica Mahajan](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-fearless-traveller-monica-mahajan/): Health is the foremost and the most important thing that one needs to be a fearless traveller. Now, who better than a medical doctor to tell us all about staying healthy while traveling. Add to this the fact that she is also an avid traveler who loves to go on road trips. Watch the Insta Live we did with her some days back. The book is like a reference book for travelers. It covers all possible medical situations that we can land into during our travels. The author starts by introducing you to the form of traveling. If required she […] - [Gyanganj by Gopinath Kaviraj - Hindi Book Review](https://anuradhagoyal.com/gyanganj-by-gopinath-kaviraj/): I came across the works of Sh Gopinath Kaviraj ji while looking for the work of Indian scholars on Tantra. It is with a deep sense of being ignorant, I have to admit that I did not know about him and his work till a few months back. He was the author of many books on Tantra, a renowned Sanskrit scholar who was awarded both Padma Bhushan as well as Sahitya academy awards. In 1988, even a postage stamp was issued commemorating him. Gyanganj is one of his famous works that talk about the subtle ashrams that exist on earth […] - [13 Lessons from The Making of Hero by Sunil Munjal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-making-of-hero-sunil-kant-munjal/): The Making of Hero by Sunil Kant Munjal is a lovely book. After a long time, I picked up a business book to read. I was keen to read to find insights into the traditional practices of Indian businesses. I know that Hero group is a family-run business, or at least it was for the larger part of its lifetime. It is also a business that came up post-independence. Munjal family came to this side of Punjab as refugees from newly formed Pakistan. Like with most such families, they started everything Ab Initio, and not once but multiple times. I […] - [The Vegetarian In Every Non-Vegetarian](https://anuradhagoyal.com/vegetarian-in-every-non-vegetarian/): This article The Vegetarian In Every Non-Vegetarian by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on December 29, 2021. Vegetarian In Every Non-Vegetarian Delhi High Court recently directed that all food businesses must explicitly specify all that goes into the food. This is to ensure that vegetarian food is indeed vegetarian. It emphasizes that the consumers have the right to know if the ingredients originate from plants or animals, or if they are laboratory manufactured. That too, irrespective of the quantity that goes into the final product. This essentially means that even a speck of […] - [Revisiting Educational Heritage of India - Sahana Singh](https://anuradhagoyal.com/revisiting-educational-heritage-of-india-sahana-singh/): Revisiting the Educational Heritage looks at different dimensions of Indian education as it was practiced in India. Today we equate education with what was set up by the Europeans to prepare employees for doing mundane clerical work. It is a one size fit all education that rarely focuses on making the students think. The book begins by taking the reader on a whirlwind trip of ancient universities spread across the geography of Bharat. I say Bharat as it includes the regions that fall outside the current political boundaries of India. As a traveler, I loved reading this. My visit to […] - [Kabir Kabir by Purushottam Agrawal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/kabir-kabir-by-purushottam-agrawal/): Kabir Kabir is an abridged and simplified translation of ‘Akath Kahani Prem ki’ by Purushottam Agrawal. I loved reading his Hindi book. It gave me many more lenses to not just read Kabir but also how to read poets of another era. Till I had this English book in my hand, I did not realize it is the same book. Anyway, it is about Kabir, so I had to read it. In the review, a comparison of the two books is inevitable. The Hindi book is obviously way better than the English one, so without a doubt pick that if […] - [Planning India's demographic shift towards Elderly](https://anuradhagoyal.com/planning-indias-demographic-shift-towards-elderly/): This article Planning India’s demographic shift towards Elderly by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on December 06, 2021. All these years, we heard of India’s demographic dividend, referring to our higher percentage of the young working-age group population, especially when compared to the aging developed economies. Ample debates argued for and against population being a problem or an advantage. What we now need to focus on is the future of this young generation that is steadily moving towards old age. As per 2019 data, India had about 139 million people above the age […] - [On a Voyage with the Greats by Satyendra Singh](https://anuradhagoyal.com/on-a-voyage-with-the-greats-satyendra-singh/): On a Voyage with the Greats takes you on a journey with three great leaders of India. Satyendra Singh literally takes you on a journey with Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. No, it is not their life journey, but a crucial journey that was turning points in their lives. Remember, all three of them were travelers whose lives can be told through the lens of their travels. The author has chosen one journey for each of these leaders. He in fact invites the readers to hop in and join in the journey. Before that, he sets […] - [Ayodhya – An Opportunity for Indic Model of Tourism](https://anuradhagoyal.com/ayodhya-opportunity-for-indic-model-of-tourism/): This article Ayodhya – An Opportunity for Indic Model of Tourism by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on November 08, 2021. Ayodhya – Opportunity for Indic Model of Tourism Visuals of millions of lamps lighting up the city of Ayodhya make our hearts swell with emotions. Do we all not celebrate Diwali because it was first celebrated in Ayodhya, many eons ago. Ayodhya is standing at an important juncture in its history. Traditionally tourism in India was driven by the pilgrim towns like Ayodhya, Kanchi, and Kashi. Pilgrims regularly visited them following a calendar […] - [Naked by Papa CJ - Memoirs of a Comedian](https://anuradhagoyal.com/naked-by-papa-cj-memoirs/): I picked up Naked by Papa CJ when it was put up for free reading by its publishers. I vaguely knew of Papa CJ as a comedian. But had never seen him perform, not even on the web. I only remember him on TV one day saying no one can figure out his real name. That needs some talent in these times of hyper-connectivity. However, I must admit that by the time I finished reading his first chapter I knew what J in his name stood for. A little later I discovered I was right. That’s not my talent but […] - [Airlines and the Art of Complicating Things](https://anuradhagoyal.com/airlines-art-of-complicating-things/): This article Airlines and the Art of Complicating Things by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on October 08, 2021. Airlines and the Art of Complicating Things Once upon a time, all I had to do was to buy a flight ticket from a travel agent and reach the airport in time. Everything else was taken care of by the airline staff. Today, with extreme automation, I am not only doing more than half the work of the airline industry. From buying my own ticket to checking in myself, but also dealing with their […] - [Vedic Physics by Raja Ram Mohan Roy](https://anuradhagoyal.com/vedic-physics-raja-ram-mohan-roy/): Vedic Physics was intriguing for me both as a student of Physics and as a student of Indian scriptures. Once you start reading Indian Scriptures, you do discover a whole lot of scientific principles and concepts. In fact, most independent researchers who are trying to decipher the science in Indian scriptures come from the discipline of Physics. I guess it is easier to understand the nature of microscopic and as well as an astronomical phenomenon when you understand particle physics at macroscopic levels and at the same time big bang theory. So, I downloaded Vedic Physics as soon as it […] - [Amar Bhushan: Terror in Islamabad, The Zero Cost Mission, The Wily Agent](https://anuradhagoyal.com/terror-in-islamabad-zero-cost-mission-wily-agent-amar-bhushan/): Terror in Islamabad, The Zero Cost Mission, and The Wiley Agent by Amar Bhushan are three small books that are fiction inspired by real-life stories. While reading, I wondered what is fiction and what is not, most of it sounds too real. The stories are based in two neighboring countries that were part of India till sometime back. The spy stories between them make for curious reading. Terror in Islamabad by Amar Bhushan Terror in Islamabad is something that we take for granted, nothing that surprises us in India. So, what new things would this book tell us was my […] - [Invoking the Culture of Water in India](https://anuradhagoyal.com/culture-of-water-in-india/): This article Invoking the Culture of Water in India by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on September 13, 2021. Puri becomes the first city in India to provide quality drinking water in taps was the headline in most newspapers recently. Everyone congratulated the Odisha Government and rightly so. Puri is one of the most visited destinations in the country. Visiting population ends up using packaged water both due to availability as well as safety reasons – perceived or real. It almost seems like a dream to drink straight from the tap, at least […] - [The Greatest Ode to Lord Ram by Pavan K Varma](https://anuradhagoyal.com/greatest-ode-to-lord-ram-pavan-k-varma/): The Greatest Ode to Lord Ram is a slice of Ramcharitmanas, the magnum opus of Goswami Tulsidas. The slice has been chosen by noted author Pavan Varma, who knows it very well how much an average reader can chew and digest. Ideally, I and I am sure the author of this book would like the readers in this country to read the whole of Ramcharitmanas. Sadly, we also know that not many people are inclined to read the original, mostly because it seems too voluminous. It is one of the simplest books to read from the library of Indic literature, […] - [An Open Letter to Ma Anand Sheela - By My Own Rules](https://anuradhagoyal.com/by-my-own-rules-ma-anand-sheela/): This review is an open letter to Ma Anand Sheela, the author of By My Own Rules. I had earlier read her book Don’t Kill Him way back in 2013. I loved reading it and went on to interview her over email. She was candid and honest with her answers. I feel I can have a conversation with her, even though we have interacted just once on email many years ago. Namaste Sheela ji, I am not sure if you remember interacting with me in 2013 after your book Don’t Kill Him was released in India. I remember it very […] - [Indus Valley Heritage in India - Sindhu Sarasvati](https://anuradhagoyal.com/indus-valley-heritage-india/): Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have been on my wish list since I read about them in my school textbooks. Despite being right next door, they are not the easiest place to visit for an Indian. I still hope that I would be able to visit them one day. The news of Dholavira getting the much-deserved UNESCO World Heritage Site tag made me think of the Sindhu Sarasvati Valley or Indus Valley civilization heritage we have in India. Most of it can be found in the museums across the country on display as proud remnants of a highly developed civilization of which […] - [Akath Kahani Prem Ki by Purushottam Agrawal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/akath-kahani-prem-ki-purushottam-agrawal/): Akath Kahani Prem ki takes a look at the times Kabir lived in, a time that is good five centuries away from us. It is a time that is seen through the imagination of those who chose to write about Kabir and whatever they could gather from his poetry. A lot of these lenses also belong to our times, where we imagine the society was similar in his times. We assume that everyone was poor forgetting that it was 19th CE that led us to the level of poverty where people died of hunger. We also assume that if people […] - [The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-forty-rules-of-love-elif-shafak/): The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak kept popping up on my social media timelines, in the books-related forum I am part of. Almost everyone who had read the book fell in love with it. Why not? The book talks about love, with its parallel stories separated by centuries. The book is promoted through Rumi, the 13th CE mystic poet from central Asia. But it is really about Shams of Tabriz, the person who put him on the path of poetry. The love story in the present times moves between two lovers separated by everything possible on earth but […] - [Resurrecting The Recycle Economy](https://anuradhagoyal.com/resurrecting-recycle-economy/): This article Resurrecting the Recycle Economy by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on July 13, 2021. A regular change of battery and some routine servicing is what my very ordinary laptop required. I reached out to the manufacturer but received only promises of the best service. After weeks of follow-up when I did receive a quotation for the potential parts that may need replacement, it was no brainer that the company is interested in selling new products than servicing old ones. Their army of call center, social media, and service center employees subtly […] - [The Bhagavad Gita for Millennials by Bibek Debroy](https://anuradhagoyal.com/bhagavad-gita-for-millennials-bibek-debroy/): Bhagavad Gita is the best-known text from India. I am not sure how many people have read it, but everyone loves to quote from it. We know its setting and the fact that Sri Krishna told it to Arjuna at Kurukshetra, and we hear it as Sanjaya told it to Dhritrashtra. It is the most translated and interpreted Indian scripture. Every great man has written about it and has claimed to be influenced by it. Bibek Debroy himself has translated Bhagavad Gita as an independent text as well as, as part of his translation of Mahabharata. He has read many […] - [Creative Rituals For The Professional Life](https://anuradhagoyal.com/creative-rituals-for-professional-life/): This article Creative rituals for the Professional Life by Anuradha Goyal, author and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on June 12, 2021. Prolonged lockdowns and visible grief all around have started impacting all of us. Even the most optimistic among us. We saw many people seeking ideas to stay engaged and stay positive while dealing with a whole lot of bad news that left us with a sense of helplessness. To some of my social media friends, I suggested indulging in some creative rituals, pursuits – be it writing, painting, embroidery, or creating anything. Maybe even new […] - [Goswami Tulsidas Ki Jeevangatha by Yogendra Pratap Singh](https://anuradhagoyal.com/goswami-tulsidas-ki-jeevangatha-by-yogendra-pratap-singh/): Reading the biography of Tulsidas was on my list since I read Ramcharitmanas and since I visited his ashram at Tulsi ghat in Varanasi. There even a Tulsi Akhada right behind that which is attributed to him. Little did I realize that I had the biography in my library, picked up during one of my Lucknow trips. Moreover, it has been written by Dr. Yogendra Pratap Singh, the Director of Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan. I have had the privilege of knowing him and working with him for my book ‘Ayodhya Mahatmya’. I knew this is going to be a great read […] - [Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama](https://anuradhagoyal.com/living-with-the-himalayan-masters-swami-rama/): Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama has been in my library for more than two decades now. I kept an eye on it all this while with an intent to read soon. Now I know that I was not just ready to read the book. I had to be ready to appreciate it before I read it. It is almost as if the masters in this book were timing my reading of the book. Swami Rama talks about his numerous anecdotes from his Living with the Himalayan Masters. He talks about his growing up with his master in […] - [India's Traditional Medicine Fraternity Must Rise Up](https://anuradhagoyal.com/india-traditional-medicine-fraternity-rise-up/): This article Our traditional medicine fraternity must rise up to the Covid challenge by Anuradha Goyal, author and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on May 10, 2021. Pandemic has lasted longer than we could have imagined. It seems to be in no hurry to leave. Thankfully, we know how it spreads. We have vaccines to deal with it. As our medical facilities and medical fraternity deal with this massive onslaught, one wonders why have we not seen anything substantial from the field of traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Unani, and Siddha. There is a full ministry […] - [Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi with Tahl Raz](https://anuradhagoyal.com/never-eat-alone-keith-ferrazzi-tahl-raz/): Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time is a beautiful title for a book that is on networking, or making networks work for you. I picked up this book when a lot of young bright minds in a readers group went Gaga over this book. I loved the title and found it so appropriate that I picked up the book to read. Never Eat Alone is a smart book that serves the prime purpose of presenting the author as the biggest networker in town. He throws all possible names of bigwigs who he networks […] - [Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein by Bhisham Sahni](https://anuradhagoyal.com/kabira-khada-bazaar-mein-bhisham-sahni/): Kabir is my favorite poet and philosopher. I love reading him. He gives me the essence of Indian philosophy wrapped in Bhakti tradition in his easy-to-understand poetry. So, this time at the Lucknow book fair, I picked up two more books on Kabir. Finished reading the smaller one as soon as I was home. Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein is a small drama wrote by celebrated writer Bhisham Sahni. Dramas are supposed to be performed by the actors and enjoyed by the audience. Thankfully, it has been written in a way that you can easily visualize the scenes. Based in Kashi, […] - [Artificial Intelligence and Future of Power by Rajiv Malhotra](https://anuradhagoyal.com/artificial-intelligence-future-of-power-rajiv-malhotra/): Artificial Intelligence is the new buzzword. Not many understand it. But they do understand that it is something that will define our collective future. Not many easy-to-read books are available on the subject. As most are written for the subject matter experts. Rajiv Malhotra is a great communicator. He puts across his points in a way that laypersons can understand. So, I wanted to read this book of his Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power – 5 Battlegrounds. When the book landed in my hands, it was a huge volume. I wondered how much time I need to keep […] - [Instant Loan Apps, Path to a Debt Trap](https://anuradhagoyal.com/instant-loan-apps-path-to-debt-trap/): This article Instant Loan Apps, Path to a Debt Trap by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on April 07, 2021. Yesteryears Hindi films projected the moneylenders as evil characters, whose only purpose in life was to torture the righteous hero who is unable to repay the loan his father took. A little later they said bank loans are not available to all, so poor villagers are trapped in the moneylender’s hands. When I wanted a loan for business, I realized banks only lend against collateral. I wondered if it was simpler […] - [Devipuram: Goddess and the Guru by Michael M Bowden](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-goddess-and-the-guru-devipuram-michael-m-bowden/): The Goddess and the Guru: A Spiritual Biography of Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswati book landed in my hands when in a casual conversation with a friend I learned about Devipuram. The name fascinated me, so I googled it a bit and learned that it has been built recently by a nuclear physicist who worked with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. My curiosity was on the roll and I started reading this book. Intense and intimate – that would be the two-word review of this book. It takes you through the personal spiritual journey of Dr. N Prahalad Sastry or Sri […] - [Everything Started as Nothing by Bhaskar Majumdar](https://anuradhagoyal.com/everything-started-as-nothing-bhaskar-majumdar/): Bhaskar Majumdar in his book Everything Started as Nothing: How to Win the Start-up Battle talks about the journey of a startup as well as founders. It takes you from the time an idea is born in your head to the time you exit a successful business that you have built and given your life to. Moving chronologically, the book talks about the challenges and dilemmas that an entrepreneur faces at each step. The author does not shy away from mentioning the potential pitfalls and mistakes that entrepreneurs are prone to. He intersperses his insights with the wisdom of many successful […] - [Riding The Evolution Curve Of Social Media](https://anuradhagoyal.com/evolution-curve-of-social-media/): This article Riding the Evolution Curve of Social Media by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on March 16, 2021. Ideas are like seeds, some of them sprout, some grow to a level and some become giant trees. This is true for digital platforms as well. Giant trees of our era are WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with crores of users interacting using them. As organizations and then by corollary platforms grow, they need rules to organize and govern themselves. When they grow too much, they invite new regulations. Our social […] - [Perfect Love: Ways to Lasting Relationship by Shubha Vilas](https://anuradhagoyal.com/perfect-love-lasting-relationship-shubha-vilas/): Perfect Love is the first book I am reading by author Shubha Vilas who used to be a monk earlier. I have heard him a couple of times at some literature festivals when he was still with ISKCON. This book was with me for a couple of years now, but it was probably now the right time to read it. I was expecting a lot of sermons and preaching, talk about the stereotypes we carry in our heads. To my pleasant surprise, it was a lovely book to read. The many love stories from the Indian scriptures have been retold […] - [Brahmaputra and Lachit Barphukan by Aneesh Gokhale](https://anuradhagoyal.com/brahmaputra-lachit-barphukan-aneesh-gokhale/): I have been keen to read about the Brahmaputra and the valley it nurtures. I picked up books on the history of Assam when I visited North East, but never really got to read them. So, this small little book sent by the author was tempting enough, though it still took me almost 2 years to pick it up. When I read the subtext, I realized it is the book on Lachit Barphukan – an Assamese leader who has finally received some acknowledgment lately. The author compares him to Shivaji Maharaj of Maharashtra. It is understandable as he comes from […] - [Preparing Playgrounds For The Toys Industry In India](https://anuradhagoyal.com/toys-industry-india/): This article Preparing playgrounds for the Toys Industry by Anuradha Goyal, author, and founder of IndiTales.com was first published by the New Indian Express newspaper on February 17, 2021. About a decade ago a board games parlor came up in Bangalore. The idea was simple with a collection of board games, a flexible seating arrangement, and a small snack corner. The staff helped you play new games or you could just pick up a game to play. The place soon shut down, probably it was an idea way ahead of its time. It was also a time when our lives were […] - [Buddha in Gandhara by Sunita Dwivedi](https://anuradhagoyal.com/budhha-in-gandhara-sunita-dwivedi/): Buddha in Gandhara is the second book I have read by Sunita Dwivedi. Earlier I had read Buddha in Central Asia and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I did receive her book on Buddha in India but since I have seen enough Buddhist sites in India, I am yet to read her book. I was reading the Shadow City – a book on Kabul when this book came to me for review. As a logical next step, I picked it up to read. I know that author is a great traveler and I have chatted with her about it at […] - [Kabir Sakhi - Sai Itna Dijiye, Jaa Me Kutumb Samaye](https://anuradhagoyal.com/kabir-sakhi-sai-itna-dijiye/): A Kabir Sakhi – Sai Itna Dijiye, Jaa Me Kutumb Samaye साईं इतना दीजिये, जा में कुटुम समाये।  मैं भी भूखा न रहूँ, साधू न भूखा जाए ।।  Sai, Give me as much, that my family is taken care of I do not sleep hungry, nor does a Sadhu on my door return hungry   Kabir Sakhi – Sai Itna Dijiye, Jaa Me Kutumb Samaye This is a very popular Sakhi and one of my favorites that I studied way back in school. It is usually and simplistically interpreted as a moral – Do not be greedy or Be content […] - [Kabir Sakhi - Na Kahu Se Dosti, Na Kahu Se Bair](https://anuradhagoyal.com/na-kahu-se-dosti-na-kahu-se-bair/): A Kabir Sakhi: Na Kahu Se Dosti, Na Kahu Se Bair. कबीरा खड़ा बाज़ार में, मांगे सबकी खैर। न काहू से दोस्ती, न काहू से बैर । । Standing in the market, Kabir wishes everyone well Neither friendship with anyone, nor enmity with anyone This is a rather popular Sakhi of Kabir. Anyone who knows even a bit about Kabir knows this Sakhi. On the face of it, it is very simple to understand. Na Kahu Se Dosti, Na Kahu Se Bair – Kabir Sakhi Kabir is standing in the marketplace, where he would go often to sell his weaves, […] ## Pages - [Workshops by Anuradha Goyal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/workshops-by-anuradha-goyal/): Some of the Workshops by Anuradha Goyal are listed here. Science Behind Indian Calendar A 3-4 hour workshop, delivered in two sessions helps you understand the science behind the Luni-Solar Indian Calendar and how our Tithis (dates) and festivals are calculated. We have successfully delivered this to 1000+ people already including school children, college students, and the corporate crowd. Introduction to Durga Saptashati This is a 90-120 minute session that tells the story of Durga Saptashati, its meaning, and recommended ways to chant it. A free session is done by Anuradha before every Sharad and Chaitra Navaratri. Anyone can join […] - [Anuradha Goyal - Innovation, Books, Life Lessons](https://anuradhagoyal.com/) - [Books & Reviews](https://anuradhagoyal.com/books-reviews/) - [Books & Reviews 2](https://anuradhagoyal.com/books-and-reviews2/) - [Articles](https://anuradhagoyal.com/articles/) - [Complete List of Indian Publishers](https://anuradhagoyal.com/complete-list-of-indian-publishers/): This is a crowdsourced list of homegrown Indian publishers based in India. The list of organized by languages. Please leave the names and website links of the publishers you know and we will add them to the list. The publishers must be headquartered in India and must have a website. In this list, I am not including Self Publishing Companies. English Publishers in India Motilal Banarsidass Publishers – Delhi, Varanasi – Mostly Sanskrit Translations Rupa Publications – Delhi, Kolkata Garuda Prakashan – Gurgaon Vitasta Publishing – Delhi Niyogi Books – New Delhi Parimal Publications – Delhi Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers – […] - [Cookie Policy](https://anuradhagoyal.com/cookie-policy/): About this cookie policy This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are and how we use them. You should read this policy to understand what cookies are, how we use them, the types of cookies we use i.e, the information we collect using cookies and how that information is used and how to control the cookie preferences. For further information on how we use, store and keep your personal data secure, see our Privacy Policy. You can at any time change or withdraw your consent from the Cookie Declaration on our website. Learn more about who we are, how you can […] - [Book Reviews by Anuradha Goyal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/home/) - [Guest Post Guidelines](https://anuradhagoyal.com/guest-post-guidelines/): We are very slowly opening up the AnuReviews platform for you. You are welcome to contribute your books stories, reviews or anything else that you think fits in what AnuReviews stands for. What can I write about? Book Reviews Author Interviews Book Lists Anything that is related to books in some way. Do read some of the posts before you write to us to get an idea of what we publish. Any promotion/self-promotion would not be entertained. All posts must be original and not published elsewhere in any form. Feel free to bounce any other creative ideas with us at […] - [Anuradha Goyal - Innovation, Social Media, Life Lessons](https://anuradhagoyal.com/anuradha-goyal/):   My Blogs Featured Sections - [Public Speaking by Anuradha Goyal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/speaking-by-anuradha-goyal/): Anuradha Goyal has been invited to speak at various forums courtesy of her three blogs – Inditales, AnuReviews, and Innovation. A video playlist of Public Speaking by Anuradha Goyal. Public Speaking by Anuradha Goyal Tourism and Innovation at HOSTOCON – A Hospitality & Tourism Conference at Panjab University Chandigarh – March 2020 Ram Rajya as described by Tulsidas at Lok Me Ram at Awadh University, Lucknow – March 2020 Curated Indica Yatra Conference at BHU, Varanasi November 2020 Career Opportunities in Tourism, Dempo College of Economics & Commerce, Goa, Sep 2019 Talk on Kumbh Mela at the Center for Study of […] - [Language](https://anuradhagoyal.com/language/): [mctl taxonomy=’language’ title=’List of Authors Who Have Been Featured’ alpha_grouping=1 show_count=1] - [Anureviews Makes it to Limca Book of Records !](https://anuradhagoyal.com/anureviews-limca-book-of-records/): This year in the 25th edition of India’s premier record book Limca Book of Records, this blog AnuReviews.com found a place as a record holder. I take this moment to look back at a very special relationship that I have shared with the book and the people behind the book. 25 years back, when I was still in school, I remember looking - [The Mouse Charmers](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-mouse-charmers/): Internet has changed the way we do many things – the way we shop, the way we create, share and consume content and how we search people or things that we are looking for. In my debut book The Mouse Charmers – Digital Pioneers of India published with Random House India, I try to explore the journey of 12 companies that have been pioneers in taking us on digital pioneers. Here is the formal Press Release of the book: ‘The Internet has transformed business and society. Today to very many of us, life without the web is unimaginable. In business a […] - [Sitemap](https://anuradhagoyal.com/sitemap/) - [The Mouse Charmers](https://anuradhagoyal.com/the-mouse-charmers-3/): The Mouse Charmers talks about 12 pioneering digital companies of India. Here is the Press Release Reviews Financial Chronicle calls The Mouse Charmers – A Masterpiece A review at Rodinhood  Namrata calls it a Book to be read and re-read Samarpita wants to keep The Mouse Charmers on her bedside for ideas and inspiration Priyanka calls it an educational book for aspiring digital entrepreneurs Dr. Vinay Dabholkar reviews The Mouse Charmers BookGeek’s review of The Mouse Charmers Rangan Datta Calls it a ‘must read not only for aspiring mouse charmers but every netizen‘ Small Medium Entrepreneur Magazine calls it Essential Guide for […] - [Publications](https://anuradhagoyal.com/publications/) - [Work With Me](https://anuradhagoyal.com/work-with-anuradha-goyal/): Professional Speaking on Innovation, Travel, Books Reading, Writing & Author Support Mentoring Non-Fiction Writers for authoring books Manuscript Reviews Digital Campaigns Any digital or social media campaigns in the space of travel, tourism, digital life, innovation and books. Contact – anureviews@gmail.com   - [Contact](https://anuradhagoyal.com/contact/): Contact me…for Professional Speaking on Innovation, Travel, Blogging, Social Media, Book Reviews, Ancient India, Temples of India, or topics around my books. Send a synopsis of the event and topic you want me to speak on for a quote. Workshops on all the topics mentioned above Writing for your publications Media coverage of Anuradha Goyal or her work Media trips to cover destinations Digital Campaigns that fit into the niches we cover Contact Email – IndiTales@gmail.com Books & Book Reviews Please send me a synopsis of your book, if it interests me, I will request a review copy. I do not […] - [About Anuradha Goyal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/about-anuradha-goyal/): Just Another Indian (JAI) and Just Another Pilgrim (JAP) An eternal student of life – curious, and keen to learn, so start a conversation and help me know you and discover me.  In the language of the practical world: Anuradha is an Author, Columnist, Blogger, and public speaker who works on multiple dimensions of three spaces – Business Innovation, Travel, and Books. She has worked in the Information Technology industry where she led Innovation initiatives, published many papers and a book on innovation, including co-authoring an India Innovates series for CII. She still studies, speaks, and writes about Innovation and […] - [Publishers](https://anuradhagoyal.com/publishers/):   - [Authors](https://anuradhagoyal.com/authors/):     - [Genres](https://anuradhagoyal.com/genres/): [mctl exclude=’28,29,646,555,669′ title=’List of various Genres Which Have Been Featured’ alpha_grouping=1 show_count=1] - [Events](https://anuradhagoyal.com/events/): July 2012 Poetry Edition of Writer’s Carnival, July 21, Saptaparni, Hyderabad   Jan 2012 Kolkata Literary Festival  Jan 11-15, Kolkata Hyderabad Literary Festival Jan 16-18, 2012, Taramati Baradari, Hyderabad Jaipur Literature Festival Jan 20-24, 2012, Diggi House, Jaipur             Please let us know about any literary events around the country. We would be happy to list them here. - [Book Reviews by Anuradha Goyal](https://anuradhagoyal.com/about/): I have been reading ever since I can remember and reviewing them for more than 10 years now on this portal Anu Reviews. Never thought that writing down my reflections on the books I read is going to culminate into this. Sharing my thoughts with other readers have often given me multiple views of the books we read and authors we talked about. In the true sense these are not book reviews meant to rate a book or even recommend a book. These are my reflections on the books, that happen at the cross section of what the author is […] [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)