Light it up this New Year’s Eve

When the clock strikes 12 this 31^st of December, you don’t want to be stuck in a gloomy, dimly lit place. You need to be under a clear sky... lit by a million lights. Here’s our list of top 5 places in the world where you should be this New Year’s Eve.

1.       London, UK

       When we are talking time and we are talking London. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the BIG BEN. Around 2.5 million people will gather around the huge monster of a clock and wait for the bell tower to ring. As the clock strikes 12, an 8 minute firework will light up the skies of London. Greet your fellow 2.5 million with a clipped accent & say ‘Happy New Year’

2.       Dubai, UAE

Last year the Guinness Book of World Records saw a new entrant. Designed by an American pyrotechnic Phil Grucci, this six minute fire & light show was planned over 10 months. The 160 storey Burj Khalifa lit up, delighting everyone last year and we are sure it will be equally exciting this year. A “Kul am wa antum bi khayi” won’t hurt... that’s Happy new year.

3.       Hong Kong, China

The Symphony of Lights- already offers visitors and locals a fantastic display of lights all year long. Come New Year and you get to see that and much more. What’s interesting is that the Pearl of the Orient has only started celebrating New Years in the last 6 years and has already managed to be the hottest destination to be. Fireworks were invented in China in the 7^th century, so they are the masters really. Drop in a “Gong Hey Fat Choy” with humility and you know you just wished a Chinese a Happy New Year.

4.       Rome, Italy

Like music and dance? Then this is your destination. The legendary street parties are filled with complimentary street sips, strangers greeting each other better than friends do, and dancing under the light of flashing fireworks. Don’t forget to wear a red underwear on New Year’s Eve, it’s the emblem of New Year luck in Italy. And yeah... it’s Buon Anno.

5.       Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When we draw up a list of best party places, how can one leave the Samba-people out? 2 million people wait for you at the Copacabana beach, which fills up with bassy dance music, beer bunks, and a horizon lit up with fireworks. New Year fashion is important here, wear the symbolic whites (peace), green (health), purple (inspiration), yellow (prosperity) or Red (romance). Feliz ano novo is the word.

And if you are home bound, don’t forget to draw up your own little Rio De Janeiro in your house. Light the place up and make it bright. And don’t let a power cut kill the joy. Ensure that inverter's & generator's in your house keep the lights ON all through and keep the night bright.

Setting the mood ‘Light’

Out of the 5 senses that man boasts about, the sense of sight is probably the most cherished. And ‘Light’ is the essence of this sense.

This blog is about setting your mood right with light... They say the right type of lighting can create an ambiance, soothe or warm up the mood and most importantly, define spaces. And the wrong type of course can make you sleepy and irritable.

Here are a few things to look at when you are lighting your space up...

General or ambient 

The general light is your ‘one click... whole house goes boom’ light. They usually come from one central source, like a ceiling fixture. You could play with these by adding multiple sources covered by a loop. A combination of switch-ons from the ceiling will leave certain parts of the house lit and some dark, creating an interesting ambience. You could also add dimmers to these lights and play.

Dim down the light and cozy up with your special someone and watch a movie. Bright up one side of the room putting spot light on the singer on the karaoke night.

Task Light
Are you the ones who works from home... too? Then task lights are something you should know about. These illuminate work spaces and the balance between light sources is critical. The task light should ideally be complemented by a house light or an ambient light so that moving your eyes from light to darkness won’t lead to eyestrain.  

White lights help in reading better and increases the time spent at work.

Accent 
Add some drama into your room with some accent lighting. This type of lighting is excellent for highlighting focal points or your favorite items in the room. Be careful not to over light or under light. After choosing the spot and angle of lighting, ensure that you add to your effort by choosing the right bulb.

Add accent lighting to the back of a big statue and feel the halo. Focus that light from the bottom on your center table and feel the divine glow from a non-existent globe.

Light truly is an element that plays such a crucial role in our lives. Even setting the right mood. But there is more, much more to light than this. In the very function of survival (thanks to photosynthesis and all that you learnt as a kid), light plays an important role. Power is the epicenter of development and progress, from allowing kids to read in the night to machinery functioning for adequate production.

We at Mahindra group, the tractor & multi-utility vehicles major in India, realized this and forayed into Power Generation in 2002. Our generators are designed to provide Fuel Efficiency, Better load acceptance, Minimal vibration, Low noise levels, and Low maintenance costs. Our commitment to quality has won us the prestigious Frost & Sullivan “Voice of Customer” award for the most preferred Genset Brand in the telecom segment and in the Customer Enhancement category. Mahindra Powerol was also recognized as Power Brand 2011 & Master Brand 2012.

Have you experimented with light & interiors lately? Share with us in the comments section below. 

Lighthouses of the World

Today, lighthouses remain a mere monument that depict untold and sometimes cooked stories of history, valor and the supernatural. Functionally relevant or not, lighthouses do manage to capture human imagination. From its erstwhile role of being a navigational aid, marking out dangerous coastlines and assisting aerial navigation, they have today reduced to backdrops for selfie's. The increasing cost of maintenance and availability of modern navigational equipment like strobes have let to decline of these majestic structures.

This blog takes you on a world tour and introduces you to some of the most magnificent lighthouses from across the world. So if you are a traveler, add these to your bucket list, if it isn't already there.

1.    Jeddah Light

With the claim to be the world’s tallest lighthouse, this concrete and steel marvel stands tall at a staggering 436 feet in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

2.    Perry Memorial Monument

This huge granite structure is a Peace monument commemorating the Battle of Lake Erie that took place near Ohio’s South Bass Island. Built in the year 1915, this lighthouse is the tallest in North America

3.    Yokohama Marine Tower

This steel skeletal marvel is in Yokohama, Japan. The 332 ft. structure has the observation deck at the height of 100 meters. Another unique feature of the tower is its light characteristic which flashes every 20 seconds alternating between green and red.

4.    Ile Vierge

Meet the tallest stone lighthouse in Europe. It’s also is one the tallest traditional lighthouses in the world. Standing at 82.5 mts, the lighthouse is located in Finistere in France.

5.    Madras Light House, Chennai

So the last one is reserved for the lighthouse closer home. Opened in 1977, this lighthouse houses the meteorological department and was restricted to visitors. This is the only lighthouse in India with an elevator and also the only one within city limits.   

Probably one of the most massive man-made structure of light, and definitely the most beautiful, lighthouses are a rarity today. But the sight of one reminds us of the role light plays, to provide direction and keep ones hope of reaching their goals alive. Light truly is metaphorically at various levels.

We at Mahindra group realized this and forayed into Power Generation in 2002. Our generators are designed to provide Fuel Efficiency, Better load acceptance, Minimal vibration, Low noise levels, and Low maintenance costs. Our commitment to quality has won us the prestigious Frost & Sullivan “Voice of Customer” award for the most preferred Genset Brand in the telecom segment and in the Customer Enhancement category. Mahindra Powerol was also recognized as Power Brand 2011 & Master Brand 2012.

Have you visited a lighthouse lately? Share with us in the comments section below. 

Mahindra Powerol wins the Deming Prize for 2014

Mahindra Powerol, Mahindra Group’s off grid power generation and energy solutions business, was awarded the prestigious Deming Prize for the year 2014. This makes Powerol the first off grid energy company in the world to win this prestigious prize.

The Deming Prize is a global quality award that recognizes both individuals for their contributions to the field of Total Quality Management (TQM) and businesses that have successfully implemented TQM. It is the oldest and most widely recognized quality award in the world. 

Mahindra’s Powerol division was established in 2002 and provides a wide range of off grid energy products and energy management solutions. With over 270,000 Diesel generator sets across the world ranging from 5kVA to 500kVA, Powerol is the market leader powering over 60% of India’s telecom towers and establishing a strong presence in the Retail segment in the past few years. It is also the largest Telecom Infrastructure Maintenance Company with more than 13,000 towers under its management. Powerol also recently ventured into the Energy Management Solutions and has quickly established a leadership position in this segment. Powerol is also known for its innovative product designs and service initiatives.

Mahindra Powerol is also recognized as Power Brand 2011 & Master Brand 2012. Mahindra Powerol products are presently available in over 20 Countries across Africa, Middle East & Asia.

In 2014, Mahindra Powerol achieved the 1^st position in the Customer Satisfaction Index surpassing more established players like Cummins and Kirloskar and its success story has recently been taken up as a case study at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

The Deming Prize is a culmination of a long journey in Customer centricity, Quality Focus, Change Management, and alignment of stakeholders within and outside the organisation. It is a testament to Powerol’s agility and ability to respond quickly to the dynamic market scenario, particularly its success in leveraging the sudden boom of the Telecom segment in India and then diversifying just as quickly when the segment started de-growing dramatically. It also highlights Powerol’s highly successful ‘Lean Asset Model’ of manufacturing and vindicates the Total Quality Management principles that the business has been practicing since 2007.

With this award, Powerol joins the illustrious company of Mahindra Tractor Division and Swaraj Division that have won the Deming Prize in 2003 and 2012 respectively. The Award ceremony was held in Tokyo, Japan on November 11^th, 2014. Mr. Ashok Sharma, Chief Executive, Agri & Allied Businesses accepted the award on behalf of the entire Powerol and Mahindra Team.

Lighting up lives

Diwali is the festival of lights. And it is interesting how we light up our houses. Clean it to ward off the evil, decorate it with lamps to welcome to the goddess. But there are seldom few, but a definite few who go to the next level and think of lighting up humanity. They take the pain and a considerate effort to ensure that lives other than theirs are lit during Diwali.

We love lists, and here is a list of 5 things that you could do during Diwali to light up someone’s life.

1. Play Angel

Gift Street kids old working toys. Their playmates are empty tins and water bottles. The GI JOE’s and Barbie lying hopelessly in the corner of the room would find owners who would love them more than you do.

2. Play Grand-Kid

Rush to an old age home and put up your goofiest avatar. Make a wrinkled face smile. Get paid in smiles and blessings.

3. Be the unofficial mithai wala

Distribute sweets amongst the building watchman, pizza delivery boy, sweeper and all those people who long for a nice tasty treat. You could do without it, atleast your doctor thinks so.

4. Donate Clothes

While you dress in your swanky new dress, there are people on the streets who walk around in torn, dirty linen that just about covers them. Donate clothes that you don’t wear anymore but would love to wear though.

5. Sponsor a child

What better way than lighten up a child’s future? Sponsor a child’s education and track his academics. 

Beyond playing list diggers, we also thought we could feature some individuals who did light up lives during Diwali.

Meet Shruti Singh, a 20 something from Mumbai, who decided to empower some women this Diwali. Shruti, an artist herself, took sessions on diya painting for these women from Murbaad village and motivated people to buy these diyas through her social media page. She took the project forward and taught street kids to do the same too. More power to you Supergirl.

 

Another girl, Nirali Shah played Santa for some street kids. On a usual day this day-time lawyer and weekend teacher asked these kids to write things that they want in a piece of paper. Closer to the celebrations, these kids got visited by Santa Shah herself... with a bagful of gifts that they had asked for, followed by a party at her house. 

So what did you do to light someone’s life? Share with us by participating in the our contest... https://www.facebook.com/MahindraPowerol

Do-wali: Things to Do during Diwali

Warning! We are just about to get a tad preachy. Diwali shouldn’t be reduced to one day of noise and gorging on sweets. So we decided to play teacher this week, to tell some must does of Diwali and the reason behind it. Here goes.

The first day of Diwali is called Dhanteras. It is technically the 13^th day from Poornima or the full moon. So now you know how that name breaks up... Dhan (money) + teras (13). Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped this day, the goddess of wealth.

MUST DO ON DHANTERAS:

·      It is customary for go shopping on this day. (Just another reason we presume). Buy some gold and utensils on this day.

·      Make the entrance way to your house colourful. You may use flower garlands, bells, LED lights and most importantly draw up a rangoli. Keep the decor up for all 5 days of Diwali. 

The 14^th day is Narak Chaturdashi or Choti (Small) Diwali. It is believed that on this day Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasur, freeing our world from his terror.

MUST DO ON CHOTI DIWALI

This is technically the first day for lighting firecrackers. Please avoid loud crackers, and don’t burst too many. Do it for rituals sake.

The new moon day is the most significant day. This is the actual day of Diwali. It is said that goddess Lakshmi enters the house and it is imperative for the house to be clean.

MUST DO ON DIWALI

·      Draw small footprints with nice flour over your house, it’s a way of indicating the goddesses arrival into your house.

·      Perform a Lakshmi Pooja.

·      Exchange gifts and sweets to share love and propagate brotherhood.

·      It's okay to play for money in card games but don't get swayed by it.

·      Firecrackers galore post dinner. (You may skip this part though... a little sparkler here are there should do.) 

The next day is the first day of the bright moon and is called the Balipatipradha or Govardhan puja. This is believed to be the day that Lord Krishna lifted the enter Govardhan mountain to protect the people of Gokul from the wrath of Lord Indra.

MUST DO ON BALIPATIPRADHA

·      Feed the poor. It’s a way of being an agent of Lord Krishna and to protect the poor

The fifth and the final day is Bhai Dooj. Its a renewal of sibling love, where sisters pray for the health of their brothers and exchange gifts. 

MUST DO ON BHAIDOOJ

·      Meet your brother. And most importantly gift him. You see there are not too many days that he gets to feel special :)

Are there some rituals that you follow during Diwali. Share it with us in the comments section below.

Happy Diwali everyone... May Goodness Light up your Life!

Ye Diwali... Different Diye Wali

To be honest, Diwali diyas can be boring. This year too, you will remove that old plastic cover that contains all the old mud diyas, wash it, dry it and reuse it. But I am sure that after you read this blog, you won’t really do that...

• Looks rustic... smells good

Rustic looks always works. From furniture to decor items, the look that wrought irons and wooden splinters give to the room can seldom be matched. Here’s our way of creating a rustic looking candle. Pick up some cinnamon sticks, stack them together in a circle and tie then up with thin jute ropes. Place a scented candle in the middle and there you have your scented rustic candle.

• The old wine bottle, with no wine left

Gulped up that wine to the last drop? Don’t throw the bottle away. Paint up the old bottles with glitter and inserting lights inside and watch the bottles that made you buzz... buzzing.

• Plastic Spoons Lantern

Move aside paper lantern, welcome used-material lantern. Pick up used spoon and break the head away. Stick them together with super glue, tapering down. Put a light inside and there you have your used plastic spoon lantern.

• Bulb-wick-light

Yes, yes we know bulbs are not eco-friendly and that’s exactly why we are recommending this. Replace them with CFLs or LED, and bore a hole in their base. Pass a pipe through and remove the filament holder. Fill it with oil and block it with a wick. Wrap a twine and paste the end of the twine on the rim of the glass. You have a beautiful lamp ready.

• Light Inside

Why should light be restricted to the outside? Hide the string lights in between your curtains and turn the inside of your house into a colourful version of the mood outside.

Do you have suggestions for us on how you could use light’s better and innovatively for Diwali? Leave your comments in the section below.

VISIT THESE PLACES DURING DIWALI

Some celebrate Diwali at home. There are many who run away from cities worrying blocked roads, traffic and crackers. This Diwali is strategically placed just before the weekend this year. If you haven’t already planned it, here are a few quick suggestions. Places to visit during Diwali:

The Golden Temple with a golden draping of lights is a sight worthy of watching. If you are a DSLR junky, then this is the place to be. The edge of the lake is fringed with countless oil lamps, lit by devotees and the reflection of the lake, looks like the gods are reciprocating.

A similar sight will be seen in the city pegged as one of the most spiritual places on earth... Varanasi. You will see the bank of the holy river ganga light up with a million oil lamps, each oil lamp representing the belief of a soul.

If you love merging celebrations & temples, then you should definitely visit Kolkata. Kali Puja, which is mandatory sight during Diwali, makes one witness with huge false gates being lit up with LED lights. If you wish to see the gates of heavy (an artist’s rendition) while you are alive, then Kolkata is the place to be.

The Pink City loses its association with one color and takes a multi-color avatar during Diwali. The Hawa Mahal turns into a bright color pack in the night of Diwali.

And this is the last place that you would guess. Go Goa now... Be in Goa to witness the biggest and the scariest effigy of the demon Narakasura as they burn it at dawn.

Tell us the place you would visit this DIWALI in the comments section below. 

Don’t take these facts lightly...

Yes, the headline’s an attempted pun at our favourite topic: Light. With the Mangalyaan doing rounds of Mars, we sense an attitude to learn in the online space. So here we go with our fun facts about light.

1. LIGHT AND THE FLASH ARE RELATED

Light takes 1.255 seconds to get from the Earth to the Moon. That’s faster than, well everything. The only thing/person/character that can stand a chance to compete with that is Flash... or, can he?

2. LIGHT AS A MEASURING TAPE?

Distances in space are so vast that the fastest thing in the Universe – Light – is used to measure them. Now imagine someone running light to measure the distance between 2 planets.

3. Good looking... And then they talk

Age old joke, “Why do people appear intelligent until they start speaking?, Because light travels faster than sound...”. And that’s probably also the reason why you see lightning before you hear the thunder. Probably... no... that is the reason why.

4. You have 8 minutes to get up

Between the sun deciding to shine on you and you deciding to wake, you have exactly 8 minutes and 32 seconds. That’s the time that the sun rays take to reach the earth

5. Around in the world in just one name

By the time you take your name, light can travel around the world more than 4 times. Ever wondered about this before introducing yourself to someone? 

Lights that you would ‘DIY’ for

DIY or ‘Do it yourself’ (People on Pinterest will kill us for attempting to explain it) is in. You don’t really have to be an environmentalist to attempt to reuse or repurpose an old item. Look around and see so many things that we don’t really use, which usually ends up in the garbage bin or with a rag-picker. We thought of curating 5 such ideas of converting your old, unused items into works of art... or as we call it, work of light.

Here you go.

1. Kettle in the morning...lamp at night

Not literally, you don’t want to be ‘smelling the coffee’ all night long. Yes, that’s an improperly fitting adage, but a proper night lamp sprouting out of the tea-pot that kept you awake as a kid, shall now help swag up you house.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/50595195789616867/

2. Egg-beater-candle-holder-style-adder

Did you ever imagine that an egg beater can beat the hell out of your regular looking candle holders? Turn your old egg beaters upside down (or hold it straight, damn confusing this is...) and you have a garden or ally full of great candle holders.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/50595195788728871/

3. Fruity-Light

Turn your fruit basket round for some ether-eal lighting in your kitchen or porch.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/50595195786838703/

4. Bucket-Light

Remember the Steel/Aluminium buckets you used as a kid in your house. I am sure they have been replaced by unattractive plastic buckets, or maybe the elaborate bath tub. Pick them up, turn them over and give your room lights a gothic look.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/50595195786261061/

5. Bird cage lamp

So your favourite parakeet flew away when you left the cage door open. And you are in no mood to have one more. So the good news is that the parakeet flew away, it’s not really a place for a bird. (Sorry if we are being insensitive, we are just being sensitive towards the bird). Wash the birdcage (please, you don’t want to feel like you are sleeping in a poultry), and add a stand and makes an awesome side table lamp. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/50595195786205254/

Hope you try these at home. Send us a picture or you may also give us other DIY light ideas. Leave your comments in the comments section below.