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World Poetry Day: History and Significance

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On the occasion of today’s World Poetry day, DU Beat brings to you a brief article talking about the day, how it came to be, its significance and other similar snippets of information.
The 21st of March this year was taken over by the colourful and joyous celebrations of Holi, and under these colours silently sitting under the tree hidden from the world busy in its own melodic and sometimes not so melodic humm is the World Poetry Day. It passes by almost unnoticed every year, kind of like the backrow silent kid, whose verses never leave the confines of the 9th grade diary. Poetry as Da Vinci said is, “ a painting which is heard but not seen” and this day came into being to celebrate this simplistic yet complex art, this rough yet passionate outflow of emotions, this hidden yet vibrant world of the creator.
It was the 30th UNESCO session in Paris in 1999, that decided to proclaim this day as a celebration of this beautiful art form. As the organisation writes on their page “Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures.”
As per the founders, they believe that the celebration of this day is in order to spread and increase the diverse cultures from around the world, spread issues and improve the linguistic/ oral tradition and not let it die. Across the world budding poets and enthusiasts use this day in order to celebrate the art form by awarding, remembering and exploring past and new poets. Poetry seldom needs a day to be spread and shared and explored, but under the mantle of this worldwide day it finds the comfort and the helping hand needed by poets and enthusiasts, to bring the art to the eyes of those who don’t much like it or explore it.
In India, the day does carry a slight significance as it allows the various media houses to recollect and honour the memory of past poets such as Tagore, Gulzar, Mahadevi Verma. Poetry as many art forms, became more than just mere art, it became a tool, a weapon to fight the oppression and political bondages that mere words couldn’t solve. Specially in India where a majority of the renowned poets, used poetry to covey their feelings and thoughts and open the eyes of the masses to the unthinkable, unspeakable evil. It is also this spirit and responsibility of poetry that we mast salute and remember today on the occasion of the World Poetry Day.
As Wordsworth believed anyone could be a poet, and poetry is an open art form not bound by types and limitations, it would be a beautiful experience to use today to maybe jot down some lines and maybe explore the inner poet in you. I will finally enclose this article with some of my favourite lines from a poem.
How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d”

– Alexandar Pope

 

Feature Image Credits: Newsum
Haris Khan
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Campus Central

Being a first time voter, what to keep in mind

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As we move closer and closer to the impending elections that will shape the nation, DU Beat brings to you a guide to tell you how it feels to vote for the first time.

As the nation settles in to this new year, we are also slowly and slowly edging closer to our first opportunity to exercise a right that will change our future as a country. The right to vote in the country’s election and choose who will lead us for the next 5 years. For almost all of us currently in DU this would be the first election of this scale in which we will serve an active role. We are pat of the huge 1.8cr new voters that will vote for the first time.
First, we need to make sure that we have registered to vote the steps and requirements for the same are as follows:
1. Are an Indian citizen
2. Have attained the age of 18yrs on the qualifying date i.e. 1st of January of the year of revision of the electoral roll.
3. Are ordinarily a resident of the part/ polling area of the constituency where you want to be enrolled.
4. Are not disqualified to be enrolled as an elector

As responsible citizens that have been the right of having an equal say it is important to use this vote as to make sure that the ideas we believe in are thoroughly represented, it has been seen that we as a generation have taken it to protests to show any howsoever incompetence the system that we are part of right now and as such we should now in this deciding point believe and support what we think is a better alternative, no matter who we support as a party, every vote that we choose to forfeit is one voice left unheard and one step missed to a change. Things are going to become turbulent with parties trying to seduce votes out specially from the younger generation, this time it is our generation’s future in particular that will be in doubt so we should vote right and vote surely.

“Upcoming Lok Sabha are an opportunity for the first time voters to take responsibility of the nation on our shoulders” – as the PM said in his Mann Ki Baat tweets. It is the time for us to make our thoughts of change into actions.

Feature Image Credits- Hindustan Times

Haris Khan
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Your Beat

College Book Markets in Delhi To Know About

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DUBeat brings to you a basic guide to some of the most common book markets around Delhi NCR to buy college books from.

As the new semester rolls out and we get out of our beds to get to college again, we again enter the struggle for acquiring books, both, new, or first-hand. For those in or around the North campus, it is relatively easier with Kamla Market and ‘The Bookstore’, ‘Amar Books’ etc.  yet for those who aren’t able to easily access these stores or simply those who can’t find all books here there are plenty of other decent and cheap places that one can go to, to get their semester books.

The list bellow will provide you with various options to explore:

  • Paharganj – a traveller’s ghetto, situated opposite to the New Delhi Railway Station, this main market provides with not only books but other beautiful accessories as well, an easy to bargain place where most of your basic books are found easily.
  • Chawri Bazar – little needs to be explained about this place, as it is already well known amongst all, the stationary and books lane is right next to the metro exit no. 3/4, a largely wholesale market, which also has a lot of shops selling single books at very low prices.
  • Daryaganj – another place that needs no introduction, one of the most famous book markets in Delhi. A haven for all bookworms, it is a must visit place for not only college but any and all kinds of books.
  • Rajiv Chowk/ Connaught Place – right in the centre of Delhi,  this place is filled with all kinds of markets, and needless to say you can find books as well, from second hand stores on roadside to proper shops from college books, it posses all stores to cater all needs.
  • Atta Market – opposite the famous Noida Sec. 18 market is Atta Market a cheap market for all goods, as such it also has a lane for books an other stationary, with multiple shops selling second and first hand books at discounted prices.
  • Book Fairs at Pragati Maidan – not a lot of people don’t know about the famous book fairs of Pragati Maidan, apart from the international book fair, that happens annually, there are multiple simple book fairs that are set up multiple times around the year, one can be on the look out for them and easily go and grab books straight from the publishing house stalls set up there.
  • Sadar Bazar – This market in Gurugram is one of the largest book markets in NCR. From Engineering Physics book to any English course book, you can find everything here at the cheapest prices. The innumerable shops crowded together here also stock new arrivals so do keep an eye out and you might have a deal in your hands.

 

These basic well known and dependable markets around Delhi are the best solution to those in search for where to get college books from cheap. As such there are sure to be other places as well, and we would love to hear from you guys If you know of any other such market. We hope this article will help all those who were having a hard time looking for book markets, to either buy or sell books.  

 

 

Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express

Haris Khan

[email protected]

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