Jaipur loses its own ‘chai wala’
Gulab Singh Ji Dheerawat, a famous ‘chai wala’ in Jaipur and had been selling tea and snacks at his small shop called Gulab JI Chai Wale, has passed away at 95. The news of Dheerawat’s demise came as a big setback many Jaipurities as there were regular customers of his shop located in the narrow parking lane of Ganpati Plaza on Mirza Ismail Road. Dheerawat so famous in the Pink City that celebrities such as CM Ashok Gehlot and former CM Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, and celebrities like Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan have enjoyed tea at his shop.
Bhilwara wedding model now talk of the town
The Bhilwara model refers to the steps taken by the administration in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district to contain the Covid-19 disease after it emerged as a hotspot for coronavirus positive cases. Now, the administration has presented a new model for organising weddings during the pandemic. At two recent marriages in Bhilwara, the brides and grooms had to agree on 26 conditions laid down by the administration. Apart from the ban on bands or wedding processions, there were no tents or decorations at the wedding venues. A maximum of five people from both sides attended the ceremonies. Besides, everyone, including the couples, had to wear face masks and maintain social-distancing norms.
Lecture for school students on air
While the nation fights the Covid-19 outbreak, lakhs of students in government schools in the state are resuming their studies through radio lessons on AIR Jaipur. The station began broadcasting the 55- minute lecture, ‘Shiksha Vani’, from Monday. It will be aired at 11 am every day. Rajasthan’s School Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra has described the initiative an ‘educational revolution’. As many as 85 lakh students studying in 65,000 government schools in the state are expected to benefit from these classes.
Jaipur’s ‘padman’ distributes sanitary pads
A group of youngsters who call themself the ‘Jaipur Padman’ has tied up with the women police constables ‘Nirbhaya Squad’ to distribute free sanitary pads is the Covid-19 containment zones. Over the past fortnight, the group has distributed thousands of sanitary pads. Money for the initiative has been collected through local donations. Ashish Parashar, the convenor of the Jaipur Padman group, said: “We got to know that many women in the city were facing difficulties in accessing sanitary pads. With the help of the police, we have managed to supply over 5,000 pads without.”
Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur
rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com