The Indian society is plagued by many practices which unfortunately segments the society into many class divisions. This has been practiced since centuries. Even the coming of newer religions while absorbing many into its fold has not resulted in these segregating practices loosening their hold on our psyche. However it is observed that technology can act as a leveller and help eliminate the artificial class divisions.

One such product of technology is the mobile phone. Its invention and subsequent spread throughout the world has brought in a unparalled revolution in the field of communication. Today mobile sets are available at prices ranging from a few hundred to thousands of rupees and include features that are about to elminate the PC and laptops.

Today in India there are nearly 80 crore mobile sets and it is predicted that by end-2013 India might overtake China as the counrty with the largest number of mobile phones in the world.

The mobile phone has given the power of staying connected to the weaker sections of our society. It is no longer a product that they can only stare at and wonder but they can go to the market and buy it and start using it. It has also given them respect in the sense, they can be now contacted and can give appointment for rendering their services at their conveniene. It is common to see plumbers advertise their mobile numbers. Many autorickshaws also advertise their mobile numbers and have now a regular clientale especially for odd hours.

The mobile sets have also brought music into the lives of the weaker sections and now one can see them listening to their sets after or even during their work hours. We have all heard how the farmers in rural areas now first find the price at the mundi market and only if it suits them they offload their produce. It has given the poor a tool to acquire knowledge and then take data based decisions. 

The other day while I was admonishing the sweeper of our soceity's roads for remaining absent without prior information, he looked at me sheepishly and also with a bit of cunningness asked me my mobile number. I knew then the rules of the game had changed. We exchanged our mobile numbers like two businessmen would have done. While he must have felt empowered and upgraded I also felt happy for him and thanked the creators of the mobile technology.

The other day my fuming wife asked me to give her our mobile number in writing. Upon my asaking the reason she said it is for giving it to the maid servant,who says she will now inform us when she is going to remain absent. I promised to buy my wife a separate mobile.

The mobile phones have achieved what many social reformists have been trying since long but with limited success.The weaker and segregated sections of our society have now access to a modern product which they can not only own but effectively use it and help upgrade themselves and integrate with the existing work culture. For them it truly is a liberating experience in many ways.

What is chastity

The concept is chastity is very significant in religious, social and family relationship. This is closely associated with character of both men and women. The term is derived from 'chaste', which means 'pure, undiluted, unadulterated'. Thus 'chaste English' means standard Queen's English.  'chasten' means correction by punishment. The term is originated from Greek 'castus' that means 'pure'. chastity means virginity. What is virginity? When we talk of virgin land, we mean 'land that has not yet been tilled'.  Similarly, virginity or chastity of a man as well as a woman implies that he or she has so far had no sexual relations.

Hindu Tradition

Chastity is inseparable from Hindu traditional life cycle. Human life is divided in ashrams or stages- Brahmacharya ashram (celibacy or chastity). Every individual till age of twenty five years is a celibate or virgin. He has to abstain from sex during Brahmacharya phase of life. This period is for learning and preparing for next phase viz. Grihasthashram (householder). This is from age of twenty five years to fifty years. During this period, one raises and maintains family. Extra marital relation is prohibited during this phase whereas there can be no sexual relation in the first phase viz. Brahmacharya. The life cycle from fifty to seventy years is Van Prastha. During this phase, one leads a pious life in forest and abstains from sex. But he is available for consultation to his family. The last phase is sanyas ashram in which one severs all links with society and solely devotes his time and energy to attain higher goal of salvation.

Christian tradition 

Chastity is considered as one of the seven virtues. chastity means sexual purity implies utmost fidelity to spouse. Thus extra marital sex is a deadly sin. Sex between unmarried persons was known as fornication. Now this term is out of use and instead premarital and extramarital sex are the terms used. In some circumstances, there is breach of chastity even in marital relation. Many religions consider sexual intimacy unchaste during or shortly after menstruation or birth of a child. There is a form of chastity called 'vidual chastity'  that requires a widow to abstain from sex during the period of mourning. Also some churches consider use of contraceptives as being unchaste. Mother Teresa was also opposed to use of contraceptives. There is tradition of celibacy or virginity in monasteries.

Tradition of chastity biased against women 

In principle, men and women both need to observe chastity. But in practice, this has never been fair to the fair sex. Men can often easily afford premarital and extra marital sex without any difficulty. All they need is maintain secrecy. Many even  boast of their extramarital relation. This is not significant for men unless they are monks, priests or hermits. There is no side affect of loss of chastity on men. They go scot free. But women fear pregnancy. When an unmarried woman is pregnant, every one knows her sin whereas man moves freely.

Besides, woman has always been considered as mere property.  Man's chastity is at his own discretion. Chaste or unchaste, there is nobody rto question. But a woman is not an independent entity. She is considered as a commodity. She must remain chaste or unused for her husband, who owns him. A girl's parents consider her as 'paraya dhan' (other's property) that needs to be handed over intact and chaste to her groom- her rightful owner just as one sells a commodity in brand new condition.

Needless to say, the Sati system is a byproduct of  stress on female chastity. a husband is owner of woman's body. so, nobody may use her even after his death. So, a woman was burnt alive with her husband's dead body. It goes to credit of Rraja Ram Mohan Roy, a great social reformer that this inhuman tradition was checked. The Johar system in Rajasthan ensured that women burnt themselves alive when at risk of capture by enemy. The Rajputs would like their women dead rather than be captured and used by enemy.

A device called chastity belt was used in some countries to ensure chastity of women. The chastity belt ensured that nobody could have sex with a woman. But some used tricks to unlock the chastity belts.  Chastity belts for men were also used but rarely. 

Conclusion 

We may conclude by saying that chastity is a matter of mutual trust between spouses. There should be no double standards about chastity- one for men and other for women. A woman is rightful owner of her own body and it is bizzare to think some one else- even her husband as owner thereof.  

Of all the places in Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam has the distinction of the fastest growing city. Located on the beautiful coastline off the Bay of Bengal, the city hosts a number of major industries. The deep natural harbour  at the Visakhapatnam port has made the import and export of raw materials and finished goods very easy and cost-effective.Recently, an Export Processing Zone was set up at Visakhapatnam. Even as the city was Known for its rapid growth, it is the setting up of the steel plant which earned it the name of the 'city of destiny'. Both intellectual and ordinary people saw immense potential for the development with the advent of the steel plant. And no less an intellectual than the Late Shri Kattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy called it the 'city of destiny'. True to his prophecy, not only has the major integrated steel plant at Visakhapatnam changed the destiny of several thousands of people here, but it has also thrown open new vistas of development. A major power corporation, an additional oil refinery, an aluminium plant, etc., are on the anvil,taking the city into further glory.

History of Visakhaptnam

Visakhapatnam was ruled by King Visakha Varma before the time of Christ , according to puranas . King Visahka built a Temple in the name of lord visakha and hence the name Visakhapatnam.Visakhapatnam was mentioned in the  Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana in the forest of Eastern Ghats .  Rama and Laxaman in the forest of Eastern Ghats went in search of Sita. Hindu texts state that during the fifth century B.C., Visakhapatnam became a part of Kalinga territory, which extended to the Godavari River. The territory of Visakhapatnam came under the Andhra rulers  of Vengi, and Chalukyas and Pallavas ruled the land.

Language

Visakhapatnam is predominantly Telugu speaking, other language like Punjabi,Bengali,Malayalee etc.. are very rarely spoken in this area.

Climate

Visakhapatnam has a tropical savanna climate with very little change in temperature throughout the year.With the city's location on the Bay of Bengal , the humidity is throughout the year.November through February is the best time to visit Visakhapatnam weather-wise, since temperatures are moderate.

Tourism

Visakhapatnam is a collection of natural beauties. It has a range of tourist attractions  including beaches,cliffs ,hilltop parks facing sea, wildlife sanctuary, hill stations, limestone caves etc..

The city is home to several state owned industries, and is one of the largest's seasports of country and has the country's oldest shipyard.

Kambla and its tradition

Kambla has been in existence for more than a 600 years but nobody can definitely say when this ritual sport was introduced in the history of this land. However , according to reports available the ritual and the sport has been designed {to activate and invigorate the buffaloes that take important role in the agriculture as well to prepare the agricultural field for rich harvest, which was considered as wealth and prosperity (‘poli’) in the days of early civilization.

Most of the people in South Kanara are basically agriculturist in nature and it is but natural that Kambala is a one of the popular traditional sport in the region. Kambala or Kambla is the native sport of Tulu Nadu region consisting of South Kanara and Udupi districts in Karnataka. To this day Kambla is an eagerly awaited event each year in the whole region. Certain paddy fields are specially earmarked for this event and the entire area is known as Kambla this or Kambla that. There is a Kambla road which is the road that passes in front of a field where Kambla is held every year in the month of December. This year it was held on the 2nd of December.

The main attraction and a distinct feature of Kambala, which is nothing but Buffalo Race is the kind of fan following it has among all people regardless of religion, caste ,class or creed.Local people simply love this special event since it is part and parcel of Tulunadu (land of tulu speaking people )and portrays its special culture and heritage.The event has many sponsorers who take care of most of the arrangements.

This folk sports event has had a history of royal patronage right from the days of the Arasas of Mulki, The kings of Alupa dynasty in Kadri ( Mangalore ) and also other royal families of Kundapur, to the prominent leaders of the community today. The kambla normally includes 'kesarugadde ota' ( which is a buffalo race that takes place in the field covered with slushy mud)and 'tug-of-war' ( which is again conducted between two rival parties of men in the slushy field) 'teppangai' ( treasure hunt ) competition and the final conferring of 'Guttu Award' sponsored in memory of Kedubari Guruvappa Poojary, owner of a number of Kambla racing buffaloes in recognition of his services to furthering this folk art.It is because of his continued efforts that this sport has survived and has been glorified today.

What it involves

 Kambala is organised months in advance since the buffaloes participating and the men who are monitoring them need to train for the event. They practice in other slushy fields for months together to train themselves and their buffalos. The prized Kambla buffalos which are owners pride and are considered to be status symbol among the tuluvas, are fed with the right amount of protein rich food and is given vitamin supplements and other nutrients. Since most of the owners come from agriculturist households , they are given monetary help to look after the animals. This done by disbursing the funds accumulated through donations given by the patrons. They are also given other requirements like adornments . The buffaloes are the stars of the entire show. The buffaloes are washed and adorned with leaves, flower garlands and tinsel.

Kambla begins in the afternoon after an early sumptuous lunch is served to the participants both buffaloes and men who participate in other events . The event normally goes on until sunset. However , there are many other Kambalas held in South Kanara and Udupi districts that begin in the afternoon, and go on throughout night and sometimes continue till the next noon. These are special events organised on a very large scale with many rounds of participation!

Before being taken to the field the buffaloes are smeared with vermillion and an arathi done to ward off evil eye and taken on a round to all the prominent family members called the Guttu families. This is a respect shown to the members for having taken care and nourished this unique sport that is not found anywhere else. They also parade in front of the chief guest who could be bank officials, local Politicians , Doctors , prominent industrialists like Vijay Mallya or film stars like Sunil Shetty, Shilpa shetty, Aishwariya rai who all have their origins in south kanara who are often seen at these events , mingling with the crowd and enjoying the sport.

The Show begins

When the buffaloes are brought to the side of the field there is a lot of cheering by the crowds who gather by the side of the slushy field and on the side roads , which are all closed for traffic on the day of Kambla. There will be drum beats and people playing various other musical instruments, welcoming them .The buffaloes then plunge into the slushy fields and are made to run the entire length of the field, along with one accompanying the trainer. As they emerge out of the fields covered with muddy and slushy waters coming upto the knees, the crowd cheers them once again. Now the other events will be played out.

The rhythmic beat of the heavy drums and trumpets reverberates in the air and the entire area is by now jam-packed. But the show is very well organised with a arena where all the prominent leaders and organisers and judges sit and with the spectators’ stands on the sides of the field with a well defined boundary to keep the spectators in check.

The next procedure is checking the buffaloes’ teeth by a specialist after which the buffaloes are partitioned into different groups according to the number of their fallen teeth. The trainers are all well built with six packs, bare-chested wearing new mundus ( dhotis) normally red or saffron in color, some wear even white which of course turns muddy after the very first test run.

More action

An enclosure is made for the buffaloes waiting in line for their turn, however they do get excited and it is difficult to control some of them who are raring to be free and have a go at the slushy track. When they have to go for the test run they are more than ready to do the honors. The buffaloes look menacing with their taut muscles ,flared nostrils quivering with excitement and agitated by the incessant whipping and loud cries of the trainer(who is incidentally called Saarathi) behind them, they rush past at maddening speed leaving a trail of slushy water flying behind them.

Many of the buffaloes cover the length of the track in a mere 10-15 seconds although it is not easy for the trainer to do so in muddy waters that are knee deep water keeping pace with galloping . Many trainers are unable to keep up with the sturdy buffaloes and fall into the slush. However there are some men who make it look really easy as they run with the buffaloes.

Mutthappa Rai who was a dreaded underworld don turned social worker is a huge patron of this sport and donates and maintains several buffaloes and trainers that participate in the Kambla races.Food is in plenty at these events and a wide variety of all the mouthwatering dishes that are special to South Kanara are available organised by the patrons - like Kori Rotti, Neer dosa and chicken gasi, Bangude gasi and boiled rice, fried fish and a variety of vegetarian dishes and sweet dishes like cashew nut payasa, sheera and fruit salad! T

he bands are playing and the main event begins when the charged buffaloes r run even faster and splash more water in the process. It is as adventurous as it can get! The media is there in full attendance to capture the photo finish of the race and there are celebrities from all over India.

The photo finish

As the race begins right in the middle of the track some markers are placed at the height of 6.5 and 7.5 feet respectively. The idea is that the splashing water should rise to this height and splash on to the markers . The Saarthi stands on a plank attached to the buffaloes on either side and spurs them on to run faster.

In the evening the floodlights cast obscure reflections on the track and by now the stage is filled with dignitaries . As the first pair of buffaloes arrive with the Saarthi on the plank , it looks almost ethereal with the only the man visible through the fountain of water rising all around the buffaloes. The Saarathi seems to be hanging on to nothing but thin air and when the trio ( two buffaloes and the trainer) approach the middle of the track, where the markers are placed, the water astonishingly rises to great heights and manages to touch the 6.5 ft mark or even the higher track. The one who manages to hit the highest point on the marker with the slushy water is considered the winner and the person gets many gifts including a gold coin and cash prize.

There have been times when the trainer gets hurt because of the danger involved here and the proximity to the buffaloes who are charged and often run wild! But the daring youngsters from the region take it as a challenge and train for the even each year.In fact the more such accidents the more eager and in larger numbers they come to participate and win.

I have had the opportunity of watching Kambla several times and each time I experience the same thrill and feel happy when the buffaloes and saarathi we bet on wins. There is a lot of betting going on here. Kambala is open for all without any charges, with the organizers and promoters bearing all the expenditure and are very glad when the arena gets filled to capacity.

The one that normally takes place in the field is called the Arasu Kambala in honor of the Mulki kings who patronised it and made it popular among the masses. There is also Devara Kambala ( Kambla played in honor of God) which is normally played in the presence of the priests and in a field in front of the Temple or close to a temple. This is normally sponsored by a rich devotee whose wish has been fulfilled and he wants to show his gratitude to the deity. This is not something that is regular like Arasu Kambla which is organised every year at different places in South Kanara like Dharmasthal, Pilikula, Kundapur, Mulki, Kinnigoli, Katpadi,Jeppina mogaru and Kadri.