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This paper attempts to understand the perception of the new middle class urbanites towards printed calendars and their varied motifs in the current zeitgeist of smartphones and digital calendars. While the existing literature focus on contextual variance of calendar art motifs, they broadly overlook the ‘volition’ of consumers in the choice of calendars. This is so because the existing studies are mainly based on calendars received complimentarily and not on calendars purchased out of one’s choice. This research therefore explores calendar choice preference among the new middle class urbanites, who have a sufficient level of disposable income in their hands to buy calendars. The findings challenge the myth of calendar choice homogeneity among the middle class and the dominance of religious/traditional motifs in calendar markets reflect the choice of the consumers. The research observes the existence of differentiated calendar market catering to various segments of the middle class population. Calendar thus serves as utility items for the lower middle class and as beautification prop for the new middle and upper middle class. Additionally, while the lower middle class are found to be univore (use the traditional and religious calendars received complimentarily) in their calendar use, the new and upper middle class are reported to be omnivore by virtue of heterogeneity of calendar choice varying in taste and style. Equipped with sufficient amount of disposable income in hands, the new middle class choose calendars that are maverick and their choice cannot be clubbed under a single genre. Stated differently, the calendar choice of the new middle class is abstract and unpredictable and is an amalgam of the classic and avant-garde art forms. The paper therefore adds to the homology thesis of Pierre Bourdieu by pointing out that there can be heteromorphic relation between people’s class affiliation and aesthetic preference. This study was qualitative in nature; open ended interviews were conducted with the calendar designers, sellers, middle class urbanites in Lucknow City and content analysis of varied calendar motifs were undertaken.
Keywords: Calendar Art, New Middle Class, Cultural Capital

Glucose and lipid metabolism alterations are associated with menopause. The objectives of the present study were to 1) evaluate the differences in anthropometric characteristics, body fat, and lipid profile between premenopausal and postmenopausal women aged 40 to 44 years; 2) assess the magnitude of the parameters to distinguish between two groups. The study was cross-sectional, and participants were 40 to 44-year-old premenopausal (n = 50) and postmenopausal (n = 50) women. Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured. Body fat (%) was evaluated using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were estimated. Body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), and non-HDL-C were calculated. Discriminant function analysis was used to distinguish between pre- and postmenopausal groups by FPG and non-HDL-C. Mean values of age (premenopausal 42.34 years, postmenopausal 42.23 years) were not different. Mean age at menopause was 41.30 years. Postmenopausal women had higher mean values of body fat (22.17%), FPG (117.43 mg/dL), triglycerides (153.65 mg/dL), LDL-C (133.77 mg/dL), TC (169.83 mg/dL), non-HDL-C (133.84 mg/dL) in comparison with the corresponding values among premenopausal women (18.28%, 82.82 mg/dL, 96.88 mg/dL, 104.74 mg/dL, 143.98 mg/dL, 104.75 mg/dL respectively) with significant differences (p<0.05). Postmenopausal women showed higher prevalence of BMI-based thinness or undernutrition (28.0%), excess weight (overweight and obesity) (24.0%), hypertriglyceridemia (38.0%), high LDL-C (56.0%), and low HDL-C (56.0%) in comparison with the corresponding percentages in premenopausal women (16.0%, 20.0%, 8.0%, 32.0%, and 42.0%, respectively). High prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was observed among postmenopausal women (60.0%). No premenopausal woman was diabetic. Canonical discriminant function of FPG and non-HDL-C was significant to distinguish between pre- and postmenopausal women. In conclusion, postmenopausal women were significantly different from premenopausal peers with respect to body fat (%), FPG, and lipid profile characteristics.
Keywords: Menopause; Body fat; Diabetes, Triglycerides, LDL-C, Total cholesterol, Non-HDL-C.

It has been reported that elevated hemoglobin level increases blood viscosity. An increase in viscosity elevates the blood pressure level and disturbs the cardiovascular function. There is paucity of data on this regard in Indian context. The aim was to study the association between hemoglobin level and blood pressure among the Sunni Muslim adolescents of Lucknow City, India. This cross sectional study was conducted among 159 adolescent school children aged between 12 and 18 years from a sub urban area near Lucknow city, India. T-test was used to examine the sexual dimorphism in Hb and blood pressure levels. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation as well as linear regression were done to evaluate the association between Hb and BP level. Result shows mean hemoglobin level (g/dL) was higher among boys 12.1 (1.6) than girls 11.4 (1.1) and this difference was statistically significant (t = 2.79; p < 0.05). The systolic blood pressure showed significant sexual dimorphism (t = 2.46, p < 0.05); only diastolic blood pressure showed significant positive correlation with hemoglobin levels in both the sexes as well as in sex combined (p < 0.05). Considering the categories i.e. anemic and non anemic individuals, the only non anemic showed positive significant correlation with systolic (r = 0.271; p < 0.05) and diastolic (r= 0.299; p < 0.05) blood pressure. We conclude from this study that significant sexual dimorphism exists in case of hemoglobin level among the adolescents and individuals with higher Hb are likely to have high blood pressure.
Keywords: Hemoglobin level, blood pressure, hypertension, adolescents, Sunni Muslims, India.

Novel Corona Virus (Covid-19) appeared as a major concern across the world. Considering its pandemic nature, various measures have been evolved to prevent and fight with this new disease. Ways of fighting with the disease by clinical and preventive measures adopted by the state have made a great impact on public and private life. The health and social situations emerged under Covid-19 has provided a new field for anthropological research. The paper is based on what I have observed, experienced and noted during lockdown and unlock period between March and June 2020 at a place called Shivmandir located just by the side of the North Bengal University Campus near the city of Siliguri in West Bengal. The main objective of this paper is to understand the impact of lockdown and stay-home policy on economic and social life of the people during this pandemic. A special emphasis in this paper is to highlight the Covid -19 and its implications in anthropological research. The paper argues that the present socio-political system of the country has generated an atmosphere which has to some extent acted to “infantilize the common people”. This has arrested the desired social functions as well as over all development of the country for the time being. Therefore, the gap between somato-sphere and socio-sphere, which has emerged and resulted out of corona pandemic needs to be minimized through proper planning for saving the societies and nations in which anthropology has a crucial role to play.
Keywords: Covid-19, Anthropology, Quarantine, Lockdown, Siliguri, Somato-sphere and Socio-sphere.

India’s ‘nature writing’ has traditionally encompassed ecology, geography and sacrality, but it has often bypassed Dalit eco-literary traditions. This article discusses the eco-literary, by focusing on Dalits and their relationship to the earth. It perceives the earth as an important locus of Dalit individuation, carving them as a free, working community, prior to the bearing of burdens of caste, and thus revealing irreducible instances of rights and claims. Placing archives of Dalits and ecocriticism, novel and river, caste and commons in tandem with each other, the article reads a literary text, A River Called Titash, deeply, and delves into the layers of making of Dalit environments. Written by Adwaita Mallabarman, a poor Malo Dalit, and autobiographic in a wider sense, the novel weaves a complex narrative of nature, place, time and community at the turn of the twentieth century. It shows how Dalit environments comprise a unique set of analytic, where earth, commons, culture and place-attachment-and-movement strings build their traction towards nature.
Keywords: Dalit, Malo, Titash river, ecology, earth, literature, nature.

Seamen from Minicoy (Maliku), the southernmost island of the Lakshadweep, were and are an integral part of the local maritime economy. Since time immemorial the people of Maliku developed an ocean-based economy including fishing, trading and boat building. Local society was based on a matrilineal and matrilocal kinship system and Muslim faith. From the eighteenth century onwards Malikun worked as seamen on ships in South Asia and beyond. In sharp contrast to other seamen, Malikun are not uprooted individuals or “marginal men”, because seafaring was the best, and almost only option for young men from this island and has always been an honourable occupation. Today, most of them work worldwide in the merchant navy. This article is based on interviews during a multi-sited fieldwork in Maliku, Kochi and Mumbai. I shall argue that long-lasting dynamics in the twentieth century were induced by their Seamen´s association and by the Indian state and its administration. The most significant change is the disaggregation of an ancient status system and a growing diaspora in Kochi. The Minicoy People´s Welfare Association, formerly Minicoy Seamen´s Association, owns hostels in Mumbai and became a home-away-from-home. This network provides information and offers help in the complex legal context which controls the movements of Indian seamen.
Keywords: Indian Ocean, Lakshadweep, Minicoy, Muslim, matrilinearity, seamen, life-history.