MindBenderz - BETA

Launch and Landing of a Shuttle

2010-04-07T21:39:00.024+05:30

Hi Friends,
Recently one of my brother had asked a review of launch of space shuttle for his school assignment. So i thought it would been nice to use in my blog. We don't get chance to see the shuttle launch live. If u got any Picture or interesting information , share with us.! Correct me if anything wrong!

An Overview of Space shuttle launch to landing:

At Lift-off, the shuttle is made of:

Winged orbiter- where the astronauts travel
A Huge fuel tank (External Tank)- which supplies fuel to the orbiter's three main engines and
Two Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) attached to the fuel tank

The Fuel tank contains liquid oxygen and hydrogen.
The booster rockets use Solid Fuel.
They both work like huge fireworks, and cannot be switched off after ignition.

The orbiter also has two smaller engines called the orbital manoeuvrings system(OMS), and clusters of small gas-powered thrusters at the nose and tail, used for small manoeuvrings in orbit.
The picture shows the Orbiter's partial views of the shuttle's main engines, orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods, a portion of the payload bay door panels and the shuttle's wings.

The Launch of shuttle is Explained here:

1.Lift-off

2. Soon after the lift-off, the shuttle turns on to its back.

3. The booster rockets(SRB) last for two minutes, then separate from the fuel tank and parachute back to the earth for re-use.

4. The fuel in the External tank runs out after nine minutes, after which the orbiter jettisons it and the external tank falls back into the atmosphere, where it burns up because of the intense heat created.

Fuel tank dropped and Orbiter Jettisons

External Tank post jettison

5. The orbiter are now on its own. The OMS engines are fired for a short time to accelerate the orbiter into its correct orbit.

The orbiter in the space with payload

Less than 15 minute after the launch, the shuttle is in orbit at an altitude of about 200 km. Now the astronauts can carry out their mission.

6. With the mission complete, the OMS engines slow down the orbiter so that it begins to fall back to Earth.

During re-entry into the atmosphere, heat-resistant ceramic tiles protect the orbiter from the intense heat. It gradually slows as it descends, and finally glides back on to a runway like an aeroplane.

(In Picture, the Orbiter deploys the landing gear before landing on a selected runway just like a common aircraft)

To return to Earth the space shuttle must make a series of complicated manouevres to align itself into the correct position to achieve a safe descent:
1. The shuttle flies upside down in orbit to control its heating.
2. To re-enter the atmosphere, the shuttle is turned tail first to the direction of travel, and fires its engines to slow its speed.
3. The orbiter is then flipped the right way up and enters the top layer of the atmosphere at about a 40-degree angle from horizontal with its wings level.

4. The orientation keeps its black thermal tiles facing the majority of the heat - as high 1,650C (3,000F) on the leading edges of the wings and nose.
5. As its speed drops, the shuttle starts to fly more like an aircraft, using its rudder and wing flaps for control. It banks sharply to slow its speed still further
6. The shuttle falls from a height of more than 360km at speeds that top Mach 30, and at an angle of 19 degrees, far steeper than that of a commercial aircraft. The spacecraft comes to a dead stop half a world a way from where it began the descent.

Shuttle Landing

Deccan chargers - Gilly ruins Deccan Chargers

2010-04-07T17:59:00.004+05:30

Gilchirst who is star player of Deccan chargers and who is the main reason to win ipl 2009 now ruins deccan chargers. Do you think how he ruins it.

Though he is a great player and am fan great of him for his sweep shot and the way he dominating the cricket.

But when you look at ipl its indian premier league but in chargers side all australian players dominating the team. Am not creating any racism or discrimination. But the steps taken by gilly makes me to think in this way.

Some of the points i like to discuss here:-

*After the win of ipl 2009, i hope the team management might gave privilege to do what ever he likes. Problem starts for chargers right from here.

*Coach of Deccan Chargers is an Australian Player.

*And Assistant coach is also a australian. dont worry for namesake there is a assistant indian coach for them.

*Gilly bought Harris in ipl auction. Harris is not at a good form and harris doesnot create much record in twenty20 format. since he is an australian he choosed him.

*If gilly had got a chance to select the players in ipl 2008 auction, then you might not able to see Gibbs and Vaas in the team.

*Gilly gives enough chance to other players. But for australian players they get enough chance inspite of their poor performance.

*He is not allowing young players to shine. If you take other teams in ipl, young players get chance to expose their talent. But in deccan chargers its worse, Gilly makes all senior players to fill top of the order and makes the youngster to feel the pressure and due to pressure they couldnt perform well. And gilly will blame in post match presentation that top order didnt fired, not performed well bla bla bla X-(

*Vaas is a leading wicket taking bowler in deccan side as well as he has good economic rate. But he was dropped and given chance to other bowlers. He can score some odd runs if he get a chance to bat. so it is good to keep him in team. The very worst thing is after knowing that no one is bowling as good as vaas, gilly didnt give him a chance to play.

VAAS Performance in this ipl

Matches - 5

wickets - 8

overs - 18

Best - 3/21

Economy - 6.66

*Then i like to point out the incident that happens between mumbai indians and deccan chargers. Laxman is not allowed to play is own shots. (yeah i accept he is suitable player for t20 but we wanna give him chance to show his experience and talent). why am saying is... in that match he got out by run out. It seems that he should take singles and give strike to gilly. In that pressure itself he played and got it. If you saw that incident means you can understand what i mean.

*Gibbs was playing good. He is the third highest run getter in deccan side next to Rohit sharma and Symonds respectively. But he was dropped in recent match.

So these some of the things i like to mention about gilly if he continues to keep on australian players. No one can stop the deccan getting ruin.

Some Facts i found in this ipl:

*Team which open with two indian players get good total and win the match. Percentage is high to this combination. for eg : Mumbai Indians

*Teams Opens with one foreign and one indian player is next combination wins few matches comfortably eg: Delhi Daredevils

*Teams Opens with two foreign players loses often. For eg: deccan chargers, though gibbs and gilly gives good start. their middle orders failed to maintain the momentum due to pressure and inexperience youngsters.

If gilly corrects his mistakes and make a good combination team. Then we can enjoy the aggressive performance of the deccan chargers in the field.

If you are a true fan of chargers, you can make it possible by discussing this fact with your friends and commenting in some main forums and create awareness about it and make media to look at it and they will create it as a issue. So you can do it buddy.

You can leave your comments , am expecting it. And i might gone wrong anywhere please correct it. Thanks for reading this post. Have a good day. :D

Do Not Smoke!

2010-03-01T18:58:00.006+05:30

Cigarette smoking is injurious to health

Each and every part of our body gets affected by smoking.
In simple words, we can say that smokers are pushing themselves to death.!

Tobacco is full of different carcinogenic chemicals. It contains Nicotine which is an addictive drug. These chemicals cause various life threatening conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and cardio-vascular diseases.

Well Known diseases caused by cigarette smoking:

Lung cancer

Stroke

Throat and mouth cancer

Ulcer

Larynx cancer

Pulmonary disease

larynx cancer

Bladder and cervical cancer

STOP SMOKING(if u smoke) and make yourself and the world Healthy!
DON'T ever try to smoke since it is addictive one!

Its not easy to quit smoking. But it can be DONE!
All you have to do is be determined to stop smoking. You can decide on what sort of help you need and what sort of treatment suits you the most.

If u are addictive smoker, You may not be successful the very first time that you decide to quit.
First make-up your mind and change the environment around you. Throw away all cigarettes and ashtrays from your work place, car and home. Never allow any one to smoke around you, whether friends or family. Try to keep busy and take proper rest. Find an activity or a hobby to take up in your spare time

If you think it is necessary you can take advice from your health care provider. There are a number of medication program which are available that can help you to quit smoking.

If you quit smoking , Your stamina and energy will go up. Of course, the first few days are difficult because you will suffer from withdrawal symptoms. After that you will eat, breathe, work and sleep better..

Do not smoke and dont let anyone to smoke. Have a healthy life and enjoy the world.

Timing of Organs that live after death

2010-03-01T18:47:00.004+05:30

Do u Know about the timing of ORGANS which live after death of human being.??

Here is answer for this.....

Brain - 10 minutes
Heart - 10 minutes
Eyes - 31 minutes
Legs - 4 hour
Skin - 5 days
Bones - 30 days

"Donate your organs and live after death also"

Annular Solar Eclipse in South India and other parts of the world on Jan 15th

2010-01-16T09:09:00.006+05:30

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun, causing the sun to look like an annulus (ring), blocking most of the Sun's light.

This is Century's longest solar eclipse.

Annular solar eclipse occurs over the skies of the southern Indian town of Rameswaram on January 15, 2010

The moon passes between the sun and the earth during a solar eclipse in Amman, Jordan on January 15, 2010

An annular solar eclipse is seen formed over the skies in Dhanushkodi, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Friday

An annular solar eclipse is seen formed over the skies of Male, Maldives on January 15, 2010

Burj Dubai- World's Tallest Building

2010-01-04T21:10:00.013+05:30

Burj Dubai is supertall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest man made structure ever built.
After six years, $1.5 billion and a last-minute name change, the Burj Dubai - now the Burj Khalifa has officially opened for business.

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Height: 824.55 m (2,705 ft)
Number of Floors: 160
Floor area: 3,595,100 sq ft (34,000 m2)
Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009 and the building officially opened on 4 January 2010.

Records:
#Tallest Man made structure, Tallest freestanding structure, Most Number of floors.
#World's highest elevator installation- fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s)
# The first world's tallest structure in history to include residential space
# Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
# Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
# Tallest service elevator in the world
# World's highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade, at a height of 512m (1,680 ft)

* Many Indian Workers involved in construction field. Indian Businessman Mr Shetty bought 100th floor of Burj Dubai.

Fireworks explode around Burj Dubai, the world's tallest tower, during the opening ceremony in Dubai on January 4, 2010

Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum renamed the tower Burj Khalifa after the president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi

SHADOW OF BURJ

An Emirati man looks over the city view at an observation point screen at the observation deck of the Burj Dubai tower, on Level 124 in Dubai

Burj Dubai Under Construction on 25 January 2008

This is taken from world's tallest building 'Burj Dubai' @ 2,620 ft / 801m!!!

Look at the edge (uppermost right corner) of the picture, you can almost see the turn of the earth

The persons who are working on the upper most Girders can see the 'ROTATION OF EARTH'

So terrifying...

Indian Currencies

2009-12-09T22:58:00.028+05:30

The rupee (code: INR) is the currency of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India. The most commonly used symbols for the rupee are Rs. and रू. The ISO 4217 code for the Indian rupee is INR.

"The Indian currency is called the Indian Rupee (INR) and the coins are called paise. One Rupee consists of 100 paise. The Reserve Bank manages currency in India. The Government, on the advice of the Reserve Bank, decides on the various denominations. The Reserve Bank also co-ordinates with the Government in the designing of bank notes, including the security features."

Bank Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India has the sole authority to issue banknotes in India. Reserve Bank, like other central banks the world over, changes the design of banknotes from time to time.

The Reserve Bank has introduced banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series since 1996 and has so far issued notes in the denominations of Rs.5, Rs.10, Rs.20, Rs.50, Rs.100, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 in this series.

Each banknote has its amount written in 17 languages (English & Hindi on the front, and 15 others on the back) illustrating the diversity of the country.

Contemporary Currency notes have 15 languages on the panel which appear on the reverse of the note.

"The Obverse Side of all Bank Notes got Mahatma Gandhi Picture."

One Thousand Rupee:
Size - 177mm X 73mm
Date of Issue - October 2000
Main Color - Amber-Red

The Obverse Side got Mahatma Gandhi Picture

The Reverse side of the note describes the ECONOMY OF INDIA.

Five Hundred Rupee:
Size - 167mm X 73mm
Year of Issue - 1997
Main Color - Olive and yellow

The picture in the reverse side of the note describes the DANDI MARCH

One Hundred Rupee:
Size - 157mm X 73mm
Year of Issue - 1996
Main Color - Blue-green at centre, brown-purple at 2 sides

The picture in the reverse side is 'The Himalayan Mountains'

Fifty Rupee:
Size - 147mm X 73mm
Year of Issue - 1997
Main Color - Violet

The backside Picture depicts the Parliament of India

Twenty Rupee:
Size -147mm X 63mm
Year of Issue - 2002
Main Color - Red-orange

The reverse side picture is Palm Trees

Ten Rupee:
Size - 137mm X 63mm
Year of Issue - 1996
Main Color - Orange-violet

The reverse side picture contains Rhinoceros, elephant, tiger

Five Rupee:
Size -117mm X 63mm
Year of Issue - 2002
Main Color - Green

The reverse side picture is Tractor

Coins:

"Coins were issued in independent India in 1950"

Ten Rupee Coins - The coin’s theme is "Unity in Diversity".

Metal	Bimetallic - Stainless Steel, Copper
Weight	7.71 gms (Outer ring: 4.45 gms. and Centrepiece: 3.26 gms.)
Diameter	27 mm
Shape	Circular
Obverse	3 Portions: Center- Emblem and prominent numerals 10, Top- India, Bottom- Year in Numerals
Reverse	Contains Values and the Visuals showing stylised representation of "Unity in Diversity", a defining characteristic of our country. The symbol shall be seen as four heads sharing a common body.

Five Rupee Coins (New)

Metal	Ferritic Stainless Steel (FSS)
Weight	6.00 gms
Diameter	23 mm
Shape Obverse Reverse	Circular Emblem of India, Value Value, Wavy Lines

Five Rupee Coins (Old)

Metal	Cupro-Nickel
Weight	9.00 gms
Diameter	23 mm
Shape	Circular

Two Rupee Coins (New)

Metal	Ferratic Stainless Steel
Weight	5.62 gms
Diameter	27 mm
Shape Obverse Reverse	Circular Emblem of India, Value Wavy lines, hands showing 2 fingers

Two Rupee Coins (Old)

Metal	Cupro-Nickel
Weight	6.00 gms
Diameter	26 mm
Shape	Eleven Sided

One Rupee Coins

Metal	Ferratic Stainless Steel
Weight	4.85 gms
Diameter	25 mm
Shape	Circular

Fifty Paise

Metal	Ferratic Stainless Steel
Weight	3.79 gms
Diameter	22 mm
Shape	Circular

Twenty Five Paise

Metal	Ferratic Stainless Steel
Weight	2.83 gms
Diameter	19 mm
Shape	Circular

Ten Paise

Metal	Ferratic Stainless Steel
Weight	2.00 gms
Diameter	16 mm
Shape	Circular

List of States & Union Territory of India

2009-12-09T22:17:00.007+05:30

No of States: 28
No of Union Territories: 7

List of States

	Andhra Pradesh Capital: Hyderabad Area: 2,75,069 sq. km Population: 76,210,007 Principal Languages: Telugu and Urdu
	Arunachal Pradesh Capital: Itanagar Area: 83,743 sq. km Population: 1,097,968 Principal Languages: Monpa, Miji, Aka, Sherdukpen, Nyishi, Apatani, Tagin, Hill Miri, Adi, Digaru-Mismi, Idu-Mishmi, Khamti, Miju-Mishmi, Nocte, Tangsa and Wancho.
	Assam Capital: Dispur Area: 78,438 sq. km Population: 26,638,407 Principal Languages: Assamese
	Bihar Capital: Patna Area: 94,163 sq. km Population: 82,878,796 Principal Languages: Hindi
	Chhattisgarh Capital: Raipur Area: 21,36,034 sq. km Population: 20,795,956 Principal Languages: Hindi
	Goa Capital: Panaji Area: 3,702 sq. km Population: 1,343,998 Principal Languages: Konkani and Marathi
	Gujarat Capital: Ghandhinagar Area: 1,96,024 sq. km Population: 50,671,017 Principal Languages: Gujarati
	Haryana Capital: Chandigarh Area: 44,212 sq. km Population: 21,144,564 Principal Languages: Hindi
	Himachal Pradesh Capital: Shimla Area: 55,673 sq. km Population: 6,077,900 Principal Languages: Hindi & Pahari
	Jammu and Kashmir Capital: Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) Area: 2,22,236 sq. km Population: 10,069,987 Principal Languages: Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Punjabi, Ladakhi, Balti, Gojri and Dadri
	Jharkhand Capital: Ranchi Area: 79,714 sq. km Population: 26,909,428 Principal Languages: Hindi
	Karnataka Capital: Bangalore Area: 1,91,791 sq. km Population: 52,850,562 Principal Languages: Kannada
	Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram Area: 38,863 sq. km Population:31,841,374 Principal Languages: Malayalam
	Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal Area: 3,08,000 sq. km Population: 60,385,118 Principal Languages: Hindi
	Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai Area: 3,07,713 sq. km Population: 96,752,247 Principal Languages: Marathi
	Manipur Capital: Imphal Area: 22,327 sq. km Population: 2,293,896 Principal Languages: Manipuri
	Meghalaya Capital: Shillong Area: 22,429 sq. km Population: 2,318,822 Principal Languages: Khasi, Garo and English
	Mizoram Capital: Aizawl Area: 21,081 sq. km Population: 891,058 Principal Languages: Mizo and English
	Nagaland Capital: Kohima Area: 16,579 sq. km Population: 1,988,636 Principal Languages: Angami, Ao, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sangtam, Sema and Chakhesang
	Orissa Capital: Bhubaneshwar Area: 1,55,707 sq. km Population: 36,804,660 Principal Languages: Oriya
	Punjab Capital: Chandigarh Area: 50,362 sq. km Population: 24,358,999 Principal Languages: Punjabi
	Rajasthan Capital: Jaipur Area: 3,42,239 sq. km Population:56,473,122 Principal Languages: Hindi and Rajasthani
	Sikkim Capital: Gangtok Area: 7,096 sq. km Population: 540,493 Principal Languages: Lepcha, Bhutia, Limbu and Nepali
	Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai Area: 1,30,058 sq. km Population: 62,405,679 Principal Languages: Tamil
	Tripura Capital: Agartala Area: 10,491.69 sq. km Population: 3,199,203 Principal Languages: Bengali and Kokborak
	Uttarkhand Capital: Dehradun Area: 53,484 sq. km Population: 8,489,349 Principal Languages: Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni
	Uttar Pradesh Capital: Lucknow Area: 2,40,928 sq. km Population: 166,052,859 Principal Languages: Hindi and Urdu
	West Bengal Capital: Kolkata Area: 88,752 sq. km Population: 80,176,197 Principal Languages: Bengali

List of Union Territories

Andaman and Nicobar Island Capital: Port Blair Area: 8,249 sq. km Population: 356,152 Principal Languages: Hindi, Nicobarese, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu
Chandigarh Capital: Chandigarh Area: 114 sq. km Population: 20,795,956 Principal Languages: Hindi
The NCT(National Capital Territory) of Delhi Capital: New Delhi Area: 1,483 sq. km Population: 13,80 million Principal Languages: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu & English
Dadra and Nagar Haveli Capital: Silvassa Area: 491 sq km Population: 220,490 Principal Languages: Gujarati, Hindi
Daman and Diu Capital: Daman Area: 112 sq. km Population: 158,204 Principal Languages: Gujarati
Lakshadweep Capital: Kavaratti Area: 32 sq. km Population: 60,650 Principal Languages: Jeseri (Dweep Bhasha) and Mahal
Puducherry Capital: Puducherry Area: 480 sq. km Population: 974,345 Principal Languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French

History With Mystery

2009-12-07T18:21:00.019+05:30

Look at the below stuff - very interesting (some of you may already aware of this but still thought of sharing).

History with Mystery

Ask a history teacher 2 explain this----- if he can? !

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head

Now it gets really weird...

Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln .

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln , was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln , was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat...

Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford.'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

Creepy huh?

Hey, this is one history lesson most people probably will not mind reading!

WHO FIGURED THIS OUT?
INCREDIBLE

1) Fold a NEW PINK $20 bill in half...

2) Fold again, taking care to fold it exactly as below

3) Fold the other end, exactly as before

4) Now, simply turn it over..

What a coincidence! A simple geometric fold creates a catastrophic premonition printed on all $20 bills!!!

COINCIDENCE? YOU DECIDE

As if that wasn't enough. Here is what you've seen...

Firstly The Pentagon on fire...

Then The Twin Towers.

..And now .. look at this!

TRIPLE COINCIDENCE ON A SIMPLE $20 BILL

It gets even better!! 9 + 11=$20!!

Some Facts about India

2009-11-30T23:41:00.000+05:30

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT INDIA

India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.

When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)

The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshipers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.

The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
Chess was invented in India.

Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.

The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.

The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.

India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.

The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.

The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.

The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.

India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.

The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.

Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.

The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.

Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India. Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10^53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).

Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world.(Source: Gemological Institute of America).

The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.

Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.

Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.

India exports software to 90 countries.

The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.

Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.

Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.

There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.

The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.

Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively

The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.

The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.

Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.

Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.

India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.

Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

Drinking Too much of Water is DANGEROUS

2009-11-30T23:21:00.004+05:30

We even need water to breathe: our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. Water is the element most necessary for survival. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days.

Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication also known as hyper-hydration or water poisoning.

Water intoxication is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water.

Ingesting more water than you need can increase your total blood volume. And since your blood volume exists within a closed system - your blood circulatory system - needlessly increasing your blood volume on a regular basis puts unnecessary burden on your heart and blood vessels.
Your kidneys must work overtime to filter excess water out of your blood circulatory system. Your kidneys are not the equivalent of a pair of plumbing pipes whereby the more water you flush through your kidneys, the cleaner they become; rather, the filtration system that exists in your kidneys is composed in part by a series of specialized capillary beds called glomeruli. Your glomeruli can get damaged by unnecessary wear and tear over time, and drowning your system with large amounts of water is one of many potential causes of said damage.

The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. That is, If you force large amounts of water into your system over a short period of time, your kidneys will struggle to eliminate enough water from your system to keep the overall amount at a safe level.

As your blood circulatory system becomes diluted with excess water, the concentration of electrolytes in your blood will drop relative to the concentration of electrolytes in your cells. In an effort to maintain an equal balance of electrolytes between your blood and your cells, water will seep into your cells from your blood, causing your cells to swell.

By not drinking enough water, many people incur excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness and water retention.

As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. ie., The minimum for a healthy person is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day. Beverages such as tea, coffee and fruit juices also count towards fluid intake, and may bring with them other nutrients or benefits.
You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications.

How to maintain fluid levels:

* Start as you mean to go on, with a glass of water when you wake.
* Find time to make yourself regular drinks during the day - don't forget that tea, coffee and juices can count. Just watch out for the amount of sugar consumed in some soft drinks.
* Keep a bottle of water in your bag, as it's a convenient way of providing fluid if you're travelling or exercising.
* Get into the habit of having a glass of water with every meal.
* The sensation of thirst is not triggered until you're already dehydrated, so it's important to drink before you get thirsty.
* Increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, as they have a high water content.

RELATED POST:

Correct timing to Drink Water

Correct timing to Drink Water

2009-11-30T23:06:00.004+05:30

The Correct timing to drink water will maximize its effectiveness to the human body:

Two glass of water 30 minutes before meal will help digestion.
One glass of water after you wake up, helps active internal organs.
One glass of water before you sleep will help to avoid stroke or heart attack at midnight.
One glass of water after taking bath helps lower blood pressure.

RELATED POST:

Drinking Too much of Water is DANGEROUS

India's National Symbols

2009-11-27T23:40:00.003+05:30

NATIONAL SYMBOLS

National Flag:

India's National flag is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron(Kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proposition. In the centre of the white band is the navy-blue Wheel (CHAKRA). It design is the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.

The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the design of the National Flag on 22 July 1947.

The ratio of the Width and length of Flag is 2:3.

The color Saffron represents Sacrifice, the color of Flame.
The color white represents Nobility.
The color Green represents Prosperity.
The wheel represents Dharma (Law).

National Emblem:

The state emblem (ie National Emblem) is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.

In the original, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the Capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law, Dharma Chakra.

In the state emblem, adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950, only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left and the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left.

It inspires us to march along the path of dharma slogging like bull yet remaining swift as a horse.

The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted. The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script.

National Anthem:

The song Jana-gana-mana, composed by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on January 24, 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
The Complete Song of Jana-gana-mana consists of five stanza, but, the first Stanza constitutes the full version of National Anthem.

It reads as follows:

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage,
Tava shubha asisa mange,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

This is the Full Version of our National Anthem and its playing time is approximately 52 seconds.

Short Version of National Anthem:

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

The short version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is also played on certain occasions. Playing time of the short version is about 20 seconds.

The following is Tagore's English rendering of the anthem:

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
Thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.

National Song:

The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. The following is the text of its first stanza:


  Vande Mataram!
  Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
  Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
  Vande Mataram!
  Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,
  Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,
  Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
  Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!
  Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!

The English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose 1 is:


   I bow to thee, Mother,
   richly-watered, richly-fruited,
   cool with the winds of the south,
   dark with the crops of the harvests,
   The Mother!
   Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight,
   her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom,
   sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,
   The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

National Flower:

Lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn) or Water Lily is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial.

Lotus represents Detachment(vairagya). The water touches it but cannot make it wet. Similarly, the spiritual mind endures all adversities with a smile - ie., Sorrow Around but not Sorrowful.

National Fruit:

A fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc., of the tree Mangifera indica, the mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. Its juicy fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India there are over 100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and colours. Mangoes have been cultivated in India from time immemorial.

The poet Kalidasa sang its praises. Alexander savoured its taste, as did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang. Mughal emperor Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar at a place now known as Lakhi Bagh.

National Tree:

Indian fig tree (Banyan Tree), Ficus bengalensis, whose branches root themselves like new trees over a large area. The roots then give rise to more trunks and branches. Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India. Even today, the banyan tree is the focal point of village life and the village council meets under the shade of this tree.

It also Provides Shelter and the tree is a veritable micro habitat for countless creatures. It releases maximum ozone in the atmosphere.

Like the Banyan, India Shelters all races, castes, creed and religion. To them all, it gives Wisdom.

National Bird:

The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus, the national bird of India, is a colourful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful than the female, with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green tail of around 200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and lacks the tail. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers is a gorgeous sight.

The Peacock is widely found in the Indian sub-continent from the south and east od the Indus river, Jammu and Ksahmir, East Assam, South Mizoram and the whole of the Indian peninsula.

Peacock represents a colorful life.

National Animal:

Tiger, the magnificent animal, scientifically called the Panthera tigris (Linnaeus), the national animal of India, is a rich-colored striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. To check the dwindling population of tigers in India, 'Project Tiger' was launched in April 1973. So far, 27 tiger reserves have been established in the country under this project, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.

The tiger needs to be emulated to remain alert and swift while working towards our goal of in life.

National Game:

Hockey is the National Game of India. Unmatched excellence and incomparable virtuosity brought India a string of Olympic gold medals. Post Indian Independence, the Indian team achieved another hat-trick of gold medals at the 1948 London

Olympics, 1952 Helsinki Games and the Melbourne Olympics.
During the Golden Era, India played 24 Olympic matches, won all 24, scored 178 goals (at an average of 7.43 goals per match) and conceded only 7 goals. The two other gold medals for India came in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Our nation has an excellent record with eight Olympic gold medals. Indian hockey's golden period was from 1928-56, when the Indian hockey team won six successive Olympic gold medals. Team also won the 1975 World Cup besides two more medals (silver and a bronze). The Indian Hockey Federation gained global affiliation in 1927 and joined the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Cricket BALL

2009-11-13T20:47:00.020+05:30

Some Information about Cricket Ball

For men's cricket, the ball must weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces (155.9 and 163.0 g) and measure between 8 13/16 and 9 in (224 and 229 mm) in circumference. Balls used in women's and youth matches are slightly smaller.

A cricket ball may not be replaced except under specific conditions described in the Laws of Cricket:

* If the ball becomes damaged or lost.
* If the condition of the ball is illegally modified by a player.
* In Test cricket, after 80 overs, the captain of the bowling side has the option to take a new ball.
* In One Day Internationals, previously there is a mandatory change of the ball at the start of the 35th over of each innings. The replacement will be a clean used ball, not a new ball. This rule was introduced in June 2007

In October 2011 new changes introduced in ODI format to use two white balls in an inning - one from either end. This also removes the mandatory change of ball after 34th over.

The ball is not replaced if it is hit into the crowd - the crowd must return it. If the ball is damaged, lost, or illegally modified, it will be replaced by a used ball in similar condition to the replaced ball. A new ball can only be used after the specified minimum number of overs have been bowled with the old one.

The umpires will inspect the ball frequently during a match. It is illegal for a player to:

* rub any substance apart from saliva or sweat onto the ball
* rub the ball on the ground
* scuff the ball with any rough object, including the fingernails
* pick at or lift the seam of the ball.

White balls are used in all limited overs cricket where coloured clothing is worn.

A pink ball was used for the first time in an international match in July 2009 when the England Woman's team defeated Australia at Wormsley

The directions in which a right-handed batsman intends to send the ball when playing various cricketing shots. The diagram for a left-handed batsman is a mirror image of this one.

The white ball has been found to swing a lot more during the first half of the innings than the red ball and also deteriorates more quickly, although manufacturers claim that white and red balls are manufactured using the same methods and materials.

About Nutrients

2009-11-10T22:50:00.008+05:30

Know About Substances present in Food useful for Human body

A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment.

Organic nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins (or their building blocks, amino acids), and vitamins. Inorganic chemical compounds such as dietary minerals, water, and oxygen may also be considered nutrients.A nutrient is essential to an organism if it cannot be synthesized by the organism in sufficient quantities and must be obtained from an external source.

Substances that provide energy - Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins.
Substances that support metabolism - Vitamins, Water, Dietary Minerals.

Vitamins:

Vitamins are organic compounds essential for life, health and growth. They are not eaten as in the diet, but are widely dispersed in food.

Two Kinds of Vitamins:

Fat soluble vitamins - Vitamin A, Vitamin D(Calciferol), Vitamin E(Tocopherol) and Vitamin K

Water soluble vitamins - Vitamin B1(Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Nicotinamide, Vitamin B6(Pyridoxine), Panthothenic acid, Biotin, Folic acid (Pteroyglutamic acid), Vitamin B12 and Vitamin C.

Why Vitamins are Valuable?

Vitamins are chemical substances present naturally in most foods and in synthetic form, like in vitamin pills. Both forms are equally nutritious since the vitamins in each case are chemically identical. The body needs only tiny quantities of them- ranging from about 30mg(30 thousandths of a gram) a day of Vitamin C. For instance, down to 1 micro-gram (one millionth of a gram)of Vitamin B12. They play no direct part in producing body tissues or energy, but they are essential for the body to function efficiently, just as oil is essential for running of a car.

Vitamins deficiency can lead to illness and in extreme cases, death. The killer diseases Scurvy and beri-beri are caused by deficiencies of the vitamins C and B1 respectively. Deficiency of Vitamin A can cause Night Blindness, and Deficiency of Vitamin D leads to rickets ( a childhood disease of bones).

Anyone, who eats a variety of foods, however, is unlikely to run into problems.

What are Carbohydrates?

They consist of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. They are found in sugar, jams cereals, bread, potatoes, fruit, vegetables and milk.

Functions of Carbohydrates:

In the body they are utilized to provide energy and heat.
They help to maintain the normal blood glucose level.

Three main groups of carbohydrates:

Mono-saccharides,
Di-saccharides and
Polysaccharides.

What are Proteins?

Proteins are complex compounds containing carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous. They are obtained mainly from meats, eggs, milk, cheese, fish, cereals and certain vegetables.

Essentials of Proteins:

To repair body tissues
Maintenance of the osmotic equilibrium between blood and tissue fluids
Providing energy and heat when there is an insufficient supply if Carbohydrates.

Fats(Lipids)

Fat is important in the diet not only for its high energy but also it contains the fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K and certain essential fatty acids.

Necessity of Mineral Salts:

Mineral Salts are necessary in diet for all body processes. Only small amount of it is needed.

Use of Calcium:

Calcium is the chief constituent of teeth and bones. it is absorbed in the small intestine with the help of Vitamin D. It plays an important part in the coagulation of blood and in contraction of muscles.

Use of Phosphate:

Phosphate combines with calcium in the formation of bone and teeth and it helps to maintain the normal composition of body fluids.

Importance of Sodium:

Sodium present mainly in tissue fluids and therefore play an important role in cell activity and in the fluid balance of the body.

Use of Potassium:

Potassium is an essential constituent of all cells. It is also necessary for the normal activity of cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscles.

Importance of Iron in the body:

Iron is necessary for the formation of cytochromes that is involved in tissue oxidation. It is very essential for the formation of Haemoglobin.

Importance of Iodine:

Iodine is essential for the formation of the Thyroid hormones, thyroxine and tri iodothyronine.

CALORIE VALUE OF FOOD ITEMS

2009-11-02T23:33:00.020+05:30

Calorie Values of Food Items
(Figures given below based on 100 gm portions)

Food	Calories	Protein (in gms)	Fat (in gms)	Carbo hydrates (in gms)	Water (in gms)	Vitamins
Milk	65	3.3	4	5	88	A, B2, Niacin
Butter	740	-	82	-	15	A
Cream	210	2	21	3	72	A
Cheese	310	22	25	-	44	A, B2, Niacin
Ice cream	170	4	7	25	64	B1, B2, Niacin
Margarine	740	-	81	-	16	A
Eggs	150	12	11	-	75	A, B1, B2, Niacin
Beef(Boiled)	340	28	24	-	48	B2, Niacin
Pork(grilled)	340	29	24	-	36	B1, B2, Niacin
Chicken (Rost)	150	25	5	-	55	-
Fish (eg. Cod)	220	20	10	8	60	B1, Niacin
Beans (Boiled)	20	2	-	3	90	A
Cabbage (Boiled)	10	1	-	1	96	A, C
Carrots(Boiled)	20	0.6	-	4	91	A
Cauliflower (Boiled)	10	1.5	-	1	93	C
Cucumber (raw)	10	0.6	-	2	96	C
Peas (Boiled)	50	5	-	8	80	A, B1, B2, Niacin, C
Potatoes (Boiled)	80	1	-	22	77	B1
Tomatoes	15	1	-	3	93	A, C
Apples	45	0.3	-	12	84	-
Bananas	80	1	-	20	70	C
Cherries	50	0.6	-	12	81	-
Grapes	60	0.6	-	15	80	C
Oranges	35	1	-	9	86	-
Pea Nuts (Roasted)	570	24	49	9	4	B1, B2, Niacin
Beer	30	0.3	-	2	-	-
Wine	70	-	-	-	-	-
Spirits	220	-	-	-	-	-
Tea (Black)	-	-	-	-	-	-
Coffee (Black)	-	-	-	-	-	Niacin
Sugar (tea spoon)	24	-	-	-	-	-
Bread	230	8	2	50	39	B1, Niacin
Rice (white Boiled)	120	2	-	30	70	-
Cornflakes with milk	205	6.5	4	34.7	-	A, B, B1, B2, Niacin
Chocolate Biscuits	520	6	28	67	2	B2, Niacin
Wheat Bran	200	14	6	23	8	B1, B2, Niacin

Calorie is the food energy is expressed in terms of Calorie.
1 calorie = 4.18400 joules

Udham Singh - Love for his country

2009-10-27T12:42:00.001+05:30

UDHAM SINGH

Other Names: Sher Singh,Ram Mohammed Singh Azad, Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh

Birth Place: Sunam, Punjab

Date of Birth: 22 December 1899

Date of Death: 31 July 1940

Movement:Indian Independence Movement

Major organizations: Ghadar Party, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association

Udham Singh fought for Liberation by Revolutionary movement;

Udham singh was born on December 26,1899 at Sunam in Punjab. He was named Sher Singh. When he was four years old, he lost his parents and he along with his brother was admitted in a Orphanage in Amrister where he got a new name Udham Singh by passing Sikh initiation rites.

Udham Singh involved in Revolutionary movement for India’s Independence.

On April 13,1919,British Indian Army soldiers under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children at Jalianwala Bagh. The firing lasted about 10 minutes to 15 minutes and 1650 rounds were fired (33 rounds per soldier).
Udham Singh witnessed this massacre of his country men falling prey to British Soldiers gun shots and was deeply hurt to see the death of innocent people. At that moment he took pledge in Golden temple to avenge the bloody act.

About Jallianwala Bagh Massacre:

On April 13,1919, over twenty thousand unarmed Indians, mainly Punjabis , peacefully assembled in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, to listen to several prominent local leaders speak out against British colonial rule in India and against the arrest and deportation of Dr. Satya Pal, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, and few others under the unpopular Rowlatt Act. Udham Singh and his mates from the orphanage were serving water to the crowd on a warm summer afternoon.

After few minutes, a band of 90 soldiers armed with rifles and khukris (Gurkha short swords) marched to the park accompanied by two armoured cars with mounted machine guns. The vehicles were unable to enter the Bagh owing to the narrow entrance. Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer was in command. The troops had entered the Bagh by about 5:15 PM. With no warning to the crowd to disperse, Dyer ordered his troops to open fire, concentrating especially on the areas where the crowd was thickest. The attack lasted ten minutes. Since there was only one exit not barred by soldiers, people tried to climb the walls of the park. Some also jumped into a well inside the compound to escape the bullets. A plaque in the monument says that 120 bodies were plucked out of the well alone.

By the time the smoke cleared, hundreds of people had been killed and thousands injured. Official estimates put the figures at 379 killed (337 men, 41 boys and a six week old baby) and 200 injured, but other reports estimated the deaths well over 1,000 and possibly 1,300.

Udham Singh mainly held Michael O'Dwyer who was Lieutenant Governor of Punjab that time, responsible for this massacre. The incident had greatly shaken young Udham Singh and proved a turning point in his life. After bathing in the holy sarovar (pool of nectar), Udham Singh took a silent vow and solemn pledge in front of the Golden Temple to wreak a vengeance on the perpetrators of the crime and to restore honour to what he saw as a humiliated nation.

Udham Singh then started traveling to all places supporting the revolutionary activities. He was inspired by Bhaghat Singh very much.

Once while he was in Lahore, for possessing weapons illegally he was imprisoned for 4 years.
On his release during 1932, he found his stay in India extremely difficult and so he decided to leave India. He went to Europe in 1933. After traveling widely in Europe, he reached London and stayed there. His unfulfilled pledge of taking revenge for Jallianwala bagh massacre kept him restless and thinking over the ways to fulfill his pledge.

Finally, On April 13th, 1940, almost 21 years after the Jallianwala Bagh killings, a meeting of British officials was being held in Caxton hall in London where Michael Dyer who is main cause for Jallianwala incident too present there. At the end of the meet, all of a sudden Udham took out his pistol and shot at Dyer. He was hit twice and died immediately.

In the picture: Smiling Udham Singh (in center) leaving Caxton Hall after his arrest.

He also shot at Lord Zetland who was secretary of India and he was injured but not seriously.

Udham after shooting, didn’t managed to escape. During his trial in court he said he did it and Dyer deserved that punishment.

Udham Singh had told the court at his trial:

"I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. He was the real culprit. He wanted to crush the spirit of my people, so I have crushed him. For full 21 years, I have been trying to wreak vengeance. I am happy that I have done the job. I am not scared of death. I am dying for my country. I have seen my people starving in India under the British rule. I have protested against this, it was my duty. What a greater honour could be bestowed on me than death for the sake of my motherland?"

On July 31,1940 he was hung to death. During his trial he also asked to handover his remains to India. But after his death the British government didn’t handover his ashes. Later by 1975, by the request of Punjab constituency to Indian Government, the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi urged British Govt to give Udham’s remains to India. The British Govt finally handover his remains to Indian Government and he was given Martyr Welcome. People of India especially Punjab people gathered to pay homage to the hero and he was cremated in his birth place Sunam and his ashes were immersed in holy Ganga Water.

Though he died, his boldness, courage, bravery and selfless love for his country and his people impress every Indians.

Nobel Prize

2009-10-26T14:36:00.029+05:30

Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize is awarded for outstanding contributions in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Economics and Physiology or Medicine. This award is a Sweden-based international monetary prize.
The man behind the Nobel Prize is ALFRED NOBEL a Swedish chemist, industrialist, he is also the inventor of the high explosive dynamite. The foundations of the Nobel Prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much of his wealth for its establishment. It took almost 5 years to establish the Nobel Foundation to execute the plans and to overcome various hurdles. The first prize was awarded on 10th December 1901.

The committees and institutions serving as the selection boards for the Nobel Prizes typically announce the names of the laureates in October month.
The award were presented to the laureates in the ceremonies held annually on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.

The official name for Nobel Prize for ECONOMIC is the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel It is not actually one of the Nobel Prizes, which were established by the will of Alfred Nobel during 1895. The first Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded in 1969.

The Nobel laureates are selected by respective Nobel Committees. The following institutions are specifically designated in selecting laureates and also take responsible for prizes:

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences- a committee consists of five members responsible for the Prizes in Physics, Chemistry and Economics. In 1968, the Sveriges Riksbank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economics in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was given the task to select the Economics Prize Laureates starting in 1969.
The Swedish Academy a committee of four to five members responsible for the Prize in Literature.
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute - for prize in Physiology or Medicine.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee consists of five members elected by the Norwegian Storting(the Norwegian parliament)responsible for Peace Prize.

AWARD CEREMONIES:

The Nobel Laureates take center stage in Stockholm on 10 December when they receive the Nobel Prize Medal, Nobel Prize Diploma and document confirming the Nobel Prize amount from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. In Oslo, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates receive their Nobel Peace Prize from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of King Harald V of Norway. An important part is the presentation of the Nobel Lectures by the Nobel Laureates. In Stockholm, the lectures are presented days before the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. In Oslo, the Nobel Laureates deliver their lectures during the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony.

The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony has been held at the Norwegian Nobel Institute (1905–1946); at the Aula of the University of Oslo (1947–1990); and most recently at the Oslo City Hall.

There is no Nobel Prize in Mathematics, which has led to considerable speculation about why Alfred Nobel omitted it.

*A maximum of three laureates and two different works may be selected per award. Each award can be given to a maximum of three recipients per year.

*In this year(2009) 5 of the 13 new Nobel Laureates are women, the largest number ever to join the ranks in a single year.

*From 1901 to 2009, a total of 829 Nobel Laureates have been awarded the Nobel Prize, comprising 806 Nobel Laureates and 23 organizations.

Category	Number of Nobel Laureates
Physics	187
Chemistry	157
Physiology or Medicine	195
Literature	106
Peace	97 + 23organizations
Economic Sciences	64
Total	829

Two Nobel Laureates were honoured in different Prize categories — Marie Curie was awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Linus Pauling was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize. Four other Nobel Laureates, two individuals and two organizations, received the Nobel Prize more than once in the same category. This makes a total of 802 individuals and 20 unique organizations who have received the Nobel Prize.

Persons or Organizations who has won more than once:

Marie Curie received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics, and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry;
John Bardeen received the 1956 and the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics;
Frederick Sanger received the 1958 and the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry;
International Committee of the Red Cross (Comité International de la Croix Rouge) received the 1917, 1944 and 1963 Nobel Peace Prize;
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees received the 1954 and the 1981 Nobel Peace Prize;
Linus Pauling received the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize.

Nobel Prize are forbidden to be awarded posthumously.

*Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times between 1937 and 1948 but never received the prize, being assassinated on 30 January 1948 two days before the closing date for the 1948 Peace Prize nominations. The Norwegian Nobel Committee had very likely planned to give him the Peace Prize in 1948 as they considered a posthumous award, but ultimately decided against it, and instead chose not to award the prize that year.

The Nobel Laureate receives three things:

a diploma,
a medal and
a document confirming the prize amount.

The grant is currently 10 million SEK, slightly more than US$1.4 million.

If there are two winners in a particular category, the award grant is divided equally between the recipients. If there are three, the awarding committee has the option of dividing the grant equally, or awarding one-half to one recipient and one-quarter to each of the others. It is not uncommon for recipients to donate prize money to benefit scientific, cultural or humanitarian causes.
The strict rules against a prize being awarded to more than three people at once is also a cause for controversy. Where a prize is awarded to recognize an achievement by a team of more than three collaborators, inevitably one or more will miss out.

Two laureates voluntarily declined the Nobel Prize:

Jean-Paul Sartre, who was awarded the Literature Nobel Prize in 1964. He explained for his refusal- He said he did not wish to be "transformed" by such an award, and did not want to take sides in an East vs. West cultural struggle by accepting an award from a prominent Western cultural institution. However somedays before Nobel committee announced the award, Sartre had written a letter to the Nobel Institute, asking to be removed from the list of nominees, and that he would not accept the prize if awarded, but the letter went unread.
Lê Đức Thọ - He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 jointly with Henry Kissinger for their efforts in negotiating the Paris Peace Accords intended to establish peace in Vietnam. However, he declined to accept the award, stating that there was still no peace in his country.

Adolf Hitler constrained three laureates not to accept the Nobel Prize; however, they were given their prizes after the end of the Second World War:

Richard Kuhn, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1938
Adolf Butenandt, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939
Gerhard Domagk, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1939

The Soviet Union government also constrained Boris Pasternak not to accept his Nobel Prize in Literature in 1958. The Nobel medal was finally presented to Pasternak's son, Yevgeny, at a ceremony in Stockholm during the Nobel week of December 1989

MEDALS:

The Nobel Prize medals in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature have identical obverses: it shows the image of Alfred Nobel and the years of his birth and death (1833–1896). Nobel's portrait also appears on the obverse of the Nobel Peace Prize Medal and the Medal for the Prize in Economics, but with a slightly different design. The image on the reverse varies according to the institution awarding the prize. All medals made before 1980 were struck in 23 carat gold. Today, they are made from 18 carat green gold plated with 24 carat gold. They each weigh approximately 200 g and have a diameter of 66 mm.

The Nobel Prize Medal for Physics and Chemistry:

The medal of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences represents Nature in the form of a goddess resembling Isis, emerging from the clouds and holding in her arms a cornucopia. The veil which covers her cold and austere face is held up by the Genius of Science.

The inscription reads:
Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes

loosely translated "And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."
The name of the Nobel Laureate is engraved on the plate below the figures, and the text "REG. ACAD. SCIENT. SUEC." stands for The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The Nobel Prize Medal for Physics and Chemistry was designed by Erik Lindberg.

The Nobel Prize Medal for Physiology or Medicine:

The medal of the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute represents the Genius of Medicine holding an open book in her lap, collecting the water pouring out from a rock in order to quench a sick girl's thirst.

The inscription reads:
Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes

loosely translated "And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."

The name of the laureate is engraved on the plate below the figures, and the text "REG. UNIVERSITAS MED. CHIR. CAROL." stands for the Karolinska Institute.

The Nobel Prize Medal for Physiology or Medicine was designed by Erik Lindberg.

The Nobel Prize Medal for Literature:

The medal of the Swedish Academy represents a young man sitting under a laurel tree who, enchanted, listens to and writes down the song of the Muse.

The inscription reads:
Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes

loosely translated "And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."

The name of the Laureate is engraved on the plate below the figures, and the text "ACAD. SUEC." stands for the the Swedish Academy.

The Nobel Prize Medal for Literature was designed by Erik Lindberg.

The Nobel Peace Prize Medal:

The face of the medal of the Norwegian Nobel Committee shows Alfred Nobel in a pose slightly different from that of the other medals. The inscription is the same.

The other side of the Nobel Peace Prize medal represents a group of three men forming a fraternal bond.

The inscription reads:
Pro pace et fraternitate gentium

translated "For the peace and brotherhood of men".

"Prix Nobel de la Paix", the relevant year, and the name of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate is engraved on the edge of the medal.

The Nobel Peace Prize Medal was designed by Gustav Vigeland.

The Medal for The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel:

The medal for The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel shows the North Star emblem of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, dating from 1815, with the words "Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademien" (The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) around the edge.

The upper half of the face of the medal depicts Alfred Nobel, but in a pose different from the one appearing on the Nobel Prize Medals.

Around the upper edge are the words:

Sveriges Riksbank till Alfred Nobels Minne 1968
(The Sveriges Riksbank, in memory of Alfred Nobel, 1968)

The lower half displays the bank's crossed horns of plenty. This design distinguishes it from the medals of the five prizes awarded under the terms of Alfred Nobel's 1895 will.

The name of the Economics Laureate is engraved on the edge of the medal.

The Medal for The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was designed by Gunvor Svensson-Lundqvist.

ALFRED NOBEL(21 October 1833–10 December 1896) WILL:

Alfred Nobel is responsible for designation of Nobel Foundation and is behind the task of awarding the outstanding performances in fields from physics, chemistry, maths, physiology or medicine.

In his last will and testament, Alfred Nobel specifically designated the institutions responsible for the prizes he wished to be established: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry, Karolinska Institute for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and a Committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) for the Nobel Peace Prize.

His last Will is as follows:

The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way:

"The capital shall be invested by my executors in safe securities and shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind. The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.

The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiological or medical works by Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm; and that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting. It is my expressed wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration whatever shall be given to the nationality of the candidates, so that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not."

Alfred Nobel's Will

TAJ MAHAL

2009-10-22T23:05:00.019+05:30

TAJ MAHAL

ताज महल

Taj Mahal is a Mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is located in Agra, Northern Uttar Pradesh, India. Taj Mahal (also knows as Taj) depicts the fine architecture work of the Mughals, which is a combination of elements of Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. Taj mahal inspired all kinds of peoples like musicians, poets, lovers, architects. It is one of the Wonders of the World.

Taj is considered as Shrine of Love. Also described as Epitome of love, Symbol of Love as it depicts the love of Shah Jahan for Mumtaz.

Taj from banks of river Yamuna

In 1634, they started to work on this monument and continued for almost 22 years(ie in 1653). It is also said that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan chose the site in the city of Agra on the banks of the river Yamuna, such that it is clearly visible from his fort. In 1631 Shah Jahan was deeply affected by sorrows, after his third wife Mumtaj Mahal died during the birth of their fourteenth child. After one year of her death, ie on 1632, the construction work of Taj Mahal was started. Ustad Ahmed Lahauri of Persia was the chief designer of this great monument.

The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and gardens were finished 5 years later. More than 22 thousand labourers were involved in the construction work and over 1000 elephants were used for transportation purposes.

The Taj is enclosed in a garden amidst fountains and ornamental trees. The walled complex includes mosques, a rest room/guest house and an imposing gateway. The tomb is encased in white marble which is decorated with flawless sculptures and inlaid design of flowers and calligraphy cut from precious gems. Below the dome, in a dimly lit chamber, lie the mortal remains of Shahjahan and his beloved queen Mumtaz, which reminds the world of their undying love.

The White domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component.

Taj in full moonlight is considered to be the best view

The Taj views at different stages of a day inspired everyone. The silver light of the full moon shines upon the cool white dome of the Taj Mahal, softly glowing in the night air. The extreme magnificence and beauty of the Taj can be appreciated fully in the subtle moonlight. However, the radiance of dawn and the orange glow of sunset also give light to the splendor of this most beautiful monument of India. Even in the bright light of the day, this wonder of the world shines with an awe-inspiring loveliness.

View of Taj

Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1983. It is one of the universally admired masterpieces of world's heritage.

According to Islams, Taj Mahal represents the purest form of Islamic architecture. Taj is considered as the most perfect buildings the world had ever seen. Though Taj is intended to be a commemoration of the memory of Shah jahan's beloved wife Mumtaj, in reality, it is his gift to the entire human race.

HISTORY

Shah Jahan was fifth Mughal ruler, ruled in the period between 1628 to 1658. The name Shah Jahan comes from Persian meaning "King of the World". He was third and favourite son of Emperor Jhangir. When he was born in 1592 in Lahore, he was named Prince Khurram Shihab-ud-din Muhammad. The name Khurram meaning "Persian for joyful" was given by his grandfather Akbar.

At the age of fifteen, Khurram was to marry Arjumand Banu Begum, the grand daughter of a Persian noble, who was 14 years old at the time. They would, however, have to wait five years before they were married in 1612, on a date selected by the court astrologers as most conducive to ensuring a happy marriage. After their wedding celebrations, Shah Jahan felt she is so precious to him and he gave her title Mumtaz Mahal which meant Jewel of the Palace. Mumtaz was Shah Jahan's third wife. Though he had many wives, he was very attached to Mumtaz compared to his other wives.

Mumtaz traveled with Shah Jahan's throughout his earlier military campaigns and the subsequent rebellion against his father. She was his constant companion and trusted confidant. Mumtaz died in Burhanpur in the Deccan (now in Madhya Pradesh) during the birth of their fourteenth child, a daughter named Gauhara Begum. Her body remained at Burhanpur for 23 years until the Taj was completed. After completion of Taj, her coffin was shifted to Taj Mahal. There was also some rumours like her last wish to the emperor was - a symbol or a monument to their love. She also asked her husband not to marry anyone. Shah Jahan as he promised built the Taj Mahal, which shows his love and affection towards her and a homage to her beauty and life.

Soon, after completion was Taj, Shah Jahan was dethorned by his son Aurangzeb and was put under house arrest at nearby Agra fort. He passed his last days viewing the Taj Mahal from Agra fort. After his death, Aurangzeb buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife Mumtaz.

Now, the Taj Mahal stands as the ultimate monument to love.

Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:
Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.

An Aerial View of Taj

A View from satellite

Taj Mahal complex comprised of five major parts namely,
The Main Gateway(Darwaza-i-rauza)
The gardens(Bageecha)
The mosque (Masjid)
The rest house(Naqqar Khana)
The main mausoleum (Rauza)

1.The Main Gateway:

Period of Construction:1632-1638

The Gateway is in southern side, which is used as entrance to Taj. The gateway is 151 feet by 117 feet and rises to a height of 100 feet(30 feet). The archways of the gateway is similar to that of main dome archways and also contains calligraphy of verses from Quran. The small domed pavilions on top are in Hindu style and signify regality. A striking feature of the gateway is that the lettering appears to be of the same size. The engravers have skillfully enlarged and lengthened the letters which create an illusion of uniformity.

Tourists can enter the main compound by a small gate at the side of the main gate.

2. The Gardens:
The gardens are divided into 4 large sections and this open area of parks and waterways before the Taj Mahal is known as the charbagh (a formal Mughal garden divided into four parts) which is around 300 square meter. Charbagh is a Persian style garden layout.

View of gardens from main gateway

At the Center of the Charbagh is a Lotus Pond or a marble water tank. Taj is reflected in this pool. The raised marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar which means "Tank of Abundance".

The garden is divided in to four quadrants, with two marble canals studded with fountains crossing in the center and the stone-paved pathways divide these each four quadrants into 16 flowerbeds.

The garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains

The central path has fountains along its middle and cypress trees on either side. We can get clear view of Taj from any positions in Garden. The trees of the Taj garden are either that of Cyprus (signifying death) or of the fruit bearing type (signifying life) and even they are arranged in a symmetrical pattern.

3.The Mosque:
The Mosque is of red sandstone present in the western side of the Taj Mahal. It has four octagonal towers and 3 domes. It is used for prayer purposes, the mosque faces the direction of the holy city of Mecca. The mosque got 539 prayer carpets.

MOSQUE

4.The Rest House (Jawab):

The rest room(Naqqar Khana) built opposite side to mosque (Eastern side).

The Rest House is in Eastern part, it is also called as jawab (answer). Some believe that the rest house is built to have symmetrical view. The rest house is same like Mosque. The purpose of this rest house is never known yet. It is never used for prayer as it faces away from Mecca, the holy place of Muslims and it is also never used for guest house purpose.

Interior of Jawab

The difference between Mosque and Rest room is that- the mosque floor was laid with outlines of 569 prayer rugs/carpets in black marble while the the floors of Rest Room have a geometric design.

5. The Main Mausoleum(Taj):

The entire mausoleum (interior as well as outside) is decorated with inlaid design of flowers and calligraphy using precious and semi precious gems.

The mausoleum itself was complete by 1643, but work continued on the rest of the complex.

The Taj Mahal is situated on a raised platform that is over 6 meters high. The main mausoleum contains the false Sarcophagus(Coffins) of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz. The actual tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal are in the basement below the platform. The underground chamber/crypt contains the actual remains of Shah Jahan and the crypt was plain and the faces of shah jahan and Mumtaz were turned towards right side, thus pointing the Mecca direction.
The caskets of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are decorated with gems and inscribed with calligraphy which list the 99 names of God.

The tombs of Shah Jahan (larger one)
and Mumtaz

The cenotaph of Mumtaz is incribed with - "Marqad Munavvar Arjumand Ban Begum Mukhatib bah Mumtaz Mahal Tanifiyat ferr sanh 1040 Hijri" (Here lies Arjumand Bano Begum called Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1040 A.H. or 1630 A.D.).

The cenotaph of Shah Jahan is inscribed in Persian - "Marqad Mutahar Aali Hazrat Firdaus Ashiyani Sahib-qiran Saani Saani Shah Jahan Badshah taab surah sanh 1076 Hijri" (The sacred sepulchre of his most exalted Majesty, dweller of Paradise, the second lord of constellations, the king Shah Jahan, may his mausoleum ever flourish, 1076 A.H. (1666 A.D.).

Another view of Tomb

The Tomb/Cenotaph of Shah jahan is bigger than his wife Mumtaz's tomb, and it was the asymmetric element in the entire taj. The cenotaph base and casket was decorated with precious and semi precious stones. The calligraphy in the tomb identifies and praises Mumtaz and Shah Jahan in their respective tomb. On the lid of this casket is a traditional sculpture of a small pen box. The pen box and writing tablet were traditional Mughal funerary icons decorating men's and women's caskets respectively. 99 God names were found on the calligraphy of the caskets.

The entire complex of Taj Mahal measures 1,902 feet x 1,002 feet on each side. The entire structure of the Taj, rests on marble pieces of square platform which is of total length 186 feet by 186 feet and forms an unequal octagon due to the chamfer at the angles.Each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure.It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.

The entire site was leveled to a fixed height about 50 meters above the riverbank. The Taj Mahal is 180 feet tall. The dome itself measures 58 feet in diameter. Its height about 35 metre and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" of about 7 metre high. The four smaller domes or minarets surrounds it. The height of a minaret is 41.6 mt. The base in which Taj Mahal rests is called Mahajar-e-Mushababbak and it was designed by Turkish designers.

ONION DOMES & CHATTRIS

The dome is made of white marbles and heights Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome (also called an amrud or guava dome). The top of the dome is decorated with a lotus design, which serves to accentuate its height. The dome is topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.
The dome shape is emphasized by four smaller domed Chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners. The chattri domes replicate the onion shape of main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb, and provide light to the interior. The chattris also are topped by gilded finials.

The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point heavenward. Because of its placement on the main spire, the horns of the moon and the finial point combine to create a trident shape, reminiscent of traditional Hindu symbols of Shiva.

FINIAL

MINARETS

The four minarets at each corner of the plinth provide a perfect balance to the tomb. The minarets measure 41.6 m high and each has a deliberate slant outwards so that in an unlikely event of an earthquake, they would not fall on the tomb but away from it.

Above the tombs is a Cairene lamp, the flame of which is supposed to never burn out. Marble screen of trellis work surrounds the graves. Both tombs are exquisitely inlaid with semi precious stones.

Screen Surrounding the Cenotaph

JALI SCREEN

This is Marble made Jali Screen, of trellis work, surrounds the Cenotaphs, which is inlaid with semi precious stones on surface.

Closer View of Jali Screen Works

Piecework in Jali Screen

Archway of Jali screen screen
Entrance to Cenotaphs

Closer view Inlay

Inlay(jali screen)

Carvings in Taj

Archway of Taj

Calligraphy Inscriptions:
The calligraphy is made by jasper inlaid in white marble panel

Due to Pollution, the taj is fading and losing its attraction day by day, especially the white dome structure fades due to air pollution and also due to negligence of authorities and people.

More recent threats have come from environmental pollution on the banks of River Yamuna including acid rain due to the Mathura oil refinery which was opposed by Supreme Court of India directives. The India government hired a panel to examine the effects of the refinery on the Taj Mahal. The panel found that the air has high levels of suspended particulate matter, caused by factory emissions, dust, construction, and exhaust from automobiles. These are causing the Taj Mahal to change color. To help control the pollution, the Indian government has set up the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a 10,400 square kilometer area around the monument where strict emissions standards are in place.

Some Experts warns that the Taj Mahal is sinking as the nearby areas were drying. As a matter of concern the River Yamuna too trickles.

SOME FACTS

*Period of construction: 1632-1653(22 years).
*Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
*Number of workers involved: more than 20,000.
*Over 1000 elephants used.
*Total Estimated Cost: 32 million Rupees.

*Architects: Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher of Taj Mahal, his name occurs at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj. Poet Ghyasuddin had designed the verses on the tombstone, while Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome maker. Muhammad Hanif was the superintendent of Masons. The designer of Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
*The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia.
*Architecture: Indo-Islamic; a blend of Indian and Persian.

*Highlights: One of the Seven Wonders of the World, UNESCO World Heritage Site(1983).

*Height of Taj Mahal: 180 feet(over 55 meter)
*Height of Dome: 44.41 meter (from base of drum to finial).
*Height of Minarets (smaller domes): 41.6 m.
*Gardens measuring 300 x 300 mt in the form of a Charbagh
*Main gate of red sandstone measures 30 mt in height and is 151 feet by 117 feet.

*The chief building material, the white marble was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in district Nagaur, Rajasthan.
*Red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna.
*28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal.

*During Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Taj Mahal was disfigured as the British officials and Soldiers chiseled out precious stones from walls of Taj Mahal.
*In the 19th century the British viceroy Lord Curzon, declared a restoration project for Taj Mahal, which was completed by 1908. The British remodeling of the garden is still evident in the lawn styling.

*Night viewing of Taj Mahal has been allowed from 28th November 2004 for five nights in a month (which includes the Full Moon night and two days before and after) except Fridays and the month of Ramzan.
*The name Taj Mahal when translated means "Crown Palace" or "Crown of the Palace."

SOME MYTHS

*Some think that the changing colors of the tomb depict the different moods of a woman.

*Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the first European visitors to the Taj Mahal said that Shah Jahan want to build a Mausoleum using BLACK marbles for himself opposite to Taj mahal, across Yamuna River. But it was not accomplished due to war with his sons. And he was dethroned by his son Aurangzeb before it could be built.

*There is also a story that during the rainy season, a drop of water falls on the cenotaph, which inspired Rabindranath Tagore to write "one tear-drop...upon the cheek of time".

*Another myth suggests that beating the silhouette of the finial will cause water to come forth. To this day, officials find broken bangles surrounding the silhouette.

TOURIST INFORMATION

ENTRANCE FEES DETAILS FOR TAJ MAHAL:

Entry Fee for Indians: Rs. 20 (INR)
Entrance Fee for visitors of SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC Countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar) - Rs. 20 per head.
Entry Fee for Others: Rs. 750 (500 rupees to Agra Municipal Corporation (levy charges) and 250 Re - Entry amount/Archaeological Survey of India).
Children younger than 15 years are free.

ENTRANCE FEES DETAILS FOR TAJ MAHAL DURING FULL MOON DAY:

Indians- Rs. 510(adult)
Foreigners- Rs. 750(adult)
Children from 3 yrs to 15 yrs- Rs. 500

#INFORMATION ABOUT NIGHT TIME TRAVEL :
The Taj Mahal is also open for moonlight viewing from 8.30 p.m. until 12.30 a.m in eight batches of 50 persons for half an hour duration, two days before and after each full moon. Night time tickets cost 750 rupees(for adults) for foreigners and 510 rupees(for adults) for Indian nationals, for half an hour’s admittance.Cost for Children ( 3Yrs to 15 Years age) is Rs. 500/-. These tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance from the Booking Counter located in the office of Archaeological Survey of India office, Agra Circle, 22 The Mall, Agra, Uttar Pradesh in between 10-00 am to 6-00 p.m.

#Taj Mahal Closed on Fridays; open for offering prayer in the mosque between 12 Noon to 2 P.M. and on Ramzan day.

#Visiting Hours : The Taj is open from 6 AM to 7:30 PM every day except Friday.

#Get there as early as possible to beat the crowds, and plan to visit the Taj at least two different times during the day (dusk and dawn are best) in order to experience the full effect of changing sunlight on the amazing building. It is also utterly stunning under a full moon.

#For security reasons only five items—water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, still cameras, mobile phones and small ladies' purses—are allowed inside the Taj Mahal.

#We can also keep other belongings in the clock room (a free service), outside Taj Mahal entrance gate.

#Cameras - Still cameras free, video Rs 25; No video camera is allowed in side the monument during the night viewing.

#There is only one point of access to the plinth and tomb, a double staircase facing the entrance. One has to remove shoes over or can put on the shoe covers which are provided at a nominal cost by the staff stationed there for this purpose.

PREVIEW OF TICKET:

TICKETS BOARD AT TAJ:

POLLUTION METER IN TAJ:

*Source - Wikipedia, ASI and Others
*Note: If you got any interesting information or anything to tell, feel free to comment. Your Suggestions will help us to improve further.

Diwali – The festival of Lights.

2009-10-17T19:13:00.007+05:30

Why do we celebrate so many festivals over so many centuries? What do these celebrations bring to people? When people started celebrating? What is the history behind all our festivals? Have we ever searched for all the answers? And now this is the right time to look for all answers. I made a little study on Diwali festival which I like to share here.

Early morning oil bath, Dazzling new dresses, Sparkling fire crackers and Yummy sweets….. This is how my Diwali celebration begins. When I was a kid my mom used to wake me up by 4 in the morning for taking oil bath. She struggled a lot to keep me awake while she was washing my hair. I can’t even imagine how one could sleep while having bath. But I think almost everything is possible when you were a kid.. ;) Then comes my favorite part… New Dresses. There is something special of my Diwali dresses. May be it’s just because Diwali. And I really hate those ear deafening bombs and explosives. It scares me like anything. But I love sparklers…. Safe and colorful. My other favorites are flower pots, chakras and high flying rockets.. They light up the Diwali night sky when the moon was away. I hope you knew that Diwali is on new moon day.

I’ve heard so many stories about Diwali. Diwali is a festival of five day celebration. Each day has its own history.

The First Day:
Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi

It comes on Thirteenth day of the Kartik month.

The story of this day is about the young son of King Hima. The Prince was doomed to die on his fourth day of marriage as the soothsayers told. Now it is his young wife to save him from the Yama, God of Death. On the third day night his Wife lighted as many Diyas all over the palace and also she laid a huge heap of gold ornaments and coins on her Husband’s room entrance. She and her husband sang devotional songs for the whole night. When Yama came as a serpent to take the Prince’s life his eyes were blinded by the blaze of Diyas. He managed to climb the heap to enter the Prince room. But he stayed there on the heap all the night listening to the songs. In the morning he went leaving her husband’s life. This day is also known to be Yamadeepdaan.

The Second Day:
Naraka Chaturdasi or Choti Diwali

It is on this day Lord Krishna killed the asura Narakasuran. Narakasur defeated the Lord Indran and snatched the earring of the Mother Goddess, Aditi and imprisoned the 16,000 daughters of Gods and Saints. Lord Krishna fought with that Demon and killed him. Krishna freed the 16,000 daughters and recovered the Goddess Aditi’s earring. To celebrate the glorious victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the Asura’s blood and returned home. The womenfolk massaged his body with scented oil and bathed him to wash away the blood. From then on custom of taking early morning oil bath began.

The history also speaks of a legend King Bali of netherland. King Bali, a true devotee of Lord Vishnu was the grand son of Prahalad. He was also the King of Demons. With all the Lord’s Blessings he became invincible to defeat in battle. Scared of his mighty power all the Devas pleaded Lord Vishnu to stop King Bali. Lord Vishnu came to earth disguised as a Vamanan (Dwarf). Vamana asked King Bali for 3 strides of land on the day when King Bali did Ashwamedha Yagam. Being a generous King, Bali agreed him to give whatever he asks for. At the very moment Vamanan turned himself into Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu covered the entire world in his first step and the heaven in his next step. Lord asked Bali where He could make his final step. Bali offered his head to keep his promise. Vishnu pushed him to the under world by keeping his foot on his head. No God will ever want their devotee to suffer. Lord Vishnu guarded King Bali’s palace in the Netherland as a doormen. And also Vishnu granted him the permission to visit the world once a year. People believe that lightening lamps expels Darkness and Ignorance and brings Love and Wisdom to their life.

The Third Day:
Lakshmi pooja or Chopada Puja

This falls on the new moon day. It is the main event of Diwali. People worship Goddess Lakshmi to attain her blessings. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits all the houses on this day and she likes cleanest house of all. Hence people find it most important to keep their house clean and lit up Diyas in their home and decorate their entrance with beautiful rangoli pattern to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi. This day is believed to be more auspicious day to close the old account books of the year and start a new one.

The Fourth Day:
Padwa or Varshapratipada or Govardhan-Puja

This day is to celebrate the incident of lifting the Govardhan hill by Lord Krishna. The Citizens of Gokul worshipped Lord Indra at end of the monsoon to thank him for the gratitude of rain. One particular year, young Krishna made the people to worship the fields and cattle instead of Lord Indra. The angered Lord Indra decided to submerge the Gokul under water. Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan hill and held it as umbrella. Thus, He saved the people and cattle of Gokul. On this day people build hillocks of cow dung and decorate it with flowers and then worship them.

The Fifth Day:
Bhayya-Duj or Yama Dwitiya.

In the Vedic era, Yamaraj, the God of Death visited his sister, Yamuna (Yami) on this day. Yamuna put the auspicious tilak on his forehead. They ate together and enjoyed the day and shared gifts. While parting he gave his sister a boon that whoever visit her on this day shall be redeemed from their sins. Since then it became a custom for brothers to visit their sisters and receive the auspicious tilak.

Diwali is not about simply lighting Diyas, bursting Crackers and watching TV. But it is about fighting over the darkness and ignorance and reaching the innermost depth of the heart and enlightenment of the soul. It is more social festival than a religious one when the differences are forgotten and families and friends meet and share and enjoy.

Diwali not only lights our home with Diyas but also our soul with joy and happiness.

Happy Diwali…….

Is it Good Decision to drop DRAVID or not???

2009-10-17T11:57:00.014+05:30

Is it Good Decision to drop DRAVID or not???

Dravid "THE WALL", a decent cricketer. His style of batting is to defend and scoring runs by using the pace of the ball. He wont give his wicket easily. One of the senior,talented, experience player of INDIA.
For the past five years, Cricket world is changing a lot. New format of game was introduced "Twenty20". Its a game where batsman about to hit six and fours for each ball.This format attracts almost all Cricket fans.
To play in this format, batting style should be aggressive and should hit with power.Dravid's batting style in quiet opposite to it. So he cant withstand for the expectation of fans.Fans now gets used to see Twenty20 and they expecting the same strike rate in one day also.
Problem starts here for dravid, he cant maintain healthy strike rate. so two years back he dropped from one day india squad.But with his hardwork and passion towards cricket, He surprised whole cricket world by giving aggressive performance in IPL-2.
After two years, selection commission included his name in one day squad for compaq tri series.All of his fans were expecting more from him, but he failed to fulfil it. And His poor strike rate follows in champions trophy also. It doesnot compromise his fans expectation.
But he scored some important runs at crucial time in champions trophy.So dravid fans doesnot think that selection team would drop him.
Some reasons why dravid dropped??
*He is not running good between the wickets and they feels he made his partner to get runout in champions trophy.
*He dont have good strike rate.
*Lack of confidence.
*As a replacement for shewag, dravid was choosed.(Now shewag is fit)
*They also give preferences to younger players. They think Dravid is not fit for ODI team as he is 36 years. [I like to tel count the skill or runs he scored and not the age]
These are some of the reasons, why dravid dropped from team.

Whatever may be the reason, selection committee believed on kholi but not on dravid?? its not at all acceptable.And Fans should accept that if dravid lose his confidence in a match, he failed to regain it.When we look at this particular series, dravid experience and his style of batting is very important. Since Australia have very good bowling lineup, eventhough we have good batting lineup sometimes youngster failed to be consistent and they are not experience enough to face mighty australians.
Its sure dravid batting will help india. I think selection committee might thought to give chance for youngster for first two games and later they will call Dravid back to the squad.since its seven match series losing first two games wont create much problem though it weakens india team mentality. We can overcome it and do perform well in other five matches.So lets us hope for the dravid's return.

Match Schedule of Australia tour of India 2009

2009-10-15T23:49:00.017+05:30

*********************************************************************************************************

Date / Time Match

*********************************************************************************************************

Oct 25 / 2.30pm (IST) -----------------------------------1st odi - India vs Australia

Sunday, Day/Night Match--------------------------------Stadium - Reliance Stadium

--------------------------------------------------------------Place - Vadodara (India)

___________________________________________________________________________

Oct 28/ 2.30pm (IST)-------------------------------------2nd odi - India vs Australia

Wednesday, Day/Night Match---------------------------Stadium - Vidarbha CA Stadium

--------------------------------------------------------------Place - Nagpur (India)

___________________________________________________________________________

Oct 31/2.30pm (IST)--------------------------------------3rd odi - India vs Australia

Saturday, Day/Night Match-------------------------------Stadium - Feroz Shah Kotla

---------------------------------------------------------------Place - Delhi

___________________________________________________________________________

Nov 2/ 2.30pm (IST)--------------------------------------4th odi - India vs Australia

Monday, Day/Night Match--------------------------------Stadium - Punjab Cricket Association

---------------------------------------------------------------Place - Mohali

___________________________________________________________________________

Nov 5/ 2.30 (IST)-----------------------------------------5th odi - India vs Australia

Thursday, Day/Night Match------------------------------Stadium - Rajiv Gandhi International

--------------------------------------------------------------Place - Hyderabad

___________________________________________________________________________

Nov 8/ 9.00 (IST)----------------------------------------6th odi - India vs Australia

Sunday, Day Match---------------------------------------Stadium - Nehru Stadium

--------------------------------------------------------------Place - Guwahati

___________________________________________________________________________

Nov 11/ 2.30 (IST)----------------------------------------7th odi - India vs Australia

Wednesday, Day/Night Match----------------------------Stadium - Brabourne Stadium

--------------------------------------------------------------Place - Mumbai

___________________________________________________________________________

Cricket - Australia in India 2009

2009-10-15T23:26:00.011+05:30

Hi guys, lets have a chat on upcoming australia vs india series. Please feel free to post your comment regarding match, player etc. Thanks for joining with me friends.

This series going to be a real treat for cricket fans. Since both world class teams going to clash. Shewag and yuvraj were included in team (Yuvraj included instead of Dravid.Whether Its good to drop Dravid from team or not- To discuss more about it Click here), so it makes more interesting to watch match.

we should not consider the performance of India in Champions trophy, since few world class players were not there due to injury. So their comeback will definitely increase the strength of India. The only problem India facing now is in bowling side. To overcome it, selection community included SUDEEP TYAGI. But India cant depend on him, since still he dont have any experience on International Cricket.

Today (15-Oct-2009) , India squad for first two matches were announced in Chennai. Lets have a look on the India squad.

INDIA SQUAD :

Wicket Keeper

1.MS Dhoni (Captain)

Batsman :

2.Gautam Gambhir

3.Sachin Tendulkar

4.Suresh Raina

5.Virender Shewag

6.Yuvraj Singh

7.Virat Kholi

All-Rounders :

8.Ravindra Jadeja

Bowlers :

9.Harbhajan Singh

10.Praveen Kumar

11.Ashish Nehra

12.Munaf Patel

13.Ishant Sharma

14.Sudeep Tyagi

15.Amit Mishra

Note : This squad is for first two matches. So there may be change in the upcoming matches.

After seeing the India squad, many dravid fans were upset since dravid is not included in team.

(Whether its good decision to drop DRAVID. click here to more about it)

AUSTRALIA SQUAD :

Wicket Keeper :

1.Tim Paine

Batsman :

2.Ricky Pointing (Captain)

3.Michael Hussey

4.Ben Hilfenhaus

5.Shaun Marsh

6.Adam Hoges

7.Cameron White

All-Rounder :

8.James Hopes

9.Shane Watson

Bowlers :

10.Doug Bollinger

11.Nathan Hauritz

12.Jon Holland

13.Mitchell Johnson

14.Brett Lee

15.Peter Siddle

Indian Nobel Prize Winners

2009-10-14T10:56:00.031+05:30

Nobel Prize Laureate from India

1. Rabindranath Tagore:

Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913

Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was the first Indian and first Asian to win Nobel Prize. He won Nobel Prize in Literature for his work on Gitanjali in English version, which was published on 1913.

Nobel Committee had said that "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with comsummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West", he was awarded the honourable award.

Tagore was also author of Indian National Anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' and Bangladesh National Anthem 'Amar Shonar Bangla'.

2. Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman:

Nobel Laureate in Physics (1930)

Sir CV Raman(7 November 1888 – 21 November 1970) was the first Indian Physicist and first Asian Scientist to win a Nobel prize for his works "on the molecular scattering of light and for the discovery of the Raman effect", which is named after him.

Ramam Effect explains the phenomenon that causes changes in the nature of light when it is passed through a transparent medium. The 'Raman Effect' has great relevance in understanding the molecular structure of chemical compunds. This effect led to the determination of internal sructure of chemical components and as well as helped in determination of structures of crystals. With discovery of Laser, Raman effect has become a powerful tool for scientists.

3. Dr. Har Gobind Khorana

Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1968

Hargobind Khorana(Born: 9 January 1922) is an Indian American molecular biologist. In 1968, he was awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine field jointly with Robert W.Holley and W. Nirenberg for their work on "interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis". They all independently made contributions to the understanding of the genetic code and how it works in the cell. They established that this mother of all codes, the biological language common to all living organisms, is spelled out in three-letter words: each set of three nucleotides codes for a specific amino acid.

Dr. Khorana was responsible for producing the first man-made gene in his laboratory in the early seventies. He found out how to isolate DNA ligase, an enzyme which is used to link DNA pieces together. This process also helped in Cloning new plants and animals. Khorana was also the first to synthesize oligonucleotides[A short molecule (usually 6 to 100 nucleotides)of single-stranded DNA].

4. Mother Teresa:

Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979

Mother Teresa (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997) born in Skopje, Macedonia, Ottoman Empire [now in Republic of Macedonia] was originally named as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She considered August 27th as her original brithday, since that day she was baptised. She got Indian Citizenship in 1948.

She was awarded Nobel Prize for her Humanitarianism. That is, her dedication towards poor, sick, helpless and old peoples. She was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to the poor, particularly to the destitute of India. She also honoured with many honourable awards from all over the world. Her Missionary was set all over the world. After her death, she was Beatified by Pope John Paul II and given a title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

5. Subrahmanian Chandrasekhar:

Nobel Laureate for Physics(1983)

Subrahmanian Chandrasekhar(October 19, 1910 – August 21, 1995) was an Indian- American Astro Physicist. He was also Nephew of Indian Physicist and Nobel Laureate Sir CV Raman, who like him, studied in Presidency College, Chennai. He also became neutralized citizen of USA in 1953.

The nobel citation stated that it was "for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars". His work spanned over the understanding of the rotation of planets, stars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. Chandrasekhar's most famous success was the astrophysical Chandrasekhar limit. The limit describes the maximum mass of a white dwarf star. He has written many books on his field Astrophysics and Stellar Dynamics.

6. Dr. Amartya Sen:

Nobel Prize for Economics in 1998

Amartya Sen (Born: 3 Novemeber 1933), is a Economist. He won Nobel Prize award for his contribution to welfare economics and social choice and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members.

He was best known for his work on the causes of famine, which led to the development of practical solutions for preventing or limiting the effects of real or perceived shortages of food.

His books have been transtlated into more than thrity languages. He is a trustee of Economists for Peace and Security. So far,he has received over 80 honorary doctorates.

7. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan:

Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan born in 1952, in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.
He done his B.Sc. in Physics from M S University in Baroda, Gujarat and later migrated to the US to continue his studies where he later got settled and attained US citizenship, now he currently residing in United Kingdom.

He received Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the studies of the structure and function of the ribosome, a cellular machine that makes proteins". He jointly receive this award with Thomas A. Steitz and Ada Yonath.

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT NOBEL PRIZE

Click here to know about Nobel Prize

Kamal Hasan 50 years in Cinema - celebrations photos

2009-10-10T15:15:00.019+05:30

Ulaganayagan Kamal 50 – Oru Thodarum Sarithiram

Kamla's 50 years in Cinema

MEDICINAL VALUES OF INDIAN SPICES AND HOME REMEDIES

2009-10-02T17:00:00.059+05:30

MEDICINAL VALUES OF INDIAN SPICES AND HOME REMEDIES

ASAFOETIDA

Botanical name: Ferula Asafoetida.
Other names: Hing.
Used part: Oleo-gum Resin from rhizome and thickened root.
Remedy for: Indigestion and used as antibiotic.
Home remedies: A pinch of asafoetida dissolved in water can be taken before going bed for any indigestion problem. Grind asafoetida, rock salt, small harad and caraway seeds in equal amounts. Taken 3 spoonfuls thrice a day relieves dyspepsia.

CAROM SEED

Botanical name: Trachyspermum ammi.
Other names: Ajwain, Bishop’s Weed and Omum.
Used part: Small fruits, incorrectly called seeds.
Remedy for: Indigestion and Cold.
Home remedies: These seeds soaked in water overnight and taken morning in empty stomach relieves indigestion.
If the crushed seeds are tied in a bundle and inhaled it relieves the nasal congestion. The seeds can be put in boiled water and fumes can be inhaled in for adults.

cardamom

Botanical name: Elettaria cardamomum (Green cardamom) and Amomum subulatum (Black cardamom).
Other names: Choti Elachi (green) and Badi Elachi (Black)
Used part: Seeds.
Remedy for: Digestive Disorder, Bad Breath and depression.
Home remedies: Ground Cardamom with Ginger, Cloves and coriander relieves indigestion problem.
Cardamom chewed regularly removes bad breath.
Cardamom Tea gives a pleasing aroma and cures depression.

CINNAMON

Botanical name: Cinnamomum verum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum cassia and Cinnamomum burmannii.
Other names: Dalchini, Pattai
Used part: Stem Bark.
Remedy for: Pimples, common cold, Bad breath and Digestive Disorders.
Home remedies: Paste of Cinnamon powder with fresh lemon juice applied on pimples cures it.
Powdered and boiled Cinnamon in water with a pinch of pepper and honey cures digestive disorder and cold.
To avoid Bad breath, chew Cinnamon or gargle cinnamon water.

CLOVES

Botanical name: Syzygium aromaticum.
Other names: Lavangam.
Used part: Buds.
Remedy for: Eye Stye (an infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes), Dental problems.
Home remedies: Apply clove oil on the eye lids to get relief from pain and infection in a week.
Gargle diluted clove oil daily to ease the throat and relieves from any dental problem.

CORIANDER

Botanical name: Coriandrum sativum.
Other names: Dhania.
Used part: Leaves, fruits and Root.
Remedy for: Skin Disorders, Menstrual Disorders
Home remedies: Coriander juice with pinch of Turmeric powder cures Pimples, Black Heads and Dry Skin.
Coriander with boiled rice water or coriander powder boiled with water till it remains half amount checks excessive bleeding during menses.

CUMIN SEEDS

Botanical name: Cuminum cyminum.
Other names: Jeera, jeeragam.
Used part: Fruits.
Remedy for: Stomach worms, Burns, insect Bites and Piles.
Home remedies: Cumin taken with water at night kills worms.
Paste of cumin and dry ginger applied on insect bites eliminates poison.
Cumin powder and Black pepper powder with honey stops pain and cures piles.

FENNEL

Botanical name: Foeniculum vulgare.
Other names: Saunf/Sanchal
Used part: Fruits
Remedy for: Lice
Home remedies: When Fennel paste is applied over the scalp it acts as an insecticide.

FENUGREEK

Botanical name: Trigonella foenum-graecum.
Other names: Methi, vendhayam
Used part: Leaves and Seeds
Remedy for: Dandruff
Home remedies: After softening them in water apply it to the scalp. After an hour wash with soap nut.

GARLIC

Botanical name: Allium sativum.
Other names: Lahsun, poondu
Used part: The underground head called bulb
Remedy for: Asthma, Cholesterol
Home remedies: Three cloves of Garlic boiled in milk can be taken every night which gives relief from asthma.
Drinking glassful milk boiled with Garlic every day reduces cholesterol level.

Ginger

Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale.
Other names : Adrak and Inji.
Used part : Fleshy Rhizome.
It is also available in sun dried form.
Remedy for : Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea and Cold.
Home remedies: Ginger Juice mixed with lime and mint juices and honey is a remedy for Nausea and vomiting.
Ginger Tea and hot ginger juice with honey are good for cold and cough.

HOLY BASIL

Botanical name : Ocimum tenuiflorum, Occimum sanctum
Other names : Tulsi
Used part : Leaves
Remedy for : Cold, Cough, Teeth Disorders, Skin diseases.
Home remedies: Applying basil and lemon juice in equal proportion cures any kind of skin diseases.
Dried and powdered Basil leaves can be used to brush teeth. It avoids Bad Breath and disorders.
Ginger and Basil juice with honey cures cold and cough.

LONG PEPPER

Botanical name : Piper longum
Other names : Thippali
Used part : Fruits.
Remedy for : Flu
Home remedies: Half a teaspoon of Long Pepper and ginger juice with two teaspoons of honey taken thrice daily during initial stages of flu will help greatly.

MINT

Botanical name : Mentha arvensis, Mentha asiatica
Other names : Pudina
Used part : Leaves
Remedy for : Skin diseases, Hiccups
Home remedies: Fresh Mint juice and papaya juice cures many skin disorders including spots, insect stings, eczema, scabies or other skin infections.
Mixture of Fresh lemon juice, Mint leaves, common salt and lukewarm water reduces Hiccups immediately.

MUSTARD

Botanical name : Brassica nigra (Black), Brassica juncea (Indian), Brassica hirta/Sinapis alba(white).
Other names : Rai, Sarson, Kadugu
Used part : Seeds
Remedy for : Wheezing.
Home remedies: Mustard plaster is very famous in stopping wheezing. Mix a half teaspoon of mustard powder and 1 teaspoon of flour with water. Warm the mixture. Spread this mixture in a cotton towel and place the pack on the patient’s chest. Remove this when the skin becomes red. It provides good first aid for any respiratory disorders.

NUTMEG AND MACE

Botanical name : Myristica argenta, Myristica fragrans, Myristica inutilis, Myristica malabarica, Myristica macrophylla, Myristica otoba, Myristica platysperma
Other names : Nutmeg- Jaiphal, Jathikai
Mace-Javitri
Used part : Nutmeg-Kernel of the fruit.
Mace-Aril part, leathery tissue between the stone and the pulp
Remedy for : Skin diseases
Home remedies: Nutmeg paste prepared by rubbing it on a stone slab can be applied on the infected area.

PEPPER

Botanical name : Piper nigrum.
Other names : Kali mirchi, Milagu
Used part : Dried fruits
Remedy for : Toothaches, Digestive Disorders.
Home remedies: A pinch of Pepper powder with clove oil can put directly to the cavity to stop toothache.
Powdered pepper and salt mixture can be massaged over the gums to cure inflammation.
Pepper powder mixed with Buttermilk can be taken during indigestion.

SESAME SEEDS

Botanical name : Sesamum indicum.
Other names : Til, Ellu
Used part : Dried Seeds
Remedy for : Cracked heels, Menstrual Disorders.
Home remedies: Three teaspoons of Beeswax and one teaspoon of sesame oil. Warm it and apply on the cracked heels. Expected result will show up in a month.
Half a teaspoon of sesame seeds taken twice a day reduces spasmodic pain during menstruation.

TURMERIC

Botanical name : Curcuma longa
Other names : Haldi, Manjal
Used part : Rhizome
Remedy for : Sprains, Measles
Home remedies: Turmeric paste with lime juice and Salt applied over the sprain gives effective result.
Dried turmeric powder with honey and bitter gourd leaf juice can be taken as treatment for measles.

CRICKET OSCARS

2009-10-02T10:59:00.016+05:30

ICC CRICKET AWARDS 2009
Venue: Johannesburg, South Africa

WINNERS OF ICC AWARD 2009

MITCHELL JOHNSON OF AUSTRALIA WINS THE 'SIR GARFIELD SOBERS TROPHY' FOR ICC CRICKETER OF THE YEAR 2009

ICC TEST PLAYER OF YEAR 2009 - GAUTAM GAMBIR(IND)

ICC UMPIRE OF THE YEAR 2009- ALEEM DAR(PAK)

PETER SIDDLE(AUS)- EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2009

NEW ZEALAND CAPTAIN DANIEL VETTORI COLLECTS THE SPIRIT OF CRICKET AWARD ON BEHALF OF HIS TEAM

TILAKARATNE DILSHAN(SL)- TWENTY20 INTERNATIONAL PERFORMER
(Awarded for 96 not out off 57 balls at the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England)

WILLIAM PORTERFIELD(IRE)- ASSOCIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2009

ICC WOMEN'S CRICKETER OF THE YEAR 2009- CLAIRE TAYLOR(ENG)

MS DHONI(IND) RETAINS ICC ODI CRICKETER OF THE YEAR AWARD
He also named captain of WORLD ODI and TEST TEAMS.
[He didn't attended the award ceremony, as he flew back to INDIA]

ICC WORLD TEST TEAM 2009:

Gautam Gambhir (Ind),Andrew Strauss (Eng),AB de Villiers (SA), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Thilan Samaraweera (SL), Michael Clarke (Aus), MS Dhoni (Ind, captain, WK), Shakib Al Hasan (Ban), Mitchell Johnson (Aus), Stuart Broad (Eng), Dale Steyn (SA)
12th man: Harbhajan Singh (Ind)

STRAUSS IN WORLD TEST TEAM

ICC WORLD ODI TEAM OF THE YEAR 2009:

Virender Sehwag (Ind), Chris Gayle (WI), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Yuvraj Singh (Ind), Martin Guptill (NZ), MS Dhoni (Ind, captain, WK), Andrew Flintoff (Eng), Nuwan Kulasekara (SL), Ajantha Mendis (SL), Umar Gul (Pak), 12th man: Thilan Thushara (SL)
YUVRAJ SINGH PICKED IN ICC ODI TEAM

OTHER PICTURES FROM THE AWARD CEREMONY:

RAHUL DRAVID

DILSHAN WITH HIS AWARD

VETTORI SPEAKS ON RECEIVING AWARD

AT PRESS CONFERENCE- GAMBIR

ICC CHIEF EXECUTIVE- HAROON LOGAT

YOUNIS KHAN WHILE ENTERING

CLAIRE AT PRESS CONFERENCE

STRAUSS WITH HIS WIFE

JOHNTY RHODES

JOHNSON - CRICKETER OF YEAR

YUVRAJ ANNOUNCING THE WINNER

SWISS AND BANKING SECRECY

2009-09-26T20:22:00.012+05:30

SWISS BANKING

Switzerland, the country of beautiful scenery, yummy chocolates, classic watches, fine cheese and of course banking institutions. Swiss became one of the remarkable countries not only because of its geographical location where three main European cultures (French, German and Italian) meet but also of its Neutrality. We knew that Swiss maintains Neutrality by not participating in both World Wars and also one of the last countries to join UN. Its Neutrality and Banking legislation made Swiss Banks a Big Success. It is also common for the people in the wealthy circle to have a Swiss Bank Account. But it is said that it was also possible for a commoner to open a bank account in Swiss. This article gives an idea on Swiss Banking.

Swiss National Bank headquarters in Berne

Banks in every country maintain some sort of secrecy and confidentiality about the clients and their account details. But what made Swiss Banks so famous for its secrecy? This secrecy history started early in 1934 when Nazi tried to obtain the details of the Jew Accounts. In order to protect their client’s assets and information Swiss coded Banking Secrecy Code in 1934. It states that it is a crime to reveal any confidential information to any third party even though on an official request of foreign government unless specific criteria are met. This law holds only for the Swiss banks in their country. But the branch offices outside the Swiss obey the laws of the country they located.

Many countries protest that Swiss banks had been encouraging Money laundering and Tax avoidance. No country will tolerate any kind of tax avoidance. Either Tax Fraud or Tax Evasion is a crime in most of the countries. But Swiss considers only the Tax fraud as a Crime but not the Tax Evasion. It shows that actively misrepresenting or lying about your income is a crime but concealing the true state of affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the tax liability is not. This should not be considered that Swiss Banks became a secret treasury for all the dirty money. Still many wealthy people believe that Swiss Banks provide the best wealth management across the world over centuries. But we can not neglect the fact that these bank accounts with higher rate of secrecy are misused.

To open a Swiss account one should be of 18 years old. The non residents of Swiss are subject to their own country legislation. The citizens are bound to report to IRS (Internal Revenue Service) about their Swiss Accounts. Recently in August 2009 UBS, one of the largest banks in Swiss had made a deal with the US government to reveal the account details of the US citizens as a result of John Doe summon by US. In February 2009 a case was filed against UBS by the US for conspiring to defraud the US Government by impeding the IRS. As a result of this suit UBS is about to deliver the account details of 52,000 US clients to US government. Hence non residents of Swiss have more restrictions in opening an account in Swiss.

The account can be opened either by correspondence or in person. While opening in person the client has to be interviewed and their banking needs are discussed. The client has to produce copies of identity documents (passport), documents to prove economic origin of the deposit and recent utility bill to validate the address given. If applied through correspondence apostille is needed. Apostille is a special seal which certifies that the document is a true copy of the original.

There are wide ranges of accounts offering different services to different clients. Every account needs a minimum balance requirement which varies with every type. This minimum balance amount increases with the rate of secrecy.

Classic Swiss Bank Account - Provided by Retail banks.

Offers checking accounts, mortgage, payment services etc
Minimum balance requirement 25,000 or 100,000 Swiss francs depending on the country u live.

Premium Swiss Bank Account - Provided by large Universal Banks.

For International clients.
Minimum balance requirement 25,000 or 250,000 Swiss francs depending on the country u live.

Swiss Cantonal Account - Provided by Swiss State / Canton Banks.

Provides full deposit Insurance.
Minimum balance requirement 150,000 Swiss francs.

Swiss Numbered Account - Provided by Private Banks.

For Swiss and International Private Clients.
Minimum balance requirement 50,000 to 15 million dollars.

The US citizens cannot have a numbered account. These numbered accounts do not carry the client’s name instead the Bankers replace the name with a Code number. Only the senior managers and secretaries know the relationship between the name and the corresponding code number. When money is transferred to this numbered account from any other bank the transactions are made with the code number. When transactions are made from the numbered account it holds the bank name instead of client’s name or their code number. These numbered accounts provide greater secrecy.

It is recommended that the clients to share the account details with a confidential person or to have a joint account. It is because in the case of client’s death the Swiss bankers will not know the death unless it is a celebrity. If the bank receives no call from the client for a long time it tries to reach the client. If it can’t reach the client the account will not be known to their heirs unless they are informed by the client. If the account remains inactive for 10 years it becomes dormant account and the account will be off the record. When the heirs are known of the account they are needed to intimate the bank with death certificate of the client, inheritance will and the passport. To trace an account one should know the bank name. Or else Swiss Bankers Association should be contacted with 100 Swiss francs as a fee. But it is not guaranteed that the account can be traced if the bank name is not known.

Swiss Banks are known well for their wealth management and confidentiality over centuries. However, we are in a state to accept the fact that some of the banks had been encouraging the money laundering and tax avoidance indirectly. Its time for the Swiss government to revise the banking legislations without compromising the loyalty of the customers and also the foreign relationships.

INDIAN GOVERNMENT- COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

2009-09-24T14:50:00.020+05:30

Council Of Ministers:

1. Cabinet Ministers

2. Ministers Of State with Independent Charge

3. Ministers of State

Cabinet Ministers

List of Cabinet Ministers
#	Portfolio	Name of Minister
1.	Prime Minister and also In-Charge of the Ministries/Departments viz: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions; Ministry of Planning; Ministry of Water Resources; Department of Atomic Energy; and Department of Space	Dr. Manmohan Singh
2.	Minister of Finance	Mr. Pranab Mukherjee
3.	Minister of Defence	Mr. A.K. Antony
4.	Minister of Home Affairs	Mr. P. Chidambaram
5.	Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution	Mr. Sharad Pawar
6.	Minister of Railways	Ms. Mamata Banerjee
7.	Minister of External Affairs	Mr. S.M. Krishna
8.	Minister of Steel	Mr Virbhadra Singh
9.	Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises	Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh
10.	Minister of Health and Family Welfare	Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad
11.	Minister of Power	Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde
12.	Minister of Law and Justice	Mr. M. Veerappa Moily
13.	Minister of New and Renewable Energy	Dr. Farooq Abdullah
14.	Minister of Urban Development	Mr. S. Jaipal Reddy
15.	Minister of Road Transport and Highways	Mr. Kamal Nath
16.	Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs	Mr. Vayalar Ravi
17.	Minister of Textiles	Mr. Dayanidhi Maran
18.	Minister of Communications and Information Technology	Mr. A. Raja
19.	Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas	Mr. Murli Deora
20.	Minister of Information and Broadcasting	Mrs. Ambika Soni
21.	Minister of Labour and Employment	Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge
22.	Minister of Human Resource Development	Mr. Kapil Sibal
23.	Minister of Mines and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region	Mr. B.K. Handique
24.	Minister of Commerce and Industry	Mr. Anand Sharma
25.	Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj	Mr.C.P. Joshi
26.	Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Minister of Tourism	Ms. Selja Kumari
27.	Minister of Food Processing Industries	Mr. Subodh Kant Sahay
28.	Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports	Dr. M.S. Gill
29.	Minister of Shipping	Mr. G.K. Vasan
30.	Minister of Parliamentary Affairs	Mr. K. Bansal
31.	Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment	Mr. Mukul Wasnik
32.	Minister of Tribal Affairs	Mr. Kantilal Bhuria
33.	Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers	Mr. M.K. Alagiri

Ministers Of State with Independent charge

List of Ministers Of State with Independent charge
#	Portfolio	Name of Minister
1.	Ministry Civil Aviation	Mr. Praful Patel
2.	Ministry of Science and Technology; Ministry of Earth Sciences; and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs	Mr. Prithviraj Chavan
3.	Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation	Mr. Sriprakash Jaiswal
4.	Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Minority Affairs	Mr. Salman Khursheed
5.	Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises	Mr. Dinsha J. Patel
6.	Ministry of Women and Child Development	Mrs. Krishna Tirath
7.	Ministry of Environment and Forests	Mr. Jairam Ramesh

Ministers Of State

List of Ministers Of State
#	Portfolio	Name of Minister
1.	Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers	Mr. Srikant Jena
2.	Ministry of Railways	Mr. E. Ahamed
3.	Ministry of Home Affairs	Mr. Mullappally Ramachandran
4.	Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs	Mr. V. Narayanasamy
5.	Ministry of Commerce and Industry	Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia
6.	Ministry of Human Resource Development	Mrs. D. Purandeswari
7.	Ministry of Railways	Mr. K.H. Muniyappa
8.	Ministry of Home Affairs	Mr. Ajay Maken
9.	Ministry of Textiles	Mrs. Panabaka Lakshmi
10.	Ministry of Finance	Mr. Namo Narain Meena
11.	Ministry of Defence	Mr. M.M. Pallam Raju
12.	Ministry of Urban Development	Mr. Saugata Ray
13.	Ministry of Finance	Mr. S.S. Palanimanickam
14.	Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas	Mr. Jitin Prasad
15.	Ministry of Steel	Mr. A. Sai Prathap
16.	Ministry of External Affairs	Mrs. Preneet Kaur
17.	Ministry of Communications and Information Technology	Mr. Gurdas Kamat
18.	Ministry of Labour and Employment	Mr. Harish Rawat
19.	Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution	Professor K.V. Thomas
20.	Ministry of Power	Mr. Bharatsinh Solanki
21.	Ministry of Road Transport and Highways	Mr. Mahadev S. Khandela
22.	Ministry of Health and Family Welfare	Mr. Dinesh Trivedi
23.	Ministry of Rural Development	Mr. Sisir Adhikari
24.	Ministry of Tourism	Mr. Sultan Ahmed
25.	Ministry of Shipping	Mr. Mukul Roy
26.	Ministry of Information and Broadcasting	Mr. Mohan Jatua
27.	Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	Mr. D. Napoleon
28.	Ministry of Information and Broadcasting	Dr. S. Jagathrakshakan
29.	Ministry of Health and Family Welfare	Mr. S. Gandhiselvan
30.	Ministry of Tribal Affairs	Mr. Tusharbhai Chaudhary
31.	Ministry of Communications and Information Technology	Mr. Sachin Pilot
32.	Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises	Mr. Arun Yadav
33	Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports	Mr. Pratik Prakashbapu Patil
34.	Ministry of Road Transport and Highways	Mr. Ratanjit Pratap Narayan Singh
35.	Ministry of External Affairs	Mr. Shashi Tharoor
36.	Ministry of Water Resources	Mr. Vincent Pala
37.	Ministry of Rural Development	Mr. Pradeep Jain
38.	Ministry of Rural Development	Ms. Agatha Sangma

Tamil Film Stars Of 80's

2009-09-19T19:31:00.010+05:30

Tamil Film Stars of 80s

First Independence Day Of India

2009-09-19T18:56:00.017+05:30

First Independence Day Of India

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru being sworn in as Prime Minister of Independent India by Lord Mountbatten

At the stroke of midnight on August 14, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru's 'Tryst with Destiny' speech

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's famous speech which is titled as Tyrst with Destiny:
At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance..... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again.

India's first Governor General Lord Mountbatten and Lady Edwina on their way to flag hoisting ceremony

Troops are seen presenting arms as Lord Mountbatten and Lady Edwina drive in to the Constitution Hall(now Parliament House)

People gathered to celebrate India's First Independence Day around Raisina Hills, New Delhi

Crowds along the Red Fort where Nehru addresses independent India for the first time and hoists the national flag

Lord Mountbatten, Lady Edwina Along with India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru during Independence celebrations

Eleven days before returning independence to India, Lord Mountbatten works with his advisors to divide India peaceably

British Flag replaced by Indian Flag on Aug 15th, 1947

India flag being hoisted in Red Fort

Amazing view of Cricket Grounds

2009-09-18T22:58:00.018+05:30

Check out the Flood Light View of Cricket Grounds

Oval under lights

Trent Bridge under Lights

The Rose Bowl under Lights

Sangakara Practise under light

Lord's under Lights

Kinrara Oval, Kuala Lumpur

Bellerive Oval