Holi-Truly Holy

All I love to share on Holi:
1. The word Holi may have come from a mythological character Holika's name.

2.Lord Krishna(People from North India believe), Lord Shiva and Kaamdev, the God of Love(People from South India believe) may have played a significant role in the origination of this festival.

3.It is a Truly secular festival celebrated in all
28 states of India.

4.It has 10 different names in India.

5.It is also celebrated outside India.

6. It also announces the advent of Spring.

7.. The rising trend is for using organic colors in the festival.

8. For the first time Indian markets are flooded by Chinese color powders.

9. It is the only day when kids get the permission to become filthy !
     Enjoy!

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Some unusual paces in India-2

Picture1- Famous Dandakaranya Which is mentioned in The Ramanaya. It  situated between Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh states.

  Picture 2-Dhanushkodi is also known as the ghost city and the lost land, located at the tip of Rameswaram island.It is the only land border between India and Sri Lanka where the remnants of Rama’s Bridge found.

Picture 3-Roopkund,now called as Skeleton lake due to hundreds of human skeletons found at the edge of the lake. Skeleton Lake is a high altitude mountain glacial lake situated at Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.(sources of these skeletons are still unknown)

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2 Very unusual places in India

 Today, we will talk about you unusual places in India.
1. Kolli Hills-Kolli hills is a small mountain range located in central Tamil Nadu in Namakkal district of India. The mountains are about 1300 m in height and cover an area of approximately 280 km².(Wiki). There are 70 hairpin bends leading to the hills. The roads are perilous. And mysterious 'cause people say a beautiful woman appears at such bends. She bewitches the travelers and kills them.
2. Roop Kund- at 16,000 ft from sea level Roopkund((locally known as Mystery Lake)
 is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand.It is  (in)famous due to hundreds of human skeletons found at the edge of the lake. human skeletal remains easily visible at its bottom when snow melts. There are many theories  etc.but nothing can be told definitely. It is also called Skeleton lake.
In my next article, I'll come with 2 more of such unusual places in India.

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My wishes 2015

My wishes- 2015

1. Talibans and their types have been packed and dispatched to Titan, Saturn’s Moon.

2. Obama has sent big Rose bouquets to the Chinese and the Russian Presidents.

3. All black money has been painted white.

4. Indians have stopped peeing out in the street.

5. Calcutta football league is played by the Bengalis.

6.SRK and Salman Khan have started making Art Films.

7.Indians have stopped taking pride in going  and settling abroad.

8. Politicians have discovered a thing named Shame.

9. Mukesh Ambani has donated his house to the orphans.

10. Even the last rapist has been castrated.

Wish you a rocking 2015!!!

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Farewell Friend!

Like every other year, 2014 will also become a part of history shortly.Like all other years, we lost some, we gained some, we  cried some and we smiled some.I don't know if it was worth living.Life, they say, is worth living, if you've become better man today. Likewise, a nation is worth it, if it has become a better nation this year. As I say good bye to 2014, I feel like seeing off someone whom I've known for a year. Who was he? a friend? a foe? what are you Time? Who are you?I may not meet you again but ye will remain with me till to dust I returnest!I wait to kiss the first Sun...I wish every reader a very happy and prosperous 2015!

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Christmas in India

Christmas Traditions in India
Less than 2.5% of Indians are Christians but many Christmas is celebrated in a big way in India specially in Goa which is inhabited by maximum Roman Catholics, almost every home has the light of a star shinning.

Christmas often coincides with the Winter Solstice which is celebrated in India  and is called Makar Sakranti. During this special time sweets are prepared and distributed to the family

Christmas and the New Year is officially celebrated at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by the President of India. Rashtrapati Bhavan means 'President House' and is the official residence of the President of India which located in New Delhi

Christmas is also known as bada din meaning 'the big day'

Christmas Traditions in India - The Food!
What do people eat in other countries at this special time of the year? Festive feasts and recipes are traditional for special occasions including family dinners and meals. Interesting facts about the special food eaten as part of the customs and Christmas traditions in India:

• Community feasting, called Lengkhawn Zai, is enjoyed by many Indians
• Homemade cookies are eaten
• Main meals include mutton stews and roast meats including duck
• Athirasam, a sweet made in South India especially during festivals are popular in India as is Christmas Pudding

Indian Christmas Vocabulary

• What is the name for Santa Claus? Christmas Baba in Hindi and Christmas Thaathaa in Tamil

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Shame on You!

These are the militants who chose the innocent children to be their opponent in Pakistan yesterday. I don't know who they are, nor do I need to know. All I feel is that quickly and surely ,we're making this beautiful planet a place of pain and suffering. Were we born to kill others? must we  dip our hand in innocent blood? My heart goes out to the families for whom 16th December, 2014 became a nightmare for the rest of their lives.
"Every minute that passes by,
I can see the drops of blood fall,
The running river that flows down my arm,
That spreads out across my hands,
And drips from my finger tips.
The drops stain the paper in my hand,
The notes for my parents,
Telling them good-bye
Telling them not to cry,"

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Sri Sri Sarada Devi

1.known as ‘Holy Mother’, Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual associate of Sri Ramakrishna, was born on 22 December 1853.
2.She had no formal schooling, but managed to learn the Bengali alphabet. When she was about six years old, she was married to Sri Ramakrishna. However, she continued to live with her parents.
3.Later she joined Sri Ramakrishna as his devoted wife and disciple, while remaining a virgin nun and following the spiritual path.
4.Sri Ramakrishna looked upon Sarada Devi as a manifestation of Divine Mother of the universe. In 1872, he worshipped Sarada Devi as the Divine Mother.
5.She loved everyone, including the sinner.
6.Although she had grown up in a conservative rural society without any access to modern education, she held progressive views.
7. As Sister Nivedita stated, “Her life was one long stillness of prayer.”
8.Under the strain of constant physical work and self-denial and repeated attacks of malaria, her health deteriorated in the closing years and she passed away on 21 July 1920.
9.In the history of humanity there has never been another woman who looked upon herself as the Mother of all beings, including animals and birds,

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Amjaad Ali Khan-The Sarod Maestro

Today he played at the Nobel Peace Prize giving ceremony. Here are  some important facts on his life -
1. Born in 1945, he is the sixth generation in Sarod Playing.
**Sarod, the present day modification of the ancient Rabab (an Afghan Folk Instrument).
2. His father, Hafiz Ali Khan was Sarod player of Royal family.
3. His style of music is called_'Senia Bangash Gharana'
4. Amjad Ali Khan gave his first solo recital at the age of 12 in 1958.
5. His contribution:
a. He has removed some strings from The Sarod, making it more user friendly.
b.He has successfully used complex Indian vocal classical music(Ekhaara Taans) on his instrument.
6. Khan sahib's thinks that a good musician must be a good human being.
7. He has performed across the globe.
8. His wife Subhalakshmi has been a great exponent of Indian Classical Dance.
9. His 2 sons are also into playing the Sarod.

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Indian Terracotta

1.Clay crafts and pottery have an important role in representing Indian culture.
2.The terracotta tradition is the continuation of the Indus valley traditions that dates back 5000 years.
3.Terracotta work is mainly centred in the states of West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.
4.It is estimated that pottery appeared in Bengal, in or around 1500 B.C.It's made of alluvial soil.
5.‘Bankura Horse', the most distinguished form of terracotta art,is produced exclusively by the artisans of Panchmura, a village.
6.Initially these terracotta horses were offered as a token of  devotion to  local deities. These horses have also been offered as tokens of thanks giving, on the tombs of Muslim peers (saints).

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If a tree is saved even at the cost of one's head, it's worth it.

"Sar sāntey rūkh rahe to bhī sasto jān"
Meaning: If a tree is saved even at the cost of one's head, it's worth it.

Imagine yourself dying to protect a tree, Imagine you telling :"First kill me ,then kill a tree!"can you?. No friends, don't worry, I can't place my self either. It takes a  whole lot to make oneself that selfless.
Amrita Devi Bishnoi(Kudos to the name) offered her head to protect a tree to be felled by King's men in 1720.She was beheaded.
It was followed by The three young girls Asu, Ratni and Bhagu who dared follow her footsteps.
On that day,363 Bishnois(residents of that  place named Bishnoi)offered their heads and were beheaded too.
It is the most unbelievable sacrifice in human history to protect trees.
Imagine 367 people offering their LIVES to protect trees.
Wish if I were half as good as them!Wish I could at least plant some!Wish you could join me!

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Update Notice

This blog will be updated on Wednesdays and Sundays. We promise to give the readers our best!

Thanks for reading . Be with us.

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Nehru Jacket vs. Modi Jacket

1.Jackets have always in in very high demand amongst Indian politicians.The Topis(Gandhi caps) and Jackets(Nehru style) have always hogged attention.But with Mr Narendra Modi started designing his own jackets, things have changed somewhat.

2.The Nehru jacket had many names - sadri, bandi -earlier only black and grey jackets were in demand which would cost 500-600 rupees  but they seem to be now influenced by PM Modi's choice of colors and taste.The colored ones come for around 1200 rupees.

3.Nehru Jackets were popularized by Beatles in the West.They went on to become so popular that in James Bond Movies, we can see villains wearing them. Even  Sean Connery, Bond himself, wears that in "DR No".
4.Coming to Modi Jacket, but for Mr Modi, most BJP workers in Delhi go to Mustafa, a tailor for getting "Modi Jackets" stitched.
So, The war is not limited to the 2 political parties alone. It's about two warring style statements as well !- Manasi Ghosh

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Amul- the biggest Dairy brand in India!

As India celebrated the National Milk Day yesterday,Her are few words on that:
1. Dr Verghese Kurien is the man who created the milk revolution in the country.
2.Born on November 26, 1921 in Kerala, he passed away on September 9, 2012 in Gujarat.
3. His project called ‘Operation Flood’ was the world’s biggest agricultural development programme.
4. It was his initiative which helped India in becoming the largest milk producer of the world.
5.Milk powder processed from buffalo milk was the a notable invention by AMUL.
6. Later on, he also helped the country become self sufficient" in edible oils.
7.  Film maker, Shyam Benegal made a movie on Kurien ,"Manthan (the churning of the ‘milk ocean’)
8. Kurien helped the movie maker by asking half million farmers to contribute a token of two rupees for the expenses of the movie.
9. Thousand Kudos to this Great Man!

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Bramhakamal

Bramha Kamal( Night blooming Cereus) is the mythical flower of Gods.
blooms only for one night in the entire year, somewhere between mid June and mid October. The blooming lasts only for a few (10 ) hours. Brahmakamal is related with the story of how Brahma emerged from Vishnu’s naval in a lotus flower.
 It is supposed to grow in the very high altitudes of the Himalayas.It is the lotus of Bramha.
In the Mahabharata, Draupadi talks about this flower as "Golden Lotus". It's a belief that anyone sees that will have all his wishes fulfilled.
It IS found in the Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas.
It has anti-bacterial properties.The stem is used to treat Dropsy and cardiac problems.
Vietnamese use the petals in soup for medicinal properties.

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Temple facts 2

The Brihadishwara Temple, located in Thanjavur, India, was built in the 11th century. It is The world’s first complete granite temple,  The temple tower is 66 meters (216 feet) high making it one of the tallest temples in the world.

The temple of Khajuraho  famous for their erotic sculpture were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. They are dedicated either to the Jain pantheon and the rest to Hindu deities, to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and various Devi forms.

The foundation of the Golden Temple was laid down by a Muslim saint Mian Mir.
The stairs entering the Golden temple go down, rather than up like traditional holy places. They are designed bring humbleness and  in the visitors.

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Temple Facts 1

Indian temples what you love to know:

1. The only Brahma temple in the world is in Pushkar. The temple was built in 14th century and has a huge idol of four-headed Lord Brahma.

2.In Kolkata, there is a small town called Chinatown in Tangra which got its name as the residents of the area are mostly Chinese. They visit the temple and offer prasad like noodles, chopsuey, etc. to Goddess Kali.

3. around 40 miles from Vadodara, there is a Stambeshwar Mahadev Temple.A temple stands in the Arabian Sea It can be seen only during  low tide and is is submerged in the sea during high tides.

4.The Bullet baba  shrine is close to Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Devotees worship  motorbike here and  also offer liquor. The residents of the village believe that the deity saves them from road accidents etc.

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Yummy Dosa!!!

1.Dosa is the staple food in 5 Indian states
2.Besides, It is very important food in Srilanka,Malaysia and Singapore.
3.We can find the reference to Dosa in 6th century.
4.Perhaps it originated in Karnataka.(Masala Dosa in Mumbai)
5. More or less 30 variants of the food is available.
6. Masala dosa was listed as number 49 on World's 50 most delicious foods compiled
7.A team of more than 20 dosa masters in Madurai prepared the world's longest dosa in 2012, measuring 48.25 ft, that found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
8.  This year a restaurant called Raj Bhog in Bangalore (South India) has unveiled a 24 karat gold Dosa ( a south Indian dish) for the rich foodies to relish.Dosas offered by Raj Bhog is made with olive oil and covered with gold foil and is indeed the costliest dosa ever served costing $19, while it usually costs around (94 cents – $1.90)

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Indian Tribes2

The Bhil tribe is found mostly in the central and western parts of India. Till the early 20th century, the Bhil people served as warriors for the kings. Interestingly, during marriages it is the men who have to pay a dowry of sorts (10 goats) to be able to marry an eligible woman!
The Gaddi tribe is one of the very few tribes of India that live like gypsies. They travel in summer leaving their villages for the season. They can be found in the north of the country, mainly in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Khasi people, who reside in Meghalaya, might just have the solutions to the 21st century problems global warming and pollution!They have built living roots bridges in Cherrapunji, . The roots of the Ficus elastica tree are strong enough to support  fifty people. The Khasi people saw this and now whenever they need to cross a river, they simply grow their bridges! Cool bioengineering!

The word Bishnoi(a tribe) means 29. It contains twenty Hindu and nine Muslim principles and has respect for nature as the main focus. king of Jodhpur sent his army to cut trees in order to create space for him to build his palace. The Bishnoi people hugged the trees, shielding the trees with their bodies.(a reminder of Avatar for sure)

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Indian Tribes 1

 1.The Bnei Menashe tribe, found in Manipur and Mizoram, are descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Instead of converting to other religions, these people converted back to the religion of their ancestors after rediscovering their roots.

2.Most of the world today follows the system where the father’s family name is adopted. In contrast, The Khasi, Jaintia and Garo people practice this unique system and form one of the biggest communities in the world that believes in the system where the mother’s family name is adopted.
3.Jarwaa and Bo tribes are fast loosing their language due to exposure to the external world.

4.Oraons are also known worldwide for believing in the  customs of human sacrifice during the Sarhul festival to please the local deity.

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