Baten Apni (My Thoughts)

History of "SAMOSA"

2010-02-25T21:47:00.001-08:00

The SAMOSA probably travelled to India along ancient trade routes from Central Asia. Small, crisp mince-filled triangles that were easy to make around the campfire during night halts, then conveniently packed into saddlebags as snacks for the next day's journey. According to the “The Oxford Companion to Food” the Indian samosa is merely the best known of an entire family of stuffed pastries or dumplings popular from Egypt and Zanzibar to Central Asia and West China. Arab cookery books of the 10th and 13th Centuries refer to the pastries as sanbusak (the pronunciation still current in Egypt, Syria, & Lebanon), sanbusaq or sanbusaj, all reflecting the early medieval form of the Persian word: sanbosag. Claudia Roden (1968) quotes a poem by Ishaq ibn Ibrahim-al-Mausili (9th Century) praising the sanbusaj.

By the early 14th Century, it was not only a part of Indian cuisine but also food fit for a king. Amir Khusrao, prolific poet of Delhi royalty, observed in 1300 that the royal set seemed partial to the "samosa prepared from meat, ghee, onion and so on". In 1334, the renowned traveller Ibn Battuta wrote about the sambusak: "minced meat cooked with almonds, pistachios, onions and spices placed inside a thin envelop of wheat and deep-fried in ghee". And the samosa obtained a royal stamp with its inclusion in the Ain-i-Akbari which declared that among dishes cooked with wheat there is the qutab, "which the people of Hind called the sanbusa".

The current day samosas are small, crispy, flaky pastries that are usually deep-fried. They are stuffed with an assortment of fillings ranging from minced meat with herbs and spices to vegetables such as cauliflower and potatoes. In Bengal one finds samosas filled with sweetened reduced milk that go straight from the frying pan to a syrup wash. But whatever the filling, samosas are a treasured snack---the perfect companion to a cup of chai.

Interesting Facts about India

2010-02-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

• 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 worshippers 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. Over2600 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.

२०१० शंकर भोपाली स्टाइल ...

2010-01-03T21:54:00.002-08:00

बाल धोनी से बढ़ा ले, साल आया है नया
कटिंग के पैसे बचा ले, साल आया है नया

ऐड की शूटिंग करो, किरकेट जाए भाड़ में
रैंप पर खुद को चला ले, साल आया है नया

जो पुरानी चप्पलें हैं, मन्दिरों के पास रख
कुछ नये जूते उठा ले, साल आया है नया

आरती का थाल आए तो चवन्नी डालकर
नोट तू दस का उठा ले, साल आया है नया

चार मुक्तक तो हमारे सामने ही पढ़ गया
संकलन पूरा चुरा ले, साल आया है नया

चाहता है तू हसीनों से अगर नज़दीकियाँ
चाट का ठेला लगा ले, साल आया है नया

मैं अठन्नी दे रहा था, तब भिखारी ने कहा
तू यहां चादर बिछा ले, साल आया है नया

चार दिन तो बर्फ गिरने के बहाने चल गए
आज तो ‘हुल्लड़’ नहा ले, साल आया है नया

जो कि पिछले साल तुझको दे रहा था गालियाँ
चाय पर उसको बुला ले साल आया है नया

अल्लाह की याद..

2010-01-03T21:54:00.001-08:00

थोड़ी सी इबादत बहुत सा सिला देती है,
गुलाब की तरह चेहरा खिला देती है,
अल्लाह की याद को दिल से जाने न देना,
कभी कभी छोटी सी दुआ अर्श हिला देती है ..

कभी ज़मी न छोड़ना ..

2010-01-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

सामने हो मंजिल तो रास्ता न छोड़ना,
जो मन में हो वो ख्वाब न तोड़ना,
हर कदम पे मिलेगी कामयाबी तुम्हे,
बस सितारों को छूने के लिए,
कभी ज़मी न छोड़ना..

बोध कथा - ध्यान और सेवा

2009-12-30T22:30:00.000-08:00

एक बार ज्ञानेश्‍वर महाराज सुब‍‍ह-सुबह‍ नदी तट पर टहलने निकले। उनहोनें देखा कि एक लड़का नदी में गोते खा रहा है। नजदीक ही, एक सन्‍यासी ऑखें मूँदे बैठा था। ज्ञानेश्वर महाराज तुरंत नदी में कूदे, डूबते लड़के को बाहर निकाला और फिर सन्‍यासी को पुकारा। संन्‍यासी ने आँखें खोलीं तो ज्ञानेश्वर जी बोले- क्‍या आपका ध्‍यान लगता है? संन्‍यासी ने उत्तर दिया- ध्‍यान तो नही लगता, मन इधर-उधर भागता है। ज्ञानेश्वर जी ने फिर पूछा लड़का डूब रहा था, क्‍या आपको दिखाई नही दिया? उत्‍तर मिला- देखा तो था लेकिन मैं ध्‍यान कर रहा था। ज्ञानेश्वर समझाया- आप ध्‍यान में कैसे सफल हो सकते है? प्रभु ने आपको किसी का सेवा करने का मौका दिया था, और यही आपका कर्तव्‍य भी था। यदि आप पालन करते तो ध्‍यान में भी मन लगता। प्रभु की सृष्टि, प्रभु का बगीचा बिगड़ रहा है1 बगीचे का आनन्‍द लेना है, तो बगीचे का सँवरना सीखे।

यदि आपका पड़ोसी भूखा सो रहा है और आप पूजा पाठ करने में मस्‍त है, तो यह मत सोचिये कि आपके द्वारा शुभ कार्य हो रहा है क्‍योकि भूखा व्‍यक्ति उसी की छवि है, जिसे पूजा-पाठ करके आप प्रसन्‍न करना या रिझाना चाहते है। क्‍या वह सर्व व्‍यापक नही है? ईश्‍वर द्वारा सृजित किसी भी जीव व संरचना की उपेक्षा करके प्रभु भजन करने से प्रभु कभी प्रसन्‍न नही होगें।

नव वर्ष और भारतीय संस्कृति ...

2009-12-30T22:29:00.000-08:00

आने वाले नव वर्ष की आप सभी को हार्दिक शुभ कामनाये
आने वाला नया साल आप सभी के लिए मंगलमय हो, अच्छी स्वास्थ्य व खुशियों से भरा हो

हम सब इस नए साल का तो बड़े धूम धाम से स्वागत करते है, पर क्यों हम हमारी सभ्यता, हमारी संस्कृति को भूल जाते है..
मै ये नहीं कहता कि हम इसे celebrate न करे, पर हमारा राष्ट्रीय कैलेंडर को भी न भूले.

अगर हम इस नव वर्ष को मानते है तो भारतीय नव वर्ष को भी उतने ही धूम धाम से मनाये और उसका इसी जोश के साथ स्वागत भी करे. यदि यही आलम रहा तो आने वाली पीढ़ी तो राष्ट्रीय कैलेंडर को पहचानेंगे ही नहीं.

जितने भी बड़े देश है वो सब अपना नव वर्ष इतने बड़े स्तर पर मनाते है कि वो वर्ल्ड न्यूज़ बन जाता है, पुरे विश्व पर वो अपनी एक छाप छोड़ते है, तो हम क्यों नहीं हो सकते ???

इस विषय पर आप लोग भी सोचिये, विषय गंभीर है ..............

पुनः एक बार नव वर्ष कि शुभ कामनाये ................

Bollywoods 25 best movie must see

2009-11-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

1 Black (2005)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Black’ is made with astounding sensitivity and enthralling quest for perfection. It tells the story of a deaf and blind girl, Michelle McNally and her teacher, Debraj Sahai. They together embark on a journey to get Michelle out of an animalistic existence to reach a common goal; of knowledge and respectability. ‘Black’ is inspired by the life of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. Bhansali has extracted mind-blowing performances out of his actors, whether it’s Ayesha Kapoor as a boorish young Michelle or a full-o-beans adult Michelle played by Rani Mukerji or even the alcoholic teacher superbly enacted by Amitabh Bachchan. ‘Black’ is bi-lingual set against an Anglo-Indian family living in the picturesque Shimla. The filmmaker and his actors have bettered their previous best to create a luminous piece of work called ‘Black.’

2 Lagaan (2001)

’Lagaan’ was the most volatile combo of the two things that makes Indians tick- cricket and Bollywood. The result no doubt was exhilarating. The film was three hours long, but it passed in front of you in a jiffy, each ball being cheered, each shot being egged on. It’s a complete entertainer with songs that became instant hits. The film is a period drama set in the 19th century British-ruled India. Set in a small village called Champaner it tells the story of the simple village-folk struggling to pay off the annual debts (Lagaan) to the British. It had all the trappings of a blockbuster; Aamir Khan, great songs, humour, good-over evil storyline and to top it all, cricket. ‘Lagaan’ went on to be nominated as one of the five entries at the Oscars, the only film after ‘Mother India’ and ‘Salaam Bombay’. It won eight Filmfare awards in all the major categories.

3 Satya (1998)

’Satya’ spawned numerous gangster flicks but it remains one of the best in its genre. The film was about the genesis of a criminal from an innocent man called Satya. Another character that made a star out of a ‘nobody’, Bhiku Mhatre was a no-frills-no-nonsense role portrayed brilliantly by Manoj Bajpai. The dreaded gangster Bhikubhai is not your regular formula baddie. He is a trigger-happy underworld don who doesn’t need a ‘get-up’ to look the part. Despite being a sadist he evokes sympathy and has a great sense of humour. Manoj Bajpai’s intensity was almost reminiscent of a certain ‘angry young man’ of yore. Bhiku Mhatre floored the audiences as an attitude ‘bhai’ with killer statements like, “Mumbai ka raja kaun? Bhiku Mhatre!”

4 Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

The film that may soon make an entry into the Guinness Book Of World Records, ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ has run in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir for 500 weeks. It completed 500 weeks on May 13 and will complete 10 years in October 2005. The film has won ten Filmfare awards - a record for a Hindi film. A complete entertainer, ‘DDLJ’ was a sweet love story in an NRI backdrop. Directed by Yash Chopra's eldest son, Aditya Chopra in 1995 at the age of 23, it was a trendsetter of sorts with the lead couple being second generation Indians living in England with deep Indian values. The music of the film was superhit and so were the ‘great Indian wedding’ preparation scenes portrayed in the film. Shah Rukh - Kajol chemistry crackled on screen and they achieved the numero uno spot in Bollywood post ‘DDLJ’.

5 Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)

Aamir Khan’s debut film, ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ made him an instant heartthrob. ‘QSQT’ is one of the landmark films of Hindi cinema. It was a welcome break from the violent 70s and 80s with all and sundry doing their ‘angry young man’ act. Even the original ‘angry young man’ was no longer angry. ‘QSQT’ was a simple youthful love story with a fresh look at doomed romance. It is about a star-crossed young couple from traditional feuding families a la ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The young lovers elope and are chased by their parents. When they find no hope for their love they decide to die and make their love immortal. The film was a blockbuster making Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla household names.

6 Mr. India (1987)

Shekhar Kapoor’s ‘Mr. India’ had all the ingredients required for the superhit status that it acquired. A superhero like protagonist, great plot, Sridevi at her sexiest best, catchy songs and Hindi cinema’s most adorable villain, ‘Mogambo’. Anil Kapoor as the guy who had the power to go invisible was just awesome in the film. Amrish Puri’s menacing act as Mogambo was not just a turning point in his career but also the most memorable comic-book-villain-acts in Hindi cinema. The audiences were thrilled every time Amrish Puri glared down at them with his fiercely bulbous eyes sporting an atrocious blond wig and garish knee high silver heeled boots. They came back again and again to hear him mouth possibly the most repeated line of Hindi cinema (post 80s), ‘Mogambo khush hua’. Children loved the film for its special effects and the kiddie brigade taking on the villain. The grown ups couldn’t get enough of Sridevi in one of the most erotic 'wet saree’ (blue clingy chiffon) songs ever in Hindi films, ‘ Kaate Nahin kat te’.

7 Jane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983)

You just can’t not watch this film and then once you have watched it you can’t stop talking about it. One of the most brilliant satires coming out of Hindi cinema, ‘Jane Bhi Do Yaaron’ has some of the brightest actors of Hindi cinema. The film is about two simple and honest photographer friends, Naseeruddin Shah and Ravi Vaswani. By chance they witness a murder and are dragged into the corrupt real estate deals with politicians and bureaucrats. Actors like Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Satish Shah and Satish Kaushik shared some incredibly funny scenes in the film. Like Sholay people remember the outrageously funny dialogues of the film. Naseeruddin Shah’s "Thoda khao, thoda phenko”, Om Puri’s "Oye DMello, Tu to gaya" are some of the most memorable lines from the film. Some of the funniest scenes include a drunk Om Puri trying to help Satish Shah’s dead body start his ‘car’ (coffin) and the famous Ramlila scene are side-splitting.

8 Arth (1982)

One of the best films coming from the filmmaker Mahesh Bhat, ‘Arth’ was known to be based on his relationship with the late actress Parveen Babi. The film had two of the best actresses of Hindi cinema, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil pitted against each other resulting in some super-volatile performances. The soulful songs rendered by Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh were truly beautiful. The film is about the complexities of an extra-marital relationship from the points of view of the husband (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), the wife (Shabana Azmi) and the mistress (Smita Patil). Shabana excelled in the role of a wronged wife and gave the character a certain dignity hitherto absent in such roles despite the scene when in a drunken state she calls her husband’s mistress a whore publicly. But Smita walked away with the accolades as a guilt ridden, insecure ‘other woman’ and her final scene with Shabana when in a hallucination she picks up the imaginarymangalsutra beads of Shabana shakes you up completely.

9 Deewaar (1975)

Yash Chopra’s ‘Deewaar’ is a classic example of a perfect Indian melodrama of the 70s –two brothers raised by a long suffering mother. One turns out to be good and the other gets strayed into the big bad world of crime. Amitabh had already made a mark with ‘Zanjeer’ as the ‘angry young man’ and with ‘Deewaar’ he enforced his image emerging as a force to reckon with. The potent dialogues written by the hit duo of Salim-Javed left a huge impact on the audiences receiving whistles and claps by the front-benchers. Who hasn’t heard “ Aaj mere paas bangla hai, gaadi hai, bank balance hai. Tumhare paas kya hai? Mere paas ... Maaa Hai ”! Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor play brothers and Nirupa Roy their mother. In the climax when Amitabh is shot by his own brother to drive home the good-over-bad philosophy, he staggers into a temple where he dies in the arms of his mother. It was one of the most powerful scenes in the film. Though the entire cast including Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, Parveen Babi and Neetu Singh did a good job but the film belonged to Amitabh Bachchan who made ‘Deewaar’ a fare to remember with his powerhouse performance.

10 Sholay (1975)

It’s a tad difficult to fit ‘Sholay’ into a single paragraph. Arguably the most complete and entertaining film of all times, the film boasts of some of the biggest stars of its time-Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri. It also made a star out of a character called Gabbar Singh -the most imitated character of Hindi cinema. The legendary Gabbar’s dialogues are now folk-lore ( Pachas pachas kos door gaon mein jab bachcha raat ko rota hai to maa kahti hai beta soja ..soja nahin to Gabbar Singh aa jaayega ) peppered with his quirky vicious laughter showing his tobacco-stained teeth or the trademark ferocity ( Yeh haath mujhe de de Thakur ), Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh is a true blue cult-figure. Each and every character of Sholay is a part of the cinematic folklore, but apart from Gabbar the other most popular characters are Hindi cinema’s best-known buddies, Jai- Veeru and Veeru’s blabbermouth love interest, Basanti. The two friends singing ‘ Yeh dosti hum nahin chhodenge’ makes the most enduring image of screen friendship. Hema Malini as the chatterbox Basanti was a laugh riot. The three share some of the most memorable scenes in the film. Sholay is a classic to be watched again and again.

11 Bobby (1973)

This was the launch vehicle of Raj Kapoor’s son Rishi Kapoor and a 14 year old girl who became a teen-sensation-Dimple Kapadia. One of the sweetest love stories in Hindi cinema ‘Bobby’ is about a school going girl who falls in love with a lonely, rich young boy. It’s the rich-poor formula but the freshness of the lead pair was the clincher for ‘Bobby’. The music of the film was a smash hit with songs like ‘ Hum tum ik kamre mein band ho’ and ‘Jhooth bole’ becoming anthems for the youth. Dimple Kapadia with her short dresses and knotted teeny weeny tops became the darling of the nation. The screen chemistry of the hero and heroine was so amazing that when Dimple made a comeback more than a decade after ‘Booby’, Rishi Kapoor was signed opposite her.

12 Garam Hawa (1973)

’Garam Hawa’ is one of the most sensitively made films on the Indo-Pak partition. It doesn’t have the usual melodrama and Pak bashing. ‘Garam Hawa’ was based on an unpublished story by Ismat Chughtai and adapted for the film by Kaifi Azmi. Director M.S. Sathyu strayed away from the mainstream formula of the 70s to recreate the agonizing past that nobody had dared to touch. The film was about a Muslim family that decides to remain in India post-partition. It explores how partition affects them socially, emotionally and economically. The main protagonist, a middle aged shoe manufacturer in Agra was played by Balraj Sahni, one of the finest actors to have graced the Indian silver screen so far. Ustad Bahadur Khan evocative music helps lift the film even more. The film not only won accolades from the critics but was also lapped up by the common man. It also won the National Award that year.

13 Pakeezah (1972)

Kamal Amrohi’s ’Pakeezah’ acquired a legendary status soon after its heroine, the ‘Tragedy Queen’ Meena Kumari passed away. The film has a larger than life feel and is grand is appearance. The story of a courtesan played by Meena Kumari in arguably her best role ever, ‘Pakeezah’ was made by her husband Amrohi and took a long time to make. The film showcases the elegant past of the privileged class of Uttar Pradesh; their refined culture and grandeur yet at the same time their hypocrisy and decadence of the bourgeois society. Ashok Kumar and Raj ‘Jaani’ Kumar play the suitors of Meena Kumari who has a double role in the film. The incredibly lyrical songs or mujras in the film are breathtaking. The costumes and sets are gorgeous. As the film took long years to make due to the differences between the husband –wife team of Meena Kumari and Kamal Amrohi, Meena looks young and fresh in some scenes and in some painfully haggard and sad. But she covers it all up with her stunning histrionics and dialogue delivery.

14 Anand (1970)

Rajesh Khanna was the first official superstar of Hindi cinema. He gave a slew of hits in the late 60s and 70s, ’Anand’ being the most important one of them. It was a lighthearted melodramatic tale with deeply tragic undertones. Rajesh Khanna plays Anand, a man suffering from cancer, yet never seen unhappy or crying. Ironically the character is shown to be full of life and laughter. Amitabh Bachchan played his doctor in the film with whom he spends his last days. The film made by Hrishikesh Mukherjee who gave us delightful films like Gol Maal, Chupke Chupke, Mili, Abhimaan and Bawarchi is a true masterpiece. Many dialogues and scenes from the film became popular specially the way Rajesh Khanna said ‘ Babumoshai ’ . Add to all this some beautiful songs and you have a film that stays with you forever. ‘Anand’ won the Filmfare Award in 1972.

15 Padosan (1968)

Arguably the best Hindi comedy of all times, the mere mention of ‘Padosan’ makes you guffaw. The two uncrowned ‘Kings of Comedy’, Kishore Kumar and Mehmood are at their best. Add to this an excellent performance by Sunil Dutt as a harebrained young man and you have a super entertainer. Bhola (Sunil Dutt) falls in love with a lovely girl, Bindu (Saira Banu), his ‘padosan’ whom he admires from his window every day. Bindu flirts with her music teacher, Master Pillai (Mehmood). Bhola, with the help of his friends Vidyapathi (Kishore Kumar) and his cronies plans to win her over. Vidyapathi runs an acting school and is a singer as well. He turns into a ‘Dr. Love’ persona for Bhola and Bindu ultimately falls for Bhola. It has some hilarious numbers like ‘Ik chatur naar karke singaar’ and ‘Mere saamne waali khidki mein’ . Kishore Kumar with paan dripping from the side of his mouth, his hair parted at the center with the edge of his dhoti in one hand and a paan box in the other is an enduring image from the film. His impeccable comic timing and the ability to generate fun even from a simple gesture and a word, is remarkable. One simple “Bhole” uttered by him sends you rolling with laughter. If this wasn’t enough there is Mehmood too as a south Indian music teacher with a choti hanging on his clean-shaven head. The scenes where the two suitors of Bindu are competing against each other are riotous. A true masterpiece!

16 TeesriManzil (1966)

’Teesri Manzil’ is a suspense thriller peppered with glamorous people, glittering sets and a lot of the swinging 60s style songs. The lead pair of Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh featured in a string of hits and this potboiler was undoubtedly their best film together. Shammi Kapoor as Rocky, a drummer at a nightclub with his Elvis Presley suits, hairdo and rock’n’roll style was a delight to watch. He is such a rock-star that you ignore his sometimes funny (read bad) enactment of a drummer. Asha Parekh with her tight churidars, the classic sixties bouffant, heavily made up eyes and fluttering eye-lashes wooed her fans dancing down the slopes in her sleeveless kurtas. And not to forget Miss Ruby played by none other than the ‘cabaret queen’, Helen who has some of the most memorable dances in the film. The sets were bizarre yet unforgettable. The matchless duo of Asha Bhonsle and RD Burman added punch to the sizzling numbers of Helen.

17 Guide (1965)

A true classic based on R.K. Narayan's novel ‘The Guide’, Vijay Anand’s ‘Guide’ starred Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. The film was pretty bold for its time as it showed a guide and a married woman in love and even living together. Rosie played by Waheeda is a dancer who is forced to get married to a middle aged man. She meets an interesting man, Raju who is a guide by profession. The two fall in love and Raju gives Rosie the life that she always craved for. Things don’t work out between them and in a cheating case Raju lands up in jail. When years later he is released he is mistaken as a holy man. He tells the villagers a story of a holy man who had kept a fast for twelve days to bring rain to a drought-hit village. Unfortunately, a drought hits the village soon after. He keeps the fast and slowly grows week and listless. The rains come on the last day of his fast and while the villagers rejoice he dies quietly. ’Guide’ is a landmark films of Indian cinema, way ahead of its time. Dev Anand gives a remarkable performance, perhaps his best winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actor that year. But, its Waheeda who brings life to the film, specially in the first half as a free-spirited young woman who doesn’t mind a live-in relationship. She also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress that year. Another plus-point of ‘Guide’ was S.D Burman’s music with songs like, “ Piya Tose Naina Lage Re”, ”Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna Hai”, “Din Dhal Jaaye”, “Gaata Rahe Mera Dil”, ““Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rang Hai”, “Kya se Kya Ho Gaya” and “Wahaan Kaun Hai Tera”.

18 Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam (1962)

According to some, ‘Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam’ was ghost directed by Guru Dutt. The film was set in late 19th century against a feudal backdrop. Meena Kumari has never looked as sensuous as the Chhoti Bahu in ‘Sahib, Biwi aur Ghulam’ with a stray lovelock peeping out of her head covered with a silk saree pallu and falling on her forehead adorned by a big bindi. She plays the respectable bahu from an upper class Bengali household, yet when she starts a slurred “ Na jao saiyaan ”, the contrast is striking. The unshed tears in Meena’s eyes make her worthy of her ‘Tragedy Queen’ title. Undoubtedly, Chhoti Bahu is the most spectacular character in tragedienne Meena Kumari’s career; a role that was uncannily similar to her own life. Chhoti Bahu dares to question the system and tries to reclaim her errant husband. Unlike the other women in the house, she is not submissive instead she wants his adoration and time. When in her desperation she turns to alcohol, one is stunned by her passion and desire to win over her husband. Her most forceful dialogue from the film is when she dares to argue with her husband who equates her to the wives of other landowners, " Hindu ghar ki bahu hokar, kya sharab pee hai kissine ?” Meena Kumari, like the miraculous sindoor she yearns for in the film mesmerizes you with her acting skills. The role of Jaba was played by Waheeda Rehman and of Bhootnath by Guru Dutt himself. The film remains with you forever simply because of the splendid performance of Meena Kumari.

19 Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

’Mughal-e-Azam’, a historical, had the grandeur of a Mughal court and a heady defiant note. Each and every scene in the film is a masterpiece moving in front of your eyes. The film took almost fifteen years in the making and cost Rs 1.5 crores in those days. The cast had the superstars of that time including Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and Prithviraj Kapoor. People from all over the country were brought to Bombay to work on the elaborate costumes, props. and sets. It had a grand premiere held simultaneously in 150 theatres all over the country. The filmmaker K. Asif left no stone unturned to make sure that his film becomes a part of the cinematic folklore. Its a classic tale of rebellious love between Prince Salim and the courtesan Anarkali. Their love is opposed by the powerful king Akbar leading to a father-son rift. Naushad’s music is spell binding specially “Prem Joga”, ”Pyaar Kiya to darna kya ” and “ Mohe panghat . The recreation of the Sheesh mahal and the shots where the reflection of Madhubala in a giddy twirl is captured in loads of glittering glass pieces is fascinating. The humungous set for this legendary song took all the lights available (even 500 truck beams) and about 100 reflectors to bounce off the light. An intoxicated Madhubala declaring her love with bold lyrics like ‘ Parda nahin jab koi khuda se, bandon se parda karna kya ’ in front of the whole world and the powerful King himself is awe-inspiring. ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, has one of the most talked about erotic scenes in Hindi cinema. Dilip Kumar teasingly caresses an impassioned Madhubala’s radiant face with a long white feather. She shuts her eyes slowly with her lips turned towards her lover and there is a suggestion of a kiss when the two go behind the veil of the feather. The classical notes of ‘ Prem Jogan Banke’ sung by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan add a timeless quality to the moment. It goes without saying that the film was a blockbuster.

20 Pyaasa (1957)

Guru Dutt was one of the most brilliant filmmakers of India and ‘Pyaasa’ his most evocative work. Guru Dutt did the lead role of a suffering poet Vijay when it was rejected by Dilip Kumar. Mala Sinha plays his girlfriend, Johnny Walker his masseuse pal and Waheeda Rehman his admirer and a prostitute. The film is replete with symbolism, Guru Dutt’s forte. Whether it’s the powerful crushing the feeble or the hypocrisy of the society there is no parallel to the way it’s handled in ‘Pyaasa’. As an unsuccessful poet he is shunned by all and sundry from his own brothers to even the prostitutes. In bizarre circumstances he is believed to be dead and as luck would have it his work gets published and famous. The same people who ridiculed him attempt to cash in on his ‘posthumous’ glory. In a Christ-like manner the poet ‘resurrects in a function in his memory. The poignancy of the moment leaves you stunned. ‘Pyaasa’ is utterly bitter at times and painfully ironic at others. Its not the kind of film that one forgets in a hurry, it forces you to contemplate over matters that one usually shoves at the back of one’s mind. S. D. Burman music is brilliant as usual but the crowning glory of the film is the lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. Songs like “Jaane woh kaise log the”, “Jinhe naaz hai Hind par who kahan hain” and the heartrending “ Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye to kya hai ” are true classics. The film is an absolute must see for all film buffs!

21 Mother India (1957)

Mehboob’s magnum opus ‘Mother India’ is a tribute to the Indian woman! The only film before ‘Lagaan’ to get a nomination in the Best Foreign Film Category at the Oscars, ‘Mother India’ is an epic. Nargis as Radha, a ‘Mother Courage’ like character was spectacular in the film. It was a performance of a lifetime, a role to die for. It won her the Best actress award at the prestigious Karlovy Vary festival. The film is emotionally charged as Radha represents millions of women across the country struggling to preserve their dignity while bringing up their children single-handedly. She works like a beast to feed her children and pay off the moneylender. Her sons played by Rajendra Kumar and Sunil Dutt help her in getting back their land from the vile clutches of the local moneylender. Sunil Dutt as the rebel son whom she shoots in the end is brilliant. While shooting for the film Sunil Dutt had rescued Nargis from a fire that had broken out on the sets. The two later married spinning a romantic folklore around the film.

22 Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957)

The renowned filmmaker V Shantaram made a stirring ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’; a film about social reforms. It’s a stark black-and-white film about a jailor who believes that love and trust can turn even the most hardened criminals into God fearing responsible citizens. V Shantaram played the lead character of an idealistic jailor himself and his real life wife Sandhya plays a toy seller. The jailor takes six murderers out of jail and takes their responsibility to reform them. He gives them freedom and trust and gradually are reformed. Shantaram makes the film believable as the change is gradual and thankfully there is no melodrama in the film. The prisoners keep going back to their old ways but the jailors faith and psychologically handled situations make him a winner in the end.

23 Devdas (1955)

One of the most accomplished filmmakers of Hindi cinema, Bimal Roy made many films that fit the classics list, but Dilip Kumar starrer ‘Devdas’ is an absolute must see. We have seen many versions of ‘Devdas’ based on the novel by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay but this black-and-white version remains the best. It is tragic tale of lost love and a complex mish-mash of human relationships. Dilip Kumar as the self-destructive doomed lover, Devdas gives a remarkable performance. His drunken scenes are understated and that coupled with his inimitable style of dialogue delivery is a deadly combo. Its dialogue " Kaun kambakht bardasht karne ke liye peeta hai ?” was oft repeated by Dilip Kumar fans. Vyjayanthimala as Chandramukhi and Suchitra Sen as Paro give sensitive performances. Motilal as Chunnibabu is a treat to watch. ‘Devdas’ won Dilip Kumar the Best Actor award and a Best Supporting Actress award for Vyjayanthimala.

24 Do Bigha Zameen (1953)

Another Bimal Roy classic ’Do Bigha Zameen’ is one of the most unforgettable films of Indian cinema. The protagonist Shambhu brilliantly played by Balraj Sahni migrates to Calcutta from a small village where he owns two acres of land. He needs to earn money desperately to pay the debt as the moneylender wants his plot of land. His son joins him in the city and becomes a shoeshine boy. Balraj Sahni becomes a rickshaw puller. The scenes with him pulling people in his rickshaw were so compelling that you felt the anguish and the urgency with which he enacts them. To get into the skin of the character, Balraj Sahni, a well educated westernized actor practiced rickshaw pulling on the streets of Calcutta and mingled with other rickshaw pullers without telling them who he was. The film explores the cruelty that is meted out to the poor in villages and cities alike. The film wasn’t a big hit but it won major awards at the Cannes film festival, Karlovy Vary film festivals and Filmfare Awards.

25 Awara ( 1951)

The USP of ‘Awara’ was the now famous Raj-Nargis pairing. Whenever Raj Kapoor and Nargis came together on screen, sparks flew. Their chemistry was electrifying and it crackles with raw passion in Raj Kapoor’s ‘Awara’. Nargis’s wild and carefree sensuality pulsates and Raj Kapoor’s scruffy hair-rebellious persona only adds fuel to the fire. The film was a runaway success not just in India but also in the erstwhile USSR and China. Raj Kapoor plays Raju an aimless youth turned into a criminal living in the slums who is loved by a respectable lawyer played by Nargis. The film established Raj Kapoor as the Chaplin-like ‘tramp’ of Hindi cinema. The music of the film was on the lips of not just Indians but people from all over the world especially Russians. The songs specially “ Awaara hoon”, “Ghar aaya mera pardesi ” and “ Dum bhar jo udhar muhn phere ” are remembered even today. The first ever dream sequence to be filmed in Hindi cinema where a gorgeous Nargis wafts through the clouds in search of her lover, Raj Kapoor took three months to shoot. It is a symbolic picturisation of the turbulence in the mind of the hero, he escapes the hell that the villain has created and climbs up to the angelic heroine. This song was a big attraction in its time and it spawned numerous dream-sequences.

लाड़ली बिटिया

2009-11-20T02:09:00.000-08:00

एक गुडिया के कच्चे रुई के फाहे सी है बिटिया
कभी उछ्लकर कभी बिदककर आटे की चिडिया है बिटिया
नन्हे पावों की धीमी थाप है बिटिया
सर्दी में गर्म रोटी की भाप है बिटिया
बिटिया संगम का गंगाजल है
बिटिया गरीब किसान का हल है
चूडियों की खनक , पायलों की झंकार है बिटिया
झरने की मद्दम फुहार है बिटिया
कभी धुप कभी छाव कभी बरसात है बिटिया
गर्मी में पहली बारिश की सौगात है बिटिया
चिडियों की चहचाहट कोयल की कूक है बिटिया
हो जिसमे सबका भला वो प्यारा सा झूठ है बिटिया
और किसी मुश्किल खेल में मिलने वाली जीत है बिटिया
दिल को छु जाए वो मधुर गीत है बिटिया
माँ की एक पुकार है बिटिया
मुस्काता एक त्यौहार है बिटिया
सच बोलूं तो बिटिया पीडा की गहरी घाटी है
क्या किसी ने उसकी पीडा रत्ती भर भी बांटी है
अरमानो के काले जंगल उसको रोज जागाते हैं
हम, बिटिया कैसी हो कह कर चुप चाप सो जाते हैं
हर दुःख को हंसते हंसते बिन बोले सह लेती है
पूरे घर में खुशी बिखेरे बिटिया दुःख में रह लेती है

Save Electricity Save Money

2009-11-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

We all use electricity and we all pay the bill. Here are few easy ways to save some electricity and help the environment a bit with your acts.

The Department of Energy says heating or cooling your house or apartment typically eats up 56% of your utility bill. By saving energy you’re helping to save the world’s energy resources like gas, oil and water and saving money on your utility bills. What we do as individuals may only make a small impact, but if everyone takes steps to save energy, the combined effect will make a real difference. It is our duty to conserve today for tomorrow’s use.

Understand how you use electricity in your house
You will have to treat it the same way you do with all other types of expenses. You will need to understand the structure of your electricity use. Knowing which electrical appliances take big part of your expenses is essential. For example, ironing machine takes a lot of electricity and surely costs you more money than many other appliances. How often do you use it? How about your air conditioner? Do you have it turned on for the whole day? Electrical heater is also another big player. This type of questions will help you go through your analysis. It will give you the picture of how you can save your bills.

Turn off the switches when not in use
This simple step can help you significantly on your bills. If you are not in the room, turn off the light. If you are not using the computer, turn it off. If you are in the other room, turn off your stereos. Everything counts. If you are disciplined enough, you will be able to save your electricity a bit more. Replace ordinary incandescent lamps: Use CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) instead of ordinary incandescent lamps. They last longer than the ordinary bulbs and are very energy efficient as they consume much less power.

Hang the clothes outside
When you have a sunny day, help hang the clothes outside instead of using the dryer.

Energy Savers
Yeah you will be paying more at first, but your investment is bound to own up. Energy savers as compared to ordinary fluorescent or incandescent lights are much better in terms of electricity consumption and output ratio. Try slowly replacing all your interior and exterior lights with energy savers and I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Use alternative sources of energy
If you can find out other energy sources, you should use them. For example, you can use solar panels to generate the electricity for your home. If your house locates in windy area, you can use wind power. These are some choices that you can use to save electricity at home.

Common area lighting
Solar Lighting is a useful source of reusable energy which used properly for common area lighting will save a lot of Energy (Power). Automating the Lighting system will further save more energy enabling us to contribute to resolve issue of global warming.

Close vents and the door of the unused room
Close all the air vents and the door in the unused room. By doing this, heating and cooling systems in your home or apartment will not have to work harder to regulate extra space that just goes unused anyway.

Read the Energy Guide label before buying
Before you buy, read the Energy Guide label on that new furnace to find out how energy efficient it is. Then compare it to the label on another model and brand. Energy Guide labels show how much energy one model uses in comparison with others. When you are buying new appliances, go for Energy Star. They’re up to 40% more efficient than other models.

There are a lot many ways to save energy. Leave your car at home and consider walking, bicycling, or public transportation whenever you can. Less burning of fossil fuels means lower emissions of carbon dioxide, the major contributor to global warming and other harmful gases. When we save one unit of energy, it is equivalent to two units of energy produced.

भारतीय संस्कृति में पर्यावरण-संरक्षण और हमारा कर्त्तव्य

2009-10-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

भारतीय संस्कृति में पर्यावरण की शुद्धता पर प्राचीनकाल से ही ध्यान दिया जाता रहा है। प्राचीनकाल में हमारे यहाँ पंच भौतिक तत्त्वों यथा-पृथ्वी, जल, आकाश, वायु एवं अग्नि के बारे में काफी लिखा गया, इन्हें पवित्र एवं मूल तत्त्वों के रूप में माना गया। वेदों व उपनिषदों में पंच तत्त्वों, वनस्पति तथा पर्यावरण संरक्षण पर विशद् चर्चा की गई है। प्राचीन ऋषि-मुनियों ने शरीर को पंच भौतिक तत्त्वों से निर्मित माना है। प्रकृति में वायु, जल, मिट्टी, पेड-पौधों, जीव-जन्तुओं एवं मानव का एक संतुलन विद्यमान है, जो हमारे अस्तित्व का आधार है। जीवनधारी अपनी आवश्यकताओं के लिए प्रकृति पर निर्भर हैं। सच पूछा जाये तो आधुनिक मानव सभ्यता को प्रकृति द्वारा प्रदान की गई सबसे मूल्यवान् निधि पर्यावरण है, जिसका संरक्षण एक बडा दायित्व है। आधुनिक वैज्ञानिक युग में यह आवश्यक है कि प्रकृति द्वारा प्रदत्त इस निधि का बुद्धिमत्तापूर्ण ढंग से उपयोग किया जाए और आने वाली पीढी को भी इसे प्रति जागरूक बनाया जाए। पर्यावरणीय चेतना व पर्यावरण संरक्षण आज के युग की प्रमुख माँग है। शाब्दिक अर्थों में हमारे चारों ओर छाया आवरण (परि+आवरण = पर्यावरण) ही पर्यावरण है।

आज हम सब पर्यावरण के प्रति अपने कर्तव्यों का पालन नहीं कर रहे है, उदहारण के रूप में जब हम किसी पार्क या अन्य पर्यटक स्थान पर जाते है तो, खान-पान के बाद कचरा इधर उधर फेक देते है और बाद में खुद ही कहते है की "ये जगह कितना गंदा हो गया है सफाई तक नहीं होती यहाँ की".

पार्क, तालाब, नदी यहाँ तक हमारे घर के चारो तरफ भी हम गन्दा कर देते है, और आरोप सरकार पर लगा देते है. यदि साफ़ करने वाले १० और गन्दगी फैलाने वाले १०००० हो तो शहर कैसे साफ़ रह सकता है. सफाई की आदत हमें खुद ही डालनी होगी.

आओ स्वछ एवं प्रदुषण रहित राष्ट्र के लिए प्रतिज्ञा करे
जय हिंद, जय भारत --

Celebration of Diwali Festival (Festival of Lights)

2009-10-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

Diwali or Deepawali, is also known as the Festival of Lights. Sanskrit word "Deepavali" - Deepa meaning light and Avali, meaning a row. During the Festival of Lights, 'deeps', or oil lamps, are burned throughout the day and into the night to ward off darkness and evil. Diwali - The Festival of Lights - apart from being the most widely celebrated is one of the most colorful Indian festivals. It is a festival of joy, splendour, brightness and happiness. This Diwali which leads us into Truth and Light is celebrated on a nation-wide scale on Amavasya - the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik (October / November) every year.

In Hindu custom Light signifies the goodness. During this festival oil lamps (DEEP) are burned throughout the night. All Homes (indoor as well as outdoor) are filled with "Deeps" and decoration lights. This is a five days festival; each of the five days in the festival of Diwali is marked with a significant 'puja' of a certain God/Goddess.

The five days celebration of Diwali begins with "Laxmi Pujan". "Laxmi Pujan" is the day to worship Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. Indian culture has never considered wealth to be corruptive . According to the Indian culture a wealthy man is considered to be God's beloved child, he is rewarded for the good deeds done in past life. It is also very important festival for business community as it is the end of the financial year. Old accounts are settled, new books are opened. Account books are worshipped in an elaborate ceremony. All the business

people start new business calendars and celebrate their New Year. They worship Goddess Laxmi to bless their new account books. The First day is called DHANTERAS or DHANTRAYODASHI which falls on the thirteenth day of the month of Kartik. The word "Dhan" means wealth. As such this day of the five-day Diwali festival has a great importance for the rich mercantile community of Western India. Houses and Business premises are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colourful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses. Lamps are kept

burning all through the nights. Believing this day to be auspicious women purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils. "Lakshmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. "Bhajans"-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung and "Naivedya" of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess. There is a peculiar custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry

coriander seeds with jaggery and offer as Naivedya. In villages cattles are adorned and worshipped by farmers as they form the main source of their income. In south cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they are adorned and worshipped on this day.

The second day is celebrated as "Narak Chaturdasi". The story goes that Narakasur; the ill-famed king was creating devastation in the society by the excessive use of his powers. Lord Krishna had decided to destroy this evil dictator. This day is celebrated as freedom from the evil king. The SECOND day is called NARKA-CHATURDASHI or CHOTI DIWAL which falls on the fourteenth day of the month of Kartik. The story goes that the demon king Narakasur ruler of Pragjyotishpur ( a province to the South of Nepal) after defeating Lord Indra had snatched away the magnificent earrings of Aditi, the Mother Goddess and imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods and saints in his harem. On the day previous to Narakachaturdashi, Lord Krishna killed the demon and liberated the imprisoned damsels and also recovered those precious earrings of Aditi. As a symbol of that victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the demon king's blood. Krishna returned home in the very

early morning of the Narakachaturdashi day. The womenfolk massaged scented oil to his body and gave him a good bath to wash away the filth from his body. Since then the custom of taking bath before sunrise on this day has become a traditional practice specially in Maharashtra. The day following New Year is celebrated as "Balipratipada". Bali was a famous king in ancient India. He ignored the divine thoughts of the Vedas and systematically removed the thousands of years old organized philosophy from the society. Inspite of his wrong doings, he had one good quality in him, i.e. he was a generous donor who gave from heart. To remember him on this day, his one good quality encourages us to perceive the goodness in others, even in our worst enemies. People who are blinded by "kanak" - gold or wealth and "kanta" - beauty or women become asur or demons. Lord Vishnu destroyed Bali and gave us unique outlook towards wealth and beauty. Another legend is about King Bali of the nether world mighty power had become a threat to the gods. In

order to curb his powers Lord Vishnu in the guise of a Batu Waman- a small boy- visited him and begged him to give him only that much land which he could cover with his three steps. Known for his philanthropy King Bali proudly granted him his wish. That very moment that small boy transformed himself into the all-powerful Lord Vishnu. With his first step Lord Vishnu covered the entire heaven and with the second step the earth and asked Bali where to keep his third step. Bali offered his head. Putting his foot on his head Vishnu pushed him down to the underworld. At the same time for his generosity Lord Vishnu gave him the lamp of knowledge and allowed him to return to earth once a year to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom.

The FOURTH day is PADWA or VARSHAPRATIPADA which marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram-Samvat was started from this Padwa day. Govardhan-Puja is also performed in the North on this day. As per Vishnu-Puran the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indira and worshipped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra who in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. But Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the Govardhan mountain and holding it over the people as an umbrella. Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Diwali people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar build cowdung, hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them. This day is also observed as Annakoot meaning mountain of food. In temples specially in Mathura and Nathadwara, the deities are given milkbath, dressed in shining attires with ornaments of dazzling diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones. After the prayers and traditional worship innumerable varieties of delicious sweets are ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the deities as "Bhog" and then the devotees approach the Mountain of Food and take Prasad from it.

The FIFTH and final day of Diwali Festival is known by the name of "BHAYYA-DUJ" in the Hindi-speaking belt "BHAV-BIJ" in the Marathi-speaking communities and in Nepal by the name of "BHAI-TIKA". As the legend goes Yamraj, the God of Death visited his sister Yami on this particular day. She put the auspicious tilak on his forehead, garlanded him and led him with special dishes and both of them together ate the sweets, talked and enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, while parting Yamraj gave her a special gift as a token of his love and in return Yami also gave him a lovely gift which she had made with her own hands. That day Yamraj announced that anyone who receives tilak from his sister will never be thrown. That is why this day of Bhayyaduj is also known by the name of "YAMA-DWITIYA" Since then this day is being observed as a symbol of love between sisters and brothers. It became also imperative for the brother to go to his sister's house to celebrate Bhayyaduj.

In northern India, Diwali is dedicated to the worship of Lord Rama. After 14 years of long period he had come to Ayodhya during this period. Sikhs celebrate because their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobindji returned from a great victory. In southern India for God Krishna killing Narakasura. In eastern India Kali/Durga, the goddess of strength, is worshipped to honor Goddess Kali destroying Bakasura. On this auspicious day Lord Shri Krishna around whom revolved the entire story of our great epic Mahabharat and the philosopher, who preached Karmayog through his Geeta to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, discarded his body. Bhagwan, Mahavir, the Jain prophet also attained "Nirvan" on this day. Swami Ramtirth, the beloved "Ram Badshah" of millions of Indians was not only born on this day and took "Sanyas" but also took "Samadhi" on this day. Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founder of Brahma-Samaj with his superb yogic powers greed his soul from his body and mingled with divinity on this auspicious day of Diwali.

Thus, In India everyone celebrates this festival in a different tradition but the theme behind is same throughout i.e. Good conquering the evil. From darkness we enter into light, and light empowers us to do good deeds and bring us closer to divinity. Everywhere, it signifies the renewal of life, and accordingly it is common to wear new clothes on the day of the festival; similarly, it heralds the approach of winter and the beginning of the sowing season. Even countries like Kenya, Thailand, Trinidad, Siam and Malaya celebrate this festival but in their own ways.

Diwali on the whole has always been the festival with more social than religious connotations. It is a personal, people-oriented festival when enmities are forgotten, families and friends meet, enjoy and establish a word of closeness. Lets all join together in spreading the LIGHT therefore making the world a better place, a place where there's no room for darkness.

How to lose stubborn belly fat, get flat sexy six pack abs the right way

2009-09-04T02:56:00.000-07:00

5 Facts You MUST Understand if You Are Ever Going to Lose Your Belly Fat and Get Six Pack Abs

1. Many so-called "health foods" are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat... yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits.

2. Ab exercises like crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are the LEAST effective method of getting flat six pack abs. We'll explore what types of exercises REALLY work in a minute.

3. Boring repetitive cardio exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat and uncover those six pack abs. I'll show you the exact types of unique workouts that produce 10x better results below.

4. You DON'T need to waste your money on expensive "extreme fat burner" pills (that don't work) or other bogus supplements. A special class of natural foods is much more effective. I'll tell you about these natural foods and their powers below.

5. Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks... they're all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that "ab contraption"... they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies. Again, you'll learn some of their secrets and what really works below.

Good Manners

2009-09-04T02:37:00.000-07:00

Every child is known by his behavior. People judge our children by observing manners of children. Manners are much more than just saying “please” and “thank you.” They are ways of showing kindness and consideration. At young age, it is easy to teach good manners.

Good manners are lifetime asset. The rewards of this asset are several and the cost is negligible. Parents are responsible for their children’s behavior.

Manners are taught as soon as your child understands what you are saying. In addition, children will need coaching and reminders on manners throughout their childhood. It is best to give positive support, that is, when your child does something right, let them know. When your child does something wrong, do not be negative about it, but gently tell them how it is best done and why.

Teaching of good manners:

The best way to educate children is being a good role model. Because children learn from observation. . Learning manners is like learning a new language or a musical instrument. It is very easy to learn something in childhood. So start planting the seeds as young as possible. The foundation of good manners can be strong in young age.

Give examples of good behavior and poor behavior to your child. Take help of books and discuss about good manners.

When we talk about good manners, we think mostly about table manners. We are in need to teach them in other areas also.

First we talk about basic manners. In my suggestion these are:

Be nice to people.
When you ask for something not forget to say “Please”
Say “Thank You” when you are given something.
Say “You’re Welcome” when someone thanks you.
Greet people when you see them.
Look people in the eyes when you talk to people look in their eyes.
Do not interrupt when other people are talking.
Share with others.
Help people.
Let guests go first.
Be on time, especially if you are meeting someone.

In good manners, cleanliness is also important. Put the habit of hygiene from very early stage. Here are tips for inculcating the value of cleanliness in children.

Start with the room

Put a habit to keep the things in the right place. Set down certain parameters. For example, a child should never be allowed to use dirty hankies or towels. Never allow the child to bring the shoes on the bed, however tired he or she may be.

The next step is the bathroom.

We should teach our children to brush their teeth, clean their bottoms and have a nice bath. They must also learn to keep their surroundings clean. For example, you could put up a funny little poster that reminds your son to pull the flush. Or put up a little bell that rings every time he forgets to shut the door.

Teach you children to conserve water by shutting the all taps in the house as well. Be it in the bathroom or kitchen, or anywhere under the sun.

What about other places?

. In order to maintain cleanliness, never allow your children to eat in any place of the house. Teach your children to lay the table neatly. Make sure that both your son and daughter pick up their own used plates and carry them to the kitchen sink. They should also offer to carry those of the aged members of the family. Washing their hands and gargling after meals is also a very good habit, as it will help them fight bad odour throughout life.

Cleanliness at public places

Encourage your children to apply the same cleanliness standards in the public and private too. You have to ensure that your children do not litter a park when on a picnic or that they do not throw garbage from a running bus/train.

The road is not for spitting or throwing other waste materials. Children have to be strictly warned against spitting, as it is an international menace.

Table manners

It is the turn of table manners. Table manners include party manners also. Here are some suggestions .

Do not chew noisily or with your mouth open.
The idea is to eat with your fingers, not with your hand and definitely not with both hands.
Put the napkin on your lap so that food does not get onto your clothes.
Do not read or watch television while eating. Because mealtimes are a good chance for the family to sit together.
Excuse yourself before leaving the table. Do not announce loudly that you have to go to the bathroom.
Wait till everyone has finished eating before getting up from the table.
Burping is not considered polite.
Do not talk with your mouth full.
Do not gobble your food. Take small bites and chew properly.
Do not play with your food and finish everything that is on your plate.
Use the words "please" and "thank you" when passing dishes to each other.
Do not turn dinner into an unpleasant "lecture time." That will turn kids off not only to manners, but to dinner, and to you, too.
Check your own example. Don't show up for dinner in just your underwear unless you want your kids to do the same.
Don't get into the habit of telling your child that he is a "pig" or a "slob" every time he doesn't do things the 'propah' way. If you're going to label him like that, he's not going to see any point in trying to improve because he will think it 's in his nature to be a "pig."
Do not encourage burping competitions that your child may start with his friends at the table. Make it clear that you find it rude and offensive and definitely not funny.

Approach manners as a game. One night a week, try to have a somewhat more formal dinner. Try dressing up, serve a special meal, and expect more formal manners. That will help improve your kids' social graces.

The Golden Rule.The golden rule for good manners is to feel the importance of treating others. So Stress the importance of treating others in the same way they would like to be treated.

Time Management - Managing Your Time

2009-09-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Time management refers to a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals. Techniques and strategies for time management and scheduling your work.

Advantages of Time Management
-----------------------------
-gain time
-motivates and initiates
-reduces avoidance
-promotes review
-eliminates cramming
-reduces anxiety

Keys to Successful Time Management
----------------------------------
**Self knowledge and goals: In order to manage your time successfully, having an awareness of what your goals are will assist you in prioritizing your activities.
**Developing and maintaining a personal, flexible schedule: Time management provides you with the opportunity to create a schedule that works for you, not for others. This personal attention gives you the flexibility to include the things that are most important to you.

Effective aids:
----------------
**Create a simple "To Do" list
This simple program will help you identify a few items, the reason for doing them, a timeline for getting them done, and then printing this simple list and posting it for reminders.

**Daily/weekly planner
Write down appointments, classes, and meetings on a chronological log book or chart.
If you are more visual, sketch out your schedule
First thing in the morning, check what's ahead for the day
always go to sleep knowing you're prepared for tomorrow

**Long term planner
Use a monthly chart so that you can plan ahead.
Long term planners will also serve as a reminder to constructively plan time for yourself

RAIN WATER HARVESTING AND ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE TO GROUND WATER

2009-09-02T04:43:00.001-07:00

WHAT IS RAIN WATER HARVESTING :

The principle of collecting and using precipitation from a catchments surface.

An old technology is gaining popularity in a new way. Rain water harvesting is enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the world, but it traces its history to biblical times. Extensive rain water harvesting apparatus existed 4000 years ago in the Palestine and Greece. In ancient Rome, residences were built with individual cisterns and paved courtyards to capture rain water to augment water from city's aqueducts. As early as the third millennium BC, farming communities in Baluchistan and Kutch impounded rain water and used it for irrigation dams.

ARTIFICAL RECHARGE TO GROUND WATER :

Artificial recharge to ground water is a process by which the ground water reservoir is augmented at a rate exceeding that obtaining under natural conditions or replenishment. Any man-made scheme or facility that adds water to an aquifer may be considered to be an artificial recharge system.

WHY RAIN WATER HARVESTING :

Rain water harvesting is essential because :-

Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we have to depend on ground water.

Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rain water into the sub-soil has decreased drastically and recharging of ground water has diminished.

As you read this guide, seriously consider conserving water by harvesting and managing this natural resource by artificially recharging the system. The examples covering several dozen installations successfully operating in India constructed and maintained by CGWB, provide an excellent snapshot of current systems.

RAIN WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES :

There are two main techniques of rain water harvestings.

Storage of rainwater on surface for future use.

Recharge to ground water.

The storage of rain water on surface is a traditional techniques and structures used were underground tanks, ponds, check dams, weirs etc. Recharge to ground water is a new concept of rain water harvesting and the structures generally used are :-

Pits :- Recharge pits are constructed for recharging the shallow aquifer. These are constructed 1 to 2 m, wide and to 3 m. deep which are back filled with boulders, gravels, coarse sand.

Trenches:- These are constructed when the permeable stram is available at shallow depth. Trench may be 0.5 to 1 m. wide, 1 to 1.5m. deep and 10 to 20 m. long depending up availability of water. These are back filled with filter. materials.

Dug wells:- Existing dug wells may be utilised as recharge structure and water should pass through filter media before putting into dug well.

Hand pumps :- The existing hand pumps may be used for recharging the shallow/deep aquifers, if the availability of water is limited. Water should pass through filter media before diverting it into hand pumps.

Recharge wells :- Recharge wells of 100 to 300 mm. diameter are generally constructed for recharging the deeper aquifers and water is passed through filter media to avoid choking of recharge wells.

Recharge Shafts :- For recharging the shallow aquifer which are located below clayey surface, recharge shafts of 0.5 to 3 m. diameter and 10 to 15 m. deep are constructed and back filled with boulders, gravels & coarse sand.

Lateral shafts with bore wells :- For recharging the upper as well as deeper aquifers lateral shafts of 1.5 to 2 m. wide & 10 to 30 m. long depending upon availability of water with one or two bore wells are constructed. The lateral shafts is back filled with boulders, gravels & coarse sand.

Spreading techniques :- When permeable strata starts from top then this technique is used. Spread the water in streams/Nalas by making check dams, nala bunds, cement plugs, gabion structures or a percolation pond may be constructed.

DIVERSION OF RUN OFF INTO EXISTING SURFACE WATER BODIES

Construction activity in and around the city is resulting in the drying up of water bodies and reclamation of these tanks for conversion into plots for houses.

Free flow of storm run off into these tanks and water bodies must be ensured. The storm run off may be diverted into the nearest tanks or depression, which will create additional recharge.

Urbanisation effects on Groundwater Hydrology :

Increase in water demand

More dependence on ground water use

Over exploitation of ground water

Increase in run-off, decline in well yields and fall in water levels

Reduction in open soil surface area

Reduction in infiltration and deterioration in water quality

Methods of artificial recharge in urban areas :

Water spreading

Recharge through pits, trenches, wells, shafts

Rooftop collection of rainwater

Roadtop collection of rainwater

Induced recharge from surface water bodies.

Computation of artificial recharge from Roof top rainwater collection :

Factors taken for computation :

Roof top area 100 sq.m. for individual house and 500 sq.m. for multi-storied building.

Average annual monsoon rainfall - 780 mm.

Effective annual rainfall contributing to recharge 70% - 550 mm.

Individual Houses

Multistoried building

Roof top area 100 sq. m. 500 sq. m.

Total quantity available forrecharge per annum

55 cu. m 275 cu. m.

Water available for 5 member Family

100 days 500 days

Benefits of Artificial Recharge in Urban Areas :

Improvement in infiltration and reduction in run-off.

Improvement in groundwater levels and yields.

Reduces strain on Special Village Panchayats/ Municipal / Municipal Corporation water supply

Improvement in groundwater quality

Estimated quantity of additional recharge from 100 sq. m. roof top area is 55.000 liters.

HARVESTING RAINWATER HARNESSING LIFE :

A NOBLE GOAL - A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY

Ground water exploitation is inevitable is Urban areas. But the groundwater potential is getting reduced due to urbanisation resulting in over exploitation. Hence, a strategy to implement the groundwater recharge, in a major way need to be launched with concerted efforts by various Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies and Public at large to build up the water table and make the groundwater resource, a reliable and sustainable source for supplementing water supply needs of the urban dwellers.

Recharge of groundwater through storm run off and roof top water collection, diversion and collection of run off into dry tanks, play grounds, parks and other vacant places are to be implemented by Special Village Panchayats/ Municipalities /Municipal Corporations and other Government Establishments with special efforts.

The Special Village Panchayats /Municipalities/Municipal Corporations will help the citizens and builders to adopt suitable recharge method in one's own house or building through demonstration and offering subsidies for materials and incentives, if possible.

Polythene Bags - Against The Nature

2009-09-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

The most effective way is by banning the production of polythenes....Though it is against the nature polythene bags are very convenient and useful . It is very difficult to ban this at this stage because all of us are using this for our regular use. We should try to use paper bags, no matter it will be lil expensive. The most effective way is to ban the production of polythene bags. Govt. can do it.

Sikkim govt. have a target to make it a completely polythene free state.

The best wat is to stop using products made from it. Once there is no demand for the product there will be no production....by not using polythene bag and recycling the polybags....Environmental issues should be handled on both personal and community level. Each one of us has to work for it. Reduce your need of polythene and dependence on it. Manufacturers should switch over to eco-friendly technology.

How to Save Water in your Home - Save Water Save Life

2009-09-02T04:38:00.000-07:00

1. Do not put water down the drain when there might be an alternative use for it such as cleaning, or watering a plant.

2. By adding food coloring to the tank you can check for leaks. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within a 30-minute period. Check the toilet for corroded, worn out or bent parts.

3. After you wet your toothbrush, turn off the water. It is unnecessary to keep the water running while brushing your teeth.

4. When buying a new dishwasher, consider purchasing a water-saving model. New models use up to 25 percent less water than older ones, saving up to 4 gallons of water per load, and saving you money.

5. Washing only full loads in the clothes washer is more efficient. Washing a small load uses over twice as much water per KG of laundry.

6. When washing dishes by hand, only leave the water on while rinsing a dish, not in between rinses.

7. Always se a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

8. Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

9. Water your garden either first thing in the morning or late in the evening; this will reduce the amount of water that is evaporated by the sun.

10. Insulating your water pipes will get hot water faster, as well as avoid wasting water while it heats up.

11. Water your lawn only when it needs it. A reliable way to see if your lawn needs watering is to step on the grass. If it springs back up when you move, it doesn't need water. If it stays flat, the lawn needs to be watered.

12. Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal.

13. Cover you pool. Using a cover is the best way to prevent water loss from your pool. Studies show that pool covers can reduce swimming pool water evaporation by nearly 30%

14. After boiling an egg wait for the water to cool down and then use it to water your houseplants. Your plants will benefit from all the nutrients that are released from the shell.

15. Put a plastic bottle filled with pebbles or sand in the toilet tank to reduce flushing water.

16. Even small drips can waste hundreds of gallons of water each day. Check all water using fixture frequently for drips.

17. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture while discouraging weed growth.

18. Avoid flushing the toilet without need. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in a wastebasket instead of the toilet.

19. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version and take shorter (and perhaps fewer) showers.

Proud To Be An Indian

2009-08-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

hi guys,read this and be amazed.Facts to make every Indians Proud.

1)Who is the co- founder of Sun Microsystems? - Vinod Khosla

2)Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no intro as 90% of today’s computers run on it)? - Vinod Dahm

3)Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail? - Sabeer Bhatia

4)We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even faring better than the whites and the natives. There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). Yet, 38% of doctors in USA are Indians,

5)12% scientists in USA are Indians

6) 36% of NASA scientists in USA are Indians

7) 34% of Microsoft employees are Indians

8) 28% of IBM employees are Indians

9) 17% of Intel scientists are Indians

10) 13% of XEROX employees are Indians

11)India invented the Number System. Aryabhatta invented ‘Zero’

12)The world’s 1st University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th Century BC was one of the greatest achievments of ancient Indian field of education.

13)According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for the computer software.

14)Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.

15)Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty stricken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.

16)the art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word ‘Navigation’ is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.

17)The value of PI was first calculated by Budhyana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as Pythagorean Theorem. British Scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budayan’s works dates to the 6th century, which is long before the European mathematicians.

18)Algebra, Trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century, the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 1053.

19)According to the Gemological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world

20)USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi

21)The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.

22)Chess was invented in India

23)Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India.

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

25)The place value system, the decimal system was developed in Indian 100 BC.

Quotes abt India.

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. - Albert Einstein.

India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition. - Mark Twain.

If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India. - French scholar Romain Rolland.

India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. - Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA )

All of the above is just the tip of the Ice Berg, the List is endless. But if we don’t see even the glimpse of that great India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential and that if we do we could once again be an ever shining and inspiring country setting a bright path for the rest of the world to follow. I hope u enjoyed it and work towards the welfare of India.

Say Proudly, I am An Indian.
Jai Hind (keep smiling.)

सोचो ज़रा सोचो, जन्नत कैसा हो?

2008-11-25T00:40:00.000-08:00

ये सुंदर पथ का अंत ना हों तो, कैसा हो?
ये दुनिया सपनों का देश हों तो, कैसा हो?
सभी लोग अपने हों तो, कैसा हो?
सभी धर्म एक हों तो, कैसा हो?
सारा जहान अपना हों तो, कैसा हो?
सारे जग में भाईचारा हों तो, कैसा हो?
सोचो ज़रा सोचो, सब एक दुजे का हों तो, कैसा हो?
शायद जन्नत जैसा हो, शायद जन्नत जैसा हों.

अब हाइड्रोजन बस की बारी

2008-11-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

चंद्रयान-1 की सफलता के बाद जल्दी ही भारत को एक और बड़ी सफलता मिलने वाली है। इसरो और टाटा के सहयोग से अगले साल तक हाइड्रोजन ईंधन से चलने वाली बसें सड़कों पर दौड़ने लगेंगी।इसरो के अध्यक्ष माधवन नायर के अनुसार इसरो को द्रवित हाइड्रोजन के इस्तेमाल में महारत हासिल है। इस ईंधन का प्रयोग घरेलू विकसित क्रायोजनिक इंजन में किया जा रहा है। पर्यावरण अनुकूल वाहन बनाने की लिए टाटा के साथ अनुबंध करके इस ईंधन का इस्तेमाल किया जाएगा।नायर ने बताया कि इसरो ने इसके लिए इंजन का डिजायन तैयार कर लिया है और प्रोटोटाइप मॉडल भी बना लिया गया है। वाहन के शेष हिस्सों का निर्माण टाटा करेगा। इस वाहन के अगले साल तक सड़कों पर आने की उम्मीद है।इसरो को अंतरिक्ष तकनीक से आम लोगों की मदद और सैटेलाइट के जरिये टेलीमेडिसिन की सुविधा मुहैया कराने जैसे कदमों के लिए जाना जाता है। अगर हाइड्रोजन ईंधन का प्रयोग सफल रहता है तो इसरो आम लोगो को तकलीफ से निजात दिलाने में और महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका का निर्वहन कर सकेगा।नायर ने कहा कि अंतरिक्ष में यान भेजने में खासी भूमिका निभाने वाले क्रायोजेनिक इंजन की तकनीक भारत को देने से मना कर दिया गया तो इसरो ने इस इंजन को देश में विकसित करने का बीड़ा उठाया।अब यह काम अंतिम चरण में है और इसके जमीनी परीक्षण हो चुके हैं और वर्ष 2009 की पहली तिमाही में इसकी पहली उड़ान हो सकती है। हाइड्रोजन को ईंधन के रूप में सेल में भरा जाएगा तो इससे 80 किलोवाट की बिजली पैदा होगी जो एक भरी बस को ले जाने के लिए पर्याप्त होगा।इसलिए कोशिश यह की जा रही है कि एक कंप्रेस्ड नेचुरल गैस (सीएनजी) से चलने वाली जैसी एक बस बनाई जाए। इसके लिए हाइड्रोजन को आठ बोतलों में उच्च दबाव में भरा जाएगा और इसे वाहन के ऊपर लगाया जा सकेगा। इनको चलने में आने वाला खर्च आम डीजल से चलने वाले वाहनों से थोड़ा अधिक हो सकता है, लेकिन इससे पर्यावरण को कोई खतरा नहीं होगा क्योकि इससे प्रदूषण नहीं फैलेगा।

Kya Ho Gaya

2008-11-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

तुम सागर थी, क्यो सरिता बन गई?
समझदार होकर, क्यो नादान बन गई?
जलती रही समा के साथ, क्यों न दीपक बन गई?
मार्ग दर्शन कर, क्यो न मार्ग दर्शक बन गई?
तुम खुश थी, क्यो दर्द बन गई?
भुले न भुलाये, क्यो स्मृति बन गई?

Cricket during the examinations

2008-11-14T19:22:00.001-08:00

Something about cricket when you are writing your exam

Playground - Examination Hall
Pitch - Question Paper
Bat - Pen
Ball - Question
Bowler - Teacher
Tough Ball - Difficult Question
Googly - Confusing Question
LBW - Incomplete Answers
Clean Bowled - Unable To Write Any Answer
Run Out - Unable To Complete In Given Time
Losing the Match - Failing In the Exams

Guide Lines of the Life

2008-11-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

1. Three Things to Govern
Tongue, Temper, Action

2. Three Things to Avoid
Idleness, Strike, Falsehood

3. Three Things to Love
Honesty, Purity, Truth

4. Three Things to Cultivate
Sympathy, Cheerfulness, Content ness

5. Three Things to Admire
Intelligence, Beauty, Fame

6. Three Things to Value
Time, Money, Duty

7. Three Things to Respect
Old-Age, Law, Religion

Smoking is really injurious to health!

2008-10-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched this year's campaign for World No Tobacco Day with the slogan: Tobacco and Poverty. The slogan explains the link that exists between tobacco and poverty, and how the use of tobacco, especially by poor people who consume this product the most, can have harmful consequences.

WHO notes that the tobacco epidemic is still expanding, especially in developing countries where, currently, 84% of the smokers live. Tobacco use kills 4.9 million people each year, and this toll is expected to double in the next 20 years. At current rates, the total number of tobacco users is expected to rise to 1.7 billion by 2025 from 1.3 billion now. Every 6.5 seconds one person dies and many others fall ill or suffer disease and disability due to tobacco use. Tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide.

Smoking causes a range of diseases never before suspected, including cataracts, acute myeloid leukemia and cervical, kidney, pancreatic and stomach cancers. In fact, smoking affects virtually every organ of the body. It has been known since decades that smoking is bad for health, but the current report shows that it's even worse.

According to the American Cancer Society smoking kills people in different ways in different countries, but what is common is the high toll from smoking, wherever it becomes prevalent. A study last month found that in India, smoking mainly kills through tuberculosis rather than lung cancer, as in the West. According to researchers from the Epidemiological Research Center in Chennai, India, smoking causes half the male tuberculosis deaths in India. Almost 200,000 people a year in India die from tuberculosis because they smoked, and half the smokers killed by TB are still only in their thirties, forties or early fifties when they die.

A legislation was introduced, earlier this month, under India's new Anti-Smoking Act, which was passed by the country's parliament last year. The law forbids public smoking and any direct or indirect advertising of tobacco products and the sale of cigarettes to children. Anyone caught breaking the law will be fined 200 rupees. It is important that the government gets much tougher on the tobacco industry. States should raise tobacco taxes and ban all smoking in public places, according to the American Heart Association.

Smoking is Injurious to Health

2008-10-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

You all know the harmful effects of smoking on our health, environment and others. Smoking is harmful for each and every organ of the body. In simple words, we can say that smokers are near death stage. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug found in tobacco. The intake of this drug stops your body growth and results in causing various diseases.

Smoking results in causing ulcer, stroke, mouth and throat cancer, larynx cancer, various heart diseases, pulmonary disease, bladder and cervical cancer. So, it becomes very important to give up this bad habit. Quitting this bad habit will reduce your risks for diseases and improve your health.
Leaving smoking habits is not an easy job but it can be done. The choice is yours that how you want to quit, what kind of help you need, which option you want to choose and where to go for help. After 2-3 trials, you can successfully quit from this habit. Every time you try to quit, you came to know the favorable and unfavorable situations.

Firstly you have to make-up your mind and change your nearby environment. Throw all cigarettes and ashtrays from your workplace, car and home. Your family, friends can also help you to achieve this. Don’t allow anyone to smoke around you. You can also take advice from your health care provider. Keep yourself busy and take proper rest. There are many medication programs that help you in quitting and diminishing your urge to smoke.

Leaving this habit results into proper development of your body, lessens the risk of developing diseases, increases your learning and working capacity and halves the risk of dying. You will find the following symptoms that may exist for few days after leaving your smoking habit: faintness, depression tetchiness, trouble while sleeping, agitation, headache and sleepiness.

Read Hindi Newspapers or Magazines on Google News

2008-09-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

While Yahoo! is still struggling to gain the respect of the blogger community, Google is going all out to win over the huge Hindi-speaking population.

Last week, Google launched a new Hindi Transliteration feature that allows Indic bloggers to write blog posts in Hindi using the English language.

Today, Google introduced the Hindi version of Google News that aggregates news headlines and descriptions from all popular Hindi news sources like Navbharat Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Yahoo! India, BBC Hindi, Dainik Jagran, MSN India and Sify Hindi.

Readers can also subscribe to Hindi News RSS feeds though it's disappointing that a technology section and Hindi news alerts are still missing.

Like the English version of Google News, the Hindi edition shows news headlines published during the last 30 days. The service was developed at the Bangalore team.

Much credit goes to Googler Vinodh Kumar who was behind this project and has just completed his first year at Google. Vinodh has confirmed that Google is working on supporting more Indian languages (like Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and others).

Google News Hindi | Hindi News RSS Feeds