India's Treasures
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Printed Date: 20/Apr/2025 at 5:43pm
Topic: India's Treasures
Posted By: venkat
Subject: India's Treasures
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 5:25pm
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India is known as 'the home of spices'. From the ancient times India has been a hub of spice cultivation, processing and export. Spices are well-known as appetisers and are considered essential in the culinary art all over the world.
Apart from adding colour, flavour and taste, consumption of spices provide infinite health benefits. For instance, spices intensify salivary flow. They cleanse the oral cavity from food adhesion and bacteria, they help to check infection and caries and protect the mucous membrane. Spices act as stimulant to the digestive system and helps digestion in many ways. Stroke frequency and blood pressure can be diminished or augmented by means of spices. Some may even be a substitute for your costly beauty products and even medicines. Here are the top 10 kitchen spices that have healing effects: 1. Fenugreek (methi): It is mainly used as a green leafy vegetable and seeds are used for seasoning and preparing masalas. It also has many medicinal uses. Fenugreek seed and leaves are good for increasing breast milk in lactating women. It is also helpful for treating diabetes and lowering cholesterol as it helps in reducing blood sugar levels. You can consume it either by incorporating it in your diet or chewing its seeds (after soaking them overnight). Fenugreek also helps in maintaining a good metabolism and prevents constipation. It purifies blood and helps in flushing out the harmful toxins. 2. Coriander (dhania) leaves/seeds: All parts of the coriander plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are commonly used in cooking. Seeds can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly before grinding to enhance and alter the aroma. The leaves of coriander are stimulant and tonic. They strengthen the stomach, relieve flatulence and increase secretion and discharge of urine. Coriander seeds reduce fever and promote a feeling of coolness. Coriander juice is highly beneficial in deficiencies of vitamin A, B1, B2, C and iron. One or two teaspoons of coriander juice, added to fresh buttermilk, is highly beneficial in treating digestive disorders such as indigestion, nausea, dysentery, hepatitis and ulcerative colitis. It is also helpful in typhoid fever. Regular drinking of coriander water helps lower blood cholesterol as it is a good diuretic and stimulates the kidney. It can be prepared by boiling dry seeds of coriander and straining the decoction after cooling. 3. Chillies (mirch): Your eyes may start watering just with the name of it, but you would be surprised to know that these spicy ones have healing power too. Since ancient times, chillies have been used by healers to cure a variety of ailments. They have been used externally to relieve pain and internally to cure anything from yellow fever to the common cold. The active ingredient in hot red peppers is a compound called capsaicin, which gives it that unique sting. Capsaicin triggers the release of endorphins in the brain, which has a pain relieving effect similar to that of morphine. Their high vitamin C content can also substantially increase the absorption of non-heme iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains. 4. Turmeric (haldi): Although usually used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric is also used fresh, much like ginger. Turmeric is sometimes also used as an agent to impart a rich, custard-like yellow colour to the dishes. In Ayurvedic practices, turmeric is thought to have many medicinal properties. Many use it as a readily available antiseptic for cuts, burns and bruises. It also makes coping with diabetes easier. Raw turmeric juice is used to treat hyper acidity and indigestion. The juice of raw turmeric also acts as a blood purifier. Curcumin -- an active component of turmeric, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful for treating arthritis, inflammatory conditions and possibly cancer. Turmeric is also an inexpensive and indigenous beauty aid. It is used in the formulation of some sun screens. Smearing with turmeric paste cleans skin and beautifies it. Its antiseptic and healing properties prevent and cure pimples. 6. Cinnamon (dalchini): An aromatic smelling bark, cinnamon is widely used in most kitchens. It is principally employed in cookery as a seasoning and flavouring material. Ancient Chinese references mention about use of Cinnamon as early as 2700 BC as a medicine for relieving nausea, fever, diarrhoea and menstrual problems. Cinnamon is used for stimulating gastric and digestive juices and carminative. It is an antiseptic that helps kill bacteria which cause tooth decay and gum disease, and that is why most of the tooth pastes are cinnamon flavoured. It also kills many fungi and viruses that cause diseases. It helps calm the stomach, clears up urinary tract infections. In diabetic patients, it helps metabolise sugar in a better way using less insulin. 7. Black Pepper (kali mirch): Pepper is one of the oldest and most important of all spices. It is usually dried (known as peppercorn when dried) and used as a spice and seasoning. Black pepper is useful in relieving flatulence. Pepper has a stimulating effect on the digestive organs and produces an increased flow of saliva and gastric juices. Powdered black pepper, thoroughly mixed with malted jaggery (gur), may be taken in the treatment of such conditions. Alternatively, a quarter teaspoon of pepper powder mixed in thin buttermilk can be taken during indigestion or heaviness in the stomach. For better results, an equal part of cumin (jeera) powder may also be added to the buttermilk. Three peppers sucked with a pinch of cumin (jeera) seeds and a crystal of common salt provides relief from cough. 8. Cardamom (elaichi): Cardamom is the "queen of spices"; it is one of the most valued spices in the world. Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance. Cardamom is used chiefly in medicines to relieve flatulence and for strengthening digestion activities. Ground cardamom seed mixed with ginger (adrak), cloves (laung) and coriander (dhania), is an effective remedy for indigestion. A tea made from cardamom is valuable in headache caused by indigestion. This can also be used as a remedy in the treatment of depression. Green cardamom is broadly used to treat infections in teeth and gums, to prevent and treat throat troubles, and congestion of the lungs. Daily gargling with an infusion of cardamom and cinnamon (dalchini) cures pharyngitis, sore-throat and also protects one from flu. 9. Cumin (jeera)/Carom (ajwain): Cumin and Carom seeds are both used for cooking and also possess many medicinal properties. They are a good source of iron and keeps immune system healthy. Water boiled with cumin seeds is good for coping with dysentery. Cumin (also known as Caraway) oil is specially used to remove flatulence. Also a cup of tea made from caraway seeds taken thrice a day after a meal will give relief. The tea is prepared by adding a tsp of caraway seed in 1.5-2 litres of boiling water and allows simmering on slow fire for 15 min. Strain and sip hot to get best of results. Ajwain is mucous-clearing and beneficial in treating respiratory diseases. A mix of the seed and buttermilk is effective for relieving difficult expectoration caused by dry phlegm. A hot fomentation with the seeds is a popular household remedy for asthma. Ajwain is good for muscular pains the seeds should be fried in coconut oil and should be massaged as a liniment in treating this condition. Ajwain shouldn't be used in excess as it can cause dryness of fluid and damage your eyes. 10. Asafoetida (hing): Asafoetida is used as a digestive aid, in food as a seasoning. Its odour, when uncooked, is so strong that it must be stored in airtight containers otherwise the aroma will contaminate other spices stored nearby. However, its odour and flavor become much milder and more pleasant upon heating in oil or ghee. It has many medicinal uses. For gas and flatulence, you may add a pinch of hing to buttermilk with a pinch of salt and drink it after meals. In case of stomachache, a little hing should be dissolved in water and the paste should be applied on the navel. A piece of hing placed on an aching tooth, reduces pain. Raw asafoetida may be given to the patients in lung infections like bronchitis in dosage of 5gm per day. It can be fried in ghee and given to the patients suffering from neuro-muscular disorders such as sciatica, facial palsy, paralysis etc. for relief from pain. In breathing disorders such as coughs and cold, it can be consumed in dosages of 12-15 gm for relief. You can even apply hing on an itching skin for relief. Though these spices provide innumerable benefits they should be used sparingly. The excessive use of spices in food can cause harm to the health. Try to make specific use of these spices. This will help you to make optimal use of the resources provided by nature. Strike the right balance and add some spice to your life. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Replies:
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 5:28pm
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Indian scientists claim to have developed a rice variety that requires no cooking, only soaking in water. The rice variety developed at the government-run Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) at Cuttack in Orissa is characterised by low amylase content and becomes soft on soaking in water, institute director Tapan Kumar Adhya told IANS in an interview. Production of rice in India is extensive and last year's production figure stands at 98.5 million tonnes. The present variety, he said, can serve specific niche consumers and make rice cooking a hassle-free affair. The new variety, named Aghanibora, tested by the institute is of 145 days duration with a yield of 4-4.5 tonnes per hectare and is at par with the currently grown rice varieties in the country, he said. "One can get ready to eat rice after soaking it for about 45 minutes in ordinary water, and 15 minutes if soaked in lukewarm water, whereas other rice varieties need cooking," Adhya said. The rice is a local, improved land variety of Assam under the 'Komal chawl' category and is not genetically modified rice. It is like any other rice variety grown and consumed in India. "However, this variety is usually prepared as parboiled rice and then it can be used for consumption after milling," the researcher said. The initial experimentation was to test whether the rice variety could be grown in the hot and humid climate of Orissa and still retain the property of softness. Scientists at the institute have done extensive research over the past three years and tested its nutritional properties and other biochemical parameters, he said. "We are glad that our experiment has proved successful, and from our knowledge we believe it could be grown in the eastern states of India," he said. "The present rice variety is an already released variety and can be taken up by the farmers with the availability of the seeds," Adhya said. According to the institute director, the rice variety can be grown in all the eastern states of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and coastal Andhra Pradesh. "As such there is no technical barrier in cultivating it in any part of the country," he said. "We do not have knowledge of any other country developing such rice variety as rice is a cereal with huge diversity. "We do not have specific data about the average household requirement of fuel. But this variety of rice will help in saving fuel, at least for cooking of rice. Moreover, it will be a relief to housewives," he said. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 5:31pm
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The origin of the story "Blue"dates way back to 1947 when India had gained independence and British had left Indian shores. However, while doing so, they went all out to put a dent on Indian economy. They had taken away a lot of treasure with them," said a source within the film's unit.
After an extensive research, it was revealed that the British took 20 to 25 ships filled with treasure. One such ship sunk in the sea and no one ever got to know about its whereabouts. 2)
What did Sonia Gandhi mean when she used these words to inaugurate the ‘Tejas’ exhibition in Brussels on November 19? Was she articulating a polite platitude? Or did she allude to the real condition of our heritage, obscured when it is aggressively marketed in cultural festivals abroad? Was she aware that the exhibition which she inaugurated at Palais de Beaux Arts, forms part of a heritage which is neither preserved properly nor widely accessible? And certainly, as Sonia Gandhi put it, the exhibition is making them accessible to ‘others’ — those who live in Brussels or are privileged enough to visit it. The exhibition, though, will not be accessible to India’s ‘own’. Indian bigwigs who choreograph cultural festivals do not usually ensure that such exhibitions travel across India once they return home. ‘Others’ are evidently more equal than ‘us’ in their access to cultural treasures of this kind. ‘Tejas’, for the Congress president, profiles the radiance and energy of India’s civilisational journey over fifteen hundred years. But again, she, like most of India, is hardly likely to know that much of this ‘radiance’ doesn’t see the light of day. Its effulgence remains locked up in dark museum vaults. The Indian Museum in Kolkata has 1,165 collections on display while those that lie locked up number more than 25,000. In the National Museum in Delhi, just about 8 to 10 per cent of its vast collection is on display. Art objects, of course, are supposed to be safe in reserve collections, even if they remain unseen. Actually, about that too, there isn’t any unanimity. Because of an international traffic in illicit art objects, theft of art and archaeological treasures from protected sites and museums has escalated. In India, between 1977 and 1979, 3,000 thefts of antiquities were reported. Only ten cases were solved, it requires very little imagination to realise that much of what could not be traced was smuggled out and sold. These are only reported thefts. The UNESCO in that decade (1979 to 1989) estimated that more than 50,000 objects had been smuggled out of India. Remote localities are especially vulnerable but so are well-policed premises. Most recently, there have been thefts in the Patna Museum and in the Indian Museum, while the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate itself saw a bizarre robbery a little less than ten years ago. This was in 1997, when one-third of the artifacts housed in its museum were looted. When the case was solved some weeks later, part of the loot had already been destroyed — the kilos of melted silver and broken antiques that were recovered suggested this. Amazing though it may sound, the main accused who had scaled the Rashtrapati Bhavan walls, was a rag picker! Despoiling museums and monuments is not something that rag pickers usually do. Art thieves are generally well heeled characters, several of them have attained high rank and office. The French have had a specially notorious record on this front, if one remembers the case of Andre Malraux who later became the French Minister of Cultural Affairs. Malraux was charged with stealing some stones and bas-reliefs from the temple of Bantea Srei in Cambodia while entrusted with an expedition to study Khmer architecture. ‘Some stones’ is an understatement, he actually destroyed the unity of Bantea Srei by removing almost a ton of material. The sentence of three years’ imprisonment was later reduced, but it highlighted the impunity with which government permits are misused to steal material. Malraux has contemporary clones, many diplomats are known to have (mis)used the immunity from search usually given to diplomatic bags, for this purpose. Where does this lead us? Simply to the conclusion that certificates of admiration that our heritage earns in cultural festivals abroad mean very little. In real terms, the challenge is how India which is so self-congratulatory about its soft power, uses its position as a global player to safeguard it. Certainly, she can learn from the approaches and endeavours of other global players who also happen to be archaeologically rich countries. To begin with, there should be a ‘cultural census’. There are inventories of African objects outside Africa and Oceanic objects in Australian, European and American museums. Do we have inventories of Indian objects in museums abroad? Do we even have inventories of the distribution of objects from one site across India? These may take time to complete, but cultural inventories facilitate research. They also help as a control in the illicit movement of objects. Contrary to the perception that colonialism resulted in the largest removal of objects on a global scale, in many cases, the escalation has been more recent. Two-thirds of African artifacts now in the West have been acquired since the 1960s after most African countries gained independence. A census may well reveal a similar situation for India. Along with this, there should be a national programme to fingerprint the country’s art heritage. Some years ago, the journalist Pallava Bagla wrote about Baldev Raj, a nuclear scientist at Kalpakkam, who had been documenting the exact composition of old bronze statues, to help trace them in case they were stolen as also prevent originals from being replaced by fakes. How successful this mission was remains unclear but Raj’s work highlighted the necessity of creating a large database for all types of art objects. Secondly, art theft must be pursued proactively, the issue of return should be determined on the criteria of the means by which objects have been acquired. Italy, for instance, has seen extensive illegal excavation and smuggling. Peter Watson’s The Medici Conspiracy has described how this “branch of organised crime” operated and prospered for well over thirty years. Recently, the Italian government has been spectacularly successful in breaking this network. Looting in Italy is down by half, government officials have also succeeded in forcing American museums to return some of the stolen material. This is only the most recent example of how single mindedly countries seek return of their national treasures. The case of the Elgin marbles, removed from the Parthenon in Athens nearly two hundred ago also exemplifies this. In 1832, one of the first acts of statehood as Greece achieved independence from Turkish rule, was to call for the return of the marbles. They are still in the British Museum but the Greek government continues to pursue the matter in all appropriate forums. In India, in contrast, it is a Vijay Mallya who is more interested in bringing back, albeit on payment, our cultural treasures, rather than the Government of India. Certainly, there are cases of successful return of antiquities stolen from India, but the fact that less than 1 per cent of art theft cases get solved, shows that seeking out our stolen treasure is hardly a national priority. Finally, tangible cultural treasures matter a great deal to Indians because our identities and histories are bound up with them. Surely, it is logical for us to demand that the state which sponsors spectacular festivals abroad, also creates public awareness about the magnitude of our disappearing heritage. India can learn from its neighbour, Nepal which, in 1988, published details about Stolen Images of Nepal. Authored by the late LS Bangdel, the purpose was to “attract the attention of the western art world…many of the stolen sculptures may some day appear in the art market, or museums, but once it is proved they are stolen art objects no one has the right to possess them.” Nearly sixty years after independence, we do not have any work on the lines of Bangdel’s volume. Public awareness can also be created through exhibitions, can we have a photo exhibition of the ‘Missing treasures of India’ and of art objects regularly seized by Indian Customs? And yes, can the aam admi who is as interested in his own heritage as those privileged ‘others’ in Belgium, also hope to imbibe the effulgence of ‘Tejas’ when it returns from Brussels? ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: kulman
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 5:31pm
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Number 11 could be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg - Nutmeg (Jaiphal in Hindi) ------------- Life can only be understood backwards—but it must be lived forwards |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 5:46pm
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The example is that of the plunder by Nadir Shah, in particular the looting of the Peacock throne which even today remains the most expensive man-made work of art. The throne was wrought out of 1150 kg of gold and 230 kg of precious stones including the famed Kohinoor. Encrusted with 26,733 precious stones and ascended by silver steps, its back was a peacock’s tail of sapphires, pearls and turquoises.The French historian Alain Danielou describes Nadir Shah's attack on Delhi in these words: “Nadir Shah, of Iran attacked Delhi in 1739 and for a week his soldiers massacred everybody, ransacked everything and razed the entire countryside, so that the survivors would have nothing to eat. He went back to Iran taking with him precious furniture, works of art, horses, the Kohinoor diamond, the famous Peacock throne and 150 million rupees in gold.” ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 5:52pm
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Prof. Dharma Kumar of the Delhi School of Economics refutes the charges. He writes: "This is very far from the truth and may indeed be more true of the Mughal rulers, if one takes the texts of the period and the work of the Aligarh school of historians seriously." And he goes on to quote the first volume of the Cambridge Economic History of India, which says that ?a tiny ruling group consisting of the Mughal Emperor and 8,000 or so nobles (of a total population of 100 million ) actually collected over half to one-third of the GNP as revenue." According to the US economist Raymond Goldsmith, the income appropriated by the top group in Mughal India was the highest known to man. The only exceptions were the Egyptian and Mesopotamian theocracies."Indian historians are too often obsessed with the exploitative nature of colonialism and generations of students have learnt from them. It is true the British exploited, but they were also building a new modern India." As against this, after imposing their rule over India for over seven centuries, the Muslim rulers remained as foreign dynasties and refused to identify themselves with India. In these seven centuries, they did not build one great school or hospital. All they did was to build palaces and gardens for their enjoyment, tombs to perpetuate their memory and forts for their security. In fact, India continued to be a Dar-ul-Harb for the Muslim rulers, whereas India was the jewel of the British crown. In the long period of the Muslim advent, the Muslim invaders and rulers did not spare one Hindu or Buddhist temple or Vihara. Everything was looted for gold and precious stones. The destruction was complete in the north. The number of temples destroyed by Aurangzeb alone is estimated to five, if not six, digits, according to his own court chroniclers. There was nothing left for the British to loot in India. In any case, they never indulged in looting the temples. India was the richest country in the world till the advent of Islam. All the great diamonds belonged to India. India knew mining and processing of diamonds. The Mughals had two underground rooms of a capacity of 150,000 cu. ft., each packed with precious metals, diamonds and stones. Mohd. bin Qasim robbed Sind of 630 million dirhams in the 11th century. Mahmud Ghazni raided India 17 times to loot temples and palaces. The sultanates sent looting expeditions to the south. On the invasion of Ghazni, Nehru writes: "From Thaneswar he took away, it is said, 200,000 captives (for sale) and vast wealth. But it was at Somnath that he got the most, for this was one of the great temples and the offerings of centuries had accumulated there. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 5:59pm
In the 1870's Dadabhai Naoroji, later twice President of the Indian National Congress, estimated that Britain was bleeding India at the rate of three to four million pounds per year. Or was it thirty to forty million? I need to check on that. Anyway let's stick with the lesser amounts for now. Average those to 3.5 million pounds per year. Assume that that sum was constant from 1857 to 1947. Assume further that the British looted a paltry 1 million pounds per annum from 1767 to 1856. Assume a 7.875% rate of annual interest compounded yearly. That must be a good rate because that is what I'm paying through the initial years on the adjustable-rate mortgage on my house. Then we calculate
------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 7:56pm
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According to the legend, a curse befell the large, blue http://www.societyandculture.com/Diamond - diamond when it was plucked (i.e. stolen) from an idol in India - a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it. Whether or not you believe in the curse, the Hope diamond has intrigued people for centuries. Its perfect quality, its large size, and its rare color make it strikingly unique and beautiful. Add to this a varied history which includes being owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, worn to raise money for charity, and then finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The Hope diamond is truly unique. Is there really a curse? Where has the Hope diamond been? Why was such a valuable gem donated to the Smithsonian? Taken from the Forehead of an Idol The legend is said to begin with a theft. Several centuries ago, a man named Tavernier made a trip to India. While there, he stole a large blue diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. For this transgression, according to the legend, Tavernier was torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia (after he had sold the diamond). This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse. How much of this is true? In 1642 a man by the name of Jean Baptiste Tavernier, a French jeweler who traveled extensively, visited India and bought a 112 3/16 carat blue diamond. (This diamond was much larger than the present weight of the Hope diamond because the Hope has been cut down at least twice in the past three centuries.) The diamond is believed to have come from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. Tavernier continued to travel and arrived back in France in 1668, twenty-six years after he bought the large, blue diamond. French King Louis XIV, the "Sun King," ordered Tavernier presented at court. From Tavernier, Louis XIV bought the large, blue diamond as well as forty-four large diamonds and 1,122 smaller diamonds. Tavernier was made a noble and died at he age 84 in Russia (it is not known how he died).1 According to Susanne Patch, author of Blue Mystery: The Story of the Hope Diamond, the shape of the diamond was unlikely to have been an eye (or on the forehead) of an idol.2 In 1673, King Louis XIV decided to re-cut the diamond to enhance its brilliance (the previous cut had been to enhance size and not brilliance). The newly cut gem was 67 1/8 carats. Louis XIV officially named it the "Blue Diamond of the Crown" and would often wear the diamond on a long ribbon around his neck. In 1749, Louis XIV's great-grandson, Louis XV, was king and ordered the crown jeweler to make a decoration for the Order of the Golden Fleece, using the blue diamond and the Cote de Bretagne (a large red spinel thought at the time to be a ruby).3 The resulting decoration was extremely ornate and large. Stolen! When Louis XV died, his grandson, Louis XVI, became king with Marie Antoinette as his queen. According to the legend, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded during the French Revolution because of the blue diamond's curse. Considering that King Louis XIV and King Louis XV had both owned and worn the blue diamond a number of times and have not been set down in legend as tormented by the curse, it is difficult to say that all those who owned or touched the gem would suffer an ill fate. Though it is true that Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded, it seems that it had much more to do with their extravagance and the French Revolution than a curse on the diamond. Plus, these two royals were certainly not the only ones beheaded during the Reign of Terror. During the French Revolution, the crown jewels (including the blue diamond) were taken from the royal couple after they attempted to flee France in 1791. The jewels were placed in the Garde-Meuble but were not well guarded. From September 12 to September 16, 1791, the Garde-Meuble was repeatedly robbed, without notice from officials until September 17. Though most of the crown jewels were soon recovered, the blue diamond was not. Why is it called the "Hope diamond"? There is some evidence that the blue diamond resurfaced in London by 1813 and was owned by a jeweler Daniel Eliason by 1823.4 No one is sure that the blue diamond in London was the same one stolen from the Garde-Meuble because the one in London was of a different cut. Yet, most people feel the rarity and perfectness of the French blue diamond and the blue diamond that appeared in London makes it likely that someone re-cut the French blue diamond in the hopes of hiding its origin. The blue diamond that surfaced in London was estimated at 44 carats. There is some evidence that shows King George IV of England bought the blue diamond from Daniel Eliason and upon King George's death, the diamond was sold to pay off debts. By 1939, possibly earlier, the blue diamond was in the possession of Henry Philip Hope, from whom the Hope diamond has taken its name. The Hope family is said to have been tainted with the http://www.societyandculture.com/Diamond - diamond 's curse. According to the legend, the once-rich Hopes went bankrupt because of the Hope diamond. Is this true? Henry Philip Hope was one of the heirs of the banking firm Hope & Co. which was sold in 1813. Henry Philip Hope became a collector of fine art and gems, thus he acquired the large blue diamond that was soon to carry his family's name. Since he had never married, Henry Philip Hope left his estate to his three nephews when he died in 1839. The Hope diamond went to the oldest of the nephews, Henry Thomas Hope. Henry Thomas Hope married and had one daughter; his daughter soon grew up, married and had five children. When Henry Thomas Hope died in 1862 at the age of 54, the Hope diamond stayed in the possession of Hope's widow. But when Henry Thomas Hope's widow died, she passed the Hope diamond on to her grandson, the second oldest son, Lord Francis Hope (he took the name Hope in 1887). Because of gambling and high spending, Francis Hope requested from the court in 1898 for him to sell the Hope diamond (Francis was only given access to the life interest on his grandmother's estate). His request was denied. In 1899, an appeal case was heard and again his request was denied. In both cases, Francis Hope's siblings opposed selling the diamond. In 1901, on an appeal to the House of Lords, Francis Hope was finally granted permission to sell the diamond. As for the curse, three generations of Hopes went untainted by the curse and it was most likely Francis Hope's gambling, rather than the curse, that caused his bankruptcy. The Hope Diamond as a Good Luck Charm It was Simon Frankel, an American jeweler, who bought the Hope diamond in 1901 and who brought the diamond to the United States. The diamond changed hands several times during the next several years, ending with Pierre Cartier. Pierre Cartier believed he had found a buyer in the rich Evalyn Walsh McLean. Evalyn first saw the Hope diamond in 1910 while visiting Paris with her husband. Since Mrs. McLean had previously told Pierre Cartier that objects usually considered bad luck turned into good luck for her, Cartier made sure to emphasize the Hope diamond's negative history. Yet, since Mrs. McLean did not like the diamond in its current mounting, she didn't buy it. A few months later, Pierre Cartier arrived in the U.S. and asked Mrs. McLean to keep the Hope diamond for the weekend. Having reset the Hope diamond into a new mounting, Carter hoped she would grow attached to it over the weekend. He was right and Evalyn McLean bought the Hope diamond. Susanne Patch, in her book on the Hope diamond, wonders if perhaps Pierre Cartier didn't start the concept of a curse. According to Patch's research, the legend and concept of a curse attached to the diamond did not appear in print until the twentieth century.5 Evalyn McLean wore the diamond all the time. According to one story, it took a lot of persuading by Mrs. McLean's doctor to get her to take off the necklace even for a goiter operation.6 Though Evalyn McLean wore the Hope diamond as a good luck charm, others saw the curse strike her too. McLean's first born son, Vinson, died in a car crash when he was only nine. McLean suffered another major loss when her daughter committed suicide at age 25. In addition to all this, Evalyn McLean's husband was declared insane and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1941. Whether this was part of a curse is hard to say, though it does seem like a lot for one person to suffer. Though Evalyn McLean had wanted her jewelry to go to her grandchildren when they were older, her jewelry was put on sale in 1949, two years after her death, in order to settle debts from her estate. The Hope Diamond is Donated When the Hope diamond went on sale in 1949, it was bought by Harry Winston, a New York jeweler. Winston offered the diamond, on numerous occasions, to be worn at balls to raise money for charity. Though some believe that Winston donated the Hope diamond to rid himself of the curse, Winston donated the diamond because he had long believed in creating a national jewel collection. Winston donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 to be the focal point of a newly established gem collection as well as to inspire others to donate. On November 10, 1958, the Hope diamond traveled in a plain brown box, by registered mail, and was met by a large group of people at the Smithsonian who celebrated its arrival. The Hope diamond is currently on display as part of the National Gem and Mineral Collection in the National Museum of Natural History for all to see. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 8:07pm
------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
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Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 8:10pm
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Excellent post
http://www.indiastudychannel.com/attachments/Resources/34730-23533-250496.ppt#1 - http://www.indiastudychannel.com/attachments/Resources/34730-23533-250496.ppt#1 ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 9:53pm
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Astronomy * Earliest known precise celestial calculations: * Astronomical time spans: * Theory of creation of the universe: Some foolish men declare that a Creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill-advised, and should be rejected. If God created the world, where was he before creation?... How could God have made the world without any raw material? If you say He made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression... Know that the world is uncreated, as time itself is, without beginning and end. And it is based on principles. Theories of the creation of universe are present in almost every culture. Mostly they represent some story portraying creation from mating of Gods or humans, or from some divine egg, essentially all of them reflecting the human endeavour to provide explanations to a grave scientific question using common human experience. Hinduism is the only religion that propounds the idea of life-cycles of the universe. It suggests that the universe undergoes an infinite number of deaths and rebirths. Hinduism, according to Sagan, "... is the only religion in which the time scales correspond... to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of the Brahma, 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang" [See 5]. Long before Aryabhata (6th century) came up with this awesome achievement, apparently there was a mythological angle to this as well -- it becomes clear when one looks at the following translation of Bhagavad Gita (part VIII, lines 16 and 17), "All the planets of the universe, from the most evolved to the most base, are places of suffering, where birth and death takes place. But for the soul that reaches my Kingdom, O son of Kunti, there is no more reincarnation. One day of Brahma is worth a thousand of the ages [yuga] known to humankind; as is each night." Thus each kalpa is worth one day in the life of Brahma, the God of creation. In other words, the four ages of the mahayuga must be repeated a thousand times to make a "day ot Brahma", a unit of time that is the equivalent of 4.32 billion human years, doubling which one gets 8.64 billion years for a Brahma day and night. This was later theorized (possibly independently) by Aryabhata in the 6th century. The cyclic nature of this analysis suggests a universe that is expanding to be followed by contraction... a cosmos without end. This, according to modern physicists is not an impossibility. And here is how -- a few billion years ago, something known as the Big Bang happened and it is believed that the universe, as we "know" it, came into existence; one that is continually expanding after the Big Bang. That the galaxies are receding from us can be proved by showing Dopler shifts of far off galaxies. Common belief is that it happened from a mathematical point with no dimension at all. All the matter in our universe was concentrated in that miniscule volume. Although we know that we are living in an expanding universe, physicists are not sure whether it will always be expanding. This is because it is not known whether there is enough matter in the universe such that there is enough gravitational cohesion in it that the expansion will gradually slow down, stop and reverse itself resulting into a contracting universe. If we live in such an oscillating universe, then the Big Bang is not the beginning or creation of the universe, but merely the end of the previous cycle, the destruction of the last incarnation of the universe in the very way suggested by Hindu philosophers thousands of years ago! A brand new theory -- that of a "CYCLIC MODEL", developed by Princeton University's Paul Steinhardt and Cambridge University's Neil Turok, made its highest-profile appearance yet in April 2002, on Science Express, the Web site for the journal Science. But past incarnations of the idea have been hotly debated within the cosmological community from 2001. A jist of the claims can be found here. The PDF preprint of the entire paper can be downloaded from here. The Hindu belief that the Universe has no beginning or end, but follows a cosmic creation and dissolution can be found here. * Earth goes round the sun: Mathematics/Computer Science * Binary System of number representation: * Earliest and only known Modern Language: It is my contention that because of the scientific nature of the method of pronunciation of the vowels and consonents in the Indian languages (specially those coming directly from Pali, Prakit and Sanskrit), every part of the mouth is exercised during speaking. This results into speakers of Indian languages being able to pronounce words from any language. This is unlike the case with say native English speakers, as their tongue becomes unused to being able to touch certain portions of the mouth during pronunciation, thus giving the speakers a hard time to speak certain words from a language not sharing a common ancestry with English. I am not aware of any theory in these lines, but I would like to know if there is one. * Invention of Zero: The ancient Greeks were beginning their contributions to mathematics around the time zero as an empty place holder was being popularized by Babylonian mathematicians. The Greeks did not adopt what is called a positional number system, a system that gave a value to a number because of its relative position in the set of numerals. This is because the Greeks' achievements were based on geometry. This resulted into firstly, Greeks relating numbers with lengths of line segments, and secondly, decoupling numbers from any potential abstract interpretations. It is commonly thought that in Greek society numbers that required to be "named" were not used by mathematician- philosophers, but by merchants and hence no clever notation was needed. Thus even the eminent mathematician like Ptolemy used the then recent place holder "zero" more as a punctuation mark than any serious numeral. Although a few Greek astronomers began using the symbol "O", the symbol more familiar to us now, to denote place holders, zero was not thought of as a number by the Greeks. The first notions of zero as a number and its uses have been found in ancient Mathematical treatise from India and thus India is correctly related to the immensely important mathematical discovery of the numeral zero. This concept, combined with the place-value system of enumeration, became the basis for a classical era renaissance in Indian mathematics. Indians began using zero both as a number in the place-value system of numerals as well as to denote an empty place (place holder). Obviously, the use as a number came later. Aryabhata devised a number system what has no zero yet a positional number system. There is however, evidence that z dot has been used in earlier Indian manuscripts to denote an empty position. Also contemporary Indian scriptures also tend to use zero in places where unknown values are registered, where we would use x. Later Indian mathematicians had names for zero, but no symbol for it. Aryabhata used the word "kha" for position and it was also used later as the name for zero. The oldest known text to use zero is an Indian (Jaina) text entitled the Lokavibhaaga ("The Parts of the Universe"), which has been definitely dated to 25 August 458 BC [See 4] An inscription, created in 876AD, found in Gwalior, acts as the first use of zero as a number. Zero is not a "natural" candidate for being a number. It is a great leap from physical to abstract that one needs to bridge when dealing with zero. With zero also comes the notion of negative numbers and along with all these comes a series of related questions about arithmetic operations on natural numbers, both positive and negative and zero. The development of the notion of zero began, in my opinion, when mathematicians tried to answer these questions. Three Hindu mathematicians, Brahmagupta, Mahavira and Bhaskara tried to answer these in their treatise. In the 7th century Brahmagupta attempted to provide rules for addition and subtraction involving zero. The sum of zero and a negative number is negative, the sume of a positive number and zero if positive, the sum of zero and zero is zero. A negative number subtracted from zero is positive, a positive number subtracted from zero is negative, zero subtracted from a negative number is nagative, zero subtracted from a positive number is positive, zero subtracted from zero is zero. Brahmagupta also says that any number multiplied by zero is zero. But problems arise when he tries to explain division. While he is unsure about what division of a number by zero means, he wrongly gives zero divided by zero to be zero. Brahmagupta's is the first attempt from any mathematician to explain the arithmetic operations on natural numbers and zero. In the 9th century, Mahavira updated Brahmagupta's attempts at defining operations using zero. Although he correctly finds out that a number multiplied by zero is zero, but wrongly says that a number remains unchanged when divided by zero. The next valiant attempt came from Bhaskara in the 11th century. Division of zero still remained an illusive mystery. A quantity divided by zero becomes a fraction the denominator of which is zero. This fraction is termed an infinite quantity. In this quantity consisting of that which has zero for its divisor, there is no alteration, though many may be inserted or extracted; as no change takes place in the infinite and immutable God when worlds are created or destroyed, though numerous orders of beings are absorbed or put forth. This, in its face value seems correct, by suggesting that any number when divided by zero is infinity, Bhaskara suggeted that zero multiplied by infinity is any number, and hence all numbers are equal, which is not correct. But Bhaskara did correctly find out that the square of zero is zero, as is the square root. The Indian numeral system and its place value, decimal system of enumeration came to the attention of the Arabs in the seventh or eighth century, and served as the basis for the well known advancement in Arab mathematics, represented by figures such as al-Khwarizmi. Al-Khwarizmi wrote Al'Khwarizmi on the Hindu Art of Reckoning that described the Indian place-value system of numerals based on numerals 1 through 9 and 0. Scholars like ibn Ezra and al-Samawal used the notion of zero from al-Khwarizmi's work. In the 12th century al- Samawal extended arithmetic operations using zero as follows. If we subtract a positive number from zero the same negative number remains, ... if we subtract a negative number from zero the same positive number remains. Zero also reached eastwards from India to China, where Chinese scholars Chin Chiu-Shao and Chu Shih-Chieh made use of the same symbol O for a places-based system in the 12th and 13th centuries respectively. From the time of Han (206 to 220 BC), Chinese scholars used a place-value system called the suan zi ("calculation using rods") that was a regular system that used horizontal and vertical lines that used to denote the nine numerals. Ifrah says that "Thus one could be forgiven for assuming that following the links established between India and China at the beginning of the beginning of the first millennium BC, Indian scholars were influenced by Chinese mathematicians to create their own system in an imitation of the Chinese counting method." [See 4] He goes on to argue that in suan zi, the zero appeared at a much later date. Thus the notion of zero helps one to recognize the originality of the Indian mathematicians vis-a-vis their Chinese counterparts. Ifra also establishes that the Chinese scholars overcame the difficulties the absence of zeros caused in trying to represent numbers like 1,270,000 often either using characters of their ordinary counting system (a non-positional system that did not require the use of a zero) or simply by empty spaces. After providing a sequence of clues, [in 4], Ifrah continues "It was only after the eighth century BC, and doubtless due to the influence of the Indian Buddhist missionaries, that Chinese mathematicians introduced the use of zero in the form of a little circle or dot (signs that originated in India),...". Zero reached Europe in the twelfth century when Adelard of Bath translated al-Khwarizmi's works into Latin [See 1]. Fibonacci was one of the main mathematicians who accepted the concepts of zero in Europe. He was an important link between the Hindu-Arabic number system. In his treatise Liber Abaci ("a tract about the abacus"), published in 1202, he described the nine Indian symbols together with the symbol O for zero, but it was not widely accepted until much later. Significantly, Fibonacci spoke of numbers 1 through 9, but a "sign" O. Although he brought the notion of zero to Europe, it is clear that he was not able to reach the sophistication of Indians like Brahamagupta, Mahavira and Bhaskara, nor of the Arabic mathematicians like al-Samawal. The Europeans were at first resistant to this system, being attached to the far less logical Roman numeral system (notably the Romans never propounded the idea of zero), but their eventual adoption of this system arguably led to the scientific revolution that began to sweep Europe beginning by the middle of the second millennium. However, it was not until the 17th century that zero found widespread acceptance through a lot of resistance. * The word "Algorithm": * Representing Large numbers: Evidences of using very large numbers have been found in the Vedas which are ancient Hindu scriptures. Vedas are the most ancient written texts written in any Indo-European language. They were written in Sanskrit from around 500BC, although traces go back to 2000BC [See 4]. In the Taittiriya Upanishad, which is a part of the third Veda, Yajur Veda, there is a section (anuvaka), that extols the "Beatific Calculus" or a quasi-mathematical relationship between bliss of a young man, who has everything in the world to the bliss of the Brahman, or "realization". Translated roughly as follows, summarized from one done by Max Muller, firstly it says that fear is all-pervasive. It continues by assuming that a young, good man who is fit, healthy and strong, and has all the wealth in the world, is one unit of human bliss. The anuvaka provides a precise calculation of a series of multiplications by 100 to give number 10010 units of human bliss that can be had when one attains Brahman. The previous anuvaka exhorts the aspirants to be fearless and strong, as only such a person may realize the absolute within. * "... true birthplace of our numerals": Georges Ifrah: * Brahmi (often called the "mother" of all Indian writing) numerals Ifrah salutes the Indian researchers saying that the "...real inventors of this fundamental discovery, which is no less important than such feats as the mastery of fire, the development of agriculture, or the invention of the wheel, writing or the steam engine, were the mathematicians and astronomers of the Indian civilisation: scholars who, unlike the Greeks, were concerned with practical applications and who were motivated by a kind of passion for both numbers and numerical calculations." ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 05/Oct/2009 at 10:03pm
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Astonishing Scientific Achievements Of Ancient India!
Acharya Bharadwaj (800 BCE) was the pioneer of aviation technology and has written ‘Yantra Sarvasa’ which includes astonishing and outstanding discoveries. He at the time described three categories of flying machines that travel from one planet to another but also astonishingly from one universe to another. Space travel existed in the ancient Vedic times, something that science today has even barely broken the surface on. Acharya Kapil (3000 BCE) was the father of cosmology. His research on primal matter and creation makes today's science look like an introductory course. The big bang theory? How about when he answers questions on the creation of the universe. Hindus were far ahead of their times. The proof exists in our sacred books. Acharya Charak (600 BCE) was the father of Medicine. His renowned work ‘Charak Samhita’ which is considered the encyclopedia of Ayurveda today goes in depth about his principals, diagnoses and cures that still retain their potency and truth even after a couple of millennia. His research led to the facts of the Human anatomy, embryology, pharmacology, blood circulation and diseases like diabetes , tuberculosis, heart disease, etc. Charak Samhita describes medicinal qualities and functions of 100,000 herbal plants that today's science is still doing research on. Acharya Kanad (600 BCE) was the founder of Atomic Theory. In his ‘Vaisheshik Darshan’ treatise he wrote "Every object of creation is made of atoms which in turn connect with each other to form molecules". This statement ushered in the Atomic Theory for the first time ever in the world, nearly 2500 years before John Dalton. Rishi Nagarjuna (100 CE) The Master of Chemical Science. His vast research produced maiden discoveries and inventions in the faculties of Chemistry and Metallurgy. His textual masterprices like ‘Ras Ratnakar’, ‘Rashrudaya’ and ‘Rasendramangal’ are his contributions to Chemistry. Where medieval alchemists of England failed, Rishi Nagarjuna has discovered the alchemy of transmuting base metals into gold. His discoveries still impress and astonish scientists today. Rishi Aryabhatt (476 CE) Master Astronomer and Mathematician. At the age of just 23 he wrote a text on astronomy and an unparalleled treatise on mathematics called ’Aryanbhatiyam’. He formulated the process of calculating the motion of planets and the time of eclipses. (100 years ago, the church had problems describing and accepting this as a scientific phenomenon). Aryabhatt was the first to claim that the earth was round, it rotates on its axis, orbits the sun and suspended in space – 1000 years ago before Copernicus published his heliocentric theory. Aryabhatt was the first to acknowledge the Pi to four decimal place (3.1416) and the sine table in trigonometry. Centuries later, in 825 CE, the Arab mathematician Ibna Musa credited the value of Pi to the Indians, "This value has been given by the Hindus". Above all Rishi Aryabhatt’s most spectacular contribution is the concept of zero without which modern computers technology would have been non-existent. Rishi Varahamihir (499-587 CE) - Master Scientist, Astrologer and Astronomer. In his book ‘Panchsiddhant’, he notes that the moon and the planets are lustrous not because of their own light but due to sunlight. In the ‘Bruhad Samhita’ and ‘Bruhad Jatak’, he revealed his discoveries in the domains of geography, constellation science, botany and animal science. Rishi Bhaskaracharya II (1114-1183) - Master of Algebra/Geometry/Astronomy. His works in Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry catapulted him to fame and immortality. His renowned works are ‘Lilavani’ and ‘Bijaganita’ which are considered unparalleled. In his works ‘Surya Siddhant’, he makes a note on the force of gravity: "Objects fall on earth due to a force of attraction by the earth. Therefore the earth, the planets, constellations, moon and sun are held in orbit due to this attraction". Bhaskaracharya was the first to discover gravity, 500 years before Isaac Newton. Mahabharatha alone has 250 references to astronomy. Based on these references, Nasa scientists have accurately fixed the period of the Mahabharatha war at 3029 BC. Seven different values of Pi were available in ancient texts. Aryabhata has fixed the period of sidereal rotation at 23 hours 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds. Modern astronomers have fixed the same period at 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds. Moreover, Indian astronomy has fixed the number of planets at five; modern astronomers who discovered nine planets earlier have now reduced the number to eight after it was established that Pluto is not a planet. This number may come down to five soon, he observed.
var zz=0;var sldsh=0;
var bellyaddiv = '")).toLowerCase(); function findptt(cnt){ zz++; if(zz == 10)return; var xxx=-1,yyy=-1; var ccnt = cnt; for(ii=0; ii < tagcheck.length; ii++){ xxx = ccnt.indexOf("<"+tagcheck[ii]); if(xxx != -1 && xxx < 150){ stp = stp; var tmp1 = ccnt.substring(ccnt.indexOf("<"+tagcheck[ii]),ccnt.length); yyy = tmp1.indexOf(">"); if(yyy != -1){ taglen += yyy; stp = stp + yyy; yyy+=1; } break; taglen = taglen + tagcheck[ii].length + 3; } } if(xxx == -1 || xxx >= 150){ return; }else{ var tmp2 = ccnt.substring(0,xxx); tmp2 += ccnt.substring((yyy+xxx),ccnt.length); findptt(tmp2); } }findptt(firstpara); if(firstpara.length <= taglen + 150){ stp = firstpara.length; } var tmpminus=0; var tmpcon = storycontent.substring(0,stp); if(tmpcon.lastIndexOf("<") < tmpcon.lastIndexOf(">")){ }else{ tmpminus = tmpcon.length - tmpcon.lastIndexOf("<"); } stp = stp - tmpminus; tmpcon = storycontent.substring(0,stp); stp = tmpcon.lastIndexOf(' '); tmpcon = storycontent.substring(0,stp) +" "+ bellyaddiv + storycontent.substring(stp,storycontent.length); if(sldsh == 0 && doweshowbellyad != 1){}else{ .getElementById("storydiv").inner = tmpcon; } var RN = new String (Math.random()); var RNS = RN.substring (2,11); var b2 = '< =\"http://adstil.indiatimes.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_sx.ads/www.timesofindia.com/TOI2009_CityRest/index./1'+RNS+'@Right3?\" WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=250 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 =0 =0 border=0 scrolling=no bordercolor=\"#000000\"> '; if (doweshowbellyad==1) bellyad.innerHTML = b2; ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 14/Oct/2009 at 9:32pm
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http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jknmHudicfe&title=Why_India_is_not_a_great_nation - http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jknmHudicfe&title=Why_India_is_not_a_great_nation ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: tigershark
Date Posted: 14/Oct/2009 at 9:34pm
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------------- understanding both the power of compound return and the difficulty getting it is the heart and soul of understanding a lot of things |
Posted By: FutureBull
Date Posted: 14/Oct/2009 at 1:24am
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great posts indeed.. great thanks!!!
i feel blessed to be part of this civilisation.. i am working with few south afrikans these days and i take pride whenever they start talking highly about India, its culture and everything we don't notice generally ------------- ‘The market always does what it’s supposed to — BUT NEVER WHEN’. |
Posted By: aloksahi1971
Date Posted: 15/Oct/2009 at 4:31pm
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Just so that you all know most of the scientists named here were from Patna. Aryabhata did his discovery from a place now known as taregana( Tare gannana).
Jai bihar ------------- Born To Golf forced to work. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 15/Oct/2009 at 9:26pm
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Significance of Diwali in Hinduism The festival marks the victory of good over evil. The Sanskrit word Deepavali means array of lights that stands for victory of brightness over darkness. As the knowledge of Sanskrit diminished, the name was popularly modified to Diwali, especially in northern On the day of Diwali, many wear new clothes, share sweets and light firecrackers. The North Indian business community usually starts their financial new year on Diwali and new account books are opened on this day. Hindus find cause to celebrate this festival for different reasons:
Why we celebrate festivals? Some of us don't even know why we celebrate festivals in general. Just think whether we would go and pay our respect to elders if there is no celebration? First of all will we ever visit them at all! But, above all there is some more special relevance for the celebration in We give alms to poor people. We distribute edibles and sweets to neighbors and relatives. We forget previous grudges with others and mingle which would pave a new path of relationship! Without our knowledge we do a lot of remedies! Do you know how? We distribute sweets: in general it is Guru (Jupiter) preethi (remedy!) Among sweets… Laddus indicate Guru (Jupiter) preethi ! You know how? • round shape is that of Guru (Jupiter) the same way Jangiri indicate Rahu preeti! How? Urad dhal is the main cereal of Rahu preethi ! Every taste and every cereal indicate one planet or other! If we distribute or gift dresses/clothes- every color indicates a planet! • red is remedy of sun case you are gifting jewel to some one means… • Ruby is remedy of sun The remedies do not end with this! When we wear best dresses we do Venus (Sukra) remedy! There are many other remedies in day -to -day life, which we do or neglect to do without our knowledge! Thus, give, give and give! Who knows? It may be a great remedy without your knowledge! Let us celebrate this Diwali though giving and by charity! ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 15/Oct/2009 at 9:27pm
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Goddess Maha Kali Pooja Maa Maha Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of the mother goddess Durga.On one hand she punishes the guilty while on the other she blesses her devotees with virtues of all kind. As the legend goes, in the battle, Kali was so much involved in the killing spree that she got carried away and began destroying everything in sight. To stop her, Lord Shiva threw himself under her feet. Shocked at this sight, Kali stuck out her tongue in astonishment, and put an end to her homicidal rampage. Hence the common image of Kali shows her in her mêlée mood, standing with one foot on Shiva's chest, with her enormous tongue stuck out. The gods took refuge in the When the holy rivers flow into our lives We all celebrate Diwali in a happy mood without even knowing much about the significance of every aspect of that day. We all know that the bath taken on the day of Diwali is supposed to be a holy bath. Most of us do not know the reason for this supposition - all the holy rivers are supposed to be in our ordinary bathroom tap water on that day! Yes! According to legend, that was one of the requests made by the demon Narahasura to Lord Krishna before his life departed from him. Most of us lead a very busy life and so, even if we know that a simple dip in the holy water will erase the sins committed by us, we are not able to do it practically. Bathing in holy rivers is one of the foremost things for satisfying our forefathers’ departed souls. It is a very important remedy given by renowned astrologers. Some of the families knowingly or unknowingly miss the prayers for their forefathers in a regular manner. This may lead to a lot of tension and problems in the family. The best remedy is to take a bath in holy rivers like So, this Diwali, let the holy rivers flow into your life. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 20/Oct/2009 at 2:13pm
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Electricity from airpower
In an era where non-conventional methods of power generation like wind and solar energy have gained popularity, a city-based entrepreneur has hit upon a unique idea of producing electricity through air power technology using 'air pressure' created along railway tracks.
Santosh Pradhan, 38, who runs a bunch of engineering and mechanical units and has almost two decades of experience in manufacturing engineering tools, has registered 20 patents with the government of India about his technology. When a train runs at a full speed of 110-120 km, it creates an air pressure in opposite direction and no one has ever thought to utilise this huge air pressure which is freely and easily available. As per his technology, a small impeller is fixed at the front portion of railway locomotive and similarly on top of each coach of a train. When the train is running, it will produce huge quantity of compressed air due to high velocity of the wind and by accumulating this compressed air in big fabricated tanks on either side of the track, we can run turbines or air turbine motors which can produce a considerable amount of electricity. Keeping his cards close to the chest, Pradhan has now approached the higher railways authorities to seek permission for prototype and a subsequent demonstration of this technology which he says is 'eco-friendly and cost effective'. However, he is yet to get a green signal but 20 of his patents have been registered so that he remains the sole person to further develop this technology. Pradhan said about 14,300 trains were running on 63,028 route kms in the country and about 20.89 MW electricity can be generated per km with the use of air power technology. Thus approximately 14,81,134 MW of power can be generated by using the entire railway track if one goes by his data, statistics and calculations. According to him, the Indian Railways was spending 17 per cent revenue on the fuel head which is roughly Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion) per annum. When adopted even in phases, it would start reducing the cost of fuel for Indian Railways. However, it all depends on the Indian Railways to allow additional fabrication of parallel wind pipes over the over head electric lines to pass on high velocity wind to reach tanks on either of side of track, Pradhan said. Also, the technology, Pradhan claims, can save 2,586 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission in the country. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 20/Oct/2009 at 6:49am
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Vedic astrology at times baffles even a non-believer about the accuracy and depth of analysis reflected from a genuinely drawn horoscope. Complex issues like wars, deaths, famines, floods etc. seem related to horoscope, grahadasa and transits. Working on the horoscope of Independent India based on the date of Independence of the country i.e., 15 th August 1947 at 12:00 AM (midnight), the main parameters of the horoscope are as follows.
------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 20/Oct/2009 at 6:58am
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The World will not end in 2012
It is frightening to learn that the world will cease to exist after 2012. Time and again, we get such news through various news channels, articles and websites about astrologers predicting doom in 2012. “Jyotish” commonly called Vedic astrology is derived from the words “Jyot” meaning light and “Ish” meaning God. The intention of “Jyotish” should be to spread light, love, healing and guidance of God for the wellbeing of man kind. However, with time this knowledge has become a handy tool of self seekers to instill fear and insecurity in the minds of the people. This has been wrongly utilized for making money and spreading rumors. It is important to know why western astrologers in particular are pointing about the end of the world in 2012. Western astrologers argue that the world is running in the Age of Aquarius and on Dec. 21, 2012, the day of the annual winter solstice, the Sun will rise roughly over the center of the Milky Way galaxy (as per Mayan Calendar) which may lead to the end of the world. The Hindus believe that we are in the period of Kaliyug. The end of Kaliyug would mean the end of the world and the restart of the process of creation. Kaliyug is not ending immediately as per Vedic astrology. In Western astrology, the Age of Aquarius is one of the twelve astrological ages and every age is about 2,150 years long. However, the method of calculating the age is highly debatable. Some astrologers take the current age and some take the coming age in such calculation. For example some western experts say that we are running in the “Age of Aquarius” while others believe that we are still in the “Age of Pisces”. We would like to know whether western astrology is competent enough to predict the outcome of such planetary placement and for the prediction of doom. Differences between Western Tropical astrology and Vedic Sidereal astrology:- Western astrology focuses on the psychological nature of the individual, but lacks reliability for predicting future cycles and events. Vedic astrology, in addition to judging a person psychologically gives more emphasis on cycles and events, both for an individual as well as on all mundane subjects. Vedic astrology gives a better view of: 1. A person's karmic tendencies 2. Predicting the time for manifestation of such tendencies. The timing of life events is shown through a detailed system of planetary time cycles, called "dashas." There is no corresponding method in Western astrology to time an event, because their methods are based solely on the transit of planets. The dasa system in Vedic astrology has been invented to co-relate the karmic tendencies with transit of planets which gives a better result. Western astrologers, who were introduced to Vedic astrology, often adopted Vedic astrology because of its greater scope, depth and accuracy for predicting the future. Astronomical differences:- The basic difference between the two systems is that the Vedic zodiac is Sidereal and the Western is Tropical.
The earth's equator shifts backward through the signs of the zodiac at the rate of about 51" of longitude per year known as "precession of the equinoxes." Because of this phenomenon, the theoretical Aries of the western zodiac drifts further and further from the Aries used by Vedic astrologers -- at the rate of about 1 degree every 72 years. The tropical (Western), and the Vedic Aries were on the same zodiacal plane around 285 AD because of the precession of the equinoxes. At present, there is approximately a 23 degree difference. Thus, all of the planets in a Vedic horoscope, including the rising sign, will be about 23 zodiacal degrees earlier than they would be in a Western chart. Since, planetary placements will vary considerably; Vedic astrologers cannot rely on the interpretation made by western astrologers. Some Questions to Astrologers who point towards the deadline of 2012:
Our humble submission is that the world is going to change a lot during the year 2012, but this does not amount to the end of the world. It will make the world a better place, because the planet of divine justice (Saturn) will be strong and will be in a decisive position. The most important thing during this period will be change in power centers. The supremacy of the superpowers may be threatened. Countries having belief in democracy will win because Saturn helps the down-trodden and common man the most. Many changes in the lifestyle, polity and thought process of the world are taking place and will continue to take place in the year 2012 also. Old ideas will be replaced by New Ideas. The fear is because of the human tendency to repel changes. All changes are not bad, because it is only change that brings in a new and improved setup. Angelic and Spiritual Interpretation about 2012: Angel Guides, philosophers and spiritual people talk about 'Millennium Children' and “End- Times Children” who are relevant for 2012 . For a discussion about what the world will be like in the year 2012, it is pertinent to know about these children. Within the last decade or so, a growing number of children have been born that appear to be more intuitive and more creative than older generations were at that age. They take to computers as easily as a fish takes to water. They have natural understanding of technology in general. These bright and gifted youngsters were called "Millennium Children" in the book of the same name by Caryl Dennis and Parker Whitman, published in 1998. Some of them are also called the "End-Times Children" who are living amongst us. Like the “Millennium Children”, they have also exceptional qualities and unbelievable capabilities. The difference is that "Millennium Children" stand for positive qualities where as “End- Times Children” stand for negative qualities. "End-timers" are also intelligent and creative. They, too, have a natural understanding of technology. But it is generally the technology of destruction-such as bombs, firearms or other weapons-that interests them the most. They can develop methods to turn into professional hackers at times. Their fascination towards destruction can make them develop high technology weapons. The ‘Millennium Children' and the ‘End-Times Children' especially the indigo children born in 1980's and 1990's will attain adulthood by 2012. It is likely that there can be some clashes between these two groups of opposite mindsets to attain the purpose of their incarnation. This indicates that extremism, opportunism and hunger for power will be on the rise on account of “End-Times Children” whereas healing, tenderness, love, understanding and protection will also rise on account of activities of ‘Millennium Children'. Conclusion: The world is transforming and power shifts are taking place. By, 2012 we will witness philosophical, social, economical and political changes throughout the world. Power centers may change. There may be violent wars. But, the world, as such, will remain and souls will keep on incarnating for furtherance of their divine life purpose and for enjoying the fruits of their karma. In a deck of Tarot cards the XIII th card is “The Death” card. But, for a Tarot reader this card may mean many things depending on the questions pertaining to health, career, marriage, childbirth and various other problems. This card indicates that change is taking place and the end is coming to something which exists. The same reading can mean different things to different experts in different situations. Hence, the change of era which is making the astrologers panic, may mean end of stagnating mindset and beginning of a wonderful era. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 03/Nov/2009 at 4:29pm
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Sleep with your head facing South and Article on Vasthu-
http://sify.com/astrology/fullstory.php?id=14347880 - http://sify.com/astrology/fullstory.php?id=14347880 ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: venkat
Date Posted: 14/Nov/2009 at 1:46pm
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2012 -
http://sify.com/astrology/fullstory.php?id=14918756 - http://sify.com/astrology/fullstory.php?id=14918756
You will most probably be aware of the bomb blasts in Delhi on September 13, 2008. The day cannot be forgotten that easily! ‘13’ is supposed to be an overall evil number which has been proven yet again, thanks to these serial blasts! There is a numerological fact behind it. 1+ 3= 4 It is the number of Rahu! We are all aware that Rahu is a snaky planet. The day (Saturday) belongs to Saturn. Saturn is not very friendly to India - especially north India. Till the sunset it could somehow withstand. The combination was waiting for dusk to fall! The total number of that day is 1+3+9+2+0+0+8=23 (2+3=5) ‘5’ belongs to Mercury. Mercury is friendly to Rahu. Saturn is also Rahu’s friend. That is how the entire combination worked out. The star of that day was ‘Dhanishta’/ Avittam. In other words, the moon sign is Aquarius. The lord of Aquarius is - hold your breath - Saturn! Thus the entire combination inevitably became a bad one for the capital city of India. Is there something that can be done about all this? The chanting of Hanuman chaleesa in temples by the masses will definitely be helpful to avoid such future happenings. Non-Hindus may help lepers and handicapped people by doing social service and feeding them to their satisfaction on Saturdays. Black blankets may be gifted to the poor. ------------- Life is always a fight....to finish at the start line. Problem-Use challenge, Tension-Use excitement,Ican't-Use i can,avoid no at the beginning of sentence. |
Posted By: PKB2000
Date Posted: 14/Nov/2009 at 4:33pm
1.ALU SEDDHO (BOILED POTATO)+ DIM SEDDHO (BPILED EGG) + GHEE and GARAM BHAT (STEAM RICE).
2. GARAM GARAM KICHUDI (HOT KICHDI)+ OMELLTE (FRIED EGG)+ ALU BHAJA (FINGER CHIPS) +POSTOR BADA (FRIED POPPY SEED) + PATOL BHAJA -especially when it rains.
3. GARAM BHAT (STEAM RICE) + ILISH MACHER JHAL (HILSHA CURRY)
Disclosure: I have reduced all above combinations (an ageing effect). but when I am forced to stay as bachelor (forced bachelor), I still take three eggs and boiled rice once at a day( Do not tell my wife please) ------------- I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. ~Pablo Picasso |