Author: Natarajan

Top 10 Tips for Effective Communication at Work spot….

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SOURCE:::::::::::: UNKNOWN… But found very useful and appealing….

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Communication is arguably one of the most important business skills, no matter what your industry. Yet so many of us haven’t been trained in how to communicate with co-workers and clients. Here are some tips to help you become a better communicator:

1. Listen.
Most of us are terrible listeners. Instead of truly listening to what the person is saying, we interrupt, prepare our response, or think we already know what the speaker is going to say next. It’s impossible to understand what someone needs or wants if we don’t give them our undivided attention.

2. Pay attention to body language.
Body language can tell you just as much as what a person says, if not more. Observe how they act when they talk. Is your co-worker saying she can meet a deadline, but wringing her hands while she says it? She might be afraid to tell you it will be hard to make the due date

3. Consider communication preference.
Not everyone likes to communicate the same way. Email works for some, but others would rather pick up the phone and talk, text, or even use social media or instant messaging to relay something. Respect the person you’re trying to contact and use the method she seems to prefer. If you’ve called a client several times and always get her voicemail, but she’s always quick to respond to email, switch to email instead

4. Consider your tone.
The problem with email and social media is that it can be difficult to determine the tone. You may mean something as a joke, but if it comes off pushy or angry, you could cause an unintended reaction from the recipient. Make sure your language is clear, and if you are angry, take a few minutes to cool down before you type. Better yet, meet in person so nothing is misconstrued.

5. Don’t be too casual.
Getting along with your work colleagues can help you do your job better, but don’t take it too far in your communication on the job. Keep the cursing for after hours, and make sure your emails, meetings, and phone calls are professional. Being too casual on the job may make others feel uncomfortable

6. Check your grammar
Spell check is your best friend on the job. Always proofread anything you type–be it an email, Tweet, or letter. If you’re not great at catching errors, ask someone else to proof it for you.

7. Keep criticism constructive.
If you manage others, you want them to do their best. Work to ensure your comments aren’t emotionally charged, and that the person you’re speaking with grasps what you’re trying to say when giving feedback. Provide positive reinforcement when a job is well-done, and find ways to add in tips for improvement without being “that boss.”
8. Restate what you hear.
Rephrasing what your co-worker or boss says to you by repeating the important points shows you are listening and understand what you were told. It gives both parties a chance to clarify if there is any confusion, and by repeating it, you’ll remember

9. Get a little personal.
People let their guards down when you talk about their lives outside of work. Ask about a co-worker’s kid’s soccer tournament. Find ways to interact on a personal level without going too far. You’ll go a long way toward building trust

10. Never stop improving.
Effective communication is a skill you must practice. Observe how others respond to your communication to clue you in on areas for improvement.

“Tree care ” Kanchikovil Thatha !!!!!

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SOURCE:::::: Article by Akila Kannadasan in “THE HINDU”…..SEP 3 2012……

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For 43 years now, K.A. Nagarajan has single-handedly planted and raised thousands of trees in his hometown of Kanchikovil. He is better known there as Maram Thatha, finds out Akila Kannadasan

Nagarajan realised it was already dusk, and time to go home. He had been planting flowering plants along the path leading to a hill temple in Kanchikovil the entire day. He knew he was in trouble when he encountered his furious dad who was on his way uphill looking for him. Says Nagarajan, “When my father said ‘Go home, I’m coming’, my blood curdled. I knew I was in trouble.” Today, almost 43 years after that day, Maram Thatha Nagarajan recalls the beating he got that evening. But not even that thrashing stopped him from doing what he wanted to do: plant trees.

Nagarajan has single-handedly planted over 7,000 trees in and around his village near Erode. He started when he was just 17 years old. Today, most of the saplings he planted are tall, strapping trees that are the lifeline for the people of Kanchikovil. The trees are almost as old as his children, and Nagarajan treats them no differently. For a living, he weaves towels on a loom at home.

Star struck

Seated on a wire-cot in his small, whitewashed house, he speaks of how as a little boy, he was a huge fan of MGR. “I grew up listening to the songs of Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram and looked up to Kamaraj,” he says. His heroes inspired him to “do something” for the people. “I thought, why not plant trees that give shade to people.”

He collected seeds from around the village and raised the saplings himself. At the break of dawn, he would get on to his father’s cycle, his precious aruval and kadapparai slung around the handlebar. Two plastic pots of water held by a string hung on either side of his cycle carrier. Nagarajan would meticulously plant the saplings, build a fence of thorns around them for protection and water them. “If I plant a tree, it is my duty to look after it till it is strong enough,” says the 60-year-old.

Nagarajan’s wife Prema is very supportive of his mission. “She packs lunch and tea in a wire koodai for me when I go to work,” he smiles. The man on a cycle with his lunch basket, sickles and saplings became a common sight in Kanchikovil and somewhere along the way the children started calling him ‘Maram Thatha’. Nagarajan will stop at nothing to help a tree grow. He has braved thorns and brambles, irate authorities…he has even collected water from a ditch to water a tree. The soft-spoken man says that nothing angers him more than the reckless cutting of trees. Age has slowed him down, but even today, he is often seen shirtless in the hot sun with a mundaasu, fighting weeds with his sickle.

Anytime, anywhere

The village folk turn to him for any tree help. Tell him you need a custard apple sapling and he will make sure it is planted in your backyard. He even broke the myth surrounding the pungai tree by planting twenty of them in the village. “People believed that ghosts inhabited the tree,” says Nagarajan.

Nagarajan’s love for trees is immense. He has just recovered from a heart attack and he says, “It is the blessings of all the trees that saved me.”

He then speaks of the ‘Police station’ arasa maram. “When it was a young tree, people planned to cut it down to make way for a canal. But I didn’t let them do it. I said I will fast if it was cut.”

The canal was built, but the tree was spared. “It’s huge now. It is home to hundreds of little cormorants. They are beautiful, in the evenings you can hear them sing.” Even when Nagarajan is weaving at home, his mind wanders to the trees on the hillside. “When I close my eyes, all I think of is where to plant my next tree and which tree is in need of help,” he says.

What does he feel when he sees the saplings he planted all those years ago now as glorious trees? Maram Thatha falls silent for a moment. “Words cannot describe the feeling. The satisfaction…sometimes, I even feel a slight tinge of pride.”

Keywords: Nagarajan, Kanchikovil, Maram Thatha

DO Not Undermine the Auditor…..

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SOURCE:::::: ARTICLE BY ERA SEZHIYAN…in ‘THE HINDU” ON SEP 4 2012….AN eye opener for all our political leaders …must read…

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The Prime Minister is out of line in asserting that the Public Accounts Committee “will” challenge the findings of the CAG. It is akin to issuing a whip to the committee
When the draft provisions relating to the Comptroller and Auditor General were under consideration in the Constituent Assembly, Dr. B.R Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee, said: “I am of the opinion that this dignitary or officer is probably the most important officer in the Constitution of India. He is the one man who is going to see that the expenses voted by Parliament are not exceeded, or varied from what has been laid down by Parliament in the Appropriation Act. If this functionary is to carry out the duties — and his duties, I submit, are far more important than the duties even of the Judiciary — he should have been certainly as independent as the Judiciary. But, comparing the Articles about the Supreme Court and those relating to the Auditor General, I cannot help saying that we have not given him the same independence which we have given to the Judiciary, although I personally feel that he ought to have far greater independence than the Judiciary itself” (May 30, 1949)

‘WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR’

While laying the foundation stone of the CAG office building in New Delhi in July 1954, President Rajendra Prasad said: “… At the present moment when the Government is incurring a huge expenditure on so many welfare projects … it is essential that every rupee that we spend is properly accounted for. This important task — I am afraid, a task not always very pleasant — devolves upon the Comptroller and Auditor General and his office. In accordance with the powers vested in him, he has to carry on these functions without fear or favour in the larger interests of the nation.”

At a similar function in Madras in June 1954, Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan stated: “Ours is a poor country, its resources are limited and we cannot afford to risk any kind of waste and the Audit and Accounts Department will have to look upon their functions as the functions of the greatest public utility …” In conclusion, he asserted: “If I have one advice to give and if I am presumptuous enough to give any advice to the officers of the audit and accounts, it is this: ‘Do not shrink from the truth for fear of offending men in high places’.”

At the time President Prasad spoke about “huge expenditure of government projects,” the combined budgetary transactions of the Centre and the States were Rs.1,354 crore (1954-55). In 2010-2011, the total had zoomed to Rs.22, 92,510 crore according to the Economic Survey 2011-12.

When there was some criticism of the CAG’s reports in December 1952, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru chastised the Member: “He [the CAG] is not responsible to the Government and it is open for him to criticise the Government in reports. For him to be criticised on the floor of the House would tend to undermine the special position that has been granted to him to discharge his duties without fear or favour.”

Against the audit’s findings on deficiencies in defence preparedness on May 31, 1962, during the debate on Demands for Grants, Defence Minister Krishna Menon flared up: “Criticism offered by Audit to Parliament must be limited to financial question based on accounts. It is not the function of Auditor General to range over the field of administration and offer suggestion as to how the Government could be better conducted.” Immediately there were points of order and Speaker Sardar Hukam Singh pacified both sides. On June 18, the matter was again raised and the Speaker accepted the suggestion of the Finance Minister to seek elucidation from the Public Accounts Committee on the role of the CAG on the points raised.

In the 1950s and 1960s, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as its leader, the Congress had more than 70 per cent strength in both Houses, which naturally gave the ruling party a sufficient majority in all Committees, including the PAC. In 1962, the PAC chairman was Mahavir Tyagi, a senior Congress leader, bold and free in his views.

The PAC made an extensive study of the objectives and practices in the United Kingdom, and of explanations and documents offered by CAG A.K. Roy. Then, Tyagi submitted the PAC report with the following recommendations: “The Committee is definitely of the view that it is the function of the CAG to satisfy himself not only that every expenditure has been incurred as per prescribed rules, regulations and laws, but also that it has been incurred with ‘faithfulness, wisdom and economy.’ If, in the course of the audit, the CAG becomes aware of facts which appear to him to indicate an improper expenditure or waste of money, it is his duty to call the attention of Parliament to them through his Audit Reports. At the present time when there is heavy taxation and heavy expenditure, the Committee hopes that the CAG will pay even greater attention than in the past to this aspect of his duties and that the government will give him every facility to perform them.”

Four months later, in October 1962, the Chinese aggression on India proved the validity of the points raised in the Audit Report. The debacle forced Krishna Menon to resign.

Now scam after scam comes to be reported about the bewildering loss of public funds, counted in lakhs of crores. But at every revelation, the Manmohan Singh government, noted for its zero administrative capacity, maintains there is zero loss.

Can we expect the President and the Vice-President to follow in the footsteps of Rajendra Prasad and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and ask the CAG to carry on his functions “without fear or favour” or advise the Audit officers “not to shrink from truth for fear of offending men in high places?”

On August 27, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh submitted to both Houses his report refuting many points raised in the CAG Report on the allocation of coal blocks. I am not going to analyse the contents of the report.

HORRIFYING

I am horrified at the remarks he made to the media before going to the Lok Sabha with his report. His message to the media in Parliament House on August 27 was released by the Prime Minister’s Office. The fourth paragraph of the news release said: “I wish to assure the country that we have a very strong and credible case, the observations of the CAG are disputable, and they will be challenged when the matter comes before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.”

I am not concerned here with the Prime Minster’s affirmations about the strong case of the government or the disputable observations of the CAG. What I am strongly against is this sentence in his statement: “…they [observations of the CAG] will be challenged when the matter comes before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.”

How can the Prime Minister say now that the observations of the CAG ‘will’ be challenged when the matter comes before the PAC?

The PAC is set up by Parliament and its proceedings cannot be passed on to others until its report is submitted to Parliament. The Prime minister, however high his position, should not take the PAC for granted. He cannot issue a whip now that the observations of the CAG are to be challenged. He may as well abolish the entire Committee system.

When Hitler came to power in Germany, he proscribed all political parties excepting the Nazi Party; then he amended the law to end all forms of accountability through audit of finance. It is to be hoped that Manmohan Singh and his ministers are not trying to adopt this method to avoid struggling with the cumbersome parliamentary system of a functioning democracy.

(Era Sezhiyan is an eminent parliamentarian and author. He was chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 1971 to 1973.)

Keywords: Comptroller and Auditor-General of India

Laughter The Best Medicine…..Airline Ticket Booking….

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SOURCE:::: UNKNOWN… But a good stuff for hearty laugh !!!!!….

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The Story of A Washington DC Airport Ticket Agent

(unbelievable)….

*A DC ‘airport ticket agent’ offers some examples of why the US is in
so much trouble!* *

1.*I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman (Carol Shea-Porter) ask for an aisle
seat so that her hair wouldn’t get messed up by being near the window. (On
an airplane!) *

2. *I got a call from a Kansas Congressman’s (Moore) staffer (Howard
Bauleke), who wanted to go to Cape Town*. I started to explain the length
of the flight and the passport information, and then he interrupted me
with, ”I’m not trying to make you look stupid, but Cape Town is in
Massachusetts ..” *

Without trying to make him look stupid, I calmly explained, ”Cape Cod is
in Massachusetts , Cape Town is in South Africa ..” *

3.* A senior Vermont Congressman (Bernie Sanders) called, furious about a
Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando
. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that’s
not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state.

He replied, ‘Don’t lie to me!, I looked on the map, and Florida is a very
THIN state!!” (OMG) *

4.* I got a call from a lawmaker’s wife (Landra Reid) who asked, ”Is it
possible to see England from Canada ?”

I said, ”No.” She said, ”But they look so close on the map” (OMG,
again!) *

5.* An aide for a cabinet member (Janet Napolitano) once called and asked
if he could rent a car in Dallas .. I pulled up the reservation and noticed
he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas … When I asked him why he wanted
to rent a car, he said, ”I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will
need a car to drive between gates to save time.” (Aghhhh) *

6.* An Illinois Congresswoman (Jan Schakowsky) called last week. She needed
to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m.,
and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m.

I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn’t
understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went
fast, and she bought that. *

7.* A New York lawmaker, (Jerrold Nadler) called and asked, ”Do airlines
put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage
belongs to whom?” I said, ‘No, why do you ask?’

He replied, ”Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on
my luggage that said (FAT), and I’m overweight. I think that’s very rude!”

After putting him on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was
dying laughing). I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , Ca.
is (FAT – Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting a
destination tag on his luggage.. *

8.* A Senator John Kerry aide (Lindsay Ross) called to inquire about a trip
package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, ”Would
it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii ?” *

9.* I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman, Bobby Bright from
Ala. who asked, ”How do I know which plane to get on?”

I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ”I was told my
flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.” *

10* Senator Dianne Feinstein called and said, ”I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola
, Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?”

I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola and fly on a commuter plane. She
said, ”Yeah, whatever, smarty!” *

11* Mary Landrieu, La. Senator, called and had a question about the
documents she needed in order to fly to China . After a lengthy discussion
about passports, I reminded her that she needed a visa. “Oh, no I don’t.
I’ve been to China many times and never had to have one of those.”

I double checked and sure enough, her stay required a visa. When I told her
this she said, ”Look, I’ve been to China four times and every time they
have accepted my American Express!” *

12* A New Jersey Congressman (John Adler) called to make reservations, ”I
want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York .”

I was at a loss for words. Finally, I said, ”Are you sure that’s the name
of the town?”

‘Yes, what flights do you have?” replied the man.

After some searching, I came back with, ”I’m sorry, sir, I’ve looked up
every airport code in the country and can’t find a rhino anywhere.”

”The man retorted, ”Oh, don’t be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check
your map!”

So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, ”You
don’t mean Buffalo , do you?”

The reply? ”Whatever! I knew it was a big animal.”

Now you know why the Government is in the shape it’s in!

Could ANYONE be this DUMB?

YES, THEY WALK AMONG US, ARE IN POLITICS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BREED.

தமிழ் விஞ்ஞானிக்கு வட அமெரிக்காவில் கெளரவம் ….ஆனால் நம் இந்தியாவில் ???????????

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source::::: input from one of my contacts……let us hope that we take pride and lead in  spotting our own people and appreciating their talents before some other nation hijacks this golden opporttunity!!!!!   in the indident under discussion, who is the loser???? certainly NOT the individual!!!!!!
Natarajan

இந்தியாவால் அவமானப்படுத்தப்பட்டு வெளியேற்றப்பட்ட தமிழ் விஞ்ஞானிக்கு வடமெரிக்காவில் கவுரவம்.

இந்தியாவால் வெளியேற்றப்பட்டு அவமானப்படுத்தப்பட்ட தமிழ் விஞ்ஞானி சிவா அய்யாதுரையை வட அமெரிக்கத் தமிழர் பேரவையான பெட்னா சிறப்பித்து கவுரப்படுத்தியிருக்கிறது.
இப்போதெல்லாம் ‘மெயில்’ வந்துருக்கு ன்னு வீட்டிலே யாரும் சொன்னால் அது தபாலில் வந்த மெயில் என்ற எண்ணம் வருவதில்லை. ‘மெயில்’ என்றால் ‘இமெயில்’ தான் என்று ஆகிவிட்டது. ஃபேஸ்புக், டுவிட்டர் என வெவ்வேறு பரிமாணங்களில் தகவல் தொழில் நுட்பம் முன்னேற்றம் கண்டாலும், இமெயில் எனபது அன்றாட செயல்களில் முக்கிய அம்சமாகிவிட்டது. தற்போதைய வாழ்க்கை முறையையே மாற்றிப் போட்டுவிட்டது.
முதன் முதலாக இமெயில் என்ற பெயரையும், இன்பாக்ஸ், அவுட்பாக்ஸ், ட்ராஃப்ட்ஸ், மெமோ உள்ளிட்ட (Inbox, Outbox, Drafts, the Memo (“To:”, “From:”, “Subject:”, “Bcc:”, “Cc:”, “Date:”, “Body:”), and processes such as Forwarding, Broadcasting, Attachments, Registered Mail, and others.) அனைத்து பகுதிகளையும் உள்ளடக்கிய தகவல் பரிமாற்றத்தை கண்டு பிடித்தவர் அமெரிக்க நியூ ஜெர்ஸி மாகாணத்தில் வசித்து வந்த 14 வயதே நிரம்பிய வி.ஏ. சிவா அய்யாதுரை என்ற தமிழ்க் குடும்பத்தை சார்ந்த மாணவன்.
ஆனால், குடியேற்ற சிறுபான்மை இனத்தவர் என்ற காரணத்தினாலோ என்னவோ, அவருக்கு அந்த அங்கீகாரத்தை கொடுக்காமல், இமெயில் உரிமைக்கு பலரும் சொந்தம் கொண்டாடினர்.
நான்கு ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து அமெரிக்க அரசாங்கம், 1982 ஆம் ஆண்டு ஆகஸ்ட் 30ம் நாள் முறையாக வி.ஏ. சிவா அய்யாதுரையின் புதிய கண்டுபிடிப்பான ‘இமெயில்’ ஐ அங்கீகரித்து காப்பி ரைட் வழங்கியது. இன்றோடு சரியாக முப்பது ஆண்டுகள் நிறைவடைந்துள்ளதை ஒட்டி, டாக்டர். வி.ஏ. சிவா அய்யாதுரை ‘இன்னோவேஷன்ஸ் கார்ப்ஸ்’ என்ற புதிய நிறுவனத்தை தொடங்கியுள்ளார்.
நியூ ஜெர்ஸி மாகாணம் நேவார்க் நகரில் இந்த நிறுவனம் தொடங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அதன் சார்பில், நேவார்க் நகர உயர் நிலைப்பள்ளி மாணவர்களை புதிய கண்டுபிடிப்புகளுக்கு ஊக்கப்படுத்தும் வகையில் ஒரு லட்சம் டாலர்கள் பரிசுத்தொகை வழங்கப்போவதாக அறிவித்துள்ளார் டாக்டர் சிவா அய்யாதுரை.
மாணவனாக இருந்த போது தனது கண்டுபிடிப்புக்கு அங்கீகாரம் கிடைக்காமல் பல்வேறு சோதனைகளுக்குள்ளான தன்னைப்போல், ஏனைய மாணவர்களுக்கு அந்த சோகம் நேரக்கூடாது என்பதற்காகவும், மாணவர்களின் கண்டுபிடிப்புகள் புதிய தொழில்களை தொடங்கும் வகையிலும் இன்னோவேஷன்ஸ் கார்ப்ஸ் உறுதுணையாக இருக்கும் என்றார்.
பல தொழில்களை நடத்தி வரும் டாக்டர் சிவா அய்யாதுரை, அமெரிக்க பிரபல பல்கலைக் கழகமான எம்.ஐ.டி யின் விரிவுரையாளராகவும் பணிபுரிகிறார். சமீபத்தில் நடந்த வட அமெரிக்க தமிழர் பேரவை (ஃபெட்னா) வெள்ளிவிழா மாநாட்டில் அவர் கௌரவிக்கப் பட்டார் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. அவரது ‘இமெயில்’ பயணத்தை http://www.inventorofemail.com/ தளத்தில் தெரிந்து கொள்ளலாம்.
இந்தியாவில் அவமதிப்பு
இதே சிவா அய்யாதுரையை மத்திய அரசின் அறிவியல் மற்றும் ஆராய்ச்சி நிறுவனம் 2008-ம் ஆண்டு டெல்லிக்கு அழைத்தது. அவரும் இந்திய அரசின் அழைப்பை ஏற்று டெல்லியில் வந்து பணியாற்றினார். ஆனால் மத்திய அறிவியல் ஆராய்ச்சி நிறுவனத் தலைவரை விமர்சித்தார் என்று கூறி அவரை இதர விஞ்ஞானிகள் பேசுவதற்கு தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டது. அவருக்கான இணைய தொடர்பும் துண்டிக்கப்பட்டது. ஒருகட்டத்தில் அவர் தங்கியிருந்த அரசு வீட்டிலிருந்தே வெளியேறவும் உத்தரவிடப்பட்டது.
இப்படி இந்தியா அவமதித்த அய்யாதுரைதான் பெட்னா மாநாட்டில் சிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறார்.
as

Top 10 Tips To Stay Young and Happy…..

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source:::::unknown….. but simple and workable tips for somebody who wants to stay young and happy with a sound health !!!!!

Natarajan

:

1. Throw out nonessential numbers.
This includes age, weight, and height.
Let the doctors worry about them.. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches pull you down.
(Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

3. Keep learning:
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.
Never let the brain get idle.
‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’
And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s!

4. Enjoy the simple things

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him or her!

6. The tears happen:
Endure, grieve, and move on.
The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself.
LIVE while you are alive.

7 Surround yourself with what you love:
Whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Kolkata Student one of the Youngest in Stanford University….

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SOURCE:::: “TIMES OF INDIA “….SEP 3 2012…

Natarajan

A 23-year-old student from the city of Kolkata, has become one of the youngest to qualify for the MBA programme at Stanford University. The Stanford Graduate School of Business in California, one of the best B-schools in the world, has the highest ratio of applicants to available seats and lowest acceptance rates.
“I am very fortunate to get selected for Stanford’s MBA programme straight out of college. The admissions committee advised me to work for another year as they felt that I would get more out of Stanford’s experiential learning curriculum. So I worked in the digital team of Magma FinCorp Ltd. I am now set to join Stanford in September,” said Harsh Chamria. He will be one of the youngest students at the prestigious MBA programme where the median year of experience is four years.
Harsh studied in St James School in Kolkata till Class VI before going to Doon School, from where he went to Appleby College in Canada on an exchange programme. After passing Class X, he decided to return to his family in Kolkata for Plus Two course because he knew he would thereafter go abroad for graduation. “I did not want to stay away from home for 10 years at a stretch. I was getting homesick,” he confessed.
He passed Class XII from La Martiniere for Boys and then went to Cornell University for electrical and computer engineering and developed a prototype of mobile payment system with a classmate. “I was always interested in the convergence of telecom, network and finance and Cornell offered the right course,” he said.
After being awarded entrepreneurship in engineering fellowship (Cornell Kessler fellows) in junior year, Harsh partnered with Silicon Valley startup Bling Nation located just behind Stanford. There, he pioneered the idea to combine social-media connectivity at the point-of-sale and developed blueprint for web-interface to be used by partner merchants to identify consumer groups, run and measure the effectiveness of customized promotions based on simple analytics.
“In my last semester in college, I developed and implemented low-cost college sales strategy at Cornell, growing business to over 1,500 customers and 12 partner merchants. I also expanded the college ambassador programme to Stanford, Cornell, UT-Austin, and University of Knoxville,” Harsh recounted.
After the admission committee at Stanford advised him to gain professional experience in India, he joined family firm Magma FinCorp. Harsh’s father Sanjay Chamria is the vice-chairman and managing director of Magma FinCorp, one of the largest asset finance companies in India with $2.7 billion in assets.
Over the past year-and-a-half, Harsh developed an innovative online lead-generation sales channel for the car loans business, implemented a full-scale online credit-underwriting solution in top-10 cities of India based on success of online lead-generation pilot targeting $1million business in the first month of operation. He also created a cross-platform digital strategy comprising branding and sales initiatives.
“Magma’s business has grown manifold in the past decade. But as a brand, it had not quite evolved. So I helped Magma’s first corporate brand-building campaign, targeting potential investors, employees, and evolved customers. I also developed a brand new website, social-media web properties, display-media and keyword-search campaigns that led to a quantum leap in the organization’s digital presence,” he said. After the MBA, Harsh intends to return to Kolkata to either start a tech-venture of his own, or join Magma.
When not chalking out new business ideas, Harsh is busy at the gym or dancing salsa. He was part of the Salsa troupe at Cornell University and ran the half marathon in Mumbai. “I am passionate about fitness and love to dance”, he says.

PUN on Words …..With Pinch of Humour!!!!!

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How does Moses makes his tea ? Hebrews it !!!

Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!

A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.

I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

Haunted French pancakes give me the crêpes.

England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.

I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.

They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.

I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.

This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.

When chemists die, they barium.

I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.

I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

PMS jokes aren’t funny; period…

Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.

We’re going on a class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there’s no pop quiz.

I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.

Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils?

When you get a bladder infection urine trouble.

Broken pencils are pointless.

What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.

I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.

All the toilets in New York’s police stations have been stolen. The police have nothing to go on.

I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.

Velcro – what a rip off!

SOURCE::::input from one of my contacts….

natarajan

History of Hinduism….

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SOURCE::::: Input from one of my contacts…. an interesting read…..
natarajan

History of Hinduism

Satellite map of IndiaIndia

Hinduism’s early history is the subject of much debate for a number of reasons.
Firstly, in a strict sense there was no ‘Hinduism’ before modern times, although the sources of Hindu traditions are very ancient.
Secondly, Hinduism is not a single religion but embraces many traditions.
Thirdly, Hinduism has no definite starting point. The traditions which flow into Hinduism may go back several thousand years and some practitioners claim that the Hindu revelation is eternal.
Although there is an emphasis on personal spirituality, Hinduism’s history is closely linked with social and political developments, such as the rise and fall of different kingdoms and empires. The early history of Hinduism is difficult to date and Hindus themselves tend to be more concerned with the substance of a story or text rather than its date.

Hindu notions of time

Hindus in general believe that time is cyclical, much like the four seasons, and eternal rather than linear and bounded. Texts refer to successive ages (yuga), designated respectively as golden, silver, copper and iron.
During the golden age people were pious and adhered todharma (law, duty, truth) but its power diminishes over time until it has to be reinvigorated through divine intervention.
With each successive age, good qualities diminish, until we reach the current iron or dark age (kali yuga) marked by cruelty, hypocrisy, materialism and so on. Such ideas challenge the widespread, linear view that humans are inevitably progressing.

Main historical periods

Although the early history of Hinduism is difficult to date with certainty, the following list presents a rough chronology.

Indus Valley Civilisation

The Indus Valley Civilisation (before 2000 BCE)

Satellite image of Indus river basin with modern international boundaries markedThe Indus basin ©

The Indus Valley civilisation was located in the basin of the river Indus, which flows through present day Pakistan. It had developed by about 2500 BCE although its origins reach back to the Neolithic period. It had faded away by 1500 BCE.
The Indus Valley was a developed urban culture akin to the civilisations of Mesopotamia. Two major cities have been uncovered, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, which has given us the alternative name of Harappan culture. These cities housed about 40,000 people who enjoyed quite a high standard of living with sophisticated water systems; most houses having drainage systems, wells, and rubbish chutes. Grain was the basis of the economy and large grain stores collected grain as tax.
The civilisation was extensive, from the eastern foothills of the Himalayas, to Lothar on the Gujarat coast, and to Sutgagen Dor near the Iranian border. Some cities of the Indus valley culture have yet to be excavated.
The Indus civilisation did not develop as a result of contact with other civilisations such as Sumer or Egypt but was an indigenous development growing out of earlier, local cultures.

Religion in the Indus valley

We know little of the religion, social structure or politics of this early civilisation and we do not know the language, but seals have been found with what looks like a script inscribed on them. This has not been deciphered successfully and some scholars now question whether it is in fact a script, although this is contentious.

Abstract, gently curving carving of seated male torso and arms, the head broken offMale figure found at Mohenjo-Daro. Photo: Amir Taj ©

Religion in the Indus valley seems to have involved temple rituals and ritual bathing in the ‘great bath’ found at Mohenjo-Daro. There is some evidence of animal sacrifice at Kalibangan. A number of terracotta figurines have been found, perhaps goddess images, and a seal depicting a seated figure surrounded by animals that some scholars thought to be a prototype of the god Shiva. Others have disputed this, pointing out that it bears a close resemblance to Elamite seals depicting seated bulls. One image, carved on soapstone (steatite), depicts a figure battling with lions which is reminiscent of the Mesopotamian Gilgamesh myth.
There may be continuities between the Indus Valley civilisation and later Hinduism as suggested by the apparent emphasis on ritual bathing, sacrifice, and goddess worship. But ritual purity, sacrifice and an emphasis on fertility are common to other ancient religions.

Vedic Period

The Vedic Period (c.1500–c.500 BCE)

There have been two major theories about the early development of early south Asian traditions.
  1. The Aryan migration thesis that the Indus Valley groups calling themselves ‘Aryans’ (noble ones) migrated into the sub-continent and became the dominant cultural force. Hinduism, on this view, derives from their religion recorded in the Veda along with elements of the indigenous traditions they encountered.
  2. The cultural transformation thesis that Aryan culture is a development of the Indus Valley culture. On this view there were no Aryan migrations (or invasion) and the Indus valley culture was an Aryan or vedic culture.
There are two sources of knowledge about this ancient period – language and archaeology – and we can make two comments about them. Firstly, the language of vedic culture was vedic Sanskrit, which is related to other languages in the Indo-European language group. This suggests that Indo-European speakers had a common linguistic origin known by scholars as Proto-Indo-European.

Sanskrit manuscriptPage of the Rig Veda in Sanskrit: early 19th century Indian manuscript ©

Secondly, there does seem to be archaeological continuity in the subcontinent from the Neolithic period. The history of this period is therefore complex. One of the key problems is that no horse remains have been found in the Indus Valley but in the Veda the horse sacrifice is central. The debate is ongoing.

Vedic religion

If we take ‘Vedic Period’ to refer to the period when the Vedaswere composed, we can say that early vedic religion centred around the sacrifice and sharing the sacrificial meal with each other and with the many gods (devas). The term ‘sacrifice’ (homa, yajna) is not confined to offering animals but refers more widely to any offering into the sacred fire (such as milk and clarified butter).
Some of the vedic rituals were very elaborate and continue to the present day. Sacrifice was offered to different vedic gods (devas) who lived in different realms of a hierarchical universe divided into three broad realms: earth, atmosphere and sky.
Earth contains the plant god Soma, the fire god Agni, and the god of priestly power, Brhaspati. The Atmosphere contains the warrior Indra, the wind Vayu, the storm gods or Maruts and the terrible Rudra. The Sky contains the sky god Dyaus (from the same root as Zeus), the Lord of cosmic law (or rta) Varuna, his friend the god of night Mitra, the nourisher Pushan, and the pervader Vishnu.

Epic, Puranic and Classical Age

The Epic, Puranic and Classical Age (c.500 BCE–500 CE)

Sanskrit manuscriptArjun and one of his brothers, two of the heroes of the Mahabharata. Dasavatara Temple, Deogarh, 6th century. Photo: Vaticanus©

This period, beginning from around the time of Buddha (died c. 400 BCE), saw the composition of further texts, theDharma Sutras and Shastras, the two Epics, the Mahabharata and theRamayana, and subsequently thePuranas, containing many of the stories still popular today. The famousBhagavad Gita is part of theMahabharata.
The idea of dharma (law, duty, truth) which is central to Hinduism was expressed in a genre of texts known as Dharma Sutras and Shastras. The Dharma Sutras recognise three sources of dharma: revelation (i.e. the Veda), tradition (smrti), and good custom. The Laws of Manu adds ‘what is pleasing to oneself’.
During this period the vedic fire sacrifice became minimised with the development of devotional worship (puja) to images of deities in temples. The rise of the Gupta Empire (320-500 CE) saw the development of the great traditions of Vaishnavism (focussed on Vishnu), Shaivism (focussed on Shiva) and Shaktism (focussed on Devi).
From this period we can recognise many elements in present day Hinduism, such as bhakti (devotion) and temple worship. This period saw the development of poetic literature. These texts were composed in Sanskrit, which became the most important element in a shared culture.

Medieval Period

Medieval Period (500 CE–1500 CE)

Pyramidal granite temple covered with sculpture and statuesTemple to Sri Brahadeeswarar (Shiva) in Tanjavur, the world’s first granite temple, built 1004–1009 CE ©

From 500 CE we have the rise of devotion (bhakti) to the major deities, particularly Vishnu, Shiva and Devi. With the collapse of the Gupta empire, regional kingdoms developed which patronised different religions. For example, the Cholas in the South supported Shaivism.
This period saw the development of the great regional temples such as Jagganatha in Puri in Orissa, the Shiva temple in Cidambaram in Tamilnadu, and the Shiva temple in Tanjavur, also in Tamilnadu. All of these temples had a major deity installed there and were centres of religious and political power.

Poet-saints and gurus

During this time not only religious literature in Sanskrit developed but also in vernacular languages, particularly Tamil. Here poet-saints recorded their devotional sentiments. Most notable are the twelve Vaishnava Alvars (6th–9th centuries), including one famous female poet-saint called Andal, and the sixty-three Shaiva Nayanars (8th–10th centuries).
Subsequent key thinkers and teachers (acharyas or gurus) consolidated these teachings. They formulated new theologies, perpetuated by their own disciplic successions (sampradaya).
Shankara (780–820) travelled widely, defeating scholars of the unorthodox movements, Buddhism and Jainism, which around the turn of the millennium had established prominent seats of learning throughout India. He re-established the authority of the Vedic canon, propagated advaita (monism) and laid foundations for the further development of the tradition known as the Vedanta.

The philosopher Madhva seatedMadhva (c.1238–c.1317, Vaishnava saint and founder of the philosophical school Dvaita Vedanta©

Developments in Vaishnavism and Shaivism

The Vaishnava philosophers Ramanuja (c. 1017–1137), Madhva (13th cent) and others followed, writing their own scriptural commentaries, propounding new theologies and establishing their own successions. Ramanuja qualified Shankara’s impersonal philosophy, and Madhva more strongly propounded the existence of a personal God.
Shaivism similarly developed during this period with important philosophers such as Abhinavagupta (c. 975–1025) writing commentaries on the Tantras, an alternative revelation to the Veda, and other texts.
The Tantras became revered as a revelation that fulfilled or superseded the Veda. Some of these texts advocated ritually polluting practices such as offering alcohol, meat and ritualised sex to ferocious deities but most of these texts are simply concerned with daily and occasional rituals, temple building, cosmology and so on.

Pre-Modern Period

The Pre-Modern Period (c.1500–1757 CE)

Elephants and cavalry carved in marbleMarble elephants at Jagdish Temple in Udaipur, Rajasthan (1651 CE). Photo: Christopher Walker ©

Alongside the development of Hindu traditions, most widespread in the South, was the rise of Islam in the North as a religious and political force in India. The new religion of Islam reached Indian shores around the 8th century, via traders plying the Arabian Sea and the Muslim armies which conquered the northwest provinces.
Muslim political power began with the Turkish Sultanate around 1200 CE and culminated in the Mughul Empire (from 1526). Akbar (1542–1605) was a liberal emperor and allowed Hindus to practice freely. However, his great grandson, Aurangzeb (1618–1707), destroyed many temples and restricted Hindu practice.
During this period we have further developments in devotional religion (bhakti). The Sant tradition in the North, mainly in Maharashtra and the Panjab, expressed devotion in poetry to both a god without qualities (nirguna) and to a god with qualities (saguna) such as parental love of his devotees.
The Sant tradition combines elements of bhakti, meditation or yoga, and Islamic mysticism. Even today the poetry of the princess Mirabai, and other saints such as Tukaram, Surdas and Dadu are popular.

British Period

British Period (1757–1947 CE)

Old map of British Indian EmpireMap of British Indian Empire, 1909 ©

Robert Clive’s victory at the Battle of Plassey (1757) heralded the end of the Mughul Empire and the rise of British supremacy in India.
At first, the British did not interfere with the religion and culture of the Indian people, allowing Hindus to practice their religion unimpeded. Later, however, missionaries arrived preaching Christianity. Shortly after, the first scholars stepped ashore, and though initially sympathetic, were often motivated by a desire to westernise the local population. Chairs of Indology were established in Oxford and other universities in Europe.

Hindu reformers

The nineteenth century saw the development of the ‘Hindu Renaissance’ with reformers such as Ram Mohan Roy (1772–1833) presenting Hinduism as a rational, ethical religion and founding the Brahmo Samaj to promote these ideas.
Another reformer, Dayananda Sarasvati (1824–83), advocated a return to vedic religion which emphasised an eternal, omnipotent and impersonal God. He wanted to return to the ‘eternal law’ orsanatana dharma of Hinduism before the Puranas and Epics through his society, the Arya Samaj.
Both of these reformers wished to rid Hinduism of what they regarded as superstition. These groups were instrumental in sowing the seeds of Indian nationalism and Hindu missionary movements that later journeyed to the West.
Another important figure was Paramahamsa Ramakrishna (1836-86), who declared the unity of all religions. His disciple Vivekananda (1863–1902) developed his ideas and linked them to a political vision of a united India.
 

Paramahamsa RamakrishnaA shrine to Paramahamsa Ramakrishna at Mysore. Photo: Chetan Hegde M ©

Gandhi drew much of his strength and conviction from the Hindu teachings, such as the notion of ahimsa (non-violence), and propounded a patriotism that was broad-minded and magnanimous.

 

இது தெரியுமா உங்களுக்கு … வேப்ப மரம் பிறந்த கதை !!!!

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SOURCE:::: “Dina Malar”…Tamil Daily…

Natarajan

நம் அன்றாட வாழ்வில் நமக்குப் பயன்படும் தாவர வகைகளில் வேம்பும் ஒன்று. சிறந்து கிருமிநாசினியாக பயன்படுகிறது. இத்தகைய வேம்பு எவ்வாறு தோன்றியது தெரியுமா? பாற்கடலைக் கடைந்த போது அமிர்தம் கிடைத்தது. அந்த அமிர்தத்தை திருமால் மோகினி வடிவம் கொண்டு தேவர்களுக்கு அகப்பையினால் பகிர்ந்து கொண்டு இருக்கும்போது, அசுரர்கள் மோகினியின் அழகில் மயங்கியிருக்கையில், அசுரர்களில் ஒருவன் தேவர்களின் பந்தியில் யாருக்கும் தெரியாமல் அமர்ந்து விடுகிறான். திருமாலும் தேவர்களின் வரிசையில் தேவர்களைப் போல இருந்த அசுரனுக்கு மூன்று அகப்பை அமிர்தத்தைக் கொடுத்து விடுகிறார். அமிர்தத்தைக் கொடுத்த திருமாலுக்கு அவன் அசுரன் என்பதை அருகில் இருந்த சூரியனும் சந்திரனும் ஜாடை காட்டிச் சொல்ல, அமிர்தத்தை சாப்பிட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்த அசுரனின் தலையை திருமால் அகப்பையால் வெட்டி விடுகிறார். இதனால் தலை (ராகு) வேறு உடல் (கேது) வேறு என வெட்டுண்ட அசுரன், தனது வாயில் மீதமிருந்த அமிர்தத்தைக் கக்கி விடுகிறான். தன்னைக் காட்டிக் கொடுத்ததால் சூரியனும் சந்திரனும் ராகு கேதுவுக்கு பகை கிரகங்களாக ஜோதிட சாஸ்திரத்தில் சொல்லப்படுகிறது.
கக்கிய அமிர்தமானது பூமியில் விழுந்து வேப்பமரமானது. வேம்புக்கு கசப்புச் சுவை ஏனென்றால், அது அசுரனின் (பாம்பின்) வாயிலிருந்து வெளிப்பட்டதால்தான். இப்படி பாம்பின் நஞ்சும் அமிர்தமும் கலந்து உருவானதே வேம்பு. வேம்பின் இலை, பட்டை, வேர், பிசின், காய், எண்ணெய், முதலியன உண்ணும் மருந்தாகவும், புற மருந்தாகவும் பலவிதமான நோய்களுக்கு சித்த மருத்துவத்தில் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. அப்படிப்பட்ட வேம்பை உண்டு வந்தால் மனிதனுக்கு நோய் என்பதே கிடையாது.
வேம்பின் மருத்துவ குணங்கள்: வேம்பு வீக்கம், கட்டிகளைக் கரைத்தல்,சிறுநீர் பெருக்குதல், வாதம், மஞ்சள் காமாலை, காய்ச்சல், பித்தம், கபம், நீரிழிவு, தோல் வியாதிகள், பூச்சிக் கொல்லியாகவும் பயன் படுகிறது. வேம்பு இலையை அரைத்துக் கட்டி வர ஆறாத ரணம், பழுத்து உடையாத கட்டி, வீக்கம் தீரும். வேப்பங்கொழுந்து 20 கிராம், 4 கடுக்காய் தோல், பிரண்டைச் சாறு விட்டரைத்து அரை அவுன்ஸ் விளக்கெண்ணெய் கலந்து கொடுக்கக் குடல் பூச்சி வெளியாகும். வேம்பின் பஞ்சாங்கச் சூரணம் 10 அரிசி எடை நெய், தேன், வெண்ணெய், பாலில் 2 மண்டலம் கொடுக்க எந்த மருந்துலும் கட்டுப் படாத நோய்கள் மதுமேகம், என்புருக்கி, இளைப்பு, காசம் ஆகியவை தீரும். உடம்பு கெட்டி படும், நரை திரை மாறும்.
வேம்பு இலையுடன் சிறிது மஞ்சள் சேர்த்துத் தடவி வரப் பொன்னுக்கு வீங்கி, பித்த வெடிப்பு, கட்டி, பருவு, அம்மைக் கொப்புளம் ஆகியவை குணமாகும். 5 கிராம் உலர்ந்த பழைய வேம்புப் பூவை 50 மி.லி. குடிநீர் விட்டு மூடி வைத்திருந்து வடிகட்டிச் சாப்பிட்டு வரப் பசியின்மை, உடல் தளர்ச்சி நீங்கும். கல்லீரலை நன்கு இயக்குவிக்கும். 3 கிராம் வேப்பம் விதையை சிறிது வெல்லம் கூட்டி அரைத்துக் காலை, மாலையாக 40 நாட்கள் சாப்பிட மூல நோய் தீரும். நீண்ட நாள் சாப்பிட்டு வரத் தோல் நோய்கள், சூதக சன்னி, நரம்பு இசிவு, குடல் புழுக்கள் தீரும். 50 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு மேற்பட்ட முதிர்ந்த வேம்பின் வேர்ப்பட்டைப் பொடியுடன் முதிர்ந்த பூவரசம் பட்டைப் பொடி கலந்து 2 கிராம் அளவாகச் சிறிது சர்க்கரைக் கூட்டி காலை, மாலை நீண்ட நாட்கள் சாப்பிட்டு வரத் தொழுநோய் முதலான அனைத்துத் தோல் நோய்களும் குணமாகும். வேப்பிலையை அரைத்து முகப்பரு உள்ள இடத்தில் பூசினால் வெகு விரைவில் மறைந்து விடும்.