Discipline

Message For the Day…” Significance of Yaga as Thankfulness to God …”

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Yaga (ritualistic sacrificial prayers) is prescribed by the Karma Kanda (the parts that expound on actions or Karma as a spiritual path) of the Vedas. It is for sanctifying time and fulfilling the goal of human birth. The practice of renunciation and dedication through the rite of the yaga promotes worldly happiness as well as spiritual progress. It fosters charity and social cohesion. The ritual sacrifices pleases the deities presiding over the forces of Nature and so brings down rain, which helps growing crops, and increases food for man and beast. Activity that is divorced from spiritual goals, and devoid of reverence and humility, leads to conceit and authoritarianism. It makes one arrogant and cruel; but the sages of India laid down that all activity has to be done as a yaga, as offerings for the glory of God, in an atmosphere of thankfulness and awe, of humility and holiness. The goal of all activity was idealised as the happiness and peace of all living beings.

Sathya Sai Baba

” The Ridge “… An Incredible Bike Ride !!!

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The Ridge is the brand new film from Danny Macaskill… For the first time in one of his films Danny climbs aboard a mountain bike and returns to his native home of the Isle of Skye in Scotland to take on a death-defying ride along the notorious Cuillin Ridgeline.

Explore mountain biking in Scotland here: http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/a…

SOURCE::::www.you tube.com

Nataraja

Image of the Day…. Launch of Orion …

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The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, with NASA’s Orion spacecraft mounted atop, lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at at 7:05 a.m. EST, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014, in Florida. The Orion spacecraft will orbit Earth twice, reaching an altitude of approximately 3,600 miles above Earth before landing in the Pacific Ocean. No one is aboard Orion for this flight test, but the spacecraft is designed to allow us to journey to destinations never before visited by humans, including an asteroid and Mars.

Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls 

SOURCE::::www.nasa.gov

Natarajan

Message For the Day…” How to Get Yourself Freed From the Fog of Ignorance …” ?

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To discriminate between good and bad, one must resort to scriptures. The Vedas emerged from the Divine Himself and were ‘heard’ by sages attuned to the voice of the Divine, who in turn, taught them to their disciples. This process of imparting the Vedas and the wisdom enshrined in them has continued through many generations of Gurus and disciples until now. The Upanishads, the Brahma Sutra and the Bhagavad Gita contain the very essence of the Vedas. Hence these are designated as ‘three fundamental texts (Prasthana traya)’ of the science of spirituality. Acquisition of higher knowledge alone can fulfil the main purpose of human life; it makes one aware that one is not the inert non-sentient body but an embodiment of being-awareness-bliss. When this truth dawns and is experienced, you are freed from the fog of ignorance and are liberated, in this very life.

Sathya Sai Baba

Karthigai Deepam @ Thiruvannamalai…. Today 5 Dec 2014…

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The first day (26.11.2014) – Karthika Deepam festival begins with the hosting of the flag signifying the commencement of the festival also known as Dwajaroghanam. In the morning and night Lord Arunachaleswarar will be taken out on the silver vahana for procession. The Panchamurthis(Panchamurthigal) are also taken out in the procession. The Panchamurthigal are Lord Ganapathi, Lord Murugan, Lord Sandeswarar, Lord Arunachaleswarar and Goddess Parvathi.These processions are carried out on different vahanas after the Deeparadhana is done at the kalyana mandapam.Many festivals are celebrated at Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai throughout the year. Among themKarthigai Deepam is the most significant festival that is celebrated with pomp and gaiety atArunachaleswarar temple.In this year Karthikai Deepam falls on 5th December,2014 .This Karthigai Deepam is celebrated as a ten day festival and it widely known as Karthigai Brahmotsavam.

The second day (27.11.2014) – Karthigai Deepam festival commences with the Lord Panchamurthigal coming on Indira Vimanam the chariot of Lord Indira.

The third day (28.11.2014) – Karthigai Deepam festival the ceremony begins at night with the Lord Panchamurthigal coming in procession majestically on the Simha vahana, the chariot of lion.

On the fourth day (29.11.2014) of Karthikai Deepam the Lord Panchamurthigal comes in the procession that starts at night on the kamadhenu vahanam. The auspicious tree Karpaviruksha is also on the side of the lord. This tree is believed to grant all the wishes that the devotees seek without fail.

The fifth day (30.11.2014) – Karthikai Deepam festival begins at night. This procession on the silver rishaba vahanam is very appealing and splendid to witness. Lord Panchamurthigal goes on this vahana that is about 25 feet tall. A big umbrella with about 17 feet in diameter is carried along in the procession.

The sixth day (1.12.2014) – Karthigai Deepam festival commences with a night procession of Lord Panchamurthigal on the silver chariot that is beautifully crafted and simply imposing when it comes around the temple.

The seventh day (2.12.2014) of Karthikai Deepam festival Lord Panchamurthigal starts with the procession on the Maha ratham that is very huge and it almost occupies the full width of the road. This ratham is made of pure wood that is strong and rugged.

The eight day (3.12.2014) – Karthigai Deepam festival begins at night with the Lord Panchamurthigal going out on procession on the huge horse vahana. The speciality of this horse is that all the four legs of this horse are in the air and they do not touch the ground.

On the ninth day (4.12.2014) of Karthigai Deepam festival the devotees can witness Lord Panchamurthigal going out procession on the Kailasa Vahanam. This ceremony is mostly conducted on the ninth night.

The tenth day (5.12.2014) – Karthigai Deepam festival starts at around four o clock in the early hours and the Bharani Deepam is lit at the temple. In the evening the Mahadeepam is lit on the top of the hill at around six o clock. This is a very important ceremony during the Karthigai Deepam festival at Tiruvannamalai. Arunachaleswarar is said to be visually represented in the form of agni on the hill top. There is a very mammoth gathering on this day at the Arunachaleswarar temple to witness this glorious and sacred event. The night ceremony starts with Lord Periya nayagar going out procession on the Rishaba vahanam that is made of gold. This is another spectacular event at Arunachaleswar temple at Tiruvannamalai.

Theppal – Lord Chandrasekarar, Lord Parasakthi,Lord Subramaniar goes in the boat and this is called Theppam, since it carried out in the tank. Lord Arunachaleswarar goes procession round the hill, known as Girivalam or pradhiksahana. With this ceremony the Karthigai Deepam festival at Arunachaleswarar temple comes to a grand conclusion with the devotees taking back home some divine blessings and memories from this ancient holy city Tiruvannamalai.

SOURCE::::www.thiruvannamalai.in

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Most Visited Websites in the World … 2014…

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With the advent of the Smartphones,  the usage of internet on   desktops or laptops has massively reduced.  Most of the users these days learn to use the internet to help them out with all  queries they have without having to ask anyone. So, here are some of the best and biggest websites in the world as compiled by the Online News Point.

 
# Facebook

 
Facebook is hard to miss for a person who is new on the internet and needs no introduction because of the hype and recognition.  Founded by Mark Facebook Zuckerberg in 2004, Facebook was the first website that was into online social networking. The site is most popular among people of all age groups but  is widely famous among the teens. According to the Wikipedia, it had close to 1.3 billion active users as of June 2014.
# Wikipedia

 
The next big website which answers most of the queries is the Wikipedia. It allows anyone to access the site and edit the articles on the site. As of February 2014, it had 18 billion page views and nearly 500 million unique visitors every month.

 
WikipediaThe site has over 22 million accounts out of which there were over 73,000 active editors globally as of May 2014. Wikipedia.org is simply the easy and best source of knowledge. It is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.

 
# Amazon

 
With the headquarters in Seattle, Washington, the Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world. Started as an online bookstore, it soon diversified, selling DVDs, CDs, MP3 downloads, software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys and jewelry.

 
The company was founded in 1994, spurred by what Bezos called his “regret minimization framework”, which described his efforts to fend off any regrets for not participating sooner in the internet business boom during that time. Amazon was originally founded in Bezos’ garage in Bellevue, Washington. Amazon is also into the manufacture of the consumer electronics like the Amazon Kindle e-book readers, Kindle Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire Phone.

# Twitter

 
Twitter is an online social networking service that allows users to send and read 140-character messages called “Tweets”. The site allows the registered users to read and post tweets and lets them access it through the desktop computers or the mobile apps.

 
Twitter was introduced in 2006 and the service rapidly grew worldwide with over 500 million registered users as of 2012, generating over 340 million tweets daily and handling over 1.6 billion search queries per day. The site was one of the ten most visited websites and has been described as “the SMS of the internet” in 2013.

 
Twitter gains immense popularity over the web and has turned into ultimate piece of information because of the presence of the news organizations, politicians, and other industry-specific experts on the site.

 
# Taobao.com

 
Taobao.com is a Chinese website for clothing, accessories, jewelry, food, electronics, and more which is similar to eBay and Amazon operated by Taobao.comAlibaba Group. Founded by Alibaba Group in 2003, it facilitates consumer-to-consumer retail by providing a platform for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs to open online retail stores that mainly cater to consumers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

 
# Baidu

 
Baidu is a Chinese web Services Company headquartered in the Baidu Campus in Haidian District, Beijing. It offers many services, including a Chinese language search engine for websites, audio files, and images. Baidu also offers 57 search and community services including Baidu Baike, an online collaboratively built encyclopedia, and a searchable keyword-based discussion forum. Baidu was established in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu.

 
Baidu is one of China’s most popular search engines. It employs thousands of China’s best engineers to continually update the quality and speed of its search engine.
# Yahoo

 
Yahoo.com is a search engine and platform that connects to users to other Yahoo properties, such as Yahoo Finance and Flickr. Yahoo is one of the original Web portals from the 1990s; it offers news, sports, finance, and email. It was the third largest search engine in 2013 and it is one of the world’s largest email service providers. According to the Alexa web rankings, Yahoo is the 4th most visited website.

 
# Google

 
Known as the search engine giant, Google.com is the most preferred search engine by most of the internet users. Google entered a crowded search Googleengine market in the late 1990s, but won because it was the fastest and had a clean design. It was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they attended Stanford University.

 
# YouTube

 
YouTube.com is the platform for uploading, sharing, and watching user-created videos. It was created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube was bought by Google for US$1.65 billion, and now operates as a subsidiary of Google, and the site got more popular.

SOURCE:::: http://www.siliconindia.com

Natarajan

 

World’s Most Liveable Cities for College Students !!!

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If you’ve ever wondered which city offers the best student experience, then your search ends here. According to the new ranking from QS, Paris, followed by France has topped as the best city in the world for students. Paris has topped the list for the third time at a stretch, with no less than 17 universities assessed within the QS World University Rankings 2014/15, as reported by Peter Jacobs Business Insider.

#10 Seoul

Labeled as an up-coming Asian city, Seoul, South Korea’s capital is considered one of its most exciting study destinations for students in the world. In the QS Best Student Cities ranking Seoul has climbed four places, nudging its way into the top 10 with 14 universities rankings this year, out of which the highest ranked is Seoul National University.

The city’s improvement and high scores come in a number of indicators, most notably the employer activity, which reflects the reputation of universities in Seoul amongst the domestic and international employers. In addition the city also scores brilliantly within the university rankings category, gaining highest scores in the top 10 outside of Paris and London.

#9 Toronto

While Montreal remains just ahead of Toronto, this place has been named the best city in the world for young people in the latest QS World University Rankings, with the University of Toronto making the cut.

Though the primary factors measured in the study were affordability, desirability, academic standards and job prospects, the city also tops in terms of “desirability” and does well in rankings–coming in on 16th.

#8 Montreal

Home to several of Canada’s highest ranking institutions, including McGill University, Montreal surges ahead of Toronto as Canada’s cultural capital, and one of the world’s most livable cities for students.

In the latest QS Best Student Cities rankings, Montreal proves itself to be one of the world’s best cities for students, moving up from 9th to 8th place, behind Tokyo. With a relatively large and diverse student population, Montreal gets its highest score in the student mix category and its weakest point being the affordability.

 

#7 Tokyo

For those who want to study amidst the busy schedules and fast paced environment of the big city, they don’t come much bigger and busier than Tokyo, which stands tall in 7th place as one of the world’s best cities for students.

In the latest rankings Tokyo climbs 10 places from previous year alongside a high rating from graduate employers, it scores notably high in the desirability category, which considers factors such as safety, quality of living, tolerance, transparency and pollution.

#6 Boston

Boston is certainly one of the world’s best-known academic hubs, and in the QS Best Student Cities 2015 it ranked as the world’s sixth best city for students, moving up two places from the previous year.

The city scored high in the university rankings category and also tied with London as one of the two top-scorers in the employer activity category, reflecting the strong international reputation of its institutions among graduate employers. Despite its high scores the city’s high tuition fees bring Boston’s overall score down.

#5 Hong Kong

Considered as the world’s leading financial centers and most densely populated, Hong Kong has long been regarded as best cities in the world for students with HKUST, HKU and the Chinese University of Hong Kong making its way on top.

Having climbed two places in the 2015 edition of the QS Best Student Cities index, Hong Kong is now Asia’s leading city with Tokyo following in 7th place. Hong Kong scores high for its relatively diverse student community, high rating from graduate employers, and a strong overall score in the desirability category.

#4 Sydney

Though its slips behind Melbourne, Sydney retains its position at 4th with five of its universities featuring within the QS World University Rankings 2014/15.

Although overtaken by Melbourne as Australia’s leading student city this year, Sydney scores remarkably well for its student mix that include student diversity, social inclusion and tolerance along with desirability and employer activity. Sydney currently has five universities included in the QS World University Rankings, led by the University of Sydney at 37th and the University of New South Wales at 48th.

#3 London

With 18 universities featured in the latest QS rankings, including UCL, Imperial, KCL and LSE, it is no surprise that London makes it the best city for students on this list. However, it misses out on the top spot by two places.

Although being an academic hub, the UK’s capital also offers far more to students as it is one of the world’s great centers of culture and creativity, famed for its museums, arts scene, nightlife and diversity.

#2 Melbourne

Jumping three places in this year’s QS Best Student Cities ranking, it’s yet another Australian city making it to the top 10 cities that is Melbourne for you.

Within the QS Best Student Cities ranking, Melbourne boasts the highest score in the student mix category, along with employer activity and desirability, which respectively look at the city’s institutions from the point of view of employers and the overall quality of living in the city. The only factor that Australian cities tend to stumble on is affordability, due to relatively high tuition fees and high living costs.

#1 Paris

Topping the QS Best Student Cities index for the third year running is Paris, which has no less than 17 universities assessed within the QS World University Rankings 2014/15.

Although Paris has a reputation for being an expensive place to live, but their universities relatively have low tuition fees, which represents more affordable destination when compared to many other popular student cities. In addition, students also often enjoy extensive access to leading academics, with top universities in Paris providing small class sizes and intensive teaching, despite the low fees.

You may like to see the related posted in my Blog …. Link is given below.

https://natarajank.com/2014/11/28/top-ten-cities-for-students-higher-education/

 

SOURCE::::www.siliconindia.com

Natarajan

Top 10 Airports in the World in terms of PAX Movement …

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We’ve taken a look at the top 20 airports in the world in terms of passenger numbers, for December 2014.

What are the World's Top 20 Airports? December 2014 Network Update

The biggest change comes from Atlanta, which was top in December 2013 and despite reporting a 1.5% growth has been overtaken by Beijing Capital International Airport. Istanbul and Dubai International have seen big rises, while Shanghai Pudong is the fastest growing airport according to our analysis. The three main Asian hubs – Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore have all seen declines. Denver International Airport reaches the top 20, which is the destination for Routes America’s 2015!

1. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) – 4,794,291

The airport is the busiest airport in Asia, and is home to the second-largest passenger terminal in the world. Terminal 1 covers 60,000m2; Terminal 2 covers an area of 336,000m2 and is able to handle 26,500,000 passengers yearly. Terminal 3 covers a huge 986,000m2 (244 acres). The passenger numbers have risen a massive 10.5 percent in comparison to December 2013 figures.

2. Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta Airport (ATL) – 4,599,874

The terminal complex measures 130 acres or 6.8 million square feet and includes domestic and international concourses. The airport comprises of 207 gates – 167 of which are domestic, and 40 international. Hartsfield has its own underground system, which on average carries more than 200,000 passengers per day.

3. Haneda Airport, Tokyo (HND) – 4,433,928

A third terminal to allow for international flights was completed in October 2010 as well as a fourth runway, which was constructed to increase the airport’s operational capacity from 285,000 movements to 407,000 movements per year. The airport is the first in Japan to receive 5-star status in the Global Airport Ranking conducted by Skytrax.

Dubai Airport

4. Dubai International Airport (DXB) – 4,261,485

Dubai International has registered a 10.4 percent increase in passenger numbers in December 2014 in comparison to December 2013. Construction of a third terminal began in 2004, and the terminal opened in 2008 after a two-year delay. The airport constructed an extra 29 gates capable of handling the Airbus A380 before its arrival.

5. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) – 3,805,009

The five-terminal airport spans across 12.14 square kilometres. The first phase of a new Terminal 2 complex was opened in 2014, and Terminal 5 was voted Skytrax World’s Best Airport Terminal in the Annual World Airport Awards, 2014.

6. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 3,581,733

The airport offers 692 daily flights to 85 domestic cities and 928 weekly nonstop flights to 67 cities in 34 countries. The airport has 119 gates spanning across nine terminals, one of which – the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which is named after the first African-American and longest-serving mayor of Los Angeles (20 years).

7. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) – 3,482,573

Hong Kong International is undergoing some development, with the construction of a new 20 gate passenger concourse to be built in 2 phases for completion between 2015 and 2020. In 2013, HKIA handled 59.9 million passengers, 4.12 million tonnes of cargo and 372,040 flight movements.

8. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 3,462,693

The eight-runway airport has a total of 189 gates across four terminals. The entire O’Hare International Airport complex spans over 7,000 acres and has the capacity to move 2,400 passengers per hour.

9. Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) – 3,283,093

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has five terminals totalling 165 gates. The airport is currently undergoing renovation work with the replacement of infrastructure, and easier parking, security and baggage reclaim, with Terminal A nearing completion.

10. Soekarno–Hatta (Jakarta) International Airport (CGK) – 3,252,159

The airport is expected to serve 62 million passengers per year, with a third runway being built in 2015. There will be an increase in apron capacity from 125 airplanes to 174 airplanes. By 2015, additional upgrades are expected to increase the airport’s capacity to 75 million passengers.

Changi

11. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) – 3,168,437

Changi Airport is a major air hub in Asia, Serving more than 100 international airlines flying to some 300 cities in about 70 countries and territories worldwide, the airport handled more than 53.7 million passengers in 2013. A flight takes off or lands at Changi roughly once every 90 seconds.

12. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) – 3,116,072

The airport has three buildings that make up the terminal complex, the Satellite Building which handles international travellers, the Contact Pier which serves Malaysia Airlines passengers, and the Main Terminal.

13. Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) – 3,113,579

There are three terminals at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and in 2013, the airport handled 62,052,917 passengers and 497,763 aircraft movements. It is the second busiest airport in Europe after London Heathrow.

14. Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) – 3,046,694

The passenger complex consists of two terminals, with a third terminal expected to open in 2015. The airport is a hub for both Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern Airlines and hosts over 40 million passengers annually.

15. Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) – 2,970,455

Istanbul Atatürk Airport has four terminals and three runways, with plans for a fourth. The Istanbul greater metropolitan area is expected to have a demand of 35 million international passengers and 25 million domestic passengers annually by the year 2015.

16. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) – 2,907,632

In 2013, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport was China’s second busiest and world’s 16th busiest airport by passenger traffic, with 52,450,262 passengers handled. As for cargo traffic, the airport was the third busiest in China and the 18th busiest worldwide.

BKK

17. Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok International – BKK) – 2,864,854

There are two runways and seven four-storey concourse buildings. The airport can accommodate 45 million passengers per year, 76 flights per hour, and three-million tons of cargo per year.

18. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) – 2,828,133

The airport sees over 52 million international passengers, and has two terminals, with a third under construction. Frankfurt Airport is the third busiest in Europe, after London Heathrow and Paris Charles De Gaulle.

19. John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) – 2,771,749

Over ninety airlines operate out of JFK. It is the base of operations for JetBlue Airways and is a major international gateway hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. JFK covers 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the Central Terminal Area. The airport has more than 30 miles of roadway.

20. Denver International Airport (DEN) – 2,552,974

The airport’s runway – 16R/34L is the longest public use runway in the United States. Denver Airport opened in 1995 and in less than 20 years has become a major transportation hub handling over 50 million passengers annually. The airport has a two-sided main terminal and three concourses, A, B and C. Denver will be host to the Routes Americas 2015 event. Now in its 8th year, Routes Americas is the essential event for all aviation based companies who wish to conduct business to, from and within the region.

SOURCE::::::www.routesonline.com
Natarajan

 

Message For the Day…” Self Confidence and Divine Grace are the Two Mirrors You Need…”

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The conflict between persons who accept God and deny Him, those who declare that God is to be found in this or that place and those who affirm that He can be found nowhere, is never ending; it has been continuing throughout the ages. Remember that it is unnecessary to awaken a person already awake and it is easy to awaken a person who is asleep. You cannot awaken, however much you try, a person not wanting to awaken! Those who do not know, can be taught by means of simple illustrations what they do not know. But those afflicted with half-knowledge and proud of that acquisition are beyond any further education. Your two eyes give a picture of a vast expanse of space, but they cannot see your whole body! For that, you need two mirrors – one in front of you and one behind. So too, to know your reality, you need the mirrors of Self-confidence (Atma-vishwas) and Divine Grace.

Sathya Sai Baba