Motivational – Page 63 – Take off with Natarajan

These 2 Indians Scaled an Unexplored Mountain Peak. And Named It Mt. Kalam …

October 23, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

They wanted to inspire young people of India to take up mountaineering. So Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar scaled a 6,180 metres high unexplored peak, becoming the first people to do so.

Two mountaineers, Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar, have become the first people to scale a ‘six-thousander’ peak located near the Bara Shigri glacier.

The term ‘six-thousander’ refers to a peak that is 6,000 metres high, or taller. This particular peak is 6,180 metres tall. It overlooks the Spiti Valley, and gives a view of the Himalayan landscape from an altitude of over 19,000 feet. Bara Shigri glacier is the largest glacier in Himachal Pradesh.

The duo wanted to go for an unexplored peak to inspire young people to take up mountaineering, and they completed the mission on Oct. 14, returning on Oct. 20.

They also named the peak Mount Kalam in the memory of the former Indian President. –

Arjun, who had climbed Mount Everest in May 2010, comes from Noida. He had also tried to scale Mount Makalu in Nepal this year, but was stopped because of the earthquake. Bhupesh hails from Bulandshahr and he has scaled 17 Indian peaks till now. –

Bhupesh Kumar

It is a technically challenging mountain with lots of deep snow, hidden crevasses and abundant rock. Climbing the mountain in an extremely cold environment was difficult. But we scaled it successfully,” Arjun told The Times of India. According to him, around 300 peaks in India are ‘six-thousanders’

They had left Noida on Oct. 8, reaching Batal camp in Himachal Pradesh on Oct. 9. From there, they climbed to Scout Camp (4,100 metres), Intermediate Camp (4,400 metres), Base Camp (4,750 m) and Summit Camp (5,500 metres). On Oct. 14, they scaled the peak and hoisted the Indian flag there.

All pictures: Arjun Vajpai/Facebook

Source…..Tanaya Singh …..www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

5 Interesting Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The New State Capital of Andhra Pradesh…. Amaravati …

October 23, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The foundation stone for building of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital city, Amaravati, was recently laid. Did you know that the small city is very rich in terms of its heritage? Here are five interesting facts you should know about the country’s newest state capital.

After a long wait, Andhra Pradesh is finally ready to welcome its new capital city, Amaravati. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the state’s new capital on Thursday. Here are five interesting facts about the city:

1. Amaravati has about 2,000 year old heritage

amra

Photo: www.trollntroll.com

It is one of the oldest cities in Indian history. A small town in Guntur district, Amaravati has about 2,000 year old heritage. It was the capital of Satavahanas during 2nd and 3rd century BCE. After the fall of kingdoms like Pallavas, it was later captured by Britishers during the colonial period. Its rich heritage includes Amareswara temple, Mahachaitya (the great stupa), Buddhist sculptures and slabs with Buddhist inscriptions.

2. Asia’s largest chilli market is located near Amaravati in Guntur.

amra2

Photo: Alexsoddy.Wikipedia

3. Gautam Buddha, taught the holy ritual of “Kalachakra” in the town of Amaravati, which is home to many ancient Buddhist monks.

budhha1

Photo: JM Garg/Wikimedia Commons

A huge Buddhist stupa was built during Ashoka’s time. The stupa was also carved with panels that depict Buddha’s history.

4. It has India’s biggest railway station, which is the second largest in Asia.

Vijayawada_station

Photo: Abhijitsathe/ Wikipedia

Vijayawada railway station which was constructed in 1888 is one of the busiest railway stations of India. It has more than 250 express and 150 freight trains passing through it, serving 50 million passengers every year. The railway station has ten platforms and is the only station in India to have five entrance gates with booking counters.

5. The world famous Kohinoor diamond came from “Kollur mines” in Kollur Village, which is now part of the Amaravati.

kohinoor_diamond1

Photo: themystery2012.blogspot.in

Source….Shreya Pareek in http://www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

A BPO in Bangalore Shows How to Employ the Differently Abled AND Be Hugely Successful ….

October 23, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Vindhya E Infomedia, a BPO in Bangalore, is known for it its quality of work. But what’s special about it? The organization was started with the vision of employing differently abled people, and has been doing so, very successfully, since the past 10 years now.

Pavithra Y S, a 21-year-old B.Com graduate was brainstorming ideas about doing something meaningful in her life, with her husband Ashok Giri who is an IT professional. “We just ended up choosing to start a for-profit enterprise that would also offer growth opportunities for the so-called ‘disabled’ people,” she says.

Pavithra uses the term ‘so-called’ because Vindhya E Infomedia, the social enterprise that was born as a result of that brainstorming session, has proved that the disabled are just differently enabled people who are completely capable of being a part of the productive work force.

Vindhya E Infomedia, located in the Rajajinagar Industrial Estate of Bangalore, is now in its 10th year of operations.

The company does Business Process Outsourcing for many industries such as micro finance, banking, insurance, IT and ITES where data is the key to making decisions. Turnaround time (TAT) is critical in choosing vendors, and in that respect, Vindhya is the BPO of choice in the banking and financial services industry.

A service provider to top notch companies like Schneider, SAP and many leading banks, it is known today for its quality.

“In fact, our company has brought down TATs drastically in this sector. And it is all because our differently-abled employees deliver their best. For them, this is important not just for their career advancement but more because they want the rest of their disabled community to be able to get the job opportunity that they have got. They work as if they are being appraised every moment,” says Pavithra.

So is there an optimum match between the skill sets of the differently abled and the BPO industry’s requirements?

“There are a couple of requirements, but in my opinion the most important one is ‘attitude’. All of them come with a ‘can do’ attitude. ‘Give us any work and we will deliver it’, they say. And they do,” explains Pavithra.

The hearing and speech impaired mostly do data processing. Training for the hearing impaired is conducted through sign language which is also the universal language used at Vindhya E Infomedia.

Training session in progress for Non-Voice Process Executives –

How Pavithra learnt the sign language makes for an interesting anecdote. In the early days of the company, two hearing impaired girls walked into the office for jobs. At that time, Pavithra did not know that such a thing as a sign language exists. ‘Give me a job and I’ll teach you the sign language,’ one of the girls told her.

Vindhya E Infomedia’s training manual for the 1,200 able and differently enabled employees is written in simple English with clear photos to illustrate processes that the employees need to be trained in. Candidates who apply are expected to have basic English comprehension and computer usage skills. They are then trained to use specific software and communicate in English. While there is a formal training module, informal tools such as reading English language newspapers, and conversing between employees in English also helps.

Although Vindhya was started with the aim of creating a 100 per cent production team of differently abled, it has employed the abled too, in order to bring in other skills sets into the company. This, in fact, has spurred the differently enabled to perform even better because of the healthy competition at workplace. The abled employees, many of them women, work on client sites.

“Our work ethic is hard-core professional. While we nurture the differently abled, no concessions are given for non-performance. Our work force is very disciplined,” says Pavithra.

Recruitment is a multi-pronged process. Initially, they approached NGOs that trained the differently abled. But now they have also set up camps in Tier II cities to create awareness about job opportunities and to recruit from there.

In addition to this, they do campus recruitment as well. Even so, what works best is word-of-mouth because ‘referrals are important in creating trust between employer and employee’, says Pavithra.

Setting up Vindhya E Infomedia was Pavithra’s first work experience and Ashok Giri, her husband, mentored her for the first two years after which he joined the company as CEO and Director. Like any other startup, they operated on a shoe-string budget. Pavithra remembers how, soon after they started, they were to celebrate their daughter’s first birthday. But with the already stretched budget, they could not make any grand plans. When their employees got to know about this, they pooled in and bought a cake, some snacks, and held an impromptu celebration.

Thus the tradition of having a monthly birthday celebration of the employees started.

Initially, they were also low on cash and for some months it was difficult to pay salaries. But the employees were so thrilled to have a job that they were willing to forgo this, provided food and accommodation were taken care of. Thus they rented out a house where employees could share accommodation and three meals were provided at the work place every day.

It is heartening that many of the employees from the initial batch have moved out of shared accommodation, found spouses within the company and bought homes of their own.

Pavithra narrates the story of how she found her front office receptionist when one of her vendors mentioned a guy who had lost both his arms in an accident. She was not sure if she could employ him, but his ‘can do’ attitude was so infectious that she hired him as a receptionist. With some training in spoken English he handled his job well and his people skills were so good that he was moved to the HR department and is now the Assistant Manager, HR.

“We named our company Vindhya because we believed that like the mountain range that continues to grow, our company too would grow, not just in business but also in human potential. We could see that happening from Day 1 – people walked into our company and their lives changed. As did ours as we kept learning from each other,” sums up Pavithra.

“When we did client presentations, people often wondered if we could deliver the goods. Time and again Vindhya E Infomedia has proved itself to be the best in its class. Our work culture of integrating the specially enabled with the able has worked well for us and our clients, who have solidly supported us through our decade of existence. To this day my husband and I try to recollect how our conversation of starting Vindhya started and neither of us remembers it. I believe this enterprise was just meant to be.”

And so it is…

Source….Sandhya Rajayer…www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

” “தமிழிலே தான்பேசணும்.தமிழ் தாய்மொழி .தாய்தான் முதல் கடவுள். தமிழ்ப் பேச்சை மறக்கக் கூடாது.”

October 23, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

“தமிழிலே தான்பேசணும்.தமிழ் தாய்மொழி

.தாய்தான் முதல் கடவுள். தமிழ்ப் பேச்சை

மறக்கக் கூடாது.”

நடு வயதுத்தம்பதிகள்.நான்கு குழந்தைகள்

எல்லாம் நவீன ஆடை-அலங்காரம்,

நவீனத் தோற்றம்.பெண் குழந்தைகளுக்கு

கழுத்து வரை மட்டுமே கூந்தல்.

எல்லையோரச் செடிகளை,இடுப்பளவு

உய்ரத்துக்கு மேல் வளராதபடி கத்தரிக்கோலால்

வெட்டி விட்ட மாதிரி , நுனி நாக்கில் ஆங்கிலம்

விளையாடியது. கான்வென்ட் படிப்பு.

பெரியவா,அந்தக் குழந்தைகளைத் தன் அருகில்

வரச் சொன்னார்கள்.-வந்தன

“பேரென்ன? எங்கே படிக்கிறே” என்று

விசாரணையாய் உரையாடல்.

குழந்தைகள் ரொம்ப சகஜமாகி விட்டன:

உற்சாகமாக,தயக்கமில்லாமல் பதில்

சொல்லிக் கொண்டிருந்தன.
அருகிலிருந்த பழத் தட்டைக் காட்டி,

“யாருக்கு என்ன பழம் வேணுமோ,

எடுத்துக்கலாம்” என்று சொன்னார்கள்.

குழந்தைகளுக்கு ரொம்ப சந்தோஷம்.

Thanks – என்று சொல்லிவிட்டுப் பழங்களை

எடுத்துக் கொண்டன.

பெரியவா சொன்னார்கள் : “ஒரு request

நான் சொன்னா, கேட்பேளா?”

ஒரே குரலில்,”Oh Yes! certainly we will do”

என்று குழந்தைகள் கூறின.

“வெளி இடத்திலே,பள்ளிக்கூடத்திலே

அல்லது வேறு மனுஷ்யாளிடத்திலே

பேசறபோது இங்கிலீஷ்லே பேசு, உங்க

வீட்டிலே, அப்பா – அம்மா, சுவாமிகளா

இருக்கிற நான்; அப்புறம்,பகவான்

இவாளிடம் தயவு பண்ணி,தமிழிலே தான்
பேசணும்.தமிழ் தாய்மொழி,தாய்தான்

முதல் கடவுள். தமிழ்ப் பேச்சை மறக்கக்

கூடாது.”

குழந்தைகள், “இனிமே, அப்பா -அம்மா-குரு

தெய்வத்துக்கிட்டே தமிழிலேயே பேசறோம்

Promise என்றன.

பெரியவா முகத்தில் கோடி சூர்யப் பிரகாசம்

பண்டிதர்களுடன் அத்வைத விசாரம்

பண்ணும்போது பளீரிடும் ஒளியைக்

காட்டிலும் நூறு மடங்குப் பிரகாசம்.

source….www.periva.proboards.com

Natarajan

Meet Hidenori Ish….the Japanese ‘thavil ‘ Player at Chennai …

October 23, 2015October 23, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

‘I like talking in Tamil, and I enjoy eating thayir sadam (curd rice), dosa and idli. My dream is to play at the Margazhi Dance and Music Festival in Chennai, which is held in December. If I make enough money from sangeetham, I will stop working in companies. After all sangeetham is my life.’

Hidenori Ish talks to Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com about his fascinating journey from a small town in Japan to Tamil Nadu, for the love of music.

It is funny talking to a Japanese person in Tamil, but then Hidenori Ishi is almost like a true Tamilian now. He can speak Tamil way better than English; he enjoys eating idli and dosa; and dreams that someday he’d perform at Chennai’s Margazhi Festival. Being fluent in Tamil, he also prefers the interview to be done in Tamil.

Music indeed has no boundaries, and Ishi’s story bears witness to how music can truly alter a person’s life. In 2007, he made Tamil Nadu his home, and since then there has been no turning back.

He learnt the local language, travelled to unknown places in search of a guru, and also learnt to play kanjira and thavil. Today Ishi has a job with the Customer Service Department of Nippon Express (India), and when he is not working, you’ll spot him playing thavil and kanjira at temples and at marriages. Despite his father’s objection, Ishi continues to live in India and presently has no plans of returning home, as sangeetham is his life now.

The inspiring musical journey of 33-year-old Ishi from Japan to Chennai is one filled with awe and wonder.

Growing up in Japan

‘I grew up in Kamakura, a small town which was once the capital of Japan. It is famous for its Zen Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. My family consists of my grandparents, who are farmers, and my parents. My father worked in a government department, while my mother is a housewife.

‘Though there are no musicians in my family, I was drawn to music because of a close friend, Kohei Ueda, who plays the guitar and the mandolin beautifully. Back in school, Ueda used to have musical concerts in our city, and I never missed a single concert of his. Fascinated by the musical instruments Ueda played, I wanted to join his band. However, back then I couldn’t afford to buy a musical instrument, and my dream remained unfulfilled.

Lessons in English

‘Ueda and I were so crazy about music that the news of an American band performing at the Hawaiian Islands prompted us to make a trip there. It was my first trip abroad, and I didn’t know a single word of English then. Though we had a great time there, we found it difficult to communicate with people. We then decided to learn English, and the very next year, in 2003, Ueda and I headed to Canada. We were there for a year with a working visa so that we could work and also learn English at the same time.

‘Armed with a working knowledge of English, we decided to visit India. After all, it is the land of Buddha, and we have so many Buddhist temples back home. We had heard many stories about India from friends. Then, I started reading about India and the places to see.

The Indian Chapter

‘In 2005, we landed in Delhi, but our first experience was not a pleasant one. It was night and we had to go to the railway station to board a train for Goa. We were looking out for a bus to take us to the station when a person approached us and offered to drop us to the railway station for the same price. We agreed, but they took us to a hotel instead. When we protested, they said there were no trains headed to Goa at that hour. Obviously they were lying. We were dropped to the railway station, but we ended up paying more than we would have paid as bus fare!

‘We then travelled to Goa, Agra, Mumbai and also visited Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad. When we were in Mumbai, we heard that (Ustad) Zakir Hussain was performing. He has performed in Japan, but we never had the good fortune to hear him live. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, we attended the performance which was brilliant; I still remember every moment of it!

‘From Mumbai, we went to Kashi (Varanasi). A visit to a music school there got us interested in learning to play the tabla. That was the first music class I ever attended. Apart from the classes, I also looked forward to the delicious Bengali food of rice and fish served at the lodge where we were staying.

‘Two-and-a-half months later, I returned home and decided to join Ueda’s band as a part-time tabla player.

Chennai Bound

‘I had carried a few of Zakir Hussain concert DVDs to watch once back home. In one of the DVDs, I saw V Selvaganesh playing the kanjira. It was so mesmerising to watch him! I wanted to return to India and learn to play the instrument. So, I started saving money for my next trip. At that time, my parents had no complaints about me travelling to India.

‘By 2007, I had saved enough to visit Chennai. Unfortunately, in January, when I landed, Selvaganesh’s school was closed for Pongal. Thankfully, one day I visited a kacheri and saw Madipakkam Gopal Krishna playing the kanjira there. It was the first time that I heard the kanjira live. At that time, I didn’t know it was a rare instrument and not many people played it.

‘Drawn to the kanjira, I got Madipakkam Gopal Krishna to train me. For the next six months, until my visa expired, I stayed in a lodge and went to his house every day to learn the kanjira.

‘Later, when I returned with a fresh visa, I made Selvaganesh my guru,and I studied under his guidance till April 2008. I used to practise for five-six hours daily. Selvaganesh gave me plenty of opportunities to play the kanjira at kacheris in temples, which boosted my confidence. By the time I left his place, I was quite articulate in Tamil! Through Selvaganesh, I got introduced to Triplicane K Sekar, and I started learning the thavil from him. Now, I play more thavil than kanjira.

Studying at a College for the First Time

‘As the money I had saved was almost exhausted, I decided to return home. Before heading back, I made a trip to the green city of Thanjavur and Chidambaram to visit the temples there. There I met Thanjavur T R Govindarajan, who was a professor at the Thiruvaiyaru Music College. Hearing about my interest in music, he asked me to enrol for a three-year course to play thavil.

‘That was the first time I attended a college as I had begun working soon after my schooling.

In India Again!

‘After getting my diploma in May 2011 I returned home. However, my heart belonged to India. I had not learnt how to play the keertana on thavil, and I yearned to play more. However, this time, my father wasn’t happy with me returning to India. However, I had made up my mind.

‘Back in India, I went to Chidambaram. I joined the Annamalai University to learn under the guidance of Thirukadaiyur G Babu.

‘In 2014, I got a degree, and by then I had learnt to play the keertana quite well.

Living It up the Local Way

‘Now, I have a 9-5 job in Chennai. Early mornings and weekends are dedicated to playing the thavil at temples and at weddings. I like talking in Tamil, and I enjoy eating thayir sadam (curd rice), dosa and idli. My dream is to play at the Margazhi Dance and Music Festival in Chennai, which is held in December. If I make enough money from sangeetham, I will stop working in companies. After all sangeetham is my life.

‘I’m not sure how long I’ll stay in Chennai, nor do I know what the future holds for me. However, one thing is certain, thavilwill always be a part of my life!’

Photographs: Ramesh Damodaran

Shobha Warrier / Rediff.com in Chennai Source….www.rediff.com

Natarajan

Visual delights take flight…

October 23, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The latest installations in the arrival and departure halls add to the ever-growing list of artwork in Chennai’s international and domestic terminals

Flight delayed by a few hours? It won’t be as much a waste of time, if you considered taking a mini art tour across Chennai Airport. Over the course of the last couple of years, ever since the new airport was opened in 2013, 37 murals and four sculptures have been installed in both the domestic and international terminals — the most recent ones being those of a Nataraja in Thandavam pose and Yudhisthira’s ratha.

“We were asked to make two sculptures that are reminiscent of Tamil Nadu culture, by the Airport Chairman (R. K. Srivastava), for the Global Investors Meet, which took place in September. So, after a lot of brainstorming, we thought, why not bring out Nataraja and Yudhisthira’s ratha, which people can immediately associate with the heritage here,” says Neelam Dhanda, co-owner of the 12-year-old Sunny Sistems — The Art Gallery, which has executed all the installations at the airport.

The two installations were set up just a few days ahead of the investors meet, on August 30. “The 12-and-a-half-foot-high Nataraja is visible from everywhere in the arrival hall. It’s made of fibre, and has been made to look as if it has been made out of wood, and coloured in the way wooden sculptures are coloured traditionally,” says Uday Dhanda, son of Neelam, who coordinated with 18 artisans to create the works in 55 days.

Yudhisthira’s ratha, one of the five rathas which can be seen in Mahabalipuram, has Arjuna’s Penance (a stone carving at Mahabalipuram) etched on three sides, and the guardians of heaven, or dwarpals, on the back. Placed at the departure section, the 16-foot-high installation, which looks like a slice out of the Shore Temple, is also lit up with 102 lights. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a few people took snaps in front of it and told their friends that they actually visited the site at Mahabalipuram. It is that real,” Uday says with a laugh.

The challenge for the team was to bring out an imposing installation that stands out in the busy venue, but at the same time doesn’t eat into the space that sees thousands of people per day. “So, we had to take care that we consumed only a limited footprint. At first glance, people should be able to connect with it; that was our intention,” says Neelam. “Not everyone is going to take the effort or have the time to visit a gallery or tourist spots here, so the installations are a reflection of what the city has in store for them,” she adds.

The previous installations done by the team include those that depict Tamil festivals, dances and processions, besides those of a horse that’s been hand-made with brass and copper sheets and of a boat that depicts the city’s dependence on the ocean. As far as the International Terminal is concerned, there are swans, peacocks, horses and a separate series on the Indian dance forms.

Keywords: Chennai airport, art installations, Chennai art

Source….

NAVEENA VIJAYAN ….www.thehindu.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day… ” What is Vitamin G …” ?

October 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

When the mind of a person is unattached to the ups and downs of life, but is able to maintain equanimity under all circumstances, then even physical health can be assured. The mental firmament must be like the sky, which bears no mark of the passage through it of birds or planes or clouds. Illness is caused more by malnutrition of the mind than of the body. Doctors speak of vitamin deficiency; I will call it the deficiency of Vitamin G, and I will recommend the repetition of the Name of God, with accompanying contemplation of the glory and grace of God. This Vitamin G is the medicine that is needed. Regulated life and habits are two-thirds of the treatment, while the medicine is just one-third. You must reveal the divine qualities of love, humility, detachment and contentment. Else, you could become worse than a beast and in fact more deadly.

Are these the Most Magical Settlements in the World … ?

October 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Nestled in some of the most beautiful corners of the world, are tiny settlements of people who have adapted to live around nature.

From villages under boulders in Portugal, to floating villages in Peru, these dwellings are hidden away from the rest of the world.

The secluded settlements are often cut off from the surrounding areas, but are each set in their own natural paradises.

Bravest village ever? The settlement of Aogashima in the Philippine Sea, has 200 inhabitants who live in the middle of a volcanic crater

Aogashima, Philippine Sea

Perhaps the last place you would expect to find a living community would be inside a tropical volcanic island in the Philippine Sea.

The last time the Class-C volcano erupted was in the 1780s, and it proved fatal for half of the people living on the island.

Over fifty years later, the inhabitants who had escaped the island returned, and now there are 200 brave villagers living there.

Hidden behind a rock! This tiny settlement is concealed from the Greek coastline behind a giant rock on the island

Monemvasia, Greece

Monemvasia is a little settlement concealed behind a huge rock face in Laconia in Greece.

The island was separated from the mainland in 375 AD by an earthquake, although a small walkway has been created since for easy access to the mainland.

Inhabitants are hidden away from the rest of the world, with spectacular views of the Palaia Monemvasia bay.

Giant honeycomb! The Phugtal Monastery in India is hidden on a cliff on the entrance to a cave in the Zanskar region

Phugtal Monastery, India

The hidden cliff face village of Phuktal or Phugtal Monastery is one of the most isolated monasteries in northern India.

Constructed from mud and timber, it is located at the entrance to a cave on a cliff face in the south-eastern Zanskar region in Ladakh district.

Looking like a giant honeycomb it was founded in the early 12th century, but remained a hidden treasure until the 1800s when Alexander Cosmo de Koros visited the place, and stayed there for a year.

The remote east Greenland village of Isortoq includes a supermarket, the large red building (pictured front)

Isortoq, Greenland

On 64 people reside on Greenland’s Isortoq village, which is set in the middle of miles of snow and ice.

The Inuit inhabitants used to be forced to survive on only meat, as the harsh landscape didn’t allow for plants to be grown.

They do have a red supermarket nowadays, which offers a variety of other produce.

There is even ketchup and mayonnaise available for eating with seal.

Long way to the corner shop! Only 16 people live in this tiny village nestled high on the cliffs near the coast of the Faroe Islands

Gásadalur Village, Denmark

The isolated village of Gásadalur situated on the west side of Vágar in the Faroe Islands.

Only 16 residents live in the peaceful settlement, with stunning views of tumbling cliffs overlooking the North Atlantic’s Gulf Stream.

A tunnel was built through the mountains in 2004, but before that, a walk to the next village would have meant a strenuous hike or horseback ride over the 400m high mountain.

Nestled in one of the driest locations on earth, is Huacachina; a town complete with trees, hotels, shops and even an oasis library – tranquil!

Huacachina, Peru

In the midst of one of the driest climates in the world is an oasis town with lush palm trees, flourishing foliage, and a tranquil lagoon which is said to have curative properties.

The magical town is called Huacachina, and it can be found not only on adventurers’ bucket lists, but also in a barren desert in Peru.

Visitors can visit the surreal settlement and the 96 residents who thrive on running small businesses on their greatest resource; sand.

The incredible Cliff of Bandiagara in Mali is an impressive series of clay structures, which are home to the Dogon people

The Cliff of Bandiagara, Mali

It looks like a model village created by clay, but it is actually a real village in West-Africa, home to the Dogon people.

The Cliff of Bandiagara is zone of tablelands, gorges and plains which has been constructed out of red-coloured clay.

The series of fascinating clay chambers consists of houses, granaries, altars, sanctuaries and, or communal meeting-places, which look perfect for exploring.

Fairytale village! Undredal is hidden in a narrow valleyin the Aurlandsfjord in Norway, and looks like something out of Disney movie

Undredal, Norway

The small village of Undredal is home to approximately 100 people and 500 goats, and is a popular tourist destination along the Aurlandsfjorden.

Undredal is famous for the brown goat cheese, and even produces goat sausages.

Before 1988, Undredal was only accessible by boat, but now a road connection has been made by constructing two tunnels as part of the European route E16.

A village in a Fjord! Furore in Italy is a brightly coloured settlement tucked away in the mouth of the fjord

Furore, Italy

Tucked away in a Fjord is a quaint Italian village, completed with brightly coloured houses decorated with murals.

Furore can be discovered in the Campania region of south-western Italy, although it used to be practically hidden from travellers.

Following Furore being dubbed ‘the village that doesn’t exist,’ the mayor decided it was time for action, and sought to put the minuscule commune on the map.

He ordered that the tiny buildings should be painted in vibrant colours so the picturesque village could be viewed from the coastal road.

Green haven! Sapa is one of the most beautiful places in earth, and is home to villagers who farm the rice fields and sell trinkets to visitors

Sapa, Vietnam

Cascading vibrant green rice fields line the hills in the Sapa region of North Vietnam.

Hill-tribe people fill the mountains with colour, and open their homes to tourists who flock to take in the incredible views across the region.

Visitors can trek through the hills and buy colourful trinkets from the tribes people, who accompany them on the walk to help.

Giant mole hills? An entire population of over a thousand residents live underground in dugouts at Coober Pedy in northern South Australia

There is even an underground chapel and houses that come with lounges, kitchens and dining rooms

Coober Pedy, Australia

From first glance you would think that Coober Pedy in northern South Australia, is a series of giant mole hills.

It is, in fact, a town concealed underground in dugouts which were built to withstand the blazing daytime heat.

According to the 2011 census, its population was 1,695 (953 males, 742 females), who live in the area to mine the precious opals that lie there.

Gorge-ous views! Tiny hilltop village, Rougon, boasts panoramic views of the surrounding Verdon Gorge in the south of France

Rougon, France

After winding your way through the picturesque mountain views in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France, you will stumble on a preserved, peaceful village called Rougon.

Sitting under a large rocky outcrop, the hidden village is perfectly situated for panoramic views of the Verdon gorge.

Visitors can explore the Saint Christophe chapel, the Huguenote church, the remains of its feudal castle and enjoy the local fair occurring in the last Sunday in June.

If you are feeling adventurous, guests can camp at the village all year round.

The Havasupai tribe are the smallest Indian nation in America, with just over 600 village inhabitants. It is so remote that mail is delivered by mule

Supai, Arizona

Millions travel to witness the spectacular Grand Canyon every year, but few know that this Arizona landscape is home to a secret tribe, hidden away in its depths.

More than 600 people are part of the Havasupai tribe, which is the smallest Indian nation in America.

Visitors can reach the mysterious tribe on foot or by helicopter or mule, and experience life in the village of Supai, which has a cafe, general stores, a lodge, post office, school, LDS chapel, and a small Christian church.

The most remote location in the world: Tristan da Cunha is situated over a thousand miles from the nearest land and has 300 residents

Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena

Taking the prize for the most remote village is Tristan da Cunha, which is only accessible by a six-day boat journey from South Africa or as part of epic month-long cruises through the South Atlantic Ocean.

The inhabited archipelago stands 1,243 miles from Saint Helena, 1,491 miles from South Africa and 2,088 miles from South America in the middle of ocean.

It’s just seven miles long and 37.8 square miles in area, and has but one settlement at the foot of the 6,765-foot Queen Mary’s Peak, with 300 residents all of whom farm for a living.

Floating village! The Uros live on islands made by interwoven reeds which sit in Lake Titicaca Puno. The tribe have been living on the lake for hundreds of years, since Incas expanded onto their land forcing them out

Uros Floating Islands, Lake Titicaca Puno, Peru and Bolivia

Secluded from the world are the Uros Islands in Lake Titicaca Puno which sits on the border of Peru and Bolivia.

The pre-Incan Uru tribe live on forty-two floating islands that are made out of totora reeds.

Reeds must be constantly added to the islands, as the bottom rots away in the water.

The Uros also use these reeds for a big part of their diets, and consume the white bottom of the reeds as they are pulled from the bottom of the islands.

The village under a rock! Monsanto in Portugal has built its homes around the 200-tonne rocks in the area. Some of its 828 brave residents even sleep under gigantic boulders

Monsanto, Portugal

Residing under a roof that weighs more than the average cruise ship may make some people anxious.

Residents in the Portuguese village of Monsanto, have adapted their homes around the gigantic granite boulders.

In the mountaintop village, homes are sandwiched between, under and even in the 200-tonne rocks.

BECKY PEMBERTON FOR MAILONLINE

Source….www.dailymail.co.uk

Natarajan

How You Should Plan Your Day According to the Human Body Clock…?

October 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Did you know that according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), our body has its own energy clock? Also known as the Chinese Body Clock, it explains some of the most asked questions about our body. For instance, you may be curious to discover why your mood and energy levels fluctuate so much throughout the day? And why you sometimes tend to be less concentrated on your work than in other instances?

Without a doubt, our bodies do extraordinary things, but they are all built around cycles, controlled by the brain and defined by our sleeping and eating patterns. At different times of the day, the body has one organ which is at its energetic peak, and by knowing your energy clock well, you can help your body cope better.

The chart below illustrates the human energy body clock, showing the best times to eat, work, sleep and socialize. According to TCM, the body moves its energy concentration from one organ to another every 2 hours (as the chart indicates) with the organ opposite each time slot (12 hours ahead) being the one with the least energetic functioning during that time.

For a more detailed overview, this is how the Chinese Body Clock works.

First of all, our body goes through 3 main cycles every day. These cycles are as follows:

1. Elimination Cycle (4am-12pm):

This is the time during which the body is getting rid of toxins – the reason behind the bad breath and sweaty skin we wake up with in the morning. During this period, it is recommended that we eat food that is easily digestible, such as raw produce, green juice, smoothies, etc.

2. Appropriation Cycle (12pm-8pm):

The body is most awake and active during this time of the day, and so is its digestion and metabolism. You may be feeling more hungry than usual during this time period. If so, it is important to eat, even if it’s not during meal times.

3. Assimilation Cycle (8pm-4am):

At this time, the body is concentrating on the absorption of nutrients in order to revitalize cells and organs. It’s the perfect time for healing,rebuilding and renewing, and it’s recommended that dinner is taken right before this cycle.

As you have seen in the Human Body Energy Clock chart above, these cycles can be broken down even further, focusing more on the activity peaks of specific body organs.

Here’s what’s happening in every section of the clock and how you can help your body in the process.

• Between 3am and 5am:

While you are in a deep sleep, your body is focusing on the lungs and breathing, to make sure enough oxygen is filling your lungs, and entering your blood and nervous system. If you cough during this time, it probably means that your lungs are getting rid of toxins.

• Between 5am and 7am:

You are now in your elimination cycle, and your body is preparing thelarge intestine to eliminate toxins as soon as you wake up. If you’re up at this time, it is recommended that you drink 16+ oz of water to replace the lost liquid. At this point, opt for a brisk walk over sitting down while drinking a cup of coffee!

• Between 7am and 9am:

Now, the energy focus moves to the stomach. You are likely to rise with a good appetite, after a long period of fasting throughout the night. Wake up and eat breakfast – make sure it contains fruit and protein to fill you with the nutrients you need to face the day.

• Between 9am and 11am:

After the stomach, come the pancreas and the spleen. During this time, these organs are processing your breakfast and converting it into energy. This energy becomes the fuel your cells need for your new day ahead.

• Between 11am and 1pm:

By now, the nutrients in your breakfast are being pumped around the body by the heart, and reaching out to all your body systems and organs through the circulatory system. Now is the right time to be with people and prepare yourself for another dose of nutrients, as energy levels start to decrease.

Between 1pm and 3pm:

The perfect time to eat lunch. After doing this, many people feel the need to take a nap to boost their energy for the rest of the day and take a break from the morning activities. Furthermore, your body is now working on the digestion of your lunch, focusing on the small intestine. This is also an ideal time for some peaceful meditation.

• Between 3pm and 5pm:

The focus now shifts to the bladder. At this time, it is recommended that you stay hydrated by drinking water or tea. It is also an excellent time to get some things done for the last time before your body prepares you for the evening.

• Between 5pm and 7pm:

Its time for the last main meal of the day – dinner. This shouldn’t be very big, but should be nutritious. Your body is concentrating on thekidneys now, to filter the body of any waste. It is also working on the lymphatic system to keep the body clear and in flow. Doing some physical movement would be a good idea – consider walking or stretching.

• Between 7pm and 9pm:

At this point of the day, your blood pressure is typically at its highest levels, and your body’s focus now shifts to the pericardium. The day is nearing its end, and it’s suitable to take this time to wind down and relax. One’s libido has very often reached its peak by now, so the engagement in intercourse is ideal at this time.

• Between 9pm and 11pm:

Your body is now focusing on the triple warmer and the endocrine system. At this time, you are least expected, or recommended, to eat. Preferably, one should continue to relax, while the body is working on its equilibrium and the replacements of enzymes used throughout the day. It’s also the ideal and easiest time to go to sleep.

Between 11pm and 1am:

While you are sleeping, your body is focusing on the gallbladder. If you suffer from gallstones, then you might experience some pain during this time.

• Between 1am and 3am:

The liver is now at work. Your body is detoxifying itself by processing alcohol, chemicals, drugs, and poor diet, and eliminating the unwanted substances, cleansing your blood as a result.

H/T: fitlife .tv | higherperspectives.com

Source…www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

India’s global ad giant taking on Google and Facebook…

October 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

“I am a very proud Indian and I want to see our country succeed,” says Naveen Tewari, chief executive of mobile advertising giant InMobi.

“I thought if I could do something from here that can be successful, maybe I’ll have a small role in creating great companies out of India that can compete with the iconic companies in Silicon Valley.”

It’s fair to say that eight years after starting the company with three co-graduates from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Mr Tewari has done just that.

Today InMobi, based in Bangalore, India, is the third largest player in the fast-growing mobile advertising industry, with only Facebook and Google outstripping it.

The company has 24 offices in 17 countries and employs more than 900 people. Last year it posted 720 billion mobile adverts on the phones of more than a billion users.

In just a few years he hopes they will send adverts to 2.5 billion people every day.

Naveen Tewari’s family hoped he would pursue a career in academia

”That level of ability for us to touch so many lives and impact their decision-making is a huge responsibility,” says Mr Newari.

“I want to ensure we deliver value to them.”

Smartphone revolution

The advertising giant has grown quickly because of the fast proliferation of smartphones and tablets across the world.

“InMobi creates audience networks for advertisers to reach through mobile devices,” explains Ian Maude, the director of digital media at Enders Analysis.

InMobi places adverts on smartphone content apps such as games

“These companies sign up digital publishers, like app makers, so they can access their audiences, package them up and sell them on to advertisers.”

India is the world’s third-largest smartphone market and many users are upgrading to smartphones for the first time from basic handsets.

Chinese mobile companies, like Xiaomi, OnePlus and Coolpad, are now investing in India, providing competition for home-grown brands, such as Micromax and Karbonn, as well as for global giants Samsung and Apple.

”InMobi is directly relevant to what is happening in India at a macro point of view because of its distribution and ability to access people on mobile devices, which people in India are adopting very quickly,” says Eileen Burbidge, who invests in technology companies for Passion Capital.

Global gamble

It has not been a clear road to global success for Mr Tewari and co-founders Abhay Singhal, Amit Gupta and Mohit Saxena.

The company was originally called mKhoj and offered a search engine that worked via text message.

In 2009, with mKhoj failing to take off, they rebranded as InMobi, funding the new business with credit card debt.

The gamble quickly paid off – that year InMobi became the largest mobile ad network in South Africa and opened offices in Europe, expanding to North America the following year.

InMobi has 24 offices around the world but is headquartered in Bangalore

“People asked us why are you building this as a global business when there is no past success like this,” Mr Tewari says.

“But we said we think we can make it happen; we have a great product and there is a market for it. Logic suggested that if we looked at the past we shouldn’t go for it, but my gut suggested that we should. We went for it and we are successful.

”You have to make decisions with 10% of the available information. If you had 100% information then decision-making would be very easy,” he adds.

Tech ambition

Mr Tewari says the turning point in his career was when he got to work with a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley during his summer breaks from his MBA [Master of Business Administration] at Harvard Business School.

”It was my first introduction to the world of start-ups and I learnt that I could make a difference, define the vision and actually make things happen.”

His chosen career path was a disappointment to some of his more academic family members.

”Everyone was disappointed when I did not go down the path of doing a PhD and taking up something with potential at the Indian Institutes of Technology.

“Now what I do is very different and it’s a big change,” he says.

Pl watch this video clip from you tube too….

By Kinjal Pandya-WaghBusiness reporter, Bangalore

Source….www. bbc.com and http://www.youtube.com

Natarajan