NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, recently past the halfway mark of his one-year mission to the International Space Station, photographed the Nile River during a nighttime flyover on Sept. 22, 2015. Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) wrote, “Day 179. The #Nile at night is a beautiful sight for these sore eyes. Good night from@space_station! #YearInSpace.”
Image Credit: NASA
| Grace Brett, a 104-year-old great grandmother might just be the oldest street artist in the world. The grandmother of six is a member of a knitting club known as the ‘Souter Stormers’ – a group that has recently taken over the towns of Selkirk, Ettrickbridge and Yarrow in Scotland, with their impressive knitting skills. Members of Stormers have spent a year secretly planning a project to conduct this street art installation. And this month, the mischievous knitters took to the streets, sewing up fences, benches and lamp poles all across the town in elaborate knitted art. The images below showcase her impressive knitting skills.
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12-year-old R Madheswaran says that he can read even when he is blindfolded. The class 7 student decided to put these skills to better use and appeared blindfolded for his English exam. He did this to spread awareness about a very important cause.
Sri Ramakrishna Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Coimbatore, witnessed an unusual scenario during the recently held quarterly examinations at school. Among all the students who were writing their papers on Friday, there was one who attracted everyone’s attention.
No, Madheswaran did not have an eye injury, nor is he visually impaired. The 12-year-old boy took this unusual step to spread awareness about eye donation. He wanted to feel how visually impaired people experience the world, and at the same time, wanted to spread awareness about the various talents that they possess.
Madheswaran claims to have some unusual skills which enable him to read phone messages, question papers and text books while he is blindfolded. .
So how did this young fellow complete this unusual task? Madheswaran says that every word and number has a different smell, and this smell helps him read them in his mind. He also wrote perfectly, right between the lines, using the same technique of smelling the words and the sheet.
His parents claim that Madheswaran acquired these special skills after attending a brain fold activation programme which improved his concentration and enabled him to sense many things without seeing them. Confident of his skills, Madheswaran and his family approached the school authorities to seek permission for this special act and they happily agreed.
Though these skills look unrealistic, we can’t help praising the young boy who took this step to spread awareness for a cause. After all, it is the thought that counts.
Source………www.the better india .com
Natarajan
This doctor has been working relentlessly and has contributed immensely to the field of healthcare and community service. And now, the 75-year-old has been honoured for her inspiring work.
Dr. Uma Rajan, an Indian-Singaporean doctor, dedicated 38 years of her life to healthcare and community service. And for this, the 75-year-old doctor has been honoured by the Indian community in Singapore.
Singapore Press Holdings’ publication – tabla! is a weekly English language newspaper, which launched the Community Champion Award in 2011. The award, in its fifth year, was given by Minister of State for Law and Education, Indranee Rajah, yesterday at the Singapore International Indian Shopping Festival.
Dr. Rajan, who is currently the vice-chairman of the Siglap South Community Centre, won USD 10,000 and she donated the entire amount to two voluntary welfare organizations – Singapore Children’s Society and Asian Women’s Welfare Association in Singapore.
The doctor has been a part of many philanthropic activities, and has many achievements in her name. She was the director of the elder care department at the Ministry of Health from 1996 to 2000. In this time, she started about 10 elderly care centres with voluntary welfare organisations. She also created the blue booklet which is still being used by students in Singapore for their annual health check-ups. She had come up with this idea in early 1980s, when she was the Director at the School Health Service. She felt that booklets should be introduced for school children so they do not have to carry their medical cards. The booklet helps parents remain updated about their children’s medical conditions. She also participated in extensive research into problems such as obesity, myopia and scoliosis
Dr. Rajan lost her husband 38 years ago, after which she started giving her time to the community. She is also known for her contribution to the field of arts, and was one of the founding members of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society. She received the title of Natyakala Bushanam (ornament of dance) from the Indian Institute of Fine Arts in Chennai in 1954.
Source………www.the better india.com
Natarajan
Orthopaedic equipment is expensive — wheelchairs cost thousands and even lakhs of rupees, while even a simple pair of crutches can tot up to a few hundred. But more important is the fact that most of the time, this equipment has a short-term use. Falguni Doshi of Vadodara has come up with an innovative way of recycling the equipment while helping the needy.
It all started when Falguni visited her friend Sonal in Vadodara. The latter’s grandmother had recently recovered from a prolonged illness and was no longer in need of her wheelchair and walker, which were now lying useless and discarded around the house.
This is when Falguni came up with the idea of recycling the equipment to help the needy. Soon, the two friends had come up with a plan to rent it out for Re. 1 a day.
Over the years, donations poured in as many people don’t have much use for wheelchairs, transport chairs, walkers, canes, knee and ankle and neck braces, etc., after the immediate need for them is over. Falguni would rent them out on a regular basis as the demand for them kept growing with each passing day.
“It was just a simple idea. We didn’t expect it to be so successful. It has been about 16 years and I receive at least two to three queries every day even now. I have rented out thousands of pieces of equipment,” says Falguni.
Sonal had to drop out of the project due to personal commitments, but Helping Hand soon became more than a part-time commitment for Falguni. News about the work she was doing spread by word of mouth and many needy people began to approach her for renting the equipment she had.
Most people rent the equipment for a couple of weeks or months at a time.
“Earlier, I used to give these things away for free. But then I thought people would not value things given as charity or take care of the equipment. This way people take it seriously and I get to buy more products too,” she says.
Most of the products are donated to Helping Hand by those who don’t need them any more, while some are purchased brand new by Falguni.
For those who cannot afford to pay the deposit, the orthopaedic items are given on just a rental basis. “It is quite flexible. Our main idea was to put the unused equipment to some use and to help those in need. So we do not care if someone is unable to pay the deposit. What matters to us is that we are able to help them,” says Falguni.
Today, Helping Hand receives queries from across Gujarat. But Falguni has restricted her work to only Vadodara as of now.
“Right now I don’t have the capacity to scale up since I am the only one running the show. But my family members support me as much as they can,” she says.
Although the work has been running smoothly for the most part, Falguni has occasionally faced hurdles in the form of clients who return damaged equipment without informing her. –
For more details, contact Falguni at – falgunikd19@gmail.com
I figure it out when I am giving it to someone else. Also, many people do not take responsibility for the damage and I have to face the loss,” she says.
But these problems do not affect Falguni who is deeply attached to some of her customers — they often come to her for a friendly chat or when they need a shoulder to lean on.
“Many times, these people are frustrated with their sickness. They have already shared the details with their family and friends. But I am a new person to them, and since I work in this field I understand them. They feel very close to me and share their issues with me. I feel so overwhelmed by all the love that I receive,” says Falguni.
Falguni recalls a very touching moment when she received a call from a man named Mr. Gupta. His mother had just expired after a long illness and he had heard about Helping Hand. He called Falguni to donate all his mother’s orthopaedic equipment.
“All those products were imported and of very high quality. When he came here to donate them, he was so touched by our work that he donated some money too so that we can buy more things. His gesture will not only touch so many lives but it also gave me a boost that I was doing something good,” says Falguni.
So if you know someone who needs orthopaedic support in Vadodara, Falguni is there to help. And if you have spare equipment at your place, then you know how to put it to better use.
For more details, contact Falguni at – falgunikd19@gmail.com
Source…..www.thebetterindia.com
Natarajan
Purple carrots contain vitamin E and beta carotene like their orange counterparts but are also full of other goodies.
You may be all over quinoa and love kale, but there are some less common health foods that you need to start incorporating into your diet.
These foods are jam-packed with nutrients and are a great way to mix up your diet.
Red cabbage
Go for this vibrant-hued cabbage the next time you’re in the mood to mix things up in the vegie department. Red cabbage is low in calories, high in fibre, plus it’s rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K.
Sardines
They may be tiny but sardines pack a punch in the nutrition department. They’re high in omega-3 fats which are great for the heart, along with vitamin D, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and B vitamins. If you’re looking for a fish alternative consider adding sardines to your food repertoire.
Pumpkin seeds
You may occasionally come across these tiny bite-sized bits of goodness in a protein ball recipe or as a topping on salads but consider adding them to your diet as a snack alternative. The seeds are actually the most nutritious part of a pumpkin! They’re high in magnesium, full of copper, protein and zinc and are also a great source of antioxidants.
Radishes
Radishes are a great detoxifier and help eliminate toxins and free radicals from the body. They’re also jam packed with vitamin C and are a great source of folate, fibre, vitamin B6, magnesium and potassium.
Purple carrots
Orange carrots? Been there, done that. So how about the purple variety? They’re equally as healthy, if not more so. Purple carrots contain vitamin E and beta carotene like their orange counterparts but are also full of anthocyanins, the antioxidant compound that can help improve memory, protect against heart attacks and enhance vision. Plus who doesn’t love the novelty of a purple carrot?
Swiss chard
You may know this green leafy vegetable by its other name silverbeet. Just one cup of Swiss chard can provide you with 300 per cent of your required daily intake of vitamin K. It’s also a great source of vitamin C and vitamin A and is full of magnesium, potassium, iron and fibre.
Turnips
Along with broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale, turnips are part of the nutritious cruciferous family. Turnips are full of vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and potassium. They’re a great low-calorie alternative to potatoes and are packed full of fibre which will help you stay full for longer.
For more articles on nutrition, head to Body + Soul.
Source……..Tania Gomez ….www.news.com.au
Natarajan
To celebrate the completion of Mangalyaan’s first year in the orbit around Mars, ISRO has released a Mars Atlas which is a compilation of all the amazing pictures and data collected from the red planet so far.
The Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft, which entered the Martian orbit on September 24, 2014, has completed one year of its life around the red planet.
“With the launch of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) on 5th November 2013, India has ushered a new era of planetary exploration of Mars and its environment,” says the introduction in the atlas.
In this past year, all five payloads of MOM have collected a large set of data, and all of it is a part of this scientific atlas.
“The images from MCC have provided unique information about Mars at varying spatial resolutions. It has obtained Mars Global data showing clouds, dust in atmosphere and surface albedo variations, when acquired from apoapsis at around 72000 km. On the other hand high resolution images acquired from periapsis show details of various morphological features on the surface of Mars. Some of these images have been showcased in this atlas. The images have been categorized depending upon the Martian surface and atmospheric processes,” said the official ISRO release informing about the atlas.
The atlas has been released by the Space Applications Centre of ISRO in Ahmedabad. It provides a lot of information in vivid detail, explaining the different features of the red planet such as its craters, moons, volcanic features, tectonic features and more. And all of it is accompanied by Mars’s brilliant pictures.
The MOM spacecraft, which was designed, built and launched in just two years, has five scientific instruments to record five different aspects of the planet. These include the geology, morphology, atmospheric processes, surface temperature and atmospheric escape process.
While the Mars mission was initially planned for just six months, it is now expected to last longer. The ISRO chairman, AS Kiran Kumar, recently informed that the mission can last many years because they have not seen any failures so far, and about 35kg of fuel is still left in the spacecraft.
Happy first birthday in space, MOM!
You can download the atlas here.
Source…. Tanaya Singh ….www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
They are some of the animal kingdom’s most feared predators, known for their ferocity and natural killing instinct.
But a zoo in Argentina allows visitors to get up close and personal with some of the most dangerous animals in the world.
And if these pictures are anything to go by, visitors at Lujan Zoo are not only able to cuddle a tiger, rub noses with a lion and hand-feed a bear – they are also able to walk away at the end of it to tell the tale.
Up close: A visitor gives a tame-looking lion a quick peck on his nose
Tame? This tiger seems to be enjoying itself as a visitor rubs its belly
Feeding time: The zoo received this brown bear, which appears to be eating something directly out of a visitor’s mouth, when it was two months old
Since it opened in 1994, there have been no reports of attacks, according to grindtv.com, although there is some debate as to exactly why that is.
While some visitors claim the animals must be drugged, the zoo says the animals’ tameness comes from raising each cub from birth and teaching them to be calm and uninterested in eating people.
The zoo claims keeping the animals constantly fed helps to keep them calm and passive, along with the training given.
Lions were among some of the animals at the zoo when it opened, along with a monkey, two donkeys, two ponies, llama, deer and peacocks.
Friendly: Some visitors claim the animals are drugged, but the zoo puts their tameness down to training and keeping them fed
Safe? There have reportedly been no attacks at the zoo since it opened in 1994
As well as bears, tigers and lions the zoo holds two female elephants, a wide variety of reptiles and birds.
Many of the animals at the zoo are said to be former illegal house pets, offered to the zoo after they have outgrown their homes.
According to the zoo’s website, it currently holds more than 50 African lions, 20 Bengal tigers, 12 mountain lions and about 50 different species of South American monkeys.
Child’s play? A child is left to play alongside lion cubs at the zoo
Attraction: Along with bears, tigers and lions the zoo features two female elephants, a wide variety of reptiles and birds
திருவாரூரை அடுத்த சாத்தனூர் கிராமத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர் வேங்கட சுப்பிரமணியம். வேத விற்பன்னர். மகாபெரியவர் சன்னிதானத்தில் முதல் பக்தர். ஒரு முறை மகாபெரியவர் மயிலை கபாலீஸ்வரர் கோயிலுக்கு விஜயம் செய்தார். கற்பகாம்பாள் சன்னிதியில் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட குங்குமப் பிரசாதத்தைப் பார்த்ததும், அந்தக் குங்குமம் சுத்தமான தயாரிப்பாக இருக்க முடியாது என்று அவருக்குத் தோன்றியது. தூரத்தே கோஷ்டியில் நின்றுகொண்டிருந்த வேங்கட சுப்பிரமணியத்தை அருகில் வரும்படி கட்டளையிட்டார். ஓடோடி வந்து பவ்யமாக குனிந்தபடி நின்றார் அவர். உனக்கொரு வேலை கொடுக்கப் போறேன். செய்வியா?” என்றார். உத்தரவு” என்றார் வேங்கட சுப்பிரமணியம். தமிழ்நாட்டில் பல கோயில்களில் அம்பாள் சன்னிதியில் கொடுக்கப்படும் குங்குமம் அசலான தயாரிப்பாக இல்லை. எனவே, பக்தர்களுக்காக நீ சாஸ்திரோக்தமாக குங்குமம் தயாரிக்க வேண்டும்” என்று ஆக்ஞையிட்டார் மகாபெரியவர்.
மகாபெரியவர் கட்டளையிட்டவுடன் சும்மா இருக்க முடியுமா? வேதங்கள், உபநிஷத்துக்கள், அம்பாளின் மகத்துவத்தை விளக்கும் ஸ்தோத்திரங்கள் ஆகியவற்றில் குங்குமத்தின் பெருமைகளைக் குறித்த தகவல்களைச் சேகரித்தார். குங்குமம் தயாரிப்பு தொடர்பான புத்தகங்களைத் தேடிக் கண்டுபிடித்தார். பின் தயாரிப்பைத் துவக்கினார். நல்ல தரமான குண்டு மஞ்சள், எலுமிச்சை, படிகாரம், வெண்காரம், நல்லெண்ணெய் ஆகியவைதான் குங்குமத் தயாரிப்புக்கான மூலப் பொருட்கள். பழந்தயாரிப்புப்படி கைகளாலேயே தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட குங்குமத்தைச் செய்து முடித்ததும் வேங்கட சுப்பிரமணியத்துக்கு மகிழ்ச்சி பிடிபடவில்லை. தயாரித்த குங்குமத்தை ஒரு துணிப்பையில் போட்டு எடுத்துக்கொண்டு மகாபெரியவரைப் பார்க்க கும்பகோணம் விரைந்தார். குங்குமத்தை உள்ளங்கையில் இட்டுப் பார்த்தவுடன் மகாபெரியவரின் முகத்தில் மலர்ச்சி தெரிந்தது. இந்தப் பணியை நீ தொடர வேண்டும்” என்று சைகையிலேயே ஆணையிட்டார். வேங்கட சுப்பிர மணியம் ஸ்ரீவித்யா உபாசகர். அம்பாள் குங்குமப் பிரியை ஆயிற்றே! ஒரு அர்ப்பணிப்போடு குங்குமத் தயாரிப்பில் இறங்கிவிட்டார் வேங்கட சுப்பிரமணியம்.
ஸ குங்கும விலேபனாம் அளிக சும்பி கஸ்தூரிகாம்
ஸமந்த ஹஸிதேக்ஷணாம் ஸ ஸரஸாப பாசாங்குசாம்
அசேஷஜ நமோஹினீம் அருணமால்ய பூஷாம்பராம்
ஜபாகுஸூம பாசுராம் ஜப விதௌ ஸ்மரேத் அம்பிகாம்என்று லலிதா சகஸ்ரநாமத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்டிருக்கிறது.
அதாவது குங்குமப் பூவின் விழுதைப் பூசிக் கொண்டிருப்பவளும், நெற்றியை அலங்கரிக்கும் கஸ்தூரி திலகம் இட்டவளும், புன்னகைக்கும் கண்கள் உள்ளவளும், வில், அம்பு, பாசம், அங்குசம் ஏந்தியவளும், எல்லா மக்களையும் தன்பால் ஈர்ப்பவளும், செந்நிற மாலை, ஆடைகள் அணிந்து, செம்பருத்திப் பூ போல ஒளிமயமாக இருப்பவளுமான அம்பிகையை ஜபகாலத்தில் நினைவு கொள்கிறேன் என்பதுதான் இதன் பொருள். அம்பாள் உமைக்கு பல அம்சங்கள். திரிபுரசுந்தரி, காமாட்சி, அபிராமி, பார்வதி, லலிதா என்று பல திருநாமங்கள். ஒவ்வொரு அம்சத்திலும், பல பாக்கியங்களை பக்தர்களுக்கு அள்ளித் தருகிறாள் அம்பாள். எப்போதும் சுமங்கலியாகவே இருப்பவள் லலிதா” என்று லலிதா சகஸ்ரநாமத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. சுமங்கலியான பெண்ணை பளிச்சென்று வெளிப்படுத்துவது, அவளது நெற்றியில் அலங்கரிக்கும் குங்குமம்தான். ஒரு பெண் தன் திருமணத்தின் போதுதான் குங்குமம் வைத்துக் கொள்ளும் தகுதியைப் பெறுகிறாள். நெற்றியிலுள்ள குங்குமம், ஒரு பெண்ணின் சுமங்கலித் தன்மையை மட்டும் சொல்வதல்ல. அவளுக்குள் பொதிந்திருக்கும் ஞானத்தையும், ஆற்றலையும் குறியீடாக உணர்த்தும் தன்மையும் கொண்டது. சௌந்தர்ய லஹரியும் லலிதா சகஸ்ரநாமமும் குங்குமத்தின் பெருமைகளை எடுத்து வைக்கின்றன.
சுமார் 5,000 வருடங்களாக, குங்குமம் வைத்துக் கொள்வது என்பது நமது சம்பிரதாயமாக இருந்து வருகிறது என்கிறது ஒரு புராணத் தகவல். இரண்டு இமைகளுக்கு நடுவில் நெற்றிப் பொட்டில் குங்குமம் வைத்துக் கொள்வதற்குப் பல காரணங்கள் உண்டு. நமது உடலில் ஆற்றலை வெளிப்படுத்தும் வகையில் ஏழு சக்கரங்கள் உள்ளன. நமது செயல்கள், சாதனைகள், சாகசங்கள் என்று அனைத்துக்குமே காரணமாக அமைந்தவை இந்தச் சக்கரங்கள். இந்தச் சக்கரங்களின் செயல்பாட்டைத் தூண்டி விடுவதில், முதுகுத் தண்டுக்கு அடிப்பகுதியில் பொக்கிஷமாக இருக்கும் குண்டலினி சக்திக்கு பெரும்பங்கு உண்டு. யோகம், தியானம் போன்றவற்றின் மூலம் குண்டலினி சக்தியை எழுப்பி, இந்த ஏழு சக்கரங்களைத் தூண்டி விடலாம். இந்த ஏழு சக்கரங்களில் ஒன்றான ஆக்ஞை, நெற்றிப்பொட்டில், புருவங்களின் மத்தியில்தான் உள்ளது. ஒருவரின் ஞானம், பேரறிவு ஆகியவை வெளிப்பட காரணமாக அமைவது இந்த ஆக்ஞா சக்கரம் தான். அதைக் குறித்துத்தான் நெற்றிப்பொட்டில் குங்குமம் வைக்கிறோம்.
Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/thread/6421/#ixzz3mmmTHWe0
Source…www.periva.proboards.com
natarajan
The new terminal at the Chandigarh international airport in Mohali, inaugurated recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is the first airport in the country that is ‘totally green’, and can potentially change the way airports are built in the country henceforth.
Spread over 53,000 sq. m, the brand new terminal at the Chandigarh airport has been designed around the green building concept, right from the start. The terminal will handle both domestic as well as international flights.
Airports all across the world cannot dazzle and amaze travelers without their huge displays of artificial lights — which add on to their maintenance and running costs, not to speak of environmental degradation. But this Chandigarh airport terminal is different. No artificial lights would be required to illuminate it during the daytime.
A transparent façade is the defining motif of this airport terminal. The glass that has been used on the façade is low-heat gain glass. This automatically reduces the need for a large amount of air conditioning, which is a bane associated with the glass-based architectural structures that have started mushrooming and dominating urban and emerging landscapes all over the country. Also, the air-conditioning is guided by the principal of thermodynamics, that is, if the sensors sense body heat, the air-conditioning starts working in that zone; otherwise it gravitates to a sleep mode.
The rooftop of the terminal has a 200KW solar plant which is enough to meet the major power needs of the building. Forty percent of the airport is illuminated with LEDs and the air-conditioning is fired by chiller efficient machines. There is also a lawn which has been laid out right inside the terminal.
Built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T), the terminal sets a new sustainability benchmark with green technologies like 55 lakh fly ash bricks, cavity walls, double insulated roofing, energy efficient chillers, and a sensor-based plumbing system to save water. Such an extensive use of fly ash bricks in a civil structure could serve as a shot in the arm for the progressive deployment of fly ash bricks in construction. And this can go a long way in indirectly serving the cause of the environment. Fly Ash bricks are made of fly ash, lime, gypsum and sand. Hence, the more we shift to fly ash, the less we use of the top layer of soil to make conventional bricks.
Thus all the treated water will be reused for flushing and gardening. This idea of re-cycling water is again a major step forward towards environmental sustainability. –
While Punjab wishes to name it after Shaheed Bhagat Singh and append the name Mohali at the end, Haryana wishes to call it just Chandigarh airport. But, no matter what is finally decided, the new airport is a matter of pride not only for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, states that it will likely benefit, but for the whole country.
Source….Nalin Rai in http://www.thebetterindia.com
Natarajan
Take off with Natarajan 