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Money lessons from Makar Sankranti ….!!!

January 14, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Let’s take you on a fun journey on kites and Sankranti traditions and guess what? You can learn a thing or two about financial planning from it as well.

Photograph: K Krishnan/Wikimedia Commons

Come January 14 and the Indian skies will break into a riot of colours, as people celebrate Makar Sankranti. Kites of different shapes, sizes, colours and texture will vie in sky with each other to make a place for themselves and entangle in a pursuit to outdo the rest. As you are busy preparing for this festival of kites and friendly combat, have you really thought about its significance, and why kites are flown on Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti (Uttarayan or Pongal or Poush Sankranti as it is called in other parts of India) coincides with the day the Sun leaves the tropic of Cancer to move towards the tropic of Capricorn (called Makar in India). It is a day of great jubilation for farmers as it marks the end of the biting winters and the beginning of the new harvesting season. This day is therefore celebrated as a Thanksgiving for ending the harsh winters and a bountiful harvest.

Significance of flying kites on Sankranti

Sankranti has a philosophical significance in India as well. The word Sankranti literally means ‘movement’, and it is the day for the human race to realise and be thankful for movement. If there was to be no movement within and without our bodies, we would all be dead! But just like yin and yang in China, the concept of movement must be contrasted and appreciated against the stillness. Therefore, when we fly kites in the lap of the still skies, it is a reiteration of our thankfulness for this very movement!

Indian traditions are also rooted deeply in science and so is the tradition of kite flying on Sankranti. When we fly kites on Sankranti, we expose ourselves to the rays of the Sun. On this day when the Sun begins its journey towards the other hemisphere, it is expected to be benevolent and emanate rays that have medicinal benefits.

During the winters our bodies are usually infected with cold and other infections which are eradicated by the direct exposure to the Sun’s rays on this particular day.

Makar Sankranti traditions:

In Maharashtra, the ‘Til Gul’ ( a sweet made of sesame seeds and jaggery) are prepared in homes to mark the harvest of the first sugarcane crop of the year (out of which jaggery is made).
In Gujarat Makar Sankranti is referred to as Uttarayan, and kites are flown to wake the Gods from their winter slumber and bless farmers’ harvests.
In West Bengal this festival is referred to as ‘Poush Sankranti’ and is celebrated as a harvest festival where a variety of sweets such as Pithey, Puli, Patisapta are made with freshly harvested rice flour and jaggery made out of date palms.
In Uttar Pradesh it is believed that taking a holy dip in the Ganges on this day provides ‘Moksha’ or salvation from sins.
Makar Sankranti is referred to as Pongal in Tamil Nadu and other South Indian states, where it is celebrated as a three day festival which include lot of festivities.

Some financial lessons you can learn Makar Sankranti:

Get set for a flight:

Financial planning is not just about making a plan and keeping it static. You need to keep reviewing it and armed with proper resources and research of the markets you need to seize the opportunities that arise in the economic environment to enhance your portfolio. This is akin to kite flying where you need to customise a kite as per your abilities, have the perfect manjha or string and set it to flight to soar above the rest when the wind is in your favour.

Keep your eyes on your kite:

When you are flying a kite, you cannot for a moment be careless and lose sight of how or in which direction your kite is flying. Similarly, in financial planning you have to be vigilant of the course that your investments are taking and review your investments to see that your financial goals both short term and long term are being met.

Be flexible

While flying kites people shout out ‘dheel de!’ to their companions. It means when you are in the midst of a strong gust of wind you have to let go the string off and adapt to the situation. Similarly, when it comes to an investment climate, things are not always perfect. You have to be patient and sometimes bear some temporary losses, but never lose sight of your vision of meeting your financial goals.

So now armed with this new found knowledge of Makar Sankranti, go ahead and fly those kites with new found fervour! Kai Po Che!

SOURCE:::: Rajiv Raj in http://www.rediff.com

Natarajan

Jan 14 2015

Image of the Day…. Jan. 12, 1986 Early Morning Space Shuttle Launch !!!

January 14, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

On Jan. 12, 1986, the space shuttle Columbia launched at 6:55 a.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center on the STS-61C mission. It was the first spaceflight for now-NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, who was a Pilot on the STS-61C crew along with Mission Commander Robert L. Gibson, Mission Specialists Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Steven A. Hawley and George D. Nelson and Payload Specialists Robert J. Cenker of RCA and U.S. Rep. (now Senator) Bill Nelson. During the six-day flight, crew members deployed the SATCOM KU satellite and conducted experiments in astrophysics and materials processing. The mission was accomplished in 96 orbits of Earth, ending with a successful night landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on Jan. 18, 1986. Image Credit: NASA

SOURCE:::: http://www.nasa.gov

Natarajan

Jan 14 2015

Image of the Day…. Rare Ice Halo Display !!!

January 14, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Rare ice halo display in New Mexico

Ice halo display captured by Joshua Thomas in Red River, New Mexico on the morning of January 9, 2015.

The U.S. National Weather Service in Amarillo, Texas posted this photo on its Facebook page this weekend. Joshua Thomas in Red River, New Mexico captured these magnificent arcs in the sky on the morning of January 9, 2015. Look below for a labeled version of the same photo.

Ice halos are commonly seen by those who look at the skies; we receive several photos of ice halos from somewhere in the world every week, especially in wintertime. Often, we’ll receive many such photos, across a particular region, sometimes for several days in a row. Most ice halos appear as a circle or ring around the sun or moon. Sometimes, if conditions are just right, you do see these wonderful, rare events when the whole sky is filled with halo arcs.

Ice halos are caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, which both refract and reflect sunlight or moonlight.

SOURCE:::: http://www.earthsky.org

Natarajan

Jan 14 2015

A Whole Village of Clay … In China !!!

January 14, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Clay Riverside Park: A Whole Village of Clay

Located in the township of Tangshan Fengrun, the Clay Riverside Park is a famous depicting of a famous picture. Built from 2007-2011, spending $1.2m dollars and covering over 500 acres, the park opened in 2011.

Visitors were treated to exquisite works of clay art in all shapes and sizes, reproducing over 500 lifelike characters, more than 50 horses, mules, donkeys and more than 20 vessels of various sizes, shaped tower, bridge, country, docks, and other magnificent street town life scenes.

Visitors can also enjoy walking among history as modern visitors to an ancient world, with all the clay buildings and people modeled after old paintings depicting regular village life in Ancient China.

Source: Xu M. in http://www.ba-bamail .com

Natarajan

Jan 2015

Kids are Kids… Even if They are Baby Elephants … !!!

January 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Baby Elephants That’ll Melt Your Heart…!!!

Baby animals are so cute and fun to look at, but there is one ‘baby’ that weighs more than most adult humans, has almost no fur to speak of and loves the mud, and despite these facts, the baby elephant is definitely one of the cutest of all baby animals!

So this post is all about these ‘little’ guys with great photos and also some fascinating information about the biggest land mammal.

baby elephants

An elephant calph is around 250 pounds or 115 kgs in weight when born. Females mature at about 11 years and stay in the group, while the males, which mature between 12 and 15, are usually expelled from the maternal herd.

Elephants are some of the most intelligent animals on Earth. Their brains weigh 5kg, much more than the brain of any other land animal. Their brains have more complex folds than all animals except whales, which is thought to be a major factor in their intellect. They commonly show grief, humor, compassion, cooperation, self-awareness, tool-use, playfulness, and excellent learning abilities.

An elephant in Korea surprised its zoo keepers by independently learning to mimic the commands they gave it by verbalizing on the end of its trunk, successfully learning 8 words and their context.

The elephant trunk, a specialized nose, is analogous to an octopus tentacle in terms of dexterity. It allows them a high degree of manipulation of objects and elephants are adept tool-users. Elephants have been taught to paint with their adroit trunks and produce some fascinating artwork. In captivity, elephants easily learn how to open simple locks and many master more complex ones, something impossible for most other animals due to a lack of dexterity and intellect.

Elephants in zoos have worked together to take advantage of this, by having many act as lookouts as another undoes the lock, or in one instance an elephant feigned injury as a distraction while another elephant helped the others escape. Once all the elephants were out, the distraction elephant climbed to its feet and ran for the door, surprising its tenders who had been unaware of the ruse.

Female elephants live in a herd of about 10 individuals lead by the most experienced matriarch, whereas the males are normally solitary and move from herd to herd. The females in each herd help each other find food and care for calves.

Adults do not lie down to sleep because of the excellent support their very straight legs give them. Elephants communicate within their herds or between herds many kilometers away mostly using sounds too low for human ears to perceive and by stamping their feet. Within their herds, elephants are believed to have the same or similar levels of cooperation as chimpanzees.

A young elephant must learn how to draw water up into its trunk and then pour it into its mouth.

Of all the elephant’s specialized features, the muscular trunk is the most remarkable it serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device and a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, digging and a variety of other functions. Not only does the long trunk permit the elephant to reach as high as 23 feet, but it can also perform movements as delicate as picking berries or caressing a companion. It is capable, too, of powerful twisting and coiling movements used for tearing down trees or fighting.

An elephant herd is considered one of the most closely-knit societies of any animal, and a female will only leave it if she dies or is captured by humans. Males will leave the herd as they become adolescent, around the age of 12, and live in temporary ‘bachelor herds’ until they are mature and live alone.

An elephant female is fertile for only a few days each year. During this time, males will try to court her by using rituals involving various affectionate gestures and nuzzles. If she accepts one, she will respond with similar gestures and after 20 minutes or so of a courting ritual they will mate. If she conceives, she will be pregnant for 22 months, longer than any other land animal.

‘Nature’s great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing.‘

Source::::: John Donne in www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Jan 14 2015

Meet 10 Super Senior Citizens of Our Times…. !!!

January 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

What is the Secret to Longevity

More often than not, the oldest people in the world don’t even know they’ve earned the title unless the Guinness Book of Records’ people call to let them know, or a reporter comes a-calling. Undoubtedly, they carry with them years of experience and wisdom they can pass on to others. These are their secrets to longevity, by the ten oldest people in the world (2015).

10. Orma Slack (111 years, 10 months)

Orma was born on February 19, 1903 in Canada, just several months before Orville Wright flew the first airplane in history. She was 20 when the Great Depression started and 66 when humanity landed on the moon. Orma was a teacher and retired at the age of 64, then traveled the world with her husband (who passed away in 1988). She also volunteered at the Bellville hospital until she was 104, and only stopped because she could not find a ride to the hospital. Orma still enjoys life. Last year she went skiing.

Orma’s secret: “Ever since I was a child, the world did not change for better or worse. Things don’t change, so go with the flow. I’ve never done anything special to help me get to my age, but the secret may be my positive attitude to people and life. I don’t recall ever saying a bad thing about a neighbor, family member or a friend”.

9. Sakari Momoi (111 years, 11 months)

Sakari is the oldest living man in the world. Born on February 5th, 1903, Sakari worked his whole life as a teacher and later as a principal until reaching retirement. The Guinness Book of Records is currently verifying whether Mr. Momoi is also the oldest living man in history.

Momi’s secret: “I do not know the secret of my long life, I simply haven’t died yet. I used to always exercise, eat in moderation and never consumed alcohol, but that’s just my way of life, not some great secret.”

8. Johanna Klink (112 years)

Three months ago, Johanna officially became the oldest person in Germany. She has been married three times and has only one daughter (an uncommon thing for long-living people). Johanna has been living in a nursing home since 2004, but she is still healthy, both physically and mentally.

Johanna’s secret: “I feel great, like I’m 60 years old and just retired. My secret to a long life is a plain and light diet, and especially only using a few drops of oil or butter in the soups I make.”

7. Ethel Lang (114 years, 7 months)

Born on May 27, 1900, Ethel is the oldest person in England and the second-oldest person in Europe. She’s the only living Britton born during the reign of Queen Victoria. Ethel left school at the age of 13 and went working in a shirt factory, where she worked throughout WWI. Many of the relatives on her father’s side enjoyed a long life.

Ethel’s secret: “I’ve never smoked and barely touched any alcohol. I drink a lot of tea, cook my own food, even the bread. Ever since I can remember, I was always in motion and never gotten fat. I was always taking interest in people’s wellbeing and loved to go out and dance. Last time I danced was when I was 107.”

6. Violet Brown (114 years, 10 months)

Violet was born on March 10th of 1900, and still remembers the days she had to get up early in the morning and walk 3 miles barefoot to get her family water so she can get back home by 9am to go to school. This Jamaican lady says that: “Today’s youth don’t know how easy their lives are. They have plumbing in every home and buses going everywhere. Sometimes I think about the past and cry for all the hardships I had to endure”.

Violet’s secret: “These days I enjoy reading (without glasses) and reciting poetry. My secret to longevity is my faith in the good Lord and his commandments. If I have a message to share, it’s ‘Honor thy father and thy mother’. That’s probably the most important commandment.”

5. Emma Morano-Martinuzzi (115 years, 1 month)

Emma is the oldest person who had ever lived in Italy, and the last European born in the 19th-century (November 29th, 1899). Emma was only married for 11 years, but being a Catholic, she did not believe in divorce, so she only kicked her husband out of the house and remained married until he died in 1978. Their son died at six months, and Emma stayed in her marital home ever since.

Emma’s secret: “I never touched drugs and only drank brandy that I make at home. I eat three eggs every day and treat myself to chocolate sometimes, but mainly, I think it’s my positive thinking about the future that kept me alive for so long.”

4. Susannah Mushatt Jones (115 years, 6 months)

The 4th oldest person in the world and 3rd oldest person in the USA, Susannah was born on July 9th, 1988. Her grandfather was a freed slave who became a farmer, later run by her parents. Susannah did not want to be a farmer, so after finishing school in 1922, she decided she wanted to be a teacher. Sadly, her parents couldn’t afford to pay for her studies, so she moved to New York, got married and five years later got a divorce. Since then she has been living alone, and has been working as a nanny for $7 a week.

Susannah’s secret: “I visit the doctor only four times a year and don’t use any medication except for blood pressure medication. When I turned 100 I lost my eyesight to diabetes, but I refuse to take medication or have a surgery for it. My whole life I avoided cigarettes, alcohol, makeup and even hair dye. I get 10 hours of sleep every night and not being married also helps.”

3. Jeralean Talley (115 years, 7 months)

Jeralean is the 3rd oldest person in the world and the 2nd oldest person in the USA. She was born on May 23rd, 1899 and says she’s never driven a car since the first time she tried, when she accidentally used the wrong pedal, causing the car to reverse, which scared her. She’s not sorry about it.

Jeralean’s secret: “I never stop moving, and even today I keep my hands busy by knitting. I played bowling until I turned 104, but my legs have gotten weaker since then. I sometimes go fishing with my son-in-law and grandson and even caught seven fish last time. I only have one golden rule for life: Treat others as you would have them treat you.”

2. Gertrude Weaver (116 years, 6 months)

The oldest person in the USA and 2nd oldest person alive today was born on the 4th of July, 1898. Gertrude had four children, the only one still alive today is 93 years old. When Gertrude was 104, she moved to a nursing home, and despite not having any chronic diseases, her age is affecting her health. Despite that, she still leaves her room and enjoys the activities in the home.

Gertrude’s secret: “My secret is faith in God, hard work, loving everyone and always do as much as you can, and if you can’t, don’t do it.”

On her 116th birthday, Gertrude received a letter from President Barack Obama, informing her that from that point on, that day is official “Gertrude Day” in the USA.”

1. Misao Okawa (116 years, 10 months)

Misao Okawa is the oldest living person in the world, the oldest person in Asia and the only Japanese person born in the 19th-century that is still alive. At 102, Misao was still regularly exercising and was able to walk on her own until she was 110. These days she uses a wheelchair because she has a hard time keeping her balance, but insists on using the chair on her own and refuses to ask for help.

Misao’s secret: “The reasons I survived for so long are sushi and a good night’s sleep.”

So who knows, maybe we just need to eat more sushi and sleep well every night, and we’ll all be able to walk by the time we’re 110. Either way, the world’s oldest woman seems happy and full of life, which seems to be the main message of most of the people on this list, above all diets and such. So the secret to a long and happy life is just to be kind to yourself and to others.

SOURCE:::: http://www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Jan 14 2015

Delhi Metro… Facts You May Not Know !!!

January 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The Delhi Metro is overcrowded, it’s swarming with pickpockets and there are frequent technical glitches. Yeah, we know all these things. But is that all we need to know about our favorite ride around the national capital?

The fact remains that despite these problems, we never give Delhi Metro a skip. There is lot more to the metro than what meets the eye. Here are 10 interesting facts about saddi metro that you probably did not know!

1. No dustbins

The DMRC stations and platforms look spick and span despite the fact that there are no dustbins anywhere (apart from the restaurants). This is something Modi Ji would be very proud of!

Source: urbanistyczine

2. Neutral Zones

You call them power cuts, DMRC calls them power shifts! The momentary power lapses where lights and AC go off at certain stations are actually ‘power shifts’. These designated sub-stations a.k.a. neutral zones supply power to the metro since it can not get the required 25000 volts from a single station.

Source: sify

3. Even number of coaches

Ever seen a metro with 5 or 7 coaches? No chance of that happening. This is because DMRC rails have 2 types of coaches, namely the ‘driver car’ and the ‘motor car’. They serve as one unit and cannot be used separately. Hence, Delhi metros have either 6 or 8 coaches. Always!

Source: dwarkaexpress

4. Journey ke saath bhi, journey ke baad bhi

DMRC takes care of your journey even after you deboard the train. A lot of metro stations provide bicycles on rent for as meagre as Rs 10 for 4 hours. Just don’t forget to carry a valid ID proof!

Source: mayurviharextension

5. DMRC Smart Card

Largely unknown, DMRC and ICICI bank got together to launch a DMRC debit card which has an auto recharge facility and gives 10 % discount on metro fare and shops at metro stations. Oh, did we mention cash back offers and reward points? Happy travelling!

Source: icicibank

6. Sari Guard feature of escalators

Delhi metro commuters are always in a hurry and DMRC realises that. Apart from the emergency stop button, the DMRC escalators also have a sari guard feature that deflects loose clothing from getting trapped.

Source: thehindu

7. Assistance for visually impaired

Apart from scrubbing your shoes clean on them, these broad yellow strips running on the Delhi Metro platforms serve a better purpose. These yellow tactile strips are the pathways for the visually impaired commuters, leading them directly to the lifts and to the exits.

Source: delhimetrorail

8. Wheelchair friendly

All stations have ramps built right at the entrance to help wheelchair-bound people to roll themselves around the station. This again shows how methodologically the Delhi Metro stations have been built.

Source: thehindu

9. Distance covered by Delhi Metro

The Delhi Metro network consists of a total of 200 trains covering a total distance of 69,000 kms every day. To put things into perspective, the earth’s total circumference is 40,075 kms!

Source: wikipedia

10. Punctuality

In our own rush of reaching our destination, we hardly notice that Delhi Metro is one of the very few punctual things that have happened to Delhi, or India perhaps!

Source: wikimedia

Next time someone brags about his luxury car, you know just the points to defend your own ride!

This write up is inspired by an awesome post we found on Quora.

Source::::: Gaurav Arora on http://www.scoopwhoop.com

Natarajan

Jan 13 2015

” Invincible ” Morris….Oldest Living Australian Test Cricketer….Still Going Strong … !!!…

January 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The Hindu

Arthur Morris with his wife Judith. Photo: Dinakar

When Bradman was bowled for nought in his final Test at the Oval in 1948, Arthur Morris was at the other end and made 196 on what he called a ‘wet wicket’ in that innings.

At 92, Arthur Morris is the oldest living Australian Test cricketer. The former left-handed opener was named in Australia’s Test team of the century, and has his place among the golden greats.

On the Invincibles tour of England in 1948, he was incredible, scoring 696 runs . It was the only time in 20 years that the legendary Don Bradman was outscored in a series.

When Bradman was bowled for nought in his final Test at the Oval in 1948, Morris was at the other end. In fact, Morris made 196 on what he called a ‘wet wicket’ in that innings.

In the then world record chase of 404 in the earlier Test at Leeds, Morris (182) and Bradman (173 not out) starred for Australia on the final day.

It was a privilege to meet Morris and his kind wife Judith in their lovely home in Erina, a serene coastal town 85km from Sydney.

In an exclusive conversation with The Hindu, Morris — his memory remarkably sharp — recalled his playing days.

Predictably, the focus was on Australia’s epic 1948 tour of England. And on Bradman’s dismissal in his final Test innings at the Oval. “There was silence in the ground when Eric Hollies bowled Bradman with a wrong ‘un. He had bowled a couple of leg-spinners earlier. The War was over, and the crowds in that series came to see Bradman play. They were stunned.”

Remembering one of the most gripping moments in cricketing history, Morris said “If it had happened today, if a bowler had got the wicket of such a batsman in his final Test, the fielders would have been all over him. But all that happened was Norman Yardley shouting from mid-on, ‘Jolly-well bowled Hollies.’ That was it.”

Morris said, “After the Test, Bradman gave a farewell speech. He also gave gifts to all his team members. We got cufflinks. It was emotional. There were some who jokingly told me that had I not got all those runs, they would have got to see Bradman bat in the second innings.”

The left-hander — with 3533 runs in 46 Tests — recalled Bradman speaking to him about his rich vein of form during the 1948 series, “He said, ‘I do not know how you do it, but keep doing it.’ Bradman used to play all his shots along the ground. I used to play a lot of lofted shots.”

Morris had fond memories of the Test at Leeds where Australia chased down 404 on the final day, after England had batted in the first session.

“Bradman had some problems against Denis Compton’s Chinaman bowling that day. He came to me and said, ‘Take him on, open him up.’ Then I played a lot of shots against Compton. We won the Test. In the morning, the English papers had said there was no way we could win the Test. This is where we got our satisfaction from,” he said.

On the Invincibles, Morris said, “We had strong batting, good bowling, and great characters. We had Miller, Lindwall, the wicketkeeper Tallon, my opening partner Sid Barnes, and of course, Bradman.”

He came up with some wonderful anecdotes too. “It was getting dark, and Sam Loxton spoke to the umpires to convince them. Then, he said to them, ‘I cannot see you, but can hear you!”

Morris reminisced, “Len Hutton was a fine opening batsman, but it was a tough day with Lindwall nipping the ball around. He got a single, got off strike, and said, ‘Cyril Washbrook (his partner) cannot get the ones!’ Good batsmen rotate the strike.”

A stylish top-order batsman, Morris believed batting was a lot about footwork. “You get back to go forward. You should have that little movement in your back leg to set it up. You cannot get committed on the front foot. Whether it is boxing or tennis, footwork is essential. As a batsman you have to dictate terms to the bowlers with your footwork, not allow them to dominate you.”

It was footwork that enabled Morris to be a terrific player on ‘wet pitches’ during the demanding days of uncovered pitches. A strong back-foot player, he hooked and cut the pacemen. “When you hook, you have to get inside the line of the ball. A lot of batsmen do not do it now.”

He faced several exceptional pace bowlers in his time. “Frank Tyson was fast, Statham was lively too. But Alec Bedser was the toughest. He was accurate and he moved the ball. In fact, Neil Harvey and I spoke about this some time back.”

Morris keeps in touch with Harvey — the only other surviving member of the Invincibles. “He lost his wife some time ago. I went to the funeral. We meet often.”

The Australian made a mention of the modern-day super bats too. “Even the mishits go for six. I had to whack the ball. We have to do with our records now.”

Morris leaves us with a nugget. “It used to take six weeks to England while travelling by sea. In 1948, Bombay was a stopover. But as Bradman looked out of the ship, he saw about ten thousand people outside wanting to see him. He never got out of the ship.”

Keywords: Australian cricket legends, Arthur Morris, Invincibles tour of England 1948

SOPURCE:::::S.Dinakar in http://www.the hindu.com

Natarajan

JAN 13 2015

Ten Indian Villages That Set a Worthy Example for the Whole Country …

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015Natarajan2 Comments

LET US BE PROUD OF OUR COUNTRY. IT IS A PARTICIPATIVE ACHIEVEMENT.

Interesting to read about villages that are different.

10 Indian Villages That Set A Worthy Example For The Whole Country
November 12 , 2014

India, having an agro-based economy, depends the most on its villages for growth. Thegaon always has that distinct nostalgic charm that Indians alone can understand. Sarson ke khet, tea plantations, mud houses, clean air, charpaai, mitti, star-lit sky; these are just some of the happy things that we associate with life in an Indian village.
But unfortunately, that feeling is slowly waning. Poverty, lack of education, lack of sanitation, etc are the first associations that the media paints about Indian villages for our benefit.
Here’s a little fact: Gaons aren’t a bad place to live. In fact, some of them are way better than any metro. And these exemplary examples prove just that.

1. Mawlynnong – Asia’s cleanest village

Mawlynnong, a small village in Meghalaya, was awarded the prestigious tag of ‘Cleanest Village in Asia’ in 2003 by Discover India Magazine. Located at about 90kms from Shillong, the village offers a sky walk for you to take in the beauty as you explore it. According to visitors, you cannot find a single cigarette butt/plastic bag lying around there.

Source: Flickr

2. Punsari – The village with WiFi, CCTVs, AC classrooms and more

Punsari, located in Gujarat, puts most metros to shame. Funded by the Indian government and the village’s own funding model, Punsari is no NRI-blessed zone. The village also boasts of a mini-bus commute system and various other facilities. Believe it.
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Source: Dainik Bhaskar

3. Hiware Bazar – The village of 60 millionaires

Hiware Bazar, located in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, has transformed from being a place fraught with issues to being possibly the richest village in India. The sole reason for this fairy-tale change is one man called Popatrao Pawar. He banned all addictive substances to minimize expense and encouraged the villagers to invest in rain-water harvesting, milch cattle, etc.
There are a record 60 millionaires in the village and barely any poor. From 168 Below Poverty Line families in 1995, Hiware Bazar now has just three. The villagers continue to strive to see a day when not one person is poor.

Source: Hiware Bazar

4. Dharnai – First fully solar-powered village

Dharnai, a village in Bihar, beat 30 years of darkness by developing its own solar-powered system for electricity. With the aid of Greenpeace, Dharnai declared itself anenery-independent village in July. Students no long need to limit their studies to the day time, women no longer limit themselves to stepping out in the day in this village of 2400 residents. Now if only cities could do the same, right?

Source: Greenpeace

5. Chappar – A village that distributes sweets when a girl is born

Chappar village in Haryana has a woman Sarpanch. But Neelam is no ordinarySarpanch. She made it her life’s mission to change the attitude of the villagers towards women, and she succeeded. Not only do the women of the village not wear theghunghat anymore, but despite Haryana being the state with the lowest girls ratio (an abysmal 877) in this village every newborn, regardless of his/her sex, is welcomed into the world with sweets and festivities.

Source: Youth Connect Mag

6. Korkrebellur – A village that really loves its birds

Korkrebellur, a small village in Karnataka, believes in the conservation of nature. While most other villages consider birds a nuisance because they harm crops, Kokrebellurboasts of rare species of birds that fly around and don’t even mind humans much. The villagers treat their winged compatriots as family and have even created an area for wounded birds to rest and heal. Wonderful, isn’t it?

Source: Flickr

7. Ballia – The village that beat arsenic poisoning with an indigenous method

Ballia village of Uttar Pradesh had an itchy problem to deal with. The water that the villagers were drinking contained arsenic, which causes serious skin problems and even physical deformation. What is arsenic, you ask? A harmless element on its own, but when combined with oxygen or water, it turns toxic.
Ironically, the village faced the problem after the government introduced many hand-pumps in the area for easy water access. The level at which the hand-pumps were dug led to excessive interaction between arsenic and water. When the villagers realised what had happened, instead of waiting for the government to act on it, they (physically) fixed their old wells and went back to an older, safer time. The best part? Even 95-year-old Dhanikram Verma joined in.

Source: The Better India

8. Pothanikkad – The village with a 100% literacy rate

Unsurprisingly in Kerala, Pothanikkad village was the first in the country to achieve a 100% literacy rate. Not only does the village boast of city-standard high-schools, but it also has primary schools and private schools. Guess the number of people the village has educated? Well, according to the 2001 census there are 17563 residents living in the village. The best part is that it answers the question.
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Source: Deokothamangalam

9. Bekkinakeri – The village that rid itself of open defecation by ‘greeting’ lota-bearers

Bekkinakeri village in Karnataka has redefined the point of wishing someone a ‘Good morning’. Frustrated with the practice of open defecation, the village council attempted to curb it by requesting people to not do so. When that didn’t work, they stationed themselves early morning near ‘popular’ defecation sites and wished every perpetrator a very good morning. The trick worked! Too embarrassed to go on with their business, the openly defecating population has now stopped the practice completely.

Source: World Bank

10. Shani Shingnapur – A village so safe that people don’t need doors

Shani Shingnapur, located in Maharashtra, is a village that defies every newspaper report you have ever read. Touted as the safest village in India, this place is known for its lack of doors to houses. Not just that, there is no police station in the village. And no, we are not making this up.
By the way, Shani Shingnapur has ‘broken’ another interesting record. The village has the country’s first lockless bank branch (UCO bank) now.

Source: Woman Planet

SOURCE:::: input from a friend of mine and www. scoop whoop .com

Natarajan

Janb 13 2015

Meanwhile…. British English versus American English !!!

January 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

An English friend of mine says that he nearly had a heart attack on a flight in the United States when the American pilot announced that the plane would be airborne “momentarily.’ ‘In British English, the language my friend speaks, “momentarily” means “for a moment,” and he thought the pilot was suggesting an imminent crash soon after takeoff. In American English, however, “momentarily” means “in a moment,” and the pilot was merely appeasing the impatient passengers.

The plane took off, stayed aloft, my friend’s heart stopped thudding, and he lived to tell the tale. But he understood better than ever before the old adage that Britain and the United States are two countries divided by a common language.

Anecdotes abound about the misunderstandings that arise when foreigners come to the United States thinking that they know the language.

In one anecdote, a young man, in the course of a passionate courtship, tells his American girlfriend, “I’ll give you a ring tomorrow.” All he meant was that he would call her by telephone. But she understood him to have offered betrothal, and the relationship didn’t survive the misunderstanding.

Then there’s the hotel that failed to understand an English guest who called to say he had left his “trousers in the wardrobe.” Translators had to be summoned before the hotel staff finally cottoned on: “Oh, you’ve left your pants in the closet. Why didn’t you say so in the first place?”

Sometimes you can get the right word but the wrong concept. India’s former foreign minister, M. C. Chagla, once ruefully recounted the time he wanted to order a modest bite from room service in a New York hotel and requested sandwiches.

“How many do you want?” Chagla was asked. Imagining delicate little triangles of thinly-sliced bread, he replied: “Oh, half-a-dozen should be enough.” Six sandwiches duly arrived, each about a foot long (30 centimeters) and four inches high.

In my first week on a U.S. university campus, I asked an American where I could post a letter to my parents. “There’s a bulletin board at the Student Center,” he replied, “but are you sure you want to post something so personal?” I soon learned that I needed to “mail” letters, not “post” them (even though in the United States you mail them at the “post office”).

In Britain, one concludes a restaurant meal by asking for the bill, and conceivably paying by cheque; in America, one asks for the check and pays with bills.

The language of politics is also not exempt from the politics of language. When a member of Parliament in Britain “tables” a resolution, he puts it forward for debate and passage; when an American Congressman tables a resolution, he kills it off. A “moot” point is one the Englishman wants to argue; but if it’s moot, the American considers it null and void.

Such differences of usage reveal something of the nature of American society.

It is no wonder, after all, that while the British “stand” for election, Americans “run” for office.

A British linguist once told a New York audience that whereas a double negative could make a positive, there was no language in the world in which a double positive made a negative. A heckler put paid to his thesis in forthright American: “Yeah, right.”

Yeah, right, indeed. With the universality of English largely a result of U.S. global dominance, it’s time for other English speakers to stop quibbling about whether the American usage is right or wrong. It simply is.

And as the Americans have taught the rest of us to say: that’s O.K. Though not even they can tell us what those two initials are meant to represent.

The writer grapples regularly with the differences between British English and American English, both as a novelist and as undersecretary-general for communications and public information at the United Nations. This is a personal comment.

SOURCE:::: Sashi Tharoor in http://www.nytimes.com

Natarajan

Jan 13 2015