Friday, 19 July 2013
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
INDIA - The Dream of Existence
French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.
INDIA - World's Largest Democracy
India is the world's largest democracy and celebrates its Republic Day on 26th January every year.
Sunita Williams
Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams née Pandya (born September 19, 1965) is a former American astronaut and a United States Navy officer with paternal Indian and maternal Slovene roots. She holds the records for longest single space flight by a woman (195 days), total spacewalks by a woman (seven), and most spacewalk time for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes).
Williams was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and Expedition 15. In 2012, she served as a flight engineer on Expedition 32 and then commander of Expedition 33.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Agriculture
Agriculture is not only the dominant occupations of the people of India but is also one of the most important economic sectors for the country.
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Decimal and Place Value System
The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
Neem - An Auspicious Tree
Dating from the Vedic period, the Neem plant is considered to be very auspicious, not only for it's medicinal values, but also for it's use in religious rites. Neem is also revered for it's unmatched use as a biologically sound pesticide and an air purifier. The magical properties of the neem have now been revealed to the world.
Sunday, 16 June 2013
The National Anthem of India
The Jana Gana Mana is the national Anthem of India, composed by Rabindranath Tagore. It was officially adopted by the constituent Assembly as the Indian national anthem on January 24, 1950.
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Bhaskaracharya and Astronomy
Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
Number System - Invented by India
India invented the number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
Origin of Snakes & Ladders
The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
Classical Dance
Dance is perhaps the most ephemeral form of beauty. With eight recognized classical styles, Indian dance combines the pureness of nritta with the drama of abhinaya. From temple precincts to proscenium stage, its an art form that has kept pace with time without ever needing to dilute its original identity.
The Earliest School of Medicine
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
Anaesthesia
Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
Origin of Chess
Chess is believed to have originated in northwest India during the Gupta empire, where its early form in the 6th century was known as chaturaṅga (Sanskrit: four divisions [of the military] – infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively)
Cow
The cow is considered a sacred animal and is allowed to roam free in most cities and villages. They often wear a tilak as a symbol of good fortune.
Yoga
Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
Yoga is a commonly known generic term for the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India with a view to attain a state of permanent peace. Specifically, yoga is one of the six āstika ("orthodox") schools of Hindu philosophy. One of the most detailed and thorough expositions on the subject is the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, which defines yoga as "the stilling of the changing states of the mind.
World's First University
The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
Hanging Pillar of Lepakshi
Lepakshi is a small town, in Ananthpur district of Andhra Pradesh state. The most unusual thing related to Lepakshi is its floating pillar. A pillar which is believed to be attached with the ceiling but not to the floor. Though it is popular as floating pillar but it is a Hanging Pillar.There is enough space to easily pass a sheet of paper a towel underneath.
Magnetic Hill Ladakh
The uncommon phenomenon here is that the car moves itself when put in neutral gear. The car moves up a steep mountain road at a steady speed of 10km/hr or above depending on the type of vehicle. It is a hill near picturesque Leh. The hills have magnetic properties which attracts metallic objects, making vehicles move up at a speed of about 20 km per hour. The “magnetic hill” is located on the Leh-Kargil-Batalik national highway, about 50 km from Leh, at a height of 14,000 feet above sea level. Today the places has become a popular sight seeing place where tourists are amazed to see their car moving on its own.
Busiest Bridge in the World
Howrah Bridge of Kolkata is also known as Rabindra Setu. The Howrah Bridge of Kolkata is the busiest bridge in the world. The bridge caters to about 1,00,000 vehicles and uncountable pedestrians. The bridge is 450 meter long and it stands over Hooghly River without any pylon. The bridge is the best example of the 20th century engineering techniques. today it is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Kolkata.
The Royal Bengal Tiger
Whether one has sighted tigers in the mist of Nagarhole Park, the ancient ruins of Ranthambhore or just gawked at them in the city zoo, this beautiful beast holds an enduring fascination for the world. India is home to the largest number of these endangered cats. Stepped-up field efforts and public conservation discourses promise that the animal will survive the 21st century.
Crafts
The crafts map of India cuts a wide swath, from the bamboo craft of Assam to the blue pottery of Jaipur and the walnut woodwork of Kashmir to footwear from Kolhapur. Indian craftspeople, some six million of them, keep the knowledge alive: of locally-available material, a mastery over tools and an understanding of technique. However, only sustained investment from government and industry will ensure their survival.
Living Root Bridges of Cherrapunji
Have you ever wanted to go to forest or in some kind of magical places? Northeastern India is one such place where the majestic environment will give you a unique experience of its kind. Living tree root bridges are the specialty to the Cherrapunjee region, the wettest land on earth. The living bridges of Cherrapunji, India are made from the roots of the Indian Rubber Tree ‘Ficus elastica’ tree. It may sound magical or even exaggeration; the root bridges of Cherrapunji are really alive. Unlike any other part of the world these bridges are grown, not built.
Thalon Cave – Manipur
These caves are located in Tamenglong district in the North Eastern State of Manipur. The caves are one among various historic sites of Manipur. The caves also provide the first concrete evidence of Hoabinhian culture in India which is also found in other South East Asian countries. Thalon caves are located about 910 mtrs above sea level and its an unusual experience when you enter. The darkness and the frightening experience feels like you are entering into the unknown world.
Pi - Its Origin
The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
Origin of Martial Arts
Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river. It is considered to be largest peaceful gathering in the world with over 100 million people visiting during the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013. It is held every third year at one of the four places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayag), Nashik and Ujjain. Thus the Kumbh Mela is held at each of these four places every twelfth year. Ardh ("Half") Kumbh Mela is held at only two places, Haridwar and Allahabad, every sixth year. The rivers at these four places are: the Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar, the confluence (Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad, the Godawari at Nashik, and the Shipra at Ujjain.
Wildlife Sanctuaries
India has worked hard to preserve endangered species and their shrinking wild-life. There are more than 500 wildlife sanctuaries and 13 reserves.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Andaman
Far, far away from the mainland, the modern day Andamans seems to have acquired a culture of their own. Original settlers, and later immigrants from Punjab, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu have merged into a harmonious whole. It is only when you take a flight to any of the islands, away from Port Blair, that you realise how kind nature has been. If your plane is flying really high, you also see that all of the islands are just specks in that deep blue. And if the people do not take care of their natural protection coral reefs, mangroves the ocean could, quite easily, swamp them all.
Hide-and-Seek Beach of Orissa
It is truly a magical experience when something just disappears right in front of you. The thing which was right here and then just vanish after some time. This is what happens in Orissa. The hide and seek beach of Orissa that appears and disappears with every high and low tide. With every low tide, the sea water recedes to approximately 5 kms and hits the surf of the shore back during high tides is the captivating sight at the Chandipur Beach at Orissa. This hide and seek amuses various travelers.
Off-the-map getaways
It doesn't happen too often in fact it's quite rare but when it does it's jaw-droppingly, breathtakingly beautiful. It's that turn off a highway, a couple of kilometres down a dirt track, to a place of calm, serenity and solitude. It could be in the forests of the northeast, the salt pans of the west, the ghats down south or the mountains up north. Away from the madding crowd, from the dust and din of urban India, there's just you and nature. India is large enough to keep the idea of remote alive. And the mobile signal at bay.
Himalayas
The King of all the Forts
Known as “The king of all the forts”, the Rajgad Fort in Maharashtra was special for its construction.
Floating Islands of Loktak
Loktak lake located in Moirang about 48 km. off Imphal in Manipur. It is known as the largest freshwater lake in North-Eastern India. The lake became popular because of the presence of floating islands known as Phumdis. These Phumdis are heterogeneous mass of soil, vegetation, and other organic matters.
Wettest Place On Earth
India's Cherrapunji is the wettest places on earth, receiving 425 inches of rain every year.
Largest Road Network
The world’s largest road network is in India—over 1.9 million miles of roads cover the country.
Software Exporter
One of the largest exporters of software, India exports to over 60 countries right now.
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