Sunday, October 17, 2010

Happy Dussehra to All!




Marked by the end of nine days of Navratras, Dussehra is a popular Indian festival, celebrated with great cheer along the length and breadth of the country. It was on this auspicious day that the ten-faced demon-king, Ravana, was defeated and killed by the great Lord Rama along with the rescue of his wife, Sita, who was abducted by Ravana.

In simple words, the day holds great significance as it signifies the triumph of good over evil in the Hindu mythology. The legendary victory is reenacted every year as the north Indian parts of the country still burns huge effigies of the demon, Ravana, along with his giant brothers, Meghnath and Kumbhkarna. The crowd bursts in great cheer as crackers within the effigies catch fire.





With immense happiness and joyfulness, mahen-theguru conveys best regards to all its associates. We hope you stay by the victory of good always and never fall by the side of evil. Let the light of triumph diminish the darkness in your life. Happy Dussehra!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Idioms and proverbs from India




Uske ghar mein der hai andher nahi
There is delay in his house but not injustice
Meaning: In god's house there might be delay in serving justice but never overlooked.


Uski lathi mein awaaz nahi hai
His stick doesn't make noise.
Meaning: God's justice

Ram milaee jodi, ek aandha, ek kodhi
God made match, one is blind and the other is a leper
Meaning: Made for each other in a negative manner.

Choona lagana
To put an alkaline paste
Meaning: To dupe someone

Gadhe ke sir pe se singh gayab hona
The horn on the head of a donkey vanishes
Meaning: To be missing

Kheesaee billi khamba noche
Embarrassed cat scratches a pillar
Meaning: To be embarrassed

Hathi si chal
Walk like an elephant
Meaning: No care attitude

Bheegi billi
Wet cat 
Meaning: Scared person

Baap bada na bhaiya, sabse bada rupaiya
Neither is the father nor the brother are big, only money is big.
Meaning: Money rules over relationships as well.

Aasteen ka saap
Snake of the sleeve
Meaning: The decietful is very closely related or known

Garibi mein atta geela
The dough is runny in poverty
Meaning: In adversity, everything takes a bad turn.

Jale pe namak chidkna
To sprinkle salt on the burn
Meaning: To add to the miseries

Ghada charya khet na paap na punya
To let the donkey graze in the farm, you will not reap friut nor sin
Meaning: Meaningless activity

Bhawan ke ghar der hai andher nahi
There is delay in god's house not darkness
Meaning: All is fair in life even if there are slight delays.

Laatoen ke bhoot batoen se nahi mante
The ghost of feet don't agree to talks
Meaning: Those who are stubborn will not be easliy convinced by logical talking.

Jaisi karni vaisi bharni
What you do , so shall you fill
Meaning: You will reap as you sow

Hing lage na phitkari, rang bhi chowka aeh
No need for asafoetida or potash alum to get colour
Meaning: To have a gain without much effort

Lohe ke chane chabana


To chew iron pellets
Meaning: To be confronted by an incredibly difficult task

Sabr ka phal mitha hota hai
The fruit of patience is sweet
Meaning: Patience is virtue

Muh me sone ki chamch le kar paida hona
To be be born with a gold spoon in the mouth 
Meaning: To be born rich

Beeta hua pal vapas nahi aata
Gone time does not come back
Meaning: Don't dwell in past
Time doesn't come back so no point wasting time

Dushman ke dant khatte karna
To make the teeth of enemy sour
Meaning: To defeat the enemy

Dhobte to tinke ka sahara
Those who are drowning get help of a twig 
Meaning: Even the smallest of the thing can help those in dire need

Dhoop me bal safed karna
To whiten hair in the sun 
Meaning: To get experience as age progresses

Ghar ki murgi dal brabar
Pet chicken is like lentil
Meaning: Not to realize the worth of loved ones

Hawa se batein karna
To talk to the wind
Meaning: As fast as the wind

Ghee ke diye jalana
To light oil lamp full of ghee (clarified butter)
Meaning: To rejoice

Chalti ka naam gadi
That which runs is called a car
Meaning: When the things are running smoothly, let it be

Dal me kuch kala hai
There is sometging black in the lentil
Meaning: Something is fishy

Jaisi karni, vasi bharni
To get results according to actions
Meaning: You reap as you sow

Apne mouh miya mithu
To have a mouth like a parrot
Meaning: To praise one ownself

Andha kya chahe, do aankh
What does the blind desires , but ofcourse eyesight
Meaning: To desire just the perfect thing

Chor chor mausare bhai
Thieves are cousins
Meaning: Evil attracts evil

Ulta chor kotwal ko datein
The thief scolds the police officier 
Meaning: Offence is the best defence

Lakeer ka fakir
Master of a line
Meaning: To go about the same old beaten path

Aant bhala tho sab bhala
If the end is good then all is good
Meaning: All's well that ends well

Sau sunar ki, ek lohar ki
Hundred blows of goldsmith is comparable to one blow of ironsmith 
Meaning: One powerful blow is comparable to a hundred smaller blows

Ooth ke mouh me jeera
Cumin in camel's mouth
Meaning: A very small gain as compared to the the larger gain expected

Bandar kya jane adrak ka swad
Monkey doesn't know the taste of ginger
Meaning: Those who don't know, can't appreciate

Pani pani hona
To become water water
Meaning: To be embarrassed

Ab pachtay hot kya jab chidiya chug gayi khet
What is the use of repenting now when the bird has eaten the harvest
Meaning: No use repenting when it is too late to undo the damage

Aap bhale to jag bhala
Good person sees the whole world as good
Meaning: Good person sees the whole world as good

Ek teer do nishane
One arrow, two targets
Meaning: To achieve two things with one means

Kaan ka kaccha hona
To be weak of ears
Meaning: To believe everything one hears

Thota chana baje ghana
Hollow lentil makes more noise
Meaning: Those who are not capable of delivering talk more

Ek haath se taali nahi bajati
You can not clap with one hand
Meaning: It takes two

Nau do gayara
Nine plus two makes eleven
Meaning: To run away

Ek aur ek gayaraha
One plus one makes eleven
Meaning: Strength in unity

Bahti ganga me hath dona
To wash ones hand in the river
Meaning: To be an opportunist

Ulti ganga bahana
Meaning: To go against the law of nature

Nach na jane agan tedha
One doesn’t know how to dance and blames it on the stage being uneven
Meaning: To blame the means available rather than capability

900 chuhe khake billi haj ko chali
Cat went to pray after eating 900 rats
Meaning: Pretending to be innicent after many sins

Hathi ke dant dekhane ke aur khane ke aur
Elephant has two set of teeth-one to show off and the other to chew with
Meaning: What you see is not necessarily true

Jo garjte hai vo baraste nahi
Those who thunder don’t pour


Meaning: Those who talk don’t perform


Famous quotes by Gautam Buddha

  • “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”
  • “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
  • “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
  • “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”
  • “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”
  • “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
  • “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
  • “Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”
  • “To understand everything is to forgive everything”
  • “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”
  • “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”
  • “You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself”
  • “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”
  • “When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky”
  • “However many holy words you read,However many you speak,What good will they do you If you do not act on upon them?”
  • “A jug fills drop by drop.”
  • “The tongue like a sharp knife... Kills without drawing blood.”
  • “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
  • “Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”
  • “A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”
  • “There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”
  • “The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”
  • “Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”
  • “Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”
  • “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”
  • “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
  • “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
  • “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.”
  • “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”
  • “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
  • “What we think, we become.”
  • “To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others”
  • “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
  • “He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.”
  • “To keep the body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
  • “There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.”
  • “Life is suffering.”
  • “Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.”
  • “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”



Thursday, October 14, 2010

आरती प्रीतम प्यारी की, कि बनवारी नथवारी की - Arti Preetam Pyaari Ki





"


जय श्री राधे कृष्ण"
आरती प्रीतम प्यारी की, कि बनवारी नथवारी की
दुहुन सिर कनक मुकुट छलके
दुहुन श्रुति कुण्डल भल हलके
दुहुन दृग प्रेम सुधा छलके
चसीले बैन, रसीले नैन, गसीले सैन
दुहुन मैनन मनहारी की
कि बनवारी नथवारी की
आरती प्रीतम प्यारी की, कि बनवारी नथवारी की
दुहुनि दृग चितवनि पर वारी
दुहुनि लट लटिकनि छवि न्यारी
दुहुनि भौं मटकनि अति प्यारी
रसन मुख पान, हंसन मुस्कान, दसन दमकान
दुहुनि बेसर छवि न्यारी की
कि बनवारी नथवारी की
आरती प्रीतम प्यारी की, कि बनवारी नथवारी की
एक उर पीतांबर फहरे, एक उर नीलांबर लहरे
दुहुन उर लर मोतिन छहरे
कनकानन कनक, किंकिनी झनक, नुपुरन भनक
दुहुन रुन झुन धुनि प्यारी की
कि बनवारी नथवारी की
आरती प्रीतम प्यारी की, कि बनवारी नथवारी की
एक सिर मोर मुकुट राजे
एक सिर चूनर छवि साजे
दुहुन सिर तिरछे भल भ्राजे
संग ब्रजबाल, लाडली लाल, बांह गल डाल
‘कृपालु’ दुहुन दृग चारि की
कि बनवारी नथवारी की
आरती प्रीतम प्यारी की, कि बनवारी नथवारी की

"जय श्री राधे कृष्ण"




Surdas - Indian Poet



करत करत अभ्यास के, जड़मति होत सुजान रसरी आवत जात ते, 
सिल पर परत निसान.हरी दर्शन की प्यासीअखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी (३)
देखियो चाहत कमल नैन को..निसदिन रहेत उदासीअखियाँ निसदिन रहेत उदासी..
अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासीआये उधो फिरी गए आँगन..
दारी गए गर फँसी..अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी..
अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी..

केसर तिलक मोतियाँ की माला..
ब्रिन्दावन को वासी..अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी..
अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी..
कहोके मंकी कोवु न जाने..
लोगन के मन हासी..
अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी..
अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी..
सूरदास प्रभु तुम्हारे दरस बिन..
लेहो करवट कासी..
अखियाँ हरी दर्शनदरसन की प्यासी..
अखियाँ हरी दर्शन की प्यासी.. 


The group of 16th-century Hindi poets, four of whom were disciples of Vallabha, and four of his son and successor, Vitthala.

The greatest of the group was Surdas, a blind singer whose descriptions of the exploits of the child-god Krishna are the highlights of his collection of poetry, the Sursagar, is admired throughout the Hindi-speaking areas of northern India. 

It is particularly rich in its details of daily life and in its sensitive perception of human emotion, the parent's for the child and the maiden's for her lover.  Other members of the Astchap group were Paramananddas, Nanddas, Karsandas, Govindswami, Kumbh-andas, Chitaswami, and Chaturbhujdas. What is commonly spoken of as Hindu is actually a range of languages, from Maithili in the east to Rajasthani in the west. 

The first major work in Hindi is the 12th-century epic poem Prthviraj Rasau, by Chand Bardai of Lahore, which recounts the feats of Prithviraj, the last Hindu king of Delhi before the Islamic invasions. 
The work evolved from the tradition maintained at the courts of the Rajputs. 

Noteworthy also is the poetry of the Persian poet Amir Khosrow, who wrote in the Awadhi dialect. 
Most of the literature in Hindi is religious in inspiration; in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the reform-minded Kabir, for example, wrote sturdy short poems in which he sought to reconcile Islam and Hinduism. 

The most celebrated author in Hindi is Tulsidas, who renounced the world early in life and spent his days in Benares as a religious devotee. He wrote much, mostly in Awadhi, and focussed Hinduism on the worship of Rama. 

His most important work is the Ramcharit-manas, which is based on the Sanskrit Ramayana. More than any other work it has become a Hindu sacred text for the Hindi-speaking area and annually has been staged in the popular Ram Lila festival. 

Outstanding among the followers of Vallabha, philosopher and bhakti advocate of the Middle Ages, is the blind poet Surdas (died 1563), who composed countless bhajans (chants) in praise of Krishna and Radha, which are collected in the Sursagar. 

While many of the bhakti poets were of modest origin, an exception was Mira Bai, a princess of Jodhpur, who wrote her famous lyrics both in Hindi and Gujarati; the quality of her poetry, still very popular, is not as high, however, as that of Surdas. Significant also is the religious epic Padmavati by Jayasi, a Muslim from former Oudh state. Written in Awadhi (c. 1540), the epic is composed according to the conventions of Sanskrit poets. 

The 18th century saw the beginning of a gradual transformation from the older forms of religious lyric and epic to new literary forms influenced by Western models that began to be known. The new trends reached their pinnacle in the work of Prem Chand (died 1936), whose novels especially Godan and short stories depict common rural life; and in the work of Harishchandra of Benares (died 1885), honoured as Bharatendu, who wrote in the Braj Bhasa dialect.

Some of the modern Indo-Aryan languages have literary traditions reaching back centuries, with enough textual continuity to distinguish Old, Middle, and Modern Bengali, Gujarati, and so on. Bengali can trace its literature back to Old Bengali charya-padas, late Buddhist verses thought to date from the 10th century; Gujarati literature dates from the 12th century Shalibhadra's Bharateshvara-bahubali-rasa and to a period when the area of western Rajasthan and Gujarat are believed to have had a literary language in common, called Old Western Rajasthani. 

Jñaneshvara's commentary on the Bhagavadgita in Old Marathi dates from the 13th century and early Maithili from the 14th century, Jyotishvara's Varna-ratnakara, while Assamese literary work dates from the 14th and 15th centuries Madhava Kandali's translation of the Ramayana, Shankaradeva's Vaisnavite works. Also of the 14th century are the Kashmiri poems of Lalla Lallavakyani, and Nepali works have also been assigned to this epoch. 

The work of Jagannath Das in Old Oriya dates from the 15th century.Amir Khosrow used the term hindvi in the 13th century, and he composed couplets that contained Hindi. In early times, however, other dialects were predominant in the Madhya-desha as literary media, especially Braj Bhasa, Surdas' Sursagar, 16th century, and Awadhi, Ramcaritmanas of Tulsidas, 16th century. In the south, in Golconda, Urdu poetry was seriously cultivated in the 17th century, and Urdu poets later came north to Delhi and Lucknow. Punjabi was used in Sikh works as early as the 16th century, and Sindhi was used in Sufi (Islamic) poetry of the 17th-19th centuries. 

In addition, there is evidence in late Middle Indo-Aryan works for the use of early New Indo-Aryan; e.g., provincial words and verses are cited. The creation of linguistic states has reinforced the use of certain standard dialects for communication within a state in official transactions, teaching, and on the radio. 

In addition, attempts are being made to evolve standardized technical vocabularies in these languages. Dialectal diversity has not ceased, however, resulting in much bilingualism; for example, a native speaker of Braj Bhasa uses Hindi for communicating in large cities such as Delhi. 

Moreover, the attempt to establish a single national language other than English continues. This search has its origin in national and Hindu movements of the 19th century down to the time of Mahatma Gandhi, who promoted the use of a simplified Hindi-Urdu, called Hindustani. 

The constitution of India in 1947 stressed the use of Hindi, providing for it to be the official national language after a period of 15 years during which English would continue in use. When the time came, however, Hindi could not be declared the sole national language; English remains a co-official language. Though Hindi can claim to be the lingua franca of a large population in North India, other languages such as Bengali have long and great literary traditions--including the work of Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, and equal status as intellectual languages, so that resistance to the imposition of Hindi exists. 

Mumbai's Economic Role in India



Mumbai accounts for 16% of income tax collections and 35% of corporate tax collection in the country.

• Mumbai accounts for 25% of the State's income at current prices.

• 66% of the sales tax revenue in Maharashtra originated in Mumbai.

• Mumbai is home to both the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange and dominated the turnover and total market capitalization of the Indian stock markets. The share of these two exchanges is about 92% with respect to the total turnover. They represent virtually the total market capitalization of India's corporate sector.

• Contributes 30% of customs duty.

• Mumbai handles 26% of the domestic air traffic cargo and an average of40%of the international air cargo traffic in country and about 25% of the domestic and 38% of the International air passenger traffic in the country.

• The number of telephone connection in Mumbai is estimated to be approximately 2.31 million. Of the approximately 7 million cellular subscribers in India, 10% of the subscribers are believed to be in Mumbai.


• 2.5 million tax assesses.

• Mumbai accounts for a significant share in deposits mobilization (14% of total deposits) and deployment of credit (21% of total credit) of scheduled commercial banks.

• Mumbai accounts for almost 30% of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the State.

• Handles over 35% of cheque clearances in number and 60% in value, more than 10 times that of any other metro.

• By 2020 Mumbai will have 27 Million people and will be the 2nd largest city in the world after Tokyo

Mumbai makes us proud and here are reason for people who need them





Mumbai singlehandedly handles about 25% of the domestic and 38% of the international air passenger traffic in the country.
  • Mumbai's suburban rail systems carry a total of 2.2 billion passengers every year. Incidentally, the world's population is 6 billion.
  • Mumbai's literacy rate is 85.6% (female: 82.7%, male: 90%) compared with India's overall literacy of 65.4%.
  • Mumbai's per capita income is Rs 48,954. This is almost three times the national average!
  • At the end of financial year 2002-03, Mumbai paid Rs 28,000 crore in taxes, 35% of India's collection of Rs 82,000 crore!
  • The original Walkeshwar Temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, but was rebuilt by Rama Kamath in 1715.
  • Bombay University was founded in 1857 at the Town Hall, and was shifted to the new complex near Oval Maidan in 1874.
  • The Elphinstone College was originally built for the Government Central Press at a cost of Rs 7.5 lakh.
  • The city's first church - the St Thomas Cathedral - was built at Horniman Circle in 1718.
  • The first post office in Bombay was opened in 1832 at the residence of the junior magistrate of police at Byculla.
  • The Stearns & Kittredge company was given permission in 1874 to start Bombay's first tram service with a fleet of 900 horses.
  • The East India Company appointed Sir George Oxenden the first governor of Bombay in 1668.
  • Until 1864, the city's highest ranking police officer was called Police Chief. Post 1864, the title was changed to Police Commissioner.
  • The Hanging Gardens at Malabar Hill was built over three reservoirs which can store up to 300 lakh gallons of water.
  • The first inter-city railway was built between Bombay and Surat, and was completed in 1864.
  • The Great Indian Peninsular Railway laid the first rail tracks in India between Thane and Bombay.
  • It took 60 years to merge the seven islands of Bombay into one landmass between 1784 and 1845.
  • Bombay's highest population growth rate was between 1661 and 1675 when it rose six times from 10,000 to 60,000.
  • The 2nd governor of Bombay, Gerald Aungier, was behind its development into a major centre of commerce.
  • The name Bombay was derived from Bom Bahia (The Good Bay), a name given by Portuguese sailor Francis Almeida, in 1508.
  • When a person travel towards Mumbai,one can see milestone stating Mumbai 35 Kms, but where is Mumbai Zero Kms, it is at Flora Fountain
  • The railway tracks of the Churchgate Station originally extended beyond Azad Maidan in the direction of Afghan Church, which was later changed to a tar road.
  • Former English cricket captain Douglas Jardine of Bodyline fame was born in Malabar Hill, Mumbai, in 1900.
  • India’s first cricket club, Orient, was founded in Bombay in 1848.
  • Mumbai orginally was a cluster of seven separate islands, and the southernmost island was called Old Woman’s Island.
  • Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling who wrote Kim and The Jungle Book was born in Mumbai.
  • There are 14 platforms inside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, earlier called Victoria Terminus.
  • Mumbai’s first ever meteorological observatory was built in Colaba in 1826.
  • The wooden pole in the centre of the Banganga Tank in Mumbai signifies the centre of the earth. Legend has it that Lord Ram created the tank by piercing the earth with his arrow.
  • The Lumiere brothers introduced Motion Pictures to India with six soundless short films at Bombay’s Watson’s Hotel in 1896.
  • There is an original portrait of former US President Abraham Lincoln at the Prince of Wales Museum.
  • Lord Elphinstone performed the opening ceremony after railway tracks were laid between Bombay and Thane in 1853.
  • The railway line from Mumbai to Pune through Bhor Ghat was built by a woman named Alice Tredwell in 1863.
  • The Quit India Movement was launched by Gandhiji in Mumbai in 1942 from Gowalia Tank. It is now called August Kranti Maidan.
  • Mumbai industrialist Jamshetji Tata was the first Indian to own a car.



Toilet in India - How to use

If anyone has been to India, undoubtedly this is a question that we have all found ourselves asking, "How to use this toilet"


I hope that this happy little illustration can clarify the matter. Enjoy. (Also keep in mind that this is comparatively speaking a very nice bathroom compared to most that you encounter while backpacking around India...)
(Step-1)
(Step-2)
(Step-3)


(Step-4)
(Step-5)
(Step-6)
(Step-7)


I really appreciate the string of comments that I get on this site. If you visit this link, please do leave comments as we all enjoy them and it gives us all perspective on a variety of views regarding this popular matter.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Indian Street Games - Bachpan ke khel



Sports today is an integral part of the all round development of the human personality. India offers different adventures sports like khusti a traditional sports most popular in north India. Hockey The national game, in which India has an impressive record with eight Olympic gold medals. Cricket is the beating heart of sports in India, but there are some other games which was played by every person in his childhood. These local games are very popular in India.Enjoy some of the best adventure sports in India.





Gilli – Danda: It is a sport played by using two stick, Small one known as Gilli and other long one is called Danda. This is very popular game among boys in villages ofIndia. It is similar to cricket just replace the gilli by ball. The danda is used to hit the gilli and make it fly through the air.


Kite Flying: kite flying is the most popular game of India as well in Asia. Kites are also known as patang is India. The line used is called Manjha, a glass coated line, and each flier attempts to cut every other kite out of the sky. The kite flying festival is celebrated on the eve of Makar Shankranti in Gujrat state of India.
Satoliya: This game is very popular among boys and girls, It is a simple and inexpensive game, It need 7 small flat stones, every stone size should be less than the other stone. Put these stones over another in decreasing order its looks like a small tower then hit it by cloths made hand ball form a fixed distance. Any number of people can play it. This game is also known as Pithoo in some region of India.

Kancha: It is very famous as gully sports or street game, played by number of small boys in villages as well as in town. It is played using marbles called Kancha. The winner take all Kancha’s of other boys.

Lattu: The street game of India, This is a very popular and simple game which can be played by children in villages of India. The game involves spinning a lattu – a solid turnip shaped wooden toy with a grooved lower half with two nails dug at the top and the bottom. A cotton string is wrapped around the lower half of the lattu to make it spin.




Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The “baddest” fruit - Durian (The king of fruits!)




Durian season is here again. Durian in Malaysia usually has 2 fruiting seasons, usually around June/July and December/January periods. Some only once a year.

Durians are highly prized fruit in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. They are also known as king of fruits. And for a good reason! Besides being nasty looking with their sharp thorny spikes they are also well known for their pungent smell that could suffocate you in an instant if you are within sniffing distance. That’s why they are banned from hotels, flights, subways and most tourist locations. They are the “baddest” fruit! Period.

The most innovative description of durian that I have seen so far: Shaped like a hedgehog and smells like compost!

If you are an addict to durian but are too afraid of the amount of carbohydrate and fat in the fruits, do check out this nutritional website and plan how much to consume in order not to burst your seams after a one night fling with this charming but notorious fella. It’s good to know that durian has zero cholesterol content but loaded with vitamin C and some amount of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. At the very least, you could justify your craving with good nutritional value and great taste, albeit some weight gain.

How to characterize the taste, texture and smell? The color of the flesh varies greatly, from white, off white, yellow, pinkish, orangy to red. There are probably a few hundred varieties available in the market ranging from the very best to the least likable. There are around 200 varieties that are registered as clones and given a number or names and a few hundreds more that are nameless but are highly sought after for their taste or texture. Some famous example are : D2, D24, Red Prawn, Raja Kunyit, etc… Most of the private durian orchard has their own specialty and if you are lucky, you could experience some truly unique flavor and taste. The texture of the best durian should be smooth, custardy and firm, very tiny or deformed seeds, no noticeable fiber upon eating and the best taste should be slightly bitter with sweet aftertaste.

The most common variety of durian will have to be the D24. The D24 is usually the benchmark of which the other durian are graded. The best varieties of durian are mostly planted via grafting from the best durian trees. Therefore they are usually clones of the mother trees and usually the fruits they produced are exactly the same as the mother trees. Therefore the taste of D24 is similar when planted anywhere in Malaysia and the king of kings, the Raja Kunyit is also similar in taste and texture wherever you purchase them. The slight difference will have to be the water content, where sometimes you notice that some durian of the same varieties are drier or wetter in term of presentation. However the taste should still be the same unless the freshness could not be determined. The best durians are usually the freshest ones when they just dropped from the trees. Although some connoisseur prefer to age their durians for a few hours (or 1 day) to bring out the flavors (especially true for D24 variety) in them. Most durians can be kept for 3 to 4 days but their quality deteriorate after 1 or 2 days and they should be consumed immediately upon purchase. The best way to eat durian is to spend the day at the orchard but usually that is quite impossible. Therefore the best way for die-hard fans are to check with their nearest roadside durian sellers on the timing of their durians consignment arrival, usually 3 or 4 times daily for the most popular stalls.


Prices of durians differ greatly depending on the geographic locations, varieties and seasons. As a rule of thumb for direct from farm pricing, you could probably purchase the “Durian Kampung” or “Village Durian” at around 1 to 2 Ringgit per kg; clones like D24, D101, Red Prawn, etc at around 3 to 5 Ringgit per kg and Raja Kunyit (aka Mao San Wong) at around 10 to 22 Ringgit per kg. Of course, the consumer pricing will depend on the timing, seasons and the varieties. Happy durian season everyone!

Credit goes to original author of this post : daviegan Thanks

Between the Lines - Is this India ?




After reading the article in one of the local news paper in Singapore "MyPaper". I am hurt.
Link to article : http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ecreator/sphopf/mya051010cnd_opf_files/pg20.html

Article is below.




http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ebook/web_php/fvbrowserjs.php?urljs=http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ecreator/sphopf/mya051010cnd_opf_files/mya051010cnd.js&ver=Gen


Comparing India with North Korea !!! .. very hurt and sad.



Please comment.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Old Indian sport - Mallakhamb




A man performs Mallakhamb (gymnast's pole) during a practice session at a playground in Mumbai. Mallakhamb is a combination of traditional Indian gymnastics and martial arts and it can be traced back to the 12th century. For centuries, the sport has been dormant but is now regaining popularity in the country.





This old sport helps one to be more agile, improves mind and body coordination as well as overall fitness.

Friday, October 1, 2010

The new work culture




As offices open up to flexible work hours and remote access to the workplace, our work culture is going through a revolution of sorts. The days when you could switch off the PC at the stroke of 5 and focus on a relaxing evening with family and friends are long gone. And working overtime has taken on a whole new meaning.

It is the age of data cards and plug-and-play internet connections. Smart-phones that let you check e-mail, Video Conference (VC) ,schedule appointments, even create presentations. Time and location have become virtually irrelevant as everything is now at our fingertips.

All these changes might be convenient, yes. But are they really working in our favour? Do we forget to switch off from work even when we are home, or on vacation thanks to technology and a work culture that demands we respond to business needs ASAP? 

Has the change in work culture affected your professional and personal life? Have the leaps in technology helped you strike a balance between work and home? Or is the boundary between your work-life and personal-life blurred?


Tell us how you are coping with the new work culture. Why you love it and why you don't. How you manage to draw the line between work and home.



Write comments!!..