India on Pitara Kids Network

Batik: Ancient Art of Painting in Wax

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 19:03:30 +0000

A routine college day. We had to go for textile practicals after lunch. Going for any class post lunch was a pain. All we wanted to do was sleep. But, that remained a dream since we were always packed with classes after lunch. Lazily, I dragged myself to the textile laboratory.

“Today we are going to learn the technique of batik but first let me brief you about it,” said the teacher.

I was already bored. First theory and then the practical. What more could one ask for! Who wanted to know about a technique of dyeing with the strange name batik, anyway? Then I put aside these thoughts and decided to listen. After all, I would have to attempt it myself in a while.

What is a democracy?

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

If three friends need to decide between eating pizza or burgers, they could debate and agree or they could put it to vote and go with the majority. Since there are only two options and three people, once the votes are counted, there would be a winner. This is an example of democracy at work.

More specifically, it is an example of what is called a direct democracy. This is a democracy where the voters have a direct say in the decisions made by the group. Imagine if the entire school of 3000 kids had to choose between pizza and burgers. That would be very hard. One way out would be for each class to choose a representative who could then vote on behalf of the entire class. This would be an example of representative democracy.

The Story of Dussehra

Sun, 10 Nov 2002 05:13:15 +0000

Dussehra, also called Vijayadashmi (or Bijoya in Bengal), is the culmination of the nine-day Navaratri celebrations. It is a festival that marks the killing of Ravana, his son Meghanatha and brother Kumbhakarna, by Rama. It is seen as the vistory of good over evil

The Ramayana

The epic Ramayana, describes the story of Rama. Rama was the exiled prince of the kingdom of Ayodhya. While in exile, he lived in the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. One day Sita was abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Rama, assisted by an army of monkeys and Lakshmana, attacked Lanka to rescue her.

Where Did Numerals Originate?

Sun, 11 Feb 2001 13:28:15 +0000

We deal with numbers all the time. Not just while doing math lessons at school, but also while counting money at the shop, memorising the numbers of our favourite TV channels or even keeping tabs on the number of hours we spend in front of the Internet! But we are so used to numbers that it has never occurred to us to find out where these numbers come from.

For that, we must travel back in time. We must go back to 6th century India. It was around this time, that the great Indian astronomer Aryabhatta invented a set of numerals that is now used by people all over the world.

What is Water Harvesting?

Fri, 09 May 2003 05:03:49 +0000

Come summer and the entire nation seems to have just one word on its lips – water. Year 2000 saw one of the worst summers recorded in the history of India. The drought in the state of Gujarat and Rajasthan was the worst in decades.

Fresh water, they say is a scarce resource. Is it?

During the monsoons every year, we allow huge amounts of fresh water to run off our roads and pavements into the drains where it mixes with the sewage and heads straight for the rivers where we dump waste. Did you know that this rain water is enough to see us through the summers?

How did Christianity Come to India?

Sun, 17 Nov 2002 07:38:44 +0000

Would you doubt my word if I say that Doubting Thomas, one of the Apostles of Christ visited India and established Christianity? Don’t. For its true.

Among Christ’s 12 apostles, Thomas Didaemus or Doubting Thomas, along with Peter and Paul were pre-eminent. Thomas Didaemus was called Doubting Thomas because he doubted Christ’s word that on the third day after his crucifixion, Christ would rise again.

There are many schools of thought as to how Christianity spread in India. Some claim it is through St. Thomas who came to India in 52 A.D. Others claim that a Syrian merchant, Thomas of Cana, came to Travancore in Kerala and established a Christian colony there.

Mother Teresa

Mon, 29 Oct 2001 13:54:24 +0000

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, the youngest of three children of an Albanian builder, on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. She felt that August 27, 1910, the day of her baptism, was her true birthday. At the age of 18 she joined the Order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto in Ireland. She trained in Dublin, where the motherhouse of the Loreto Sisters was located. She chose the name of Sister Teresa, in memory of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

King of Fruits – History of Mango!

Mon, 05 Nov 2001 17:41:51 +0000

It is a tree that is green at all times of the year. But it bears fruit in the height of summer. The hotter it is, the sweeter it becomes. And, it seems we humans cannot have enough of this juicy, fleshy fruit, for there are almost 1000 varieties of this king of fruits around the world to please our tongues and eyes.

It could be round, almost like a ball, or it could be oval in shape, kidney shaped or just long and thin. It could have a red and yellow colour like the setting sun. Or it could be canary yellow or even leaf green. It could be small as a cricket ball or as big as a watermelon!

The Exotic Peacock

Mon, 04 Sep 2000 18:58:57 +0000

Come monsoons, and we immediately think about the beautiful peacock, dancing in the rain, with its luscious tail spread out behind it. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful birds in the world and a native of the Indian sub-continent, it is not surprising that the Peacock was anointed as the national bird of India in 1963.

The Exotic Peacock [Illustrations by Neelima Bhushan]

Hailing from the pheasant family, these exotic birds are cherished for their colourful plumes and eggs. The peacocks, more appropriately called peafowls, (peacock refers to the male) are found in lowland forests and hills usually in small groups consisting of one male and several females.

Makar Sankranti

Sat, 14 Oct 2000 08:48:54 +0000

The colourful kite-flying festival of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan, which falls on January 14 each year, marks the end of a long winter and the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere. Hence the name Uttarayan.

According to Hindu astronomy, it is on this holiest day in the Hindu calendar, that the sun enters the zodiac of Makara or Capricorn, heralding the northern journey of the sun. The day is also of special significance, because on this day, the day and night are of equal hours.

Bhagat Singh

Sat, 10 Mar 2001 00:01:46 +0000

March 23 is the death anniversary of one of the most heroic figures of the Indian freedom movement. Few people remembered it, though. Forget the rest of India, even the children of the village where he was born, do not know anything about him.

And to think that the young man in question, Bhagat Singh, gave up his life for the ideal of a free and better India! Today, over 50 years after Independence, the people of his village still do not have access to drinking water and a tap, writes The Indian Express newspaper.

The Story of Diwali

Sat, 27 Jul 2002 09:34:13 +0000

Deepavali or Diwali as it has come to be known as, means many things to many people. It means holidays from school, shopping expeditions for clothes, sweets, gifts and crackers to children. To the office-goer it means an annual bonus that can make all this happen.

To the businessman Diwali means brisk business just as to the clay potter, Diwali is the occasion of the year when the bulk of his sales are made. Diwali has a special significance for the trading communities of India who usher in their new year and new accounting books (‘bahi khata’) during this time.

Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan

Sat, 09 Dec 2000 08:40:40 +0000

Srinivasa Ramanujan was one of India’s mathematical geniuses. He made
wonderful contributions to the field of advanced mathematics.

Even today, his fascinating results and mathematical theories, and a number of unpublished notebooks filled with theorems, continue to baffle and enthrall mathematicians.

Ramanujan was born in his grandmother’s house in Erode, a small village near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. While he was still a baby, his mother took him to Kumbakonam, near Chennai, where his father worked as a clerk in a cloth merchant’s shop.

Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi

Sun, 18 Nov 2001 05:47:10 +0000

Thinker, statesman and nationalist leader, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi not only led his own country to independence but also influenced political activists of many persuasions throughout the world with his methods and philosophy of nonviolent confrontation, or civil disobedience.

Born in Porbandar in Gujarat on October 2, 1869, his actions inspired the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore to call him “Mahatma” (“great soul”). For him, the universe was regulated by a Supreme Intelligence or Principle, which he preferred to call satya (Truth) and, as a concession to convention, God.

What Is The Origin Of Silk Fabric?

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 14:43:43 +0000

My mother took out her favourite blue silk saree for the dinner party. I looked at it, mesmerised by its shimmer and lustre. The rich fabric draped around her body, making her look so very elegant. Definitely no other fabric can match the qualities of silk.

But have you ever wondered, how silk fabric came into existence? Silk production, or ‘Sericulture’ as it is known, has a long history, unknown to most of us.

What Is The Origin Of Silk Fabric?

The silken roots

Chess for Children: A Smart Move

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 09:12:52 +0000

When we think of chess we think of two adults sitting opposite each other, thinking of ways and means to outsmart the other. Many people feel it is a very difficult game. But do you know that most chess players and champions start very young?

Viswanathan Anand, number two in the world, played his first chess game at the age of five. This was in 1974. Anand’s mother taught him the game and was his first opponent. In no time he came to be called the Lightning Kid. This was because he made his moves with such speed. In 1987, Anand won the world junior championship, in the Philippines. He was the first Asian ever to do so.

The Nine Nights of Navaratri

Tue, 27 Aug 2002 01:29:21 +0000

This year, the end of September marks the onset of Navaratri or “nine nights” in the Hindu calendar. With this begins one of the most festive phases in India, with Durga Puja in east India, Dussehra in north, central and west India, and Saraswati Puja in South India. It also sets the stage for Diwali in the near future.

Navaratri literally means ’nine nights’. This nine-day period, sacred to Durga, is celebrated sometime in the months of October and November. It is considered the most auspicious time of the Hindu calendar.

Ratha Yatra

Sat, 21 Nov 1998 06:25:30 +0000

Excerpts from the book “Festivals of India”
Published by National Book Trust, India.

Festivals bring large numbers of people together in a spirit of joy or devotion, or both. But there is one festival that combines joy and devotion with physical rigour. This is the Car Festival of Lord Jagannath at Puri, in Orissa, popularly known as the Rath Yatra. On this occasion devotees join hands to pull the massive chariots of their deities over a three-kilometre distance.

Where Did Chess Originate?

Sun, 29 Jul 2001 01:53:41 +0000

Chess originated in India around 7th century AD (around 1400 years ago). The game was then called Chaturanga – chatur meaning four and anga meaning parts. The game comprised the four parts of the army: elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers besides the king and his mantri (minister).

The game was in fact a battle-plan drawn on a smaller scale, to find out ways and means of outsmarting the enemy.

How was it played? In the game, one side of the army had to knock out or capture the opponent’s pieces from the board until the king was captured or ‘checked’, that is, made immobile. The player who ‘checked’ the opponent king’s movements won the game.

The Mysterious Case of the Neem Tree

Mon, 22 Oct 2001 10:14:08 +0000

For thousands of years, the neem tree has been a familiar friend to the people of India. A native of India and Burma, every part of this tree, from its root to bark, leaves and seed, has been used for medicinal purposes. It has been used to cure illnesses. It has also been used for preventing infection, or repelling insects that attack grains or people, like mosquitoes.

It is very interesting that the neem’s botanical name, Azadirachta indica, has come from a Persian description of the tree. They called the neem azad darakht-i-Hindil, which literally meant “the free tree of India”.

Where does the Pigeon Post Operate?

Sun, 17 Nov 2002 19:30:46 +0000

Among birds, pigeons have a natural and unerring instinct of returning to their nests or homes after long flights. In the early days besides domesticating animals like the horse, dog and cow, people also bred pigeons to carry messages back and forth. These pigeons are called homing pigeons.

Racing pigeons have a life span of 15-20 years. A healthy bird can fly stretches upto 1,000 km. Normally the message is tied around the feet of the pigeon in a plastic capsule to protect the paper. Two pigeons are released with the same message, as pigeons are prone to attacks from other birds of prey particularly the hawk.

Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Thu, 17 Aug 2000 04:57:43 +0000

Born on September 5, 1888 in Tirutlani (now in Andhra Pradesh), Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan rose to become one of modern India’s most respected scholars and statesmen.

He was born to teach as a major part of his life was spent as an academic. He taught philosophy at the universities of Andhra, Mysore and Calcutta. He also held a professorship in eastern religion and ethics at Oxford.

His distinguished academic career included the Chancellorship of Delhi University and vice–chancellorship of Benares Hindu University.

Basket-making in India

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 22:32:01 +0000

Weaving of baskets in India is an art as ancient as the making of pottery. Even the nomadic food gathering cultures wove reeds together to prepare baskets. Later, different materials and cultures developed a variety of basketry for domestic use, as well as for ritual purposes. They developed special patterns based on local traditions and techniques.

Baskets as we know them are made out of twigs, bamboo, cane and the wild monsoon grass, and are covered with golden grass or the golden outer skin of the rice plant.

Holi – The Colours of Spring

Mon, 11 Dec 2000 14:31:18 +0000

Quick, think of spring and what comes to mind? The festival of Holi, of course!! Think of Holi and what springs to mind? ‘Gulal’ or dry colours in bright shades, ‘pichkaris’ or water pistols, and buckets of water to drench people, right? For, winter has finally come to an end, and the friendly mischief of spring is in the air.

And so, on the day of Holi, huge armies of children and adults come out on the streets. They come armed with pichkaris and gulal, waiting to get their coloured hands on anyone with a clean face! It is difficult to recognise even your best friend through layers of gulal, red, blue and green. When applied with water the gulal refuses to leave the skin, at least for a while. There are those who go to the other extreme and smear ugly paint and grease.

Magic of Kondapalli Toys

Sat, 29 Nov 2003 05:32:18 +0000

Did you know that animals, birds, reptiles and humans learn the lessons of life through play? Any object can be used as a toy. Lion cubs even play with their parent’s tail! Human children play with objects of daily life, like spoons and cardboard boxes. But toys remain the favourite playthings of most children.

In India, the oldest toys belong to the 5000 year-old Harappan civilisation. These toys were made with natural materials like clay, wood and stone. They depicted ordinary men, women, animals, birds, fruits and vegetables as well as the important professionals who existed in those times – the potter, carpenter and farmer, among others. And these ancient toys are surprisingly similar to the handmade toys of a later date.

Indira Gandhi

Mon, 11 Sep 2000 19:11:16 +0000

Indira Gandhi, née Indira Priyadarshini Nehru (1917-1984), was born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad, the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. A graduate of Visva-Bharati University, Bengal, she also studied at the University of Oxford, England. In 1938 she joined the National Congress party and became active in India’s independence movement. In 1942 she married Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi lawyer also active in the party. Shortly after, both were arrested by the British on charges of subversion and spent 13 months in prison. When India won its independence in 1947 and Nehru took office as prime minister, Gandhi became his official hostess. (Her mother had died in 1936.) She also served as his confidante on national problems and accompanied him on foreign trips.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Mon, 19 Nov 2001 04:16:32 +0000

Aung San Suu Kyi was born on June 19, 1945 as the daughter of national leader General Aung San (assassinated July 19, 1947) and Daw Khin Kyi. She was educated in Rangoon, Burma until she was 15 years old. In 1960 she accompanied her mother to Delhi, India on her appointment as Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal. Kyi studied politics at Delhi University. She earned a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. She worked abroad for the next several years during which time she was married to Dr. Michael Aris and had two children.

India's first Underwater World

Sun, 20 Jul 1997 04:22:42 +0000

June 24: If you have ever visited an aquariam you would have noticed that the fish look plain bored. Their homes are not very exciting. Nor are the visitors terribly charged up. True, some aquariums are fairly well maintained, but the fact remains that they rarely attract hordes of visitors.

The government of Maharashtra has suddenly woken up to the fact that this is a fishy state of affairs. And it wants to make amends. So it has entered into a partnership with a Singapore-based company to create India’s first underwater world, or oceanarium. The Taraporevala Aquarium, on Maine Drive, Mumbai, is all set to become a six-storied oceanarium.

R.K. Narayan

Sat, 24 Jun 2000 00:38:39 +0000

Nearly 70 years ago, India’s greatest living writer in English, took out a brand new exercise book and wrote in it: “It was Monday morning.”

With those four words, Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Narayan (just R.K. Narayan to most) took off on a journey to that oddly populated fictional continent called Malgudi, with the young boy Swami and his eclectic mix of friends.

“The very first line I wrote was ‘It was Monday morning.’ And then I had an idea of a railway station, a very small railway station, a wayside station. You’ve seen the kind of thing, with a platform and trees and a stationmaster.

Dalai Lama

Thu, 12 Jul 2001 15:45:12 +0000

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet was born in 1935, soon after the 13th Dalai Lama passed away. He was the fourth son of a poor peasant family in Takster village, Amdo province in eastern Tibet. The line of Dalai Lamas, spiritual and temporal rulers of Tibet since the 13th century, is a succession of incarnations. In accordance with tradition, search parties were sent to find the successor to the thirteenth Dalai Lama. Two years later, following the various signs and portents, a government party was led to Takster, where they found the infant Lhamo Thondup. After a series of tests, the child (later named Tenzin Gyatso) was recognized as the 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama.

Why do Earthquakes Occur?

Thu, 29 Jul 1999 07:19:27 +0000

As a result of upheavals below its surface, the earth shakes now and then. This shaking of the earth is known as an earthquake.

Few natural events are as violently destructive as an earthquake. It usually strikes without warning, giving off violent vibrations in the process. These vibrations not only shake the ground but also sometimes crack it open. And then, there is chaos, for earthquakes have been known to wipe out cities and civilisations.

How the Gorkhas Came to Dehradun

Sat, 24 Feb 2001 21:00:22 +0000

Some time ago, Madhu Gurung wrote about her grandmother who was the best storyteller in the world. Once ‘Bajai’ as she was called, told a different kind of a story – a real story of how the Gorkha warriors of Nepal came to settle down in Dehradun. Among them was Bajai’s grandfather, the chieftain of a clan.

Bajai told us that more than 200 years ago, when the British East India Company ruled parts of India, they attacked Nepal. Bajai’s grandfather was the chieftain of a Gurung village called Gandrung. It lies at the foot of the fishtail mountain called Machapuchara. He and other chieftains from different parts of Nepal, joined under the command of General Amar Jung Thapa. They drove the British back. The British fled and the Nepalese army followed, conquering the whole of Kumaon and Garhwal hills.

Dress like an Egyptian

Thu, 27 Mar 2003 10:19:44 +0000

I am writing this as I am travelling in my time machine. I know how important it is to keep a diary of happenings. The machine is making strange rattling noises, because I forgot to clean its aching joints this morning. It’s an old contraption, after all. Hullo! Where am I? I thought I was visiting ancient India, but this decidely looks like a pyramid. Oops! Looks like I have reached ancient Egypt. Never mind, as they say – enjoy!

The Day Mother raised the Flag

Fri, 10 Jun 2005 22:58:58 +0000

On August 15, at the stroke of midnight, the Indian flag replaced the Union Jack of the British Empire. And millions of Indians went to sleep in a state of excitement. For, they would literally wake up in a free country. Among them was a five-year-old girl called Amrita Rangasami. She lived with four siblings and a young widowed mother, in a bylane of Madras (now Chennai).

Sixty-year-old Amrita, a senior journalist and scholar, remembers the day clearly, as if it were yesterday.

India's First Female Grand`master'

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 09:10:13 +0000

July 31: What does a person achieve at 21? A college degree or, maybe, a job if she is lucky.

How about the title of Women’s Grandmaster in chess?

S. Vijayalakshmi is 21. And she has just won this title to become the first woman Grandmaster of India. It is a record which will never be challenged as other women aspirants can only follow her achievement.

To win Vijaylakshmi, or Viji as she is known, had to defeat International Master P. Harikrishna. He was ranked higher than her at the Wipro International Grandmaster Chess Championship played in Hyderabad, a few days ago. Viji won in the ninth round.

Which is the World's Oldest Working Locomotive?

Sun, 03 Mar 2002 05:19:35 +0000

The Indian Railways is one of the world’s oldest railways dating back to 1849. It also has the largest network in terms of route length covering nearly 63,000 route kilometres touching every nook and cranny of India. The Indian Railways is also the world’s single largest employer with about 1.6 million people working in nine zones.

Among its many unique gems are the toy train that runs on the Darjeeling Himalayan rail route, the rack railway at Udagamandalam in south India, the busiest narrow gauge network in the world, etc. However, the pride of place goes to the ‘Fairy Queen’, a living locomotive legend. So what’s so special about it? Well, it is the world’s oldest locomotive still in operation on a main line transporting tourists from Delhi to Alwar in Rajasthan.

What Toothpaste did the Ancients Use?

Mon, 24 Dec 2001 02:12:59 +0000

One of my earliest childhood memories of Delhi is seeing morning walkers, milkmen, or shopkeepers chewing away at the neem stick, much like a cow chewing the cud. It seemed strange that they should go to all that effort when readymade toothpaste was available.

Neem (Azadirachta indic a) twig still used as toothbrush in many parts of India

The world was divided into four kinds of people: those who used toothpaste and brush, and they were the elite; those who used tooth powder for which the index finger doubled as the brush; people who used indigenous “monkey-brand” tooth powders and lastly, those who used neem sticks which were two-in-one.

What is Vetiver Grass?

Mon, 02 Dec 2002 03:01:55 +0000

If you ask someone what vetiver is, chances are that you might get a blank look. But mention the word khus, and most people will be all-smiles. For this grass have the sweetest and coolest fragrance that beat the summer heat. That is why for centuries Indians have had vetiver or khus mats and screens in their homes. A steady sprinkle of water is enough to keep the hot summer wind out.

Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver found abundantly in India, is of Asian origin. It gets its name from the Tamil word ‘vetriver’, meaning root. From India it travelled to the West Indies, Fiji and Africa, where a new use was found for it – as a sponge to hold the soil in place and prevent erosion, according to a report by the Academy for Mountain Environics, an NGO based in Dehra Dun, in north India. Creating environmentally sustainable technologies at the local level, is its main concern.

Mahavir Jayanti

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 14:50:43 +0000

You must have often wondered about the monks with shaven heads, a white robe and a fine muslin cloth covering their mouths and noses. They are monks who follow the Jain religion. They cover their mouths and noses to avoid any involuntary killing – even of germs.

Sometimes they also carry small brooms to remove any small creature out of their way so that they do not unknowingly tread on it. Their lifelong attempt is to live by the principle of ahimsa or non violence. So it is with Jains who lead lives like you, me and others.

Raksha Bandhan

Wed, 21 Apr 1999 12:18:43 +0000

Excerpts from the book “Festivals of India”

Sravani, the sacred thread changing ceremony, and Raksha Bandhan are celebrated on the full moon day of the month of shravan (June-July) and are often regarded as two names for the same festival. This is not strictly true because Sravani is specifically a Brahmin festival referred to in the sacred Sanskrit texts as Rishi Tarpan or Upa Karma. It is a very ancient Vedic festival and even today is regarded as important in Bengal, Orissa, southern India, Gujarat and some other states. The more popular of the two festivals, however, is Raksha Bandhan.

Where are the Shaking Minarets?

Thu, 15 Feb 2001 22:32:46 +0000

Among the many architectural marvels of the world, like the leaning tower of Pisa, the whispering gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral at London or the musical pillars of South India, are the astonishing and historical shaking minarets of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat state, India. The minarets are so unique that if one minaret in shaken, the other sympathetically shakes too!

Barely a kilometre away from the Ahmedabad city railway station is the Sidi Bashir mosque (Muslim equivalent of a temple) famed for its jhulta minars or shaking minarets (tall tower-like structures, either at the entrance gate or on the four corners).

Which is the Most Abundant Fruit in India?

Wed, 01 May 2002 22:08:33 +0000

Did you know that in India, mango orchards cover roughly 33 percent (1.08 million hectares) of the total area under fruit cultivation? In a hectare of land you can grow thousands of trees. And each tree bears, thousands of fruit! I will leave it to you to calculate how many mangoes the country produces! It’s no wonder that the subzi mandis (vegetable and fruit markets) get flooded with mangoes in summers.

Forget the fact that the country produces millions of mangoes, do you know how many varieties there are? Thousands! Some of the popular ones are Alphonso, Dassehri, Banganapalle, Langra, Safeda, Neelam and Chausa. With so many varieties in the country, people have created varieties with fancy and romantic names, like Husn-e-Ara and Jehangir.

Banaras The Eternal City

Tue, 21 Sep 1999 06:18:01 +0000

City of many names, Banaras as it is most commonly called, was officially renamed in 1956 as Varanasi, a name from antiquity. It was first known as Kashi, the city of light, when it was the capital of the kingdom of the same name about 500 BC.

For over 2000 years, Banaras the eternal city has been the religious capital of India. Built on the banks of sacred Ganga it is said to combine the virtues of all other places of pilgrimage and anyone who ends their earthly cycle here is said to be transported straight to heaven.

Save rivers, lakes from worshippers

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 13:33:58 +0000

Before every Ganesh Chaturthi, people from across India, especially Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Orissa, get busy with preparations for celebrations. But, as the momentum of activity increases, officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) start feeling queasy in their stomachs. For, though festivals like Ganesh Puja and Durga Puja are a time for fun, it is also the time when rivers and lakes around the country are abused.

Unlike in the past when the idols of gods and goddesses were made of ordinary colours and plain clay that dissolve in water easily, without causing widespread pollution, now they are made of plaster of Paris, distemper, plastic paint, dyes, metallic powders, adhesives, varnish, fluorescent powders and oil paints, which can have an adverse effect on the eyes, skin and respiratory system. These coloured idols with pigments containing harmful chemicals, flowers, coconut shells, plastic bags, wood and other items find their way into the waters.

Deepavali: Festival of Lights

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 03:10:33 +0000

Deepavali – or Diwali – as is commonly uttered – literally means rows of lamps. These lamps light up houses all over the country, but for different reasons.

In West Bengal, it is time to worship Kali, the goddess with the fearsome strength, and in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh it is time to remember Dhanvantari, the divine physician. To some, the lights are a reminder of the return of Rama to his home after 16 years of exile.

Excerpts From 'The world of trees'

Thu, 07 Nov 1996 05:51:09 +0000

This is a remarkable book on trees – trees which are not just ‘described’ to you in words as having branches, leaves and sweet-smelling flowers, but trees which you can actually ‘see’ as you read. Big trees, tall trees, stately trees….all come alive with the cries and activities of the numerous birds and insects living on them, the age old myths associated with them and the author’s personal comments, witty and insightful. Indeed, in many places, especially in villages in India, trees are quite inseparable from the way of life of the people.

The Telegraph

Sun, 18 Jan 1998 03:06:34 +0000

In 1833 John Herschel, a British astronomer, went to South Africa to study the southern skies. He took with him a powerful telescope and many other instruments. He wanted to make charts and maps of the sky which people in the northern half of the world never saw. John Herschel planned to stay at the Cape of Good Hope for three or four years to complete his work.

Then Richard Locke, a reporter on the staff of the New York Sun, had a bright idea. Whatever he wrote about John Herschel’s discoveries would be believed as there was no means of verifying it. No one would find out the truth unless he sent a man or message by ship to South Africa, and even then it would take months to receive a reply from the astronomer. In the meanwhile, Locke decided to have all the fun he could.

Madhubani Magic of Gangadevi

Wed, 27 Feb 2002 14:29:14 +0000

Aditi De of the ‘Women’s Feature Service’ writes about a meeting she had in the 1980s, with Gangadevi, the gifted painter of Mithila. Gangadevi is largely responsible for placing an ancient art, practiced for centuries by the women of her village, in the artistic map of the world.

Face to face, Gangadevi, seemed shy at first glance. She drew the pallav (the border of the sari) of her brightly coloured cotton sari over her head, and pushed her black-rimmed spectacles firmly onto the bridge of her nose.

These Bold Police Women

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 10:17:58 +0000

April 21: These days Nirbhay (Fearless) Singh Gujjar, is not really living up to his name. This dreaded outlaw who operates in India’s most notorious dacoit-infested region, the Chambal Valley in the Bhind district of northern Madhya Pradesh, is on the run because he is scared of a 28 year-old police officer.

Her name is Priyanka Mishra and she is the first woman police officer to be posted in the Chambal range.

Gujjar is wanted by the police of two states – Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. While the UP police has declared a Rs 1 lakh ($2,174) reward on his head, the MP police has declared a reward of Rs 25,000 ($543.5).

Alpana

Thu, 10 Jan 2002 22:04:26 +0000

Thousands of years ago when humans did not know how to read and write he communicated by means of drawing pictures. The walls of caves where early man lived, whether it was in India or France, have been found to be full with primitive drawings. The art of alpana, practised by Indian women for centuries, is one such form of visual expression.

Alpana has different names in different parts of India. In Bengal, it is Alpana, it is Kolam in south India, Rangoli in Maharashtra, Osa in Orissa, Aripana in Bihar, Sonarakha in Uttar Pradesh, Sathiya in Gujarat, Aripona in other regions of north India and Apna in western Himalayas.

Instrument with a Human Tone

Wed, 02 Oct 2002 17:07:25 +0000

A family of musicians in the city of Mysore, in Karnataka, has a unique family heirloom — a beautiful 300-year-old veena. The veena is India’s most ancient Indian stringed instrument.

Instrument with a Human Tone [Illustration by Shiju George]

The veena is a poly chord instrument, that is, it is made of several strings. Each string produces a certain tone, which other strings cannot duplicate. Melody is produced when the strings are plucked.

Gems of Indian Literature

Thu, 11 Dec 1997 11:01:36 +0000

Excerpts from ‘Books Forever’
Written by Manoj Das
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

India’s literary past is indeed great. It’s a known fact that many of the parables of the Bible, the fables of Aesop of Greece, the folktales collected by the Grimm brothers of Germany and the tales retold by Hans Andersen of Denmark had their origin in India.

We shall unravel together some of the gems of Indian literature like the Bhagavad Gita,The Upanishads, Vedas, Ramayana, and the Mahabharata in our subsequent articles. In the first article we talk about the permanence of books .

AHA! Books: Arvind Gupta

Thu, 25 Apr 1996 10:42:46 +0000

An individual booklist is found to reflect the compiler’s own interests and biases. To that extent this booklist does not lay claim to any objectivity. It contains some extremely fine books on education, popular science, maths and children’s stories. Over the years, I have been actively involved in translating and popularising many of these books. At times we have been successful in bringing out low-cost, Indian reprints like for instance The UNESCO Source Book for Science in the Primary School, Publisher : National Book Trust, India.

Satyajit Ray

Wed, 22 Jul 1998 06:17:35 +0000

One of India’s most distinguished film directors Satyajit Ray, was born on May 2, 1921 in West Bengal. Ray’s films are of universal interest despite the fact that most of his films were made in Bengali. His films are essentially about those things that make up the human race – relationships, emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows.
Satyajit Ray, the master story teller, has left cinematic heritage that belongs as much to India as to the world. His films demonstrate a remarkable humanism, elaborate observation and subtle handling of characters and situations. His first film Pather Panchali (Song of the Road, 1955) established his reputation as a major film director, winning numerous awards including best human document at Cannes in 1956 and Best Film in Vancouver in 1958. Pather Panchali is the first film of the Appu trilogy — a three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of the trilogy are Aparajito ( The Unvanquished, 1956 ) and Apur Sansar ( The World of Apu, 1959).

Where did Coffee Originate?

Wed, 28 Nov 2001 04:22:36 +0000

The aroma of coffee beans was one of the earliest smells to intoxicate me as a child – such was its flamboyant richness. That, and the lush sight of frothy white milk becoming creamier as it mixed with the nut-brown coffee decoction, served in steel tumblers, was perfect happiness.

It is a memory shared by many Indians living in the southern states, the main coffee growing as well as drinking regions in the country.

The pleasure that the beverage gave was so intense that it never occurred to me that coffee could have originated anywhere but in India.

Borrowed Feathers Help

Sat, 14 Jul 2001 06:25:58 +0000

Haka and Phaka, the twin jackals were feeding on some juicy berries. They sat eating their berries with their mouths and paws quite blue with the juice.

They were enjoying themselves thoroughly when they saw Mor, the peacock, strutting down the path hurriedly. The poor bird looked terrified!

“Hey, what’s up Mor bhai? What’s the hurry?” Haka asked.

Borrowed Feathers Help [(Story and illustrations first published in WWF India Quarterly Apr-Jun 1995)]

“We peacocks are in great trouble Haka. Humans are hunting us for our feathers. There is not a moment of peace!” Mor was in tears. “I believe they are making fans and other things out of our feathers,” sobbed poor Mor.

When Humans had Tails

Fri, 12 May 2000 11:25:22 +0000

A Saora folk tale from Orissa retold from ‘When the World was Young’, by Verrier Elwin. The book is a fascinating collection of folktales from the tribal peoples of India. Elwin was a pioneering anthropologist; he spent his entire life getting to know the ways of life of the tribal peoples.

The Saora tribals of Orissa, in eastern India, believe that there was a time when humans had tails. Wherever they went, their tails swished along, sweeping the ground.

Holi in Fiji

Thu, 30 Jan 2003 05:15:50 +0000

March 19: Before it was Holi in India, phagua, as Holi is called by the Indo-Fijians, was already being celebrated. The Fiji Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, are six-and-a-half hours ahead of Indian time and the Indo-Fijians were already singing chautal, an oral tradition of celebration.

For the community, memories of India go as far back as 120 years, when the first batch of Indians in colonial India, were taken to Fiji, also a British colony, as labour. As is the case with many immigrant communities all over the world, celebrations always seem to carry a greater echo of ‘home’. And so it was during phagua.

Holi – The Colour of Fun is Red, Blue, Green

Mon, 20 Mar 2000 04:21:57 +0000

Holi or the festival of colours, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in India, and by the Indian communities settled abroad. It is a time when the young and old alike, are in a mood to make merry. The most important aspect of this festival is its informal nature. Though a Hindu festival, it is played by Indians from all communities – especially in the metropolitan cities of India, where people from all over the country have come and settled. On the day of Holi, it is as if the clock stops running, for it is a national holiday. Even for the newspapers.

Viswanathan Anand – The Lightning Kid

Tue, 04 Jan 2000 05:52:26 +0000

Whenever advertisers want a brainy sportstar to talk about their product, very often they think of one name – Viswanathan Anand. A world-class chess champion who was given the name of Lightning Kid because of the speed with which he played.

But how are world class champions like Vishy born? For that, ask his mother Sushila. In 1974, when he was five, she first opened a chessboard and taught him the game. She was also his first opponent in the game. Anand was her youngest child.

Monsoon in Mumbai

Mon, 27 Aug 2001 19:40:46 +0000

To the people of Mumbai, the thought of rain is as natural as breathing. And they think they are always prepared for it. As the temperature drops, and there is a slight nip in the air they cannot help thinking of piping hot pakoras and garam chai or hot tea.
But the visitor often drops down from the sky unexpectedly. It has the power to disrupt the lives of the people. Like it did recently.

The Story of Indian Bronzes

Fri, 13 Sep 2002 04:24:31 +0000

One of the most beautiful figures in Indian sculpture is that of Lord Shiva dancing the Ananda Tandava or dance of joy, one leg raised high, his face very calm, as he destroys all life until new life is born once more. Looking at the divine dancer, we can almost hear the sound of the damru or small drum that he holds in one fist.

The bronze figure of this god is often seen in museums, in homes, even at crafts bazaars. So are crafted figures of Shiva and Parvati, Buddhist saints, or even Rama, Sita and Lakshman.

A Harvest of Festivals

Fri, 14 Apr 2000 08:25:23 +0000

The Punjabis celebrate this festival as Baisakhi. The Assamese call this festival Bohag Bihu. In Kerala they usher in the new year with Vishu. For Tamilians it is Varasha Porupu, while Gudi Padva is important for Maharashtrians. But what are they celebrating in the first half of April? The start of a new year according to the indigenous calendar system, and the start of a new agricultural season. The harvesting is over and the old agricultural cycle has ended. Winter has been chased away by the colours of spring, and summer is upon us. It is a time for feasts.

Janamashtmi – The Day Krishna was Born

Sun, 15 Aug 1999 17:02:37 +0000

Janamashtmi, or the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna — the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu — is celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour all over India. It falls on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month of Shravan in August/ September. Lord Krishna is believed to have been born at midnight on this day. The day is marked by fasting, feasting, dancing and singing hymns and prayers.

Lord Vishnu is invoked in his human incarnation as Krishna on his birth anniversary.

A Day in the Life of a Magician

Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:31:25 +0000

Excerpts from ‘A Day in the Life of a Magician’. First published by Vigyan Prasar, India

Years ago I gave up hanging up a stocking on Christmas Eve. One reason is that I have no stockings to hang, because I almost always wear trousers, and even when I wear shorts I wear socks with them so as to make my calves brown. And I don’t think Father Christmas would find room in a sock for all the things I want. So when I woke up on Christmas morning I was rather surprised to see one of my socks hanging on the bottom of the bed, and much more so when it got up and walked along the counterpane towards me.

It's a Zoo Out There!

Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:04:02 +0000

Almost 400 years ago, Mughal emperor Jehangir acquired a new animal in his private collection or zoo – the zebra. This unusual, striped animal fascinated him so much that he wrote about it in his memoirs as a strange creature. Some even imagined that the animal’s stripes had been painted!

The emperor decided to find out whether the zebra was indeed coloured or not. After much investigation, he made it public that the zebra, too, was a creature created by god. The stripes were natural, they had not been painted upon!

Glimpses from Gandhi's Life

Mon, 05 Oct 1998 09:58:39 +0000

Stories From Bapu’s Life
Written by Uma Shankar Joshi
Illustrations by Mickey Patel
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Gandhiji’s intellectual influence on Indians has been considerable. Some were attracted by his emphasis on political and economic decentralisation, others by his insistence on individual freedom, moral integrity, unity of means and ends, and social service; still others by his satyagraha and political activism.

Glimpses from Gandhi’s Life []

For some students of India, Gandhi’s influence is responsible for its failure to throw up any genuinely radical political movement. For others, it cultivated a spirit of non-violence, encouraged the habits of collective self-help, and helped lay the foundations of a stable, morally committed and democratic government.

Puppets on a String

Tue, 21 May 1996 17:14:42 +0000

June 10: Who is that mousy lady in a sari? What is the clown doing with a huge ball that looks like the sun? And what is this — a man with the heads of two big-eyed cows in his hands? All of them look like they want to tell a story. Their story. And that’s exactly what they do, for they are all puppets. And when their master pulls the strings and speaks from behind the curtain, they sing and dance, play and fight, laugh and cry.

The South Indian Sikh

Tue, 18 Jun 2002 23:42:38 +0000

October 21: Sardar Bhupinder Singh is 91 years old. He is also a bit of an oddity where he lives – in Kadakarapally, Kerala. He is the only one in his area to keep his hair long, wear a turban and visit the gurudwara or Sikh temple in nearby Kochi.

Bhupinder Singh is one of the few living Malayalee Sikhs of his generation, in the south-western state of Kerala. He is known in the area as “Sikh chettan” that is, Sikh elder brother, says a recent report in The Hindustan Times.

Here Comes Pujo!

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 14:30:28 +0000

Durga Puja is the most important festival for the people of West Bengal, the Eastern Indian state that has been home to three Nobel Laureates – Rabindranath Tagore, Amartya Sen, and Mother Teresa – as well as Oscar awardee Satyajit Ray.

Durga Puja, or Pujo as it is usually referred to, ushers in a sense of well-being, with Diwali following close on its heels. The timing is just right: the sweltering heat, and the post-monsoon humidity gives way to Sharat or autumn.

Assam's Boys Shine in Asian Cricket

Sat, 21 Jul 2001 10:22:08 +0000

July 22: Two young boys have done the impossible in Assam. They have pushed politicians and the continuing violence, out of the media spotlight. Both boys are stars of the Indian under-15 cricket team.

One of them, Palash Jyot Das, is the son of a bank employee. The other, Mrigen Talukdar comes from a poor family. There’s nothing remarkable about their backgrounds. Much is remarkable about their achievements, though. While Palash is Asia’s best batsman, Mrigen is Asia’s best bowler.

Man Who Could Make The Taj Disappear

Sat, 16 Jun 2001 13:28:51 +0000

August 12: Franz Harary is the magician. He has a simple wish: he wants to make the Taj Mahal disappear. Nothing doing, says the Indian government.

Harary is an American magician. His specialty is making huge monuments disappear. In ten years, he has done things no other magician has dared do before. In Hawaii he moved a volcano two miles out to sea. In Japan, he made the Tokyo Bay Bridge vanish. At Cape Kennedy in the USA, he made the NASA space shuttle vanish.

The Quake that rocked Gujarat

Sat, 07 Aug 1999 20:45:53 +0000

Where: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

February 5, 2001 : It was 8.45 am on January 26, 2001. A day when the country was celebrating Republic Day. Like their counterparts across India, the people of Ahmedabad, in the western state of Gujarat, were settling down to watch the Republic Day Parade on television. Basant Rawat was one of them.

Suddenly the earth began to shake under his feet. Basant ran out of his house. And, the sight that greeted him seemed to be straight out of an action film – Tagore apartments, a five-storeyed building, 400 yards from his house, collapsed like a pack of cards, says a report in ‘The Telegraph’. He was right in the midst of an earthquake.

Seeing the City

Sun, 25 May 2003 19:27:11 +0000

I have a friend with whom I argue a lot. No, that seems as if I am the one who does the arguing all the time. Half the time it is he who says something ridiculous, and then we start arguing!

There is one topic that we keep coming back to argue upon. I have stayed in one city all my life — in Delhi, the capital of India. He from childhood has lived in many places — cities as well as small towns across India.

English and Indlish

Fri, 15 Sep 2000 10:59:46 +0000

July 15: Students are often rebuked for using what is known as ‘Indian English’ words. Perhaps these teachers need to know that many Indian words have actually become a part of an Oxford Dictionary.

The Asian Age newspaper reported that the Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary of Correct English has a section on Indian English. The section has 2,500 words The fifth edition of the dictionary was released recently.

Words like bandicoot, bungalow, jungle, chit, cushy, juggernaut are commonly known. But, there are others that most of us wouldn’t know had an Indian origin.

The Bt Brinjal Battle

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:52:52 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

February 20, 2010 : India’s environment minister Jairam Ramesh had announced that Bt Brinjal, a genetically modified (GM) plant, would be introduced for cultivation across the country. A storm of public protests followed. As a result, the introduction has been put on hold for the time being. On February 9, 2010, the government of India announced that it needs more time to take a final decision.

Bt Brinjal is brinjal modified by the addition of a gene from ‘Bacillus thuringiensis’ (a bacterium). This gene makes the plant resistant to pests. Bt Brinjal was developed by an American company. If it is introduced it will be India’s first GM food crop. Bt Cotton has already been introduced in India.

The Boy who Lacked Sight but Had a Vision

Mon, 06 Nov 2000 01:39:35 +0000

It was like any other day in school for six-year-old George Abraham. He went to La Martinere school in Lucknow, where he lived with his aunt. The school was open to boys till the fourth standard.

That day, as usual, the teacher found that the little boy was holding the book next to his nose. She complained and George had to undergo several eye tests. The doctors found that his retina was damaged beyond repair, and said he would lose most of his eyesight.

The Joy of Flying

Sat, 29 Sep 2001 20:16:46 +0000

Come Independence Day and the markets are flooded with kites. The sky looks like an ocean swarming with tiny tadpoles swimming across from one place to the other. Colourful tadpoles, though!

Although kite flying has been popular in India for hundreds of years, historians believe that kite flying originated in China almost 3,000 years ago. There are many stories, which talk about the origin of kites. One of them goes like this:

The Joy of Flying [Illustrations by Shiju George]

There was a king in China who asked his army men to tie him to a kite and fly him off to the enemy’s territory. The moment he reached above enemy territory, he shouted out that if anyone came out of their palace they would be killed.

Footprints on Earth

Fri, 16 Jun 2000 22:40:11 +0000

Have you ever been to a national park? If so, you must have tried to trace or locate a wild animal by trying to see its footprints on the soil. For example, people who go to Jim Corbett National Park, in Uttar Pradesh, India, spend most of their time looking for tigers. They do so by trying to look for its pug marks on the soil. If they find even one, they return happy and spin tall tales of adventure to their friends, about “How I saw a tiger”. We know because we have done it.

Vanishing Vulture

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 02:34:39 +0000

It’s the bird most commonly associated with death. Once a common sight in South Asia, the vulture, or nature’s scavenger, is one of the 78 species in India that is dying out. Faced with a mysterious virus and pesticide poisoning, the population of vultures today is said to be just 5 per cent of what it was (about 20 years ago) in the 1980s. A couple of years ago, the vultures of Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur numbered 2000. Now there are just four.

An Earth Day Fable

Sun, 02 Apr 2000 02:10:00 +0000

Indians are masters of junk. And out of junk they produce masterpieces. One such junk master is the sculptor Nek Chand who fashioned his sculptures from waste. The story goes that Nek chand was once invited to America to fashion sculptures, works of art out of waste. Nek Chand came back disillusioned and glum complaining that their junk was not so good, that its feel and smell was so alien.

If Nek Chand turned masterpieces out of junk (see picture below), the slum is a craft built around junk. Every citizen of a slum is a master of recycling. As an Indian scientist once put it “waste is the only resource of a wasted people”. For a slum, one man’s waste is another man’s lifestyle. We were masters of recycling long before it became fashionable.

Polluted India

Fri, 19 Nov 1999 14:45:31 +0000

Where: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad is a lake famous for the thousands of migratory birds it attracts from other parts of India and abroad, in the winter months. But the seagulls, ducks and other migratory birds no longer find it hospitable. They only use it as a stopover and prefer to fly away elsewhere.

Too many idols spoil the lake

The lake has seen more clay idols of deities such as Ganesh and Durga being immersed in its waters than any other lake in the vicinity. The chemicals used to paint the idols are highly toxic. They contaminate the waters, the algae and the water plants in it.

Welcome Rains?

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 09:45:58 +0000

April 21: A few days ago, Delhi residents were pleasantly surprised when the sweltering April sky suddenly darkened with clouds and it began to rain heavily. A freak shower, they thought, since it hardly ever rains in Delhi in April.

But, surprise, surprise… the rains occurred the next day, too. And the day after. The unseasonal showers have transformed the weather marvellously. It hasn’t happened in Delhi alone.

Most of northern India, from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, have been hit by the rains. Some parts of south India have also been lashed by rains.

Talkie Star from the Silent Era

Mon, 08 Oct 2001 07:03:00 +0000

Talkie Star from the Silent Era []

August 19: At times the story of an actor’s life is no less adventurous than the exciting roles he plays on the film screen. P Jairaj was such an actor, who chose to leave the comfort of an aristocratic life for the ups and downs of a career in the magical art of cinema, which was a big novelty then.

Humble Rickshaw Gets a Face-lift

Mon, 21 Dec 1998 15:13:35 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

July 15, 2000: This inauguration did not make the media go crazy with their cameras and flashbulbs. There were no pop stars or actors either. Delhi’s Chief Minister, Sheila Dixit was present when 20 rickshaws quietly got on to the roads. The sleek, colourful cycle-rickshaw is designed to give comfort to the driver as well as the passenger. They are easy to pedal and comfortable to ride.

Humble Rickshaw Gets a Face-lift [Illustration by Shiju George]

The cycle-rickshaw has a new gear system, which reduces the amount of pedalling needed. It is wider than the existing rickshaw and has better seating arrangements. Its webbed seat and backrest reduces the jolts during the journey. It even has a lot of space under the seat for luggage.

Winter Guests

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 11:37:39 +0000

December 27: Every winter, the Delhi Zoo in New Delhi, India, spruces up for the visit of some special foreign visitors. They fly in from the distant lands of China, Japan and Central Asia to escape sub-zero temperatures back home and bask in the warmer Delhi sun.

These visitors include pin-tail ducks, shoveller ducks, common teals, coots, dab-chiks, yellow wagtails, yellow-winged wagtails and white wagtails. Flocks of migratory birds have made the Delhi zoo their temporary habitat. And they’ve already arrived in the city, reports The Times of India.

Former Child Worker Visits Clinton

Sun, 20 Jun 1999 23:48:48 +0000

Where: Washington DC, USA

September 23, 2000: A few days ago, 12-year old Kalu Kumar was a special invitee of the US President, Bill Clinton, at the White House. Kalu had been invited by the President for the launch of a book on child labour written by Kerry Kennedy, of the Kennedy family that has contributed many significant figures to American politics, including former President John F Kennedy, and his brother, Robert Kennedy.

Kalu was once a child-labourer.

Young girl's earth-shaking courage

Sat, 26 Jun 2004 08:30:30 +0000

There is a ray of hope for quake hit-Gujarat. All it needs to do is listen to a 12-year-old girl, Prutha Desai. She might be small but towers over many in spirit. This girl who lost her right arm in the January 26 earthquake, six months ago, has shown great courage in starting life afresh, literally: from learning to write with her left hand to wearing socks. But what is remarkable is that Prutha hasn’t lost her smile, courage, or creativity in drawing and art, says a report in The Indian Express.

Who’s Who at the Zoo

Sun, 10 Aug 1997 22:12:57 +0000

“Who’s Who at the Zoo” is an amazing book of animals by Ruskin Bond. Published by National Book Trust, India.

Each animal is special; none too stupid or ugly, says the author. Out of 24 animal friends talked of in the book, here are some for you.

The Zoo is For You

In an overcrowded world, where the forests and wilderness are fast disappearing, it is becoming more and more difficult for many birds and animals to find food and shelter. Some species have already died out. For others, the zoo is often the last refuge.

A peep into the future of food

Sun, 08 Feb 2004 16:04:32 +0000

My dream of India in the 22nd century shows water of our five great rivers of the north, harnessed into one great canal, which in turn, distributes water to every corner of the country.
I dream that our future generations will never have to face the agony of a flood or drought. In fact, farmers would probably have capsules which when sown alongwith seeds, will collect water from the atmosphere like the nitrogen fixing bacteria. Maybe these capsules will react with soil chemicals to produce h2o!

Francoise's Dolls

Sat, 12 Oct 2002 15:11:52 +0000

“I did not see the face of my child: I passed into unconsciousness after her birth. My neighbours told me she was beautiful. My mother and the nurse buried her alive. I did not even hear her cry.”

A doll depicts a girl child and the words alongside it, movingly tells the tale of a new mother’s anguish at the brutal killing of her baby girl.

The doll has been made by Belgian-born Francoise Bosteels, who made India her home over 25 years ago. Francoise’s dolls ‘speak’. They speak of the beauty of life and its celebration, but also of the injustice, anger and frustration of those in despair.

Ali Sardar Jafri

Tue, 23 Jan 2001 19:43:13 +0000

He was a poet who spoke out for the poor. He was also one who truly believed that India and Pakistan could be friends, if the countries tried hard enough. From the time he was arrested for writing against British rule in India, to when he climbed onto the famous Lahore “peace” bus with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee last year, Ali Sardar Jafri spent his entire working-writing life speaking out for what he believed in.

The Earth Drum

Thu, 28 Sep 2000 09:54:36 +0000

Imagine a pit covered with the skin of an ox. The hairy surface is on top and the hairy tail of the ox is still connected to the animal hide or skin. The cover is nailed to the ground at several places. And the ox tail becomes the drum stick. This is not a fantasy drum. It seems this was one of the earliest ways our ancestors in India made drums. It was called the bhoomi dundubhi or the earth drum.

Snake People

Sat, 27 Dec 1997 06:49:36 +0000

The Snakes Around Us
Written by Zai and Rom Whitaker
Illustrations by Shekar Dattatri
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

This fascinating book gives us glimpses of the lives of the Irula tribals of Tamil Nadu, who are great snake catchers. The authors, who run a snake park in south India, have worked with these “snake people” for over a decade, and talk about their snake-catching abilities. They also talk about “snake people” in other parts of the world, who are great names in the world of research on snakes.

Punch and Spar: Way to go, Mary!

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 10:24:30 +0000

Where: north-eastern state of Manipur, India

September 12, 2007 : Mary who? Twenty-five-year-old M.C Mary Kom from Manipur has won the world women’s boxing championship not once, not twice but thrice in the 46 kilogram category. (Boxers of similar body weight compete in a category.)

Mary won the three titles consecutively or in three straight years. She won her titles in Turkey in 2004, in Russia in 2005 and in Delhi in 2007. How many of us know of the achievements of this powerhouse of punches who comes from a remote village in the northeastern state of Manipur?

The changing face of childhood dreams

Sun, 25 Jan 2004 19:34:00 +0000

Dreams – the word itself, sounds so fascinating. Everyone has different dreams. Dreams are actually our aspirations.

Dreams are of different types. Some dreams, like touching the sun, are impossible. Some are extremely silly. When I was five and was asked about what I wanted to be, I used to say: “to grow up”, as if anyone could stop that! As we grow and learn about great achievers, we all secretly want to emulate them…

The Day it Rained Fish

Tue, 20 Nov 2001 16:30:18 +0000

August 12: Last weekend saw some ‘fishy’ happenings across the world.

In Britain, for example, it rained fish.

The Day it Rained Fish [Illustration by Shiju George]

It happened in Great Yarmouth, a fishing port in Norfolk. Residents found a shower of dead but still fresh fish called sprats raining down on them. “I thought at first I might have had something wrong with my eyes. The whole of my backyard seemed to be covered in little slivers,” said a resident to ‘The Times of India’, which carried a report.

Gandhi's School is Dying

Tue, 04 Jun 2002 12:54:26 +0000

Where: Wardha district in the western state of Maharashtra, India

October 6 : Every year, October 2 is observed as Gandhi Jayanti in India. Both children and adults look forward to this day, but not to commemorate the birth of ’the greatest Indian since the Buddha, as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has been called. It is more to enjoy the national holiday that falls on this day.

To most people Gandhi Jayanti is more like a history lesson they learnt by rote in school. There is very little that is remembered of the principles he stood for, beyond the standard one liners like “simple living, high thinking, and non violence”.

Hockey Heroines

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:03:03 +0000

Where: India

September 12, 2007 : I must confess that I got interested in the Indian women’s hockey team after watching the film Chak De! India . But unlike many friends who kept talking about the bright actors in the film thinking they were actually discussing the game of hockey, I did some reading up on the hockey team. To tell you the truth it was as captivating, if not more, than the film.

Since this is a news item, let me give you the ‘hard’ news first. The Indian women’s team played in the Sixth Asia Cup hockey championship in Hong Kong early this month. This tournament is held once every four years and the Indian women had won it in 2003. But several players who had been in the team for a long time have bowed out. This is a young team. they played well but had to be content with the fourth spot.

Honey, what about it?

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 14:59:55 +0000

Where: the eastern state of Orissa,India

July 19: Banjipali village stands on a hill surrounded by forest. It is a very small village, with about 150 people. They are mostly poor tribals from the Binjhal community. For years they have suffered from a water shortage and from the fact that it is very easy for the world to forget about small villages tucked away in some forest. So they decided to take matters in their hands and came up with a very sweet idea.

Man who was a mountain

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 19:50:39 +0000

Where: state of Bihar, India

August 19, 2007: It’s the kind of superhuman deed that seems so hard to believe because it is true. One man hacked away at a rocky hill for 22 years to create a three-km-long road linking his village to the outside world, armed with nothing more than a hammer and a chisel. What drove the frail man on was a resolve much higher than the hill facing him.

His name: Dasrath Manjhi.

Rats

Sun, 15 Jul 2001 03:08:12 +0000

Excerpts from ‘Rats’. First published by Vigyan Prasar, India

Now at this time there was a great plague of rats in the London Docks. They were specially fierce rats, whose ancestors had come on steamers from Hong Kong along with tea and ginger and silk and rice. These rats ate all sorts of food which are brought to London in ships because we cannot grow enough food in England to feed all the people here. They are wheat from Canada and cheese from Holland, and mutton from New Zealand and beef from Argentina. They bit out pieces from the middle of Persian carpets to line their nests, and wiped their feet on silk coats from China.

Rahman Bags Double Grammy Honour for India

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:08:30 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, USA

January 31, 2010 : A.R. Rahman, one of India’s most well-loved music composers, won international recognition with two Grammy awards. Last year, he had won the Oscar for his music in the hit film Slumdog Millionaire. This year, he had his first Grammy win. He picked up two awards: one for the ‘best compilation soundtrack for a motion picture’ (Slumdog Millionaire) and the other for ‘Best Motion Picture Song’ for the song ‘Jai Ho’ from the same film. In the best song category Rahman beat singer Bruce Springsteen and his song ‘The Wrestler’ from the movie of the same name. The modest Rahman said, “This is insane, God is great again”.

Women's hockey steals the show!

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:42:04 +0000

The year was 2002. The Commonwealth Games were on in Manchester, England. A nail-biting hockey final was being played out between the women’s hockey teams of favourites England and underdog India. England had defeated the reigning world and Olympic champions Australia to reach the final. India had come from nowhere to defeat stronger teams like New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea to meet England for the decisive match on England’s home ground.

Picture the scene now. Hosts England play a fast game from the word go – “attacking” game as sportswriters put it. But the first goal is scored by Indian striker Mamta Kharab in the first half. Then Sita Gossain scores one more goal. India is jubilant. However, before the first half ends, a determined England captain Sarah Banks puts in a goal.

Hungry in the land of plenty

Mon, 02 Feb 2004 03:10:33 +0000

One day I came back from school, I was hungry… I looked for a samosa but my sister had eaten it all up. I guess she was as hungry as I was. I thought for a while and asked myself, ‘do you think there is enough food?’

Now that was a bit difficult to answer. I went to my father for the answer. My father said: “Yes, Nihal, India does not have enough food. One of every five Indians goes to bed hungry. Twenty years back it was worse, almost two out of five people did not have enough food. Science has helped in reducing the number of hungry people, but we still have a long way to go.”

Q is for Queue and not Queen any more

Tue, 26 Jun 2001 02:56:34 +0000

July 22: Ever found your school uniform displayed on the pages of your textbook?

Well, students of schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), did. In a colourful English primer brought out by MCD a few days ago. It is called ‘My First Book’, says a report in ‘The Times of India’.

These students saw a picture of their school-uniform, telling them what the alphabet U stands for. Unlike other primers showing the boring old umbrella. Similarly, I is for ice cream and not inkpot. And every child knows what that is!

Camel's Milk and Pet Registration

Tue, 05 Mar 2002 01:12:30 +0000

November 24: Hey, how about trying camel’s milk instead of buffalo’s or cow’s milk with your porridge? Not very keen on the thought? Doesn’t sound appetising?

Did you know that many mothers, particularly in the rural regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat, offer camel’s milk to their children? Unlike cow’s milk, a camel’s milk is rather salty and very thick. But as far as being a source of nutrition is concerned, its benefits are considerably more than that of cow’s milk.

India launches the Agni-III missile

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 22:07:22 +0000

Where: Balasore, Orissa, India

April 12, 2007: The newspapers have splashed the news across the front page. TV channels have gone ballistic. India today test fired a missile that can reach as far as the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing and most of the region of West Asia. A missile is basically an object or weapon that is fired, thrown, dropped, or otherwise projected at a target. It could be as simple as a rock shot off with a catapult (where the rock is the missile) or a toy car zooming out of a launcher (where the toy car is the missile). TO send it on its way, scientists use a launcher that can give the missile enough push to cover a large distance.

Green Protection for the Taj Mahal

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:40:29 +0000

Where: Agra, India

February 3, 2009 : ‘Ocimum tenuiflorum’ or ‘Ocimum sanctum’ is better known as Tulsi in Indian homes. It’s been used for centuries to prepare home remedies to cure coughs, colds and stomach disorders. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine, too. A tulsi plant, grown traditionally in many Indian gardens, is believed to purify the air around it. This has now been confirmed by environmentalists.

The Tulsi plant releases high amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere, and this reduces the harmful effects of industrial pollution.The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, in collaboration with a Lucknow-based firm Organic India Private Ltd, has launched a program to plant one million Tulsi saplings around the Taj Mahal. The Taj, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, and one of India’s best loved monuments, is showing the ill-effects of chemical emissions. The surface of the white marble monument has been corroded by harmful chemicals released into the air from industries, especially refineries.

Tiger Target

Sun, 17 Mar 2002 18:13:21 +0000

October 16: A few months ago, the accidental death of a dozen Royal Bengal tigers, at an Orissa zoo, shocked the nation. The news made headlines and gradually got relegated to the inside pages of newspapers before vanishing altogether. Yes, public memory is notoriously short and people eventually forgot about the whole episode.

Now, yet another tiger death has shaken us out of our apathy. The gruesome slaughter of a young Bengal Tiger (Saki) at the Hyderabad zoo has once again highlighted the utter negligence on the part of zoo officials.

The Green Magician

Mon, 08 Nov 1999 08:37:44 +0000

July 1: Many children, all over the world, are working to protect the environment. While some are involved with school groups, others are busy spreading awareness in their neighbourhood. Fifteen-year-old Kruti Parekh is a bit different for she uses some rather fantastic methods in campaigning for the environment. This nature-loving teenager uses magic to promote environmental causes! Kruti also happens to be India’s youngest professional conjurer — a record she has held for the last five years.

Romance of Postage Stamps

Tue, 31 Mar 1998 08:36:42 +0000

In earlier days the stamps of British Guiana were printed by a British printer, Waterlow & Sons. In 1856, the stock of stamps was exhausted but a fresh supply had failed to arrive. So the postmaster hurriedly had 4-cent stamps printed locally using the existing designs, the seal of the colony – a ship and the motto ‘Damus Petimusque Vicis sim’ (We give and we seek in turn). These new stamps were printed on magenta paper in black ink but the quality was so poor that the postmaster, to prevent forgery, asked the postal officials to initial each stamp before selling it.

A school for budding politicians

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 06:01:35 +0000

August 1: The ‘Netagiri Vidyalaya’ (Leadership School) in Ranchi gives the impression of being one of those ‘dingy-lane’ institutes that spring up like mushrooms during rains. What could a school situated in such premises possibly teach its students, you wonder. Apparently a lot, says a report in the India Today magazine. As the name suggests, the recently opened school, the first of its kind in the country, aims to educate aspiring politicians.

And the institute is sure to get a lot of ‘students’ for Ranchi is now the capital of the new state of Jharkhand, formerly a part of Bihar.

More fuel to the CNG fire

Tue, 24 May 2005 13:26:52 +0000

August 16: It’s a nightmare either way. Too little, and we have thousands of autorickshaws and bus drivers in Delhi waiting for their turn to fill their fuel tanks with the new eco-friendly CNG or Compressed Natural Gas. Too much, and we have the gas pipe of a bus bursting when a careless attendant over-filled a tank at the Bhikaji Cama Place mother station.

On the other side, Petroleum Minister, Mr Ram Naik is now championing the cause of low-sulpher diesel, and more recently, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), which we use as cooking gas. He is grumbling that gas wells have dried up.

A Problem, Naturally!

Tue, 23 Dec 2003 21:46:11 +0000

April 4: On April 1 or Fool’s Day, India’s capital, New Delhi, wore a deserted look. There were no public vehicles on the road. According to a Supreme Court decision passed two years ago, they were required to run on compressed natural gas or CNG, to ease the terrible pollution levels in the city.

For two years, two successive Delhi governments slept through the deadline, not bothering to create a system that would make the transition easy.

They Make you Swallow a Fish for a Herbal Cure

Mon, 07 Jul 1997 18:30:07 +0000

June 17: As the northwest monsoon strikes India in the first week of June, people from all parts of India, and abroad, make a beeline for Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. They all have one thing in common: they suffer from the disease of asthma and gather in Hyderabad for a unique herbal cure. The medicine is stuffed inside the mouth of a three-inch live murrel fish which the patient is made to swallow. Once inside the body, the fish releases the medicine. Those who gather the courage to take the cure find that it works, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’.

Pushed to the Edge

Sun, 30 Mar 2003 03:34:03 +0000

December 27: Leslie Readwin of Britain is in India with a purpose. She wants to see the famous tigers of the Corbett National Park, which nestles at the foot of the Indian Himalayas. The 80 year old is very keen to meet the majestic cats in their natural surroundings. But she might have to return without seeing even one.

The tiger is dying out at Corbett, a Park that was created with the very aim of preserving the region’s tigers.

Simputer: The Low-cost Computer

Sat, 27 Apr 2002 11:24:54 +0000

September 23: For all those who thought computers were expensive items and not in the list of “essential buys”, think again. A new computer is here, priced at an easily affordable Rs 9,000 (about $200)! And cheaper than a colour TV. Does that grab your attention?

It is called Simputer. And it’s the answer to your prayers.

As the name suggests, Simputer is not for the hitech geeks! It is a simple computer meant for those who think that a mouse is a small rodent and that a RAM is a male goat. It is in fact a people’s computer.

Indian Shooters Combat Racism

Wed, 24 May 2006 20:52:51 +0000

The Indian squad that just won the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in the UK, has brought back more than just 13 gold, six silver and eight bronze medals. They’re also carrying some bad memories. According to the Indian shooters, who included Jaspal Rana and Mansher Singh, the behaviour of their British hosts bordered on racism.

In a report in The Hindustan Times, the Secretary General of the National Rifle Association of India, Baljit Sethi recalled the day when India won all four gold medals. “Every time the Indian flag went up, the murmers increased…I could make out from their expressions that they were appalled at the clean sweep by India. I brought this to the notice of the President of the Commonwealth Shooting Championship, Graham Hudson of New Zealand, and a senior official, Peter Anderson of Australia. I told them that they (the English) still feel that Indians are their slaves. They were pushing us (into) a corner so that we could not win medals.”

The Law versus the Dhoti

Mon, 17 Mar 2003 18:08:12 +0000

February 26: It took a 25-page judgement by a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, in the state capital Jaipur, for the dhoti’s fortunes to rise. The traditional lower garment worn by men in India, can now be worn by practising lawyers to court.

It all started with lawyer Ved Pal Shastri coming to court one day, wearing a dhoti, instead of the usual white trousers that every lawyer wears. His senior, Justice Rajaram Yadav, objected to the dhoti saying it went against notions of the prescribed dress code.

Indians: Masters of Junk

Wed, 02 Oct 1996 13:57:52 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

In the last couple of years, in the Indian capital, Delhi, and in many other parts of the country, schoolchildren have led a very effective campaign against plastic – the material that is choking the earth.

But why do we Indians store so much junk? Well known sociologist Shiv Visvanathan tells us the reason in a simple and detailed way.

June 5, 2000: Indians are masters of junk. And out of junk they produce masterpieces. One such junk master is the sculptor Nek Chand who fashioned his sculptures from waste. The story goes that Nek chand was once invited to America to fashion sculptures, works of art out of waste. Nek Chand came back disillusioned and glum complaining that their junk was not so good, that its feel and smell was so alien.

5000 Years Old Quake-proof Town

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 06:21:45 +0000

February 14: The image on the right is one of the most recognisable symbols of the Harappan civilisation. It is the bearded man of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. But why is this sober gentleman smiling in our image?

There’s a reason for it. The January 26 earthquake has devastated a large part of the Kutch region. Village after village, town after town depict the same sad story of death and destruction. It’s almost as if entire towns and villages have fallen off the map. But there is one deserted town in the Great Rann of Kutch that has withstood the devastating tremors of the January 26 earthquake in Gujarat.

Girl Power

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 17:29:12 +0000

August 26: The world is changing fast. A decade ago, no one would have thought about boys wanting to step into a girl’s shoes. But now, this is happening. According to a report in The Times Of India, girl power rules. A survey by the Hyderabad-based market research company, NFO-MBL India, says that 42 per cent boys marvel at the thought of being a girl. The boys in question are between 15 and 19 years of age and they belong to the five cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai.

Saina Nehwal Wins Indonesian Open Badminton Women's Title

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:02:15 +0000

Where: Jakarta, Indonesia

June 26, 2009 : Nineteen year old Saina Nehwal, ranked eighth in the world, beat China’s Wang Lin (world number three). Saina was seeded sixth in the tournament. She took 49 minutes to beat Wang 12-21, 21-18, 21-9 in an exciting final. Saina became the first Indian to win a super series badminton tournament. In the past, two male badminton players have won the All England Championship title. Prakash Padukone won it in 1980, and Pullela Gopichand, who is currently Saina’s coach, won the title in 2001.

Strength from Within

Wed, 01 Nov 2000 03:14:52 +0000

Brave Hearts – Winners of the National Bravery Awards
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

This book has been aptly named after those Indian children whose acts of courage have helped saved lives. We carried a news item on the brave children who won the National Bravery Awards 2000. Curious to know about what motivates these brave souls? Read this book highlighting the deeds of each of the 14 children who received the National Bravery Awards in 1999.

Prized Skeleton in Museum Closet

Thu, 14 Mar 2002 14:15:18 +0000

September 23: A newcomer has joined the exhibits at Delhi’s prestigious National Museum. She is all of 5000 years old, from the time of the Harappan Valley civilisation, and in skeletal form.

Discovered from Rakhigarhi, in the northern Indian state of Haryana, the skeleton is
remarkably well-preserved. Even the shell bangles in her left hand, are still intact, says a report in ‘The Hindustan Times’. Several pots were found arranged around her, hinting that the Harappans may have believed in life after death.

We Would All Scream Without Ice Cream

Sun, 05 Aug 2001 23:14:00 +0000

Can you imagine a summer without ice creams?

It seems the Chinese, too, couldn’t. For it was they who gave the world its first ice cream. In India, the Mughals are said to have introduced their kind of ice cream — the kulfi. The exact date of origin of the ice cream is not known.

Kulfi is a mixture of khoa, pistachio nuts and saffron essence frozen in conical metal containers after sealing it with dough — exactly the same way as it is made today! Khoa is made by boiling milk on slow fire till it becomes semi-solid.

Indian Children on US Mars Project

Wed, 15 May 2002 22:36:15 +0000

October 6: The planet Mars, or the ‘red-planet’ as it’s called, has fascinated people on earth for centuries. The fourth planet from the sun, Mars is the nearest planet to earth.

This stunning landmass of craters, an uneven surface and dark skies has been a highly favoured destination for space travelers in science fiction, the body of literature that deals with stories of exploration into alien worlds.

The possibility of humans visiting Mars and even colonizing it some day, is the dream of astronomers and space scientists the world over. That is why when two American scientists announced evidence of ground water on Mars recently, the news created a great deal of excitement.

Poor Rainfall In India Affects Crops

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:50:52 +0000

Where: Mumbai, India

July 15, 2009 : The Indian Meteorological (Met) Department had predicted an excellent monsoon in 2009 for the entire country. The monsoon is an annual rainfall system, and India’s farmers have always depended on it for their crops. Changing monsoon patterns are among the harmful effects of climate change.

The Met Department has reported that the entire country had a 34 per cent drop in rainfall between June 1 and July 9, 2009.

A World for Children

Fri, 09 Nov 2001 00:13:21 +0000

July 31: K Shankar Pillai (1902-1989) or Shankar as he was called, was one of India’s best-known and best-loved cartoonists. Besides cartooning, he had one other love – children. He was especially interested in encouraging a child’s creativity. It was lucky for children that he thought this way, and from Delhi, where he was settled he wove an amazing web of dreams for children.

He began the Shankar’s International Children’s Writing and Painting Competition in 1949 or 51 years ago. He started the Shankar’s International Dolls Museum in Delhi, which stores dolls from all over the world and even established a dolls designing and production workshop making authentic Indian dolls.

The Office Where Records Are Made

Fri, 12 Oct 2001 22:27:56 +0000

. .265. . .puff! gasp!! 310. . 311. . . this is James Joseph of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, doing his squats in a corner of the Limca Book of World Records office. His aim? – setting a world record in squats. In front of James a large stopwatch ticks away the minutes. Behind him stands Kuldeep Monga with a score sheet keeping a tally of the number of squats. A doctor sits on a chair nearby, looking bored. A photographer is busy clicking away and a video camera is whirring.

The Office Where Records Are Made [Illustrations by Anup Singh]

In the midst of all this activity the staff of Limca Book work quietly at their jobs. For the staff it is, ho hum, just another day at the office.

A Salty Life

Tue, 01 May 2001 17:47:24 +0000

It is one of the most common scenes in Bollywood films. There has been a jewel robbery in the house of a rich man. He comes walking down a long staircase and asks all the servants to gather. Then his eyes fall on the oldest servant. The servant falls on his knees and says Sarkar aapka namak khaaya hai (My lord, I have eaten your salt).

Remember the dreaded dacoit Gabbar Singh in Sholay, one of the biggest hits in the history of Bollywood, released in 1977? This action film, made like Hollywood westerns has Gabbar Singh pitted against our heroes, who have taken the challenge to catch him. In one scene, Gabbar is angry that three of his men could not manage to catch the heroes. He walks past the shamefaced gang members and asks (yes that famous dialogue):

The Magic Carpet

Tue, 09 Jul 2002 14:31:51 +0000

October 21: Meet Sheikh Tayyab Mahajan. This resident of Nagpur has a dream – he wants to create a carpet in which he can weave the complete cultural pattern of India.

Ambitious? But possible, thinks Tayyab. That is why he started weaving a durrie or rug seven years ago. At that time, he wanted to make it to the Guinness Book of Records for weaving the longest carpet in the world.

Now he is aiming higher having already woven 900 feet of the durrie. He has decided that he wants the rug to remind people of the diverse cultures of the country. This was reported in an article in

Eleven-year-old Eco-ambassador

Sun, 30 Dec 2001 22:45:43 +0000

July 31: Somya Ahuja does not like the way people treat their environment. So she wrote an essay about it. And that essay led to her becoming India’s Eco-ambassador at a children’s conference in England recently.

Eleven-year-old Somya lives in Delhi – a city which has the distinction of being one of the most polluted cities in the world. The city’s roads are choked with cars, lorries, buses, tempos and three wheelers. Most of these vehicles belch poisonous gases.

Chetak's Descendents

Sat, 29 Jun 2002 17:05:26 +0000

September 9: Rajasthan’s Maharana Pratap was a legendary warrior who fought many battles astride his favourite horse, Chetak. The beautiful Chetak was loyal, brave and extremely fast. Chetak is probably one of the few animals famous in history for their legendary qualities.

Chetak belonged to a special breed of horses called Marwari or Rajasthani. These horses are known for their loyalty and battle-worthiness. They are handsome and tall and have long flowing manes.

The fame of these horses has spread far and wide. Now, even the Americans want them. ‘The Times of India’ in an article reported that six of these colts or young horses were recently exported to the United States of America.

Do You Know What You are Eating?

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 13:24:09 +0000

June 5: When you think of a cold drink, you think of its sweet taste, the fizz, and the sparkling bubbles under your nose. But not for a moment do you imagine animal parts being mixed in it.

And yet that is what seems to be happening, says a report in The Hindu newspaper. The use of animal ingredients in ‘vegetarian’ food products is more common than you can ever dream of.

According to the report, an organisation called the Animal Welfare Board of India has brought out a list of vegetarian food products containing disguised animal supplements. What’s more, these ingredients are undeclared by the manufacturers.

Street Cricket in Calcutta: Out, Caught!

Tue, 21 Dec 1999 08:21:39 +0000

July 1: Calcutta. A city without playgrounds. But still, a city that has learnt to have fun with what there is – the streets. And street or ‘para’ cricket is one of those inventions. Cricket during the day, under the sun, and cricket under streetlights and floodlights once the sun is down. Cricket played to the cheers of the neighbourhood — the family, the pet, the neighbours, their domestic helps — in short, all.

This is nothing unusual for Indians who have always spent a large part of their lives outdoors, sitting on a ‘charpai’ or stringed cot under a tree or playing games according to the season, be it ‘gulli danda’ in summer or throw a stick in mud and let it hold, during the rain. And cricket has become the king of all street games. The street is where most of our cricketing legends started, including Calcutta’s very own ‘Bengal ka gaurav, Saurav’ (the pride of Bengal – Saurav (Ganguly).

Web of Financial Scandal

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 01:52:47 +0000

August 18: The recent arrest of P S Subramanyam, chairman Unit Trust of India, has sent shock waves through the country, among the 20 million people who had invested their lifetime savings in India’s oldest public mutual fund company. What exactly happened?

A mutual fund company has one main function: to take in or mobilise people’s savings and invest them on their behalf, to maximise the returns. Most of us put our savings in banks. Banks are seen to be solid and safe but they do not give more than 9 per cent returns (interest). Mutual funds, on the other hand, are attractive because they give higher returns or interest on the savings.

Gandhi's Belongings Auctioned for Millions

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:36:36 +0000

Where: New York, USA

March 6, 2009 : Indian industrialist Vijay Mallya bought Gandhi’s belongings at a New York auction for $1.8 million (Rs 9 crore). The trademark wire frame spectacles, pocket watch, brass bowl and plate set and a pair of leather sandals had belonged to Mahatma Gandhi, India’s most revered national leader. They were owned by American James Otis, and he put them up for sale at the auction house Antiquorum.

The Indian government had tried to prevent the auction, as it wanted the items to be returned to the country. Mahatma Gandhi’s legal heir is the Navjivan trust. The Trust filed a petition against the auction in the Delhi High Court, and obtained an order of restraint. This also made it impossible for the Indian government to bid in the auction without overriding a court ruling.

Jumbos have some oily fun

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 20:12:29 +0000

August 9: It’s a slippery situation that has officials of the Oil India Limited (OIL) in Assam religiously muttering the Ganesh Mantra. The public sector company owns and operates the world’s oldest oil producing wells here and they’re helpless against the antics of wild elephants who love the swooshing sound of oil spurting in Digboi’s oil fields.

Jumbos have some oily fun [Illustration by Shinod AP]

According to a report in The Indian Express, the wild tuskers move around freely in the oil fields, often opening crucial valves in the pipelines that connect the oil wells to the refineries.

Record Tidbits

Mon, 23 Oct 2000 11:19:44 +0000

Scholastic Book of World Records
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

World records almost always make interesting reading. And if there are vivid pictures to make it more interesting, the tidbits get digested faster. The Scholastic Book of World Records is such a book. It makes you want to pick it up and create a new global map based on the foundations of superlatives: the world’s largest and the smallest; the shortest and the longest; the fastest and the slowest?..

My Country is a Land of Plains!

Mon, 30 Jun 2003 20:53:36 +0000

February 26: India is a land of rivers, cows, wheat fields, hot dusty plains and flat-roofed houses. This is what Stanzin Zangpo had learned in his class. But he is from Ladakh and he had never seen these things. The 12-year-old boy could not even imagine them. His part of India had jagged snow-capped mountain peaks, bitterly cold climate, large barren wastes of land and frozen lakes.

But now Stanzin knows differently. He and 29 other children from Ladakh have come to Delhi on a trip. They have finally seen the part of India that their textbook said there was. For the first time in their lives they saw an elephant (and were terrified of it), a zoo and the Qutub Minar. They were also special guests at the Republic Day parade and the Army Day parade, reports

Taming the Boors

Mon, 07 Jan 2002 11:14:47 +0000

October 28: Regulars at the Lucknow University campus in Lucknow, are familiar with the site of a tall, well-built young woman, in police uniform, zipping past on a powerful motorbike.

The young woman is Lakshmi Singh, a police sub-inspector who has recently taken charge of Lucknow University’s outpost. And she is on a mission – to curb the spiralling violence against girls studying in the University.

The Lucknow University campus, is supposedly one of the most notorious campuses in India. Hundreds of hooligans and college boys loiter in the campus grounds, with the purpose of making the lives of the University girls miserable with their antics, reports The Telegraph. Many of them even carry guns. They indulge in eve-teasing and molestation of girls, and misbehave with everyone.

Where is Sirisha?

Wed, 06 Jun 2001 01:07:30 +0000

July 22: Two-year-old Sirisha has been missing since March. Missing along with her are eight siblings. Sirisha’s father P.L Narasimhan has been running from pillar to post to get her traced, but has not had any luck so far. Now, the Hyderabad-based Indian has taken the extreme step of appealing to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of America, for help. Yes, the same FBI that is shown in Hollywood films as rushing to find the criminal who has hijacked the American President’s plane.

Creating Light from Garbage

Thu, 19 Apr 2001 18:49:43 +0000

July 22: We all create garbage. Every day we throw away armloads of things that we don’t need. Wrappers, leftovers, car parts, torn cloth, vegetable remains and mounds of other such stuff. What we throw away at home is domestic garbage. There’s much more that factories throw away. Garbage from factories is often very dangerous, because it could be poisonous chemicals, or plastics that choke the earth. The result of all this throwing away is that garbage levels around the world are rising, and fast. So fast that soon we will have no place left where we can throw our junk away.

Mormu: Daughter of the Forest

Mon, 24 Sep 2001 22:33:28 +0000

Mormu Oraon was lying under a sal tree in the jungle. As the first rays of golden sunlight fell on her face, she stirred a little. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up slowly. Nearby, her mother poured steaming tea into clay cups. Dawn had just broken, but the day had begun for the Oraon family.

Twelve-year-old Mormu is an adivasi or a tribal. She lives in Ranchi district, in India’s eastern state of Bihar. She is the first in her family to go to school.
Her mother, Haria, or her grandmother, Hirma, had never heard of school.

Smart Ones and Fools

Sat, 14 Oct 2000 01:01:23 +0000

This morning we got a call in our office from a friend who gave us us the news that the Taj Mahal had collapsed in an earthquake in the wee hours of dawn. As soon as we let out shocked gasps we realised that we had all been made fools. For it is April 1 or Fool’s Day today!

Last year, one of India’s most well known TV networks put out a news report that left the viewers speechless. The news was about the first man in the world who was going to have a baby in an Indian hospital.

Children of a lesser god

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 18:53:05 +0000

This is the story of a small boy of my age working next door. His name is Bharat.

His parents could not afford his studies and food. So they sent him to someone’s house to work as a servant. He was interested in studies. But there was no use. He had to work hard day and night.
In the morning, when I go to school with a heavy bag on my back full of books, young Bharat also comes to the bus stop, to drop his master’s son.

The Circle of Life

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 23:16:39 +0000

February 5: Young Vittal Partani is one of many volunteers who has been engaged in a singleminded task these last few days in the town of Bhachau that was devastated by the January 26 earthquake, in Gujarat. But there is something special about the 20 year-old and the youngsters accompanying him on the rescue mission.

All of them are orphans of the Latur earthquake disaster of 1993. Only this time around, their roles have reversed – from victims to rescuers.

Teachers' Day

Tue, 27 Nov 2001 02:18:13 +0000

Teachers’ Day [Illustration by Shiju George]

September 5: An average teacher teaches, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher illustrates, and a great teacher? A great teacher both learns and inspires students to ask questions fearlessly, for asking the right question is like taking the right turn amidst a maze of lanes and bylanes.

But these are different times. While school students say that teachers are no longer interested in teaching, teachers turn around and say that it is not their fault – nobody is interested in learning and that society treats them like dirt. So, who is right?

Duped Again

Wed, 01 May 2002 10:40:56 +0000

October 21: There are two Indias – the India of the powerful, privileged classes and the India of the masses. The powerful have good jobs and enviable lifestyles while the masses are precariously perched on the brink of survival. A large proportion of the masses lives in villages, which, as Mahatma Gandhi said long ago, is where the real India lives. Ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-educated.

Time and again, this real India finds itself being taken for a ride. Last week we wrote about the villagers in Maharashtra who were promised jobs by the state government 25 years ago, and are still waiting.

Testing Times for Indian Sports

Thu, 13 May 2004 20:35:03 +0000

August 6: It was the sort of news that makes everyone sit up and take notice. No wonder the Indian newspapers have been full of it. Some time ago, sportswoman Sunita Godhera submitted an explosive petition to the Delhi High Court. In it were the names of 144 sportspersons who, she says, have been found to be taking banned drugs to boost their performances. These tests were carried out at the laboratory of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in New Delhi.

Alcoholics Beware!

Wed, 06 Feb 2002 05:49:49 +0000

November 24: After centuries of subjugation at the hands of their men, Indian women are fighting back. We have been featuring news stories of how women across India, especially village women, are charting their own routes, learning to stand up for their rights and scripting their own successes.

For instance, the women of Nyala village in Rajasthan, who have received praise from President Bill Clinton, of the United States, for putting their village on the road to success; or the women of Simayal village in the Kumaon hills, who’ve done the same for their village.

The World's Hottest Chili

Sun, 20 May 2001 19:26:28 +0000

Do you like your chilies hot? For the spiciest, tongue-burning experience yet, head for Assam –
that’s where the hottest chilies are grown.

For years, Mexico’s ‘Red Savina Habanero’ was believed to be the hottest chili in the world.
But now a chili grown in Tezpur, Assam, in northeastern India, is being touted as the hottest
chili ever. And coming from a state, which is better known for its tea than its chilies, this
discovery has caused quite a stir.

Chess Bonanza

Wed, 26 Jan 2005 11:06:52 +0000

It’s a sky full of young Indian stars and superstars, in the world of chess today. Leading this amazing pack are 15-year-old Pentyala Harikrishna, and 14-year-old Koneru Humpy, who have created major records in the last fortnight. Harikrishna became the youngest Commonwealth Chess Champion, and Humpy won the World Junior Chess title, which falls in the under-20 category!

Add to the list the names of the World champion (Anand), the Boys Under-10 champion, Deep Sengupta, and several Asian champions like Krishnan Sasikiran, Pallavi Shah and M. Kasturi (Asian Under-20) among others, and what a world class line-up it is!

Eastward Ho!

Thu, 23 Aug 2001 05:39:47 +0000

Britain wants Indian engineers to help modernise their London-Glasgow railway link, and that’s a real about turn! Nearly 150 years ago, Britain was the first country to use steam locomotives.

The British also built the first rail tracks in India and set up India’s railway network with one purpose – they wanted to collect raw material such as cotton from different parts of the country so that they could be shipped to Britain. And later, when the ready-made products came back to India, they used the rail network to sell them by reaching different corners of the country.

The Misfortunes of Kera..la

Mon, 25 Mar 2002 05:14:00 +0000

December 9: What are the images that come to mind when one hears the name – Kerala? Beaches, backwaters and… coconut trees. Rows and rows of coconut (kera) trees swaying in the breeze along the coastline, a picture perfect sight in this coastal state in South India.

But this image might be in danger of disappearing. A very poor demand for coconuts combined with an all time low price for the fruit, is ruining the thriving coconut business in the state.

Little Ali's Heart

Mon, 27 Aug 2001 23:36:16 +0000

August 12: One-year old Ali Haider was very sick. His tiny heart had a gaping hole in it. He also had an enlarged liver; lungs clogged with fluid, and he was terribly underweight. His parents searched high and low for someone who could cure their child, but in vain.

Little Ali’s Heart [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

The doctors in Pakistan, their own country, did not have the skills to cure Ali. Doctors in the US did not want to risk operating on such a tiny child, either. Ali’s parents did not know what to do. They were distraught.

Festive Layers

Wed, 09 Feb 2000 08:23:50 +0000

There are festivals that are built around seasonal and agrarian cycles. Then there are festivals or occasions that are built around the lives of individuals who founded major religions. And there are festivals that revolve around mythological figures of gods and goddesses.

India is one of the few countries in the world, which can boast of observing the most important festivals of major world religions within a span of just 45-60 days!

Festive Layers [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

Consider these fascinating facts: In most years, since Hindu festivals follow the lunar calendar, in end-March or early April, Hindus celebrate the birth of Lord Rama. In the late days of winter, is Muharram. On this day the Shia Muslims especially, mourn the memory of Imam Hussain, grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed in the battle for succession following the Prophet’s death. The battle took place at Karbala.

No marks for mother tongue

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 02:39:34 +0000

August 18: What’s the most difficult subject for students in Uttar Pradesh? Is it Maths, English or Science. Surprisingly, it’s none of these, it’s Hindi! According to a Press Trust of India report, it’s Hindi that lets them down when it comes to examinations.

Nearly 50 per cent of the class X students failed in Hindi in the UP Secondary School Board Examinations. And Hindi is the language they speak – for most people in the state it is their mother tongue. In the intermediate (intermediate refers to the to years after Class X and in some states these two classes are part of college) examination, the failure rate was 21 per cent and in elementary school 91 per cent of the children failed.

The Flood

Tue, 10 Feb 1998 10:58:25 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

Every day, Indian newspapers carry reports that large parts of Bihar, Bengal and north-east India are flooded, causing loss to human and animal lives, and property. This happens year after year. What is the reason for these floods? An indepth report from ‘Gobar Times’, a children’s magazine on the environment brought out by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.

The Flood

May 12, 2000: The mighty Himalayas get knocked out by the monsoon system every year. For four months in a year, the mountains get a concentrated battering by two gargantuan blue-grey fists — the Bay of Bengal monsoon current and the Arabian Sea current. As an opponent, the Himalayas are very big, but not very strong. After all, they once used to be the bottom of the sea, just sand and slimy sediments!

IPL Cricket Out of India in Second Season

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:26:44 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

March 24, 2009 : The second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will now be held in South Africa. IPL is a creation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is a Twenty20 cricket competition, in which each team plays just 20 overs in a game, and each innings takes around 75 minutes to play. The second season was to have been held at different locations in India, just like the first, hugely successful one last year.

The Faithful Dog

Tue, 01 Jul 2003 09:05:28 +0000

April 12: How many of us would have the courage to fight a wild cat like a panther, even if it were to save our own lives? Imagine how scary it is even to face a panther? But one brave dog called Pinto attacked a panther in a forest, and saved the lives of his master and his son.

This incident occurred recently in the Challehonda forest in Yellapur taluk (or collection of districts) in Sirsi on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, reports the Deccan Herald. The irony of the situation is that Pinto saved his master Ganapati Nayak from the panther only to see him arrested by the forest department officials.

An Olympics with a Difference

Fri, 09 Mar 2001 13:31:56 +0000

August 19: For all those who are physically challenged, Abilympics offers a wonderful opportunity to do something special.

An Olympic competition featuring ‘sports’ like painting, tailoring, jewellery-making, book-binding, embroidery and computer programming? Welcome to the fifth Abilympics, the three-day International Skill Competition that celebrates the abilities of the physically challenged to stand on their own in a harsh and competitive world.

Held in Czechoslavakia starting August 15th, the day India celebrates her independence, the Ablilympics are quite different from the Olympics.

Terror Targets India: Bomb Blast Kills 16

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:01:38 +0000

Where: Pune, India

February 25, 2010 : On February 13, 2010, a bomb exploded at a popular restaurant in Pune, Maharashtra. Nine people were killed on the spot. At least 40 other people were injured. Since then, seven of them have died. The latest casualty was a 21-year-old Sudanese student who died on February 24. In all five foreigners lost their lives.

The German Bakery was a favourite with students and with foreign tourists from the Osho Ashram, Pune’s famous spiritual/mystic centre. The Bakery was packed with customers on the evening of the blast. At around 7.30 p.m., a waiter spotted a bag which seemed to have been left behind by someone. He tried to open it, and the powerful bomb went off. It was first thought that a cylinder of cooking gas had exploded. Later, investigations showed that around 7 kilograms of explosives had been used.

Water-Ice on the Moon?

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 01:45:30 +0000

Where: Bangalore, India

January 29, 2009 : The possibility of water-ice existing on the polar regions of the moon is one of the questions that scientists aim to discuss at a meeting to mark the first hundred days of Chandrayaan-I. The scientists include representatives from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Chandrayaan-I has so far captured the first-ever images of the dark side of the moon, detected the presence of iron and received X-ray signals from its cratered surface. Chandrayaan-I was launched on October 22, 2008, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The launch marked a major step ahead in India’s space programme, and India became the fourth country to put its flag on the moon.The unmanned craft carries on board 11 scientific instruments. Five of these were developed by Indian scientists and the rest by foreign agencies, including NASA and ESA.

The Empire Strikes Back

Thu, 14 Nov 2002 22:01:33 +0000

October 28: The roots of the present-day education system in India lie in British attempts, more than one and a half century ago, to raise a breed of English-speaking Indians who were ‘babus’ or clerks and could manage the affairs of the British rulers.

That is why the study of English has always been stressed in India, even if it is at the expense of the country’s languages. And why English is India’s first language today.

The Actor

Sat, 19 Oct 2002 23:06:35 +0000

October 6 : Dhanna wants to become an actor. His dream is to star in a film with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, two famous actors of Bollywood, Mumbai’s hugely popular film industry.

Seventeen year-old Dhanna is the son of a rexine bag-maker. He lives with his family in a narrow by-lane of a poor colony in Delhi. The journey from here to the bright lights of Bollywood appears to be very long indeed. The journey becomes even more convoluted given the fact that Dhanna is also mentally challenged.

Four Nation Hockey Tournament in Chandigarh

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:43:41 +0000

Where: Chandigarh, India

February 10, 2009 : The Punjab Gold Cup, a four nation hockey tournament, was organized by the state government of Punjab in Chandigarh. Hosts India, captained by Sandeep Singh, got a chance to test their skills against New Zealand, European champions Holland, and world-cum-Olympic champions Germany. The final match went to Holland, who defeated the home team 2-1. This didn’t dampen the spectators’ enthusiasm, though.

The myth that only cricket can pull crowds in India was busted. The hockey arena in Chandigarh’s Sector 42 drew over 15,000 people each day, and 25,000 spectators on the final night, when India took on Holland. Thousands of people came into Chandigarh from cities like Amritsar and Jalandhar to watch the matches. There is talk of a similar four-nation hockey tournament for women coming up in Chandigarh in the future.

Precious Boats

Mon, 05 Jul 2004 02:43:19 +0000

July 27: Grooms in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district are singing a different tune these days. They are no more asking for jewels or hard cash. No, they haven’t given up on the dowry. Instead they are demanding for something more practical and useful, a wooden boat. Along with it comes the demand for a bride who can swim, says a report in Hindustan Times.

The reason for this lies in the floods that hit this area last year and the people are not taking chances anymore. “Life after all, is more precious than gold, silver or a few thousand rupees,” says a resident of Murshidabad, in the news report. “Though we hope there are no floods like last year’s, the boats can always be used for fishing.”

Teachers who Ticked Correct Answers Wrong

Sat, 21 Apr 2001 05:00:35 +0000

August 19: Do you know what a universal truth is? It is a truth that never changes, wherever in the world you might wish to test it.

For example, we all know that the earth goes round the sun. It’s a truth that will never change, at least not until the solar system lasts.

Another universal truth we’re told to believe is that our teachers know more than us. It’s a non-scientific universal truth, for sure. But then, if our teachers didn’t know more, they couldn’t very well be teaching us, could they?

Places That Care

Wed, 11 Aug 2004 17:11:31 +0000

How many of us have ever given even a fleeting thought to the inconvenience faced by disabled people in the public spaces in our country?

How many of us have seen them shopping or visiting theatres, cinema halls or places of worship, leave alone historical monuments?
Perhaps, none.

For the ‘differently abled’, it is not just disability that makes life tough but our own insensitive and smug attitude coupled with a pathetic support structure that deems it fit to label people with disabilities as ‘handicapped’ rather than help them lead lives on their own.

Swimming in Trouble

Tue, 03 Oct 2000 23:53:56 +0000

July 1: All governments and leaders talk about children as the “future” of the nation – a “strong” nation. They specially talk about the need to encourage sports among children from an early age. But if you ask the young swimmers who participated in the National Swimming Championship for the 11 and 13-year-old category recently, they will tell you how nonsensical these statements are. For they have a horror story to tell.

Two weeks ago, all the star swimmers of India in the 11 and 13-year-old category travelled to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. They went there to participate in the National Swimming Championship and were prepared for a tough competition. How tough the competition would be, they had no idea. For, they ended up competing with the swimming pool, not with each other. Bruised heads and feet and frogs as swimming companions – this was the experience the young swimmers went home with after the championship.

Made to Order

Sun, 02 Jun 2002 17:14:44 +0000

December 9: We’ve heard of gene therapy for humans. But for seeds? And yet, this is exactly what seeds in India will be treated for in the future. Thanks to gene therapy, the seeds will have made-to-order properties.

Some scientists are introducing a gene (the element that gives hereditary characteristic to a living thing) from a weed into the Indian mustard seed to make the crop consume less water. This is to help farmers survive droughts in India. The idea is to cut down irrigation by almost half; from the usual four-five times a field has to be flooded to two-three floodings per season.

The Olympic Gold Rush

Mon, 13 May 2002 01:06:47 +0000

September 30: At the Millennium Olympics in Sydney, Barbados, the tiny island nation in the Caribbean, has overtaken the United States and China to head the medals tally – if you calculate the number of medals against the population.

When sprinter Obadele Thompson won the bronze in the 100-metre race in 10.04 seconds, on September 23, Barbados topped the medal table list maintained by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is because Barbados has a population of only 270,000. This report featured in ‘The Hindustan Times’.

A Soldier's Death is a Soldier's Death

Sat, 26 Apr 1997 15:37:18 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

May 16, 2000: Today’s newspapers must have given some relief to Indian Army men. For, George Fernandes, the Defence Minister of India, has finally agreed to their demands. Their demand was that the family of every jawan, or soldier, killed in action must get the same compensation amount of Rs 1 million ($23,255) from the Government of India. It did not matter where the soldier died: Kargil, Srinagar, or the north-eastern part of India.

The First Dream of a Soccer Star

Sun, 22 Jul 2001 19:04:59 +0000

In 1981, Invalappil Mani Vijayan was 12 years old. He sold cold drinks at a football stadium near his home in Thrissur, Kerala, to earn some money for his family. Today he is not only the captain of the Indian football team, he has started a coaching centre at the same football stadium. He wants to help youngsters like him who have dreams but very few ways of making them come true.

The five feet ten inches tall Vijayan is one of the best goal scorers in Indian football today. He holds the record for the fastest goal in the world. He is the sole Indian player to have scored two international hat-tricks for India. The football player has been selected as India’s best player of the year three times.

'Your dam is our death'

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 00:25:45 +0000

August 26: Last week, 70 children from the Narmada Valley were in the Capital, meeting with other children, journalists, activists and supporters in an attempt to share with them their very real apprehension that soon their homes and villages would be under water. They hoped that their voices would be carried to the President and that he would respond positively to their call.

Every evening, the India Gate lawns, in New Delhi, become one vast picnic spot. They are full of wide-eyed tourists, families and giggly children on outings. Vendors selling ice cream, popcorn, candy floss and chana jor garam mushroom as if by magic. But August 21 was different, at least in the small lawn – closest to India Gate.

Historic Station Soon to be History

Wed, 09 Oct 2002 05:14:16 +0000

November 24: A historic railway station, that once linked the Indian city of Jammu, with Sialkot in Pakistan, is soon going to be demolished. A Kala Kendra Complex or centre to preserve art and culture will be established in its place.

The catch is that the Jammu & Kashmir government, that ordered the demolition, itself does not know what exactly it is going to preserve in the art centre. But that clearly does not seem to bother it. The more important job is to tear down the old station, never mind if it is over 100 years old and has a rich legacy, reports the ‘Indian Express’ in an article covering this issue.

India Votes for Stability, Not Change

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:07:53 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

May 16, 2009 : The results of India’s general elections, the largest democratic elections in the world, were announced on May 16, 2009.The Indian National Congress party won 205 of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha (the House of the People, or the lower house of the Indian Parliament). This was its best performance in the last 25 years. The party and its coalition partners, who make up the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won a total of 261 seats, only 12 short of an absolute majority. The Trinamool Congress with 19 seats has the maximum number of seats among the allies. The chief opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party, and the Congress’ former allies, the Left Front, were defeated and had to give up the idea of trying to form governments.

Injured Deer Lands on Dinner Plate

Fri, 24 Mar 2000 03:51:00 +0000

July 8: A deer was in great pain. It had got injured in the forest. It was discovered by some villagers who lived near the forest.

This incident happened in the Champhai district of Mizoram, in north-east India. The villagers picked up the deer and gave it to Hranleikapa, a leader of the Mizo National Party, to hand over the deer to the zoo in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.

But, that was not to be.

Cyclone Aila Rages Through Eastern India and Bangladesh

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:48:29 +0000

Where: Kolkata, India

May 28, 2009 : Cyclone Aila, which formed over the Bay of Bengal last weekend, hit the coast of India’s eastern state of West Bengal on Monday, May 25,2009. Winds blowing at the speed of 100 kilometres an hour with heavy rain caused havoc and paralysed life in the state’s capital city Kolkata. At least 10 people were killed in the city; some of them crushed to death under falling trees. The cyclone raged through several districts of the state, including the hill district of Darjeeling, where 23 people died in landslides. There were flash floods in most of the major rivers flowing through the state. The cyclone also wrecked large areas in the Sunderbans, the coastal delta chain of islands and home to a number of endangered Bengal tigers. Crops were destroyed in 24 Parganas district, and farmers there fear that the flooding by brackish waters would damage the soil and prevent any cultivation for the next two years.

Computer Whiz Grans

Fri, 02 Feb 2001 11:16:23 +0000

July 31: A.Yogananda is learning the basics of the computer at a computer centre in Pune. Like how to send and receive e-mails to friends in US, Mumbai and Bangalore. He is as excited as any kid who is learning something new.

This eager student is all of 79 years old.

And he is not the only one. Senior citizens in Pune are rushing to computer classes and taking notes like never before. In the process they are discovering a strange universe of computer terms. Like Yahoo! Windows, folders, and recycle bins.

Dalai Lama Calls for End of Oppression in Tibet

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:16:50 +0000

Where: Dharamsala, India, and Beijing, China

March 13, 2009 : The Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people, has said that Tibetan culture and identity are “nearing extinction”. He accused the Chinese government of bringing “hell on Earth” to Tibet. He was addressing thousands of supporters in India on 10 March, 2009, the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

China invaded Tibet in 1950 and made it a province of the People’s Republic of China. In 1959, the Tibetan rebellion against the Chinese occupation was crushed. The Dalai Lama, who is the religious as well as political head of the Tibetan people, fled the country and took asylum in Dharamsala in India. Here he set up the Government of Tibet in Exile. The Indian government at the time, led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, urged the Dalai Lama not to press for independence but to work on Tibet’s Seventeen Point Agreement with China.

Indians All the Way As 'Slumdog Millionaire' Sweeps Oscars

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:41:23 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, USA

February 22, 2009 : India awoke to the sound of cheers and applause last Monday as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fetched two Oscars* for A.R. Rahman and one for Resul Pookutty. With the American-made film ‘Smile Pinki’ about an Indian girl winning the Oscar for the best short documentary, the focus was definitely on India.

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by the recognised British filmmaker Danny Boyle, is about an Indian boy. The film has an all Indian cast, and was shot in Mumbai with Indian technicians. A.R. Rahman, one of the country’s best known musicians, became the first Indian to win two Oscars (Best Original Score as well as the Best Song, ‘Jai Ho’). Rahman’s acceptance speech was simple, and the maestro modest in victory. The honours for best song are shared by the famous lyricist Gulzar. Rahman had earlier won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA awards for his work in the film.

The Case of the Stonemasons

Mon, 07 Jul 2003 00:29:34 +0000

December 27: Last year, 10 stonemasons had been taken from Udaipur to London to build a temple. Overjoyed with this opportunity to earn more money, they went along willingly. But what did they get there? Just a dirty shack to live in and only 20 pence an hour.

The stonemasons did not know that they were being exploited. However, they did know that they were being treated badly. The moment they reached London, their passports were taken away from them. Then they were threatened that they would have to go back to India on their own if they disobeyed their ’employers'.

Building a Giant Lie

Wed, 14 May 2003 00:32:05 +0000

February 5: The earthquake that struck Gujarat, one of India’s most prosperous states, will go down as among the worst since India gained independence. Both in terms of the numbers of people killed (about 50,000 are feared dead) and the scale of destruction wrought, it has few contemporary parallels.

The images of prosperity in cities such as Ahmedabad have been reduced to the symbols of a wasteland – rubble, dust, twisted steel and wire.

Building a Giant Lie [Illustration by Shinod A P]

A real tragedy, say many of us, but follow it up with a resigned look and statement about the “fury of natural disasters”. That is where we are wrong. We should actually be talking about the consequences of “man-made disaster” brought upon by greed and avarice.

Riding into a Promising Future

Mon, 21 Oct 2002 15:19:07 +0000

October 28: In Gujarat last year, thousands of girls who passed out of primary school, were given unique gifts by the Gujarat government: bicycles to ride to secondary schools.

The gifts are not meant to reward the girls for passing their examinations. They are recognised as the only way for these girls to pursue higher education in secondary school, usually situated far away from their homes.

The scheme is the brainchild of the Minister of Other Backward Castes, Gabhaji Thakore. The Indian Express has written a report on the trend.

General Elections Announced in India

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:56:09 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

March 2, 2009 : India is set to go to the polls to elect a new government. The Chief Election Commissioner Mr. N. Gopalaswami announced the schedule for the General Elections. The country will elect 543 members to the Lok Sabha, or the House of the People, in Parliament. Voting will take place on five days; April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13, 2009. Counting of votes will take place on May 16, 2009 and results will be announced immediately. The number of voters is estimated to be 714 million. All 28 states and seven union territories will elect their representatives.

Terror Blasts in Assam on New Year's Day

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:33:40 +0000

Where: Guwahati, Assam, India

January 7, 2009 : A series of blasts rocked Guwahati, the principal town of India’s northeastern state of Assam, on January 1, 2009. Six people died, and 50 were injured. The terrorists who planned the explosions got past New Year’s Day security arrangements with alarming ease. Police said the first blast took place near a hospital, the second near the famous Kamakhya temple, and the third at Bhangaghar, one of Guwahati’s upmarket areas, and home to many of its shopping malls. Indians all over the country were shocked, as they are still coming to terms with the terror attack on Mumbai in November 2008.

The Lake and the Birds

Wed, 15 Dec 1999 06:46:25 +0000

Where: Himachal Pradesh, India

March 8, 2001: The picturesque Pong Dam lake region in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, is losing its lustre. A great deal of its charm has lain in the fact that it is north India’s largest refuge for migrating birds escaping harsh winters abroad. But not for long, if recent trends are any indication.

A low water level in the lake this year has forced the migratory birds to fly away one month in advance, says a report in The Indian Express.

More Disturbing Attacks on Indians in Australia

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:11:12 +0000

Where: Canberra, Australia

February 3, 2010 : A large number of Indians living in Australia have become the targets of violence in the past months*. Most of the victims are students, who have been beaten, robbed, and in some cases, murdered. The most recent case was that of Nitin Garg, who was stabbed to death on January 2, 2010.

In 2007-2008, there were almost 1500 cases of crimes against Indians in the state of Victoria alone. Most of them were in the capital Melbourne. Between 2004 and 2009, 33 Indians died in violent attacks countrywide.

Spate of Attacks on Indian Students in Australia

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:35:32 +0000

Where: Melbourne, Australia

May 31, 2009 : A number of Indian students were attacked in a series of violent incidents in Melbourne over the last few days. One of the most shocking incidents was the one in which 25-year-old Shravan Kumar was stabbed by a group of teenagers who forced their way into his house. Kumar, who almost died on the way to hospital, had to be put on life support systems. Days later he was reported to be out of danger, but doctors expressed doubts that he would ever recover fully.

India's Software Giant Satyam Computer Services in Country's Biggest Corporate Scandal

Tue, 15 May 2007 02:05:38 +0000

Where: Hyderabad, India

January 09, 2009 : Satyam, India’s fourth-largest software company, is at the centre of the country’s biggest corporate scandal. The group’s Chairman, Ramalinga Raju revealed on 7 January, 2009, that around US $1.04 billion (Rs. 5000 crore or 94% of the company’s cash assets, was non-existent, and that figures and account books had been ‘cooked’, or modified, to show profits. Raju resigned from the Board of Directors, and his location is at present unknown.

When Everyone Counts

Sun, 16 Mar 2003 15:36:25 +0000

March 28: Have you been counted yet? But you must have been! There’s one head count that cannot afford to leave anyone out. It is the Census 2001.

Census is a small Latin word meaning register. But to the people responsible for conducting it, it implies a marathon task. Census means counting each and every person in the country and gathering data related to them.

In India, the first Census was conducted in 1872. Thereafter, it has been held every 10 years. The groundwork for this Census started two years ago, while the Census operation itself was held between February 9, 2001 to February 28, 2001. A revision was held in the first week of March.

Truant Teachers

Fri, 07 Dec 2001 11:33:59 +0000

July 31: Think of a school or college where classes are not held everyday. Sounds like a dream school or college?

But, a dream college like this is also a place where students don’t really learn much. The reason is very simple. Their teachers don’t have the time to teach them.

The Delhi University is such a place. Where teachers make a habit of not attending classes. Naturally, their students also do the same.

Truant Teachers [Illustration by Shiju George]

But, it’s not only the teachers and their students who shirk work. They have company in college principals. And administrators too. That’s what a report in ‘The Times of India’ says.

Killing them Surely

Tue, 14 Sep 1999 03:12:15 +0000

Where: Surat, Gujarat, India

November 4, 2000: When a member of the Parsi community dies, according to their religion, the body is not buried or consigned to flames. It is placed in the “Tower of Silence” for the scavenger birds or vultures to feed on them so that even in death the body is of use.

In Surat, Gujarat, till a few years ago, the body would be eaten up in no time in the Tower of Silence or the Dhokma as it is locally called. About 100 to 150 vultures would descend on the body minutes after it was placed on the Dhokhma and consume it in a few minutes.

Plane Crash in New York Kills Fifty

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:32:16 +0000

Where: New York, USA

February 12, 2009 : A commercial air plane crashed into a house in Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground. The plane burst into flames on impact. The Continental Airlines plane was on its way from Newark, New Jersey before crashing some distance away from the airport. Two people in the house were injured. The house itself was completely destroyed, and the authorities evacuated people from the neighbourhood, so that investigations could be carried out.

The Famous Five

Sat, 11 Aug 2001 14:03:57 +0000

Meet the “Famous Five” — Arjun Bansal, Vijay Kumar, Shruti Chandrsekhar, Arvind Thiagarajan and Sundeep Venkataraman. These five teenagers have just got jobs in the Research & Development wing of the India branch of Lucent Technologies — the famous American company.

The teenagers were handed offers of employment in the company recently. They can join the company as soon as they complete their graduation.

The Famous Five [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

But first, they had to score the highest marks in a test done to discover the “best and brightest minds” in the cities of Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. They beat 655 other candidates.

The Common Man's Film-maker

Thu, 09 May 2002 07:02:29 +0000

September 23: From the rollicking ‘Chupke Chupke’ and ‘Golmaal’ to the shades of jealousy in ‘Abhimaan’, from the quiet seriousness of ‘Anupama’ to the tragic ‘Anand’, veteran film maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee has covered an entire range of emotions and relationships in his films.

In a career spanning more than four decades, he became known as the man who touched a chord in the common man – the middle class in particular. And the ordinary film viewer responded to his quiet flowering in the only way he or she knew – by seeing Hrishi_da_’s films again and again.

Little Gyatsu Goes To School

Sun, 25 Jun 2000 14:56:54 +0000

As the sun rises over the hills, the birds start chirping. Nine-year-old Gyatsu knows that it is time to go to school. All his friends in the village go to school too. In no time a small army of rosy-cheeked children can be seen hurrying through the streets and up the hills, to the local primary school. The birds keep them company throughout the way.

Little Gyatsu lives in a hill village called Drutlang. It is close to Aizawl, which is the capital of Mizoram state, in the north-eastern part of India. Mizoram is one of the seven hill states in north-east India. These seven states are called The Seven Sisters.

Report cards

Fri, 22 Mar 2002 19:45:04 +0000

October 21: The two news reports appeared almost at once and said a lot about the state of affairs in education in the world.

One was the announcement of a whopping US$210 billion Gates Scholarship set up at England’s prestigious Cambridge University by the richest man on earth, Microsoft boss Bill Gates. The scholarship fund will enable 225 youngsters from across the world to be Gates Cambridge Scholars every year, beginning 2001.

Report cards [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Graduate students from every country in the world, barring the United Kingdom, would be eligible to apply. The scholarship fund will thus help talented students particularly from developing countries like India which are fast gaining an enviable reputation, to do well.

Somdev Devvarman Shines at Davis Cup Matches

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:02:57 +0000

Where: Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei

March 8, 2009 : India’s top tennis singles player Somdev Devvarman beat world number 59 Lu Yen-Hsun from Chinese Taipei in the second round Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I fixture. Devvarman made short work of his opponent, defeating him in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3. The victory took India to the third and final round of the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I competition, defeating Chinese Taipei 3-2.

On Saturday, India had won the doubles match against Chinese Taipei with Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi defeating Yang and Chu-Huan Yi. Devvarman won both the singles matches he played, while teammate Rohan Bopanna lost both his singles matches.

Couch pet-atoes

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:07:19 +0000

Where: Lucknow, India

July 18, 2007: First it was kids. Now, it’s the dogs. Middle class families across India are plagued by obesity. In other words, from the master to his pooch, everyone is fat, and very likely sick.

According to a report in The Times of India, doctors at the Government Veterinary Hospital (GVH) in Lucknow estimate that nearly one in every three pet dogs in the city is falling sick because of the kind of lives their owners lead.

All for One

Sun, 10 Aug 2003 16:30:21 +0000

February 26: What happens when someone in authority takes advantage of the position that he is in, to harass someone weaker? In India, more often than not, the victim ends up doing nothing about it. Why not? Fear forces him or her to keep quiet.

But not everyone believes in living up to the image of the powerless Indian. And when that ‘someone’ turns out to be an entire village, generally thought to be unchanging, it demands our attention.

The Empowered Woman of Nyala

Sat, 15 Jun 2002 23:59:44 +0000

September 23: For someone who has never travelled beyond the village, a trip to New York is something to be excited about. And it’s no different for Shakuntala Bai, of Nyala, in Rajasthan.

She attended a two-day conference in New York organised by the Hunger Project and in the process met US President Bill Clinton too! Representing India, she spoke on “panchayati raj and the role of women”.

The Hunger Project is a movement working to end hunger and poverty in India. It works in more than 1,200 villages across 11 states. The project aims to mobilize grass roots people to change laws, collect resources and remove obstacles to build lives free from hunger.

Army Comes to the Aid of Birds

Wed, 06 Feb 2002 14:07:05 +0000

October 14: Harike sanctuary, a large wetland in India’s Punjab district, has just undergone a massive clean-up operation. The sprucing-up of a large part of the sanctuary has been done to welcome a special group of tourists who had stopped coming to the sanctuary because it had stopped being hospitable.

These tourists used to come all the way from Siberia, China, Central Asia and Ladakh to escape the harsh winter months. They were migratory birds like the cotton teal and common pochard, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’. Almost 360 species of birds have been recorded earlier in the vicinity of the sanctuary.

Say Cheese!

Sat, 08 Dec 2001 20:40:57 +0000

My nephew was six when he received the first whiff of a peachy odour, later identified to him as Parmesan cheese. A gift from a “foreign returned” relative, the cheese by the time it came home had got slightly rancid. But all the same, he gobbled it up with relish.

There was never a dull moment thereafter and he started ferreting out large chunks of cheese and butter from sundry fridges without as much as a whey and what-for. Unlike Miss Tuffet he squirreled off some to his room and hid in various closets, under the stairs, in the attic and satisfied his desires.

Learn while Playing!

Tue, 11 Jan 2000 12:36:35 +0000

Learn while Playing! []

Done with the exams and looking for a break? How about trying a few mental calisthenics (gym exercises to tone up the body) that will keep your grey cells active during the summer vacations? The books reviewed below help you do just that. At the same time, they don’t tire you out.

The Unbelievably Creative Me A Workbook
Written by Karle Dickerson and Connie Berg

The Chief Minister and the Butterfly

Thu, 17 Sep 1998 07:22:25 +0000

Where: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

July 1, 2000: Indian politicians are mighty people, especially when they are in power. Even Nature trembles before their arrogant minds. Some years ago, when India was ruled by a Congress-I government, its environment minister decided to build a guest house in Manali. Why not, you may ask. It’s a nice place. But there was one small problem – he wanted to have the course of a river changed so that he could have his guesthouse exactly where he wanted it.

Flooded by disaster

Sun, 03 Oct 2004 13:27:43 +0000

July 31: Monsoon in Orissa has meant only one thing in the recent past: floods. It’s no different this year. Floods have left 85 lakh people in over 15,000 villages homeless. The official death toll: 80. And one lakh hectare of crops have been submerged.

About 5,000 kilometres of roadways, 500 kilometres of the national highways, and piped water supply sources to 61 towns have been submerged, causing widespread chaos and distress. As happens in such situations, water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, malaria and jaundice have affected more than 15,500 people, says a report in

A Tale of Two Wonders

Wed, 07 Oct 1998 07:06:01 +0000

Where: USA and India

June 24, 2000: In the first week of June, Indian newspapers wrote about two very different kinds of success stories. Both involved youngsters — one 12 year old and another teenaged boy. One was in the United States, the other was in Madurai (Tamil Nadu), India. But both proved that their success had very little to do with the education system. It had more to do with their desires and determination.

Toilet Matters

Sat, 06 Feb 1999 15:38:04 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

August 3, 2000 : As a kid, I had a big problem going out. I hated the thought of travel. It’s not that I was a stay-at-home type. I liked visiting people, places. But travel I hated. For, in the midst of a particularly long journey, I would desperately want to go to the toilet. My parents would ask me to hold on, as there were no suitable public toilets for girls. I would try but start to fidget again. My parents would search for toilet, none would be found suitable. In fact, most of the time, none would be found at all. How I hated travel!

Aruna Roy – Voice of the People

Sat, 11 Aug 2001 14:50:07 +0000

July 31: She was once an officer of the Indian Administrative Service or the IAS as it is popularly known. What is equally well known is that most IAS officers are as remote from the people as possible. Today, she has won the Magsaysay Award for public service for daring to question this attitude.

She looks like a village woman in a simple sari, chatting away in a local dialect or language of Rajasthan.

She is Aruna Roy, the winner of the Magsaysay Award for public service of 2000.
The Magsaysay Award recognises individuals and organisations in Asia for the contributions they make in bettering the lives of people in some way or the other. The Award is named after the third president of the Republic of the Philippines, Ramon Magsaysay, who is considered one of the outstanding leaders of his time. The award is given to those individuals whose work are in tune with the ideals and service for which President Ramon Magsaysay is remembered.

This Bird Paradise Stinks!

Wed, 16 Jul 2003 04:49:09 +0000

March 19: Are you a bird lover? If you live in Delhi, then the river Yamuna is the place to go to. Yes, that same river that was once Delhi’s pride but has got reduced to a polluted dump with mounds of plastic islands floating on its surface and toxic effluents flowing in from fields.

And yet, birds flock to the Yamuna. Perhaps because there is no other river or wetland region in Delhi, which is predominantly a dry city, says a report in The Hindu.

Prisoners Ride on Fried Snack Success

Sat, 27 Apr 2002 14:27:39 +0000

September 30: It all began with ‘bhajiya’ (fritters). A few years ago, prisoners of Sabarmati jail in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, began a ‘bhajiya’ corner. They sold crispy ‘bhajiya’, a favourite snack of Gujaratis, in the shop. Predictably enough, the snack was a big draw among people. Sales touched Rs. 20,000 per day.

Inspired by the runaway success of their venture, the prisoners have decided to diversify.
They have proposed a series of profitable ventures that they would like to set up in the coming months. The only eligibility criteria they have to fulfill in return is to have a record of good conduct in jail.

Rahaman and Resul Win BAFTAS; Zakir Gets His Second Grammy

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:34:16 +0000

Where: London, UK, and Los Angeles, USA

February 11, 2009 : India’a A.R.Rahman won the award for the Best Music Director for his work in the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ at the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards ceremony. Fellow Indian Resul Pookutty, the sound director of the film, won the Best Sound Editing Award. At the 51st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Zakir Hussain, India’s tabla maestro, won the Grammy for the best Contemporary World Music Album. Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju and Hidalgo worked on the award winning ‘Global Drum Project’ album with him.

'Rim of Fire' in Indonesian Skies: 2009's First Solar Eclipse

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:01:37 +0000

Where: Samarinda, Indonesia

January 26, 2009 : The annular eclipse of the sun on Monday, 26 January was a celestial spectacle, seen in several parts of Indonesia, and on the Cocos, a South Pacific island group. These areas fell directly in line with the alignment of the moon and sun. People cheered and banged on drums as the moon moved slowly over the sun’s surface, until only a thin, blazing rim of fire could be seen. A partial eclipse was visible in southern parts of Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Western Australia.

Virender Sehwag Hits Fastest ODI Century by an Indian Cricketer

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:17:04 +0000

Where: Hamilton, New Zealand

March 11, 2009 : With his century coming off just 60 balls, Virender Sehwag became the fastest Indian batsman to hit a hundred runs in One Day International cricket. Sehwag broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of a 100 off 62 balls in Baroda 21 years ago. Sehwag also became the world’s seventh-fastest century hitter in limited-overs cricket.

India won the match by 10 wickets. New Zealand put up a total of 270 for five. The target for the chasers was revised a number of times, because of rain. Nothing could stop Sehwag, though. He hit 14 fours and six sixes in his knock of 125 not out from just 74 balls. Fellow opener Gautam Gambhir played a supporting role. Their unbroken opening partnership was the largest ever to win a match in One Day Internationals. Rain ended the match in the 24th over, and the result was determined by the Duckworth-Lewis* method.

A Debt Repaid

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 18:45:27 +0000

February 14: More than 60 years ago, the Maharaja of Jamnagar, a princely state in Gujarat, offered shelter to 600 Polish child refugees who had got orphaned during the Second World War. The children were housed near Balachadi, near Jamnagar. It was a deed that the Poles did not forget.

For, as the news of the devastating earthquake that hit Gujarat spread across the world on January 26, the Polish government was among the first foreign nations to rush in with aid. And, a part of the relief material was specially earmarked for the children of Jamnagar, says a recent report in ‘The Indian Express’.

Roy of Light

Wed, 17 Apr 2002 17:29:02 +0000

November 4: While cities and towns have the privilege of an electricity connection, there are still a number of remote villages in India that lack this facility. Their homes remain shockingly dark, even on the threshold of the twenty-first century. It’s a reality that the Indian government has done little to change. Providing electricity to all of India appears to be beyond its reach, even today.

So the loudest cheers must be reserved for the man who says, yes, it’s possible to light up all the villages in India, even the poorest, most remote ones. The man is Sanjit or Bunker Roy, a well-known social worker who, together with wife Aruna, has made rural Rajasthan their home for many years now.

Orissa Police's Feathered Force is Dying

Sun, 30 May 1999 14:42:50 +0000

July 1: The news is that a mysterious disease has killed 35 valuable members of the Orissa’s police service. They are all pigeons.

The first of the deaths took place in March in Puri district. Twenty-four more pigeons died soon after, in Cuttack district. They experienced long drowsy spells before dying. The veterinary doctors who examined them said that the mysterious disease could be just the sweltering heat.

Pigeons? In this day and age? Yes, Orissa is the only state in India whose police force still employs pigeons as message carriers. And, for the last 50 years, the messengers have not faltered in their duty even once, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’ newspaper.

Indian Army Battles Infiltrating Terror Groups in Kashmir

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:59:08 +0000

Where: Jammu and Kashmir, India

January 08, 2009 : While we hope and pray for peace in the New Year, Indian troops are engaged in battle with a group of militants in the forested Mendhar sector of Poonch district in Kashmir. The gun battle broke out on 1 January, 2009, and entered its eighth day today. The militants, it is believed, are senior commanders of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The Indian Army besieged the Pati Tar peak in the middle of a forest after receiving information about the presence of the hardcore militants in the area.

UN Conference on Climate Change

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:47:06 +0000

Where: Poznan, Poland

December 13, 2008 : Global warming affects everyone. Finally, after years of negotiations, most countries in the world have agreed to work together to reduce how much they pollute the Earth’s environment. The United Nations Climate Change Conference began here on December 1, 2008 with delegates from 190 countries. Their target: to reach a global climate agreement by December 2008. This would replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. The US representative, Senator John Kerry, said temperatures could go up by anywhere between 3 degrees C and 5 degrees C higher by 2050. He also stressed the importance of developing economies, referring to countries such as India and Brazil, restricting their emissions.

They Make you Swallow a Fish for a Herbal Cure

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 16:48:18 +0000

As the northwest monsoon strikes India in the first week of June, people from all parts of India, and abroad, make a beeline for Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. They all have one thing in common: they suffer from the disease of asthma and gather in Hyderabad for a unique herbal cure. The medicine is stuffed inside the mouth of a three-inch live murrel fish which the patient is made to swallow. Once inside the body, the fish releases the medicine. Those who gather the courage to take the cure find that it works.

Somdev Devvarman : India's New Tennis Star

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:25:06 +0000

Where: Chennai, India

January 11, 2009 : At the 2009 Chennai Open tennis meet, the first ATP* tournament of the season, India’s Somdev Devvarman established himself as the country’s top singles tennis player. He reached the finals of the tournament, beating two-time Chennai Open former champion and world number 42, Spain’s Carlos Moya, and world number 25 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia. Rainer Schuettler of Germany, whom he was to have played in the semi-final, pulled out of the tournament due to injury. Devvarman lost the finals to Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Women's Army of Blood Donors

Tue, 21 Jul 1998 17:29:58 +0000

June 24: In a country like India, the lives of people are often lost because there is no help at hand. Many people think of it as fate and do nothing. But a group of poor village women have shown the way to the people of the southern state of Kerala, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’..

Sometime ago, a woman from Parappa village became seriously ill. She started bleeding heavily. The villagers frantically hunted for a vehicle to take her to the hospital, which was 40 km away. The woman survived. It was almost a miracle that she survived, said the doctor. For, she had lost a lot of blood.

India's Winning Streak at the Australian Open

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 07:15:53 +0000

Where: Melbourne, Australia

February 1, 2009 : Yuki Bhambhri beat Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas of Germany 6-3, 6-1 in the junior boys final of the Australian Open Tennis championships in Melbourne. He is the first Indian to win this title. India’s tennis legend Ramanathan Krishnan, his son Ramesh, and later Leander Paes have all won the junior singles title at Wimbledon. Ramesh repeated the feat at the French Open, and Leander at the U.S.Open. Yuki, aged sixteen, entered the tournament ranked Numer One, as he had reached the semi-finals last year. He was given a hero’s welcome when he landed on home soil in Delhi.

From Kitchen Cabinet to State Cabinet?

Wed, 05 Feb 2003 15:00:14 +0000

May 11: From the kitchen floor of the house to the Floor of the House or State Legislative Assembly – that is the distance Lakshmi Parui is hoping to cover.

A widow in her late 50s, who supported herself by working as a domestic help in semi-urban Balagarh till a few weeks ago, she contested the West Bengal state elections on May 10. She has contested the elections as an ally of Mamta ‘Di’, leader of the Trinamool Congress. She was pitted against Communist Party Marxist MLA Dibakantha Rauth, a school teacher, in Balagarh constituency, Hooghly district, says a report in

Indian elections 2009: a symbol of people power

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:05:03 +0000

Where: India

May 6, 2009 : When a nation of over one billion citizens wakes up every five years to elect its leaders, the entire world turns to watch. The “world’s largest democracy*”, India, went to the polls on April 13, 2009, to elect members of the 15th Lok Sabha (or House of Commons, in the Indian Parliament). In a one month-long process, which will end on May 13, 2009, over 714 million voters** will be eligible to vote.

India Quiz : Road to Freedom

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 10:40:09 +0000

India was freed from British rule on August 15, 1947. Can you map the way India took to achieve independence?

History of India

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

How much do you know about Indian history?

How Did the Indian Postal Service Start?

Wed, 26 Dec 2001 16:41:07 +0000

Although methods of postal delivery varied from one country to another, it is believed that in India, Emperor Chandragupta Maurya who ruled the country between 321-297 BC, was the first to introduce a form of postal communication to dispatch confidential reports to distant posts in his empire.

However, the first recorded mention in history is to be found in the writings of historian Ziadduin Barni. He mentions that Ala-ud-din Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate, who ruled Delhi over 700 years ago, organized a regular horse and foot runner service called harakuras in 1296 AD. These runners carried a baton with bells and ran across the allotted territory with mail. Runners changed after each mile and the post was delivered in record time.

How does the Army Post Office System Work?

Tue, 26 Dec 2000 14:42:19 +0000

It’s the one thing every soldier away from home looks forward to: mail. So everyday it is ‘Hey, Mister Postman, look and see, if there is a letter for me’? For a solider in his outpost, the letter from a loved one is his most cherished and valued document, read and re-read a million times till the next one arrives.

The soldiers in the Indian defence forces are from every nook and cranny of India – from Kashmir in the North to Kanyakumari in the South from Tawang in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in the East, to Porbandar in the State of Gujarat in the West. And they are also posted all over the country.

How Did Advertising Start in India?

Fri, 24 Nov 2000 21:41:42 +0000

The first newspaper in India was brought out by an Englishman James Augustus Hickey in 1780 who was stationed at Calcutta. The paper was brought out on Saturdays and was first called the Calcutta General Advertiser or Hickey’s Bengal Gazette.

Publishing a newspaper is an expensive business as Hickey realised to his cost. He was losing money faster than the newspapers came out of the printing press. To make ends meet, Hickey decided to take on advertisements or ads.

Which is the Oldest Church in India?

Tue, 26 Sep 2000 23:00:37 +0000

In 52 A.D. Thomas Didaemus, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ is believed to have landed at Musiris (Cranganore) in Kerala. He made his first converts both Jews and Hindus at Palayur a town now in Trichur district, Kerala. There he built a small church with an altar, which he consecrated.

This is supposed to be the oldest church in India.

St. Thomas later moved to the east coast. and settled in Madras (now Chennai) in 64 A.D. after having travelled all the way to China. Back in Chennai, the apostle is said to have stayed at what was then a village where the present zone of Mylapore is located.