India win amazing Twenty20 finalIndia claimed the inaugural World Twenty20 crown after beating Pakistan by five runs with three balls to spare in a thrilling final in Johannesburg.
Felicitation of Indian Cricket Team at MumbaiBCCI Chief Sharad Pawar and Team India captain M S Dhoni displaying Twenty20 world cup trophy during the felicitation of team India at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
BCCI Chief Sharad Pawar and Team India captain M S Dhoni displaying Twenty20 world cup trophy during the felicitation of team India at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
T-20 World Cup winner team members cheering from the top deck of a double-decker bus during the journey from airport to Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
T-20 World Cup winner team members cheering from the top deck of a double-decker bus during the journey from airport to Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh cheers during the team's journey from airport to Wankhede stadium during the welcome on the arrival of the ICC Twenty- 20 World Cup winner team in Mumbai on Wednesday
Mahendra Singh Dhoni captain India cricket team coming out at Chhatrapati Shivaji airport in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Team India captain M S Dhoni displaying the trophy presented by Maharashtra government during the felicitation of team India at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
BCCI Chief Sharad Pawar and Team India captain M S Dhoni displaying trophy presented by Maharashtra government during the felicitation of team India at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Sonepur Mela is celebrated at SONEPUR in BIHAR,INDIA. In the indian map BIHAR IS highlighted, and in BIHAR map, sonepur is being shown.
NOW lets see some interesting facts about this biggest animal fair.
Elephant mart Asia's largest animal fair takes place in Sonepur, in the northern Indian state of Bihar.
Locals say more than 700,000 people visit each year. They boast that at the fair, shoppers can buy "everything from a needle to a sword, a dog to an elephant".
Elephant vs crocodile
The opening of the fair coincides with the Hindu religious festival of Kartik Purnima, which occurs in October or November. Devotees bathe at the point where two holy rivers, the Ganges and the Gandak, meet.
Legend has it that here two brothers cast a spell on each other, turning one into an elephant and the other into a crocodile. When the elephant went to bathe in the river, the wily crocodile attacked. Their fight lasted until Lord Vishnu intervened and saved the elephant.
Journey of faith
"This is a very religious place for us, and we have come here to show our faith in God," says Sonelal Sahni, who has brought his grandsons to bathe in the river and have their heads shaved in a ritual by priests.
They have travelled from their village 100km (62 miles) away, but other worshippers come from much further away.
Status symbol
It is illegal to buy and sell elephants in India. But at the Sonepur Mela the trade is only thinly disguised as an exchange of gifts, and there have been about 60 at the market this year.
Most owners and buyers are rich and powerful landowners. They keep the animals as a status symbol, or hire them out at religious festivals or family celebrations. "We treat the elephants like our own children," one man who refused to be named said.
Horse rider
Horses are ridden through the crowds to demonstrate how fast they can run. Every conceivable type is for sale - from tired-looking pack animals to powerfully built stallions. Some of these are so valuable they have their own tents and armed guards.
Also on sale are buffaloes, oxen, goats, cows and camels, and dealers run a separate enclosure for dogs, parrots and other pets.
Few visitors
Restaurants and stalls serve the thousands of farmers, traders, worshippers and holy men who visit Sonepur. There are very few foreigners among the crowds, partly because of Bihar's reputation as India's poorest and most lawless state.
Officials reckon that fewer than 50 tourists attended the fair last year, compared to the 14,000 said to have visited the Pushkar camel fair in Rajasthan, which runs during the same period.
Flute salesman
Everyone wants to buy a souvenir before returning to their villages. Megaphones blast out advertisements for hair oil, plastic cricket bats, swords and saddles.
It is only the second day of the fair and Raman has already sold 200 flutes. But he's not happy. "Business is not going at all well this year," he says. There is too much competition now, and he says he needs to sell many more to break even.
Magician's tricks
Kumar the Magician's favourite tricks include "elephant vanishing, ground vanishing, building vanishing, self-cutting, cutting in half". It is the first time the Punjabi showman is performing at Sonepur and he is playing to packed audiences three times a day.
Other popular acts that run late into the night include a man who eats animal fodder, a wall-of-death motorcycle show , and a risque song and dance routine
Time for a bath
At dawn, the elephants put on the most popular show at the Sonepur Mela. Their handlers, or mahouts, take them to bathe in the Ganges.
It's quite a common sight here to see devotees bathing close to elephants in the holy river.
Painful parting
At bath time, the handlers rub and clean the elephants. Sometimes, the elephants spray the handler with water from their trunk.
The elephants and the mahouts share a close relationship, and it can be a stressful experience for both of them when they are sold.
Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated among Indians all over the world as the birthday of “the Lord Ganesha”. According to Hindu Mythology, on this day Lord Ganesh ascended on earth for his followers. Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated with much deity and joy among the devotees of Ganesha. This festival lasts for 10-11 days and the celebrations are marked by large religious processions, social gatherings, preparations of delicious sweets & dishes and organizing special poojas in Ganesh Temples.
The festivity of Ganesh Chaturathi equally spreads all over India but Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh becomes the centre of attraction for grand celebrations.
Lord Ganesha is known in 108 different names like ‘Ganpati’, ‘Dayawant’, ‘Lambodar’ and Vighnahartaa, the Lord of destroyer of obstacles. Being most significant among the Gods of Hindus, Lord Ganesh is worshipped widely as the God of wisdom, fine arts and good fortune.
When is Ganesh Chaturthi
Birthday of Lord Ganesha, son of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati, comes on the fourth (Chaturthi) day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of Bhadrapad month (August-September) according to Hindu Calendar.
Celebrations of Ganesh Chaturathi
Although the festival of Ganesha Chaturthi falls in the month of Bhado (August-September) but the preparations for the celebrations starts well in advance. Beautiful idols of Lord Ganesha, small and large, are made. The spirituality and enthusiasm dominates the entire atmosphere.
On the festive day these idols are placed in the house holds and public mandaps. Then the ritual of the Pranapratishhtha Pooja is performed to invoke the holy presence of Lord Ganesha into the idol followed by the worship with sixteen modes of showing honor, known as Shhodashopachara. Offering of Durva (grass) blades and modaka, a delicacy prepared from rice flour, jaggery, and coconut, is an important part of the Ganesha Chaturthi puja. Ganesha is also offered red flowers, and anointed with a red chandan.
For next 10 days, the Ganesha temples, each house hold and large mandaps are swayed away by the name of their most loved God Ganesha. On 11th day, the procession ceremony of the immersion of the image/idol in a water body is performed to see-off the lord and praying him to take away all misfortunes and come again next year.
Story of Ganesha Chaturthi
According to Hindu mythological scriptures Lord Ganesha was formed by Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. It is said that one day Parvati formed a sculpture from the paste that she used on her body before taking bath. She infused life in that figure and ordered him to guard the entrance of her bathroom. God Shiva returned and stopped at the entrance of his house by that boy. In extreme rage Shiva struck off the boy’s head. This incident filled Parvati in utter grief and requested Shiva to return her son. Then Shiva fixed the head of an elephant and restored life onto the body of that boy. Lord Shiva named this boy as ‘Ganpati’ Gan means (hosts) & Pati means (Chief) and blessed that Ganpati would be worshipped before every new venture.
The procession to immerse Ganesha idols/images on Ganesh Chaturthi finds its links with Indian Freedom Struggle. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak started Ganpati Visarjan procession in 1893 and used it as a platform to penetrate awareness about the freedom movement among the mass of India.
Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi
"Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha, Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarvakaryeshhu Sarvada""
O Ganesha - Ganapati, One with a curved trunk, a large body, and a brilliance equal to a crore suns! O God, please make all my undertakings free from obstacles always."
Ganesha, the lord with elephant head riding on a mouse, is mostly loved God of Hindus worshipped for success (Sidhi) in undertakings, and intelligence (budhi). Ganpati is praised before any venture is started and known as the God of education, knowledge and wisdom, literature, and the fine arts.
Ganesh Chaturthi holds utmost significance among the followers of Lord Ganesha. Lots of preparations are made to celebrate this auspicious occasion : large public processions, pooja ceremonies, social get together, erection of giant size mandpas and special religious ceremonies are organized. Apart from a big occasion, Ganesh Chaturthi has also become a very important financial activity. Thousands of artists & small and medium industries eagrly waits for this mega occasion.
Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983. From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: "Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?
To this Arthur Ashe replied:The world over -- 5 crore children start playing tennis, 50 lakh learn to play tennis, 5 lakh learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, When I was holding a cup I never asked GOD "Why me?". And today in pain I should not be asking GOD "Why me?"
Janmashtami is celebrated for the Lord Krishna birth on this earth. People all over the world enjoy this festival with great joy and fervor. Indeed, it is a happy and joyous festivity to welcome the newborn baby God on earth. It is said that when the God was born, all the planets were in favorable condition and auspicious condition. Legends reveal that God selects a particular time to come on the earth. He decides as to when he would step into the world and thus the planets are adjusted. We are all aware that Janmashtami is the birthday of Shyamji. But most of us do not know about the planets, ‘nakshatra’, place of Krishna birth and the main objective behind this ‘avatar’. So, let us together unfurl the mystery that led to the Krishna birth. Let us find out about the events before and after the birth of Shri Krishna. Eventually, we will definitely know about the weather condition while the God took birth. Around the time of Krishna birth, the constellation or nakshatra called ‘rohini’ was in the auspicious state as it was managed by Lord Brahma—the ultimate creator of the universe. Some other scholars opine that Bal Gopal was born on the 8th day of second fortnight in the month of Shravana. It was around 3227 BC and the year of Visvavasu. The age was known as Iron Age or Dwapur Yug.
Janmashtami commemorates the earthly appearance of Krishna, who is described in India’s sacred writings as God Himself. One of the biggest religious festivals in the world, it is celebrated by nine hundred and thirty million people around the world--and two million in the US alone. To devotees, it’s Christmas and New Year’s in one, a day of deep spiritual renewal and celebration that effectively finishes an old year and begins a fresh one.
But why Janmashtami, you may ask? What’s so special about Krishna, as opposed to any other form of God? It’s His personableness. For every devotee who offers Him love, He reciprocates in uniquely human ways. He is a mischievous son, a romantic lover, a compassionate friend. And on Janmashtami, devotees celebrate Krishna in all of these aspects. For just as Krishna reciprocates individually with His relatives and confidantes, he responds to the distinct feelings and desires held most deeply in the heart of every single worshipper.
So remember that whatever way you worship Krishna on Janmashtami, He will reciprocate with you accordingly. It’s a meditation that makes for an extremely rewarding devotional experience.
The flag that was first hoisted on August 7, 1906,at the Parsee Bagan Square in Calcutta.
Called the ‘Saptarishi Flag’, this was hoisted in Stuttgartat the International Socialist Congress held on August 22, 1907.
Associated with the names of Dr. Annie Besant andLokmanya Tilak, this flag was hoisted atthe Congress session in Calcutta during the‘Home Rule Movement’.
In the year 1921, a young man from Andhra presentedthis flag to Gandhiji for approval. It was only afterGandhiji’s suggestion that the white strip andthe charkha were added.
This flag was suggested during the All India CongressCommittee session in 1931. However, the Committee’ssuggestion was not approved.
On August 6, 1931, the Indian National Congressformally adopted this flag, which was first hoistedon August 31
Our National Flag, which was born on July 22, 1947,with Nehruji’s words, “Now I present to you not only the Resolution,but the Flag itself”. This flag was first hoisted at the Council Houseon August 15, 1947.
The man who designed Tiranga versatile genius Lt. Shri Pingali Venkayya.
Lt .Shri Pingali Venkayya India's flag is a tricolor standard, with bands of saffron, white, and dark green. The saffron represents courage, sacrifice, patriotism, and renunciation. It is also the color of the Hindu people. The green stands for faith, fertility and the land; it is the color of the Islam religion. The white is in the center, symbolizing the hope for unity and peace. In the center of the white band is a blue wheel with 24 spokes. This is the Ashoka Chakra (or "Wheel of Law"). The Chakra represents the continuing progress of the nation and the importance of justice in life. It also appears on the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka " .
Google has been lobbying the U.S. government for changes in wireless policy. While it did not achieve as much as it wanted in the planning for the upcoming 700 Mhz spectrum auction in January, it did push for the fact that consumers in the U.S. can buy any phone and use it on any carrier in the future. Meaning, that when the Gphone does drop, most likely you’ll be albe to use it on any carrier you please. The Googlephone will most likely be 3G as well, which means video conferencing, yea you can’t do that with the iPhone. For you iPhones users though, would this be enough to make you switch?
The Observer of London is reporting that Google might be working with HTC and mobile/telecom giant Orange to build a Google Mobile Phone, which could possibly have Google software inside the device, and would be able to do many of the web tasks smartly. The device, article speculates, could go on sale in 2008. (Of course, we would all have forgotten by then… if it doesn’t happen.) Orange and Google, both declined to comment.
Their plans centre on a branded Google phone, which would probably also carry Orange’s logo. The device would not be revolutionary: manufactured by HTC, a Taiwanese firm specialising in smart phones and Personal Data Assistants (PDAs), it might have a screen similar to a video iPod. But it would have built-in Google software which would dramatically improve on the slow and cumbersome experience of surfing the web from a mobile handset.
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