Getting up in the morning is a tough one, and if the morning is cold, it is still tougher. Morning walk needs motivation and commitment. No matter, morning walks are difficult when your are a worker and have no extra time for such out-door activities. But, it will certainly be useful health wise over a period of time and you will gain a hale, hearty and robust life. As the adage goes ''health is wealth'', with good health you can achieve any thing. Morning walks are unquestionably and perfectly safe and harmless for everyone, irrespective of his / her age.The following are the gains:Reduce the risk of heart diseases: Morning walk reduces the risk of heart diseases manifold and improves heart muscles. It burns extra and undesirable fats in the body, which in turns, maintain the cholesterol level in the blood. Regular morning walk improves your stamina and intake of oxygen and endurance power.Hypertension: Hypertension, one of the leading causes of heart diseases, can be controlled to some extent by regular morning walks that improve blood circulation and maintain the blood pressure of your body, Brisk walking is very useful. Arteries and veins become strong enough to resist the flow of blood.Proper sleep: Thousands of people have sleep problems for various reasons. Morning walk promotes better sleep as it improves your overall health.\
Control of sugar: In SE Asian countries, the incidence of diabetes is on the increase because of sedentary nature of work and intake of carbohydrate rich food like rice. A good morning walk reduces the risk of increasing your body’s sugar level to a great extent. Morning walk is a must for sugar patients. Positively it controls the blood sugar level. Promote energy level: Because of improvement of overall blood circulation in the body, efficient oxygen intake in the brain and better endurance, consequently a person can feel energetic and be active whole day.
Immunity booster: Your resistance to other ailments is on the increase. Walking purges your body and boosts your energy level, improves the function of heart palpitation and your inhaling capacity. Walking strengthens your leg muscles and other body functions.
So, this simple exercise has multiple advantages. so make it a habit and lead a healthy life.
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October 9, 2016, 10:10 pm
A study conducted by University of Toronto's Health Institute showed a close link between the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer,etc, despite regular exerciseand the number of hours one spends sitting in one place with out any mobility.People mostly spend their time sitting before computer, watching TV and doing routinesedentary office work. Physical activities are a must to compensate the health risk of sedentary time that takes away many peoples' time. It is no use exercising more than 30 minutes and lead a sedentary life for more than 20 plus hours. The sedentary time should be reduced by a few hours in a 12 hour period. Every 30 to 45 minutes take a break and walk around briefly in the place of work. When watching TV commercials do not get absorbed, get up and move around.
Sedentary work such as office desk work, as we all know, will impact physical and mental well being. Continuous sitting in one place may erode your efficiency and is boring. In many companies and government jobs, sedentary work is inevitable. Further, the longer you sit, the lazier you become and you may put on additional fat around your waist that may increase your waistline.
If much time is spent on sedentary work at office, make a commitment. No matter how serious your job is, take a break at regular interval as mentioned here. When your sedentary time is broken, it will rejuvenate your mind and body and better blood circulation that will help you continue your work afresh. A fresh start will improve your efficiency and yield better results. Ref:
University Health Network (UHN). "Sitting for long periods increases risk of disease and early death, regardless of exercise." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 January 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150119171701.html>.
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October 10, 2016, 2:36 am
Politician's fourth eye: "God has given us two eyes to see and use our discretion to know what is right and what is wrong for us.The Almighty above us has a third eye (the eye of wisdom, free from “Maya”, the illusion, and duality of life) on the forehead to watch our actions.
As for astute politicians, they have four eyes, fourth being on the back of their head. This helps them watch a stream of their associates behind them, waiting to stab them and pull them down to the ground, when the time is ripe, For survival, they depend more on the fourth eye than other eyes to catch the conspirators and traitors". Chin-up: "One of nice things about keeping your chin up is that it keeps your mouth shut". ........ Meril Marlin (Pagent, June 1963, p.136)
Safe storing of money: "Money is like a manure. If you spread it around, it does a lot good. But, if you store it in one place, it stinks".
........ Murcheson, Sr.(father of Clint Murcheson, oil tycoon who groomed Dallas Cowboys Football team, USA) Gift of language:"Language is an amazing art of revealing and concealing our thoughts and emotions. For smart politicians, it a primary medium through which they make stump speeches, debates, etc ., and if they are caught in a scam while in power, they use it diligently to prove their innocence and come out unscathed".
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October 11, 2016, 1:31 am
"Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists primarily in dealing with men". ........ Joseph ConradIf we go back on the history of most of the known civilizations world over, it is clearly observable that the farther we go into antiquity, the more unsatisfactory is the position of women. The Hindu civilization is unique insofar as we find here in the Indian subcontinent a marked exception. The position of Indian women was quite satisfactory. Many historians claim that women in ancient India enjoyed an equal status with men and their opinion or suggestions regarding family matters were taken seriously, thus giving them the rights to take important decisions of life. They were treated as “Ardhanginis”. During the early Vedic period (300 BC to 600 BC) in many aspects of life, women were on par with men and enjoyed equal status and had formal education as suggested by ancient Indian grammarians such as Patanjali and Katyayana. The Atharvaveda stresses the importance of women's education and its bearing on successful married life. In the Rigveda, it is mentioned, that women were given in marriage after their puberty and were free to select their own life-partners without any compulsion or so. No imposition of marriage. Marriage, a holy sacrament, was considered a social necessity and motherhood was an important aim of the Indian marriage. The ancient system of "Swayamvara"- selection of a life's partner among many is mentioned in holy scripts and also in many epics. It was prevalent among Kashatriya rulersThere existed love marriagescalled “Gandharva Vivaha” in those days!. Monogamy was the major form of marriage during the Vedic days. Re-marriage of widows was allowed. The practice of a custom called “Niyoga” did exit whereby a brother or the nearest relative of a deceased husband could marry the widow with the permission of the elders. Remarriage was allowed after satisfying certain conditions according to Parasara. However, many preferred to lead a life of hardship or would end their lives along with their husbands. A man could perform his Vedic rites only with his wife by his side so that he could propitiate his pithroos (forefathers) by conducting Thithi with his consort. Down to the Mauryan rulers, the couple were expected to offer oblation to the household fire unaided by the husband. Surprisingly, Child marriage was unheard of in those days. Not only did the well-read women impart their knowledge to the youngsters but also proved their depth of knowledge in philosophy and religion. There were several women sages and seers, notably Gargi and Maitreyi , according to Scriptures such as the Rig Veda and Upanishads. The women had a respectable place in the society. In Hindu society, man is only one half of an entity and both husband and wife had equal rights. A home without a wife was considered a forest, according to Scriptures. Divorce was not allowed and men had no rights to divorce their wives!The obnoxious practice of “Sati” is not mentioned in the Rig-Veda. Though the practice of taking dowry was there for the protection of the new household; it never became a social evil. The women in ancient India were not looked upon with Shakespearean derision: "Frailty! Thy name is Woman" or "Woman may fall when there is no strength in men". Rather they were considered the pride of the family. They had their own identity and individuality that defined their character. In the Vedic period, they enjoyed an honorable and comfortable place on par with men. However, women had limited rights in inheriting property. A spinster was entitled to one-fourth share of patrimony received by her brothers whereas married daughter had no share in her father’s property. The family property was under the control and management of the patriarch. As for wife living separately, she was entitled to 1/3rd of her husband’s wealth. Unfortunately a widow had no share of her husband's estate and the the society preferred her to lead life similar to that of an ascetic.Women’s participation in public meetings and debates, however, gradually declined in later Vedic period because in such gathering gambling and drinking were allowed.During the Epic period the Indian women continued to enjoyan honorable position at home as revealed by the various episodes in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. There are references to the valor and wisdom of great women like Sabitri, Draupadi, Kaikeye, Sita, Rukmani, Satyabhama and others.During the period of Dharmashastras and puranas, the status of women was not satisfactory as one could see gradual erosion of their status and equal rights. They were relegated to second class citizens. No access to education, no freedom and the society was dominated by men.On the social side, child marriage (pre-puberty marriage) took roots. There was no room for either widow's remarriage or access to education. Slowly creeped-in was the scourge of Sati. So was the purdah system. As for males, polygamy was allowed and the wife had to put up with this injustice. One could see some changes during the time of Buddha.There lived a number of women Bhikunnies, wearing Khashaya during that time and women ascetics became part of the sang after a strong plea. However, on many fronts, the status of women remained unchanged.The women had to climb the social ladder with patience and caution. In the later centuries and after the arrival of the colonial rule, they had a flicker of hope and desperation to surge forward to prove their worth in the society. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Indiahttp://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/women/status-of-women-in-ancient-india/47636/
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October 11, 2016, 7:19 am
Since ancient time the Indian women have undergone many changes with respect to their role and status in the Indian society. Though their position in the present Indian society is far better off, the gender discrimination is very much here. For centuries, Indian women have traveled a rugged road ridden with all kinds of impediments and countless women through intelligence and talents have proved that that they are no way a step inferior to men. Given a right chance, they can prove that they can out smart men in many fields. Given below are some facts about Indian women and their long gradual upward journey in a conservative society like India. Some facts of Indian women:01. The birth of a girl in the ancient family of India was a good news and not a curse as it was in the medieval period. Through out early Vedic period, women enjoyed equal status in various aspects of family life. Decision making in the family, choosing of life partner, education, etc., were some of the things enjoyed by the women. During this period, there was no child marriage and polygamy was not practiced. 02. In the post Vedic period, the status of women declined gradually. The reasons are: Imposition of Brahmanical austerities on the entire society, tough restrictions imposed by the caste system and the joint family system. Consequently, they had no access to education, confined to within the four walls of the house. Child marriages were allowed. So was polygamy. There was no such a thing called widow's remarriage. ‘Sati’ became increasingly prevalent, purdah system came into vogue. ![]() |
Unfortunate girl with her old husband.www.dnaindia.com |
03. The status of women improved a little during the Buddhist period woman's position improved to some extend. Some of the rigidity and restrictions imposed by the caste system saw some relaxation and Buddha emphasized on women's equality and he tried to improve the cultural, educational and religious statuses of women. Rulers such as Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Sri Harsha and others, worked hard to improve the freedom and status of women, applying Buddha's philosophy.04. Women were allowed to become “Sanyasis”following Buddhist monastic-life. The Bhikshuni Sangha provided them an opportunity to engage in public life - cultural activities and social service.05. Not withstanding all these obstacles, restrictions and taboo, many bold women became prominent in the realms of politics, literature, education and religion. Notable among them were Razia Sultana, only woman ruler ever ruled Delhi and the Gond queen Durgavati who ruled for fifteen years before losing her life in a battle with Mughal emperor Akbar's general Asaf Khan in 1564. 06. Other worthy examples are Chand Bibi who defended Ahmednagar against the powerful Mughal forces of Akbar in the 1590s, Akbar's only Hindu wife Herr Kunwari (mother of Mogul Jahangir) who enjoyed full freedom and had successfully run a financial empire during her period, Jehangir's wife Nur Jehan who was a power behind her husband, the Mughal princesses Jahanara and Zebunnissa were well-known poets and also influenced the ruling powers and Emperor Shivaji's mother, Jijabai, who was a queen regent and a source of inspiration to Shivaji.07. The practice of Sati - self immolation by a widow on husbands funeral pyre and Jauhar - the practice of voluntary immolation by wives and daughters of defeated warriors, in order to avoid capture and consequent molestation by the enemy became defunct long long ago. Abolition of Sati was effected under Governor-General William Cavendish-Bentinck in 1829 08. The Bhakti movements saw the gradual rise of women's position in the society. Mirabai, a female saint-poet, was quite popular in the north and later some bakthi sects gave importance to social justice and equality between men and women. Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikhs, preached equality between men and women.
09. The practice of Purdah among some Muslim communities of India requiring women to cover themselves in front of males for the purpose of modesty is not very much prevalent in India now as more Indian Muslim women go to work in MNCs, especially in IT companies. Purdah system does exist in some small towns and cities among the conservative Muslim communities.
10. Devadasi - The temple dancing girl is still a misunderstood religious practice. It was practiced in southern India, in which women were "married" to a deity or temple. Later the society showed them in bad light and the stigma, nowadays does not exist. Devadasis were the forerunners of Bhratanatyam, an important classical dance of India that was popularized by Rukmani Arundale
(1904 – 1986), a great exponent of Bharata Natyayam and a revivalist in the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam from its original 'sadhir'style, prevalent among the temple dancers.
11. During the British Raj, Many reformers such as Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Jyotirao Phule fought for the betterment of women. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's efforts led to the passing of Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. 12. An interesting aspect is, the wives of Christian evangelists contributed their mite to educate the Indian women during the colonial period. Martha Mault née Mead and her daughter Eliza Caldwell née Mault were pioneers in the training of girls in south India
13. Raja Rammohan Roy's efforts led to the abolition of Sati under Governor-General William Cavendish-Bentinck in 1829. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's political battle led to the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. Many women reformers such as Pandita Ramabai also helped the cause of women.14. Kittur Chennamma, queen of the princely state Kittur in Karnataka, revolted against the British in response to the Doctrine of lapse. Abbakka Rani, valiantly fought against the Portuguese in the 16th century. Rani Velu Nachiyar (1730-1789?), was an 18th century Indian queen from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, S. India and she successfully got back her kingdom from the British after defeating them. Rani Lakshmi Bai, the Queen of Jhansi, a victim of Doctrine of Lapse, led the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British. So was Begum Hazrat Mahal, the co-ruler of Awadh, who led the revolt of 1857. She refused deals with the British and later retreated to Nepal. The Begums of Bhopal were also considered notable female rulers during this period. They did not observe purdah and were trained in martial arts and administration of the kingdom.The present day Indian women have to go a long way to enjoy full freedom on par with men.Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Indiahttp://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/women/status-of-women-in-ancient-india/47636/
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October 11, 2016, 6:33 pm
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jogging www.cartoonstock.com |
As we all know that jogging is a form of aerobic endurance training, involving mainly trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main purpose is to increase the palpitation of heart, physical endurance and fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running. One has to maintain a steady speed for longer periods of time to improve their endurance. Stretching exercise is a necessity before and after jogging. Living in a stressed urban and semi urban areas of congested cities, driving or traveling long distance through crowded highways, almost daily working people face fatigue and exertion, not to speak of tiresome mundane office work. So, making it a regular habit to go jogging is a good bet to relieve stress; besides jogging has a lot of other health benefits as well. Aerobic exercises are essential for a healthy heart, controlled body weight and overall good health that will have positive impact on longevity. Millions of people across the world have made jogging a regular part of their lives and among them there are slow / light joggers as well as strenuous joggers. A 2-year research study by a Copenhagen hospital team, Denmark revealed strenuous joggers were as likely to die as sedentary non-joggers, while light joggers had the lowest rates of death.The scientific conclusion was based on a detailed study of healthy joggers and healthy but sedentary non-joggers for sometime. The study focused on hours of jogging, frequency, and the individual's perception of pace. As it is known, individuals' pace may vary from person to person. It is concluded that the mortality rates were low in the case of slow and moderate joggers - Jogging from 1 to 2.4 hours per week with the optimal frequency of jogging. In this case it was no more than three times per week.
Early studies have found that more than moderate exercise may cause more harm than good.Peter Schnohr, MD, DMSc, a researcher from, Copenhagen, Denmarkconcluded that while jogging, pace of joggers is very important as the pace of the slow joggers corresponds to vigorous exercise and strenuous jogging corresponds to very vigorous exercise. However, 'decades of high-level activities could cause health risks, and may affect the efficiency of the cardiovascular system.'
World over people are leading a stressful life and if your target is to decrease the risk of heart problems and improve your life expectancy, jogging a few times a week at a moderate pace is a good bet as too much of anything is harmful. Besides, watch out your dietary habits.
Journal Reference:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150202160703.html
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October 11, 2016, 8:14 pm
What is that can not be measured?The ways of women. Who is the capable person?He who is not deceived by the ways of women.What is sorrow?Dissatisfaction.What is lowly?Begging from those who are low.What is good life?That which is blemish-less.What is dullness?The absence of practice even in regard to one's reading.What is awake?The discriminating one.What is sleep?The delusion of beings. What is unsteady like the water on the leaf of a lotus?Youth, wealth and length of life.Who are like the rays of moon?It is only those that are good. What is hell?Being dependent on others.What is happiness?It is the giving up of all attachments.What is truth?That which is good for all beings.What is dear to the living being?Life. ............... Bhagvatpada's Prasnottara-ratna-malikka ( by Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekara Sawarvati Swamigal of Kanchi Mutt) Ref: Bhavan's Journel, Jyly 01, 1985. Additional gems from Prasnottara-ratna-malikka: O Lord, which is to be taken ?Utterances of the preceptor.What is more beneficial than anything else?Righteousness.What is poison ?Transgression of preceptor’s orders.What is most desirable for human beings ?Life dedicated to one’s and others’ welfare.Who are thieves ?Objects of sense.Who is foe? It is but idleness.What is the cause of greatness ?That which is known as not asking favors.What is unhappiness ?Cheerlessness.What is un-intelligence ?Not repeating what is learnt.What is transient?like the water on the lotus leaf ?Ref:http://www.kamakoti.org/kamakoti/details/Prashnottara%20ratna%20Malika%20Sanskrit.pdf
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October 12, 2016, 10:04 am
If there is one man who does not have desires, he in not all a human being, he may a demigod. Desire is a driving force in our lives, so man's desires are insatiable and they keep growing as his status changes then and there. If one desire is fulfilled, another one is born. Our desires will go on 'ad-infinitum.' or into infinity. When man is obsessed with so many desires, he will definitely run into serious problems. A true follower of desire does not get the results as he expected, disappointment will be writ largely on his otherwise calm face. Consequently his anger along with frustration is aroused to a point where he feels restless and get angry with somebody, who is believed to be responsible.
Anger is nothing but an emotional reaction that is used as a protective mechanism to cover up fear, hurt or sadness. It is often accompanied by change in physical condition of the body that takes the impact. A person may experience increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and increased levels of adrenaline and nor- adrenaline. Anger, an intense emotional response, is the result of an uncomfortable situation, hurt, threat or provocation. If not controlled, it causes untold miseries like a towering inferno. If our kid makes a mistake that affects others, we just give a damn and say 'he might have done it on provocation. If it is other way round, the other kid is a brat, an incorrigible devil, Why this partiality? By getting angry, we are punishing ourselves the mistakes of others. We do not realize that underneath anger lies pain. Often, we are blind to reason and assume we have done it on merit even if we are doubtful. If we are magnanimous enough to look at others getting angry, as we tend to look at ourselves, perhaps we will stop blaming others and will make a sincere attempt to see why the other man gets angry or loses his temper. If we are honest, we may see our faults and justify his anger. In a tense situation like this, introspection will put a break on our thought process and the result is better behavior.It has been widely held that reason and anger are poles apart and they seldom act together. When anger takes us over, our reason is lost, we will grope in the dark and fail to know what is right and what is wrong. Our Sastras emphasis the fact that elders, teachers and parents should be treated with utmost respect, even if they behave erratically. It is an act of humility that we've gained since our early childhood and it will help us get rid of the evils of ego and anger.When we are moody because of dissatisfaction or frustration, we show it on the poor people around us. Such powder-keg anger will take us only to the blind alley. We must learn to accept life as it comes and be content with what we have. We can achieve it with meditation, prayer and patience. When these are applied in unison, we develop discretionary power and we will be able to control our pent-up emotions that may explode like a powerful volcano. So, when we run into a short-tempered person, it is wrong to insult him that will be equal to calling a blind man by using his physical impairment. It is likely that the person may have a mental handicap such as anger. what will happen when we meet anger with anger? It is something like two cowpokes pointing six-shooters at each other. The result is zilch. It will be nothing but disaster.When confronted with people who are prone to lose their temper, we can sincerely try to conquer their anger and irritability by love or patience. A wise man never loses his control over his emotion, unlike a fool who gives full vent to his anger. Introspection and discretion are basic elements with which you can deal with a person with short temper.
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October 13, 2016, 9:06 am
A couple of centuries ago, it was considered a taboo to cross the ocean by the conservative Hindu society. When the British ruled India, in the early period, they wanted to send the Indian soldiers to Burma via the Bay of Bengal for some political reason.The soldiers refused to cross the ocean and preferred overland route to Burma via Assam. For disobeying the military orders, the entire regiment was punished. In a social scenario like this if a woman wanted to go abroad for higher studies, guess how the Indian society of by-gone era would have reacted. In spite of such religious restrictions, in those days there were countless daring women, who were ready to fight for their legitimate rights to pursue their passion. Dr. Anandi Gopal Joshi was a real trail blazer. In the midst of odds, she went to the US and completed her degree in medicine at a pretty young age.In the 1800s, when women had no access to education, Anandi had the unique honor of being the first Indian woman and also the first South Asian female to get a degree in Western medicine. She was the first female of Indian origin to have graduated with a degree in medicine in the U.S.A. To go one step further, no other Hindu woman of her time had set foot on the American soil for the higher studies. Indeed, it was a great feat in those days for a women. Anandibai, born as Yamuna, in Kalyan, Thane district in present-day Maharashtra, belonged to an orthodox rich Hindu Brahmin family. Because of financial constraints, when she was just 9 years old, she married one Gopal Rao, a postal clerk, much older to her. After marriage, her name was changed to Ananadi. Her husband, was a progressive thinker and was a supporter of women's equal rights and education. Upon his transfer to to Calcutta (Kolkata), he was interested in his wife's education and progress. Knowing the importance of English, being from a respectable Brahmin family, he encouraged her to study English.Though a victim of child marriage, she was very fortunate to have an understanding husband who encouraged her in every possible way to chase her dream. As usual there were some protests in her family and in the community. She became a mother when she was just fourteen, too tender an age for child-bearing, and unfortunately the baby died soon after birth. This tragic incident impacted her thinking, however, it became a turning point in her life. This gave her inspiration and she felt a sense of urgency to specialize in medicine so that so many early premature child deaths could be avoided. In 1880, her husband established contact with a well-known American missionary one Wilder regarding Anandibai's interest in studying medicine in the United States. Wilder 's publication in his Princeton's Missionary Review regarding Anandi's interest in medicine drew the attention of one Theodicia Carpenter, a resident of Roselle, New Jersey, who happened to read it while waiting to see her dentist. In the meantime, in an informal meeting in Serampore, WB, Anandi explained to a large gathering about her firm intention to go to the US to study medicine and she had a plan to start a Medical college in India upon her return. She stressed the need for Hindu female doctors in India. The conservative people suspected that she would become a Christian convert in America and to clarify it, she promised them that she won't change her religious faith on any count. Her honest speech received wide publicity, and financial contributions started pouring in from all over India.Anandibai traveled from Calcutta to New York by ship where she was received by Ms. Theodicia Carpenter in June 1883 and was admitted to Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, (which was the second women's medical program in the world). Rachel Bodley, the dean of the college, enrolled her. Despite her poor health because of cold climate, she graduated with an MD on 11 March 1886; the topic of her thesis was "Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindoos". It was indeed a great honor that on her graduation, Queen Victoria sent her a congratulatory message.
Anandibai began her medical education at age 19. Upon her return to India in 1886, in the princely state of Kolhapur, she was appointed as the physician-in-charge of the female ward of the local Albert Edward Hospital.Tragedy struck the family of Gopal Rao, the man who stood behind his wife like a pillar in her pursuit of medical education. Anandibai died early following year on 26 February 1887 before turning 22. Her unexpected death was mourned throughout India. Her ashes were sent to Theodicia Carpenter, a humane soul who helped her a lot while she in the US. She placed them in her family cemetery in Poughkeepsie, New York. Her unfortunate death at too young an age falls within the realm of Karma. What else can we conclude?Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandi_Gopal_Joshi
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October 14, 2016, 3:22 am
it is an unfortunate fact that even today after 70 years of independence from England, the woman's place in India is not encouraging. May be the urban scenario is different, but in rural India, one may see a little change. Though rural women come out of the cocoon and go to work and be independent, after marriage their life style changes and they have to adjust to the new family and husband,. The trouble starts if the husband is a drinker or a malicious man, unless a miracle happens her life is miserable. Though the society seriously talks about gender gap, woman's equity,women's rights, etc, there runs a s streak of malice and
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October 14, 2016, 5:33 am
One can see marked improvements in women' s status in India in the last two decides, however, still it is harder for Indian women to breathe the fresh air of freedom and be free from all evils.Though the society seriously talks about gender gap, woman's equality, women's rights, etc, there runs a streak of malice and loathing. Certain sections of society have become more open to the idea of equality between the sexes, but, still there remains a deep rooted misogyny in the country. There have been numerous Indian women who have displayed unbelievable courage and will power to move forward in the face of cultural and social rejection. Definitely they have changed the gender landscape of India for the better.
Here are some Indian women who broke the norms at a time when it was a Herculean task for them to rebel against a society that had a deep routed conservatism and age old tradition. In a way thesewomen were mavericks and daring trail blazers who never turned back and finally achieved their dream. They successfully braced themselves to face a demanding situation and established a name in their chosen field of activity.
01. Rani Velu Nachiyar: Rani Velu Nachiyar(1730-1789?): was an 18th-century Indian queen of Sivaganga kingdom, Tamil Nadu, S. India and ruled the land under the able guidance of Maruthu Pandiyar, a patriot and a sworn enemy of the British. She was the first queen to have revolted against the mighty British and their oppressive rule and their poor treatment of native people right on their own soil. Her fight for freedom from the British preceded the revolts by Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh who boldly stood the ground and fought against the British and their way of land grabbing under the garb of the ''doctrine of Lapse,'' introduced by Lord Dalhousie.The British killed her husband and his first wife and Velunachiyar was forced to go in to exile. She was in Dindukal, TN for several years and secretly organized a well trained military including a woman's wing. She was helped by Hyder Ali of Mysore and one Gopala Naicker during her exile.In 1780 Rani Velu Nachiyar attacked the British settlements in a lightning speed with her well trained troops got her kingdom back. She was the first woman to employ a human bomb that gave hell to the English troops. Velu Nachiyar is symbol of armed resistance to foreign rulers and she is a legend in Tamil Nadu, in particular, south Tamil Nadu. A commemorative postage stamp on 31 December 2008 was released by the Indian government in her honor.Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velu_Nachiyar02. Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi: Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi (19 November 1828 to 18 June 1858), the queen of the Maratha-ruled Jhansi State, central part of India, was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 called Sepoy Mutiny. She was a symbol of armed resistance to the British Raj and their unjust policies that toppled many kingdoms, using the trump card called the doctrine of lapse. Born into a Marathi Brahmin family of Varanasi, she married the Maharaja of Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar in May 1842. Upon the ruler's death in 1853, Janshi Rani ruled the kingdom as a Regent. As there was no legal heir to the throne, using the Doctrine of Lapse as a ruse, the British took over the kingdom. Janshi Rani along with her associates fought ferociously against the E. I. Co troops, and it it was of no avail and she was killed at an young age of 22 in the battle. She became an embodiment of valor and courage and an inspirations to millions of women in India. She is a legend.
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03. Begum Hazrat Mahal:
Born in 1820, Hazrat Mahal Begum (1820 – 7 April 1879) was trained to manage various affairs of the state for Awadh, along with her husband. She played a major role in the Rebellion of 1857. Born as Muhammadi Khanum, at Faizabad, Awadh (also Ouadh), India, she was a courtesan by profession and became close to the royal family of Awadh. Being intelligent and smart, she won the heart of the rich Nawob became a begum after being accepted as a wife of the King of Oudh. The title 'Hazrat Mahal' was bestowed on her after the birth of their son, Birjis Qadra.Also known as Begum of Awadh, (OUDH), she was the first wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. . After her husband had been exiled to Calcutta, she took charge of the affairs in the state of Awadh and seized control of Lucknow. She wanted her son, Prince Birjis Qadra to become Wali (ruler) of Awadh; but it was a futile attempt. She finally found asylum in Nepal where she died in 1879.While in exile, she did not keep idle, instead she protested against the demolition of places of worship - temples and mosques to make way for the construction of roads. Thus she turned the attention of the people and focused on the injustices done by the officials of E.I. Co. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begum_Hazrat_Mahal04. Justice Anna Chandy:Justice Anna Chandy (1904 - 1996), born in 1905 in Trivandrum in an orthodox Christian family was the first woman to get law degree (1926) in her state. While practicing as a lawyer in 1929, she took a keen role in matters related to women's rights, their social status, remarriage, etc. She started a magazine called Shrimati to promote the cause of women and she became its editor. In 1959, she was appointed as a judge in the Kerala High Court, a position she held for 9 successive years. The then Dewan of Travancore Sir. C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, who himself was a legal luminary and one of the best legal brains in India, recognized Anna Chandy's remarkable legal knowledge and its application in legal matters promptly promoted her in 1937 as the Munsif of the Travamcore court in the princely state. Later she became a district judge. She became the first female judge in an Indian court when she was appointed to the Kerala High court in February 1959 and held the job with dedication till April 1967. She got a name for herself in the legal circle for her methodical court judgement and verdicts. She served on the law commission of India and died in July 1996 at the age of 92.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Chandwww.Navrangindia blog05. Kittur Rani Chenamma: Kittur Rani Chenamma (23 October 1778 – 21 February 1829), the Queen of Kittur, a princely state in Karnataka is credited with being one of the earliest woman freedom fighters in India. Being daring and committed she led the first armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824. She was the queen of her native kingdom and married Raja Mallasarja, of the Desai family. Having lost her son in 1824, she adopted Shivalingappa, and made him the legal heir to the throne. The British East India Company, using a policy of paramountcy and complete authority (doctrine of lapse officially codified between 1848 and 1856 by Lord Dalhousie), was keen to seize her kingdom. The did not accept adoption in succession matters. Chennamma defied the order and fought valiantly with the aid of her lieutenant, Sangolli Rayanna. She was no match for the mighty British army and was ultimately captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died on 21 February 1829. Chennamma was well supported by her lieutenant Gurusiddappa in the war against British.She became a symbol of armed resistance against the oppressive foreign rule. She is a celebrity in the state of Karnataka along with Abbakka Rani, Keladi Chennamma and Onake Obavva, as the foremost women warriors and patriots. She was a woman of extraordinary prowess, vision and determination.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittur_Chennamma
06. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit: ![]() |
Vijayalakshmi pandit. en.wikipedia.org |
Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit (18 August 1900 – 1 December 1990) an Indian diplomat and politician, was the sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, first PM of independent India and the aunt of Indira Gandhi. Being the first woman President of the U.N. General Assembly in 1953, she won laurels for her forth right views. In 1953. She was a stalwart and an inspiration in the human rights movement worldwide.Her husband was Ranjit Sitaram Pandit (1893-1944), a successful Maharashtrian barrister from Kathiawad and classical scholar who was arrested for his support of Indian independence and died in Lucknow prison jail in 1944. Vijayalakshmi took the honor of being the first Indian woman to hold a cabinet post. In 1937 she was elected to the provincial legislature of the United Provinces and became a minister of local self-government and public health. She held the latter post until 1939 and again from 1946 to 1947. In 1946 she was elected to the Constituent Assembly from the United Provinces. Later she served as ambassador to Russia (1947 to 1949), USA and Mexico (1949 to 1951), Ireland (1955 to 1961) and during that period she concurrently held the post of High commissioner to the UK and Spain between 1958 to 1961. Between 1962 to 1964, she was the Governor of Maharastra.
She died in 1990 at the age 90 on December 01 in Dehradun, UP., after a long successful diplomatic and political career. For a woman of her generation, it was a mammoth achievement. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijaya_Lakshmi_Pandit07. Savitribai Jyotirao Phule: Savitribai Jyotirao Phule(3 January 1831 to 10 March 1897), an Indian social reformer and poet is considered an important personality of the of the Social Reform Movement in Maharashtra. At that time women when were confined to their hearth and home and never stepped out of their family living space, Savitribai was the first female teachers for girls in India.she emphasized the values of women's education and improving women's rights in India during British rule. Savitribai along with her husband started the first women's school at Bhide Wada in Pune in 1848, despite severe criticism, nasty, obscene verbal abuses, etc while running the institution. in those days women's education was an anathema. Born in 1831 in Naigaon, Maharashtra, Saviribhai, as a teacher, continued to teach the girls and at the same time she worked hard to improve the conditions of widows such as remarriage, public participation, etc., and untouchables.Savitribai Phule was honored by the British government for her contribution to education. When the bubonic plague struck India in 1897, in Pune Savaitribai helped the affected people along with her adopted son and in the process contracted the dreadful disease and died on 10 March 1897. she was regarded as "Rashtramata" in the state of Maharastra. Her clarion call against injustice to women slowly changed the social scenario of the Indian women in the later decades.Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savitribai_Phule08. Kamaladevi Chattopadhya: Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay(3 April 1903 – 29 October 1988) was not only played an active role in the struggle for freedom of our country, but also paid serious attention to our ancient arts and culture that were on the brink facing gradual decline. Kamaladevi was instrumental in the revival of as well as the revival of arts and culture in India from their near extinction.
Born on 3 April 1903 in Mangalore, Karnataka in a rich family, Kamaladevi was an accomplished freedom fighter and a social worker. She was married when she was barely 14 years of age and two years later she became a widow. She studied at Queen Mary's college, Chennai, TN., and later fell in love with one Harindranath Chattopadhyay, a talented person and married him. She also acted in a few films in those days! Later, she moved over to London where she got a diploma in sociology and there she got a chance to learn about Gandhiji's non-cooperation movements and returned to India. In 1930 she became the only woman in a seven member lead team for his satayagraha movement. She was the first woman to be arrested for selling contraband salt at the Bombay Exchange. She was keenly interested in women equality, their rights and improvement of their appealing condition in our society. Unmindful of severe criticism and protests from certain conservative quarters, she never stepped backward and fought the obstructions with more vigor and commitment. The National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Central Cottage Industries Emporium and the Crafts Council of India and the Indian cooperative movement owe her a debt of gratitude for her pioneering work and in building such institutions / organizations of national importance.
Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyay
09. Captain Prem Mathur: ![]() |
India's first commercial pilot half century ago.Prem Mathur. the hindu |
She took the credit of obtaining her commercial pilot's license in 1947 from Allahabad Flying Club. At that time, it was unheard of for a woman to be a pilot in India as it required a lot of guts, hard work and above all support from the family. Seeing an Indian girl in the cockpit of an aircraft and meddling with the joy stick was just unthinkable about 50 years ago. Prem Mathur broke the ground and sent the message across India that women were capable of handling aircraft and they should look skyward. After long deliberation, she was accepted by the Deccan Airways in Hyderabad, and even passed the interview with merit. However, at that point of time, the public was against women flying the aircraft, and it was based on the fact that the women were not as competent as men were to deal with real-life emergency situation when the air-craft developed some malfunctioning or poor weather condition while flying. she was forced to fly for private airlines. Ultimately she got a chance to fly for the Indian Airlines. Ref:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/Women-in-the-cockpit/articleshow/2128487.cms?referral=PM 10. Sucheta Kriplani: Born in Ambala, Punjab (now in Haryana) to a Bengali Brahmo family, she studied at Indraprastha College and later at Panjab University. She had brief stint as a Professor of Constitutional History at Banaras Hindu University. Married to Acharya Kriplani (in 1936), an important leader of the Indian National Congress, despite protests from many sides because her husband was twenty years her senior, Sucheta became a celebrated freedom fighter on merit and was a close associate of Gandhi during the height of the Quit India Movement. During that period women were reluctant to associate themselves with the public office because it was considered a male domain. She removed the manacles fixed on the women and impressed on them that if they had the courage and vision, they could serve the people, in particular women by holding public offices. She had the honor of becoming one of the few women elected to the Constituent Assembly. This gave her an ample scope to show her talents in drafting the Indian Constitution during a time when women in public office was a rare thing and she was one of a few women to help draft the Indian Constitution. She was also the founder of All India Mahilla Congress, established in 1940. She goes down in the History of India by becoming the first woman Chief Minister of an Indian State (U.P. in October 1963) between 1963-67. An exciting and memorable event in her life was during the Independence Session of the Constituent Assembly, a few minutes before Nehru delivered his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech on 14 August 1947, she sang Vande Mataram with great patriotic zeal. Having retired from polities in 1971, she lived in seclusion till her death in 1974.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucheta_Kriplani11. Durgabai Deshmukh: Durgabai Deshmukh (15 July 1909 – 9 May 1981) born in 1909 in Andhra Pradesh, she was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer, social worker and politician. She was was married off at the young age of 8. Subsequently she left her husband in order to pursue her passion and interest in public life. Being ambitious to free India from the British rule, she joined the INC and got a chance to work with Gandhiji and his famous Satyagraha activities. she married C.D. Deshmukh, the first Indian governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Finance Minister in India's Central Cabinet during the years 1950-1956.She promoted several welfare laws and vigorously fought hard for women's rights and drafted a national policy on social welfare while she was a member of the Planning Commission. She was also a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and in 1937 being a public activist for women's emancipation, she started Andhra Mahilla Sabha to take care of women's welfare and their equal rights. She died in Narasannapeta, Srikakulam dist., A.P. and had no issues.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durgabai_Deshmukh
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http://independenceday-wallpaper.com |
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www.angelfire.com/ |
Gandhi Jayanthi is `celebrated on the 2nd of October every year across India with Indian leaders of various parties garlanding the Gandhiji's statues in their respective places. For the past several decades, they have been doing it without fail. Following Gandhi jayanthi day on, his statues across India will lose their shine and become dusty as months go by. Do our nethas / politicians really follow his principles? With some exceptions, most of them have scant respect for his simplicity and political morality for which he stood and sacrificed his life. If Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, an Apostle of Non-Violence were alive to see for himself the following ....01. Nauseating clashes between caste Hindus and Dalits across India.02. Irregularities in elections and horse trading in the name of alliance among parties whose ideologies are poles apart.03. Using caste as vote banks and money power to get votes. 04. Rampant corruption in every thing and every where and nepotism practiced by some higher-ups.05. Politics has become a money-spinning business. Even the criminal have a chance. 06. Central and state ministries hit many scams. The amazing thing is, if politicians caught red handed, they know the legal holes through which they can come out unscathed. 07. Abusing and misusing political power. Grabbing of government lands for personal gains with the help of goondas - local rowdies or thugs.08. Lately, responsible politicians have scant respect for the Supreme Court rulings as in the case of the Congress ministry of Karnataka state with respect to release of the Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu state (a riparian state).09. Prevalence of linguistic chauvinism in a few states. In the recent riots in Bangalore, the Kanada speaking people, without scruples had severely beaten up the Tamil speaking people and set fire to their properties, including a fleet of costly buses over a trial thing: Tamil Nadu government wanted the Cauvery water for their staving crops in the Delta region through which the river Cauvery travels and joins the Bay of Bengal. I wonder whether we are living in a United India. It was quite disgusting. 10. Frequent breakdowns of the business hours during parliament sessions. ......... positively he (Gandhi) would send our nethas either to the gallows or put them on the pillory or wield an AK 47 to make them work sincerely. Being a torch-bearer of non-violence, he might regret why he got the freedom for the Indians and would hang his head in shame for the simple reasons that they have no idea about the unity of a country and the value of freedom. Presented below are some of the political cartoon images of Gandhiji taken from many sources. The credit is given below each image. Cartoons relating Gandhiji and our Indian leaders might interest you. Many of them are thought-provoking. Gandhiji and cartoons:![]() |
At 6-30 in the morning of March 12, 1930 march to Dandi (Gujarat), a deserted village on the shore of the Arabian Sea, 240 miles away. He said he would not return to the ashram until the Salt Act had been repealed and swaraj won. Seventy-eight volunteers and thousands of others accompanied him. This Czech cartoon depicts Gandhi and his non-violent army of freedom fighters defying the armed might of the British Empire. www.angelfire.com |
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www.angelfire.com/
The European and American Press took the cause of Indian freedom sympathetically. They reported the civil disobedience-movement extensively to give wide publicity. Cartoonists in these countries also took up the cause of Indian independence. In this drawing which appeared in Kladderadatsch, a very popular humorous weekly of Berlin between the two world wars, India is shown moving inexorably towards freedom under the guidance of Gandhi despite the frantic efforts of the British establishment to halt it by brute force. |
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www.angelfire.com ... The British Government in India, pictured as a lion, was thoroughly infuriated by the mass civil disobedience movement which followed Gandhi's breaking the salt law. There were violent disturbances in numerous places across India, to which the Government reacted by unloosing all the force it had at its disposal against the satyagrahis. Gandhi wrote at that time: "if we are to stand the final heat of the battle, we must learn to stand our ground in the face of cavalry or baton charges and allow ourselves to be trampled under horses' hooves, or be bruised with baton charges. |
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This picture shows a balding man locking up Gandhi in a jail cell, while thousands of Gandhis are behind the man, watching him. This picture symbolizes the situation Lord Willingdon was put in, in which he locked up Gandhi. He got himself into a predicament. He thought that by locking him up, he would stop all of the “peaceful fighting” that Gandhi used, but once he was locked up, unexpected happened. Everyone else rallied together to act like Gandhi, hence everyone taking the image of Gandhi. Lord Willingdon looks very bewildered in the picture, as when he locked up one Gandhi, thousands more took his place.In this cartoon Gandhi is looking cheerfully at a Briton who is trying to charm some proposals for Gandhi. The British guy is waiting for the rope to move but it will never happen because it is a rope and therefore cannot be charmed. If you look closely he looks stressed as he is trying hard to blow the instrument. Hence, his cheeks are bulged. Gandhi is standing and laughing at the British man’s attempts. This shows that Gandhi has benefited because he knows about both Indian culture and British Culture while the British man has not even taken the consideration to look at what he is trying to do; the British Man has gotten sloppy. This is showing how the Indians have started to outsmart the BritishThe British started deifying Gandhiji. This cartoon titled "The saint and the tiger" (Cartoonist - David Low (1891-1963) Published - Evening Standard, 20 Jan 1948).![]() |
www.manjul.com --- Here Gandhiji seems to be in pretty happy mood and if he had a company, he would definitely do a Tango. Reason: He rejoices over the news of corrupt and dishonest politicians going to the slammer. Unfortunately Gandhiji does not know that the prison has a small crawl-space like exit (legal holes) through which our smart nethas will slip through and start over his dirty work where he left. It is a Sisyphus attempt to send the corrupt Indian nethas to the can. Because of these men with poor credibility, good politicians get a bad rap. |
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October 30, 2016, 7:23 pm
Amaravati, where Andhra's new capital is going to emerge in the near future, is an important historical place dating back to several centuries. Mandadam is a neighborhood and a part of Urban Notified Area of Amaravati. It is a village in Thullur Mandal (Tazil) of Guntur district.
According to Dr E. Sivanagi Reddy, renowned archaeologist of The Cultural Center of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCVA) many of the villages of the capital region have numerous Buddhist and Jain remains, temples, sculptures and inscriptions where past history is frozen in rocks - a veritable place for history and monuments freaks.
Mandadam village, once part of the Kakatiya kingdom is of particular interest and it was the venue of Rudramadevi’s birthday celebrations in 1261 AD. Here there is a dilapidated temple dedicated to Lord Visveswara (Shiva) with a huge stone inscription dated 1261 AD issued jointly by the Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva and his crown princess and designated empress of the Andhra County.
There are 182 lines in Sanskrit and 18 lines in Telugu, both in Telugu script, carved on all three sides on a granite slab of 14 feet and 2 feet 10 inches square, The inscriptions reveal such information as the Kakatiya family, pontifical succession of the Golakimatha of the Saiva sect and the gift of Mandaram in the Velanadu Kandravati made by the ruler Ganapathideva to his Guru Visveswara Sivacharya.
Rudramadevi, Ganapathideva’s daughter made a formal gift of that village along with the village of Velagapundi (Velagapudi). Visweswara Siva, founded a new village and named it Rudradevipura and he was instrumental in bringing to one place people of different caste with various skills from various parts of the country.
Rudramadevi’s birthday was celebrated recently in August, 2016 on the banks of Krishna river in the present Amaravati capital region.
Rudramadevi or Rudrama Devi (died 1289 or 1295), was a ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty in the Deccan Plateau. She was one of the very few women to rule a kingdom in Indian history and promoted a male image in order to do so.
Rudrama Devi married Virabhadra, a member of a minor branch of the Chalukya dynasty, probably in 1240. This was almost certainly a political marriage designed by her father to forge alliances.![]() |
The dilapidated temple constructed by Ganapatideva of Kakatiya dynasty in Mandadam, Deccan Chronicle |
As for Virabhadra his activities are undocumented and it implies that he played no major part in her administration. So, Rudrama ran the various branches of administration on her own with some reliable people around her. The couple had two daughters. Incidentally Rudrama Devi learned archery in Mandadam and gained mastery over this weapon. The nearby Vijayawada city, that has produced well-known modern archers, has historical link with archery and Kakatiya dynasty.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/280816/relics-of-kakatiya-rule-in-state-of-utter-ruin.html
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October 30, 2016, 7:42 pm
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victorious young archers, Vijayawada. The Hindu |
The history of archery can be traced back to the ancient civilizations, when bows and arrows were mainly used as weapons to hunt animals for food and to fight enemies in the battlefield. It was the mastery of the archers at the battlefield that helped gain victories. In ancient times, pines served as the arrows because they were strong and it consisted of one fore shaft and a flint point. According to the history of archery, bows were first developed either in the early years of the Mesolithic age or in the late Paleolithic age. The oldest bow used by archers, it is believed, is native to Denmark. Archery has been known to India since ancient time. In the great Hindu epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, mention is made of various renowned archers and their skills in archery. The year 1972 was a milestone in the International sports that archery had been included as part of the Olympic discipline by the Munich Olympic Games. In 1973 Archery Association of India - AAI was formed with a view to improving the primitive game to a competitive sport. Vijayawada city, Andhra Pradesh has the unique distinction of having produced around a dozen talented compound archers who competed in innumerable international competitions and various premier championships and had won more than 250 international medals since 2005. The recent achievements are the Silver at 2010 CWG, a bronze at 2014 Asian Games, two in the World Cups along with four in the Asian championships and more than 50 Asian Grand Prix medals, Cherukuri Satyanarayana, president of the academy, proudly said. That every Indian team at the national level had one compound archer, either male or female, from Vijayawada, is an undeniable fact and it shows the abundant talent prevalent among the city archers. No doubt Vijayawada is fast emerging as a nerve center of compound archery.It was only in 2005 the archery was introduced to this city that too on a football field at IGMC stadium. Later it moved over to a field at Gunadala with the support of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in 2005. The credit goes to former India coach, the late Ch. Lenin, who laid a strong foundation for the academy. The same tradition is continued to day. Thanks to Indian Railway's archer J. Rama Rao and his team of assistants, adds Satyanarayana. Volga Archery Academy has a pride place in Indian Archery.
Arjuna awardee Mangal Singh further improved his skills in Vijayawada and then went on to become a permanent member of the Indian archery team for a while.
At the Asian Games, Purvasha Sudhir Shende and Vennam Jyothi Surekha (KL University) helped India make a podium finish by clinching the bronze medal in the compound segment. Chittibomma Jignas and Ritul Chatterjee, both trainees of Volga along with Ch. Srither, bagged the silver medal in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
According to archeologists and Archery coaches, Vijayawada has had a long mythological connection with archery. Cherukuri Satyanarayana, Secretary AP Association of Archery, the well known archer Arjuna of the Pancha Pandavas of the great epic Mahabharata visited this place all the way from Indraprestha by crossing over the great Vindhya mountains to Indra Keeladri. Here, it is believed, that he acquired the Pushpastra, the most powerful weapon from Lord Shiva. That Vijayawada is derived from Vijayavatika, denoting Arjuna's victory confirms the veracity of this legend, according to Siva Nagi Reddy, renowned archaeologist. Some prominent rulers of various dynasties of this region were good archers and had proved their prowess in archery. One being Gautamiputra Yagna SriShatakarna of Satvahana dynasty and he was considered as Eka Dhanurdara. Rudramma Devi, a well known queen of the Kakatiya dynasty is believed to have acquired the necessary skills in archery in Mandadam, a village near the proposed capital of Andhra - Amaravati. It is on the other side of the river Krishna in Thullur Mandal, Guntur district. During the Kakatia dynasty, there were archery training schools. However, historical references have been lost for unknown reasons
Satyanarayana, who runs the Volga Academy, regrets the fact that though their players have won the international awards, etc., the Indian Government, as usual, has neither given the academy necessary encouragement nor has it appreciated their medal winning players. The sordid attitude of the government is highly deplorable.Ref: The Deccan Chronicle, August 28, 2016 (Vijayawada Edition)
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October 30, 2016, 8:44 pm
01. What is priceless ?That which is given at the right moment (when needed).02. What comes along with us like a shaft till death ?The sin committed in secrecy. (will haunt till one goes to the grave).03. By whom is this world conquered ?By the person who has truthfulness and endurance. (though belated, one will be victorious).04. In whom lies the control of community ofcreatures ?One who speaks the truth and is kind and humble.05.To what should one stick ?To the right path where-in the seen and the unseen profits abound.06. What is charity ?Expecting no return (helping people without reward or accolades). 07. Who is a friend ?One who saves from sin (in a moment of aberration, if one is about to commit a sin, a true friend will save him).08. What do those who have destroyed ignorance specially urge repeatedly ?Charity along with sweet words, knowledge with humility,courage with patience, wealth with renunciation. These four auspicious things are hard to attain.09. What is to be grieved over ?Miserliness (he is neither of use to himself nor of to the society).10. Which place is to be shunned ?One abounding in wicked people and ruled by a greedy king ( such bad things impact the people).11. And who is the fit recipient of the gift of food ?The hungry (removing hunger is a great art of charity).12. Who is to be grieved over in this world ?One who is not a giver even when there is wealth.13. What is to be contemplated day and night ?The feet of the Lord, not the worldly life.14. What is to be earned by people ?Knowledge, wealth, strength, fame and merit.15. Which is the destroyer of all good qualities ?Greed. 16. Who is the enemy ?Lust (it will drive the man to the edge of the cliff).17. What is to be well protected ?Good name, devoted wife and discernment.18. What is the Kalp?A creeper in the world ?Knowledge imparted to the earnest student.19. What is heinous ?Cruelty (cruelty to humans and animals as well).20. What is more painful than death to a respected person ?Infamy. (it will push a man from sublime to disgrace).21. Who grows ?The humble.22. What is good fortune for those who have body ?Health (with good health, one can conquer the world).23. Who is the protector of the world ?The Sun.24. What is the cause of livelihood for everyone?That is rain.25. Who is brave ?One who protects those in fright. 26. And who is the protector ?It is the preceptor.27. Who is the perceptible goddess ?Mother. ......... From PRASNOTTARARATNA MALIKA of Sankara Bhagavatpada
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October 31, 2016, 8:24 pm
Among the Hindu festivals of India, Deepawali or Diwali is the most popular one and is celebrated every year in Autumn with religious fervor, fanfare and joy. It is also a major festival in the neighboring country of Nepal. Diwali dates back to ancient times and is mentioned in Sanskrit texts such as the Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana (second half of 1st millennium AD) as a festival in the Hindu calendar month of Karthika. Skanda Purana made a mention of Diyas (lamps) that symbolize the sun, the cosmic source of light and energy essential for all life. It seasonally transits in the Hindu calendar month of Karthic.The festival of Diwali has spiritual connotations and is symbolic of the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over gloom and distress. Millions of people, regardless of caste and regions, light the oil lamps in various parts of their house, welcoming positive energy and banishing despair. In Katha Upanishad (1st millennium BC), the Nachiketa story is about right versus wrong, real wealth versus transient wealth, knowledge versus ignorance and in some parts, Diwali is associated with the legend of Yama and Nachiketa on Kartika Amavasya. In many places it marks the killing of demon Naragasura by lord Krishna. Some interesting facts:01. Deepavali (Diwali) is associated with Ammavasya, Chaturdashi,. Dwadashi, Pradhamai Trayodashi and Chaturdashi, depending on the states and regions.02. Lord Vishnu married Lakshmi (appeared from the cosmic ocean of milk - Samundra Manthan after churning) on the day of Diwali. Hence it has close association with Vishnu and Lakshmi. 03. Savithri saved the life of her husband Sathyavan from the claws of death by winning over Yama, the demigod of death. 04. Great philosopher Adi Sankara of Kaladi, Kerala established Gnanapeetham on this day. They later became Mutts.05. King Mahabali was crowned on this day. Lord Vishnu in the guise of Vamana (dwarf) vanquished Mahabali, who was allowed to visit the earth once a year to light millions of lamps to dispel darkness and pessimism. 06. Lord Buddha attained Nirvana Biksha on this day.07. In some states like Himachal Pradesh, Govardhana puja is done in honor of Sri. Krishna on this day.08. The Mogul Emperor Akbar declared Deepavali as official Government holiday for his Hindu subjects and allowed them to fire crackers.09. It marks the return of Lord Rama, his consort Sita and his brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya from 14 year after Rama's victory over Lanka king Ravana. The people of Ayodhya illuminated the town with oil lights or Diyas , heralding the triumph of good over the evil.10. For some communities, it marks the return of Pancha Pandava (Mahabharata) after 12 years of Vanvasa and one year of "Agyatavas". Five brothers had to spend their last year of exile incognito.11. Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu and goddess of wealth is worshiped, particularly by the business people of Gujarat and Rajasthan.12. Lord Ganesha is worshiped on this day because he is known to remove obstacles in our paths / undertakings.13. Goddess Saraswati is venerated as she is the embodiment of knowledge. 14. On the day of Diwali, particularly business people worship Gubera, who is symbolic of wealth, book-keeping and wealth management.15. In states like Odisha and West Bengal, Hindus worship the goddess Kali instead of Lakshmi, and call the festival Kali Puja. Lord Sankara (Shiva), on this day, pacified and subdued goddess Kali who was in rage (in Ugraha form).
16. Sikhs celebrate by lighting the lamps at the golden temple to mark the arrival of Guru Har Gobind who was freed along with some Hindu rulers imprisoned at the Gwalior Fort by the Mogul emperor Jahangir (1699). It is called the Bandi Chhor Divas. 17. For the Jains, on this day Mahaveer attained Nirvana at Pavapuri on 15 October 527 BCE, on Kartik Krishna Amavasya.18. The day of Deepavali is dedicated to our forefathers - pithroos. It is believed that they visit their descendants on this day.19. Deepavali is also the birth day of Dhabvantri - the god of health.20. In Tamil Nadu, on this day, people get up in the early morning and take oil bath - massaging the body with gingelly oil (Nallenai in Tamil). Taking oil bath is a must. Newly married couple celebrate what is called Talai Deepavali (first Deepavali after wedding) at the bride's house and receive gifts. 21. The items given below represent certain purpose and meaning.
Oil (gingelly oil) - Lakshmi (Prosperity); Bathing powder (Sekkakai) - goddess Sararwati (removing ignorance); Sandal paste - Boomi Devi (goddess of earth; better agricultural prospects) ; Kumkumam - goddess Gowri; Sweet water - Amrit; Lakiyam (herbal medicinal paste) - Dhanvantri, god of health (better health); Salt - Fortune, Mahalakshmi (goddess of wealth). Firing crackers - bringing in light and dispelling darkness; Partaking of sweets - experiencing positive energy and joy.22. Hindus shun non-vegetarian food on this day and it is marked by a visit to the near-by temples. 23. In Nepal, Singapore, Fuji, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Myanmar, Guyana and Sri Lanka Deepavali is declared a national holiday.24. In the Indonesian island of Bali, the large Balinese Hindu communities celebrate Deepavali. 25. The great king Vikramaditya, on this day, ascended the throne. In 1577, the foundation stone for the Golden Temple at Amritsar was laid . Guru Amar Das (third Sikh Guru) institutionalized Diwali as the day of receiving blessings from Gurus. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DiwaliDasa Bhuthti (Tamil Magazine, October 2016), Deepavali edition.
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November 7, 2016, 6:13 pm
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mountaineer Mallory's death, June 09, 1924 Everest news |
For some men of courage and strength, facing challenges involving lots of risk is matter of obsession and the immense pleasure of success in such endeavors keeps their spirits high enough to go for the next one. To those people who use their successful adventures as a spring board, sky is the limit. Two British mountaineers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine took upon themselves the most difficult undertaking - scaling Mt. Everest, highest peak in the world, a daunting task, considering the quality of mountaineering gears available in the early 1900s. On June 6, 1924 George Mallory (June 18, 1886 - June 9, 1924) and his climbing partner Andrew Irvine (8 April 1902 – 8 June 1924), Oxford scholar and an avid rower, were part of the team to scale Mt. Everest. The expedition was led by Gen. Bruce and as for Mallory, perhaps, it was his last attempt. Mallory, an experienced and tenacious mountain climber was already 37 years old and had a family to look after. Victory had already eluded him on the early expeditions. The team started out on June 6 from the cold wind-whipped Base camp - 21300 feet above msl. It was a final push and their mission was to set the world record by being the first ones to reach the roof of the world. Behind this final assault, it was months of careful planning, preparations, hard work and unrelenting determination to achieve something, no people had done before. Success was within their grasp provided the weather was favorable. For the British nation, this expedition was the most important one to prove their supremacy in adventurism and new frontier exploration. To their dismay, they had already lost the race to the North and South poles. For Mallory and Irvine, every thing went off well as planned until they reached step rock - an area with obstacles on the 8th of June. Both Mallory and Irvine were the sighted on Mount Everest, only a few hundred meters away from the summit. A member of the team Noel Oddell around early afternoon saw two tiny black spots silhouetted on the snow-clad slope near the rock step. The second black spot was trying to join the first and was slowly moving. All of a sudden, patches of cloud moved in and the vision vanished like the willow-the-wisp. The cloud cover had not cleared and nothing was visible. Mallory and Irvine never returned to the base camp. On June 9 it was confirmed that both of them were found missing somewhere near the North Ridge. On June 21, 1924, The Times of London published a telegraph from another team member announcing their death. It said only, “Mallory and Irvine killed on last attempt". For 75 years his fate was not known until May 1, 1999 when Mallory's body was discovered by an expedition. Irvine's body has not been found. Some facts: 01. Johnson, American Mountain climber and Hemmleb, 26 year old German geologist and expert in Himalayan geology and Mt. Everest became partners for the purpose of finding the bodies of Mallory and Irvine. Their commercial expedition was privately funded and eventually the team members found the body of Mallory on 1 May 1999. 02. George Mallory carried a photograph of his wife and wanted to leave at the summit. When his body was discovered, the photograph was missing. Could it have been left at the summit by George? 03. The snow goggles in his pocket suggests that he was descending after sundown having reached the summit. It is risky to climb the snow- covered mountain without snow-goggles. It is likely that he had made a push for the summit and was descending after sunset when the goggles would no longer be required. 04. Several spent oxygen cylinders point out that it was likely that he reached the summit and the mishap could have happened while descending.
05. About 2,000ft below the summit of Mount Everest Mallory's body was discovered face-down in the snow with a shock of hair sticking out of his leather-flapped helmet. 06. Apparently his right-leg was broken badly; however, his face with eyes closed and chin covered with gentle whiskers was well preserved. so, he had taken a fall. 07. A broken rope was tied around him, and there was a large hole in his cheekbone. 08. Since the discovery in 1999, many expeditions have tried to locate the camera carried by Mallory and his climbing partner Andy Irvine. There is no trace of either of the two Vest Pocket Kodak (VPK) cameras Mallory carried with him. So far the attempts have been unsuccessful. His cameras are the only clue that will unravel all the mystery about his death and his assault on Mt. Everest.09. Irvine’s ice axe was found above, but his body has never been located. It suggests that he too had a bad fall and he plummeted all the way down the North Face. Set aside the argument whether he had reached the summit or not, there is no no doubt he certainly had climbed to an altitude of at least 28,000 feet in 1924, using then prevailing mountain gear - woolen sweaters, clothing made from natural fibers, hobnailed leather boots and equipment, etc. They were primitive and far inferior in quality to what is available today. It was a remarkable feat considering their time and the men must have sturdy, tough body to survive such harsh environment on the higher Himalayan mountains. When one of his expeditions failed as a result of a snow avalanche that swept away seven Sherpas on the early expedition, some people pointed the accusing finger at Mallory. Applying the Karma concept to the natural calamity, it was simply the edit of God, that is the possible logical reasoning one can make. At such an altitude on rugged mountains with steep slope no body could predict snow avalanches. He is famous for his crisp reply to a question in the wake of his failed expedition why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest. He replied with all his firmness and innocence, "Because, it is there.". It is an irony that "it is there" both Mallory and Irvin made their ascent to eternity. It reminds me of Shakespeare's quote: "He, who is to be hanged, shall never be drowned"(Tempest).There is a simple memorial at Everest Base Camp North and it is a reminder to all mountain climbers. Many climbers died trying to reach Everest from the north ridge. It was George Mallory and his team who made the most significant contribution to future climbs. He was a pioneer in setting up a standard route up the the East Rongbuk Glacier, North Col and Northeast Ridge most people now use to climb Everest from Tibet. In three expedition - 1921, 1922 and 1924, Mallory trail blazed the safest route up East Rongbuk Glacier, North Col and Northeast Ridge - the most difficult and challenging route. It is something like a death trap. George Mallory, being a maverick adventurist, never wanted to use bottled oxygen at very high altitude unless it was necessary. As far as he was concerned, the spirit of adventurism and fun in mountaineering is lost on such expedition when bottled oxygen is used. Further, it is a way of testing one's body tolerance vis-a-vis oxygen intake at high altitude. On one of his early expeditions, he reached the record height (record then!) of 26,980 ft (8,225 m) without oxygen and at higher level he and his partner managed with thin air available. Near the summit, oxygen cylinder is a must and later he began to use oxygen at higher elevation. His partner in June 1924 expedition was Sandy Irvine because he was good with the oxygen apparatus. In the absence of camera that Mallory carried, the speculation is still in the blind alley. Many climbers are looking for Irvine's body for the clue. But many people believe his body should be let to rest in the lap of the mountain. Mallory was a great mountain climber whose name is synonymous with the history of Everest regardless of the contentious issue whether he had made the summit before the mishap, etc. The jigsaw puzzle is not yet solved but, one fact is borne out of the disappearance of Mallory and Irvine, that is descending from the roof of the world - eerie Mt. Everest is as risky as making an assault on the summit. The future successful summiters have to be extra careful while descending the unfriendly mountainous slopes.Toiling under conditions of extreme adversity and unfriendly, harsh weather, Mallory and his team set a high standard of paradigm for future Everest explorationists that would not be matched for decades, Ref: http://markhorrell.tumblr.com/post/21430656797/in-memory-of-george-leigh-mallory-he-may-not-have http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-
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November 7, 2016, 6:25 pm
George Herbert Leigh Mallory (18 June 1886 - 8 or 9 June 1924) was a well-known English mountaineer in the colonial time and was associated with the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s. Being an active climber, it was his passion to be the first to reach the summit, thus exhibiting the spirit of British adventurism and sportsmanship unmindful of risks involved.He was part of the 1924 British Mt. Everest expedition to reach the summit via the North-East ridge. During their attempt to make the first ascent both Mallory and his climbing partner Andrew "Sandy" Irvine disappeared on the North-East ridge. They were last sighted about 800 vertical feet (245 m) from the summit.
Whether Mallory and Irvine had reached the summit or not before their unexpected death is a moot question and is debatable. The fact is the fate of both climbers had not been known for 75 long years, until Mallory's body was discovered on 1 May 1999 by an expedition that had set out, looking for the climbers' remains. Mallory, son of Herbert Leigh Mallory, a clergyman and his wife Annie Beridge (née Jebb)was born in Mobberley, Cheshire. The couple had two sons and two daughters. Trafford Leigh-Mallory, younger brother of George, was the World War II Royal Air Force commander.Educated at Eastbourne on the south coast of England, and West Kirby, he joined the Winchester College when he was just 13 and it was here he leaned rock climbing and mountaineering from one R. L. G. Irving, who was an expert in mountain climbing. Later he joined Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he was a keen oarsman and was a member of the college rowing team. His good, athletic body was quite helpful later in his adventurous life. After graduation from Cambridge, Mallory (majored in History) tried different jobs and in 1910 he became a teacher at Charter-house School, Godalming, Surrey. Here, Mallory married Ruth Turner in 1914 and the couple had three children. After a brief stint in Army, Mallory returned to Charterhouse, resigning his job in 1921 in order to join the first Everest expedition. Between expeditions, he earned money by way of writing and lecturing without any major success. In 1923, he became a lecturer at Cambridge and the university gave him temporary leave so that he could pursue his passion - climbing the highest peak in the world - Mt. Everest.
In 1910 and 1911 he was part of a mountaineering team led by Irving. Though in 1911 he had altitude sickness problem while climbing Mont Vélan in the Alps, later in 1911 he climbed Mont Blanc, making the third ascent of the Frontier ridge of Mont Maudit in a party again led by Irving. He made history by ascending Pillar Rock in the English Lake District without any help whatsoever. The route taken by him is known as the Mallory route. It was considered as the hardest route in England in those days. Mallory was a member of the 1921 British Reconnaissance Expedition - the earliest one organized and financed by the Mount Everest Committee. They team explored safe routes up to the North Col of Mount Everest. It was the first attempt by the expedition to produce the first accurate maps of the mountainous region at the higher elevation , never tried before. Mallory, with support from other members like Guy Bullock and E. O. Wheeler of the Survey of India, carried out in depth exploration of several approaches to the peak. Besides, he and his group along with help from one dozen Sherpas, scaled several lower peaks near Mt.Everest feat no body ever tried before. Perhaps his group were the first westerners to view the western part at the foot of the Lhotse face, as well as trail blazing the course of the Rongbuk Glacier up to the base of the North Face. After going round the mountain from the south side, his party finally discovered the East Rongbuk Glacier—the main arterial to the summit which is now being used by nearly all climbers on the Tibetan side of the mountain. By scaling up to the saddle of the North Ridge (the 23,030 ft (7,020 m) North Col, they discovered a route to the summit via the North-East Ridge over the obstacle of the Second Step.In 1922 the expedition to the Himalayas was led by Brigadier-General Charles Bruce and climbing leader Edward Strutt and Mallory was part of it. On this expedition, Mallory, along with Howard Somervell and Edward Norton almost made it to the crest of the North-East Ridge without using bottled oxygen. They made history by reaching the record altitude of 26,980 ft (8,225 m) before weather condition became unfavorable. They managed with thin air available at that elevation. Later, they gave up climbing. Later George Finch and his party reached a height of approximately 27,300 ft (8,321 m) at record speed, using bottled oxygen both for climbing and — a first — for sleeping.
The third party organized during the Monsoon season made a futile attempt on the summit. While Mallory and his group of porters were on the lower slopes of the North Col of Everest in fresh, waist-deep snow, suddenly an avalanche swooped over the group, killing seven Sherpas. Immediately, the expedition was called off and Mallory was accused of his poor judgement of the prevailing weather conditions and particularly one Dr. Longstaff was harsh on Mallory. To the question "Why did you want to climb Mount Everest?', his reply was simple." Because, it is there". Later it became a famous quote.In June 1924 Gen. Charles Bruce led the expedition as he did in 1922 and as for George Mallory who was 37 years old at that time, perhaps, it was his last attempt. The victory, that was within his reach, eluded him. He and Andrew Irvine on June 6 set off from Advanced Base camp (21330 feet and they slowly climbed the mountain. On June 8, around 12. 50 PM when the weather was fairly clear, expedition member Noel Odell saw two tiny black spots silhouetted on the snow-crest trying to move towards the great rock step and the second one tried to join him . The rock step is the most difficult obstacle to the nearby summit. All of a sudden, the two spots vanished on account of cloud cover. Later near the first step, the group found the spent oxygen cylinders used by one of them ans an ice ax used by Irvin. it is likely that Mallory and Irvine might have died either late the same evening or on 9 June. They never returned to the base camp. Their disappearance in the Himalayas near the summit saddened the mountaineers and the whole Britain mourned their heroic death. Their mortal remains had been on the snow-clad mountain for 75 years until Mallory's body was found on the 1st May 1999. Whether Mallory reached the summit or not is an unsolved riddle surrounded by mysteries.There is no trace of Irvine's body on the mountain!Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mallory
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November 9, 2016, 7:55 am
If there is will and firm determination, regardless of age any
body can take on risky challenges and come out victorious. Our driving forces ought to be confidence and firm belief in our ability to accomplish whatever challenge is thrown at us. Two young teenagers from the states of Telengana and Andhra, by sheer handwork and will-power, achieved success - scaling Mt. Everest, which no teenagers would ever dream of. At that age, they would rather spend their time on the Cricket or Football grounds or running errands for their families. For them, the risk factor is a road block and it is difficult for them to break the mental barrier set by themselves. Not for Poorna and Anand, to whom life is all about facing challenges and how best one handles them is very important. That is the reason why they stand apart from others in their pursuit of risky sports adventure. ![]() |
route taken by Pourna. www.dailymail.co |
Poorna, born at Pakala village, Nizamabad district of Telangana state of India on 10 June 2000, is from a tribal family of farm laborers. Her parents Devidas and Lakshmi made their livelihood by working on the nearby farms as farm hands. On 25 May 2014 (Sunday about 6 am), Poorna, aged 13 years and 11 months scaled the highest peak of Mount Everest and became the youngest person/ girl in the world to have reached the summit of Everest. She was accompanied by Sandhana Palli Anand Kumar from Khammam. The trekking on the treacherous mountain was a 52 day ordeal for the youngsters. One Dr. R. S. Praveen Kumar spotted and nurtured Poorna's talents when she was a student at the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society for education. Dr R. S Praveen Kumar, secretary of the society had been looking for talents for his Operation Everest, a challenging job for him to select right candidates for the mountain expedition. Al last, he selected Poorna (student of 9th standard) along with a Dalit boy, Sadhanapalii Anand Kumar 16 years old Class IX student from the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh for the expedition to Mt. Everest. The poignant fact is though both of them had come from poor families, their will and indomitable spirits were high enough to go after the challenge. Since climbing Mt. Everest is a tough one the participants need through training to face any eventuality or worst situation that may unfold on the mountain near the snowline. Obviously Poorna was guided to hike rugged mountains of Ladakh and Darjeeling as part of her preparation for climbing Mount Everest.![]() |
On the way to Mt Everest. Poorna and Anand Kumar. thehindu.com |
As part of the initiative to encourage excellence in the students of the society, the two were finally selected. Earlier, twenty students were sent to the wold famous mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, West Bengal for training and nine among them were sent on expedition to Indo-China border. Since Poorna and Anand Kumar had all the physical fitness requirements such as tough body, endurance, mental prowess to face stressful situations, etc they were finally shortlisted for the Mt. Everest expedition. Further, being in their teens, they had developed a passion to undertake the dangerous trekking nobody had tried before. Both Poorna and 18-year-old Anand left a picture on the highest peak in memory of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who himself was a Dalit and who made valid contribution to improve the quality of life for the untouchables of India. Anand belongs to the Dalit community.During their expedition an unexpected and discouraging incident had happened in April 2014 prior to their assault on the tallest peak. For unknown reasons, a horrible, menacing snow avalanche had swept down and engulfed 16 lives, forcing many climbers to abandon their plans to ascend Everest, as the slopes along some routes were loose and unstable. In the face of this worst mishap and unpalatable incidence, the two youngsters from South India never showed any sign of nervelessness or desperation. Rather, they became more resolute and determined to summit Mt. Everest and be on the roof of the world. They were well trained by one Shekar Babu, a good mountaineer who himself scaled Mt. Everest in 2007 without any help. It was indeed a great feat on the part of the school students, considering their age and mental maturity. These high school students' remarkable feat will go down in the history of mountaineering and their ascent on the most dangerous summit is an inspiration to all other youngsters not only in India, but also in other parts of the world.Ref: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140615/nation-current-affairs/article/cm-k-chandrasekhar-rhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malavath_Purna
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November 9, 2016, 9:50 am
The Coorg district of Karnataka is a major tourist place. Endowed with fine weather, greenery, coffee plantations and breath-taking picturesque scenery, naturally people visit this place in large number to wind off their mind and experience fun and relaxation. There are some historical places here, one being Madikeri fort. There is also an old golf course called Madikeri Downs Golf club, founded by the British during the early colonial days.Madikeri Fort, built in 17th century by Muddu Raja using mud is a popular tourist destination in Coorg. He also built his palace inside the fort and it had been the residence of erstwhile rulers. During the reign of Tipu Sultan this fort was renamed as Jaffarabad and to make it much stronger, Tipu rebuilt it with granite stones.In 1790, Dodda Vira Rajendra took control of the fort and made some modification and then Linga Rajendra Wodeyar II again reconstructed the fort in mortar and brick between 1812 and 1814. later for a brief spell it was under the British. Madikeri Deputy Commissioner's Office is located inside the Madikeri Fort premises. The two-storied lofty and spacious structure is 110 feet long. The British renovated the structure twice and in 1933, a clock tower and a portico to park the commissioner's car were added. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha known as "Kote ganapathi" just at the main entrance of the fort.It is one of the major temples where Madikeri dasara festival is celebrated on a grand scale. In the north-east corner at the entrance to the fort are built two life size masonry elephants that were killed by Maharajah Veera Raja and also an Anglican church in the south-east corner that was built in Gothic style by the British in 1859. Popularly known as St. Mark's Church, and it is now converted into a museum which is a repository of many antiques of Coorgand artifacts of the British era. It was built at the initiative of the officers and men of the East India Company. and the funds were provided by the Madras Presidency government. It was under the Church of England in India, Diocese of Madras. The Church, unfortunately faced closure after India's independence and the administration was taken over by the Karnataka State government in 1971.The museum, managed by the state government and ASI, includes a section dedicated to Field Marshal Cariappa, a famous high-ranking military officer from this area, prison and Mahatma Gandhi Public library and some antiques, belonging to colonial era. http://www.paradisecoorg.com/Madikeri%20Fort.htmlhttp://www.holidayiq.com
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