Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

Varanasi, also known as Benaras and Kashi, is a major city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Situated on the banks of the holy river Ganga, the city has great religious significance for the Hindus. Varanasi is home to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It enshrines one of the twelve Jyotirlingams of Shiva. It is said that this temple was rebuilt several times. The latest structure standing here dates back to the 18th century. Thousands of Pilgrims converge here to perform an abhishekam to the sacred Jyotirlingam, with water from the Ganga.

Beside its religious significance, the temple is also an architectural marvel. The magnificent edifice offers a breathtaking view to the onlooker. It is said that once Lord Shiva came in the dream of Rani Ahalya Bai Holkar of Indore. She, being a devotee of Lord Shiva, got the current temple built in 1777.

Vishwanath Khanda, also referred to as the Old City is located at the heart of Varanasi, between Dashashwamedha Ghat and Godaulia to the south and west and Manikarnika Ghat on the river to the north. The whole area rewards exploration, with numerous shrines and lingams tucked into every corner, and is buzzing with the activity of pilgrims, pandas and stalls selling offerings to the devotees.

Approached through a maze of narrow alleys and the Vishwanath Gali (or Lane), the temple complex of Vishwanath or Visheshwara, the "Lord of All", is popularly known as the Golden Temple, due to the massive gold plating on its shikhara (spire). Inside the compound, which is hidden behind a wall, and entered through an unassuming doorway, is one of India's most important shivalingams, made of smooth black stone and seated in a solid silver plinth. The shrines of the wrathful protectors Mahakala and Dandapani, and the lingam of Avimukteshvara are also situated within the temple complex.

Pilgrims offer their sankalpa or statement of intent here, before commencing the Panchatirthi Yatra. Slightly north, across the main road, the thirteenth-century Razia's Mosque stands atop the ruins of a still earlier Vishwanatha temple.

Varanasi is said to be the point at which the first jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light by which Shiva manifested his supremacy over other gods, broke through the earth's crust and flared towards the heavens. More than the Ghats and even the Ganga, the Shivalinga installed in the temple remain the devotional focus of Varanasi.

A visit to Darjeeling

The town of Darjeeling is the headquarters of the district; it is known as the Queen of the Hills and is most famous for its fine, delicate tea. Some of the Beautiful places to visit when you tour Darjeeling.

Tiger hill

Situated at an altitude of 2590 meters (8482 ft.) and 13 kilometers from the town, this spot has earned international fame for the magnificent view of the sunrise over the "Kanchanjunga" and the great eastern Himalayan Mountains. Even Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is visible from here. The hesitant rays of the early morning sun paint these peaks in pale gold.

Batasia loop and A War Memorial

The Batasia loop situated almost 5 km away from the town is a gigantic railway loop where the Toy Train makes a 360 Degree turn. It was basically built to make it possible for the Toy Train to cut the deep ascend. Strategically located the Batasia Loop offers a panoramic view of the Kanchanjunga Range. A War Memorial constructed in the memory of the brave sons of the soil who laid down their lives in the different wars since the independence of the nation adds to its attraction. There is also a well furbished market where visitors can buy locally made purses, bags and other decorative items.

Rock Garden and Ganga Maya Park
Situated 10 km from town, Rock Garden and Ganga Maya Park has now developed into a very attractive picnic spot with natural water falls. The park offers boating facilities and is endowed with great scenic beauty. Ample eateries are available for visitors to indulge in local delicacies and one can even buy souvenirs. No fees are charged for taking photographs. Visitors are however, required to make arrangements for transportation. A two way travel arrangement is advisable.


Happy Valley tea garden
Happy Valley tea garden is located just a kilometer away from the main town and is situated along 18 Lebong Cart Road (very near to the District Magistrate's Office) and offers tourist a refreshing ambience far from the otherwise noisy town. One can soak in the ambience of the tea garden and take a walk through the carpeted garden. You can take a pony from the Chowrasta or merely walk down the hill to reach the factory. The garden is presently closed but the residents are running it through a cooperative.

Dhirdham temple
Dhirdham temple is modelled on the lines of the famous Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu and was built in 1939. It is a minute's walk from the Darjeeling Railway Station.

Nightingale Park/Srubbery Park
It is about 2-5 kms from Darjeeling Railway Station and walkable from the Chowrasta. It is a beautiful park with a package of cultural programmes performed daily during the tourist season and its opening time is 4.00 p.m. and closing time is 8.00 p.m. The park has recently been extensively re-developed, and now comprises of a giant Statue of Lord Shiva, a temple, and provisions for live-interactive entertainment. The best time to visit the park is in the evenings. Entrance fee is charged and nominal charges for photography may also be required to be made by the visitor.

Tips for a Healthy Family

The health of both women and children can be appreciably improved by spacing births at least two years apart, by avoiding pregnancies before the age of 18 and by limiting the total number of pregnancies to three or less. Some basic parenting tips are:

• To reduce the danger of childbearing, all pregnant women should go to a health worker for pre-natal care and all births should be assisted by a trained midwife.

• For the first few months of a baby's life, breast milk alone is the best possible food and drink. Infants need other foods, in addition to breast milk, when they are four to six months old.

• Children below three years have special feeding needs. They need to eat 5 to 6 times a day. Mashed vegetables and small amounts of fats or oils should be added to their food to enrich their diet.

• Diarrhea can kill by draining too much liquid from a child's body. So the liquid lost each time the child passes a watery stool must be replaced by giving the child plenty of the right liquids to drink- breast milk, home - based fluids such as dal water, rice water, butter milk or a special drink called Oral Rehydration Suspension (ORS).

• Immunization protects against several diseases, which can cause poor growth, disability, and death. All immunization should be completed in the first year of the child's life and a booster dose should be given at one and half years.

• Most coughs and colds will get better on their own. But if a child with a cough is breathing much more rapidly than normal then the child is seriously ill and it is essential to go to a health centre quickly. A child with a cough or cold should be helped to eat and to drink plenty of liquids.

• Many sicknesses are caused when microorganisms go into the mouth. This can be prevented by using correct latrines; by washing hands with soap and water after using the toilets and before handling food; by keeping food and water clean; and by boiling drinking water if it is not from a safe piped supply.

• Parents should keep an eye on the child's actions and also have knowledge about the instrument of all the toys with which it plays

You’re favorite color and your character

RED-strong
Red is associated with active, confident individuals who love attention and being in the focus. Those who love red live life to the fullest and are mulish and stiff in their endeavors.

PINK-soft
Pink is associated with kindness, softness and peaceful. Those who choose pink as their favorite color are often calm and are very sensitive and they concern about other feelings. Pink lovers are also generally sympathetic and kindhearted and dislike controversy of any kind.

GREEN-nature
Green lovers can guess things very easily and consider their status which is very important. If green is your favorite color, you may be expressive, thoughtful, aware of those around you and they love nature.

BLUE -calm
Blue is associated with quiet and settled. Those who choose blue as their favorite color you love harmony,are capable, reliable, sensitive, always make an effort to think of others and capable of handling things very easily.

PURPLE- royalty- spirituality
Purple is associated with royalty and nobility. Those who choose purple as their favorite color are believed to help people be creative and artistic and unique.

BLACK- artistic
Black is associated with sad things. People who choose black as their favorite color are often artistic,sensitive, and wealthy and are fashion.

BROWN-bold
Brown gives off a feeling of connection with the mother earth and all that is natural. Those who choose brown as their favorite are usually happy with what they have.

WHITE- cleanliness- innocence
White is associated with cleanliness, purity and innocence. People who like white are often well prepared and consistent and don't have a great deal of confusion, either tangible or emotional in their lives.

YELLOW - bright
Yellow is associated with good optimism and happiness. Those who love yellow are often imaginative, artistic, shared people who have vivid imaginations and are keen on creating new things.

ORANGE-sacred
Orange is associated with Thanksgiving, fall, spice, affection and orange is the only color named after an entity. This color is very rarely chosen.

Shilpa Getting Lamborghini From Fiance

Since 'Big Brother' a little more than two years ago, Shilpa Shetty has gone luckier with each passing day. The fame in the UK lead to the launch of her perfume, her production House. Especially meeting millionaire Raj Kundra has changed loads of things for her. Lucky girl this one

She is the proud owner of an IPL team now and is enjoying the attention showered on her and having a gala time cheering for her team Rajasthan Royals with Raj. She even met Matt Damon recently.

At the moment, Shilpa and fiance Raj are so immersed in work and entertainment that they are not willing to discuss marriage which too is likely to happen soon though. As of now she is set to get a sports car from Raj which she has been dreaming of.

Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/

Funny Prank

Gudi Padwa - A New Year Celebration

The Gudi Padwa festival marks the beginning of the Hindu new year in Goa. Also known as Sansar Padwa, it is considered one of the most auspicious days to start new business ventures. The Hindu calendar year begins with the onset of Vasant season (spring) in Chaitra.

In some parts of Goa, Shigmo festival concludes on the day of Gudi Padwa. Once many villages situated in the remote corner of the Sahyadri hills were involved in the performances of Ranmale, a popular form of folk drama. Besides, Sattari and Sanguem, villages from Karnataka and Maharashtra bordering these talukas have performances of the Ranmale during the 5-day celebration of the Shigmo or on the Gudi Padwa's night.

In various parts of Goa, the new year celebration is observed with various cultural performances on the previous day of Gudi Padwa. In Nanoda, Bicholim, a folk dance called ghodemodni is performed besides the performance of virbhadra.

In Gaondongri, unmarried youth from the Velip community take part in Dinya Jatra'. The carry a stick of dino (Leea indica) decorated with flowers.

ForMoreInfo: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Gudi-Padwa---A-new-year-celebration/articleshow/4320723.cms

Egypt Is Ready Is forget Previous Threatening Statements

The Egyptian ambassador to Israel said this week that his country is ready to forget previous threatening statements by Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who appears likely to be foreign minister in the incoming Israeli government.

Cairo was particularly incensed by Lieberman's statement several years ago that should Arab countries launch an attack on Israel, Israel would be justified in responding by bombing Egypt's Aswan Dam, among other targets. Egypt was also infuriated by his statement in the Knesset last October that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "could go to hell."

Yasser Rida, speaking at the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv at the beginning of the week, said that Egypt would be ready to cooperate with the new government and would judge it by its actions, rather than by past statements. He added that Egypt would invite Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to Cairo for an official visit as soon as he takes office.

Egyptian officials have expressed concern about the stance of a right-wing Israeli government. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told European lawmakers in Brussels Monday that the establishment of an "extreme" right-wing government would be negative and possibly damaging.

Bears Go Home After Failed Comeback

When Patrick Christopher made consecutive three-pointers to turn an apparent blowout into a one-point game Thursday, the game started to have the feel of one of Cal's dramatic comebacks.

This time, however, the Bears couldn't rebound.

Literally.

USC scored seven of its next 10 points off offensive rebounds to further open a night-long wound for Cal in its 79-75 exit from the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 tournament at the Staples Center.

USC led by as many as 18 in the final seconds of the first half and seemingly had absolute control from a game-opening 15-3 run. Cal, however, kept adjusting and kept believing.

The Bears cut the deficit to 58-57 with a frenetic series that lasted 3 1/2 minutes and resulted in a 17-4 run, ending with Christopher's back-to-back threes. The defensive-sparked run included three steals, including one by Jorge Gutierrez, who scored a career-high 14 points and willed the Bears' comeback attempt.

USC outrebounded Cal 51-25 and scored 35 second-chance points. The Trojans got a putback from Marcus Simmons, a three-point play from Leonard Washington off a second chance and a Washington dunk off a third chance to take a 70-64 lead with 2:58 left.

Jerome Randle, an 85.9-percent career free-throw shooter, made only one of three to leave Cal trailing 72-70 with 1:14 remaining, but he made up for it. After a Dwight Lewis three-pointer made it 75-70 with 47 seconds left, Theo Robertson made a three and Randle hit a runner to tie it 75-75 with 19.6 left.

Daniel Hackett, who has six inches on Randle, drew a foul with 3.8 seconds left and all but clinched it with a pair of free throws. Randle fumbled the inbounds pass out of bounds, and Hackett made two more free throws for the four-point win.

It was an oddly-called game in which the officials went minutes at a time without blowing their whistles to stop physical play at both ends. The "let-them-play" tenor of the game favored USC (19-12), which had their postseason hopes on the line and advanced to the semifinals to play second-seeded UCLA at 8:30 p.m. today.

Cal (22-10) was coming off an uninspired loss to Arizona State in the teams' meaningless regular-season finales, but the Bears could use the valiant comeback attempts to build momentum for the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears and the Trojans split their regular-season meetings using varying strategies. USC correctly gambled that career nights from Cal posts Jamal Boykin and Jordan Wilkes wouldn't be enough in the game in Los Angeles, and the Bears responded by getting 54 points from their three perimeter players and a victory in Berkeley.

Simmons got just his third start of the season and made the most of it, chasing Randle all over Cal's offensive end to deny the guard the ball and frustrate him. The same thing was being done to Christopher and Robertson, so the Bears were forced to find someone else to score.

No one emerged as USC jumped out to a 42-24 lead in the final 30 seconds of the first half and only a last-second three-pointer by Randle kept Cal from heading to the locker room with its largest halftime deficit of the season.

USA Ready For World Baseball

Whether or not the World Baseball Classic has excited baseball fans will be determined over the next three weeks, but the tournament certainly has the attention of the people in Team USA uniforms.

"We got kind of ambushed a couple of times in '06," says Chipper Jones, who was on the U.S. squad that didn't reach the semifinals in the inaugural event. "I don't think that's going to happen this time."

The USA begins play Saturday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Toronto against Canada, the host of one of the four first-round groups. Venezuela and Italy also are in the group, from which two teams advance to one of two four-team second-round groups.

Suspended Reviews Of New Products From Ranbaxy

Serious safety concerns have been raised over India’s generic drugs industry after US regulators said that they would no longer approve products produced at a factory run by the country’s largest maker of medicines.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it had suspended reviews of new products from Ranbaxy’s plant in Paonta Sahib, in northern India, after uncovering “significant questions about the reliability” of information used to support requests to sell drugs in the US.

Shares in Daiichi Sankyo, the Japanese company that bought a majority stake in Ranbaxy for more than $4 billion last year, fell by almost 10 per cent in Tokyo. Ranbaxy plummeted as much as 18 per cent in Mumbai.

Investors fear that the FDA decision could have serious knock-on consequences for the generic version of the world’s most lucrative drug. Ranbaxy holds the right to distribute the first copies of Lipitor, the cholesterol pill developed by Pfizer, which achieved sales of $12.7 billion in 2007.

The Indian company has been the focus of FDA scrutiny for several years. Last year, the watchdog claimed it had evidence to suggest that Ranbaxy used active pharmaceutical ingredients from unapproved sources, resulting in the sale of "subpotent, super potent or adulterated medicines" in the US. It is alleged that test data was fabricated to show that medicines met FDA standards.

In September, it banned Ranbaxy from importing more than 30 generic drugs into the US due to serious manufacturing violations it cited at two company plants in India, including Paonta Sahib.

Researchers for HIV work

Even as Connecticut considers reducing funding for AIDS programs, state public health researchers are winning accolades for their work with those living with HIV.

A program developed at the University of Connecticut's Center for Health, Intervention and Prevention is among a group of eight intervention programs commended recently by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Under the program, known as "Options," clinicians are trained to counsel HIV-positive patients during routine medical appointments to avoid risky behavior, such as unprotected sex and drug use, developing a list of behavioral prescriptions for patients to follow as they live with the virus.

"Most interventions focus on people not infected with HIV and not likely to become infected," said Jeffrey D. Fisher, a social psychology professor at UConn and director of the intervention center. "But we also need to help people who have HIV to practice safer sex and drug use."

Such precautions are necessary not just to protect the health of those living with HIV or AIDS, which make patients substantially more susceptible to infection and disease, but also to ensure that continued risky behavior doesn't spread HIV to those with whom diagnosed people share needles or have sex.

Fisher developed the program in the late 1990s with his brother, Bill Fisher, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, and three other researchers from CHIP and Yale University.

The Options program was developed from current behavioral theory and a process of collaboration with those struggling with HIV diagnosis and problems with substance abuse or risky sex, Fisher said. The intervention plan asks clinical workers to work with patients to develop strategies for reducing risk, and to evaluate each patient's willingness to change.

The program was included this year in "The 2008 Compendium of Evidence-based HIV Prevention Interventions," which is compiled annually by the CDC, and recognizes programs that have proven successful at reducing HIV infection and behavior that can increase the chance of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

The CDC estimates that 46,000 people were infected with HIV in the U.S. in 2006, the most recent year for which data was available.

Source: theday.com/re.aspx?re=76b88ed9-71a3-4510-a675-6361d367da02

Formal languages

Mathematics and computer science use artificial entities called formal languages (including programming languages and markup languages, and some that are more theoretical in nature). These often take the form of character strings, produced by a combination of formal grammar and semantics of arbitrary complexity.

CD + Graphics

Compact Disc + Graphics (CD+G) is a special audio compact disc that contains graphics data in addition to the audio data on the disc. The disc can be played on a regular audio CD player, but when played on a special CD+G player, can output a graphics signal (typically, the CD+G player is hooked up to a television set or a computer monitor); these graphics are almost exclusively used to display lyrics on a television set for karaoke performers to sing along with.

Homozygous

An organism is homozygous for a particular gene when identical alleles of the gene are present on both homologous chromosomes. The cell or organism in question is called a homozygote. True breeding organisms are always homozygous for the traits that are to be held constant.

An individual that is homozygous dominant for a particular trait carries two copies of the allele that codes for the dominant trait. This allele, often called the "dominant allele", is normally represented by a capital letter (such as "P" for purple flowers, which are dominant in pea plants). When an organism is homozygous dominant for a particular trait, the genotype is represented by a doubling of the symbol for that trait, such as "PP".

An individual that is homozygous recessive for a particular trait carries two copies of the allele that codes for the recessive trait. This allele, often called the "recessive allele" is usually represented by the lowercase form of the letter used for the corresponding dominant trait (such as, with reference to the example above, "p" for white flowers, which are recessive in pea plants). The genotype of an organism that is homozygous recessive for a particular trait is represented by a doubling of the appropriate letter, such as "pp".

Cedars of God

The Cedars of God are among the last survivors of the immense forests of the Cedars of Lebanon that thrived across Mount Lebanon in ancient times. Their timber was exploited by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians as well as the Phoenicians. The wood was especially prized by Egyptians for shipbuilding; Solomon used them in the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the Ottoman Empire also used the cedars to build its railroad system.

Cotton Tree

The Cotton Tree is a historic symbol of Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. It was found growing in the town centre in 1792 when a group of former African American slaves, who had gained their freedom by escaping to the British during the American War of Independence, joined the settlement and gave it the name Freetown. The tree is also the site for offering prayers for peace and prosperity.

Various members of the botanical family Bombacaceae (genus Bombax) are often called Silk-cotton tree.

The flowering plant, Hibiscus tiliaceus is sometimes known as the Cotton Tree.
Kapok, Java cotton tree.Cottontree, a village in Lancashire, England

Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include naturally-occurring chemicals, such as in the cutin of plant cuticles, as well as synthetics such as polycarbonate and polybutyrate.

Polyesters may be produced in numerous forms such as sheets and three-dimensional shapes. Polyesters as thermoplastics may change shape after the application of heat. While combustible at high temperatures, polyesters tend to shrink away from flames and self-extinguish upon ignition. Polyester fibers have high tenacity and E-modulus as well as low water absorption and minimal shrinkage in comparison with other industrial fibers.

Woven polyester fabrics are used in consumer apparel and home furnishings such as bed sheets, bedspreads, curtains and draperies. Similarly, industrial polyesters are used in tyre reinforcements, ropes, fabrics for conveyor belts, safety belts, coated fabrics and plastic reinforcements with high energy absorption. Polyester fiberfills are also used to stuff pillows, comforters and cushion padding.

Morokweng crater

Morokweng crater (or Morokweng impact structure) is a large meteorite crater buried beneath the Kalahari Desert near the town of Morokweng in the Northwest Province of South Africa, close to the border with Botswana.

The crater, formed by an asteroid 5-10 kilometers (3-6 mi) in diameter, is at least 70 kilometers (43 mi) in diameter and the age is estimated to be 145.0 ± 0.8 million years, placing it on the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary. Discovered in 1994, it is not exposed at the surface but has been mapped by magnetic and gravimetric surveys. Core samples have shown it to have been formed by the impact of an L chondrite asteroid.

In May, 2006, a group of scientists drilling into the site announced the discovery of a 25-centimetre (9.8 in) diameter fragment of the original asteroid at a depth of 770 metres (2,500 ft) below the surface, along with several much smaller pieces a few millimetres across at other depths. This discovery was unexpected since previous drillings on large impact craters had not produced such fragments, and it was thought that the asteroid had been almost entirely vaporised.[3] Some of the fragments can be seen in the Antenna Wing of London's Science Museum.