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Daily information on India for Indian American Youth - covering the topics of travel, India Today, History, Government and more!
  October 22, 2005   |   People & Places FactID: 326
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Next time when you go to India, do not forget to visit Mysore city in Karnataka state and its surroundings. Mysore was the ruling place for Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan who fought against the British and later the Wadiyar family, the kings who ruled Mysore and its surroundings.

Mysore has a tranquil atmosphere and is not yet as crowded as other cities are. There are many attractions. Famous among them are: the Mysore Palace, The Mysore Zoo, Chamundi Hills, Temples, Jaga Mohan palace of art, Sri ranga patnam, KR Sagar Dam, Ranganthittu bird sanctuary. and Lalita Mahal.

The name Mysore originated from its original name MahishasuraNagar which was named for a demon by Name Mahishasura who was subdued by the goddess Chamundi. A temple in her honor is located on Chamundi Hills.

Mysore city is around 100 miles from Bangalore and there are lot of tourist buses and direct trains from Bangalore to Mysore.

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Online newspaper
Mysore official site

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  October 20, 2005   |   India Today FactID: 325
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Just like “God bless America” is considered the national song of USA, the sone “Vande Mataram (Hail to Motherland”” is considered the national song of India. The song was composed by Bangla poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjeee (1838-1894) and appeared in his book “AnandaMatha” in the year 1862. In 1876 “Vande Maataram” became the national cry for freedom from British occupancy. Vande Mataram was ev entually overtaken by Jana Gana Mana to become the National Anthem. The song was rejected as National Anthem on the grounds that Muslims felt offended by the depiction of India as Ma Durga (an Hindu goddess). And also that the novel AnandaMatha had an anti muslim theme.

An album “Vande Mataram” composed and conducted by music director A.R.Rehman was placed at no.2 in the world’s greatest albums by BBC world service in the year 2002.

Listen to Instrument version

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  October 19, 2005   |   India Today FactID: 324
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The Indian National anthem, was composed in Bengali by by Rabindranath Tagore,/ Its Hindi version was adopted as the National anthem by the indian parliament on 24 January 1950. It has five stanzas. The anthem is reproduced below.

Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata
Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha
Dravida Utkala Banga
Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga
Ucchala Jaladhi Taranga
Tubh Shubha Name Jage
Tubh Shubha Ashisha Mange
Gahe Tubh Jaya Gata
Jan Gan Mangaldayak Jay He
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata
Jaye He ! Jaye He ! Jaye He !
Jaye,Jaye,Jaye,Jaye He

You can download the instrument version at the following site.

Instrumental version

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  October 18, 2005   |   Art & Architecture FactID: 323
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When you visit Ahmedabad in India, do not forget to visit Sidhi Bashir mosque also called the shaking minaret where when one minaret(tower) is moved with force, the other shakes in sympathy. Each tower is about three stories high and is adorned with delicately carved architecture. If one tower is shaken, then the other one shakes after a few seconds. It is believed that the vibration at the base of the tower gets amplified and transmitted to the other tower thru a series of underground tunnels. Amaxongly the passageway connecting the two towers remains vibration free. Another theory is the two towers are two prongs of a giant tuning fork which is constructed beneath the surface.

The mosque of Raj Bibi had two similar shaking Minarets. But Britishers destroyed while trying to study how they worked. These minarets are located very near (less than a mile) the Ahmedabad railway station.

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  May 20, 2005   |   Tradition FactID: 322
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In hindu tradition, marriage is viewed as a sacrament and is not a contract. Marriage is a life long commitment of one wife and one husband and is the strongest social and moral bond that ever takes place between a man and a woman. Marriage is also considered as a relation between two families and the families are morally obligated to do whatever they can to help the young couple make the marriage work. In arranged marriages, the bride and the bridegroom are generally selected by the parents or the elders. Being experienced and elderly and with a deep knowledge of their children, they can better evaluate the merits and demerits of the relationship.

This system has been criticized because in many cases, parents tend to seek relations on the basis of superior social and financial status. Also because some parents would demand wealth in exchange to their children. Nowadays, young people should consider the arranged marriage as a point to start right and use their parents’ recommendations as recommendations. The final decision should be made by the young couple. It is important to realize that marriage is a life long process of discovery and compromise.



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  May 19, 2005   |   Tradition FactID: 321
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Here are the Hindu equivalent names for days of the week.
  • Sunday – RaviVara
  • Monday – SomaVara
  • Tuesday – MangalVara
  • Wednesday – Budhavara
  • Thursday – Guruvara
  • Friday – Shukravara
  • Saturday – Shanivara


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  May 18, 2005   |   Tradition FactID: 320
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In Hindu Astrology, the solar signs of western astrology are called Rasis.When you look at Hindu astrology forecasts use the following translation.

  • Aries – Mesham
  • Taurus – Rishabam
  • Gemini – Mithunam
  • Cancer – Kathakam
  • Leo – Simham
  • Virgo – Kanya
  • Libra – Thulam
  • Scorpio – Vrishchigam
  • Sagittarius – Dhanus
  • Capricorn – Makaram
  • Aquarius – Kumbham
  • Pisces – Meenam


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  May 17, 2005   |   India Today FactID: 319
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India's military budget was 18.97 billion dollars in 2004. It was 2.5 percent of the GDP. Compare that to 370.7 billion dollars spent by USA which was 3.3 percent of GDP

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  May 8, 2005   |   India Today FactID: 318
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The population of India in 2000 was estimated to be 1,014,003,817 (US population is 275,562,673). 34% of the population is between 0-14 years, 62 percent of the population is between 15-64 years, and 4 percent of the population is over 65 (USA- 12.64 per cent).

The birth rate is 24.79 births/1000 (USA-14.2) and death rate is 8.88 deaths/1000 (USA - 8.87). The life expectancy is 62.5 years(USA-77.12 years). The population growth ate for India is 1.58 percent (USA-0.91 percent). The fertility rate is 3.11 childrent born/woman (USA-2.05). On the average India has 1.07 males/female (USA - 0.97 males/female). The infant mortality rate is 64.9 deaths per 1000 births(USA-6.82). On the average women live 3 years longer than men (USA--2.5 years).

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  May 7, 2005   |   Tradition FactID: 317
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Marriage is a holy bond between a man and a woman. Every religion has some symbolic ceremonies to enfore the sanctity of marriage like taking vows etc. One of the important traditions in Hindu wedding is the seven steps(Sapta pati) This marriage ceremony consists of taking seven steps with seven vows in front of Agni (the holy fire). The Agni, or fire, is very sacred in the Hindu religion as it is considered to be the purifier. A pink cloth is draped over the bride's shoulder and tied to groom's shoulders. The following seven vows have been simplified for understanding.
  • Vow to keep a pure household
  • Vow to develop mental, physical and spiritual powers to keep the marriage.
  • Vow to increase wealth by righteousness
  • Vow to acquire knowledge, happiness and harmony by mutual love and trust
  • Vow to pray for virtuous, courageous, and intelligent children
  • Vow to pray for health and longevity
  • Vow that we will always remain true companions life long


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  May 6, 2005   |   Tradition FactID: 316
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Hinduism does not approve suicide. Hinds believe that human life is precious since it is attained after hundreds and thousands of births. It provides an unique opportunity to each individual to make a quantum jump to higher states of existence finally attaining immortality. Death is not considered fearsome as we know that we have been born and died many times before. The soul is immortal. According to Bhagwad Gita, the body is like a set of clothes. After a while we discard our old clothes and don new ones.

According to Hindu religion death is not a contradiction of life. Birth and death, are two sides of the cosmic's eternal evolution cycle. What you will be born as during your next birth depends on actions and good and bad deeds performed in this life. One can elevate himself to a better next life by performing good deeds in this life. People must take responsibility for their actions either within this life time or the next.

The culmination of this eternal cycle is Moksha, end of the death and rebrith cycle and is considered the fourth and ultimate artha (goal). It is the transcendence of all arthas. It is achieved by overcoming ignorance and desires and performing good deeds during every birth.

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  May 5, 2005   |   India Today FactID: 314
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Cows are considered holy and are not to be killed according to Vedas, the original hindu scriptures. According to Hindu scriptures the original cow mother Surabhi, was one of the treasures churned from the cosmic ocean, and the five products of the cow (pancha-gavya)-milk, curd, ghee, urine and dung-were considered purifying. The cow is respected as one of the seven mothers because she offers her milk as does one's natural mother. According to Vedas a cow denotes simple living and high thinking,, a life close to nature and God. Cows are worshipped on special occasions.

India has the largest concentration of livestock in the world. One third of world's cattle live in India which has about three percent of the worlds's land mass. India is the world's second largest orroducer of milk. Seventy percent of milk comes from Buffaloes. India has so many cattle that it is estimated that there is enough food for sixty percent of the cattle population.

The cows are considered sacred and cannot be slaughtered. Only two states Kerala, and west Bengal allow legal slaughtering.

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  May 4, 2005   |   India Today FactID: 313
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The last census in India was done in 2001. The results reveal many interesting facts. The world population grew by 300 percent during the last 100 years. India's population grew by 400 percent Currently India's population stands at 1.1 billion and will surpass China during the next 50 years.

The literacy rate grew from 51 percent in 1991 to 61 percent in 2001. Seventy-six per cent of males and 54 per cent of females are now literate, compared with 64 per cent and 39 per cent, respectively, in 1991. India's population increased by 281 million from 1991 to 2001. India's density was 324 people per square Kilometre. However the highest density of 994 people was recorded in Delhi. Of all the states West Bengal has the highest density of 904.

There are approximately 532 million males and 496 million females in India. The most populous state is Uttar Pradesh which has a population of 167 million (16.7 percent of the entire population). The island of Lakshadweep has a population of 60,000 (0.01 percent of the entire population).

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  May 3, 2005   |   Fashion FactID: 311
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Mehndi -- the art and practice of decorating hands, feet and face with Henna paste -- dates back 5,000 years. Archaeologists have found that mummies had their fingernails decorated with Henna paste. Henna (botanical name Lawsonia Inermis) is a shrub 8-15 ft high with small white, yellow, or pink colored flowers. It produces blue black berries. Henna powder and henna paste is derived from the dried leaves, twigs and flowers. It is also used for dyeing hair and hand nails.

In India, women use it to beautify themselves especially during religious ceremonies and marriage. Usually the hands, feet and face of a bride are colored. It is safe, painless and does not involve piercing the skin. Further the dye washes off within a few days. Usually adoring a bride with Mehndi is done in a ceremony before the marriage with friends and relatives present.

Recently Mehndi is becoming popular amongst westerners. Actress Demi moore is believed to be the first western actress to wear Mehndi. Madonna caused quite a stir when she wore Mehndi all over her body during an MTV appearance. Now wearing Mehndi has become a unisex craze.

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Weddings
Mehndi

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Permanent link to THIS factPermalink | Email fact to a friendEmail Fact | Send fact via AIMIM Fact | Source: TourismOfIndia.com

  May 2, 2005   |   India Today FactID: 310
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The Himalayan mountain range is one of the most awesome display of plate tectonics which create earthquakes and form mountains and valleys. The Himalayan mountain range was formed when the Indian plate collided against the Eurasian plate. The mountain range stretches about 1,700 miles and has the world’s tallest peak Mt.Everest.

The plates are still grinding against each other and scientists believe a major earthquake is still possible in that area. Within the last 100 years, four major earthquakes have happened. The Indian plate is moving northward towards Tibet at the rate of about half an inch a year forcing the Himalayas to rise by about quarter of an inch a year. Any earthquake in that region could endanger few millions of people. The latest earthquake happened on 29 March 1999 (Magnitude 5.2-6.0) in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. The epicenter was about 50 miles from the 700 ft high rock fill dam being constructed by the Indian government in Tehri.

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Permanent link to THIS factPermalink | Email fact to a friendEmail Fact | Send fact via AIMIM Fact | Source: HinduismToday.com

 
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