"A WIDE ANGLE VIEW OF COLOURFUL COUNTRY INDIA" sudo2008's Profile

Delhi >Haridwar>Joshimath>Auli, 16 km from Joshimath and accessible by a good motorable road, is an ideal ski resort with its slopes comparable to the best in the world. The resort is run by Gmvnl, which, apart from providing accommodation also organises all facilities for skiing. The season extends from Jan to March during which time skiing festivals and the national Championships are held. The Auli slopes, decending from 3049 mts to 2915 mts are flanked by stately conifers and oaks which cut wind velocity to the minimum.
Adding to the thril of skiing is a 180 degrees view of Himalayan peaks which includes Nanda Devi, Mana Parvat and Dunagiri.
The condition for skiing are perfect. A 500 mts long ski-lift and a an 800 mts long chair-lift link the upper and lower slopes. and snow beaters and snow packing machines maintain the smoothness of the slopes which provides excellent opportunities for cross-country , salom and down-hill skiing events.
An added attraction is a 3.9 km long cable car which links Joshimath with the upper slopes of Auli , and moves on to Gorson.Gmvanl provides moder skiing equipment on hire

BERTRAND RUSSELL...
Three passions have governed my life: The longing for love, the search for knowledge , and unbearable
Pity for the suffering of (humankind). Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness. In the union of love I have seen in a miniature the prefiguring vision of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined . with equal passion I have sought knowledge . I have wished to understand the hearts of people. I have wished to know why the stars shine .. cries of pain reverberated in my heart of children in famine ,of victims tortured and old people left helpless. I long to alleviate the evil , but I cannot , and I too suffer .
This has been my life; I found it worth living.
Bertrand Russell.

SOLITUDE
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air
In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire:
Whose tress in summer yield him shade,
In winter, fire.

Blest, who can unconcernedly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away
In health of body, peace of mind;

Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mixed, sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please with meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.-------ALEXANDSER POPE

Myself at Gandhi Chalk, Mussoorie

Bhagavad Gita 12:15:19

He whom the world troubles not, and who troubles not the world, he who is free From the emotions of joy ,wrath and fear ,is dear to me
.The man who is guileless, pure, upright, unconcerned, free from distress of
mind , he Who renounces every enterprises and worships me, is dear to me

He who has neither delight nor aversion, who neither mourns nor desires, who renounces Good and evil fortune, and worships me, is dear to me
.
He who is the same to friend and foe, and also in honour and dishonour, who is the same in cold and heat, pleasure and pain. Who is wholly free from attachment, to whom praise
And blame are equal, who is silent, content with every fortune, home renouncing, steadfast in mind, and worships me, that man is dear to me.
ABOUT INDIA- more than four thousand years , the people of the Indian subcontinent have been seeking the deepest truths about the nature of realty and the self, exploring the depths of human consciousness. India’s most brilliant thinkers and sincerest religious seeker have been preoccupied with the quest for perfection. For a way to transform this ordinary , limited , and imperfect existence into its potential greatness and perfection. Their insights and discoveries have shaped one of the world’s richest and longest-lived cultures.

Long before Homer- and probably before the reign of Tutankhamen in Egypt- vedic poets and seers in India were composing and singing joyous songs to proclaim the wonders of existence and to probe its mysteries. The collection of more than ten thousand of these “wisdom verses” known as the Rig Veda is the oldest and most important literary source of subsequent Indian thought and practice. Revealing sophisticated understanding of human nature and penetrating insights into the powers by which are life is transformed , these song-poems are a remarkable testament of human wisdom. They were also integral to the practice of a large set of religious rituals, some of which are still performed by Hindus today.

BOOK ON INDIA

Images of India are diverse and contrasting. On the one hand , India is seen in terms of wise and compassionate world leaders, helping to devise the U.N. charters, holding Oxford appointments, winning Noble prizes in science or literature, or directing multinational companies. The names of Nehru. Gandhi, Radhakrishnan , Tagore, Bose, Birls come ready to mind. Others think of India in terms of yogins and fakirs, half-starved ascetics and naked sadhus. In medieval times the prevailing image was that of an exotic land of fabulous wealth. Today many people think of India as the home of one billion people crushed together in poverty. But others see thrifty, hard-working people successfully engaged in agriculture and commerce. Still, the image of a dreamy people, denying the reality of this world, longing only for relief from life itself, persists. And while some think of India’s great humanistic creations in religion and philosophy- the systems of Jainism and Buddhism, for example – other s see only a plurality of deities worshipped in every conceivable way. Those who know something about Indian history point proudly to her wonderful accomplishment in astronomy, chemistry, medicine, and mathematics, nothing that the base ten number system and the zero, which made possible a revolution in mathematic, are India’s gift to the world.

BOOK ON INDIA

WORK MORE THAN OTHERS, KNOW MORE THAN OTHERS. EXPECT LESS THAN OTHERS- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
A BOOK IS THE PRECIOUS LIFEBLOOD OF A MASTER SPIRIT.
I HAVE ALWAYS IMAGINED THAT PARADISE WILL BE A KIND OF LIBRARY.J.S.BORGES. ARGENTIVE POET.
REFLECT UPON YOUR PRESENT BLESSINGS, OF WHICH EVERY MAN HAS PLENTY; NOT ON YOUR PAST MISFORTUNES, OF WHICH ALL MEN HAVE SOME. CHARLES DICKENS 1812-70
YOU WON’T BE HAPPY WITH MORE UNTIL YOU’RE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT. ANON
HEALTH IS THE GREATEST GIFT, CONTENTMENT THE GREATEST WEALTH, FAITHFULNESS THE BEST RELATIONSHIP. BUDDHA, C 400BC.
WHOEVER IS HAPPY WILL MAKE OTHERS HAPPY, TOO. MARK TWAIN.
IF YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE IN THE COMPANY OF FAMILY AND GOOD FRIENDS YOU HAVE THE INGREDIENTS FOR HAPPINESS.
STAY,STAY AT HOME,MY HEART, AND REST; HOME-KEEPING HEARTS ARE HAPPIEST. H.W. LONGFELLOW, 1807-82
THE TRUE WAY TO RENDER OURSELVES HAPPY IS TO LOVE OUR WORK AND FIND IN IT OUR PLEASURE. F.D.MOTTEVILLE, C 1621-89
WHEN WORK IS A PLEASURE, LIFE IS A JOY! MAXIM GORKY, 1868-1936
IF YOU HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE AND SOMEONE TO LOVE YOU ARE BLESSED.

I HAVE LEARNED............. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
That when you're in love, it shows.
That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
That being kind is more important than being right.
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
That money doesn't buy class.
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
That love, not time, heals all wounds.
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
That I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation.
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
(Written by Andy Rooney, a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few word " (born January 14, 1919) is an American radio and television writer.

state of art pagoda in Mumbai city

Mumbai: Mumbai's newest landmark, the majestic 325-feet tall Global Vipassana Pagoda, the tallest pillar-less dome in the world, dedicated as a "world monument of peace and harmony"
The structure looms majestically over the GVF complex, spread over 13 acres of lush greenery, near picturesque Gorai in northwest Mumbai, barely a kilometre from the Arabian Sea. Pagodas are multi-tiered structures common in China, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and other countries where Buddhism is followed.
The structure measures 280 feet in diameter and 90 feet in height, and is flanked by two 60-ft tall pagodas.
"The people of Myanmar donated the marble used for the flooring and the umbrella placed atop the pagoda. The people of Thailand donated the golden paint typically used in pagodas, which is not available in India. In addition, a student's family donated the land while other past students of Vipassana contributed around Rs.800 million to construct the entire structure,"
Vipassana is an ancient Indian meditation technique. According to GVF trustee Vallabh Bhanshali, it is a non-sectarian, rational process of mental purification through self-observation, practised in 140 countries, irrespective of caste, class, religion, race or sex.
Designed by Indian architect Chandubhai Sompura on the lines of the She Dagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, this pagoda is a hollow structure, having a dome of 280 feet diameter. Below it is a massive 6,000-sq pillar-less meditation hall which can accommodate 8,000 people at a time.
IT'S LOCATION IS AT NEAR GORAI BEACH VILLAGE, 1HRS DRIVE FROM AIRPORT AND ABOUT 2HRS FROM MAIN CITY.
The dome is more than three times the size of the large masonry structure - the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Karnataka, which is 90 feet in diameter. The original bone relics of Gautam Buddha, donated by the Sri Lankan government and the Mahabodhi Society of India, have been enshrined in the central locking stone of the dome.
The pagoda is the outcome of efforts by nearly 700 labourers toiling daily for the past 11 years to make what is billed as the 8th wonder of the world.

Powai lake, mumbai

Away from the chaos of city life Powai Lake expands in a Northern suburb of Mumbai. A large artificial lake that is situated a little West of Indian Institute of Technology, India's illustrious institution of Science and Technology.

Powai Lake was built by the British as early as in 1890. The lake owes its name to Framaji Kavasji Powai Estate, which belonged to one Parsi merchant. The Powai Lake has seen many phases, once supplying water to Mumbai, the lake today has been declared unfit to drink. Yet, the placid and soothing expanse of Powai Lake attracts tourists in hordes.

Offering a much needed escape from the chaotic city life, Powai Lake is an ideal spot for picnickers. You could laze around the bank of the lake and enjoy the nature in peace.

Marinedrive,Mumbai,4/04/09

The political capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, Mumbai has various titles and sobriqets. India’s largest city, commercial capital, industrial powerhouse, busiest port, fashion capital, Bollywood, the world’s largest textiles market- and it’s never-ending list. A sprawling, bustling city which is home to some 13 million Indians, Mumbai enfolds all within its embrace. Like a giant magnet, it draws people from all walks of life-traders and artisans, musicians and movie stars, peasants and industrialists, entrepreneurs and executives, students and dropouts. In fact any Indian with a dream heads for Mumbai and this pulsating, cosmopolitan, multicultural city takes them all into its arms, mumbai is like bits of India all rolled into one.

A TIMELESS PLACE

Tracing the journey of mumbai through time is quite an experience. For it takes us back a long, long way before landing back in the present. A lot of history has happened right here, in and around mumbai. Excavations around the city have already established that life came here since the Palealithic age. Some historans believe that Nalasopara is the ancient town of Ophir.Ptolemy mentions a place called Chersonesus believed to be around Thane creek.

300 B.C: historical records mention a western port in the Mauryan empire that is believed to be Mumbai.
800 A.D: Bombay along with thane was an important part of Shilahara Kingdom.
1100 A.D: Raj Bhimdev founds a Hindu Kingdom on Mahim island.

David Sasoon Library

1290 A.D: Marco Polo arrives at Thane.
1321A.D: Friar Jordan visits Thane.
1508; Bombay area first raided by the Portuguese.
1530: the Portuguese takes the Thane Fort.
1661: King Charles II of England marries Princess Catherine De Braganza of Portugal and gets the seven islands of Bombay in dowry.
1668: King Charles II leases Bombay to the East Indian company for a rent of 10 pounds per year.
1687: East India company moves its headquarters from Surat to Bombay.
1715: Construction of the Fort Completed according to Gen.Aungier’s wishes.
1718; St.Thomas Cathedral built.
1794: the Preisidency post office established.
1833: The Town Hall is conbstructed.
1838: Construction of Colaba Causeway
1847: The J.J Hospital and Grant medical college established.
1853: The first train runs between the erstwhile Victoria Terminus and Thane.
1857: the University of Bombay established following the woods Education Dispatch.
1867: The first suburban railway service with steam traction begins.
1869: Installation of the Flora Fountain.
1872: The Bombay Municipal Corporation established.
1874: Tram services begins.
1875: The Bombay Stock Exchange established.
1878: The construction of the Bombay high court building and the Rajbai tower, both designed by Sir Gilbert Scott.
1888: Victoria Terminus built.
1896: Cinema arrives with screening of Lumiere Brothers Cinematographe.
1903: Taj Mahal Hotel Built.
1905: the telephone excange begins functioning.
1911: the gateway of India built to welcome king George and Queen Mary.
1914: The Prince of Wales Museum set up.
1920: The Bombay Airport, the first in India set up.
1926: BEST bus service begins.
1935: The Reserve bank of India is Opened.
1945: The bith of Greater Bombay.
1947: Indian achieves independence.
1952: The prestigious Jehangir Art Gallery is opened.
1957; The BARC or Bhabha Atomic research center set up.
1960: Bombay state divided into the State of Gujarat and maharashtra.
1970-80 Nariman point and Cuffe Parade developed.
1971: Sahar International Airport opened.
1978: Film city Studios built in Goregaon.
1992-93: Communal riots hit Bombay.
1996:Bombay becomes Mumbai.