Unakoti - Tripura

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When on visit to the United States, most of us will not miss visiting Mount Rushmore and we are wowed by the 4 US Ex-Presidents rock carvings Sculpted by Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum. Yes they are huge and wonderful art done by them. But did you know we in India had a lot more rock carvings done much much earlier. Ofcourse not of any Presidents and PM's or Rajas. May be its not a great comparision, but still read on.

Unakoti hill, literally meaning, one less a koti (crore) in Bengali, hosts an ancient Shaivite place of worship with huge rock reliefs celebrating Shiva. It is the prime tourist spot of Unakoti Tripura which lies about 178km from Agartala, Tripura.

It is Shaiva pilgrimage and dates back to 7th – 9th centuries if not earlier. The marvelous rock carvings, murals with their primitive beauty, waterfalls are not to be missed.
While the marvellous rock carvings, murals with their primitive beauty form the chief attraction, natural beauty including mountain scenery and waterfalls are an added bonus.

The images found at Unakoti are of two types: namely rock-carved figures and stone images. Among the rock cut carvings, the central Shiva head and gigantic Ganesha figures deserve special mention. The central Shiva head known as Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava is about 30 feet high including an embroidered head-dress which itself is 10 feet high. On each side of the head-dress of the central Shiva, there are two full size female figures - one of Durga standing on a lion and another female figure on the other side. In addition three enormous images of Nandi Bull are found half buried in the ground. There are various other stone as well as rock cut images at Unakoti.

There are various stories associated with this place.

It is believed that, once lord Shiva was going to Varanasi along with 1 crore god and goddesses including him. On the way they thought of taking rest and shelter on this hill for the night. Before going to bed Lord Shiva strictly warned the other gods and goddesses to get up at dawn before the sun rises and leave for Varanasi.The following morning only Lord Shiva got up and nobody else woke up. In anger Lord Shiva cursed them to become stone sculptures or images and stay there forever. Since then there have been one less than a crore stone sculptures on the hill.

Another story revolves around one Kalu Kamar, the famous sculptor. He was assigned the task to build a crore of the deities in his dream. But keeping the last idol unfinished Kalu created his own image. Thus ‘Koti’ could not be completed. So, the place got its name as Unakoti.

Never the less, this is one incredible and a unique place in India which you can include on your Northeastern visit.

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Story similarities- Raja Jai Singh and Ratan Tata

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Being Indians, Its always nice to listen to some good stories about the achievement of our fellow men.
I am sure most of you have heard about the story of Raja Jai Singh of Alwar, Rajasthan. Just in case you don't know he was humiliated by the British during his visit to Rolls Royce showroom in London in 1920. He was not even allowed inside the showroom. The Raja was so rich he paid full cash and bought 6 of the Rolls Royce and then used them to pick garbage and sweep the roads in his city. The news spread like wild fire and the company's reputation dropped worldwide and the company was left embarrassed. Infact the sales too went down.The company finally sent out a telegram apologizing to Raja Jai Singh and even offered 6 more free cars!

A similar story happened with Ratan Tata too in 1999. I'm not sure how many of you know this. But as you read on, mid way, you will surely know how it has ended now. But its nice you remember these.

Ratan Tata and his team faced "humiliation" when they went to sell the group's fledgling car business to Ford in 1999. The arrogant top officials of Ford in Detroit told Tata that they don't know anything and why did they even start passenger car division. Infact they told them that they will buyout the Tata Car division.
The Tata Motors team decided to return to New York the same evening and Ratan Tata, then the group chairman, was sombre throughout the 90-minute flight.

During the further years on, the Ford company owned Jaguar and Land Rover, sales started to decline drastically. The company was into serious distress and on the verge of bankruptcy in 2008.
Nine years after the 'humiliation', the clock turned a full circle and the salt-to-software conglomerate humbled the mighty Ford -- which was on the verge of bankruptcy after the 2008 global financial meltdown -- by taking over the iconic Jaguar Land-Rover brands for $2.3 billion.

Infact Ford chairman Bill Ford thanked Tata, saying 'you are doing us a big favour by buying JLR'. Within a few years of the buyout, JLR has made a dramatic turnaround and is the mainstay of Tata Motors' finances now.

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TrueHB Meter

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There are various medical instruments available in the market to check the level of the hemoglobin. But the CBC counter is the gold standard for haemogram tests in labs. It could cost Rs 2-10 lakh, is at least twice the size of a personal computer and needs regular power supply.

 

Get introduced to this guy Amber Shrivastava. Amber Shrivastava is not a scientist; or rather should we call him an upcoming scientist. He is a post graduate student of biomedical science and studied in the (Indian institute of technology) IIT Delhi. He has developed a mobile phone-size hemoglobin meter dubbed the TrueHb Hemometer - the first case of an innovation from the institute's biomedical engineering department actually getting "productized". The device, which has been validated by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for its efficacy, is expected to help identify and tackle anemia effectively. India with very high prevalence of anemia also sees a large number of maternal deaths from the condition.

While the price of the TrueHb meter has not been fixed as of now, it is expected to be cheaper than most other similar devices in the market, which cost well over Rs 25,000.

Paper-based color cards that use a color scale to provide a rough estimate of hemoglobin values are also used. Such cards give a range and not an exact value of the hemoglobin level.

TrueHb, on the other hand, works like a conventional glucometer and works with just a tiny drop of blood from a pinprick on the disposable strip. It not only reads the accurate level within 45 seconds, but also stores up to 1,000 such readings. It can be charged like a mobile phone and allows up to 300 tests per charge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O0esCELaFQ

His LinkedIn profile is here.. https://in.linkedin.com/in/ambar-srivastava-79b6147

And you can know more and get it here http://truehb.com/

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Trek to Siachen

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Siachen Trek

I know that there are a few trekkers in this group. How many of you can take a challenge of trekking to Siachin. Yes Siachin. Not many countries have this kind of terrain to trek and even if they have they do not have the facility and a daring army like ours to assist you all along. But its not really easy and just start off as you have been trekking in other places. You'll have to go through a rigorous set of tests to prove your fitness. Read through.

The Siachen Glacier is the highest and coldest battlefield in the world at an average altitude of 20,000 feet. The temperature dips to minus 60 degrees in the winter.

Civilians are usually not allowed to go beyond Panamik, a small village in the Nubra Valley famous for its hot sulphur springs. The annual Siachen civilian trek organised by the Indian Army, gives them a chance to trek up tothe icy heights of the glacier.

The Indian Army conducts this trek for civilians, between August to September every year. The expedition for civilians was started for the first time in 2007 and is organised by the Army Adventure Wing. About 30-40 civilians are selected.

The length of the trek is 60 kilometres both ways and at altitudes ranging between 12,000 feet and 16,000 feet.
Those interested have to send a signed application to HQ Northern High Command,  The participants will be decided on a first-come-first -serve basis. Applicants should preferably be below 45 years of age. Sorry to some of you as you might have crossed this age. Everyone selected for the trek has the required fitness to go on the high-altitude trek in extreme conditions.

The trek is usually a 13 day long one. But the overall program goes on for a month including acclimatisation, medical check up and the trek from Siachen Base Camp to the Kumar camp and back.

By just going on this trek you will surely be a part of the three here..

1.This is the only chance for a civilian to visit the world’s highest and coldest battlefield and you'll be a part of it.

2. All along, the trek will unfold some really spectacular views of the mighty Himalayas and will surely test your guts and fitness levels. 

3. You can be a part of a team which shows a way of reinforcing India’s sovereignty over the glacier which Pakistan claims as its own.
4. Last but not the least, it is an opportunity for you to showcase yourself as well as to the nation and the world the hurdles the Indian Army faces in manning and provisioning the peaks in the most inhospitable terrains where the weather is the bigger adversary than the opponent 
I know I am really late in sending you this information (I found it just today :)). You have just one day left to send your application to the Indian Army. It should be sent across to them by July 20, 2016. The application can be downloaded here http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/WriteReadData/Documents/AAW070113.pdf
But you can still try if you want to this year, or else wait for an year.

The applications have to be sent to:
HQ Northern Command (Training Branch)
Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir
Pin: 182121

The documents to be sent with the complete application form include indemnity bond and medical certificate.

You can read more about this here.

http://www.thehindu.com/thread/politics-and-policy/article7747386.ece

But one thing I can say is NO GUTS... NO GLORY. If you wish to go for the glory here is an opportunity which possibly no other country offers.

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Ashok Dwarakanath <ashok.hd@gmail.com>	Jul 18 (4 days ago)
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Venkatraman Radhakrishnan - Eminent Scientist

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Most of you know who Bharata Ratna Sir Chandrashkhara Venkata Raman ... Sir.C.V.Raman? And some of you might know what his achievements are and also that he was a Nobel laureate physicist. But many of us don't know about his son Venkataraman Radhakrishnan who was also one of the greatest space scientist that India has seen.

Venkatraman Radhakrishnan was born on May 18, 1929 in Tondaripet, a suburb of Chennai to Sir.C.V.Raman and his wife Smt. Lokasundari Ammal.
Venkataraman was a globally renowned space scientist and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Prof. Radhakrishnan served on various committees in various capacities. He was the Vice President of the International Astronomical Union during 1988-1994. He served as the Chairman of Commission J ( Radio Astronomy) of the International Union of Radio Sciences (1981–1984).
He was an internationally acclaimed Astrophysicist and also known for his design and fabrication of ultralight aircraft and sailboats.
Radhakrishnan was one of the most respected Radio Astronomers in the world during his time, in that he was associated in one capacity or other with the world’s biggest radio telescopes. He was the member of the Foreign Advisory Committee for the Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy, Steering Committee of the Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Australia, Advisory Committee for the Green Bank Radio Telescope, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, USA. He was also the Member of the Governing Council of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. During the period of 1973–1981 he was a member of the Indian National Committee for Astronomy.
His observations and theoretical insights helped the community in unraveling many mysteries surrounding pulsars, interstellar clouds, galaxy structures and various other celestial bodies.

He had an indigenously built catamaran (a type of boat or a ship) called "El da mer", dedicated to his French wife, in which he went circumventing the globe twice.

He breathed his last on March 3,2011 in Bengaluru.

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Patwon Ki Haveli-Jaisalemer

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We have read in our books that the Indian traders were very rich and the westerners were awestruck, envied the richness in our society and we all know how outsiders from the days of Ghoris and Ganjnis have been looting our country and countrymen.... And still we don't learn. May be that our greatness of forgiving and accommodating outsiders in this country has been capitalized by the outside world.

The richness in culture, architecture, creativity, construction, economy, freedom, money.. and what not.. we had (and we have) is seen in every inch and brick of this country.

In many of the earlier posts we have seen forts and palaces of Maharajas. But take this one example of a rich trader's "house"!

The Patwon ki Haveli is the most important and the largest haveli, and this haveli is in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. It is not a single haveli but a group of five small havelis. The first in the row is also the most popular, and is also known as Kothari's Patwa Haveli. The first among these was commissioned and constructed in the year 1805 by Guman Chand Patwa, then a rich trader of jewelry and fine brocades, and is the biggest and the most grandiose.

Patwa was a rich man and a well-known trader of his time and he could afford and thus order the construction of separate stories for each of his 5 sons. These were completed in the span of 50 years. All five houses were constructed in the first 60 years of the 19th century.

Located in the center of the city, it is truly an outstanding piece of architecture. Built in sandstone in the period between 1800 and 1860 AD, it is well known for its beautiful latticework on its porticos made of stone and wood. There is a stunning apartment in it, which is flawlessly painted with beautiful murals. Patwon Ki haveli is renowned for its ornate wall paintings, intricate yellow sandstone-carved jharokhas or balconies, gateways and doorways. Although the building itself is made from yellow sandstone, the main gateway is brown. It is a beautiful Haveli known for its elaborate latticed havelis with facade five-storey building.
The mansion is a delight for appreciators of architecture. The ceilings and pillars are exquisitely carved. The walls also feature beautiful mirror work and several paintings. Another attractive feature of the mansion is its arches and gateways; every arch has distinct depictions.
The lattice or jail carvings allow ample light and fresh air to enter the rooms. The entrance of the haveli features a beautiful arched gateway with a delicately carved façade. The haveli has as many as 60 balconies that overlook the street and courtyard.
You can read more here http://patwahaveli.com/history.asp

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Thirthan Valley

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If you are looking for solitude out in the wilderness, then this is where you should be heading to. Tirthan Valley, in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh is a quiet riverside retreat that lies on the banks of River Tirthan, which is a tributary of the Beas River. The pristine river originates from the icy cold glacial springs of Hanskund, a snow-capped peak in the verdant Great Himalayan National Park. Perched at an altitude of over 1600 meters above the sea level, it is an adventure-centric getaway blessed with nature's wealth of treasures.

Tirthan Valley is a destination with plethora of delights. Lying nearly 3 kilo-meters from the entrance of Great Himalayan National Park, this place is abundant in adventurous activities and a paradise for nature lovers. Tirthan Valley Area is green and good for trekking, overnight camping, river crossing and all kinds of adventure activities.

Tirthan valley is a place where one can easily forget the world & relax. Have walks into the woods or besides the river do Bird watching,you feel the nature’s bliss. The area is also known for the Trout fishing and access to Great Himalayan National Park.

The idyllic backdrop of Tirthan valley is dominated by cloud-kissed mountains, dense coniferous forests and sprawling alpine meadows. Besides offering spectacular vistas, the valley is also one of the best bird watching destinations in Himachal Pradesh. Definitely a great getaway to connect with nature and unwind in solitude!
Tirthan is an offbeat destination that has something for everyone. This quiet valley is ideal for trekking, fishing, wildlife watching, and discovering under-explored hill villages. There’s also the option of doing absolutely nothing as you relax among the pine trees in the valley.
So if you like to scout around uncharted terrain, pack your bags and head towards Tirthan. For now, I can share a few pictures of this beautiful valley.

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Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse

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In The Indian Army, each solider is a hero and each one will have hundreds of heroic incidents to tell to authenticate it. Kargil war was one of the wars where our incredible and invincible soldiers showed some of their greatest heroics and incredible valor.

Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse of 2 Rajputana Rifles was yet another hero of the Kargil War and someone who reminds us about the fact that in our military race, religion, region do not matter at all; in the immortal words of poet Pradeep, Jo khoon gira parbat par/ woh khoon tha Hindustani. Jo shaheed hue hain unki. Jara yaad karo qurbaani. This soldier of India hailed from Nagaland and belonged to an area that has frequently been against the Indian army but this did not prevent him from displaying rare and exemplary courage in the line of duty. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his role as platoon commander in charge of the attack on the Black Rock in Drass.

Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse volunteered for a daring commando mission

The captain, who was known as Neibu by friends and family, and affectionately as Nimbu Sahib by his men, undertook a daring commando mission that approached the enemy armed to the teeth by way of a sheer cliff face. Though the extremely dangerous mission was in the face of heavy shelling and steady machine gun fire which caused heavy casualties, the team doggedly persevered.
When a sheer rock wall impeded progress, the captain kicked off his shoes (in weather 10 degrees below freezing at the height of nearly 5000 mts) and continued climbing with a rocket launcher. He sustained a serious abdominal injury which bled severely but  he still neutralized four more Pakistanis; two with his rifle and two more with his commando knife in hand to hand combat. It was then that the fateful bullet hit and knocked him right off the mountain; but not before he had paved the way for his men to capture Lone Hill. The men he commanded dedicated their victory to their Nimbu Sahib.
“I may not be able to return home to be a part of our family again. Even if I don’t make it, do not grieve for me because I have already decided to give my best for the nation,” the captain penned in his last letter to his father. These are the very sentiments that marked a shift in the perception of the Indian army among many Nagas. When the captain returned home in a coffin, thousands lined the streets in his native village to pay their homage. Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse not only died in battle for the nation, he performed yet another service for the nation: he did his people proud and he changed the perception of the Indian army in the mind of the people.

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Credits to Author Reena Daruwala in http://www.thestorypedia.com/captain-neikezhakuo-kenguruse-2-rajputana-rifles-heroism-beyond-kargil/?partner=Mexico&ref=1

The Citation

Indian Rural Olympics

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Olympics 2016 are about to start in just a few days from now. And India is sending out its largest ever delegation this time. 120 athletes. Lets wish them and wish that they bring more medals and glory to the country. But did you know that in Raipur, located in the Sardulgarh tehsil of Mansa district in Punjab, they celebrate the famous Kila Raipur Sports Festival, popularly referred to as the India's Rural Olympics.

Running for eight decades now, the popular sports festival in the districts of Punjab is a fascinating sight to witness. This sporting event takes place in the very beginning of February every year and lasts for 3 days. It is the time when the farming chores are put on the back burner and people gather to perform some of the craziest, insane and bizarre feat at Kila Raipur Village 15 kilometers from Ludhiana in Punjab.

The Rural Olympics were started in the year 1933 by philanthropist Inder Singh Grewal. He was struck by an idea to group together farmers from nearby Kila Raipur areas every year to match their physical strength and endurance. This small idea led to the birth of Kila Raipur Sports Festival. The aim of the event was “healthy mind in a healthy body”. The sports association decided for a watchword “excellence” which was to be achieved through participation in grueling sports events. The association also believed that with the advent of such sports events, they could inspire young boys and girls and even veterans to come out of their households and showcase their talents and skills in traditional rural sports.

Over 4,000 sports men and women participate in the festival. They're watched by around 1 million spectators. Bullocks, camels, dogs, mules, and other animals competing in highly professional events must be seen to be believed! The adrenaline-pumping bullock cart race is the main attraction, with sponsored prize money worth lakhs of rupees. Other events that are big on entertainment include a dog race, horse dance, camel race, tractor race, and a tug-of-war. But the chance to see some really off-beat activities is the hugest draw card -- such as people lifting bicycles with their teeth, pulling cars with their teeth or ears, or riding a bicycle ringed with a burning tyre, and other daredevil stunts. The Rural Olympics really is a test of endurance, skill and strength!

The fun doesn't end at the end of the day. Each evening there's a cultural feast featuring top notch folk singers, Bhangra, and Gidha players. The program continues well past midnight on all three day of the festival.

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