Treatment For Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain can occur to computer surfers who spend long hours at a same position, bike riders, where the bike does not have enough shock absorbers, and others who normally are into routine type of work. Backbone and the Spinal chord are very important parts of the body, which manages the entire structure. Keeping them healthy is very important. Low back pain be overcome by following certain simple exercises. Computers surfers can follow workplace workouts to avoid back pain and stress. The below simple technics will help get relief from low back pain. You can follow these methods carefully and apply them very slowly. Remember to always feel relaxed and comfortable before you start any exercise. Mind plays a vital role in any exercise to show effect on you.

Trunk Flexion Stretch

a) On hands and knees, tuck in chin and arch back.

b) Slowly sit back on heels, letting shoulders drop towards floor.

c) Hold for 45 to 60 Seconds.

Alternate Arm Leg Extension Exercise

a) Face floor on hands and knees.

b) Raise left arm and right leg. Do not arch neck.

c) Hold for 10 seconds and release.

d) Raise right arm and left leg. Do not arch neck.

e) Hold for 10 seconds and release

Pelvic Tilt Exercise

a) Lie on back with knees bent, feel flat on floor, and arms at sides

b) Flatten small of back against floor. (Hips will tilt upward)

c) Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and release. Gradually increase your holding time to 60 seconds.

Curl Up Exercise

a) Lie on the floor on back.

b) Keeping arms folded across chest, tilt pelvis to flatten back. Tuck chin into chest.

c) Tighten abdominal muscles while raising head and shoulders from floor

d) Hold for 10 seconds and releasee) Repeat 10 to 15 times. Gradually increase your repititions.

Prone Lumbar Extension

Purpose: To extend your lower back

a) Lie on your stomach and place your hands on the floor near the sides of your head.

b) Slowly push your upper body off the floor by straightening your arms, but keep your hips on the floor. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax your arms, moving back to the floor.

Double Knee-To-Chest Stretch:

a) Lie down on back

b) Pull both knees into chest until you feel a comfortable stretch in lower back.

c) Keep the back relaxed.

d) Hold for 45 to 60 seconds

Alternate Leg Extension:

a) Lie on your stomach with your arms folded uneder your chin.

b) Slowly lift one leg - not too high - without bending it, while keeping your pelvis flat on the floor.

c) Slowly lower your leg and repeat with the other leg.

Water slide

Panache -09 Song

Panache-09
Song

Edhi kalayanaa nijamukadha,
Manaloney anuvuanuvai

Manasuntey marghamundhi kada,
Vesesai mundhu adugai

Jeevitham thallidhandrula varamu,
Ghyanam gurulu panchindey kada
Aanandam mana thodu undaganeah,
Eelokham mana venta radha illa

Yedhuruga chudu ASTRA neah thodu,
Avakashani cheyjaraneedu
Neelo merupu merisindhi chudu,
Chesai ikapai deshamlo marpu

Hamara dil chahata hai PANACHE PANACHE (2)
WE ARE THE ONE…...... WE ARE FOR ALL………
WE ARE THE STARS OF “ASTRA” (2)

Benefits of Water

The human body is made up of 60-65% water (lean people have morewater in their bodies mainly due to the fact that muscles hold morewater than fat).
More researchers recommend 8 glasses of water a day in order tomaintain our health, but sometimes this quantity might vary dependingon life-style, nutrition, environment temperature, humidity, etc. Thehuman body needs so much water because almost every cell in our bodyneed water to function properly.
Still, if you think that the human body accumulates daily 2 litersof water, think again! Our lungs expel daily about 3 cups of waterthrough normal breathing, if we perspire we eliminate two cups of watera day (not including exercises), etc.
Some of us prefer soft drinks to water. In this case we should bearin mind that sugar slows down the absorption of fluids into the body.Additionally, such drinks contain calories that might sometimes makethe difference between weight loss and weight gain.
Besides drinking water, another important method of increasing waterintake in our bodies is eating food with a high content of water. Suchsources of water are fruits and vegetables.
The top 5 fruits with one of the highest content of water are:
1. Watermelon (92% water)

2. Strawberries (92% water)

3. Grapefruits (91% water)

4. Cantaloupe (90% water)

5. Peaches (88% water)
Additionally, the top 5 vegetables with one of the highest content of water are:
1. Lettuce (96% water)

2. Cucumber (96% water)

3. Celery (95% water)

4. Radish (95% water)

5. Zucchini (95% water)
If drinking water is not that easy for you, here are some tips that will make it easier for you to drink water:
1. Drink less but more often (every two hours drink a cup of water, take water with you in the car, when you watch TV, etc.)

2. Include some natural flavors in your glasses of water.

3. Use ice, lemons, straws, etc.

4. Use colorful containers.

5. Drink cold water (it might taste better).

6. Replace soda with water at lunch.

7. Drink a glass of water before you eat (recommended especially when you are trying to loss weight, as water decreases your appetite) .

Additionally, for those who think that drinking less water meansless kg on the scale, we should bear in mind that the more water weconsume, the less we retain, because a clean inner body works moreeffectively.
Water consumption has a lot of health benefits. There is not a single diet in the world that restricts water consumption.
The most important 10 health related benefits of water consumption are:
1. External benefits: additional moisture for our skin, prevents the aging process, a more fit body, etc.
2. Headaches:75% of our brain is made of water. So, when the body has a waterdeficit, the brain will be the one of the first who will signal theproblem, causing headaches. When drinking alcohol, although some mightnot recommend, water might be the solution to get back in shape becauseit eliminates toxins and re-hydrates the brain.
3. Back pains:are often caused by fluid deficits in our bodies. The disks within ourbacks are filled with fluids, mainly water, and act like shockabsorbers. Regular movement and a proper fluid level will keep thesedisks hydrated and will allow them to support the weight of the upperbody.
Usually, the fluid inside the disks support 75% of the weight, whilethe shell supports 25% of it. When the fluid level drops, the shell isforced to support a higher weight level, causing pains and otherproblems.
4. Reduces infections:The lymphatic systems in our body is responsible for waste disposal.This system breaks down toxins before passing them into the bloodstream.
A low intake of water will disturb the flow of lymph in our systems, making our bodies less resistant to dangerous infections.
5. Hypertension: often occurs when the human body is trying to adjust to blood volumeloss. Our blood is almost 85% water, so its volume depends a lot of thewater intake.
When the body detects a drop in the blood volume, it closes lessactive capillary beds in order to maintain active areas proper fueledwith blood. When vessels close, they cause an tension increase in themuscles. So, water helps by increasing the blood volume and thus,reducing tension.
6. Concentration:water is used to flush out toxins contained by certain food products(preservatives, additives, etc.). By drinking water, these toxins areflushed quickly from the liver, making you more active and increasingyour concentration capacity.
7. Arthritis:water is used to lubricate joints between our bones. When water intakeis low, the friction between cartilage surfaces increases, causingswellings, pains, etc.
8. Breath:bad breath is a clear sign that your body needs more water. Our salivahelps the cleaning process of our teeth of bacteria and keeps ourtongue hydrated.
9. Cramps:oxygen is transported to our muscles by blood. If the blood is notproperly oxygenated, muscles create lactic acid causing cramps. Bydrinking water we make sure that our blood is fueled with oxygen.
10. Other important benefits: asthma, digestion, fluid retention, morning sickness, etc.
There are many other benefits of drinking water. A proper hydrated body is a more healthy and resistant body!!!

Amazing Flying Animals

Flying Snake:-

In the tropical rain forests of South and Southeast Asia, there lives 5 snake species that know how to travel in style. Unlike other snakes that crawl, climb, or swim, these snakes "fly'! This unusual choice of mode of transportation is how they got their name -- flying snakes. Of course, flying snakes' flying ability is an overstatement, because they don't have wings. Nevertheless, as flying snakes launch from one tree, undulate across the sky, and land onto another tree, they appear as if they are flying with a pair of invisible wings! So, how do flying snakes perform such a daredevil stunt? When a flying snake climbs to a desirable take-off spot, it first dangles from a tree branch high above the ground. Holding onto the branch with its tail, the flying snake hangs like a hook. Then, suddenly, the flying snake seems to lose its grasp and starts to fall. Well, as unbelievable as this looks, the freefall is not an accident. It is how the flying snake launches its "flight."

Flying Fish:-

Flyingfishes are easily recognised by their huge pectoral fins.
They are well known for their gliding (rather than flying) ability and can be loosely divided into two types.
The four-wing flyingfishes (like that in the images) have both the pectoral and pelvic fins enlarged.

The process of taking flight, or gliding, begins by gaining great velocity underwater, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) per hour. Angling upward, the four-winged flying fish breaks the surface and begins to taxi by rapidly beating its tail while it is still beneath the surface. It then takes to the air, sometimes reaching heights over 4 feet (1.2 meters) and gliding long distances, up to 655 feet (200 meters). Once it nears the surface again, it can flap its tail and taxi without fully returning to the water. Capable of continuing its flight in such a manner, flying fish have been recorded stretching out their flights with consecutive glides spanning distances up to 1,312 feet (400 meters).
They can glide for 200m or more. These fishes are often seen taxiing just above the water surface, rapidly beating the water with the large lower lobe of the caudal fin (see top image).
The two-wing flyingfishes have enlarged pectoral fins only. They generally do not glide as far at the four-wing flyingfishes. Flyingfishes use their gliding ability to escape from predators. A flying fish will commonly glide at double its swimming speed. Some species have been known to accelerate from a fast swimming speed of about 36km/hour to as much as 72km/hour in air.

Flying Frogs:-

Also known as parachute frogs, Wallace's flying frogs inhabit the dense tropical jungles of Malaysia and Borneo. They live almost exclusively in the trees, descending only to mate and lay eggs.When threatened or in search of prey, they will leap from a branch and splay their four webbed feet. The membranes between their toes and loose skin flaps on their sides catch the air as they fall, helping them to glide, sometimes 50 feet (15 meters) or more, to a neighboring tree branch or even all the way to the ground. They also have oversized toe pads to help them land softly and stick to tree trunks.Wallace's flying frogs are not the only frogs who have developed this ability, but they are among the largest. The black color of their foot webbing helps distinguish them from their similarly aerial cousins.They are generally bright green with yellow sides and grow to about 4 inches (10 centimeters). They survive mainly on insects.

Flying Squirrels:-

flying squirrel name for certain nocturnal tree squirrels adapted for gliding; they do not actually fly. Most are found in Asia, but one species of the genus Pteromys extends into SE Europe and the two species of Glaucomys are found in North America.
The gliding mechanism is a fold of furry skin extending along each side of the body from the wrist to the ankle and, in some species, to the tail. When the animal is at rest the flaps are folded; when it stretches its limbs for leaping, as do all tree squirrels, the flaps are stretched out taut like a parachute. The tail in many species is broad and flat, with a flat row of hairs on either side. The animal uses movements of the flaps, limbs, and tail to control direction.
The glide always starts from a high tree branch; if it is a long glide the animal comes to rest near the ground and must climb up again. The small North American flying squirrels leap from heights of 50 ft (15 m) or more and may travel a horizontal distance of over 100 ft (30 m). Flying squirrels are seldom seen because of their nocturnal habits and high dwelling places. They nest, often many together, in holes in trees.

US AF A10--Super Stuff

This video was taken in Afghanistan by the pilot of an American A-10 fighter from the cockpit camera.It was a night view. What you see is from 9700 feet away (almost two miles). Four terrorists are walking along a street with no clue that someone is watching them....... from almost 2 miles away.Such was the accuracy of the A-10 30 mm cannon that it engaged the terrorists WITHOUT injuring the dog nearby which as you can see, escaped unharmed. You can see the gun camera shake a bit as the pilot fires; then count about 4 seconds for the rounds to travel 2 miles.Every tenth round is a tracer, so the bullets you actually see are every tenth; Muzzle velocity of the 30mm cannon is 2430 feet per second. The result is that four fewer guys won't be blowing up women and children anymore!

Konark Sun Temple

Sun Temple - The Chariot of Sun
Sun Temple, located in Konark, is probably the best known attraction that is there in Orissa. The temple was build by King Narasimhadeo in the 13th century. Sun Temple is also referred to as 'Black Pagoda' as it is build of black granite. The temple dedicated to Sun God was build as a chariot to him with wheels on all sides of the temple. It is one of the earliest places where Sun God was worshiped. Although few sections of the temple are now in ruins, but still the aura and the elegance of the temple is retained. Konark was once a busy port and many ships came and went. To Europeans, it served as a landmark who started calling the temple Black Pagoda. Sun Temple is considered a marvel among other temples and has been the inspiration for many writers and poets. Numerous books and articles related to its history and architecture have been written. Looking at the temple. Rabindranath Tagore, once said, "Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man".
History of Sun Temple:-
It is said that Sun Temple is built on the place where Samba, the son of Lord Krishna worshiped Sun God for liberation from a curse put upon him by his father. Legend has it that Samba was arrogant about his beauty and once made fun of a great sage Narada. Sage Narada planned to take revenge. He once lured Samba to the side of the lake where his step mothers were taking bath. Lord Krishna came to know of this unacceptable act by his son. Infuriated, he cursed his son with Leprosy. When Lord Krishna realized that his son was tricked by Sage Narada, he asked Samba to worship Sun God, who is the healer of all diseases. Samba Worshiped Lord Surya on the sea coast. He spent 12 years of penance worshiping Sun God. After long, Surya God appeared and asked Samba to take a holy dip in Konark. As soon as he was relieved of Leprosy, he planned to built a temple dedicated to Sun God at the very same place where he appeared.
Architecture of Sun Temple:-
Few sections of the temple are now in ruins, but still major portions are still intact. The temple is an unparalleled example of medieval temple architecture. Sun Temple is a form of Vahana (vehicle) style as it is in the shape of a chariot. There are many such temples in India, however none come close to the magnificence of Sun Temple. The main temple structure stands on a platform. There are 12 wheels carved on the two sides of the platform. Each wheels is more than 10 feet in height. The spokes of the wheels work as sundials predicting the exact time of the day. Just stand under one of the wheels and feel the grandness of them. To complete the chariot, there are structures of 7 galloping horses at the entrance of the temple. These seven life size horses are a major attraction of the temple. Once you are close to the walls of the temple, notice the intricate carvings that have been done on the walls. There are images of God and Goddesses, men, women, warriors and scenes from day to day life. It is said that the temple was not build how it was envisioned. But some say that it was build exactly the way it was planned. The magnetic dome was removed from the top as it was causing many ships to crash around the shores. It is kept in the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) museum for display.
Other Information:-
Sun Temple in Konark is close to both Bhubaneswar (64 Km) and Puri (35 Km). So it makes a easy reach to the temple by any mode of transportation. Closest airport is at Bhubaneswar whereas nearest railhead is in Puri. And if you are visiting Konark around December, do not forget to be a spectator at the electrifying Konark Dance Festival which showcases all Indian classical dances like Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi and many more. They are performed by dancers who have earned great appreciation for their work from around the world. You can visit Konark any time of the year, as it has a favorable climate throughout the 12 month period.
Sun Temple is one of the most celebrated temples in India. It has been the pride of Orissa since the day it was constructed. Considered as a marvel in temple architecture, Sun Temple is the most stunning structure on the shores of Orissa.

Electricity Saving Tips

Don't leave electrical appliances on standby:-

Many of us with use the remote to switch off the TV or stereo, leaving the appliance running on standby.
This actually means the appliance is still using up electricity and wastes a considerable amount of energy. By switching off at the main power button, or even the socket, you could be saving both energy and money.
Items left on standby use up to 85% of the energy they would use if fully switched on. An extra million tonnes of carbon will be released into the atmosphere through this power wastage.

Tumble Dryer:-Electric tumble dryers are commonly the second biggest energy user in the home, after the fridge. They are obviously used a lot less, but still use a huge amount of electricity when switched on.
You can avoid using the dryer so often by line drying clothes whenever possible or using an indoor clothes dryer when the weather is bad.
If you do need to use the dryer, then ensure the clothes are as dry as possible after washing, eg, they have gone through a fast spin so that there is minimum excess water. This will reduce drying time considerably.

Lighting:-In most homes, about 10-15% of the electricity bill is for lighting so energy saving light bulbs can cut your costs considerably. Traditional bulbs waste a lot of energy by turning it into heat but energy saving bulbs work in the same way as fluorescent lights, the tubes coating glows brightly as an electric current passed through gas in the tube.

They may be more expensive to buy than traditional bulbs, but they are worth the investment as last over 10 times longer and use up to 4 times less energy. Where you would use a 100w ordinary bulb, you would only need a 20-25w energy saving bulb. With savings like this, changing bulbs throughout your house could really cut your electricity costs.
No matter what type of lighting you are using, always turn the lights off when you leave a room.

solar garden lights:-There are a number of different solar powered lights available at the moment for use in the garden. These lights are highly energy efficient and convenient as do not require external extension leads or special electric fittings. These lights contain solar cells which convert the suns energy into electricity. They charge up during the daylight and light up as it gets dark. They are not usually hugely bright but are less intrusive than electric lights and look nice in the flowerbeds.

Seven things not to do after meals

1- Don’t smoke- Experts have proven that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes.







2- Don’t eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore eat fruit 1-2 hr’s after a meal or 1hr before a meal.

3- Don’t drink tea -Tea leaf’s contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.

4- Don’t loosen your belt - Loosening your belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked.

5- Don’t bath - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

6- Don’t walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

7- Don’t sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine

Nareepol Thailand's Amazing tree

Believe it Or notIt is a tree nareepolNaree(woman) pol (tree) is like a sanskrit word.It is located at Petchaboon province 500 kms awayfrom Bangkok.

A Few Great Indian Personalities

Abdul Kalam Dr.A.P.J.
Ex-President of India.

Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabhudin Adbul Kalam, the twelfth President of India, is rightfully termed as the father of India's missile technology. He was born to parents Jainulabdeen Marakayar and Ashiamma on 15th October, 1931, at Dhanushkodi in Rameshwaram district, Tamil Nadu. Dr. Kalam as an eminent Aeronautical Engineer, contributed for the development of India’s first Satellite launch vehicle SLV-3 and the missiles like the Trishul, Agni, Pritvi etc. He did his secondary education at Schwartz High School in Ramanathapuram, B.Sc. at St. Joseph's College(1950), Tiruchi, and DMIT in Aeronautical Engineering at the MIT, Madras during 1954-57. After passing out as a graduate aeronautical engineer, Kalam joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore as a trainee and later joined as a technical assistant in the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Ministry of Defence. In the 1960's Kalam joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thumba in Kerala. He played a major role in the centre's evolution to a key hub of space research in India, helping to develop the country's first indigenous satellite-launch vehicle. During 1963-82, he served the ISRO in various capacities. In 1982, he rejoined DRDO as Director, and conceived the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) for five indigenous missiles. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has established an Advanced Technology Research Centre, called 'Research Centre Imarat' to undertake development in futuristic missile technology areas. He also served as the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Defence minister and later the Government of India. After retiring from the post Dr. Kalam joined Annamalai University till he became the President in January 2002. He is a member of Indian National Academy of Sciences, Astronautical Society of India and many other professional bodies. Dr. APJ abdul Kalam has been awarded Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and India's Highest civilian Award 'The Bharat Ratna' in 1997. Other prestigious awards include Dr.Biren Roy Space Award, Om Prakash Basin Award for Science and Technology, National Nehru Award, Arya Bhatta Award etc. Dr. Kalam was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc. Honoris-causa) by twenty eight universities. Dr. Kalam, a bachelor is a connoisseur of classical Carnatic music. He plays veena in his leisure. He writes poetry in Tamil, his mother tongue. Seventeen of his poems were translated into English and published in 1994 as a book entitled 'My Journey'. He reads the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita with equal devotion. He is also the Author of the books 'India 2020 : A vision for the New Millennium'(1998 with YS Rajan), 'Wings of Fire : an Autobiography' and 'Ignited Minds – unleashing the power within India'. Totally dedicated to the nation, Dr. Abdul Kalam's vision is to transform India into a developed nation by the year 2020 through hard work and perseverance. He holds a first world dream for the third world nation.

Amar Bose
Born: 1929 Achievements: Founded Bose Corporation in 1929; Invented the 901(R) Direct/Reflecting(R) speaker system - one of the first stereo loudspeakers to utilize the space around them instead of reproducing sound as if in a vacuum; featured in 2006 Forbes Billionaires list.

Amar Bose is the founder of Bose Corporation and is known for his pioneering work in the field of acoustics. Bose speakers are world-famous for giving high-end performance despite their modest size.
Amar Gopal Bose was born in 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father Nani Gopal Bose was a revolutionary freedom fighter who emigrated from Calcutta to escape British prosecution. Amar Bose was interested in electronics right from his childhood and used to make small electrical toys to supplement his family's income. He did his schooling Abington Senior High School and graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering from MIT in the early 1950s. He also completed his Ph.D. from MIT.
While doing graduation from MIT in 1950s, Amar Bose purchased a new stereo system. But he was disappointed with the performance of the speakers. Despite their impressive technical specifications, the speakers failed to reproduce the realism of a live performance. This led Bose to start working on stereo speaker. He aimed to design a speaker that would emulate the concert hall experience in the home. Amar Bose's early patents won him great respect within the industry. But Bose needed capital to do further research and begin production. Amar Bose received financial support from MIT professor Y. W. Lee and in 1964 he founded Bose Corporation.
In 1968, Amar Bose invented the 901(R) Direct/Reflecting(R) speaker system. They were one of the first stereo loudspeakers to utilize the space around them instead of reproducing sound as if in a vacuum. Bose's 901(R) speakers remained an industry benchmark for 25 years. Amar Bose also captured the car stereo market, with systems that transformed the on-the-road listening experience.
Today, Amar Bose has over two-dozen patents to his name. His products can be found in Olympics stadiums, the Sistine Chapel, NASA Space Shuttle, and the Japanese National Theatre. Amar Bose was also a professor of electrical engineering at MIT for many years until he retired in 2000. Amar Bose featured on the 2006 Forbes Billionaires list with a personal wealth of $1.2 billion.

Vikram .A. Sarabhai

2nd chairman of Indian Atomic Energy Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation Vikram.A.Sarabhai, was the main personality behind the launching of India's first satellite, Aryabhata in 1975. He was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in a family of industrialists. He was also responsible for the Equatorial Rocket Building Station at Thumba. Sarabhai set up the Ahmedabad Textile Industries Research Association, a laboratory for research in Physics and the Indian Institute of Management. Sarabhai was the second chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission and the Indian Space Research Organisation. Sarabhai's study of cosmic rays under the eminent scientist Dr.
C.V. Raman, revealed that cosmic rays are a stream of energy particles reaching the earth from the outer space, being influenced on their way by the sun, the atmosphere and magnetism. This study helps in observing terrestrial magnetism and the atmosphere, the nature of the sun and outer space. He was conferred 'Padma Shri' in 1966 and was posthumously awarded 'Padma Vibushan' in 1972. He was also awarded 'Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize' in 1962. This great scientist could be credited with launching India into space age.

Sachin Tendulkar

Cricketer The pride of Indian cricket Sachin Tendulkar, was the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in one-day cricket, in a five-day match series against Australia on the 31st of March 2001. He has scored a world record, 28 hundreds and 50 half-centuries in his 10,000 runs. A perennial crowd-favorite, he is the only Indian cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour for his performance in 1997-1998 Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973, in Mumbai. Young Sachin wanted to be a fast bowler. He even undertook trials at the MRF pace foundation, Chennai, but his short stature proved to be a hindrance for bowling. Meeting Mr. R. Achrekar, his Cricket Coach and changing his school to Shardashram Vidya Mandir in Dadar marked a turning point in Sachin's cricket career. Sachin at the age of 16, made his International debut in ODI’s India v Pakistan at Gujranwala and Tests debut India v Pakistan at Karachi
around 1989/90. He then went to England as a part of the national team, and has not looked back ever since. He knows every shot in the book and and makes his own improvisations. His shots have tremendous power and he times the ball perfectly, making him one of the best batsman in the world. He is also an effective bowler and also one of the best fielders. This all rounder has been the captain of the Indian cricket team twice. On the personal front, Sachin is god fearing and he is married to a doctor Anjali and they have a two children- Sara and Arjun. In 1998, he won the Coopers and Lybrand Award for 'Player of the year' and has been in the number one position in the Wisden Cricket ratings.

Rahman A.R.

Music Director A.R.Rahman, (Allah Rakha Rahman) the musical maestro of Indian Cinema was born on 6th January,1966 in Madras, to a musically affluent family. This genius with his exceptional talent, has reached heights of success that people his age can only dream of. Even then this small man remains humble and credits all his inspiration and success to Allah. Born as Dileep Kumar to parents R.K.Sekhar, a music composer and mother Kasturi (alias Kareema Begum), he came to be known as A.R Rahman later when the family converted to Islam. Dileep started learning piano at the tender age of four. As his father passed away early, the pressure of supporting the family fell on young Dileep Kumar.
Dileep joined Illaiyaraja's troupe as a keyboard player at the age of 11 and had to drop out of school. He also played on the orchestra of M.S.Vishwanathan and Ramesh Naidu and accompanied Zakir Hussain and Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan on world tours. All this experience enabled him to earn a scholarship to the famed Trinity College of Music at Oxford University from where he obtained a degree in Western Classical Music. After he returned he continued to be a part of various music troupes. He was also a part of local rock bands like Roots, Magic and Nemesis Avenue where he performed with his future colleagues like Ranjit Barot and Sivamani. In 1987, he got a chance to compose a jingle to promote Allwyn's new Trendy range of watches. His work was appreciated and he got many more offers. He has done jingles for popular ads like Parry's, Leo Coffee, Boost, Titan, Premier Pressure Cooker, Asian Paints etc. Rahman went on to compose more than 300 jingles and received awards and recognition for his work, in the five years he continued in advertising. In 1989, he started a small studio of his own, called Panchathan Record Inn, attached to his house. It was here that he began experimenting in sound engineering, design and production. The turning point in his life was when he met the famous director Mani Ratnam and was signed on to compose music for his super hit film 'Roja'. Rahman got the national award for the best music director that year. From then on there was no looking back for him. He got offers from a lot of directors from the south and the Hindi film 'Rangeela' and later 'Bombay' established his popularity in the north too. Rahman music wave arrived with a big bang in the tinsel world with sales of more than 40 million albums over a period of 3 years. He has also dabbled in playback singing with songs like 'Hamma Hamma' in Bombay, 'Dil Se Re' in Dil Se etc.
Apart from making music for films, Rahman has also done compositions for patriotic albums like ' Vande Mataram' a tribute to the motherland released simultaneously in 28 countries across the world and 'Jana Gana Mana' which brought together many of the countries classical and contemporary musical maestros, both released under the prestigious Label of Sony Music. He has also worked and performed with internationally reputed artists such as Apache Indian, David Byrne, Michael Jackson and with Andrew Webber Lloyd for his album 'Bombay Dreams'. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his talent. Padmasree from the government of India in 2000 being one of them.

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Fantastic Natural Phenomena

Watch the rare wonders of nature…….The classical natural wonders are huge and hard to miss - vast canyons, giant mountains and the like. Many of the most fantastic natural phenomena, however, are also least easy to spot. Some are incredibly rare while others are located in hard-to-reach parts of the planet. Here are four of the most spectacular phenomenal wonders of the natural world.


1) Sailing Stones: The mysterious moving stones of the packed-mud desert of Death Valley have been a center of scientific controversy for decades. Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time. Some scientists have proposed that a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements. However, this theory does not explain evidence of different rocks starting side by side and moving at different rates and in disparate directions. Moreover, the physics calculations do not fully support this theory as wind speeds of hundreds of miles per hour would be needed to move some of the stones.

2) Columnar Basalt:When a thick lava flow cools it contracts vertically but cracks perpendicular to its directional flow with remarkable geometric regularity - in most cases forming a regular grid of remarkable hexagonal extrusions that almost appear to be made by man. One of the most famous such examples is the Giant's Causeway on the coast of Ireland (shown above) though the largest and most widely recognized would be Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Basalt also forms different but equally fascinating ways when eruptions are exposed to air or water.


3) Blue holes are giant and sudden drops in underwater elevation that get their name from the dark and foreboding blue tone they exhibit when viewed from above in relationship to surrounding waters. They can be hundreds of feet deep and while divers are able to explore some of them they are largely devoid of oxygen that would support sea life due to poor water circulation - leaving them eerily empty. Some blue holes, however, contain ancient fossil remains that have been discovered, preserved in their depths.

4) Red tides: Red tides are also known as algal blooms - sudden influxes of massive amounts of colored single-cell algae that can convert entire areas of an ocean or beach into a blood red color. While some of these can be relatively harmless, others can be harbingers of deadly toxins that cause the deaths of fish, birds and marine mammals. In some cases, even humans have been harmed by red tides though no human exposure are known to have been fatal. While they can be fatal, the constituent phytoplankton in ride tides are not harmful in small numbers.