Do you Know?

 

What is a Polyhouse?

A polyhouse is a type of greenhouse in which a protective shade of transparent polythene is used to grow vegetables and other crops.

Polyhouses are generally semi-circular in shape but there are square and elongated ones too. First a basic framework using bamboo or iron rods is constructed and then a polythene sheet is tightly stretched over it to create polyhouse. The polyhouses are generally built along the east-west direction to make the maximum use of sunlight.

The temperature, humidity and other factors that are essential for a particular vegetable to grow can be controlled in a polyhouse. For example, in winter, extra heat may be provided using solar panels. In summer, the excess heat inside a polyhouse can be removed by circulating the air using exhaust fans, coolers etc. Thus polyhouses facilitate the growth of vegetables and fruits at any time of the year.Farmers can benefit by growing high-yield off-season vegetables that are not readily available in the market.

The crops grown in the polyhouse are safe from hostile weather phenomena such as heavy rain, hailstorm, scorching heat etc. and also from birds and animals. Plants in a polyhouse require less amount of water as water loss due to evaporation is significantly less.

Article

 

Marks --- Can they make or break your life?

 

In this world of competition, everyone is trying hard to give their best, trying to fit themselves in the parade.

The news about the children committing suicide; unable to score the desired results is petrifying and atrocious.

But do marks have the power to rule over your entire being?

Do they determine the success of your entire life?

Are marks or grades the only way one can discover the talent and capability of students?

The fact that marks are important has been given a lot of unwanted importance which is no doubt having a detrimental effect on today’s generation.

Yes, in a certain way, marks can prove to be useful as a method of evaluation and a base to conclude who’s capable of getting into those big institutions and who’s not.

It’s good to know as to what level we are or how much is the scope for improvement, but considering them as your destiny or fate decider, makes no sense. That simply isn’t fair.

It’s quite disturbing and irritating being compared to other children time and again by one’s own parents. The child is going to do his or her level best if provided with proper and much needed support and understanding.

Comparison is not going to help in any way.

Marks, however, give us entry into the reputed universities. That’s good.

If you want something, you got to work hard, take efforts, nothing’s going to stop you.

But if in any case, for any genuine reason you aren’t, it’s not the end of the world. You can still do better.

This method of evaluation based on the marking system has its own pros and cons. It’s upon us how we take it. The ball is in your court. You can make it or break it.

So, whoever you are, reading this right now, tons of luck to you in all the walks of life. You are much more precious than you think.

Article

 

Zumba

What is zumba fitness?

Zumba is practiced in an environment with energetic music and is composed of a aerobic and dance movements. The steps are formed using hip-hop, mambo, meringue, salsa, samba and soca. Steps also include lunges and squats. It assures fitness and weight loss results done in a fun enjoyable way.

Zumba fitness has evolved and transformed over a period of time. It offers a number of fitness alternatives. Zumba sentao, Zumba gold toning, aqua Zumba etc. are some of its variations. These alternatives vary with locality, country and training instructor. Zumba fitness is sold in DVDs, videogames, seen in television programmes and so on.

Zumba is helping people globally to become fit using the base of dance. Zumba fitness LLC owns the trademark rights of the Zumba dance.

 

History on Zumba fitness

Zumba fitness, its owner does not charge licensing fees to fitness centres and gyms. More than 15 million people participate in the Zumba fitness programme spread over 2 lakh locations across more than 180 countries. Claudia Leitte, the world renowned pop singer from Brazil is the international ambassador for Zumba fitness.

Alberto Beto Perez, was a celebrity fitness trainer. During the 1990s, he came across the idea of fitness based on dance concept using Latin-inspired music. It so happened that on one occasion, Alberto forgot to take music to the aerobics class. He took out a tape comprising of traditional Latin, merengue and salsa music and used it in the class. All members loved it. Then he improvised and modified the class to suit this music and thus was created a new concept of fitness. Alberto took this concept to USA and after heavy promotion and investment transformed into a global fitness concept.

Does it help to reduce weight?

Zumba Fitness is a dance based exercise class. As with other dancing exercise forms, you will burn calories and improve your fitness. An average class lasts from 45 minutes to one hour.

ZF is a mixture of aerobic and Latin dance moves. It uses the resistance of a person’s individual body weight. Results will depend a lot on what you perform and which methodology you follow in the class. Different styles focus on different muscle groups to achieve desired results. In case of Zumba Toning style, people make use of lightweight sticks to form resistance and the target muscle groups are towards thighs, arms and abs. The dance form used in planning with a healthy balanced diet can work wonders in your weight loss programme. Sometimes, people make assumption that that will use up about 800kcal and consume more calories as a reward tending to reduce the end result.

A few tips for beginners:

1) Take reference from other members already doing the specific class.

2) Be on the watch for trainers with Look for accreditations. Zumba fitness is relatively new and not regulated totally. Also, inquire on their experience and qualifications.

3) It is an exercise form and participants must warm up and cool down to prevent injuries.

4) It is important to consult a doctor or exercise professional if you have any pre-existing health conditions. A high intensity aerobic workout could result in a heart attack. This brings us to the next point.

5) Work as per your own level. Do not overdo looking at other participants.

6) Doing on your own watching exercise DVDs could result in serious injuries if you do not perform properly.

7) For enhanced fitness and weight loss results, it is advisable to use a combination of Zumba classes and a resistance program.

Also, take a planned and balanced diet to see the wonderful results.

Zumba is the in thing for weight loss and fitness in an enjoyable and fun manner.

Have fun doing Zumba!

Words worth reading

 

Proverbs

He that hath a head of wax must not walk in the sun.

The comforter’s head never aches.

Write down the advice of him who loves you, though you like it not at present.

Today it may be a fire, tomorrow it will be ashes.

Rain beats a leopard’s skin, but it does not wash off the spots. 

Though a tree grows ever so high, the falling leaves return to the root.

Don’t tie a knot in your tongue that you cannot untie with your teeth. 

A dog in a kennel barks at his fleas; a hunting dog does not notice them.

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.

He who rides the tiger can never dismount.

Meet the planet Mercury

 I am the Merry Mercury

Hey, I am the planet, Mercury.

I am named after the Roman God of commerce and travel.

I am the first and closest planet to the Sun and also a very small planet.

I am called Budh in Hindu mythology.

I am just one-third the size of Earth.

I am as wide as the Atlantic Ocean but I don’t have any water or moons.

 I am made of rock and my surface is covered with many craters. Since I am so close to the Sun I am very hot.

I am also the fastest planet in the solar system and I can go around the sun in just eighty-eight days.

But I rotate on my axis very slowly and take nearly sixty earth days to complete one rotation

By the way, there are other planets around me.

We come in all shapes and sizes.

Some of my friends are very far away.

Together we form the solar system.

We are the jewels of the sky.

Even though we are far away we secretly control many things on Earth.

Scientists’ are still discovering many things about us.

IT IS EASY TO EXCEL

 

It is easy to excel

A young man was eager to learn archery.

He wanted to become the champion archer in the district.

So he purchased the finest bow and arrows that money could buy.

But he proved utterly inept; if he aimed at a tree, his arrow might hit a nearby hedge; if he aimed at a hedge, his arrow might flypast the nose of a nearby cow.

Eventually he came to a sage in despair, and asked how he could improve.

The sage said to him, “Whenever you wish to accomplish something, you must consider how best to prepare yourself.”

“How do I prepare for archery?” the young man asked.

“Go to a local weaver and lie under his loom every day for a month. As the shuttle passes to and fro in front of your eyes, strive not to blink.”

The young man did as the sage suggested and returned to the sage and asked, “Am I now ready to resume archery?”

“No,” the sage replied. “You must catch a flea each day, and attach it to the hair from a horse’s tail. As dusk approaches, hang the flea over the window facing west; and watch the flea with the sun behind it.”

The young man did this every evening for a month.

He returned to the sage, and the sage told him he was now ready for archery.

The young man took his bow with great excitement and found he could hit the target; he could focus his eyes on it without blinking, and it seemed so large that it filled his vision.

As a result, he won every contest.

It is easy to excel if you have passion, practice and perseverance.

STORY OF TENALI RAMAN

 

As dear as salt

The king once asked Tenali Raman to tell him how much he valued him.

“I value you as much as I value salt,” was Raman’s reply.

“You equate me with something as cheap and common as salt?” asked the king, deeply disappointed. Thereafter, he behaved coldly towards Raman.

Several months passed and the king forgot about the incident.

But not Raman.

He invited the king to a feast one day.

The food smelt so good that the king eagerly put a morsel in his mouth.

Immediately he spat it out.

“I instructed the cook to prepare your favourite dishes,” said Raman.

“Is something wrong?”

“This food has no salt!” replied the king angrily. “Don’t you know that salt is the important ingredient?”

“But your Majesty, since salt is common and cheap, I told the cook not to add it to the dishes,” said Raman.

The king understood. He smiled at the clever manner in which Raman made his point.

Amazing Edutech Entrepreneur

 

BYJU RAVINDRAN

Byju Ravindran  was born in Azhikode village of Kerala. He studied at a Malayalam medium school where his parents were teachers.

The accidental entrepreneur in the educational technology (edutech) sector realized where his calling lay when he was able to help his friends crack the CAT entrance exam for admission to management programme.

For a lark, he also appeared for the test twice and scored in the 100^th percentile. He worked as a service engineer with a multinational company, before starting Byju’s classes for CAT in 2007. It helped CAT aspirants crack the exam by making them understand the concepts behind the questions. In 2011, he co-founded the online edutech company ‘Byju’s’ with his wife Divya Gokulnath.

In 2015, as the screen size of smartphones increased, Byju launched an app which students could easily access on their handheld devices, for the purpose of learning. By October 2018, “BYJU’s – The Learning App” was being used by students in the UK, the US and other English-speaking countries.

The test prep business that Byju founded in 2007 has now emerged as a giant in the Indian education technology space. It teaches maths and science concepts to kids from classes IV to XII and offers preparation for several entrance exams.

Byju, who often skipped classes when he was in school, had to catch up with his studies on his own. This was when he first began to develop the learning methods that he now imparts to the 1.6 lakh students who are paid subscribers on the Byju’s network, as well to those who have downloaded his free app. It has also enabled students to take on the primary responsibility for their learning.

Rulers of India

 

Abbakka the brave

“In brief, her aspect and habit represented rather a kitchen-woman or a laundress than a delicate and noble queen. This is how an Italian traveller had described Abbakka Rani, the queen of Ullal in Karnataka. However appearances can be deceptive… for this plain-looking lady was a thorn in the path of the Portuguese in the late 16^th century.

Abbakka was a strong-minded Jaina queen trained in the art of warefare. When she learnt that her husband, ruler of Bangadi was keen on allying with the Portuguese, she left him to manage her home turf, the prosperous town of Ullal, which exported spices.

At that time, the Portuguese were vying for control of the western coast, to monopolize the lucrative Indian spice trade. When Abbakka refused to pay them to carry on her trade with the Arabs in West Asia, the Portuguese raided her ship on the high seas. Not one to be cowed down, Abbakka daringly attacked their base in Mangalore.

Thereafter, the Portuguese launched several attacks against Ullal, but were repulsed each time. Her fame spread far and wide as the fearless ‘pepper queen’ who successfully kept the mighty European power on their toes.

Once, the Portuguese managed to seize the city of Ullal, but the intrepid queen escaped, gathered a band of 200 soldiers, and counter-attacked them, forcing the invaders to flee in disgrace.

Eventually the Portuguese did capture her with the help of her estranged husband, but even in prison she revolted, and died fighting like a soldier.

 

Abbakka was as benevolent as she was brave and worked for the welfare of her subjects. She maintained good relations with people of all communities and religions, employing them in her army and administration.

Words Worth Reading

 

Lessons from Abraham Lincoln

1. Take responsibility for your life.

“You have to do your own growing - no matter how tall your grandfather was.”

2. Remember that greatness is possible.

“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.

3. Believe in and go after your own success.

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing.”

4. Prepare yourself to succeed.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.”

5. Become worthy of a good reputation.

“Reputation is like fine china, once broken it’s very hard to repair.”

6. Always see the brighter side of things.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”

7. Be committed to constant improvement.

“The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself in every way he can...”

8. Live your life fully.

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

THE WISDOM OF THE SWALLOW

 The Wisdom of the Swallow

An old swallow resting on a bean vine saw a farmer sowing hemp seeds in his field.

“Beware, friends!” he said to the pigeons around him. “That farmer is going to destroy us.”

“What makes you say so?” asked one little pigeon.

“Because he is sowing hemp seeds!” said the old swallow. “When the hemp grows, he will make them into cords and tie them into nets to trap us. My advice to you is to pick up the seeds as soon as he leaves!”

However, the birds did not pay heed to his advice. A few days later the old swallow died.

The hempseeds grew into plants.

Then one day, as the birds were about to fly out in a flock, the farmer caught them in his newly-made hemp net.

“Alas!” cried the pigeons as they fell into the net, “If only we had listened to the old swallow!”

Moral of the story: Destroy the seed of evil or it will grow up to be your ruin.

words Worth Reading

Smile Is Mightier Than a Grin

The most bankrupt person in the world is one who has lost joy.

Every great and commanding movement in the history of the world incorporated enthusiasm.

Nothing great was or will be achieved without it.

So decide to become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

A smile is the shortest distance between two people.

Greet the unseen with cheer, not fear.

Follow the advice of Norman Cousins, “Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It also enhances respiration.”

Happiness is always an inside job. Our first choice should be to rejoice. For every minute that you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.

Two things contribute to happiness: what we can do without and what we can do with.

People are about as happy as they have made up their minds to be. Happiness can never be found, because it was never lost!

One seldom meets a person who fails at doing what he or she likes to do.

Don’t worry about the job you don’t like. Someone will soon have it. There is only one way to improve one’s work - love it.

Be like the steam kettle, though up to its neck in hot water, it continues to sing.

- Excerpt from the writings of John Mason’s book‘ You are Born an Original Don’t Die a Copy’.

Sanskrit Story

 Satyanishtata

Motivational

 Focus on what you can control

Tom met with his older mentor Dwyer, for his weekly chat.

“You seem troubled,” observed Dwyer.

“You know that project that I’ve been working on? It just didn’t work and I couldn’t get the result that I was after. In fact, I worked so hard on it, that I certainly deserved a better outcome,” responded Tom with frustration.

The mentor took Tom outside and pointing to a plant, said, “See this dead tomato plant. I did everything right when I planted it. I watered it, fertilized it and made sure that there were no weeds around it, but it still died. No matter how much you want to control the final outcome, you can’t. All that you can do is control the controllable, take responsibility for doing all that you can and leave the ultimate outcome up to God.”

“So what do I do? If I can’t be guaranteed success, should I just give up?” asked Tom, preparing to leave.

Giving him a basket full of large, juicy, bright red tomatoes, Dwyer said, “Of course not every tomato plant died. If you consistently do the right thing, you will significantly increase your chances of delivering successful outcomes. But if you give up due to one or two negative results, you’ll never reap a reward.”

Motivational

 

            Attitude of gratitude

There was a bird that lived in a desert, very sick, no feathers, nothing to eat and drink, and no shelter to live in.

One day a dove was passing by, so the sick unhappy bird stopped the dove and inquired, "Where are you going?"

It replied “I am going to heaven".

So the sick bird said "Please find out for me, when my suffering will come to an end"

The dove said, "Sure, I will."

And bid a good bye to the sick bird.

The dove reached heaven and shared the message of the sick bird with the angel in charge at the entrance gate.

 The angel said, "For the next seven years of its life the bird has to suffer like this, no happiness till then."

The dove said, "When the sick bird hears this he will get disheartened. Could you suggest any solution for this?"

The Angel replied, "Tell him to recite this verse "Thank you God for everything."

The dove on meeting the sick bird again, delivered the message of the angel to it .

After seven days the dove was again passing by and saw that bird was very happy, feathers grew on his body, a small plant grew up in the desert area, a small pond of water was also there, the bird was singing and dancing cheerfully. The dove was astonished.

The Angel had said that there would be no happiness for the bird for the next seven years.

With this question in mind the dove went to visit the angel at heaven's gate.

The dove put forth his query to the Angel. The Angel replied, "Yes it is true there was no happiness for the bird for seven years but because the bird was reciting the verse "THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING"  in every situation, his life changed.

When the bird fell down on the hot sand it said "THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING"

When it could not fly it said, "THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING"

When it was thirsty and there was no water around, it said, "THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING"

Whatever the situation, the bird kept on repeating, "THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING" and therefore the seven years got dissolved in seven days.

 

When I heard this story, I felt a tremendous shift in my way of feeling, thinking, accepting and viewing life.

I adopted this verse in my life. WHATEVER the situation I faced I started reciting this verse "THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING".

It helped me to shift my view from what I did not have to what I have in my life.

For instance; if my head pains I THANK GOD that the rest of my body is completely fine and healthy and I notice that the headache does not bother me at all.

In the same manner I started using this verse in my relationships (whether family, friends, neighbours, colleagues) finances, social life, business and everything with which I can relate.

I shared this story with everyone I came in touch with and it brought a great shift in their behaviour too.

This simple verse really had a deep impact on my life, I started feeling how blessed I am, how happy I am, how good life is.

The purpose of sharing this message is to make all of us aware of how powerful the “ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE” is.

It can reshape our lives...!!!

Let’s recite this verse continuously to experience the shift in our life.

So be grateful, and see the change in your attitude.

 

Be humble, and you will never stumble.

- REMEMBER! "THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING..."

Rulers of India

 Rani Durgavati

Durgavati was the daughter of the Rajput chief, Raja Shalivahan of Mahoba (in modern Madhya Pradesh). She was married to Dalpat, the ruler of Darha Katanga in Gondwana. After her husband’s untimely death in 1548 A.D., Durgavati became the regent, as her son, Bir Narayan, was a minor.

Rani Durgavati was a fine horsewoman and an excellent shot. She always had the people’s welfare uppermost in her mind and this quality endeared her to her subjects.

Bir Narayan grew into a strapping lad, as adept as his mother in hunting and warfare. The Rani personally supervised his training in arms.

News of Garha’s supremacy reached Emperor Akbar’s ears and he sent Governor, Asaf Khan I, to invade Gondwana in 1564.

When the Mughal army came in sight, the gallant queen mounted her favourite elephant, Sarman and with burnished lance in hand, inspired her vastly outnumbered troops to repel the invaders.

Eventually, the Mughal army overwhelmed Durgavati’s forces. Bir Narayan was wounded in the course of the battle and had to be carried away from the field. At this, most of Durgavati’s soldiers lost heart and deserted. She was left with only 300 men.

Her officers advised her to retreat or surrender, but she was reluctant to adopt either course. Two arrows struck her. One lodged in her neck and the other pierced her temple. She pulled out the arrows and though bleeding profusely, continued to fight. But now the Mughals were closing in on her and capture seemed imminent. She ordered her manhout to stab her. When he refused, she threw herself on her dagger. Her last words were:

“I am overcome in battle… God forbid that I also be overcome in name and honour.”

Her tomb was erected at the place she fell, in the hills between Garha and Mandala (in Jabalpur district) and can still be seen there.

Bunsen burner

 Who is the Bunsen burner named after?

A Bunsen burner is a gas burner used in chemical laboratories to heat substances for various experiments and in microbiology laboratories to sterilize pieces of equipment and for heating and boiling.

Basically, it is a small gas burner with an adjustable flame, manipulated at the base by controlling the amount of gas and air admitted.

It is named after German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen (1811–1899), who developed the present device by modifying the designs of burners invented by his contemporaries- Michael Faraday and R Weisner.

The Bunsen burner consists of a metal tube fixed over a stand and connected to the gas supply by a rubber tube.

There are two adjustable openings at the base to control the flow of air and gas.

The gas (which can be methane or LPG) mixes with air at the bottom of the tube and then rises to the top of the burner, where it can be lit with a match or lighter.

When the air hole is open, a hot blue roaring flame, with a blue cone in the middle, is produced.

The hottest point is just above this cone.

BE HAPPY WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

 Be happy where you are planted

 A little girl was walking in her garden when she noticed a particular flower.

The child admired its beauty and enjoyed its fragrance. “How lovely!” she exclaimed.

As she gazed on it, her eyes followed the stem down to the soil in which it grew.

“What a shame!” she cried, “This flower is too pretty to be planted in such dirt!”

So she pulled out the plant by its roots and ran to the water faucet (a tap) to wash away the clinging soil.

                                

It wasn’t long until the flower wilted and the plant began to die.

The gardener saw what she had done and scolded her. “You have destroyed my finest plant.”

“But I didn’t like it in that dirt” whimpered the child.

The gardener replied: “I chose that spot and mixed the soil well since I knew that there it would come to maturity and bloom better.”

 

The voyage of discovering lies not in finding new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

We must accept the unchangeable and change the unacceptable.

We often murmur against the circumstances God has placed us in, but rarely seek His will.

Birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

 Children’s Day

Hope all of you have heard about Chacha Nehru.

His name was PanditJawaharlal Nehru; but children loved to call him Chacha Nehru.

He was India’s first prime minister.

Jawaharlal was born on 14 November, 1889, as the son of Motilal Nehru, who was a leader of the freedom movement.

Jawaharlal went to England to study law and became a lawyer. However, when he came back to India and met Gandhiji, he gave up his profession, and joined the freedom movement.

He was close to Mahatma Gandhi, and spent nine years in jail as part of the freedom struggle.

As India gained independence, Gandhiji felt Nehru was the best person to lead the country.

So, he became the first Prime Minister of India.

Jawaharlal was also a great scholar who wrote several books including “The Discovery of India” and “Glimpses of World History”. He wrote a book for children too, named Letters from a Father to His Daughter.

This book is a collection of letters he had written to his ten-year-old daughter Indira Gandhi.

It tells the story of our civilisation and natural history, in general.

As a tribute to his love for children, Jawaharlal’s birthday has been celebrated as ‘Children’s Day’ in India since 1954.

The day is usually celebrated in schools, by organising debates, elocution, quiz and other competitions.

Nehru once said: “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of our country.”

We must take a pledge on this November 14, to become proud Indians, who will make a better India.

Motivational

 

Cooking rice

 If you were to cook 3 cups of rice, would you add 3 cups of salt to it?

Certainly not!

So, in every preparation of rice, the rice always outnumbers the salt, yet a little salt makes a huge difference or impact in the overall outcome.

In the room in which you currently are, look up at the ceiling... 

What is the size of the bulb compared to the size of the room? It is probably a ratio of 1:5000.

Yet, darkness flees the entire space once the small bulb is flipped on.

If I am the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, then "little me" has the ability to make big things happen..

Sometimes, because we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of evil or wrong-doers, we then choose powerlessness, and decide to go with the flow, not standing up for what we believe is right.

Little doesn't mean insignificant.

You are significant. Your presence should make a BIG difference. Stop waiting to be on the side of the majority. They may be the majority, but they are the trivial majority and you are the impactful minority.

They are the rice of the world, and you are the salt of the world.

They are the room and you are the light.

Make your influence felt!

 Remember:

You are the world's seasoning, to make it beautiful...

Words worth reading

 

It matters in life

 Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you; not because they are not nice, but you are nicer.

Whatever you give to life, it gives you back. Love others and love will come back to you.

 Don’t go the way life takes you. Take life the way you go!

What you are today is the result of your past actions. Decide how you have to act now.

 An arrow goes forward only after pulling it backward. A bullet goes forward only after pulling it backward. Every human being will be happy only after facing the difficulties on their life path.

 The most difficult phase of life is not when no one understands you; it is when you don’t understand yourself. 

Never search for happiness in others, which will make you feel alone; rather search for it in yourself. You will feel happy even if you are left alone.