Article

Music

Music speaks what cannot be expressed by words.

People are enamoured with music.

Music touches our souls in a profound way that words alone cannot.

It stirs our imagination, energises our bodies and transforms our mood.

Music can cheer us and or overwhelm us with emotions.

It can make us feel blue or make us feel over the moon.

It can pump us up or calm us down.

Music is something we all get touched by.

It works like a healing therapy.

It moves people and connects them, which no other medium can do.

It pulls heart strings.

It acts as medicine.

Music gives people a new chance to express themselves.

As rightly said, “Music can heal the wounds that medicine cannot touch.”

It heals the heart and is a stress buster in our everyday life.

After a tiring day, music is a form of relaxation and has a calming effect on the body. 

It washes away the dust of everyday life from the soul.

It’s a world of melody.

Listening to music can bring back old memories.

It can sometimes even make a huge difference in the lives of people with brain injuries and can activate cells of the brain, resulting in improvement.

When something seems unbalanced and out of rhythm, a song is enough to tune things up in a moment.

That’s the power of music as therapy.

Many studies have shown that music therapy can regularise the heartbeat.

It is the best remedy for ill people and for everyone at times when we feel low.

Being skilled in any aspect of music is a real gift from God.

I feel heartfelt gratitude towards all the great musicians who create wonderful, melodious music for all of us.

Musicians are the loud voice for so many quiet hearts. 

Music helps us to deal with low times as well as celebrate good times.

Music is a core component of our lives and is highly effective in relieving any kind of mental or physical problem.

Without music, life would be dull and blank.

Music has added colour to our lives.

THE ASS AND THE GRASSHOPPERS

 The Ass And The Grasshoppers

 An ass heard some grasshoppers chirping merrily.

“Ah! Grasshoppers have a very sweet voice!” thought the ass.

 “I wish I had a voice like theirs!”

The ass watched the grasshoppers in admiration and wondered how they had such a sweet voice.

“Perhaps it’s the food they eat!” thought the ass and so he asked the insects what food they ate.

The grasshoppers told the ass that they only ate dew. “Dew? That’s strange!” said the ass.

“Anyway, I shall eat only dew from now on.

”A bird sitting on a tree heard the ass and warned him that he would not be able to survive only on dew.

The ass wouldn’t listen and it was only after a couple of days when he didn’t have the energy to even stand up that he realized his folly.

Moral of the story: What is food for one may be unsuitable for another.

The Father of Modern Science

🔭 GALILEO GALILEI 

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, and mathematician whose discoveries transformed our understanding of the universe. Often called the “Father of Modern Science”, he played a key role in the Scientific Revolution and laid the foundation for modern physics and astronomy.

👶 Early Life and Education

Born: February 15, 1564, in Pisa, Italy

Died: January 8, 1642, in Arcetri, Italy

Galileo was the eldest of six children. His father, a musician and mathematician, encouraged curiosity and learning, which shaped Galileo’s interests from an early age.

He began studying medicine at the University of Pisa, but soon realised his true passion lay in mathematics and natural philosophy. Leaving without a degree, Galileo later became a professor of mathematics at the Universities of Pisa and Padua.

🔍 Groundbreaking Discoveries

1. The Telescope and Astronomy

In 1609, Galileo improved the design of the telescope and used it for detailed observations of the night sky. His findings challenged centuries-old beliefs:

The Moon has mountains, valleys, and craters — it is not a perfect sphere.

Jupiter has four moons — Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto — proving not everything revolves around Earth.

Venus goes through phases like the Moon, showing it orbits the Sun.

The Milky Way is made up of countless stars.

These discoveries provided strong evidence for the heliocentric theory, which states that the Sun is at the centre of the solar system.

2. Physics and Motion

Galileo made important contributions to the study of motion:

Law of Falling Bodies – In a vacuum, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass.

Inertia – Objects in motion remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.

Projectile Motion – Projectiles travel in a curved, parabolic path.

Through experiments like rolling balls down inclined planes, Galileo used observation and measurement to explain natural laws, paving the way for Newton’s laws of motion.

⚖️ Conflict with the Church

Galileo’s support for the heliocentric model went against the Catholic Church’s geocentric view. In 1633, he was tried by the Inquisition, forced to recant, and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. Despite this, he continued to write and research in secret.

📘 Legacy

Galileo’s impact on science is immense:

Known as the father of modern observational astronomy.

Advanced the scientific method through experimentation and observation.

Inspired later scientists such as Kepler, Newton, and Einstein.

In 1992, the Catholic Church formally acknowledged its error in condemning him.

🌟 Interesting Facts

The four largest moons of Jupiter are called the Galilean moons in his honour.

A famous (possibly legendary) story claims he dropped spheres from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to prove his theories.

NASA’s Galileo spacecraft was named after him and studied Jupiter from 1989 to 2003.

✨ Final Thought

Galileo Galilei was more than a scientist — he was a seeker of truth who stood by his discoveries even in the face of persecution. His courage, curiosity, and refusal to accept ignorance changed the course of science forever. Today, his name remains a symbol of knowledge, reason, and the spirit of discovery.

LOSING FEAR

 Losing fear

 A fox was hunting for food one day when he heard a lion’s roar.

Frightened, he hid behind a bush and watched the king of the forest walk away.

Only when he was completely out of sight did the fox heave a sigh of relief.

The fox saw the lion the next day when he set out to hunt.

Once again he stopped and watched the lion as he disappeared behind a dune.

 

He saw him again the following day.

This time the lion was snoozing in the shade of a tree.

Gathering courage, the fox walked past the sleeping lion, treading softly so as not to wake him up.

The fox was surprised that it had been quite easy to walk past the lion.

“I really can’t understand why I was so terrified of him!” thought the fox as he went about his way.

Moral of the story: Familiarity breeds contempt.

Aesop's fable

 Who’ll bell the cat?

 The rats were fed up of a cat, which bullied them.

They decided to tie a chain of bells round her neck to warn them of her approach.

“But who will tie it round her neck?” they asked each other in despair.

None wanted to and finally one tiny rat volunteered.

For the next few days, the little rat kept a close watch on the cat and one day, when he saw her purring to herself in front of a mirror, he went up to her and said, “How beautiful you look! The only thing you lack is a necklace. I can’t imagine how stunning you’d look if you wear one!”

“Oh, but I don’t have one!” said the cat looking disappointed. Immediately the rat took out the chain of bells he had with him and tied it round her neck.

All the rats rejoiced.

They did not have to worry about the cat bullying them anymore.

Moral of the story: Nothing is impossible.

Festival

 Tulsi Vivah

Tulsi or the basil plant is considered highly sacred in Hinduism and is one of the most worshipped plants.

It holds a great significance not only in rituals but also holds medicinal values.

Tulsi Vivah or the marriage of Tulsi with Bhagwan Vishnu or His Bhagwan Krishna Avatar is celebrated on the Prabodhini Ekadashi, the eleventh day of Shukla Paksha or the twelfth day in the Hindu month of Kartik.

The day signifies the end of the monsoon month and the beginning of the Hindu wedding season.

Legend behind Tulsi Vivah:

A pious girl named Vrinda born in the Asura clan to Kalanemi who was a great devotee of Bhagwan Vishnu.

Her husband Jalandhar, the King of asuras, became invincible by defeating the Devas, due to the penance of his pious wife Vrinda.

Bhagwan Vishnu then took the form of Jalandhar and went in front of Vrinda who invited him to sit beside her.

When Vrinda touched Jalandhar’s feet she recognised that it was not Jalandhar. Bhagwan Vishnu then took His real form which angered Vrinda as she did not expect Bhagwan Vishnu to cheat her this way and break her chastity.

Vrinda angrily cursed Bhagwan Vishnu to turn into a stone.

But when the Devas requested Vrinda to not turn Bhagwan Vishnu into a stone, she reduced her curse.

She said that Bhagwan Vishnu would return to earth as "Shaligrm", a form of Bhagwan Vishnu.

She ended her life as her purity was maligned which resulted in the killing of the Asura Jalandhar.

Bhagwan Vishnu was pleased with her devotion.

 He blessed Vrinda that His worship will be considered to complete only when Vrinda is a part of it and even after herdeath she will remain on earth in the form of a Tulsi Plant and  will function as life giving plant. He also declared that whenever somebody will offer Him a Tulsi leaf with full devotion He will bless them.

As per her prayers, she was married to Bhagwan Vishnu in this form. Since then, worship of tulsi, offering of tulsi for Bhagwan Vishnu and Tulsi Vivah came to be practiced by the devotees.

 Celebration:

Tulsi Vivah is celebrated on the Shukla Paksha Ekadashi in the Kartik month.

The rituals performed on the day are the same as that of a Hindu wedding.

The ceremony is performed either at home or at temples.

A mandap is installed around the courtyard where the Tulsi plant is planted.

The Tulsi Vrindavan is decked up as a bride with red saree, jewellery, and flowers. Some people even attach a paper face to the Tulsi plant.

The groom is a brass idol or a picture of Bhagwan Vishnu or Bhagwan Krishna.

The Vigraha or the picture of Bhagwan is draped in a dhoti and decorated with flowers. During the ceremony, Bhagwan Vishnu and Tulsi, are tied together with a cotton thread also called as Mala.

In Maharashtra and Goa, Mangala Ashtak (mantras sung during the marriage ceremony) is recited by the priests by holding a white cloth between the bride and the groom. Akshada, rice coloured with vermilion, haldi, and kumkum, are showered on the couple and later the white cloth is removed signifying the approval to the wedding.

Sugarcane, tamarind, fruits, and puffed rice are offered as Naivedya to Tulsi and later distributed as Prasad.

Tulsi is offered saree, vermilion, and Mangalsutra while Bhagwan Vishnu is offered men’s clothing, sacred thread and sandalwood.

In Goa Tulsi Vivah is called Vhadli Diwali (Big Diwali)

Married women (Suhasinis) of the house burn Jodvi (365 X 2 wicks of cotton) and pray for good health and long life of their husbands.

Cuisine is vegetarian as same as that is prepared for a wedding. 

Celebration:

Tulsi Vivah is celebrated on the Shukla Paksha Ekadashi in the Kartik month.

The rituals performed on the day are the same as that of a Hindu wedding.

The ceremony is performed either at home or at temples.

A mandap is installed around the courtyard where the Tulsi plant is planted.

The Tulsi Vrindavan is decked up as a bride with red saree, jewellery, and flowers. Some people even attach a paper face to the Tulsi plant.

The groom is a brass idol or a picture of Bhagwan Vishnu or Bhagwan Krishna.

The Vigraha or the picture of Bhagwan is draped in a dhoti and decorated with flowers. During the ceremony, Bhagwan Vishnu and Tulsi, are tied together with a cotton thread also called as Mala.

In Maharashtra and Goa, Mangala Ashtak (mantras sung during the marriage ceremony) is recited by the priests by holding a white cloth between the bride and the groom. Akshada, rice coloured with vermilion, haldi, and kumkum, are showered on the couple and later the white cloth is removed signifying the approval to the wedding.

Sugarcane, tamarind, fruits, and puffed rice are offered as Naivedya to Tulsi and later distributed as Prasad.

Tulsi is offered saree, vermilion, and Mangalsutra while Bhagwan Vishnu is offered men’s clothing, sacred thread and sandalwood.

In Goa Tulsi Vivah is called Vhadli Diwali (Big Diwali)

Married women (Suhasinis) of the house burn Jodvi (365 X 2 wicks of cotton) and pray for good health and long life of their husbands.

Cuisine is vegetarian as same as that is prepared for a wedding.

Father of Indian Industry

 Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (1839 – 1904), industrialist, is hailed as the man who took India into the industrial age. The founder of the Tata industrial empire, he was a great visionary with ideas far ahead of his time.

Living in a time when India was under British rule, he envisaged projects that laid the foundation for the nation’s development once it attained independence.

The institutions he founded continue to set the pace for others in their respective areas even today.

Jamsetji was born on March 3, 1839, in Navsari, Gujarat, as the eldest of five children of Nusserwanji Tata, a Parsi merchant and banker.

His ancestors had been Zoroastrian priests, and Nusserwanji was the first in the family to venture into business.

He moved from his native Navsari to Bombay with his wife,Jeevanbai.

Jamsetji was educated in Bombay, graduating from Elphinstone College in 1858.

The same year, he joined his father’s trading firm.

An eager learner, he quickly gained knowledge about commodities and markets, trading and banking.

While still a student, Jamsetji had been married to Hirabai. The couple later had two sons, Dorabji and Ratanji.

After working with his father for nine years, Jamsetji started a trading company of his own in 1868.

His foreign trips convinced him that there was tremendous scope for Indian companies in the British-dominated textile industry.

In 1869, he made his foray into the textile industry by buying an old oil mill in Bombay, which he converted into a cotton mill.

Two years later, he sold this mill to a cotton merchant at a good profit.

He then visited England to study the Lancashire cotton trade in depth.

On his return, he worked towards setting up a state-of-the-art cotton mill.

His efforts culminated in the launch of the Empress Mill in Nagpur in1874.

The cloth produced in the mill was sold in India and exported to other countries in Asia and the Middle East, fetching the Tatas huge profits.

However, Jamsetji was not content with being a mere textile merchant.

A great patriot, he had three ambitious dreams that would put the nation on the path to progress: setting up an iron and steel company, generating hydroelectric power, and creating a world class educational institution that would tutor Indians in the sciences.

He spent the rest of his life chasing these dreams, all of which seemed impossible at that time.

Although none of them came true in his lifetime, the seeds he sowed and his hard work ensured that all three did eventually become a reality.

The Tata Iron and Steel Company, set up in 1907 by his successors, represented the culmination of his vision.

It was fitting that the industrial township envisaged by him came to be known as Jamshedpur after him.

The Indian Institute of Science, setup in 1911 in Bangalore, was also the fruit of his efforts as he drew up its blue print, garnered political support for it, and contributed Rs. 30lakh from his personal funds towards its establishment. Jamsetji travelled widely, and many of his business ideas were born during his travels.

He was quick to bring back to India the technologies he saw abroad.

One of his ventures that did bear fruit in his lifetime was the Taj Mahal hotel, a luxury hotel that matched international standards.

Legend has it that Jamsetji was once denied entry into a five-star hotel for being an Indian.

Enraged, he decided to build a world-class opulent hotel where his countrymen could enjoy every luxury.

Thus was born the Taj Mahal in 1903 – India’s finest luxury hotel and Bombay’s first building to use electricity.

A large-hearted man,

Jamsetji was always ready to spend money for the public good.

Sensitive to his employees’ welfare, he laid out plans for them to have a conducive workplace and employee benefits such as provident fund and gratuity –long before these were made statutory worldwide.

On May 19, 1904, the titan breathed his last.

But his legacy, in the form of the industrial group he founded and his philanthropic projects, lives on, enriching the lives of Indians to this day.