THE QUEEN OF FLOWERS

 Rose

     It is called the queen of flowers, and is one of the most popular flowers in the world. Its intoxicating fragrance, soft petals, and sharp thorns, make it easily distinguishable from other flowers. The rose is one of the most diverse and complex plants in the floral kingdom, and there are over 30,000 varieties of roses, including bushes, hedges, miniatures, climbers, and vines. While most are thorny, species without any thorns have also been bred today. Roses come in almost every colour imaginable, from reds to pinks, whites, oranges, purples, yellows, and even a red so deep that it’s almost black! Roses are generally classified as wild roses, old garden roses, and modern roses.

     Wild roses are those that occur naturally, with no hybridizing or crossbreeding. Authentic wild roses are single blooms, with only five petals. These hardy flowers that grow readily in all kinds of soil, require low maintenance, and are found in North America, Asia, and Europe. Old roses, or historic roses are those species grown in Europe before the 1800’s.They include Alba roses, thought to have been grown by the Romans, the Damask rose that originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, and Gallica roses, grown by the Persians as early as the 12thcentury B.C. These flowers don’t bloom continually like modern roses, but have a glorious fragrance. Modern roses, or hybrid tea roses are the ones that we are all most familiar with. They have been developed by cross breeding different types of roses to create new varieties. These roses have different colours, different sized bushes, stems, and thorns.

     The petals and rose hips of the flower are edible, and have been used in medicines since ancient times. Rosehips - the fruit of the rose, which forms at the base of the flower, are of great nutritional value as they’re rich in vitamins. Even today, the rose, considered food for the body, mind and soul, is used in various types of cosmetics and essences.

 

     The rose is so closely linked to different cultures, religions, and civilizations, that it has inspired artists, poets, and writers through the ages. The word rose has come from the Latin word ‘rosa,’ meaning red, and the flower has been a symbol of love and beauty since ancient times.

 

     The rose has been around for a staggering 35 million years, and embalmed rose buds were found along with the mummies of Ancient Egypt. Archaeologists have found paintings of roses on the wall of the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose IV, who died in the fourteenth century B.C. The first written reference to the rose flower has been found in Iraq, and it dates back to 3000 B.C. Ancient Roman rulers were so bewitched by roses that they cultivated it instead of growing crops to feed the common people. The Romans used rose petals extensively – they were sprinkled in their bath water, lined on their bed sheets, dining tables and floors, and were added to their food and drink. They were also used as perfume, in confetti, and as a valuable herb. The Roman emperor Nero liked to shower honoured guests with fresh rose petals. According to some accounts, these clouds of rose-petals sometimes nearly suffocated some of Nero’s guests!

 

     The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar adorned his palace with roses. They were extensively grown in his palace gardens for their oil, and the king was known to fill his mattress with rose petals. Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian and writer, wrote that charred rose petals were useful to darken the eyebrows, and suggested that dried, powdered rose petals should be sprinkled about the body as a deodorant. In Ancient Rome, a rose would be placed above the doorway of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase ‘sub rosa,’ or ‘under the rose’, meaning to keep a secret, is believed to be derived from this ancient Roman practice. The rose has been a symbol of secrecy in other, more modern societies too.

 

     In sixteenth-century England, servants, valets, and inn workers, wore a rose behind their ear to indicate that the wearer heard everything, but repeated nothing, thus protecting the secrets of customers. In Germany, roses in a dining room suggested that diners could speak freely without fear that their secrets would travel beyond the walls of the room.

 

     The Empress Josephine, wife of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte established the first rose garden at Chateau Malmaison, outside Paris in 1798. The garden had approximately 250 varieties of roses. Napoleon, who was very supportive of his wife’s interest in roses, ordered his soldiers to bring home any new rose they found blooming on foreign shores. The fame of Josephine’s garden spread so far and wide that even when England was at war with France, rose plants for Josephine were exempt from the hostilities, and were allowed to cross blockades! Josephine’s enthusiasm for roses was contagious, and ignited an interest in rose growing and hybridizing across Europe. Josephine also commissioned Pierre Joseph Redoute, Marie Antoinette’s court painter, to paint a series of rose portraits, which are considered some of the most beautiful rose paintings ever created. Josephine often carried a rose in her hand, which she raised to her lips when smiling, since she was rather self conscious of her imperfect teeth.

      In the seventeenth century, roses were in such high demand in Europe that the flowers as well as rose water were considered as legal tender. They were sometimes used as barter in the markets as well as for any payments the common people had to make to royalty. It is said that Cleopatra, the legendary Queen of Egypt, welcomed the Roman noble, Mark Anthony with a knee deep sea of rose petals! England has a very strong association with the rose. It is the country’s national flower. A beautiful young English woman is referred to as ‘English rose.’ The rose has frequently appeared on British coins since 1344, when the floral outline was designed into a gold coin called ‘Noble’. A coin, specially minted for the American colonies in 1722 was called ‘Rosa Americana’.

     The War of the Roses was a destructive, and bitter civil war in England fought from 1455-1487. It was caused by two warring families who wanted to control England - the House of Yorkand the House of Lancaster. The Yorks used the symbol of a white rose on their crest, and the Lancasters used a red rose to mark their belongings, and this is how the war got its name. The families reconciled after 30years when Henry VII of Lancaster married a princess of the House of York. They began the famous Tudor dynasty. A new hybrid rose with red and white petals became the symbol of peace. It was called ‘York and Lancaster’.

 

The rose, which was designated the official flower and floral emblem of the United States of America in 1986, was in a way, responsible for its discovery too. The crew on the ship of explorer Christopher Columbus found and retrieved a rose branch floating on the ocean on October 11, 1492. This reassured the tired sailors that land was near. The very next day, Columbus discovered America! The rose is the state flower of the American states of Georgia, Iowa, New York, North Dakota, and the District of Columbia. The month of June is designated ‘National Rose Month’ in the United States. The first president of the USA, George Washington, was a rose breeder, and named a rose he bred after his mother.

     Confucius wrote in 500BC, that there were hundreds of roses growing in the Chinese Emperor’s imperial gardens, and mentioned that the royal library contained hundreds of books about roses. It is said that the rose gardeners of the Han dynasty (207 B.C.-A.D. 220) were so obsessed with these flowers that their rose gardens encroached into agricultural land. Finally, the emperor had to order some rose gardens to be removed so that food could be grown for the people.

 

     According to the ‘Thousand and One Arabian Nights’, the Caliph of Baghdad served a jam made from roses that captivated anyone who ate it. There are several interesting mythical stories associated with the history of the rose flower.

     According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love is believed to have made the rose from her tears and the blood of Adonis, her lover. Another myth blames the God Eros, or Cupid, for the rose’s thorny stem. According to this tale, Cupid was enjoying the fragrance of the rose, which had a smooth, long stem, when he was stung by a bee hidden amongst its petals. To punish the flower, Cupid angrily shot his arrows into its stem. This, according to the legend, is why the rose is cursed forever to have arrowhead-shaped thorns on its stem.

  

     According to Biblical stories, the white rose that grew in the Garden of Eden turned red as it blushed with shame when Adam and Eve fell from grace. During the Middle Ages, Christians believed that roses in heaven turned red when kissed by the Virgin Mary, and the spilled blood of St. Francis of Assisi turned into roses when it touched the ground. The rosary (derived from the Latin word ‘rosarium’, meaning ‘garland of roses’) is a Roman Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary. The term rosary also denotes the prayer beads used to count the prayers that make up the rosary, as well as the sequence of prayers. One of the names of Jesus in the Bible is ‘the rose of Sharon’.

 

     In an ancient Hindu myth, Brahma the creator of the world, and Vishnu, the protector of the world, once had an argument over whether the lotus or the rose was more beautiful. Vishnu praised the rose, but Brahma believed that the lotus was unsurpassed in beauty. But Brahma had never seen a rose before, and when he did, he was simply enchanted with its beauty. As a reward, Brahma created a bride for Vishnu and called her Lakshmi. This lovely goddess was created from 108 large, and 1008 small rose petals! Roses have been grown in India since time immemorial. 

     ‘Kashyapa’s Agricultural Treatise’ (800 B.C.E.) lists the rose among other plants and trees that a king should plant within his kingdom. When Alexander the Great invaded India, in 327 B.C., it is said that he was amazed at the variety of plants he found, and he sent back some rose plants to his mentor Aristotle. In 1300 A.D. a Muslim traveler and chronicler, Rashid-ud-din, who visited Gujarat wrote that “the people were very wealthy and happy and grow no less than 70 kinds of roses”. Domingo Paes and Fernao Nunez, two Portuguese travelers who travelled to the kingdom of Vijayanagar around1537 mention seeing plantations of roses, and bazaars where baskets laden with roses were sold, as loose flowers and as garlands. They noted that men and women from all walks of life adorned themselves with roses.

     The King of Vijayanagar wore white robes embroidered with golden roses. The travellers mentioned that every day, the king would shower white roses on his favourite courtiers, elephants, and horses! Abdur Razzak, a Muslim diplomat from Persia, who had visited the same kingdom in 1443, wrote, “Roses are sold everywhere. These people cannot live without roses, which they consider as important and necessary as food.”

     The Mughal rulers, who loved gardening, popularised rose cultivation in India. The first emperor, Babur, (1483-1530) brought camel loads of musk and damask roses into Hindustan from Afghanistan. Babur was so captivated by roses that he gave all his daughters rose names – Gulchihra (rosecheeked), Gulrukh (rose-faced), Gulbadan (rose-body) and Gulrang (rose colour). The word ‘gul’ means rose in Persian. The Emperor Akbar sometimes took camel loads of roses to give to the wives of his allies. Manucci, the 17th century Italian traveler was amazed to see that Mughal nobles not only used huge quantities of rose water and oil on themselves, but even rubbed their horses with them! The Mughal Empress Nur Jahan’s mother was the one who discovered rose ‘attar’ or perfume.

 

     India’s first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru always wore a red rose in his buttonhole, and it came to symbolise him. The lovely rose even inspired Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation. He said poetically, “A rose does not preach – it simply spreads its fragrance.”„

Do you know?

* Roses of different colours signify different emotions. Red rose stands for love and passion and is the rose of lovers. Yellow roses signify friendship, pink roses signify admiration, and white roses signify purity and innocence.

* The rose family also includes pears, apples, cherries, plums, apricots and almonds.

* Roses are named after famous people. The Oprah Rose, named for media personality Oprah Winfrey has ruby red blossoms. A light pink historic old rose is named after Napoleon Bonaparte.

* The oldest rose plant in the world has grown for over 1,000 years on the wall of Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany. It is a symbol of the city’s prosperity – legend has it that Hildesheim will never decline as long as the rose keeps blooming. During World War II, the rose not only survived bomb attacks in 1945 that destroyed the cathedral, but it grew new shoots just a few weeks later!

* Some of the roses named after Abraham Lincoln include varieties such as ‘President Lincoln’ the ‘Mr. Lincoln,’ and the ‘Honest Abe,’ a miniature moss rose.

* The Rose Valley (also called The Valley of Roses) is a region in central Bulgaria, where the famed Bulgarian oil-bearing rose grows. Bulgaria’s tradition of producing essential oils dates back to the 17^th century and is a source of national pride for the country.

* The celebrated playwright William Shakespeare refers to roses more than 50 times throughout his writings. A dark pink rose called ‘William Shakespeare’ is named after him.

* King Midas, king of Phrygia, famous for turning anything he touched to gold, loved roses and planted so many vast gardens of them, that his country was called the land of roses.

DO YOU KNOW

 What is a helicopter and what are its uses?

A helicopter is an aircraft that can take off and land in a small area without having to use a runway. Further, it can hover in midair and fly forward, backward, or sideways.

The earliest idea of the helicopter can be traced to a Chinese toy in the 4^th century BC, which consisted of feathers at the end of a stick, which was rapidly spun between the hands to generate lift and then released into free flight.

In about 1500, Leonardo da Vinci drew a design of the flying machine which we now know as the helicopter. In the 19th century, many inventors experimented with helicopters.

In 1936, a German company finally succeeded in developing a helicopter that could fly at a height of 11,000 feet. Since then many designs of helicopters have appeared in the world. 

Modern helicopters come in all shapes and sizes and perform many roles. Their versatility makes them ideal for military use. Anti-armour helicopters work on the front line, targeting enemy tanks and guns. At sea, helicopters are used for information gathering, antisubmarine warfare and air/sea rescue. They make ideal ship borne aircraft, as they can take off and land using a small area, and are easier to store than fixed-wing aircraft. 

Large helicopters transport troops, equipment and supplies. They can deliver combat personnel and equipment close to the battlefront, without the need for a landing strip or airport. 

The Coast Guard uses helicopters to patrol the coastline. Helicopters have numerous civilian uses as well. They are extensively used for transporting victims of shipwrecks, mountain climbing accidents and natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods to safety and for delivering medicines and supplies to stranded communities. The helicopter’s ability to hover and to land without a runway makes it an ideal rescue vehicle. 

Helicopters are also used for aerial surveys and for spraying pesticides on crops.

FRUIT OF THE CELESTIAL TREE

The coconut

     One of the best-loved and most useful trees of the world, the coconut palm has a versatility that is unmatched by any other tree. All its parts are used in some way or the other in the daily life of people of the tropics. Its fruit, fronds and wood offer people not only an income, but also many of life’s basic necessities –food, drink, fuel and shelter. So it is not surprising that the coconut tree is known as Kalpavriksha (divine, wish fulfilling tree) in India. The coconut plays a key role in Hindu religious traditions. In wedding ceremonies, a kalash or coconut placed over the opening of a pot is an auspicious symbol. 

An indispensable part of every religious ritual, coconuts are also broken as offerings to the deities in temples. All over India’s western coast, fishermen offer a coconut to the sea before setting out on their fishing trips in the faith that this will ensure them a good catch. 

     Today, the coconut is grown in more than 90 countries worldwide. India is one of the major players in international trade, accounting for 22.34% of the world’s coconut production. Other leading coconut producers are Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. The major coconut-growing states are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Kerala alone accounts for 39%of total cultivation. In fact, the very name Kerala means “land of coconuts”, and the nut and the tree play a vital role in the day-to-day lives of the state’s people.

There are two varieties of coconut palms – the tall and the dwarf. The tree grows to a height of 80 to 100 feet. It reaches maturity by one year, and starts yielding fruit by 6 to 10 years. A healthy coconut tree continues to produce a full harvest for 80 years, bearing 50 to 200 fruits annually. The tree is single trunked and has a massive crown with about 30 leaves. Fruits are borne in clusters on the crown. 

     A highly nutritious food, the coconut is rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. Coconut water has many health benefits. Rich in potassium and low in sodium, it is one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. 

     The coconut is consumed at practically all stages of maturity. Coconut water taken from the tender coconut is a refreshing drink. The ‘meat’ of the mature coconut is eaten as it is, or grated and used to make chutneys, gravies and sweets like burfi. Coconut milk extracted from the grated meat is also used in various dishes. Coconut oil is a favoured cooking medium. 

     Apart from the fruit, the shell, husk, leaves, flowers, and wood of the coconut palm are highly useful. Coconut leaves are plaited and used to thatch houses. 

The leaf ribs are fashioned into brooms and baskets. 

The juice obtained on tapping the inflorescence is rich in sugar and is converted into jaggery, sugar, vinegar and fermented toddy. 

Coconut oil, apart from its culinary use, is an ingredient in various cosmetics. The dried oil cake is used as cattle feed. 

Coconut husk is a source of fibre that supports a flourishing coir industry. This fibre is used to make ropes, doormats, and matting. 

Shells are used to make cups, ladles and handicrafts.

THE WORLD OF KITES

 Festivals associated with kites around the world

     In India, the kite festival or Makar Sankranti is celebrated on January 14 every year. Let's take a look at a few more kite festivals around the world.

Berkeley kite festival: The Berkeley kite festival is held in California, USA for a period of two days. Various competitions and exhibitions are held at this annual festival where different aspects of kite flying are showcased. The kites that colour the sky are vastly different from each other and are crafted in the shape of giant creatures, houses and candies in different sizes - some are large as a house and others as long as a train. The festival holds the record for the world's largest octopus kite.

Brisbane kite festival: The Brisbane kite festival takes place annually in the spring, which falls in the month of October or November in Brisbane Australia. Most kites at this festival have been crafted for several months before they are ready to be showcased during the festival. The festival also has kite-making workshops and stalls to buy kites from.

Bristol kite festival: The Bristol kite festival is held in England and completed 25 years in 2011. The festival also hosts kite-fighting battles and has welcomed guests from America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, China, Israel and many countries in Europe. It also hosts a flyers' meal and an auction party where the best kites are sold, followed by a lights and fireworks display.

Busan international kite festival: Close to 2,000 participants from 12 countries take part in this annual event that is hosted by the Busan Folk Kite Preservation Association in South Korea. This is the only place where one can see kites anchored in the sand. Competitions are held between small groups and the best kites are exhibited.

Dieppe kite festival: The Dieppe kite festival is held in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada. One of the main features of this festival is the number of participants - 40 countries. This innovative festival presents all the kite disciples and is listed among the 300 biggest world events.

Festival of the winds: This festival is held on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. It sees competitions between countries like India, Malaysia, China and Japan. There are several kite-making workshops too where people can make their own kites and fly them. It is usually held around mid-September.

Great Lakes kite festival: Held in Machigan, USA, this festival hosts kite performances by experts. It also features many kite stores, workshops and test fields where one can test fly the latest and greatest kites. People here fly kites in the night where the skies are lit up with kites that have small lights in them. This is the only venue to showcase kite stunt demonstrations.

Portsmouth international kite festival: The Portsmouth international kite festival is one of the premium kite festivals in the UK. The festival encourages women kite makers by holding separate competitions for them. Another highlight of the festival is the record attempt of kites flying in synchronised formations. In 2008, 47 such kites took to the air at once. Different types of kites are seen in the sky like 3D, structural designs and animals.

Tiptop kite day: The Tiptop kite day festival is held in New Zealand where hundreds of kites colour the sky, amusing thousands that come to watch and take part in this annual event. Many workshops are held to teach participants the nuances of kite flying. Stores also sell personalised kites.

Weifang kite festival: This kite festival is held in China from April 20 to 25 every year. It is an international kite grand meeting, which attracts large numbers of kite experts, fans and visitors. This festival was first held in 1984. During the festival, Weifang city is decorated with lanterns and colourful streamers and traditional artists perform across the city. Many colourful kites are also exhibited at the Weifang Kite museum, which is the biggest kite museum in the world.

Hamamatsu Kite Festival: is Japanese festival in Hamamatsu. It is generally known to have multiple kites, along with a lot of kite battles through the days it is held. The festival also displays examples of Japanese culture through food, and general items available for purchase in merchant booths at the festival.

BREAKING YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS

 The Elephant Rope

     As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reasons, they did not. 

     He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," the trainer said,"when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free."

     The man was amazed. These animals could any time break free from their bonds but because they believe they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were. 

     Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we failed at it once before?

     Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

FOOTBALL A to Z

Association football or soccer is the most popular sport on this planet. Almost 200 nations play the game. Let us learn the words associated with it.

Football A to Z

Assist: It is the final pass before the goal is scored. Many leagues offer prizes to players providing most assists in a season.

Bend it like Beckham: This term was popularised by the 2002 film of the same name. David Beckham has scored many memorable goals by 'bending' the ball or changing the ball's path in mid-air.

Clean sheet: A team is said to maintain a clean sheet when they do not concede a single goal during a match.

Diving: It is a form of cheating wherein a player falls to the ground in order to win a free-kick or a penalty. Usually there is minimal or no contact from the opponent. 

El Clasico: It is a derby between rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid. It is the most watched football event after UEFA ChampionsLeague Finals.

Futsal: A spin-off of traditional football, it is usually played with five players, indoors on a hard surface.

Group of death: A group of death in a cup competition or international tournament is the group which is most competitive. In other words, most or all the teams in that group are strong.

Hooligans: Overzealous supporters known for destruction of team property, violence and unruly behaviour.

Intercept: A player is said to have intercepted when he cuts off a pass from the opposite team's player.

Journeyman: A player who has played for many teams over his career.

Killer pass: A perfectly placed pass that reaches the foot or the head of a teammate allowing him to score an easy goal.

Lost the dressing room: This idiom is used when players have 'lost' confidence in their team manager. Such situations arise when the manager is unable to find a healthy combination of players, shows favouritism and is unable to register wins for the team.

Midfielder: A player who is positioned between the defender and the forward.

Nutmeg: A nutmeg is a type of play wherein a player sends the ball between an opponent's legs.

Own goal: A goal scored by a player accidentally against his own team.

Parking the bus: It is an expression used for a team whose outfield players play defensively. It is a negative style of play used by teams to secure a draw or to defend a goal-margin of 1 against strong opposition.

Quadruple: Winning of four different titles during the same year.

Retired numbers: Jersey numbers that are withdrawn and unavailable to new players in a team in honour of a significant player who had worn that number.

Shielding: A defensive technique wherein the defender puts his body between the ball and the opponent in order to prevent the opponent from reaching the ball.

Tiki-taka: It is a style of play consisting of short passes, fluent movement and keeping possession of the ball. The style is primarily associated with FC Barcelona. 

Utility player: A player who can play in different roles. For example: A player may primarily be a defender but he can be deployed into the midfield or as a striker.

Vanishing spray: Aerosol paint applied to the football pitch to provide a temporary visual marker.

Wembley: England's biggest football stadium and home to England's national team.

Yo-yo club: A team that is regularly promoted and relegated to higher and lower league levels.

Zonal marking: A defensive play wherein the defenders are given a particular area to defend as against 'Man-marking' in which defenders defend against particular players.

REMEMBERING KURDI

Submerged village of Sanguem Taluka

KURDI is a village in Sanguem, South Goa that can be seen only for about a month in a year, between April and May. The remaining eleven months, it remains submerged in the waters of the Salaulim, a tributary of the RiverZuari. 

When the village emerges, the displaced Kurdikars return to pay homage to the deity of Shiva at the still intact 18th century Someshwar temple, and to the rebuilt Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel. The village throbs with life then as Kurdikars prepare for the annual temple feast, which takes place on the third Sunday of May at the Someshwar temple, and for the annual chapel feast, which takes place on the fourth Sunday of the month. 

Hardly anything remains of the old village. Close to the temple is the broken down ancestral home of Kurdi’s classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar, the mother of the well known classical singer Kishori Amonkar. Kurdikars pay their tribute to the great singer by playing bhajans that were sung by her during the temple fest. 

Most of the houses are in various stages of ruin, some even reduced to mere mounds of mud. Despite this, nostalgic Kurdikars spend entire day in the broken remnants of their homes. They go back in the evening with a heavy heart and haunting memories of cashew orchards, jack fruit trees and fragrant babuli flowers that had grown in wild profusion. Kurdi was once a lush green village with nearly 3000 inhabitants. In the early1980s, a dam was built across Salaulim. The dam and the unusually heavy rains of 1986 are said to have been responsible for Kurdi going under water. 

In 2016, the village was immortalised in the documentary film, “Remembering Kurdi”, by film director Saumyananda Sahi.