TREE OF THE 21st CENTURY

 Neem

     The neem (Azadrachta indica) is an incredibly versatile plant that has been declared the “Tree of the 21st century” by the United Nations. A member of the mahogany family, the neem has innumerable healing properties that have earned it the name of “Village Pharmacy”.

     Humankind has extensively used the neem to treat various ailments before the availability of written records, marking the beginning of history. Images of the neem tree have been identified on seals excavated from the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back 5,000years. 

     The benefits of neem find mention in the ancient Ayurvedic texts, Charaka- Samhita and Sushruta-Samhita. The 16th-century Portuguese naturalist and physician, Garciada Orta, has written about the efficacy of crushed neem leaves mixed with lemon juice as a poultice to treat obstinate sores on the backs of horses. 

     Native to India and Myanmar, the neem tree today grows in more than 30 countries worldwide. In India, it is an extremely popular tree that can be found growing just about anywhere.

     The tree is a fast-growing evergreen that reaches a height of 50 to 100 feet, with a straight trunk and spreading branches that form a dense, round canopy, making it an excellent shade tree. The bark is rough, scaly and fissured. The compound leaf consists of several leaflets that are long and curved, with serrated edges. Tiny white star-shaped, fragrant flowers bloom in large drooping clusters. The fruits resemble olives in shape and colour and are thin-skinned and oval.

     Neem leaves, fruits, seeds, roots and bark, have a long history of use in India’s Ayurveda and Siddha systems of traditional medicine. An infusion of neem bark, leaves or roots boiled in water is consumed as a remedy for malaria. Bathing in water infused with neem leaves is recommended for patients recovering from chicken pox to soothe scabs and clear away the scars left by the disease. Neem oil and leaf extracts are used to treat fevers, skin diseases and indigestion. In villages, neem twigs are chewed to clean the teeth.

     In spite of their bitter taste, the products of the neem tree also find limited culinary uses. Tender neem shoots and flowers are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. In South India, neem flowers are used to prepare veppampoo rasam, a kind of soup, and veppampoo pachadi, a special dish made on Tamil and Telugu New Year days that symbolises the varied flavours of life.

     Oil extracted from neem seeds is used for manufacturing soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, cosmetics, mosquito repellents and medicines. The powdery residue left behind after extracting the oil is a good organic fertiliser and pesticide that has been found to increase fertility of the soil as well as control soil-borne pests. Dried neem leaves are placed in sacks of stored foodgrain to keep away insects.

THE BIRTH OF SHRI KRISHNA

  Janmashtami   

     Once upon a time there lived a king named Ugrasena. He had a son named Kansa who was the crowned prince of Mathura.  He was a cold hearted, merciless, and cruel man. Everyone in Mathura feared his cruel and wicked nature.  But one person whom Kansa loved and adored, was his sister Devaki, who was kind, loving and caring. Devaki’s marriage was fixed with a noble man named Vasudev. 

     The wedding was a real grand ceremonial affair. After all the rituals had finished, Kansa who loved his sister dearly escorted his sister by chariot to her in-laws’ home. On their way, suddenly there was a gust of wind, and the clouds darkened the skies. A loud voice from the heaven above said, “Oh dear Kansa, why are you so happy? Beware the sister you love so much will give birth to son who will destroy you.  The eighth son born to Devaki will kill you”. 

     On hearing this Kansa burst into a rage.  He said he would slay his sister before she gives birth to her eighth child.  Vasudev begged Kansa, not to kill Devaki. He explained to him that it was not justified for him to kill his own sister on her wedding day and pleaded to spare Devaki’s life. Vasudev promised that he would hand over every child that was born to them. He sincerely requested Kansa to trust him. Kansa agreed to spare Devaki, if Vasudev kept his promise.

     He ordered the wedding procession to return to Mathura.  When they reached Mathura, Kansa imprisoned Vasudev and Devaki in the palace dungeon. 

     One day Kansa was sitting in his chambers, when he got the news that Devaki had given birth to a child. Kansa immediately went to the prison. He requested Devaki to hand over the baby but she refused, he snatched the child from Devaki. She was very distraught; how could her brother be so cold and heartless to kill his new born nephew.  Kansa took the baby’s life.

     After that Kansa killed the next five babies born.  Devaki was pregnant for the seventh time.  The seventh baby was miraculously carried to Rohini, (second wife of Vasudev), who lived in Gokul. The seventh child was known as Balrama. The guards told Kansa that the seventh child was still born.

     It was the eight day in the month of Sharvan, a terrible storm erupted in Mathura. Rain was thundering down; the skies were covered in thick black clouds. Devaki was pregnant with her eighth child. Suddenly Shri Vishnu appeared to Vasudev and Devaki, and told them that their prayers had been fulfilled to save the baby. He told them that He will take birth as their eighth child. He advised him to take the child away to Gokul, and that he must exchange the child for the baby born to Nanda Gopal and Yashoda. Shri Vishnu then disappeared. 

     At the stroke of midnight, the eight baby, who we know as Shri Krishna was born to Devaki. Vasudev and Devaki’s chains were magically released.  Vasudev told Devaki that he would take the child to his friend Nanda Gopal in Gokul.  Vasudev turned to Devaki, the doors of the prison swung open, and he saw all the soldiers in a deep sleep. Carefully he held Krishna in a basket on his head. 

     Vasudev headed towards Gokul. Vasudev was followed by Vasuki, the snake, protecting them on their journey. This was the snake that Shri Vishnu reclined on in the heavens.  The snake spread his five headed hood over the basket that Vasudev was carrying, to keep Krishna dry. Vasudev reached the bank of the river Yamuna.  To Vasudev’s astonishment the river parted giving him a safe route through. Vasudev reached Gokul. 

     Nanda’s wife Yashoda had just given birth to a baby girl. Vasudev placed Krishna in the cradle and took the baby girl gently with him back to Mathura. Vasudev returned to the dungeon where the guards were still sleeping, and the prison doors were still open.  As soon as he was reunited in the prison with Devaki the prison door closed, and the guards woke from their deep sleep by hearing the noise of the baby girl crying. On hearing the cry of the baby, the guards immediately reported the birth of the child to Kansa. 

     Kansa went to the dungeon and ordered Devaki to hand over the baby. Vasudev begged Kansa and asked him how could a baby girl do any harm to a mighty warrior like him? Kansa was not ready to hear any of their pleas. The baby girl slipped out of his hand and rose in the air, she transformed into Goddess Yogamaya.  She addressed him, “Oh wicked Kansa, you have just shown your evil nature by trying to harm an innocent baby, but your destroyer was born to Devaki at midnight and is now safe in Gokul. When the time comes, he will come and punish you for all the evil you have committed”.  Goddess Yogamaya disappeared, as for Kansa he was terrified, and lived a life filled with fear.  Vasudev and Dekavi rejoiced.

     Hindus celebrate Janmashtami on eighth day of Krishna Paksha of Shravan month worldwide by fasting, singing, praying together, preparing and sharing special food, night vigils and visiting Krishna and Vishnu temples.

     Some Hindus simply don't go to sleep during the celebrations and instead sing bhajans, traditional Hindu songs. Food is a key ingredient for Janmashtami: Krishna is thought to have favoured milk and curds, so meals are prepared from these ingredients. However, some Hindus choose to fast all day and night for the first day of Krishna Janmashtami, breaking the fast at midnight.

     Song, dance and drama are essential to the lively and colourful celebrations. Plays are carried out re-enacting scenes from Krishna's early life. In temples, images of Krishna are bathed and placed in cradles, whilst the shankh (conch shell) is blown and bells are rung. Holy mantras are also chanted to venerate him.

     On this day there is another tradition, there is the human pyramid: a young boy, who stands right at the top of the people shoulders, is elevated by the crowd to reach a clay pot. The pot, known as a handi or matki, is filled with buttermilk. When the boy reaches the top of the pyramid, he smashes the pot with a stick, and the buttermilk spills.

5th SEPTEMBER

 Teachers' Day

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

(5 Sept 1888 ~ 17 Apr 1975)

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in a Telugu-speaking family, in Tiruttani in erstwhile Madras Presidency. His family hailed from Sarvepalli in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

In 1896 he moved to Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati and Government HSS, Walajapet.

He was awarded scholarships throughout his academic life. After securing first class in Arts class at Voorhees College in Vellore, he joined Madras Christian College at age 16. He graduated in 1907 and completed Masters too.

Being a financially constrained student, when a cousin graduated from the same college, he received his philosophy textbooks, it automatically decided his academics course.

He wrote thesis on 'The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical Presuppositions'. It was a reply to the charge that the Vedanta system had no room for ethics. Two professors, Rev. William Meston and Dr. Alfred George Hogg, commended his dissertation. His thesis was published when he was only 20.

In 1909, he was appointed to Department of Philosophy at Madras Presidency College. In 1918, he was selected as Professor of Philosophy by University of Mysore and taught at Maharaja's College, Mysore.

By that time he had written many articles for journals of repute like The Quest, Journal of Philosophy and International Journal of Ethics. He also completed his first book, The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore. His second book, The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy was published in 1920.

He held King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at University of Calcutta from 1921-32 and Spalding Chair of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford from 1936-52.

He was Ambassador of India to Soviet Union from 1949-52 and Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from 1939-48. He served as first Vice President of India from 1952-62 and 2nd President of India from 1962-67.

His philosophy was grounded in Advaita Vedanta, reinterpreting this tradition for a contemporary understanding. He defended Hinduism against what he called 'uninformed Western criticism'.

His many recognitions include a knighthood in 1931, Bharat Ratna in 1954 and honorary membership of British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. He was one of the founders of Helpage India, a non profit organisation for elderly underprivileged in India.

He believed that 'teachers should be the best minds in the country'. Since 1962, his birthday has been celebrated in India as Teachers' Day.

A FOLKTALE FROM ANDHRA PRADESH

 Ringing in justice 

     King Satyendra was a benevolent and just ruler. One day, he called his minister, Vishwanath, and said,“Build a bell tower just outside the palace gates. If anyone is in need or has a complaint, all he has to do is ring the bell so that I can immediately solve his problem.”

     In accordance with the king's wishes, a tower containing a large bell was built. A rope was attached to the bell that reached the ground so that even a child could ring it. For months, no one rang the bell. Then one morning, the palace woke up to the sounds of the bell clanging.

     “Find out who it is,” Satyendra ordered Vishwanath.

     On reaching the bell tower, Vishwanath found a horse tugging the rope. He noticed that a vine was twined around the rope. The horse, while chewing the vine, had inadvertently caused the bell to ring. When Vishwanath returned to the palace, the king asked him who rang the bell and why.

     “No one, Your Majesty,” replied Vishwanath. “Your subjects have no want.”

     “Then how did the bell ring?” asked the surprised king.

     Vishwanath told him about the horse and what had happened. “How does the horse look?” asked Satyendra.

     Puzzled, Vishwanath answered, “He was old and thin. Why do you ask?”

     “Horses usually don’t eat vines,”explained the king. “This one must be starving, which is why he was chewing it. It’s my duty to look after not just the people but also other living creatures in my kingdom. Find the horse’s owner.”

     Vishwanath and the king’s officers traced the horse’s owner and brought him before the king. The owner confessed that he had abandoned the horse as the animal was old and unable to work like before. Satyendra punished the owner for his negligence. The horse, meanwhile, was taken to the royal stables where he was well looked after till the end of his life.

DOPING

 How do drug tests work?

     The world of sport has become so fiercely competitive that sports persons are often tempted to take drugs to enhance their performance and increase their chances of winning. Doping is universally condemned as unethical, as it goes against the spirit of sport. Hence sports organisations that organise various sporting competitions strictly regulate the use of drugs by athletes.

     Anabolic steroids and stimulants are the main culprits in doping scandals. Every year, the World Anti-Doping Agency updates its list of banned substances and methods that sports persons are not allowed to use.

     For the test, the the sports persons are expected to give a sample of their blood or urine. The samples are sent to the lab for testing. At the Olympics for example, the first five finishers are tested immediately after the event, at the venue. Random tests are also conducted on players where they are based for the duration of the tournament.

     Two samples are taken from the athlete. If sample A shows the presence of a banned substance, the athlete can request the authorities to test sample B too, to confirm or negate the first result. A sample may be stored in the deep freezer and retested up to eight to ten years later!

     Urine drug testing is one of the most common testing methods used, because of its low cost. Steroids can be detected in urine for a period from 3 to 30 days.

 

MONEY MATTERS

 The History of Indian coinage

     In the ancient world, money was not used as the medium of exchange. The barter system was used for trade. 

     A good or service was exchanged for another good or service. For example, a cow could be sold in exchange for 12 hens. However, a problem arose. What would the cow seller do if he was offered only 6 hens? He could not sell half of his cow! 

     Eventually, cowries shells came to be used all over the world as shell money. Cowries are the small, shiny and smooth porcelain-like egg-shaped shells of slow-moving sea snails. 

     Empty cowrie shells are abundant in the Indian Ocean.These were washed ashore and collected in the Maldive islands, Sri Lanka, Indian Malabar Coast, Borneo and other East Asian islands, Maluku and the African coast. Long, long ago, these cowrie shells were used as shell money for trade transactions in Africa, South Asia and East Asia.

     Cowrie or kaudi was the currency used in trade transactions in ancient India. It was used even in the 19th century in the eastern parts of India, viz. Bengal and Odisha. Phootie cowries referred to split cowries. 

Ancient Indian Coinage system:

3 phootie cowries = 1 cowrie

10 cowries = 1 damri

2 damris = 1 dhela

1 dhela = 1.5 pie

3 pies = 1 paisa

4 paisa = 1 anna

16 annas = 1 rupaya

256 damris = 192 pie = 128dhelas = 64 paisa (old) =16annas = 1 rupaya

      There is no consensus amongst historians about whether the terracotta seals found in Mohenjodaro and Harappa sites were actually the first coins of ancient India. The first punch-marked coins (silver) were possibly minted in the 6th century B.C. Known as aahat coins, these were produced in the kingdoms of the Mahajanapadas of the Indo Gangetic plain, from the 6th to 2nd century B.C. There were 16 kingdoms in the Mahajanapadas. Puranas, Karshapanas and Panas were the minted punch marked coins (PMCs). These silver coins were made in all shapes, viz. round, oval, square, rectangular, etc. The various kingdoms in the Mahajanapadas had different types of inscriptions, e.g., human figures,flower, plant and tree motifs; geometrical designs, etc. Thus, Dakshin Panchala had a swastika punched on the coins, while Saurashtra had a humped bull.

     By the 3rd century BC, Mahajanapada acquired control over many small kingdoms. Due to the extension of this vast Mauryan empire, the Mauryan coins came to be used as the currency of the Indian subcontinent. Nishka was the name given to the gold coin of the Mauryans.

Dynastic coins in Ancient India: The Indo-Greek kings ruled North and North-western India from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century CE. They introduced a new coinage system consisting of gold, silver, copper and nickel coins. A portrait of the ruler was on the obverse side of the coin and the Greek deity on the reverse side, along with Indian religious symbols. 

     In the Kushan empire (1st century CE to 4th century CE), the coins were made of gold. Emperor Kanishka is regarded as a great king of ancient India. Coins made of gold and copper were found in his kingdom. He was a Buddhist and there were coins with a standing Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha engraved on them. Figures of various Gods and Goddesses on the Kushan coins show the tolerance this Emperor had for all religions. 

     The largest number of gold coins were found in the Gupta empire(early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE). These were known as dinars. There were also silver coins, but coins made of other metals were rare. This abundance of gold coins was due to the thriving trade on the silk route. Therefore, the Gupta rule was called the Golden Age of Ancient India.The deities on the coins were Indian and the legends were in Brahmi. Coins were of various types - King and Queen type of Chandragupta I (Lichchavi type), Aswamedha (Horse type), King playing the veena (Lyrist type), King wielding battle-axe, sword,etc. (Battle- Axe type). The post Gupta coinage had images of a seated Goddess Lakshmi and of a horse/bull.

     In the Mughal Empire, broad, thin, silver coins called sharukhis were issued during the reign of Emperor Babur. These were also issued by Emperor Humayun and Emperor Akbar. Emperor Humayun was sent into exile to Persia by an Afghan lord, Sher Shah Suri, in 1540. The Suri dynasty now replaced the Mughal empire from 1540 to 1556. Sher Shah Suri issued a new silver coin, the rupaiya, and a copper coin, the paisa. The rupaiya eventually became our modern Indian rupee. With the help of the Persians, Humayu regained control over Indian territories 15 years after he was overthrown by Sher Shah Suri. Thus began the second reign by the Mughals. The silver rupee in the Mughal empire was an adaptation of Emperor Sher Shah Suri’s rupaiya. The Afghan ruler’s dam also came to be used as the Mughal period copper currency. The standard gold currency during the Mughal period was the mohur (ashraf). This too was first introduced during the Suri empire.

     Mohur Mughal era coins had Persian legends and Kalima (Islamic religious messages) engraved in Arabic. Emperor Akbar’s religious beliefs were put on coins during his reign. Kalima coins were later banned by Emperor Aurangazeb as he felt they went against the teachings of Islam. Mughal coins were also issued by regional powers in Awadh, Hyderabad and Rohilkhand, and even by the enemies of the Mughals, viz. the Marathas, Sikhs, Rajputs, as well as the French and the British! 

     In the South Indian coinage system, dynastic crests were engraved on the coins viz. boars (Chalukya dynasty), bull (Pallava dynasty), tiger (Chola dynasty), etc. Ancient India had a thriving silk route trade and maritime trade with the Middle East,Greece, Rome and China. Roman coins were used in South India due to the thriving maritime trade. Sometimes the engraving of the Roman monarch was slashed to show that he was not the ruler of their kingdom in South India! Even Chinese coins were used in South India. India had close relations with China through trade and cultural activities. Coins were round with a square in the center. Ancient Chinese believed that Earth was a square and Heaven was round!

     Uniform coinage was introduced in India by the British in 1835. Coins were issued in the name of the East India Company. Initially coins had the image of William III, but by 1840, coins had the profile of Queen Victoria. From 1947-1950, Indian currency had images of British monarchs. This was the transition period for Indian coinage. The first coinage system of free India was issued on August 15th, 1950. The British monarchs’ portrait was then replaced by the Lion Capitol of Ashoka (official emblem of India). Coins issued after 1950 were 50paise, 25paise, 10paise, 2paise, 1rupee, 10rupees, etc. 

     Metals used to mint the coins were nickel, bronze, ferritic stainless steel, bimetallic cupro-nickel, aluminium-bronze, aluminium-magnesium, nickel-brass, etc. Coin shapes were circular, hexagonal, square and 8-scalloped. After independence, paper currency too, which was first introduced in India during the last half of the 18th century, came into use extensively.

Do you know? 

* Rupee symbol as we know it, was introduced in 2010. The government held an open competition to select the rupee symbol, which was won by D Udaya Kumar, an Indian academic and designer from Tamil Nadu.

* Sterling is the world's oldest currency that is still in use and that has been in continuous use since its inception. It is currently the fourth most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar, the euro, and the Japanese yen.

* Queen Elizabeth II is the most featured person on coins and bank-notes.

* Currently, Indian coins are minted in four locations in the country - Mumbai, Noida, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Each coin has a unique shape right below the year that helps identify which city it was minted in. Mumbai represented by a diamond, Noida by a dot, Hyderabad by a star, and Kolkata mint has no mark at all.

* Tossing a coin to determine between two possible outcomes started in the time of Emperor Julius Caesar. Romans called this game of chance navia aut caput (“shipor head”), referring to the image of a ship’s prow on one side of the coin and the emperor’s head on the other. In ancient Rome, the emperor’s word was law, so if a coin landed heads up, you had to respect the will of the emperor and carry out the action decided for that side. In Britain, the practice was called cross and pile, taking its name from the indentation from the hammer used to press the metal as the coin was struck.

* The first US coin ‘Fugio’ had the motto ‘mind your business’.

* India’s highest currency denomination was the Rs. 10000 note.

* Sailors are a superstitious lot, and favour traditions and ceremonies that bring good luck when building a new ship. One of these is the coin ceremony, whereby mariners place one or two coins under the keel block of the new ship to bring good luck. The tradition dates back to Roman times, when coins attached to ships were said to provide divine protection.

BE PRACTICAL

 Change Yourself 

     Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went on a trip to some distant areas of his country. After he returned to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he had undertaken such a long trip. The roads that he went through had been very rough and stony.

     The king then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ hides, and would also cost an exorbitant amount of money. Then one of his wise councilors dared himself to suggest to the king, “Why do you have to wastefully spend such a huge amount of money? Why don’t you instead just cut out a little piece of leather to cover your feet?” The king was surprised, but later agreed to the wise practical suggestion to have a pair of shoes made for himself.

Moral: To make this world a happy place to live in, you need to change yourself - your heart and your mindset; and not the world!