A SPECTACLE OF DEVOTION AND JOY

                 Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa 

     Ganesh Chaturthi, a vibrant and significant festival in Goa, unfolds with an air of excitement, devotion, and grandeur. This annual celebration is in honour of the revered elephant-headed deity, Ganapati, symbolising wisdom and the remover of obstacles. With its captivating rituals, ornate decorations, and joyous spirit, Ganesh Chaturthi illuminates the coastal paradise of Goa like no other occasion.
     Every year, the fourth day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada heralds the commencement of Ganesh Chaturthi. This year 2023, this cherished festival will grace Goa's shores from September 19, inviting locals and visitors alike to partake in the jubilant festivities.
     In Goa, Ganesh Chaturthi is not just a fleeting event but an immersive experience that spans a minimum of two days, with the potential to extend up to an awe-inspiring 21 days. The festivities start with the ceremonial installation of clay idols of Lord Ganesha in elaborately adorned rooms within homes. These idols become the focal point of heartfelt prayers, accompanied by melodious devotional music and generous offerings.

     Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrated in Goa as Chavath, is influenced by inherited customs passed down generations and promote harmony and community spirit.

     A ‘matoli’ — a wooden canopy — over idol of Ganpati is decorated with seasonal floral wealth. This showcases the intimate relationship of the God with Mother Nature.

     As the festival unfolds, the days come alive with an enchanting medley of feasting, dancing, and vibrant celebrations. The streets of Goa reverberate with joy as public processions, replete with elaborately crafted Ganesh idols, grace the thoroughfares. These processions, often accompanied by exuberant music and traditional dances, infuse the atmosphere with an infectious energy.

     Goan Delicacies for Chaturthi include the sacred Modak, Ladoo, Payce, Bhaji, Patilyo, Nevryo etc.
     The culmination of the festival is as poignant as its commencement. On the final day, the Ganesh idols, having soaked in the devotion and revelry, are bid farewell in a symbolic immersion ceremony. The idols are gently carried to rivers or seas, where they are reverently immersed, signifying a heartwarming farewell to the deity and gratitude for the blessings bestowed.
     Ganesh Chaturthi is a time when the bonds of family and friendship are celebrated with utmost enthusiasm. However, the spirit of unity extends beyond personal circles. It's a season of giving, with many individuals and communities contributing food, clothing, and financial aid to those in need, embodying the spirit of compassion and generosity.
   Immersing in the Celebration the festival offers an array of captivating experiences. On visit to a pandal of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, one can witness the artistry and devotion that adorn temporary shrines, known as mandap, showcasing intricately decorated Ganesh idols.
    Participating in public processions where lively music and dances are a part, paint the streets with a kaleidoscope of colours.
     Ganesh Chaturthi unfurls a magical tapestry of tradition, faith and camaraderie. It is the divine union of devotion and festivity.

A COOL SUMMER DRINK

 Sugarcane Juice 

     Most people love to consume a glass of a cold sugarcane juice in the summer assuming it as just another cool drink.
     Sugarcane is a grass plant found in several varieties. Sugarcane juice has no fats, and is a 100 percent natural drink. It has zero content of cholesterol, fat, fibre and protein. But it contains ample quantities of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron.

Benefits of Sugarcane Juice: 

Energy - This juice gives an instant shot of energy. It's the best way to energise and stop dehydration in hot summer. The natural sugars in the juice get easily absorbed by the body and are used to replenish sugar levels. Though sugarcane is naturally sweet it does not contribute to any weight gain. The sweetner present in sugarcane is called Sucrose, which is very healthy and required by the body to maintain the sugar level properly.
Liver function - Sugarcane juice is one of the best treatments for liver-related ailments like jaundice. Since sugarcane is alkaline in nature it helps in maintaining the electrolyte balance in your body.
Cancer protection - Sugarcane juice is alkaline because of its high concentration of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and manganese. These natural products help the body remove cancerous cells, especially prostate and breast cancer.
Digestion - It eases your digestive system and is beneficial for those people suffering from digestive disorders and stomach infections. The potassium content balances the pH levels in the stomach, initiates the secretion of digestive juices, and keeps the system on track.
Diabetes control - People with diabetes may feel sugarcane juice may aggravate their condition. But, if taken in moderation, sugarcane juice can benefit diabetic patients. Natural sugar has a low glycemic index that prevents frequent spikes in blood glucose levels.
Kidney health - The presence of natural low cholesterol, low sodium, and no saturated fats, keeps the kidneys in top shape.
     Sugarcane juice also reduces pain associated with urinary tract infections. It reduces inflammation caused by urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostatitis.
Bones and teeth - In earlier times chewing a sugarcane stick were very common. This would exercise the teeth and also add calcium to the system. Calcium ensures the proper development of the skeletal system, bones, and teeth. The juice also helps build tooth enamel and strengthen teeth. It also overcomes bad breath caused due to the deficiency of these nutrients.
Acne cure - Sugarcane juice also has the ability to help reduce and cure skin problems such as acne if applied externally along with prescribed medications. It also prevents formation of acne.

SOME COMMON TERMS USED IN GOLF

      Golf A to Z

Ace: A hit by which the ball goes into the hole in one shot. It is also called a hole-in-one.

Birdie: A score of one under par on hole. (A par is a pre-determined number of strokes that a golfer requires to put the ball in the hole. So if the par is 3 and the golfer puts the ball in the hole in 2 strokes, it's a birdie)

Caddie: A person who carries the player's clubs. He can also offer advice to the player. 

Drive : The first shot of each hole which is usually hit with a driver (a type of golf club).

Even: A score equal to that of par.

Frenchie: A type of shot in which the player tries to hit the ball in a way that it bounces back to the tee (a small peg on which the ball is placed before being driven) into the fairway (A fairway is a good area where the ball can be hit properly.

Green: A smooth area of trimmed grass surrounding the hole which enables the players to hit the ball with precision. 

Hole: A small circular hole in the ground. The aim of golf is to put the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible.

In play: When the ball is within the playing area. 

Jail: It is a term used when the ball is in an unplayable position (e.g. in thick undergrowth).

Knee Knocker: An easy short putt which a player shouldn't miss but often does. There are various reasons for missing this shot, the most common being the distance.

Lay-up: A stoke played to position the ball in a favourite spot for a better subsequent shot. 

Match play: A form of golf in which players or teams compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. The winner is determined by the number of holes he has played.

Nine Iron: A club of the highest loft in the 'iron' family. It is used for short distance shots.

Out of bounds: An area that falls outside the boundaries of the golf course. If a player's stroke falls in the 'out-of-bound' area then he/she receives one stroke penalty and must hit the shot from the original spot once again.

Par: Standard score for a hole which is defined by the length of the course. It can also be the standard score for a course which can be derived from a sum of all the holes' pars.

Q-School: Qualifying school. The qualifying tournament in major professional tours, such as the PGA Tour, European Tour etc.

Recovery Shot: A stroke played to get oneself out of difficult situations (sand traps, weeds, trees etc.).

Starter: Also known as the tee master. He is the person who controls the play on a golf course.

Tap-in: A tap-in occurs when the ball is very close to the hole and all the player has to do is tap the ball into the hole.

Up and down: When the player holes the ball in just two strokes. The first stroke gets the ball 'up' on to the green, and the subsequent one gets the ball 'down' into the whole.

Vardon Grip: A style in which the right little finger rests on top of the left index finger. It is named after Harry Vardon, the golf superstar of the 20th century.

Whiff: An attempt to strike the ball which misses it completely. It is counted as a stroke.

Yips: Fear of short putts. It is a tendency to twitch during the putting stroke which results in poor accuracy.

THE JOURNEY OF INDIA'S TELEVISION CHANNEL

 Doordarshan

     Doordarshan (DD) completed 64 years of its service on September 15, 2023. The experimental broadcaster began on September 15 in 1959, which turned into a regular service in 1965 when DD began beaming signals to homes in and around the national capital. Then President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the first broadcast. 

     By 1972, the services were extended to mumbai and Amritsar. Within the next three years, its expansion went to seven more cities. Since then, DD has been expanding its presence among the masses.

     Doordarshan is an autonomous public service broadcaster and functions under the Prasar Bharati. it is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the country in terms of studio and transmitter infrastructure. 

     From 1959 to 1976, DD service was part of the All india radio (Air), national public radio broadcaster. On April 1, 1976, it transformed to become a separate department in the ministry of information and Broadcasting and later it was brought under the control of Prasar Bharati. A new signature image was designed by the National institute of Design and a signature tune was created by Pandit Ravi Shankar. 

     The first telecast in colour took place on August 15, 1982, when the national programme started. With modern technological changes, Doordarshan has gone digital and reached the palms of individuals. 

     On March 7, 2022 India's public broadcaster Prasar Bharati signed an agreement with 'Yupp TV' and an OTT platform.

     Over the years, Doordarshan has continued to enthral audiences --- from the days of Ramayana, Mahabharat, Humlog, Buniyad, Malgudi days and Udaan to today's high-tech coverage of national and international programmes.

     During covid lockdown, DD hit record viewership.

     At present, Doordarshan has 35 satellite channels and 66 studio centres across the country, a DD DTH earth station at Todapur in Delhi and 55 transmitters of varying power.

     DD free dish is the Direct-To-Home (DTH) service owned and operated by national public radio broadcaster Prasar Bharati. It was launched in December 2004. DD free dish reaches about 45 million households as per the FICCI and E and Y Report 2023. DD free dish is the only Free-T0-Air Direct-To-Home (DTH) service in the country.

PERSIAN MATHEMATICAL GENIUS

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi

     Do you know what an algorithm is? Where did the word ‘Algebra’ come from? How did the Western world learn of Arabic numerals? The key to all the answers is Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, a Persian mathematical genius. 

     Al-Khwarizmi was the head librarian of the House of Wisdom, a centre of science and astronomy in Baghdad in the 9th century. He studied the ancient mathematical works of Greek and Indian scholars and translated them into Arabic. Al-Khwarizmi wrote several books on mathematics and astronomy, which were later translated into Latin in Europe. 

     The term ‘Algebra’comes from the Arabic word al-jabr, which was part of the title of his book that laid the foundation of modern algebra. Al Khwarizmi is considered the father of algebra as he was the first to present a systematic solution of linear and quadratic equations. 

     The Latin translation of his name gave us the term ‘algorithm’. It is a set of rules or instructions used in calculations and problem-solving operations. 

ZOONOTIC VIRUS

 Nipah virus

     Nipah virus (NIV) is a zoonotic virus that is transmitted from animals to humans and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people. It is known to cause illness in pigs and people. Fruit bats, also called flying foxes are animal reservoirs for NIV in nature. 

     Infection with NIV is linked to encephalitis (swelling of the brain). It can cause mild to severe illness and even death. Outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India. It was first discovered in 1999 following an outbreak of disease in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore. The outbreak resulted in nearly 300 cases and more than 100 deaths. Over 1 million pigs were killed to help control the outbreak.

How the disease spreads: People can become infected if they have close contact with an infected animal or its body fluids such as saliva or urine.  

                                  

     Once it spreads to people, person-to-person transmission can also occur. Symptoms typically appear in 4 to 14 days following exposure to the virus. 

Symptoms: Fever, headache, cough, sore throat, difficulty in breathing, vomiting, disorientation, drowsiness or confusion, seizures, coma, brain swelling (encephalitis), long-term side effects, including persistent convulsions and personality changes in survivors. 

Prevention: 

* Wash hands regularly with soap and water.

* Avoid contact with sick bats or pigs.

* Avoid areas where bats are known to roost.

* Avoid eating or drinking products that could be contaminated by bats, such as raw date palm sap, raw fruit or fruit that is found on the ground.

* Avoid contact with the blood or body fluids of any person known to be infected with NIV.

How cases are detected: Real time polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR from throat and nasal swabs, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and blood samples can confirm.

     Later in the course of illness and after recovery, testing for antibodies is conducted using an Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA).

     No treatment or vaccine is available for either people or animals, primary treatment for humans is supportive care as per WHO.

     According to Centres For Disease Control And Prevention, death may occur in 40%-75% of cases.

DO YOU KNOW

 In stock exchange, who are bulls and bears?

     The expressions 'bulls' and 'bears' are part of stock exchange terminology. These have been in use for over two centuries. Bull is used to denote an optimistic investor, and a bear pessimistic one. Bears sell stocks which they do not yet own, betting that when the time comes to actually buy and deliver the stock they have sold, the prices would have fallen, and they would be able to buy the stock at a discount, thus making a profit. Bulls, on the other hand, bet in the opposite way. Assuming that the market is rising, they buy the stock in the expectation that they would be able to later sell it at a higher price. A bull market is one in which stock prices are rising. A bear market is one marked by falling prices. 

     How did this terminology originate? 

     'Bear comes from the term 'bearskin jobber' which was used in the 18th century to denote a person selling short (that is, stock which he did not own). Possibly this usage was derived from  an old English proverb which goes 'Don't sell the bearskin before the bear is caught'. (This is exactly what the stock exchange bear does.) As for the 'bull', it probably got the name due to the alliteration with 'bear', and also because both bull and bear 'baiting' were popular sports in old England.