AN INSPIRING ANECDOTE FROM THE LIFE OF

King Bharat

     According to our ancient scriptures, three strong fetters of mind, keep the immortal soul (Atma), in perpetual bondage with this transitory world. They are: i) progeny, ii) wealth and iii) name-fame and recognition. Of these, the desire for name and fame is the subtlest, predominant and hard to get over.

    There is an inspiring anecdote in the annals of Jain history. Bharat, the first sovereign emperor of India, whose name this country bears, having conquered all the kingdoms of the sub-continent, finally reached Rishabhkoot mountain to hoist his victory flag and inscribe on victory pillar --- his name, bio-data and a brief description of this remarkable event. Thereby he wanted to satisfy his desire for name and immortalise his glory and fame.

     After reaching there, he looked around and found that there were already inscribed thousands of names of prominent peoples of yore, and there was no space left even to chisel a few letters of his own name, not to speak of the narration of his glorious achievements. 

     He thought --- why not erase someone's name engraved in its place? At his command, it was done so. 

     But no sooner than the task was completed, a ray of conscience flashed in his heart. The emperor thought, "Today I have erased someone's name, but tomorrow someone else may come and erase my name too. This is how, it is all merely a play of ego. The egoism in the form of desire to immortalise one's name, keeps people behaving in various strange ways. Nobody's name can remain immortal and indelible on the vast canvas of time and space."

     Thus, the desire for name and fame vanished forever from the heart and soul of the monarch.

HISTORY OF ONE OF THE OLDEST ARTS

 Pottery

     When humans had started to express their feelings, they did this through cave paintings and tally sticks. Evolution of modern human began with the formation of small groups and associated culture. Although very primitive in nature, they started exchanging between different groups. At that time, more sophistication came in their living. Pottery came in daily use for cooking and storage purpose. Survived for thousands of years, it is the most significant archeological evidence to study the development of human being.

     Earliest evidences of pottery vessels came from China (dated back to 18,000 BC), Russian far East (14,000 BC) and Japan (10,500 BC). Our ancestors started exploring and using the available resources nearby their settlements to make their lives easier. Pottery is a classical example of this. Clay was normally available and it was used to craft the vessels for storage. Two basic characteristics of clay made it useful in vessel preparation --- one, it can be molded and second, it can be hardened. When pit-firing was invented (around 29000 - 25000 BCE), the technique was used by the earliest humans to heat the vessels of clay and make the pit fired pottery.

     It is somewhat debatable as when the first use of pottery started in Indian subcontinent. The earliest evidence of pottery can be found in some early settlements at Lahuradewa in Uttar Pradesh, Sothi-Siswal sites and Indus Valley Civilisation.

     As the time advanced, potter's wheel got invented in Mesopotamia sometime between 6,000 and 4,000 BC. This invention revolutionized the way the potteries were made. Now-a-days more modern techniques have evolved and pottery art has spread across the world. In India, it has become a culture. You can now see different types of ceramic pottery with a glaze, painting and beautiful decorations. But credit for all this goes to that person, he or she, who never wrote his or her name on the first vessel made.

THE STORY OF A FARMER

Bad news, good news, who knows?

 

    A long time ago, there was a wise farmer. Every day, the farmer couldn't have cared for his crops and animals without the help of his faithful horse. 

     However, the horse managed to get away one day. Everyone in the community came to offer their sympathies. 

     "What bad news!" 

     But the farmer just shrugged and muttered, "Bad news. Good news. Who knows?"

     The locals did not know what they should think of him, but they decided to ignore him. 

     A few days later, while working outside in the afternoon, the farmer spotted his horse again. However, his horse wasn't alone. In fact that horse was the part of the herd. This resulted in farmer's acquisition of four more horses. Everyone in the town came by to express their complement to the farmer. "Wow, that's good news!"

     "Bad news. Good news. Who knows?" the farmer said.

     After a few weeks, the farmer's son came to visit and join in with the farm chores. The farmer's son fractured his leg while trying to tame one of the horses. The neighbours came by to offer their sympathies and say things like, "How horrible! What a shocking thing to happen! What bad news!" 

     Once again the farmer responded, "Bad news. Good news. Who knows?" 

     The farmer's sick son didn't get better even after a month. Because of his disability, he could not help his father in the field. 

     Suddenly, war broke out with a neighbouring country. The army stormed the town and enlisted every man of fighting age. The soldiers passed by the injured farmer's son lying on the floor and just left him there.

     Every resident of the town saw and said, "Wow! This is a miraculous stroke of luck. Wow, this is really a good news!"

     You already know now how the farmer must have responded.

FUEL OBTAINED FROM REMAINS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Fossil Fuel 

     The world is dynamic; it is constantly moving and developing and to fuel this development, we require energy. Our primary source of energy is fossil fuels. The three main types of fossil fuels are petroleum, coal and natural gas. Fossil fuels are a cornerstone of our society and therefore, it is imperative to understand how they work.

     Humans extract fossil fuels from under the surface of the Earth and burn them to release usable energy. Fossil fuels are nothing but hydrocarbon-containing substances that are formed underground, from the remains of dead plants and animals.

History of Fossil Fuels: Thousands of years ago, ancient civilisations used petroleum in various ways. In ancient Babylon, petroleum in its natural form was used for construction and while building roads and walls. It was also used for lighting.

     The Romans used burning petroleum as a weapon in warfare. Some cultures such as the Persians, used petroleum for skin treatments as they believed it had therapeutic benefits. Native Americans would use it to glue arrows to shafts and knives to handles.

     Coal has been mined and used for more than 1,000 years. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries, the Europeans discovered that chimneys could be made from firebricks and started using coal to heat homes. But it wasn't until the middle of the 18^th century when the Industrial revolution began in Britain that coal, later oil and natural gas, became vital energy sources for industry and households in the UK and overseas.

The process: All the energy in fossil fuels originates from sun. Plants use solar energy for photosynthesis, which helps them to prepare food and grow. Animals eat plants and other animals and thus make use of the energy that had once come from the sun. Since both plants and animals are living beings, they contain carbon and hydrogen, which when burnt produce energy. 

     As dead plants and animals get buried underground, they are subjected to increased heat and pressure, which transfers them into fossils. As the heat increases, the fossil molecules break apart. The initial breakdown creates partial changes to their properties. But after millions of years underground, the fossils take on new properties.

Today, humans extract these resources through coal mining and the drilling of oil and gas wells on land and offshore. They are sought after because they contain stored energy in the form of hydrocarbons. 

     When burned, fossil fuels power machinery and provide electricity and fuel for transportation, which are essential to modern-day life. They also produce crucial ingredients that are used in the chemical industry.

Applications: Crude oil is found in underground areas called reservoirs and is used to make products such as gasoline and electricity. Crude oil is also used to produce transportation fuel for jets and other automobiles. The by-products of this process are used to produce chemicals, plastics, lubricants, tars, waxes and medicines. Many fertilisers and pesticides are also made from either crude oil or its by-products.

    Coal is used in the generation of electricity. It is also used in the steel industry, pharmaceutical industry, cement manufacturing and the manufacturing of paper. Products like dyes, aspirins, soaps, fibres, plastics and solvents contain coal or a coal by-product.

     Natural gas is used in cooking appliances like fuel stoves and for heating homes, water and buildings. It also provides electricity and is used in steel foundries, glass foundries, manufacturing hubs and aluminium smelters. It is used produce paints, fertilisers, plastics and dyes. It is also used in transportation as CNG or LNG.

Advantages: Fossil fuels can generate large amounts of energy. They are easily traceable, cost-effective, safe to transport and give us economically important by-products.

Disadvantages: Fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases that destroy the ozone layer and cause global warming. They are non-renewable. The combustion of fossil fuels makes the environment more acidic. This has led to unpredictable and harmful changes in the environment. Burning of fossil fuels causes air pollution. It also affects the fertility of soil and the quality of drinking water.

A HORSE IN THE SEA

Seahorse

     Have you seen the movie "Finding Nemo"? In the film, Nemo meets Sheldon and his friends in a school under the sea. Sheldon is a sea horse, a distinct and wonderful fish. Seahorses are very small marine fishes from a family named Hippocampus. Hippocampus is a Greek word derived from two different words --- "hippo" means horse and "kampos" means "sea monster". As the head of this fish looks like a horse hence named Seahorse. 

     There are almost 25-30 different types of seahorses spread from tropical and temperate coastal waters. Their size varies from 1.5 to 35.5cm. They have external protection in the form of a skeleton on their body which is called as armor. It protects them against the predators. They have a curled prehensile tail. Prehensile is the ability to grab or hold. Their tail helps them to grab or hold an object. Body of a seahorse is stretched over boney plates which are arranged in the form of rings across the body.

     The position of a seahorse while swimming is another distinct characteristic which makes them different from other fishes. They swim upright. They have dorsal black fins which are used to propel in the water. A fin flaps up to 35 times per second. The fins are located on the either side of the head. Normally neck is a body part which you can see in land animals. But very interestingly, a seahorse has a flexible and very well-defined neck.

     The abdomen of male seahorse is called as pouch. It is very similar to the kangaroo's pouch that carries the baby. The female seahorse deposits thousands of eggs in the male's pouch which is then carried by the male for 9 to 45 days until fully developed.

Some more facts:

* Seahorse is a very poor swimmer. H. Zosterae which is a dwarf seahorse is world's slowest moving fish. Its top speed is 5 feet per hour.

* Most often, seahorses swim in pairs with their tails linked together.

* To move up and down, seahorses adjust the air volume in their bladder.

* Planktons and tiny fish is their food. They almost eat constantly.

* Their lifespan is about 3 to 4 years.

* As they are very bad swimmers, they anchor themselves to coral or any such thing.

* Due to overfishing and destruction of their habitat, seahorses are endangered.

* In Chinese medicine their consumption is widespread.

HONOURING THE TRIUMPH OF GOOD OVER EVIL

 Durga Puja

     Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava, is one of the most significant and widely celebrated Hindu festivals, primarily in the eastern part of India, particularly West Bengal. The festival holds immense religious, cultural and social significance.

Worship of Goddess Durga: Durga Puja is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga, who symbolises the divine feminine energy and is seen as the embodiment of Shakti or the supreme power. During this festival, she is honoured as the ultimate source of strength and protection.

Victory of good over evil: Durga Puja celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. It symbolises the triumph of good over evil, righteousness over unrighteousness, and the vanquishing of inner demons and vices.

Unity and community bonding: Durga Puja brings communities together. It is not just a religious event but a time for people to come together, irrespective of caste, creed or social status. Communities set up elaborate pandals (temporary structures) where the idol of Goddess Durga is placed, and people from all walks of life visit these pandals to offer prayers and enjoy cultural programmes.

Art and culture: Durga Puja is a celebration of art and culture. Elaborate idols of Goddess Durga are crafted, often with intricate details, and the artistic themes vary from year to year. The festival features a wide array of cultural performances, including music, dance, drama and poetry readings.

Festive atmosphere: The festival creates a vibrant and joyous atmosphere. The streets are adorned with deocorations, lights and colourful artwork. Processions with idols, music and dance performances make the atmosphere lively and celebratory.

Reverence for the female divine: Durga Puja underscores the significance of the feminine divine. It is a time to celebrate the power, grace and nurturing aspects of the goddess. Women in particular are honoured during this festival.

Prayer and devotion: Devotees visit the Puja pandal to offer prayers, seek blessings and perform rituals. They express their devotion to Goddess Durga and seek her protection and guidance.

Culmination of Navaratri: Durga Puja marks the culmination of the nine-night festival of Navaratri. Each day of Navaratri is dedicated to a different form of goddess, leading to the final celebration of Durga Puja on the tenth day, known as Vijayadashami.

     Durga Puja is a time of cultural exuberance, religious fervour and social harmony. It transcends religious boundaries and has a special place in the hearts of people, not only for its religious significance but also for the sense of unity, creativity and festivity it brings to the community.

THE MODEST STATESMAN

 Lal Bahadur Shastri

     India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2 October 1904. His father died when he was 18 months old and he grew up at his grandfather's house. Since he was very slightly built, his grandpa affectionately called him 'Nanhe'. 

     One day, Nanhe and his friends were raiding a mango tree when they were surprised by the gardener. The gardener caught Nanhe and slapped him. 

     "Why did you slap me?" asked the boy. "Don't you know I have no father?"

     "That means you'll have to look after your mother and how can a thief do that?" asked the gardener. The gardener's words made the boy aware of his responsibilities and a change came over him. He grew up to be one of the leaders of our country.

     Shastri became Prime Minister at a time of turmoil. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had just died and war had erupted with Pakistan in 1965. The country was reeling under the drought. Quite a tough task for a new prime minister to handle.

     But he took it all in his stride. He inspired the people with his slogan, 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. The Indo-Pakistan war would have continued but Russia intervened and both India and Pakistan agreed to sign the Tashkent Agreement on 11 January 1966. Just a few hours after signing the agreement, Shastri died of a massive heart attack.

     Shastri was awarded the 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously. His memeorial 'Vijay Ghat' in Delhi is a constant reminder of a great administrator and a fantastic human being.