Christmas

Christmas celebrated to honour the glory of the nativity of Jesus on 25th December is the most significant and spectacular of Christian festivals. No other celebration is so enriched with so many customs and ceremonies. There is an array of spectacles like Christmas Star, Christmas tree, the Crib, Christmas cake, Christmas presents and the Christmas Father. The last named is quite a fascinating personage, who claims above all to be the very embodiment of the most vibrant and quintessence of the gayest of all the festivals. Children allowed to occupy the central stage, in the enchanted company of Christmas Father, Christmas takes on the look of a festival of children. The mood is set with the advent of the season by the twinkling of Christmas stars and there is no home or shop without the Christmas star, the beautiful pointer to the Babe of Bethlehem. The Christmas tree is a new feature in Kerala, perhaps less than sixty or seventy years old. The crib is a miniature production of the stable where Jesus was born. It developed from the old practice of giving dramatic expression to the events and the surroundings of the birth of Christ. Carols and songs developed from earlier nativity plays have become one of the most cheerful spectacles of the festivities.Priests hold mass in churches three times starting with the first at midnight. Just before the midnight mass, an image of the Child is brought by the priest, preceded by rows of Children holding lighted candles that are placed in the crib. The hymn 'Gloria in exelcis Deo' is intoned admidst the explosion of crackers. A sumptous lunch with rate delicacies is a significant feature of the celebration. Meat forms part of the feast even in rural homes where meat is rarely eaten. Cake has also become common in the villages where women have learnt to make it. In Kerala, Xmas retains its homeliness and expresses itself in the cultural forms of the country without losing what is native to itself.

General insurance

General insurance includes

  • motor insurance;
  • household insurance;
  • some travel insurance (see below for travel insurance we do not regulate);
  • health cover; and
  • pet insurance.

Mandir Shri Nimbark Peeth

Cause of Establishment:To liberate people from the tyrannical practices of a Tantrika Fiquir Masting Shah and to propagate Vaishnava doctrines amongst them.

Brief of the Diety:Shalagram idol of the size of a Gunja (Abrus prectorious grain) representing Shri Sarveshwar Prabhu

Important Architectural Characteristics:Bhati chief of Khejarli Shri Sheoji and Gopal Singh Ji Bhati founded this Peeth following instructions of his holiness Shri Nimbarkacharya Peethadhishwara Shri Parashu Ram-Devacharya Ji. The temple has been so designed that the Deity is visible for Darshan the moment one enters the main gate.A flight of seven steps leads to the main entrance . The wide main gate has two small upraised gates, one on earchside. This is typical of the architectural designs adopted for the main gate of a temple in the 15th century .

Emerald

Emerald is the green variety of beryl with a chemical composition of Be3Al2Si6 O18. This beryllium aluminium silicate frequently has some sodium, lithium, and cesium included in the mineral ( Chesterman, 1979, p.560). The luster is vitreous and beryl has a colorless streak. The hardness is 7.5-8 and specific gravity ranges from 2.66 to 2.92. Beryl's fracture is uneven to conchoidal and the cleavage is indistinct in one direction. Gem quality stones are transparent to translucent. The crystals are hexagonal and are usually six sided prisms that are striated lengthwise. The natural emerald is noted for its deep green color and the presence of inclusions verify its natural origin. Colors for beryl include blue-greenish blue (aquamarine), yellow (golden beryl), light yellow green (heliodor), red (bixbite), pink or peach (morganite), colorless (goshenite), as well as the bright green emerald, which is considered the most valued of these varieties. Beryl develops in pegmatites and certain metamorphic rocks. Fine emeralds have velvety body appearance and the value is in the even distribution of color. Beryl can also have a pale green variety that is not gem quality and this mineral occurs with scheelite in a pegmatite near Oreana, Pershing Co. Nevada as well as in North Carolina, Colorado and California (Chesterman, 1979, p. 560-563).

Seed

Quality soil and seed are two of the most important farming inputs. High yields and good produce can be achieved only when soil and seeds are used wisely. For this it is necessary to test soil and seed to find out what needs to be added to optimize them. Keeping this in mind, the government has set up a large number of testing labs for various types of soil and seed. Here are a few details on soil fertility maps, testing labs and seed distribution centres.

Chandan Yatra

This festival is generally famous in Puri but in other pars of Orissa this is also observed related to Lord Jagannath or Krishna. This Takes place in the month of Vaisaksha and continues for long 42 days. But, generally speaking it is a Festival of first 21 days only.The first period of 21 days is known as "Bahar Chandan"or outer Chandan. During this period,the representative images of Rama,Krushna, Madanmohan,Sridevi and Bhudevi are taken in a procession to Narendra tank.The images of Siva from 5 Siva Temples known as "Pancha Pandavas" also accompany them to the Narendra tank, At Narendra tank the images play in well decorated boats and are worshipped. The second period of 21 days known as "Bhitar Chandana" is celebrated inside the Temple. The rites observed on this period are not popularly enjoyed.

Chottanikkara Temple

Famous for the Devi temple, an important pilgrim centre of Hindus. Navarathri is celebrated on a grand scale. The temple is located 15kms from Cochin City. The presiding deity here is Durga Bhagavathy. It is also that this deity was brought from Mookambika Temple in Karnataka and therefore there is a presence of Mookambika Devi till 7 a.m. in the morning at this temple. There is also one more temple as a part of the complex where deity is Bhadra Kali Devi. THe major festival is Makam Thozhal. It falls during February-march every year for a period of 9 days Temple is open from 4 am to 12 Noon and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Chola Temples

Situated in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, this World Heritage site comprises the three great 11th and 12th century Chola Temples: the Brihadisvara temples of Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholisvaram, and the Airatesvara temple at Darasuram. The three Chola temples in India are exemplary production in the Dravidian style of temple architecture.

The Brihadisvara temples are situated at Thanjavur, the ancient capital of the Chola kings. King Rajaraja Chola constructed the Brihadisvara Temple in 10th century AD, designed by the famous architect Sama Varma. The Cholas were great patrons of art, during their reign, as a result, the most magnificent temples and exquisite bronze icons were created in South India.

The Brihadisvara temple is crowned by a pyramidal 65-m vimana, a sanctum tower. Its walls are covered with rich sculptural decoration. The second Brihadisvara temple complex built by Rajendra I was completed in 1035. Its 53-m vimana has recessed corners and a graceful upward curving movement, contrasting with the straight and severe tower at Thanjavur. It has six pairs of massive, monolithic dvarapalas statues guarding the entrances and bronzes of remarkable beauty inside.

The other two temples, Gangaikondacholisvaram and Airatesvara were also built in the age of Cholas and testify their brilliant achievements in architecture, sculpture, painting, and bronze casting.

The great Temple of Tanjore (Thanjavur) was built between 1003 and 1010 in the reign of the King Rajaraja, of the Chola Empire which stretched all over South India and the neighbouring islands. Surrounded by two rectangular enclosures, the Brihadisvara Temple (built from blocks of granite and, in part, from bricks) is crowned with a pyramidal 13-storey tower, the vimana, standing 61 m high and topped with a bulb-shaped monolith. The walls of the temple are covered with rich sculptural decoration.

Kurta,Paijamas and Dhoti

The kurta is a loose collarless shirt worn by both men and women, usually with paijamas (drawstring trousers), a shalwar, or churidars (tight trousers). This ensemble also includes a bandi (short jacket or waistcoat) and a dupatta.

The dhoti is a style of East Indian men's wear. It is formed by wrapping a piece of cloth in a specific manner about the waist and legs. It is usually white or cream in colour and worn with a kurta on top.

Location of body fat

Research suggests that the location of body fat also is an important factor in health risks for adults. Excess fat in the abdomen (stomach area) is a greater health risk than excess fat in the hips and thighs. Extra fat in the abdomen is linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, early heart disease, and certain types of cancer. Smoking and too much alcohol increase abdominal fat and the risk for diseases related to obesity. Vigorous exercise helps to reduce abdominal fat and decrease the risk for these diseases. The easiest way to check your body fat distribution is to measure around your waistline with a tape measure and compare this with the measure around your hips or buttocks to see if your abdomen is larger. If you are in doubt, you may wish to seek advice from a health professional.

Light, Volatile Oils

These oils are highly fluid, often clear, spread rapidly on solid or water surfaces, have a strong odor, a high evaporation rate, and are usually flammable. They penetrate porous surfaces such as dirt and sand, and may be persistent in such a matrix. They do not tend to adhere to surfaces; flushing with water generally removes them. Class A oils may be highly toxic to humans, fish, and other biota. Most refined products and many of the highest quality light crudes can be included in this class.

Whole Foods or Supplements?

Nutrients should come primarily from foods. Foods such as fruits and vegetables contain not only the vitamins and minerals that are often found in supplements, but also other naturally occurring substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases.

For some people, fortified foods or supplements can be helpful in getting the nutrients their bodies need. A fortified food contains a nutrient in an amount greater than what is typically found in that food.

The Platy

This has to be one of the finest community fish, peaceful and lively, and available in the widest variety of colours and markings. It is also one of the best subjects for breedings, though now-a-days the young will rarely match the appearance of either parent. The most common varieties have a red or yellow body colour, sometimes with solid black fins, and often with an assortment of dots all over the body.

Mango

Several hundred acres of mango are grown commercially in Hawaii in addition to numerous dooryard plantings (Yee 1958). Singh (1960) reported that mangos cover about 7,000 acres in Florida but D. O. Wolfenbarger (personal commun., 1970) estimated that there were only about 2,000 acres.

Mango is grown for the egg-shaped, 2- to 6-inch long, greenish or yellowish to reddish fruit, which has a skin slightly thicker than that of a peach. The juicy, sweet to acid flesh around the hard mono- or polyembryonic stone is a popular fruit for millions of people in the tropical and subtropical areas around the world.

Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research Unit

The overall goals are to develop economically, socially and environmentally acceptable integrated disease and insect pest management strategies based on improved understanding of disease epidemiology, pathogen biology and ecology, insect vector biology and ecology, complex host plant-pathogen-vector interactions, and host plant resistance; and improve perennial fruit crop varieties, quality and disease resistance through breeding and marker-assisted selection. [Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agriculture Research Service (ARS)]

solar energy technologies program

The Solar Energy Technologies program focuses on developing cost-effective solar-energy technologies that have the greatest potential to benefit our nation and the world. Solar technologies diversify our energy supply, reduce our dependence on imported fuels, improve air quality, and offset greenhouse gas emissions. A growing solar industry also stimulates our economy by creating jobs in solar manufacturing and installation.

Information Technology (IT)

The Government considers IT as an agent capable of transforming the State into a knowledge based society. It has resolved to make Jharkhand an IT powerhouse and a front runner in the IT revolution. In order to fulfil these objectives, it has formulated an IT policy. The underlying vision of the policy is 'to ensure overall socio-economic development, sustained growth, transparency in government decisions, and enhanced service delivery to the people through an effective use of IT".

The Government has also provided special incentives for the IT industry subject to the prescribed conditions. These include:- (i) exemption from environmental clearance; (ii) exemption from zoning regulations for purposes of location; (iii) self-certification for purposes of compliance with certain Acts; (iv) general permission to run a three-shift operation; (v) rebate in the cost of land allotted to an IT Industry subject to the prescribed conditions; etc.

Sociology of education

The sociology of education is the learning of how social institutions and services have an effect on educational processes and outcomes, and vice versa. By many, education is understood to be a means of overcome the handicaps, achieve greater equality and acquire wealth and status for all (Sargent 1994). Learners may be provoked by aspirations for progress and betterment. Education is perceived as a place where children can expand according to their unique needs and potentialities. The principle of education can be to build up every individual to their full potential. The understanding of the goals and means of educational socialization processes differs according to the sociological model used.

Alkali soils

As the word akali correspond to sodic, the notion alkali soil is, similar to the notion sodic soil, is not explicit.Alkali, or alkaline, soils are clay soils with a comparatively high exchangeable sodium percentage, a relative high pH (> 9), a poor soil arrangement and a little infiltration capacity. Frequently they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 m. depth in India this coating is called 'kankar'. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mostly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate. Akali soils are normally not saline, i.e. the some amount of soluble salts, particularly sodium chloride, is not extreme .

Alkali soils are also called sodic soils, since sodium is an alkali metal. This, however, does not distinguish alkali soils adequately from saline soils.

Shipping

It is physical progression of transporting goods and cargo. Virtually every product ever made, buy, or sold has been exaggerated by shipping. Despite the many variables in shipped products and locations, there are only three basic types of shipments: land, air, and sea.

Land or "ground" shipping can be either by train or by truck. Trucking is easily the most well-liked form of shipping. Even in Air and Sea shipments, ground transportation is still required to take the product from its origin to the airport or seaport and then to its destination. Ground transportation is typically more reasonable than air shipments, but more expensive than shipping by sea. Trucks are also much faster than ships and rail but slower than planes.

Shipping can more usually refer to the transport of freight "shipments", independent of the mode of transport.