AGE IS NO BAR

A 97 year old retired Australian dentist was to receive his Masters Degree in Clinical Science  in what Southern Cross University said could make him the world's oldest new graduate.Allan Stewart,born on March,7,1915,is already a holder of the Guinness World Records Title for being the .oldest graduate after completing a law degree in 2006 at the age of 91. It was not immediately clear whether anyone older had graduated since.


Source-Times of India

PYRAMID VALLEY INTERNATIONAL

About 35 kms from Bangalore,there is a mega-Pyramid (Kebbedoddi village,Harohalli Hobli,Kanakapura Road) of size 160 feet by 160 feet with height of 102 feet.This Pyramid,called "Pyramid Valley International" is managed by the Pyramid Spirritual Trust (India) and is a new age meditation and Spiritual Science Centre.
The energy in the Pyramid is supposed to be amplified by over 640 natural Himalayan Crystals filled inside the hall. Its spiral and vibrant king's chamber,at a height of 34 feet is the most energetic spot in the Pyramid. The external faces depict elements of nature and its hall at the basement has beautiful art murals in rememberance of Buddha's great teachings and service to humanity
Entry to the meditation hall is restricted for children below the age of four,since absolute silence needs to observed inside the hall.Also entry to king's chamber is restricted.
There is no entrance fee and a book shop is situated,selling spiritual books and various sizes of Pyramids.
This place is worth visiting.


For further details visit the site www.pssmovement.org

GANESH CHATURTHI

Vinayaka chaturthi or Ganesh festival is celebrated on the fourth day after the full moon in the month of Sravana(August-September).As far as Hindus are concerned, a nation is built on the foundations of spirituality. Ganesh Chaturthi makes clear the nature of the propitious relationship between spirituality and nationhood. Ganapati is the leader of the Ganas,which means community. A nation is a community of people.Therefore,worshipping nationhood is Ganesh Worship. A huge efficacy of Ganesh is made and it is worshipped through rituals and cultural performances. The end of the festival is marked by immersing the effigy in an ocean or any other large body of water. This ritual illustrates the spiritual principle that worship of God with form eventually culminates in the realization of God without form

GOLDEN EGG

A rare edition of 19th century master piece The Birds of America fetched US Dollar 7.9 million at a Christie's auction in New York. In 2010,another copy of first edition-which went under the hammer at Sotheby's in London-sold for US Dollar 11.5 million. The book,by American Ornithologist John James Audubon,depicts more than 400 species of birds and is considered a master piece of Ornithology art.

CHARLES DICKENS

For Charles Dickens fans, it was certainly the best of times. On 7th February,2012, the World celebrated the Th birth anniversary of the greatest English novelist of the Victorian era.

In London,Prince Charles visited the poet's corner in the Westminster Abbey and laid a wreath at the writer's grave,signalling the start of anniversary celebrations that spread from India to Russia and Argentina to UAE. "Despite the many years passed,Dickens remains one of the greatest writers of the English language,one who used his creative genius to campaign passionately for social service.His characterisation is as fresh today as it was on the day it was written",said Charles.

MAN'S PAL

Dog ,man's best pal for 30000 years: They are not just man's best friend,but dogs are the oldest pals too, says a new study. In their study a team at Arizona University claims that dogs have been man's best friend for at least 30000 years-in fact,the canines were domesticated before any other animal. Researchers have based their findings on an analysis of two skulls unearthed in separate digs-first an ancient dog skull found in Siberia dating back 33000 years and then a similar find in Belgium.

POPCORN

Researchers have found evidence that suggests communities living along the coast of Peru were eating popcorns some 6700 years ago,about 1000 years earlier than previously predicted.They arrived at this conclusion after unearthing corn husks,stalks,cobs and tassels (pollen-producing flowers on corn) dating 6700 to 3000 years ago,at Paredones and Huaca Prieta,two sites on Peru's northern coast.

"The evidence was unearthed during the past three years" study researcher Dolores Piperno told Life science. The characteristics of the corncobs suggest that the sites ancient inhabitants prepared and ate corn in several ways, including making corn flour and pop corn.The researcher also found corn micro-fossils containing starch grains and phytoliths which are microscopic particles formed by plants and mainly composed of silicon dioxide. The Peruvian popcorn is the oldest macro-fossil evidence for popcorn in South America.

Electric Theatre

Mount Road Post Office in Chennai was built in 1900 by Warwick Major as Electric Theatre,the first ever cinema house in South India. This building was bought in by Post and Telegraphs Department. For many years it housed Mount Road Post Office.

Chepauk palace

Muhammad Ali Wallajah (1749-1795),the first soveriegn ruler of the Carnatic,built the Chepauk palace in 1768. The original complex with two blocks was spread across 121 acres extended upto Pycrofts Road,Triplicane,Chennai.

100 YEARS OF NATIONAL ANTHEM

India's National Anthem turns 100 today. Rabindtanath Tagore's Jana Gana Mana was first performed on 27th December,1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.On January 24,1950,it was adoted as the National Anthem. What we know as our National Anthem is only the first of five verses composed by Tagore.
There are several renderings of the full song,including some by great artists like D.K.Pattammal,Bhimsen Joshi,Dr.Balamurali Krishna,Pandit.Jasraj,Lata Mangeshkar-in their trademark style.
The song has had its share of controversy. Since it was composed by Gurudev at the time of King George V'S Coronation Durbar,there was some debate over whether it was in praise of Indian Mother Lnad or to welcome the Emperor. Of course,since Tagore translated the song as Morning Song of India,that controversy was put to rest soon.