Thursday 31 January 2013

Munnar Hills : A Perfect Holiday Destination in India

Munnar, is a hill station on the Western Ghats, a range of mountains situated in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. This green hill station is surrounded by the country's highest tea gardens. Layers and layers of tea estates, mountain mist, waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries make Munnar almost surrealistically beautiful.




The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers", referring to the town's strategic location at the confluence of the Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers.
Munnar town is in Kannan Devan Hills ( KDH ) Village in Devikulam taluk and is the largest panchayat in the Idukki district having an area measuring nearly 557 km².[citation needed]
The nearest major railway stations are at Ernakulam and Aluva (approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi) by road). The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, which is 105 kilometres (65 mi) away.




Munnar Attraction


Attractions This green hill station is surrounded by the country's highest tea gardens. Layers and layers of tea estates, mountain mist, waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries make Munnar almost surrealistically beautiful. The lofty mountain ranges with misty peaks, sprawling tea estates and serene climate provides a quite and peaceful resort. This little sleepy village atop the western ghats is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams namely Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. Panoramic views of lowflying clouds and mistfilled valleys make it a pretty little heaven with a cool, bracing climate. Misty mountain peaks blend harmoniously in Munnar to create a blissful atmosphere that is hard to describe.
Munnar is also famous for the wild orchids locally called Neelakurinchi which blooms once in 12 years. During this time the entire valley turns violet. It is also home to Nilagiri tahr, a rare breed of mountain goat. Munnar was once the summer resort of the British government in South India; it still wears the old charm of the British plantation days.Munnar has a variety of attractions to feast your eyes like placid lakes, meandering streams, misty mountain peaks, sylvan valleys, rare orchids and wildlife. Plantation visits, treks, tea factory visits, cycling, boating, paragliding, day tours to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary etc. add to the excitement. Here you can also have a glimpse of gaur, langur, liontailed macaque, elephants and Nilgiri tahr that roam the stretch of grasslands or are seen climbing the pinnacles of the undulating hills.



Climate :

The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1,450 meters (4,760 ft) to 2,695 meters (8,842 ft) above mean sea level. The temperature ranges between 5 °C (41 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in winter and 15 °C (59 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in summer.[4] Temperatures as low as -4 °C (25 °F) have been recorded in the Sevenmallay region of Munnar.[5]The mean maximum daily temperature is at its lowest during the monsoon months with the highest temperature being 19 C.



Flora and fauna :


Most of the native flora and fauna of Munnar have disappeared due to severe habitat fragmentation resultant from the creation of the plantations. However, some species continue to survive and thrive in several protected areas nearby, including the new Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Manjampatti Valley and the Amaravati reserve forest of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary to the north east, the Eravikulam National Park and Anamudi Shola National Park to the north, the Pampadum Shola National Park to the south and the proposed Palani Hills National Park to the east. These protected areas are especially known for several threatened and endemic species including Nilgiri Thar, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel, the Nilgiri Wood-pigeon, Elephant, the Gaur, the Nilgiri langur, the Sambar, and the Neelakurinji (that blossoms only once in twelve years).


Saturday 26 January 2013

Future of smart phones and its OS : Linux OS


Just five years ago, the global epicenters of the mobile phone universe included Finland and Canada, where Nokia and Research In Motion are headquartered.
After the launch of the Apple iPhone in 2007, and after Android phones started getting really good, iOS and Android devices began their sustained assault on market share, and today they dominate totally.
From the perspective of who is making the majority of physical smartphone handsets, the clear leader is South Korea's Samsung, which sells more than one quarter of the world's smartphone handsets, followed by Apple, which sells about 18%. No other company gets anywhere near a two-digit market share globally.
From the perspective of platforms -- who makes the operating systems and controls both the functionality and the app ecosystem that powers the world's smartphones -- it's clear that Google's Android is by far the world's leader, followed distantly by Apple's iOS.
From a business perspective -- who's making money on mobile phones in one way or the other -- the clear winners are Apple, Google (via advertising, mostly) and Samsung.
So today, we can say that the smartphone market is solidly controlled by two companies that are less than nine miles apart from each other in Silicon Valley in the U.S. (Apple and Google), plus Samsung in South Korea.
These three companies in two countries ship the handsets, make the operating systems and collect most of the profits.But what will the mobile market look like five years from now?




Meet the new operating systems:


All is not well in the universe of mobile platforms, or operating systems.
Apple's iOS platform used to be much better loved by Apple fans. It had by far the most and best apps, and it was perceived by most to be innovative and leading edge.
But the Android platform is either catching up to, or has already surpassed, iOS in both innovation, as well as the quantity and quality of available apps. When you combine software improvements on Android with a vastly greater variety of available handsets, many former iPhone users are defecting to the other side, or thinking about it.

While users are growing ever fonder of the Android platform and its apps, hardware makers that create Android-powered phones are growing less fond. The issue is direct competition from Google itself.
Google has twice launched phone initiatives where it decided to sell Google-branded phones. The first initiative was in early 2010 when Google launched the Nexus One, followed by the Nexus S. They were manufactured by Samsung, but the fact that Google was involved in their design and sold them directly gave the phones a huge advantage over any phone Samsung might sell -- or any phone Samsung's competitors might sell.
Google later came out with the Galaxy Nexus (made by Samsung) and later still the Nexus 4.
Google also bought Motorola last year, both for the patents and also presumably to assert some control over the direction of Android mobile devices.
The first serious assertion of that control may be the development of a device called the Google X phone, which is being developed at Motorola and which is expected to be unveiled at Google's May developer's conference, Google I/O.
Nobody knows what the Google X phone (and tablet) will be like, but hints, rumors and speculation agree that it will be very different from existing Android phones.
All this strong competition from Google makes handset makers wonder whether Google is friend or foe, and whether they might be better off with another software platform.
These disaffected Google partners may be looking more closely at Microsoft's Windows Phone 8, now that Nokia reported some impressive numbers (both of which included the numeral 4, oddly enough): The company sold 4.4 million Lumia Windows Phone devices and reported a year-over-year quarterly U.S. market revenue increase of 444%.
Although the market punished Nokia's earnings, a careful analyst might notice that Nokia's Lumia line failed horribly in the so-called "emerging markets" of China and elsewhere, but succeeded in the U.S. and Europe. The company is making more money on far fewer handsets than before. In other words, Windows Phone 8 may be helping Nokia's economic situation become less like Google's (high volume, low margin) and more like Apple's (high margin, low volume).

Beyond iOS, Android and Windows Phone, there are other emerging platforms under consideration by some current Android handset makers.
In fact, Google's biggest and most profitable Android partner, Samsung, is supporting a new platform called Tizen. (Intel is also a backer.) If Samsung switched from Android to Tizen, the phone platform scene would be transformed overnight. The first Tizen devices are expected within three months.
Mozilla, the people who make the Firefox browser, are developing the Firefox OS for smartphones. The first Firefox phones are expected to hit next month.
The people at Ubuntu Linux, the most popular client version of that operating system, are building a version for smartphones.
HP's WebOS, acquired from Palm, is still a potential factor, especially since HP plans to release an open-source version called Open WebOS.
Note that all of these platforms -- Tizen, Firefox OS, Ubuntu Linux and Open WebOS -- are Linux-based and all or most will be relatively open compared with Android.


Meet the new handset makers:

While upstart platforms threaten to take advantage of weaknesses in the iOS and Android worlds, a similar thing is happening in handsets.
Right now, Samsung and Apple dominate. But in China and in other markets, Chinese companies are growing faster than the global leaders.
Sometime this year, we'll reach the point where half the mobile phones sold in the world will be smartphones, rather than feature phones. The reason for that shift is partly caused by a drastic reduction in pricing for smartphones, thanks to low-cost Chinese brands. And also high-end brands.
In China itself, for example, Samsung is the No. 1 handset maker. But No. 2 is Lenovo, a Chinese company, and its handset business is profitable, too. According to one article, there are more than 100 Chinese companies now making smartphone handsets, and they all want to be Samsung.
Rumors have been circulating that Lenovo is in talks to buy RIM -- a development that, combined with continued aggressive growth, could thrust Lenovo into Samsung territory as a global maker of phones.
So if Samsung is No. 1 and Lenovo is No. 2, Apple must be No. 3, right? Wrong!
No. 3 in the Chinese market is Huawei, followed by ZTE, followed by Coolpad. By unit sales, Apple is the No. 6 handset maker in China -- and its market share is shrinking.
These companies, especially Huawei and ZTE, are bringing the smartphone revolution to emerging markets, for the most part. And now they want entry into the U.S. and European markets. Huawei and ZTE each had a large presence at the International CES trade show, which served as a kind of coming out party for those companies in the U.S.
Samsung and Apple fans may scoff at the idea that some obscure Chinese brand like Huawei or ZTE could take market share away from the leaders. But if either or both of these companies can make phones that are 95% as good as Samsung's best phone, and cost half the price, people are going to buy them in large numbers.
Apple, Google and Samsung control the global market for smartphones. But over the next year or two, all that could change as new software platforms and new handset makers take advantage of the leaders' stumbles to gobble up market share, market power and influence over the direction of mobile devices

Samsung's T900 Fridge runs on Google's Android

 As our technology grow our household electronic equipment getting smarter and smarter.And now our refrigerator runs apps to help users browse recipes, create shopping lists and manage the expiration dates of items like yogurt and milk.
Its not a joke Samsung release T900 refrigerator earlier in this month which run on Google's Android operating system with 10-inch Wi-Fi-enabled touchscreen which includes apps such as Epicurus for recipes and Ever note for note-taking.


According to Samsung :

"The fridge, because it's the hub of the family and the kitchen, is now another access point without having to drag around your tablet or have your phone with you in the vicinity of where you're cooking or entertaining," said Warner Doell, a vice president in the home appliance division at Samsung Canada.
The display enables users to keep up with the news, weather and even Twitter from the fridge door. It can also replace hand-written calendars with Google Calendar integration, and run slideshows of photos, according to Doell.
Shopping lists can be created on the fridge with the Evernote app, which will sync to smartphones and recipes can be found at Epicurious.
"You can say, 'I have these ingredients in the fridge -- what can I make?' and it will show you recipes that you can prepare," said Doell.
For people who have trouble keeping track of expiration dates of food items, there's an app for that, too.
But with smartphones and tablets are already ubiquitous in homes, does the smart refrigerator offer more than novelty?
Doell said it does.
"I get asked a lot why do you need a screen on a refrigerator? And it's a good question because we're inundated with technology today," said Doell.
The main reasons, he explained, are ease-of-use in managing settings, such as the refrigerators' temperature, and for convenience because consumers are demanding pervasive connectivity.
"This isn't only about today -- it's about what will the next five to ten years look like," he added.
The T9000 is geared towards the young-minded consumer who turns to technology for convenience, according to Doell.
Whether it's to control heating, air conditioning, lighting or window coverings, Doell said that apps for home automation will be increasingly penetrating the home.
"The technology is converging across all product categories. With appliances being the traditional staid industry, it has not been fast to adopt it," said Doell, adding that Samsung plans to take a leadership role in the area.
The refrigerator runs the Android operating system, but it is not possible to install other Android apps. It will be available worldwide in the spring for a suggested retail price of $3,999.


Samsung T900 Fridge


See the specification of this refrigerator:




LabVIEW Basics Tutorial

By seen the popularity of the labVIEW ,I was made its basic level tutorial and successfully upload on YouTube. 
So if you have desire to learn LabVIEW the go check my tutorials, link given below






Friday 25 January 2013

Happy 64th Republic Day

Republic Day, celebrated on January 26th every year, is one of India’s most important national events. It was on January 26th, 1950 that the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state.On this day India finally enjoyed the freedom of spirit, rule of law and fundamental principle of governance. The patriotic fervor of the Indian people on this day brings the whole country together even in her embedded diversity.




On 15th august 1947,India achieved independence from British rule ,but till 26th January 1950 this independence wasn't fully meaningful.On 26th January 1950 Indian samvidhan(Constitution of India) was
fully adopted by Indian Government.With its adoption, the Union of India officially became the modern and contemporary Republic of India and it replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document. The Constitution declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty, and endeavors to promote fraternity among them.Dr B.R. Ambedkar is widely regarded as the father of the Indian Constitution.

Thursday 24 January 2013

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Thursday 17 January 2013

India's Tallest Building

Today India ranked 3rd world's power full country in-spite of  that its reality that they doesn't have a single skyscraper which height is more than 300m even,In present time Imperial Towers is the India's tallest building which is 254m tall , but In future this reality become a history. Because ,In present time India is undergoing to a large number of sky-scraper construction in which some are super-tall like India tower which is become 2nd tallest building in the world after its completion. 
Mumbai is India's biggest city and it also have India's financial capital  undergoing a massive construction boom, with thousands of high-rises and more than 15 supertall sunder construction. Delhi and its surrounding regions are witnessing huge construction activities with 1500 already constructed high-rises in NCR, Kolkata is emerging as India's next skyscraper city with 600 existing highrises and many more under construction. Hyderabad & Bangalore are also quite bizarre in this sector with many skyscrapers under construction and could well match up with a city like Mumbai. High-rises are also becoming common in Chennai in recent times after the removal of height restrictions on constructions in the relaively active seismic zone.

Presently India's top skyscraper           

This lists ranks of top 20 buildings in India, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. Only completed buildings and under-construction buildings that have been topped out are included.



Rank Name                           City                                                 Height          Floors              Year
1. Imperial Tower 1              Mumbai 254 metres (833 ft)   61                   2010
2 Imperial Tower 2               Mumbai 254 metres (833 ft)   61                   2010
3 Lodha Bellissimo A & B      Mumbai 222 metres (728 ft)    53                  2012
4 Lodha Bellissimo C           Mumbai 222 metres (728 ft)    53                 2012
5 Vivarea 1                         Mumbai 200 metres (656 ft)    45                 2012
6 Vivarea 2                         Mumbai 200 metres (656 ft)    45                 2012
7 Vivarea 3                         Mumbai 200 metres (656 ft)    45                 2012
8 Ashok Towers D              Mumbai 193 metres (633 ft)    49                 2009
9 The Ruby                         Mumbai 191 metres (627 ft)    40                 2011
10 Orchid Woods 1             Mumbai 190 metres (623 ft)    55                 2012
11 Orchid Woods 2            Mumbai 190 metres (623 ft)    55                 2012
12 Orchid Woods 3            Mumbai 190 metres (623 ft)    55                 2012
13 Urmi Estate                    Mumbai 182 metres (597 ft)    45                 2012
14 Planet Godrej                  Mumbai 181 metres (594 ft)    51                 2009
15 Sunshine Tower              Mumbai 180 metres (591 ft)    40                 2011
16 Imperial Heights 1           Mumbai 180 metres (591 ft)    49                 2011
17 Imperial Heights 2           Mumbai 180 metres (591 ft)    49           2011
18 Antilia                           Mumbai 173 metres (568 ft)    27           2010
19 Vasant Grandeur           Mumbai 172 metres (564 ft)    36           2010
20 Victoria                         Mumbai 170 metres (558 ft)    47           2012

Imperial Towers,Mumbai

Ashok Towers D

In future India's top skyscraper 



This list ranks buildings that are under construction in India and are planned to rise. Buildings that are only approved, On-Hold or proposed are not included in this table.


Sr Name                               City                    Height                            Floors        Year of completion       

1 World One                       Mumbai         442 metres (1,450 ft)                  117 2014
2 Oasis tower 1                  Mumbai 372 metres (1,220 ft)                  85 2016
3 Orchid Turf View 1          Mumbai 350 metres (1,148 ft)                  76
4 Orchid Turf View 2          Mumbai 350 metres (1,148 ft)                  76
5 Orchid Crown 1 Mumbai 337 metres (1,106 ft)                 75 2014
6 Orchid Crown 2              Mumbai 337 metres (1,106 ft)                 75 2014
7 Orchid Crown 3             Mumbai 337 metres (1,106 ft)                 75 2014
8 Palais Royale                  Mumbai 320 metres (1,050 ft)                 75 2012
9 Namaste Tower             Mumbai 316 metres (1,037 ft)  62 2014
10 Lokhandwala Minerva    Mumbai 304 metres (997 ft)                    82 2014
11 Century IT Park           Mumbai 300 metres (984 ft)                    59
12 Supertech Supernova      Noida 300 metres (984 ft)                    80
12 Brys Buzz                      Noida 300 metres (984 ft)                     81
13 Kumar Couture            Mumbai 275 metres (902 ft)                    90
14 One Avighna Park         Mumbai 266 metres (873 ft)                    64 2013
15 Indiabulls Sky               Mumbai 257 metres (843 ft)                    60
16 North Eye                      Noida 255 metres (837 ft)                    66
17 Indiabulls Blu 1              Mumbai 252 metres (827 ft)                    60
18 Indiabulls Blu 2              Mumbai 252 metres (827 ft)                    60
19 Nirvana 1                     Mumbai 250 metres (820 ft)                      61
20 Ahuja towers                Mumbai 250 metres (820 ft)                      53 2013
21 The 42                        Kolkata 245 metres (804 ft)                      62 2016
22 Oasis tower 2              Mumbai 239 metres (784 ft)                     53 2016
23 Eon Tower                  Mumbai 230 metres (755 ft)                     65
24 Lodha World-Crest      Mumbai 223 metres (732 ft)                     57 2014
25 Orchid Enclave 1          Mumbai 210 metres (689 ft)                     55 2012



                              

World One,Mumbai






Orchid Crown,Mumbai







Orchid Turf View Towers,Mumbai





Supertech supernova, Noida






The 42, Kolkata





Palais Royale,Mumbai








 List ranks buildings that are approved or proposed or planned



Rank Name                                     Status                    City                  Planned Height             Floors

1 Bengaluru Turf Tower                      Approved        Banglore        660 metres (2,165 ft)         156
2 Lanco Hills Signature Tower             Approved       Hyderabad 630 metres (2,067 ft) 114
3 Lodha Project Wadala                      Proposed       Mumbai 530 metres (1,739 ft) 101
4 Joyus Housing                                 Proposed        Mumbai         486 metres (1,594 ft) 125
5 APIIC Tower                                Approved  Hyderabad 450 metres (1,476 ft) 100
6 Wearesf Tower                             Approved         Banglore        440 metres (1,444 ft) 109
7 Raheja Imperia                               Proposed        Mumbai 421 metres (1,381 ft) 85
8 GIFT Diamond Tower                    Approved  Ahmedabad 410 metres (1,345 ft) 86
9 Shreepati Garden Tower 1               Approved  Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 110
10 Shreepati Garden Tower 2             Approved  Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 110
11 Wave City Center Iconic Tower Approved     Delhi              400 metres (1,312 ft) 100
12 Celestia Spaces 1                          Proposed      Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 80
13 Celestia Spaces 2                          Proposed   Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft)           80
14 Celestia Spaces 3                          Proposed   Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 80
15 Celestia Spaces 4                          Proposed   Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 80
16 Celestia Spaces 5                          Proposed     Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 80
17 Celestia Spaces 6                          Proposed     Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 80
18 Celestia Spaces 7                          Proposed     Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 80
19 Celestia Spaces 8                          Proposed   Mumbai 400 metres (1,312 ft) 80
20 Asta Vibrant Towers                     Approved     Banglore           390 metres (1,280 ft) 90


INDIA TOWER


India Tower (previously known as the Park Hyatt Tower; also known as the Dynamix Balwas Tower or DB Tower) is a 126 storey, 700-metre (2,300 ft) super-tall skyscraper that began construction in the city of Mumbai, India, in 2010. Construction work was put on hold in 2011.
The Dynamix Balwas realtor group first proposed the project, under the name of Park Hyatt Tower, in 2008. The Dynamix Balwas proposal would have been an 85-storey tower with a height of 301.1 metres (988 ft).The project was subsequently dropped, before being revived and amended in 2010. In January 2010, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation authorised the tower's construction on a site located at Charni Road in Girgaon, southern Mumbai, just north of Mumbai's historical CBD.






 

India tower,Mumbai




























Sunday 13 January 2013

Happy Makar Sankranti


Introduction of Makar Sankranti:

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all
parts of the country in myriad cultural forms on 14th January, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety.
 Lakhs of people  take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun.
It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as
Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati's not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their
colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline. They may be trying to reach upto
their glorious God or bring about greater proximity with the one who represents the best. It is a day
for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God of Hindus begins its ascendancy and entry into
the Northern Hemisphere. Sun for the Hindus stands for Pratyaksha-Brahman - the manifest God, who symbolizes, the one, non-dual, self-effulgent, glorious divinity blessing one & all tirelessly. Sun is the one
who transcends time and also the one who rotates the proverbial Wheel of Time. The famous Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted everyday by every faithful Hindu, is directed to Sun God to bless them with intelligence & wisdom. Sun not only represents God but also stands for an embodiment of knowledge
& wisdom. Lord Krishna reveals in Gita that this manifested divinity was his first disciple, and we all
know it to be indeed a worthy one too. No Sundays for the Sun, may be because one who revels in
its very 'being', the very essence of his own Self, is always in the Sunday mood.
The co-relation of cosmic events with individual life and values is one of the most astounding traits of
Hindu Masters. Once this co-relation is brought about thereafter these cosmic events become instrumental
to remind us the best which we cherish & value. Of all the cosmic bodies Sun is the most glorious & important, thus every sun-centric cosmic event became very important spiritual, religious & cultural events. On Makar Sankranti day the Sun begins its ascendancy and journey into the Northern Hemisphere, and thus it signifies an event wherein the Gods seem to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'. May you go higher & higher - to more & more Light and never to darkness.



Astrological Significance:

Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti is transition. There is a sankranti every month when the sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. There are twelve signs of the zodiac, and thus there are twelve sankranti's as well. Each of these sankranti's has its own relative importance but two of these are more important - the Mesh (Aries) Sankranti and the most important, the Makar (Capricorn) Sankranti. Transition of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn, during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is known as Makar Sankranti. From this day begins the six-month long Uttarayana, considered very auspicious for attaining higher worlds hereafter. While the traditional Indian Calendar is basically based on lunar positions, but sankranti is a solar event, so while dates of all festivals keep changing, the english calendar date of Makar Sankranti is always same, 14th January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha. There is another significance of this day, after this day the days start becoming longer & warmer, and thus the chill of winter in on decline.

Religious  Significance:

1. The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father & son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but inspite of any difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet each other on this day. Father in fact himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of special relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers dream and the continuity of the family.
2.  From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.
3.  It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terrorism of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.
4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Gangaji down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.
We salute such a great devotee & benefactor of his ancestors. One who can express such gratitude to his ancestors, work with tireless resolve to redeem the pride, pledges & resolves of his forefathers, alone possess a personality, which the history reveals to be a true benefactor of the world too. A person who has severed his own roots gets soon rooted out in the flow of time. Moral of the story is to see to it that the roots of the tree of ‘our’ life are not only intact but nourished well, thereafter alone the tree blooms & flourishes.
There is another spiritually symbolic aspect of this story. The 60,000 cursed son of Maharaj Sagar represent our thoughts, who become dull & dead-like because of uncultured & blind ambition. Redemption of such people is only by the waters of Gangaji, brought down ‘to’ & later ‘from’ the Himalayas with great tapasya. This represents dedicated hard work to get the redeeming Brahma-Vidya, which alone enlightens, enthuses & enlivens the life of anyone.
5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to the higher realms beyond.

Culture & Festivities:

This festival is celebrated differently in different parts of the country.

Uttar Pradesh:

In Uttar Pradesh, Sankrant is called ‘Khichiri’. Taking a dip in the holy rivers on this day is regarded as most auspicious. A big one-month long ‘Magha-Mela’ fair begins at Prayag (Allahabad) on this occasion. Apart from Triveni, ritual bathing also takes place at many places like Haridvar and Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, and Patna in Bihar.

Bengal:

In Bengal every year a very big Mela is held at Ganga Sagar where the river Ganga is believed to have dived into the nether region and vivified the ashes of the sixty thousand ancestors of King Bhagirath. This mela is attended by a large number of pilgrims from all over the country.

Tamil Nadu:

In Tamil Nadu Sankrant is known by the name of ‘Pongal’, which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk, and this festival has more significance than even Diwali. It is very popular particularly amongst farmers. Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee and milk is offered to the family deity after the ritual worship. In essence in the South this Sankrant is a ‘Puja’ (worship) for the Sun God.

Andhra Pradesh:

In Andhra Pradesh, it is celebrated as a three-day harvest festival Pongal. It is a big event for the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Telugus like to call it 'Pedda Panduga' meaning big festival. The whole event lasts for four days, the first day Bhogi, the second day Sankranti, the third day Kanuma and the fourth day, Mukkanuma.

Maharashtra:

In Maharashtra on the Sankranti day people exchange multi-colored tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) and sugar and til-laddus made from til and jaggery. Til-polis are offered for lunch. While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill people greet each other saying – ‘til-gul ghya, god god bola’ meaning ‘accept these tilguls and speak sweet words’. The under-lying thought in the exchange of tilguls is to forget the past ill-feelings and hostilities and resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.
This is a special day for the women in Maharashtra when married women are invited for a get-together called ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on that day.

Gujarat:

In Gujarat Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra but with a difference that in Gujarat there is a custom of giving gifts to relatives. The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. The Gujarati Pundits on this auspicious day grant scholarships to students for higher studies in astrology and philosophy. This festival thus helps the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.
Kite flying has been associated with this festival in a big way. It has become an internationally well-known event.

Punjab:

In Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankrant and which is celebrated as "LOHARI". Sweets, sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which friends and relatives gather together. The following day, which is Sankrant, is celebrated as MAGHI. The Punjabi's dance their famous Bhangra dance till they get exhausted. Then they sit down and eat the sumptuous food that is specially prepared for the occasion.

Kerala:

The 40 days anushthana by the devotees of Ayyappa ends on this day in Sabarimala with a big festival.

Bundelkhand:

In Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh this festival of Sankrant is known by the name ‘Sakarat’ and is celebrated with great pomp & merriment accompanied by lot of sweets.

Tribals of Orissa:

Many tribals in our country start their New Year from the day of Sankrant by lighting bonfires, dancing and eating their particular dishes sitting together. The Bhuya tribals of Orissa have their Maghyatra in which small home-made articles are put for sale.

Assam:

In Assam, the festival is celebrated as Bhogali Bihu.

Coastal Region:

In the coastal regions, it is a harvest festival dedicated to Indra.



How to Celebrate:

1. Get up early in the morning, before sunrise, have bath and be ready with water & flowers for the sunrise.         Worship the rising Sun, by offering water, flowers with both the hands & then pray with folded hands by chanting the Gayatri Mantra and pray for knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment to rise in the similar way to greater & greater heights. Pray for blessings to live a dynamic, inspired & righteous life.
2. Do tarpan for your ancestors. Offer water to the ancestors while praying for their blessings. Resolve to redeem the pledges & pride of your forefathers. Live life in such a way that wherever your forefathers may be their head is held high by the life & deeds of their children.
3. Have a special session of Meditation, wherein you bring about the awareness of the self-effulgent subjective divinity. Affirm the greatest importance of your spiritual goal very clearly, and pray to God to bless you with the capacity to constantly revel in your true self. May the graph of your rise like the Uttarayana Sun. May there be greater 'Love & Light' in your life & the world.
4. Prepare laddus or other sweets of Til & Gur and offer them to your friends & relatives. See to it that your ‘Well-being Prayer for all’ gets manifested in action & deeds.
5. Have the lunch of Khichiri. This stands for inculcating simplicity in your life & habits.
6. Give some Daan on this day to someone who truly deserves.
7. Visit your son at his place and give presents to the son and the daughter-in-law. If it is not possible to visit, then organize to send presents to them to express your love & affection to them. Work to properly cultivate the generation, which has to carry forward all the best you cherish & value.

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Impact of FDI on Indian Economy


Liberalization of trade policies during the last one and half decade has led India to become an investment friendly country. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in this country assumed critical importance in the context of this liberalization. Though India is the tenth most industrialized country in the world, it is well known that it is mainly agro-based with around 70% population engaged in the farm sector. However, in the initial stage of liberalization, FDI was centered on the urban manufacturing sectors because of its civic infrastructure, labour availability, flexible taxation mechanism etc. The success story of FDI in these sectors is known to us.

For a long time there were efforts for FDI in the retail sector so that the trader can reap the benefit of FDI. Retail trade contributes around 10-11% of India’s GDP and currently employs over 4 crores of people. Recently, a great debate has cropped up against the government plans for FDI in the Indian retail sector. FDI in retail is fundamentally different from that in manufacturing. FDI in manufacturing basically enhances the productive employment in most cases; but FDI in retail trade may create job losses and displacement of traditional supply chain. One of the main features of rural India is disguised unemployment. Farmers, evicted from the agricultural sector, engage in small retail trades for livelihood. The main fear of FDI in retail trade is that it will certainly disrupt the livelihood of the poor people engaged in this trade. The opening of big markets or foreign-sponsored departmental outlets will not necessarily absorb them; rather they may try to establish the monopoly power in the country. However, so many positive factors are also there in favour of FDI in Indian retail service.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a strategic component of investment is needed by India for its sustained economic growth and development through creation of jobs, expansion of existing manufacturing industries, short and long term project in the field of healthcare, education, research and development (R & D) etc.
Government should design the FDI policy such a way where FDI inflow can be utilized as means of enhancing domestic production, savings and exports through the equitable distribution among states by providing much freedom to states, so that they can attract FDI inflows at their own level. FDI can
help to raise the output, productivity and export at the sectoral level of the Indian economy. However, 
it can observed the result of sectoral level output, productivity and export is minimal due to the low flow of FDI into India both at the macro level as well as at the sectoral level. Therefore for further opening up of the
Indian economy, it is advisable to open up the export oriented sectors and higher growth of the economy could be achieved through the growth of these sectors.


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