Diwali or Deepavali, the ‘festival of light’ signifies
the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over
ignorance. India, being a diverse multi-cultural country, has varied
interpretations of Diwali. Though the history, rituals and deities may
vary as we move across the country, but the essence of the festival
remains the same. The festival of lights is emblematic of the
elimination of spiritual darkness. Diwali is the occasion to let the
light of God, enter our hearts and minds while eliminating all the
ignorance and unpleasantness within. So, enrich your knowledge by
learning some interesting facts about the ‘festival of lights’, Diwali
given herein.
Interesting Facts & Trivia About Diwali
Monday, 12 November 2012
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Happy Diwali
- Diwali is the largest and most famous holiday celebrated in India. It marks the Hindu New Year.
- In Northern India, with the diminishing use of Sanskrit, the word ‘Deepavali’ got contracted to Diwali.
- Diwali is generally associated with the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth and prosperity.
- Diwali is celebrated over a period of five days beginning in late Ashwin and ending in early Kartik.
- In South India, Diwali is referred to as ‘Deepavali’ while Narakasura Vadha is the main celebration day.
- In Hinduism, Diwali is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama after a 14 year exile according to North Indian traditions but down south, the death of the evil Narakasura at the hands of Lord Krishna is the main reason behind celebrating Diwali.
- In Malaysia, Diwali is celebrated as ‘Hari Diwali’ in the month of Aswayuja. It is a national public holiday in Malaysia.
- Diwali is also celebrated in Nepal and is referred to as ‘Tihar’ or ‘Swanti’. On the fourth day, the Hindu God of death, Yama is worshipped for a longer life of the people.
- Diwali is celebrated as ‘Kali Puja’ in West Bengal by worshipping Goddess Kali.
- Diwali is one of the oldest rituals for Kashmiri Pundits. There is mention of Diwali celebrations in the Nilmat Puran, and is referred to as ‘Sukhssuptika’ which literally means ‘to sleep with happiness’.
- Diwali celebrations in Orissa have a unique traditional practice of calling upon the spirits of their dead ancestors. They burn jute stems to shed light on the dark path of the spirits on their way to heaven.
- Gambling during Diwali is believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the year ahead.
- Diwali marks the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter. Farmers thank the deities for the harvest they had and pray for a prosperous harvesting season in the upcoming year.
- Diwali is also a significant festival for the Sikhs since 1577 as the foundation stone of the Golden Temple was laid on the day of Diwali.
- The business community celebrates Diwali by opening new accounting books. Diwali marks the beginning of the new financial year; hence, traders and businessman start it by offering prayers to Lord Ganesha.
- Lord Mahavira attained his Moksha or Nirvana on the day of Diwali, and so the Jain community in India celebrates the next day of Diwali as New Year’s Day.
- “Shubh Deepavali” is a customary greeting associated with Diwali, which literally means “Have an auspicious Diwali”.
Friday, 9 November 2012
History of Cadbury
Cadbury is a British confectionery company owned by Mondelēz International Inc. and is the industry's second-largest globally after Mars, Incorporated.[2] With its headquarters in Uxbridge, London, England, the company operates in more than 50 countries worldwide.
The company was known as Cadbury Schweppes plc from 1969–2008 until its demerger, in which its global confectionery business was separated from its US beverage unit (now called "Dr Pepper Snapple Group").[3] It was also a constant constituent of the FTSE 100 from the index's 1984 inception until its 2010 Kraft Foods takeover.
The company was known as Cadbury Schweppes plc from 1969–2008 until its demerger, in which its global confectionery business was separated from its US beverage unit (now called "Dr Pepper Snapple Group").[3] It was also a constant constituent of the FTSE 100 from the index's 1984 inception until its 2010 Kraft Foods takeover.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
List of Presidents of USA till date
Here is the complete list of America's Presidents and Vice Presidents till date.
As we all are waiting for the America's election 2012
As we all are waiting for the America's election 2012
More Facts About Animals
Most cats in Halifax (Nova Scotia) have six toes.
There is no sideways movement for a cat's jaws.
You thought that only you need sunscreen? Well pigs, walruses and light-colored horses are prone to get sunburned.
Armadillos have four babies of the same sex, at a time. They are perfect identical quadruplets.
Armadillos sleep for an average of 18.5 hours, a day.
Can you walk underwater? Well, here is one animal that can – the Armadillos.
Which animals can get leprosy? None expect for Armadillos.
Police dogs are trained to react to commands in a foreign language; commonly German but more recently Hungarian or some other Slavic tongue.
How many muscles does a cat have in each ear? No point counting, here’s the answer - 32.
Which fruit does a reindeer like most? Bananas! And you thought it was the favorite fruit of monkeys and humans.
There is no sideways movement for a cat's jaws.
You thought that only you need sunscreen? Well pigs, walruses and light-colored horses are prone to get sunburned.
Armadillos have four babies of the same sex, at a time. They are perfect identical quadruplets.
Armadillos sleep for an average of 18.5 hours, a day.
Can you walk underwater? Well, here is one animal that can – the Armadillos.
Which animals can get leprosy? None expect for Armadillos.
Police dogs are trained to react to commands in a foreign language; commonly German but more recently Hungarian or some other Slavic tongue.
How many muscles does a cat have in each ear? No point counting, here’s the answer - 32.
Which fruit does a reindeer like most? Bananas! And you thought it was the favorite fruit of monkeys and humans.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Lenticular Clouds, Mount Fuji, Japan
Cloud that looks like a flying saucer appears in Japan. It’s just a lenticular cloud, dangerous for planes
After the recent stunning image of U.S. C-130 Hercules cargo planes flying near the Mount Fuji, here’s another interesting thing spotted near the highest mountain in Japan.
Although it may seem like some sort of cloacking device used to hide an alien spacecraft, the hat-shaped cloud, called “tsurushi-gumo” (Japanese for “hanging cloud”) is just a rare kind of cloud that appeared on Jun. 20 around the Fuji after a strong typhoon hit Japan.
The weird looking cloud is just a lenticular cloud, that disappered after about 30 minutes.
Lenticular clouds (especially those smaller than the one filmed near Mount Fuji) are very well known to pilots that tend to avoid them because of the turbulence of the rotor systems that accompany them.
In 1966, BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707 on a round-the-world flight, crashed near Mount Fuji after it suddenly encountered abnormally severe turbulence which imposed a gust load well above the design limit.
After the recent stunning image of U.S. C-130 Hercules cargo planes flying near the Mount Fuji, here’s another interesting thing spotted near the highest mountain in Japan.
Although it may seem like some sort of cloacking device used to hide an alien spacecraft, the hat-shaped cloud, called “tsurushi-gumo” (Japanese for “hanging cloud”) is just a rare kind of cloud that appeared on Jun. 20 around the Fuji after a strong typhoon hit Japan.
The weird looking cloud is just a lenticular cloud, that disappered after about 30 minutes.
Lenticular clouds (especially those smaller than the one filmed near Mount Fuji) are very well known to pilots that tend to avoid them because of the turbulence of the rotor systems that accompany them.
In 1966, BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707 on a round-the-world flight, crashed near Mount Fuji after it suddenly encountered abnormally severe turbulence which imposed a gust load well above the design limit.
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