DICTATORS in EUROPE – The Great Despots

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Broz, Dictators, Europe, Franco, German, Hitler, Italy, Lenin, Marx, Mussolini, Soviet Union, Spain, Stalin, Tito, violence, World War, World war II, Yugoslavia

Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) of Soviet Union

Years in power – 25

Dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), He transformed Soviet Union from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. Stalin outmanoeuvred his rivals for control of the party.

Once in power, he collectivised farming and had potential enemies executed or sent to forced labour camps. Additionally, Stalin built a cult of personality around himself in the Soviet Union. Cities were renamed in his honour.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924) of Soviet Union

Years in power – 7

Founder of the Russian Communist Party, leader of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, and the architect, builder, and first head of the Soviet Union.

The Bolshevik’s quickly consolidated power; privatising all aspects of the Soviet economy, cracking down on dissent through the Cheka, or secret police and instituting the Red Terror, aimed at destroying monarchist and anti-Bolshevik sympathiser during the Russian Civil War. He introduced the New Economic Policy, which allowed workers to sell their grain on the open market.

Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) of Italy

Years in power – 23

Italian dictator rose to power in the wake of World War I as a leading proponent of Fascism. He became prime minister in 1922. Mussolini’s military expenditures in Libya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Albania made Italy predominant in the Mediterranean region, though they exhausted his armed forces by the late 1930’s.

Mussolini allied himself with Hitler, relying on the German dictator to prop up his leadership during World War II, but he was killed shortly after the German surrender in Italy in 1945.

Francisco Franco (1892-1975) of Spain

Years in power – 37

Francisco Franco rose to power during the bloody Spanish Civil War when, with the help of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, his Nationalist forces overthrew the democratically elected Second Republic.

Adopting the title of “El Caudillo” (The Leader), Franco persecuted political opponents, repressed the culture and language of Spain’s Basque and Catalan regions, censured the media and otherwise exerted absolute control over the country. Some of these restrictions gradually eased as Franco got older, and upon his death the country transitioned to democracy.

Josip Tito (1892-1980) of Yugoslavia

Years in power – 37

Formerly known as Josip Broz, born in Croatia. In the prisoner-of-war camp, he converted to Bolshevism and in 1917 participated in the Russian Revolution. He joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) and was an effective organizer and in 1944 Soviet forces liberated Yugoslavia.

Tito held the ultimate power and ruled dictatorially, suppressing opposition to his rule. He soon came into conflict with Moscow, which disapproved of his independent style, especially in foreign affairs. Although he used his secret police to purge political opponents, the average Yugoslavian enjoyed more freedoms than the inhabitants of any other communist country in Eastern Europe

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) of Germany

Years in power – 12

Adolf Hitler was one of the most powerful and infamous dictators of the 20th century. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer (“leader”) of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. He initiated fascist policies that led to World War II and the deaths of at least 11 million people, including the mass murder of an estimated 6 million Jews.

“The man most responsible for the devastation of the Second World War and the horrors of the Holocaust”

Facts Behind Sexual Harassment

Tags

gender, grope, harassment, macho man, rape, sex, sexual harassment, violence

Sexual harassment is increasingly “coming out of the closet”. Every individuals starting to realise that the problem is real, some admit that it could affect their children, and more victims are gathering the courage to complain. We will define this deep-rooted problem, describe different types of harassment, and consider who are usually the victims.

What is harassment?

A dictionary definition of harassment: “vex by repeated attacks; trouble, worry”, makes it clear that such behaviour towards individuals is undesirable and can undermine productivity and morale.  If one adds the sexual dimension, with its personal, psychological, moral and marital implications, the problem becomes much more complex.

Types of Sexual Harassment:

Gender Harassment: Generalised sexist statements and behaviour that convey insulting or degrading attitudes about women. Examples include insulting remarks, offensive graffiti, obscene jokes or humour about sex or women in general.
Seductive Behaviour: Unwanted, inappropriate and offensive sexual advances. Examples include repeated unwanted sexual invitations, insistent requests for dinner, drinks or dates, persistent letters, phone calls and other invitations.
Sexual Bribery: Solicitation of sexual activity or other sex-linked behaviour by promise of reward; the proposition may be either overt or subtle.
Sexual Coercion: Coercion of sexual activity or other sex-linked behaviour by threat of punishment; examples include negative performance evaluations, withholding of promotions, threat of termination.
Sexual Imposition: Gross sexual imposition (such as forceful touching, feeling, grabbing) or sexual assault

Causes

The causes of sexual harassment vary.  This discussion can cover only some of the main factors.  Many of the causes are interrelated, linked to the culture and values in society and in companies, and to the roles, relative power and status of the men and women concerned.

Socialisation

The way in which men and women were brought up to see themselves and others strongly influences their behaviour.  Various viewpoints could create a climate that allows sexual harassment:

• In a culture , Discriminate against people because they are different, the abuse of power or humiliation that is typical of sexual harassment will not be unusual. Harassment is often closely linked to prejudice in general, and to sexist attitudes.
• Men who were brought up with macho beliefs
• Many women have been brought up to believe women’s highest calling is to please men or real women look sexy.  Some women who see sexuality as their only power base, play along.  Although research has proven them to be a small minority, their behaviour can also encourage harassment of other women.

Power games

Social and political changes have changed power relations in today’s world.  Some men feel threatened by the career advancement of women and people of colour, or are uncomfortable with women’s new-found independence and assertiveness at home and / or at work. Others who have recently gained positions of power may also harass women subordinates to prove themselves.

Moral values, divorce and cultural differences

• Extramarital affairs and one-night stands are broadly accepted, when some people equate monogamy with monotony, it is relatively easy for people to indulge in office flirtations, whether one-sided or mutual. The person who tries, and doesn’t accept rejection or sees the unwilling colleague as a challenge, easily becomes a harasser, or may victimise the reluctant colleague.
• The prevalence of marital stress and divorce in our society means that some men and women come to work in a state of emotional distress that could make them vulnerable to sexual harassment.
• Some confusion results from cultural differences about what is, or isn’t, acceptable in our rapidly-changing society.

Bravado

Men in groups often behave differently from how they would as individuals.  This can explain some of the gang harassment that occurs when a woman enters a plant or walks past a group of workers at lunch;  after a few drinks at an office party;  or when a group of colleagues attend a conference.  Alone, those men would probably be harmless, or less bold.

 Types of harassers

Marital status or age do not exclude people from being harassers.  It appears than in many cases alcohol reduces inhibitions, and people who normally would not, become harassers. In many cases sexual harassment could also be linked to self-esteem problems on the side of the perpetrator, causing a need to “prove himself”. While behaviour and motives vary between individuals, we can probably divide harassers into six broad groups:

Macho Man

Linked to the bravado mentioned above, when groups of men embarrass women with comments, unwanted compliments or even physical evaluation, lewd jokes or gestures, and display of sexually distasteful posters.  All these can create a hostile environment, and even if it goes no further than verbal and visual harassment, most women experience this as humiliating and disturbing.

The Great Gallant

Verbal harassment occurs when the gallant pays excessive compliments and makes personal comments that are out of place or embarrass the recipient.

The Opportunist

They are usually fairly promiscuous in his attentions to female.  Whenever the opportunity presents itself  in any situation and their the grope’s eyes hands start wandering.  Some of this may take place in public, but if not repelled, he is likely to try to go further in private. If confronted, he will insist that the women like and enjoy his attentions; or even that the single and divorced women need it.

The Power-player

Harassment is a power game, where the man insists on sexual favours in exchange for benefits.  Besides the effect on the victims, this form of harassment is an abuse of power and trust.  It can lead to bad decisions, special favours, and bad image in the society.

The Serial Harasser

Difficult type of harasser to identify, and the most difficult to deal with, is the one I label as the serial harasser.  This person is compulsive and often has serious psychological problems.  He carefully builds up an image so that people will find it hard to believe ill of him, plans his approaches carefully, and strikes in private where it is his word against that of a subordinate.  He can do a lot of damage before he is found out.  This person’s aberrant behaviour is often a call for help, rather than deliberate harassment – as is usually the case in the above four types.  In this case counselling is probably more important than mere disciplinary action.

The Situational Harasser

Trigger to this person’s behaviour is usually psychological, but more situational than compulsive.  Incidents are often linked to specific life situations or emotional or medical problems, such as divorce, wife’s illness, impotence, hormonal imbalance, prostate disease, or psychiatric or systemic disturbances that suppress the higher brain functions, such as Alzheimer’s and alcoholism.  If the situation changes or the disease is brought under control, the harassment usually stops – but by then both victim and harasser have been harmed.

Effects of Sexual Harassment

Being sexually harassed can devastate your psychological health, physical well-being and vocational development. Women who have been harassed often change their jobs, career goals, job assignments, educational programs or academic majors. In addition, women have reported psychological and physical reaction to being harassed that are similar to reactions to other forms of stress. They include:

Psychological Reactions Depression: Anxiety, shock, denial Anger, fear, frustration, irritability Insecurity, embarrassment, feelings of betrayal Confusion, feelings of being powerless Shame, self-consciousness, low self-esteem Guilt, self-blame, isolation

Physiological Reactions: Headaches Lethargy Gastrointestinal distress Dermatological reactions Weight fluctuations Sleep disturbances, nightmares Phobias, panic reactions Sexual problems

Career-Related Effects: Decreased job satisfaction Unfavorable performance evaluations Loss of job or promotion Drop in academic or work performance due to stress Absenteeism Withdrawal from work or school Change in career goals

Cures

Clearly the hidden costs of harassment are enormous.  It is in every individual’s interest to be proactive and prevent the problem, rather than having to redress it after damages have been suffered.  Aware individuals can play a major role: by bringing the seriousness of harassment to the attention of people, by helping to formulate and implement stringent laws, and by helping victims to deal with the consequences of harassment. 

 

Pulicat Lake (பழவேற்காடு ஏரி)

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Arani River, ASI, பழவேற்காடு ஏரி, CReNIEO, Fort Geldria, Kalangi River, Karimanal, lagoon, Our Lady of Joys, Paadu system, Pallaicatta, Pazhaverkaadu, podouke, Pulicat Bird Santuary, Pulicat Lake, Pulicat Sarassu, Swarnamukhi River

Pulicat Lake (Telugu: Pulicat Sarassu పులికాట్ సరస్సు, Tamil: Pazhaverkaadu Eri பழவேற்காடு ஏரி ) is the second largest brackish – water lake or lagoon in India. It has an area of 481 sq.KM. It straddles the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states on the Coromandal Coast in South India. The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary.

The Pulicat sanctuary is drained by Arni river while the Buckingham canal brings in the city’s drainage water. At the southern end is an opening on to Bay of Bengal through a shallow mouth of 200 m in width. The rest of the lake is closed by a sand bar running parallel to the Bay of Bengal in the form of the Sriharikota island.

Location:

The sanctuary has an area of 321 Sq. KM with 108 sq.KM of National Park area.

It lies within 11o 30’ N to 11o 42’ N and 76o 30’ E to 76o 45’ E.

Rainfall ranges from 800 – 2000mm. Temperature varies from 14o C to 33o C.

History:

In the 1st century, the anonymous mariner who wrote Periplus of the Erythraean Sea listed Podouke (Pulicat) as one of the three ports on the east coast of India. In the 2nd century, Ptolomey’s list of ports on this coast included Podouke emporion.

In the 13th century, Arabs migrated to the shores of this lake in four boats after they were banished from Meccafor refusing to pay tributes to a new calif. Streets with dilapidated masonry houses, once occupied by these ArabianMuslims, are still found in the area. Some remaining resident families claim records in Arabic testifying their migration to this area.

The next recorded history of foreign colonizers is that of the Portuguese. In 1515, they built a church dedicated to Nossa Senhora Dus Prazeres (Our Lady of Joys), which is now in dilapidated condition. The Portuguese were followed by the Dutch.

Dutch people drifted to this lagoon as their ships got stuck on the shores of the Karimanal Village, on the opposite side of the mouth of the lake, from where the coast line got the name ‘Coramandal’. During the Dutch rule Pulicat was known by the name Pallaicatta Pulicat today bears testimony to this fact  with the Dutch Fort in ruins, dating back to 1609, a Dutch Church, Dutch Cemetery with 22 protected tombs and a Dutch Cemetery with 76 tombs and mausoleums protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Dutch built Fort Geldria at Pulicat, from where they transacted business with the British East India Company and other countries in the region.

Hydrology:

Three major rivers which feed the lagoon are the Arani River at the southern tip, the Kalangi River from the northwest and the Swarnamukhi River at the northern end, in addition to some smaller streams. The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side. The lagoon’s water exchange with the Bay of Bengal is through an inlet channel at the north end of Sriharikota and out flow channel of about 200 metres (660 ft) width at its southern end, both of which carry flows only during the rainy season.

The water quality of the lake varies widely during various seasons – summer, pre–monsoon, monsoon and post–monsoon – as the depth and width of the lake mouth varies causing a dynamic situation of mixing and circulation of waters. The resultant salinity variation and DO (dissolved oxygen) affects the primary production, plankton, biodiversity and fisheries in this lake.

Salinity values vary from zero during the monsoon to about 52 ppm (hyper saline) during post and pre–monsoon seasons. Adjustment to this wide variation is difficult for sessile and sedentary species in the lake. However, euryhaline species still dwell in the lake.

The benthic or the bottom habitat of this lagoon is classified into three zones. The southern zone, the first zone, is dominated by sand with some admixture of mud. The second zone at the northern region is wholly muddy. The third zone with sand and mud in equal parts is overgrown with patches of weeds and is reported to be rich in benthic biodiversity.

Toxicity levels of heavy metals such as magnesium, lead, zinc, nickel, cadmium, aluminum and copper and chemicals such as ammonia, sulphate and fluoride in the lake are well within permissible limits.

Social Activity:

“Wildlife Action Plan for Conservation Measures on the Pulicat Lake Sanctuary”, which has envisaged to set up a hydro biological research station, establish a visitor centre, provide shallow-bottomed boats to enable sanctuary staff to patrol the lagoon and to prepare a management plan and conservation strategy for the entire area.

Non Governmental Organization (NGO) called COPDANET is striving to implement effective activities in the lagoon by creating proactive methods to create fisher folks’ unity and friendship, establishing a set of principles to declare traditional “Paadu system” as sustainable, protecting the lagoon fisher folk from unscrupulous elements and vested interests, making efforts at mangrove propagation through the Paaadu system and to pursue with Government agencies for rebuilding the eco-systems through regular desilting at the ‘Bar Mouth to Estuaries’ to ensure adequate salt and fresh water mix in the lagoon which could enhance fish resources.

An internationally supported pilot projects undertaken in Sri Lanka, considering that problems in Sri Lankan and Indian lake regions are similar, CReNIEO initiated the “Integrated Fisherfolk Development Project” for adoption in the Pulicat lagoon. The Global Natural Fund (GNF) supported project of CReNIEO aims at rural activities in Pulicat region with the main focus on environmental education, sustainable land use, new job opportunities and sustainable fishery to avoid over-fishing of the Lake.

DICTATORS IN AFRICA – “Worst of the Worst”

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africa, Blaise Compaoré, gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak, Idriss Déby, Isaias Afwerki, Meles Zenawi, Muammar al-Qaddafi, mubarak, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Paul Biya, Paul Kagame, Robert Mugabe, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, worst dictators, Yahya Jammeh, Yoweri Museveni

1. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe

Years in power – 18

A liberation “hero” in the struggle for independence who has since transformed himself into a murderous despot, Mugabe has arrested and tortured the opposition, squeezed his economy into astounding negative growth and billion-percent inflation, and funneled off a juicy cut for himself using currency manipulation and offshore accounts.

2. Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan

years in power – 22

A megalomaniac zealot who has quashed all opposition, Bashir is responsible for the deaths of millions of Sudanese and has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Bashir’s Arab militias, the janjaweed, may have halted their massacres in Darfur, but they continue to traffic black Sudanese as slaves.

3. Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea

Years in power: 18

A crocodile liberator, Afwerki has turned his country into a national prison in which independent media are shut down, elections are categorically rejected, indefinite military service is mandatory and the government would rather support Somali militants than its own people.

4. Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia

Years in power: 20

Worse than the former Marxist dictator he ousted nearly two decades ago, Zenawi has clamped down on the opposition, stifled all dissent and rigged elections. Like a true Marxist revolutionary, Zenawi has stashed millions in foreign banks and acquired mansions in Maryland and London in his wife’s name, according to the opposition – even as his barbaric regime collects a whopping $1 billion in foreign aid each year.

5. Muammar al-Qaddafi of Libya

Years in power: 42

An eccentric egoist infamous for his indecipherable flamboyant speeches and equally erratic politics, Qaddafi runs a police state based on his version of Mao’s Red Book – the Green Book – which includes a solution to “the Problem of Democracy.” Repressive at home, Qaddafi masquerades as Africa’s king of kings abroad.

6. Idriss Déby of Chad

Years in power: 21

Having led a rebel insurgency against a former dictator, Déby today faces a similar challenge – from one of his own former cabinet officials, among others. To repel would-be coup leaders, Déby has drained social spending accounts to equip the military, co-opted opposition-leader foes and is now building a moat around the capital, N’Djamena.

7. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea

Years in power: 31

Obiang and his family literally own the economy, having reportedly amassed a fortune exceeding $600 million while the country’s people remain in desperate poverty. Equatorial Guinea’s extraordinary oil wealth puts its GDP per capita on par with many European states – if only it were evenly shared. Instead, revenues remain a “state secret.”

8. Hosni Mubarak of Egypt

Years in power: 30

Until he was deposed last week, Mubarak has been a senile and paranoid autocrat whose sole preoccupation is self-perpetuation in office, suspicious of even his own shadow. He kept a 30-year-old emergency law in place to squelch any opposition activity and has groomed his son, Gamal, to succeed him.

9. Yahya Jammeh of Gambia.

Years in power: 17

This eccentric militarist has vowed to rule for 40 years and claims to have discovered the cure for HIV/AIDS. A narcissist at heart, the dictator insists on being addressed as His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh.

10. Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso.

Years in power: 24

A tin-pot despot with no vision and no agenda, save self-perpetuation in power by liquidating opponents and stifling dissent, Compaoré has lived up to the low standards of his own rise to power, where he murdered his predecessor Thomas Sankara in a 1987 coup.

11. Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.

Years in power: 25

After leading a rebel insurgency that took over Uganda in 1986, Museveni declared: “No African head of state should be in power for more than 10 years.” But 24 years later, he is still here, winning one “coconut election” after another in which other political parties are technically legal but a political rally of more than a handful of people is not.

13. Paul Kagame of Rwanda

Years in power: 11

A liberator who saved the Tutsis from complete extermination in 1994, Kagame now practices the same ethnic apartheid he sought to end. His Rwandan Patriotic Front dominates all levers of power: the security forces, the civil service, the judiciary, banks, universities, and state-owned corporations. Those who challenge the president are accused of being a hatemonger or divisionist and arrested.

14. Paul Biya of Cameroon

Years in power: 29

A suave bandit who has reportedly racked up a personal fortune of more than $200 million and the mansions to go with it, Biya has co-opted the opposition into complete submission. Not that he’s worried about elections; he has rigged the term limit laws twice to make sure the party doesn’t end anytime soon.

Vallam Kali – വള്ളംകളി

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Namboodiri, Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Onam, Punnamada Backwaters, river Pamba, snake boat

Vallam Kali  literally means boat race in Malayalam. It is the traditional boat race in Kerala .

It is mainly conducted during the season of the harvest festival Onam in Autumn. Vallam Kali include races of many kinds of traditional boats (paddled longboat) of Kerala. The race of Chundan Vallam (snake boat) is the major event. Hence Vallam Kali is also known in English as Snake Boat Race and now in recent years has become a major tourist attraction.

THE ORGIN:

Legend has it that a pious Namboodiri was in the habit of feeding an impoverished urchin everyday. One day the Brahmin was saddened as no one turned up to receive his offering. Then the Lord Krishna himself came up to receive his food in the form of a small boy. The Brahmin was gladdened by the knowledge of the Lord’s grace and made it a practice to send 51 measures of rice and all the groceries and provisions to prepare a traditional feast (Sadya) to the temple every year. One such year, mischief makers from a rival village advanced, intent on seizing the Brahmin’s boat (Thiruvonachilavu Thoni) which held the temple’s offerings. As he approached them, his own villagers came to the rescue in Snake boats and escorted him safely to the temple. Since then every year 48 boats accompanied the Namboodiri’s boats. It is to remember and cherish this rescue that the boat race is held every year in Aranmulla.

There is another legend attached to this race also. A Palliodam is a beautiful boat, ornamentally crafted, used by royalty. It is believed that once a chieftain’s food laden Palliodam refused to move on having taken pity on the plight of a family’s hunger and impoverishment. Only when the woman and her children were fed the festive fare, a Sadya did the vessel consent to move. In memory of the boat’s benevolence, the victorious snake boat is accorded the privilege to accompany a Palliodam from Katoormana. Lighted torches are stuck to the boat and drums played and chonches blown.

SNAKE BOAT:

Vallamkali boat are no ordinary boats and there are fixed measurements to it. It is about 100 feet long and has a seating capacity of 150 men. The boats are usually made of anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), though sometimes teak and kadamb (Naucleacadamba) wood is also used. The curled ends of the boats are shaped like cobra hoods and it is from this shape that boat has derived its name. Each boat is meticulously crafted by skilled craftsmen and a lot of patience and hard work goes into making and decorating it. The boat is treated as a deity and a holds a lot of emotional value for the village folk. Only men are allowed to touch the boat that too with bare feet. Each boat belong to individual villages located near the river Pamba.

Vallamkalis are tastefully decorated with green and scarlet silk umbrellas. The number of umbrellas attached to a boat holds significance as it signifies the affluence of the family to which they belong. To render a more maginificient look to the boat gold coins, ornaments and tassels are also added.

Great care is also taken for the upkeep of the boat. A carpenter repairs the boat on an annual basis. The boats are lubricated with fish oil, coconut shell and carbon mixed with eggs. This also helps to keep the wood strong and boats slippery in water. This way one can always find a boat ready for a swim.

RACE:

To watch the grand gala race, thousands of people assemble on the banks of the river Pamba at Aranmulla where a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Arjuna is located. About 30 elaborately crafted Chundan Vallams or snake boats participate in the mega event.

The boat race is conducted on a stretch of 40 kilometers from the hills to the low lying plains on the fifth day of Onam. The sight becomes endearing when one looks at the beautifully decorated boats being rowed by oarsmen dressed in white dhotis and turbans. Traditional songs Vanchipattu, sung on the rhythm produced by splashing of boats furthers adds to the overall excitement of the team event.

Each boat comprises of 150 men of which four are helsmen, 25 men are singers and 125 are the actual oarsmen.

The most remarkable feature of the Snake Boat Race is the depiction of the great team spirit. It also displays the importance of being united and to be in harmony with nature. A single mistake by one person can produce imbalance and could lead to the overturning of the boat.

These day even women participate with lot of enthusiasm in the event and a separate race is conducted for them.

NEHRU TROPHY:

A lot of credit for the popularity of the Snake Boat Race can be attributed to the first Prime Minister of the country, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. He was so enchanted by the spirit of the this traditional team event that he decided to promote it in a big way. He instituted a trophy for the event, which came to be called Nehru Trophy Boat Race. This is an immensely popular event held on the Punnamada Backwaters of Alappuzha district on the second Saturday in the month of August. Started in the year 1952, in an impromptu fashion in honor of the late Prime Minister, Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the biggest team sport event in the world today. A spectacular boat pageantry held before the actual race is the other highlight of the event.

KITE

Tags

Benjamin Franklin, deltoids, Kytoon, Leaf Kites, Patang, Power Kites

A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite’s wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind. The resultant force vector from the lift and drag force components is opposed by the tension of the one or more lines or tethers. The anchor point of the kite line may be static or moving.

Kites are usually heavier-than-air, but there is a second category of lighter-than-air kite called a kytoon which may be filled with hydrogen, hot air, methane, or helium; these stay aloft with or without wind; at calm they float; at wind they receive lift from buoyancy and aerodynamic lift. Kytoons have been made in toy-scale as well as military large scale.

Kites may be flown for recreation, art or other practical uses. Sport kites can be flown in aerial ballet, sometimes as part of a competition. Power kites are multi-line steerable kites designed to generate large forces which can be used to power activities such as kite surfing, kite landboarding, kite fishing, kite buggying and a new trend snow kiting. Kites towed behind boats can lift passengers which has had useful military applications in the past.

HISTORY:

Kites were used approximately 2,800 years ago in China, where materials ideal for kite building were readily available: silk fabric for sail material; fine, high-tensile-strength silk for flying line; and resilient bamboo for a strong, lightweight framework.

The kite authors Clive Hart and Tal Streeter hold that leaf kites existed far before that time in what is now Indonesia, based on their interpretation of cave paintings on Muna Island off Sulawesi.

The kite was said to be the invention of the famous 5th century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban. By at least 549 AD paper kites were being flown, as it was recorded in that year a paper kite was used as a message for a rescue mission. Ancient and medieval Chinese sources list other uses of kites for measuring distances, testing the wind, lifting men, signalling, and communication for military operations. The earliest known Chinese kites were flat and often rectangular. Later, tailless kites incorporated a stabilizing bowline. Kites were decorated with mythological motifs and legendary figures; some were fitted with strings and whistles to make musical sounds while flying.

Kite further evolved into the Fighter kite known as the patang in India. The annual kite running competitions are held every year on the day of Makara Sankaranti.

Stories of kites were brought to Europe by Marco Polo towards the end of the 13th century, and kites were brought back by sailors from Japan and Malaysia in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In 1750, Benjamin Franklin published a proposal for an experiment to prove that lightning is electricity by flying a kite in a storm that appeared capable of becoming alightning storm. It is not known whether Franklin ever performed his experiment, but on May 10, 1752, Thomas-François Dalibard of France conducted a similar experiment and extracted electrical sparks from a cloud.

The period from 1860 to about 1910 became the “golden age of kiting”. Kites started to be used for scientific purposes, especially in meteorology, aeronautics, wireless communications and photography; reliable manned kites were developed as well as power kites. Invention of powered airplane diminished interest in kites. World War II saw a limited use of kites for military purposes. Since then they are used mainly for recreation due to a vast improvement in technology.

GEOMETRY OF KITES:

In Euclidean geometry a kite is a quadrilateral whose four sides can be grouped into two pairs of equal-length sides that are next to each other.

Kite quadrilaterals are named for the wind-blown, flying kites, which often have this shape and which are in turn named for a bird. Kites are also known as deltoids, but the word “deltoid” may also refer to adeltoid curve, an unrelated geometric object.

MATERIALS:

Designs often emulate flying insects, birds, and other beasts, both real and mythical. The finest Chinese kites are made from split bamboo (usually golden bamboo), covered with silk, and hand painted. On larger kites, clever hinges and latches allow the kite to be disassembled and compactly folded for storage or transport. Cheaper mass-produced kites are often made from printed polyester rather than silk.

Tails are used for some single-line kite designs to keep the kite’s nose pointing into the wind. Spinners and spinsocks can be attached to the flying line for visual effect. There are rotating wind socks which spin like a turbine. On large display kites these tails, spinners and spinsocks can be 50 feet (15 m) long or more.

Modern acrobatic kites use two or four lines to allow fine control of the kite’s angle to the wind. Traction kites may have an additional line to de-power the kite and quick-release mechanisms to disengage flyer and kite in an emergency.

USES:

• Human Flights – Humans are sometimes bound to a large kite to fly, as many hang gliders are true kites. The first known example is Yuan Huangtou in 559AD.
• Military Applications – Kites have been used for military uses in the past for signaling, for delivery of munitions, and for observation, by lifting an observer above the field of battle, and by using kite aerial photography.
• Science and Meteorology – Kites have been used for scientific purposes, such as Benjamin Franklin’s famous experiment proving that lightning is electricity. Kites had a historical role in lifting scientific instruments to measure atmospheric conditions for weather forecasting.
• Radio Aerials – Kites can be used for radio purposes, by kites carrying antennas for MF, LF or VLF-transmitters.
• Light Beacons – Kites can be used to carry light effects such as lightsticks or battery powered lights.
• Power Generation – Conceptual research and development projects by over 100 entities are investigating the use of kites in harnessing high altitude wind currents to generate electricity.

SAFETY ISSUES:

“There are safety issues involved in kite-flying, more so with power kites. Kite lines can strike and tangle on electrical power lines, causing power blackouts and running the risk of electrocuting the kite flier. Wet kite lines or wire can act as a conductor for static electricity and lightning when the weather is stormy. Kites with large surface areas or powerful lift can lift kite fliers off the ground or drag them into stationary objects. In urban areas there is usually a ceiling on how high a kite can be flown, to prevent the kite and line infringing on the airspace of helicopters and light aircraft.”

Pallanguzhi(Pallankuli) -பல்லாங்குழி – പല്ലാങ്കുഴി

Tags

Kuzhipara, mancala game, Vamana guntalu

Pallanghuzi, or Pallankuli, is a traditional mancala game played in South India, especially Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Variants are called as Vamana guntalu (in Telugu) and Kuzhipara (in Malayalam).

The game is played by two players, with a wooden board that has fourteen pits in all .hence the name from the words fourteen pits.There have been several variations in the layout of the pits, one among them being seven pits on each player’s side. The pits contain Cowry shells, seeds or small pebbles used as counters. There are several variations of the game depending on the number of shells each player starts with.

GAME:

Pallanguzhi is played on a rectangular board with 2 rows and 7 columns. There are a total of 14 cups and 146 counters. For the counters in the game, seeds, shells, small stones are all common for use.

As the game proceeds, each player distributes the shells over all the pits. The players may capture the shells, as permitted by the rules of the game. The rules of capture depend on the variant of the game played. The game ends when one of the players captures all the shells, and is declared as a winner.

12 counters are placed in each cup except the middle of each row into which only 2 counters are placed.. The starting player lifts the counters from any of his holes and, going counter-clockwise, distributes one counter in each hole. If he reaches the end of his cups he goes on the his opponent’s side of the board. When the player drops his last counter, he takes the counter from the next cup and continues placing them in this way. If the last counter falls into a cup with an empty cup beyond, the counter in the cup beyond the empty hole are captured by the player and put into his store. That player then continues play from the next cup containing counters. If the last counter falls into a cup with two empty holes beyond, he captures no counters and his turn is over. The next player continues play in the same way, taking counters from any of his cups and going around placing counters in a counter-clockwise direction.

If, after having a counter dropped into it, a cup contains 6 counters, those become the property of the player who dropped the counter. The round is over when no counters remain.

Once the first round is over players take the counters from their stores and fill as many of their holes as possible with counters. The winner will have a surplus of counters which are kept in his store. The loser of the first round will be unable to fill all of his holes. These unfilled holes are marked as “rubbish holes.” In the next round play continues as before, but without the rubbish holes being included and the player who went first in the previous round going second.

During the game if a player has enough counters to fill any of his rubbish holes back up their status is removed and they are again used during play. The game is over when a player is unable to fill any cups with six counters at the end of a round.

Tamarind seeds and chozhis or cowry shells are used in this game, to fill the holes of the Pallanguzhi board.

POPULARITY:

This game is popular among the kids and old people and encouraged for the kids to learn to count, to improve the eye-hand coordination and concentration while playing. And for the older people of the house, to spend time in the company of the young members of the family.

Pallanguzhi is also played in Sri Lanka, Trinidad, Guyana and Singapore, with a sizable Indian population living in those countries.

Anna Salai (Mount Road)

Tags

Mount Road

Anna Salai (அண்ணா சாலை), formerly known as Mount Road, an abbreviated form of St. Thomas Mount Road, is an arterial road in Chennai, India.

It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George and ends at the Kathipara Junction in Guindy. Beyond the Kathipara Junction, the road branches into two, with one traversing westwards to Poonamallee to form the Mount-Poonamallee Road while the other continues southwards to Tambaram and beyond to form the national highwayNH 45. The road was an indicator of development as the city of Chennai grew up mostly along its eastern and western sides.

Anna Salai is almost 400 years old and has its origins in a cart track which was used by the European employees of the British East India Company to travel from the factory at Fort St George to the holy town of St Thomas Mount where the apostle St Thomas was crucified. The road, in its present form, took shape during the time of Charles MaCartney who served as Governor of Madras. Most of Chennai’s business and corporate offices are located on Anna Salai.

STRETCH OF MOUNT ROAD:

Anna Salai starts from the Parktown area of Chennai city where Chennai Central railway terminus is situated. It, then, traverses the Island with its statue of Sir Thomas Munro to the other side of the Coovum before entering the neighbourhoods of Thousand Lights and Teynampet. From Teynampet, it continues straight southwards to Nandanam and Saidapet before traversing the Maraimalai Adigal Bridge across the Adyar River to Little Mount and finally, Guindy. Anna Salai is maintained by the National Highways Authority of India. This is the only road in Chennai where traffic follows the lane system. The road extends for a total of 11 kilometres and traverses the heart of the city.

LANDMARKS ON MOUNT ROAD:

• St. Thomas Mount
• Kathipara Cloverleaf Intersection
• Hindustan Teleprinters Limited
• Intellectual Property India Headquarters
• Guindy Railway Overbridge
• Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL)
• Spic Building
• Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
• Ashok Leyland Towers
• Little Mount
• Maraimalai Adigal Bridge (formerly Marmalong Bridge)
• Panagal Building
• Saidapet Teacher’s Training Institute
• Cosmopolitan Club Golf Links
• YMCA
• Temple Towers
• Apollo Speciality Hospital
• Indian Oil Building
• Voltas
• Anna Arivaalayam (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam [DMK] Party Headquarters)
• Kalignar Satellite Television Headquarters
• Century Plaza
• Courtyard Marriott Hotel
• Kamaraj Memorial Hall
• Sterling Towers
• Semmozhi Poonga
• Anna Flyover
• Parsn Manare
• Rani Seethai Hall
• American Consulate
• Oxford University Press
• Thousand Lights Mosque
• The British Council
• Devaneya Paavaanar Library
• Indian Overseas Bank Headquarters
• Bharat Overseas Bank Headquarters
• Spencer Plaza
• Rayala Towers
• Raheja Towers
• Ritchie Street
• Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Headquarters
• Gove House
• Higginbotham’s (India’s oldest bookshop)
• Bharat Insurance Building
• Addison’s
• LIC Building (Chennai’s first skyscraper)
• Mount Road Mosque
• Tarapore Towers
• Cosmopolitan Club
• Mount Road Head Post Office
• Offices of The Hindu and The Mail
• Devi Theater
• Simpsons
• Government Estate 
• Willington Bridge
• Madras Gymkhana Club
• Island Grounds Exhibition Centre

STATUES ON MOUNT ROAD:

• Nehru Statue (Kathipara Intersection)
• Maaveeran Dheeran Chinnamalai Statue (Guindy)
• Ramaswamy Padaiyaachiyaar (Guindy)
• Rajiv Gandhi Statue (Little Mount)
• Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Statue (Nandanam)
• Equestrian Statue (Gemini Flyover)
• MGR Statue (Spencer’s Junction)
• Arignar Anna Statue (Wallajah Road Junction)
• Arthur Havelock’s Statue
• Lord Ampthill Statue
• Periyar Statue
• Kamaraj Statue (Island Ground)
• Munro Statue (Island Ground)

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ON MOUNT ROAD:

• Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology (HIET)
• Dr.MGR Medical University
• Chellamal Women’s College
• Government Arts College for Men
• SIET College for Women
• Church Gate Convent
• Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women
• Christ Church Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School.

STAR HOTELS :

• Taj Mount Road
• Taj Connemara
• The Park
• Grand Hyatt (Under construction)
• Raintree Anna Salai
• ITC Grand Dakshin (Under construction)
• Le Royal Meridian

St.Thomas Mount

Tags

Chinnamalai, Holy Apostles Convent, Little Mount, Luz Church, Mountain of Foreigner, Parangimalai, Santhome Church, St. Mary's Church, St. Thomas Sand, Syrian Christians, tomb of St. Thomas

St. Thomas Mount, ( புனித தோமையர் மலை) or Parangimalai ( பரங்கிமலை) is a small hillock located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Located near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport, St. Thomas Mount is associated with St. Thomas, the apostle of Christ, who is believed to have been martyred here. The mount was originally named as Periyamalai in Tamil (meaning the Big Mount), but is now commonly called in Tamil Parangi Malai, colloquially meaning “Mountain of Foreigner”.

Syrian Christians of India trace the origin of their church to the Apostle of St.Thomas who attained martyrdom here in Chennai nearly 2000 years ago. Over a period of time, this part of Chennai was populated predominantly by Anglo-Indian. A serene and beautiful relic-filled church built in 1523 by the Portuguese stands on top of this 300-foot hillock. Pope John Paul II visited St. Thomas Mount on 5 February 1986.

HISTORY:

The legend of St. Thomas has endured to date in India. In the 70s, Doubting Thomas was decreed the Apostle of India. He preached and travelled the Malabar and Coromandel coasts of the country. Somewhere between 52 and 72 AD he is believed to have reached Kerala first and before travelling to Mylapore, which at that time was a Pallava port.

A number of places in the city are linked with St. Thomas, from Luz to Little Mount and St. Thomas Mount. The apostle is said to have walked from the beach at Mylapore to a cave on a hill a few miles away and is said to have lived there. He spent the last years of his life at a small hill near Saidapet, today’s Little Mount area. The Luz area, which sprang up around the Luz Church, was once filled with mango groves, where St. Thomas rested. At the site of these groves, the Portuguese later built the Luz and Descanco churches. The Baroque-styled Luz church, built in 1516, is believed to be the oldest in Chennai.

Eight years after he first set foot on Mylapore, St. Thomas is believed to have fallen foul of the authorities. He escaped from his cave to seek refuge in a nearby hill. Here he was shot by an arrow and consequently bled to death. Others claim it was hunting accident that killed St. Thomas. This hill, where it is agreed he died, has since become St. Thomas Mount.

The 300-foot summit can be accessed by 134 stone steps. The steps were built by Coja Petrus Uscan in 1726. The Church of the Madonna of the Mount and the Lady of Expectations stands on the mount. This Portuguese church is believed to have been constructed on the site of an earlier Nestorian church that Marco Polo visited. There is a school and convent here. And one can still see the place where the Apostle was supposedly martyred. The mount also provides a spectacular view of Chennai city and the airport runways.
St. Thomas was however buried on the coast. Armenian Christians discovered his grave in the sixth century and a church built on the site, today’s Santhome Church. When the Portuguese first reached the shores of Madras, they wanted to create a colony there. The Portuguese then appropriated the shore where ancient Mylapore stood; thus pushing it away from the coast. This new Portuguese colony then became San Thome or the Town of Thomas. The Portuguese moved the tomb of St. Thomas further inland and built a church over it. The Portuguese church is said to have been built on the site in 1523. It was replaced by the neo Gothic Santhome Basilica in 1898. The tomb of St. Thomas has since been moved to Italy. Also at the basilica is a museum containing various items from Chennai’s Portuguese days.

ABOUT ST.THOMAS MOUNT :

HILL SHRINE:  

 A shrine dedicated to “Our Lady of Expectation” was built  in 1523 on top of the mount. It is believed that the altar of this shrine was built on the spot where St.Thomas had died in 72 AD as a Christian martyr. At the northern foot of the mount, is a gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a cross bearing the inscribed date 1547. A flight of 160 steps leads up to the summit of the mount. There are fourteen stations of the cross erected on the way to the summit.

The annual Festival of Our Lady of Expectation is celebrated on 18 December in a grand manner for which pilgrims come to the shrine from all over South India. Saint Thomas day is celebrated on the 3rd of July, in memory of his martyrdom.

Adjoining the church, is the convent of the “Holy Apostles Convent”, managed by the priests of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) order. Attached to this there is a home for the physically and mentally challenged children run by the nuns of the convent.

LITTLE MOUNT SHRINE:

The Little Mount ( Chinnamalai ), is a rocky prominence where the Apostle had chosen a tiny cave as his home and led a spartan prayerful life in solitude, often praying on the top of the hill and preaching to the crowds. Today, this monument hewn out of rock with its small narrow opening has an altar with the image of St. Thomas used as a prayer home.

Little Mount has an ancient church built by the Portuguese in 1551. At the entrance is a portrait of Thomas and Portuguese inscription, while a masonry cross at the top of the hill marks the spot where Thomas supposedly preached.

ST.THOMAS GARRISON CHURCH:

ST.THOMAS SAND:

St. Thomas Sand is the sand taken from the tomb of Thomas at Mylapore, in Chennai, India. The relics of St.Thomas, the Apostle, had been already transferred to Italy and Portugal via Syria. However,the sand from the tomb here in Chennai is considered to be a relic of the Apostle, and the some Christians believe that it has miraculous healing powers. They procure small quantities of sand and either carry it with them or keep it in their homes. The belief is a long-standing one, for Marco Polo mentioned the custom in his travel records.

BAPTISMAL FONT:

The Baptismal Font which existed at the Church on the St. Thomas Mount in 1680 has a rich history. This Font was shifted to the St. Mary’s Church at Fort St. George in 1685. A plaque behind the Font explains history of the Font and the famous people who were Baptised here.

THOUSAND LIGHT MOSQUE.

Tags

multi domed mosque, Nawab Umdat-ul-Umrah, Shiite Muslims

Thousand Lights Mosque (ஆயிரம் விளக்கு மசூதி), a multi domed mosque located at Anna Salai in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India is one of the largest mosques in the country and is a revered place of worship for Muslims.

It was built by Nawab Umdat-ul-Umrah in the year 1810. Before getting it redesigned as a Mosque, this place of worship has been a shrine for quite a long time. Holy quotations from Qur’an have been inscribed on the walls of the Mosque.

Thousand Lights is the name of the area where this historic mosque is and Thousand Lights is what the mosque is called. The name derives from the tradition that one thousand and more oil-lamps used to be lit to light up an Assembly Hall that once occupied the triangular wedge between Mount Road and Peter’s Road, that is now occupied by the Mosque.

The Hall was built around 1810 by a scion of the Wallajah family which owned much of the property in this area – for the Shia Muslims to assemble at Moharram. A Mosque was added to the hall not long afterwards and in the same 5 acre property, a still newer Mosque was added in 1981, with the two tall minarets and five inward curving domes showing modern West Asian influence.

One of the city’s most important Mosques, the Thousand Lights Mosque is still a scene of the greatest religious activity during the annual Moharram festival. The old Mosque from inside the complex is quietly impressive in a way different from the new Mosque’s grandeur. The mosque was renovated twice, the last time in 1936, but the outside walls are believed to date from the original hall.

Thousand Lights Mosque holds great importance for the Shiite Muslims and is a pilgrimage site for them.