A different approach to understand the relation we share with the Big Cat

Keep efforts to understand the importance of each and every member of our ecology. Many people think that the projects like PROJECT TIGER is all about protecting the life of tiger only! But, it is not true. Tiger is not only responsible for life of its own but it's also necessary to maintain the balance of the whole ecosystem. Tiger is at the top of the food chain and if the tiger becomes extinct, a drastic change would result on earth.
Climate change, global warming, extinction of other species of birds and animals are other big issues of this era and these phenomenon are inter-related. When we become more aware of the effect we have on our environment, our understanding of the relationship with the big cat will change.

Our efforts are too late

Losing tigers is the biggest pain of this time. Tiger is our national animal and we want to conserve it but our efforts have been too few and too late..get closer to the natural life and feel the pain of the ecosystem which is slowly losing its favourite and the first child. Ecosystem loves all the members of its family but tiger is on the top! Ecosystem starts with the name of tiger and life in the jungles flourishes under the supervision of the King Tiger. But, these days the life of the King itself is in trouble. And this King cannot even ask for help...

There were plenty of tigers across Asia till the end 18th century. Until the middle of 18th century, whenever there was a battle between men and tigers, the tigers usually won because the weapons used by men were not so advanced. But, by 1750, firearms became more efficient and hunting of animals had become a sport. This led to killing of a large number of not only tigers but other species of animals too. Large tracts of forest areas began to be cleared by greedy men. The deforestation led to a big loss of herbivores animals. Hence carnivores like tiger too became less. Deforestation also meant loss of a big supply of fresh oxygen air.

By the turn of the 20th century, there were 40,000 tigers which lived in India but due to excessive poaching for greed of tiger skin, tooth etc, this figure came down to 2,000 by 1970. Before the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, a national ban on the hunting of tigers was clamped in the year 1970.
The first-ever All India Tiger Census in the year 1972 revealed that only 1,872 tigers had survived. On first April 1973, `Project Tiger' was launched by the Government of India on the recommendation of Special Task Force of the Indian Board of Wildlife. The main objectives were to maintain the viable population of tigers in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and also to preserve the areas of such biological importance as national heritage, for the benefit, education and employment of the people. An amendment was made in the Wildlife (Protection) Act in 2006 which paved way for creation of National Tiger Conservation Authority and a separate statutory body for the investigation of wildlife crimes.

Its our mistake. Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power

Why Indian's should feel more responsible about the Extinction of Tigers:

India is home to the world's largest population of tigers in the wild.According to the World Wildlife Fund, of the 3,500 tigers around the world, 1,400 are found in India.

A major concerted conservation effort, known as Project Tiger, has been underway since 1973, which was initially spearheaded by Indira Gandhi.The program has been credited with tripling the number of wild Bengal tigers from roughly 1,200 in 1973 to over 3,500 in the 1990s.

However, a tiger census carried out in 2007, whose report was published on February 12, 2008, stated that the wild tiger population in India declined by 60% to approximately 1,411.Additionally, eight new tiger reserves in India are being set up.Indian officials successfully started a project to reintroduce the tigers into the Sariska Tiger Reserve.

More About Project Tiger

Project Tiger is a wildlife Conservation movement initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tiger's. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves representative of various biogeographical regions throughout India. It strives to maintain a viable population of this conservation reliant species in their natural environment.Project Tiger helped increase the population of these tigers from 1,200 in the 1970s to 3,500 in 1990s.
However, a 2008 census held by Government of India revealed that the tiger population had dropped to 1,411. Since then the government has pledged US$153 million to further fund the project, set-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers, and fund the relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimize human-tiger interaction.

Tiger Reserves in India

There are 41tiger reserves in India which are governed by Project Tiger.The largest Tiger Reseve is the NagarjunaSagar-Srisailam Abhayaranyam of Andhra Pradesh.

Kaziranga Tiger Reserve in Assam
Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam
Nameri Tiger Reserve in Assam
Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh
Pakhui Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh
Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh
Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar
Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattishgarh
Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand
Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka
Nagarhole (extension) Tiger Reserve in Karnataka
Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Karnataka
Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala
Annamalai-Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Kerala/Tamil Nadu
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
Bori-Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
Ratapani Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra
Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra
Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra
Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram
Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Orissa
Sunabeda Tiger Reserve in Orissa
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan
Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan
Kalakad-Mundathurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu
Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu
Annamalai-Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu/Kerala
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh
Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttaranchal
Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal
Sunderbans Tiger Reserve in West Bengal
Udanti & Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Chattisgarh
Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Orissa
Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Chattisgarh
Dandeli-Anashi Tiger Reserve in Karnataka
Sanjay Dubri Wildlife Sanctuary Guru Ghasidas National Park in Madhya Pradesh
Banerghatta tiger and lion reserve in Karnataka

About Bengal tiger

The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris[1], previously Panthera tigris bengalensis), is a subspecies of tiger, found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, and southern Tibet. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the tiger sub-species. According to WWF there are about 2,100 Royal Bengal tigers in the wild today, including 1,411 in India, 450 in Bangladesh, 150 in Nepal, 100 in Bhutan, as well as a number in Burma and China.The Bengal tiger is historically regarded as the second largest subspecies after the Siberian tiger.The tiger Panthera tigris is the national animal of India.

Save Tigers- Indian National Animal is fighting for its Life

The Seriousness of the problem :

TIGERS ON the threshold of extinction. According to WWF, Tigers are amongst the ten most endangered species in the world. Over the last century more than 95 per cent of the Tiger population has been wiped out & three sub-species are already extinct. Less than 3500 tigers remain in the wild today with around 50 per cent in India and their numbers are declining fast. The world is abuzz with news, views and moves in a bid to save the Tiger.

Indian National Animal :

Tigers are the largest and the heaviest animal and national animal of India. Not only is the tiger a beautiful animal but it is also the indicator of the forest's health. The whole world has around one lakh tigers with India only having 40,000 Tigers in the wild at the start of this century. But now just 1411 tigers left in India as per the last count, the government is worried on how to save the national animal. This is one of the prime concerns of the nation right now. The rich biodiversity and natural capital of India can be witnessed in the Tiger Sanctuaries.

But now Our National Animal is fighting for its life!

Why is this happening :

Major population losses & extinction are being faced by Tigers. For sport, skins & body parts, Tigers are murdered. It is mainly because of poaching for tiger fur, bones and other tiger products and loss of their natural habitat due to climate changing and human activities like logging, farming and encroachment of forests.

Some Facts About Tigers :

From around 40,000 tigers at the turn of the last century, there are just 1411 tigers left in India.

2009 was the worst year for tigers in India, with 86 deaths reported.

There are 37 Tiger sanctuaries in India. However, 17 sanctuaries are on the verge of losing their tiger population.

Corbett National Park is the oldest tiger park in India. It was created in 1936 as ‘Hailey National Park’.

There are nine subspecies of the tiger and three of them are extinct. The surviving subspecies are the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, the Indochinese tiger or Corbett's tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, the Malayian Tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni), found in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, the Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatran), found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, the Siberian Tiger (also known as the Amur, Manchurian tiger, or North China tiger) (Panthera tigris altaica), found only in Siberia, and the South China tiger (also known as the Amoy or Xiamen tiger) (Panthera tigris amoyensis), which may be extinct and is only found in South China.

How can we save our National Pride :

Every little bit helps. You can speak up about the cause. You can write or blog about our tigers. Even staying up-to-date with tiger facts like knowledge of tiger sanctuaries, their population, news updates, etc. helps. You can also donate money to NGOs working for the cause, like WWF-India.

Can we save our tigers? Yes We Can.. Here is how!!!

Spread the Word
Let everyone know that our tigers are on the brink of extinction and that they need us. Now. You can start by joining the Save Our Tigers movement on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and spreading the word wherever you go – online or offline.

SMS
A short message can go a long way to help save our tigers. Let all your friends know about the movement through SMS – just type in your message and ask them to visit SaveOurTigers.com to join the roar.

Write to Editors
Write a letter or an email to editors of popular newspapers and magazines, asking them to support the cause and highlight the urgency to save our tigers. The more people we can reach and inform, the louder our roar will be

Donate
Organizations such as WWF and The Corbett Foundation work for tiger conservation and need our active support. If possible, you can chip in with funds, volunteer for work or donate clothes, etc. for the forest guards by tying up with such organizations.

Volunteer for Our Tigers
Your time is the most important contribution for our tigers. If you think you have the skills or the commitment to help the tigers on-site, do contact an NGO working for tiger conservation to volunteer for our tigers.

Preserve our Natural Resources
Loss of habitat is one of our tigers’ biggest problems. We can reduce pressure on forests by avoiding unnecessary use of forest-derived products, such as paper and timber.

Be a Responsible Tourist
Visit tiger sanctuaries and national parks and discover our country’s natural heritage. But please remember that the wilderness is to be experienced, not to be polluted by packets of chips, etc.

Save Tigers, In turn Save Urself :

Saving the tiger means we save the forest since the tiger cannot live in places where trees have vanished and in turn secure food and water for all. If we make sure tigers live, we will have to make sure that deer, antelope and all other animals that the tiger eats or its prey base live. To make sure that these herbivores live, we must make sure that all the trees, grass and other plants that these prey animals need for food are protected. In short, in this way the whole forest gets saved! Saving the tiger means indirectly saving the forests and in turn saving the environment that is reeling under global warming due to massive deforestation.

Felling trees takes away the precious soil, leaving behind a wasteland. The soil jams up our lakes and dams, reducing their ability to store water. By destroying the tiger's home, we not only harm tigers, but also ourselves. The tiger thus becomes the symbol for the protection of all species on our earth since it is at the top of the food-chain. This is why we sometimes call the tiger, an apex predator and an indicator of our ecosystem's health. In short, saving the tiger means saving the earth. Save tigers, save our earth!

The extent of seriousness :

If we at-least don’t take steps now, Our future generation may well put Tigers besides Dinosaurs’ and know about them as extinguish animals. If we don’t act now, We could lose this part of our heritage forever. So Dear Friends Please make your move and save our Tigers.

No matter how big or small, our support can make a difference to save our tigers. There are many credible organizations working towards tiger conservation in India, and they need our support.

Do visit and Join The Roar at Aircel's Save Our Tigers campaign.

Jhansi Lakshmi Bhai

Rani Lakshmi Bai (Epitome of Bravery and Courage)
Name : Rani Lakshmi Bai
Also Known as : Manikarnika.
Born : 19 November 1835.
Place : Dwadashi, District Satara, British India.
Died : 17 June 1858 (aged 22).
Nationality : Indian.
Parents : Moropant Tambey and Bhagirathibai.
Skills : Horseback riding, sword fighting, and shooting on a target with a gun.
Spouse : Raja Ghangadhar Rao
Children : Damodar Rao(adopted).
Honour :
Rani Lakshmi Bai is regarded as the national heroine and was seen as the epitome of female bravery in India. When the Indian National Army created its first female unit, it was named after her.
She is referred to as the 'Icon of the Indian Nationalist Movement'.
Lot of literature has been written on the life history of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. Heroic poems have been composed in her honor.
Books written on Rani Lakshmi Bai :
Flashman in the Great Game, La femme sacree, Nightrunners of Bengal, The Queen of Jhansi, Flow Red the Ganges, Rani.
Invasion :
In 1853 Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General of British India. As per Hindu tradition, the adopted child Damodar Rao, was their legal heir. However, the British rulers refused to accept him as the legal heir. As per the Doctrine of Lapse, Lord Dalhousie decided to seize the state of Jhansi. Rani Lakshmibai went to a British lawyer and consulted him. Thereafter, she filed an appeal for the hearing of her case in London. But, her plea was rejected. An order was passed asking the Rani to leave Jhansi fort and move to the Rani Mahal in Jhansi.
The Great Rebellion Movement of 1857 : Rani Jhansi was determined not to give up Jhansi. She strengthened its defences and assembled a volunteer army. Women were also given military training. Rani dressed as a man, had her baby strapped to her back, she held the horse reins in her mouth, and held two swords in her hands and fought, when the British army entered the city of Jhansi and died in the battle.
She was a symbol of patriotism and self respect. Her story became a beacon for the upcoming generations of freedom fighters.

Republic Day Special

INDIA
Capital : New Delhi.
Largest city : Mumbai.
Official languages : Hindi, English.
Demonym : Indian.
Government : Federal republic,Parliamentary democracy.
President : Pratibha Patil.
Prime Minister : Manmohan Singh.
Chief Justice : K. G. Balakrishnan.
Independence Day : 15 August 1947.
Republic Day : 26 January 1950.
Currency : Indian rupee.
Flag : Tricolour.
Emblem : Sarnath Lion Capital.
Motto : Satyameva Jayate.
Anthem : Jana Gana Mana.
Song : Vande Mataram.
Highest civilian award : Bharat Ratna.
Animal : Royal Bengal Tiger.
Bird : Indian Peacock.
Aquatic animal : Dolphin.
Flower : Lotus.
Tree : Banyan.
Fruit : Mango.
Sport : Field hockey.
Calendar : Saka.
River : Ganges.
World Heritage Site : Taj Mahal

States :
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Assam
4. Bihar
5. Chhattisgarh
6. Goa
7. Gujarat
8. Haryana
9. Himachal Pradesh
10. Jammu and Kashmir
11. Jharkhand
12. Karnataka
13. Kerala
14. Madhya Pradesh
15. Maharashtra
16. Manipur
17. Meghalaya
18. Mizoram
19. Nagaland
20. Orissa
21. Punjab
22. Rajasthan
23. Sikkim
24. Tamil Nadu
25. Tripura
26. Uttar Pradesh
27. Uttarakhand
28. West Bengal

Union Territories :
A. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
B. Chandigarh
C. Dadra and Nagar Haveli
D. Daman and Diu
E. Lakshadweep
F. National Capital Territory of Delhi
G. Puducherry


It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world.

Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh (A heroic martyr of Indian Freedom Struggle)
Name : Bhagat Singh
Also Known as: Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Born : September 27, 1907.
Place : Lyallpur, Punjab, British India.
Shaheed : March 23, 1931 (age 23).
Nationality : Indian.
Parents : Sardar Kishan Singh Sandhu and Vidyavati.
Slogan : Inquilab Zindabad.
Former Of: Naujavan Bharat Sabha.

Ideals and Opinions :
Bhagat Singh was attracted to anarchism and communism.
Singh initially followed Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement.
Later Singh, disgruntled with Gandhi's nonviolence action, joined the Young Revolutionary Movement and began advocating a violent movement against the British.
Bhagat Singh was one of the most prominent faces of Indian freedom struggle. He was a revolutionary ahead of his times. By Revolution he meant that the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice must change.


Famous quote of Bhagat Singh :
"The aim of life is no more to control the mind, but to develop it harmoniously; not to achieve salvation here after, but to make the best use of it here below; and not to realise truth, beauty and good only in contemplation, but also in the actual experience of daily life; social progress depends not upon the ennoblement of the few but on the enrichment of democracy; universal brotherhood can be achieved only when there is an equality of opportunity - of opportunity in the social, political and individual life."

Bhagat Singh’s view about his death :
I am confident that my death will do more to smash the British Empire than my release.
It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled while the ideas survived.


On April 8, 1929 to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs in the Central Assembly Hall while the Assembly was in session, not to cause death or injury but to draw the attention of the government, that the modes of its suppression could no more be tolerated.

"If the deaf are to hear, the sound has to be very loud. When we dropped the bomb, it was not our intention to kill anybody. We have bombed the British Government. The British must quit India and make her free." Says Bhagat Singh…

The way he accepted his death :
Even on the day of his hanging he was fearless, instead cheerful. He climbed the platform. Kissing the rope, he himself put it round his neck. He died with the name of Bharat Mata on his lips. Such was the end of the the legendary champion of freedom.

Honour:
He is the symbol of heroism of the youth of India.
He was put to death but lives in the hearts of his countrymen.

Even today, the heroic spirit of Bhagat Singh is an unfailing source of inspiration to the youth of the country. His courage, spirit of adventure and patriotism are an example to one and all. Vandemataram.....

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY.....

Swamy Vivekananda

Vivekananda (Spiritual Genius)
Name : Swami Vivekananda.
Birth Name : Narendranath Dutta.
Born : January12, 1863.
Place : Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India.
Eternally Rested : July 4, 1902(aged 39).
Nationality : Indian.
Parents : Vishwanath Dutta, Bhuvaneswari Devi.
Guru : Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Founder : Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission.

Acheivements :
He is the founder of Ramakrishna Mission for the service of the poor.
Vivekananda is considered to be a major force in the revival of Hinduism in modern India.
He is best known for his inspiring speech beginning with "sisters and brothers of America", through which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions at Chicago in 1893. To these words he got a standing ovation from a crowd of seven thousand, which lasted for two minutes.
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) was the foremost disciple of Ramakrishna and a world spokesperson for Vedanta.
Swami Vivekananda was the first Indian to be invited to accept the chair of Oriental Philosophy at the Harvard University.

What Our Leaders say about Swamy Vivekananda :
"Vivekananda saved Hinduism, saved India." Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
"Vivekananda is the maker of modern India." Subhas Chandra Bose
"Vivekananda's influence increased his love for his country a thousandfold." Mahatma Gandhi
"Vivekananda was yet modern in his approach to life’s problems, and was a kind of bridge between the past of India and her present." Jawaharlal Nehru

Famous Quotes Of Swami Vivekanada :
“Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached.”
"Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man."
“You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.”
“All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.”
“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
“All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.”
“Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak.”
“Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.”
“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”
“Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; ye are not matter, ye are not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.”
“The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them.”
“GOD is to be worshipped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and next life.”
“As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.”

His Principles & their influence :
Swami Vivekananda is regarded as one of India's foremost nation-builders. His teachings influenced the thinking of other national leaders and philosophers, like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Aurobindo Ghosh, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Played a major role in spiritual enlightenment of Indian masses; Spread Vedanta philosophy in the West.
His lectures, writings, letters, and poems are published as The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda.
He felt it was best to teach universal principles rather than personalities.

National Youth Day in India is held on his birthday, January 12, to commemorate him.

A.R Rahman

A. R. Rahman (Indian Musical Sensation)
Full Name : Allah Rakha Rahman.
Birth Name : A. S. Dileep Kumar
Born : 6 January 1966.
Place : Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Nationality : Indian.
Parents : R. K. Shekhar, Kareema (Kashturi).
Spouse : Saira Banu.
Children : Khadijah, Rahima, and Aameen.

Honour :
Rahman has been bestowed with the 'Padma Bhushan' & 'Padma Shri', India's highest national civilian honours, recognizing his contribution to music.
Time magazine has referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras". In 2009, the magazine placed Rahman in the Time 100 list of 'World's Most Influential People'.

Awards :
Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars):
Best Achievement in Original Score for a Motion Picture - Slumdog Millionaire (2009)
Best Achievement in Original Song for a Motion Picture - Jai Ho, Slumdog Millionaire (2009)

BAFTA:
Best Music(Slumdog Millionaire)

Golden Globe Awards:
Best Composer(Slumdog Millionaire)

Civilian Awards:
Awadh Sammaan (May 2001) awarded by Uttar Pradesh government
Al-Ameen Education Society Community Award (2001)
Amir Khusro Sangeet Nawaz Award (2002)
Lata Mangeshkar Samman, awarded by Madhya Pradesh Government 2005
Mahavir Mahatma Award Awarded by the Oneness Foundation, April 2005
Stanford University Award for Contribution to Global Music Jan 2006

National Awards :
Roja (1993)
Minsara Kanavu (1997)
Lagaan (2002)
Kannathil Muthamittaal (2003)

FILMFARE Awards :
Best Music Roja (Tamil, 1993)
Best Music Gentleman (Tamil, 1994)
R D Burman Award for Best new musical talent (for Roja, Hindi; 1995)
Best Music Kadhalan (Tamil, 1995)
Best Music Rangeela (Hindi; 1996)
Best Music Bombay (Tamil, 1996)
Best Music Kadhal Desam (Tamil, 1997)
Best Music Minsara Kanavu (Tamil, 1998)
Best Music Dil Se.. (Hindi; 1999)
Best Music Jeans (Tamil, 1999)
Best Music Taal (Hindi; 2000)
Best Music Mudhalvan (Tamil, 2000)
Best Music Alai Payuthey (Tamil, 2001)
Best Music Lagaan (Hindi; 2002)
Best Background Score Technical Award The Legend of Bhagat Singh (Hindi; 2003)
Best Music Saathiya (Hindi; 2003)
Best Background Music Swades (Hindi, 2005)
Best Music Rang De Basanti (Hindi; 2007)
Best Music Sillunu Oru Kadhal (Tamil; 2007)
Best Music - Guru (Hindi, 2008)
Best Background Score - Guru (Hindi, 2008)
Best Background Score - Jodhaa Akbar (Hindi, 2009)
Best Music - Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (Hindi, 2009)

Screen Awards :
Kadhal Desam (South - Tamil; 1997)
Minsara Kanavu (South - Tamil; 1998)
Vande Mataram (Non-film; 1998)
Taal (Hindi; 2000)
Best Background Score Rang De Basanti (Hindi, 2007)
Best Composer Guru (Hindi; 2008)
Best Background Score Guru (Hindi; 2008)
Best Music - Guru (Hindi, 2008)
Best Background Score - Jodhaa Akbar(Hindi, 2009)
Best Music category - Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na(Hindi, 2009)

International Indian Film Awards (IIFA):
Best Music Taal (2000) Best Music Lagaan (2002)
Best Music Saathiya (2003)
Best Background Score Saathiya (2003)
Best Background Score Rang De Basanti (2007)
Best Song Recording Rang De Basanti (2007)
Best Composer Rang De Basanti (2007)
Best Music - Guru (Hindi, 2007) Global Indian Film Awards (GIFA)
Best Background Music Rang De Basanti, 2007
Best Music Rang De Basanti, 2007


Music Profile :
Rahman composed music tracks for nearly 105 Indian films.
His first soundtrack for Roja was listed in Time magazine “Top 10 of their all time best movie soundtracks of the world.”
His album ‘Vande Mataram’, instantly made Indians relate to it and succeeded in rekindling the spirit of patriotism.
'Roja', 'Rangeela', 'Bombay', Dil Se', 'Taal', 'Lagaan', 'Vandemataram', 'Jodhaa Akbar', 'Delhi 6' and 'Slumdog Millionaire' are considered as his landmark scores.
In 2006, he launched his own music label, KM Music.

Rahman in charity :
Rahman has set up the A R Rahman Foundation to help poor and underprivileged children.

A Birthday is a million moments, each holding a promise of fulfillment of ur dreams, & accomplishments of some special plans... Wish U A Very Happy B'Day.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar (Indian Cricket Icon)
Full Name : Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
Born : 24 April 1973.
Place : Mumbai, India.
Nationality : Indian.
Parents : Ramesh Tendulkar, Rajni.
Spouse : Anjali.
Children : Sara and Arjun.
Coach : Ramakant Achrekar.
Nicknames : Little Master, Tendlya, Master Blaster, The Master, The Little Champion.
Batting Style : Right-handed.

Awards :
Padma Vibhushan, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, Wisden Cricketer of the Year, Maharashtra Bhushan Award.

Cricket Profile (till date) :
Matches Played -162 Tests & 439 ODIs.
Centuries - 88 (43 in Tests and 45 in ODIs).
Half Centuries – 147.
Runs Scored - 30,356 .
Highest Score - 248 in Tests, 200* in ODIs.
Wickets Taken - 44 in Tests, 154 in ODIs
Man of the Match Awards – 60.
Man of the Series Awards -15.

What other cricketers say about Sachin Tendulkar :

“I saw myself in Sachin when i saw him bat.” Sir Don Bradman
“I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player.” Shane Warne
“Closest thing to batting perfection.” Sunil Gavaskar
“Cricketers like Sachin come once in a lifetime and I am privileged he played in my time.” Wasim Akram
“He is 99.5 percent perfect. I'd pay to see him.” Viv Richards
“You know genius when you see it. And let me tell you, Sachin is pure genius.” Brian Lara
“Sachin is cricket's God.” Barry Richards
“Tendulkar will go down in history as the best ever batsman after Bradman.” Steve Waugh.
“Tendulkar is the best batsman I have seen or played against.” Ricky Ponting
"Cricketing jewel of subcontinent." Hanif Mohammad
"Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, better than even the iconic Don Bradman. " Nasser Hussain
"He's probably the greatest batsman I've ever seen play, live. Cricket was blessed to have such a genius. Michael Clarke
"Sachin, the man we all want to be." Andrew Symonds
"We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called Sachin." Mark Taylor
"I have seen God, he bats at No.4 for India." Hayden
"I am fortunate that I've to bowl at him only in the nets!" Anil Kumble
"There are 2 kinds of batsmen in the world.
One: SACHIN TENDULKAR
Two: all the others……………..!" Andy Flower
"On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations.
The train stopped by for few minutes as usual.Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98.
The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century.
This Genius can stop time in India!!" Peter Rebouck (aussie journalist)
"He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also." Waqar Younis

Books written on Sachin Tendulkar :
Sachin: The Story of the World's Greatest Batsman by Gulu Ezekiel.
The A to Z of Sachin Tendulkar by Gulu Ezekiel.
Sachin Tendulkar-a definitive biography by Vaibhav Purandare.
Sachin Tendulkar - Masterful by Peter Murray.
If Cricket is a Religion, Sachin is God by Vijay Santhanam.

Sachin is the iconic Indian smashing the first double century in the four-decade-long history of One-day cricket.

He made his debut as cricketer at the age of 16. By the year 2009 he completed his 20 years of international cricket. He is regarded as the God of Indian cricket. His records are still going on and on…Keep going Sachin….

Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla (Indian-American scientist)

Born : March 17, 1962 at Karnal, Haryana, India.
Demised : February 1, 2003
Nationality : Indian.
Parents : Banarsi Lal Chawla and Sanjogta Kharbanda.
Spouse : Jean-Pierre Harrison.

Education :
Bachelor of engineering degree in aeronautical engineering at Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh.
Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Master of Science degree in 1986 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Career :
Worked as NASA astronaut.
She was one of seven crewmembers of Space Shuttle Columbia .
Worked as vice president for NASA Ames Research Center .

Missions Handled :
In 1997, Chawla worked in the space shuttle STS-87 Columbia as a mission specialist.
On January 16, 2003, Chawla worked in the space shuttle STS-107 as a flight engineer and mission specialist. (she logged 30 days, 14 hours and 54 minutes in space)

Achievements :
Chawla was the first Indian-born woman and the second person of Indian origin to fly in space, following cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma who flew in 1984.
During STS-87, she was responsible for deploying the Spartan Satellite which malfunctioned.

Posthumous Awards:
Congressional Space Medal of Honor NASA Space.
Flight Medal NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

Honour :
In her memory India's Prime Minister Mr. A.B.Vajpayee announced on February 5, 2003, that the meteorological series of satellites, "METSAT", will be renamed as "KALPANA". The first satellite of the series, "METSAT-1", launched by India on September 12, 2002 will be now known as "KALPANA-1".
Kalpana Chawla Award was instituted by the government of Karnataka in 2004 for young women scientists.
Government of Haryana has made a Planetarium after her name called as Kalpana Chawla Planetarium in Jyotisar,Kurukshetra.

Quotes by Kalpana Chawla :
When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system.

Books : Kalpana Chawla: A Life, by Padmanabhan, Anil.

Kalpana died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster which occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the loss of all seven crew members, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107.