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 (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.....
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 (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.
INDIA
