Five Wonders

Five Human Wonders…truly amazing…worth seeing

THE MILLAU VIADUCT is part of the new E11 expressway connecting Paris and Barcelona and
features the highest bridge piers ever constructed. The tallest is 240 meters high and the overall height will be an impressive 336 meters, making this the highest bridge in the world.


First Air-conditioned bus station in Dubai, UAE

Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp announced the installation of the world’s fastest passenger elevator just exactly where it is needed – in Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building. The elevator runs at a top speed of 1,010 meters per minute when ascending (600 meters per minute on the way down), which works out to 60.6 kilometers per hour. The Elevator can go from the 5th floor to the 89th floor in 39 seconds.
World’s fastest elevator offers the following new technologies:
* The world’s first pressure control system, which adjusts the atmospheric pressure inside a car by using suction and discharge blowers, preventing those riding inside the car experiencing ‘ear popping’.

World’s First All-glass Undersea Restaurant Opens

The World’s First All-glass Undersea Restaurant Opens
15 th April marks the day that the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world opens its doors for business at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. It will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views.
“We have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning underwater environment of the Maldives”, says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. “Our guests always comment on being blown away by the colour, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views – without ever getting their feet wet.”
Created by MJ Murphy Ltd, a design consultancy based in  New Zealand, Ithaa’s distinctive feature is the use of curved transparent acrylic walls and roof, similar to those used in aquarium attractions. “The fact that the entire restaurant except for the floor is made of clear acrylic makes this unique in the world,” continues Schieck, “We are currently planting a coral garden on the reef to add to the spectacular views of the rays, sharks and many colorful fish that live around the area.

Very Very Nice

The Sultans of Sand
You saw that perfect sandcastle in your dream – it was reaching to heavens, rising from the surf’s mist. It was magnificent and yet so eminently perishable. Welcome the Sultans (and wizards) of sand art to make all that a reality – and more, with incredible detail, creativity and imagination.

“The Arms Race”




“Goaaaal!” by Gianni Schimarini

What a way to celebrate your birthday! Hindu festival to Lord Ganesh ends with immersion of 50,000 idols

The last day of the annual Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated in spectacular fashion across India today.
Thousands of followers marked the end of the 11-day birthday celebrations of the revered Hindu god Lord Ganesh with huge colourful parades with devotees lining the streets to sing and dance.
Vast processions took place in the city of Mumbai which culminated in the immersion of massive idols of the elephant-headed god in the Arabian sea.

Last day: Thousands of people took part in the celebrations in Mumbai today as devotees marked the end of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival

Impressive: Massive idols of the elephant-headed Hindu god were made months in advance and carried through the streets

Making a splash: The annual festival culminated in the immersion of the idols of Lord Ganesh. Officials claim over 50,000 statues will be immersed in the next 24 hours

The festival marks the birthday of Lord Ganesh and the final immersion is seen as a ritual send-off for his journey back to his home on the sacred mountain of Kailash.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said 6,000 volunteers and 500 lifeguards had been called up to help ensure the event passed without any incident.

 

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• Escape from extinction: Tigers found thriving 13,000ft above sea level in the Himalayas

The country's navy was also been asked to help out in case of emergencies with thousands of people entering the water.
High-tide warnings were issued earlier in the day and devotees were asked not to wade too far out to sea during the celebrations.

Packed beaches: Authorities have warned people not to wade too far out to sea when immersing their Ganesh idols

History: The exact origins of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival are unknown but it is believed to have been celebrated for centuries

Pollution: Environmentalists have warned the festival is harming India's waterways and endangering aquatic life

'People should hand over the idols to volunteers and civic staff, who will immerse them in the sea with the help of floating platforms,' said Dr Kishor Kshirsagar, deputy municipal commissioner.
More than 50,000 idols are expected to be immersed on the final day of the festival, with events set to continue into the early morning as devotees take statues of Lord Ganesga into the ocean and lakes across India.
The vibrant annual celebrations are a sensational spectacle but environmentalists have also warned that the continued immersion of the non-biodegradable idols is polluting India's waters and endangering aquatic life.

Party: The celebrations are expected to continue into the small hours of the morning as thousands celebrate the final day of the festival

The exact origins of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival are unknown but it is believed it has been celebrated in homes across India for centuries.
In 1893, freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak began installing large images of Lord Ganesh in public in an attempt to counter the British ruling which prevented organised gatherings.
Since that date the festival has grown from strength to strength and is now celebrated across western India and many parts of the world.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314347/Hindu-festival-Ganesh-Chaturthi-ends-immersion-50-000-idols.html#ixzz1WPnyrfYu

Happy Vinayaka Chathurti

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Ganesh (Ganesha), the god of wisdom and prosperity on the fourth day of the moons bright fortnight, or period from new moon in the lunar month of Bhadrapada. The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi continue for five, seven, or ten days. Some even stretch it to twenty one days, but ten the most popularly celebrated. In the tradition of the right hand path the first day is the most important. In the left hand path tradition the final day is most important.

   Ganesha is the god of wisdom and prosperity and is invoked before the beginning of any auspicious work by the Hindus. It is believed that for the fulfillment of one's desires, his blessing is absolutely necessary. According to the mythology, he is the son of Shiva and Parvati, brother of Kartikeya - the general of the gods, Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth and Saraswati-the goddess of learning. There are numerous stories in Hindu mythology, associated with the birth of this elephant-headed god, whose vehicle is the Mooshak or rat and who loves Modaks (droplet shaped Indian sweet).

   Legend has it that Parvati created Ganesha out of the sandalwood dough that she used for her bath and breathed life into him. Letting him stand guard at the door she went to have her bath. When her husband, Shiva returned, the child who had never seen him stopped him. Shiva severed the head of the child and entered his house. Parvati, learning that her son was dead, was distraught and asked Shiva to revive him. Shiva cut off the head of an elephant and fixed it on the body of Ganesha.

   Another tale tells of how one day the Gods decided to choose their leader and a race was to be held between the brothers- Kartikeya and Ganesh. Whoever took three rounds of the earth first would be made the Ganaadhipati or the leader. Kartikeya seated on a peacock as his vehicle, started off for the test. Ganesh was given a rat, which moved swiftly. Ganesh realised that the test was not easy, but he would not disobey his father. He reverently paid obeisance to his parents and went around them three times and thus completed the test before Kartikeya. He said, " my parents pervade the whole universe and going around them, is more than going round the earth." Everybody was pleasantly surprised to hear Ganesha's logic and intelligence and hence he came to be known as the Ganaadhipati or leader, now referred to as Ganpati.

   There is also a story behind the symbolic snake, rat and the singular tusk. During one of his birthdays, His mother, Parvati, cooked for him twenty-one types of delicious food and a lot of sweet porridge. Ganesha ate so much that even his big belly could not contain it. Mounting his little mouse, he embarked on his nightly rounds. His mouse suddenly stumbled upon seeing a huge snake. To adjust His belly, Ganesha put the snake on as a belt around his stomach. All of a sudden, he heard laughter emanating form the sky.

   He looked up and saw the moon mocking him. Ganesha infuriated, broke off one of his tusks and hurled it at the moon. Parvati, seeing this, immediately cursed the moon that whoever looks at it on Ganesh Chaturthi will be accused of a wrong doing. The symbology behind the mouse and snake and Ganesha's big belly and its relationship to the moon on his birthday is highly philosophic. The whole cosmos is known to be the belly of Ganesha. Parvati is the primordial energy. The seven realms above, seven realms below and seven oceans, are inside the cosmic belly of Ganesha, held together by the cosmic energy (kundalini ) symbolized as a huge snake which Ganesha ties around Him. The mouse is nothing but our ego. Ganesha, using the mouse as a vehicle, exemplifies the need to control our ego. One who has controlled the ego has Ganesha consciousness or God-consciousness.

Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations

   The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of India. Started by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja, the great Maratha ruler, to promote culture and nationalism, the festival was revived by Lokmanya Tilak (a freedom fighter) to spread the message of freedom struggle and to defy the British who had banned public assemblies. The festival gave the Indians a feeling of unity and revived their patriotic spirit and faith. This public festival formed the background for political leaders who delivered speeches to inspire people against the Western rule. The festival is so popular that the preparations begin months in advance.

   Ganesha statues installed in street corners and in homes, and elaborate arrangements are made for lighting, decoration, mirrors and the most common of flowers. Poojas (prayer services) are performed daily. The artists who make the idols of Ganesh compete with each other to make bigger and more magnificent and elegant idols. The relevantly larger ones are anything from 10 meters to 30 meters in height. These statues are then carried on decorated floats to be immersed in the sea after one, three, five, seven and ten days. Thousands of processions converge on the beaches to immerse the holy idols in the sea. This procession and immersion is accompanied by drum- beats, devotional songs and dancing.

   It is still forbidden to look at the moon on that day as the moon had laughed at Ganesha when he fell from his vehicle, the rat. With the immersion of the idol amidst the chanting of "Ganesh Maharaj Ki Jai!" (Hail Lord Ganesh). The festival ends with pleas to Ganesha to return the next year with chants of "Ganpati bappa morya, pudcha varshi laukar ya" (Hail Lord Ganesh, return again soon next year

DR. RAJ KUMAR HISTORY

 

Dr. RAJKUMAR. A Legend in Indian Cinema Industry. A very popular Actor from Kannada Cinema Industry. He has been honoured by prestigious "Dada Saheb phalke" award for his outstanding contribution to the growth of the kannada film Industry. He has served for more than four decades and acted in more than 220 movies in Kannada. He has received numerous awards.
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The people of Karnataka adore him. They call him with love "Annavaru" meaning beloved elder brother. Dr. Raj Kumar entered the film industry at the age of eight years and got his first break as a hero in film "Bedara Kannappa" in 1954. Thereafter, he went on to work in over 220 films and became a household name in the Kannada-speaking world.
He is known for his simplicity and generosity. A kind-hearted and peace loving person. His contribution to the film industry is incredible. He has served his whole life for the growth of the Kannada Cinema Industry. He is also a famous singer. However, his singing career started when he sang 'yaare kugadali' in Sampathige Savaal. His devotional songs have a touch of class. Needless to say he has created history in Kannada Cinema Industry which will never fade off. He fought for Kannada in Gokak Chaluvali.
He has been awarded numerous State, National and International Awards. He is a Recipient of Padma Bhushan and a doctorate from Mysore University, he has won a number of national and State awards including the prestigious Karnataka Rathna Award recognising him as a ''jewel`` of Kannada films. In 1995 he received prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for his outstanding contribution to the Kannada film industry.
He has a large fanfare following him. His memorable films Bedara Kannapa, Bangarada Manushya, Kastoori Nivasa , Kula gowrava,Gandhada Gudi, Sampahige Sawal, Shankar Guru, Babruvana, Bhakta Prahalada, Halu Jenu, Bhagyada Laxmi Baramma, Jeevana chaitra, Akasmika are only a few to name. The list can go on and on and on... Official announcement has been made describing Raj Kumar as a "living legend" of Kannada screen.
Recently he is off from the cinema Industry, but his fans still want him to act expecting his new movies "Nrupathunga" and "Shabdavedi".



Photos courtesy: India Express, Sanjevani, Rediff on the Net, RIMM Archives, Sangeeta Music
Sanjevani Kannada online Magzine


Click Here to view Akasmika Photo Album (Courtesy - chirag-entertainers.com, Kannada Movie Promoters in US )

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Filmography Courtesy RIMM Archives.
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Songs of Rajkumar -Real audio sites
Kannada Related Links (Singara)


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Happy Vinayaka Chathurti

Shivrajkumar Jogayya,ath Sadhus

Century Hero Shivrajkumar's 100th movie ‘Jogayya’ which recently created a sensation in the industry with its amazing 3D number, crafted with over one crore budget, now, brings one more.

As per the sources available with NBTV, ‘Jogayya’ director Prem shooted a peppy number ‘Oodale..’ with almost same budget of earlier 3D sung, which featured nearly 300 ‘Bolenath’ Sadhus. In addition writing the lyrics for the movie, director Prem also droned his voice for the sizzling number 'Oodale...' with Shreya Ghoshal that features Sandalwood King with 300 Sadhus.

Speaking to the media, director Prem disclosed that the high budget song 'Oodale...' was shot in major locale of Haridwar and Hrishikesh, Around 300 Sadhus branded as ‘Bolenath’ had taken part in its filming. Prem said that he had a tough time while maintaining those ‘Bolenath’ Sadhus for song filming. As a preventive measure, he had even planned for duplicate Sadhus for the song and

even managed to keep around 80 duplicates ready, in case of emergency. But the ‘Oodale…’ song was filmed naturally and even satisfactorily with original ‘Bolenath’ Sahus for a week in the fewer degree temperature. “Song has come out truly fine,” says Prem, the director of ‘Jogayya’.

It took almost 15 days to conclude the dubbing activities for the movie ‘Jogayya’ that was held at the ‘Akash Recording Studio’ in Bangalore. As of now, most of the film’s technical elements have been completed and only the works of 3D number remains. This much hyped ‘Jogayya’, Sandalwood King Shivrajkumar’s landmark 100th movie is expected to hit the screens during last week of August.

However, the music of ‘Jogayya’ has set a new record by selling nearly one lakh CDs in just two days of its release. The popularity of the songs has increased the demand for the satellite and distribution rights of the film. The movie bosses are hoping to recover its production cost from these rights.