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What’s in a name?

Monkey Pod, Woman’s Tongue, Frywood… check out some strange names that we have given trees.

Ever heard of the Woman’s Tongue? Or the Monkey Pod? Believe it or not, these are names of trees. Here are some more weird ones. When the wind blows through the long flat pods of the Frywood Tree, it sounds like food frying. Hence the name.

Why is the Flame of the Forest called the Parrot Tree? How did the Butterfly Tree, Sneezewood Tree, Toothpaste Tree, Icecream Bean Tree, Shaving Brush Tree, Fried Egg Tree, Jack in the Box Tree, and the Cassowary Tree get their names? Search the Internet for images of these trees and see if their appearances provide the answer. Meanwhile, try your hand at this memory game to discover more exciting facts about some more trees with weirder names!

Quiz Whizz: April 13, 2021

Question hour, folks! Get your grey cells whizzing as you answer these questions.

Time to put your brains in steep and find out the answers to the questions in this quiz. Whether it’s science, films, biology or the arts… see how many you can answer!

Pix credit: Freepik & Wikimedia Commons

By, For and Of the People

Want to check your knowledge of elections? This crossword will help you.

Elections, vote, voting machines, campaigning, and more…. how much do you know about the world of voting? Try your hand at this fun crossword to find out.

Math is fun

Five riddles that you can solve in 20 minutes. Up for a challenge?

It is the beginning of the week; are you ready for some tricky math puzzles? Ok, then take 5!

Let us start with an easy one!

Now that you have understood that, here’s one more.

And a last one!

Each of the boxes have a number that’s been derived the same way. A simple clue: Use one of the four mathematical signs and then its easy.

Animal Crackers

On Zoo Lovers’ Day, learn more about India’s first zoo — the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai.

Animal CrackersFeatured Video Play Icon

Breathe easy

Hiss like a snake, buzz like a bee and sniff like a bunny — these breathing exercises are both calming and loads of fun.

Whenever you find yourself being stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated or angry, breathing exercises are a great way to calm yourself down. When done right, deep breathing can reduce your stress and help you relax your muscles so that you can deal with the emotions better.

Here are some fun and easy ways to remember useful breathing exercises. Keep them handy for the next time you feel emotionally charged.

The power of perseverance

(Part #5) Both Hanuman and Meghnath realise the importance of knowledge and determination. And another lesson in flying…

Story so far: Hanuman is now at Satya Loka — the Exosphere, which is beyond 700 km above Earth. To help him survive in this airless space, his father Vaayu pulls out every single air molecule from Earth and diverts them into Hanuman. He is now bigger than the sun!

As he opens his mouth to swallow the sun, he hears a booming voice: “Stop!” Brahma, creator of the universe, appears along with Vaayu, Agni (god of fire), Varuna (god of water), Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods, Yama, the son of the Sun God, and Indra. All of them are as horrified as the people on Earth.

Brahma: Stop, Hanuman! It’s obvious you are one of the strongest kids ever born in this universe. But, before I say anything more, let me feed you with the world’s tastiest fruits to satisfy your hunger.

Hanuman’s tummy is now full.

Brahma (addressing the gods): The air molecules were only following the order given to them, and Vaayu acted as a father to protect his son. The mistake was Indra’s. As the king of heaven, you could have handled the situation better, instead of attacking a child.

Indra: I am sorry, Hanuman. I should not have used my Vajra (lightning bolt) on you. To make up for this, I will give you a boon: You will be stronger than Vajra, my strongest weapon.

All the other gods too grant a boon to Hanuman.

Vaayu: Hanuman, with all these boons, you have become one of the most powerful beings on Earth. It all happened because you tried to reach the sky and beyond. You did not stop even when you faced obstacles. This is the reward for your perseverance. May you attain greatness.

***

The news of Hanuman’s adventure reaches Lanka where Ravana is in conversation with Mayasura.

Ravana: Did you hear? A boy named Hanuman escaped Indra’s Vajra and even hit him back!

Mayasura: Ha ha! Serves Indra right! Clearly, age doesn’t matter; it’s all about one’s courage and knowledge.

Meghnath: You are right, grandpa! So please teach me how to fly the Pushpaka vimaan and how to use Astras (reusuable weapons) and Sastras (Non-reusuable weapons). Then I can also beat Indra!

Ravana: Ha ha ha! That’s my boy! Earlier you learnt about the different parts of a plane. Today, I will teach you about the ways in which an aircraft moves and how to control it.

Airplane movements

Ravana explains the six different movements of an aircraft. Drag and drop the correct answers (options on right) into the text below.

The author is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an IIT-Madras incubated ed-tech start-up that offers Air Science workshops for children between five and 14 years.

Ilulstrations: Sahil Upalekar

Celebrity species

Some creatures have scientific names that are weird and wonderful tributes to personalities around the world. Learn more.

Thousands of new species are discovered around the world every year. Scientifically, every species is given a two-part name, usually in Latin. For instance, the lion is Panthera leo, the elephant is Elephas maximus, the horse is Equus caballus, the peacock is Pavo cristatus and so on. Sometimes, new species are named after famous people for various reasons.

Scroll through these slides to learn more about some such personalities/species.

This wordsearch is based on the above personalities. Can you spot all the words in UPPERCASE in the grid?


Photos: Wikimedia Commons

Sweet states

Go on a trip around the country with these delectable Indian desserts.

Indian cuisine is as diverse as the people living in it. Every state and region has its own speciality dish made with local ingredients and is a significant part of its history and culture.

Let’s take a look a few sweet dishes and the State it is popularly served in or originated from. Move the cursor left or right to view the full image

Modak, Maharashtra

A rice flour dumpling with a sweet filling (usually made from jaggery and grated coconut) served during festivals and other auspicious days.

Malpua, Madhya Pradesh

A fried pancake coated with sugar syrup and sometimes served with thickened sweetened milk called rabri. It is also equally popular in Nepal and Bangladesh.

Narikol Laddoo, Assam

Literally meaning “coconut balls”, this dish is primarily made from grated coconut and sugar. It features prominently during the Magh Bihu festival in January.

Rosogolla, West Bengal

Nothing defines West Bengal sweeter than rosogollas. These are cottage cheese balls cooked in light sugar syrup, even have a day dedicated to them – the ‘Rosogolla Dibas’ (Rasgulla Day).

Moong Dal Halwa, Rajasthan

Made from moong dal (yellow-green split gram) and ghee, this decadent dish is savoured during the winter months and on special occasions.

Phirni, Jammu & Kashmir

Traditionally made with sooji/semolina in clay pots, this sweet creamy pudding is cooked in milk with almonds, and cardamom, and flavoured with saffron.

Mysore Pak, Karnataka

Invented in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace, this rich sweet is made from just three ingredients – gram flour, ghee, and sugar.

Ada Pradhaman, Kerala

Onam celebrations in Kerala are incomplete without a serving of ada pradhaman. It is made with Ada rice (flat rice), coconut, and palm jaggery and garnished with cashew nuts.