We know there are seven continents in the world, but do you know one from the other? Discover interesting facts about them by taking this quiz.
We know the world is made of seven continents — Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America. But what do you know about them?
Read through the questions below and click on the correct choice and learn something you might not have known before.
Did you know there are different types of cycles based on their function, style, sport and design? Try this memory game and see how quickly you can match them.
Did you know there are different types of cycles based on their function, style, sport and design? Try this memory game and see how quickly you can match them.
He loves modak, is loyal to a fault, wise, respectful, yet endowed with just the right amount of mischief to make life more fun. Meet Ganesha.
Cute, cuddly and benevolent, his heart is as big as he is. Welcome him with his share of mouth-watering modaks or kozhukattais, as they are known down south, and you are sure to have all your wishes fulfilled. Yes, it is that time of the year when we herald Ganesha, the lord of the ganas, also known as Gajapati, or king among elephants. This year, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on September 13. Here are some anecdotes about the elephant god that will give you more insights on who he is.
Gajanana
In Sanskrit, Gaja means elephant, and aanana, head. Why is Ganesha referred to as Gajanana? One day, goddess Parvati was preparing for her bath and didn’t want to be disturbed. As Nandi was not at Mount Kailash to guard her door, Parvati, fashioned a boy from turmeric paste, breathed life into him and instructed him to not let anyone in until she finished her bath.
Soon after, Shiva came to meet Parvati but found himself being stopped by a strange boy. He tried to reason with the boy saying that he was Parvati’s husband, but the boy was determined to not let Shiva enter until his mother Parvati finished her bath. Shiva flew into a rage and severed the boy’s head with his trishul or trident. An enraged Parvati swore to annihilate the world.
Lord Brahma, the creator, was alarmed and begged her to reconsider. Parvati said she would arrive at a truce only if the boy was restored to life and forever be worshipped before all the other gods. Shiva agreed and sent his ganas with orders to bring back the head of the first creature they saw. They soon returned with the head of a powerful elephant, which Lord Brahma placed on the boy’s body. Breathing new life into him, he was declared as Gajanana and accorded the status of being foremost among the gods.
Ganesha, the scribe
It is well-known that Krishna Dwaipayana, more popularly known as Veda Vyasa, is the author of the Mahabharata. Before starting work on the great epic, he approached Ganesha, asking him to transcribe the poem as he dictated it to him. Ganesha agreed, but only on the condition that Vyasa recite the poem uninterrupted, without pausing.
In turn, the sage posed the condition that Ganesha would not only have to write, but would have to understand everything that he heard before writing it down. This would give Vyasa some time to think before reciting a particularly difficult verse. The dictation began, but in the rush of writing Ganesha’s feather pen broke. Consequently, he broke off one of his tusks and used it as a pen so that work could proceed uninterrupted, permitting him to adhere to the established conditions.
Voracious appetite
One day, Kubera, the god of wealth, visited Mount Kailash to receive the darshan of Shiva. Quite vain, he invited Shiva to a feast in his city, Alakapuri, so that he could show off his wealth. Shiva decided to bring him down to earth. Smiling, he told Kubera he wouldn’t be able to accompany the former and that he could take Ganesha with him, instead. He however, warned Kubera that his son had an insatiable appetite.
An over-confident Kubera felt that there was no appetite in the world his opulence could not satiate, and took little Ganesha with him to Alaka, for a lavish banquet. While Kubera’s servants were striving away, trying their best to bring the portions Ganesha demanded, with growing alarm, Kubera realised that the little boy’s hunger showed no signs of abating. In fact, his appetite did not decrease even after he had devoured servings meant for other guests. When all the food was emptied, Ganesha began eating the decorations, the furniture, the chandelier, and more.
A terrified Kubera prostrated himself in front of the little god, begging him to spare him and the palace. Ganesha replied that if he did not get more food, he would not hesitate to devour Kubera too!
In fright, the god of wealth rushed to Kailash, desperate for a solution. Shiva gave him a handful of puffed rice and instructed him to feed Ganesha, saying that if it was given with humility and love, the little god’s hunger will be satiated. Kubera returned to Alaka and humbly offered the rice to Ganesha. And miraculously, his hunger was finally satisfied.
Encounter with Parashurama
One day, Parashurama, one of the 10 avataras of Vishnu, went to pay a visit to Shiva. On the way, he was blocked by Ganesha. Parashurama, with his axe, hurled himself at Ganesha. The latter knew that the axe was a gift from his father Shiva to the short-tempered sage, and thus, allowed himself to be struck, out of respect for his father. It is said that he lost his tusk as a result of this and that is the tale of how he has a broken tusk.
Illustrations: K.G. Rangarajan
Take this short quiz on Ganesha and see how you fare.
There are five questions with multiple choices. Click one answer and then go on to the next question. At the end of the quiz see how you have scored.
Steeped in culture, history, and mystery, these architectural wonders are waiting to be explored. What are you waiting for?
There are monuments that go beyond the Taj Mahal, Sanchi Stupa, Qutub Minar, Hampi ruins, and others that instantly come to the mind. These lesser-known ones also abound in beauty, grandeur and style.
Jharkhand’s Maluti temples can be found in the small town of Maluti and its houses over 70 terracotta temples. Built under the Baj Basanta dynasty, this is one the India’s endangered historical sites.
If you are in the mood for some cultural fervour coupled with nature’s breathtaking magnificence, then, Leh’s Matho Monastery is the right place for you for, shrouded in serenity, it offers you a surreal view of the Indus valley and the Ladakh range.
While most architectural wonders from a bygone era served purposes of war or were in memory of sufi saints, war heroes, or kings, the Kanch Mahal in Agra was originally a palace built specifically for the royal ladies of the Mughal family. This building is a fine example of the domestic architecture of the Mughal era. It is named for the beautiful tile work on the red stones that embellish its walls.
Then there’s the Thirumalai Nayakkar’s Palace, a 17th-century palace built in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, of the Nayaka dynasty, who ruled Madurai from 1623–1659. Its most notable feature is stucco work done on the arches and domes of the palace. There are a total of 248 pillars, and the palace is deemed a national monument.
Have you heard of the City of Whispering Monuments — Bidar? According to the book Bidar Heritage, published by the state Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, of the 61 monuments listed by the department, 30 are tombs located in and around the city, which explains the name. Situated in the Deccan plateau, the fort, a 15th-century creation is a Bahmani monument, which was built when Sultan Alla-Ud-Din Bahman shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.
From being “An Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1”, the painting became popular, even being featured in some television shows. Can you arrange its different parts together?
How do you show your mother how much you love her?
American artist James Abbott McNeil Whistler painted a portrait of his mother, Anna Whistler. In the painting, the artist’s mother wears a black dress and a white cotton cap. She is seated against a grey wall and in front of her is a dark curtain. Her face and hands are painted using pink and yellow. She wears a plain gold wedding ring. At first, when Whistler submitted the painting to the Royal Academy of Arts in London, it was rejected. But, later it was hung in their exhibition in 1872.
Try your hand at this shuffle puzzle to see if you put the different parts of the painting in the right order.
Experiment gone wild
To tell the truth, Whistler was not really interested in making his mother famous. He was doing an art experiment when he painted her picture. At that time, his mother was living with him in London and he asked her to pose for him. He arranged different shades of grey and black close to each other and spread paint more thinly and smoothly to create an interesting effect. He called the painting Arrangement in Grey and Black, No 1. People who saw the picture started to call it Whistler’s Mother and the name stuck.
The painting was bought by the Musee du Luxembourg, an art museum in Paris. Here it became famous and won a lot of praise. In America, people thought it was an image of the perfect mother — patient and hard-working. The Great Depression was a time when many people in America lost their jobs and the people were struggling. At this time, in 1934, Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the US, asked for the picture to appear in a postage stamp issued on Mother’s Day. In Ashland, Pennsylvania, an eight feet tall statue was created based on Whistler’s Mother.
The painting plays a part in many popular TV shows and movies like “The Simpsons” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and “Mr Bean”.
Nowadays, its home is the Musee d’Orsay in Paris but it is often loaned and shown in other museums around the world.
What’s the latest news from around the world? Explore our interactive map and find out.
Get your fix of news from around the world. Click on the hotspots to read the highlights.
Time to get creative. Try your hand at making a roll that not only looks good but tastes good too.
Sometimes, eating a plain roti and curry can be boring. Try out this wrapped twist, this September.
Drag the slider to see how to make your rolls.
Get your copy of the planner for September and make a note of the fun activities you can do. What’s more, there’s a new language to learn this month.
It’s Teachers’ Day, a time to celebrate what you like best about your mentors. Read about some iconic teachers who have had a lasting impact on the world.
The power of a guiding voice is immense. It is not necessary that the minds and hands who shape us need to always stand in front of a blackboard and wield a chalk. It could be anyone who mentors you, guides your thinking and moulds your personality. On this day dedicated to teachers, read about these inspiring mentors celebrated around the world.
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, is one of the greatest thinkers in the world. His contribution to knowledge is extensive. He was mentored by another great mind, Plato, and was considered his most gifted pupil. When King Philip II of Macedon was looking for a teacher to tutor his son Alexander, he summoned Aristotle. The rest, as they say, is history. The duo became an example of one of the most endearing teacher-student relationships in the world, and Alexander went on to become one of the greatest kings in history.
Anne Sullivan lost her eyesight at a young age. She enrolled in the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, the U.S., during which time she had operations which improved her vision. In 1887, she accepted a challenging assignment — tutoring a young Helen Keller who was visually challenged and hearing impaired. It was the start of a 49-year relationship. Anne gradually won Helen’s confidence and became her trusted teacher, companion and friend. When Helen became the first visually challenged and hearing impaired person to earn a bachelor of arts degree, it was a sweet victory for both teacher and student.
You may not be familiar with this person, but you would most certainly have experienced his principles. He was a German educator who laid the foundations for what we know today as Kindergarten. He understood the importance of moulding children in their early years and laid emphasis on teaching by letting children engage in self-activity, talk and play.
This educator’s name lives on in her legacy. A doctor by profession, she gave it up to study education. She worked with children extensively and developed a system that is in use even today — the Montessori method. In 1907, she started the Casa dei Bambini, where her principles were put to use. The method, based on letting children learn with freedom, gradually spread to many countries.
Even a few minutes before his death, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was teaching. His end came when he was addressing students at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong. The former President of India is remembered for many things — one of them is his zeal for teaching and inspiring young minds. He always laid emphasis on the importance of teachers in society and strongly believed that youngsters are the key to a strong and self-reliant India.
This inspiring personality was the first woman teacher in the country. Along with her husband, she started India’s first girls’ school in Pune in 1848. She went on to set up 17 more schools. At the time, not everyone around her supported her efforts to educate girls. She was determined to overcome resistance and did not give up the cause. She encouraged students not to drop out of school.
Before he became a scientist of worldwide acclaim, Albert Einstein trained to be a teacher in physics and math. He took up a temporary job as a high school teacher, but it did not last long. He worked in another job for a few years, during which he put forward most of his path breaking work. He later took up a teaching job at a university and shared his knowledge with others.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Akhilesh Kumar
A genius in science, a strict disciplinarian, an inspiring coach, a renowned philosopher… Crack this crossword that’s about famous teachers from around the world.
