Stretch with Nature

Cobra pose or crocodile pose? Tree pose or mountain pose? Fish pose or frog pose? Read on.

Did you know that many asanas (or poses) in Yoga are inspired by the beauty of Nature? This quiz is all about such poses. Can you guess which animal/item they are based on?





Ravana prepares for war

Continuing the story of how Ravana got the Pushpaka Vimana from Kubera. Also learn how to make your own rocket launcher.

Story so far: During Prahasta’s narration of how Ravana got the Pushpaka Vimana, Meghnath explains how the concept of frequency helps communicate with distant devices.
Akshayakumara: Basically Vishwakarma used brain waves and crystal oscillators to control the aircraft. So, let’s continue with the story of how father walked out of Kubera’s palace in anger.
Prahastha: Ravana’s anger is very different from that of others. Knowing that, Kubera became worried.

****

Back in his palace, a furious Ravana begins to destroy everything he sees. Seeing this, Mandodari calls her father, Mayasura, one of the few people that Ravana will listen to. When he reaches the palace, Mayasura brings Ravana to his senses and asks what happened.

Illustration: Sahil Upalekar

Ravana: Kubera would not allow me to borrow his vimana. When I asked if you could study it for reverse engineering, he refused again.
Mayasura: Well, from Kubera’s perspective, he did the right thing. You lost your temper because your wish was rejected. Instead of wasting your energy destroying things, why don’t we channelise it to build?
Ravana: You are right but we don’t have the knowledge of the technology.
Mayasura: We have Sukracharya. He has access to lots of knowledge. We will have to spend time with him to learn. Let’s ask him.
In the meantime, Kubera is thinking about what Ravana will do next and, with the help of Brihaspati and the devas, informs everyone about what happened. As it gets passed around, the message that goes around is that Ravana is after the pushpaka vimana. So, when Mayasura and Ravana reach Sukracharya’s residence, the guru is already aware of what happened.
Sukracharya: Ravana, when you want to build a technology, you must learn about it, not threaten people. I heard you are after Kubera’s pushpaka vimana and that you threatened him. Is that true?
Ravana: I asked for support to learn the technology. I am not after the vimana nor did I threaten him.
Sukracharya: Sort this out before you come to me. If I teach you now, it will end up in chaos again.
Though disappointed, Ravana controls his feelings and leaves Sukracharya’s hermitage along with Mayasura.
Mayasura: Don’t get disheartened. This is how information changes as it gets passed around. Looks like Kubera sent out the message to block you from accessing the knowledge.
Ravana: I will handle it my own way. It’s not that I like to indulge in violence. But it looks like violence likes me. I cannot avoid it.
Mayasura: What are you going to do?
Ravana: Kubera has not left me with any other option but war. But, first let me protect our space with the Iron Dome.

*****

Akshayakumara: Wait! What is this Iron Dome?
Meghanth: A defence technology that father learnt from a time-travelling scientist. In the future, it will be used to protect countries from missiles fired by other countries during times of war.
Akshayakumara: Oh wow! How does it work?
Meghnath (quickly sketching): When the enemy fires a missile, the radar system detects and tracks its trajectory. A control system calculates the impact point where our missile can intercept the incoming one and our launcher will fire it.
Atikaya: What Meghnath is showing uses fire with propellents and advanced radar and motion detection technologies. Let me show you the small launcher I built.

The author is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an IIT-Madras IC graduated ed-tech company and a Ph.D. research scholar in Education at NITTTR.

Food frenzy

Food is so much more than just eating yummy dishes. Get to know of implements, cooking techniques, and more, in this fun game.

Eating is always fun, whether it is something exotic, or comfort food. However, there’s more to cooking than just devouring delicious delicacies.

From techniques of cooking to implements used to whip up delectable treats, there’s a lot to learn. Here are some words related to food. Can you fit them all into the grid correctly?

Quiz Whizz: November 27, 2024

Six general knowledge questions for you to try out. How many questions can you answer correctly?

Beat the mid-week blues with this quick quiz.

Wonder of the world

Built of ivory-white marble, this mausoleum stands as a symbol of love.

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal ruler, Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is located on the banks of the Yamuna, in Agra. Every year, thousands of people from all over the world come to visit this beautiful edifice. It is also considered a symbol of love.

Fill in the blanks to learn more about this beautiful memorial.


The connectors

What is a conjunction in English grammar? How do we use it? Here is a video that tells you all about it.

The connectors
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Supercharge your day

Imagine tiny ingredients with mighty benefits. Watch this video to know all about Nature’s powerhouse in every bite.

Supercharge your day
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From point to point

From triangles to circles and everything in between, this puzzle is packed with terms from Geometry.

Plunge into the world of Geometry with this quick crossword. How many clues can you crack?

Ant-eating Avengers

This World Anteater Day, let me tell you about my one life goal: sniff, snack, repeat!

They’re silent, swift and always hungry for ants! November 19 is has been designated as World Anteater Day. Why do we have a special day for these unique animals? Scroll through the slider to learn more.

Speak up, stand up

If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Listen to your instincts. Speak up and say NO!