Category: India
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7 More Strange Things In India
8. Highest gold consumption in the world
849 metric tonnes of gold is consumed in India every year. The reason for this consumption is marriages and festivals.
9. Tallest statue in the world
India holds the record of possessing world’s largest statue that stands at a height of 182 meters and is known as “statue of unity”. The government spent INR 3000 crores for its construction. The interesting fact about the construction of statue is that around 3000 metric tonnes of iron was collected from all over India specially from villages but later it was cleared that those iron pieces were not used in the construction of the main project but for other parts of the project.
10. ID’s for cows
Wait! what? ID’s for cows? Yes, you read it right. In the West Bengal state of India, cows have their own ID cards this step was taken by the Indian border guards who photographed the cows in West Bengal so as to stop the smuggling of cattle to neighbouring Bangladesh
11. Six seasons
India is known to the world as the land of festivals but do you know no other country except India has 6 seasons a year. According to the Hindu scriptures, the 6 seasons are :
Vasant Ritu: Spring ( Feb-April)
Grishma Ritu: Summer (April- June)
Varsha Ritu: Monsoon ( June – August)
Sharad Ritu: Autumn ( August – October)
Hemant Ritu: Prewinter ( October – December)
Shishir or Shita Ritu: Winter ( December – Feb)
12. Home for most polluted cities
India stands at the first position in the list of world’s most polluted countries. The cities which are most polluted are Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Varanasi, Delhi and the list does not end here. The fact that is scary and worth of your consideration is that the people living in Delhi are most prone to pollution and sources say that breathing in Delhi is equal to smoking 44 cigarettes a day. This literally scars me.
13. Largest Hub for spices
India is the largest producer of spices and produces more than 50 spices including chilli, turmeric, cumin and pepper. The interesting stuff here to notice is that the pepper is also used as a non-lethal weapon by the Indian Army. The armed forces use chilli grenade made up of chilli spices in a weaponized form.
14. Low divorce rate
The divorce rate in India is very low and the reason for this could be that people of India consider marriages a bond that does not break even after death. They believe that the person you marry should be your only partner throughout life. Getting divorced also creates an unhealthy image of that person in society.
7 Strange Things In India
1. Policemen are paid for keeping moustaches
The tradition of keeping long moustaches in India seems very pleasant. People from rural India have been following this tradition for long but do you know that in an Indian state policemen are paid INR 33 per month for keeping moustaches. The police chief in that state hit upon this idea because he observed people giving respect to policemen having moustaches and treating them pleasantly.
2. The nine unknown men
Have you ever heard about the nine unknown men? well, it is one of the biggest mysteries of the Indian subcontinent till date. The nine unknown men resemble a secret group of nine people which was created by the emperor Ashoka in 226 BC. The purpose of this secret society was to create, preserve and spread knowledge and to make sure that every creature lives peacefully, enjoys security and happiness. The identity of those men was kept a secret.
3. Magnetic hill of Ladakh
You must have planned to visit Ladakh because of its enchanting beauty but let me tell you one mysterious as well as the strange thing that exists in the beautiful area of Ladakh. “ Magnetic hill of Ladakh” it is called so because it pulls the vehicle up which are within its range because of a strong magnetic force that exists there. In fact, many Indian Air Force planes have diverted their routes because of this interference.
4. India has a spa just for elephants
Elephants are so lucky! There is an elephant camp located in Kerala where elephants enjoy a luxurious life and are massaged and cleaned by the locals there.
5. The largest number of veg in the world
Indians prefer veg Food over non-veg and this statement is backed by a report which stated that 31% Indians are vegetarians this is because people in India believe that no creature should be harm for our own personal pleasure and they follow the practice of ahimsa (non-violence) which means respecting the lives of other creatures.
6. World’s biggest gathering- Kumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela is the world’s biggest gathering where people from all over the globe gather and take a dip in the holy river, Ganga, as they believe that doing this will wash away all their sin. There are four Kumbh Mela: the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Prayag Kumbh Mela, Nashik simhastha and Ujjain simhastha. The interesting thing about the Kumbh Mela is that 75 million people gathered for Kumbh Mela in2011 and the crowd was so large that it was visible from space.
7. 31 doctors in a single family
Jaipur is famous for forts, right? But after reading the next few lines you will get to know what you can expect from Jaipur besides forts. A family in Jaipur consists of 31 doctors, there are 7 physicians, 5 gynecologists, 3 ophthalmologists, 3 ENT specialists, neurologists, urologists, surgeons, psychiatrists, pathologist and orthopaedic doctors in the family!
Some Weird Laws In India
- In Maharashtra, you can vote, have sex and get married by the time you’re 18. But you can’t drink hard liquor until you’re 25.
- In another ridiculous law, the Indian Aircraft Act of 1934 considers a kite to also be an aircraft thus making it necessary to get a permit to fly one. As is apparent, this law has never been followed and should be dealt away with immediately.
- You need to have a perfect set of teeth to become a motor inspector in Andhra Pradesh.
- It is illegal for more than 10 couples to dance on a dance floor.
- Suicide is legal, but attempted suicide is not.
- Adultery is illegal, but only the man will be penalised for the crime.
- The Indian Post Office is the be all and end all of delivery. According to the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, it is illegal to send letters through any other service apart from the Indian Post Office.
- It’s OK for people to kill themselves in India. However, if they fail, they can be prosecuted according to the Indian Penal Code.
Kerala & The Beef Burger
Well, it’s been a debate that has been going on for many years and will continue to be debated and argued for a long, long time. “Indians do not eat beef” – is what most foreigners think about our dietary habits. Not true! Heck, a lot of Indians also think the same thing. Not true! And when they see us Keralites or some others in India or maybe a few metro cities or the 7 North Eastern states, some of them – the normal ones – shrug it off as a cultural difference and never have a problem with it but some others – the fanatic assholes – start abusing us verbally and shout at us for not being real Indians.
Stupidity aside, Kerala, West Bengal and North-eastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. In Manipur, a royal edict banned cow slaughter, but beef is consumed widely. Now, what I find funny is that international brands like McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell etc cannot have beef products in India and Kerala. Instead they have chicken and veggie options. But if you are in Kerala – well I can say for Cochin in particular since I live here – you can eat beef burgers in various places. The Burger Junction, Double Roti, The Grill Lab, Burger Spot, Burger Queen, Burger Hut & Burger Hutz, Chai Kofi, Mash 24, Westley’s (former known as Burgeria) among others all serve beef burgers and some even have pork. No problem in getting our fill of beef burgers over here!
In terms of the best I would say that The Burger Junction is the most awesome with Double Roti come in at second place. The Grill lab is a place that I have only visited once and I would love to try more of their food but I guess they would rank high.
Taco Bell Comes To Kochi
It’s finally here! Well not that I or anyone I know was waiting eagerly for it but Taco Bell is finally coming to Kochi. It’s the inauguration of the first Taco Bell outlet in Kerala and it’s in Lulu Mall, Edapally – which is a suburb of Kochi. Lulu Mall is largest mall in India (for now anyways as that title will soon be gone) and has KFC, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Burger King & McDonald’s.
Now they have a Taco Bell too. I have never been to a Taco Bell and never had anything from them. They have outlets in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad & Chandigarh – 11 in all and I guess Kochi makes 11. If it’s a success I guess they will have one each in the two Lulu Mall outlets that are being setup in Calicut & Thiruvananthapuram. But since India does not allow national/international food chains to have beef products (local joints in Kerala can have beef but not in most of India) what will they serve? Chicken ofcourse. Let’s look at the menu!
Mexican Paneer? What the fuck??? Tikka Masala Nachos Veg/Chicken? LOL, to be honest the rest of the menu looks interesting and I want to try a bunch of them. No beef ofcourse but lots of chicken option. I hope it’s good.
Rain Lashes On Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: Under the influence of Cyclone Gaja, Kerala state will experience isolated rains and strong winds till Monday. Squally wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph likely over Southeast Arabian Sea. The sea waves could rise at a height of 2.8 m in Kerala coast and Lakshadweep region till Sunday. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areThe meteorological department has warned the formation of low pressure in the middle of the southern Bay of Bengal by Sunday.
Landslides, mudslides and other damages were reported on Friday in various parts of Idukki district, where the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) had issued an orange alert for November 16. The heavy rains have largely affected Munnar, one of the main tourist destinations in Idukki. Landslides were reported in Mammal and Edamal areas in Vattavada near Munnar on Friday around 10 am. A home in Vattavda was partially destroyed due to the landslides. The landslides and heavy rain also submerged acres of winter vegetable farms in Vattavada. Traffic was partially disrupted in the Kochi-Dhanushkodi national highway in old Munnar as the roads were submerged in the rainwater. A mudslide was reported near Mattuppetty road in Munnar and the traffic disrupted in the top station route.
Incidentally, the recently rebuilt Periyavara Bridge was also washed out due to heavy rain on Friday. The bridge, which is on the Munnar-Udumalpet interstate route, connects tourists to Rajamala tourist destination and the Eravikulam National Park.
More Indian Jokes
An American businessman goes to India on a business trip, but he hates Indian food, so he asks the concierge at his hotel if there’s any place around where he can get American food. The concierge tells him he’s in luck; there’s a pizza place that just opened, and they deliver.
The concierge gives the businessman the phone number, and he goes back to his room and orders a pizza. Thirty minutes later, the delivery guy shows up to the door with the pizza. The businessman takes the pizza, and starts sneezing uncontrollably.
He asks the delivery man, “What the heck did you put on this pizza?” The delivery man bows deeply and says, “We put on the pizza what you ordered, pepper only.”
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An aspiring Yogi wanted to find a Guru. He went to an Ashram and his preceptor told him, “You can stay here but we have one important rule: all students observe Mouna or a vow of silence. You will be allowed to speak in 12 years.”
After practicing for 12 long years, the day came when the student could say his one thing or ask his one question.
He said: “The bed is too hard.”
He kept going for another 12 years of austere discipline, meditation and silence and finally got the opportunity to speak again. He said: “The food is not good.”
Twelve more years of hard work and he got to speak again. Here are his words after 36 years of practice: “I quit.”
His Guru quickly answered: “Good, all you have been doing anyway is complaining.”
RIP Balabhaskar
Noted singer-violinist Balabhaskar who was seriously injured in a car accident last week in Kerala died at a hospital early in Thiruvananthapuram this morning. His two-year-old daughter was killed when the family’s car hit a tree after the driver lost control. He died at around 1 am after a cardiac arrest, hospital sources said. Balabhaskar’s wife Lakshmi and the driver are recovering in hospital. Balabhaskar, 40, and family were returning from a visit to a temple in Thrissur after thanksgiving prayers for their daughter; little Tejaswini Bala was born after 15 years of marriage, according to sources close to the family.
The car rammed a tree on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram around 4.30 am, the police said. The couple’s daughter was declared dead in hospital. The driver is believed to have dozed off and lost control of the vehicle. Balabhaskar was on ventilator support after being seriously injured and had undergone a surgery. His body was taken to Thiruvananthapuram’s University College, his alma mater, where people from all walks of life queued up to pay their last respects. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister Thomas Issac were among those who reached the college.
The last rites would be held on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram. The musician shot to fame when, as a 17-year-old, he composed music for a Malayalam film and has scored music for several films. A rising musician, he was was known for his stage performances and concerts in and outside Kerala. His fusion music was popular among his fans. Balabhaskar and Lakshmi were students of the same college.
Kerala Style Egg Puffs
This morning at around 10:45 am, having had just bread and mayo at 8 am for breakfast, I was craving a hot coffee and a snack to eat. I called on one my colleagues and we went to the cafeteria’s tea/coffee counter and got a tea for him and a coffee for me and we ordered some eggs puffs. Flaky, warm (not hot but warm enough to know that it was freshly made just an hour or so ago). Delicious and it satisfies the hunger.
How do you make it? Heat oil in a wide pan and add sliced onions. Cook till the onion becomes golden brown. Once the onion becomes golden brown, add crushed ginger and garlic and cook for 2-3 mins. Add 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder, 1.5 tsp Chilli powder, 1/2 – 1 tsp Coriander powder, 1/2 tsp Pepper powder, 1/2 tsp Garam masala / meat masala , all masala powders and salt. Cook till the oil appears, around 2-3 mins. Add 1 – 2 tbsp hot water to bring everything together. Add ketchup, curry leaves and mix well.
Beat 1 egg with 1-2 tsp water for egg wash. Apply this egg mixture on four sides of the puff pastry. Place about 1 tbsp of masala on each puff pastry, followed by half a slice of egg. Put some masala on top of the egg as well. Bring together the diagonally opposite sides and seal. Apply the egg wash all over the sealed puffs. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins or until the puff pastry is golden in colour.
Serve with some ketchup and drink hot coffee or tea. On a rainy day in Kerala, this evening snack has few rival.
RIP Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian politician who thrice served as the Prime Minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, for a period of eleven months from 1998 to 1999, and then for a full term from 1999 to 2004, passed away today. He was 93 years old. Apart from politician with great oratory skills, Vajpayee was also an acclaimed writer who wrote several poems.
He was a member of the Indian Parliament for over four decades, being elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house, ten times, and twice to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house. He served as the Member of Parliament for Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh until 2009 when he retired from active politics due to health concerns. Vajpayee was among the founding members of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh which he also headed from 1968 to 1972. He was the Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
When the Janata government collapsed, Vajpayee restructured the Jana Sangh into the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980. He was the first Indian prime minister who was not a member of the Indian National Congress party to have served a full five-year term in office. He was conferred India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, by the President of India in 2015. Vajpayee remained unmarried. He adopted Namita Bhattacharya, the daughter of BN Kaul and Rajkumari Kaul.
Today We Celebrate Our Independence Day
Floods In Kerala
Days of incessant rain have led to raging floods across Kerala. Buildings and infrastructure have collapsed, leaving over 54,000 people homeless. Dams, reservoirs and rivers have overflowed, roads have caved in, sections of highways collapsed, and homes swept away in ferocious floods. People are homeless, tourists are stranded, and wildlife is in danger as more than half of Kerala is dealing with severe flooding due to the unforgiving rain. Opening of all five gates of one of the dams of the Idukki water reservoir have only added misery to the already-dire situation.
29 people have died and tens-of-thousands have been evacuated from affected areas. Rescue operations are being carried out round-the-clock, and around 500 relief camps have been set up so far. Over 50 tourists stranded at a resort in the popular hill station of Munnar in Idukki, have been rescued by the army. The army, navy, air force, coast guard, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have joined hands, by coordinating on a massive scale to carry out evacuations and relief operations. A fourth red alert has been issued for the Idukki reservoir, the gates of which were opened yesterday after 26 years.
The water level at the Idukki reservoir went down from 2,401.60 feet yesterday to 2,400.72 feet today. The maximum capacity of the reservoir is 2,403 feet. Northern and central Kerala have been battered by heavy rains resulting from the southwest monsoon since August 8. Of the 29 people who died, 25 were killed in landslides, while four people drowned. Officials said that over 54,000 people are now housed in around 500 relief camps across the state. The situation however, eased somewhat on Saturday afternoon, with the intensity of rain reducing considerably.
Documentary On Indian Atheists
Write about a TV show or documentary you’d love to see get made.
I’d like to see a big production documentary or a large scale tv show about a minority in India, a minority of which I am a part of. I am talking about atheists in India. Yes, in the land of 8000 gods plus Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism and a few others – we exist!
So how about a documentary about the history of atheism in India, from the time and possibly before the Vedas and onto modern days. Interview prominent atheists, public figures who happen to be atheists, meet and talk with atheists groups and see what their views on life are and how they go about their daily lives in India.
That is what I would want to see get made.
Prompt from 52 Writing Prompts to Inspire Your Next Blog Post
Pot Hole City
It’s been cold for several days. It’s been raining almost every day and on some days it’s been raining almost non-stop. My last post was about floods in the town of Pala in Kerala but it’s bad everywhere. Kottayam, Kozhikode and even Cochin. The railways stations in Eranakulam North Junction and in South Junction are both flooded and people are even using boats to float on the waters above the railway tracks.
Worst parts are the roads! Cochin is famous for having potholes that the local government take their own sweet time to address and when they do get to fixing it, they do a barely minimum job which they either ruin by having pipe work done on the sides immediately after or they fix the roads just before the monsoon season. All this ensures that the contractors get their contracts signed every year regularly and the corrupt politicians gets to steal money.
Yesterday the cab I was in had to use two diversions because of huge pot holes on two side roads onroute to my office in the evening as the waters were deep and sedans as well as smaller cars and bikes won’t get through without damages. I lost a lot of time, almost 30 minutes because of this.
