Holi  is a spring festival also known as the festival of colours and the festival of love. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities.
Legends and Mythology


In some parts of India, specially in Bengal and Orissa, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as the birthday of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (A.D. 1486-1533). However, the literal meaning of the word 'Holi' is 'burning'. There are various legends to explain the meaning of this word, most prominent of all is the legend associated with demon king Hiranyakashyap. 

Hiranyakashyap wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana. Hiaranyakashyap commanded his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had a boon whereby she could enter fire without any damage on herself. However, she was not aware that the boon worked only when she enters the fire alone. As a result she paid a price for her sinister desires, while Prahlad was saved by the grace of the god for his extreme devotion. The festival, therefore, celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion. 

Legend of Lord Krishna is also associated with play with colors as the Lord started the tradition of play with colours by applying colour on his beloved Radha and other gopis. Gradually, the play gained popularity with the people and became a tradition.

There are also a few other legends associated with the festival - like the legend of Shiva and Kaamadeva and those of Ogress Dhundhi and Pootana. All depict triumph of good over evil - lending a philosophy to the festival.

Preface

        Subhash Chandra Bose was one of India's greatest freedom fighter. He was the founder of the Indian National Army, popularly known as 'Azad Hind Fauj'. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had visited London during pre-independence period to discuss the future of India, with the members of the Labor party. His sudden disappearance from Taiwan, led to surfacing of various theories, concerning the possibilities of his survival.

Life of Subhash Chandra Bose

        Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack (Orissa) to Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. Janakinath Bose was one of the successful lawyer in Cuttack and received the title of "Rai Bahadur". He, later became a member of the Bengal Legislative Council.

        Subhash Chandra Bose was a very intelligent and sincere student but never had much interest in sports. He passed his B.A. in Philosophy from the Presidency College in Calcutta. He was strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings and was known for his patriotic zeal as a student. He also adored Vivekananda as his spiritual Guru.

Start of the opposition to British by Subhash Chandra Bose

        Subhash Chandra Bose decided to take revenge, after reading so many incidents about the exploitation of the fellow Indians by the British. In 1916, Subhash reportedly beat and thrashed one of his British teachers E F Otten. The professor made a racist remark against the Indian students. As a result, Subhash Chandra Bose was expelled from the Presidency College and banished from Calcutta University. The incident brought Subhash in the list of rebel-Indians. In December 1921, Bose was arrested and imprisoned for organizing a boycott of the celebrations to mark the Prince of Wales's visit to India.

Subhash Chandra Bose in Britain for ICS and return to India

Subhash Chandra Bose at young age

        Subhash Chandra Bose's father wanted him to become a civil servant and therefore, sent him to England to appear for the Indian Civil Service Examination. Bose was placed fourth with highest marks in English. But his urge for participating in the freedom movement was intense that in April 1921, Bose resigned from the coveted Indian Civil Service and came back to India. Soon, he left home to become an active member of India's independence movement. He, later joined the Indian National Congress, and also elected as the president of the party.

Subhash Chaandra Bose with Congress

        Subhash Chandra Bose worked under the leadership of Chittaranjan Das, an active member of Congress in Calcutta. It was Chittaranjan Das, who along with Motilal Nehru, left Congress and founded the Swaraj Party in 1922. Subhash would regard Chittaranjan Das as his political guru.

        While Chittaranjan Das was busy in developing the national strategy, Subhash Chandra Bose played a major role in enlightening the students, youths and labors of Calcutta. He was eagerly waiting to see India, as an independent, federal and republic nation.

Subhash Chandra Bose Vs. Congress

        In freedom struggle congress was large organisation. Subhash Chandra Bose became a strong leader in Congress and he made brave attempt to mould the entire party differently. Congress party was always lenient and never in a position to oppose. Saubhashbabu outrightedly opposed this behaviour. This opposition was against Gandhi‘s philosophy. Therefore Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders were hurt and since then they opposed him.

        Congress party had undertaken a deed of opposing his every thoughts, insulting him and cut down his wings of high flyer. In this manoeuvre of congress many of times he felt suffocated. Once there was a picture of ‘Subhash Chandra Bose against entire congress party’. It was first election of congress that time. Usually closer aide of Mahatma Gandhi used to get elected; but this time Subhash Chandra Bose got elected with higher votes. This insulted Gandhi group, which lead to their less interest of thinking towards parties campaign for independence.

        In order to acknowledge outside support and get freedom he went till Germany, Japan when it was period of 2nd world war! He decided to induce soldiers from outside to get freedom. Nehru at that time said   “If Subhash would bring soldiers from outside and enter India, then I would be the first person to take sword in hand and oppose him.” so much he disgust Subhash.

Formation of Azad Hind Fauj by Subhash Chandra Bose

Netaji with Azad Hind Fauj

        Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was against rendering any kind of help to the British during the World War II. He warned them so. The second World War broke out in September of 1939, and just as predicted by Bose, India was declared as a warring state (on behalf of the  British) by the Governor General, without consulting Indian leaders. The Congress party was in power in seven major states and all state governments resigned in protest.

        Subhash Chandra Bose now started a mass movement against utilizing Indian resources and men for the great war. To him, it made no sense  to further bleed  poor Indians for the sake of colonial and imperial nations.  There was a tremendous response to his call and the British promptly imprisoned him . He took to a hunger-strike, and after his health deteriorated on the 11th day of fasting, he was freed and was placed under house arrest. The British could do nothing except locking him in the prison.

        It was in 1941, that Subhash Chandra Bose suddenly disappeared. The authorities did not come to know for many days that he was not in his Barrack (the house in which he was being guarded). He traveled by foot, car and train and resurfaced in Kabul (now in Afghanistan), only to disappear once again.  In November 1941, his broadcast from German radio sent shock waves amongst the British and electrified the Indian masses who realized that their leader was working on a master plan to free their motherland. It also gave fresh confidence to the revolutionaries in India who were challenging the British in many ways.

        The Axis powers (mainly Germany) assured Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose military and other help to fight the British. Japan by this time had grown into another strong world power, occupying key colonies of Dutch, French, and British colonies in Asia. Netaji Bose had struck alliance with Germany and Japan. He rightly felt that his presence in the East would help his countrymen in freedom struggle and second phase of his saga began. It is told that he was last seen on land near Kiel canal in Germany, in the beginning of 1943. A most hazardous journey was undertaken by him under water, covering thousands of miles,  crossing enemy territories. He was in the Atlantic, the Middle East, Madagascar and the Indian ocean. Battles were being fought over land, in the air and there were mines in the sea. At one stage he traveled 400 miles in a rubber dingy to reach a Japanese submarine, which took him to Tokyo. He was warmly received in Japan and was declared the head of the Indian army, which consisted of  about 40,000 soldiers from Singapore and other eastern regions. These soldiers were united by another great revolutionary Rash Behari Bose. Rash Behari handed over them to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Netaji Bose called it the Indian National Army (INA) and a government by the name "Azad Hind Government"  was declared on the 21st of October 1943. INA freed the Andaman and Nicobar islands from the British and were renamed as Swaraj and Shaheed islands. The Government started functioning.

        Subhash Chandra Bose wanted to free India from the Eastern front. He had taken care that Japanese interference was not present from any angle. Army leadership, administration and communications were managed by Indians only. Subhash Brigade, Azad Brigade and Gandhi Brigade were formed. INA marched through Burma and occupied Coxtown on the Indian Border. A touching scene ensued when the solders entered their 'free' motherland. Some lay down and kissed, some placed pieces of  mother earth on their heads, others wept. They were now inside India and were determined to drive out the British! Delhi Chalo (Let's march to Delhi) was the war cry.

        The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed the history of mankind. Japan had to surrender.

Effect of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's earlier visits to England

        During his sojourn to England, he met with the leaders of British Labor Party and political thinkers including Clement Attlee, Arthur Greenwood, Harold Laski, G.D.H. Cole, and Sir Stafford Cripps. Bose also discuss with them about the future of India. It must also be noted that it was during the regime of the Labor Party (1945-1951), with Attlee as the Prime Minister, that India gained independence.

Disappearance of Subhash Chandra Bose

        Although it was believed that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose died in a plane crash, his body was never recovered. There have so many theories been put forward regarding his abrupt desertion. The government of India set up a number of committees to investigate the case and come out with truth.

        In May 1956, the Shah Nawaz Committee visited Japan to look into the situation of Bose's assumed death. Citing their lack of political relations with Taiwan, the Centre, did not seek for the assistance from their government. The reports of Justice Mukherjee Commission, tabled in Parliament on 17 May, 2006 said, "Bose did not die in the plane crash and the ashes at Renkoji temple are not his". However, the findings were rejected by the government of India.

Shreya was born on 12 March 1984 to a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family in Murshidabad, West Bengal.Thereafter, she spent the next three months in her birthplace in West Bengal. She grew up in Rawatbhata, a small town near Kota, Rajasthan, where her father was transferred. Her father, Bishwajit Ghoshal is an electrical engineer and works for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, and her mother, Sarmistha Ghoshal, is a literature post-graduate.She also has a brother named Soumyadeep Ghoshal, who is seven years her junior. Regarding her family, she said in an interview to the The Hindu, "There is no separate entity. We are one. We function as a team."

Ghoshal lived at Rawatbhata for thirteen years and completed her schooling up to eighth grade at the Atomic Energy Central School, Rawatbhata. In 1997, when her father was transferred to theBhabha Atomic Research Centre, Ghoshal relocated to Mumbai with her family.In Mumbai, she studied at the Atomic Energy Central School in Anushaktinagar. She joined the Atomic Energy Junior College to study science. This field held little appeal for her, however, as her musical career in Bollywood had already begun. So, she withdrew from the junior college and enrolled at theSIES College at Sion in Mumbai, where she took up arts with English as her major.

The Atomic Energy Central School atAnushaktinagar. Ghoshal studied here from ninth grade to higher secondary

In Rawatbhata, Ghoshal experienced the existence of several cultural programmes and social assemblages, which facilitated the beginning of her musical style. A cultural inclination of her parents and the luck of having a mother as a singer accelerated her musical journey. Her mother sang during rehearsals and she used to repeat by buzzing the same songs with infantile pronunciation. Ghoshal's mother turned out to be her first teacher when, at the age of four, she accompanied her on the harmonium and started practicing songs, chiefly Bengali songs. Her first stage performance was made at their club's annual function. When she turned six, she started her lessons in Hindustani classical music. She was trained in Hindustani classical music by Rakesh Sharma of Kota, Shri Jayawardhan Bhatnagar, the music teacher of her school, and finally from Mahesh Chandra Sharma of Kota. Her introduction to Hindi film songs and Rajasthani folk was made by Shri Jayawardhan Bhatnagar.

In 1995, Ghoshal became the winner of the All India Light Vocal Music Competition in New Delhi, which was organised by the Sangam Kala Group, in the Light Vocal group at a sub-junior level. She made her first on-screen appearance Awaz Nayi Andaz Wohi, which was aired on the channel EL TV.Kalyanji-Anandji and Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra served as the judges. She made her first studio recording with the show in 1996. As a child, she won the 75th Children's Special episode of the Sa Re Ga Ma (now Sa Re Ga Ma Pa) contest on Zee TV. She was successful in later episodes of Sa Re Ga Ma when she participated there for a second time. Ghoshal's last connection with Sa Re Ga Ma was the "mega-final" held during the 200th episode on January 1999. It included such judges as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Ram Narayan, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Girija Devi, Anil Biswas, and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Ghoshal was declared the winner of the competition.

Regarding her participation in Sa Re Ga Ma, Ghoshal said, "Sa Re Ga Ma, a popular Indian television show at the time, was on the lookout for talented singers. I grabbed the opportunity and mailed my songs in a cassette. Within days, I was called to audition." The late Kalyanji, who also judged the competition, convinced her parents to move to Mumbai. He asked her father to get transferred if he really wanted a Bollywood career for his daughter. Her father requested a transfer to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai. She was trained in playback singing by Kalyanji for 18 months and she continued her classical music training with the late Mukta Bhide in Mumbai.

Shreya recorded her first song as a professional singer on mike in Marathi. It was a cover version of Ganraya Rangi Nachato, which was originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar and the recording was done at Suresh Wadkar's studio in Mumbai.

Vijayawada is an important port city situated in south India and is considered to be the cultural capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The biggest railway junction in the South Central Railway leading to major cities like Chennai, Calcutta, Delhi and Hyderabad, Vijaywada is full of the tourists coming from all over. Being a busy port and a major junction on the Calcutta-Chennai railway line, this city has emerged into an important industrial centre. This is the heart of Andhra Pradesh, historically a cultural, political and educational centre. The purest for of Telugu is spoken in Vijayawada, and political thinking within Andhra Pradesh originated and evolved here. Vijayawada lies in the rich coastal delta area of the state, a fact that is reflected in its spicy, deliciously varied cuisine. The most luscious mangoes, the king of fruits, are grown here and the region is renowned for its tradition of pickle making.

Legend has it that Arjuna, of the epic Mahabharata, prayed on top of Indrakila hill and won the blessings of Lord Shiva. The name of 'Vijayawada' is derived from the 'Vijaya'-victory.

A famous landmark in the Prakasam barrage, the 1223.5 long modern regulator and Road Bridge across the Krishna River, completed in 1957. Its panoramic lake and the three canals that run through the city give Vijayawada a Venetian appearance.

Kanaka Durga, goddess of power, riches and benevolence is considered the presiding deity of Vijayawada. The temple is set on Indrakila hill. A temple of Lord Maleswara is also within the city area. It is said that Adi Sankara visited this temple and installed Sri Chakra here. Special celebrations are held here during Dussehra festival.

The Gandhi Stupa, 15.8 high, stands on Gandhi Hill, which was formerly known as Orr Hill. The monument, built in memory of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in 1968. The Gandhi Memorial Library, sound and light show and planetarium are added attractions. From the top of the hill visitors get a panoramic view of Vijayawada.

The Mogalarajapuram caves are another site of interest. These have three cave temples, dating back to the 5th century AD, one of which is well preserved.

It contains the idols of Lord Nataraja, Vinayaka and others. The Ardhanareeshwara Murthy found here is considered the only one of its kind in south India.

The other famous caves are the Undavalli caves situated about 8 k from Vijayawada which were carved in the 7th Century AD A huge onolithic Vishnu, in lying position is a agnificent sight at thest caves. The renowned temple of Lord Narasimha, one of the nine avatars of Vishnu, is located on the hillock at Mangalagiri, 12k south of Vijayawada. The unique feature of this temple, according to the devout, is the fact that the deity accepts only half the quantity of Panakam (jaggery dissolved in water) offered by devotees, irrespective of the quantity offered. Another site of religious significance in Vijayawada is Hazrat Bal Mosque. A holy relic of the Prophet Mohammed is kept here and displayed once a year. St.Mary's church, set on a hillock in the eastern side of the town at Gunadala, is also worth visiting.

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These 3rd-century caves are considered the finest masterpiece of Buddhist art and architecture. These historical manmade caves comprise of beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings that depict the life of the Buddha. Visiting these caves is like travelling back to the past. At Ajanta, the paintings on the walls, illustrate the events in the life of Gautama Buddha.

These caves are believed to see the rise and spread of both the two sects of Buddhism, the Hinyana and the Mahayana, and enough examples of architecture are available still in the caves. The 30 caves, including the unfinished ones, seem to carry a distinct charm and represent the true faces of the flourishing Buddhist architecture, art, and obviously the religious influence at that period of time.

 The fact that these caves were inhibited by Buddhist monks and religious devotees for more than 800 years is, in itself, enough to support it become a UNThe fact that these caves were inhibited by Buddhist monks and religious devotees for more than 800 years is, in itself, enough to support it become a UNESCO world heritage site. Even then, there are lots of other specimens to support its uniqueness and importance in archaeology as well as history.

The location

The caves are in the state of Marathas, Maharashtra, 100 kilometers from the city of Aurangabad. The caves are by the river Waghora, in the midst of the Sahyadri hills burried by thick forest all around. The Ajanta Caves were discovered by a British Captain, John Smith in 1819, while on a hunting expedition.

Shilparamam Arts and Crafts village is a tribute to the cultural legacy of India. The primary aim of this establishment is to foster, restore and help flourish the culture of India's glorious past.

 It provides a common platform for artisans and performing artists to showcase their talents. Nestling amidst rocks, rippling waterfalls and gorgeous lawns, Shilparamam is a melting pot of traditions and cultures. Here each season brings a mood of festivity and Indian festivals are celebrated in the most traditional way. 

Shilparamam hosts a multitude of ethnic art, crafts and culture from all over the country. The yearly All-India Festival of Arts and Crafts held here in February highlights the cultural and creative traditions from every corner of the country and provides a unique occasion to take home a piece of Indian art.

Just see from the iconic structure of HITEC city located about 14 kms from Hyderabad at Madhapur. You'll find the impressive gateway with huge terra-cotta horses that leads to a village with festive looking precincts. This is Shilparamam, the arts, crafts and cultural village of Hyderabad.

Life of Bhagat Singh

One of the most inspirational icons of the Indian freedom struggle, Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907 in the Khatkar Kalan village near Banga in the Lyallpur district of Punjab. Born into a Sikh family with a proud legacy of revolutionary activities against the British rule, Bhagat Singh cultivated his revolutionary zeal from a tender age.

The notorious Jalianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 left an indelible scar on the mind of Bhagat Singh and soon he took up the membership of the youth organization Naujawan Bharat Sabha. Apart from mingling with noted revolutionaries such as Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh worked relentlessly to garner opposition against the British.

In 1928, when the Simon Commission came to India, it was met with peaceful protests all over the country. During one such protest march in Lahore on October 30, veteran leader Lala Lajpat Rai was mercilessly beaten up by police chief Scott and Lala later succumbed to the fatal injuries. Bhagat Singh, who witnessed this macabre incident, hatched a conspiracy to kill Scott but in an unfortunate case of mistaken identity, DSP J.P. Saunders fell to the revolutionaries' bullets instead of the police chief.

Bhagat Singh went into hiding to escape prosecution, but when the British government enacted the draconian Defence of India Act, Bhagat and his comrades at the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association again planned to detonate a bomb in the assembly where the ordinance was going to be passed. As per the plot, on April 8, 1929, Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt stormed inside the court and threw bombs onto the corridors of the assembly shouting "Inquilab Zindabad." Both Singh and Dutt voluntarily courted arrest and they were sentenced to ' Transportation for Life' for the incident.

But soon the British got wind of Bhagat Singh's involvement in the killing of Saunders and along with Sukhdev and Rajguru, he was charged with murder. True to his fearless soul, Bhagat Singh owned responsibility of the murder and justified the act in a fiery statement. After a farcical trial lasting five months, on March 23, 1931, Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore with his fellow comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev.

In 1806, William Colgate, an English soap and candle maker, opened up a starch, soap and candle factory on Dutch Street in New York City under the name of "William Colgate & Company". In 1833, he suffered a severe heart attack, stopping his business from selling. But after a couple of years of recovery he continued with his business. In the 1840s, the firm began selling individual cakes of soap in uniform weights. In 1857, William Colgate died and the company was reorganized as "Colgate & Company" under the management of Samuel Colgate, his son, who did not want to continue the business but thought it would be the right thing to do. In 1872, Colgate introduced Cashmere Bouquet, a perfumed soap. In 1873, the firm introduced its first toothpaste, an aromatic toothpaste sold in jars. His company sold the first toothpaste in a tube, Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream (invented by the dentist Washington Sheffield), in 1896. In 1896, Colgate hired Martin Ittner and under his direction founded one of the first applied research labs.^[3] By 1908 they initiated mass selling of toothpaste in tubes. His other son, James Boorman Colgate, was a primary trustee of Colgate University (formerly Madison University).