How Well Do You Know Your Potter?

Here is a set of questions for all Potter fans worth their salt. Enjoy maadi

#1 Of what use was Albus Dumbledore's silver cigarette lighter- the Put-Outer?

#2 With whom does Nymphadora Tonks fall in love with?

#3 Who headed Hogwarts before Albus Dumblebore?

#4 What is the family owl of Weasleys called?

#5 What is the Wronski Feint tactic?

#6 Where does Narcissa Malfoy take Draco to shop for robes, when she finds that Hermione also shops at Madam Malkin’s?

#7 What or Who is Ripper?

#8 How does one tame the book that bites?

#9 Who is the other unregistered Animagus apart from Moony, Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail?

#10 Who said this? – "Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain."

If you have answered them all then it would surely be fun to speculate with you on Dumbledore's "Gleam of Triumph" or the strange connection between Crookshanks and Sirius or what was it that Snape had done on Dumbledores orders, the night that Voldemort had returned?

The Japanese Pray to Goddess Saraswati Too...

An interesting article that I came across..

Japan's Hindu linkages still alive

One can also see the influence of the Indian epic Ramayana in the traditional Japanese dance forms of 'Bugaku' and 'Gigaku'.

By IANS, [RxPG] New Delhi, Feb 17 - Apart from the widely known fact that Buddhism in Japan has its origin in India, not many probably know that so many Hindu deities surround the life of a Japanese.

Speaking at a lecture titled 'Hindu Gods and Goddesses rooted to Japan' here Friday, Lokesh Chandra, the director of International Academy of Indian Culture, highlighted how deeply Indian religion and culture has influenced Japanese culture and tradition over the past centuries.

He said that many temples across Japan are full of Hindu deities.

Chandra said Japanese couples who desire to have a beautiful daughter pray to goddess 'Saraswati' even to this day. Saraswati is also believed as the patroness of writers and painters.

'In ancient times, Japanese generals prayed to Saraswati to be victorious in war,' Chandra told the gathering which was also attended by the Japanese Ambassador to India Yasukuni Enoki and his wife.

Year 2007 is being celebrated as Japan-India Friendship Year to commemorate the 50th year of the cultural agreement between the two countries.

According to Chandra, who has travelled to Japan many times to study the country's culture and tradition, Saraswati is also worshipped as the 'goddesses of kitchen'.

Many traditional Japanese plays are dedicated to the Indian deity.

Sharing a trivia he said how in 1934, a Japanese woman had a vision that she was the incarnation of goddess Saraswati and stared writing in Sanskrit, a language she never heard off.

There is a suburban district in Tokyo named Kichijo, which traces its roots to 'Lakshmi', the Hindu goddess of wealth. Lakshmi was propagated to China along with Buddhism in the ancient time, to be known as Kichijo in its Chinese form and then reached Japan as a Buddhist goddess.

Chandra also spoke extensively about how Sanskrit language has influenced traditional Japanese calligraphy.

The Indian text was introduced into Japanese society many centuries ago. Japanese monks had to study Sanskrit in order to master Buddhism from original Indian scriptures and textbooks.

Lord Ganesha in Japan symbolises the joy of life that arises from the power rooted in the virtues of wisdom and compassion.

Young Japanese worship Ganesha to win in love whereas the old worship the deity to get success in business.

There are roughly 100 temples dedicated to Ganesha in Japan, Chandra added. An 11th century Ganesha temple is the oldest among them.

Together with Hindu gods and goddess, ancient Japanese society was also introduced to Indian dance forms and musical instruments.

A typical example is the 'Biwa', which actually had its origin from the Indian 'Veena'. One of Japan's largest lake is also known as Lake Biwa.

One can also see the influence of the Indian epic Ramayana in the traditional Japanese dance forms of 'Bugaku' and 'Gigaku'.

The yearlong cultural celebration was kicked off here last week that was attended by former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori among others.

The Manhole Way To Money?

It all started with the dramatic fall and rescue operation of Prince, a five-year-old in Kurukshetra, who fell into a 60-ft hellhole last July. The massive rescue operation involving the Indian army culminated in a happy ending when Prince was fished out after spending 48 traumatic hours. This unfortunate event was well milked by all news-starved channels and received publicity equal to if not more than the wedding of AbhiAsh.

There were reports of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh having led the nation in praying for the safety of Prince whose travails was captured live by the television channels. Soon after the rescue, flashes of people rejoicing and distributing sweets were beamed. Haryana minister announced cash rewards and free education for the "brave child of Haryana".
Amidst all this instant adulation and loads of good luck, somewhere the trauma and tribulation of the child was forgotten. What however remained in the public memory was the fame and riches that came along his way.

Suddenly children in India seem to be falling into pits and manhole with alarming frequency. Are these a part of some strange coincidence or is it being seen as an easy shortcut to fame and money?

Here is a list of children fallen in such drains and pits since Prince.

Child falls into manhole, dies

Four-year-old falls into water tank, dies

Child falls into drain and is washed away

Boy falls into sewer, Army called in

Boy feared drowned in manhole at Musheerabad

And the latest seems to be little Suraj in Jaipur.
Hope fading for kid trapped in borewell

How do these kids manage to fall into holes and crevices that are so inaccessible by the rescue teams? While I am not implying that parents are pushing their children into manholes and open drains in the lure of quick money, fame and public sympathy, what’s worrying is the rate at which such incidents seem to be occurring.By airing this concern over careless parents, I am by no means trying to condone the civic authorities who don't seem to bother over open drains and coverless manholes.

Time our civic authorities are made answerable to such unfortunate incidents.

Prayers to little Suraj Banjara.

What Is Art Without A Frame?

Imagine this: You are rushing towards your office on a Monday morning with meetings in your mind. You hear mellifluous tunes coming from the street corner, would you care to stop, appreciate and possibly contribute a few rupees to his earnings? In all probability, No. However melodious the music might be to your ears, I don’t think anybody today has the time to spare for such trivialities of life such as street musicians. Right?
But what if you came to know it was actually Mandolin Srinivasan or A.R Rahman actually at the road bend? Ah! Now things are different, isn’t it?

Nope, I haven't gone bonkers. This was exactly what happened couple of months ago when Washington Post journo Gene Weingarten set out to discover if famous violinist Joshua Bell -- and his Stradivarius -- could stop busy commuters in their tracks.

This is what happened: On Friday, January 12, 2007 renowned violinist Joshua Bell performed six classical pieces in 43 minutes to 1,097 people at the L'Enfant Plaza Station standing next to trash basket. He collected $32.17 with just one person recognising him. The story in detail here

So much for the name and fame that people scamper after.

To be noted is that nearly 20 years ago, Bruce Springsteen did a similar thing in Copenhagen, where he joined a street musician to perform "The River." Not many people noticed him, either.

Things haven't changed much in all these years. So if you are one of those geniuses waiting to be discovered, wakeup and get yourself a good PR agency.

The soul weighs just 21 grams?

21 grams only - and that's the fuss this is all about?

A 20th-century doctor, Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill, Massachusetts, postulated that the soul is material, too, and therefore has mass. In the early 1900s, he sought to measure the weight purportedly lost by a human body when the soul departed upon death.

MacDougall weighed dying patients in an attempt to prove that the soul was material, tangible and thus measurable. These experiments are widely considered to have had little if any scientific merit, and although MacDougall's results varied considerably from 21 grams, for some people this figure has become synonymous with the measure of a soul's mass.

More details over here

Such a small amount and so much ego it carries! Interesting.

A Hollywood movie on the same concept was made in 2003, called 21 grams starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

What Happens After Death?

Losing someone close to you is a painful experience that can't be put into words. Nobody can ever be prepared however much one knows that death is the final verdict.

When death of someone you cherish is announced, the first few moments are of complete shock and denial. Its very difficult to comprehend or even accept the fact. And then untold agony descends. For me, it was like my world was slowly ceasing to exist. Had anyone asked for a limb I would have giving it away without a second thought. No pain ever seemed bigger than what i was going through. By about the end of a day or two of crying your heart out the mind slowly starts to accept that you shall never see or hear the person again and the agony only increases further if thats possible.

The death of my father has been my first closest encounter with the funeral rites, ceremonies and obsequies associated as per the Hindu Brahmin tradition. I can't say I remember much of the first day ceremonies as I walking around zombie-like, just doing what was being told to me. However I distinctly remember the 10th and 13th day ceremonies where the priest cared to explained what was being done and the significance attached to each vedic rite. Though I am generally of a scientific bent, I must say his words and the vedas recited instilled a strong sense of belief in the ceremonial rituals.

These days my thoughts surround the mystery that surrounds death and if there exists any kind of life after that. What could possibly happen after death? Does it involve some kind of journey to another destination, as the priests told? or Do they just move on to another plane in earht, in forms that is invisible to mankind?

While I am a staunch believer in Karma and rebirth am intrigued to know what the process might be like. Death maybe just an end of the physical form but surely it can't mean the end of any thinking individual.

My Appa Passed Away

Since June 4th, my life has changed forever and it can never be the same again. I lost my dad.

Death is so very sudden and completely devastating. Life seems so empty and for once you clearly see how useless the rigamarole of this materialistic world is. Its so painful to think that I wouldn't be able to see or hear my dad once again, wouldn't be able to give him a hug and tell him he meant the world to us. How I wish there wasn't this finality to death.

Am crying as I am writing this, appa.

One minute we were one whole happy family and overnight it changed forever. They say time is a healer but can anything ever fill the void that has been created? I doubt.