History of GoldenTemple

Sri Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple, literally means "the House of God”. The shrine consists of Darbar Sahib, which is surrounded by the Holy Tank (Amrit Sarovar). It was constructed under the aegis of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the Fifth Sikh Guru. He wanted to build a common place of worship for the Sikhs, providing a common platform where all the Sikhs could gather and offer prayer to the Almighty. This wish initiated the idea of constructing Golden Temple and subsequently, he designed the architecture of the temple. Prior to him, Guru Amardas Sahib, the third Guru, had planned the excavation of the Holy Tank (Amrit Sarovar), but it was executed only by Guru Ramdas Sahib, under the supervision of Baba Budha Ji.

The earlier Guru Sahibs acquired the site from the Zamindars (landlords) of native villages. The plan to establish a town settlement was also made. Therefore, the construction work on the Sarovar (The Tank) and the town started simultaneously in 1570. The tank was excavated in 1577 A.D. and was subsequently called "Amritsar”, meaning the pool of the nectar of immortality. This contributed in naming the city, which grew around it (Amritsar). In due course, a splendid Sikh edifice, Darbar Sahib (Temple of God) was constructed in the middle of this tank, which became the prime centre of Sikhism.  The work on both projects was completed in 1577 A.D.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji laid the foundation of Golden Temple with the help of a Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir Ji of Lahore, on 1st of Magh (December, 1588). The construction work was directly supervised by Guru Arjan Sahib, with the assistance of prominent Sikh personalities like Baba Budha Ji, Bhai Gurdas Ji, Bhai Sahlo Ji and many other devoted Sikhs. Guru Arjan Sahib built the building on the lower level, unlike the traditional Hindu Temple architecture, where it is normally built on a higher structure.

Golden Temple deviated from a temple in another aspect, by being open from all four sides, rather than having only one gate for both entrance and exit. This symbolized the dawn of a new faith, which embraces people without any distinction of caste, creed, sex and religion. The building work was completed in 1604 A.D and Guru Arjan Dev Ji installed the Adi Granth in it. He appointed Baba Budha ji as its first Granthi i.e. the reader of Guru Granth Sahib. After this event, it attained the status of 'Ath Sath Tirath’.

Legends Connected With Amrit Sarovar
The most popular legend connected with (Amrit Sarovar) is the story of Rajni, the daughter of Rai Duni Chand. Rajni was an ardent devotee of Guru. One day, her father got some gifts for all the three daughters. While the other two daughters praised the father, Rajni stated that the gifts were actually from God and that her father was only the medium to deliver it. Hearing this, the father got very angry and made her marry a patient of leprosy. From then onwards, Rajni started struggling to sustain herself and her husband.

One day, Rajni she placed the basket containing her husband near a pool and went for some work. In the meantime, her husband saw a crow plunging into the water of the pool and coming out transformed into a white bird. Excited over the sight, he too plunged into the water and the miracle transformation occurred. He turned into a handsome young man, with all diseases cured. The couple thanked God and went to their Guru to narrate the happening. It is believed that since then, the tank came to be known as the "Amrit Sarovar” meaning "the pool of nectar”.

History of Tajmahal

The Taj Mahal of Agra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for reasons more than just looking magnificent. It's the history of Taj Mahal that adds a soul to its magnificence: a soul that is filled with love, loss, remorse, and love again. Because if it was not for love, the world would have been robbed of a fine example upon which people base their relationships. An example of how deeply a man loved his wife, that even after she remained but a memory, he made sure that this memory would never fade away. This man was the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was head-over-heels in love with Mumtaz Mahal, his dear wife. She was a Muslim Persian princess (her name Arjumand Banu Begum before marriage) and he was the son of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir and grandson of Akbar the Great. It was at the age of 14 that he met Mumtaz and fell in love with her. Five years later in the year 1612, they got married.

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It was in the memory of his beloved wife that Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument as a tribute to her, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran, and it took approximately 22 years to build what we see today. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653.

It was soon after the completion of Taj Mahal that Shah Jahan was deposed by his own son Aurangzeb and was put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife. Moving further down the history, it was at the end of the 19th century that British Viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration project, which was completed in 1908, as a measure to restore what was lost during the Indian rebellion of 1857: Taj being blemished by British soldiers and government officials who also deprived the monument of its immaculate beauty by chiseling out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. Also, the British style lawns that we see today adding on to the beauty of Taj were remodeled around the same time. Despite prevailing controversies, past and present threats from Indo-Pak war and environmental pollution, this epitome of love continuous to shine and attract people from all over the world.

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                                                                                                                                                                     Camel has three layers of eyelids so as to protect from huge sand storms in deserts.

Some important Portals& their Founders

1. Google                — Larry Page & Sergey Brin

2. Facebook            — Mark Zuckerberg

3. Yahoo                 — David Filo & Jerry Yang

4. Twitter                 — Jack Dorsey & Dick Costolo

5. Internet                — Tim Berners Lee

6. Linkdin               — Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue & Koonstantin Guericke

7. Email                   — Shiva Ayyadurai

8. Gtalk                   — Richard Wah kan

9. Whats up             — Laurel Kirtz

10. Hotmail              — Sabeer Bhatia

11. Orkut                 — Buyukkokten

12. Wikipedia          — Jimmy Wales

13. You tube            — Steve Chen, Chad Hurley & JawedKarim

14. Rediffmail          — Ajit Balakrishnan

15. Nimbuzz            — Martin Smink & Evert JaapLugt

16. Myspace            — Chris Dewolfe & TomAnderson

17. Ibibo                  — Ashish Kashyap

18. OLX                   — Alec Oxenford & Fabrice Grinda

19. Skype               — Niklas Zennstrom,Janus Friis & Reid Hoffman

20. Opera                — Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner & Geir lvarsoy

21. Mozilla Firefox  — Dave Hyatt & Blake Ross

22. Blogger             — Evan Willams

Scientific advantage behind MUSLIM prayer

The Islamic prayer consists of the following steps: standing with hands on top of each other at chest level bowing down with hands resting on knees standing up from bowing with hands by the side going in prostration (sajjda) once lifting face up from prostration but sitting on the ground doing a second prostration (Sajjda) and then getting up These psysical movements that a Muslim does during prayer strenghten the joints and muscles and stimulate blood circulation. Consequently, they also prevent the stagnation of bloog in the veins of the legs (which may lead to coagulation and other problems). Sajdah is a unique position or stance in the regular prayers, which a Muslim is supposed to offer at least five times a day. Although the basic purpose of obligatory prayers isn't to provide an exercise for people, it is being increasingly recognized that it has plenty of medical advantages. Sajdah is a unique position as this is the only position in which brain (or head) becomes lower than the heart and hence for the first time the blood gushes towards the brain with full force whereas in all other positions (even when lying) brain is above the heart when it has to work against gravity to send blood to the brain. In the position of Sajdah due to the increased blood supply the brain receive more nourishment and it has good effect upon memory, vision, hearing, concentration, psyche and all other cognitive abilities. People who offer their prayers regularly have more will power and can cope with the difficulties of life in a much better manner. They have fewer incidences of headaches, psychological problems and other defects of cognitive function. 

Science behind INDIAN customs

•  Most of the practices, customs and traditions or rituals have some basis, some of which are truly scientific. The tradition might also be right under the conditions prevailing at the time it was made part of the social conduct. Later on, they get incorporated more as practices as over the years, the actual reasons are forgotten.  Most of the Hindu customs and traditions had some sciIndian entific reason behind them. Most of the Hindu customs and traditions are derived from our ancestors. Traditions and customs were taught at a very young age and followed as part of life.                            
• MEDITATION UNDER TREES Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment after meditating under a Peepal tree or Bodhi Tree. Peepal trees have many medicinal uses. Juice extracted from the leaves is used for eardrops. The bark is used to heal inflammations of the neck and glandular swellings. Chewing the roots of a Banyan tree is said to help prevent gum disease. Many rishis and sadhus wrote great epics of literature sitting under the Peepal trees.                                                                 
• Why Ancient people provide drinks in Silver Tumblers? Scientifically, the silver Metal served a specific purpose for the host. The metal was germicidal and so it helped prevent any infection that the guests might carry inside.                                                                                                               
• START ALWAYS WITH SPICY FOOD AND END YOUR MEAL WITH SWEETS Our ancestors have stressed on the fact that our meals should be started off with something spicy and sweet dishes should be taken towards the end. The significance of this eating practice is that while spicy things activate the digestive juices and acids and ensure that the digestion process goes on smoothly and efficiently, sweets or carbohydrates pulls down the digestive process. Hence, sweets were always recommended to be taken as a last item.                                                                               
• DO NOT TAKE BATH IMMEDIATELY AFTER EATING If a person is immediately taking bath after a meal, the digestion process gets slowed down by a great deal as cold water activates certain chemicals in the body that rushes the blood to the skin to keep it warm and the digestion process takes a backseat. So, it was always advised by our ancestors to take food after having a bath. ie Bath will increase blood flow to the hands, feet and body that causes the amount of blood around the stomach will continue to decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.                 
• After attending a funeral, why to take bath and why cooking is not done in those houses? This is preventing any infection from the funeral house. This is more prevalent in the villages. I.e. Every person visiting the house of the dead person during the mourning period is believed to suffer from pollution. The first thing; he is expected to do on leaving the house of the dead person is to have purificatory bath. Only after this bath, they have to drink off even a glass of water or to eat and enter the main parts of his own house. The house where death was occurred is considered polluted and cooking is not done for few days. The neighbors supply them food.                                                
• Why to wake-up early in the morning?
• Early rising means waking up before sunrise. Waking up at this time means that the blood circulation in our body and mind is positive. Waking up after sunrise causes negative blood circulation and blood flow becomes sluggish. Late rising also induces baseless and negative dreaming and weakens the immune system.  The body and mind will stay fresh if you get up before sunrise . Constipation and indigestion will remain under control .The mind and mood will remain cheerful throughout the day . You will have sufficient time to think, plan and organise the day lying ahead of you . The power and capacity of the mind will increase . The memory will sharpen . The eyesight will not get weakened                                                                                                    
• Why do elders rotate crystal salt, lemon around head? Salt can be considered as the first antibiotic. Not only that, the salty and acidic substances would less affect the magnetic field. Keeping these properties if lemon and salt in mind, we revolve salt and lemon around the person. The salt and lemon when revolved around, it would kill all the bacteria around the person. It forms an aura layer of antibiotics around the person. Not only has this, revolving around the person balance the magnetic field too. This would make the person affected with drastic feel better.                                   
• Why Fasting? A lot of our time and energy is spent in procuring food items, preparing, cooking, eating and digesting food. Certain food types make our minds dull and agitated. Hence on certain days man decides to save time and conserve his energy by eating either simple, light food or totally abstaining from eating so that his mind becomes alert and pure. Since it is a self-imposed form of discipline it is usually adhered to with joy.                                                                                          
• The act of putting water around the plate As we know water acts as a repellent to many tiny creatures that roam on the floor seen and unseen, hence the circle of water stops them to approach the plate when kept on the floor also they are attracted towards the part of food kept outside the plate making it safe to consume the food. This practice is redundant while eating on dining table which is presumable cleaner than the floor. Those who still practice it on table are just following tradition without knowing the meaning behind it.                                                                               
• Why Rangoli in the entrance of House? This practice serves a very simple purpose that of feeding the lower organisms as ants and insects thereby keeping them at bay from entering the household. Birds will also intake these rice flour made rangoli.                                                                             
• Why did we get this punishment? or Scientific reason behind sit-ups Talking about the logic behind this Punishment it is very interesting to know that this particular posture increases the blood flow in the memory cells in brain and synchronizes the right and left side of the brain to improve function and promote calmness, stimulates neural pathways via acupressure points in the earlobe, sharpens intelligence and also helps those with autism, Asperger syndrome, learning difficulties and behavioral problems. Now US Scientist climbing this as a Super Brain Yoga.                                       
• APPLYING HENNA BEFORE AUSPICIOUS OCCASIONS Our ancestors have advised applying henna to hands, to the bottom of the feet, and hair, etc., especially at the onset of rainy season. This was because during rainy season, the susceptibility to get infected by germs was manifold and henna’s anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties were believed to fight those germs. Though henna is seen as an adornment, scientifically, henna extracts show antibacterial, antifungal, and ultraviolet light screening activity.                                                                                                            
• Throwing Currency Coins into a River In the ancient times, most of the currency used was made of copper unlike the stainless steel coins of today. Copper is a vital metal very useful to the human body. The intake of copper with water is very good for health. Throwing coins in the river was one way our fore- fathers ensured we intake sufficient copper as part of the water. Rivers were the only source of drinking water. Making it a custom by saying it will bring good fortune to us has ensured that all of us follow the good practice.

Better to know:facts about india

India is about 1/3 the size of the United States, yet it is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1,166,079,217. India is the seventh largest country in the world, at 1.27 million square miles. India is the largest democracy in the world. The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world’s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by a satellite. Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating. To avoid polluting the elements (fire, earth, water, air), followers of Zoroastrianism in India don’t bury their dead, but instead leave bodies in buildings called “Towers of Silence” for the vultures to pick clean. After the bones dry, they are swept into a central well. It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.                 India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year. India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion. More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line. Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind’s seven mothers because they offer milk as does one’s natural mother. Dancing is one of India’s most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements. Rabies is endemic in India. Additionally, “Delhi Belly” or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water. Many Indian wives will never say their husband’s name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as “ji” or “look here” or “hello,” or even refer to him as the father of her child. A widow is considered bad luck—otherwise, her husband wouldn’t have died. Elderly women in the village might call a widow “the one who ate her husband.” In some orthodox families, widows are not allowed near newlyweds or welcomed at social gatherings. India is the birthplace of chess.l The original word for “chess” is the sanskritchaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers. The Indian flag has three horizontal bands of color: saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith, fertility, and chivalry. An emblem of a wheel spinning used to be in the center of the white band, but when India gained independence, a Buddhist dharmachakra, or wheel of life, replaced the spinning wheel. Khajuraho’s exotic art may suggest that sex was a step for attaining ultimate liberation or moksha The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their erotic sculptures and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Scholars still debate the purpose of such explicit portrayals of sexual intercourse, which sometimes involve animals. The earliest cotton in the world was spun and woven in India. Roman emperors would wear delicate cotton from India that they would call “woven winds.” Mogul emperors called the fabrics “morning dew” and “cloth of running water.” In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, were common. The Himalayas—from the Sanskrit hima, meaning “snow,” and alaya, meaning “abode”—are found in the north of India. They extend 1,500 miles and are slowly growing taller, by almost an inch (2.5 cm) a year. Several ancient Indian monasteries are found nestled in the grandeur of these mountains. India is the world’s largest producer of dried beans, such as kidney beans and chickpeas. It also leads the world in banana exports; Brazil is second. In India, the fold and color of clothing are viewed as important markers of social classification. Additionally, a woman will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person depending on the manner in which she parts her hair. With 150,000 post offices, India has the largest postal network in the world. However, it is not unusual for a letter to take two weeks to travel just 30 miles. In India, grasping one’s ears signifies repentance or sincerity. The Bengal tiger is India’s national animal. It was once ubiquitous throughout the country, but now there are fewer than 4,000 wild tigers left. Indians hold prominent places both internationally and in the United States. For example, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems (Vinod Khosla), the creator of the Pentium chip (Vinod Dahm), the founder/creator of Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia), and the GM of Hewlett-Packard (Rajiv Gupta) are all Indian. Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) was one of the first important figures to bring India into contact with the West. After his death, a link between Europe and the East would not be restored until Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) landed in Calicut, India, in 1498. The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947 (although they had a strong presence in India since the 1700s). British influence is still seen in Indian architecture, education system, transportation, and politics. Many of India’s worst famines are associated with British rule in India. Every major world religion is represented in India. Additionally, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated in India. About 80% of Indians are Hindu. Muslims are the largest minority in India and form approximately 13% of the country’s population. In fact, India has the third largest population of Muslims in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan. India has the world’s largest movie industry, based in the city of Mumbai (known as the “City of Dreams”). The B in “Bollywood” comes from Bombay, the former name for Mumbai. Almost all Bollywood movies are musicals. Mumbai (Bombay) is India’s largest city, with a population of 15 million. In 1661, British engineers built a causeway uniting all seven original islands of Bombay into a single landmass. Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) is known around the world as Mahatma, which is an honorific title meaning “Great Soul” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. He devoted his life to free India from British rule peacefully and based his campaign on civil disobedience. His birthday, October 2, is a national holiday. He was assassinated in 1948. The Lotus temple is one of the most visited temples in the world, with over 50 million visitors per year The lotus is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Bahá'í house of worship in Delhi, known as the “Lotus Temple,” is shaped like a lotus flower with 27 gigantic “petals” that are covered in marble.i The banyan, or Indian fig tree, is considered a symbol of immortality and is mentioned in many Indian myths and legends. This self-renewing plant is India’s national tree. Marigold flowers are used as decoration for Hindu marriages and are a symbol of good fortune and happiness. The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name “India” derives from the River Indus, which most likely is derived from the Sanskrit sindhu, meaning “river.” The official Sanskrit name of India is Bharat, after the legendary king in the epicMahabharata. Introduced by the British, cricket is India’s most popular sport. Hockey is considered the national sport, and the Indian field hockey team proudly won Olympic gold in 1928. Indians made significant contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra. The decimal system was invented in India in 100 B.C. The concept of zero as a number is also attributed to India. The national fruit of India is the mango. The national bird is the peacock, which was initially bred for food. Most historians agree that the first recorded account of plastic surgery is found in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts. Hindi and English are the official languages of India. The government also recognizes 17 other languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). Apart from these languages, about 1,652 dialects are spoken in the country. India’s pastoral communities are largely dependent on dairy and have made India the largest milk-producing country in the world. India has the world’s third largest road network at 1.9 million miles. It also has the world’s second largest rail network, which is the world’s largest civilian employer with 16 million workers. Though the Ganges is one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, bathing in the river is thought to wash away one’s sins Rivers have played a vital role in India’s popular culture and folklore—they have been worshipped as goddesses because they bring water to an otherwise dry land. Bathing in the Ganges in particular is thought to take away a person’s sins. It is not unusual to spread a loved one’s ashes in the Ganges. Raziya Sultana (1205-1240) was the first woman leader of India. She was considered a great leader, though she ruled for only three years before being murdered. Most Indians rinse their hands, legs, and face before eating a meal. It is considered polite to eat with the right hand, and women eat after everyone is finished. Wasting food is considered a sin. During the Vedic era in India, horse sacrifice sanctioned the sovereignty of the king. It is traditional to wear white, not black, to a funeral in India. Widows will often wear white in contrast to the colorful clothes of married or single women. All of India is under a single time zone. On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. The partition displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people. In recent years, Indian authors have made a mark on the world with such novels as Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988), Vikram Seth’s Suitable Boy (1993), and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997). India experiences six seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon. India is the world’s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage. According to legend, to prevent the builders from ever replicating the beauty of the Taj Mahal, their hands were cut off The Taj Mahal (“crown palace”) was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631). This architectural beauty has been called “marbled embroidery” for its intricate workmanship. It took 22,000 workmen 22 years to complete it. The first and greatest civilization in ancient India developed around the valley of the Indus River (now Pakistan) around 3000 B.C. Called the Indus Valley civilization, this early empire was larger than any other empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia. After the great Indus Civilization collapsed in 2000 B.C., groups of Indo-Europeans called Aryans (“noble ones”) traveled to northwest India and reigned during what is called the Vedic age. The mingling of ideas from the Aryan and Indus Valley religions formed the basis of Hinduism, and the gods Shiva, Kali, and Brahma all have their roots in Aryan civilization. The Aryans also recorded the Vedas, the first Hindu scriptures, and introduced a caste system based on ethnicity and occupation. Alexander the Great invaded India partly because he wanted to solve the mystery of the “ocean,” which he had been told was a huge, continuous sea that flowed in a circle around the land. When he reached the Indian Ocean, he sacrificed some bulls to Poseidon for leading him to his goal.m Greek sculpture strongly influenced many portrayals of Indian gods and goddesses, particularly after the conquest of Alexander the Great around 330 B.C. In fact, early Indian gods had Greek features and only later did distinct Indian styles emerge. Chandragupta Maurya (340-290 B.C.), a leader in India who established the Mauryan Empire (321-185 B.C.), was guarded by a band of women on horseback. When the first independent prime minister of India, pacifist Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), was featured in Vogue, his distinctive close fitting, single-breasted jacket briefly became an important fashion statement for the Mod movement in the West. Named the Nehru jacket, the prime minister’s coat was popularized by the Beatles and worn by such famous people as Johnny Carson (1925-2005) and Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990).