Wednesday, March 24, 2010

rama navami

On Rama Navami, devotees celebrate the birthday of Lord Rama, who happens to be the seventh incarnation of (Avatar) of Lord Vishnu. He was born in Ayodhya and is revered by Hindus as the ideal son, ideal husband and an embodiment of truth and morality.

Lord Rama is a considered to be a heroic king and just and kind to his people. On his birthday he is remembered for righteousness as a king. He is considered to be the perfect avatar of the Lord Vishnu, full of compassion and care for the people he ruled upon.

The festival is celebrated on the 9th of the Hindu month Chaitra (April).

Celebration of Rama Navami
The devotees observe fast and visit the temples to offer special prayers to Lord Rama. It is an auspicious occasion. Religious processions are organized and the Ramayana is read.

Temples are decorated and the image of Lord Rama is dressed up in beautiful fineries. A big fair is held at Ayodhya. In the Southern part of India the festival is celebrated for about nine days with complete devotion and lot of fervor. Public gatherings and satsangs are held. One can hear the chanting of the vedic mantras.

Ritual of Rama Navami
The Ramanavami fast is considered to be the way to attain happiness in this material world of ours. It also helps us to attain salvation. The devotees carry out the fast for nine days having only milk and fruits. Some of course fast only on the ninth day. Vedic mantras are recited. Flowers and fruits are offered to God. The marriage celebration of the idols of Lord Rama and Sita are performed in the houses.

Ramanavami is indeed a great occasion for Hindus who show their devotion and love for Lord Rama, by celebrating his birthday in the most auspicious manner.


MARCH 24

Events

Sunday, March 21, 2010

WORLD WATER DAY

2009In 2009, the theme for World Water Day was "Shared Water - Shared Opportunities". Special focus was placed on transboundary waters. Nurturing the opportunities for cooperation in transboundary water management can help build mutual respect, understanding and trust among countries and promote peace, security and sustainable economic growth. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lead the activities of the day with the support of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).


International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water and advocating for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. The World Water Day 2010 and its campaign is envisaged to:

  • Raise awareness about sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being through addressing the increasing water quality challenges in water management.

  • Raise the profile of water quality by encouraging governments, organisations, communities, and individuals around the world to actively engage in proactively addressing water quality e.g. in pollution prevention, clean up and restoration.
The deteriorating state of water

Worldwide water quality is declining mainly due to human activities. Increasing population growth, rapid urbanisation, discharge of new pathogens and new chemicals from industries and invasive species are key factors that contribute to the deterioration of water quality.

How does water quality affect human health?

Sufficient quality of water is critical to ensure a healthy environment and human health. The basic requirement per person per day is 20 to 40 litres of water free from harmful contaminants and pathogens for the purposes of drinking and sanitation, rising to 50 litres when bathing and kitchen needs are considered.

In many countries, however, the amount of water required daily for drinking and sanitation is not provided in the required quality. Developing countries undergoing rapid urbanisation suffer from lack of sewage treatment facilities which results in the contamination of drinking water, thus it becomes a major cause of illness (which impacts poverty and education) and death.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 4 billion cases of diarrhoea each year in addition to millions of other cases of illness are associated with lack of access to water that is safe for human consumption. Per year 2,2 million people die as a result of diarrhoea most of them are children under the age of five. Human health is severely impacted by water-related diseases (waterborne, water-washed, water-based, and water-related vector-borne infections) as well as by chemical pollution despite progressive improvement in the provision of sanitation since 1990, providing safe water and sanitation to large parts of the human population remains a challenge. Today, 1.1 billion people around the world still lack access to improved water supply and more than 2.6 billion people lack access to improved sanitation.

Keeping water clean: A shared responsibility

Protecting water sources from pollution is everyone’s responsibility. It can not be left to public authorities alone. All sectors, public and private, must take appropriate and adequate action to prevent pollution. It demands the open engagement of all - from individuals and local communities to international organisations, non-governmental organisations and civil society.

There is an urgent need to step up research, monitoring and assessment of water quality at global, regional, and local levels; taking an integrated approach using the basin as a management unit. Scientific findings from research should inform sound policy formation and implementation. Furthermore, sufficiently funded and manned regulatory functions are required to ensure compliance with and enforcement of rules and regulations.

Clean water is life. We already have the know-how and skills to address it. Let us now have the will. Human life and prosperity rest on our actions today to be the stewards, not polluters, of this most precious resource – our clean water.

Water quality impacts every one of us, and our lifestyles impact the quality of our water. And On World Water Day, let's reaffirm that clean water is life, and our lives depend on how we protect the quality of our water.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Bananas

Go Bananas

Check and take your decision.


A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain.

Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia..

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system..

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight : Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips.. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness.. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!?

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth.

Amazing fruit!!!