Trend Guru

The US house of Representatives has passed the Indo-US Nuke deal. 298 Votes were cast in favour of the deal while 117 votes were cast against the deal.  The US Senate is also expected to clear the deal which would pave the way for India to enter the Nuclear trade world.

WHAT IS THE PACT?

* The legislation amends Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. It lets the US make a one-time exception for India to keep its nuclear weapons without signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

* The amendment overturns a 30-year-old US ban on supplying India with nuclear fuel and technology, implemented after India's first nuclear test in 1974.

* Under the amendment, India must separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities, and submit civilian facilities to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

WHY IS IT CONTROVERSIAL?

* Critics say it undermines the NPT, which holds that only countries which renounce nuclear weapons qualify for civilian nuclear assistance.

* The accord sends the wrong message: it could undercut a US-led campaign to curtail Iran's nuclear program, and open the way for a potential arms race in South Asia.

* India says 14 of its 22 nuclear facilities are civilian. Critics say the pact could make bomb making at the other eight easier, as civilian nuclear fuel needs will be met by the US

WHAT DO THE DEAL'S SUPPORTERS SAY?

* US President George Bush calls the deal necessary to reflect the countries' improved relations. It strengthens international security by tightening US ties to ally India, the world's biggest democracy. It also ensures some of its nuclear industry will undergo international inspection.

* New Delhi, which relies on imported oil for some 70 per cent of its energy needs, says nuclear power will help feed its rapidly expanding economy.

* France, which signed a similar deal with India in February 2006, says the move will help fight climate change and aid non-proliferation efforts.

HOW IS PAKISTAN INVOLVED?

* Pakistan sought a similar civilian technology deal with the US but was refused last in March. It is the only other confirmed nuclear power not to have signed the NPT - saying it will join after India does.

* Pakistan's own expanding nuclear program could fan the rivalry between India and Pakistan.

INTERNATIONAL RIVALRIES?

* China is said to have supported Pakistan's nuclear weapons program since the 1980s. Some analysts see the Indo-US deal as part of attempts by larger powers, the US and China, to shore up influence in South Asia by building up rival arsenals.

* The IAEA said in 2004 that Libya and Iran's nuclear programs were based on Chinese technology provided by Pakistan.

A blast occurred near a flower market in Mehrauli in Delhi on Saturday afternoon.
The blast took place at around 2:15 pm in the market in Mehrauli, close to the historic Qutub Minar, a senior police official said.
Eleven of the injured were being rushed to AIIMS where doctors said six were in critical condition.
Reports said two unknown people left explosive in a tiffin box. Police and bomb squad have been rushed to the area. Reports said a low intensity crude bomb was used.
The capital has been put on high alert. The explosion comes exactly two weeks after the capital was rocked by five near simultaneous blasts in which 24 people were killed

The fourth season of this iconic show, promises to bring alive the wave of enthusiasm among the youth and once again create a record in the history of television viewership. Indian Idol provides a platform for the young Indians who dare to dream, has the ability to chase them and bring them to life. From being a path breaking show on Indian television in Season 1 to creating youth icons and a band in the last season, Indian Idol has touched the zenith of reality television.

The latest nes on the show is that Judge Kailesh Kher is out is being replaced by Alka yagnik of Saregamapa Fame.

You can watch online Videos and reviews of Indian Idol on the official partner Sify.com website

Indian Idol  Website

The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Season 4 continues to the most popular reality show on TV. With star comedians like Bharti Singh, Suresh Albela, Sikander and Wali  the show goes on to tickle the viewers. You can watch the online videos of the Laughter Challenge on You Tube as well following websites

Official Website : Indya.com

Cool Indian Guys

The Amul Star Voice of India Contest is getting hot day by day. You can watch the latest Videos of the episodes of Star Voice of India and Vote for the contestants on Indya.com

The SaReGaMaPa chellenge 2009 contest is reaching its climax. The showdown has begun and baring some odd contestants like Asma we are now left with a bunch of good singers who would challenge each other for the Sangeet Chakra. You can watch the videos of the episodes of this contest from the following websites

Saregamapa.in

Watchsaregamapa.wrodpress.com

Saregamapashow.com

Welcome to Sajjanpur – a small village in Northern India where letters are still the only mode of communication, power cuts are a part of daily life and riding a two-wheeler is like a distant dream.  An aspiring novelist Mahadev (Shreyas Talpade), earns his living by reading and writing letters for the illiterate villagers. Through these letters one gets to know the life stories of the film's dozen odd characters.

And in these often-satirical stories, director Shyam Benegal chooses to touch upon rural India's topical issues such as widow remarriage, caste politics and superstition. But after a point he establishes just too many sub-plots in a case of biting off more than he can chew. So while you have the protagonist's love story developing in one scene the next one shows him caught between two rival politicians. This goes on right till the end where a good ten minutes are utilised to explain what happened to the various characters who were forgotten in the course of the film. Read More

Trend Guru was not surprised to see that the web community is busy find the news on firing of employees at  reputed IT companies like Infosys, Wipro, Satyam Computers, Patni, TCS, HCL, Accenture and IBM. There are news doing rounds the job street that all these companies have fired hundreds of their employees. However, this is purely rumors and nothing concrete has come out from the press. Satyam has recently asked around 400 employees to go based on non performance. TCS has aslo shown the doors to 500 odd emplyees (all new) for non-performing. in the early 2008. Around 25,000 odd staff of lehman brothers is scounting for jobs and are being employed by KPO's at a deep discount to their salaries in lehman brothers.

An earthquake of moderate intensity was felt early on Wednesday morning near Sangli in Western Maharashtra. Magnitude of the quake, whose epicentre was 13.6 km from Koyna Dam, was 4.8 on the Richter scale. There has been no damage to the dam, which is filled to its capacity. There were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property in the tremor which was felt at 3.17 am and lasted for 30 seconds.

'Death in sleep' rumours keep Pune awake

It was a sleepless Wednesday night for many citizens in the Pimpri-Chinchwad township and some Pune suburbs, following a rumour that people were dying in their sleep. The 'reasons ' for the rumoured deaths were many - planetary effect, fast spreading illness and earthquake.
The rumours started spreading around 2 am on Thursday, as people started receiving calls on their phones informing them about the sudden deaths and warning them not to sleep.
Panic and anxiety spread among the people, mostly staying in chawls and hutments. The rumours spread fast as people started calling others on their mobiles.
Sunita Kamble, a resident of Sangvi, said she and her two children stayed awake outside the house after her husband received a phone call around 4 am, saying that people were dying in their sleep.
Another resident Tarabai Janrao too was awake, along with her children and family members, since early morning. Nanda Adhav of Kothrud also said she had heard about the panic that had spread in the locality.
The Pimpri police confirmed that a rumour had spread among the citizens. The rumour also caused anxiety among parents and in some institutions. "We received three- four calls in the morning from some students, a college and a bank employee asking whether the situation is normal and whether people can travel," the duty officer at Pimpri police station said.
Chandrakant Shendkar of Balajinagar in Katraj told TOI that many residents in the locality did not sleep in the wee hours.
Chetan Chavale, who stays at the hospital quarters near Aundh, said he had received two calls from his relatives staying in Barshi and Tuljapur. "I was told that people were dying in their sleep due to some planetary effect. However, I did not believe it and had a good sleep," he said.
Sukhdev Bachute of Sangvi said that although he did not believe in the rumour, children were the most sufferers as they were made to stay awake by their parents.
This is the second such rumour that has spread among people since Saturday, when Rakshabandhan was celebrated. As there was a lunar eclipse on Saturday, a rumour had spread among a section of females that if the rakhi was tied then the brother would die. Despite the rumours, the festival was celebrated with much fervour and gaiety.

Vishwakarma is known as the divine engineer since the Puranic age. As a mark of reverence He is still worshipped specially by the engineering community. The festival is observed on the "Kanya Sankranti Day", which follows the "Ganesh Puja", in every industrial towns of Orissa. Towns like Hirakud and Rourkela present the grandest ceremony on the occasion depicting different fire works connected with modern technology. This day is also known as the 'Engineers' Day'.  In 2008, Vishwakarma Jayanti falls on 17th September.                                            Vishwakarma created 5 Brahmas from each of his 5 face, they are 1. Sanaga Brahma Rishi, 2. Sanaathana Brahma Rishi, 3. Abhuvanasa Brahma Rishi, 4. Prathnasa Brahma Rishi, 5. Suparnasa Brahma Rishi, in later mythology sometimes identified with Tvastr, he is the divine craftsman of the whole Universe (RV 10.81.3), and the builder of all the gods' palaces. Vishwakarma is also the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons and divine attributes. He is said to have revealed the Sthapatyaveda or fourth Upa-veda, and presides over the sixty-four mechanical arts.

According to mythology it is Vishwakarma who designed the triloka; the tripartite universe consisting of the mortal world, the heavens, and the netherworld. Vishwakarma is also credited for creating the missiles used in the mythological era, including the Vajra the sacred weapon of Lord Indra (a parallel of Zeus' thunderbolts) from the ribs of sage Dadhichi.

He is regarded as the supreme worker, the very essence of excellence and quality in craftsmanship.

The Jagannath Temple is a sacred Hindu temple in Puri, famous for its enormous statues of Krishna and his siblings Subhadra and Balarama, of which Vishwakarma is considered the sculptor.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र नवनिर्माण सेना, English translation: Maharashtra Reconstruction Army) is a regional political party operating in Maharashtra, India. It was founded on the 9th of March 2006 in Mumbai. Its president and founder is Raj Thackeray.                                           The party was founded by Raj Thackeray, nephew of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. Raj Thackeray resigned from his uncle's party in January 2006 and announced his intention to start a new political party. The reason given by him for breaking away from the Shiv Sena was that the latter was "run by petty clerks" because of which it had "fallen from its former glory".

At the time of the party's foundation, Raj Thackeray stated that he does not want to have hostilities with his uncle who "was, is and always will be (his) mentor".

Maharashtra Navanirman Vidhyarthi Sena  (MNVS)

The Maharashtra Navanirman Vidhyarthi Sena is a regional Student political party operative in Maharashtra, India. It was founded on the 1st of August 2006 in Mumbai.

The MNVS strives to render equal opportunities for tech student and Youth of young India, and the party's main objective is to help students in ALL forms for their common issues and also conduct various diverse social events and activities, fairs, competitions, and provide a platform for the students.

Axis Bank was the first of the new private banks to have begun operations in 1994, after the Government of India allowed new private banks to be established. The Bank was promoted jointly by the Administrator of the specified undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (UTI - I), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and other four PSU insurance companies, i.e. National Insurance Company Ltd., The New India Assurance Company Ltd., The Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. and United India Insurance Company Ltd.

The Bank today is capitalized to the extent of Rs. 358.56 crores with the public holding (other than promoters) at 57.57%.

The Bank's Registered Office is at Ahmedabad and its Central Office is located at Mumbai. Presently, the Bank has a very wide network of more than 713 branch offices and Extension Counters. The Bank has a network of over 2904 ATMs providing 24 hrs a day banking convenience to its customers. This is one of the largest ATM networks in the country.

The Bank has strengths in both retail and corporate banking and is committed to adopting the best industry practices internationally in order to achieve excellence.

Important Axis Bank Links

News Highlights

Q1 FY 09 Net profit at Rs. 330.14 crores, up by 88.67% YoY

Investor Presentation Q1 FY 09

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Vikram Bhatt’s horror movie 1920 doesn’t leave you zombied. But it does scare you enough to have a few sweaty, sleepless hours when you hit the bed at night.
The movie derives its title from the year it’s set in, when huge mansions (in present-day Yorkshire) stood tall on the suburbs of Mumbai and horse-drawn carriages plied on dusty grounds carrying dandy men in suits and women in Victorian gowns and hats. Sadly, there aren’t any buxom ladies in tight corsets here.

Rajneesh Duggal plays Arjun, an architect, and Adah Sharma plays his catholic wife, Lisa. The couple, wedded despite parental disapproval, arrives at a haveli that the suave architect plans to convert into a hotel as his big project. The only trouble is – the haveli is haunted by a spirit that eventually possesses Lisa. Even as the girl transforms from a beautiful bride to a withered zombie that talks in multiple voices and levitates in bed, the guy doesn’t run away but stands beside her, his love unshaken, until he finds a way to exorcise her of the demonic spirit.
Plot-wise, ‘1920’ doesn’t offer anything remarkably novel or nightmarish. It abounds with clichés that collage any typical horror film – a large, empty and dimly-lit mansion with huge portraits staring down ominously at its audience. Or its rich architecture that glistens through the shifting shadows. Or a lantern-carrying housekeeper with mysterious facial expressions.
Despite this, the film works to an extent because Vikram Bhatt holds it tight until the very climax. The director lays the ground in the first half and shoots up the scare-quotient in the second half considerably enough for you to feel a full bladder mid-way through your carbonated drink.
The film also works because its actors, Rajneesh Duggal and Adah Sharma, deliver credible performances in aptly-suited roles. Adah’s blanched complexion particularly makes her well-suited to play a possessed girl. Raj Zutsi as the scowling priest is too stilted.
The music is quite evocative except the Rakhi Sawant number which stands out like a sore thumb in this sufficiently spooky tale.
Courtesy : Apun Ka Choice.com

After the revolutionary YZF-R15 launched earlier this year, it's the turn of the eagerly awaited FZ-16. It will boast of a power-packed 153.7 CC four-stroke, air-cooled engine. The mini-Fazer will feature state of the art – YTPS (Yamaha Throttle Position Sensor), for better throttle response and fuel efficiency and will be loaded with a fully digital console with digital readout for RPM, Speed, Trip and Odo. FZ-16 will be launched on Saturday, September 13th 2008 and the deliveries will commence by Oct. 2008. The FZ-16 is estimated to cost around Rs. 70,000 ex-showroom.

VEHICLE SUMMARY

Name: FZ16

Type: Naked

Top Speed: 132kph

Fuel Consumption: City 31.00

Fuel Consumption: Highway 41.00

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS

Displacement: 154cc

Engine: Air-cooled, 4-stroke, Single Cylinder

Maximum Power: 15bhp@8400rpm

Maximum Torque: 15 Nm@7500rpm

Gears: 6 Manual

Clutch: 0

Bore: 57

Stroke: 58.7

No. of Cylinders: 1

Valve Per Cylinder: 4

Cooling Type: Liquid Cooling

DIMENSIONS

Length: 1995.00 mm

Width: 670.00 mm

Height: 1070.00 mm

OTHER SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 124.00 kg

Ground Clearance: 165.00 mm

Fuel Tank: 13.00 ltrs

Wheelbase: 1290.00 mm

Headlamp: 12V35W / 35W＋35W

Wheel Type: 5 Spoke Alloys

Wheel Size: 80/90 / 100/80 mm mm

Tubeless: Yes

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY

Suspension(Front): Telescopic

Suspension(Rear): Linked type Monocross

Brakes: Liquid Cooling

Brakes(Rear): Hydraulic, single disc

Stand Alarm: Yes

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

Fuel Guage: Digital

Self Start: : Yes
Tacho Meter: Analogue

Trip Meter: Digital-2

Alloys: Yes
Speedometer:  Digital

Passenger Footrest: Yes
Passenger Backrest: No
Step-up Seat: No
Pass-light:: Yes
Low Fuel Indicator: yes
Low Oil Indicator: Yes
Low Battery Indicator:No
High Oil Temp. Indicator:No
Choked Air Filter Indicator: No

Trend Guru anticipates that this bike would drive the bikers crazy with its sexy looks and bold features. Of course , the beauty comes at a price.

Carnival of Onam continues for ten days in the state of Kerala. In some regions of the state festivities are restricted to four to six days only. However, scholars say, the festivities have toned down a lot in the present time. In earlier days, Onam was celebrated for a month and much more lavishly.
Nevertheless, Onam is still celebrated with gaiety and joy on all the ten days of the festivities. There are set rituals for each day and the traditional people of Kerala dutifully follow them. The mood of the people is upbeat all through the carnival and the high spirited people of Kerala are ever ready to indulge in merriment.
Of all these days the first day Atham and the tenth day Thiruvonam are the most significant ones. Ninth day Uthradam is also considered to be extremely important from the point of view of celebrations in several parts of Kerala.

Atham - Day One

Atham is the first day of festivities in the ten-day-long Onam carnival. The day of Atham comes ten days before the asterism Onam or Thiru Onam hence Atham is regarded holy and auspicious by the traditional people of Kerala.
To complete the rituals of Atham people take early bath and offer prayers in the local temple. There is also a set breakfast for Atham consisting of steamed bananas and fried pappadam (pappad). This breakfast remains the same till the tenth and the last day of Thiru Onam. A swing decked with flowers is also slung from a high branch and youngsters take great delight in swinging and singing Oonjal (swing) songs.  Read More

Chithira - Day Two

Chithira is the second day of celebrations in the ten-day-long Onam festivities. There are not any marked rituals for the day but people offer their prayers to evoke divine blessings.
For girls the importance of the day lies in the fact they will add new flowers to Pookalam which they started on the day of Atham. So they have to unleash their creativity and think of the most innovative and creative design. Boys of the house will get the job of arranging flowers for the girls. After all everybody wishes to invite Lord Maveli in their own house by making the best Pookalam in the neighbourhood.
Planning and intense discussions for the big day of Onam begins from this day. Each event is discussed in detail so that nothing remain undone or incomplete. A long shopping list is prepared and children get the opportunity of putting in their long pending demands in the elaborate list. A time for wish fulfillment for everyone!

Chodhi - Day Three

Third day of the ten-day-long carnival of Onam is called Chothi or Chodi. The day is marked by buzz and lot of activities. Frenzied shopping can be witnessed in the market place all over the state as everybody buys new clothes and accompanying accessories for the grand festival of Onam. Gifts are also procured for everyone in the house including the servants. Some shopping is also done for closed relatives. With the increasing hype for the festival, thanks to the media, shopkeepers too come up with innovative incentives to lure the customers who are in the mood to spend. These days even electronic good keepers offer attractive discounts to cash in on the bullish mood of the festivities.
Well, there are no set rituals for Chothi. Specific flowers are added to Pookalam on this day too. It may be noted that different types of flowers are added to Pookalam on each day as each flower is devoted to a particular deity. As a result Pookalam increases in diameter on this day and gets a refreshing new design.

Visakam - Day Four

Vishagam or Visakam is the fourth day of the Onam festivities. As the number of days left for the big days are very few now, excitement becomes palpable amongst the people of Kerala. Brisk activities in the market and households can be witnessed on the day of Visakam.
Women who have to prepare the elaborate meal of Onasadya on Thiruvonam, gets engaged in the prior preparations on Visakam. Making of various types of pickles and pappadams (papad) besides various other things begins now.
Girls engage themselves in making new designs for Pookalam with flowers of different colours and shapes. It is an endearing sight to watch women dressed in their traditional attire working on the Pookalam. They sing and make merry as and at the same time give shape to their creativity. Pookalam designing competitions are also organised at various places. These are extremely popular in Kerala and witness a participation of large number of designers and onlookers.

Anizham - Day Five

Anizham is the fifth day of Onam celebrations. High point of the day is the grand Snake Boat Race event called Vallamkali, which takes place on the fifth day of the Onam. The hugely popular competition happens on the banks of the river Pamba at Aranmulla. A multitude of domestic and international tourists come to witness the colourful spectacle of the race.
A large number of long snake like boats called chundan vallams participate in Vallamkali. Each picturesquely decorated boat is oared by hundreds of oarsmen dressed in the traditional dhoti and turban. Boats are oared on the rhythm of vanchipattu or boat songs. Vallamkali is essentially a team event as a single mistake by a oarsman can lead to overturning of the boat.
On the home front, more flowers are added to the Pookalam laid in the front courtyard of the house. Women become extremely busy making preparations for Thiru Onam and a general atmosphere of excitement prevail at this time in Kerala.

Thriketa - Day Six

Triketta or Thriketa is the sixth day of the carnival of Onam. A feeling of joy and jubilation can be felt amongst the people of Kerala at this time. Cultural programmes and social gatherings are organised by various cultural societies all over the state. People of all religions caste and creed participate in these events as the festival of Onam has come to be seen as a secular festival. Government of India too celebrates Onam as the National Festival of Kerala.
There are no set rituals marked for the day of Triketta. It marks the time for home coming for people staying away from their families for various reasons; Onam is the time for family get together and nobody likes to be away from family and dear ones. Joys of festivities doubles in the company of family members and close friends. On this happy note, Pookalam gets a more beautiful design and fresh flowers

Moolam - Day Seven

Moolam is the seventh day of the festival of Onam which continues for ten days. With just two days left for the festival now, enthusiasm grips the state of Kerala. Bright colours of the festivities can be seen in commercial areas of the state where the shops are loaded with goods and people are jostling for a space. There is hustle and bustle everywhere as excited people do their last bit of shipping. What is even more apparent on the faces of millions of people of Kerala is the spirit of joy and happiness. People get the feel that the time to meet their Onathappan has just come. A year long wait is going to be over and there will be celebrations all around.
Pookalam is made in a new design with kondattam (gaiety) on this day with the most beautiful flowers. For Maveli is coming and there is mirth all over.

Pooradam - Day Eight

Pooradam is the eighth day of the ten-day-long carnival of Onam. The day holds significance in Onam festivities. Devotees create clay idols in the shape of small pyramids called a Ma. As the idol is created on the day of Pooradam, it is also called Poorada Uttigal. Each Ma is decorated with flowers.
On Pooradam size of the Attha Poo gets further increased due to an addition of design with a different flower. Hectic last minute shopping takes place at this time as people strives to give shape to their creative plans. Massive house cleaning operation starts as people ensure that everything looks neat and tidy when the Onathappan arrives. People also visit friends and relatives and exchange warm greetings of the festive occasion

Uthradam - Day Nine

Utradam or Uthradam is the ninth and the penultimate day of the festival of Onam. There is jubilation all around as people prepare to welcome the spirit of King Mahabali. In some regions of Kerala festivities of Onam starts in a full fledged way from Utradam itself. It is a public holiday on that day. Some people also call Utradam as the first Onam and the next day Thiru Onam as the second Onam.
On the day of Utradam tenants and dependents of Nayar Tarawads (traditional large joint families sharing a common kitchen) bring produce of their farms or the product of their toil to the Karanavar (eldest member of the Tarawad). These gifts from the tenants to the Karanavar are called Onakazhcha. Karanavar greets these people warmly and treats them with a sumptuous meal on Thiru Onam. Village artisans also bring their handicrafts to the Karanavar and are graciously rewarded.
Houses are cleaned up on this day and people get charged up to participate in the events to take place on the following day. Pookalam is given a nice design with new and special flowers on this day.

Thiruvonam - Day Ten

Thiruvonam Aashamsakal ! The enchanting state of Kerala reverberates with the chants of Onaashmsakal, "To everyone, Onam Wishes" as people exchange warm greetings of the occasion on the tenth and the most important day of the carnival of Onam. People believe that it is on Thiru Onam that the spirit of legendary King Mahabali visits the state of Kerala.
Activities begin early in the morning. People clean their house, take early bath, wear new clothes and participate in special prayers organised in individual homes and then in local temples. Later a very special and the biggest of all days Pookalam is prepared to welcome Maveli. Clay mounds in the shape of pyramids representing Lord Vishnu and Mahabali are prepared and placed in front of the Pookalam.
In the noon the grand feast of Onam called Onasadya is prepared. The strictly vegetarian meal consists of 11 - 13 mandatory dishes and is served on a banana leaf. The eldest member of the family presents gifts and new clothes to the family members.
Various cultural events are organised all over the state to mark the day. Dances, games, shows and get together are the other highlights of the day. Patassu (fire crackers) are also burnt to celebrate the occasion.
There are some rituals also marked for the eleventh and twelfth day called Avittom and Chatayam or Chathayam respectively. But the major celebrations get over on the tenth and the most important day of Thiruvonam.

Courtesy : onamfestival.org

Trend Guru wishes all the readers a Happy Onam. Let us share some information about this festival and how and why is it celebrated.

When is Onam?

Onam 2008 is on September 12, Friday

When is Thiru Onam?

Onam carnival continues for ten days, starting from the day of Atham and culminating on Thiru Onam. Atham and Thiru Onam are the most important days for Onam festivities. The day of Atham is decided by the position of stars. Onam festival commences from lunar asterism (a cluster of stars smaller than a constellation) Atham (Hastha) that appears ten days before asterism Onam or Thiru Onam. Atham is regarded as auspicious and holy day by people of Kerala. Thiru Onam corresponds to the Shravan day in the month of August or September, hence it is also called Sravanotsavam.
At this time sun is in the Zodiac sign of Leo (Simha rasi), which happens to be the sun's house as well.

Significance of Onam Day in Mythology

The dayof Onam is decided in accordance with the legend of King Mahabali in whose honor Onam is celebrated. People believe that it was this particular day in the month of Chingam when Lord Vishnu took his fifth avatar as Vaamana, appeared in the kingdom of King Mahabali and sent him to nether world.
People believe that it is on the last day, Tiruonam that the spirit of King Maveli visits Kerala, hence the day is marked by feast and festivities. Devotees of Maveli celebrate the golden era witnessed in Maveli's reign during Onam. To welcome their revered ruler, people lay flower mats (Pookalam) in the front courtyard, prepare a grand meal (Onasadya), dance, play and make merry. All this is done to impress upon King Mahabali that his people are prosperous and happy.

A Brief History of Onam

It is believed that Onam celebrations started during the Sangam Period. Record of celebrations can be found from the time of Kulasekhara Perumals (800 AD). At that time Onam celebrations continued for a month.

Harvest Time

As it is a harvest season, the beautiful state of Kerala can be seen in its magnificent best. Weather is pleasantly sunny and warm calling for mirth and celebrations. Fields look brilliant as they glow with golden paddy grains. It is also the boom time of fruits and flowers. After the month of deprivation, Karkidakam (last month of Malayalam Calendar), farmers are happy with a bountiful harvest and celebrate the festival to the hilt.

Onam Rituals

Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of Kerala. Festivities of Onam continue for ten long days. Of all these days, most important ones are the first day, Atham and the last or tenth day, Thiru Onam.

Religious and traditional people of Kerala sincerely follow all the customs and traditions set by their ancestors. A number of cultural programmes, dances, songs and feasts mark the festival.

Rituals for the Atham Day

Celebrations commence from the first day, Atham. The day is regarded holy and auspicious by the people of Kerala. People take early bath on the day and offer prayers in the local temple.
Notable feature of this day is that making of Pookkallam or the flower carpet starts from this day. Attha Poo is prepared in the front courtyard by girls of the house to welcome the spirit of King Mahabali in whose honour Onam is celebrated. Boys play a supporting role and help in gathering flowers. In the following days, more flowers are added to Pookalam. As a result Pookalam turns out to be of massive size on the final day.
Preparations for the Thiru Onam starts in a big way and everybody gets engaged to mark the festival in their own style. House cleaning starts on a massive scale and everything is made to look neat and tidy. There is also a set breakfast consisting of steamed bananas and fried pappadam (pappad). This remains the same till the day of Thiru Onam. A swing is also slung on a high branch of a tree. It is decorated with flowers and the youngsters take great delight in swinging and singing, that goes simultaneously.

Rituals for the ninth day-Utradam

A day prior to Onam is the ninth day of the festivities and is known as Utradam. On this day tenants and depends of Tarawads (traditional large joint family sharing a common kitchen and consisting of more than hundred people) give presents to Karanavar, the eldest member of the family. These presents are usually the produce of their farms consisting of vegetables, coconut oil, plantains etc. This gift from the villagers to Karanavar on Onam are called 'Onakazhcha'. A sumptuous treat is offered is offered by Karanavar in return for Onakazhcha. Village artisans also offer a specimen of their handicrafts to the Karanavar of Nayar Tarawads. They receive gracious rewards for this courtesy.
The Big Day - Thiru Onam
Kerala appears in its grandiose best on this day. Cultural extravaganza, music and feasts add colours of merriment and joy to the God's Own Country. There are celebrations all around the state and everybody takes active participation in them; Onam has assumed a secular character and is celebrated by people of all religions and communities.
Morning Rituals
People wake up as early as 4 am on the day of Onam. Day begins with cleaning of the house. In the earlier days, front courtyards were smeared with cow dungs. The custom is still followed in villages, where the houses are not cemented.
On the day of Thiruvonam conical figures in various forms are prepared from sticky clay and are painted red. These are decorated with a paste made of rice-flour and water and are placed in the front court yard and other important places in the house. Some of these clay figures are in the shape of cone and others represent figures of Gods. Those in the shape of a cone are called, 'Trikkakara Appan'. The tradition of making clay cones for Trikkara Appan has its roots in mythology, which says that festival originated at Trikkakara, a place 10 km from Cochin. Trikkara is also said to be the capital in the reign of legendary King Maveli.
Elaborate prayers ceremonies and poojas are also performed on this day. A senior member of the house plays the role of the priest and conducts the rituals. He wakes up early and prepares ata; Ata is prepared from rice flour and molasses for Nivedyam (offerings to God). Lamps are lit up in front of the idols and all members of the house join in for the ceremonies. Priest offers ata, flowers and water in the names of the God. As Onam is also a harvest festival people thank God for the bountiful harvest and pray for the blessings in the coming year. A peculiar custom is followed after this, wherein male members make loud and rhythmic shouts of joys. The tradition is called, 'Aarppu Vilikkukal'. This represents the beginning of Onam.
It is now the time for members of the house to dress up in their best attire and offer prayers in the local temple. Most people wear new clothes on the day. There is also a tradition of distributing new clothes on Onam. In Tharawads (traditional large family consisting of more than hundred people), Karanavar, the eldest member of the family, gives new clothes as gifts, called Onapudava, to all family members and servants. Other members of the family exchange gifts amongst each other.
The Big Feast - Onasadya
After completing the morning rituals, it is time for the family to get ready for the grand meal called Onasadya. The biggest and most prominent place in the house is selected to lay the meal which is traditionally served in a row on a mat laid on the floor.
The central place in the row is occupied by the eldest member of the family. In front of him is placed a lighted brass lamp at a distance. Towards the west of the lamp is placed a small plantain leaf on which the food is served. This is an offering made in the name of Lord Ganapathy.
Thereafter, the meal is served to all present. The elaborate meal consists of 11 to 13 strictly vegetarian dishes and is served on banana leaves. There is a fixed order of serving the meal and a set place to serve the various dishes on the leaf. A lot of preparation and hard work goes in making of the scrumptious Onasadya.
Time for Fun - Dances and Games
After the grand meal, it's time for people to indulge in recreational activities and enjoy the festival. Men of strength and vigour go in for rigorous sports while senior and sober members pass time by playing indoor games like chess and cards. There is a set of traditional games to be played on Onam which are collectively called, Onakalikal. It includes ball games, combats, archery and Kutukutu (Kerala version of Kabaddi).
Women go in for dancing activities as there are specific dances like Kaikottikali and Thumbi Thullal for the festival of Onam. Women performing the graceful clap dance called Kaikotti kali in their traditional gold bordered mundu and neriyathu presents a splendid sight. Besides, there is also a tradition of playing on a decorated swing hung from a high branch. Onappaattu - Onam Songs, are also sung on the occasion.
Celebrations and cultural programmes are held all across the state to mark the festival of Onam in which a large number of people participate. Prominent amongst them are Vallamkali- the Snake Boat Race and entertaining events like Kummatti kali and Pulikali. The other highpoint of Onam is the dazzling display of fire works. The state of Kerala can be seen engulfed in light and spirit of merriment when people burst patassu or fire crackers.

Customs of Onam

Carnival of Onam encompasses a spectrum of fascinating activities. Traditional people of Kerala even go out of their way to celebrate the festival exhaustive of stipulated customs and traditions in full grandiose.
Besides the various rituals that are meant to be completed in individual households, there are a lot of customary activities that are organised at the level of society and city all over the state.
Athachamayam
Athachamyam is a grand procession that marks the beginning of the grand carnival of Onam. It is celebrated with lot of fan-fair on the day of Atham at Thirpunithura and Piravam. The event recalls a royal tradition when Maharajas of erstwhile Kochi State as a custom traveled to the Thripunithura Fort with their entire entourage. Today, even in the absence of the King, the custom retains its regal charm. Highpoints of the event are performances by folk artistes, caparisoned elephants, musical ensembles and dance shows by skilled artsites.
Snake Boat Race
The most enthralling and popular of all such customary events is the Vallamkali or the Snake Boat Race. The event is held just a few days before Thiru Onam. Though the event takes place at several places in the city, the most important of them all is the one organised at Alappuzha. A large number of big and decorated boats called chundan vallams participate with hundreds of boatmen. Rowing of boats on the rhythm provided by the songs and music of the drum makes it a captivating event.
Aranmula Uthrittathi
This is another magnificent boat event organised in connection with Onam. This annual event takes place on the day of Uthrittathi Asterism at Aranmula. This is meant to relive mythology that narrates a story of Lord Krishna crossing the river on that particular day. It is believed that the spirit of the Lord is present on all the boats hence there is no competition of any sort in this event. A large number of people come to watch the joyous event. Some also offer Valla Sady as a vazhipadu (offering) in the temples on this occasion.
Procession of Decked Elephants
Trichur, the cultural capital of Kerala, marks the festival in its own beautiful style. Here, a procession of decorated elephants in carried out on the streets. It's a resplendent site to watch the bejeweled elephants walking on the streets in their full majesty and grandeur. Children particularly take great delight in watching the show of their favourite animal. Songs, dance and merry making are a part of this event.
Celebrations at Cheruthuruthy
Renowned for housing the famous, Kerala Kalamandalm, the Kathakali Training Centre, Cheruthuruthy is a small village in the north of Trissur district. Onam celebrations at Cheruthuruthy are marked for the Kathakali performance by the best artists of the state. A large number of people gather in this village to watch the enactment of scenes from epics and folk tales.
Pulikali/Kaduvakali Performance
This is the most entertaining custom of Onam. In this performers take the guise of tigers. They paint their bodies yellow with patterns of black and red. Scenes of tiger hunting goats and tigers being hunted by humans are beautifully depicted through this folk art. Beat for the performance is provided by udukku and thakil. Pulikali performance of Thrissur and Palghat districts are the most famous.
Kummattikali
This is another recreational folk dance from the state of Kerala, particularly South Malabar. Clad in plaited grass and a huge colourful wooden mask, Kummattikali performers can be seen entertaining people on the festive occasion of Onam. Children are a huge fan of the performance. Mythological and folk themes are enacted on the beat of onavillu in Kummattikali.
Athapoovu Competitions
An integral tradition of Onam, Pookalam has come up as an art form. Competitions for decorating Pookalams are organised all over the state. They are extremely popular and witness the participation of large number of Pookalam designers and onlookers. Creativity of the designers in unleashed through such competitions as they come up with innovative designs each year.
Kaikotti kali / Thiruvathirakali
Kaikottikali is an elegant clap dance performed on the occasion of Onam. In this women sing songs praising the legendary King Mahabali and dance around the pookalam. At the centre of this is placed a lit bronze lamp called nilavilakku. It is a captivating sight to watch troupe of female dancers performing in their traditional Kerala attire consisting of gold bordered off-white mundu-neriyathu and decked with a fragrant gajra in their hair.
Thumbi Thullal
Women also perform Thumbi Thullal as a custom in Onam. It is a folk dance performed by a group of women who sit in the formation of circle. The lead performer sits inside the circle who initiates the song which is taken up by other singers. Clap dance is also performed by the women dressed in their best clothes and ethnic jewelery.
Onakalikal
This is a collective name for all the games played on the occasion of Onam. Traditional games of Onam constitute rigorous sports like Talappanthukali, Kutukutu and combats like Kayyankali and Attakalam. Archery is also a part of Onakalikal. Senior members go in for indoor games like cards and chess. Sports events are organised by various social and cultural organisations all over the state.

Courtesy : onamfestival.org

Associated Press

The world's largest particle collider successfully completed its first major test by firing a beam of protons all the way around a 17-mile (27-kilometre) tunnel on Wednesday in what scientists hope is the next great step to understanding the makeup of the universe.
After a series of trial runs, two white dots flashed on a computer screen at 10:36 a.m. (0836 GMT) indicating that the protons had travelled the full length of the 3.8 billion US dollar Large Hadron Collider.
Cheers erupted from the assembled scientists, including project leader Lyn Evans, in the collider's control room at the Swiss-French border when the beam completed its lap.
Champagne corks popped in labs as far away as Chicago, where contributing scientists watched the proceedings by satellite.
Physicists around the world now have much greater power than ever before to smash the components of atoms together in attempts to see how they are made.
The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, known as CERN began firing the protons - a type of subatomic particle - around the tunnel in stages less than an hour earlier.
Now that the beam has been successfully tested in clockwise direction, CERN plans to send it counterclockwise.
Eventually two beams will be fired in opposite directions with the aim of recreating conditions a split second after the big bang, which scientists theorise was the massive explosion that created the universe.
The start of the collider - described as the biggest physics experiment in history - comes over the objections of some skeptics who fear the collision of protons could eventually imperil the earth.
The skeptics theorised that a byproduct of the collisions could be micro black holes, subatomic versions of collapsed stars whose gravity is so strong they can suck in planets and other stars.
James Gillies, chief spokesman for CERN dismissed this as nonsense before Wednesday's start.
CERN is backed by leading scientists like Britain's Stephen Hawking in dismissing the fears and declaring the experiments to be absolutely safe.
Gillies said that the most dangerous thing that could happen would be if a beam at full power were to go out of control, and that would only damage the accelerator itself and burrow into the rock around the tunnel.
Nothing of the sort occurred on Wednesday, though accelerator is still probably a year away from full power. The project organised by the 20 European member nations of CERN has attracted researchers from 80 nations.
Some 1,200 are from the United States, an observer country which contributed 531 million US dollar. Japan, another observer, also is a major contributor.
The collider is designed to push the proton beam close to the speed of light, whizzing 11,000 times a second around the tunnel.
Smaller colliders have been used for decades to study the makeup of the atom. Less than 100 years ago scientists thought protons and neutrons were the smallest components of an atom's nucleus, but in stages since then experiments have shown they were made of still smaller quarks and gluons and that there were other forces and particles.
The CERN experiments could reveal more about "dark matter," antimatter and possibly hidden dimensions of space and time.
It could also find evidence of the hypothetical particle - the Higgs boson - believed to give mass to all other particles, and thus to matter that makes up the universe.

The first beam in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN¹ was successfully steered around the full 27 kilometres of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator at 10h28 this morning. This historic event marks a key moment in the transition from over two decades of preparation to a new era of scientific discovery.

“It’s a fantastic moment,” said LHC project leader Lyn Evans, “we can now look forward to a new era of understanding about the origins and evolution of the universe.”

Starting up a major new particle accelerator takes much more than flipping a switch. Thousands of individual elements have to work in harmony, timings have to be synchronized to under a billionth of a second, and beams finer than a human hair have to be brought into head-on collision. Today’s success puts a tick next to the first of those steps, and over the next few weeks, as the LHC’s operators gain experience and confidence with the new machine, the machine’s acceleration systems will be brought into play, and the beams will be brought into collision to allow the research programme to begin.

Once colliding beams have been established, there will be a period of measurement and calibration for the LHC’s four major experiments, and new results could start to appear in around a year. Experiments at the LHC will allow physicists to complete a journey that started with Newton's description of gravity. Gravity acts on mass, but so far science is unable to explain the mechanism that generates mass. Experiments at the LHC will provide the answer. LHC experiments will also try to probe the mysterious dark matter of the universe – visible matter seems to account for just 5% of what must exist, while about a quarter is believed to be dark matter. They will investigate the reason for nature's preference for matter over antimatter, and they will probe matter as it existed at the very beginning of time.

“The LHC is a discovery machine,” said CERN Director General Robert Aymar, “its research programme has the potential to change our view of the Universe profoundly, continuing a tradition of human curiosity that’s as old as mankind itself.”

Tributes have been coming in from laboratories around the world that have contributed to today’s success.

“The completion of the LHC marks the start of a revolution in particle physics,” said Pier Oddone, Director of the US Fermilab. “We commend CERN and its member countries for creating the foundation for many nations to come together in this magnificent enterprise. We appreciate the support that DOE and NSF have provided throughout the LHC's construction. We in the US are proud to have contributed to the accelerator and detectors at the LHC, together with thousands of colleagues around the world with whom we share this quest.”

“I congratulate you on the start-up of the Large Hadron Collider,” said Atsuto Suzuki, Director of Japan’s KEK laboratory, “This is a historical moment.”

“It has been a fascinating and rewarding experience for us,” said Vinod  C. Sahni, Director of India’s Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, “I extend our best wishes to CERN for a productive run with the LHC machine in the years to come.”

“As some might say: ‘One short trip for a proton, but one giant leap for mankind!’ TRIUMF, and indeed all of Canada, is delighted to bear witness to this amazing feat,” said Nigel S. Lockyer, Director of Canada’s TRIUMF laboratory. “Everyone has been involved but CERN is to be especially congratulated for bringing the world together to embark on such an incredible adventure.”

An American communications trainee - known as Alpinekat on the web, has become famous for her "CERN Rap" which explains in rhymes the Large Hadron Collider.

Just under 5 minutes long, the clip has already scored more than 1.4 million hits on YouTube.

It starts with physicists in white blouses dancing 100 meters underground in the LHC tunnel.

Entirely written and produced by the 23-year-old trainee in CERN's communication department, the clip explains in simple rhymes and words what the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment will consist in doing and what it aims at discovering.

The Live video Feed of Bang Bang Experiment by CERN can be viwed by clicking the link below

Live Webcast of Big Bang

LHC First Beam - 10th September 2008 - 9am CEST (GMT+2)
Due to a huge interest for this live video feed of the LHC First Beam day, you may not be able to see the live video stream and we apologise for this.
Please try reloading the page, come back later, or check the other connection options available on this page.

Big Bang 2: The milestone CERN experiment, step by step

The most important scientific experiment in recent history starts officially on Wednesday morning when the biggest particle accelerator ever built becomes operational. Its purpose is to recreate what happened imediately after the Big Bang and thus help scientists to better understand universal processes. But the events involving the huge LHC particle accelerator today are just the start of a long period of collosal scientific efforts due to continue for years to come.

What happens today:

• In the morning, at 9.00 Geneva time, a quick planning session takes place at the European center for nuclear research (CERN), to be followed half an hour later by the injection of a first particle beam into the LHC accelerator. The event can be followed live at http://webcast.cern.ch/
• Scientists, engineers and even Nobel laureates are expected to make regular briefings and hold Q&A sessions throughout the day
• The purpose of the first day of the experiment is that the first particle beam fully circles the accelerator. Armies of experts will try to make sure everything goes fine as malfunctions can occur, given the complexity of the system

What will come next:

• After a first evaluation of this phase, another beam will be injected in reverse direction into the accelerator. This may happen in a few days time
• CERN representatives say the first collision of beams from opposite directions to take place no earlier than in six to eight months.
• The first collisions will have a low intensity which will increase gradually to reach a peak when hundreds of millions of collisions take place every second - the most important phase of the experiment, which has sparked speculations (strongly denied by scientists) about a so-called "end of the world"
• The LHC accelerator is due to be shut down for the winter period in mid-November and is expected to be restarted at full capacity next year
• The peta-bytes of data to be collected will be analyzed by some 5,000 scientists through a major computer grid for years to come.

The experiment to re-enact the Big Bang theory will start on Wednesday when the first beams of protons will be fired around a 27-kilometre tunnel.
The beams will then be fired in the opposite direction in about a month. The beams travelling in opposite directions will collide but some critics fear that this collision, could create "black holes" that would endanger the planet.
The machine at CERN promises the scientists a closer look at the makeup of matter, filling in gaps in knowledge or possibly reshaping theories.
The CERN collider is designed to push the proton beam close to the speed of light, whizzing 11,000 times a second around the tunnel, 150 to 500 feet under the countryside on the French-Swiss border.
The project has attracted researchers of 80 nationalities, some 1,200 of them from the United States, which contributed 531 million dollars of the project's price tag of nearly four billion US dollars.

But it hasn't all been plain sailing, the project has been hit by cost overruns, equipment trouble and construction problems.
Scientists also reject suggestions the experiments will bring the end of the world.

What is the Big Bang Theory?
It is most popular and plausible explanation for the origin of our Universe. At a certain point in time -- about 13.7 billion years ago -- there was nothing. And then, the Universe was born. The Big Bang theory is an effort to explain how it happened.
So there was a big bang, which created the Universe!
Not really. The Big Bang was most likely an expansion - which still continues.
What's the evidence?
According to the Hubble's Law galaxies are moving away from the Earth at speeds proportional to their distance. This observation supports the expansion of the Universe and suggests that the Universe was once compacted.
It would also mean that big bang released some heat.
So it seems. In 1965, Radioastronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered that a -270.425 degree Celsius cosmic radiation pervaded the universe. This is believed to be the remnant of the Big Bang.

The 45-member Nuclear Supplier's Group agreed by consensus to alter its guidelines for India, ending its 34 year nuclear isolation, and setting the stage for global commerce with India.

Politically, the "clean waiver" will be seen as a moral booster for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that had been under mounting pressure from sceptics and political opponents at home on the India-US nuclear deal.
"It is a forward looking and momentous decision," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement within hours of the waiver decision reaching here from Vienna.

How the deal on NSG waiver was struck in Vienna

The NSG waiver for India involved three days of hectic and tough negotiations with both the proponent and skeptic countries sticking to their positions but finally reaching a common ground on Saturday morning after US prodding and deft diplomacy by New Delhi.

On the very first day of the meeting of the 45-nation grouping on Thursday, there were demands for changes in the revised draft that the US had prepared following failure to achieve consensus at the August 21-22 parleys.

As soon as the NSG reconvened for the second day, at 9.30 am (1 am IST) on Friday, work started on redrafting of the waiver to accommodate the concerns of the skeptic countries while ensuring that no clauses were incorporated which would bind India.

The major turning point came with the issuance of the statement by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in which he talked about India's abiding commitment to strengthening the nonproliferation system and unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing. That statement went down well among the NSG members including the skeptic countries who saw a lot of their concerns being addressed through it.

Austria, New Zealand, Ireland and Switzerland maintained reservations. They were joined by China which raised some questions with regard to non-proliferation.

The Indian delegation led by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon worked with these countries in early morning, making all-out efforts to ally their concerns.

One by one, skeptic countries started coming around to support the significant initiative. The Chinese told the Indian delegation at 7 am that they will back the initiative. Austria was the last country to say yes, leading to a consensus.

Fun, frolic and mayhem were in abundance in Venkat Prabhu's first directorial venture 'Chennai 600028'. With his second film 'Saroja' the director dutifully follows the same pattern despite having the backdrop of a thriller featuring a kidnap, gun totting desperados and characters with malicious intent.

Even with a no-way-out situation that four friends get themselves into, and with the events unfolding in a real time sequential order, there is still scope for laughs. Premji Amaran's good-for-nothing attitude in the film amalgamated with silly remarks, 'Mirchi' Siva's ever so casual comic remarks, the intense demeanor of Sampath as a bad guy, Prakash Raj as the doting father of a kidnapped daughter, Vega as the kidnapped girl Saroja and Jayaram as the Assistant Commissioner of Police impress in their respective roles. One of the movie's strengths is that all these characters are introduced quickly in such a way that audiences easily understand the roles played by them except when the twists in the film happen.
Major strengths for 'Saroja' are in the form of some breathtaking and spectacular background score from Yuvan Shankar Raja (probably one of his bests so far), slick editing from Praveen K. L and Srikanth N. B (they have a long way to go) and excellent cinematography by Sakthi Saravanan.

Read the complete review on India Glitz

The Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah starrer ‘A Wednesday’, which released all over this Friday, can be touted as the most influential film in Bollywood this year, in terms of the powerful content supported by some extremely outstanding performances.

No guesses there that the theme of the masterpiece is based on a serious issue that has been a constant worry for our leaders- terrorism, but what it really talks more about is the plight and power of the common man. ‘A Wednesday’ belongs to the same genre as of ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan, which became a hit releasing last Friday. But providing a new angle to the dilemma of ‘aam aadmi’, this one gives a reason to one and all to live with the story, and relate to the characters and situation, all the more.
Directed by the debutante Neeraj Pandey, ‘A Wednesday’ works like a fire because of its engrossing plotline, and incredibly encouraging storytelling. The journey of the film, right from start to end, keeps you on tenterhooks. And the climax is what takes this film to a trembling level.
The film tells the story of some unrecorded events that unfold between 2 pm to 6 pm on a Wednesday in Mumbai. The plot kicks off when a Mumbai Police Commissioner, Prakash Rathod (Anupam Kher) gets a call demanding the release of 4 most wanted militants in return of the information of bombs that the blackmailer has already planted in one of the most populated areas of the city. At first, Prakash suspects it to be a crank call, but his doubts are dismissed when he actually finds a bomb planted in the police station right opposite his police headquarters.
‘A Wednesday’ goes on to highlight the commissioner’s hard and desperate attempts to hunt down the caller with the help of his best men played by Aamir Bashir and Jimmy Shergill. He even hires a young hacker to help his team trace the calls and also the location of the anonymous caller. There are no concrete results even as the time passes and eventually Prakash decides to free the militants and hand them over to the anonymous caller. Thereafter, the events take a peculiar twist.
The story becomes more gripping as soon as the identity of the caller (Naseeruddin Shah) is disclosed. The film puts forward to you numerous twists, tough challenges- one after the other- in those 1.30 hours. Sans the songs and unwanted masala, the film is a serious story to tell and it tells it most effectively.
No amount of praise would be enough for each of the actors in the film for their performance. Naseeruddin Shah reinforces the fact that he is one of the finest actors in Bollywood. His outbreak in the end—when he talks about the plight of the common man—is dynamic.
Anupam Kher is so equally vibrant in his character that while watching him perform, you begin to feel that there could be none other than him who could carry the humungous responsibility this well.
On the whole, ‘A Wednesday’ is serious cinema at its best. It may not be a commercial entertainer to enthrall the audiences and manage to rule at the Box Office for weeks and months, but it is sure a must watch for all serious and true cinema lovers.

Review : Zee News Picture courtesy: NDTV

Tomorrow is Ganesh Chaturthi and the mood is festive. So let's know more about this festival in general and the Famous Lal Bagh Ganesh in particular. Most of the Cities in India have temples devoted to Lord Ganesha and tomorrow you would find huge crowd worshipping Lord Ganesha on his Birthday.

About Ganesh Chaturthi

According to the legend, Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of resolution, was away at a war. His wife Pavarti, wanted to bathe and having no-one to guard the door to her house, conceived of the idea of creating a son who could guard her. Parvati created Ganesha out of the sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door and instructed him not to let anyone enter.

In the meantime, Lord Shiva returned from the battle but as Ganesha did not know him, stopped Shiva from entering Parvati's chamber. Shiva, enraged by Ganesh’s impudence, drew his sword and cut off Ganesha's head. Pavarti emerged to find Ganesha decapitated and flew into a rage. She took on the form of the Goddess Kali and threatened destruction to the three worlds of Heaven, Earth and the subterranean earth.

Seeing her in this mood, the other Gods were afraid and Shiva, in an attempt to pacify Parvati, sent out his ganas, or hordes, to bring the head of the first living being with his head towards the north (the auspicious direction associated with wisdom). The first living thing they came across was an elephant. So they brought the head of this elephnat and Shiva placed it on the trunk of Parvati's son and breathed life into him. Parvati was overjoyed and embraced her son, the elephant-headed boy whom Shiva named Ganesha, the lord of his ganas.

About Lalbaughcha Ganesh

  Each state in India has its favourite deity. In Bengal, it is Goddess Durga, in Kerala, it is Lord Iyyappa and in Tamilnadu, it is Lord Murugan. In Maharashtra, it is Ganpati and on his birthday on  Ganesh Chaturthi (which falls on September 3, 2008), till the immersion of the idol on September 14, it is 11 days of total revelry. The statistics are benumbing:
Number of sarvajanik (community) Ganesh pandals in 2007: 11828
Number of homes that kept idols in 2007: 1,41,618

Number of idols immersed in 2007 at Girgaum Chowpatty - the most popular site for immersions: 12,138
Number of immersion spot across Mumbai: 59
Police force deployed for Ganeshotsav: 35,000
Homeguards required for helping the police: 10,000
State reserve police force to be deployed: 5,000
And the most important of them all is the famous idol known as Lalbaughcha Raja. The already grandiose Lalbaugcha Raja is all set to get an even more grand birthday in 2008 –  its 75th year of inception – when 10 million devotees are expected to pay their respects to him in those eleven days of celebration.
Every year, at any given moment, some 15,000 devotees get a glimpse of the Lord. The reason for its popularity is the belief that Lalbaughcha Raja Ganapati fulfils every pilgrim’s wishes. The trust in the deity is so strong that thousands make bookings for the puja a year in advance.
The Mandal for the 11-days darshan is known as ‘Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajani Ganeshotsav Mandal’ founded in the year 1934. There was a market in its place earlier and it was shut down in 1932. The fishermen and the vendors who used to make a living there prayed to Lord Ganesh for a permanent place for their market. The Lord granted the request. In return, the fishermen and the traders installed a Ganesha Idol (dressed in the traditional attire of fishermen) on Ganesh Chaturthi in 1934.
Every day of the celebrations, the idol is dressed in a yellow pitamber (dhoti), a stole and a kambar patta (waistbelt) – which cost around Rs 20,000 this year – twice every day – at 3 am and 3 pm. Hence, 22 sets of attire are required every year for the festival. Lalbaugcha Raja, needs 39 metres of cloth for the pitamber alone. The stole and waistbelt are about six metres long, which is equivalent to the length of a saree. Besides this, the idol is adorned with approximately seven to eight kilograms of gold, the main attraction being a golden crown of two kg, gold bracelets and other ornaments. From the year 2005, a silver-and-gold protection for the idol’s feet was also added to the decoration. At a cost of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, the Mandal – one of the richest in the city, had commissioned a covering that was made of 20 kg of silver and 300 grams of gold.
“For several years, we have been noticing that after being repeatedly touched by devotees, the idol’s feet, made of plaster of paris, were getting eroded,” says Sunil Joshi, Chairman of the Mandal. In 2004, Supriya Pilgaonkar (actor Sachin’s wife) who had visited the Raja for the first time, held on to his feet for almost 15 minutes. So, in 2005, we decided it was time to get a protective covering for the God’s feet,” he adds.
The VIPs who visit the idol every year include Bappi Lahiri, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, and Sachin Tendulkar’s family. “Lata Mangeshkar regularly donates 11 gold coins to the Raja during every visit,” adds Sunil.
Lalbaugcha Raja, attracted two million devotees over the weekend in 2007 and this year the total number of pilgrims is expected to touch 10 million. Devotees have to queue up for over nine hours to catch a glimpse of the Lalbaug mandal idol. “On an average it takes nearly 14 hours for a devotee to walk one kilometre from the starting point of the queue at nearby Kalachowkie to the podium at Lalbaugcha Raja Society,” says one  pilgrim. In an hour 10,000 people get to view the idol. An equal number manages to get to the main podium, and this second queue - called the navsa line - consists of devotees who line up for both thanking the Lord and seeking further blessings.
Traditionally the Ganesh idols are immersed in water during the final visarjan. The procession accompanying it takes almost the whole day before it reaches Girgaum Chowpatty. Hence in order to immerse the idol of the Raja, Mandal always takes proper precautions so that the visarjan takes place in a manner the Raja deserves. Accordingly, after consulting experts the Mandal has purchased a tarafa (Iron raft) which makes it possible to immerse the idol of Lalbaugcha Raja in the sea away from the shore.
The best part of this grand festival is that, after the immersion, the offerings are auctioned to devotees and the proceeds are given away for noble causes.
At Lalbagcha Raja, the gold and silver offerings added up to about Rs three crore in 2007. By  auctioning all the valuables, the Mandal got  nearly Rs five crore in 2007. The most expensive item auctioned was a 32-tola gold necklace: for Rs 4,15,000. A silver mouse was sold for Rs 2,85,000. The cash donation amounted to over Rs one crore. This year the mandal expects at least six crores in the auction, which will be given away to the needy.