How to reserve a train ticket online

URL- http://www.irctc.co.in
Long ago in India we used to hate to book train ticket... why because of those stupid lines and lazy govt. officials in ticketing counter who used to take unnecessary tea breaks, lunch breaks, system shut down... horrifying. It used to be a nightmare for each one of us when we were to book tickets for summer holidays… stand in that long long queue and still cannot figure out if we tickets are available or in waiting list and then after standing in the line for hours we come to know that the waiting list if 150 or so…. Daam you are lost and have no option but to curse Indian Railways….

Gone are the days. Today if you see IRCTC which brought in eTicket has become so very convienient and easy to use. Also if not eTickect we can atleast see if the tickets are available which all trains go from where and to where… we salute Indian Railways for running so much trains and that too daily. Hats off to Indian Railways Network.
Now lets me analyze on 3 points on IRCTC
Point 1. Is it user friendly ?Now those of you who are regularly using IRCTC.co.in for railway booking might wonder what’s big deal... we have to deal with it, taxing maybe at times but not that bad after you get the end result. Hmm so why am I asking to myself is it usable enough.
Let me now go round and round.... first of all the whole booking area is fantastic, but the home page is like an Kumbh MELA... don’t know why are some weird ads kept in chaotic manner. These ads can be grouped at one area. You will feel relived once you enter the your user name and password. Aah at least you get the screen wherein you get to see the actual screen. SO now you are logged in. The page looks good at the start wherein you see all the possible links like your booked tickets, cancel tickets, special trains and all others… maybe too long list in left links but if you come to see all are important links. You may feel that it’s of no use to you but in future you will use it mark my words. But But hey this can be improved more by grouping items and placing it in proper place. Like for example some elements are in one group and the same interlinked element of that is in some other group. SO you need to really search for that…. Naah that’s OK we are Indians we are used to these.. that’s our mentality NO PROBS, chaltha hai….
OK lets look at the actual one to book trains…. Now if you look at this there are 2 simple columns like From and TO destinations where you enter some text and it opens in popup (for e.g. I type in Mumbai and press the icon it opens up the popup stating some station code like ddr (dadar), CST and so on….) that’s perfect because they have made it work according to station names, but many a times as the bandwidth is slow, the pop up doesn’t display at times due to overload of traffic. Now how to tackle it ???
There comes AJAX technology, if you type in DADAR and click on the icon, they can display the list of stations at the same page with tree structure and the even the page doesn’t refresh, that’s the beauty of ajax…. OK ppl you would say AJAX cannot be used in this technology… then some other alternative like usage of javascript to display on the same page without refreshing. Now if nothing is possible then display a link which will have all the station names with their station code names… this will be either downloadable one or a simple HTML.
Another useful thing which they missed is to explain what is eTicket and what is iTicket… even till now I get confused, as iTicket is for printing and eTicket is for paper ticker. SO that can be shown as Paper Ticket and Print Ticket or some other words so that the confusion can be avoided
Now lets get to point 2
2. How is the steps of online transaction ?
This is the most important and very much what we are looking and have come to do… booking a ticket. Now the steps of transaction is shown excellently and there is no need for a change as its already user friendly. We can’t get friendlier than this…. Now this is Ok if we are going in for iTicket, but some improvisation can be done in eTicket address saver….
How, though they have the provision to save but many a times it dosen’t work, don’t know why??? Now here user should have provision to save some 5 to 6 different addresses so that every time he doesn’t need to type in address and there will be a time out.
3. Is it safe enough to book or can we rely on it ?
Now comes the important point where all of us in India face… faith on electronic media ??? do you trust these online….
But I will give you an example why this is most secured and reliable. I had faced this problem… I booked this ticket and while ending the transaction there was an error and page was not getting displayed, this is after I paid through my bank online and amount was also debited, but no ticket was booked. I was worried… but I received an eMail from IRCTC that the amount will be credited to my account. Though it takes time for these processing of refund but it happens… we can rely on them. This is good thing about IRCTC we don’t have to be behind them like it happens with some private travel agents like YATRA and CLEAR TRIP, wherein we need to really push them and keep on following up for the refund. Even many of my friends said the same thing… it takes time but you will get your money refunded within a week…
So that’s my view on IRCTC…. So next time if you are against online train booking at-least in India…. Think again… This is one of the best online ticketing and that too which has world’s largest railway network.

BMW car in INDIA

PUNE: Luxury car manufacturer BMW India is conducting a market study on the feasibility of a small car in the luxury segment. “We have not decided on our plans for small cars in India... but are conducting a study to analyse the market,” BMW India president Peter Kronschnabl said. “Our small cars cost Rs 10 lakh overseas. Importing them here will increase the price by more than 100%. We are not sure whether a small luxury car with such a pricing will work in India,” he added.

The BMW study is scheduled to be completed over the next three months, after which the company would decide whether to introduce the small car in India or not. “We are pretty upbeat about the market in India and have invested around Rs 110 crore so far,” Mr Kronschnabl added. BMW is targeting the top position in India in the luxury car segment over the next three to five years and has decided to focus on the Indian market. It has no plans of exporting the BMW 3 and BMW 5 series cars manufactured at its Chennai plant. The company is also planning to increase its dealerships to 12 by 2009, having opened a ninth dealer outlet in Pune in partnership with the Pune-based auto retailer Bavaria Motors. “There is a good potential for luxury cars in India. While the total car market in India was growing at 16%, luxury car market is growing at more than 50%. There are close to 3,500 luxury cars in India now and 2008 will add almost 4,500 luxury cars in India. We aim to achieve the top position in this booming market,” said Mr Kronschnabl. BMW India will also focus on increasing India’s share in sourcing components for its global branches. “We have set up an international purchasing office at our headquarters in Gurgaon,” Mr Kronschnabl added. The existing team would be expanded to 10 members. The purchasing office will explore opportunities for sourcing components from India. Although the company hasn’t finalised any plans for sourcing, it would focus on procurement of production components as well as IT and engineering services, Mr Kronschnabl added.

Expat and Travel

Sripuram Golden Temple Vellore

Golden Temple - when uttered this word, immediately people thinks of Amritsar and the Highest Body of the Sikh's pride Golden Temple. But now it has got a good competition! Yes, an estimated over 600 Crores of Indian Rupees spent, to construct a true Golden Temple for Goddess Mahalakshmi, the presiding deity, (installed and maintained by Sri Narayani Peedam) in this Temple at Sripuram, which is situated 6 km away from the District Headquarters - Vellore, North Arcot District in Tamilnadu. Now, the temple is complete, open to the general public; this town Sripuram has all the facilities one can visit to enjoy his/her spiritual experience.

A Mahalakshmi temple called 'Sripuram' and made of more than a ton of pure gold will glitter and gleam under the sun on August 24 when it is unveiled for consecration by the Sri Narayani Peetam headed by a 31-year-old godman who calls himself Narayani Amma. Devotees hail the temple as 'one of the wonders of the world' and say that it is the only temple covered fully with gold.

More than 400 gold and coppersmiths from the Tirupathi Thirumala Devasthanam are said to have worked for six years to craft the Rs. 600-crore golden temple located on 55,000 sq ft of land on a 100-acre salubrious stretch in Malaikodi, about 6 km from Vellore in north Tamil Nadu. According to official sources, the gold bars were purchased through RBI in "a transparent manner "

First the coppersmiths set to work creating a copper base on the temple structure with engravings and etchings before the gold, beaten into nine layers of foils, was draped around it. The sanctum sanctorum will hold the deity of Mahalakshmi made of stone granite, but covered with gold protection layers. (Kavacham - adornments).

" The Sripuram or Spiritual Park is Amma's dedication to the world and mankind," said P Murali, a trustee of the Peetam, adding that the temple has more gold than the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

Messages by 'Amma' have been laid out along the path to the temple with messages from the Gita, Bible and Quran. "When one enters the Sripuram, their focus is just on the magnificent temple. But when they leave, they cannot do so without taking some messages and gaining some wisdom," according to a booklet detailing the 'services' rendered by the Peetam. "In this quagmire of materialism, Sripuram rises as an inspiration to man to find the divinity within him," adds a Narayani Peedam brochure.

The arrangements were being made to hire personnel to throw a security cover around the temple. "But the gold sheets have been laid out in such a manner that it would cost more to rip it off than purchase the gold," said a top Vellore district official.

How to reach Sripuram Golden Mahalakshmi Temple? Location, Distance, Route & contact details: ( Katpadi Longitude 79 Deg. 8' East, Latitude 12 Deg. North 59' )

Whatsoever may the cause, the Temple location, its surroundings and the peaceful atmosphere are the added attractions for the visitors and it is sure worth to visit this place once. The Maha Laksmi Temple is now an attraction even for the tourists and pilgrimage. This temple is located at Thirumalaikodi; Katpadi is the nearest Railway station in the Chennai-Bangalore route of Southern Railway. How to reach Sripuram? It takes about 3 and half hours drive from Chennai, in the Chennai - Bangalore road. It is in the National Highways NH46 that connects Chennai - Bangalore (Bangaluru) and in NH4 from Ranipet to Bangalore. From Katpadi, one can reach by state owned bus to Sripuram which takes about 15 minutes drive or less. Or, one can reach Thirumalaikodi by bus from Vellore to Anicut / Odugathur route. The State run buses ply via Thirumalaikodi in this route. From Tirupati (Tirupathi) to Katpadi, there are shuttle train services available upto Katpadi or Jolarpettai (Jolarpet Passenger) or one can travel by train from Tirupathi (Tirupati) by Kanyakumari Express from Tirupati to Katpadi which takes less than 3 hours journey. Direct bus services available from all major points to Vellore from Chennai, Chittoor, Bangalore, Kanchipuram, Kanyakumari, Tirupathi & Thiruvannamalai - all being major Temple towns and picnic spots. Vellore is well connected by road with all the southern states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala & Pondicherry. The approximate distance from each major station to Vellore is listed below for the convenience of the visitors:

Chennai - Vellore about 150 kms (Via Sriperumpudur, Sunkuwar Chathram, Kaveripakkam, Wallajahpet, Ranipet, Arcot, Ratnagari - or Arcot by-pass from Ranipet) - 3 and half hours drive from Chennai.

Bangalore - Vellore (via Hosur) - 220 kms (On national highway routes - NH7 > via - Hosur Road - Electronic City - Attibele(NH7) - Hosur - Kamandoddi - Shoolagiri- Melumalai - Kurubarapalli - Krishnagiri > NH46> - Bargur - Vaniyambadi - Ambur - Pallikondaj - Vellore. - around 4 hours drive)

Kanchipuram - Vellore - 58 kms

Tirupathi - Katpadi - 95 kms

Ranipet - Vellore - 26 kms (via Arcot bypass - highways 22 kms)

Hyderabad - Vellore - 510 kms

Mysore - Vellore - 270 kms

Thiruvannamalai - Vellore - 85 kms

Vellore - Sripuram Sri Mahalakshmi Golden Temple - 8 KM

While traveling through National Highways, you will find many toll gates where you need to pay toll fee at different locations, for private cars, taxis, vans etc toll fee ranging from Rs.38 up to 65 and for busses and trucks the charges are still more. (valid for entry-exit 24 hours only).

Temple Darshan Timings & applicable current official charges (donations!) are as below:

Darshan Timing 8 am to 8 pm on all the 365 days!

The Sevas available right now and are likely changed/modified by the Temple authorities as per the trustees discretion:

Swarna Pushpa Archana Seva; In this seva Archana will be done with 108 gold flowers and out of which one will be given to the devotee after the archana seva. The donation for the seva is 1508/- for a couple and 1008/- for one devotee. (All days from 0800Hrs to 2000Hrs)

Veda Parayana Seva; In this seva One devotee will be allowed to sit in front of goddess Mahalakshmi and will be given Aarthi Dharsan (Mondays to Fridays 0800 to 2000) Rs.250/ per Head

Divya Dharsan Seva; In this seva one devotee will be permitted for Divya dharsan of Goddess Mahalakshmi. (only Dharsan- No Aarthi) Rs.100/ per head on Saturdays and Sundays and National Holidays

Abishekam: In this seva 4 members are permitted for Abisekam, Alankaram and Aarthi Dharsan Rs.3006/- on all days except Fridays (No accommodation)
Rs.5004/- on Fridays (One Non A/c Room accommodation will be given) The accommodation facilities presently available as below:

NON A/c -Rs.300/- for 2 members (Add Bed-Rs.100/-) Max 3 members permitted in one room
A/c -Rs.500/- for 2 members (Add Bed-Rs.150/-) Max 3 members permitted in one room

One can send an advance DD in favour of "Narayani Siddar Peedam Charitable Trust" payable at Vellore and book for your requirements.

For more details one may contact the PROs of Sri Narayani Siddar Peedam at Sripuram at the following cell phone numbers:

+91 9942993009 ( Sri R Baskar), +91 9942993010 (Sri B V Karthik) or +(1 9345136189 (Mrs Srimathi Ramsingh).

The Temple is constructed, managed and maintained by Shri Narayani Amma of Sri NarayaNi Peedam, (known as Amma of Sri Shakti Peetam). Further details and arrangements can also be made by the Shakti Sri Narayani Peedam at phone numbers (STD code included) : +9104162271202 or +9104162271 844. Sri Shakti Peetam of Sri Narayani Amma also arrange for your visit and provide hospitality on special and individual requests. There are numerous state run bus services available from most of the nearest towns to/via Sripuram. Nearest Railway station:- Katpadi, Chennai-Bangalore rail route. Nearest big town:- Vellore, District headquarters of North Arcot, Tamilnadu (South India). Nearest Airport, Chennai - Meenambakkam (about 135 kms.) or Bangalore (Bengaluru) Airport (180 kms) and from Tirupathi Airport about 100 kms. Email contact for Sri Narayani Peedam office is : contact@sripuram.org

Here are few suggestions, useful tips, do's and don'ts for a first time visitor:

There is ample car parking space available @ Rs.20/- per vehicle.

Here, the security measures are more stringent as alike Sri Balaji Temple of Tirupathi. Long queue makes one exhaust soon, more so during the summer days. It is recommended to take drinking water bottles & towels to fight the thirst and sweat!

Please do not carry your Mobile phones and cameras which are strictly prohibited inside the temple premises. Separate counters are there to deposit your cell phones, cameras as also your foot-wear. It is highly recommended not to take it with you to the temple at the first place, as it is not going to help you in any way as you have to deposit the same at the counters before entering the complex. Also do not carry cigerette, or tobacco in any form as this too would be confiscated while frisking and checking.

Dress Code: Only children can visit in half pants and elders and grown up should wear decently and Dhoti/Angavastram is strongly recommended. If you do not have one, as like in Kerala Side, here too these are available on hire. Better you take one with you. For women too, a decent and acceptable dress code is there so do not visit here with your shorts and skirts or with ultra modern dress. Or else, you may even be denied entry!

Security Check: As is in Tirupathi, here too the queue control system exist. A special structures erected to control and regularize the moving crowd is put up that extends up to 3 kms stretch from the temple! From here, you are allowed to move inside the star shaped ( Sri Chakra) corridor of the temple, only after proper security check by the security personnel both men & women; there you will have to undergo strict security checks viz. scanning, frisking and all the sort of personal/belongings etc.

Senior citizens are accompanied by the escorts from the temple are allowed to join in the main queue directly, but no family members are allowed to accompany them. Free wheel chair for physically challenged persons and elderly persons are also available and they are directly taken to the temple by the volunteers of Sri Narayani Peedam. No family members allowed to escort or accompany them, as the Golden Temple authorities arranged to give a very good care for them.

By the time you reach the Sanctum Sanctorum, oh, by now you have walked almost 3 kms distance from the entrance! Oooops! after taking such a trouble to reach to the inner temple, here is the real hitch.... you're allowed to take Darshan only from a distance of about 100 meters. Beyond this point, one has to pay INR.250/- per head. Wow, after Tirupathi Balaji, now Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi too wants her devotees to pay for a darsham!!! If one prefers to perform Abhishekam or Archana they need to book well in advance, say at least two months.

At the exit point, the volunteers of the Ashram would hand you prasadam viz. Kum-kum and Sweet rice or pongal. Though the entire system is most organized, one would feel exhausted - that too after you're told to view the Darshan only from a specific distance. But it is more worthy to pay a visit. The landscape, beautiful scenery, tranquil atmosphere, greenish lawns and fine architecture all combined makes one feel worth of the visit.

For those who wish to stay overnight or a couple of days, hotel accommodation can be arranged through the administrators, Sri Narayani Peedam - who maintains a hotel, hospital, Orphans home etc.

The photographs, images and photos that I obtained from my sources are displayed below for the readers to enjoy a virtual tour to Sripuram Narayani Peedam Amma's Golden Sri Mahalaxmi Temple near Vellore. After having taken the tour, Please sign in the guestbook with your valuable comments, suggestions and criticism as well.

VIDYA BALAN

Vidya Balan (Tamil: வித்யா பாலன், Malayalam: വിദ്യ ബാല൯, Hindi: विद्या बालन, born January 1, 1982[1]) is an award-winning Indian actress who appears in Bollywood movies.

Balan, who began her career starring in many music videos, soap operas and commercials, made her acting debut in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko (2003), for which she won critical acclaim. She later made her Hindi film debut with Parineeta (2005), for which she received a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, and received her first commercial success with Rajkumar Hirani's Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). Balan has thus established herself as one of the most promising actresses of the industry.

Career

Early life, until 2002
She was born to a Tamil Palakkad Iyer[3] family in Kerala. Balan grew up in Mumbai and attended St. Anthony's Girls High School in Chembur. She later attended St. Xavier's College, where she graduated with a sociology degree, and the University of Mumbai.

Her movie career started when she was signed to appear in the Malayalam film Chakram, alongside superstar Mohanlal but the movie was shelved. After that, she was signed for a Tamil film, Run, but for reasons undisclosed, she was dropped after a first schedule and replaced by Meera Jasmine.In the jinx driven industry, Balan was dropped from her second Tamil movie Manasellam opposite Srikanth, on the grounds of 'non-performance' and was replaced by Trisha Krishnan.

She then turned to television advertising. From 1998 onwards, she appeared in numerous television ads, many of which were directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She also took supporting roles in music videos, appearing with singers and bands such as Euphoria, Shubha Mudgal, and Pankaj Udhas. Balan also portrayed the role of Radhika Mathur in a few episodes of the first season of Hum Paanch, but was later replaced by Amita Nangia at the end of the first season.

Breakthrough, 2003 - present
In 2003, she appeared in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko, for which she won the Anandalok Puraskar Best Actress award in Kolkata. Balan next made her Hindi film debut in the critically acclaimed Parineeta. Though the film didn't do well,[5] her performance was acclaimed by critics, earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.

After the success of her first two films, the same producer who dropped her from Manasellam was keen to sign her opposite Kamal Hassan for Dasavathaaram but she rejected the offer and Asin Thottumkal was signed instead. In 2006, she appeared opposite Sanjay Dutt in the blockbuster film Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Once again her performance was well received by critics and the film went on to become the second highest grossing film of that year.

Mani Ratnam's critically acclaimed Guru was Balan's first release in 2007, in which she played a woman with a physical disability. The film did very well at the box office[9] and her role was appreciated.Her next two releases, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (2007) and Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007) failed to do well[9] but the latter was selected as India's official entries to the Oscars for the 80th Academy Awards.Balan's last two releases of the year, Heyy Babyy (2007) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) have fared very well at the box office.

Personal life
Her father, P. R. Balan, is the Vice President of ETC Channel whilst her mother is a homemaker. Balan also has an older sister named Priya. In a video interview, she stated that she was "extremely spiritual", had a "firm faith in God" and visited temples every Thursday.

Gossip columnists have linked Balan with many of her co-stars but she strongly denied the allegations, saying that they were "vile".Priyamani , a tamil actress who has won the National Award for the best actress - Paruthiveeran is Vidya Balan`s first cousin.

Mitsubishi Pajero

In Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment a king-size entrant, Mitsubishi Pajero has entered, courtesy Hindustan Motors. Dressed with two tone flashy metal body, and armed with proven technology, Mitsubishi Pajero is set to deliver the luxurious comfort and mighty power in any road condition, be it the calm or the toughest.

Pajero is simply the perfect balance of comfort, performance and safety. The Pajero boasts a roomy, sporty cockpit with plush dual tone interiors combined by leather upholstery, convenient multi meter, wood print panels, adjustable lumbar support, the 06 occupants of this SUV would have a relaxed, cushion comfort riding experience. Mitsubishi Pajero marks its grand presence on the road with its distinctive color scheme, bigger alloy wheels, catchy door garnish and chromed, handles & rear view mirrors.

The power of 2.8 L diesel engine makes this giant SUV to generate gigantic power of 118 bhp. Supported with advanced stabiliser and secured with enhanced safety features let Pajero take on any terrain without any hiccup. Available with sizzling color options with combination of white warm pearl, Mitsubishi Pajero is bearing a price tag starting from Rs.18.00 lacs.

Striking Features of Mitsubishi Pajero
->Built on sturdy ladder type frame

->Dual tone color scheme giving distinctive presence to the SUV

->Sporty inter cooler vent

->Multi reflector halogen head lamp

->Chromed outer door handle and rear view mirror (electrically adjusted)

->Bigger 06 spokes alloy wheels

->Door garnish with Pajero decal adds life to the beauty of Pajero

->Sporty cabin with dual tone interiors dressed by leather upholstery

->Door pads with leather inserts

->Tilt adjustable steering wheel

->Integrated cassette player and MP3 CD player

->Adjustable lumbar support

->Secured with dual air bags, 03 point ELR seat belts and thick side impact bars

Available Color Options of Mitsubishi Pajero
->Carbon

->Navy

->Graphite

->Blaze

->Glacier

Price of Mitsubishi Pajero
The grand Mitsubishi Pajero is available for sale throughout India having a price tag of Rs. 18,81,000 (ex-showroom)
(Please Note: The price range is ex-showroom and based on the close approximation. Please check the latest prices and variant specifications with your dealer)

Salman Khan Biography

Career
Salman Khan made his acting debut in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi where he played a supporting role. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). The film went on to become one of India's highest grossing films.[3] It also won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award, and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actor Award.

1990 saw only one film release starring Khan, Baaghi, co-starring alongside southern actress Nagma. The film was a box office success,[4] and was followed by another successful year in 1991 when he starred in three hit films, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa and Saajan.[5] Despite these tremendous early box office successes, all of his 1992-1993 releases resulted in box office failures.

Khan clawed back his previous success in 1994 with his second collaboration with director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, co-starring Madhuri Dixit. This film was the biggest hit of that year, and turned out to be one of Bollywood's highest grossing films ever, becoming the fourth highest earner of all time.[6] Apart from being a commercial success, the film was widely acclaimed and Khan was praised for his performance, earning his second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare. Three more films released that year featured Khan, none of which making a significant impact on the box-office as was the case with the previously mentioned title. He did however win praise for his performance in Andaz Apna Apna, alongside co-star Aamir Khan, which has gained a cult status since its release. In 1995 he cemented his success with Rakesh Roshan's blockbuster Karan Arjun, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan.[5] The film was the second biggest hit of the year, and his role of Karan once again put his name among the nominees for the Best Actor award at the Filmfare, which was eventually won by his Karan Arjun co-star Shahrukh Khan.

1996 was followed by two successes. The first one being Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical, co-starring Manisha Koirala, Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas. Though a box office failure, the film was critically acclaimed. He next starred alongside Sunny Deol and Karisma Kapoor in Raj Kanwar's action hit Jeet.

He had only two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan co-starring Karisma Kapoor, where he played a dual role of twins separated at birth. The film was a box office hit. The latter, co-starring Shilpa Shetty failed to do well, but developed a cult following after its video release.

Khan worked in five different films in 1998, his first release being the comedy Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai.[5] Khan played a young man who has to take a child who claims to be his son, under his custody. Khan's performance in the film earned him several positive notices and favourable reviews from critics. He rounded of the year with Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, he had only an extended cameo playing the role of Aman. However, it eventually turned out beneficial to him, as his performance earned him his second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category.

In 1999, Khan starred in three hit films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United, which reunited him with Sooraj Barjatya for the third time; Biwi No.1, which became the top grossing film that year; and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, which was a major critical success, and earned him another Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. In 2000, Khan acted in six films, most of which failed critically and commercially, except for the two moderately successful films, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, both of which co-starred Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. His performance in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, the release of which was delayed until 2001, was received well. The film was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth; Khan played the role of a rich industrialist, who hires a surrogate mother after his wife becomes infertile. Critics noted his turn towards a more serious role, which reportedly had more substance in comparison to his previous roles.[7][8] In 2002 he starred in the delayed release Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam which was semi-hit at the box office.

Khan's following releases failed at the box office until he made a comeback in 2003 with Tere Naam. The film was a major earner and his performance was praised by critics, with film critic Taran Adarsh noting, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..."[9] He subsequently continued his success at the box office, with comedies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005).[5] 2006 was an unsuccessful year for him when Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul both failed to do well at the box office.

Khan started 2007 with the ensemble film Salaam E Ishq which failed to do well at the box office. His next release Partner did very well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster verdict.[10] He next appeared in his first Hollywood movie, Marigold: An Adventure in India opposite American actress Ali Larter. Telling the love story of an Indian man and an American woman, the film was a major failure, both commercially and critically.

In 2008 Khan made his debut on the small screen with the game show, Dus Ka Dum based on the international show The Power of 10.[11]


Personal life
Khan is the eldest son of celebrated screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma Khan. His stepmother is Helen, a famous yesteryear Bollywood actress, who has co-starred with him in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri.

Khan is a dedicated bodybuilder. He trains everyday and is famous for taking off his shirt in movies and stage shows alike. In 2004, he was voted 7th best-looking man in the World and the best looking man in India by People magazine, U.S.[12] Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.[13]

Despite being romantically linked with several actresses, and having relationships with ex-girlfriends Aishwarya Rai, Somy Ali and Sangeeta Bijlani, Khan is frequently featured by Indian media as Bollywood's most eligible bachelor. He has been dating model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif since 2003.[14]

On October 11, 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was finally installed there on January 15, 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum .[15] [16]

Rajinikanth's Endhiran

It’s official at last. The shooting of Shankar’s Endhiran (Robot), which is being billed as Kollywood’s most historic venture, is to begin on September 8.

Industry sources said director Shankar, superstar Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bacchan left for the US on Friday along with a 40-member crew to film two songs for the film.

The movie, which has generated a lot of interest, boasts of a fabulous creative team including director Shankar, music director A R Rahman and ace cameraman Rathnavelu.

While Mary E Vogt, the well known designer who has worked in Hollywood movies like Men in Black, Batman Returns and Inspector Gadget will be designing the scientific outfits for the sci-fi movie, the animatronics of the film will be handled by the Stan Winston Studio (USA), which was responsible for the impressive animation sequences in movies such as Predator, Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Iron man and the Terminator. The visual effects and animatronics co-ordination will be done by Indian Artiste.

Stunt director Yuen Woo Ping, who made audiences gasp with his stunts in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Matrix and Kill Bill, has been put in charge of the action sequences of the movie.

Hollywood companies like ILM, Tippet, Café EFX; and Hong Kong companies like Centro and Menfond have been roped in to work on VFX. The movie is being produced by Ayngaran International Films Pvt Ltd., and Eros International.

How to create a Compact disk(CD)?

A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since late 1982, remains the standard playback medium for commercial audio recordings to the present day.

Standard CDs have a diameter of 120 mm and can hold up to 80 minutes of audio. There is also the Mini CD, with diameters ranging from 60 to 80 mm; they are sometimes used for CD singles, storing up to 24 minutes of audio.

The technology was later adapted and expanded to include data storage CD-ROM, write-once audio and data storage CD-R, rewritable media CD-RW, Super Audio CD (SACD), Video Compact Discs (VCD), Super Video Compact Discs (SVCD), PhotoCD, PictureCD, CD-i, and Enhanced CD. CD-ROMs and CD-Rs remain widely used technologies in the computer industry. The CD and its extensions have been extremely successful: in 2004, worldwide sales of CD audio, CD-ROM, and CD-R reached about 30 billion discs. By 2007, 200 billion CDs had been sold worldwide.

Physical Details:
A Compact Disc is made from a 1.2 mm thick disc of almost pure polycarbonate plastic and weighs approximately 16 grams. A thin layer of aluminium or, more rarely, gold is applied to the surface to make it reflective, and is protected by a film of lacquer. The lacquer is normally spin coated directly on top of the reflective layer. On top of that surface, the label print is applied. Common printing methods for CDs are screen-printing and offset printing.

CD data is stored as a series of tiny indentations (pits), encoded in a tightly packed spiral track molded into the top of the polycarbonate layer. The areas between pits are known as "lands". Each pit is approximately 100 nm deep by 500 nm wide, and varies from 850 nm to 3.5 µm in length.


The optical lens of a CD drive.The spacing between the tracks, the pitch, is 1.6 µm. A CD is read by focusing a 780 nm wavelength (near infrared) semiconductor laser through the bottom of the polycarbonate layer. The change in height between pits and lands results in a difference in intensity in the light reflected. By measuring the intensity change with a photodiode, the data can be read from the disc.

The pits and lands themselves do not directly represent the zeros and ones of binary data. Instead, Non-return-to-zero, inverted (NRZI) encoding is used: a change from pit to land or land to pit indicates a one, while no change indicates a zero. This in turn is decoded by reversing the Eight-to-Fourteen Modulation used in mastering the disc, and then reversing the Cross-Interleaved Reed-Solomon Coding, finally revealing the raw data stored on the disc.

While CDs are significantly more durable than earlier audio formats, they are susceptible to damage from daily usage and environmental factors. Pits are much closer to the label side of a disc, so that defects and dirt on the clear side can be out of focus during playback. Discs consequently suffer more damage because of defects such as scratches on the label side, whereas clear-side scratches can be repaired by refilling them with plastic of similar index of refraction, or by careful polishing. Early music CDs were known to suffer from "CD rot" or "laser rot" where the internal reflective layer itself degrades. When this occurs the CD may become unplayable

What is Meditation?

If you go to your Doctor for stress related problems, she or he will likely tell you that perhaps the best treatment for stress is Meditation. They will suggest that you start meditating and this leads you to two problems. The first is where to get appropriate direction in how to meditate. By finding Meditation Station, you've already solved that problem. The other is understanding exactly what Meditation is.

Normal Mind:Money,food,Job,Family,Hobby,Friends..

Concentrating Mind:Distraction<-Object of meditation,Distraction

Meditating Mind:Object of meditation

Contemplating Mind:OBJECT OF MEDITATION

Meditation is a three step process that leads to a state of consciousness that brings serenity, clarity, and bliss. As depicted in the first illustration, our "normal" state of mind is actually quite abnormal. We receive sensory stimuli and react in a completely uncontrolled way (although we tell ourselves we have great control). We bounce from one thought to another and follow with our emotional and physical reactions. The same thought can bring about diametrically opposite reactions at different times. For instance, we may see a dog and then start a thought process that reminisces about a pet dog we once had and loved. Emotionally, we then start feeling all warm and cuddly; physically, we feel very relaxed. Another time, we may see the same dog and fear it may attack us and start thinking paranoid thoughts, get fearful and uptight physically.

The second illustration demonstrates Concentration. This is the first step in Meditation and is the start of gaining control over the mind and thereby life. The procedure is deceptively simple and seems like it would be very easy to do, but there are few tasks more difficult to master. The idea is to pick an object/subject to place your attention on and then to focus exclusively on it without diversion.

An example of this would be if you decided to focus on love. To start, you would relax your body, sit in a comfortable position, calm your emotions and begin repeating the word "love" over and over. The problem is that your mind has been your master your whole life and won't easily relinquish its position. To trick you back into obedient slavery, your mind will divert your attention, often by giving you a tantalizingly interesting distraction. It usually goes something like this: You're sitting there repeating love, love, love when your mind suddenly adds "I love candy. They sell the candy I love at the 7-11 up the road. I can get into my car and drive there and get that candy. I know it will be delicious when I bite into it ..." and so there you are --- instead of concentrating on love, you're eating an imaginary candy bar at a 7-11. What you are supposed to do is to witness your being distracted and return to concentrating on the object of your meditation. Concentration is well worth persevering in and ultimately liberating, spectacular and a blessing.

The third illustration depicts Meditation. Here we have unbroken attention. The classic description of the difference between Concentration and Meditation is given in the example of pouring oil from a bottle into a bowl. At first the oil drips out a drop at a time. This is concentration. Then the oil comes out in a steady stream. This unbroken pouring out is Meditation. If you really examine the process closer, you would notice that when the oil was coming out drop by drop, each drop caused a splash and the droplettes of the splashing can be considered analagous to the distractions that interrupt our concentration. Once the stream starts becoming steady it flows effortlessly. Similarly, when Concentration flows into Meditation, the attention paid to the object of Meditation becomes deeper and deeper effortlessly and spontaneously, true knowledge about the object presents itself.

Using love as the example again, you would concentrate on love, love, love, love. You might then find your mind filling with thoughts of love -- motherly love, fatherly love, love of country, love of money, qualified love, unqualified love, puppy love. Everything in the universe that love is connected to will come to you. Every feeling of love, every sensation, every thought. And since, as Albert Einstein tells us, everything in the universe is relative to everything else, ultimately your meditation on "love" will connect you to everything.

At this point, the unity of the object of your meditation and your mind, as illustrated in the fourth illustration, occurs. This is the state of Contemplation and is the ultimate state of consciousess. Where we usually are only conscious of our body and ego and consider ourselves apart from the rest of the universe, with the experience of Contemplation we become conscious of the cosmos and know ourselves to be a part of it and realize our unity with all of it. This is Realization, Cosmic Consciousness. It is our birthright and destiny to know this exquisite state first hand and enjoy the Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss that is our eternal true nature. Thus the justification in expending whatever energy is necessary to learn to meditate and to begin to make Meditation an important part of our lives.

THE TOTAL MEDITATION SYSTEM:
This form of Meditation is called Total because the practice calls for a continuous state of Meditation. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Yes, it is beneficial to do one specific meditation for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening, but Total Meditation suggests that at all times you witness your interactivity with the universe and control your reactivity while maintaining a serene, blissful state. By having dozens of techniques to draw upon, no matter what situation you face in life, you will have a weapon in your arsenal to fight any oppression that is presented. There are specific Meditation techniques for emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual activity and reactivity, all of which bring a connection to the Witness within that is our Real Self.

No matter what you are doing at any given time, you will be able to maintain a calm self-control that lets you avoid the emotional distress, mental confusion, and physical helplessness that not being in a meditative state always brings. Most systems emphasize only one meditation technique. As so many practioners have found out the hard way, you may not always be able to do the one technique in every situation. For instance, if your exclusive technique is the repetition of a mantra, what do you do if your boss calls on you unexpectedly to do a presentation? You can't chant and talk at the same time. But you could do breathing or body awareness or emotional calming techniques. Similarly, lets say you have been focusing your meditative efforts on Hatha Yoga postures. What happens if you have a spinal injury and no longer can interact with your body? Once again, knowing breathing, emotional and mental techniques would allow your continuing meditative connection and thus enable you to handle this tremendously life-changing situation in the most advantageous way possible.

If you only know one road to take to get to your job, and that road becomes unpassable, you're out of business. It makes sense to have many alternative routes available and that is exactly what Total Meditation offers.

For more details visit:
http://www.meditationsociety.com/index.html

Ajith heads for Cannes film festival

Billa will be screened on May 18 in Grey Three screen for the Cannes film festival. Ajith is bearing the costs of an all-expenses-paid holiday in the French Riviera for the “Billa” team, which is set to fly to Paris today, since Billa gave a turning point in his acting career.


Many of critic circle who are familiar with Cannes pointed out that a multiple remake will have more than a curiosity value there. Ajith will also be present for the screening at Cannes. Made in Hindi starring Amitabh Bachchan in 1978 as “Don” - it has had three remakes the first in Tamil as Billa starring Rajnikanth, later in original title in Hindi starring Shah Rukh Khan and finally in Tamil again featuring Ajith Kumar.

Ajith is also set to do the Biila2 sequel to Billa which is being produced Ocher Films and Warner Brothers. Billa was produced by Ananda Suresh and directed by Vishnuvardhan, the movie features Ajith, Nayanthara and Namitha in lead roles. Yuvanshankar Raja has scored the music.

History of Indian Rupee

India was one of the earliest issuers of coins (circa 6th century BC). The first "rupee" is believed to have been introduced by Sher Shah Suri (1486-1545), based on a ratio of 40 copper pieces (paisa) per rupee. Among the earliest issues of paper rupees were those by the Bank of Hindustan (1770-1832), the General Bank of Bengal and Bihar (1773-75, established by Warren Hastings) and the Bengal Bank (1784-91), amongst others.

During British rule, and the first decade of independence, it was subdivided into 16 annas. Each anna was subdivided into 4 paise (also written pice) or 12 pies. Until 1815, the Madras Presidency also issued a currency based on the fanam, with 12 fanams equal to the rupee.

Historically, the rupee, derived from the Sanskrit word raupya, which means silver, was a silver coin. This had severe consequences in the nineteenth century, when the strongest economies in the world were on the gold standard. The discovery of vast quantities of silver in the U.S. and various European colonies resulted in a decline in the relative value of silver to gold. Suddenly the standard currency of India could not buy as much from the outside world. This event was known as "the fall of the rupee."

In 1898, the rupee was tied to the gold standard through the British pound by pegging the rupee at a value of 1 shilling 4 pence (i.e., 15 rupees = 1 pound). In 1920, the rupee was increased in value to 2 shillings (10 rupees = 1 pound). However, in 1927, the peg was once more reduced, this time to 1 shilling 6 pence (13⅓ rupees = 1 pound). This peg was maintained until 1966, when the rupee was devalued and pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 7.5 rupees = 1 dollar (at the time, the rupee became equal to 11.4 British pence). This peg lasted until the U.S. dollar devalued in 1971.

The Indian rupee replaced the Danish Indian rupee in 1845, the French Indian rupee in 1954 and the Portuguese Indian escudo in 1961. Following independence in 1947, the Indian rupee replaced all the currencies of the previously autonomous states. Some of these states had issued rupees equal to those issued by the British (such as the Travancore rupee). Other currencies included the Hyderabad rupee and the Kutch kori.

In 1957, decimalisation occurred and the rupee was divided into 100 naye paise (Hindi for "new paise"). In 1964, the initial "naye" was dropped. Many still refer to 25, 50 and 75 paise as 4, 8 and 12 annas respectively, not unlike the usage of "bit" in American English for ⅛ dollar.
French Indian one rupee(1938)


British Indian 1 rupee (1917)


One rupee - Obverse


The two-rupee banknote

About Dead man Underataker

Height: 6 foot 10 1/2
Weight: 299 pounds
From: Death Valley
Signature Move: Chokeslam; Tombstone; Last Ride
WWE Debut: Nov. 22,1990
Career Highlights: WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, World Tag Team Champion, WCW Tag Team Champion, Hardcore Champion, undefeated at WrestleMania (16-0)

Undertaker's History of Hell
There have been 15 Hell in a Cell Matches, and as it stands, Undertaker has the most appearances inside the Cell with eight - a fitting amount of trips to Hell for the Superstar known as The Deadman. No one knows firsthand the dangers of the unfriendly confines better than Undertaker; that said, while he may be 15-0 on WWE’s biggest stage of WrestleMania and a five-time World Champion, The Phenom is only 3-4-1 inside the Cell.

Entry to WWE:
From the moment his signature gong fills the air, The Undertaker captivates WWE fans by his mere presence. The Deadman from Death Valley is usually a man of few words, but he can intimidate even the toughest WWE Superstars with just one glance. His somber persona has been a terrifying trademark of WWE for nearly two decades and no list of WWE all-time greats can be considered complete without Undertaker.

First seen at the 1990 Survivor Series, Undertaker was introduced as the final member of Ted DiBiase’s “Million Dollar Team.” Since then he has come to be a multiple time WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, and maintained a WrestleMania undefeated streak that stands at an impressive 16-0. The Deadman has defeated such Superstars as Randy Orton, Triple H, “Sycho” Sid, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Bret “Hitman” Hart and Jake “The Snake” Roberts to earn his many titles and keep his WrestleMania streak intact. In October 2007, The Deadman also became the first man to break free from The Great Khali’s Vise Grip to defeat the 7-foot-3, 420-pound colossus as well.

Throughout his time in WWE, Undertaker has notoriously disappeared for months at a time; often thought dead and “resting in peace,” The Phenom always mysteriously returns to the ring to seek vengeance against those who have sent him away. From Yokozuna to Kane to Edge, Undertaker always finds a way to claim the souls of those who have wronged him.

In addition to his solo success, Undertaker has been quite the team player throughout his career. From his lengthy relationship with manager Paul Bearer to spearheading the Ministry of Darkness (which included the recruitment of Superstars such as the Acolytes, The Brood, Mideon & Viscera), The Phenom has been successful in every venture. He has even earned multiple World Tag Team Championships, standing alongside the likes of The Rock, Stone Cold, Big Show and his own brother, Kane.

Undertaker Entrance video:


In fact, the Big Red Monster is the ally-turned-adversary (and often back again) that Undertaker continuously comes to crosses with. Kane made his WWE debut by costing his brother the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match, and while their relationship is always turbulent, they have seen eye-to-eye on many occasions as well. They’ve been opponents at multiple WrestleManias, but they’ve also held the World Tag Team Championship together; a true theme for brothers in all walks of life.

The Undertaker also has many firsts to his credit. Aside from being the originator of the Tombstone Piledriver, he has also taken part in the inaugural Hell in a Cell Match – against Shawn Michaels in October 1997 – as well as the first-ever Casket Match, which saw him defeat Kamala at Survivor Series 1992.

Undertaker had never beaten Edge, so his perfect WrestleMania streak was in dire jeopardy going into WrestleMania XXIV. The Rated-R Superstar proved that he was up to the task of withstanding The Phenom’s mightiest blows, including a Tombstone Piledriver and Last Ride, until Undertaker locked Edge in his mysterious submission hold. Edge finally tapped out, relinquishing both his World Heavyweight Title and unbeaten record against The Phenom. The win boosted Undertaker's astounding WrestleMania streak to 16-0.

Five-time World Champion Edge ended the legendary WWE career of Future Hall of Famer Undertaker at One Night Stand in San Diego on June 1, 2008, after a carefully laid-out plan with SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. However, a pre-wedding betrayal by the Rated-R Superstar caused Guerrero to have a change of heart, reinstituting The Phenom and opening a new era of dominance by The Deadman.

Throughout it all, Undertaker has remained one of WWE’s most popular Superstars, almost cementing his place as a Future Hall of Famer.