Happy Raksha Bandhan 2015

Raksha Bandhan festival is one of the most important festivals in India. Rakhi ceremony is celebrated in each year on the month of August which is the month of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar. This ceremony takes place on the full moon day of Shravan. For a major part of India, Raksha Bandhan festival is an effort to strengthen the bondage between siblings. On this propitious day, a sister ties the thread of Rakhi to her brother's wrist so that her brother can enjoy prosperity in life. On the other hand, the brother promises to protect his sister from all possible difficulties of life. Rakhi is an emblem of love and protection. The sacred thread of Rakhi acts to bond brothers and sisters and it intends to signify a harmonious relation between people. 

Rakhi is a Monsoon Festival
Rakhi celebration is the festival of monsoon. This monsoon festival has a deeper meaning. The rainy season eliminates all the dirt and complexities of life and presents us prosperity and new hope to enjoy life to the fullest. That is why the Hindus consider the month of Shravan as holy one to celebrate the pure bondage of love between siblings and arrival of good fortune. 

Significance of Rakhi Festival for Farmer Community
The ceremony of 'Shravani', organized on the day of Rakhi Purnima has special significance for the farmer community of different parts of India. A good harvesting season depends on adequate rain water. Monsoon is the best time to get sufficient water for farming activities. So farmers of the states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Bihar worship soil for its fertility. 

Significance of Rakhi Festival for Fishing Community
As far as the fishing community of India is concerned, the Rakhi festival has greater significance for them. States like Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Karnataka observe the celebration of Rakhi festival or it is better to say the celebration of 'Nariyal Purnima' through different rituals. For their livelihood, the fishing community completely depends on the sea. The monsoon season has a positive effect on sea water as well as on fish. Therefore, for these people, celebration of 'Nariyal Purnima' is an effort to please God Varuna, the deity of water and the ocean by offering the sea coconuts on this event for their better earning prospect.

Rakhi Purnima- A New Beginning of Life
The season of monsoon also signifies destruction. It destroys all that are unnecessary and have no usage. It eradicates unwanted elements from nature and from human lives. It also marks a new beginning to pave the way for prosperity. This is the reason why people from Gujarati community celebrate 'Pavitropana' through worshipping Lord Shiva, the symbol of destruction, on the day of Shravan Purnima. They pray to Lord Shiva for a prosperous future on this special occasion.

Rakhi is the Celebration of Change
The rainy season of Shravan also indicates change. Change or alteration is necessary to pave the way for a new one. So Brahmin communities in the states like Andhra Pradesh, Keala, Tamil Nadu and certain parts of Orissa observe the day of Shravan Purnima as 'Upakamam' and on that day they change their threads .


In short, one can observe the true spirit of Indian festivals through the celebration of this event on the season of monsoon.

18 Delicious National Flags Served With Each Country’s Traditional Foods

Clever, funny and memorable. They should replace the real flags.

1. India

Chicken curry, rice, cheera thoran (spinach with coconut), and papad.

2. United Kingdom

        

Scone, cream and jam.

3. France

Blue cheese, brie and grapes.

4. Switzerland

Meat and swiss cheese.

5. Australia

Meat pie.

6. USA

Hot dogs and mustard.

7. Thailand

Chili sauce, coconut, and blue crab.

8. Turkey

Turkish delight.

9. Vietnam

Lychee, starfruit and rambutan.

10. Spain

Chorizo and rice.

11. Brazil

Banana leaf, limes, pineapple and passion fruit.

12. China

Dragonfruit and starfruit.

13. Japan

Tuna and rice.

14.  Greece

Olives and feta cheese.

15. Italy

Basil pasta and tomatoes.

16. Lebanon

Tomatoes parsley and pita bread.

17. South Korea

Kimbap and dipping sauce.

18. Indonesia

Curry and rice.

20 years of Internet in India

20 ways the Internet has changed how we do things:

Remember the time, that now appears to be long ago, when you would allocate different times of the day to different tasks? Mornings were usually reserved for buying fresh groceries, and certain afternoons of the month were fixed to pay the monthly dues. Job seekers would start their day waiting eagerly for the newspaper vendor and the postman ringing the bell stirred up emotions. Children couldn't afford to miss on outdoor games in the evening. That was a period when we wouldn't mind investing all our energies and spend all our time in making hand-made cards for our special ones. Every day was full of a lot of activity and variety.

But the times have changed. While the chores haven't changed, we now do them in a different (and more convenient), courtesy the Internet.

As public Internet in India completes 20 years, we attempt to take you back in time to show how we now do the things that we did then.

1. Shopping

There was a time when the number of shopping bags defined our happiness. But the concept of placing orders online has changed the way we now look at the very idea of shopping (and window shopping). Now the discounts and speed of delivery are the measures of our happiness.

2. Playing games

Evening for kids were once incomplete without playing outdoor games or loitering around with friends in park, but now the mobile phone is both a friend as well as a field for kids and grown-ups alike.

3. Job hunting

A few scrolls or a couple of clicks may now get you a job, but there were times when people would comb through newspapers for openings.

4. Communication

The joy of writing letters is incomparable. Internet may have made communication faster and easier, but many of us still miss sending and receiving handwritten letters.

5. Photo albums

Photos were once no less than prized possessions and were carefully preserved. Today, the ample storage in our smartphones and a spate of free cloud storage services available have changed our habit of taking and preserving photos.

6. Research

Research, lost in a maze of books inside a library, is an experience that many of the new generation would perhaps never experience.

7. Banking

There was a time when banks meant long queues. Now the bank is on your palm.

8. Bill payments

One of the most dreary of tasks has been made simpler and smoother thanks to the Internet.

9. Grocery shopping

This is a change which is happening now and happening fast.

10. Reading newspapers/magazines

Not too long ago, so many of us would start our day reading the newspaper while sipping morning tea, and now with news apps, Facebook updates and tweets the dedicated habit of newspaper and magazine reading is becoming a thing of the past.

11. Radio

The Internet has revived the radio. Now it is called music streaming.

12. Audio cassettes

Remember how we would spend hours selecting and jotting down your favourites songs to be recorded on a blank cassette? The Internet has killed the audio cassette and also the music CD.

13. Taxi

Cab hailing is becoming more and more associated with taps of fingers than waving of hands.

14. Renting video cassettes

Release of a new movie in the past would mean waiting for it to be available at the nearest VHS rental stores. When was the last time you had rented one?

15. Asking for an address

We earlier had simple opportunities to strike a conversation with strangers. Pointing to an address on a slip, many of us have used this statement, "Bhaisahab, ye kahan padega?" And the reply would come somehow like, "Aage se daaye, fir T-point se baayein, aur fir seedha jaake..." Now the staccato voice from the navigation app shows us the way.

16. Exam results

You, perhaps, still can't express those mixed feelings of tension and excitement that you would have while scanning through result sheets at notice board. Now you can rejoice and grief in the privacy of a mobile phone.

17. Hand-made cards

Festivals and anniversaries had that touch of the hand. From crayons to water colors to sketch pens, we put them to good use to express our wishes on folded paper.

18. Love proposals

The Internet has saved the suitor the awkwardness of approaching the love interest.

19. Railway tickets

Getting the railway bookings done for a vacation was an adventure in itself. Remember how you would wake up early in the morning to be the first in the queue?

20. Sleep

The Internet may have simplified much of our lives but has also turned us into voluntary insomniacs.

Sundar Pichai to Satya Nadella: Indian-origin CEOs at global tech companies

With Larry Page moving to head the new company Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, a long-time Google executive who most recently served as the company's senior vice president of products, will now head Google as its new CEO.

The recent overhaul by Google has led Pichai to become the latest entrant in the list of Indian-origin executives serving as the head of industry-leading tech companies. It was only last year when Nokia and Microsoft appointed India-born Rajeev Suri and Satya Nadella, respectively, as CEO. A look at the other Indian-origin CEOs at global tech companies.

Rajeev Suri, Nokia: Nokia appointed Rajeev Suri to head the new company after it sold its ailing mobile phone unit to Microsoft last week. Suri joined Nokia in 1995 and has held a wide range of leadership positions in the company. He is a graduate from the Manipal Institute of Technology, and took over as Nokia CEO on May 1, 2014.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft: Microsoft named Satya Nadella as its new CEO in February 2014. Nadella, has worked at Microsoft for over 22 years.

Shantanu Narayen, Adobe: Shantanu Narayen is President, chief executive officer, director of Adobe Systems. He joined Adobe in January 1998 as Vice President and General Manager of engineering technology group. In January 2005, Narayen was promoted to President and chief operating officer, and effective December 2007, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer and joined Board of Directors.

Sanjay Jha, GlobalFoundries: Sanjay K Jha is chief executive officer of GlobalFoundries. Appointed in January 2014, Jha has strong executive experience in the technology industry, most recently as chief executive officer of Motorola Mobility Holdings, and its subsidiary Motorola Mobility.

Francisco D'Souza, Cognizant: Francisco D'Souza is Cognizant's CEO and a member of the Company's Board of Directors. He joined Cognizant as a co-founder in 1994 - the year it was started as a division of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation.

Dinesh Paliwal, Harman International: Harman International Industries develops, manufactures and markets audio products and automotive electronics systems. Dinesh Paliwal was named president, chief executive officer (CEO) and vice chairman, effective July 1, 2007.

Abhijit Talwalkar, LSI: Talwalkar was appointed LSI President and CEO and elected to the company's board of directors in May 2005.

7 of world's cheapest places you need to visit for the most incredible shopping experience

Do you often end up feeling guilty after splurging on your favourite brand of clothes? Does - what you thought would bring you all the happiness of the world - actually end up rocketing your credit card bills? Are those credit card bills now giving you sleepless nights? If your answer to all these questions is yes, then you really need to unwind. And while at it, maybe shop a little, because only then will life will come a full circle, won't it?

So go on, unleash the shopper in you and read on..

Spain: Spain provides its tourists a plethora of shopping options. With a perfect blend of flea markets like El Rastro along with flagship stores of fashion chains like Zara and Mango, the city of Barcelona is a shoppers' paradise where you can bargain and shop away to glory.

Bangkok: Thailand's largest city Bangkok is nothing short of a dream come true for people who seek solace in shopping bags overflowing with everything from clothing, handicrafts to electronic gadgets. The key is to go for the local stuff and never forget to bargain.

Vietnam: Often known as the shopping capital of Vietnam, Hoi An is a heaven for all those on a shoestring budget. Vietnam helps you discover the hidden bargaining skills you never knew you had and in the process buy everything from Silk to Cashmere at one-third of the original price.

Hong Kong: Considered to be one of Asia's best shopping destination, Hong Kong is a haggler's paradise. The key here is to never accept the first price and bargain till the shopkeeper lets you. Hong Kong plays host to a string of factory outlets which by their virtue existence sell goods at extremely cheap rates. The Hong Kong streets sell everything from clothes, electronic gadgets to antiques. Places like Cat street and Cheung Sha Wan Road are mainly where people throng for curbing their shopping streak.

Mexico: Though not as brilliant and cheap as its Thai counterpart, Mexico is a hub for designer wear available at wholesale prices. Apart from the designer wear, sticking to the local goods is a good option too.

Bali: The beautiful Bali has for years been a favourite destination for budget shopping. Everything from clothes, shoes, furniture, jewelry, housewares, to works of art, is available at inexpensive prices. With shopping hubs like Legian and Kuta, Bali is soon catching up in the race for being one of the most sought after shopping destinations of the world.

Florence: It might be tough to believe but if planned properly, shopping in Florence can be extremely affordable. Streets like Via del Corso, Via Borgo San Lorenzo, Piazza del Duomo will let you shop without giving you sleepless nights. Often referred to as the handbag capital of Europe, Florence provides its shoppers a variety of items to choose from.