News Digest: Only time northeast takes centre stage

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, April 06, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Only time northeast takes centre stage  Opinion polls rarely cover it, national political leaders chopper their way through, landing at a place or two, and media largely ignore it — that's how elections come and go in India’s Northeast.  Amit Shah calls for revenge, triggers storm    Narendra Modi's close aide, BJP general secretary Amit Shah, exhorted Jats in riot-scarred Muzaffarnagar to avenge their "insult".  Vote for INLD, not our ally BJP: SAD With less than a week for the April 10 Lok Sabha polls in Haryana, BJP is facing a tough time handling its two allies - Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). More India News»

		Business
		GMR group wins $700 million airport project A GMR-Megawide consortium has been awarded a US$ 700 million project to develop and operate the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Philippines. BHEL annual profit slides to Rs 3,228cr Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd's net profit more than halved to Rs 3,228 crore in the previous financial year on account of low volumes and challenges in the domestic power sector. Black market for python skins worth $1bn a year Illegal python skins worth an estimated $1 billion are being imported into Europe every year to feed growing demand for the luxury leather, according to a new report. More Business News»

		Environment
		Govt's 1992 notification paves way for real estate players in Faridabad Aravalis A 1992 notification of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has proved spoiler in the protection of Aravalis in Faridabad and has paved the way for real estate players to eye these areas. Hand-bred tigress gives birth to two cubs in Madhya Pradesh Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh has added another feather to its cap. Climate change: UN experts see options to limit threat A week after publishing the starkest warning yet on the risks of climate change, UN experts meet in Berlin from Monday to assess options for limiting the threat. More Environment News»

		World
		Afghans defy Taliban threat to vote in droves Millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats and rain Saturday, underscoring their enormous expectations from an election that comes as the country's wobbly government prepares to face down a ferocious insurgency largely on its own. An echo of India's Aam Aadmi Party in Pakistan Arvind Kejriwal may well have found his doppelganger in Pakistani civil servant Adnan Randhawa. Like Kejriwal, he quit civil service and now heads a political outfit called the Aam Aadmi Party Pakistan (AAPP). Ukraine may sue Russia for gas price hike Ukraine on Saturday rejected Russia’s latest gas price hike and threatened to take its energy-rich neighbour to arbitration court over a dispute that could imperil deliveries to western Europe. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'Sex is extremely important, it keeps you alive' Enrique Iglesias to go the Poonam Pandey way? PICS: Bollywood celebs talk about intimate scenes Ranbir and Deepika grabbed attention with their affair and later with their breakup. However, Deepika isn't uncomfortable with her ex-flame and claims that performing with Ranbir is comfortable. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Want to lose weight? Get some early sun The influence of morning light exposure on body weight was independent of an individual’s physical activity levels, caloric intake, sleep timing, age or season. It accounted for about 20% of a person’s BMI. Depressed people at 40% higher risk of heart failure: study Depression is one of the leading causes of deaths across the world. People suffering from major depression – the prolonged feelings of sadness and helplessness – find it difficult to get back into the rhythm despite medications and intense counselling. Neanderthal genes helped Europeans live in colder climate If you are a European and fat, chances are that you have inherited a gene variant from Neanderthals. More Science News»

		Sports
		World T20: A final that will make history India are on the cusp of history: they have brushed aside the scars and scares from the tours to SA and NZ, and are looking as good as new once again. I have seen everything in cricket: Dhoni While his rivals and teammates envy Dhoni's wealth and popularity, the one trait they really want to borrow is the his calm demeanour and equanimity. Chelsea return to top after beating Stoke Chelsea regained top spot in the Premier League thanks to a straightforward 3-0 win over shot-shy Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Apple and Samsung fight over who was the follower In a San Jose courtroom, Samsung’s lawyers showed the internal Apple documents, hoping to paint a picture of Apple as a fading brand. Dell Venue 7 review: Quality tablet under Rs 10,000 Dell has recently forayed into the Android tablet segment of India with its new Venue 7 and 8 tablets. Google reveals details of its modular smartphone Google has given a little peek into its Project Ara, which is aimed at creating a modular smartphone. The idea is to allow consumers to choose phone parts and put them together to create a unique and personalized smartphone. More Technology News»

		Education
		Courses on hold, Ignou students stare at bleak fate The court case that led to violence at the Maidan Garhi campus of Indira Gandhi National Open University on Wednesday has also left hundreds of students in a fix. IIM-Calcutta increases tuition fee by 20% The premier institute announced a hike in tuition fee for its two-year diploma programme from Rs 13.5 lakh to Rs 16.2 lakh–a jump of about 20%. IIM Calcutta may open campuses in Dubai and Malaysia The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) may explore the possibility of opening campuses on foreign shores soon.And the destinations could be Dubai and Malaysia. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		IITs back 'marriage' between students and their interests IITians are increasingly opting to change their branches midway through their course. Dean, academics, IIT-Madras, K Ramamurthy said, “We allow 10% of the total class strength to change branches. And many do so too.” In Maharashtra, more candidates this time than in 2009 The state may have more candidates in the fray this election than in the last LS elections. Against 819 candidates who fought in 2009 in 48 constituencies, 1,054 candidates (495 of them are nominations so far for the third phase in Mumbai, Konkan and Khandesh) are this time contesting the elections. Most LGBT voters prefer Congress and AAP Does queer India form a vote-bank of its own? If so, which party will it vote for? In a possible first, a pan-India survey of the country’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and its supporters (siblings, friends, colleagues, health professionals) throws up coherent voting patterns. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Smart tech helps them see Shoes that tell you when to make a turn, a cane that senses all obstacles, — technology is starting to make life simpler for the visually challenged. Apollo doctor 'molests' US tourist, held The 22-year-old woman, who had been staying at a hotel, went to the hospital in southeast Delhi a week ago on feeling unwell, a source said. 4 held for murdering woman Four people have been arrested and police are looking for another person in connection with the murder of a 40-year-old woman whose body was found in a semi-nude condition, hung from a tree in a park in Uttam Nagar on March 29. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Maharashtra company challenges ban on Bt cotton seeds A seed company from Maharashtra has moved the Karnataka high court challenging the order banning Bt cotton seeds marketed by it leading to the company being blacklisted. Disproportionate assets case: Court wants Sasikala, Ilavarasi to appear on Monday Special judge John Michael Cunha declined to accept the reasons cited by the duo for their non-appearance, but posted the matter for Monday. Playing cricket turns fatal for 2 schoolboys In two separate incidents that occurred in one hour, two schoolboys were electrocuted on Saturday morning.Incidentally, both were playing cricket when the mishaps occurred. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Ignoring EC directives, parties promise the moon In their quest to woo voters, political parties have ignored the guidelines formed by the Election Commission of India (EC) regarding the promises made in their manifestoes.  The tide that's ebbed When she filed her nomination papers as Congress candidate from Palacole (West Godavari ) in 2009, little did Bangaru Usha Rani know that she would soon be making headlines.   Here voter ID cards are used for everything else but voting Believe it or not, but the last time that the residents of this village in Srikakulam’s Ponduru mandal, which is famous for its khadi, exercised their franchise is nearly three decades ago.  More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Folk drums get the beat up at political rallies Chenda melam troupes from within Chennai and from Kerala say that business is picking up with election campaigning. "We have no political affi liations,” says Ram Mohan of the Palghat-based Mudhra Melam.  Airline staff held for gold smuggling in Bangalore A gold smuggling racket, in which Sri Lankan Airlines staff were involved, was busted at Bangalore airport by sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence from Chennai early on Saturday. From under debris, 21-year-old called home The body of a 21-year-old construction worker, who was trapped under the debris of a two-storeyed building that crashed in Puzhuthivakkam on Friday night, was retrieved early on Saturday. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Two held with goods stolen from builder's home A Vastrapur Police team arrested two persons - a domestic help and a security guard - working at bungalow of a prominent builder as they were trying to sneak out valuables from the bungalow on Friday. JEE Main for technical institutes today The Joint Entrance Examination (Main) - 2014 for the admission to undergraduate engineering programmes at NITs, IIITs, other state funded and self-financed institutes will be held on Sunday. People's Union for Civil Liberties protests against legal action initiated against Setalvad The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) on Saturday organized a meeting, where members of the Muslim community and a few Congress leaders protested against the legal proceedings initiated by the state government against social activist Teesta Setalvad. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		New superfast train between Mumbai and Varanasi Railways have decided to run a premier superfast special between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Varanasi. HC to hear plea on lower subordinate exam on April 9 The petitioner, Bhasker Singh, has also requested the court to direct the UPPSC to permit him to provisionally appear in the forthcoming examination of lower subordinate, scheduled to be held on April 6. HC dismisses plea against minister, MLA The Allahabad High Court had dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Prakash Rai alias Lallan Rai, minister of state and also against Samajwadi Party MLA Haji Parvez Ahmed. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Caller tune rings in election message Don't be surprised to hear collector (Kandhamal) N Thirumala Naik appealing to people to cast their votes after dialing number of a district-level officer . Naveen sings tribal tune in Kandhamal  BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday claimed Odisha stood first in country on giving rights over forest land to dwellers under Forest Rights Act (FRA). Multi-cornered fight in Bargarh Bargarh Lok Sabha (LS) seat is likely to see a multi-cornered contest.BJD and BJP have fielded new faces while Congress has re-nominated sitting MP Sanjay Bhoi. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		BJP candidate caught for cash-for-vote  BJP candidate from Bhind, Bhagirath Prasad, who shifted to the saffron camp within 24 hours of bagging a ticket from Congress, has been caught in a cash-for-vote row. Former Chambal dacoit Malkhan campaigning for BJP Everything is fair in the time of elections. Desperate to achieve its much-hyped 'Mission 29' — winning all the LS seats in the state — the BJP has foisted a former dacoit on the campaign trail. Congress' triple tango in Vidisha Politics of the bizarre is being played out in Vidisha parliamentary seat after Congress MLA Jitu Patwari, on Friday also filed his nomination as a party candidate. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		28-year-old injects drug in hosp, dies A 28-year-old basketball player, who was an addict, entered a hospital, pumped some injection into his body and died in a washroom on Saturday. Honour killing case sent to CBI Punjab and Haryana high court handed over the alleged honour killing case of a 23-year-old youth from Jind to CBI on Saturday, allowing a plea filed by his mother. AAP candidate choice a balancing act  With Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielding candidates from all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab, the party has given a diverse mixture of leaders from top professionals to completely unknown faces from very humble backgrounds. More Chandigarh News»

		To manage your newsletter subscription settings, click here	Other Newsletters from TOI : Movie Reviews | Life & Style | Top Headlines

News Digest: Siddaramaiah faces first big test as Karnataka CM

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, April 05, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Siddaramaiah faces first big test as Karnataka CM Congress views the Lok Sabha elections as a big test for Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s ability to rally party legislators in favour of candidates in key constituencies hovering between victory and defeat. Arrested Indian Mujahideen operatives had IIT dreams before joining terror module It is a tale of two youths who once aspired to crack IIT but ended up being part of a mushrooming terror module of banned outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM). Country in dire need of a job jab About 15 crore youngsters are eligible to vote for the first time in Lok Sabha election this year. More India News»

		Business
		AI dives lowest in latest airfare war The Air India scheme covers 40 sectors on 108 flights with tickets at a flat rate of Rs 1,499, plus applicable taxes. Foreign workers come under EPFO radar In an innocuous internal memo dated April 1, the EPFO has directed its regional offices to coordinate with the Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) located in their area and obtain a complete list of all such foreign nationals. Govt rejects demand for PF on perks In a setback to over five crore provident fund subscribers, the labour ministry has turned down a proposal to deduct 12% contribution on the basic salary as well as allowances even as it holds back several notifications. More Business News»

		Environment
		Death, tumors harm efforts to save rare rhinos Efforts to save critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceroses were dealt a double blow this week with the death of one animal in a US zoo and the discovery of reproductive tumors in another. Programme for women to go green in Rajasthan Recognizing the importance of women's participation in governance, a non-governmental organisation has decided to develop a programme to encourage environmental initiatives in rural areas of Rajasthan. Western Ghats manifesto seeks public hearings on Gadgil, Kasturirangan reports to avoid politicization Nadu.The activists of Save Western Ghats will campaign in these. More Environment News»

		World
		Afghanistan goes to polls today As Afghanistan goes to polls on Saturday, the exercise promises to be as much of a game-changer as the Indian elections. US allows Boeing to sell plane parts to Iran The United States has issued a license allowing Boeing to do business with Iran for the first time since the US embargo of 1979, a company spokesman told AFP Friday. Malta gets new female president Malta has sworn in the country's youngest-ever president whose aim is to give a voice to the disadvantaged. More World News»

		Entertainment
		SRK angry with Karan Johar for inviting Salman? It seems Bollywood's best buddies, superstars Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Karan Johar have drifted apart. With rumours doing the rounds that SRK is apparently miffed with the filmmaker, there are speculations that the superstar will not be a guest on KJo's 'Koffee With Karan.' OMG: Arjun Kapoor kisses Alia Bhatt in public? Well they might deny their relationship in public, the young lovebirds Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt leave no chance to romance or lock lips with each other. PICS: Things you didn't know about Sunny Leone Sunny Leone grabbed eyeballs with her hot avatar in Bigg Boss and moved to Bollywood to set the screen on fire. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Volcano fears stalk Yellowstone Videos of lines of bison and other animals ‘fleeing’ Yellowstone National Park in US have raised fears that the supervolcano underneath the park is preparing to erupt, but how much truth — if any — is there to this claim? New clock won't lose a second in 300 million years A US government agency has developed a new atomic clock that would neither gain nor lose one second in about 300 million years, making it three times as accurate as its predecessor. This tiny power generator runs on human saliva Scientists have created the world’s first saliva-powered micro-sized microbial fuel cell that can produce minute amounts of energy sufficient to run on-chip applications. More Science News»

		Sports
		India one win away from Grand Slam India rode on Virat Kohli's unbeaten 72 and a fantastic bowling effort from R Ashwin (3-22) to storm into the final of the ICC World T20 with a clinical win. Schumi has 'moments of consciousness' Schumacher has "moments of consciousness and awakening", his spokeswoman said, in a sign of progress months after the legend suffered injuries. Ministry questions BCCI's choice of UAE The Union sports ministry has given its clearance to this year's Indian Premier League but not without questioning the choice of UAE as the venue. More Sports News»

		Technology
		White House condemns Samsung's use of Obama selfie as ad Smiles turned to scowls when Samsung promoted the Obama selfie on Twitter to the company's 5.2 million followers. Is Microsoft Cortana better than Apple Siri? When Microsoft was developing Cortana, the company thought, naturally, about how it could improve on Siri. Sony pips Apple to be No. 2 phone brand in India Sony has overtaken ace rival Apple to emerge the second largest smartphone brand in India in value sales. More Technology News»

		Education
		For a year, no new technical institutes The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to suspend for a year guidelines issued just a few days ago for approval and regulation of new technical institutes. Lucknow University to begin its admission process in mid-May Lucknow University will begin its admission process for undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD simultaneously in the middle of May. IIM-Shillong's fifth convocation today The institute will also facilitate one of its young achievers, Vineet Jain.Living in Mumbai's Borivali area, Vineet has earned four degrees.He has CS, CA, CFA degrees and is an MBA graduate from IIM Shillong. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Cop says teacher gave him SSC algebra paper A senior school teacher has come under the scanner of the city crime branch, which is probing the SSC algebra paper leak case. Now, you can challenge a candidate's affidavit In a path-breaking initiative, the Election Commission has allowed citizens to challenge the details in the affidavits filed by candidates. TYBCom paper leaks, but no re-test The sixth semester TYBCom Marketing & Human Resources Management paper leaked on Friday about an hour before the exam. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		BJP slams Bukhari, says failed Congress leaders communalizing polls The BJP on Friday asked the Election Commission to take cognizance of Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari's appeal to Muslims to support Congress in the polls and accused Sonia Gandhi and Rahul of "communalising the whole election". Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari backs Congress, says SP, BSP untrustworthy Congress's bid to secure the support of Delhi's Jama Masjid as part of its quest to sew up Muslim support succeeded on Friday with Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari endorsing the party as the community's electoral choice. Hawkers say they deserve a good bargain It took street vendors over a decade to make policy-makers respond to their concerns. Several protests later, they now have a law that ensures them the right to earn a livelihood without fear.  More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Short of funds, Mandali shrinks music fest by 5 days Music buffs are in for a disappointment this summer.Sree Ramaseva Mandali in Chamarajpet is cutting short its famed annual extravaganza by five days this year.Reason: Paucity of funds. Out on bail, he commits a third murder Bangalore: One had allegedly killed his wife and the other, his arch rival.The two men met in Parappana Agrahara central prison in 2012 and had bonded instantly. Take an elderly voter in swanky car for free If you have a senior citizen or a physically-challenged citizen at home wanting to vote, you needn't fret on how to ferry them to the polling booth. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Railway ministry dashes hopes of Telangana, Andhra In the 13th schedule of the Act, it was assured that the Centre will examine the proposal of a new railway zone in residuary Andhra Pradesh and the feasibility of a rail coach factory in Telangana. Man demands more dowry for 'obese' bride A man demanded additional dowry of Rs.5 lakh from the parents of a bride claiming the girl was obese, in an incident that led to protests outside the Machavaram police station. One killed, 30 injured as bus veers off road One person was killed and 30 others were injured when a private bus veered off the road and hit electrical poles on the outskirts of Vijayawada city in the early hours of Friday. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Alcohol dominates bypoll conversation in Alandur At 7am on April 1, Tamil writer S Gnani, AAP’s candidate for Alandur assembly constituency, set out on his campaign.  Three held for attack on Anbumani in Dharmapuri Security has been tightened for PMK leader and Dharmapuri candidate Anbumani Ramadoss after his vehicle was attacked while he was campaigning in the constituency on Thursday. Every corruption charge has a political reason: Kanimozhi An accused in the 2G scam, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi will be campaigning for DMK candidates for the Lok Sabha elections from April 5. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Tight control on buffalo sale in Modi's Gujarat According to figures with the Animal Husbandry Department, meat production in Gujarat increased from 6,840 tonne per annum to 22,000 tonnes between 1998-99 and 2011-12. Gujarat University okays centralized admission for BCom The Gujarat University (GU) has decided to centralize the admission process for the first year Bachelor of Commerce admissions.The GU held a meeting with the principals before taking a final call. Mishap on NH-8 causes 4km traffic jam Vehicles on National Highway No 8 faced a bumper to bumper jam which stretched over 4 km near Anand on Friday.The jam was created by an accident that took place on the highway. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		New superfast train between Mumbai and Varanasi Railways have decided to run a premier superfast special between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Varanasi. HC to hear plea on lower subordinate exam on April 9 The petitioner, Bhasker Singh, has also requested the court to direct the UPPSC to permit him to provisionally appear in the forthcoming examination of lower subordinate, scheduled to be held on April 6. HC dismisses plea against minister, MLA The Allahabad High Court had dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Prakash Rai alias Lallan Rai, minister of state and also against Samajwadi Party MLA Haji Parvez Ahmed. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Caller tune rings in election message Don't be surprised to hear collector (Kandhamal) N Thirumala Naik appealing to people to cast their votes after dialing number of a district-level officer . Naveen sings tribal tune in Kandhamal  BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday claimed Odisha stood first in country on giving rights over forest land to dwellers under Forest Rights Act (FRA). Multi-cornered fight in Bargarh Bargarh Lok Sabha (LS) seat is likely to see a multi-cornered contest.BJD and BJP have fielded new faces while Congress has re-nominated sitting MP Sanjay Bhoi. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Former Chambal dacoit Malkhan campaigning for BJP Everything is fair in the time of elections. Desperate to achieve its much-hyped 'Mission 29' — winning all the LS seats in the state — the BJP has foisted a former dacoit on the campaign trail. Congress' triple tango in Vidisha Politics of the bizarre is being played out in Vidisha parliamentary seat after Congress MLA Jitu Patwari, on Friday also filed his nomination as a party candidate. Thanas turn into vehicle junkyard More than 5,000 rusted and dust-smothered vehicles lying in varying stages of decay have literally turned police stations across the city into junkyards. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Babus croon for voters in Hoshiarpur They are the bureaucrats-turned-singers of the Election Commission in Hoshiarpur district.  Haryana's pagdi girl defies tradition It is rare to find a woman in Haryana putting on a man's pagdi and getting away with it. One of them is the sitting Congress MP from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh Shruti Choudhary.  Haryana's 'Little Cuba' looks for knockout punch This election season, politicians are the favourite punching bag for Haryana's 'Little Cuba' Bhiwani. More Chandigarh News»

		To manage your newsletter subscription settings, click here	Other Newsletters from TOI : Movie Reviews | Life & Style | Top Headlines

My Strange Experience in Thiruvannamalai

Articles Forums Downloads Videos Pictures

IndiaDivine.org:

My Strange Experience in Thiruvannamalai

A couple of years back, in November of 2008, Surya, Me, Neeraja and my uncle and aunt from the US had gone for a visit to Thiruvannamalai. On the night of the 10th, we spent a lot of time in the temple and sat for a while at the Kalabhairava shrine near the temple tank. I was telling Surya about the Kalabhairava temple we went to in Varanasi with Swamiji and the story of how he took away one of Brahma's heads.

The next day a little before 6 am we all started on the 14 km Girivalam or circumambulation around the Arunachala hill. A few minutes into the trek just as we crossed the South Gopuram, a small beige dog started following us. My first instinct was to shoo it away. It moved back but kept tagging along. After a while I felt sorry for the dog. After all we were in the territory of Ramana who was friends with all animals in the area. So I stopped shooing it. I figured it was hungry and following the visitors was an adaptation by the animals to get food.

Read Article...

 

Latest Files from Downloads Section

Lakshmi Sahasranamam (MP3)

He Govinda He Gopala by M.S. Subbulakshmi(MP3)

Gayatri Mantra Meditation (MP3)

Devi Suktam of the Rig Veda (MP3)

Chamakam (MP3)

Hanuman Chalisa Ringtone

Anjaneya Stuti (MP3)

Bhavani Ashtakam (MP3)

Kalika Stuti (MP3)

Ayushya Suktam, Mantras for Health (MP3)

Bhagya Suktam, Mantras for Wealth (MP3)

 

This is sent to 252,935 subscribers.
To subscribe: Subscribe
To unsubscribe: Unsubscribe