Cool Retreats: Hill Stations: Kerala

Attappady
Located 38 kms from Mannarkkad, the place consists of mostly hilly highland terrain, fed by the tributaries of the River Cauvery. An extensive mountain valley above the crest of the Ghat ranges with numerous rivulets of the Bhavani River, Attapady is inhabited mainly by tribes and some settlers from Tamil Nadu. A beautiful synthesis of mountains, rivers and forests, Attapaddy is of great interest to anthropologists, as this is the habitat of many tribes like the ‘irolas’ and ‘mudugars’.

Devikulam
Located 16 kms from Munnar, this gorgeous hill station symbolizes nature in her pristine glory. The crisp and cool mountain air heavily laden with the fragrance of wild flowers and rare herbs is any nature lover’s paradise.

Topstation
The idyllic hill station is located 32 kms from Munnar, on the Munnar-Kodaikanal Road. Perched at an altitude of 1700 m above sea level, it is the highest point on Munnar-Kodaikanal Road. The rare Neelakurinji (Strobilanthus), the flower that blooms once in 12 years, belongs to this region.

Munnar
This hill station, located at an altitude of 1600 m above sea level, was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British government in South India. Sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns, winding lanes and holiday facilities make this a popular resort town. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands is the ‘Neelakurinji’.

Peerumedu
It is a small hill station, snuggled at an altitude of 914 m above sea level, on way to Thekkady. The famous plantation town takes its name from Peer Mohammad, a Sufi saint and close associates of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore.

Nelliyampathy
Located at a distance of 52 kms from Palakkad, the cool hills of Nelliampathy, nestling atop the Western Ghats, offer a breathtaking view of the misty mountains and enchanting valleys interspersed with sprawling tea, coffee, cardamom and orange plantations.

Pakshipatalam
It is located 7 kms north east of Thirunelli Temple in Brahma Giri Hills is a challenging tourist spot. A trekkers’ paradise, this place is accessible only by trekking. Located at an altitude of 1740 m above sea level, this hill station offers great opportunities for bird watching. One has to trek 17 kms through the wild forests, to reach ‘Pakshipathalam’

Ponmudi
The salubrious hill station of Ponmudi is at a distance of 61 kms from Thiruvananthapuram. Perched at an altitude of over 100 m above sea level on the Western Ghats, the shimmering green waters of the winding streams and verdant woods of Ponmudi do not spare anybody. Trekking is a passion with the visitors to Ponmudi, lying within easy driving distance from Thrivandrum.

Wayanad
The forests of Wayanad are a veritable treasure house of Flora & Fauna. Wildlife freely roams in the sanctuaries of Matthunga, Begur and Tholpetty. Home to stunning orchids, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, rubber, bamboo and coffee, Wayanad has a surprise in store for you at every nook & corner. Tucked in the verdant tropical womb are the twin lakes of Vythiri & Lakkidi. 3 Km from Lakkidi is the Pookote Lake, covered in parts with lotus, a picture out of a fairy tale book. At 6,890 ft is Chembra Peak just 24 Km from Vythiri.

Silent Valley
One of the least disturbed forests of ‘God’s own country’ the Silent Valley. It is popular that it is named so because it is devoid of the most common sound found in the Rain forests; The incessant chirping of cicadas. The local name of the forest is ‘Sairandhri’, another name of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. Some believe its name is derived from the lion-tailed Macaque, whose scientific name is Macca Silenus. Due to its topographic isolation no human being has ever made it their home. Places to see around Silent Valley, Attapady (35 Km) — a tribal settlement for the Irulas and Mudugars, Malleshwaram Peak — worshipped as a Shivaling by the Tribals.

Malampuzha
Malampuzha Dam is in the foothills of the Western Ghats. It is known as the abode of Yakshi, because of the exquisite sculpture of Yakshi in the landscaped gardens of the irrigation dam at this popular picnic spot. The central attraction of this town is the unabashed yet enticing sculpture created in concrete by Kanai Kunhiraman, Kerala’s best-known contemporary sculptor. Referred as the Vrindavan of Kerala, the place derives its name from the Malampuzha River a tributary of Bharatpuzha, the state’s second largest river. The Rock Garden here, created by the fames re-cycling artist Nekchand, is particularly worth spending time. Also boating on the reservoir is another favourite sport.

Snake Park (Malampuzha)
Set up in 1984 by the state govt. the park houses several snakes like the Forsten’s cat snake, the brown vine snake and of course the King Cobra, Indian rock python, kraits, the trinket snake and the rock pit viper, the wolf snake, and a variety of vipers like the saw scaled viper and Russel viper. There are various types of cobra like the common cobra, the monocled cobra, and the spectacled cobra. Also in the park are some varieties of water snakes, crocodiles and the American green iguana. Also in Malampuzha is the thread garden, a museum of a replica of nature, all made of thread.

Palakkad
Palakkad the rice bowl of Kerala is a gateway between Kerala & Tamil Nadu. The Palakkad Fort built by Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1776, is popularly called Tipu’s fort. The once proud Granite fort of strong bastions & thick walls and a drawbridge, maybe crumbling with age, yet is worth a visit.

India’s Golden Triangle

Busy street life, tranquil havens, culture shocks and architectural splendours await those who take the classic introduction to this vast and varied country, says Matthew Teller

WHAT IS THE ‘GOLDEN TRIANGLE’?

India’s Golden Triangle comprises the three most visited cities in the country’s north-west – Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, which are all connected to each other by good road and rail links. On the map, these form a roughly equilateral triangle, some 200-250km along each side. This triangle has been dubbed “golden” for the extraordinary wealth of cultural and historical splendour on offer in each of the three cities.

Jaipur, capital of the largely desert state of Rajasthan, is home to some of Asia’s best bazaars. You could spend weeks in Delhi, the sprawling, fascinating Indian capital, and not see it all, while Agra, once the heart of the Moghul empire, boasts the unparalleled beauty of the Taj Mahal, which adorns the banks of the Yamuna river. The Golden Triangle is a classic introduction to India: if you’ve never been to the subcontinent before, start here. Which usually involves a flight into Delhi.

IS THAT A GOOD PLAN?

Yes. For all its dirt, traffic and crowds, the Indian capital is a remarkably amiable entry-point to the nation. Guidebooks prognosticate gloomily about the culture shock and hassle factor, but all but the most sensitive souls are likely to find a first visit more inspiring than shocking or maddening. Delhi is a megalopolis on the up: the population is young, the economy is dynamic (visibly so: you’ll see miserable poverty but you’ll also see countless individual-run small businesses) and yet the cultural roots are holding firm.

Delhi’s chief “sight” is its street life. The teeming bazaars of imagination lie in “Old” Delhi, the city of the Moghuls, established in the 17th century and still largely Muslim: the immense Jama Masjid (Great Mosque) dominates the quarter. Its main thoroughfare, the tumultuous Chandni Chowk, abuts the Red Fort, whose pristine lawns and lofty Moghul audience halls offer a tranquil haven. To the south, British-built New Delhi is a fascinating contrast, radiating out from the boutiques and cafés of Connaught Place: here, the dusty alleys are replaced by broad, arrow-straight boulevards and four-square monuments. The imperial mall, Rajpath, leads to the mighty arch of India Gate, designed by Edwin Lutyens in the 1920s, and now the focus of New Delhi’s passeggiata.

AREN’T ALL THESE PLACES VERY TOURISTY?

Delhi, being such a large (population around 14 million) and diverse city, absorbs its tourists with ease. Agra and Jaipur both have sizeable numbers of Western tourists roaming around. Jaipur, as capital of Rajasthan, has a role as a commercial and administrative centre that has nothing to do with tourism, and a population of 2.5m. The city’s alluringly frenetic old quarter is known as the Pink City after its red-washed buildings, packed with stalls selling everything from silk to milk. Of Jaipur’s numerous monuments, the Hawa Mahal – an ornate five-storey façade, designed to allow the women of the royal household to observe the street in anonymity – has become an icon of Rajasthani architecture.

AND THE THIRD POINT OF THE TRIANGLE?

Completing the triangle, Agra – for all its monumental splendour – can be a trial, with the perpetual smog and the hard-sell hawking. It can at times feel like a swollen village: its parks and public spaces have an oddly suburban ambience. Yet it boasts a stupendous Moghul fort in the city centre and the ethereally beautiful Taj Mahal.

The marble mausoleum is by far the most popular tourist site in India – and despite the hype and the cliché it is an astounding and mesmerising building. In addition, Agra offers other jewelled tombs and architectural marvels as well as a medieval-like maze of ancient bazaars, a mass of hooting, tooting traffic and some of the most rapacious shopkeepers in the country. Motorised traffic is banned from the complex surrounding the Taj Mahal. Opening hours are 6am-7pm daily except Fridays. Admission is Rs750 (£9) for foreigners and Rs20 (25p) for Indian nationals.

WHERE SHALL I SLEEP?

Undoubtedly the best placed and smartest hotel in Agra is the Oberoi Amarvilas at Taj East Gate Road (00 91 562 223 1515; www.oberoihotels.com). It is less than 500m from the Taj, and offers staggering views of the mausoleum from each of its 105 bedrooms. Doubles start at around Rs18,000 (£215).

Agra’s mid-range hotels lack character: as good a bet as any is the four-star Clarks Shiraz, 54 Taj Road (00 91 11 562 222 6129; www.hotelclarksshiraz.com), favoured by many tour companies: a deluxe double facing the Taj Mahal costs Rs6,500 (£74). Jaipur does better: plump for the pleasant three-star Umaid Bhawan, D1-2A Bani Park (00 91 141 231 6184; www.umaidbhawan.com) – a modern building on a residential street done up as a heritage-style palace. Spacious deluxe doubles are a snip at £20. Decent mid-range hotels in Delhi include Nirula’s, L-135 Connaught Place (00 91 11 2341 7419; www.nirula.com), with well-kept three-star doubles from Rs5,100 (£59), and similarly house-proud Alka, P-16/90 Connaught Place (00 91 11 2334 4000; www.hotelalka.com), with doubles from Rs3,600 (£42). All prices quoted here exclude breakfast.

AND EAT?

Trustworthy mid-range eateries in central New Delhi include the Banana Leaf, at N-12 Connaught Place (00 91 11 2331 2355), a good, family-style restaurant serving up South Indian specialities such as dosa alongside excellent thalis. Nirula’s, at L-135 Connaught Place (00 91 11 2341 7419; www.nirula.com), is another sound bet.

Alternatively, you could opt for wraps, paninis and light bites at Barista, a chain of WiFi-enabled espresso bars with more than 20 outlets in Delhi alone, including a branch at N-16 Connaught Place (00 91 11 2335 6076; www.barista.co.in). Barista is also in Jaipur (00 91 141 510 8958), in the mall opposite the Raj Mandir cinema, but here an excellent choice is the LMB restaurant on Johari Bazaar (00 91 141 256 5844; www.hotellmb.com), where all the food is pure vegetarian.

In Agra, decent options outside the big hotels are few: cautious eaters should avoid the hole-in-the-wall restaurants occupying the alleys around the Taj Mahal and instead take a rickshaw out to Only, a garden restaurant at 45 Taj Road (00 91 562 222 6834) which attracts local family parties as readily as Western tour groups. Sit out on its shaded lawns for splendid Mughlai cooking. At all of these, expect to pay around 150-300 rupees (roughly £1.75-3.50) for a full meal.

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Air India (020 7495 7950; www.airindia.com), British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com), Jet Airways (0800 026 5626; www.jetairways.com) and Virgin Atlantic (0870 380 2007; www.virgin-atlantic.com) fly daily from London Heathrow non-stop to Delhi.

Another possible gateway is Amritsar, north-west of Delhi, with non-stop flights from Birmingham on Air India and Heathrow on Jet; the latter can do competitive “open-jaw” deals into one city and out of the other.

AND GET AROUND?

You may find that getting from Delhi to Agra to Jaipur comprises the most evocative aspect of an Indian holiday. Domestic flights notwithstanding, Indians still clock up a phenomenal quantity of rail miles and, in general, the trains are well organised and efficient. Trains have eight classes of travel, from unreserved wooden benches to air-conditioned berths that include bedding and meals. Each class has its own code, which you’ll need to know. In addition, every train service is identified by a four-digit train number, quoted in the timetable, and every station is identified by its own alphabetic code – very important in cities such as Agra, where there is more than one large station.

Booking ahead is essential: you generally can’t just turn up, buy a ticket and board. Online booking is possible up to two months in advance at www.irctc.co.in, with some restrictions; see the useful explanation of how to do this at www.seat61.com.

Alternatively, turn your itinerary over to SD Enterprises (020 8903 3411; www.indiarail.co.uk), which sells point-to-point tickets, itineraries and IndRail passes – which come in a variety of options from half a day in second class (£6) to 90 days in air-conditioned comfort (£550). The official Indian Railways website is at www.indianrail.gov.in.

To find your train amidst the crowds and the chaos, choose a porter at the station entrance, show him your ticket and (for a small fee) he will carry your bags to the correct platform. As a guide, the basic fare from Delhi to Agra in a comfortable, airline-style reclining seat is 375 rupees (about £4.50). The fastest journey is under two hours on the New Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi (express), which leaves New Delhi at 6.15am and arrives at Agra’s Cantonment station just after 8am, well before the crowds arrive. The corresponding train in the opposite direction leaves Agra at 8.30pm.

The journey time from the capital to Jaipur is around five hours. Between Jaipur and Agra, the Jaipur-Gwalior Express covers the ground in four hours. Although taxis are cheap, the classic way to get around Indian cities is by auto-rickshaw. A hair-raising ride rarely costs more than £1.

WHAT KINDS OF PACKAGE TOURS ARE THERE?

Dozens of companies offer itineraries centred on the Golden Triangle, from a few days in Delhi up to lengthy multi-centre itineraries, which often include tiger-watching and other diversions.

One long-established India operator is Voyages Jules Verne (020-7616 1000; www.vjv.co.uk), which is the budget arm of Kuoni. The nine-night Golden Triangle tour skims Delhi in favour of a two-night stay at Kuchaman Fort, near Jaipur; it runs twice a week for much of the year, with keen prices from £715 per person. Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk) offers the one-week “Indian Experience”. Centred on the Golden Triangle, it includes five-star accommodation, with one night at the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Jaipur. It runs more or less weekly, year-round, from £995 per person. Both companies have many other options available. In addition, Bales Worldwide (0845 057 1819; www.balesworldwide.com) has an eight-night Discover India itinerary, which covers the classic route, plus a train ride to Gwalior Fort, south of Agra, from £1,295. Innovative alternatives include the 16-night “Tigers and Palaces” tour from Essential India (01225 868 544; www.essential-india.co.uk), featuring a relaxed itinerary around the Golden Triangle and beyond, from £1,296 – but not including international flights.

To see the Golden Triangle in style, opt for the “Palace on Wheels” (00 91 11 23325939; www.palaceonwheels.com), a private luxury train that plies a week-long route from Delhi to Jaipur, on into Rajasthan and back via Agra. Its plush, carpeted interiors include two dining cars and roomy bedrooms decorated in Rajasthani style. Several operators, including Voyages Jules Verne and Great Rail Journeys (01904 527 174; www.greatrail.com), offer Palace on Wheels itineraries.

IS ‘DELHI BELLY’ INEVITABLE?

Not at all. Bottled water is available everywhere cheaply – this is fine for a week or two’s visit, but if you’re staying longer you should be aware of the environmental consequences of plastic waste, and consider taking water-purifying tablets with you.

Antibacterial hand gel is widely available from pharmacies in Britain, and cuts out the need to hunt for soap and water at every snack stop.

BREAKING THE TRIANGLE

Once you’ve explored the Golden Triangle there are plenty of options for striking out alone. Near Agra lies Fatehpur Sikri, a deserted, hugely atmospheric Moghul palace complex, as well as the magnificent Keoladeo Ghana National Park on the outskirts of Bharatpur. Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary is near Jaipur, as is Amber Fort, another splendid Moghul hilltop palace. From Kalka, north of Delhi, a historic “toy train” follows a scenic narrow-gauge line up to the Himalayan hill-station of Shimla, summer capital of the British Raj.

The most enticing side-trip is to Amritsar, capital of Punjab state and the holiest city in Sikhism, to visit the Golden Temple and the Jallianwalla Bagh gardens. This can be done in a day by train, departing New Delhi at 7.20am and returning at 10.50pm, giving four hours (1-5pm) in Amritsar.

‘Yeh Hai Hindustan Meri Jaan’ – Competitive Advertising

"Doc, I can’t sleep anymore,"

“Doc, I can’t sleep anymore,” Dilip complained. “I’ve tried everything, but I just toss and turn.”

“You have to learn to relax,” the doctor said. “Try putting each part of your body to sleep separately.”

That night Dilip crawled into bed, got comfortable and started to talk to his body. “Toes, go to sleep,” he whispered.

“Feet, go to sleep. Legs, go to sleep.
Hips, go to sleep. Stomach, go to sleep.”

Just then his wife walked in wearing a transparent teddy.

Dilip opened one eye, then lifted his head from the pillow. “OK,” he shouted, “up, up…everybody up!”

Have a nice sleep.

Windows XP Tips

Reach Run quickly
Here’s a quicker way to reach the Run dialog box, if you don’t want to go through the Start menu. Just hit the Windows key + R.

Looking for a better screen font display?
Enable ClearType, Microsoft’s trademark font display technology, for a drastic improvement in screen font rendering. Right-click anywhere on your desktop. Now select Properties. Under the Appearance tab, click Effects. Check the box for Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts, and in the drop-down menu, select ClearType. Press OK, and apply the change.

Change your mouse pointer scheme
Bored of the same old arrow? To change your mouse pointer scheme, in the Control Panel, select Mouse and go to the Pointers tab. Scroll through the available schemes, pick one that you like and click Apply.

Check that your Windows Firewall is turned on
To make sure your Windows Firewall hasn’t been accidentally disabled, go to your Control Panel and click Windows Firewall. Make sure the radio button for On (recommended) is selected. Add exceptions to your Firewall by going to the Exceptions tab and adding the programs that you think should have access to the Internet to the list of exceptions.

Instantly activate your screensaver
In XP, you can put a short cut of your favourite screensaver on your desktop to instantly start your screen saver. Here’s how. Go to Start on your desktop and click on Search. In the help box, click on All files and folders. and then type in *.scr. Select your screen saver file and right click. Then select Send To, and then Desktop.

Put your Monitor to sleep
Right click on the desktop and click on Properties. In the dialog box that appears, click on the Screen Saver tab. Click on Power and in the dialog box that appears click on the Turn off Monitor list. Select a time to automatically after which the monitor will be turned off. Click OK twice and you’re set.

Using your Windows Key
Your Windows key can be used to for many short cuts. If you want to open your Windows Explorer quickly just press your Windows key and E. If you want to open the Run dialog box, just press the Windows key and R. If you want to open your search dialog box, press your Windows key and F.

Instantly lock your PC
If you have password protected your Windows, here is a quick way to lock it. Press the Windows key and L together.

Change the look of folder icons
If you don’t like the look of the folder icons on your desktop, you can change them. Right click on the folder, select Properties. Click on the Customize tab, and under the Folder icons area, click on the Change Icons button. Select the icon of your choice and select OK.

Minimize a Window to your Taskbar
If you’re tired of using the mouse over and over again to minimize a window, here’s a handy tip. To minimize a window using just the keyboard, press Alt, Spacebar and N together.

Display album art in your music folder thumbnails
If your music files are in WMA format, XP automatically picks up the album art and displays it, both in the folder thumbnail as well as in the Windows Media Player display. If your files are in MP3 format, you can download the album art from the Internet and then customize each folder to display it. But this takes a lot of time. A faster way around is to save each image as ‘folder.jpg’ and put it in the correct folder. Once you do this, XP will pick up that image and use it as the thumbnail for the folder, and also use the image to display in Windows Media Player while playing songs from the album.

How to stop Windows Media Player from accessing your information
You may be uncomfortable with the idea of Windows Media Player collecting your information and sending it to various websites. You can stop this. Go to the Tools menu of Windows Media Player. Select Options and then go to the Player tab. Look for the check box that says “Allow Internet sites to uniquely identify your player?” and make sure it is not selected.

Opening folders with a single click
If you’d rather not have to double-click everything to open it, here’s the way out. Go to My Computer, and select Options in the Tools menu. Choose Folder options. In the dialog box that opens, select the check box that says ‘Single-click to open an item (point to select)’, and click OK.

Making web pages available offline
You may occasionally need to refer to a website, and you may not be able to connect to the Internet at the time. An easy way out of the situation is to go to the Favourites tab in Internet Explorer, and click Add to Favourites. In the dialog box that is displayed, select the Make available offline check box, and press OK.

Republic of India – Coinage

India won its independence on 15 ^th August, 1947. During the period of transition India retained the monetary system and the currency and coinage of the earlier period. While Pakistan introduced a new series of coins in 1948 and notes in 1949, India brought out its distinctive coins on 15 ^th August, 1950.

Chronologically, the main considerations influencing the coinage policy of Republic India over time have been:

1. The incorporation of symbols of sovereignty and indigenous motifs on independence;

2. Coinage Reforms with the introduction of the metric system;

3. The need felt from time to time to obviate the possibility of the metallic value of coins rising beyond the face value;

4. The cost-benefit of coinisation of currency notes

Independent India Issues could broadly be categorized as:

The Frozen Series 1947-1950
This represented the currency arrangements during the transition period upto the establishment of the Indian Republic. The Monetary System remained unchanged at One Rupee consisting of 192 pies.

1 Rupee = 16 Annas
1 Anna = 4 Pice
1 Pice = 3 Pies

One Rupee Coin – 1950 Half Rupee Coin -1950

Quarter Rupee – 1950 Two Anna Coin -1950

One Anna Coin – 1950 Half Anna Coin – 1950

One Pice Coin – 1950

The Anna Series
This series was introduced on 15 ^th August, 1950 and represented the first coinage of Republic India. The King’s Portrait was replaced by the Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar. A corn sheaf replaced the Tiger on the one Rupee coin. In some ways this symbolised a shift in focus to progress and prosperity. Indian motifs were incorporated on other coins. The monetary system was largely retained unchanged with one Rupee consisting of 16 Annas.

The Decimal Series
The move towards decimalisation was afoot for over a century. However, it was in September, 1955 that the Indian Coinage Act was amended for the country to adopt a metric system for coinage. The Act came into force with effect from 1 ^st April, 1957. The rupee remained unchanged in value and nomenclature. It, however, was now divided into 100 ‘Paisa’ instead of 16 Annas or 64 Pice. For public recognition, the new decimal Paisa was termed ‘Naya Paisa’ till 1 ^st June, 1964 when the term ‘Naya’ was dropped.

One Naya Paise – 1957 Two Naya Paise Five Nayae Paise

Ten Nayae Paise Twenty Five Nayae Fifty Nayae Paise

One Rupee – 1962

Naya Paisa Series 1957-1964
With commodity prices rising in the sixties, small denomination coins which were made of bronze, nickel-brass, cupro-nickel, and Aluminium-Bronze were gradually minted in Aluminium. This change commenced with the introduction of the new hexagonal 3 paise coin. A twenty paise coin was introduced in 1968 but did not gain much popularity.

Aluminium Series 1964 onwards
Over a period of time, cost benefit considerations led to the gradual discontinuance of 1, 2 and 3 paise coins in the seventies; Stainless steel coinage of 10, 25 and 50 paise, was introduced in 1988 and of one rupee in 1992. The very considerable costs of managing note issues of Re 1, Rs 2, and Rs 5 led to the gradual coinisation of these denominations

One Paisa Two Paise Three Paise Five Paise

Ten Paise – 1972 Twenty Paise – 1985 Ten Paise – 1990

Twenty Five Paise – 1997 Fifty Paise – 1997 One Rupee – 1997

Two Rupees – 1997 Five Rupees – 1997

Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai ?

Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai? is a studio-based game show in which succeeding contestants compete for a large sum of money by attempting to answer questions taken from primary school class materials. The format outlined below is how the show works.

Game Play

Each round is played by an individual contestant, who is presented with the chance to win up to Rs 5 crores by answering 11 questions taken from class materials (e.g. textbooks or workbooks) of first to fifth class.

The contestant is presented with 10 subject cards, which he may answer in the order of his choice. Each correct answer moves the contestant higher up the ladder of rupee value. If a contestant answers all 10 questions correctly, he is given a chance to answer an 11th question for Rs 5 crores.

Each time a question is answered, the contestant must “lock in” the answer by saying it out loud and pressing a buzzer.

As each new question is read, the contestant is given the option to drop out with the amount of money currently in his bank. If the contestant chooses to answer the question, but gives the wrong answer, he walks away with nothing (during questions 1-5) or with Rs. 2, 00,000 (value of question 5).

The above mechanism varies on the 11th question, if the contestant should reach it. The 11th question is drawn from a separate pool of class five questions. Unlike previous questions, the contestant must commit to answering or walking away based on the subject alone. He or she will not be allowed to hear the question before making this decision.

The contestant also has three lifelines called cheats to use over the course of a round. All these cheats involve his classmates, which is a group of children seated on stage who are answering the same questions as the contestant. Every two questions, a new classmate joins the contestant and becomes his teammate for those two questions. The contestant can use his cheats at any time during the first 10 questions.

Cheats

The first cheat is called Taak Jhaak, which means that the contestant has the opportunity to review his current teammate’s answer before submitting his own.

The second cheat is Copy, in which the contestant may opt not to answer the question at all, but rather, let his current teammate answer for him. Unlike the “copy your classmate” cheat, in this instance, the contestant cannot reject his teammate’s answer, but is stuck with it.

The final cheat is Bachao. This cheat is triggered automatically if the contestant gives a wrong answer. If the contestant’s current partner turns out to have the correct answer, the contestant is then saved.

The only instance in which two cheats can be used on the same question is if the contestant chooses Taak Jhaak, rejects the kid’s correct answer, gives a wrong answer himself, and is then saved by the kid. Other than this one scenario, the cheats must necessarily be used individually.

Once all three cheats have been used, the kids will stay in the “class” and no longer join the contestant at the podium.

If the contestant makes it to the 11th and final question, he must tackle that question without help, even if he has not used his cheats.

International Performance

The format was originally created in the US & has been adapted in several countries worldwide.

Costliest Saree

How often have you come across a Rs40 lakh ($100,000) silk saree? Chennai Silks, a textile unit has come up with one of its kind & it is seeking an unmistakable entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most unique & expensive saree.

The exceptionally stunning saree is meticulously woven with 12 precious stones & metals to depict 11 of Raja Ravi Verma’s popular paintings. Explicitly projected is ‘Lady Musicians’, one of the painter’s very famous works that displays women belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds.

Besides, the border of the saree pictures 10 other paintings of the artist that pays tribute to 20th century artist.

The best part of the saree, the women in the paintings are intricately hand-woven & beautified with jewels of gold, diamond, platinum, silver, ruby, emerald, yellow sapphire, sapphire, cat’s eye, topaz, pearl and corals.

Already in the Limca Book of Records, this 40 lakh saree will be the first silk saree that required the use of 7,440 jacquard hooks & 66,794 cards during weaving process. Moreover, a group of consummate workers took nearly 4,680 hours.

11 Ways to Decompress after High Stress

These are some simple and great ways to destress after a tough day or event!

1. Deep Breathing. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Now let it out … slowly. Try counting to 10 as you let out your breath. Feel the tension and stress flowing out of you with your breath. Repeat 3-10 times, as necessary.

2. Self-massage. I like to massage my shoulders, neck, head, lower back. It helps a lot. Even better: get your honey to do it for you! Another great relaxation technique is to tense up and then relax each muscle in your body, one at a time, starting from your toes up to your head.

3. Take a walk. When I’m in the middle of stress, I like to take a walk around the building. I also do the deep breathing and self-massage mentioned above as I do so. It’s a great way of letting go of tension and allowing yourself to re-focus.

4. Exercise. This morning, I went to the beach at 5:30 a.m. and went for a swim. It was beautiful at the beach at around sunrise, and the swim was invigorating. Yesterday I went for a bike ride, and the morning before it was a short but refreshing run. Tomorrow I think I’ll do another short run. It really gets the stress out of your system and gives you some quiet time to think when you exercise.

5. Get outdoors. Even if I didn’t do the swim, just being there at the beach, with my decaf coffee was calming. It’s nice to connect with nature and take in the beauty around you. While you’re there, stretch, yawn, take some deep breaths, and enjoy.

6. Disconnect. Turn off the phones, turn off the computer, and shut off the outside world for a little while. These things just raise your stress level. Go offline and forget about the online world! You can do it! Except for Karmic Mantra. That’s the only blog you’re allowed to read when you decompress.

7. Take a day off. That’s what I’m doing today. Don’t tell my boss. I have lots of vacation and sick leave saved up, so it’s not a problem, actually. I’m just going to veg out and allow myself to calm down and center.

8. Meditate. You don’t need to be trained to have a short, relaxing meditation session. Just sit somewhere quiet, close your eyes, relax, and focus on your breathing. Try to concentrate on it coming into your body, and then going out. When other things pop into your head (they will, inevitably), just acknowledge them (don’t try to force them out) and allow them to leave, and then focus again on your breathing. Do this for as long as you can, and then take a couple of cleansing breaths, and get up a new person.

9. Read. I like to throw myself on the couch with a good book. Well, not necessarily a good book — a page-turner. Something that will engross me completely, take my mind off everything else. John Grisham works well for me, as does William Gibson. And Terry Pratchett. Or Ann Patchett, for that matter. And Stephen King. Just get lost in their world.

10. Love. I like to spend time with my kids or my wife. Just snuggle with them, focus on them, forget about the world. They are all that’s important, and sometimes I need that reminder.

11. Take a nap. One of my favorites. Just take a 30-minute nap, and you’re re-set! A nap is like a restart button for life.

How to Convince People Effectively

The ability make others believe what you believe is important for success in many fields. There is often a fine line between convincing somebody your views are valid and annoying them. In this article we’ll look at some of the techniques you can use if you want to convince another individual to believe what you believe.

Steps

* Do the homework. Make sure you understand your own viewpoint. If you are going to try to convince somebody that the Eiffel Tower is taller than the Statue of Liberty, find out the facts first, don’t make assumptions.

* Learn the field. For certain areas you will need to know more than just the facts, as some subjects are subjective. For example, if you wanted to convince somebody that the Statue of Liberty was prettier than the Eiffel Tower you will need to know enough about architecture and aesthetics to argue about that subject, as well as the facts, like how tall they are. If you are selling something, like a car, you will need to know all there is to know about the car you are selling. Likewise, you will need to know all about the other cars that are in competition with your vehicle.

* Engage the person politely. Maintain eye contact where possible, but don’t be annoying about it.

* Establish mutual respect. You will never convince anybody of anything if they believe you do not respect them, so show the person you respect them and be good enough to gain their respect.

* Gain trust. To convince people of most things you will need their trust. They don’t have to trust you as a person, but they do need to trust that what you are saying makes sense, that you know your “stuff”. The best way to do this is to do your homework and fieldwork, that way you know a lot about the subject.

* Listen carefully to what your debate partner has to say. Respond thoughtfully to their point of view.

* When you can, back up what you say with real facts. Lying will only convince somebody until they find out about the lie, then you will never be able to convince them of anything again.

* Be willing to be convinced. Sometimes accepting one point from the other person and showing that you can change your mind when you are wrong will help them to be the same, and change their mind about the subject you care about.

* Practice active listening. Active listening helps you control a conversation and keeps it on track. Active listening techniques include:
o Non-verbal feedback. Nodding your head as the other talks etc.
o Paraphrase what the other person has said to make sure you understand it.

* Make sure you understand the other person’s objections and respond to them in an intelligent manner.

* Keep vigilant about your belief, but always respectful of the beliefs of others. Explain why your belief is important to you.

* Understand the other person’s motivations. If you know what another person wants, you are more likely to be able to give it to them.

* Rephrase your beliefs in a way that the other person is better able to understand.

* Follow up. Ask questions to make sure the other person understands their new views completely.

Tips

* To hold the eye of a crowd select individuals in the crowd and hold their eyes on-and-off through your presentation.

* Never lose your cool. Nothing lacks conviction more than a raving idiot.

* Always be friendly and respectful even if the other person does not change their mind.

* Beliefs fade. You may think you have changed somebodies mind but find that in a day or two, perhaps a week, they are right back to where they were before.

* Buy and read some books on sales techniques.

Top 10 Productivity Hacks

Productivity Hacks We all need a productivity boost now and then — sometimes throughout the day. We each want to be productive for very personal reasons — to accomplish more, to make more money, to get done earlier to make more time for our personal lives, to accomplish our goals.

But whatever the reason, these Productivity Hacks will do the trick. Here they are, in reverse order.

#10: Take care of your Most Important Things first. Your Most Important Things for the day — the things you most need to accomplish that day – should take priority over everything else. However, we all know that fires come up throughout the day, interruptions through phone calls and email and people dropping by, new demands that will push the best-laid plans aside. If you put off your MITs until later in the day, you will end up not doing them much of the time.

# 9: Wake up early. Decide what you’d like to accomplish each morning, and build your morning routine around that. Like to exercise? Put that in there. Healthy breakfast? Go for it. Check email? Fine. The mornings are a fresh start, peaceful and free of ringing phones and constant email notifications. If you get your Most Important Things done in the morning, the rest of the day is just gravy.

# 8: Simplify information streams, crank through blogs & email. Think about all the information you receive (email, blogs, newsletters, mailing lists, magazines, newspapers and more) and edit brutally. You will drastically reduce the time you spend reading. For everything else that begins to come in after your editing process, ask yourself if you really need to be getting that information regularly. Most of the time the answer is no. Now, after this process, you should be left with less to read. Here’s the next step: crank through it all, really only reading the really interesting ones.

# 7: Declutter your workspace; work on one thing at a time. The decluttering your work space part of it is simply to remove all extra distractions, on your desk and on your computer. If you’ve got a clean, simplified workspace, you can better focus on the task at hand.

# 6: Get to work early; work fewer hours. My best days come when I get into work early, and begin my work day in the quiet morning hours, before the phones start ringing and the din of the office begins it crescendo to chaos. It is so peaceful, and I can work without interruption or losing focus. I often find that I get my MITs done before anyone comes in, and then the rest of the day is dealing with whatever comes up (or even better: getting ahead for the next day).

# 5: Avoid meetings; when you must meet, make it effective. I find it best to say no to meetings up front. I just say, “Sorry, I can’t make it. I’m tied up with a project right now.” And that’s always true. I’ve always got projects I’m working on that are more important than a meeting.

# 4: Avoid unnecessary work. If we just do any work that comes our way, we can be cranking out the tasks, but not be productive at all. You’re only productive if you are doing work that moves you towards a goal. Eliminate non-essential tasks from your to-do lists, and start to say no to new requests that are non-essential.

# 3: Do the tough tasks first. You know what those tasks are. What have you been putting off that you know you need to do? Sometimes when you put things off, they end up being things you don’t really need to do. But sometimes they are things you just gotta do. Those are your tough tasks.

# 2: Work off-line as much as possible. To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection. Have scheduled times when you’re going to check your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you’ve gotten a certain amount done. When you do go online, do it on a timer. When the timer goes off, unplug again until the next scheduled time.

# 1: Do something you’re passionate about. This might not seem like the normal productivity tip, but give it a thought: if you really want to do something, you’ll work like hell to get it done. You’ll work extra hard, you’ll put in even more hours, and you’re less likely to procrastinate. It’s for work that you don’t really care about that you procrastinate. Read the full post for tips on how to find your dream job and do work you truly care about.