Using genetic and fossil data, we have reconstructed the evolutionary “family tree” for songbirds. The songbirds that are common in gardens all across the world have a surprisingly distant origin. They all evolved from a common ancestor that emerged from what is now Australia around 24m years ago. How they managed to leave this isolated part of the world and spread all over the planet has long been a mystery […]
Titled as the “queen of tropical fruits” around 1903 by David Fairchild, an Americanplant explorer and botanist, and later in his 1930-book Exploring for Plants, the delicious purple mangosteen has been known by that name since. And it’s not called so without reason. The beautiful sweet and tart pulpy segments, encased in a deep purple cover, can get quite addictive if you like the taste. The shell is soft when […]
It is not every day that opportunity comes knocking at your door and when it does, you better answer it! This is exactly what Pratima decided to do. Alas, there was one major decision she had to make – move to another city. The only thing holding her back was her husband, not because he was intimidated by her success but because he had his career to take care of […]
A basic question — whether there is a meaning and purpose to our existence — arises in, and perhaps bothers, the mind of every individual, whether the doubt is articulated or not, as he gets through his everyday life. Scholars and philosophers, since long, have mulled deeply over questions regarding our existence. Is there an all-encompassing Over-mind or Absolute Spirit, in which all concepts are unified? The Upanishads say ‘neti, […]
Over the years, the Indian government has banned thousands of websites and URLs in the country with the help of internet service providers or under the directive of the courts. In August 2015, the government banned at least 857 sites for their pornographic contents. Moreover, the government also banned about 170 objectional sites. And all this while, visiting these blocked sites and URLs were almost fine – that is until […]
On Friday evening, a 21-year-old became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games. Ninth seeded shuttler PV Sindhu, lithe and lethal on court, also became the youngest Indian ever to win an Olympic medal. In a riveting 84-minute game, she fought like a tigress before going down to the world champion Spaniard Carolina Marin in the women’s badminton final. On Wednesday, female wrestler Sakshi […]
Significance of Rakhi Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, is a very popular festival in India and is celebrated with great pomp and grandeur. It is considered a very auspicious and special festival in the Northern parts of India. Every festival celebrated in India has a rich history from it first started and how it came to be celebrated as a festival. Raksha Bandhan celebrates sibling love The festival […]
A visibly elated PV Sindhu rated her win over London Olympics silver medalist Yihan Wang as one of the best moments of her career hoping that she could maintain her good form against Japanese Nozomi Okuhara in the semi-finals of the Rio Olympics. Asked about her initial feelings, Sindhu said: “This is also Rio Olympics, it’s a very different feeling. It’s one of the best moments. I hope there will […]
#MonalofSushness : Day 17. By the time Monal turned thirty three she was herself a Mamma to two babies. She was already married for close to a decade. Monal now lived in a city of extreme hot weather. Lucky for that, because one night when her heart already broken into pieces further broke from being alone, she stood in the small balcony of the living room […]
