Dream Place (Photo Credit: Ben / CC BY-SA 2.0

Hennessey Venom GT

The Venom GT is first the fastest car in the world when tested again on February 14th, 2014 at NASA runway in Florida. The Hennessey Venom GT is a supercar based on the Lotus Exige, manufactured by Texas-based Hennessey Performance Engineering and assembled in England.270 mph, 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds, has a 7.0 liter LS7 Turbocharged V8 Twin Turbo V8 Engine producing 1244 hp, with a price tag of $1,000,000 and up.

Hennessey Venom GT (Photo Credit: Zero-FUXX Motorsports / CC BY 2.0)

The Venom GT uses a highly modified Lotus Exige chassis. The Venom GT is powered by twin turbocharged 427 cu in V8 GM LSX engine with an iron block and aluminum heads featuring twin precision ball bearing turbochargers. The Venom GT Spyder is an open top version of the Venom GT.

Hennessey Venom GT (Photo Credit: Adam Russell / CC BY-SA 2.0

Having decided to order a Venom GT, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler approached Hennessey in Autumn 2011 and asked if an open-top version could be created. This involved structural changes which added 14 kg to the curb weight. Tyler’s was the first of five cars scheduled delivered for the 2013 model year.

Hennessey Venom (Photo Credit: Supermac1961 / CC BY 2.0)

 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Bugatti Veyron (Photo Credit: calflier001 / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is the second fastest car in the world. The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined sports car, designed and developed in Germany by the Volkswagen Group and manufactured in Molsheim, France, by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators. The Veyron’s brakes use cross drilled, radially vented carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide composite discs, manufactured by SGL Carbon, which have a much greater resistance to brake fade when compared with conventional cast iron discs. Has 268 mph, 0-60 in 2.4 secs.

Inside (Photo Credit: Ben / CC BY-SA 2.0

Aluminum, Narrow Angle 8 Liter W16 Engine with 1200 hp, base price is $2,400,000. After being the fastest car in the world for over 3 years from July 10, 2010, it is now in 2nd place as of February 14, 2014. In the past, the Bugatti Veyron lost the title to SSC Ultimate Aero on March 2007. However, Bugatti challenged the record in Germany on July 10, 2010 with the new Super Sport and reclaimed the title of the fastest car in the world at 268 mph. The original Bugatti Veyron had a top speed of 253 mph, priced at $1,700,000 with 1001 hp.

Volkswagen (Photo Credit: SuperFloh / CC BY 2.5)

Koenigsegg Agera R

Koenigsegg Agera (Photo Credit: Werner Bayer / CC BY 2.0)

The Koenigsegg Agera R is the third fastest car in the world. The Koenigsegg Agera is a mid-engined supercar produced by Swedish car manufacturer, Koenigsegg since 2011. It is a successor to the Koenigsegg CCX/CCXR. The name Agera comes from the Swedish verb ‘agera’ which means “to act” or “to take action”. The Agera has a body made from impregnated carbon fiber/kevlar with lightweight reinforcements.

Koenigsegg Agera (Photo Credit: Autoviva / CC BY 2.0)

The car’s hardtop roof is stowable under the front hood lid. The chassis is also made out of carbon fiber with an aluminum honeycomb that comes with integrated fuel tanks for optimal weight distribution and safety. Has 260 mph, 0-60 mph in 2.9 secs. 5.0-liter V8 Engine with twin turbo’s, housing 1099 hp. Base price is $1,600,000. If you’re into snow sports, the Agera R can be fitted with a Ski Box as well as winter tires. While the Agera R has a massive theoretical top speed, the current tested top speed is 260 mph. Expect this snow car to be the Bugatti’s arch enemy for the next 5 years.

Koenigsegg Agera (Photo Credit: Autoviva / CC BY 2.0)

SSC Ultimate Aero

SSC Ultimate Aero (Photo Credit: mantas j photography / CC BY 2.0)

There is a tie for rank 4.
SSC Ultimate Aero is the fourth fastest car in the world. The SSC Clever Aero is a mid-engined sports car that was produced by SSC North America (formerly known as Shelby SuperCars) from 2006 until 2013. The SSC Ultimate Aero held the title of the fastest production car in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. The Ultimate Aero TT made its international debut on the International Show Circuit in November 2006.

The Ultimate Aero TT claimed the Guinness World Record for the fastest production car, after it was officially timed at 256.14 mph in Washington. For 2008, the Ultimate Aero received four updates:- New Twin-Turbo V8, All new aluminum engine block, Standard HRE Monoblok wheels, Azentek Atlas computer infotainment system. Has 257 mph, 0-60 in 2.7 secs. Twin-Turbo V8 Engine with 1183 hp, base price is $654,400. Tested in March 2007 by Guinness World Records. The SSC Ultimate Aero was the fastest car in the world from March 2007 to July 2010. Shelby SuperCars will continue their quest to reclaim the fastest car title and their new SSC Tuatura might do the job.

SSC Ultimate Aero (Photo Credit: Shane K / CC BY-SA 2.0

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo

Saleen S7 (Photo Credit: steve lyon / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo is the fifth fastest car in the world. The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo was an updated revision of the original S7. Although the initial concept for the S7 incorporated twin-turbochargers, they were not used on the production car. The twin-turbocharged version later developed in 2005 went on sale for $585,296 USD, replacing standard S7 production. The engine was upgraded with two Garrett turbochargers producing 5.5 psi of boost, increasing the maximum power to 750 hp (559 kW; 760 PS) at 6300 rpm and the maximum torque to 700 lb·ft at 4800 rpm. The front and rear diffusers and the rear spoiler were also reworked, 248 mph, 0-60 in 2.8 secs. Twin Turbo All Aluminum V8 Engine with 750 hp, base price is $555,000.

Saleen S7 (Photo Credit: Valder137 / CC BY 2.0)

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Chowpatty Beach (Photo Credit: Chrysostomus / Public Domain)

Girgaon Chaupati

Girgaon Chaupati, commonly known as just Chaupati (pronounced as chow-patty), is one of the most famous public beaches adjoining Marine Drive in the Girgaon area of Mumbai, India. The beach is famous for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations when hundreds of people from all over Mumbai come to immerse the idols of Lord Ganapati in the Arabian Sea.

Ganpati Bappa Morya (Photo Credit: Chris / CC BY 2.0)

It is also one of the many places in the city where the Ramlila is performed on a stage every year. An effigy of Ravan, that is erected on the sand, is burnt by the end of the 10-day performance. One can find several bhelpuri, panipuri, ragda patties and pav bhaji vendors on the beach.

Seagull Mumbai (Photo Credit: Dr. S. Natarajan, Aditya Jyot eye hospital / Public Domain)

Juhu Beach

People In Juhu Beach Mumbai (Photo Credit: Paasikivi / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Juhu is a suburb of Mumbai. It is most famous for the sprawling Juhu beach. It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, Versova to the north, Santacruz and Vile Parle to the east and Khar to the south. It is a popular tourist attraction throughout the year and is also a sought after destination for shooting films. The beach generally gets more crowded on weekends with families and courting couples. The food court at its main entrance is famous for its ‘Mumbai style’ street food, notably Bhelpuri, pani puri and Sevpuri.

Ganapati Bappa (Photo Credit: Madhav Pai / CC BY 2.0)

Horse pulled carriages offer joyrides to tourists for a small fee while acrobats, dancing monkeys, cricket matches, toy sellers vie for tourist’s attention. The beach is among the most popular sites in the city for the annual Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations where thousands of devotees arrive in grand processions, carrying idols of the Lord Ganesh of various sizes, to be immersed in the water at the beach, and unfortunately, beach become very dirty. Juhu Beach is also a popular spot for planespotting as it is right underneath a departure flight path for Mumbai Airport.

Juhu Beach (Photo Credit: Santosh Puthran / CC BY 2.0)

Versova Beach

Versova Beach (Photo Credit: Utcursch / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Versova is an upmarket neighbourhood in the Andheri area of Western Mumbai. It is known for its beach and the Versova Fort. The Versova beach faces the Arabian Sea. A large population of Mumbai’s fishing community, the Kolis, reside at one end of Versova beach. Fishing is the primary industry in this area. Unlike the Marine Drive, which is guarded by tetrapods, Versova beach uses massive rocks to buffer the buildings from the waves.

During high tide, the entire beach goes under water, hence there are no permanent structures on the beach, nor any legal inhabitants. Over the past few years, there have been attempts by local citizens and the BMC to improve the condition of the beach. The Save Versova Beach Association was formed for the purpose, but the beach still lacks basic facilities such as lifeguards, which are critical considering the treacherous waters here.

Versova (Photo Credit: Vir Nakai / CC BY 2.0)

Aksa Beach

Aksa Beach (Photo Credit: Gaurav Mishra / CC BY 2.0)

Aksa Beach is a popular beach and a vacation spot in Aksa village at Malad, Mumbai, India. It is situated close to Malvani. This beach was one of the most silent and least visited beaches. It was very clean you could find a large variety of snails and shells. It is a popular weekend destination with youngsters. It is dotted with many private cottages and hotels, some of which are rented out to tourists and visitors.

It is not safe to swim as the currents are strong and the sands of the beach keep shifting because of the waves and people often misjudge them. Warning signs of swimming prohibition, have been put on the beach and lifeguards have been appointed, however accident are common, due to rapidly changing tides and merging to two tide currents on the rocky beach and people ignoring warnings. The beach gets even more dangerous during Monsoon season, though 15,000 people visiting the beach during weekends.

Sunset (Photo Credit: E Siva Subramaniam Iyer / CC BY 3.0)

Gorai Beach

Gorai Beach (Photo Credit: Ninad Chaudhari / CC BY 2.0)

Gorai was known for its clean beaches and palm trees. However with the increase in pollution around Mumbai, the Arabian Sea is unfit for swimming although Gorai is less polluted than the other beaches in Mumbai. Gorai still enjoys its calm, laid back charm quite in contrast to the fast paced life of the city just on the other side of the creek.

Bullock carts are still in use here and the area suffers from a water shortage but with real-estate developers steadily bulldozing their way into this prized suburban tract, the physical and cultural fabric of the villagers of Gorai is now quite endangered. The Essel World amusement park has been set up in part of Gorai.

Mumbai (Photo Credit: Kishore.easwaran / CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Eulinky (Photo Credit: Eulinky / CC BY 2.0)

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reef and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres  over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division.

Mission Beac (Photo Credit: Paul Toogood / CC BY 2.0)

It includes the smaller Murray Islands. Thirty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, including the dwarf minke whale, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and the humpback whale. Large populations of dugongs live there. More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef, including the clownfish, red bass, red-throat emperor and several species of snapper and coral trout.

Tasosviglas (Photo Credit: Taso Viglas / CC BY 2.0)

There are at least 330 species of ascidians on the reef system with the diameter of 1–10 cm. 215 species of birds, including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds visit the reef or nest or roost on the islands, including the white-bellied sea eagle and roseate tern. Most nesting sites are on islands in the northern and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef, with 1.4 to 1.7 million birds using the sites to breed. The islands of the Great Barrier Reef also support 2,195 known plant species, three of these are endemic.

Mission Beach (Photo Credit: Paul Toogood / CC BY 2.0)

Red Sea Coral Reef

Diver (Photo Credit: Derek Keats / CC BY 2.0)

The Red Sea or what is sometimes called the Erythraean Sea, is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The Red Sea water mass-exchanges its water with the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden.

Coral Trout (Photo Credit: Derek Keats / CC BY 2.0)

The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. More than 1200 species of fish have been recorded in the Red Sea and around 10% of these are found nowhere else. This also includes 42 species of deepwater fish. The reefs form platforms and sometimes lagoons along the coast and occasional other features such as cylinders such as the Blue Hole at Dahab.

Masked Butterflyfish (Photo Credit: Derek Keats / CC BY 2.0)

Divers and snorkellers should be aware that although most Red Sea species are innocuous, a few are hazardous to humans. Other marine habitats include sea grass beds, salt psans, mangroves and salt marshes.

Common Lionfish (Photo Credit: Derek Keats / CC BY 2.0)

New Caledonia Barrier Reef

Reef (Photo Credit: dr.scott.mills / CC BY-SA 2.0

The New Caledonia Barrier Reef is located in New Caledonia in the South Pacific and is the second-longest double-barrier coral reef in the world after the Belize Barrier Reef. The New Caledonia Barrier reef surrounds Grande Terre, New Caledonia’s largest island, as well as the Ile des Pins and several smaller islands, reaching a length of 1,500 kilometres.

New Caledonia (Photo Credit: brewbooks / CC BY-SA 2.0

The reef has great species diversity with a high level of endemism and is home to endangered dugongs and is an important nesting site for green sea turtle. In the lagoons of New Caledonia there are many water species ranging from plankton to larger fish and even sharks.

Coral Fish (Photo Credit: Philippe AMIOT / CC BY 2.0)

Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

Pedras Estrañas (Photo Credit: William Eburn / CC BY 3.0)

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, also popularly known as the Great Mayan Reef or Great Maya Reef, is a marine region that stretches over 1000 km from Isla Contoy at the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula down to Belize, Guatemala and the Bay Islands of Honduras. The reef system includes various protected areas and parks including the Belize Barrier Reef, Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve and the Cayos Cochinos Marine Park.

Angel Fish (Photo Credit: Bex Walton / CC BY 2.0)

The reef system is home to more than 65 species of stony coral, 350 species of mollusk and more than 500 species of fish. There are numerous species that live in or around the reef system that are endangered or under some degree of protection, including the following: sea turtles, Green turtle, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Leatherback turtle and the Hawksbill turtle, the Queen Conch, the West Indian Manatee, the Splendid toadfish, the American crocodile, the Morelet’s Crocodile, the Nassau grouper, Elkhorn coral and black coral. The reef system is home to one of the world’s largest populations of manatees, with an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 of them.

caRcharhinus Perezi At Roatan (Photo Credit: William Eburn / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Florida Reef

Marine Fish (Photo Credit: Tom Bayly / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Florida Reef also known as the Great Florida Reef, Florida Reef Tract is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. It is the third largest coral barrier reef system in the world . The Florida Reef consists of two ridges separated from the Florida Keys by the Hawk Channel. Closest to the Keys is a sand ridge called White Bank, covered by large beds of sea grass, with patch reefs scattered across it. Further out to sea on the edge of the Florida Straits is the second ridge forming the outer reefs, covered by reefs and hard banks composed of coral rubble and sand.

Turtle (Photo Credit: Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge / CC BY 2.0)

The Florida Museum of Natural History defines three communities on the Florida reefs. The hard bottom community lies closest to the Florida Keys and consists primarily of algae, sea fans  and stony corals growing on limestone rock that has a thin covering of sand. Second is the patch reef community. Patch reefs form in shallow water about three to six meters deep, some in Hawk Channel and some on the outer reef, but mainly on White Bank between Hawk Channel and the outer reefs. Third is the bank reef community. Bank reefs are larger than patch reefs and are found on the outer reefs.

Rex Restaurant (Photo Credit: rickpilot_2000 / CC BY 2.0)

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December 2013 Ice Storm In Ontario (Photo Credit: michael freymond / CC BY 2.0)

Ice storm

Ice storms are one of the most dangerous forms of winter storms. When surface temperatures are below freezing, but a thick layer of above freezing air remains aloft, rain can fall into the freezing layer and freeze upon impact into a glaze which is known as Hail. In general, 8 millimetres of accumulation is all that is required, especially in combination with breezy conditions, to start downing power lines as well as tree limbs. Ice storms also make unheated road surfaces too slick to drive upon.

Car Effected By Ice Storm (Photo Credit: Kepper66 / Public Domain)

Ice storms can vary in time range from hours to days and can cripple small towns and large urban centers alike. in some parts of the United States known, as a silver thaw. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch of ice on exposed surfaces. 1982 to 1994, ice storms were more common than blizzards and averaged 16 per year. They are not violent storms, but instead commonly perceived as gentle rains occurring at temperatures just below freezing. For this reason people may be unaware of the danger if it happens overnight.

Tree Branch After Ice Storm (Photo Credit: Tevonic / Public Domain)

Blizzard

Blizzard (Photo Credit: Mariordo / CC BY-SA 3.0)

There are varying definitions for blizzards, both over time and by location. In general, a blizzard is accompanied by gale-force winds, heavy snow accumulating at a rate of at least 5 centimeters per hour and very cold conditions, below approximately -10 degrees Celsius . Lately, the temperature criterion has fallen out of the definition across the United States. A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds of at least 56 km/h and lasting for a prolonged period of time typically three hours or more.

Covilhanevao (Photo Credit: Roger Amaral Scheridon de Moraes / CC BY-SA 3.0)

A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling but loose snow on the ground is lifted and blown by strong winds. The primary difference between a ground blizzard as opposed to a regular blizzard is that in a ground blizzard no precipitation is produced at the time, but rather all the precipitation is already present in the form of snow or ice at the surface. Blizzard conditions of cold temperatures and strong winds can cause wind chill values that can result in hypothermia or frostbite. The wind chill factor is the amount of cooling the human body feels due to the combination of wind and temperature.

(Photo Credit: Leizmonk / Public Domain)

Snowstorm

Snowstorm In Dutchess County (Photo Credit: Juliancolton / Public Domain)

A heavy fall of snow accumulating at a rate of more than 5 centimeters per hour that lasts several hours. Snow storms, especially ones with a high liquid equivalent and breezy conditions, can down tree limbs, cut off power and paralyze travel over a large region. Storm conditions out at sea are defined as having sustained winds of 48 knots (55 mph or 90 km/h) or greater. Usually just referred to as a storm, these systems can sink vessels of all types and sizes. Large snowstorms could be quite dangerous as 6 inches.

Snowstorm (Photo Credit: Sondrekv / Public Domain)

Snowstorm will make some unplowed roads impassable and it is possible for automobiles to get stuck in the snow. Snowstorms exceeding 12 in especially in southern or generally warm climates will cave the roofs of some homes and cause the loss of electricity. Standing dead trees can also be brought down by the weight of the snow, especially if it is wet or very dense. Even a few inches of dry snow can form drifts many feet high under windy conditions.

December Snowstorm (Photo Credit: Peter Stevens / CC BY 2.0)

Firestorm

Firestorm At Grant village (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

A firestorm is created as a result of the stack effect as the heat of the original fire draws in more and more of the surrounding air. This draft can be quickly increased if a low-level jet stream exists over or near the fire. Firestorms are conflagrations which attain such intensity that they create and sustain their own wind systems. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires and wildfires. The Peshtigo Fire is one example of a firestorm.

Firestorms can also be deliberate effects of targeted explosives such as occurred as a result of the aerial bombings of Dresden. Nuclear detonations generate firestorms if high winds are not present. Weather and climate effects Firestorms will produce hot buoyant smoke clouds of primarily water vapor that will form condensation clouds as it enters the cooler upper atmosphere, generating what is known as pyrocumulus clouds or, if large enough, pyrocumulonimbus (“fire storm”) clouds.

Firestorm Mirror Plateu (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Tornado

Tornado Elie Manitoba (Photo Credit: Justin Hobson / CC BY-SA 3.0)

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as twisters or cyclones. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, but they are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust. Various types of tornadoes include the landspout, multiple vortex tornado, and waterspout. Most tornadoes take on the appearance of a narrow funnel, a few hundred yards across, with a small cloud of debris near the ground. Tornadoes may be obscured completely by rain or dust. These tornadoes are especially dangerous, as even experienced meteorologists might not see them.

Occluded Mesocyclone Tornado (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Tornadoes can have a wide range of colors, depending on the environment in which they form. Tornadoes emit widely on the acoustics spectrum and the sounds are caused by multiple mechanisms. Initially, the tornado has a good source of warm, moist inflow to power it, so it grows until it reaches the “mature stage”. This can last anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour and during that time a tornado often causes the most damage and in rare cases can be more than one mile  across. Meanwhile, the RFD, now an area of cool surface winds, begins to wrap around the tornado, cutting off the inflow of warm air which feeds the tornado.

Storm Chasing (Photo Credit: Anthony Quintano / CC BY 2.0)

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Yellow Rose (Photo Credit: Gauri Wur Sem / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Government Rose Garden

The Government rose garden formerly known as the Jayalalithaa Rose Garden, Centerary Rose Park and Nootrandu Roja Poonga, is the largest rose garden in India. It is situated on the slopes of the Elk Hill in Vijayanagaram of Ooty town in Tamil Nadu, India at an altitude of 2200 meters. Today this garden has one of the largest collection of roses in the country with more than 20,000 varieties of roses of 2,800 cultivars. The collection include Hybrid Tea Roses, Miniature Roses, Polyanthas, Papagena, Floribunda, Ramblers, Yakimour and roses of unusual colours like black and green.

Angel Statue In Ooty Rose Garden (Photo Credit: Surajt88 / CC BY 3.0)

Ooty has a unique tropical mountain climate, hence the garden has the ideal climatic conditions for growing of roses. Temperature variation is less and the rainfall distribution is uniform in the locale, which results in a long flowering season. The garden is visited by thousands of tourists throughout the year and even in winter, when it is not the flowering season. The garden has been laid out with rose tunnels, pergolas and bowers with rose creepers. The slopes of the garden also features Nila Maadam, an observation platform. From the Nila Maadam, tourists can observe the entire rose garden. The garden also features a statue of an angel amidst the roses.

Rose (Photo Credit: Rojypala / CC BY 3.0)

Ooty Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens Ootacamund (Photo Credit: Adam63 / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The 22-acre Ooty Botanical Gardens was laid out in 1847 and is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Botanical Garden is lush, green and well-maintained. A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held every May. The Gardens have around a thousand species, both exotic and indigenous, of plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, herbal and bonsai plants.

The garden has a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree. The present Botanical Gardens are divided into 6 sections namely Lower Garden, New Garden, Italian Garden, Conservatory, Fountain Terrace and Nurseries, cover an area of around 22 hectares and lie on the lower slopes of Doddabetta peak. The garden has a terraced layout. It is maintained by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department.

The lower garden comprises the entrance and the lower lawns. The entrance of the garden leads into an extensive lush green lawn of Kikiyu grass which is known for its springy vigour. The prime attractions in this section are the carpet-bet design of the map of the Indian Union laid out with selective plants and the fossil trunk of 20 million years old, erected on a pedestal.

Botanical Garden (Photo Credit: SELVA KUMAR.L / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ooty Lake

Ooty Lake (Photo Credit: Aditya Banerjee / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Ooty lake covers an area of 65 acres. Ooty lake is an artificial lake constructed by John Sullivan, in 1824. The water flowing down mountain streams in the Ooty valley was dammed to form the lake. The Boat house established alongside the lake, which offers boating facilities to tourists, is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. It was constructed in 1824 by John Sullivan, the first collector of Ooty. The lake was formed by damming the mountain streams flowing down Ooty valley.

Pykara Lake ooty (Photo Credit: Darshan Simha / CC BY 2.0)

The lake is set among groves of Eucalyptus trees with a railway line running along one bank. During summer season in May, boat races and boat pageantry are organised for two days at the lake. The boat house, which adjoins the lake was opened by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC). Boating is the prime attraction at the lake. The boat house offers boating facilities with Paddle boats, Row boats, and Motor boats. It also features a garden, a mini train and an amusement park. The other notable features include a canteen run by the TTDC and pony rides in front of the boat house.

Boat Ride (Photo Credit: Jeff Peterson / CC BY 2.0)

Ooty Mountain Railway

Nilgiri Mountain Railway (Photo Credit: Nsmohan / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was built by the British in 1908 and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. Nilgiri Mountain Railway  comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division.

In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as “Mountain Railways of India”, after it satisfied the necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernisation plans.

For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this section.

Train (Photo Credit: Nsmohan / CC BY-SA 4.0)

St. Stephen’s Church

St Stephens Church (Photo Credit: Challiyan / Public Domain)

St. Stephen’s Church is located on the road to Mysore in Ooty, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris district. The church dates back to the 19th century. Stephen Rumbold Lushington, the then Governor of Madras, who keenly felt the need for a cathedral exclusively for the British, in Ooty, laid the foundation for the church on 23 April 1829, to coincide with the birthday of King George IV.

St. Stephen’s Church was consecrated by John Matthias Turner, Bishop of Calcutta, on 5 November 1830. It was thrown open to public communion on Easter Sunday 3 April 1831. It came under the Church of South India in 1947. The architect in charge was John James Underwood, Captain, Madras Regiment.The massive main beam and other timber in the church was taken from Tipu Sultan’s palace on the island of Srirangapatna.

The material was transported up the Sigur ghat. The church also features stained glass windows depicting, among other scenes, the crucifixion of Christ and Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms. Instead of the usual bell in the tower, 4 hammer like structures are tied on inverted-V shaped wooden planks using wires, which when pulled from the floor, produce a musical sound. The church also has a pulpit with a flight of steps to the left of the chancel, a pew with a chancel in a raised position and a vestry.

St Stephen Church (Photo Credit: Shyamal / CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Allure Of The Seas (Photo Credit: Colotordoc / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Allure of the Seas

MS Allure of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. The Oasis class are the largest passenger ships ever constructed and Allure is 50 millimetres longer than her sister ship Oasis of the Seas, though both were built to the same specifications. The gross tonnage of Allure of the Seas is 225,282 and her displacement is equal to that of Oasis of the Seas, which is estimated to be around 100,000 metric tons, slightly less than that of an American Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Her steel hull alone weighs roughly 54,000 ton.

Aquatheater (Photo Credit: Wilson Hui / CC BY 2.0)

The ship features a two-deck dance hall, a theatre with 1,380 seats, an ice skating rink, 7 distinct “neighborhoods and 25 dining options, including the first Starbucks coffee shop at sea. Many of the ship’s interiors were extensively decorated by muralist Clarissa Parish. The system cost US$600,000 and covers an area of 2,000 m2. It uses Uni-Solar BIPV laminates designed to withstand foot traffic and marine conditions.

Elevators (Photo Credit: Wilson Hui / CC BY 2.0)

Oasis of The Seas

Oasis of The Seas (Photo Credit: Baldwin040 / CC BY-SA 3.0)

MS Oasis of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship, delivered to her owner, Royal Caribbean International, in October 2009. The first of her class, she was joined by her sister ship MS Allure of the Seas in December 2010. Both vessels cruise the Caribbean from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and also the Mediterranean. She set a new record of carrying over 6,000 passenger. The gross tonnage of Oasis of the Seas is 225,282. Her displacement, the actual mass of the vessel, is estimated at approximately 100,000 metric tons, slightly less than that of an American Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.

The ship carries 18 lifeboats that hold 370 people each, for a total of 6,660 people. Inflatable life rafts provide for additional passengers and crew Oasis of the Seas offers passengers features such as two-story loft suites and luxury suites measuring 150 m2  with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades. The ship features a zip-line, a casino, a miniature golf course, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, comedy club, five swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, theme parks and nurseries for children. Many of the ship’s interiors were extensively decorated by muralist Clarissa Parish.

Central Park In Oasis (Photo Credit: Navin75 / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Quantum of the Seas

Quantum of the Seas (Photo Credit: Dickelbers / CC BY-SA 4.0)

MS Quantum of the Seas is a cruise ship for Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and the lead ship of the Quantum class of cruise ships. The Quantum class surpasses RCI’s earlier Freedom-class ships by over 14,000 GT, becoming the second largest class of passenger ships behind RCI’s Oasis class ships on a gross tonnage basis. Quantum of the Seas was delivered to RCI on October 28, 2014 and is sailing from Shanghai, China. Quantum of the Seas has 16 passenger-accessible decks, 8 of which feature balcony staterooms overlooking the ocean. Like the Celebrity Solstice class, those staterooms above the life boats are recessed into the superstructure and do not look down directly at the ocean.

Quantum of the Seas (Photo Credit: Dickelbers / CC BY-SA 4.0)

There are a total of 2,090 staterooms, 1,570 balcony staterooms, 147 ocean-view staterooms and 373 inside staterooms. Of those staterooms, 34 are wheelchair accessible and 28 are studio staterooms for single travelers (including 12 studio staterooms with balconies). All aft-facing staterooms are 2-story “loft” suites. Expanding on the “Virtual Porthole” concept introduced by Disney Cruise Line on the Disney Dream, all the interior staterooms feature a floor-to-ceiling 80-inch high-definition TV screen showing live views from the outside of the ship, which Royal Caribbean calls a “Virtual Balcony”. On average, staterooms on the Quantum class are 9 percent larger than those on the preceding Oasis.

Float Out (Photo Credit: HenSti / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Anthem of the Seas

Anthem of the Seas (Photo Credit: Dickelbers / CC BY-SA 4.0)

MS Anthem of the Seas is a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International (RCI). She is the second ship of the Quantum class, which surpasses the earlier Freedom-class ships by over 14,000 GT, becoming the second largest class of passenger ships behind RCI’s Oasis class ships on a gross tonnage basis. Anthem of the Seas was delivered to Royal Caribbean on April 10, 2015, and christened on April 20, 2015.

Anthem of the Seas (Photo Credit: Ein Dahmer / CC BY-SA 4.0)

There are a total of 2,090 staterooms: 1,570 balcony staterooms, 147 ocean-view staterooms and 373 inside staterooms. Of those staterooms, 34 are wheelchair accessible and 28 are studio staterooms for single travelers (including 12 studio staterooms with balconies). Like the earlier Freedom and Oasis-class ships, the “Sports Court” on deck 15 aft features a Wave Loch Flowrider surf simulator and a rock-climbing wall. A new feature on the Quantum class is “RipCord by iFLY”, a skydiving simulator set in a recirculating indoor recreational vertical wind tunnel.

Anthem of the Seas (Photo Credit: El Coleccionista de Instantes’s photostream / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Norwegian Epic

Norwegian Epic (Photo Credit: travail personnel / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Norwegian Epic is a cruise ship of the Norwegian Cruise Line built under that line’s F3 Project by STX Europe Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. When built it was the third largest cruise ship in the world. Two ships in this class were ordered by NCL in November 2006, with an option for a third vessel that was not exercised.

A dispute between NCL and STX initially resulted in the construction of both ships being placed on hold until a new agreement was reached. That called for completion of the first ship would be completed; the second ship was cancelled in 2008. The sole remaining ship, Norwegian Epic, was delivered to NCL on 17 June 2010.

The ship has 4100 passenger berths, with all outside cabins having balconies. The Epic introduced 100 square foot interior studio cabins for solo passengers, including a shared “living room” for socializing. NCL had stated that this ship would have 60% more passenger space than their then largest ships.

Norwegian Epic (Photo Credit: Johann Visagie / CC BY 2.0)

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View From The Highest Point (Photo Credit: Torrenegra / CC BY 2.0)

Andes

The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about 7,000 km long, about 200 km to 700 km wide and of an average height of about 4,000 m. The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
The Andes can be divided into three sections:

• The Southern Andes (south of Llullaillaco) in Argentina and Chile;
• The Central Andes in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia
• The Northern Andes (north of the Nudo de Pasto) in Venezuela and Colombia which consist of three parallel ranges, the western, central, and eastern ranges.

Andes Mountains (Photo Credit: Avraham Elias / CC BY 2.0)

The Andes range has many active volcanoes, which are distributed in four volcanic zones separated by areas of inactivity. Temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity decrease in higher elevations. The southern section is rainy and cool, the central section is dry. The northern Andes is typically rainy and warm, with an average temperature of 18 °C  in Colombia. The climate is known to change drastically in rather short distances.he Andes is rich in fauna: With almost 3,500 species, of which roughly 2/3 are endemic to the region, the Andes is the most important region in the world for amphibians.

Andes (Photo Credit: Robert Morrow / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains (Photo Credit: Deborahdutra / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Rocky Mountains, commonly known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. There are a wide range of environmental factors in the Rocky Mountains. Since the last great ice age, the Rocky Mountains were home first to indigenous peoples including the Apache, Arapaho, Bannock, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow Nation, Flathead, Shoshone, Sioux, Ute, Kutenai, Sekani, Dunne-za and others.

Rocky Mountains (Photo Credit: T.Voekler / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Economic resources of the Rocky Mountains are varied and abundant. Minerals found in the Rocky Mountains include significant deposits of copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, silver, tungsten, and zinc. Every year the scenic areas and recreational opportunities of the Rocky Mountains draw millions of tourists. The main language o the Rocky Mountains is English. But there are also linguistic pockets of Spanish and indigenous languages. French is another official language in Canada’s national parks.

Rocky Mountains (Photo Credit: Shawn / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Himalayas

Himalayas Everest (Photo Credit: Lucag / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Himalayas, or Himalaya, literally meaning “abode of snow” is a mountain range in South Asia which separates the Indo-Gangetic Plain from the Tibetan Plateau. This range is home to nine of the ten highest peaks on Earth, including the highest, Mount Everest. The Himalayas have profoundly shaped the cultures of South Asia. Many Himalayan peaks are sacred in both Buddhism and Hinduism.

Crows Lake In North (Photo Credit: Lucag / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Himalayas have the third largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic lakes include She-Phoksundo Lake in the Shey Phoksundo National Park of Nepal, Gurudongmar Lake, in North Sikkim, Gokyo Lakes in Solukhumbu district of Nepal and Lake Tsongmo, near the Indo-China border in Sikkim. The Himalayas have a profound effect on the climate of the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau. They prevent frigid, dry winds from blowing south into the subcontinent, which keeps South Asia much warmer than corresponding temperate regions in the other continents.

The Great Himalayas (Photo Credit: Karunakar Rayker / CC BY 2.0)

Great Dividing Range

Clarrie Hall (Photo Credit: Pouts31 / CC BY 3.0)

The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia’s most substantial mountain range and the third longest land-based range in the world. The Great Dividing Range was formed during the Carboniferous period. The range stretches more than 3,500 kilometres  from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through New South Wales, then into Victoria and turning west, before finally fading into the central plain at the Grampians in western Victoria.

Dangar Falls Dorrigo (Photo Credit: Ajayvius / Public Domain)

The width of the range varies from about 160 km  to over 300 km. At some high hill passes the range provides cool sites appropriate for vineyards. The ranges is also the source of virtually all of eastern Australia’s water supply, both through runoff caught in dams and throughout much of Queensland, through the Great Artesian Basin. Some of the rivers which flow west of the ranges includes the Condamine River, Flinders River, Herbert River, Lachlan River, Macdonald River, Macintyre River and Namoi River.

Worldwind Snowy Mountains (Photo Credit: Chuq / Public Domain)

Trans-Antarctic Mountains

Trans-Antarctic Mountains (Photo Credit: Hannes Grobe / CC BY-SA 2.5)

The Transantarctic Mountains comprise a mountain range in Antarctica which extend, with some interruptions, across the continent from Cape Adare in northern Victoria Land to Coats Land. These mountains divide East Antarctica and West Antarctica. They include a number of separately named mountain groups, which are often again subdivided into smaller ranges.

Trans-Antarctic Mountains (Photo Credit: Andrew Mandemaker / CC BY-SA 2.5)

The mountain range stretches between the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea the entire length of Antarctica, hence the name. With a total length of about 3,500 km, the Transantarctic Mountains are one of the longest mountain ranges on Earth in the early Cenozoic. The mountains consist of sedimentary layers lying upon a basement of granites and gneisses. The sedimentary layers include the Beacon Supergroup sandstones, siltstones, and coal deposited beginning in the Silurian period and continuing into the Jurassic.

View Of The Trans-Antarctic Mountains (Photo Credit: NASA / Michael Studinger/ Public Domain)

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IIM Panorama Complex (Photo Credit: Lauri Kymäläinen / Public Domain)

IIM, Ahmedabad

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad or IIM-A) is a public business school located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It was the second Indian Institute of Management to be established in India. It is consistently ranked as one of the best business schools in India and the Asia-Pacific region. IIM Ahmedabad was the second IIM to be set up in the country after IIM Calcutta. It was established on 11 December 1961 with the active support of the Government of India, the Government of Gujarat and the industry.

A Dorm In The Old Campus (Photo Credit: Students of IIMA / CC BY 3.0)

The building is a major icon of modernism architecture, designed by American architect Louis Kahn. Like other IIMs, IIM Ahmedabad currently offers diplomas in management, not degrees. The current director of the institute is Prof Ashish Nanda.IIM-A is the only Indian institute listed by The Economist in its 2012 Full-time B-school ranking. Chaos is the annual cultural festival of IIMA and one of the biggest in the region. Its yearly editions have been centred on themes like diversity, colour or going green.Insight is the annual Market Research festival of IIMA and is one of the oldest events organised by the institute. Insight is known for its application of innovative marketing research tools.

IIM Indian Institute Of Management (Photo Credit: Kalyan Shah / CC BY-SA 3.0)

IIM, Bangalore

Ground (Photo Credit: Magentic Manifestations / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (also known as IIMB) is a public business school located in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Founded in 1973, it was the third IIM to be established, after IIM Calcutta and IIM Ahmedabad. It is consistently ranked as one of the best business schools in India and the Asia Pacific region. In 1972, a committee headed by Professor Ravi J. Matthai. Academics are, Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), Fellow Programme in Management(FPM, Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM), Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy Management (PGPPM).

Hostels (Photo Credit: Magentic Manifestations / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The current campus located at Bannerghatta road in Bengaluru was designed by architect B.V. Doshi. The library is housed in a 55,000 square feet complex consisting of four floors. This fully automated state of art facility consists of about 235,000 documents and books apart from 85,000 journals are available for reference. IIMB consists of 16 hostel blocks apart from one executive block and the executive accommodation at the Management Development Center. Research in IIM Bangalore is performed in research centers focusing on different aspects of managements

Library (Photo Credit: Sanyam Bahga / CC BY-SA 3.0)

IIM, Calcutta

IIM kolkata (Photo Credit: Varun Singh / CC BY-SA 2.0

Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, abbreviated as IIM Calcutta or IIMC, is a public business school located in Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, India. IIM Calcutta’s programs are accredited by AACSB and AMBA. The institute moved to its present campus in 1975. Academics are Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), Post Graduate Diploma in Computer aided Management (PGDCM), Fellow Programme in Management (FPM), Post Graduate Programme for Executives (PGPEX), Post Graduate Programme for Executives for Visionary Leadership in Manufacturing (PGPEX-VLM).

Placement Office (Photo Credit: Prithwish Basu / CC BY 2.0)

The main campus of IIM Calcutta, covering 135 acres (0.5 km2) of area, is located in Joka, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. The IIM-C library is named Bidhan Chandra Roy Library or BC Roy Memorial Library, after Bidhan Chandra Roy, the second Chief Minister of the state of West Bengal and the first Chairman of the institute. Carpe Diem is the annual cultural fest organised by the students of IIM Calcutta. IIM Calcutta has an extensive network of partner B-schools worldwide through which it conducts student exchange programmes.

IIM Calcutta New Executive Hostel (Photo Credit: Prithwish Basu / CC BY 2.0)

ISB, Hyderabad

Indian School Of Business (Photo Credit: Bindaas Madhavi / CC BY 2.0)

Indian School of Business (ISB) a private business school in India with campuses at Hyderabad and Mohali is a non profit organization. The school was founded by two senior executives of McKinsey & Company and is governed by a board comprising both Indian and non-Indian businessmen. ISB was started in 1996 by a group of businessmen and academicians. The Indian School of Business (ISB) has two campuses, one in Hyderabad and a new campus in Mohali.

Coridoor (Photo Credit: Ramana / CC BY 2.0)

Courses offered are, Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), ISB Biocon Certificate Programme for Business Analytics, Management Programme for Family Business (MFAB), Centre for Executive Education (CEE), Fellow Programme in Management (FPM). The Indian School of Business doubled the total outlay of student scholarships to 8 crore (US$1.3 million) for students last year. Equinox, the annual alumni learning and networking event is an alumni learning event organized on campus and is a perfect balance of learning and socializing a signature combination of knowledge and fun. In 2008, ISB became the youngest institution to find a place in global MBA rankings when it was ranked 20.

New Campus (Photo Credit: Karabi Bandyopadhyay / CC BY-SA 3.0)

XLRI, Jamshedpur

XLRI – Xavier School of Management is a leading management school based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. Established in 1949 as the Xavier Labor Relations Institute, XLRI is acknowledged as India’s oldest business management school. The Director is Father E. Abraham, the Dean of Academics is Dr. Pranabesh Ray and Fr. S.George, S.J is the Dean of Administration. Academic programs are General Management Programme (PGDM-GM), Business Management (BM), Human Resource Managemen(HRM), Global MBA, The research program-Fellow Programme in Management (FPM), The masters program Masters Program in Positive Organization Development & Change (MPOD). XLRI has around 21 committees on campus which deal with academics, sports, socio-cultural and administrative activities. The Students Affairs Council (SAC) is the parent body responsible for all students related issues and activities.

XLRI Jamshedpur (Photo Credit: Rajukan / CC BY-SA 3.0)

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C R Rajagopalachari (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (10 December 1878-25 December 1972), informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India. He also served as leader of the Indian National Congress, Premier of the Madras Presidency, Governor of West Bengal, Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union and Chief Minister of Madras state. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party and was one of the first recipients of India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.

Rajagopalachari Declares India As A Republic (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Rajagopalachari, an accomplished writer both in his mother tongue Tamil as well as English, Rajagopalachari was the founder of the Salem Literary Society introduced as the medium of instruction in schools. In 1951, he wrote an abridged retelling of the Mahabharata in English, followed by one of the Ramayana in 1957. Earlier, in 1961, he had translated Kambar’s Tamil Ramayana into English. Apart from his literary works, Rajagopalachari also composed a devotional song Kurai Onrum Illai devoted to Lord Venkateshwara, a song set to music and a regular at Carnatic concerts. During his lifetime, he also acquired the nickname ‘Mongo of Salem’.

Gandhiji And Rajagopalachari (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

Sir CV Raman (Photo Credit: Nobel Foundation/ Public Domain)

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, (7 November 1888 – 21 November 1970) was an Indian physicist, born in the former Madras Province. Breaking work in the field of light scattering earned him the 1930 Nobel Prize for Physics. Raman was born to a Iyer family in Thiruvanaikaval, Trichinopoly, present-day Tiruchirapalli, Madras Presidency, in British India to Parvati Amma. He was self-educated in the field of science. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society early in his career (1924) and knighted in 1929. He discovered that, when light traverses a transparent material, some of the deflected light changes in wavelength. This phenomenon is now called Raman scattering and is the result of the Raman effect In 1954, he was honoured with the highest civilian award in India, the Bharat Ratna.

CV Raman Bust Bitm (Photo Credit: AshLin / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (Photo Credit: White House / Public Domain)

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (5 September 1888-17 April 1975) was an Indian philosopher and statesman who was the first Vice President of India (1952-1962) and the second President of India from 1962 to 1967. One of India’s most distinguished twentieth-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy, his academic appointments included the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921–1932) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford.

In The Oval Office (Photo Credit: Abbie Rowe / Public Domain)

Radhakrishnan was awarded several high awards during his life, including a knighthood in 1931, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 1954 and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. Radhakrishnan believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”. Since 1962, his birthday is celebrated in India as Teacher’s Day on 5 September.

Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (Photo Credit: Ask27 / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Dr. Bhagwan Das

Bhagwan Das (Photo Credit: Gayathri.arun9000 / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Bhagwan Das (12 January 1869-18 September 1958) was an Indian Theosophist and public figure. Born in Varanasi, India, in an Agarwal family, he graduated school to became a deputy in the collections bureau. He became allied with the Hindustani Culture Society and was active in opposing rioting as a form of protest. As an advocate for national freedom from the British rule, he was often in danger of reprisals from the Colonial government.

Bhagwan Das With Roselyn Carter (Photo Credit: Gayathri.arun9000 / CC BY-SA 3.0)

He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1955. With Besant he formed a professional collaboration which led to the founding of the Central Hindu College, which became central Hindu school. Das would later found the Kashi Vidya Peeth, a national university where he served as headmaster. Das was a scholar of Sanskrit, from which he added to the body of Hindi language. He wrote approximately 30 books, many of these in Sanskrit and Hindi.

Bharat Ratna (Photo Credit: Kumar Rajendran / Public Domain)

Shri Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru (Photo Credit: Royroydeb / Public Domain)

Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was the first Prime Minister of India and a central figure in Indian politics for much of the 20th century. The son of Motilal Nehru, a prominent lawyer and nationalist statesman and Swaroop Rani. After completing his degree in 1910, Nehru went to London and stayed there for two years for law studies at the Inns of Court School of Law (Inner Temple). During this time, he continued to study the scholars of the Fabian Society including Beatrice Webb. Nehru passed his bar examinations in 1912 and was admitted to the English bar.

Nehruconstitution (Photo Credit: NA/ Public Domain)

After returning to India in August 1912, Nehru enrolled himself as an advocate of the Allahabad High Court and tried to settle down as a barrister. Nehru implemented policies based on import substitution industrialisation. As India’s first Prime minister and external affairs minister, Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in shaping modern India’s government and political culture along with sound foreign policy. In his lifetime, Jawaharlal Nehru enjoyed an iconic status in India and was widely admired across the world for his idealism and statesmanship.

Gandhi And Nehru 1942 (Photo Credit:Dave Davis / Public Domain)

Dr. Mokshagundam Vivesvaraya

Sir M Visweswarayya Bust At Industrial And Technological Museum (Photo Credit: Rahimanuddin Shaik / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, KCIE (15 September 1860 – 14 April 1962) was a notable Indian engineer, scholar, statesman and the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. He is a recipient of the Indian Republic’s highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. Visvesvaraya has received recognition in various fields, most notably the education sector and the engineering sector. Every year, on his birthday, 15 September is celebrated as Engineer’s Day in India in his memory. He was the chief designer of the flood protection system for the city of Hyderabad in Telangana, as well as the chief engineer responsible for the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mysore. Visvesvaraya was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1911. In 1915, while he was the Diwan of Mysore, Visvesvaraya was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) by the British for his myriad contributions to the public good. After India attained independence, he was awarded with the nation’s highest honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955.

Actual k.c.i.e. Medal (Photo Credit: Prksh1 / Public Domain)

Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant

Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant (Photo Credit: Government of India work / Public Domain)

Govind Ballabh Pant was born on 10 September 1887 in Khoont village on the slopes of Shyahi Devi hill near Almora, in a Karhade family having their roots in Maharashtra. 10 September 1887 – 7 March 1961) was an Indian politician and an veteran independence activist. He was one of the foremost political leaders from Uttarakhand (then in United Provinces) and of the movement to establish Hindi as the official language of India.

Govind Ballabh Pant With Krishnamachari (Photo Credit: Government of India work / Public Domain)

He was made the Chief Minister on 17 July 1937 and was in power till 1939 when all Congress ministries in India resigned. In 1955, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. As Home minister, his chief achievement was the re-organisation of States along linguistic lines. He was also responsible for the establishment of Hindi as an official language of the central government and a few states.

Statue Of Govind Ballabh Pant At Mall Road Nainital (Photo Credit: Ekabhishek / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Dr. Dhonde Keshav Karve

Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve (18 April 1858-9 November 1962), popularly known as Maharishi Karve, was a social reformer in India in the field of women’s welfares. The appellation Maharshi, which the Indian public often assigned to Karve, means “a great sage”. The work of Pandita Ramabai inspired Karve to dedicate his life to the cause of female education, and the work of Vishnushastri Chiplunkar and Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar inspired him to work for uplifting the status of widows. Writings of Herbert Spencer had also highly influenced him. Karve wrote two autobiographical works, Ātmawrutta (1928) in Marathi and Looking Back (1936) in English. In 1942 -he was Awarded Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) by Banaras Hindu University, in 1951-he was Awarded D.Litt. by Pune University, in 1954 h was Awarded D.Litt. by S.N.D.T. University, in he was Awarded Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India, in 1957 he was Awarded LL.D. by University of Mumbai, in 1958 he was Awarded Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India, by the Government of India.

Dr Dhondo keshav karve (Photo Credit: Praveen Thumma / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy

Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy In 1943 (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Bidhan Chandra Roy (1 July 1882-1 July 1962) was the second Chief Minister of West Bengal in India. He remained in his post for 14 years as an Indian National Congress candidate, from 1948 until his death in 1962. He was a highly respected physician and a renowned freedom fighter. He is one of the few people who completed both F.R.C.S. and M.R.C.P simultaneously within only two years and three months. In India, the National Doctor’s Day is celebrated on the date of his birth. Immediately after graduation, B.C. Roy joined the Provincial Health Service. He exhibited immense dedication and hard work. He was also a member of the Brahmo Samaj. He was awarded Bharat Ratna on 4 February 1961, India’s highest civilian honour.

B C Roy Technology Hospital (Photo Credit: Ambuj Saxena / CC BY 2.5)

Rajendra Prasad

Dr Rajendra Prasad Narendra modi (Photo Credit: Narendra Modi / CC BY-SA 2.0

Dr. Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was the first President of the Republic of India. An Indian political leader, lawyer by training, Prasad joined the Indian National Congress during the Indian independence movement and became a major leader from the region of Bihar. A supporter of Mahatma Gandhi, Prasad was imprisoned by British authorities during the Salt Satyagraha of 1931 and the Quit India movement of 1942. When India became a Republic in 1950, Prasad was elected its first President by the Constituent Assembly.

Rajendra Prasad served in various educational institutions as a teacher. After completing his M.A in economics, he became a professor of English at the Langat Singh College of Muzaffarpur in (Bihar) and went on to become the principal. In the year 1916, he joined the High Court of Bihar and Odisha. Later in the year 1917, he was appointed as one of the first members of the Senate and Syndicate of the Patna University. He also used to practice law at Bhagalpur, the famous silk-town of Bihar. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in February 1962.

Nehru Bhulabhaidesai Rajendraprasad (Photo Credit: Hindu photo archives / Public Domain)

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Chandragupt Maurya Birla Mandir (Photo Credit: आशीष भटनागर / Public Domain)

Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta Maurya  (340 BC – 298 BC) was the founder of the Maurya Empire and the first emperor to unify most of Greater India into one state. He ruled from 322 BC until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favour of his son Bindusara in 298 BC. Chandragupta’s reign was a time of great social and religious reform in India. Buddhism and Jainism became increasingly prominent.

He became well known in the Hellenistic world for conquering Alexander the Great’s easternmost satrapies and for defeating the most powerful of Alexander’s successors, Seleucus I Nicator, in battle. Chandragupta became Jain by faith after renouncing the throne.

In the last years of his reign he took Jaineshwari Diksha from Shrutakevali Bhadrabahu to be a Muni. So he abdicated his throne and with the sangha he went to spend his last days at Shravanabelagola, a famous religious site in south India, where he fasted to death.

Chandragupta Maurya is one of the most celebrated rulers in the history of India and is also known as Samrat Chakravartin. He played a crucial role in shaping the national identity of modern Indi and has been lionised as a model ruler and as a national hero.

Chandragiri Fotprints (Photo Credit: romana klee / CC BY-SA 2.0

Ashoka

Ashokan Pillar (Photo Credit: mself / CC BY-SA 2.5)

Ashoka Maurya, commonly known as Ashoka and also as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from circa 269 BCE to 232 BCE. One of India’s greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over a realm that stretched from the Hindu Kush mountains in the west to Bengal in the East and covered the entire Indian subcontinent except parts of present day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Ashoka is referred to as Samraat Chakravartin Ashoka-the “Emperor of Emperors Ashoka. ” His name “Aśoka” means “painless, without sorrow” in Sanskrit. Main article.

The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout the northern Indian subcontinent and erected by Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BCE. The first Pillar of Ashoka was found in the 16th century by Thomas Coryat in the ruins of ancient Delhi. The Ashoka Chakra (the wheel of Ashoka) is a depiction of the Dharmachakra or Dhammachakka in Pali, the Wheel of Dharma. The wheel has 24 spokes which represent the 12 Laws of Dependent Origination and the 12 Laws of Dependent Termination.

The Lion capital of Ashoka is a sculpture of four lions standing back to back. It was originally placed atop the Ashoka pillar at Sarnath, now in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The pillar, sometimes called the Ashoka Column is still in its original location, but the Lion Capital is now in the Sarnath Museum. The emblem of the modern Republic of India is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Ashok Stambha (Photo Credit: Lokenrc / CC BY 2.5)

Raja Chola

Rajaraja Cholan Statue (Photo Credit: dixon / CC BY 3.0)

Raja Raja Chozhan I, born Arulmozhi Thevar, popularly known as Raja Raja the Great, is one of the greatest Emperors of India, who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE. He was a great patron of Tamil literature as during his reign the texts of the famous Tamil poets Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar were collected and edited into one compilation called Thirumurai. He initiated a massive project of land survey and assessment in 1000 CE which strengthened the Imperial administration and which led to the reorganization of the Empire into units known as valanadus.

He built the famous Brihadeeswarar Temple which is one of the largest and tallest temples in India. It was during his reign that the Chola Dynasty started to emerge as a great Empire. He fought many battles with the Western Chalukya Empire to the north and the Pandyan Dynasty to the south. By conquering Vengi, Rajaraja laid the foundation for the Later Chola dynasty. He launched several naval campaigns that resulted in the capture of Sri Lanka, Maldives and the Malabar Coast.

Thanjavur Temple (Photo Credit: Venu62 / Public Domain)

Akbar

Abu’l-Fath Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar, known popularly as Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great or Akbar I, was Mughal Emperor from 1556 until his death. He was the third and one of the greatest rulers of the Mughal Dynasty in India. Akbar himself was a patron of art and culture.He was fond of literature and created a library of over 24,000 volumes written in Sanskrit, Hindustani, Persian, Greek, Latin, Arabic and Kashmiri, staffed by many scholars, translators, artists, calligraphers, scribes, bookbinders and readers.

Akbar’s reign significantly influenced the course of Indian history. During his rule, the Mughal empire tripled in size and wealth. He created a powerful military system and instituted effective political and social reforms. By abolishing the sectarian tax on non-Muslims and appointing them to high civil and military posts, he was the first Mughal ruler to win the trust and loyalty of the native subjects. He had Sanskrit literature translated, participated in native festivals, realizing that a stable empire depended on the co-operation and good-will of his subjects. Thus, the foundations for a multicultural empire under Mughal rule was laid during his reign. Akbar was succeeded as emperor by his son, Jahangir.

Portrait Of Akbar (Photo Credit: Manohar / Public Domain)

Sri Krishna Devaraya

Krishnadevaraya  was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509-1529. He is the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty. He was the most powerful of all the Hindu rulers of India. Indeed, when the Mughal Babur was taking stock of the potentates of north India, Krishnadevaraya was rated the most powerful and had the most extensive empire in the subcontinent. The rule of Krishna Deva Raya marks a period of much military success in Vijayanagara history.

The king was of medium height, had a cheerful disposition and was reputed to be respectful to foreign visitors, ruthless in maintaining the law, and prone to fits of anger. He maintained himself to a high level of physical fitness through daily exercises. Travelogues indicate that the king was not only an able administrator, but also an excellent general, leading from the front in battle and even attending to the wounded. The Telugu poet Mukku Timmana nandi Thimmana appraised him as the destroyer of the Turks.

Vijayanagara Emperor (Photo Credit: Chavakiran / Public Domain)

Chatrapati Shivaji

Shivaji Raje Potrait In British Museum (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Shivaji Bhonsle also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati ( Monarch) of his realm at Raigad. In the ensuing Battle of Pratapgarh fought on 10 November 1659, Shivaji’s forces decisively defeated the Bijapur Sultanate’s forces.

Shivaji was crowned king of the Marathas in a lavish ceremony at Raigad on 6 June 1674. In the Hindu calendar it was on the 13th day (trayodashi) of the first fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha in the year 1596. From a small contingent of 2,000 soldiers inherited from his father, Shivaji created a force of 100,000 soldiers.

He built and restored strategically located forts both inland and coastal to safeguard his territory. He revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian, in court and administration. Particularly in Maharashtra, debates over his history and role have engendered great passion and sometimes even violence as disparate groups have sought to characterise him and his legacy.

Shivaji Maharaj Raigad (Photo Credit: Cj.samson / GFDL)

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan (Photo Credit: Public Domain)

Tipu Sultan (20 November 1750-4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore and Tipu Sahib, was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, scholar and poet, recognized as one of the greatest South Asian rulers of all time. Tipu introduced a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including his coinage, a new Mauludi lunisolar calendar and a new land revenue system which initiated the growth of Mysore silk industry.

Tipu expanded the iron-cased Mysorean rockets and wrote the military manual Fathul Mujahidin, considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery. Tipu succeeded to a large kingdom bordered by the Krishna River in the north, the Eastern Ghats in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west. He won important victories against the British in the Second Anglo-Mysore War. He is regarded a hero in Pakistan as well and the PNS Tippu Sultan ships of the Pakistan Navy are named after him.

Tippu Sultans Cannon (Photo Credit: John Hill / CC BY-SA 3.0)

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