Dear Prajapati Friend,
Greetings. Certainly you must be very busy getting new admissions in different Institutions. Prajapati-the Butterfly team wish you God’s choicest blessings, wisdom and guidance for every moment of your life.
It is also our heartfelt prayers that you may be protected from every kind of snares and deception which can destroy your inner beauty, affect your self-esteem and bring many barriers on your road to success and clean life. When God first created this beautiful world, HE called it “good” but as we look around us, how much goodness and beauty do we perceive? Unfortunately, our world is being destroyed. There are wars, bomb blasts, crimes, floods, global warming and so on. More serious is the decaying of the human heart. Our heart which was supposed to be filled with good thoughts, clean attitudes, and noble ideas is gradually being replaced by many negative emotions.
One such negative attitude is “Deception” which is also the theme for this issue of Prajapati. Deceiving others has become a norm which is very dangerous and sad. God’s Heart breaks to see His created human beings, so deceptive and beguile. In that case those who deceive are actually failing Gods’ purpose in their lives.
The articles, stories are written in order to help us understand the traps of Evil force and let us recognize that deceiving people is detestable. Let us also grow wise and not be deceived by the fake promises, pleasures that the world offers at the cost of holiness and clean life.
Wish you happy reading and good health during the rainy season.
God Bless!
Sima Aunty
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God and Me:
Jesus my Saviour
I am born and brought up in a Christian family yet I was never keen about my personal relationship with Jesus. I was very keen in acquiring all the worldly status of LIFE! My friends who studied and grew up with me went passed ahead in all affairs. I felt so gloomy. I never was happy about my circumstances neither I knew what it was to trust in God for happiness and success. I silently questioned Lord Jesus as to why I always lagged behind from others. God was silent! Then God provided a soul mate for me. But usual marriage adjustments retarded me more and I started breaking under depression. I prayed …..But God was silent!
On 8th March’ 08 during a Bible study program on the book of Daniel in the Church, I prayed to God to cleanse me with His Holy Word. I repented and prayed (Psalms 22:24) and begged Lord Jesus to touch me and break me free from all sins and to pour into me His Holy Spirit! The Bible says that God does not overlook a broken and contrite heart. True to His Nature, God answered………My lips began to shiver….. My folded hand started to clap in His praise……….and I instantly fell flat on the ground……..God was touching me. My whole body began to fill with His GRACE! My murmuring lips were only thanking God for the GREATEST GIFT I have received from God ……..SALVATION. I found all my inner sufferings, past agony, impure thoughts and pride melting down like ice. The utmost peace, joy, love of Christ began to envelop me with His mercy. I no more felt lonely or negative about life. After encountering the power of Lord Jesus in my life, every area of my life was changed. I was no more the same. He gave me courage to look at life and at others from His prespective. I thanked Lord Jesus for choosing me for His Glory. When I look back I see the strange heavenly coincidence of God’s design for my life. My engagement was finalized on 8th Sep – my Engagement on 8th Nov – my Marriage on 8th Jan and my Holy Birth on 8th Mar 08! Today I am a new being and very happy and thankful to Lord Jesus for answering all my prayers. Now I am happy that I have found a true friend in Jesus who loves me more than anyone else. Therfore, I know for sure that God is not meant to be somewhere far away and silent. He is mindful about us human beings, but we need to listen to His voice and respond to Him. God is never silent………..HE LISTENS and CARES. God Bless.
-by Christina Michael Madhu
Christina is happily married and lives with her family in Jamshedpur. She is now actively sharing her new relationship with Jesus to everyone.
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From Deception to Trust
Jacob was the younger of the two sons of Isaac and Rebecca. Esau was the elder one who was the rightful heir to his father’s blessings according to the Hebrew culture at that time.
Esau and Jacob were brothers with different temperament and talents. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the open country while Jacob was a quiet man staying in the house.
One day Jacob overheard his old father asking Esau to go into the forest and hunt some wild game for him and cook it for him. Isaac wanted to bless Esau before his death as was the culture at those days.
Jacob was the pampered boy of Rebecca. So mother and son decided to play a trick and get Esau’s blessing from Isaac through deception. Now Esau was a hairy man whereas Jacob had less hair on his body. Isaac was an old man with weak eyesight so together they planned to deceive Isaac.
As soon as Esau left for the forest, immediately Jacob brought a young lamb and his mother cooked it very deliciously, then Jacob took some animal skin and covered his hands and face which would give an impression that he was Esau.
Then quickly he went near Isaac who was lying in the bed and presented the deliciously cooked dish to his father. Old and worm Isaac was surprised that Esau could make it so quickly. When he asked, Jacob lied to him saying that his skill made it easier for hunting in less time. Then Isaac was doubtful about his voice. Once again Jacob lied to his father saying that he was having a cold, therefore his voice was different. When Isaac touched Jacob’s shoulder, Jacob pretended to be Esau and finally succeeded in convincing Isaac that he was indeed Esau.
Isaac, enjoyed the food and then he laid his hands on Jacob and pronounced on him with all kinds of blessing for prosperity, health and happiness. Jacob felt great. Then before Esau’s return, Jacob quickly packed his bag and left home. His mother sent him faraway to his bother’s village. He must have congratulated himself for being a smart guy. Jacob went on his way happy and feeling secure.
Jacob settled down in another place. Jacob used his deception tactics a few times to gain more wealth. He succeeded too and thought that he can get away with it. His health anf family grew.
Years passed then one day, his deception was uncovered by his uncle with whom he was living with his big family. Fearing that he would be punished by his uncle and his household, Jacob, ran away from that place along with his family, servants, money and cattle. But on the way, he started feeling afraid. He was frightened to meet his own brother Esau whom he had deceived years ago. Jacob lost his peace and was worried to death.
In the middle of his journey, God met him but Jacob did not realize it. He mistook the divine form to be a mere human being and started wrestling with him. After wrestling for a long time, Jacob realized that he was indeed in the presence of supernatural power. Jacob lost his confidence. He was already paralyzed with fear and anxiety so he cling to God and pleaded Him to bless him.
God was merciful to him because he had asked Him for bless him instead of deceiving people for his gain. From then on Jacob’s name was changed. He went and asked forgiveness from his brother. He was called “Israel”. Jacob changed his ways and trusted God for his blessings and he went on to become a great nation chosen by God.
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Who is the Deceiver?
Mohit sat silent, on the backseat of his father’s Chevrolet unaware of the wedding procession, with its bright light and colorful people that were passing by. The noise of music and laughter failed to penetrate into the confused and disoriented mind of Mohit.
Mohit was just returning from the Doctor after a thorough check up of his body.
He was just about to celebrate his 20th birthday on the coming Sunday but instead of joy and anticipation he was remorseful and shocked. He still could not believe what the Doctor has just told him. Mohit was suffering from some liver problem. The doctor said it was serious enough but not life threatening as such. Mohit has to really undergo through medical treatment now. He has to be very careful with his habits and lifestyle.
Mohit’s Daddy sat dejected in the care beside him. There was shadow of sadness, and anguish on his face. He did not say anything to his son, but Mohit knew that his father was shocked and also angry to hear from the Doctor that his only son was a smoker.
As Mohit closed his eyes to shut out the outside image he went back to those days when he had started smoking only at the age of twelve. Suresh and Binu were his other friends who had encouraged him to try a cigarette. They used to meet every evening near the stadium. Though Suresh and Binu were not from the same school, Mohit had befriended them in a inter school competition. From then onwards they always met regularly. Unfortunately they were not the only friends. Their friend circle grew when other boys too became friendly with them. They used to sit and chat under a Bunyan tree and also play cricket together. Cricket actually extended the friend circle but while playing clean cricket, Mohit got into the habit of smoking unawares. At first it was a curiosity, then developed into a challenge among the friends and then smoking became the mark of manliness. Mohit wanted at any cost to be counted a Man so he regularly smoked with his friends. Before going home he would eat a strong flavor chocolate in order to camouflage the cigarette odor. Mohit always thought he was very smart because he could fool his mother and father. Before long, Mohit became an ardent follower and slave of Smoking. He realized that without cigarette he was not bale to concentrate in anything. His pocket money seemed very less for his expenses.
On the way to deceive his parents, Mohit actually was being deceived himself.
What he thought was smartness, was actually destroying his health. His bad health now stood as a barrier for him. He was not certain about his future. His dream to join the school of Defense lay shattered all because of a tiny yielding to the deception. With a wreaked health, and not able to join in the Defense Academy would he be now counted as a Man? Now as he sat on the car, he was realizing that indeed he has been deceived
But who was the deceiver? Was it his friend circle, was it the cigarette or was Mohit himself?
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True stories that Inspire:
Mother of CMC, Vellore- Dr. Ida Scudder

Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder (December 9, 1870–May 24, 1960) was born of Dr. John Scudder Jr. and Mrs. Sophia Weld Scudder who were working among the poor in India. As a child in India, she saw much famine, poverty and disease. Initially Ida never wanted to spend her time in India but a very sad experience motivated and compelled her to dedicate her life to the plight of Indian women and the fight against bubonic plague, cholera and leprosy. One night as she was writing some letters, three men came one after another to her verandah. The first was a Brahmin, the second was a Muslim and the third was another high caste Hindu. All the three men came to request her to go and help their wives who were lying dangerously ill at child birth. The men wanted Ida to help their wives because she herself was a woman. In those days, men doctors were not allowed to treat women. Unfortunately Ida could not come to their rescue because she was not a doctor then. Her father, even though a doctor, was not allowed to treat the women. The next morning, Ida came to know that all the three women had died in the night. That experience convinced her that God wanted her to become a Physician and return to help the women of India. She was never married.
Thus began the famous Christian Medical College n in 1918, when Dr. Scudder started training women for the Licentiate Diploma (LMP). In 1942, the medical school was raised to the status of a college and 25 students were admitted to the MBBS course With 94 recognised educational schemes it now trains both men and women in medicine, nursing, allied health fields and hospital administration and records. Together with its associated hospitals and health projects there are over 2,100 beds and CMC served over 1,300,000 outpatients in 2003-4. It offers treatment not only at its main hospital in Vellore but also at several mission hospitals across India.
From the beginning it has had a strong sense of Christian service and seeks to promote the same in its staff and students, modeled on the healing ministry of Jesus. Graduates are encouraged to serve for at least some of their career in the most needy parts of India.
The hospital is located in the south of India in Vellore Tamil Nadu.
CMC Vellore is a living example of what determination, commitment and love for God and people can achieve. It took years of persistent hard work through ups and downs, triumphs and defeats, but Ida could make her dream come true. Truly her life is an inspiration.

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Why do we sneeze?
Sneezing is a reflex. A reflex is where your body does something automatically and is something that you have no control over.
Why do we sneeze?
Sneezing is a way that your body gets rid of bad things that are in your nose. These things might be bacteria, germs, and other things. You also sneeze when you smell pepper because your body does not like pepper!
Sneezing is very good for our body because it removes things from our body like bacteria and germs. It also is good because it keeps the tubes that carry the air from our nose to the lungs healthy. Sneezing makes our nose clear when we have a cold.
When you suddenly you see a bright light like the sun or a light bulb then you feel like you are going to sneeze. Most people feel like you do when you see the light. Actually 1 out of 3 people sneeze when they see the bright light. Those people are “Photic Sneezers.” Photic really is another word for light. Photic sneezing is something that you get from one of your parents because it is something that runs in one side of your family. People that sneeze a lot can prevent sneezing. If you feel a sneeze, then use saline solution. You can also softly hold your nose at the end. These things can help your body remove things it does not want without sneezing.
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What was the first Bank?
The main business of banks is to lend money and to handle money which has been deposited with them. Of course, banks today provide many more services than just these, but it all has to do with the handling of money.
Ever since man had a kind of money, it has been necessary for someone to hold it for him safely, or to lend him some when he needed it. For example, in ancient Babylon, even before coins had been invented, there were men who made a business of borrowing, lending, and holding money for other people. They might be called bankers, though they were considered moneylenders. Some of that business was in the hands of the priests in the temples, and there were laws that regulated this business.
In Roman times, there were already large banks in existence. There were Roman laws that regulated some of the banking methods.
In medieval times the business of lending money was no longer thought of as lawful. Those who did continue to lend money often had their places of business on benches in the market place. The Italian word for bench is banco, and this is where we get the word “bank”.
In England, the business of holding and lending money was chiefly in the hands of goldsmiths. They received people’s money and valuables for safekeeping and in return gave goldsmith’s receipt.
In 1694 a group of businessmen agreed to lend a large sum of money to the English Government in return for permission to establish the Bank of England, which today is one of the greatest financial institutions in the world.
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Personality:
Lalu Prasad Yadav
Lalu Prasad Yadav, (born June 11, 1947 Goplaganj, Bihar) is an from the state of Bihar. He is currently the Minister of Railways in the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Lalu Prasad Yadav was born poor in family of farmers in Phulwaria, Gopalganj district, Bihar to Kundan Rai and Marachhiya Devi.
On June 1, 1973 he married Rabri Devi. The two have two sons and seven daughters.
He is naturalist in his religious beliefs.
Lalu’s first political step was his active involvement in the elections of the Patna University Students’ union. He led the student movement inspired by Jai Prakash Narayan in the 1970s. The former Chief Minister of Bihar and the then President of Bihar State Janata Party, Satyendra Narayan Sinha placed him as a candidate for the Lok Sabha. He was subsequently elected as a member of 6th Lok Sabha at only 29 years of age, becoming one of the youngest members of the Indian Parliament then.
In a span of 10 years, he became a formidable force in Bihar State Politics. During the Indian general elections in 1989 and state assembly elections, he successfully led the National Front coalition in Bihar. It was, therefore, no surprise that he was elected the Chief Minister when the Party came to power in the 1990 Assembly elections. Unfortunately the police unearthed a Fodder Scam in 1996 worth Rs 950 crore in Bihar which allegedly involved Lalu and the State’s leading bureaucrats and politicians. The fodder scam forced Mr. Yadav to resign from the office of Chief Minister and he elected his wife, Rabri Devi, as his successor.
He formed the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in 1997.According to Limca Book of Records, he is the longest serving president of an Indian Political Party.
Prasad was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Chhapra and Madhepura seats of Bihar. He was named as the railway minister in the UPA Government. Later, he gave up the Madhepura seat.
He banned plastic cups to serve tea at railway stations and ordered that they be replaced by kulhads (earthen cups). He claimed that the measure would generate more employment in rural areas. Later, he also said that he had plans to introduce buttermilk and khadi. When Yadav took over, the Indian Railways was a loss-making organization. In the 4 years under his leadership, a cumulative total profit of Rs. 70, 000 crore has been reported.
Lalu Prasad Yadav is now credited with engineering the financial turnaround of Indian Railways, that was on the verge of bankruptcy earlier. He found several profitable sources of revenue for the Railways. He also improved on his first year’s performance by stating a profit of 14,000 crores in 2006. Then, in the 2007 budget, he increased the profit level to 20,000 crores. In 2008, profits were 25000 crore.
Well-known schools of management were interested in his leadership in managing the turnaround. He addressed over a hundred students from Harvard, Wharton and others in Hindi. He has received invitations from 8 Ivy League schools. The turn around of the Indian Railways is now being studied by the students of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
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Health is Wealth:

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water. …..interesting!
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes
3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.
The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure – 30 days
2. Gastric – 10 days
3. Diabetes – 30 days
4. Constipation – 10 days
5. Cancer – 180 days
6. TB – 90 days
7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily.
This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.
Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.
- By Mr. Soumendra Bobby Jena, | Head – Delivery and Information Systems | International Education Business | e-Mail: soumendrabj@niit.com

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How many Crows in the Kingdom

One day Emperor Akbar and Birbal were taking a walk in the palace gardens. It was a nice summer morning and there were plenty of crows happily playing around the pond. While watching the crows, a question came into Akbar’s head. He wondered how many crows were there in his kingdom.

Since Birbal was accompanying him, he asked Birbal this question. After a moment’s thought, Birbal replied, “There are ninety-five thousand four hundred and sixty-three crows in the Kingdom”.

Amazed by his quick response, Akbar tried to test him again, “What if there are more crows than you answered?” Without hesitating Birbal replied, “If there are more crows than my answer, then some crows are visiting from other neighboring kingdoms”. “And what if there are less crows”, Akbar asked. “Then some crows from our kingdom have gone on holidays to other places”.
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The Dog and the Shadow

A DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for that of another Dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. He immediately let go of his own, and fiercely attacked the other Dog to get his larger piece from him. He thus lost both: that which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and his own, because the stream swept it away.
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Building Your House

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.”
The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
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But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!
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Dads Blessings

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man’s name embossed in gold. Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said “With all your money, you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. And as he did, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God’s blessings and answers to our prayers because they do not arrive exactly as we have expected?
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Our Environment:
What is soil erosion?
The wearing away, detachment and transportation of soil from one place to another place and its deposition by moving water, blowing wind or other causes is called soil erosion.
Soil erosion by water, wind and tillage affects both agriculture and the natural environment. It is one of the most important (yet probably the least well-known) of today’s environmental problems. Soil erosion may be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed, or it may occur at an alarming rate causing serious loss of topsoil.
What causes Erosion?
Erosion is an intrinsic natural process but in many places it is increased by human land use. Poor land use practices include deforestation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction activity and road or building. Heavy grazing can reduce vegetation enough to increase erosion. Changes in the kind of vegetation in an area can also affect erosion rates.
Land that is used for the production of agricultural crops generally experiences a significant greater rate of erosion than that of land under natural vegetation. This is particularly true if tillage is used, which reduces vegetation cover on the surface of the soil and disturbs both soil structure and plant roots that would otherwise hold the soil in place. When land is overused by animal activities such as , animal herds stampeding there can be mechanical erosion.
However, improved land use practices can limit erosion, using techniques such as terrace-building, conservation tillage practices, and tree planting.
A certain amount of erosion is natural and, in fact, healthy for the ecosystem. For example, gravels continuously move downstream in watercourses. Excessive erosion, however, does cause problems, such as receiving water sedimentation, ecosystem damage and outright loss of soil.
One of the main causes of erosive soil loss in the year 2006 is the result of slash and burn treatment of tropical forest. When the total ground surface is stripped of vegetation and then seared of all living organisms, the upper soils are vulnerable to both wind and water erosion.
Accelerated soil erosion by water or wind may affect both agricultural areas and the natural environment, and is one of the most widespread of today’s environmental problems. It has impacts which are both on-site (at the place where the soil is detached) and off-site (wherever the eroded soil ends up).
Soil erosion is just one form of soil degradation. Other kinds of soil degradation include salinisation, nutrient loss, and compaction.
Approximately 40% of the world’s agricultural land is seriously degraded.
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Around the World:
Bangladesh
The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. Together with the Indian state of West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. The name Bangladesh means “Country of Bengal”.
The borders of present-day Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, when the region became the eastern wing of the newly-formed Pakistan. However, it was separated from the western wing by 1,600 kilometers across India. Political and linguistic discrimination as well as economic neglect led to agitations against West Pakistan, leading to war for independence in 1971 and the establishment of Bangladesh However, the new state had to endure famines, natural disasters and widespread poverty, as well as political turmoil and military coups. The restoration of democracy in 1991 has been followed by relative stability and economic progress.
Bangladesh is among the most densely populated countries in the world and has a high poverty rate due to annual monsoon floods and cyclones.
The government is a parliamentary democracy; however, civilian rule has been suspended under emergency law since 11 January 2007. Bangladesh is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, SAARC, BIMSTEC, the OIC, and the D-8. As the World Bank notes in its July 2005 Country Brief, the country has made significant progress in human development in the areas of literacy, gender parity in schooling and reduction of population growth.
Direct elections involving all citizens over the age 18 are held every five years for the unicameral parliament known as Jatia Sangsad. The parliament building is known as the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban. The Prime Minister, as the head of government. The President is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post elected by the parliament. However the President’s powers are substantially expanded during the tenure of a caretaker government, which is responsible for the conduct of elections and transfer of power.
Bangladesh is divided into six administrative divisions, each named after their respective divisional headquarters: Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet.
Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’ state religion is Islam. The majority ethnic group of Bangladesh are the Bengali people, comprising 98% of the population. The remainder are mostly Bihari migrants and indigenous tribal groups.
The official and most widely used language in Bangladesh, is Bangla or Bengali. English is used as second language. Health and education levels have recently improved as poverty levels have decreased. The literacy rate in Bangladesh is approximately 41%. Literacy has gone up due to many programs introduced in the country.
The major religion practiced in Bangladesh is Islam (89.7%) and a sizable minority adheres to Hinduism (9.2%). About 96% of the Muslims are Sunni while over 3% are Shi’a and remainders are Ahmadis. Ethnic Biharis are predominantly Shia Muslims. Other religious groups include Buddhists (0.7%, mostly Theravada), Christians (0.3%, mostly of the Roman Catholic denomination), and Animists (0.1%). Among Muslim-majority countries, Bangladesh ranks third after Indonesia and Pakistan by the number of Muslims.
The musical tradition of Bangladesh is lyrics-based (Baniprodhan), with minimal instrumental accompaniment. The Baul tradition is a unique heritage of Bangla folk music, and there are numerous other musical traditions in Bangladesh, which vary from one region to the other. Gombhira, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya are a few of the better-known musical forms. Folk music of Bengal is often accompanied by the ektara, an instrument with only one string. Other instruments include the dotara, dhol, flute, and tabla. Similarly, Bangladeshi dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups, as well as the broader Indian dance tradition.
Rice and curry are traditional favorites. Bangladeshis make distinctive sweetmeats from milk products; some common ones are Rôshogolla, Chômchôm and Kalojam.
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in Bangladesh. Other popular sports include Association football, field hockey, tennis, badminton, handball, volleyball, chess, carom, and kabadi, which is the national sport of Bangladesh.

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Around the World:
MAHARASTRA
Maharashtra is India’s third largest state in area (about the size of Italy) and second largest in population. Located in western India, Maharashtra is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Arabian Sea makes up the state’s western coast.
Maharashtra is India’s most developed and urbanized state contributing 15% of the country’s industrial output.
Mumbai is the state capital, with a population of approximately 15.2 million people and India’s largest city. The other large cities are Pune, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Amravati, Aurangabad and Nagpur.
Pune, the second largest city in Maharashtra, and also the 7th largest in India, is the state’s cultural and heritage capital, with a population of 4.5 million people.
Navi Mumbai is the largest planned city in the world.
Sangli: The ‘Turmeric city of India’ is the largest trade center for turmeric in the country.
Marathi is the official state language. The state has a Hindu majority of 80.2% with minorities of Muslims 10.6%, Buddhists 6%, Jains 1.3% and Christians 1%. Maharashtra has the biggest Jain, Zoroastrian and Jewish populations in India.
Maharashtra is divided into thirty-five districts. Geographically, historically and according to political sentiments Maharashtra has five main regions: Vidarbha or Berar, Marathwada, Khandesh and Northern Maharashtra, Desh or Western Maharashtra, and Konkan.
The Indian Railways covers most of the Maharashtra and is the preferred mode of transport over long distances. Mumbai has the biggest international airport in India with another coming up at Navi Mumbai.

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One day Akbar stumbled on a rock in his garden while taking a stroll. He was not in a
good mood already, and so this fall added to his discomfort. He got very angry and ordered for the gardener’s arrest and execution.
The next day, at the time of execution, the gardener was asked what his last wish was. He
requested for an audience with the Emperor. His wish was granted and he was brought into the Court. When he came near the throne, he loudly cleared his throat and spat at the feet of the Emperor. The Emperor demanded to know why did he do such a thing. Actually the gardener did this on Birbal’s advice, so Birbal stepped forward in the gardener’s defense. He said, “There could be no person more loyal than this unfortunate gardener. Fearing that you ordered him to be hanged for a small reason, he went out of his way to give you a genuine reason for ordering him to be hanged.”
The Emperor realized his mistake and set him free.

FUN CORNER
_ An out-of-towner accidentally drives his car into a deep ditch on the side of a country road.
Luckily a farmer happened by with his big old horse named Benny. The man asked for help and the farmer said Benny could pull his car out. So he backed Benny up and hitched him to the man’s car bumper. Then he yelled: Pull, Nellie, pull!
Benny didn’t move. Then he yelled” Come on,
Pull Ranger! Still, Benny didn’t move.
Then he yelled really loud: Now pull, Fred….
pull hard!
Benny just stood there. Then the farmer nonchalantly said: Ok, Benny… now pull.
Benny pulled the car out of the ditch. The man was very appreciative but curious.He asked the farmer: “I really appreciate that,but why did u call your horse by the wrong name three times?” The farmer replied “ old
Benny is blind. If he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try._ Doctor, Doctor I think I need glasses.
You certainly do, Sir, this is a fish and chip shop!

God and Me:
Never Give Up
I have a lot of memories that God has blessed my life, and I am going to share one of them.
I was a good student in my school. The only weak subject that I was afraid was English. When I was in class 10, it was the most important time because it is the Board Exam and my marks would determine my college career. I was scoring 31/32 out of 100 in 1st and 2nd term exam in 9th class, which was not a good sign for the Board Exams. So my Dad took me to a reputed professor, who used to tutor the top scoring students. The very first day, as I was sitting with my fellow friends, sir asked me a spelling which I couldn’t answer correctly. So sir scolded me like anything, insulting me before the other students and asked me to get out of the class. I felt very bad and I cried before my father. Then my father took me to another sir, who used to teach in my neighboring school. My dad told all about me and all that has happened with me. Sir replied don’t worry; she will score first division in the final exam, which was unbelievable for me. So the tuition classes went on, there also I was ignored and looked down by some of my tuition mates, because they felt superior. When Sir used to take exam in tuition, others scored higher than me. But gradually by the Grace of God, I began to improve a little (scoring50/100). I felt offended by my friends. I prayed to God all that is happening with me and also seek his help for my final exams. So when I finally wrote my Board Exam and saw the result I could not believe at the marks I had scored. It was 73/100. Praise the Lord, since I had never had even scored the opposite i.e 37 before. I danced with joy. I told my dad and I went to my Tutor with the mark sheet. I asked sir who got the most amongst the tuition mates. Sir paused for a moment and then to my utter amazement congratulated me. I was the highest scorer in English among all my friends!!!
This is my personal experience of my God who blessed me and answered my prayers. I want to encourage those who are sacred of some subjects or any there is any other things in life which seems a hurdle, then do not ever give up. There is nothing impossible if God is with you. He can make a way for you and take you to heights that you may not have ever dreamt. So just hang on and remember “Never ever give up”. Jesus is able when you are unable.

- by Mrs. Asmita Patra, Kolkata
Asmita is now a graduate and married, residing in Kolkata.
Email ID: Chiradeep_nf@gmail.com

Forgiveness verses Revenge

Few weeks back, Good Friday was observed throughout the world. It is the supreme sacrifice of Lord Jesus who shed His sinless blood for the deliverance of the whole mankind. While Jesus Christ carried His cross to the place of crucifixion, He was beaten, ruthlessly. Perhaps He was hungry and tired almost on the verge of collapsing, because carrying the heavy cross up hill is not a joke. He must be having a splitting headache with profuse bleeding since it was pierced with a crown of thorns.
When He reached near the place, the Roman soldiers and other Jews who were against Him hurled insults at Him and then they nailed Him on the cross. Perhaps they started with the two hands and then His two foots were put together and then the big iron nails came hammering down on His bare body. Jesus cried out in pain. The sun was beating down on His face mercilessly. What should be the reaction?
Normally any one would have retaliated with vengeance, spit out curses against the person with never ending fury.
Yet, Jesus’ reaction to the situation was completely opposite. In place of anger and curses there was a statement on His lips which is stands out through the ages. The wonderful words were “Father, Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. This profound sentence makes Jesus unique because He not only taught about loving people inspite of but He demonstrated His love though His kind words. There was no revengeful thoughts in His heart has He hung on the cross.
This is called amazing because it is hardly possible for any human nor such event ever took place in human history other than what is mentioned above. He forgave those who hated Him and prayed for them. Instead of curse there was blessing on His lips. Isn’t that an amazing fact?________________________________

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born April 24, 1973 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India) is an Indian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.
Tendulkar was born in a Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins family in Mumbai . His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, who was a Marathi novelist, named him after his favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir (High School), where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor, Ramakant Achrekar. During his school days, he attended the MRF Pace Foundation to train as a fast bowler, but the fast bowling trainer there, Dennis Lillee, suggested to him to “just focus” on his batting.
When Tendulkar was young, he would practice for hours with his coach. He would often get bored of practicing. So his coach would put a one-Rupee-coin on the top of the stumps. The bowler who dismissed Sachin would get the coin. If Sachin passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Sachin says today that the 13 coins he won then are his most prized possessions.
While at school, he was involved in unbroken 664-run partnership in a Harris Shield game in 1988 with friend and team mate Vinod Kambli, who also went on to represent India When he was 14 Indian batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his used ultra light pads. “It was the greatest source of encouragement for me,” he said nearly 20 years later after passing Gavaskar’s top world record of 34 Test centuries.
In 1995, Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali (born 10 November 1967), They have two children, Sara and Arjun.
In 2002, Wisden rated him as the second greatest Test batsman after Sir Donald Bradman, and the greatest One-day international batsman. He holds several highly regarded batting records and is the leading scorer of centuries in both Test cricket and one-day internationals. He is one of the three batsmen to surpass 11,000 runs in Test cricket, and the first Indian to do so. He is the most prolific run scorer in ODIs by a margin of over 4000 runs and has scored the most runs in international cricket as a whole. He crossed 16,000 runs in ODIs on February 5, 2008 while playing against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, Australia. Affectionately called ‘The Little Master’ or ‘The Master Blaster’, Tendulkar made his first-class debut for the Mumbai cricket team aged 14 and scored a century on debut. He made his international test debut in 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi at age 16.
He is the only cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour and the only cricketer and one of the first sportsmen (along with Vishwanathan Anand) to receive the Padma Vibhushan (2008).
**********************

WORD POWER1. Light: The brightness given by the sun, a flame, a lamp etc. that makes vision possible.
2. Light: Public knowledge, some new information
3. Light: Spiritual light
4. Light, lit, lighted, lighting: to cause, to catch fire, to cause to become bright with excitement.
5. Light: Easy to see
6. Light: Not severe
7. Light: lighty, without much luggage,
8. lighten: to make or become brighter
9. light headed: Giddy, Dizzy or delirious
10. Light hearted: Cheerful, happy, and free from care.

Golden Verse: DO not seek revenge or bear a grudge against people, but love your neighbor as yourself.

Apples of Gold: Indeed, revenge is always the pleasure of a paltry, feeble, tiny mind. By- Juvenal AD. 60

Do you Know?

ANIMAL FACTS

The blue whale is the largest animal on earth. The heart of a blue whale is as big as a car, and it’s tongue is as long as an elephant.
An Ostrich eye is bigger than it’s brain.
A Crocodile can not stick out it’s tongue.
The ant can lift 50times it’s own weight and pull 30times it’s on weight.
Polar bears are left handed.
A Cockroach can live 9 days without it’s head before it’s starves to death.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
A flea can jump 350 times it’s body length. It’s like a human jumping the length of six football fields.
Elephants are the only animals that can not jump.

A short Story: They never smiled again………

Shyam and Binu were very good friend. Shyam’s and Binu’s daddy were business men in the city. They were very close to each other until a small seed of doubt sprouted and spread its root of bitterness and hatred between them. It was so strong that they became each other’s worst enemies.
One day, Shyam’s father suffered loss in his business, due to a mistake of one of his employee. He was very upset and sacked the employee.
After some days, the employee was seen working with Binu’s father. This incident made Shyam’s father very angry and he advised Shyam not to mingle with Binu anymore because they were enemies.
Binu was surprised at Shyam’s cold behavior at school. Shyam no more invited Binu for a lift in his car while returning from school. Both were in their 12th class and were preparing for the final exams. Previously both used to study together after school but now they were no longer together. This rift was quickly noticed by others at school. Kalia was very happy to see Binu and Shyam going apart because he had never liked to see them together. So Kalia was very happy. He tried his best to create more enmity between them. Binu too became convinced that Shyam was no longer his good friend. H even felt that Shyam was competing with him for better marks in the Final exams. When Binu saw Shyam talking to his girlfriend outside the canteen he was very upset. Without a second thought, Binu went and slapped Shyam right in front of the other students. It was actually Kalia who was playing the trick between them and making them look hostile and rude to each other. Shyam was schocked because he was actually just asking for some help from Binu’s girl friend about the school magazine wheras Binu had clearly misunderstood him. Shyam did not bother to go out of the way and clarify the doubt between them either. He was now surer about Binu’s wickedness. Kalia, through his wicked remarks fanned Shyam’s hatred towards Binu.
Both of them could have sat down and talked but the pressures of studies and the vain superiority complex crept into their clean and healthy friendship. Neither Shyam nor Binu could handle this wave of hatred and revenge that was so overwhelming. It was counted as cowardice to go and short out the problem between friends. It was even demeaning to say “sorry”. Kalia said it was mark of weakness to say sorry or to even forgive a friend. People those who forgive and forget are not “real men”. Hence revenge was the only way. But Shyam and Binu did not realize that their enmity had impacted their studies and everyday life. They both had become, irritable, incapable of laughing at and enjoying the every day incidents.
Thus the rift between Shyam and Binu began to expand and one day the atom of doubt, bitterness, hatred and anger exploded.
It was the final day of exams. Shyam saw Binu riding on his new motor bike. Binu accidentally rammed into Shyam’s Mercedes. The next day was the college farewell function. As soon as Binu was seen parking his bike, Shyam came up from behind, took out his sharp pocket knife and stabbed Binu in the back. Binu did not know it was his once best friend as he fell to the ground unconscious.
Shyam felt a relief in his heart for avenging his enemy but was it really the end?
After one year in prison, Shyam became even braver to portray such skills of hatred. Kalia said it was real courage but was it courage or animalism? Shyam may look like a hero for his age but his heart was never at peace thereafter for he never could smile from his heart again……………….
_____________

The Statue of Liberty
Liberty Enlightening the World, known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty, is a large statue that was presented to the United States by France in 1886. It tands at Liberty Island (part of New York) as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the United States and is a gesture of friendship from France to America. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue. The statue is of a robed woman holding a lit flame, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a
framework of steel (originally puddled iron) with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf (originally made of stained glass and lit
from the inside.) It stands atop a rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. The statue is 151 feet tall, with
the pedestal and foundation, it is 305 feet tall. Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States and more generally, represents liberty and escape from oppression. The first model, on a small scale, was built in 1870. This first statue is now in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. The construction of the statue was completed in France in July 1884.
The Statue arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885 by ship. To prepare
for transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214
crates. The statue, which was stored for eleven months in crates waiting for its pedestal to be finished, was then re-assembled in four months’ time. On October
28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was unveiled by President Grover Cleveland in front of thousands of spectators. The Statue of Liberty functioned as a lighthouse
from 1886 to 1902. In 1916, floodlights were placed around the base of the statue. Also in 1916, an explosion caused $100,000 worth of damage to the statue, embedding shrapnel and eventually leading to the closing of the torch to visitors. Modifications were made and President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicated
the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary (October 28, 1936).
In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was added to the list of World Heritage Sites.
In 2007, the Statue of Liberty was one of 20 finalists in a competition to name the New Seven Wonders of the World.
———
Health is Wealth : Dos and Don’ts
Summer has come and we are going to enjoy the vacation and also summer would bring for us varieties of fruits like water melon, mangoes etc. At the same time we need to be very careful when we are exposed to the hot sun. Due to deforestation, pollution etc the earth is facing a big issue of Global Warming and this causes the rise in temperature
of the earth. Therefore during summer there are chances to get Heat stroke.
What is Heat Stroke and how it happens ? Prolonged exposure to heat slows down the Hypothalamus – the body heat controlling mechanism in the brain. Once the heat controlling mechanism fails, the body temperature shoots up and affects the functioning of the organs. The body sweats to lower the temperature which results in fluid loss leading to unconsciousness. Heat stroke can be fatal but can be avoided
if we remember few Dos and Don’ts in summer.
Dos
Use sunglasses, sun protection creams and umbrella while going out in the sun
Drink lots of water
Wear light colored cotton clothes
Carry a packet of glucose while going out and drink
glucose if you feel uncomfortable due to heat
Don’ts
Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight
Avoid spicy food and aerated drinks
Avoid wearing tight and dark colored clothes
___________–

A short Story: Judge yourself , not others.
Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into
the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran
toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too
late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That
began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go.
A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital,
the little boy survived His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug
into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars.
The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because
my Dad wouldn’t let go.”
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let you go. In the midst of your struggle, He’s been there holding on to you.
The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade
into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril – and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That’s when
the tug-of-war begins – and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go. Never judge another person’s scars, because you don’t know how they got them.
By Mr. Geotge Edward
Works as a Missionary in
Friends Missionary Prayer Band,
Chennai

Abbreviation
AMU : Aligarh Muslim University
PLO : Palestinian Liberation Organi
zation
VP : Vidhan Parishad
GATT : General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade
DMK : Dravida Maunetra Kazhagam
BPCL : Bharat Petroleum Corporation
Limited
CJ : Chief Justice
KFC : Kentucky Fried Chicken

Word Power
1. Light : The brightness given by
the sun, a flame, a lamp
etc. that makes vision
possible.
2. Light : Public knowledge, some
new information
3. Light : Spiritual light
4. Light, lit, lighted, lighting : to cause, to catch fire, to
cause to become bright
with excitement.
5. Light : Easy to see
6. Light : Not severe
7. Light : lighty, without much
luggage,
8. lighten : to make or become
brighter
9. light headed : Giddy, Dizzy or delirious
10. Light hearted : Cheerful, happy, and free
from care.
_________ _________
Attention Parent
Doctors are noticing a sharp rise in
aggressive behavior even among kids who are
barely 2yrs old. In fact the problem has its
root in their toys and in parental behavior.
In a group of 20, at least 7 to 8 kids are
displaying aggressive behavior these days say
Montessori houses. The hottest favorites
among kids are guns of different kinds, WWF
figures, remote controlled robots, and of
course video games that fight thieves,
dinosaurs and serpents. These toys evoke
aggressive behaviors among kids.
So parents be careful while buying the toys
for your kids next time.
_________ _________

Olympic Facts:

The early Olympic games were celebrated from 776BC until 393AD, then it was banned
for being a pagan festival. In 1894, a French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin, proposed a revival of the ancient tradition, and thus the modern day Olympic Games were born. The five Olympic rings represent the five major regions of the world – Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceana, and every national flag in the world includes one of the five colours, which are from (left to right) blue, yellow, black, green and red.
Few facts of Olympic 2008 : The Olympic torch was lit on the 24th March at Olympia, Greece. The Olympic Torch is based on traditional scrolls and uses a traditional Chinese design known as “Lucky Cloud”. It is made from aluminum. The torch is designed to remain lit in 65 kilometre per hour winds, and in rain of up to 50 millimetres per hour. An ignition key is used to ignite and extinguish the flame. The torch is fueled by cans of
propane. Each can will light the torch for 15 minutes. It is designed by a team from Lenovo Group.
The 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will run until August 8, 2008, prior to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad at Beijing, China. The relay, with the theme ‘Journey of Harmony’, is
expected to last 130 days and carries the torch 137,000 kms— the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay. There have also been few controversies for the Olympic 2008. Baichung Bhutia, the foot ball player declined to carry the Olympic torch in support of Tibetans. The Tibetan protestors have tried to snuff out the torch in many places. However all are anxiously waiting for the 8th August to watch the grand opening ceremony of Olympic 2008 at Beijing, how about you ???
_______
Youth Cornor :
Peer Pressure
Peers are the children or youth of same age. Age-mates who provide a supportive network for the children, or youth are called Peer-group. The
influence of the Peer group that pressurizes or influences a child or a youth to behave in a certain way is called Peer Pressure. Peers and friends play
important roles for the normal development of a child or youth. When youth grow older, they face challenges in making decisions. Some are not clear about a right or wrong answer and decisions that involve moral values. Making decisions on our own is hard but when pressurized by the peer group the decision-making can be even harder. It is always important for a youth to carefully choose his/her peers and be aware of the pressures that can lead
them astray. Peer pressure can be both negative and positive and can be discerned though ones’ own value system. For example if a youth has proper values of right and wrong, then he/she can easily determine the negative peer pressure and avoid it or allow the positive Peer pressure to influence. Therefore our own value system is vital but often we find it difficult to say ‘No’ to a negative Peer pressure. Here are few guidelines that can help us in school and college to be firm with our convictions and steer out of trouble. They are as follows:
1. Be strong in Decision-Making: It is always important to make decisions according to your value system. Listen to your conscience. Never take decisions with excitement or emotion. Lean not on your own understanding but prayerfully wait on the Lord while taking decisions.
2. Listen to advice: In the Bible, the wise king Soloman ‘Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.’ ‘Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your ways.’ Proverbs 4:1 says, ‘Hear, children, the
instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.’ So never despise the instructions or advice of an elder.
3. Confide everything with one of the family members:
The Bible says ‘Two are better than one; (because they have a good reward for their labour.’) ‘And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.’ So it is always better to confide
with someone before taking any steps, so that he/she can advise you or help you when you are in trouble.
4. Learn to say ‘NO’:
The wise king says, ‘Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that
causeth to err from the words of knowledge.’ Yes, saying “NO” can affect your friendship, but if you are on the right path, you can always
win back your friendship. Rather being wrongly influenced can cause greater permanent harm to your life.
5. Stay away: As it is written in the Holy Book ‘Flee youthful lusts.’ Many times it is difficult to say ‘NO’ therefore, fleeing away or staying away from the situation is the BEST idea. The Bible also says, ‘be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.’ You might become a laughing stock for saying “NO” and “Staying away” but it is up to you to choose because ultimately good and success depends on right decisions.
“Studies indicate that the youth with strong family ties tend to rely less on Peers and more on family members for advice and guidance; those without strong family ties tend to rely more heavily on Peers to provide self-esteem. ”So, young friends! Keeping relationship with family members can be very helpful and you will not be lonely and vulnerable while taking decisions.
Please involve them in your life. Remember! The decisions that you make will ascertain your later life. Therefore, BE WISE!
—by Mr. Chiradeep Patra
is happily married to Asmita and
is working in a Christian NGO
called National Fellowship.
He can be contacted at :
chiradeep.nf@gmail.com;
share_your_problems@hotmail.com;
Visit: www.thecandles.wordpress.com;
www.candlesmagazine.blogspot.com
_________ _________
______
“Be strong and very courageous. Be obedient, do
not turn to the right or to the left that you may be
successful wherever you go”.
– The Bible

Dear Prajapati readers,

Welcome to the family of Butterflies.
As we travel through 2008, we have already had some achievements or may be working towards some. Some of you must be very tired because of Exams. We wish you success and good results in all your endeavors.
We are not created to live alone in a forest away from people and civilization rather our nature is to live inside a society with different kinds of relationships. God created us in such a way that we can live in harmony, fellowship and share and care for each other. Therefore selfishness and indifference are two major negative attitudes that have to be avoided from us at any cost. We look beautiful and attractive when we think and care for others. God created us that way. Sharing and caring are part of God’s character too; therefore it is all the more important to cultivate these noble attitudes within us. Lord Jesus was not selfish rather selflessly gave His precious blood for us so that we will live. This kind of utmost sharing, caring and love is unique and never found in anyone else. We can just try and reflect a little of this great character in our lives
In this issue, the theme is SHARING. When we share our belongings, time, money, even our lives for others welfare and comfort, life becomes very beautiful and meaningful.

Wish you happy reading and a Happy Easter.

Yours truly,

Sapna
——————————————–
A P P L E S O F G O L D
When you give
to the Church,
you give to God,
when you give
to the poor,
you lend to God.

Short Story: A Blessing!

Suman and Silu were two brother and sister who
were the only children of their parents. Their Dad
worked in a big building in the middle of the City.
Mom worked as social worker in the local slums. She
used to go there daily after Daddy and Suman, Silu
left for their respective office school and They used to
meet as a family only in the evening after Dad returned
from the office. Suman and Silu always enjoyed the
evenings because both Dad and Mom had several
stories to share from their workplace.
One evening mom seemed very upset over
something. During the family prayer, she prayed for a
certain man named Mohan and his family who were
struggling due to illness and poverty. After prayer Mom
and Dad discussed about the particular family.
Mohan was a truck driver and was the only
breadwinner of his family that comprised of his wife
Savitri, daughter Rina and two sons named Raju and
Jagu. Both the sons were twins. Mohan has suddenly
fallen sick because of which the family has run into
trouble. Not that they never had any trouble, but now
with Mohan out of work, the family was in real trouble.
Savitri tried to provide food by working as maid in
two three houses, but that was not sufficient. The three
children were studying in the local school but now
it was difficult to pay their fees. So they were
also trying to find work in order to run the family and
provide medicines for their sick father who was
coughing endlessly. The question was how to help this
family?
As Suman lay in bed that night, he was pondering
over his good fortune since he did not have to work for
a living. Infact he had never tried to understand how
his parents provided them food and clothing, books,
chocolates, cricket bats, bicycle and many more.
He and Silu always had endless list of things, which
they wanted for themselves. And here were three
children who are struggling to have a proper meal a
day. Sleep eluded Suman as he looked at the costly
mosquito net that was covering him from the
mosquitoes. Perhaps Rina, Raju and Jagu never knew
what that comfort was.
Across the bedroom, Silu also was thinking the same
thing. Perhaps Rina was sitting by her Father.s bed
now. Or was she cooking something? Silu never had
to cook any thing at home. All she did was to order her
Mom. Yes! Life had been very easy for them. They have
been fortunate indeed.
The next morning was a government holiday. So
Suman and Silu and Daddy were at home. All sat down
for the Morning Prayer. The Bible was read and Daddy
read from a portion about a sick beggar Lazarus who
died without food and proper care. No one took care
of him even though there was a rich man living just
near by where Lazarus was lying by the roadside. After
the reading, they all sang songs asking Lord Jesus to
make them a blessing. Suman and Silu were wondering
how they could become a blessing for any one ?
Mom was setting the table for breakfast as Suman
and Silu came down from their room. They had gone
up after the prayer and discussed something among
themselves. Mom looked fresh and busy as usual, even
though it was a holiday. Was she going somewhere?
Dad looked up from his newspaper and said, .After
breakfast. We are going to visit Mohan.s family. Suman
and Silu, are you going to accompany us or stay at
home and play video games?.
Other days Suman and Silu had always gone for a
picnic to the park with their parents, but today the
schedules have been changed. Suman would have said
.no. but something within him compelled him to say, .
Daddy, I too would like to come with you both. Well I
do not know about Silu..
. I too want to go., quickly joined Silu.
.Very well then,. smiled Mom. .Quickly eat your
breakfast and get ready. I wonder what we can take
for them?. Mom was murmuring as she went into the
kitchen.
Within an hour they reached the small hut where
Mohan was lying inside in a broken cot. Savitri was
out for work. Rina was trying to make some red tea for
her father. Raju and Jagu were helplessly watching
Father as he was coughing.
Mom immediately took out some Chapaties, curry,
apples and bananas from her bag. She had brought
some sari.s for Savitri.
Suman and Silu also had brought something. Silu
brought out a Barbie doll, which she had received as a
gift on her last birthday. She also took out chocolates
and a brand new tooth paste gifted by her aunt from Canada.
Silu wanted to give from what she had for Rina.
Suman seemed to be carrying his school bag behind.
Out came his not so very old, T shirsts, and bermudas
and also a new pair of jeans.
Mom and Dad were surprised so also the residence
of that small hut. With tears rolling down Mohan tried
to thank the family who looked odd in his shabby home.
While retuning Suman asked, . Daddy, I know it is
not enough what I have tried to give from my
belongings. But can.t something be done for them?.
Daddy was smiling while driving the car, . yes, Son
Definitely something should be done for them. God
has given us enough so that we can share. I am so
proud of you both..
Looking less tensed now Mom said, . I am so glad
that our children have understood that their good
disposition are by the grace of God and what they
posses should be shared with others who are in need..
Suddenly silu cried out, . Daddy, we all tried to give
some thing though it is so small before their needs,
but what did you do for them?.
Mom said, . your Dad has promised to take Mohan
to a good Doctor who can treat tuberculosis effectively.
Rest is in God.s hand. We can wait and pray for them.
As they drove into their garage, Suman was thinking,
. yes we can pray for the family, and meanwhile as
God works for them I can go on and be a blessing for
them according to my capacity. Perhaps Lazarus the
poor beggar needed some one to be blessing to him
by giving love and care. Let me not miss the chance
like the rich man.”
___________________

ABBREVIATIONS

ZOPFAN : Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality
TSE : Test of Spoken English
WCC : World Council of Churches
NB : note bene (note well)
IOU : I Owe You
JP : Justice of Peace
3G : Third Generation
GRACE : Ground Rules And Code of Ethics
CITU : Center of Indian TradeUnions
ASAP : As Soon As Possible

Fun Corner
Ask people why they have deer heads on their walls, they
will tell you they are such beautiful animals. I think my wife
is beautiful but I have only photographs of her on the wall.
***
A plane takes off from New York’s Kennedy Airport. After
it reaches a cruising altitude, Captain Sparks makes an
announcement over the intercom.
“ Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to flight 293,” he said.
“the weather ahead looks clear, so sit back, relax and
Oh My God!” the intercom falls silent.
A minute later, Capt Sparks comes back on the intercom,
“ I’m so sorry for scaring you all earlier,” he says, “ But
while I was talking, an attendant spilled a boiling cup of
coffee on my lap. You should see the front of my pants!”
“ That’s nothing,” a passenger at the rear shouted, ‘you
made me panic and now you should see the back of my
pant.”ØØ
ØØØ
One woman told another, . My neighbor is always
speaking ill of her husband, but look at me, my
husband is foolish, lazy, coward: but have I ever said
anything bad about him?.
qqq
Old man : I.d like some vitamins for my grandson.
Sales clerk : Sir, vitamin A,B,C?
Old man : Any will do, my grandson doesn.t know the
alphabet yet.

________

Amazing facts of the Bible:
Jordan River
River Jordan, at present is a part of Israel, Palestine and
Jordan. It is 320 km long. Sea of Galilee is part of the
Jordan River system. The distance between Sea of
Galilee and the Dead Sea is 250 km. Dead Sea is the
outlet of Jordan River.
During the Old and the New Testament times, Palestine
and Jordan did not occupy the Jordan River. There are
many wonderful and amazing stories around this river.
Lord Jesus Himself wished to be baptized by John the
Baptist in this river. Do you know what happened at that
time? As soon as Lord Jesus dipped Himself in the river
and raised Himself, Lo behold there was a voice form the
sky. It declared that Jesus was the Son of God and God is
well pleased on Him. Wow!
Now then, lets not attach some magical powers to the
River Jordan, just because a supernatural manifestation
took place there. Lets not assume that the river is holy and
jump into it. We might be drowned.
You want to know some more about this river? Read on……..
In the Old Testament times, there was an army
commander named Naman. He was from the neighboring
country of Israel. It so happened that he got leprosy.
Leprosy is such a skin disease that spoils the skin. As a
result sores appears and some time it even looks ugly,
smelly with blood oozing out. Whats more? It is an
infectious disease. Therefore any leper was considered as
an outcaste during those times and even now. Thank God
that we have treatment for this disease now. Well, in those
days there was none. So you can imagine how Naman must
have felt. He was very sad and gloomy.
One day, the little maid in his house who was a Jewish
girl gathered her courage and said that if only the master
would go to Israel and meet the Prophet Elisha who was a
man of God, then certainly he would be healed.
Amidst despair and hopelessness, this was a ray of
hope. Naman immediately got up, took many gifts and
went with his servants to meet the prophet of Israel. But
Alas! Prophet Elisha did not come out to meet him but
instructed through his servant that Naman should go and
dip in the Jordan river seven times.
Naman felt very humiliated and angry but since he
wanted to be healed he went to the river Jordan with the
advice of his servants. Carefully he entered into the water.
He had to be careful since there were slippery stones
underneath. He closed his eyes and remembered the God
of Israel. Though he was not a Jew himself but he had
heard many remarkable events about the God of Israel.
This God was his only hope now. Gently he lowered
himself into the water. First time nothing happened. His open
sores came in contact with water and started paining. Naman still
took the second dip. Still the same…… Third, forth, fifth,
sixth. Still no change. Though Naman was a big officer in the army,
still there were tears in his eyes. There was one more dip left.
The prophet had asked for seven times.
“ Let me do it this last time” he thought. And surely he
must have prayed, “ Lord God of Israel, you are the Healer.
Make me clean please.” Wooosh….
Naman came up. He looked at his hands. Hey! The skin
was shining. Gone were the nasty and smelly sores. He
even felt stronger and steady after so many days. His
servants who were standing at the bank of the river shouted
with joy as they saw Naman coming out with handsome
face with no scars or even a slightest blemish. He was
looking more fresh and healthy than before. They jumped
for joy and went home.
Humm… there are still many enchanting stories, which
happened around the river Jordan. But don’t forget, the
river or its water has nothing to do with the healing. It
does not have any magical powers. It is just a normal river
like any other rivers of the whole world. Yet one thing
makes it special. This river was available for many to take
bath in it thus helping many to wipe away their dirt. And
so much so it also allowed Jesus to be baptized in it. The
best part, which makes the river special and memorable,
is that it was used by God- to heal and refresh many lives
by its fresh clear water.
So lets not forget that rivers, mountains, rocks, trees,
anything around us and even you and me are just
creatures, created by God. Let us not be afraid of them
or worship them, instead let’s allow God to use us as he
used the River Jordan to heal Naman.
God wants to use you. Will you be available?

__________

Health Is Wealth:
Health tips for better living

1. Having a cup of coffee with
cream and at least two cubes of sugar is
as bad as having a big piece of
chocolate cake.
2. Eat intelligently. Don’t just eat something
because you feel like eating. Ask yourself
whether your body really needs it.
3. All those colas and fizzy drinks are
sweetened with sugar and sugar
means calories which add up the
fat in your body.
4. To maintain good health, total fat
intake should be reduced to 30 %
or less of calories. Salt and
alcohol intake should be limited.
5. Consume a diet that contains more water like
tomatoes and water melons. These contain 90 to 95 %
of water so you have nothing to worry by feasting
on them.
6. A glass of water as soon as you get up lets out all
the digestive juices. You may have your
morning tea but have it after a glass of water.
—————-

UN REPORT ON CHILDREN
According to a United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) report Britain’s Children
were among the poorest and most neglected
Children’s happiness was rated highest in
Northern Europe. Some 18000 Children
die every day because of hunger and
malnutrition and 850 million people go to
bed every night with empty stomach.

—————-

KBC- Know Bible Completely
1. What is the meaning of the word “Moses”?
2. How many missionary journeys did Paul make?
3. Was Paul a Pharisee or a Sadducees?
4. How many days and night did it rain during the first
flood?
5. What is the meaning of the Name “Emmanuel”?
6. In which book of the Bible is it mentioned, “The
just shall live by faith”?
7. Name the ruling Empire when Jesus Christ was
born.
8. Where was Jesus Christ baptized and by whom?
9. How many days did Jesus fast after his baptism?
10. Name the Army Commander who was healed from
leprosy by dipping himself in the Jordan.
11. Who were assigned to carry the Ark of the Covenant
during the Exodus?
12. Which is the longest Chapter in the Bible?
————————-

Word Power
Cookie- 1. A small cake made from stiff,
sweet dough; 2. It is also used as a
slang for person. e.g. He’s a smart
cookie.
Cool- 1. Neither warm nor cold; 2. Calm
and unexcited e.g keep cool; 3. Not
very friendly e.g She was very cool
towards me today.
Cool- 1. To make or become cool; 2.
Cool down or cool off. i.e. To
become calmer or less angry.
Coop- 1. A cage for poultry. 2. To confine
or shut in e.g. He was cooped up
in his room for several days trying
to finish the book, which he was
writing.
Cop- A policeman or policewoman.
Cope- To contend with successfully.
Copious- Plentiful
Copra- The dried kernel of the coconut,
yielding coconut oil.

————————–

Around the World:

Denmark
Captial : Copenhagen
Population : 5,450,661
Language : Danish
Religions : Evangelical Lutherans,
Protestants,
Roman Catholics
and Muslims.
Literacy : 99%
Currency : Danish krone
The kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost
country of the Nordic countries. It is located
to the north of Germany, southwest of Sweden, south
of Norway. It is located at 56° N 10° E in northern Europe.
Denmark borders both the Baltic and North Sea.
The country consists of a large Peninsular called
Jutland. There are also a large number of islands, most
notably Zealand, Funen, Vendsyssel-Thy, Lolland and
Bornholm as well as hundreds of minor islands often
referred to as the Danish Archipelago.
Denmark became a Constitutional Monarcy in 1849
and has been a Parliamantay Democracy since 1901.
Having existed for more than 1000 years, the Danish
monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. Denmark
is a part of the European Union. The head of the State
is Queen Margrethe II and the Prime Minister is
Andres Fogh Rasmussen.
Denmark’s national currency, the krone (plural: kroner),
is de facto linked to the Euro through ERMII.
About 625 of the land is under cultivation. Denmark
is one of the largest exporters of Dairy products.
Fishing is one of the important occupation.
The most popular sport in Denmark is football (soccer).
____________

NEW “WATER” SIGNS ON MARS
Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance orbiter space
craft has sent back new evidence for the
presence of water on Mars. The presence of
water would raise the possiblility of at least
primitive life forms existing there
.——-

Mera Bharat Mahan:Karnataka
Area – 1,91,791 sq km
Population – 55,868,200
Capital – Bangalore( Bangaluru)
Chief Minster- H.D Kumaraswamy
Governor –T.N Chaturvedi
Karnataka is one of the four southern states of
India. It lies in the Deccan Plateau and borders with
Maharastra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Karnataka word is derived from “Karu Nadu Agam’
of tamil, which means ‘ Land of Black Soil’,
Most part of the North region of Karnataka has black soil.
The modern state of Karnataka came into
existence with the passage of the States
Reorganisation Act (1956), with the incorporation of
districts under the dominion of Bombay, Hyderabad,
Madras State and Coorg within the existing state of Mysore State.
Kannada is the official language of the state.
Karnataka is the largest Indian state by area and 9th largest by population.
Bangalore is the capital city of karnataka with a population of more than 6 million. It is the third-most populous city in India, accounts for 35% of India’s
software exports, and is also a major base for public
sector manufacturing industries. Other major cities
include Mysore, Mangalore, hubli-Dharwad,
Davanagere, Bellary, Hassan, Shimoga and =Belgaum.
Karnataka is the only exporter of sandalwood in India. Bangalore
also has the most amount of tourism of the region. It is also the
largest producer of coffee, raw silk and sandalwood (Santalum
album) based products like perfumes and 75% of Indian
floriculture industry is located in Karnataka
Over 90% of India’s gold production comes from south
Karnataka. Recently there has been a lot of activity in the
extraction of manganese ore from the districts of Bellary and
Hospet. Raichur is known to be rich in gold deposits. Most
of India’s Iron ore comes from the Kudremukh area of Chikmagalur District.
In India, Karnataka has the highest number of educational institutions in the
fields of engineering and medical sciences. Notable
examples are the Indian Institute of Science at
Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Management
which one of the premier management institutes in
India Karnataka in all has 50 wildlife sanctuaries.
The state is home to the largest
concentration of Asian Elephants along Kabini River
in Nagarahole and Bandipur parks
Karnataka is home to more than 500 species of
birds amd is famous for its waterfalls. Jog falls of
Shimoga District is one of the highest waterfalls in
Asia.
—————-

Who Did It First ?
1. First Indian to win the Nobel Prize in
Literature- Rabindranath Tagore. He was
also the first Asian to get the prize (1913).
2. First Indian to win Dada Saheb Phalke
award- Devika Rani (1970).
3. First Indian to win Booker Prize- Aundhati
Roy for “God of small things” (1997)
4. First Indian Oscar winner –Bhanu Athaiya,
for Best costume design for the film
“Gandhi”. (1982)
5. First Indian hat trick in Test cricket-
Harbahjan Singh, against Australia. (2001)
6. First Indian in space- Rakesh Sharma abroad
Salyut 7 (1984)
7. First city in India to have electricity-
Bangalore. It is also the first in Asia.(1906).
8. First Indian cricket test match –against
England at Lord’s (1932)
9. First Indian sponsored TV serial- “Hum Log”.
10. First Indian test tube baby- Harsha, at KEM hospital Mumbai (1986)

——————

Raised from the Dead: A short story
Rajiv was very upset. They had suddenly received an SMS
from his uncle that Rajiv.s Grandma was very sick.
So Rajiv and his mother and father and little sister Rita
were traveling to Kanpur where Grandma lived with
uncle John.
As the train sped across the valley, Rajiv watched his mother’s tear stained face. She had been sobbing ever since they received the news. Again and again Dad was consoling Mama that
she will surely see her Mother before she passes
away.
Grandma had been suffering from stomach
problems for quiet a long time and she was very
old now. Therefore every one were very
apprehensive about her health.
Rajiv felt very uncomfortable thinking about his
Grandma passing away. It was so painful to
think that he can never see her and hear her
stories again. Grandpa must be very sad, Rajiv thought.
It was dark when they reached the Uncle’s house.
There was a big crowd standing around the place as the taxi pulled up. Mom ran into the house sobbing. When Rajiv could
enter what he saw, sent a wave of pain through him.
Grandma was laid in a cot at the far end of the room.
Grandpa was sitting beside her and they were
talking something. All else were crying except Grandpa.
As soon as mother drew near the cot,
Grandma raised her pale hand to her daughter.
With tears rolling down, Mama was clutching
Grandma.s hands and kissing them.
Every one felt little comforted with the arrival
of Rajiv.s entire family. In the night, during the
family prayer, as all sat surrounding grandma.s
bed, grandpa read from the Bible about Jesus
saying, . I am the resurrection and life…
Prayer was offered and grandpa committed
grandma into God.s hand and thanked for her life.
After that every one silently went to bed except
grandpa who sat in his armchair near grandma.
That very night grandma passed away.
Surprisingly, there was not much wailing and
screaming as Rajiv was anticipating; rather each
of his uncle and aunt along with his own mother
seemed very composed and strong. Rajiv was
puzzled. The funeral took place in the afternoon
and grandma was gone.
Late in the evening, Rajiv sat at the foot of
the armchair where grandpa was sitting. He was
reading the Bible. Rajiv summed up his courage and
asked a question,
.Grandpa, are you not upset because grandma
has gone?.
Grandpa looked up from the Bible. He smiled
at Rajiv and said. . Of course I am very sad and
lonely. Your Grandma was my best friend. We
have spent around 50 years together. But even
though I am sad at the moment, I know I will meet
her again because we will rise up again from the
dead..
“What” exclaimed Rajiv. “you mean grandma will
be a ghost?.”
“No no no I did not mean that. Grandma will be
raised from the dead…
“but how is that possible?.” said Rajiv.
“It is possible because of Lord Jesus Christ.
would you like to hear about it?.”
Rajiv was very curious and he nodded to
Grandpa to go on. Grandpa went on……. more
than two thousand years ago. Lord Jesus Christ
came to this world to accomplish a special task
and that was to free all the sinners from sin and
death. According to the law, the wages of sin is
death. And the whole humanity including you and
me were caught up in sin, therefore condemned
to die. This death is not the normal death that
we see today, but it was damnation for ever.
Since God loved each one of us as His own, He
opened a door for us so that we will not die but
live forever. That door was Jesus Christ. Jesus
took all our sins upon Him and he died on our place.
Actually He took all the punishment which we
would have had to suffer and He was crucified on
the cross and died..
“Grandpa, how will that help grandma to rise
from dead? Asked Rajiv.
“Yes, the story does not end there. Jesus was
crucified on the cross. After His death, His body
was buried in a tomb. Guards were posted so
that no one takes away his body.
But on the third day, Lord Jesus rose again
and He was alive..”
“But how is that possible?. Rajiv was shocked.
“Yes it was possible because God raised Lord
Jesus from dead. More ever, Jesus defeated sin
and death because He Himself was sinless and
divine. The powere of death could not stop Him..”
“Humm, thats very interesting….
“Wait a minute, I am not finished yet,. Said grandpa. .
“ this morning as your grandma was taken to be buried,
I was sad but not frustrated because when she was alive she had accepted Lord Jesus as her Savior from sin and therefore
she was sure to be raised from the dead later
on. I am looking forward to meet her again
because when I was young like you, I too had invited
Lord Jesus into my life and asked Him to forgive
my sins. Therefore I will definitely be raised up
from the dead too and what.s more, I will go to
heaven because my sins are forgiven.. Grandpa
was smiling now.
Rajiv was thinking very deeply. Certainly, he was
afraid of dying. But the thought of being raised
from death and going to heaven was a great
comfort and assurance. Perhaps thats the
reason though every one looked sad but they were
comforted also. He wanted to have that
assurance too. Quickly he made up his mind and
asked grandpa how to receive this assurance
from Lord Jesus. And sure his grandpa helped
him.
Friends, this Easter, do not just attend the
Church service as a routine but be assured and
rejoice because Lord Jesus has risen from the
dead and He has won the battle for us. To know
more about this ask your parents, Sunday school
teacher or your pastor. Don’t forget.
__________________
AFTERGLOW…
I live in the afterglow of your eternal love,
the light that retrieves all my sins and
makes me white as dove.
I let the warm sunlight
through my body everyday,
with a kindled hope of meeting
you among the clouds someday.
I live among the entrapment of temptation,
but you give me strength with redemption.
I enjoy the evening blue with happiness,
leaving and abandoning the bitter sadness.
Here I am lost in the ashes of time,
living my days of sin like a crime.
I look to the heavens
for the strength of your power,
and you bestow it on me like a rain shower.
Heal me from all this sorrow,
I want to live a clean tomorrow.
I pray all this and
I know your blessings are not slow,
as I live everyday in your afterglow.
- Sourav Sahu.
+3, 1st Year, Bhubaneswar, C.N.I Chapel
———————–

GOD AND ME :
GOD IS ALWAYS WITH ME
The Lord is with me. He always was and always
will be. I can live and sleep without fear, for He
protects me. The Lord is watching everything
everywhere and keeps his eye on both on the evil and
the good. But for the Godly he is a Strong Fortress.
Rely on Him and you’ll always be safe. In our dayto-
day lives we come across many situations where
we think God is not with us or not helping us at all,
but in fact He is always with us.
Many experiences have shown me that God is
always present with me.
When I usually speak to my friends at school, the
topic of religion comes up. During Holi a few years
ago they wanted to spray me with colors forcefully. I
did not like to play Holi because I do not like the colors
on me and sometimes it can even be injurious to eyes,
hair and very dangerous if not played with care and
love. Somehow I wanted to avoid it and at the same
time did not want to be misunderstood. So I just prayed
the entire day.
My prayers were answered in a very strange way.
When I went to school the next day I heard from a
few others, that my friends were not present that day.
Most of them were sick and at home. On returning
home, immediately I sat down and just closed my eyes
and thanked God. I realized that my Faith comes
before everything else. Since that day I have always
trusted Him, for when there is no way God is most
certainty make a way, that’s why He is always with
me, protecting me and keeping me well.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the
righteous run to it and are safe” Proverbs 18:10
by- Nathan Patra
(“God and Me” is a new series which has been started
very recently by the “Prajapati – the Butterfly”, with the
purpose of giving opportunity to youths and children to
share and express about their varied experiences with God.
God is very personal being and we are created to have a
very personal relationship with Him. Some have that
relationship and some have missed it thus far. Well, He
does not want to miss out on any one. So feel free to share
about your relationship with the very Personal Loving God
Almighty to many through this Magazine. Send in your
personal testimonies of your encounter with God who is
the Creator of this vast universe.
On this issue, article on “God and Me” is written by
Master Nathan Patra. He is a student of class 8, studying
in St. James School, Kolkata. He lives with his parents
and two sisters at Kolkata. He likes computer games and
traveling to new places. His email ID- np@google.com)
___________________

Why Can’t the Ostrich Fly ?
In the air the force of gravity is felt even more
than when standing on the ground. This is because air
gives little support to a creature’s weight. Only
small birds are able to fly by flapping their wings,
because very large breast muscles are needed for this
support.
A large bird does not have room for such
muscles and so the real giants among birds cannot fly
at all. These include the ostrich, the rhea of South
America, the emu of Australia and a few others. All
are much too heavy to fly. No bird can be really a
giant and still fly.
Is the ostrich really a giant? It really is! It is the
largest of living birds. A full-grown ostrich is 2 meters,
sometimes 2.5 meters tall. It weighs from 70 to more
than 135 kilograms! some cases birds that cannot fly
make up by having tremendous running speed. The
ostrich is believed by experts to be the fastest running
bird. It has long, strong, thick legs and it can speed
across the desert faster than the swift Arabian horse.
Biologists believe that the fastest an ostrich can run
is from 45 to 60 Km per hour-which is very fast indeed.
The stride of an ostrich as it runs, moving one foot
and then the other, can cover as much as 8.5 meters in
a single leap.
________________

Shabash Shouri !: A short story
Shouri (name not accurate) was feeling very
humiliated because his Jewish neighbors would not
mingle with him and always found ways to insult and
hurt him.
He was a small Tradesman and his small family was happily
thriving with his income, yet something was amiss. He was not
able to adjust with his new surroundings in Jericho where he
had come for setting new business contacts. Every week he had to travel to Jerusalem too for his work.
Shouri’s main problem was his race. He was a Samaritan.
Samritans were not liked by the Jews. They
were looked down upon as outcaste. Shouri could
never understand why the Jews were so proud of their
religion and status that they could not accommodate
any one else. At the same time, Shouri loved to hear
form the Torah, the religious book of the Jews. He
had always felt better to hear some words from the
Law Book of the Jews and believed in their God and
always wanted to obey His Laws.
That morning, Shouri after finishing his morning
meal set out for Jerusalem. He had to reach there on
time to meet another merchant form Alexandria
therefore he was in a hurry.
As the mid-morning sun shone with all its
fierceness, Shouri got down from his donkey and
walked beside the animal. After all the donkey also
was tired carrying his master for so long. As they
together walked for a while, suddenly Shouri saw a
Jewish priest followed by a Levite coming from the
opposite side of the road. Both of them passed by
Shouri throwing a nasty glance at him. Perhaps they
recognized him as a Samaritan.
Shouri felt hurt again. Anyways, he felt comforted
that God of the Jews was a loving God who cared for
every one and wanted the same attitude from every
one.
As Shouri went a little further, he saw a sight which
sent his blood curling. Lying on the middle of the road
was a man, badly beaten up, ransacked, stripped off
his clothes and looking half dead. The man seemed to
be alive because he was groaning feebly.
“Who could have done this to the man?” thought
Shouri. Certainly not the Priest or the Levite. They
looked like such neat gentlemen. The poor man must
have been attacked by some robbers, who knew that
this side of the path was lonely and less habituated.
Therefore thy must have followed him to this place
and then done their job.
“Oh, the man looks awful,” thought Shouri “if I
am not quick, then perhaps it will be too late for the
man”. Shouri went near and recognized the victim to
be Jew. Shouri was taken aback. “What if the man
protests from taking his help?” he thought. But again
a second thought dawned on him. Just a little while
ago the Jewish priest and Levite had passed him by
and they must have certainly seen this beaten up man
too yet they did nothing to help him or take care of
him. “Now, that’s very selfish indeed,” thought Shouri.
“They left their own brother to die on the road. Ok let
me do my job. I can’t leave him like this. God will
certainly not like this.”
Shouri lost no more time in speculation. He bent
down and poured oil and wine over the wounds of the
man and bandaged him nicely. That should keep him
for a while till I take him to the city, decided Shouri.
Then he lifted the man up on his donkey and the four
of them went to the city of Jerusalem.
Shouri went to an inn and took care of him there.
Time was running out because Shouri had other
engagements in the city, in spite of that he waited for
a day till the man was fully conscious. But he was still
very weak due to loss of too much blood. So Shouri
left him at the care of the innkeeper and also gave
some money for the expense of the sick man. He asked
the innkeeper to take care and that he would give more
if needed later on.
Leaving the inn, Shouri felt an inner peace and joy
because in spite of the indifferent relationship between
the Jews and Samaritan he was able to show love and
care to the man. As he went on his way, Shouri was
unaware that the impartial God, who Created every
human beings as equal and precious, was watching
from above and was pleased over him for his selfless
attitude, and hospitality.
Shouri did not know that the Loving God wished
all His created human beings to help and show love
to people and thus reflect His Godly character yet
Shouri fulfilled His will.
____________________

The King’s Choice :A short Story
It was the practice of kings of olden days to go out into
the city disguised. The practice helped them to study of
affairs at firsthand and learn the problems that the citizens
faced. Often, their ministers supplied them with incorrect
information in order to flatter the kings.
King Devapriya once rode off concealed in disguise as
a horseman. He heard the road side conversations of
common man and marked many defects in the city that he
ruled. At the end of the day, he had covered a long distance.
As he was riding along, he came by a helpless man lying
under a tree on the roadside, moaning as if in pain. He
dismounted and approached the man and asked if he
needed help. The poor wretch begged him to take him on
his horse to the nearest rest house or hospital.
‘But you will have to lift me on to the horse as I can’t
use my legs’’he murmured. Filled with pity for the suffering
stranger, the kings in disguise lifted him gently to the saddle
and place him comfortably there.
But before he could mount his horse, the stranger
straightened himself and galloped off, leaving the king
far behind. It serves me right, for not having studied the stranger
as I should have done thought the king and walked back
to the palace late in the night.
A few weeks passed. It was the day of trial of cases at the court. Among
those that were brought by the police for trial was the same man who had
cheated the king for his horse. The accused could not recognise the king.
He had been caught red-handed in a case of theft and the officials expected the thief to be
imprisoned for a few years. The king was known to render
quick justice, but he announced the following day. The clever minister realized that there must be some special reason for the king’s order and decided to find out.
Late in the evening, he noticed the king go alone to the
cell in the prison where the thief was lodged. The king put
on the old disguise and asked the thief if thief if he recognized him.
After a few minutes, the thief replied, yes, you are the
person from whom I took away a horse a few weeks back.
Are you going to add this offence also and increase my
term in jail?
The king’s reply astonished him, No, I shall not do it.
But I have one request to make. You should not whisper a
word about that incident to any one. Keep it a secret.
This little conversation was overhead by the minister whojoined the two at the stage.
Smiling at the minister, the king said, I hope youunderstand why I asked him to keep the old theft a secret.
‘Certainly, your Majesty replied the Minister. Those inthe court should not know that the king too had been cheated. But the king thoughtfully shook his head.
‘No not because of that reason. If this incident gets
known to people, it is likely that those in real need may
not be helped. I want my people should be helping those
in needs. My pride should not be the cause for a deserving
man to be denied help.’
Collected by Miss Soumya subhadarshini
Std-(VII), Leo Matriculation Higher Secondary School,
Chennai-600101.
E mail – ss994@rediffmail.com
_______——————————–
True Storied that Inspire
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was born into a rich, well connected
British family Florence, Italy. She was named after the city of her birth. Her
parents were William Edward Nightingale and Frances
Nightingale née Smith.
Inspired by what she took as a divine calling, Nightingale
committed herself to nursing.
In those days, nursing was a career with a poor reputation.
Nightingale announced her decision to enter nursing in 1845, evoking intense anger and distress from her family.
She cared for poor and indigent people. In December 1844, in response to a pauper’s death in a workhouse infirmary in London, she became the leading advocate for
improved medical care in the infirmaries.. This led to her active role in the reform of the Poor Laws, extending far beyond the provision of medical care.
Nightingale rejected marriage proposals, convinced that marriage would interfere with her ability to follow her calling to nursing.
Nightingale’s career in nursing began in earnest in 1851 when she received four months’ training in Germany. She undertook the training over strenuous family objections
concerning the risks and social implications of such activity.
Florence Nightingale’s most famous contribution came during the Crimean War. On October 21, 1854, she and a staff of 38 women volunteer nurses, trained by Nightingale
went to Turkey, some 545 km across the Black Sea from Balaklava in the Crimea, where the main British camp was based.
Nightingale arrived early in November 1854 in Scutari (modern-day Üsküdar in Istanbul). She and her nurses found wounded soldiers being badly cared for by
overworked medical staff. Medicines were in short supply, hygiene was being neglected, and mass infections were common, many of them fatal. There was no equipment to
process food for the patients.
Nightingale and her compatriots began by thoroughly
cleaning the hospital and equipment and reorganizing
patient care. People died of many serious diseases like
Typhoid, cholera, dysentery etc. and the death rate rose
very high During her first winter at Scutari, 4077 soldiers
died there. Conditions at the hospital were so fatal to the
patients because of overcrowding and the hospital’s defective
sewers and lack of ventilation. Nightingale
continued believing the death rates were due to poor
nutrition and supplies and overworking of the soldiers.
This experience would influence her later career, when
she advocated sanitary living conditions as of great importance.
Florence Nightingale returned to Britain a heroine on
August 7, 1857, and, according to the BBC, was arguably
the most famous Victorian after Queen Victoria herself..
While she was still in Turkey, on November 29, 1855,
a public meeting was organized to give recognition to
Florence Nightingale for her work in the war. This led to
the establishment of the Nightingale Fund for the training
of nurses. By 1859 Nightingale had £45,000 at her disposal
from the Nightingale Fund to set up the Nightingale
Training School at St. Thomas’ Hospital on July 9, 1860.
(It is now called the Florence Nightingale School of
Nursing and Midwifery and is part of King’s College
London.) The first trained Nightingale nurses began work
on May 16 at the Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary.
Nightingale wrote Notes on Nursing, that served as the
cornerstone of the curriculum at the Nightingale School
and other nursing schools established.
In 1869 Nightingale and Elizabeth Blackwell opened
the Women’s Medical College. In 1883 Nightingale was
awarded the Royal Red Cross by Queen Victoria. In 1907
she became the first woman to be awarded the Order of
Merit. In 1908 she was given the Honorary Freedom of the City of London.
By 1896 Florence Nightingale was bedridden. She may
have had what is now known as chronic fatigue syndrome
and her birthday is now celebrated as the international CFS
awareness day. She died on August 13, 1910.
Florence Nightingale’s lasting contribution has been her
role in founding the nursing profession. She set a shining
example for nurses everywhere of compassion,
commitment to patient care, and diligent and thoughtful
hospital administration.
In many ways she was extremely “modern” in her
attitude to health management, especially in her attitude
to outcomes and statistical measurement.
————————

WHEN WERE THE FIRST ELECTIONS HELD ?
The word “election” comes from the Latin root
meaning “ to choose”. And the feeling people have
had that they should have the right to choose their
leaders goes back thousands of years.
The ancient Hebrews and Greeks fought for that
right. The early kings of Israel were chosen by the
people, and so were the generals of the ancient
Greek armies.
The habit of freely choosing their leaders was
brought to Britain by the Anglo-Saxon conquerors
some 1,500 years ago. Thus, the right to vote for
local officials became a part of English thinking
and was brought to America by the early colonists.
Even before the American Revolution, Americans
has been voting in their town meetings and colonial
assemblies.
The matter of election has posed one big
problem: who shall have the right to vote? At one
time only property owners were allowed to vote
and in many countries this “universal franchise”
was not achieved until after the First World War.
The “ suffragettes”, campaigners for votes for
woman, took every opportunity to bring their cause
to the notice of the public, often a great hardship
to themselves.
Voting restrictions are still being changed from
time to time, when people feel that new categories
of people should be allowed to vote. Recently the
minimum voting age was reduced from 21 to 18.
———————

WHEN DO YOU STOP GROWING ?
The average newborn infant is about fifty
centimeters long. In 20 years, this little
body more than triples in length. The
average height of a man is 1.7 meters.
But man does not stop growing then. He
actually continues to grow even after the age of
twenty-five and reaches his maximum height at
about the age of thirty-five or forty.
What happens after that? He does not just
“stop growing” but begins to “shrink”. The average
person shrinks as much as ten millimeters every
ten years after the age of forty. The reason for
this shrinkage is the drying up of the cartilage in
the joints and in the spinal column.
Growth varies with the seasons. Children grow
rapidly during the summer than during the
winter. Children of school age actually grow twice
as fast during the summer months as
during the winter! Better food, better modes of living, a whole group of
circumstances are making the newer generations
taller than the previous ones.
Our rate of growth is determined by four
important sets of glands: the thyroid, the pituitary,
the thymus and the sex gland. When these glands
operate normally and there is the proper balance
between their functions, then growth is normal.
Did you know that every morning we are taller
than we were the previous evening, but in the
course of the day we begin to shrink ?
———————–

Dear Prajapati Friends,

We have been praying earnestly for you as you

are busy preparing for and appearing your exams.

Yes, education is one of the wonderful methods of

our society to equip us with knowledge, confidence

and self respect. It is always best to gain understanding.

It is our heartfelt desire to see you as a successful human being.

In this issue, the vice of Greed has been probed

into. Greed works like a remote control over a person.

A greedy heart can make a person selfish and short

sighted. We have in store for you other stories and

articles dealing with true freedom. Yes, deliverance

from the bondage of negative emotions is a must if

we want to live a life which is beautiful and a

blessing for our family, society and nation. We hope

that you will enjoy reading every page of this

magazine.

This issue also celebrates the Death and

Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ. He was lifted up

on the cross so that we may have life. Even every

negative emotions can be defeated if our lives are

washed and controlled by Jesus Christ. He defeated

sin, for us to live a life free from sin. Let me tell you

this- God has purposed for you a victorious life. Yet,

it is you and me who have to make the choice between

defeat or victory.

WISH YOU HAPPY “GOOD FRIDAY AND A WONDERFUL EASTER”.

Wish you happy reading too.

God Bless!

Sima Aunty

Shiny and her Pet

Shiny loved pets. Her little puppy Jingle

was her favorite. Shiny loved to play with

Jingle all the time. Of course not while at

study. Jingle was a lovely white

Pomeranian. He was cute and lovely. And

why not? Shiny took good care of her

Jingle. She bathed him regularly to avoid

infections and fed him with dog biscuits.

Jingle was loved by everyone in the house.

He could fetch the ball, dance at the tune,

lie down quietly at command and did many things.

Jingle was an obedient dog. No wonder every one

loved Jingle.

Shiny doted on her Jingle but she was not aware

that some one was very greedy of her greatest treasure.

Rajan was a man who worked in Shiny’s house. He

was a man with bad intentions in his heart. Though

he pretended to be very helpful and generous towards

Jingle yet in his heart he was planning evil for the

puppy. Rajan was a greedy man. He wanted to make

quick money with wrong means. So one day Rajan

stole Jingle and hid him inside a box at the back yard

of the house. He planned to sell the puppy for Rupees

One Thousand only.

In the evening when Shiny returned from school,

she whistled for Jingle but there was no sign of him.

Shiny realized that Jingle was missing. Jingle used to

come running to the gate wagging his tiny tail. He

would leap joyfully at seeing his little mistress back

from school. But Alas! there was no Jingle to welcome

Shiny. Shiny was in tears. Even Mummy was alarmed

because Jingle was Shiny’s birthday gift from

her parents. So they all searched the house

frantically.

Evening gave way to night and still there was

no sign of Jingle. Shiny was totally broken.

She loved Jingle and was worried where her

dear puppy would be. She feared if Jingle

had run across the road and met with an accident.

Shiny could not eat her dinner. She was lying on her

bed but could not sleep. Her pillow was wet with tears.

Mummy sat beside her trying to soothe her pain, but

she herself was also very sad.

In the middle of the night when Shiny had drifted

off to sleep, there was a far away whine. Immediately,

Shiny was alert. She shook her mummy who also had

heard the sound. Could it be Jingle? Where is he ? Is

he calling for her ? Quietly they listened intently

hoping to hear the sound again. There was a whining

again. This time it was more distinct. Mummy

motioned Shiny to be quiet and she cautiously went

to the window of her bedroom which faced the front

gate. The bedroom was dark so they could easily see

outside without being seen. In the bright light of the

lamp post what they saw sent a shiver through their

spine. Jingle was hanging head down and crying out.

The person holding him was quickly walking towards

to gate. Without loosing any moment, Shiny’s mother

ran to the front door and put on the light. Immediately

the front poach was flooded with light. The man

holding Jingle was taken by surprise and he

immediately turned around. To their utter surprise, it

was Rajan !!!

Shiny was overjoyed to get her precious Jingle back.

Rajan was later summoned by Daddy and upon

interrogation confessed his dark intentions. Rajan was

so controlled by his greed that he did not hesitate to

steal the puppy. Of course, later he was forgiven

without any hard punishment since, Shiny’s daddy was

a kind man but Rajan lost his job and had to leave the

place. He could not be trusted again.

Greed is a very dangerous vice which can give way

to irreparable damages in life if not uprooted at its

earliest. Love of money is injurious to character.

WORD POWER

1. Envelop – to cover completely

2. Envelope – the paper wrapper of a letter.

3. Environment – the natural surroundings or

social conditions in which

people live.

4. Environmentalist – a person who seeks to improve

or protect theenvironment.

5. Environs – the surroundings around the city.

6. Envisage – to visualize, plan, expect.

7. Envision – to picture mentally

8. Envoy – a messenger

9. Eon – An extremely long, indefinite

period of time.

10. Ephemeral – Lasting a very short time.

Fun Corner

1. Two babies were sitting in their cribs, when one baby

shouted to the other,

“Are you a little girl or a little boy?”

“I don’t know,” replied the other baby giggling.”What

do you mean, you don’t know?” said the first baby.

“I mean I don’t know how to tell the difference,” was

the reply.

Well, I do,” said the first baby chuckling. “I’ll climb

into your crib and find out.”

He carefully climbed himself into the other baby’s crib,

then quickly disappeared beneath the blankets. After a

couple of minutes, he resurfaced with a big grin on his

face.

“You’re a little girl, and I’m a little boy,” he said proudly.

“You’re ever so clever,” cooed the baby girl, “but how

can you tell?”

“It’s quite easy really,” replied the baby boy, “You’ve

got pink socks and I’ve got blue ones.”

2. Teacher : Pappu, your composition on “My Dog” is

exactly the same as your brother’s. Did you

copy his?

Pappu : No, teacher, it’s the same dog… we both

wrote on!!!

3. Mum, are the Smiths very poor people?

I don’t think so, Jimmy. Why do you ask?

Because they made such a fuss when their baby

swallowed a coin

4. Teacher : Pappu, “TAMSO MA JYOTIR GAMYA”

shloka ka kya arth hai?

Pappu : Tum so jayo maa, mein Jyoti ke pass ja raha

hoon.

5. Teacher : What is the chemical formula for water?

Bholu : “HIJKLMNO! “!!

Teacher : What are you talking about?

Bholu : Yesterday you said it’s H to O !

The Loveliest Rose in the World

by Hans Christian Andersen (Adapted)

Once there reigned a queen,

who loved roses, and she had

many kinds of this flower, from

the wild rose with its apple scented

green leaves to the

most splendid, large, crimson

roses. They grew against the

garden walls, wound themselves

around the pillars and

wind-frames, and crept through

the windows into the rooms, and all along the ceilings

in the halls.

But care and sorrow dwelt in those halls. The queen

lay upon a sick-bed, and the doctors said she must die.

“There is still one thing that can save her,” said the

wise man. “Bring her the loveliest rose in the world, the

rose that is the symbol of the purest, the brightest love.

If that is held before her eyes, she will not die.”

Then old and young came from every side with roses,

the loveliest that bloomed in each garden, but they were

not of the right sort. The flower was to be plucked from

the Garden of Love. But what rose in all that garden

expressed the highest and purest love? And the poets

sang of the loveliest rose in the world,—of the love of

maid and youth, and of the love of dying heroes.

“But they have not named the right flower,” said the

wise man. “They have not pointed out the place where

it blooms in its splendor. It is not the rose that springs

from the hearts of youthful lovers, though this rose will

ever be fragrant in song. It is not the bloom that sprouts

from the blood flowing from the breast of the hero

who dies for his country, though few deaths are sweeter

than his, and no rose is redder than the blood that flows

then..”

“But I know where it blooms,” said a happy mother,

who came with her pretty child to the bedside of the

dying queen. “I know where the loveliest rose of love

may be found. It springs in the blooming cheeks of my

sweet child, when, waking from sleep, it opens its eyes

and smiles tenderly at me.” “Lovely is this rose, but there

is a lovelier still,” said the wise man.

“I have seen the loveliest, purest rose that blooms,”

said a woman. “I saw it on the cheeks of the queen. She

had taken off her golden crown. And in the long, dreary

night she carried her sick child in her arms. She wept,

kissed it, and prayed for her child.” “Holy and wonderful

is the white rose of a mother’s grief,” answered the

wise man, “but it is not the one we seek. Not one of you

has yet named the loveliest rose in the world.”

Then there came into the room a child, the queen’s

little son. “Mother,” cried the boy, “only hear what I

have read.” And the child sat by the bedside and read

from the Book of Him who suffered death upon the cross

to save men, and even those who were not yet born.

“Greater love there is not.” And a rosy glow spread over

the cheeks of the queen, and her eyes gleamed, for she

saw that from the leaves of the Book there bloomed the

loveliest rose, that sprang from the blood of Christ shed

on the cross. “I see it!” she said, “He who beholds this,

the loveliest rose on earth, shall never die.”

Sports personality :

S. S. P. Chowrasia .

The Golf Hero

Shiv Sankar Prasad Chowrasia of

Kolkata has become the new Golf Hero of

India.

It is interesting to note that SSP  Chowrasia had no formal training in golf yet he became the

Champion of Europian Golf Tournament held in February 2008.

The 29-year-old Chowrasia pocketed a handsome amount of

$416,660 (Rs.1.6 Crore) the highest prize money ever won by

any Indian sportsman.

His humble beginning is an inspiration for the young generation. Since his father was the green keeper of the Royal Calcutta Golf club, therefore he developed his love for golf from a very young age. He used to watch the rich people come

and play on the ground in the morning, and once they leave the

ground Chowrasia gets the whole ground to himself and keeps

playing alone. His mother used to encourage him to play the

game but his father had reservation since this game is considered

to be the rich man’s game. But finally he could convince his

father. His love for golf also made him a school drop out.

He was not much interested in studies since his first love was

golf.

His talent was recognized by the club and he was taken as a

member of the club. Chowrasia says that “the day I was accepted

by the club was the most memorable day of

my life”. After receiving such great honour

and money, Chowrasia feels that he must be

wise in spending the money and help his

family. He is also committed to pursue

studies and get some degrees. Chowrasia

proves that, “if you have a dream and

determination, then you can see the dream

fulfilled”

Tips for life:

Honesty Brings Honour

Gopal Saha, 21, a house keeping staff member of

INOX (City Center), Kolkata struggles to survive with

a very small earning of Rs.2900/month, added to that

both his parents are also sick. He is just an

Intermediate pass, and though wanted to study further

but was forced to take up a job due to the family

condition. Any kind of shortcut to earn more money

and help the family can be a good option.

On the 25th February 2008, Gopal stumble on a

heavy bag as he was heading for his home from INOX.

He was surprised to find that the bag had Rs.1,22,000

stuffed in it along with a bunch of credit cards. It

would take 4 years for Gopal to earn that much money

and this can help him to continue his studies and also

it is enough for the treatment of his parents. Gopal

though poor materially but was rich in integrity. He

decided to return back the bag to the INOX to be given

back to the owner. Gopal feels that he has only done

his duty by depositing the bag.

Gopal’s Boss shook hand with him and appreciated

his honesty. His Boss gifted him a shirt for which

Gopal feels very happy and honoured. Gopal’s parents

are proud of him and now Gopal is the role model for

his village. His act of honesty has become a theme in

many of the magazines and news papers.

Remember, Honesty brings Honour. So never get

carried away by the materials of the world, rather

remember to set an example to the society like Gopal

Saha.

KANGAROOS

Kangaroos are the symbol of Australia. They appear

on Australian postage stamps, coins, and even on their

Aeroplanes.

What makes kangaroos so interesting to people? The

kangaroos’ attractive face, the way they carry their

young in a pouch, their amazing leaping power, and

their deadly “karate kicking”, all these are very amazing.

Kangaroos vary enormously in size. The tiny,

scampering musky rat-kangaroo lives in the tropical

rain forests of northern Queensland (Australia). A huge

kangaroo called Procoptodon is now extinct.

Why the pouch?

Carrying the baby in the pouch is convenient for the

female, who may travel many miles for fresh food and

water. The youngster stands a greater chance of survival

because it does not have to keep up with her. The baby

is tucked away, safe from predators.

Another incredible thing about kangaroos is that the

mother (called a doe) can determine the sex of her

babies. How she does this is unknown, but she tends to

put off bearing males until she is older. Males move

away after about two years, but females stay with their

mothers longer and benefit from mother’s help more.

A doe is nearly always pregnant. All her life, she is

rarely without three offspring—an embryo in the womb,

a Joey in her pouch, and a larger youngster at her heels.

The baby is born after a gestation period of about 35

days (depending on the species) and in the largest

species is the size of a human thumb nail. In the

smallest, it is only the size of a rice grain. Naked, blind

and deaf, it must make its way unaided from the birth

canal to the pouch. All going well, the climb will take

less than 10 minutes. The baby can survive only a few

minutes unless it reaches the pouch and attaches to one

of the four nipples. Once there, its mouth swells on the

nipple so that it cannot be removed without injury.

A ring of strong muscles, similar to human lips,

seals off the opening to the pouch to protect the baby

from bouncing out, and keeps the pouch waterproof if

mother goes for a swim. After three months, the

developed baby emerges from the pouch to make short

trips in the outside world. However, it will return

to the pouch to suckle and sleep until eight months

old.

Hopping appears to be more energy-efficient than

running or galloping. The faster kangaroos hop, the

less energy they use for the same distance. Jumping

kangaroos store 70% of their energy in their tendons,

compared to running humans, who can store and reuse

only about 20%.

Kangaroos’ superb design, their fascinating way of

having babies, and the amazing, energy-efficient way

they move is evidence that they were created by God.

A Teenager’s perspective on life

Baato Hi Baato Mein..

Hi friends,

Hope all of you who are reading this article must have seen

the movie “TAARE ZAMEEN PAR”. If not, I recommend you

to watch the movie if possible just once.

You must be wondering why I am recommending you to

watch a movie. It’s because the movie has got something to tell

us about ourselves and our parents. I have seen the movie and I

have learnt how one can strengthen the bond with our parents,

with ourselves and with our teachers too. Apart from that I

have got something more to say.

In the sixteen years of my existence I have always been

taught to love God and go by the way He wants me to and be

what my parents want me to be. But that’s not just a piece of

cake. You need to mix the ingredients and bake it in the oven.

Anyways jokes apart! Nothing in the world is easy.

When a child is born, he is nourished with love, care and all

the possible things that are required. Parents play a very

important role in every child’s life. Before others, a child first

comes to know his parents. Parents are the first teachers of a

child. You must have come across the proverb “Charity begins

at home”. Yes, this is very much true. It is at home itself where

we learn our first lessons. It is the parents’ who give the child

all required teachings, which results in the perfection of a good

human being.

In some cases, it happens that the parents expect too much

from a child which goes beyond his/her capabilities. This is

very wrong. Parents then pressurize their children extensively

which makes them go against their parents’ expectations. They

can also become psychotic and grow up to be antisocial. When

the child scores less marks in his academics he is looked down

as a useless kid and is criticized by everyone including friends.

They suffer from pain, depression, agony and resort to unfair

indecent means. While growing up in that state they take up

cigarettes, alcohol and drugs as means of satisfaction. Thus,

they become criminals.

Especially it becomes a shame for the family. In fact there

are really many young people who have destroyed the joy of

their family. This happens when the child is not taught about

the fear of God nor introduced with the love of God. These

children do not believe in the power of integrity, honesty, and

morality. Most of them don’t know who can deliver them from

the daily temptations of life. Anyways these are some sad cases.

But some of us who have the opportunity to live a life filled

with the knowledge of Jesus are fortunate. We should do our

duty perfectly and live an exemplary life.

My humble request to parents not to expect beyond the

child’s capabilities. Even teachers please understand each and

every problem of ours and find a suitable solution to any

problems. Even in the movie this fact is shown clearly. If you

see the movie you can understand my point clearly.

In the Adivasi community, they never cut trees when

required. Instead they go on cursing the tree until it dries up

and dies on its own. Similarly if parents and teachers criticize

and discourage children their life will also end in this way.

In this new generation of more advanced technology. It is

my humble request to all parents and teachers do not ever let us

down. Instead encourage us. Change your pattern of teaching

us, love us; show to us right way and leniently. Do not scold us

without a reason. Do stand by us and you will see that certainly

we will not fail you.

Strengthening our bond with God first is a must and certainly

we will follow you. Give us a chance to be ourselves and grow

up to be the best adult as God intends us to.

- Written by Miss Samarpita Sarkar(Ruth)

Class – XI,

St. Thomas Girls’ School, Kolkata

You can contact her at

“robinprativa@rediffmail.com”

Unforgettable Experience :

Experience in the Sea

Have you ever wondered what it is to be like on a ship

in the sea! Sounds exciting isn’t it? Well I want to share

with you such an experience.

Last month I had to go into the sea in connection with

my work. This was going to be my first venture into the

sea and although I was excited about it, I was a bit scared

too since I didn’t know what to expect. Anyways I had to

get into the ship at Visakhapatnam port. I was with 6 other

people who were going to get into the same ship. We almost

waited for 6 hours at the port for the formalities to get

over. After that we came to a place where a small motorboat

was waiting. The motorboat was to take all of us (seven in

total) to the Ship. It was around 11:30 in the night. As the

motorboat started moving I was very curious to look around

to see all types of big ships at the port. Even though it was

night I was able to recognize a few things. But I was eagerly

waiting to see our ship. Finally we arrived there and I really

don’t know how to tell you how I felt. First of all we tied

our luggage one by one to a rope and the people on the

ship carried them from the motorboat onto the ship and

after all the luggage was shifted we took a ladder and came

onto the ship. So we were there finally. It was 12:00

midnight.

As soon as I got into the ship I had to meet a person

who showed me my room where I was going to stay, the

mess where I was suppose to take food, the place I was

going to work etc. Now let me tell you something a ship

looks like a ship from outside, but when you go inside it is

just like any other building. The ship had all the facilities

like Gymnasium, Television, etc. It is just as if you are

inside a small building. Work goes for 24 hours on the

ship and so people have to work on 12 hour shifts. The

shift assigned to me was from 12:00 midnight to 12:00

noon. That means as soon as I entered the vessel around

12:00 midnight my shift started. So that day I didn’t sleep.

I was explained regarding the work I had to do by one of

my colleagues. So the work started and I slowly got to

understand things. The ship started sailing around 7:00 in

the morning. Have you ever heard about sea sickness? Sea

sickness is something which you may get when you are

on a ship and the ship is moving. You feel uncomfortable

and vomit. I had sea sickness but by God’s grace I didn’t

vomit. In the morning I went on to the Helipad (where the

helicopter lands). It was an open space. I think that was

the best part of the whole trip. It was early morning and

the sun was just rising and the sight was just wonderful.

I thanked God for His wonderful creation. I took many

pictures of the sun rising. Our work continued for 2 weeks.

Because of God’s grace all the work was successfully

completed. While returning the sea was rough and the

vessel was moving too much. I was really afraid. But I

prayed and trusted in God. We reached the Visakhapatnam

port safely by God’s grace. As we left the ship, I was

thinking when will it be the next time I would get an

opportunity again to go on a ship? I thanked God for the

opportunity He gave me to be on a ship for 2 weeks.

Thank you for spending your time and reading this.

I hope you also had an exciting trip into the sea.

Goutam Roul(26 years) is an

Ocean Engineer working in

Chennai. You can contact him at

(goutam.roul@gmail.com)

Know Completely Bi ble

1. Which book follows Colossians?

a)1 Chronicles, b)1 John c)1 Kings d)1 Thessalonians

2. After how many days was Jesus resurrected from

the dead?

a)1 b)3 c)5 d)7

3. Who wrote the book of Acts?

a)Dr. Seuss b)John c)Luke d)Simon Peter

4. Which saying of Jesus was not made from the cross?

a)My hour has not yet come. b)Behold your mother.

c)I thirst. d)This day you shall be with me in Paradise.

5. Whose donkey talked?

a)Andrew’s b)Balaam’s c)Bartholomew’s d)Silas’

6. After His resurrection, where did Jesus walk with

some disciples?

a)on the road to Emmaus b)on the road to Damascus

c)on the Via Dolorosa d)in the streets of Jerusalem

7. Who was David’s great-grandmother?

a)Deborah b)Elizabeth c)Lydia d)Ruth

8. Which was created on the fourth day?

a)Adam and Eve b)light c)my space d)sun, moon,

stars

9. Proverbs says,”Trust in the Lord with all your

heart, and lean not on your own _____.”

a)brother b)elbows c)understanding d) wall

10. Who lived to the age of 969?

a) Abraham b) Strom Thurman c) George Burns

d) Methuselah

11. Which book follows Ezra?

a)Exodus b)Hebrews c)Jude d) Nehemiah

12. Where was Paul when he wrote the book of

Philippians?

a) at Phillip’s house b) in prison c) in the temple

d) on the road to Damascus

13. Which book tells of the Apocalypse?

a)Matthew b)Esther c)Revelation d) Mark

14. Which is a book of poetry?

a) Ecclesiastes b) Genesis c) Psalms d) 1 Timothy

15. Who were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar?

a)wives of David b)the magi who visited Jesus

c)friends of Job d)friends of Daniel

16. Who said he could now die in peace, having seen

the Christ child?

a)John the Baptist b)Simeon c)Joseph d)James

17. What was Jesus’ first recorded miracle?

a)turning water into wine b)casting out demons

c)healing a blind man d)raising Jairus’ daughter from

the dead

18. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, which character

represents God?

a)the Prodigal Son b)his older brother c)his father

d)his partying friends.

(Turn to page 31 for

KBC Answers)

Current Events:

Pakistan Election : The

general election of Pakistan held

peacefully on 18th Feb’08. The

people of Pakistan showed

immense courage by casting their

votes despite threats of violence. It has resulted in

putting down the authoritarian rule and paved way

for democracy. The new leaders and the people of

Pakistan are hopeful of a peaceful future under the

new government.

Feel Good Budget : The Railway

Minister Sri. Lalu Prasad Yadav

and the Finance Minister Sri.

P. Chidambaram presented their

budget recently. It

shows that India has

grown economically

and the budget has promised to help

different sectors and assures that

India would become an influential

and powerful Nation by 2020.

Kidney Kingpin Amit Kumar :

The love of money can make any body

a worst criminal. For fourteen years,

Dr. Amit Kumar operated his racket of

illegal transplant of kidneys across the

country and abroad. He was alluring

the poor people with money and extracting their

kidneys. This business made him a millionaire, and

this illegal money also made him the most wanted

criminal of the country. He was caught while hiding

in a hotel in Nepal, and now he is in the prison.

Violence in Maharastra : An

irresponsible statement can damage

a lot. The self-styled President of

Maharastra Navnirman Samiti

(MNS) Raj Thackeray’s statement

has erupted violence across various

cities of Maharstra. North Indians

in the State were attacked, public transports like taxis

and buses were stoned and smashed by MNS people.

This incident has shaken National Integration. It is

indeed a shameful thing for a democratic country like

India.

Taare Zamin Par:

Film Actor Aamir

Khan’s directorial

venture ‘Taare Zameen

Par’ swept up the

53rd Annual Filmfare

Awards with the movie

pocketing the honors

for its director, lead actor, story writer and lyricist.

Aamir was declared Best Director for ‘Taare Zameen

Par’. The child actor Darsheel has done an exceptional

job for which he got the best child actor award. It is a

must see movie for the parents and children.

Amazing Facts of the Bible:

The Mark of Blood

In the present time we see

bloodshed all around us. People

have become so barbaric that they

do not hesitate to take the life of

another human being without a

hint of guilt or sorrow.

Long ago during the Old

Testament time, there was one such king who was very

barbaric and wicked. He was the Pharaoh of Egypt.

This happened approximately around 1440 BC.

The then Pharaoh wanted to keep the Israelites as

slaves so he was not letting them go. Whereas, Moses

the great leader of the Jewish people under the

instruction of God requested Pharaoh to let the people

go but to no avail. The Pharaoh was adamant and

stubborn. Instead he increased the hardship over the

Jewish people. He made the lives of Jews very miserable.

One day, God commanded Moses to lead the people

out of Egypt as He Himself would fight against the

Pharaoh. God wanted to bring punishment to the

Pharaoh and his people and save the oppressed Jews.

God wished to rescue and deliver the Jews and lead

them out of Egypt. So a stage was set.

Through Moses, God instructed that in order to be

delivered and saved by God, one had to carry out

certain steps. Every person had to take a lamb for his

family. The animal should be a year old, without

defect. They must slaughter it and take some blood and

put it on the door frames of the houses. That same night,

God.s angel passed through the streets and struck those

people of the houses which did not have the mark of the

blood. The people living in houses which were stained

with blood were safe and secure. Later, the Pharaoh

was so upset and sorry that he set the Jews free. Infact

it was God who rescued His people from bondage and

the mark of the blood saved those who obeyed His

instructions.

This is a true event which took place many years

ago, but the lesson remains the same: those who obey

God and are marked by the blood of Jesus are safe

always.

Amazing isn.t it ? You may or may not understand

this fact, but incase if you want to know more write

to prajapati_jesus@rediffmail.com        

Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the largest state of the Republic

of India in terms of area.The state capital is

Jaipur.

The main geographic features of Rajasthan

are the Thar Desert and the Aravalli Range.

Mount Abu is at the southwestern end of the

range, The northwestern portion of Rajasthan

is generally sandy and dry. The Thar Desert is

thinly populated; the town of Bikaner is the

largest city in the desert. The Aravalli Range

and the lands to the east and southeast of

the range are generally more fertile and better

watered.

Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949.

Historical traditions are that Rajputs, Nath, Jats,

Bhils, Ahirs, Gujars, Meenas and some other

tribes made a great contribution in building

the state of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan is divided into 33 districts and

seven divisions.

Major cities: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota,

Ajmer, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Alwar, Sri

Ganganagar ,Pali, Sikar, Bundi.

Luni, Chambal and Ghaggar are some of the

major rivers of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan.s economy is primarily agricultural

and pastoral. Wheat and barley are cultivated

over large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane, and

oilseeds. Cotton and tobacco are cash crops.

Rajasthan is among the largest producers of

edible oils in India and the second largest

producer of oilseeds. Rajasthan is also the

biggest wool-producing state in India. The

industrialization of Rajasthan slowly began in

1960s. Rajasthan is the second largest

producer of polyester fibre in India. Rajasthan

has mainly Rajasthani population. Hindus

account for 88.8% of the population. Muslims

make up 8.5%, Sikhs 1.4% and Jains 1.2% of

the population. Rajasthan state is also

populated by Sindhis, who came to Rajasthan

from Sindh province (now in Pakistan) during

the India-Pakistan separation in 1947.

The mother tongue of the majority of people

in Rajasthan is Rajasthani. Rajasthani and

Hindi are the most widely used languages in

Rajasthan. Rajasthan is famous for the majestic

forts, intricately carved temples and decorated

havelis. Jantar Mantar, Dilwara Temples,

Chittorgarh Fort, City Palaces, Jaisalmer Havelis

are part of the true architectural heritage of

India. Jaipur, the Pink City, is noted for the

ancient houses made of a type of sand stone

dominated by a pink hue.

Rajasthan is often called a shopper.s

paradise. Rajasthan is famous for textiles,

semi-precious stones and handicrafts. The

attractive designs of jewellery and clothes are

eye-catching and invite shoppers and tourist

around the globe.

HEAL THE WORLD

The world is Gods own creation

So people come lets bring in that sensation

A sensation of brotherhood

A sensation of love

Forget all the battles

Quit all the fights

Forget to hurt others

Love with all your might

Do look all around you

And you will surely find

Others who may need you

Don.t pretend to be blind

Reach out your hands dear people

And help those who are really in need

There will be a lot of happiness in your life

If you forget the word .GREED..

Yes, people in my heart I always feel

There.s something I wish I could reveal

Reveal something that you should know

With love and serenity the world should grow.

-Written by Nikita Makann,

St. Thomas’ Girls’ School,Kolkata.

The Pretty Lady

Once upon a time a big monk and

a little monk were traveling together.

They came to the bank of a river and

found the bridge was damaged.

They had to wade across the river.

There was a pretty lady who was

stuck at the damaged bridge and

couldn’t cross the river. The big monk offered to carry

her across the river on his back. The lady accepted.

The little monk was shocked by the move of the big

monk. “How can big brother carry a lady when we

are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?”

thought the little monk. But he kept quiet. The big

monk carried the lady across the river and the small

monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the

river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted

ways with her. All along the way for several miles, the little monk

was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He

was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk

in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he

still kept quiet. And the big monk had no

inclination to explain his situation.

Finally, at a rest point many hours later,

the little monk could not stand it any

further, he burst out angrily at the big

monk. “How can you claim yourself a

devout monk, when you seize the first

opportunity to touch a female, especially

when she is very pretty? All your

teachings to me make you a big hypocrite

The big monk looked surprised and said,

“I had put down the pretty lady at the river

bank many hours ago, how come you are

still carrying her along?”

[This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the

thinking of many people today. We encounter many

unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they

make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt,

sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous. But

like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go

away. We keep on carrying the baggage of the “pretty

lady” with us. We let them keep on coming back to

hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a

lot of agony. Why? Simply because we are not willing

to put down or let go of the baggage of the “pretty

lady”. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately

after crossing the river that is after the unpleasant event

is over. This will immediately remove all our agonies.

There is no need to be further hurt by the unpleasant

event after it is over.]

Answers of KBC:

1 (d) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (b)

6.(a) 7.(d) 8.(d) 9.(c) 10.(d)

11.(d) 12.(b) 13.(c) 14.(c) 15.(c)

16.(b) 17.(a) 18.(c)

Health is Wealth:

COMPUTER VISION

SYNDROME

We all thought technology would make our

lives easier. Today, we are overwhelmed by

computers and have perhaps begun to look at it as somewhat of

an “everything appliance.” The one thing that with every passing

day, seems to be able to do anything and everything. They’ve

become smaller, easier to use, and blazingly fast. And with the

‘World Wide Web’ available to all, it has become a center of

attention and a familiar part of daily life. In spite of inherent

shortcomings and pitfalls, we still love them.

They have replaced the humble typewriter to become so much

more than a useful piece of machinery. Give them speakers and

CD-ROM drives and they give us music! Stick in video drivers

and we get to watch a movie! Attach a microphone and suddenly

they become telephones. But set aside the pleasures that we

enjoy, and you’ll see the big bad demon it can be. The ill-effects

of the computer is grossly underrated. They harm us physically,

emotionally, mentally and burn a hole in our pockets too, what

with telephone bills and internet hours!! Our wrists ache, our

eyes tear, our necks cramp, and we know that the machine in

front of us is responsible. Still, we submit ourselves to our beloved

computers.

Millions of people around the world now use computers as

their primary business tool. In the last decade or so, the number

of hours people use computers has increased tremendously. With

this increase in the use of computers, problems have also

increased. Computer-related health problems are caused by

improper use and lack of knowledge about “safe computing.

One of the widespread computing health hazard is Computer

Vision Syndrome. Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is

characterized by eye strain associated with prolonged use of

computers. Symptoms of CVS include eye irritation, such as dry

eye; red, itchy, and watery eyes; fatigue, including heaviness of

the eyelids or forehead; and difficulty in focusing the eyes. Other

symptoms of CVS are headaches, backaches and muscle

spasms.

Causes :

A person’s vision is not suited for staring at a computer screen

for many hours. Computer screens are made up of pixels or tiny

dots, on which the eye can not lock its focus. The computer user

must therefore focus and refocus to keep the images sharp. This

results in receptive stress of the eye muscles.

Additionally, after prolonged computer use, the frequency of

blinking is decreased, which causes the eyes to dry and become

sore. As a result, the ability to focus diminishes and vision may

blur, which causes headaches and neck pain. Any person who

spends approximately two hours a day working on a computer is

at risk for developing CVS.

Prevention :

When working at a computer, there are certain preventive

measures that can reduce eyestrain. Good tips to keep in mind

are: position the monitor 20 to 26 inches away from the eyes,

arrange light sources in a position that will minimize glare and

reflections on the screen, blink frequently to moisture the eyes

and take vision breaks from your computer.

Make sure your computer screen is 20 to 24 inches from your

eyes at about 20 degrees below eye level.

If you use a document holder, keep it close to the screen.

Dim overhead lights and keep desk lamps low and properly

adjusted, so that the light doesn’t enter your eyes or fall on screen.

Every 15 minutes, focus on distant objects to relax your

muscles.

If needed, use an anti-reflective filter on the screen.

Make effort to blink more frequently.

Dr. Anupam Dey

House Surgeon

Christian Medical College

Ludhiana -141008.Punjab.India

Our Environment:

Volcano

A volcano is an opening, or

rupture, in a planet’s surface or

crust, which allows hot, molten

rock, ash and gases to escape from

below the surface.

Have you seen a Volcano? They are mostly found

in Iceland, New Zealand and Japan

There are some usefulness of Volcanoes :

1. Soil on volcanoes are very fertile (due to the

ashes)

2 Farms and villages are usually built in these

places.

3 E.g. Farmers in Indonesia grow rice in volcanic

soil

4 Geothermal energy can be harnessed

5. Relatively clean and almost endless energy

resource for the future

But there are some bad effects of Volcanoes too :

· Volcanoes emit gases such as carbon dioxide

and sulphur dioxide

· If too much carbon dioxide is produced (i.e.

deforestation, burning of fossil fuels), might

lead to global warming, causing floods/droughts

· Sulphur dioxide causes the problem of acid rain

· Acid rain corrodes stonework, kills fishes in

lakes, etc.

· Helps to keep the Earth warm.

Volcanoes are found in three states – extinct,

dormant and active. An extinct volcano will never

erupt again. A dormant volcano has not erupted in

2000 years. An active volcano has erupted recently

and is likely to erupt again.

Case studies

The 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens

Mount St Helens is found in the Cascade Range,

along the west coast of Washington State, USA. The

volcano is 30,000 years old. This is young by

geological standards. Mount St Helens erupts violently

about once every 3,000 to 4,000 years. The volcano

erupted most recently at 08.32 on 18th May 1980.

The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo

On 9 June 1991, Mount Pinatubo, a volcano in the

Zambales Range, 80km (50 miles) north of Manila,

capital of the Philippines, hit the headlines. It became

one of the three largest eruptions in the world in the

20th Century. From the 9 June there were many

eruptions (timeline of events). However, none matched

that of 12 June. Ash turned day into night. The eruption

caused the deaths of over 700 people. 200 000

buildings were destroyed.

by Mrs. Rekha Abraham,

Information Associate Bureau for

Crisis Prevention and Recovery

(South & South West Asia) of UNDP

New Delhi.

The Power of the

Bronze Snake

This is a true story from the Old Testament

which foretells about the BEST event which took

place years later in the New Testament.

The Israelites, after being delivered by God

were traveling through the wilderness towards

Canaan. On the way they came across many

difficulties and barriers. In every situation, God

helped them and provided all their needs. He

provided water, food, shelter, security etc. Yet

the people were always ungrateful and

disobedient and adamant. They were not willing

to adhere to the laws of living given by God. Each

time they would grumble and accuse God for

even a tiny difficulty. Automatically for

disobedience, they had to go through

punishment too, because the Loving God also

punishes in order to discipline His people.

Once when they were arrogant and as usual

grumbled against God, God sent poisonous

snakes among them. Lo behold! people began to

get bitten by snakes and even a few died. Then

the people realized that it was the punishment

for their sins. Immediately they repented and

cried out to God and asked their leader Moses to

mediate with God on their behalf. Moses pleaded

with God to forgive and save the people. When

God saw that His people were genuinely

repenting, He relented and offered a way out for

deliverance. God commanded Moses to make a

bronze snake and put it on a pole. Those who

were bitten by any poisonous snake would have

to look up to the bronze snake. So Moses did like

wise. When the next person

was bitten, they quickly

carried him to the foot of the

pole hoisting the bronze

snake. The person looked

with a repented heart at the

bronze snake and was healed. Those who looked

at the bronze snake did not die.

This event was again repeated in the New

Testament when Jesus Christ was lifted up on

the cross at Calvary. The bronze snake

symbolized the atonement of Jesus Christ on the

cross. Jesus Christ died on the cross, so that our

sins will be forgiven and we will escape the

punishment of hell. Those who look up to Jesus

and believe in Him and repent of any volumes

of sin, they will certainly not be punished but

receive a new life. This is the true meaning of

Good Friday.

————

Do You Know ?

1. Replying more than 100 times to the same piece

of spam e-mail will overwhelm the sender’s

system and interfere with their ability to send any

more spam.

2. Urine from male cape water buffaloes is so

flammable that some tribes use it for lantern fuel.

3. Among items left behind at Osama bin Laden’s

headquarters in Afghanistan were 27 issues of

Mad Magazine. Al Qaeda members have admitted

that bin Laden is reportedly an avid reader.

4. When Mahatma Gandhi died, an autopsy revealed

five gold Krugerrands in his small intestine.

5. The Coldest place: Far and away, the coldest

temperature ever measured on Earth was -129

Fahrenheit (-89 Celsius) at Vostok, Antarctica,

on July 21, 1983

6. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

7. An ostrich’s eye is bigger than it’s brain.

8. Pearls melt in vinegar.

9. Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

10. Walt Disney was afraid of mice.

Personality :

Person of the Year 2007-

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Vladimirovich

Putin (born October 7, 1952)

is the current President of

the Russian Federation.

He became acting President

on December 31, 1999,

succeeding Boris Yeltsin, and

then won the 2000 Presidential

election. In 2004, he was

re-elected for a second term, which expires on May

7, 2008.

His mother, Maria Ivanovna Putin, was a factory

worker and his father, Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin,

was conscripted into the Soviet Navy, where he served

in the submarine fleet in the early 1930s.

Mr Putin has good command of English and

German and he is fond of sports, especially wrestling.

He won the Sambo championships of St. Petersburg

many times and became Master of Sports first in

Sambo and later in Judo. Putin doesn’t smoke and he

is not an excessive drinker. Vladimir Putin is married

to Lyudmila and has two daughters: Katya and Masha.

They were both born in Dresden, Germany and now

attend an international school in Moscow. The Putins

love animals.

The former president Boris Yeltsin introduced him

to the Russian people by saying that “he will be able

to unite around himself those who will revive Great

Russia in the new, 21st century”. Sergei Stepashin later

described him as a “decent and honest man”. Boris

Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, said that

“he’s a decent, tough and energetic man who was out

of public politics due to the specifics of his job”.

During a summit in June 2000, U.S. President Bill

Clinton praised him for “surely being capable of

creating a strong and prosperous Russia”. After

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met with

Mr Putin in August 2000, he told that “he’s certainly

no threat to the Russian democracy”.

Under the Putin administration the Russian

economy saw increases in GDP, industrial and

agricultural production, construction, real incomes, the

volume of consumer credit and other economic

measures. The number of people living below the

poverty line decreased from 29% in 2000 to 18% in

2004. A number of large-scale reforms in retirement,

banking, tax, the monetization of benefits and others

have taken place. His final year as Russia’s President

has been his most successful yet. At home, he secured

his political future. Abroad, he expanded his outsize—

if not always benign—influence on global affairs.

Vladimir Putin was chosen TIME’s 2007 Person

of the Year.

TIPS FOR EXAM PREPARATION

Competition has become a very important part of

our lives and it is the fear of failure of this competition

that leaves us feeling unhappy, paranoid and worried.

Each of us must understand that to fight this fear and

unhappiness, we must learn to accept competition and

should do everything in our power to be well prepared

& do our best in the exam. Being well prepared can

help you in bringing down your exam fears to a great

extent.

Here are a few ways by which you can prepare well

for a written examination and in the process, efficiently

deal with Examination Fear –

1. Plan & Create A Study Routine

Ø Create a time table for yourself so that you can

allot sufficient time of your day to studies and

still have some little time for that much needed

relaxation.

Ø Divide the topics of study – decide which topics

you will prepare for in the coming weeks and

stick by it.

Ø Check your written time table and see if you are

being able to follow it.

Ø Make time for going through sample question

papers.

2. Be Informed

Ø Depending on the examination, find out about

the format of the question papers, the various sections, the types of questions you will be asked as well as the marks allotted for each.

Ø Being aware of the format of the question paper

will help you in being mentally prepared.

3. Revise

Ø Keep some time, towards the end of the study

period to go over and revise all that you have

studied over the past weeks.

Ø Brushing up and revising can give you that much

needed confidence.

4. Get ready for the exam hall

Ø Reach the examination hall much before time

and stay cool, calm and collected.

Ø Avoid discussing too much with friends

and other examinees as this can increase your

nervousness.

Trust God and ask Him to bless your hard work. Do

not follow any wrong methods like copying or cheating.

Last, but not the least, be positive and believe in

yourself!

All the best for your exam!

Russia

Russia is a transcontinental country extending over

much of northern Eurasia. It is a semi-presidential

republic comprising 84 federal subjects. Russia is by

far the largest country in the world, covering more

than an eighth of the

Earth’s land area; with

142 million people, it is

the ninth largest by

population. Moscow is

the capital of Russia and

Vladimir Putin is the

President of Russia.

Russia has the world’s largest mineral and energy

resources and is considered an energy superpower. It

has the world’s largest forest reserves and its lakes

contain approximately one-quarter of the world’s

unfrozen fresh water.

Russia established worldwide power and influence

from the times of the Russian Empire to being the

leading constituent of the Soviet Union, the world’s

first and largest Communist state. The Russian

Federation was founded following the dissolution of

the Soviet Union in 1991. It is one of the five

recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the

world’s largest stockpile of weapons of mass

destruction.

Russia has a free education

system guaranteed to all

citizens by the Constitution,

and has a literacy rate of 99.4%.

Russia’s 160 ethnic groups speak some 100

languages. Russian is the most widespread language

of Eurasia. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism

are Russia’s traditional religions. Russian literature

is considered to be among the most influential and

developed in the world, contributing much of the

world’s most famous literary works. Amongst Russia’s

most renowned poets and writers of the 19th century

are Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai Gogol, Ivan

Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Russians have been successful at a number of sports

and continuously finishing in the top rankings at the

Olympic Games. During the Soviet era, the USSR was

the dominant Olympic power of its era. Since the 1952

Olympic Games, Soviet and later Russian athletes

have always been in the top three for the number of

gold medals collected at the Summer Olympics.

Under Stalin’s successor Nikita

Khrushchev, the Soviet Union

launched the world’s first artificial

satellite, Sputnik 1 and the

Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin

became the first human being to

orbit the Earth aboard the first

manned spacecraft, Vostok 1.

Apples of Gold:

Better

to light

one

small candle

than

to curse

the darkness

- Chinese Proverb

Birbal.s Khichadee

Once Akbar and Birbal were

taking a stroll. It was winter season.

Winter was at its peak at that time

of season. A thought came to

Birbal’s mind, and he expressed to

the Emperor, “A man can do

anything for money.” Emperor

also thought something, and he just

dipped his finger in the almost freezing water of a

nearby pond. He drew his hand immediately, and

replied Birbal, “I don’t think so. Do you think

somebody can stand in this almost freezing water for

the whole night for money?” Birbal said, “I think so.”

Birbal told that he can find such a man who can

stand in this water for the whole night for money.

Akbar couldn’t believe, so he accepted the challenge

and said that he would give one thousand gold coins

to that man.

Next day Birbal brought a man who was very poor

and thin. He told the King that this man would stand

in that water. “Good” the King said and sent him to

that pond. Because he did not believe this, so he sent

some guards too to see whether he was really standing

in that almost freezing water for the whole night.

The man went away. Next day the man came back

to claim his prize. Akbar asked his guards about the

whole thing and they said,”Yes Huzoor, he stood there

the whole night.” Akbar asked that man, “Just tell me

how you stood in that cold water the whole night ?”

The man said, “There was a lamp post at some

distance. I just gazed at it for the whole night. Heat of

that lamp was my only hope.”

Akbar refused to give him his prize saying that since

he got the heat from that lamp, he was not in the cold

water absolutely. Hearing this, the man got very

disappointed and went away. When Birbal heard this,

he didn’t like it. Next day he didn’t come in the court.

Akbar got worried about him and send his men to

bring him to the court.

The men went to his house and came back with the

message that Birbal was cooking his Khichadee and

only after eating that he will come to the court. One

hour passed, two hours passed, several hours passed.

Evening fell, but there was no sign of Birbal. Now

Akbar got impatient, and got ready to see him.

So he went to Birbal’s house. What he sees, that

Birbal is sitting in a room, fire was burning and a pot

was hung about 8-10 feet higher than the fire. The

King asked, “Birbal what are you doing ?” Birbal

replied, “Huzoor I am cooking my Khichadee.”

Hearing this King and his people laughed loudly.

Akbar said to him, “Birbal you can’t cook your

Khichadee in this way. It is not getting enough heat to

be cooked.”

Birbal said, “If that man can get the heat from such

a distance to keep him enough warm to stand in this

cold water for the whole night, then why my

Khichadee can’t be cooked in this way ?”

King understood, and returned to his palace. Next

day he called that man and gave his prize to him.

———

What is an Oasis?

In geography, an oasis (plural:oases) is an isolated area of

vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar

water source. Oases also provide habitat for animals and even

humans if the area is big enough.

The location of oases has been of critical importance for

trade and transportation routes in desert areas. Caravans must

travel via oases so that supplies of water and food can be

replenished. Thus, political or military control of an oasis has

in many cases meant control of trade on a particular route.

Oases are formed from underground rivers or aquifers such

as the Artesian aquifer, where water can reach the surface

naturally by pressure or by man made wells. Occasional brief

thunderstorms provide subterranean water to sustain natural

oases. Substrata of impermeable rock and stone can trap water

and retain it in pockets; or on long faulting subsurface ridges

or volcanic dikes water can collect and percolate to the surface.

Any incidence of water is then used by migrating birds who

also pass seeds with their droppings which will grow at the

waters edge forming an oasis.

People who live in an oasis use every bit of land. Water has

to be used carefully. The fields must be irrigated to grow plants

like dates, figs, olives and apricots. The most important plant

in an oasis is the date palm which forms the upper layer. Palm

trees provide shade for smaller trees like peach trees. They form

the middle layer. Plants like potatoes, onions, carrots, and other

vegetable form the lowest layer. The date palms do not only

protect other plants from the burning sun – all parts of an oasis

are very important for the people. By growing plants in different

layers the farmers make best use of the soil and the water.

Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia, is the largest oasis in the world. Las

Vegas Valley, United States, an area that started off as an oasis

in the vast Mojave desert has over the years grown into a vibrant

metropolitan area of over 2 million people, location of the famed

Las Vegas Strip.

The Story of Aluminium

The ancient Greeks and Romans used alum in medicine as

an astringent, and in dyeing processes. Aluminium was first

isolated by Hans Christian Oersted in 1825 who reacted

aluminium chloride(AlCl3) with potassium amalgam, an alloy

of potassium and mercury. Heating the resulting aluminium

amalgam under reduced pressure caused the mercury to boil

away leaving aluminium metal. Aluminium is celebrating only

190 years since its birth, making it the most recently discovered

metal in common use.

Aluminium is used in an enormous variety of products, due

to its particular properties. It has low density, is non-toxic, has

a high thermal conductivity, has excellent corrosion resistance,

and can be easily cast, machined and formed. It is also nonmagnetic

and non-sparking. It is the second most flexible metal

and the sixth most spongy. It is therefore extensively used for

kitchen utensils, outside building decoration and in any area

where a strong, light, easily constructed material is needed.

Aluminium is extracted from the Aluminium ore, most

commonly bauxite, that is found in the areas lying in the tropical

and the sub tropical belt on earth. Aluminum constitutes 8% of

the earth’s crust. Large deposits of bauxite are located in the

continents like North America, South America, Africa, Australia

and Asia and small deposits in Europe. The world production

of Aluminium is around 28.9 million tons, China being the

largest producer followed by Russia, Canada and United States.

Aluminum stands second in the largest consumed metals in the

world, it is also true that the world consumption level has also

risen significantly in the last few years.

The companies under the India Aluminum Industry:

Hindalco (Hindalco Industries Ltd)

Indal (Indian Aluminum Co Ltd)

Nalco (National Aluminum Co Ltd)

Balco (Bharat Aluminum Co Ltd)

Malco (Madras Aluminum Co Ltd)

*******************************

Tikki Tikki Tembo

A chain tale from China

Once upon a time in far away China there lived two

brothers, one named Sam, and one named Tikki Tikki

Tembo. No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai

Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako.

Now one day the two brothers were playing near the

well in their garden when Sam fell into the well, and Tikki

Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem

Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako ran

to his mother, shouting, “Quick, Sam has fallen into the

well. What shall we do?”

“What?” cried the mother, “Sam has fallen into the

well? Run and tell father!”

Together they ran to the father and cried, “Quick, Sam

has fallen into the well. What shall we do?”

“Sam has fallen into the well?” cried the father. “Run

and tell the Gardner!”

Then they all ran to the Gardner and shouted, “Quick,

Sam has fallen into the well. What shall we do?”

“Sam has fallen into the well?” cried the Gardner, and

then he quickly fetched a ladder and pulled the poor boy

from the well, who was wet and cold and frightened, and

ever so happy to still be alive.

Some time afterward the two brothers were again playing

near the well, and this time Tikki Tikki Tembo No

Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom

Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako fell into the well, and

Sam ran to his mother, shouting, “Quick, Tikki Tikki

Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai

Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom

Barako has fallen into the well. What

shall we do?”

“What?” cried the mother, “Tikki

Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari

Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom

Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako

has fallen into the well? Run and tell

father!”

Together they ran to the father and

cried, “Quick, Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari

Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno

Dom Barako has fallen into the well. What shall we do?”

“Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie

Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom

Barako has fallen into the well?” cried the father. “Run

and tell the Gardner!”

Then they all ran to the gardner and shouted, “Quick,

Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry

Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako

has fallen into the well. What shall we do?”

“Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie

Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom

Barako has fallen into the well?” cried the gardner, and

then he quickly fetched a ladder and pulled Tikki Tikki

Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai

Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako from the

well, but the poor boy had been in the water so long that

he had drowned.

And from that time onwards, the Chinese have given

their children short names.

Extra Ordinary Life :

Lal Bahadur Sahstri

The life of Lal Bahadur

Shastri (1904-66), India.s

second Prime Minister is an

absorbing saga of a man who

suffered the pangs of poverty

in early life but rose to political

eminence on the strength of

moral principle. Though small in physical stature he

was a man of great courage and will. He led his life with

great simplicity and honesty and was a great source

of inspiration for all the countrymen.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904

at Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Sharada

Prasad and Ramdulari Devi. Though Sharada Prasad

was poor, he lived a life of honesty and integrity. Lal

Bahadur lost his father when he was only one. Ramdulari

Devi raised Lal Bahadur and her two daughters at her

father.s house.

There is a very famous incident regarding Lal

Bahadur Shastri.s childhood which took place when

he was six years old. One day, while returning from

school, Lal Bahadur and his friends went to an orchard

that was on the way to home. Lal Bahadur Shastri was

standing below while his friends climbed the trees to

pluck mangoes. Meanwhile, the gardener came and

caught hold of Lalbahadur Shastri. He scolded Lal

Bahadur Shastri and started beating him. Lal Bahadur

Shastri pleaded to gardener to leave him as he was an

orphan. Taking pity on Lal Bahadur, the gardener said,

.Because you are an orphan, it is all the more important

that you must learn better behavior.. These words left

a deep imprint on Lal Bahadur Shastri and he swore to

behave better in the future.

Lal Bahadur joined Kashi Vidya Peeth and for

four years he studied philosophy. In 1926, Lal Bahadur

earned the degree of .Shastri.. In 1927, Lal Bahadur

Shastri married Lalitha Devi. The marriage

ceremony was very simple and Shastriji took only a

charkha (spinning wheel) and few yards of Khadi in

dowry.

His Achievements: Played a leading role in Indian

freedom struggle; became Parliamentary Secretary of

Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant, the then chief minister of

Uttar Pradesh; became the Minister of Police and

Transport in Pant.s Cabinet; appointed as the Railways

and Transport Minister in the Central Cabinet; also held

the portfolios of Transport & Communications,

Commerce and Industry, and Home Ministry in the

Central cabinet; His contribution in providing more

facilities to travelers in third class compartments

cannot be forgotten. He reduced the vast disparity

between the first class and third class in the Railways.

By his action Lal Bahadur Shastri set new standards of

morality in public life.

After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, Lal

Bahadur Shastri was unanimously elected as the Prime

Minister of India. Although his tenure as Prime Minister

lasted only nineteen months, it was a period of high

excitement and drama. It was a difficult time and the

country was facing huge challenges. There was food

shortage in the country and on the security front

Pakistan was creating problems. In 1965, Pakistan tried

to take advantage of India.s vulnerability and attacked

India. Mild-mannered Lal Bahadur Shastri rose to the

occasion and led the country ably. To encourage

soldiers and farmers he coined the slogan of .Jai Jawan,

Jai Kisan.. Pakistan lost the war and Shastriji.s

leadership was praised all over the world.

In January 1966, India and Pakistan signed the joint

declaration for peace under Russian mediation. The

joint declaration was signed on January 10, 1966 and

Lal Bahadur Shastri died of heart attack on the same

night.

When Shastri died he left no house, no land, no

money. But he did leave behind an example which is

morally inspiring. In an age riddled with political

corruption, his career of exemplary integrity

possesses a very special relevance for contemporary

India as well as the world.

True Stories that Inspire:

Sadhu Sunder Singh -II

There are many adventurous events

of Sunder Singh’s life, two of which are

given below:

At a town called Rasar he was

arrested for sharing the Truth about

Jesus Christ and was punished. He was

led away to the place of execution. He

was stripped of his clothes, and cast

into the dark depths of a deep dry well

with such violence that his right arm was injured. Many

others had gone down this same well before him never to

return, and he fell on a mass of human bones land rotting

flesh.

Day passed into night, bringing no relief. Without food

or even water, the hours grew into days, and Sunder felt

he could not last much longer. On the third night, he heard

a grating sound overhead. Someone was opening the

locked lid of the well. He heard the key turn and the rattle

of the iron covering as it was drawn away. Then a voice

called from the top of the well, telling him to take hold of

the rope.As the rope reached him he grasped it with all his

remaining strength, and was strongly but gently pulled up

from the evil place into the fresh air above.

When he arrived at the top of the well, the lid was drawn

over again and locked. When he looked round, his deliverer

was nowhere to be seen, but the pain in his arm was gone,

and the clean air filled him with new life. All that Sunder

could do was to praise God for His wonderful deliverance.

When Sunder went onto the town he was arrested again

and questioned. When he told the story of his marvelous

escape, the Lama was greatly angered, declaring that

someone must have secured the key and gone to his rescue,

but when search was made for the key and it was found on

his own girdle, he was speechless with amazement and

fear. He then ordered Sunder to leave the city and get

away as far as possible, lest his powerful God should bring

some untold disaster upon himself and his people.

Here is another amazing event in Sundar’s life: On the

summit of one of the mountains of the Kailash Range was

a deserted Buddhist temple. A few miles from this temple

dwelt the great saint known as the Maharshi of Kailash, in

a cave some 13,000 feet above the sea level. In the summer

of 1912, Sunder traveled through these regions alone and

on foot. One day Sunder was struck by snow-blindness

and almost wearied to death, he staggered drearily on over

snowy and stony crags, suddenly he lost his balance and

fell. Recovering from the fall, he awoke to one of the

greatest experiences of his life, for he opened his eyes to

find himself lying outside a huge cave, in the shelter of

which sat the Maharishi of Kailash in deep meditation.

The sight that met his eyes was so appalling that Sunder

closed them and almost fainted. Little by little, he ventured

to inspect the object before him, and then discovered that

he was looking at a living human being, but so old and

clothed with long hair as to appear at first glance like an

animal. Sunder realized that unexpectedly he had

succeeded in his search after a holy man, and as soon as

he could command his voice, he spoke to the aged saint.

The saint opened his eyes and, casting a piercing glance

upon the Sadhu, amazed him by saying, ‘Let us kneel and

pray.’ Then followed a most earnest Christian prayer

ending in the name of Jesus. This over, the Maharishi

unrolled a ponderous copy of the Gospels in Greek and

read some verses from the fifth chapter of Matthew.

Sadhu Sunder Singh disappeared in the foothills of the

Himalayas in 1929. As a Christian witness, he had been

rejected as well as welcomed, persecuted, and even left

for dead. He made it clear that Christianity is not an

imported, alien, foreign religion but is indigenous to Indian

needs, aspirations, and faith. He remains one of the

permanently significant figures of Indian Christianity.

Youth Corner :

Youth in the Battlefield : An Introduction

Looking back at my childhood and remembering my struggles, I can

say that it is really difficult and unfair to judge a teenager at face value.

Truly, it was a battlefield for me. Sometimes, parents seemed to be my

enemy, sometimes grandpa, grandma and may be the whole world seemed

to be against me. Yet, now when I become judgmental towards a teenager,

he/she may be feeling the same way as I felt towards my elders.

Yes!!! Life is a battlefield. But the “impression” that elders & parents

are enemies is not a true fact. Now, at adulthood and married, I realize that

the enemies were not my elders but it was my vulnerability. As human

beings we are vulnerable to make mistakes if we fail to handle our lives

successfully. There is vulnerability to seven of the major aspects of life,

which creep into life at a point of time. These seven aspects of life are

important yet difficult to handle. Every teenager struggles while facing these

aspects of life. I struggled too. These seven aspects of life are like

battlefields for the teenagers and the youth but if not conquered will leave

scars both emotionally, spiritually and physically. Yet these battles play a

great role in shaping up our personality and make us either a winner or a

looser.

Now let’s look into these seven battlefields one at a time in the coming

series .They are listed as follows:

1. Battlefield: Peer Pressure

2. Battlefield: Sexuality

3. Battlefield: Love Life

4. Battlefield: Career

5. Battlefield: Family

6. Battlefield: Addictions

7. Battlefield: Spirituality

So friends! Do not miss out the next issue of “Prajapati” as these topics

will be discussed in detail.

Mr. Chiradeep Patra is happily married to Asmita and is working in a

Christian NGO called National Fellowship at Kolkata.

He can be contacted at: chiradeep.nf@gmail.com

For Prayer & Counseling email us:

share_your_problems@hotmail.com

Visit our website: www.thecandles.wordpress.com

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www.candlesmagazine.blogspot.com