‘The Black Dahlia’ was a nickname given to Elizabeth Short, an American woman who was the victim of a much-publicized murder in 1947. ‘The Black Dahlia’ nickname may have been derived from a film murder mystery, ‘The Blue Dahlia’ released in April 1946. Elizabeth Short was found mutilated, her body sliced in half at the […]
ClauWau is a world Santa Claus championship held in EngadinSamnaun. Do you know: With 30 teams participating, all the money goes to a Swiss aid organization known as JederRappenZählt. The ClauWau is held in a Swiss ski resort, with the first day organized completely as a Charity day with music shows and presentations. From the
The news that Lakshmana had been defeated and dropped unconscious by the two young boys was carried to Rama. He was upset and called Bharata. Bharata came promptly and heard all that Rama said. Humbly, he replied, “We have never faced such a defeat or humiliation, O King! This must be the result of Mother
Lakshmana was puzzled how two little boys could cause so much havoc. When he saw the boys, he liked them immensely. Lovingly, he explained to them that they must let the horse go. Luv and Kush were in a naughty mood. Kush shot off an arrow that toppled Lakshmana’s crown. This angered Lakshmana and he
Las Bolas de Fuego or ‘Balls of fire’ is a traditional event that takes place annually in El Salvador. Do you know: This festival was organized for the first time in 1922, when two groups began throwing flaming balls of fire at each other. There are many legends behind the tradition; a popular one of
Shatrughna forgot that the two facing him were mere boys. He was so angry at the defeat of his soldiers that he attacked the boys furiously. Luv and Kush were more than capable of defending themselves. They had been trained by Valmiki in archery. He had also told them the story of Sri Rama. The
Death Anniversaries are post-funeral customs practised by many Asian countries. Do you know: Death Anniversaries are celebrated on the day the members of a family or relatives passed away. From Meinichi in Japan, Jichen in China to Gio in Vietnam and Shraadh in India, death anniversaries have varying customs, but they all are organized for
The boys killed many soldiers and many ran away terrified at the unexpected prowess of the boys. Shatrughna had come up by then. When he saw the two boys, he felt deep love for them and offered to give them toys in exchange for the horse. “Please give me the horse,” he requested. He explained
The Bimini Road is an underwater rock formation near North Bimini Island in the Bahamas. The road consists of a 0.8 km-long composed limestone blocks. It could have been either a wall, road, pier, breakwater or other man-made structure. However, there is no credible evidence or arguments. Having rounded corners, the blocks resemble giant loaves
One day, the horse reached Valmiki’s ashrama. Kush and Luv saw the gorgeous horse and were thrilled. They promptly caught the horse and tied it to a tree. They saw the declaration tied around its neck and waited for the horse’s guards to arrive. Soon the troops arrived. They were annoyed to see the horse
Yahrtzeit is a Jewish tradition to remember the dead relatives. Do you know: Amongst Ladino Jews, this tradition is known as Nahala. During Yahrtzeit, a special candle that burns 24 hours is lit and the mourner’s version of the Kaddish prayer is recited thrice a day. While some believe that fasting during Yahrtzeit is required,
In Ayodhya Rama wished to perform the Ashwamedha yajna that establishes the superiority of an emperor over other kingdoms. Rama and his brothers invited all the learned men, rishis, kings and princes across the land. It was customary for yajnas to be performed by the husband and wife together. Rama never thought of any woman
Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom that is more than 500 years old. Do you know: Based on the lunar calendar, the Obon festival is organized at three different times in a year. The Obon festival evolved out of a story of one of the Buddha’s disciples–Mokori and his offerings to the Buddhist monks to
During the rainy season, Shatrughna stopped at Valmiki’s ashrama for a night on his way to slay Lavanasura. It so happened that on the same night Seeta gave birth to twin boys. The ashrama children ran to tell Valmiki the news. He was delighted and came to see the little ones. He arranged for their
Seeta watched the chariot going further and further away. She wept miserably at the terrible tragedy that had befallen her. Some children from the ashrama, playing near by, saw her crying and ran to tell sage Valmiki about her. Valmiki was gifted with divine vision. He could see well into the future. He immediately understood