Super cyclone Phailin (फाईलीन समुद्री तूफ़ान) blows down Indian northeast coast of Bay of Bengal

In emergency Call at:

1. Phailin Srikakulam control room number: 08942 240557 
2. Phailin Emergency toll free number:  180042500002  

- Harish Jharia

12 October 22013

The super cyclone Phailine*** (फाईलीन समुद्री तूफ़ान / चक्रवात / बवंडर) has formed somewhere in the Bay of Bengal and moving at 20 kmph speed towards Indian coast. The deadly cyclone is expected to hit Gopalpur of Orissa, India at about 8pm India time today, 12 October 2013 at a speed of 220 kmph. The Phailine Cyclone is going to sustain for about 6 hours minimum.  

In addition to Orissa, where Phailine is going to devastate the most, this cyclone will also hit Andhra Pradesh coast and West Bengal seashores severely.  Today on 12 October 2013 at noon rain and wind lashed India's east coast and forced about 4,50,000 people to flee their habitats and take shelter in government camps. 

Spreading over most of the waters of Bay of Bengal, the cyclone Phailin was about 200 km (124 miles) offshore at noon on Saturday and was expected to hit the land by late evening. As per the estimates of the weather forecast authorities, It expected to be a "super cyclone", and is expected to affect 12 million people.

It is for the first time that the government has taken advance evacuation of people as disaster management process in India. Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have been pressed in attending to rescue operations. The weather forecast department is keeping content vigil on the progress of the super cyclone. Sources from the National Disaster Management Authority NDMA and National Disaster Response Force NDRF have said that more than 440,000 people have been evacuated, as disaster management action and this is one of the largest evacuations ever undertaken in India.

People are advised not to panic and better keep cool and move to safer places as and when advised by the rescuing personnel. The advance preparations made by the authorities will definitely minimize losses of lives to the super cyclone Phailine.

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*** The super cyclone ‘Phailin’ has been named so by Thailand. The meaning of Phailin is sapphire (नीलम), a precious stone.   
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Uttarakhand floods - Indian politicians reaping political advantages out of Kedarnath cloudbursts catastrphe

 

- Harish Jharia

Indian state Uttarakhand witnessed a nightmarish catastrophe on 16th and 17th June that started with heavy rains on Kedarnath Mountains, followed by cloudbursts, killing a thousand plus people and devastating billions of Rupees of properties of the holy shrine Kedarnath Dham and hundreds of villages in its vicinity. 

The Uttarakhand state government, the district administration and other self-governing bodies miserably failed to evacuate the stranded pilgrims from the devastated pilgrimage township. The authorities also ignored the widespread devastation across the hundred odd villages and the starving people of those villages of Gadhwal Hills. 

Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh and the ruling alliance UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi went on an aerial survey of the devastated area of Kedarnath Mountains. Their aerial surveillance of the leaders resulted in huge deployment of army personnel including Indian Army, Indian Air force, ITBP, and other paramilitary forces. These armed forces and paramilitary personnel did exemplary services to the stranded people and saving lives of thousands of pilgrims in Kedarnath and elsewhere in the flood affected Himalayan valley. 

At the same time, the Indian politicians, especially from the ruling party in Uttarakhand and in the center, were busy in reaping political advantages by showing off their efforts in serving and helping the flood affected pilgrims. The most visible and widely publicized act was supplying food and relief material to the marooned people in the Himalayan pilgrimage. 

TV news channels beamed clips of trucks carrying relief material for the stranded pilgrims at Kedarnath hilly areas. It was declared that the relief material was sent by the government; at the same time, the trucks loaded with food and basic necessities were wrapped with huge banners displaying imaged of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. The banners also were carried captions of ‘Youth Congress’.  Some snaps of Sonia Gandhi flagging off truck fleets loaded with relief material along with her son Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders were also releases to the media. 

The chief minister of Uttarakhand refused permission to other state governments of Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh etc, when they offered to join the evacuation and relief operations in the Himalayan devastated hills. They even refused entry for trucks that were proposed to be sent by other state governments. The obvious reason for this arrogant refusal of humanitarian help was that the other chief ministers were heading non-congress governments. 

A couple of Congress spokespersons kept justifying Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s refusal of permission to other Indian states governments for the evacuation and rehabilitation mission. Nevertheless, the Uttarakhand government has accepted that they failed in saving the lives of thousands of pilgrims and billions of Rupees of properties. 

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16th June Uttarakhand floods and cloudburst on Kedarnath Hills: how could the disaster be minimized?

- Harish Jharia

How and why did the devastation occur:

16 June 2013 was the worst day in the history of Kedarnath shrine that turned into a real hell for the next 24 hours until 17th June 2013, stranding 50,000 plus pilgrims, leaving more than 19,000 people missing and 5000 feared dead in the catastrophe.    

The nightmarish deadly episode is believed to have been initiated with incessant heavy rains followed by a massive cloudburst that resulted in fragmentation and landslides of Kedar Dome Mountain due to enormous accumulation of water in the valley.  Huge masses of mud silt and rocks along with heavy floods of rainwater swept down the mountains engulfing the Kedarnath Shrine and the township around the holy pilgrimage. 

The weather conditions in the valley started deteriorating on Saturday the 16th June and turned into a mammoth devastating machine after Mandakini River began to swell and enormous floodwater swept down the mountains. Subsequently, in the early hours of Sunday the 17th June, the deadly cloudburst took place and a huge volume of rainwater flooded down the hills with massive deadly force. 

Huge rocks broke away from Kedar Dome Mountain and rolled down towards the Kedarnath Shrine. These mammoth rocks got stuck at some distance from the temple, thereby forming an obstruction for the flooding water, mud silt and debris to strike the Kedarnath Temple. These rocks diverted the direction of the flow of mud and sludge, away from the main temple and prevented its destruction. Nevertheless, the ‘Himalayan Tsunami’ devastated everything else in the Kedarnath Township that came in its way.

Where the Government failed in protecting Kedarnath Shrine and pilgrims:

1. The cloudburst, fragmentation of mountain and floods were natural disasters that could not be stopped or averted by human efforts. Nevertheless, proper advanced precautions, weather forecasting arrangements and hi-altitude civic management (town planning) could have reduced the devastation and deaths of thousands of innocent pilgrims. 
2. Weather / Cloudburst forecast and precautions:
3. There is a misconception in the minds of people and the government that ‘cloudbursts’ cannot be predicted. Experts say that tailor-made cloudburst forecast equipments are available in the world that could be installed at places like Kedarnath, Badrinath etc where thousands of pilgrims use to visit round the year. Such infrastructures may also be installed at the tourists’ places at hi-altitudes where possibilities of cloudbursts are there.
4. The authorities should also take precautionary measures for reducing the probable devastation and deaths. They could be something like the following:
5. Hi-tech weather and cloudburst forecasting infrastructure should be installed at these vulnerable places. 
6. Huge and strong concrete walls should be constructed around the shrines and localities at the bases of the hills, in order to divert the flow of flood waters. 
7. Deep rooted trees and thick shrubs should be grown on the hills and mountains for avoiding landslides and fragmentation of the hills and mountains.
8. All the hilly roads should have extra strong reinforcement done along the slopes beside them. 
9. Extra strong reinforcement is also required to be provided at the banks of rivers like Mandakini where residential buildings, hotels and commercial structures are constructed alongside. Many buildings were uprooted and catapulted when the flood-waters swept away the earth at riverbanks during the Kedarnath catastrophe. 

Disaster management:

Disaster Management, an essential requirement in modern-day civic life is practically nonexistent in India. India will have to work on something like the following lines:

1. We should have an effective Disaster Management infrastructure and a dedicated workforce to implement its activities. 
2. There should be a laid-down drill specified for the Disaster Management Authorities without any confusion, bias or prejudice. 
3. The State Government as well as the Central Government should be equally responsible for addressing the emergency crisis.
4. The concerned Collector, state and central Ministers and other civic officials should reach the affected place or at the nearest possible locations for managing the activities of Disaster Management. 
5. There should be a time limit for attending to each action viz- initialization; food & water supply; rescue operation; recovery of essential commodities, currency and treasures; medical assistance and escorting people to the nearest location or facilities to their destinations etc.  

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India successfully test-fired nuclear capable Agni-II Missile (IRBM)

Based on a Press Trust of India PTI report

Agni-II, a 2000km plus medium-range, nuclear capable missile has been successfully test-fired by India today on 7 April 2013 from Wheeler Island, off Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) coast. As per defense sources, the trial of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted at around 10.20 am from a mobile launcher of the Integrated Test Range (ITR).

As published in the press, Agni-II, Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) has already been inducted in the Armed Forces. Today’s test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army, as a part of their training exercises. The logistic support has been provided by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The two-stage missile has been, equipped with advanced high-accuracy navigation system. It has been guided by a latest state-of-the art command and control system. Agni-II has been filled-in with solid rocket propellant.

A defense representative said that the entire trajectory of the projectile was tracked by a hi-tech battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations and optoelectronic instrumentation etc, installed on naval ships around the impact point in deep seas area.
The 20-metre-long Agni-II Missile is a two-stage, solid-propellant ballistic missile. It weighs 17 ton and is capable of carrying a payload of 1,000 kg across a distance of 2,000 km.

Agni-II Missile is a part of the Agni series of missiles being developed by the DRDO. Sources said that the Agni series includes Agni-I Missile with 700 km range; Agni-III Missile with 3,000 km range; Agni-IV Missile with 4,000 km range and Agni-V Missile with a 5,000+ km range.

Write to us at: contact.discoverlife@gmail.com

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Discover Life wishes a joyful and colorful Holi to visitors and members

Holi is the festival of colors, joy and happiness 

We wish our visitors and members a Very Happy Holi and pray the God almighty to fill their lives with brilliant colors of happiness and joy.

God bless us all...

Harish Jharia

Discover life

27 March 2013

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The Most Beautiful And Heaviest Flying Bird: Great Indian Bustard, Son Chiraiyya, सोन चिरैया, Ardeotis Nigriceps

© Harish Jharia

One of the most endangered species among Indian birds is the ‘Great Indian Bustard’ lovingly called ‘Son Chiraiyya’ (सोन चिरैया) in Hindi, with the scientific name 'Ardeotis Nigriceps'.

Indian folklore about the great Indian Bustard (Son Chiraiyya) सोन चिरैया:

I still remember my childhood days of early 50s when I used to hear about Son Chiraiyya in folk stories, folk songs and village life. I remember mothers crying at the time of their daughter’s departure after marriages and whispering the words “My Son Chiraiyya has fluttered away..!” (मेरी सोन चिरैया उड़ गई रे..!). Son Chiraiyya was extensively loved and remembered among common folks as well as in contemporary literature including novels, stories and poems. But, I never saw the bird in my life in its natural habitat. I, of course, had a chance to see this wonderful bird in the national zoo in Hyderabad. 

More about the great Indian Bustard (Son Chiraiyya) सोन चिरैया:

The great Indian Bustard is one of the largest and heaviest flying birds in the world. Its height above the ground and length is approximately 1 meter each and it weighs about 8 to 15 kg. This extremely endangered terrestrial bird’s species was once flourishing across the grasslands of undivided India, but today is total population has reduced to 250 birds and are confined to small patches of grasslands in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in India. 

These birds are not selective eaters. Their diet depends on the seasonal availability of food. They eat grass seeds; insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and even go for small rodents and reptiles. They are built to survive in harsh weather conditions, yet they have gone extinct because of hunting and poaching. They have been annihilated from almost 90% of their grasslands they inhabited have been converted into agricultural land and urbanized into villages, towns and cities.

In spite of the fact that they are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, they are still being hunted for sport and meat by aristocrats.  

Historical References about The great Indian Bustard: 

Descriptions of the great Indian Bustard are found in the Rajput, Mogul and Maratha periods’ history also. Warriors of that period, especially the Moghuls and British shooters were fond of hunting the great Indian Bustard as it was considered a highly skilled hunting adventure by shooting a fast flying target. Moghuls and British soldiers in India considered it a delicacy. The great Indian Bustard was among the top game-birds of that period and that was the reasons that the great Indian Bustard has become extinct (दुर्लभ) today. 

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Editor's Page: Fake Prediction for End of the World on 21 December 2012 Proved Absolutely False

    The doomsday or holocaust on 21 December proved fake

Friday, December 21, 2012; New Delhi, India

Today is 21 December 2012 and the sun has already risen in Australia and Asia.  The sun is going to rise in Europe and America in a few hours and declare the holocaust date of 21 December 2012. I am sure nothing bad or good is going to happen in the world just because of the Mayan prediction of the dooms day. 

Now we should stop believing on any sorts of predictions based on any ancient or modern astrology; because, predictions for future happenings are not possible in the least. 

For detailed information please read our article:
End of the World on The Doomsday Catastrophe on 21 December 2012, The Holocaust प्रलय... Is it really possible..?
URL: http://www.discovery-of-life.com/2012/12/end-of-world-on-doomsday-catastrophe-on.html

© Harish Jharia
New Delhi, India 

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End of the World on The Doomsday Catastrophe on 21 December 2012, The Holocaust प्रलय... Is it really possible..?

Imaginary Sydney scenario on the Doomsday 2012 (Herald Sun)

© Harish Jharia 

We have been hearing about the predicted holocaust on 21 December 2012 for many years. Even a Hollywood movie has been made on this subject, showing the entire world submerged under sea water and the absolute end of nature and life on the planet earth. 

I do not know why I never got scared about this theory of abrupt devastation of Mother Nature on a particular single day. I always believed that the earth, nature and life took billions of years for its creation. Therefore, its devastation like holocaust प्रलय should also take the same length of time. The end of the world cannot happen abruptly in a day. Nevertheless, the doomsday December 21, 2012 is widely discussed among the believers and nonbelievers of this hypothetical imaginary catastrophe, across the electronic and print media. 

What is the basis of 21 December 2012 doomsday prediction..?

As I have understood from various concerned material, the dooms day has been predicted based on the Mayan Calendar according to which the earth has been created with a specific age and once it completes the span of its age the earth will be devastated with occurrence of holocaust प्रलय on 21 December 2012. 

According to Mayan beliefs certain cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on 21 December 2012 when this date is regarded as the end-date of a 5125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. Using a modified vigesimal (base 20 numeral system) tally, the Long Count calendar identifies the doomsday by counting the number of days passed since an imaginary date of creation of the world, believed to have started from 11 August 3114 BCE in the Gregorian calendar.

                           Mayan Calendar 

Who were the Mayan People..?

The Maya people were the combined tribes of diverse ranges of native Americans hailing from northern Mexico and southern central America. The term "Maya" is a collective designation including the peoples of the region who shared similar cultural and linguistic heritage. Moreover, the term Maya represents many distinct populations, societies, and ethnic groups, following their own particular traditions, cultures, and historical identity.

How far the belief of Doomsday, Holocaust, प्रलय on 21 December 2012 is true..?

1. The belief about the holocaust प्रलय is absolutely wrong because it is based on unscientific theories.
2. This doomsday has been calculated with the knowhow of astrology prevalent in the prehistoric era when the modern scientific theories were not discovered. 
3. This doomsday has been predicted out of folkloric astrological calculations that cannot be considered dependable and believed indiscriminately.
4. The rumor about 21 December 2012 has spread out of viral internet spams and should be simply ignored.
5. 21st December 2012 is going to be a normal day just like anyother day of our common life.
6. We should not get scared about any abnormal happening like meteoric bombardment, devastation due to earthquakes, natural calamities like tsunamis   or submerging of world under deep waters. 
7. 21st December 2012 is not going to be any doomsday of holocaust प्रलय and we all should live our normal and fearless lives. 

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The Temples of Modern India: Huge Dams on Narmada River turn into burial grounds

Sardar Sarovar Dam: The overflow of deadly waters...

Arbitrary abuse of nature...

© Harish Jharia

The first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru set targets for fast-track overall progress in India. The ‘5 year plan’ program, picked up from the erstwhile Soviet Union USSR, was the core policy, which the Indian government followed, planned and implemented all the long term huge projects. 

These projects included the public sector undertakings like Hindustan Machine Tools HMT, Bhilai Steel Plant and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd HAL etc and the huge dams like Hira Kud Dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam and Bhakra Nangal Dam etc, across the respective Indian rivers. Jawaharlal Nehru said that all these huge projects are the temples of modern India. They looked so because they were built for making the country self-sufficient, surging up employment opportunities, proving irrigation to the dry-land agricultural fields and reducing the occurrence of floods in the low-lying areas along the big rivers. 

Nehru’s dreams proved to be quite effective in the initial decades when the projects were under construction and under employment stages. The temples of modern India slowly turned into white elephants and the dams became burial grounds. India went into enormous amount of international debts; she borrowed from Russia and other countries. Moreover, the public sector undertakings could not achieve the target-efficiency and production output and eventually became sick Industries. Today, approximately 80% - 90% PSUs have become white elephants, and are surviving with unilateral financial aid from the Indian government treasury for salaries and maintenance of the PSUs. 

        The unheard cry of the people of India

The huge dams were basically constructed for hydropower generation, irrigation and controlling devastating floods in the catchment areas of the respective rivers. But as on today the 4000 plus huge dams of enormous size are no more the temples of modern India they, in fact, have turned into burial grounds for the people and properties of the people of  India.

1.  We may list out the devastating effects of the 4000 odd huge dams constructed allover India:
2. Hundreds of villages and dozens of towns have been submerged under the waters in the catchment areas of the dams.
3. Huge areas of agricultural fields, natural forests and valleys have vanished under the waters of the large dams.    
4. Thousands of people have been displaced from their ancestral homes leaving behind all their inherited properties.
5. The waters have swallowed the footprints of ancient civilizations submerged along with the old settlements.
6. The displaced people have been forcibly driven away in exchange of meager compensations inadequate for their resettlement. 
7. Adequately developed lands suitable for human settlement have not been provided to the displaced people.
8. The dams have not generated adequate hydropower as compared to the investment, submerging natural resources and properties for constructing them.
9. India is still depending on the Thermal power as hydropower generation could not reach the demand. 
10. The irrigation provided from the waters of dams could be considered quite adequate. 
11. Nevertheless, rampant corruption is reported in providing canals to the agricultural fields. 
12. Major portion of available irrigation water is captured by the wealthy farmers in exchange of bribes.
13. The poor farmers are kept aside at the time of distribution of water and widespread protests by poor farmers are reported from the affected areas. 
14. These huge dams become disastrous during rainy seasons because the dam management release huge amount of water that result into deadly floods in the low-lying areas at the banks of the rivers. 
15. All the deadly floods reported in 2012 are the results of arbitrary release of huge amount of water from dams and not due to rains in the affected areas. 
16. The height of the dams and the water levels in dams are highly controversial.
17. Many dams on Narmada have stored excessive water due to the heights of the dams; resulting in higher water levels that eventually result is submerging excessive area beyond the specified catchment area. 

Following are the huge dams on Narmada River in central India: 

1. Sardar Sarovar Dam
2. Maheshwar Dam
3. Maan Dam
4. Indira Sagar Dam
5. Bargi Dam
6. Goi Dam
7. Jobat Dam

Following are some of the huge dams out 400 plus dams in India:

1. Bhakra Nangal Dam: across the Sutlej river Himachal Pradesh.
2. Bhavanisagar Dam: across Bhavani river, Tamil Nadu.
3. Bisalpur Dam: Bisalpur, located in Tonk District of Rajasthan.
4. Cheruthoni Dam: in Kerala.
5. Hirakud Dam: across the Mahanadi River Orissa.
6. Indira Sagar Dam: built on the Narmada river in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
7. Koyna Dam: across river koyana in Koyna Naga Maharashtra.
8. Krishnarajasagar Dam: built across Kaveri River near Mysore in Karnataka.
9. Maithon Dam: built on the river of Barakar, Jharkhand.
10. Mettur Dam: across Kaveri River at Salem district in Tamil Nadu.
11. Nagarjunasagar Dam: built across Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh.
12. Rihand Dam: across Rihand River a tributary of Sone river, Uttar Pradesh
13. Sardar Sarovar Dam: also known as “Narmada Dam” across Narmada River in Gujarat.
14. Tehri Dam: on the Bhagirathi River, Uttarakhand.
15. TungaBhadra Dam: across river Tungabhadra, Hospet town in Karnataka.

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Moon Phases: How they Differ From Lunar Eclipse?

        Click on the image to see enlarged view

© Harish Jharia

There is a celestial phenomenon called ‘the phases of moon’, in which the moon successively changes its shape, every day, from ‘full moon’ to ‘new moon’ in a fortnight and from ‘new moon’ to ‘full moon’ in the following fortnight. We are going to discuss phases of moon in this article in a common man’s language, without using scientific and astronomical terminologies. 

What are phases of moon?
As you know that the moon does not have its own glow and it would be visible to us only when sunrays fall on its surface. Sunrays illuminate half of the moon that is visible to us and the other half of it left dark and apparently remains invisible to us. This is so because moon is a spherical body. This half lit and half dark moon moves around our earth at different angles on different days. In these successively changing situations, the illuminated portion of moon looks to us in different shapes on different days.  

Full Moon (पूर्णिमा): 
Moon does not glow on its own and is only visible to us when sunrays fall on its surface. Full moon would be visible to us, in its full glow, when earth positions itself in-between sun and moon in a straight line.

New Moon (अमावस्या):
New-moon could be better caller as ‘no-moon’ because moon is not visible on new moon day. This situation arises when the moon positions itself between sun and earth and the dark half of the moon faces towards the earth in its day time. Resultantly, in day time the new moon remains invisible to us.

Phases of moon (चंद्र कलाएँ): 
Whereas, the new-moon remains invisible and full-moon shines in its full glow, the moon takes 15 days for growing from new-moon to full moon, successively increasing in its size day-by-day. From the very next day after new-moon and full-moon the changing sizes of the illuminated moon starts appearing in early mornings and late evenings.

You may refer the above illustration wherein various positions of moon vis-à-vis earth are shown receiving parallel sunrays from their left side. Apparently, the left halves of earth and moon are illuminated with sunlight (day time) and the right halves of those are left dark (night time). The shapes and views of moon (as visible from earth) in three different situations, that is- New-moon, full-moon and half-moon are also illustrated at the bottom of the sketch.

Please also read "Lunar Eclipse: How It Differs From Moon Fazes" to know the difference between Lunar eclipse and lunar phases.

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Lunar Eclipse: How It Differs From Moon Fazes

                 Click on the image to see enlarged view

© Harish Jharia

Lunar eclipse is a celestial constellation in which we are not able to see full view of the circular bright moon. The bright portion of the moon is partly visible and the remaining portion of the circular view remains dark. 

There is another phenomenon that is called ‘the phases of moon’, in which the moon successively changes its shape, every day, from ‘full moon’ to ‘new moon’ in a fortnight and from ‘new moon’ to ‘full moon’ in the following fortnight. We are not going to discuss phases of moon in this article and will talk about it in another post on Discover Life. 

What is lunar eclipse?
Let us discuss lunar eclipse in a common man’s language, without using scientific or astronomical terminologies. In lunar eclipse we are able to see the moon only partially and the rest of the portion becomes dark. It appears as if a portion of the moon has been chopped off from its main body.

Full Moon: 
Moon does not glow on its own and is only visible to us when sunrays fall on its surface. Full moon would be visible to us, in its full glow, when earth moves in-between sun and moon in a straight line and the earth does not block sunrays from falling on the moon. 

Eclipse:
Eclipse of moon commonly known as lunar eclipse takes place only on full moon nights. The formation of all the three celestial bodies that is sun, earth and moon remains the same as described under full moon conditions. Nevertheless, there is a little difference that the earth, in addition to being in between sun and moon in a straight line, also obstructs sunlight from falling on the moon surface, either partially or fully. As a result of this obstruction the moon becomes dark and eclipse takes place.

You may refer to the above illustration in which the sun, earth and moon are shown in a straight line. The paths of sunbeams are also shown emerging from the sun and obstructed by the earth. You may clearly see a dark portion behind the earth where sunrays are not penetrating. The illustration shows moon, positioned in the dark triangle behind the earth. This is the ‘full lunar eclipse’ condition when entire moon plunges in the dark tunnel. However when the moon is partially submerged in the dark tunnel, that condition would be called ‘partial lunar eclipse’. 

Please also read "Moon Phases: How they Differ From Lunar Eclipse?" to know the difference between Lunar eclipse and lunar phases. 

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Pictures and Video of A Rare Natural Event: Snowfall in Ashburn, Virginia, USA on 29 October 20011

© Harish Jharia


My trip to the USA in 2011 has been quite special and exceptional as we witnessed snowfall in the month of October that is quite unusual and surely one of the unforgettable events.   Here are some pictures and a video shot at the beginning of the snowfall:  


             Click on the photo to see enlarged view

           Click on the photo to see enlarged view

            Click on the photo to see enlarged view

            Click on the photo to see enlarged view

               Click to play the video

All the pictures and video are shot on Nokia N8 12MPix mobile phone, at 1:00pm on 29 October 2011

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Human Life: The Most Complex Phenomenon

© Harish Jharia

We all know that our life is an unsolved mystery. Philosophers have been working overtime, since time immemorial, to find out a definition for human life. Yet, no one could evolve a suitable definition appropriate for the complexities and mysteries of the human life. My purpose of writing this article is not to suggest any definition. I would rather like to discuss some of the complexities of human life in this article.

              Rickshaw Pullers Kolkata

Some times in April 2004 there was a news item about a 65 year old rickshaw puller of Kolkata, India, who used to carry two passengers and a hundred kg baggage. Kolkata rickshaws are hand pulled carriages and need excessive energy for the rickshaw pullers to operate them. I just could not believe that 65 year old reshow pullers could run 40 plus kilometer carrying a load of 200kg.  These frail and old human beings pull the rickshaws by holding the pulling bars in hands and running barefoot on the tar-roads for miles together and earn their livelihood.

It would not be out of context that this happened in the state of west Bengal under the rule of a communist government.

                    Childhood in India  

I do not forget poor children picking up rice grains from an open drain in Pune, India and eating them straight from the stinking trash. I saw this horrific scene about 30 years back when I went to that city on a short trip. I do not have any doubts that the condition of poor slum dwellers might not have improved after 30 years.  

A recently produced British film “Slum-dog Millionaire” is a testimony of the ever depleting financial conditions of slum dwellers in Indian metro cities and down-towns.

              We and our parents

We always feel proud in declaring our parentage and linage, especially about our genetic inheritance from our fathers. We keep maintaining our family tree where we display the names of our forefathers with pride. In spite of this instinctive human tendency of the masses, you might find a few odd people who categorically reject genetic relations with their fathers, just because the parents happen to be ugly or handicapped.

 Social discrimination in India

My country India is one of the few republics in the world, where social discrimination is practiced even in this current age. A recent news headline reports about a newlywed couple who were refused entry in a temple of their own Hindu religion just because they belonged to the so-called ‘lower caste’. The couple was subsequently beaten up by the upper cast crowed when they insisted on entering the temple of their God and worship the lord.

The matter regarding social discrimination against lower casts, practiced in India was also raised in the global forum of United Nations. In spite of that, this barbaric and inhuman social stigma is widely practiced all through the length and breadth of Indian republic.

     Life of Indian rich and famous

India has figured on the world map of the richest people in the world. We boast of having about 7 to 9 richest Indians in the world. Nevertheless, while basking in glory, we forget and deliberately hide the fact that the poorest of the poor in the world are also Indians. Hundreds of farmers commit suicide in western India out of poverty. Thousand of rural population in eastern India is reported to have resorted to eating grass seeds and burnt rodents to survive; whereas many other unfortunates die out of starvation.

The proverb “bad-bad world’ appears to be true. There is rampant starvation, poverty, barbarism and injustice in the world of humans. Nevertheless, the world is still surviving because we believe that there might be a substantial population of better people who might be doing good for the underprivileged and the discriminated ones. Yet, just carrying wishful thinking would not help the world to survive. The existence of this planet has been threatened by outbreak of terrorism and regional extremism like the Naxalite militancy along the entire eastern coastline of India. We will have to wakeup from our self created fearless safe heavens and take some strong remedial measures to bring back the regime of humanity to the world.

How long the majority population will continue living underprivileged life. How long the poor are going to be discriminated and how long the less than 10% of the world’s population will govern over the planet earth and dictate terms to the masses? 

How long…?

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Disclaimer:
This article / Story / fiction is written based on my personal observations. My intention for publishing the same is to provide healthy reading and intellectual entertainment and not for educating the visitors. Names of people, societies, communities and description of faiths, beliefs, incidents are imaginary and fictitious. They have neither any relevance to the prevailing entities and traditions nor have any similarities with ongoing lifestyles, political ideologies and legal doctrines. The contents of this creative work has not been written with any intention to criticize, condemn or oppose anything what-so-ever present in reality in any country in the world. No literature or authentic books have been referred for writing the contents of this article. The visitors are advised not to refer the contents of this article for any research or testimony on scientific, geographical, political, civic or legal purposes. The visitors are further advised to consult relevant experts before adapting any information from this article. The author or the website are not responsible for any errors, mistakes, or omissions there in.
- Harish Jharia
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How Do Clouds Turn Into Rain Water?

© Harish Jharia


How Do Clouds Turn Into Rain Water?

This was a question that kept resounding in my mind for many years in my school days. I asked every possible answerer and was not convinced with their answers.



Clouds at 10km altitude... about to freeze...


The answers that I received from people and the doubts that I had in my childhood days were something like that written as follows:


1. Answer: The clouds carry water from the seas to the land and rain when they are stopped by some mountain, hills or forests.


My doubts: If clouds carry water, they should be heavy. Then how could they go up in the sky and move around. Moreover, what happens with the clouds when mountains, hills or forests stop them and convert them into showers of water?


2. Answer: Clouds are filled up in the trees of forests and are not allowed to go ahead unless they rain.


My doubts: what happens with the clouds when they are filled up in the hoard of trees in the forest and convert them into showers of water?


3. Answer: Clouds are made of water vapor and they rain when they hit against mountains.


My doubts: what happens with the clouds made of water vapor when they hit against mountains for converting them into showers of water?

No one could convince me with an answer that could clear my doubts about the conversion of clouds into showers of water that is more popularly known as rains. We were also taught about the water-cycle that:

1. The water of seas convert into water vapors and form clouds
2. Clouds go around to the mountains and hills and convert into water that resulted in rains
3. Rain water flow into rivers and eventually go back to the seas

In spite of having taught about water cycle I was not convinced as to “how the water vapor converts in to showers of water. I kept asking this question from many people including teachers and did not get a convincing answer.


We were also taught separately that the hill-stations have a colder weather. Hill stations along Himalayas get snowfall also in winters. There are hill stations in tropical regions like south India there also the temperature is lower than that in the other parts of the country. Nevertheless, these hill stations do not get snowfalls.


I connected this theory of low temperature on hills with the process of raining and was even not convinced with it because the hills and mountains are not everywhere on the land. Then how do the clouds rain in the areas of plain land, cities, and deserts where there are no mountains hills and forests.


I understood this theory convincingly only when I boarded a flight to a western country and observed the map on the onboard GPS system. I was flying at about 11km from the sea level and well above the clouds and the temperature was showing -70deg C.


There were gusts of winds at the speed of more than 100kmph when we got alerts about turbulence experienced by the aircraft and the pilots managing to maintain balance in the winds blowing in different directions.


This was the time when the unanswered question flashed in my mind that “How do the clouds convert into showers of water that are called rains?” and the answers that flashed in my mind were as follows:

1. There is subzero temperature at higher altitudes if you go 5 to 10 km above sea level
2. When the clouds go above this level they cool down and convert into grains of ice
3. These grains of ice join together and make blocks of ice that fall towards the earth
4. These ice blocks keep melting as they pass through the earth's atmosphere and eventually turn into water and fall on the earth as rains
5. The ice blocks that do not melt completely even after crossing the earth's atmosphere, fall on the earth as pieces of ice that is called hail, hailstorm or shower of hailstone.

That is how, I got the answer of my question...


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