Rohan Bopanna 4-March

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="229" caption="Rohan Bopanna"][/caption]

Rohan Bopanna (Kannada: ರೋಹನ್ ಬೋಪಣ್ಣ) (born 4 March 1980) is an Indian professional tennis player. His singles career high ranking was 213th in 2007. Recently, most of his appearances in professional tournaments has been in doubles matches. He is a member of theIndian Davis Cup team since 2002. In 2010, he finished as a runner-up in doubles at the US Open, partnering with Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi.

Bopanna started playing tennis at age 11. He reached his career high doubles rankings on 13 June 2011 when he was ranked world no. 9 in the ATP Rankings. He reached his career-high singles rankings of world no. 213 on 23 July 2007. Bopanna partnered with Qureshi in doubles in 2007. The duo, nicknamed the IndoPak Express, went on to win four Challenger titles in quick succession. However, it was only in the 2010 season that the pair broke into the top 10 doubles teams. That year, they reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, finished runners-up in the US Open and in five ATP Tour events, and won the Johannesburg Open. Bopanna also played a decisive role in India's 2010 Davis Cup triumph over Brazil, taking India back to the World Group for the first time since 1998.

He distinguished himself as a doubles player at the 2007 Hopman Cup. Bopanna's first ATP doubles title came in the 2008 Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles with Eric Butorac.

Jamsetji Tata 3-March

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Jamsetji Tata"][/caption] Jamsetji Tata was more than merely an entrepreneur who helped India take her place in the league of industrialised nations. He was a patriot and a humanist whose ideals and vision shaped an exceptional business conglomerate. We live in an age where greatness in historical personalities is as easily exaggerated as it is inequitably scrutinised. To rise above this paradox of hyperbolic inanity on the one hand, and cynical revisionism on the other, is difficult even for those whom posterity has vindicated. One person who does soar beyond such judgmental trivialities is Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, industrialist, nationalist, humanist and the founder of the House of Tata. The industrialist in Jamsetji was a pioneer and a visionary, possessed of a spirit of entrepreneurial adventure and acumen never seen before or since in a native of colonial India. The nationalist in him believed unwaveringly that the fruits of his business success would enrich a country he cared deeply about. These attributes, by themselves, would have been enough to mark him as an extraordinary figure. But what made Jamsetji truly unique, the quality that places him in the pantheon of modern India's greatest sons, was his humaneness. It is this characteristic from which stemmed Jamsetji's generosity of heart and his compassion for a citizenry labouring under the twin realities of oppressive foreign occupation and overwhelming poverty. The distinctive structure the Tata group came to adopt after Jamsetji's passing, with a huge part of its assets being held by trusts devoted to ploughing money into social-development initiatives, can be traced directly to the empathy embedded in the Founder's philosophy of business. Nothing of Jamsetji's childhood suggested he would create his own destiny. Born on March 3, 1839, in the sleepy town of Navsari in Gujarat, he was the first child and only son of Nusserwanji Tata, the scion of a family of Parsee priests. Many generations of the Tatas had joined the priesthood, but the enterprising Nusserwanji broke the mould, becoming the first member of the family to try his hand at business. Raised in Navsari, Jamsetji joined his father in Bombay when he was 14. Nusserwanji got him enrolled at Elphinstone College, from where he passed out in 1858 as a 'green scholar', the equivalent of today's graduate. The liberal education he received would fuel in Jamsetji a lifelong admiration for academics and a love of reading. Those passions would, though, soon take a backseat to what Jamsetji quickly understood was the true calling of the life: business. It was a far-from-opportune time for a young native to take his first, tentative steps into the volatile world that was business in the subcontinent. Jamsetji's entrepreneurial career began, in the words of JRD Tata, "when the passive despair engendered by colonial rule was at its peak". The Indian Mutiny of 1857 was but two years past when Jamsetji joined the small firm that his father, a merchant and banker, ran. He had just turned 20. Nusserwanji and Kaliandas, the partnership company his father presided over, was Jamsetji's first port of call. With Nusserwanji for teacher, Jamsetji, an eager learner, gradually grew from apprentice to a skilful practitioner of the business arts. He gained knowledge about commodities and markets, trading and banking. In 1868, aged 29 and wiser for the experience garnered by nine years of working with his father, Jamsetji started a trading company with a capital of Rs 21,000. The budding entrepreneur was by now accustomed to the fickleness of the business life, being witness to the failure of his father's banking enterprise. This episode blighted his first visit to England, where he was besieged by creditors, but Jamsetji also learned a lot on this trip, most significantly about the textile business. Jamsetji's maiden expedition to England, and others that he made in subsequent years, convinced him that there was tremendous scope for Indian companies to make a dent in the prevailing British dominance of the textile industry. Jamsetji made his move into textiles in 1869. He acquired a dilapidated and bankrupt oil mill in Chinchpokli, in the industrial heart of Bombay, renamed the property Alexandra Mill and converted it into a cotton mill. Two years later, Jamsetji sold the mill for a significant profit to a local cotton merchant. He followed this up with an extended visit to England, and an exhaustive study of the Lancashire cotton trade. The quality of men, machinery and produce that Jamsetji saw during this sojourn was impressive, but he was certain he could replicate the story in his own country. Jamsetji believed he could take on and beat the colonial masters at a game they had rigged to their advantage. The prevailing orthodoxy of the time determined that Bombay was the place to set up the new project, but Jamsetji's genius told him otherwise. He figured he could maximise his chances of success if he factored three crucial points into his plans: close proximity to cotton-growing areas, easy access to a railway junction, and plentiful supplies of water and fuel. Nagpur, near the heart of Maharashtra's cotton country, met all these conditions. In 1874, Jamsetji had floated a fresh enterprise, the Central India Spinning, Weaving and Manufacturing Company, with a seed capital of Rs 1.5 lakh. Three years later, his venture was ready to realise its destiny. On January 1, 1877, the day Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India, the Empress Mills came into existence in Nagpur. At the age of 37, Jamsetji had embarked on the first of his fantastic odysseys. The period following the establishment of Empress Mills was the most significant of Jamsetji's busy life. In hindsight, it was also the most poignant. From about 1880 to his death in 1904, Jamsetji was consumed by what has to be the three great ideas of his life: setting up an iron and steel company, generating hydroelectric power, and creating a world-class educational institution that would tutor Indians in the sciences. None of these would materialise while Jamsetji's lived, but the seeds he laid, the work he did and the force of will he displayed in fulfilling this triumvirate of his dreams ensured they would find glorious expression. The iron and steel idea got sparked when Jamsetji, on a trip to Manchester to check out new machinery for his textile mill, attended a lecture by Thomas Carlyle. By the early 1880s, he had set his heart on building a steel plant that would compare with the best of its kind in the world. This was a gigantic task. The industrial revolution that had transformed Britain and other countries had, by and large, bypassed India. Officious government policies, the complexities of prospecting in barely accessible areas and sheer bad luck made matters worse. Jamsetji found his path blocked at every other turn by what his biographer, Frank Harris, called "those curious impediments which dog the steps of pioneers who attempt to modernise the East". The torturous twists and turns the steel project took would have defeated a lesser man, but Jamsetji remained steadfast in his determination to see the venture come to fruition. Along the way he had to suffer the scorn of people such as Sir Frederick Upcott, the chief commissioner of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, who promised to "eat every pound of steel rail [the Tatas] succeed in making". There is no record of where Sir Frederick was when the first ingot of steel rolled out off the plant's production line in 1912. Jamsetji had been dead eight years by then, but his spirit it was, as much as the efforts of his son Dorab and cousin R. D. Tata, that made real the seemingly impossible. The brick-and-mortar endeavours that Jamsetji planned and executed were but one part of a grander idea. How much of a man of the future he was can be gauged from his views about his workers and their welfare. Jamsetji's offered his people shorter working hours, well-ventilated workplaces, and provident fund and gratuity long before they became statutory in the West. He spelt out his concept of a township for the workers at the steel plant in a letter he wrote to Dorab Tata in 1902, five years before even a site for the enterprise had been decided. "Be sure to lay wide streets planted with shady trees, every other of a quick-growing variety," the letter stated. "Be sure that there is plenty of space for lawns and gardens. Reserve large areas for football, hockey and parks. Earmark areas for Hindu temples, Mohammedan mosques and Christian churches." It was only fair that the city born of this sterling vision came to be called Jamshedpur. Jamsetji's philanthropic principles were rooted in the belief that for India to climb out of poverty, its finest minds would have to be harnessed. Charity and handouts were not his way, so he established the JN Tata Endowment in 1892. This enabled Indian students, regardless of caste or creed, to pursue higher studies in England. This beginning flowered into the Tata scholarships, which flourished to the extent that by 1924, two out of every five Indians coming into the elite Indian Civil Service were Tata scholars. The objective of creating the Indian Institute of Science came from the same source, but here, as with the steel plant, Jamsetji had to endure long years of heartburn without getting any tangible recompense in his lifetime. Jamsetji pledged Rs 30 lakh from his personal fortune towards setting up the institute, drew up a blueprint of the shape it ought to take, and solicited the support of everyone from the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, to Swami Vivekananda to turn it into reality. Swami Vivekananda, in his backing of the idea, wrote in 1899, "I am not aware if any project at once so opportune and so far reaching in its beneficent effects has ever been mooted in India... The scheme grasps the vital point of weakness in our national well-being with a clearness of vision and tightness of grip, the mastery of which is only equalled by the munificence of the gift that is being ushered to the public." Despite this and similar endorsements, it would take a further 12 years before the splendid Indian Institute of Science started functioning in Bangalore [now Bengaluru] in 1911. The hydroelectric project faced fewer hurdles, but that too could not be completed while Jamsetji was alive. Frank Harris put it succinctly in his biography when he wrote, "He was one whose work lived after him in such a way that it is well-nigh impossible to draw a dividing line between conception and maturity. The tributes paid to his memory always show how much the influence of the dead strengthened and inspired the deeds of the living." Of the ventures that did bear fruit while Jamsetji was alive, the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay has to rank highest. Legend has it that Jamsetji set his mind on building it after being denied entry into one of the city's hotels for being an Indian. His sons, friends and business associates were sceptical. His sisters chided him by asking, " Are you really going to build a bhatarkhana [eating house]?" The Taj turned out to be a bit fancier than that. By the time of its completion in 1903, it had cost Rs 4.21 crore. Soaked in luxury, it was the first building in Bombay to use electricity and the first hotel in the country to have American fans, German elevators, Turkish baths, English butlers and whole lot of other innovative delights. Jamsetji's business successes shrouded the assortment of passions and commitments that he carried and nurtured across a fascinating life. He had an abiding love for Bombay, for travel and, most of all, for new ideas. His was a mind constantly seeking knowledge and daring to push the frontiers of achievement, right up to his demise in Germany in 1904. "Money is like fire, an element as little troubled by moralising as earth, air and water," said the American essayist Lewis H. Lapham. "Men can employ it as a tool, or they can dance around it as if it were an incarnation of God." Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata employed the wealth he created to enrich India and her people.

 

National Science Day 28-February

Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodoyogiki Sanchar Parishad (RVPSP) (National Council for Science & Technology Communication) of the Ministry of Science and Technologycelebrates National Science day (NSD) to popularise the benefits of scientific knowledge and pratical appropriation.

Various activities are organized on the day like debates, quiz competitions, exhibitions, lectures, etc., in which college students, school students and teachers too participate.

Every year a different theme is selected and all the forth programmes and activities are based around that theme.

The day is celebrated to honour Nobel laureate Sir C.V. Raman for his invention of the ‘Raman effect’ on 28th February 1928.

Whole nation takes the honour of thanking all the scientists for their remarkable contributions and dedication on this occasion.

The day attracts many young minds and motivates to take up science as their career.

The celebrations of this day include showcasing the country’s competence in the field of science.

Science has played very important role in transforming society. The events on this day reminds the importance of science; thus inspire people of all ages to work in the field of science, engineering andtechnology.

Sir C. V. Raman was honoured with the first prestigious Nobel Award in Physics for the country in 1930. Hence the National Science Day holds great significance for Indian Science and scientific community.

National Science Day brings an opportunity to focus on issues related to science centre stage. The activities organized on the occasion bring public face to face with the issues of great concern. People interact with the science fraternity for mutual benefit.

National Science Day is observed to spread the message of importance of science and its application among the people and to accelerate the pace of development. Science has contributed a lot towards welfare of humanity.

Raman Effect

Raman effect or Raman scattering as it is popular known as is an inelastic scattering of a photon.

When light is scattered from an atom or molecule, most photons are elastically scattered with almost the same energy (frequency) and wavelength as the incident photons. But a small fraction of the photons is scattered by excitation. The frequency of scattered photons is lower than the frequency of the incident photons.

Chandrashekhar Azad Martyrdom 27 - February

Born: July 23,1906

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="327" caption="Chandrashekhar Azad Martydom"][/caption]

Martyrdom: February 27, 1931
Achievements: Involved in Kakori Train Robbery (1926), the attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train (1926), and the shooting of Saunders at Lahore (1928) to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpatrai; formed Hindustan Socialist Republican Association with fellow compatriots Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.

Chandrashekhar Azad was a great Indian freedom fighter. His fierce patriotism and courage inspired others of his generation to enter freedom struggle. Chandrasekhar Azad was the mentor Bhagat Singh, another great freedom fighter, and along with Bhagat Singh he is considered as one of the greatest revolutionaries that India has produced.

Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on July 23,1906 in Badarka village of Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Pandit Sitaram Tiwari and Jagarani Devi.Pandit Sitaram Tiwari was serving in erstwhile estate of Alirajpur (situated in present day Madhya Pradesh) and Chandra Shekhar Azad's childhood was spent in the village Bhabra . On the insistence of her mother Jagrani Devi, Chandra Shekhar Azad went to Kashi Vidyapeeth, Benaras for studying Sanskrit.

Chandrashekhar Azad was deeply troubled by the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar in 1919. In 1921, when Mahatma Gandhi launched Non-Cooperation movement, Chandrasekhar Azad actively participated in revolutionary activities. He received his first punishment at the age of fifteen. Chandra Shekhar was caught while indulging in revolutionary activities. When the magistrate asked him his name, he said "Azad" (meaning free). Chandrashekhar Azad was sentenced to fifteen lashes. With each stroke of the whip the young Chandrasekhar shouted "Bart Mata Kid Jai". From then on Chandrashekhar assumed the title of Azad and came to known as Chandrashekhar Azad. Chandrashekhar Azad vowed that he would never be arrested by the British police and would die as free man.

After the suspension of non-cooperation movement Chandrashekhar Azad was attracted towards more aggressive and revolutionary ideals. He committed himself to complete independence by any means. Chandrashekhar Azad and his compatriots would target British officials known for their oppressive actions against ordinary people and freedom fighters. Chandrashekhar Azad was involved in Kakori Train Robbery (1926), the attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train (1926), and the shooting of Saunders at Lahore (1928) to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpatrai.

Along with Bhagat Singh and other compatriots like Sukhdev and Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad formed the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HRSA). HRSA was committed to complete Indian independence and socialist principles for India's future progress.

Chandrashekhar Azad was a terror for British police. He was on their hit list and the British police badly wanted to capture him dead or alive. On February 27, 1931 Chandrashekhar Azad met two of his comrades at the Alfred Park Allah bad. He was betrayed by an informer who had informed the British police. The police surrounded the park and ordered Chandrashekhar Azad to surrender. Chandrashekhar Azad fought alone valiantly and killed three policemen. But finding himself surrounded and seeing no route for escape, Chandrashekhar Azad shot himself. Thus he kept his pledge of not being caught alive.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar 26-February

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, commonly known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar was a fearless freedom fighter, social reformer, writer, dramatist, poet, historian, political leader and philosopher. He remains largely unknown to the masses because of the vicious propaganda against him and misunderstanding around him that has been created over several decades. This website attempts to bring the life, thought, actions and relevance of Savarkar before a global audience.

Veer Savarkar - A legend

• The first political leader to daringly set Absolute Political Independence as India's goal (1900).


• The first Indian political leader to daringly perform a bonfire of foreign (English) clothes (1905).


• The first Indian to organize a revolutionary movement for India's Independence on an international level (1906).


• The first Indian law student who was not called to the English Bar despite having passed his examination and observed the necessary formalities, for his activities to seek India's freedom from the British (1909).


• The only Indian leader whose arrest in London caused legal difficulties for British Courts and whose case is still referred to in the interpretations of the Fugitive Offenders Act and the Habeas Corpus (Rex Vs Governor of Brixton Prison, ex-parte Savarkar)


• The first Indian historian whose book on the 1857 War of Independence was proscribed by British Authorities in India even before its publication. The Governor General had asked the Postmaster General to confiscate copies of the book six months before the book was officially banned (1909).


• The first political prisoner whose daring escape and arrest on French soil became a cause celebre in the International Court of Justice at The Hague. This case was mentioned in many International Treaties at that time (1910).


• The first graduate whose degree was withdrawn by an Indian University for striving for India's freedom (1911).


• The first poet in the world who, deprived of pen and paper, composed his poems and then wrote them on the prison walls with thorns and nails, memorized ten thousand lines of his poetry for years and later transmitted them to India through his fellow-prisoners who also memorized these lines.


• The first revolutionary leader who within less than 10 years gave a death-blow to the practice of untouchability in the remote district of Ratnagiri while being interned there.


• The first Indian leader who successfully started -
  
  
  
  • A Ganeshotsava open to all Hindus including ex-untouchables (1930).
  
  
  • Interdining ceremonies of all Hindus including ex-untouchables (1931).
  
  
  • "Patitpavan Mandir", open to all Hindus including ex-untouchables (22 February 1931).
  
  
  • A cafe open to all Hindus including ex-untouchables (01 May 1933).
  
  
  
  


• The first political prisoner in the world who was sentenced to Transportation for Life twice, a sentence unparalleled in the history of the British Empire.


• The first political leader to embrace death voluntarily by way of Atma Samarpan in the highest tradition of Yoga (1966).

Divya Bharti 25-February

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="207" caption="Divya Bharti"][/caption]

Divya Bharti, (born Divya Om Prakash Bharti, February 25, 1974 - April 5, 1993) was a popular Indian film actress in the early 1990s. Divya Bharti was born to parents Meeta and Om Prakash. She left studies to start acting at the age of 16. She made her debut at the age of 16 in a Telugu film called Bobbili Raja (1990) which starred Venkatesh. This movie was dubbed in Hindi as Rampur Ka Raja. Then she starred in Dharma Kshetram, Tholi Madhu and Rowdy Alludu which were also Telugu films and featured superstars Chiranjeevi and Prashanth respectively. She made her Hindi film debut in the 1992 film Vishwatma. The film did not do well at the box office but showcased Divya's talents as an actress. She was most notable for the song used in the film Saat Samundar which was a hit. 1992 saw more of her Hindi films being released including Dil Hi To Hai, Deewana, Shola Aur Shabnam, Dil Aashna Hai, Kshatriya, Jaan Se Pyaara, and Geet. Some of these films were hits and some flopped but her fanbase grew and she was the leading actress of 1992 having received the Filmfare Lux New Face Award that same year. She secretly married Bollywood film producer Sajid Nadiadwala in May 1992 but kept the marriage a secret due to family problems because of her being a Hindu and him being a Muslim and also to safeguard her promising movie career. After marriage she converted into Islam with her new name being Sana Nadiadwala. On April 5, 1993, she fell to her death off a 5-storey apartment building in Mumbai tragically ending a potentially successful career. The circumstances behind her death were considered suspicious by the media; however, despite an investigation, police found nothing. To this day her death remains a mystery. Some sources believe she was pushed, others say she accidentally fell off and some say she was drunk and this caused her to fall. Her two final films Rang and Shatranj were released after her death and dedicated to her memory. Her husband Sajid Nadiadwala continues to dedicate all his produced films in her memory to this day.

Shahid Kapoor 25-February

Shahid's rise to stardom reads like a bollywood script: from a struggler to a winner. With his hard work, perseverance and sincerity, he has written his own destiny.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="304" caption="Shahid Kapoor"][/caption]

Shahid is a mine of unabashed talent and spark, beneath his calm and innocent veneer. Shahid Kapoor is young and vibrant, with a magnetic charm and easy going candour that sets him apart from the rest. His debut performance as the young and carefree boy-next-door in "Ishk Vishk" was not only applauded but also awarded the Filmfare Best MaleDebut. Shahid does justice to his characters each time, be it the sensitive 'Aditya' in "Jab We Met" or the two diametric opposite characters of 'Charlie' and 'Guddu' in "Kaminey" - he stops at nothing short of perfection! Shahid's unique style and the ease with which he can handle a range of characters, from the dramatic to the emotional, leave nothing to be wished for! His ability to switch modes from young and restless, to mature and responsible, bespeaks the confidence of a veteran. In fact, he can boast of having delivered 4 super hits: "Vivah", "Jab We Met", "Kaminey" and "Badmaash Company".

Shahid's prowess as an artist does not end here; his talent is multi-dimensional. Not only is he an ace actor and entertainer, but also, his energy and spontaneity as a dancer holds you in a spell.

Shahid is young, yet dependable, with a genuine sincerity about him. He has just the right amount of boyish charisma and dynamism! Being a popular youth-icon and opinion-maker, he holds the baton of marquee brands like Clear Shampoo, Vaseline Men's Skincare range, Pioneer car stereos and Elf Moto.

J. Jayalalithaa 24-February

Jayalalithaa Jayaram (born 24 February 1948, and commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha), is



 

the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She was a popular film star in Indian cinema before her entry into politics, having appeared in many Tamil and Telugu films, as well as several produced in Hindi and Kannada. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK). She is called Amma ('Mother') and Puratchi Thalaivi ('Revolutionary Leader') by her followers.

Although there have been claims that Jayalalithaa was introduced to politics by Ramachandran, she has denied this. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha elected from Tamil Nadu during the period of 1984–89. Soon after the death of Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa proclaimed herself as his political heir.^[2][3] She is the first elected female Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Jayalalithaa was born into a Tamil Iyengar family on 24 February 1948 at Melukote, in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka. In accordance with Iyengar custom^{[citation needed]} she was given two names, thus her other name is Komalavalli. Her grandfather was in the service of the then Mysore kingdom as a surgeon, and the prefix Jaya (the victorious) was added to the names of various of her family members to reflect their association with Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar of Mysore.

Jayalalithaa’s father died at her age of two. Her mother then moved to Bangalore, where her parents lived, with Jayalalithaa. Her mother eventually began to work as an actress in Tamil cinema, based in Chennai, having taken the screen name of Sandhya. While in Bangalore, Jayalalithaa attended Bishop Cotton Girls' High School. She completed her childhood education at Sacred Heart Matriculation School (popularly known as Church Park Presentation Convent or Presentation Church Park Convent) in Chennai. She excelled at school and was offered a government scholarship to pursue further education. She appears not to have accepted the admission offered to her at Stella Maris College, Chennai.

Bhaagyashree 23-February

Bhagysshree was born in a royal, though very conservative Marathi-speaking, Patwardhan family on February 23, 1969. Her father is the former Maharaja of Sangli, whose qualifications include MBA and LLB. Since her childhood she was taught Sanskrit, as her dad recites Slokas.

She was contemplating going overseas to pursue her studies in Management, when Sheela, the former wife of actor/film-maker, Amol Palekar, approached her to act in a television serial 'Kaachi Dhoop', which she accepted. The TV serial proved to be very popular, and as a result she also ended up appearing in 'Honi Anhonee', and 'Kisse Miya Biwi Ke'.

The popularity of this charming, beautiful Piscean with an innocent fresh face got her the lead in Sooraj Barjatya's 'Maine Pyar Kiya', opposite Salman Khan, which went on to be a blockbuster. She also ended up starring in a total of 6 movies: 2 from Bangladesh, 2 in Kannada, and 2 in Telugu. The change in language did not prove to be a challenge as languages in India are based in Sanskrit and this is where her childhood education came to her aid.

'Maine Pyar Kiya' could have been an ideal step to popularity, but shortly after its release, Bhagyashree decided to get married to her boyfriend, Himalay Dassani.

She conditionally offered to act in movies provided a lead role was provided to Himalay. She did star with him in three movies 'Qaid Main Hai Bulbul', 'Tyaagi', and 'Paayal', but all three failed at the box office.

She then turned her attention to her family, and soon became the mother of two children. She gives priority to her family and will only work 15 days a month.

She did a come-back to the small screen with with a TV serial in which she played the role of a mature politician. She also appeared in a TV commercial for Parag Sarees.

She made a special appearance in 'Humko Deewana Kar Gaye', and 'Janani'.

This suave and gentle young woman is also involved in 'Kagaz Ki Kashti' which is being produced by her husband for the small screen, and is to be aired on Sahara One.

Sooraj R. Barjatya 22-February

Barjatya was born in Mumbai. He attended The Scindia School in Gwalior. Encouraged by his paternal grandfather Tarachand Barjatya, he directed his first film Maine Pyar Kiya for Rajshri at the young age of 24. He is married to Vineeta. He has three children Devaansh, Avnish and Eesha.
He made his directorial debut with Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) starring Salman Khan which was a huge box office hit and launched both his and Salman's careers. He teamed up with Salman again for Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) which became one of the highest all-time blockbusters and Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United (1999) which was a huge hit as well.

His fourth film, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon starring Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, and Abhishek Bachchan, was the first film directed by him to fail at the box office. He bounced back with his latest film Vivah (2006) starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, which has proved to be one of the biggest blockbusters in his career. He has named the lead actor of all his movies 'Prem'.

He is a trendsetter and ushered in an era of family based themes in Indian Cinema. Many successful young directors incorporated aspects from his vision into their films. At a time when video piracy and satellite TV channels threatened the survival of the Indian film industry, his films instilled a new lease of life by bringing viewers back to cinema halls.

Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Sooraj Barjatya's two consecutive blockbusters are still placed among the top ten most successful films of the last 80 years.

Vivah, Sooraj Barjatya's latest film proved to be one of the biggest grossers of 2006, having celebrated a silver jubilee run at 25 centers across the country. The film was nominated for more than 15 awards.

 

Maha Shivratri 20-February

Mahashivratri (also known as Shivaratri) is a Hindu festival dedicated to Shiva, who destroys the universe, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Maha Shivratri"][/caption]

Night and day

While most Hindu festivals are celebrated during the day, Mahashivratri is celebrated during the night and day that come just before the new moon.

Each new moon is dedicated to Shiva, but Mahashivratri is especially important because it is the night when he danced the 'Tandav', his cosmic dance.

It also celebrates the wedding of Shiva and Sati, the mother divine. Night represents evil, injustice, ignorance, sin, violence, and misfortune.

Tradition says that Shiva, like his symbol the new moon, appeared in order to save the world from darkness and ignorance, before the world entered complete darkness.

The festival

Devotees of Shiva observe a fast during Mahashivratri and stay up all night at a place of worship.

Shiva is offered special food made from the fruits of the season, root vegetables, and coconuts, during ritual worship.

Those who observe the Mahashivratri fast only break their fast the next morning, and eat the prasad (food offerings) offered to Shiva.

Devotees at the temple©

Young girls observe the fast and worship Shiva so that he may bless them with good husbands. They sing devotional songs in praise of the lord, and holy texts are chanted throughout the night.

The pandits in the temples perform thepuja (religious worship) according to the scriptures. This is done four times during the night.

In temples, Shiva linga - the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva - is worshipped. Devotees flock to the temples to perform the ritual of bathing the Shiva linga.

It is bathed with milk, water and honey, and then anointed with sandalwood paste, and decorated with flowers and garlands.

The legend of Lubdhaka

The legend surrounding the festival of Mahashivratri says that Lubdhaka, a poor tribal man and a devotee of Shiva, once went into the deep forests to collect firewood.

At nightfall, he became lost and could not find his way home.

Shiva ©

In the darkness, Lubdhaka climbed a bel tree, and sought safety and shelter in its branches until dawn.

All night, he could hear the growls of tigers and wild animals, and was too frightened to leave the tree.

In order to keep himself awake, he plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and then dropped it, while chanting the name of Shiva.

By sunrise, he had dropped thousands of leaves on to a Shiva lingam, which he had not seen in the darkness. Lubdhaka's all-night worship pleased Shiva.

By the grace of Shiva the tigers and wild animals went away, and Lubdhaka not only survived but was rewarded with 'divine bliss'.

Shivaji Jayanti 19-February

Shivaji Jayanti or the birthday of Shivaji Maharaj is celebrated on a majestic scale in Maharashtra. Shivaji was born on 19th February, 1627. His parents Jijabai and Shahaji Bhonsle named him Shivaji after local Goddess Shivai. Shivaji was the creator of the Maratha nation. He was instrumental in uniting the Maratha chiefs of Mayal, Konkan and Desh regions. His military and civil administration was of greatest importance. He was successful in carving out a small kingdom by defeating the alien powers.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="217" caption="Shivaji Jayanti"][/caption]

Chatrapati Shivaji is a hero not only for the people of Maharashtra but for those of India as well.
On the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti several processions are taken out and people dress up like Shivaji and his associates. The birthday is celebrated on a huge scale and various programmes remembering the achievements of the great ruler are organized.

History of Shivaji

Early days

Shivaji was born on 19th Februray, 1627, in Shivneri Fort, 60 kms north of Pune. He was named after the local Goddess Shivai, to whom his mother prayed for a son. His father Shahaji Bhosle was the chief of the kingdom of Bijapur. He was however, not allowed to take charge of any fort. His mother had a great influence on him as he was introduced to Indian epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana and other holy books by her. Shivaji also gained a lot of knowledge from his father’s unsuccessful attempts to gain power. He was inspired by his father military tactics, peacetime diplomacy and also possessed knowledge of Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures.



His administration

Shivaji grew into a fearless military leader with trainings from commanders like Gomaji Naik and Baji Pasalkar. Young Shivaji was motivated, enthusiastic and energetic. In his early days he was successful in inspiring local youths to follow his idealistic pursuits.  At the age of 17, he attacked and captured Torna Fort of Bijapur and by 1647 he took control of Kondana and Raigad Forts. The Western Ghats along the Konkan Coast were also under his control by 1654.

His achievements

In order to sabotage Shivaji’s rise to power, Adilshah arrested Shahji, his father by deceitful means and had armies sent against Shivaji and his elder brother Sambaji. To suppress Shivaji’s control of the Bijapur kingdom, Afzal Khan was sent to destroy Shivaji.  However, with his cunning means, Shivaji successfully stabbed Afzal Khan. Eventually Bijapur’s armies were routed in the famous Battle of Pratapgarh in 1659 and Shivaji turned into a hero of the Marathas. Now, under the confident leadership of Shivaji, the Marthas successfully pushed back the Mughals and the Sultanate kingdowms from his homeland.

The Mughals also fought against Shivaji led by Shaista Khan under Aurangazeb. However, Shivaji lost many men against a well trained and disciplined Mughal army.  Shivaji felt the need of finance to maintain an army and decided to loot the Mughal city of Surat. The Mughal emperor then sent Jai Singh to defeat Shivaji. After a few skirmishes, he thought it wise to accept the emperor’s soverignity. But he was soon placed under house arrest in Agra. Using tact and intelligence, Shivaji successfully escaped from Agra and hid in his homeland and kept a low profile for some time. Shivaji gradually rebuild his empire and within six months was able to recover much of his lost ground.

Shivaji extended his empire further south to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In order to regain one of his forts, Kondana, he appointed his most trusted general Tanaji Malusare. The battle that followed between the Marathas and the Mughals came to be known as the Maratha war of Independence where the Marathas were successful in regaining the control of the fort.

Chatrapati Shivaji

Shivaji was formally coronated Chatrapati in 1674 in Raigad fort and henceforth came to be known as Chatrapati Shivaji. Shivaji died in 1680 but not before leaving an indelible mark on the history pages. He laid the foundation of a Hindu empire which lasted for over two centuries. Shivaji has been a source of inspiration and pride for generations for his courage and military acumen.

Sri Ramakrishna 18-February

 Sri Ramakrishna, who was born in 1836 and passed away in 1886, represents the very core of the spiritual realizations of the seers and sages of India. His whole life was literally an uninterrupted contemplation of God. He reached a depth of God-consciousness that transcends all time and place and has a universal appeal.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="298" caption="Shri Ramakrishna"][/caption]

Seekers of God of all religions feel irresistibly drawn to his life and teachings. Sri Ramakrishna, as a silent force, influences the spiritual thought currents of our time. He is a figure of recent history and his life and teachings have not yet been obscured by loving legends and doubtful myths. Through his God-intoxicated life Sri Ramakrishna proved that the revelation of God takes place at all times and that God-realization is not the monopoly of any particular age, country, or people. In him, deepest spirituality and broadest catholicity stood side by side. The God-man of nineteenth-century India did not found any cult, nor did he show a new path to salvation. His message was his God-consciousness. When God-consciousness falls short, traditions become dogmatic and oppressive and religious teachings lose their transforming power. At a time when the very foundation of religion, faith in God, was crumbling under the relentless blows of materialism and skepticism, Sri Ramakrishna, through his burning spiritual realizations, demonstrated beyond doubt the reality of God and the validity of the time-honored teachings of all the prophets and saviors of the past, and thus restored the falling edifice of religion on a secure foundation. Drawn by the magnetism of Sri Ramakrishna's divine personality, people flocked to him from far and near -- men and women, young and old, philosophers and theologians, philanthropists and humanists, atheists and agnostics, Hindus and Brahmos, Christians and Muslims, seekers of truth of all races, creeds and castes. His small room in the Dakshineswar temple garden on the outskirts of the city of Calcutta became a veritable parliament of religions. Everyone who came to him felt uplifted by his profound God-consciousness, boundless love, and universal outlook. Each seeker saw in him the highest manifestation of his own ideal. By coming near him the impure became pure, the pure became purer, and the sinner was transformed into a saint. The greatest contribution of Sri Ramakrishna to the modern world is his message of the harmony of religions. To Sri Ramakrishna all religions are the revelation of God in His diverse aspects to satisfy the manifold demands of human minds. Like different photographs of a building taken from different angles, different religions give us the pictures of one truth from different standpoints. They are not contradictory but complementary. Sri Ramakrishna faithfully practiced the spiritual disciplines of different religions and came to the realization that all of them lead to the same goal. Thus he declared, "As many faiths, so many paths." The paths vary, but the goal remains the same. Harmony of religions is not uniformity; it is unity in diversity. It is not a fusion of religions, but a fellowship of religions based on their common goal -- communion with God. This harmony is to be realized by deepening our individual God-consciousness. In the present-day world, threatened by nuclear war and torn by religious intolerance, Sri Ramakrishna's message of harmony gives us hope and shows the way. May his life and teachings ever inspire us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swami Adiswarananda

 

Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York

Vasudev Balwant Phadke 17-February

Vasudev Balwant Phadke is a personality whose name struck fear in the hearts of the British as well as unfair moneylenders at the beginning of the 19th century. As a leading revolutionary, he led the raid on the houses of the moneylenders who grabbed the hard earned meagre earnings of the poor during the famine, and utilised the loot in shaping an armed revolution.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Vasudev Balvant Phadke"][/caption]

He was the grandson of Anant Ramchandra Phadke, a sentinel of the Karnala Fort in Shirdhon. In the absence of schooling facilities in Shirdhon at that time, Vasudevrao completed his schooling in Kalyan and later came to Mumbai and Pune for his higher studies. Here, he achieved a command over the English language. But since he wasn’t interested in working, he left high school without appearing for the final examination. Around this time, the mutiny of 1857 began. A number of incidents of this period were to influence Vasudevrao deeply.

Vasudevrao was married in February 1860. He was forced to work due to adverse financial circumstances. He first worked in the Military Accounts department, and later in Grant Medical College. He fell ill during this period and was notified by the doctor that the weather in Mumbai did not suit his constitution. He thus shifted to Pune for work. While here, on learning of his mother’s illness, he applied for leave to visit his mother. In spite of the refusal, he left Pune to visit his mother in Shirdhon only to find that she had passed away. This was the first flint of dissatisfaction that was etched in his mind. The next year too, his leave application to visit his village for his mother’s Shraddha, was refused. Morosely, he decided to seek retribution.

Speeches by Justice Ranade on Swadeshi made a lasting impression on Vasudevrao, kindling the flames of patriotism even more in him. He began travelling to give speeches to promote theSwadeshi movement. At around the same time he also started his spiritual practice. He had the good fortune to be amidst Akalkot Swami for a while.

After realizing that mere speeches were not sufficient media for achieving freedom and that it was necessary to influence students from a tender age, he established the Pune Native Institute in 1874. Later he established the Bhave School in Pune through this and thus set the foundation for the nation’s education.

Meanwhile, famine had struck Maharashtra. All water sources had dried up; villages emptied out; carcasses were simply left behind for the dogs and the vultures for there was no money for the final rites of the dead. To add to this natural calamity was an epidemic of small pox and an endless harassment by the British. All this made Vasudevrao resolve to fight against the existing British government. During the period, he picked up skills like Danpatta, use of arms, wrestling and horse riding from Lahuji Vastad.

He brought together the Ramoshi community around this time. The community was mostly in charge of guarding the forts. But since the British had destroyed the forts, this community had become nomadic. By organising the Ramoshi and the Bhil community (another tribe), he began preparing for an armed assault. He would raid the houses of the moneylenders who became rich by fleecing the poor. As a source of funds for the freedom movement, he would initially request them for the money, promising to return it; but on being refused, he would just loot them. On this basis he unfurled the flag of his crusade for the first time on 23 February 1879, in the village of Dhamari. He continued his crusade systematically for the next four-five years mostly in the districts of Pune and Satara. This crusade made Phadke notorious in London too. During this crusade he also published an anti-British manifesto.

The British Government appointed Major Daniel to handle him. The Major traversed almost half of Maharashtra in his attempt to capture Phadke. Later, he went underground for sometime in the village Ganagapur and worked under the alias KashikarBua. He had continued his spiritual practice. Here he brought together the Rohila tribe, and using their leased army, he tried to continue his fight against the British. The British made many attempts to capture Phadke using every means at hand, taking the help of betrayers or the local police at times. He was finally captured in Kadalgi, between Belgaum and Kolhapur. He was imprisoned in Eden in January 1880 for life.

While in prison, he was given water in a leather container. He raised his voice against this too, as his religion prohibited him to consume anything associated with animals. As punishment, he was given the hard work of pushing the oil mill to filter out 25 pounds of oil. Even in all of this, he attempted to escape. On 12 October 1880, he managed to break free and escape, only to be caught again soon. He was now sent into solitary confinement. Here, he was ravaged by tuberculosis, which finally took his life.

Through the means of armed revolution, and by bringing the social masses together, taking the fight to the British, Vasudevrao’s feats in the freedom struggle seemed almost akin to those ofChhatrapati Shivaji. Innumerable revolutionaries and freedom fighters, inspired by his work and sacrifice, took the freedom struggle ahead in their own right.

Randhir Kapoor 15-February

Randhir Kapoor is one of the most influential men in Bollywood apart being the head of RK Studios in Chembur, Bombay - a studio that was started by his legendary father - the showman Raj Kapoor.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Randhir Kapoor"][/caption]

He was born in Bombay on February 15, 1947, in this Punjabi-speaking family, to be the first son to Raj and mom, Krishna. His nickname is Daboo.

He first made an appearance on the silver screen and was credited as 'Master Daboo' in 'Do Ustad (1959)' which starred his father and Madhubala in the lead roles.

Subsequently, he made his rather dramatic entry into Bollywood in 'Kal Aaj Aur Kal' - a movie that was released in 1971 and starred three generations of the Kapoor family, namely his grand-dad, Prithviraj, a legend unto himself, his dad, Raj, as well as his college sweetheart and to-be wife, Babita, an actress in her own right, the daughter of actor, Hari Shivdasani, and cousin of popular actress Sadhana Shivdasani.

This movie went on to be hit, followed closely by two more subsequent hits 'Raampur Ka Lakshman' and 'Jawani Diwani'. His other well-known movies include 'Mama Bhanja', 'Chacha Bhatija', 'Khalifa', 'Haath Ki Safai', 'Biwi O Biwi'. His career spanned from 1971 through to 1986 with 'Khazana'. He made a come-back in 'Mother' in 1999; in 2003 with 'Armaan'; and 'Housefull' which was released during the year 2010.

As he achieved moderate success as an actor, he turned to producing and directing movies, which included 'Henna' in 1991 which starred his younger brother, Rishi, and Pakistani actress, Zeba Bakhtiar. This resulted in a trip to Pakistan, where he was treated royally by the then Pakistani President Nawaz Sharif, who turned out to be a fan of his dad. He also directed 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili', which introduced Mandakini to Bollywood.

Randhir belongs to a well-known Bollywood family, with most of it's members being famous stars of the silver screen, including his paternal uncles, Shammi, Shashi, Shashi's wife, Jennifer Kendall; his brother, Rishi and his wife Neetu Singh; and another brother, Rajiv. He has two sisters, Ritu and Reema. Ritu is married to the Nanda family and is the mother-in-law of Shweta, the daughter Bollywood mega-star Amitabh Bachchan; his cousins, Shashi's sons, have also achieved considerable recognition and success in Bollywood, while his nephew, Ranbir', is also an actor in his own right.

Randhir married Sindhi-speaking Babita during the year 1971 and their first daughter, Karisma, was born on 25th June 1974. Their second and last child, Kareena, was born on 21st September 1980. As Babita wanted her daughters to follow in her footsteps, leading to considerable strife in their relationship, and ultimately leading to a separation, with both his daughters moving out with their mother.

Randhir had arranged Karisma's marriage with Amitabh Bachchan's son, Abhishek, followed by an engagement, which was unfortunately broken. Karisma went on to get married to Delhi-based Sanjay Kapur in 2003.

During 2007, the couple patched-up their differences especially in the light of the fact that both their daughters had achieved considerable fame and success.

It was also during the year 2007 that he appeared on a popular TV show 'Koffee With Karan' along with his sister, Rima; his brothers, as well as sister-in-law, Neetu Singh.

He became a grandfather on 11 March 2005 and 12 March 2010 when Karishma gave birth to Samaira and Kiaan respectively.

While not being overly active in neither film-making nor acting, Randhir is still the head of RK Studios, a part of which has been converted into a museum with mementos of his family's movies.

Madhubala 14-February

Arguably the most beautiful artiste to ever grace the Indian screen, Madhubala rose from humble beginnings to become the most captivating star India has ever produced. Madhubala was born Mumtaz Jehan Begum on Valentine's Day 1933, in a poor, conservative family of Pathan Muslims in Delhi, a part of a prolific brood of sisters, and entered the world of films at the tender age of eight. After about five years of playing child roles, Madhubala got her first break in a lead role in Neel Kamal (1947), produced anddirected by her mentor, veteran filmmaker Kidar Sharma. At the age of 14, she played a romantic lead against another fledgling star, Raj Kapoor, and Madhubala had finally arrived on the Indian screen. Over the next two years she had blossomed into a truly rapturous beauty (which earned her the sobriquet of the Venus Of the Indian Screen) and with the movie Mahal (1949), literally overnight, she was a superstar.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Madhubala"][/caption]

It has been often said that her beauty overshadowed her acting talents, which to an extent is true; however this was more due to poor judgement than lack of talent. Being encumbered by a large family to support, and forever living under the domination of an imperious father who, she made several poor choices in movies which seriously undermined her credibility as a serious performer, to the extent of being labelled "box-office poison". However, her more or less dismal repertoire in the 50s was marked by spots of true brilliance - movies like Tarana (1951), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) and of course her swansong Mughal-E-Azam (1960) showcased her remarkable talents as a serious artiste across several genres and revealed what this ethereal beauty was truly capable of.

Sadly, she was plagued by a persistent heart disease that confined her to a bed for almost nine torturous years, and eventually claimed her life on February 23 1969, nine days after her 36th birthday. In this short life, she had made over 70 movies, and to this day remains one of the most enduring legends of Indian cinema.

Sarojini Naidu 13-February

She was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="153" caption="Sarojini Naidu"][/caption]

Sarojini Naidu was a distinguished poet, renowned freedom fighter and one of the great orators of her time. She was famously known as Bharatiya Kokila (The Nightingale of India). Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India.

Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13, 1879. Her father Aghoranath Chattopadhyaya was a scientist and philosopher. He was the founder of the Nizam College, Hyderabad. Sarojini Naidu's mother Barada Sundari Devi was a poetess and used to write poetry in Bengali. Sarojini Naidu was the eldest among the eight siblings. One of her brothers Birendranath was a revolutionary and her other brother Harindranath was a poet, dramatist, and actor.

Sarojini Naidu was a brilliant student. She was proficient in Urdu, Telugu, English, Bengali, and Persian. At the age of twelve, Sarojini Naidu attained national fame when she topped the matriculation examination at Madras University. Her father wanted her to become a mathematician or scientist but Sarojini Naidu was interested in poetry. She started writing poems in English. Impressed by her poetry, Nizam of Hyderabad, gave her scholarship to study abroad. At the age of 16, she traveled to England to study first at King's College London and later at Girton College, Cambridge. There she met famous laureates of her time such as Arthur Simon and Edmond Gausse. It was Gausse who convinced Sarojini to stick to Indian themes-India's great mountains, rivers, temples, social milieu, to express her poetry. She depicted contemporary Indian life and events. Her collections "The golden threshold (1905)", "The bird of time (1912)", and "The broken wing (1912)" attracted huge Indian and English readership.

At the age of 15, she met Dr. Govindarajulu Naidu and fell in love with him. a non-brahmin, and a doctor by profession. After finishing her studies at the age of 19, she married him during the time when inter-caste marriages were not allowed. It was a revolutionary step but Sarojini's father fully supported her in her endeavour. Sarojini Naidu had a happy married life and had four children: Jayasurya, Padmaj, Randheer, and Leilamani.

Sarojini Naidu joined the Indian national movement in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. She came into contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Rabindranath Tagore, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, C.P.Rama Swami Iyer, Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru. She awakened the women of India. She brought them out of the kitchen. She traveled from state to state, city after city and asked for the rights of the women. She re-established self-esteem within the women of India.

In 1925, Sarojini Naidu presided over the annual session of Indian National Congress at Kanpur. Sarojini Naidu played a leading role during the Civil Disobedience Movement and was jailed along with Gandhiji and other leaders. In 1942, Sarojini Naidu was arrested during the "Quit India" movement and was jailed for 21 months with Gandhiji. She shared a very warm relationship with Gandhiji and used to call him "Mickey Mouse".

After Independence, Sarojini Naidu became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. She was India's first woman governor. Sarojini Naidu died in office on March 2 ,1949.

Pran 12-February

Pran was born in a very wealthy Delhi-based Sikand family on February 12, 1920. His dad, Kewal Krishan Sikand was a renowned civil contractor, Kalsi bridge in Dehra Dun was just one of his projects.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="310" caption="Pran"][/caption]

As a child he had studied in Meerut, Kapurthala, Unao, Dehra Dun, & Rampur. He is very fond of dogs, and has always had a dog for a pet since his childhood to date.

He wanted to become a professional photographer and joined A. Das & Co. as an apprentice, for which he re-located to Simla.

It was in Simla that he landed his very first role as an actor, albeit on stage with Madan Puri, and played the role of Sita in 'Ramleela'. He went to star in a Punjabi movie 'Yamla Jat' as a villain. Ironically his foray into Hindi movies started as a hero in 'Khandaan' opposite actress Noor Jehan.

After 1948 he re-located to Bombay and launched his career in Bollywood with 'Ziddi'. In this manner 'villainous Pran' was born and went on to star in over 270 films, often as a villain, then in character roles, and is now unofficially called 'Villain of the Millenium'.

He married Shukla in 1945, and both became parents of Arvind, who was born on August 11, 1946. Subsequently they also gave birth to Sunil and Pinky. All three are now married, while Arvind, married to Chitra, is doing business in London, and is the father of two; Sunil is married to Jyoti & has a son; Pinky is married to Vivek Bhalla, and has two children. The names of Pran's grandchildren are Yuvraj Bhalla, Siddharth Sikand, Arjun Sikand, Swati Bijlani, and Sunaina Anand.

He states that he is satisfied with his life so much so that if he were re-born he would like to be Pran all over again.

Tina Munim 11-February

Tina was born in a Gujarati-speaking family in Bombay on February 11, 1955. The Munim family used to live in Bhuleshwar.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="254" caption="Tina Munim"][/caption]

Tina shot into fame during the year 1978 when she represented India at the International Teen Contest in Aruba. She won the Miss Photogenic and Miss Bikini awards.Pretty, very photogenic, she was discovered by Dev Anand who cast her as his leading lady in Des Pardes and gave two more back to back super-hits opposite Tina. These 3 films went on to become blockbusters, making Tina a household name. Tina then got opportunity to work with Superstar Rajesh Khanna in 7 released films opposite him of which six are super-hits and plus 3 more hits, where Tina was not paired opposite him. She fell in love with him and their affair lasted from 1980-87.

As her career was going nowhere fast after her breakup with Rajesh Khanna in 1987, she re-located to California for completing her studies, then returned back home in 1991, got married to multi-billionaire industrialist, Anil Ambani. She has two sons, Anmol and Anshul.

Dr. Kumar Vishwas 10-February

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="384" caption="Dr. Kumar Vishwas"][/caption]

Kumar Vishwas is a famous Hindi poet. He was born on 10^th February 1970 in Pikhuwa, Gaziabad in Uttar Pradesh state. His parents are Dr. Chandra Pal Sharma and Rama Sharma. His father worked as a lecturer at R. S. S. Degree College at Pikhuwa which is affiliated to the Chaudhary Charan Singh University at Meerut. He is the youngest of four brothers and a sister. He did his schooling at Lala Ganga Sahay School and completed his intermediate from Rajputana Regiment Inter College and finished his post graduation in Hindustan Literature.

His father wanted him to be an engineer. But he loved poetry from his childhood days. He started his career as a professor in the year 1994 from Rajasthan and has been teaching Hindi Literature for higher class students for last sixteen years. He has participated in a number of Kavi Sammelan and has number of fans in his social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook and Twitter. His videos are published in YouTube and are viewed by millions of people all over the world. He is very popular among the youths.

He has written the University Anthem of Chaudhary Charan Singh University which is called as Kul-Geet. He has an active participation in the India against corruption mission of Social Leader Anna Hazare. He had performed Kavi Sammelan in IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi, B. J. Medical College Ahmadabad, Sri Ram Murti Smarak College of Engineering and Technology, Bareilly, NSIT Delhi, Jawaharlal University, Delhi, IIM Lucknow, NIT Trichy, BITS Pilani, IET Lucknow and many other institutions across India.

He has also performed in many other countries like USA, Dubai, Muscat, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Nepal, etc. He received Sahitya Shree Award in 2006 by Hindi-Punjabi Award Academy, Kavya-Kumar award by Dr. Kunwar Baichain Kavya Samman Avam Puruskaar Samiti, etc.