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"Civilizations have arisen in other parts of the world. In ancient and modern times, wonderful ideas have been carried forward from one race to another...But mark you, my friends, it has been always with the blast of war trumpets and the march of embattled cohorts. Each idea had to be soaked in a deluge of blood..... Each word of power had to be followed by the groans of millions, by the wails of orphans, by the tears of widows. This, many other nations have taught; but India for thousands of years peacefully existed. Here activity prevailed when even Greece did not exist... Even earlier, when history has no record, and tradition dares not peer into the gloom of that intense past, even from until now, ideas after ideas have marched out from her, but every word has been spoken with a blessing behind it and peace before it. We, of all nations of the world, have never been a conquering race, and that blessing is on our head, and therefore we live....!" -
Swami Vivekananda, Great Indian Philosopher

"She (India) has left indelible imprints on one fourth of the human race in the course of a long succession of centuries. She has the right to reclaim ... her place amongst the great nations summarizing and symbolizing the spirit of humanity. From Persia to the Chinese sea, from the icy regions of Siberia to Islands of Java and Borneo, India has propagated her beliefs, her tales, and her civilization!" -
Sylvia Levi

"India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border!" -
Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA

NATIONAL ANTHEM OF INDIA
by Rabindranath Tagore

The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the

Constituent Assembly as the national anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

The complete song consists of five stanzas. The first stanza contains the full version of the National Anthem :

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage,
Tava shubha asisa mage,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

Playing time of the full version of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A short version consisting of first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played on certain occasions.

The following is a translation of Rabindranath Tagore's rendering of the stanza:

"Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India's destiny.
The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha,
of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganga
and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The salvation of all people is in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee."

Hindu Gods

Brahma : Only during the creation of the Universe does Brahma play an active role. At other times he's in meditation. His consotrt is Saraswati and his vehicle is a swan. He's sometimes shown sitting on a lotus that rises from Vishnu's navel, symbolising the interdependence of the Gods. Brahama is generally depicted with four heads (crowned and bearded), each turned towards a point od the compass.

Vishnu : The preserver or sustainer, Vishnu is associated with 'right action'. He protects and sustains all that is good in the world. Heis usually depicted with four arms, holding a lotus, a conch shell (as it can be blown le a trumpet, it symboliies he cosmic vibration from which all existence emanates), a discus and a mace (a reward for conquering Indra, the god of battle). His consort is Lakshmi and his vehicle is Garuda,a half-bird, half-beast creature. The Ganges is said to flow from his feet. Vishnu has 22 incarnations including Rama, Krishna and Buddha.

Shiva : Shiva is the destroyer, but without whom creation couldn't occur. Shiva's creative role is phallically symbolised by his representation as the frequently worshipped lingam. With 1008 names, Shiva takes many forms, including Pashupati, champion of animals and Nataraja, lord of the 'Tandava' (cosmic dance), who paces out the cosmos' creation and destruction.

Sometimes Shiva has snakes draped around his neck and is shown holding a trident (representative of the Trimurti) as a weapon while riding Nandi, his bull. Nandi symbolising power and potency, justice and moral order. Shiva' consort Parvati, is capable of taking many forms.

Other prominent gods are : The elephant headed Ganesh is the God of fortune and patron of scribes.

Krishna is the incarnation of Vishnu, sent to earth to fight for good and combat evil.

Hanuman is the hero of Ramayana and is the king of monkeys.

Goddesses : Durga, Lakshmi (the goddesses of wealth), Saraswati (the goddesses of learning) etc.

Epics : Mahabahrata (1000 BC)and Ramayana (300 BC).

Sacred animals and plants : Animals particularly snakes and cows, have long been worshipped in India. The cow represents fertiliyy and nurturing, while snakes (especially cobras are associated with fertility and welfare).

Plants can also have sacred associations, such as the Banyan tree, which symbolising the Trimurti. Mango trees are symbolic of love - Shiva is believed to have married Parvati under one.

"If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India"
Max Mueller

"India was the mother of our race and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's languages. She was the mother of our philosophy, mother through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics, mother through Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity, mother through village communities of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all." - Will Durant

"In India, I found a race of mortals living upon the Earth, but not adhering to it, inhabiting cities, but not being fixed to them, possessing everything, but possessed by nothing" - Apollonius Tyanaeus quotes (Neo-Pythagorean).

Sikhism, founded in Punjab by Guru Nanak in the 15 th century, began as a reaction against the caste stsyem and Brahmin domination of ritual. Sikhs believe in one god and although they reject the worship of idols, some keep the pictures of the 10 gurus as a point of focus. The Sikh's holy text, the Guru Granth Sahib, contais the teachings of the 10 Sikh gurus, among others.

Like Hindus and Buddhists, Sikhs believe in rebirth and karma. In Sikhism there is no ascetic or monastic tradition ending the eternal cycles of rebirth.

Fundamental to the Sikhs is the concept of Khalsa, or belief in a chosen race or soldier-saints who abide by strict codes or moral conduct (abstaining from alcohol, tobaco and drugs) and engage in a crusade for 'dharmayudha' (righteousness). There are five kakkars (emblems) denoting the Khalsda brotherhood : Kesh (the unshaven beard and the uncut hair symbolising the saintliness); kangha (comb to maintain the ritually uncut hair); Kaccha (loose underwear symbolising the modesty); kirpan (sabre or sword symbolising power and dignity); and karra (steel bangle symbolising fearlessness). Singh, literally 'Lion', is the name adopted by many Sikhs.

Jainism arose in the 6 th century BC as a reaction against the caste restraints and rituals of Hinduism. It was founded by Mahavira, a contemporary of Buddha.

Jains believe that liberation can be attained by achieving complete purity of the soul. Purity means shedding all 'karman', matter generated by one's actions that binds itself to the soul. By following various austerities (eg fasting and meditation) one can shed 'karman' and purify the soul. Right conduct is essential, and fundamental to this is 'ahimsa' (nonciolence) in thought and deed to any living thing.

Zoroastrianism founded by Zoroaster, had it's inception in Persia and is based on the concept of dualism, whereby good and evil are locked in continuous battle. A pleasant afterlife depends on one's deeds and thoughts during earthly existence.

Zoroastrianism was eclipsed in Persia by the rise of Islam in the 7 th century and its followers, many of whom openly resisted this, suffered persecution. In the 10 th century some emigrated to India, where they become known as Parsis. Parsi death ritual involves the 'Tower of Silence' - three concentric circles where the corpse is exposed to vultures, which pick the bones clean. Parsi prayer halls are known as 'fire temples' and are out of bound for non Zoroastrians.

Christanity is said to have arrived in South India with St Thomas the Apostle in AD 52. However scholars say it's more likely Christanity arrived around the 4 th century with a Syrian merchant, Thomas Cana, who set out for Kerala with 400 families.

Catholicism established a strong presence in south India in the wake of Vasco da Gama's visit in 1498 and orders that have been active in the region include Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits. Christanity is the largest religion in the world with Pope Benedict XVI of Vatican as the Head.

USS Nimitz : World's largest Aircraft carrier.

The nuclear powered US Aircraft carrier has 3280 sailors and 2480 men in it's air wing. The 1000 ft long landing deck has 4.5 acres of landing area. USS Nimitz carries 90 fighter aircrafts - FA 18E Super Hornet - and few more search Helicopters, can move at 56 kmph with 98 000 tons load. The 18 storey high Aircraft carrier is powered by two nuclear reactors of 194 MW and is driven by 4 shafts. Each propeller has 5 blades. Commissioned in May 1975 at a cost of US$ 4.5 billion. Aircraft carrier was named after Admiral Nimitz who lead the World war II Pacific fleet.

Location on 2 July 2007 : 2 nautical miles (4 km) from Chennai coast, India.

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USS Nimitz (CVN-68 ) is a supercarrier in the United States Navy, the lead ship of its class. It is one of the largest warships in the world. It was laid down, launched and commissioned as CVAN-68, but was redesignated CVN-68 (nuclear-powered multimission aircraft carrier) on 30 June 1975 as part of the fleet realignment of that year.

The keel of Nimitz was laid down 22 June 1968 by Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, and she was commissioned 3 May 1975 by President Gerald Ford. The ship was named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the Pacific fleet in World War II. Captain Michael "Nasty" Manazir assumed command of the Nimitz on 16
March 2007.

Nimitz departed North Island in San Diego on April 2, 2007 at 9:50 a.m. on a six-month deployment in the Arabian Sea, relieving the Norfolk, VA.-based USS Eisenhower. The Nimitz reached Chennai, India on July 1st 2007 as part of efforts to expand bilateral defense cooperation between India and United States and will remain stationed there till July 5, 2007.

Displacement : 101,000 to 104,000 tons full load

Length : Overall: 1,092 ft (333 m)

Waterline : 1,040 ft (317 m)

Beam : Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m)

Waterline : 134 ft (40.8 m)

Draft : Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m)

Limit : 41 ft (12.5 m)

Propulsion : 2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 × steam turbines, 4 × shafts, 260,000 shp (194 MW).

Speed : 30+ knots (56+ km/h)

Range : Essentially unlimited

Complement : Ship's company: 3,200

Air wing : 2,480

Sensors and processing systems : SPS-48E 3-D air search radar, SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar, Mk 23 target acquisition radar, 2 × SPN-46 air traffic control radars, SPN-43B air traffic control radar, SPN-44 landing aid radars, 3 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems, 3 × Mk 95 radars.

Electronic warfare and decoys : SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite, SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures.

Armament : 2 × 21 cell Sea RAM, 2 × Mk 29 Sea Sparrow.