Did you know? - 10/12/2005

Sound travels through water three times faster than through air.

The length of a single human DNA molecule, when extended, is 1.7 m (about the average height of a man!)

Lord Brahma Temple

The most famous Brahma Temple in Pushkar, in the state of Rajasthan, is the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma (the creator of the universe according to Hindu mythology) in the entire India. This is an important pilgrim centre for the Hindus. It is nestled in the Pushkar valley which lies beyond Nagaparvat and the Anasagar lake.

This place is full of natural beauty and holds a special place in the hearts of the Indians for it is believed that Lord Brahma, together with all the gods and goddesses, performed a here. Legend has it that the ancient lake Sarovar had appeared miraculously, when a lotus fell from the hands of Lord Brahma and dropped into this valley. You can identify it by its red spire and by the image of a hans (the goose considered to be the sacred vehicle of Lord Brahma). This temple is built with marble and decorated with silver coins. There is also a silver turtgle on the floor of the temple.

Did you know? - 27/11/2005

Whales, shellfish, starfish and dolphins are not fish.

If Microsoft were to pay $1 as damages to every user because of hanging of their computers using Windows, Bill Gates would be bankrupt in three years.

Did you know? - 25/11/2005

Gatsby, a novel by Ernest Vincent Wright, does not contain a word with the letter 'e'. (His name ironically starts with 'E'.)

Did you know? - 24/11/2005

Should the amount of water in your body be reduced by just one percent, you'll feel thirsty.

The concept of zero and trigonometry originated in India.

Did you know? - 23/11/2005

Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other, simultaneously.

Piano is known as "The King of Instruments" for its widest tonal range covering the full spectrum of any instrument in the orchestra.

Haydn's witty sense

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), called the "Father of the Symphony", was once employed as Vice-Kappelmeister with the Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy in Vienna. He had composed eleven operas, sixty symphonies, five masses, thirty sonatas, one concerto, and hundreds of shorter pieces under him.

Haydn's sense of humor often came into play during his thirty-year tenure with Prince Esterhazy. The prince had become complacent when listening to Haydn's symphonies, even falling asleep at the performances. This was something that seared the feelings of the diligent composer, especially when the prince emitted a loud snore during a part of the symphony over which Haydn had especially laboured. Haydn decided to create a new symphony for the prince, a symphony that he hoped would "get Prince Esterhazy's attention." This particular symphony was written with a long slow movement, designed to be so soothing that the prince would surely fall asleep. On the evening of the performance, the prince did indeed drift off. Then, suddenly, a loud chord shattered the serenity of the murmuring movement. The prince awoke with a start and almost fell off his chair!

That was his Symphony No.94, and Haydn adeptly named it "Surprise".

Did you know? - 22/11/2005

The opposite sides of the dice cubes always add up to seven.

The very first bomb that the Allies dropped on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

Did you know? - 21/11/2005

Lightning heats up the atmosphere by over 50,000 deg F.

Queen Elizabeth sent her first email in 1976.

Did you know? - 20/11/2005

Carrots have zero fat content.

Between 1500 and 1600 urine was supposedly used as a tooth cleaning agent in Holland and Spain.

Did you know? - 19/11/2005

An average adult human brain weighs 3 lbs.

Over 99% of the present energy in the universe was released 13.7 billion years ago when it was born.

Did you know? - 18/11/2005

An octupus' pupil (of its eye) is rectangular.

Hydrogen is the least dense substance in the world, when in gaseous state, and the most dense substance in the world, when in solid state.

Did you know? - 17/11/2005

It takes five years for a coffee seed to yield its consumable fruit.

The word, "queueing", is the only English word with five consecutive vowels.

Did you know? - 16/11/2005

The world's first travel agency, Thomas Cook, was founded in 1850.

A person can live without food for about a month, but can go without water only for a week.

Did you know? - 15/11/2005

Eskimos use refrigerators to keep food from freezing.

Due to earth's gravity it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 m.

Did you know? - 14/11/2005

The names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru (See no evil), Mikazaru (Hear no evil), and Mazaru (Speak no evil).

No letters are assigned to the numbers 1 and 0 on a phone keypad. They are called "flag numbers", kept for emergency or operator services.

Too Much is Too Bad

This is an old Arabian tale.

Abubacker, a potter, makes a living by selling toys made of porcelain and glass. He earns very little and wanted to become rich.

One day, after a hard day’s work, he keeps the basket of unsold toys under a tree and sleaps nearby. And dreamt.

His sales improved and he made more money. He starts his own factory for making porcelain and glass wares.

The business flourishes and Abubacker amasses more wealth. The king married off his beautiful daughter, Majnu, to Abubacker.

Abubacker makes Majnu to serve him at his feet. And kicks her out of lack of love and sheer arrogance.

And in reality Abubacker had kicked at the basket. The unsold toys had all broken.

Abubacker woke up in a startle and looked at the broken toys. And wept.

He now realised that he desired to earn more than was necessary, and repented.

Did you know? - 12/11/2005

There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes.

Your mouth produces 1 litre (1.8 pints) of saliva a day.

Did you know? - 11/11/2005

The word, "set", in the English language, has the most number of definitions.

In Holland, you can be fined for not using a shopping basket at a grocery store.

Did you know? - 10/11/2005

Israel's Dead Sea is 1,312 ft. below sea level.

Yahoo! is actually an acronym for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle. It was originally called Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web.