Women astrologers are in Hyderabad

Stylish women astrologers armed with laptops have become a regular fixture in programmes organised by corporate houses in the city.

With the help of horoscopes and tarot cards, these women answer sundry questions of corporate employees and predict their future.

The profession of astrology seems to be the latest male bastion which women have invaded and conquered.

Corporates prefer women astrologers since they are more patient with their clients. You rarely get a brusque answer from a woman astrologer.

"I do not find it a difficult job," says Kaveri, an astrologer much in demand in corporate functions.

"All my clients are happy with the forecasts and remedial measures I suggest".

There are half a dozen women astrologers and tarot card readers in the city regularly frequenting annual functions and parties of corporate houses.

They get paid Rs 4,000 or more for a three-hour consultation. Most of their astrological data is stored in the laptop and the prediction is out at the click of the mouse.

"It is a new phenomenon," says senior astrologer J.U.B. Sastry, who has trained more than a dozen women astrologers so far. "All through the history we find only male astrologers."

The sudden interest in astrology among women is also evident from the admissions in the astrology course offered by Potti Sriramulu Telugu University. For the first time, 18 women have enrolled for the course.

"I do tarot reading and numerology too," says Anuradha Sharada, another woman astrologer. "We do our job better than men. I have both male and female clients."

Tuning into the new trend, the Parasara Institute of Astrological Studies and Research is now running a three-month astrology course for women.

Master the art of public speaking

Rehearse well before your speech

If you are called upon to speak at either a function, an informal gathering or a formal event, here are some tips to help you master the art of public speaking.

Plan well: Focus on your audience. If you know who they are going to be in advance you can prepare much better as you will know just where to target your talk. So jot down a few points and refer to them.

Organize your thoughts: Put your thoughts down on paper. Write the main points before you flesh them out. Now read your speech and summarise each point into a single sentence. Don't clutter your thoughts with technical jargon and statistics. Facts are important but if you have to give them - keep them to a bare minimum. Try adding in an anecdote or two as people always remember stories about real-life instances.

Use Index cards: Each point of your talk can be written on a single card. Index cards are easy to manage and change, rather than a sheaf of papers.

Rehearse: Have a trial run in front of the family, friends or colleagues, read out the entire speech. This way you will be able to emphasise the right points and you can time yourself so that you don't exceed the limit. Ask your friends and family for an honest feedback and try and incorporate suggestions into your talk.

At the venue: Reach the venue on time. If it is at an auditorium, familiarise your self with the acoustics, the space and the technical equipment.

The D-day: Dress simply in something that is elegant yet casual. Reach on time. No one likes to wait for a speaker. Speak slowly and clearly. Stand in a relaxed manner with your feet slightly apart and your hands at your side. If there is a rostrum, use it to rest your elbows. Vary the tone in your voice and make eye-contact with your audience whenever possible.

Monsoon wear: Cargos for guys, Patialas for girls

The monsoons have arrived ending the long summer vacations. With this another season of studies has begun for college students too. Freshers are all set make an impression on their seniors with new and trendy outfits they have been shopping for long.

This year the Patiala salwaarkameez is back in fashion and many college girls are seen sporting it. The look is totally Indian and girls are seen wearing colourful embroidered Patialas with flat Nagra chappals at various city colleges.

Anju Narang, third year student from St. Francis college says, "This year the trend is towards wearing ‘mix and match' outfits. The flat silver and golden coloured chappals go very well with the patialas. This along with beaded jewellery and a traditional sequined jhola completes the look." The look might be Indian but the craze for western outfits never declines. Jeans is considered the most comfortable attire for all seasons.

Nitya Jalan, a final year Mass Com student from St Mary opines, "Girls in our college usually wear short and trendy kurtis with capris or jeans. The sling bags or large clutch bags go really well with it."

It's not just girls but guys too are ready with cool Tees and funky accessories to go with it. Kush Vazir, a second year student of Bhavan's Degree College says, "Guys are usually comfortable in low waist blue jeans with a cool T shirt. Fashion conscious guys are heavily into leather bands and cool pendants. While girls love large clutch bags, guys opt for small and peppy denim bags."

A student from Bharat Engineering College says, "We wear mostly cargos and T-shirts. Guys usually wear branded sport shoes and sneakers but a few also like wearing Jhodpuri sandals. Smart branded watches too appeal to the girls so most of the guys wear them."

Source: DC

A 15 year old boy performs surgery in tamilnadu

The medical fraternity here and in the rest of the country was on Wednesday aghast to hear that a surgeon in southern Tamil Nadu had got his 15-year-old son to perform a cesarean operation to deliver a baby at his nursing home so that the Class 10 boy could enter the Guinness Book of Records.

Doctors attending the monthly meeting of the Manapparai branch of the Indian Medical Association last month were shocked when one of its members, Dr K. Murugesan, played a CD of his 15-year old son Dileepan Raj performing a complicated cesarean surgery to deliver a baby. The patient was administered spinal anaesthesia by Dr Murugesan himself, though he is a general surgeon and not an anesthetist.

"When we protested that his act violated medical ethics and constituted a crime, Dr Murugesan turned abusive and even threatened to sue the IMA. We held an emergency meeting and passed an unanimous resolution referring the issue to the state medical council, which deputed an observer. The observer, Dr Mahesh Yogaraj, visited Manaparai to question Dr Murugesan and returned convinced there was serious violation," Dr T.N. Ravishankar, secretary of the state branch of the Indian Medical Association, told this newspaper.

According to a doctor present at the CD show at the Manapparai IMA meeting, the shocked members had advised Dr Murugesan to destroy the tape as it could get him and his son into trouble. "He said there was no need for him to worry since it was no blue film that he had shot but only one showing his son's achievement," the doctor said.

While all attempts to contact Dr Murugesan failed - the staff at his "Mathi Surgical and Maternity Hospital" kept saying that he would be busy in the operation theater till well past midnight - a recorded interview featured in the Tamil biweekly Kumudam Reporter had the surgeon claiming that he had trained his son from Class 7 onwards and that the boy had done such surgeries before. "What is wrong in my son performing a surgery, when a 10-year-old can drive a car and a 15-year-old can get a medical degree in America?" the unrepentant surgeon was quoted saying in the Tamil publication.

"We do not have the CD as evidence but there are enough number of doctors at the Manapparai IMA meeting who have seen it. Also, Dr Murugesan's statement is damning in itself. We have sent the report to the ethics committee of the Medical Council and (it) will recommend suitable action," said Dr Ravishankar. According to him, a violation of this nature could lead to the doctor being debarred under chapter seven of section nine of the code of ethics of the Medical Council of India.

"How can a doctor convert his nursing home into a butcher's shop by allowing his unqualified son to perform surgery?" fumed TamilNadu's health minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran. "I am ordering an inquiry and tough action will be taken," he told this newspaper.

Blood available online now in Hyderabad

To curb black marketing of blood the State government's health department has decided to put online, details of the availability of blood.

AP AIDS Control Society (APSacs) website will have the information on blood availability of various blood banks in the State updated every day.

APSacs director Ashok Kumar said, "We have started the exercise of giving information on the website www.apsacs.org."

He said, "Initially we started with Hyderabad where the blood bank has to update the information of various blood groups avalable. Blood from rare groups is sold at high prices in the black market and the website this will help to prevent that" Commercial blood banks are collecting high price for the rare blood groups ranging above Rs 1,000 per a blood bag. As per the Drug Control Administration rules they have to display the rate card in the reception area of blood banks.

Hyderabad, Nizamabad, Vishakapatnam blood banks are updating the blood availability details. Initially only a few blood banks are sending the information to APSacs.

"Even doctors can plan operations as per the availability of the blood banks in their areas by seeing the blood status in the web site. We will see that all the blood banks mandatory take up this," said Mr Ashok Kumar.

Meanwhile, State Blood Transfusion Council that met on Monday evening has set up a sub committee to frame the guidelines for granting and renewing the licenses to the blood banks in the State.

Mr Ashok Kumar said, "New guidelines are being framed for blood banks. We are discussing details like which type of hospitals should have an attached blood bank."

Improve vision by practicing these simple eye exercises

Asanas to improve vision, tone the eye muscles.

If you have to stare at the computer screen for hours daily at office, you must have realized how tiring it can be for your entire body, not just for the eyes.

BENEFITS

A lot of eye problems can be avoided by practicing these simple eye exercises. They tone the eye muscles, keep them elastic, improve the eyesight and reduce tension in the eye muscles.

The following exercises also help to strengthen eye muscles and counterbalance the effects of eyestrain. The focus and vision will get better and clearer as the ophthalmic or the eye nerves receive a richer supply of blood. They also soothe and lubricate tired eyes.

METHODS

While doing eye exercises, keep your eyes open and don't move your head. Relax and keep the mind free of tension. Sit with the spine erect. Hands on the knees. The whole body must be motionless; nothing must move except the eyes.

Exercise 1
Raise your eyes and find a small point that you can see clearly without straining, without frowning, without becoming tense and, of course, without moving your head. While doing this exercise look at this point each time you raise your eyes. Next, lower your eyes to find a small point on the floor, which you can see clearly while glancing down. Look at it each time you lower your eyes. Breathe normally.

Exercise 2
While doing the changing-vision exercise, you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times. Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point, which you can see very clearly. Now look at the closer point, the pencil or your fingertip then shift to the point at the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight. The writer is a yoga instructor

Workplace workouts help to de-stress

Stretching exercises while sitting at your workplace is good for the health and helps you relax

Despite your busy schedule at office, if you can manage to find time for simple workouts, even while sitting at your workplace, it can do wonders. Office workouts will help you relax and fight stress.

Vijay Saradhi, chief instructor at Talwalkar's Fitness Studios, and Kamlesh Futnani, a Reebok certified fitness instructor, assert that stretching exercises are particularly helpful. "Most of our postures, are geared towards bending forward, whether it is driving a car, or sitting at one's desk in the office. If people give some time to these simple stretching exercises, they can get rid of health problems like backaches", says Futani.

Shoulder rotation: Sit with your back straight, roll your shoulders first anti-clockwise and then clockwise for 25 counts each.

Stand with your right side against the wall, go up on your toes, look up and reach as far up the wall with your right hand as possible. Repeat on the left side. ? Your arm muscles tend to get tired and stiff from holding the mouse all day long. To work those muscles, do the forearm and bicep stretch. Take your right arm straight out in front of you and turn the palm up. Hold the fingers with the left hand and gently pull them back. Hold for 30 seconds, change hands.

Shoulder stretch: Sit on the chair with feet placed wide. Bend down, bring your arms inside the legs and wrap them around the back of the calves, grabbing on to the ankles. Gently pull with the hands to open the shoulders and stretch the upper back. Hold for 30 seconds.

Back stretch: Sit on a chair. Contract the abdomen as you bend forward from the hips and bring the hand down to the floor. Re lax the head down and touch the floor with your fingertips to stretch your back. Hold for 30 seconds.

SOME DO'S AND DON'TS:

• Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine. Do as much as you can and increase counts slowly, never over strain yourself.
• Wait for at least five minutes to sit or lie down after a meal. If in the office, walk up and down the staircase a couple of times, or walk around the floor. ? Walk over to your colleagues' desk in the office instead of using email or phone.
• Be aware of your postures. Sit, stand and walk straight. This will strengthen the muscles of your back and abdomen and improve your appearance and confidence. ? To reduce eye strain from looking at the computer screen for too long, sit about two feet away from the monitor, blink more often, and focus on a distant object every 15 minutes.

Only RajniKanth can set the screen on fire!

Rajni's fans across the globe believe that he can set the screen on fire.

Rajnikanth may be one of India's highest paid actors today but a long time ago he was a humble bus conductor with stars in his eyes. When he joined the Tamil film industry , he struggled for years - to pay his room rent, to commute in Chennai and to be simply accepted as an actor.

The 57-year-old is the heartthrob of millions today and not just in Tamil Nadu.

Rewind: His real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad and his mother tongue is Marathi. He made his debut in Apoorva Raagangal but nobody noticed him, except for a few filmmakers.

That didn't make Rajnikanth's life in tinsel town easy. He hired single rooms in a small lodge in a suburb because he couldn't afford anything better. Bharati Raja made him a big villain but the film critics of the 1970s found Rajnikanth a cruel joke. In 1980, when this correspondent went to interview the man who was just emerging from doomsday predictions, he willing to answer only if "you remember to print my answers verbatim." He said: "I only fear god and my conscience. When I started to make a living, I did not know that one day I would come to Madras and become a film actor. No matter how famous I become, I'll always be a pal to my pals, because they are my roots," the not-yet superstar had said.

"When I left Bangalore, I wanted to be an actor, not a star, because of three things: It would fetch me a little more money than the salary of a conductor. I could choose my women and get plenty of time to sleep - in that order. I have achieved much more. I want nothing more," he said. That was the 1980s.

Future perfect: He recalled how he had once gone to chief minister, Jayalalitha's house to talk to her about a role offered to him - to play second fiddle to her. "I was on a scooter and felt sheepish. The film didn't work out for various reasons, but I decided that one day I would have my house in the same area she lived in - Poes Gardens," Rajnikanth said, with a glint in his eye.

By 1990, Rajnikanth became a superstar. One day in 1992, as his car was making its way, a police jeep overtook his vehicle and forced it to stop. They wanted chief minister J Jayalalitha's car to pass. Something snapped and Rajnikanth got out of his car, walked down the road to reach a kiosk to buy a packet of cigarettes. He shook the pack, took out one - and began to smoke. Within minutes, a small crowd gathered to have a glimpse of the star. As news spread, a huge multitude began milling around the area. Rajnikanth puffed away as he watched the whole area become grid locked.

It became impossible for the chief minister to come out of her residence . Finally, realising their folly, the police begged Rajnikanth to drive away. He shrugged, got into his car and drove away. It was the star's way of making a chief minister understand that she may be the administrative boss of the state, but the icon of the masses was indeed Rajnikanth. Baring Baba, all his releases have accorded manifold returns . Rajnikanth's last film Chandramukhi, released in 2005, has been the biggest grosser in the history of south Indian films. He has now quit smoking on medical advice. His fans in Tamil Nadu burst crackers on the roads, bathe his cut outs with milk, beer and whisky before his films get released.

STAR CHART

Rajnikanth - Rs 16 crores Hrithik Roshan- Rs 12 crores SRK- Rs 7- 8 crores Chiranjeevi- Rs 10 crore (including distribution rights) Amitabh Bachchan-Rs 3 crores *Approximate figures per film, according to industry sources

It's Rajni all over

After much speculation, the Rs 65-crore movie Sivajihas hit the screens in the city.A record 300 prints are released in AP, including 43 cinemas in the twin cities. Unlike other Tamil films, this flick is being simultaneously released in about 10 countries, including USA,West Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia and Japan. Creating a record of sorts, the film will be released in 2000 centres across the globe. Only in the US, it is being screened in Chicago,Virginia,Albany, Rochester,Vermont, Maine, Mississippi,Alabama, Kansas, Indianapolis,Wyoming, Montana, Kentucky, New Orleans and Las Vegas, Omaha, Kentucky and Jackson.Tickets of Sivaji were sold much before the release. Rajni mania has gripped not only Tamil Nadu but across the globe.

Compiled by PAYAM SUDHAKARAN

Number plates to get hi-tech

Car thieves and other criminals will no longer be able to drive away in a vehicle with fake number plates. The central government's 2001 proposal for high security number plates is finally in the process of becoming a reality. The new plates will have a chromium based hologram and a permanent identification number which will make it very difficult to duplicate.

"The main security feature of the new number plates is the snap lock which will replace the present method of simply screwing on the plates. The new plates will have to be affixed in the presence of a Road Transport Officer. If you try to tamper with the plates, the snap lock will break the number plates. So, it will be impossi ble for criminals to change the vehicles' number plates," says Transport Commissioner Ajay Misra.

Currently, there is no regulation of number plates, but under the new system, all number plates will be supplied by the Transport office and will be accounted for. This will enable the police to catch criminals more easily."

So when will vehicle owners have to replace their old number plates? "It will be implemented in six months time after the government floats the tender for the contract," says the Transport Commissioner. The new plates have so far been implemented only in the state of Meghalaya, where they cost around Rs 800 for two wheelers up to Rs 1600 for heavy vehicles. The commissioner however, estimates that in a big state like Andhra Pradesh, the plates will cost around Rs 500-600 on average. "The new system will come into effect simultaneously in all the 38 RTO offices across 23 districts in the state," he adds.

But if all the number plates are to be made by a single large company, in such a mechanised way, what will happen to the thousands of people who make number plates for a living? "Actually, I think that additional work will be generated," says the commissioner. "Every single vehicle will need to change the old plates." But number plate makers see a very different future.

Says A. Anand, number plate shop owner on S.D. Road, "I have been in the business for 10 years. So many people are involved in this work." His partner J. Shekhar adds, "Right now it costs the customer about Rs 200 for a set of the usual plastic plates. Only luxury car owners go for laser cut numbers costing around Rs 800." Syed Nadeem, another plate maker says, "This is our livelihood and the government is taking it away."

Source:DC

Tirupati Balaji to get his own sandalwood forest

Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati has sandalwood stocks to last till 2010 and half a dozen civet cats to provide perfumes for the daily rituals. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam has decided to raise sandalwood trees in its own forest to ensure that the Lord never runs out of them.

Lord Venkateshwara is offered perfumes like punugu (musk derived from the civet cat, a nocturnal mammal), kasturi (from musk deer), chandanam (sandalwood) and those from aromatic plants.

The TTD purchases most of the sandalwood required for the rituals from the open market or the forest department. The sandalwood is grown mostly in Kadapa and Chittoor districts. "They are now planning to raise sandalwood in the TTD forest tracts".

The TTD has six civet cats in its zoo to supply musk. This mammal is found mostly in East Indies and Africa. The musk of the civet cat is used as a stabilising agent in perfumes. Although civets were at one time killed for their musk, they are now "recycled" for the purpose.

The musk comes from excretions scraped from the civet cat's perianal glands. Both male and female civets excrete the strong-smelling musk.

When the animals are in heat, they excrete the musk on the sandalwood logs placed inside the enclosures. It comes from a natural process," .

Rajnikanth's Sivaji sets record, Rs 1,500 for ticket

The latest Rajnikanth starrer Sivaji, is setting records even two days before release, with tickets being sold for Rs 1,500 each in the black market.
The movie is being released in 40 theatres across the city including three multiplexes. There will be four screenings daily.

Theatre managements said that tickets for the first two weeks have already been sold out. In Chennai tickets have been sold in one month advance. With hysteric fans jostling to have a sight of the ‘style king,' ticket prices in the black market are likely to go up even further.

If one goes by black market rates, the film has already overshadowed those of top Tollywood stars. For instance,

The latest Rajnikanth starrer, Sivaji, is setting records even two days before release, with tick- ets being sold for Rs 1,500 each in the black market. The movie is being released in 40 theatres across the city including three multiplexes. There will be four screenings daily. Theatre managements said that tickets for the first two weeks have already been sold out. With hysteric fans jostling to have a sight of the ‘style king,' ticket prices in the black market are likely to go up even further. If one goes by black market rates, the film has already overshadowed those of top Tollywood stars. For instance, tickets of Chiranjeevi's latest release ‘Stalin' and last year's ‘Tagore' were reportedly sold at Rs. 1,200 each. Other stars have never surpassed Rs 600.
"This is the first time that a Rajni film is getting such a response form Telugu audience," said H. Harish, who is in charge of Sangeet Theatre.

Rajni fans, especially autorickshaw drivers, have been flocking theatres in vain for the past few days. Cashing in on their desperation are black marketers, who are in for a harvest.

Fans are willing to do anything to watch the first show on the first day. "I will see the movie on the first day even if it costs me my life," said P. Raju an auto-rickshaw driver from Chikkadpally.

Raju is ready to pay Rs 500 for a ticket. He has been saving the money for the past six months. He is not alone in this. There are more than 100 Rajni fan clubs in the city and thousands of fans.

They themselves admit that no other film of the megastar has evoked such response in the city.

Mr Harish, meanwhile, said the theatre management could only monitor black marketers within the premises. "What happens outside the theatre should be taken care of the police," he said.

This was echoed by other managements too. They also denied the allegations made by frustrated fans that they were hand in glove with black marketers.

"We are not encouraging it," said the manager of Satyam Theatre. "We are not giving any person more than one or two tickets."

Police also supported the allegations of fans that some theatre managements had links with black marketeers. "We will post more policemen in mufti at the theatres to keep a tab on this," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone) N. Madhusudan Reddy, but even those black marketers who are caught are let off after a fine of Rs 200, which is just a small percentage of the money they make on a single ticket.
Source: DC

ATM Machines to dispense railway tickets

ATM's in railway stations will not only be cash-vending machines but will also provide long distance railway tickets, sparing bank account holders the ordeal of waiting in queues at railway counters.

Six public-sector banks have entered into an agreement with the Indian Railways to provide this facility in their ATM's to be installed in select railway stations across the country.

The six banks - State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Dena Bank, Union Bank of India and Bank of Baroda - have proposed to set-up 1000 such ATM's.

Central and Western Railway officials said they have initiated action for installing the ATM's and the process of dialogue with the banks for zeroing in on their location at the stations were being finalized.

"We will be installing 190 ATM's on Central Railway and 193 on the Western Railway and the space to be allotted in the stations has also been finalized," Central Railway chief commercial manager Shailendra Kumar said.

A senior Western Railway official said a high number of ATM's will be installed on Mumbai's suburban stations, with Mumbai region having heavy traffic, it was only natural to install a high number of ATM's here. It was likely that by this year-end they could get operational, he added.

"The purpose is to reduce crowding and make it as pleasant as possible for travelers," Mr Kumar said.

"The ATM locations will be such that they will not impinge on the free flow of passengers in the station," the official said. The banks will be installing the ATM's along with a kiosk where ticketing transactions will take place, he added.

State bank of India will install 681 ATMs across the country, including 300 at small stations in rural areas.

Dena Bank, plans to install its ATMs at 117 railway stations, which includes all metros and in several of Mumbai's suburban railway stations and Union Bank of India will be installing 66 ATMs across ten centres in the country.Bank of Baroda chairman A.K. Khandelwal, had also recently announced his bank's initiative in this regard. The bank plans to install 201 ATM's. "A few have already been installed, the first being in Delhi, while the others will be installed after sorting out some logistics issues,"

BulletProof Volvo bus gifted by Brahmani Steel Factory chairman

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy waves to supporters from a bullet proof enclosure atop a mine-proof Volvo bus gifted by Brahmani Steel Factory chairman and managing director G. Janardhan Reddy after he laid the foundation stone for the factory in Kadapa district on Sunday.

The bus, named Rukmini, has been built at the cost of Rs 7.5 crores and has a bullet proof chamber lift which will take YSR to the roof enabling him to address the public.

The bus is also fitted with facilities like captive power generator, modern lighting system, audio-video system, computers, DVD player, a 60 inch flat plasma TV, navigational direction and positioning system besides a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.

Don't make temples hi-tech

How hi-tech a world would you be able to tolerate? What if it came to a situation where temples were equipped with technology? Well that's not very far from the truth, as an IT professional from Vishakapatnam has recently developed a software that enables you to offer prayers and ring temple bells sitting at home. And believe it or not, temple authorities are game.

Several temples in Vishakapatnam have already installed speakers that resonate the devotee's telephonic prayers between the temple walls. A motor has been linked to the bell and allows for the bell to ring when a devotee makes a phone call to offer prayers. Surprisingly, temple authorities do not see anything wrong with mixing technology and religion, but that doesn't mean people in the city think too highly of it.

"However professional and busy we may have become, if one really wants to offer prayers, one can afford to take out some time to visit the temple, even if it's once a month," points out Anu Kirti, socialite. "It wouldn't feel right for me to sit at home and offer prayers through a telephone call," she adds.

One wonders why some one would need to make calls to a temple. After all, if it is the gesture that matters then you could just close your eyes and pray, why the need to install speakers and motors in temples? Says S. Satyanar1ayana, Principal, Nizam College, "A temple is associated with spiritual power and introducing technology in it would amount to trying to undermine that spiritual power."

Looks like the proposal is too hi-tech even for our techies. Says Arijit Chandra, who works in Satyam, "Religious acts should be carried out in the conventional manner. It's not something I would do, it is too hi-tech for me." C. S. Rangarajan is a priest in Chilkur Temple who was a biomedical engineer by profession but left it as he was vexed by technology. "You don't need to ring a temple bell to attain solace, you can pray sitting at home or at a bus stop. If you want to ring a temple bell, then take out time to come to the temple. If you are an NRI who can't visit a temple, then ask your relatives in India to do so on your behalf rather than to call up on from your cellphone," says Mr Rangarajan, who believes that technology has spoilt our lives. "Till the ultra sound scanner wasn't invented, we didn't have the problem of female infanticide. Technology is ruining our lives in more ways than one," he says.

No one we spoke to seems to approve of this practice, then why have temples allowed the penetration of technology through their walls? "Many temples today are run by IAS officers. However, they are not the right people to run a temple as for that you have to understand the intricacies of religion. A temple is not a hotel or restaurant that just any accomplished person should be allowed to run," says the priest.

Kamal Haasan is planning a Hollywood style mid-air fight sequence

Chennai: With the increase in all the hype and attention surrounding Rajinikanth's forthcoming starrer Sivaji as the movie's release date looms closer, it seems like Kamal Haasan who is shooting for his magnum opus Dasavadharam wants to ensure that his film too gets an equal share of attention. It is reported that the actor is planning a Hollywood style mid-air fight sequence near the Nehru stadium in the city.

Apparently Kamal Haasan met Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi to seek permission to perform and shoot this helicopter scene. This is because as per the air control rules, a person must procure prior permission before using the airspace in the city to operate a helicopter.



Even though the details of the meetings are being kept under wraps, sources say that Mr Karunanidhi was very impressed after he saw some of Kamal's stills from the movie, particularly those where the actor had special make-up on. It is reported that after seeing these visuals, the CM immediately wished the actor success in his efforts.

Meanwhile, the shooting for this scene is expected to take place soon. According to insiders, this sequence was chosen over the stadium so that they could make use of the plain green background as a screen on which they could superimpose special graphics for the movie.

AP Government to launch website for job hunters

The State government will soon launch a new website for job hunters displaying vacancies in industry and training available in various institutes. The list of vacancies will be updated weekly.

An employment generation board with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy as chairman and the chief secretary as vicechairman will also be estab lished. The board will have secretaries of various departments as its members.

The Chief Minister, who presided over a meeting on the employment generation attended by government and private industry representatives, set a target of creating one million jobs for the next two years and asked for coordination of the industry and various departments to achieve the target with support of training institutions and professional colleges.

Towards this goal, the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 20 crores for training and Rs 10 crores for modernisation of training institutes and professional colleges, particularly in rural areas which are in a mess.

There are 86 government and 460 private ITIs in the State.

The Chief Minister wanted a focused approach and an umbrella for coordination between different departments such as labour and employment, technical education, industry, textiles and information technology.

Lack of coordination between various departments and industry also cropped up at the meeting.

The Chief Minister was informed that there were 217 industrial estates and 1.48 lakh small scale industries, most of them around Hyderabad which have a job potential for 2.8 lakh people.

The Chief Minister agreed to allow the industry professionals to take up special coaching in the professional institutions, both government and private to help students to gain professional knowledge.

The information technology and communications department in collaboration with industry and other stake holders aims to impart training for two lakh graduate students belonging to technical and other streams this financial year and another three lakh students next financial year.

Great Achievers - A great Indian revolutionary

This year is the 150th anniversary of the First India War of Independence.

Mangal Pandey, a figure from that period was popularised by actor Aamir Khan in his film, The Rising.

Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry, of the British East India Company. Born in the village of Nagwa in Uttar Pradesh, Pandey joined the East India Company forces in 1849 at the age of 22. Primarily famed for attacking his British officers in an incident that sparked off the war of 1857, Mangal Pandey's actions towards his officers were driven by religious and ideological motives. He is considered to be the first warrior in India's struggle for independence from British rule.

The primary motivation behind Mangal Pandey's behaviour was a new type of bullet cartridge used in the new Enfield P-53 rifle introduced in the Bengal Army that year. The cartridge was rumoured to be greased with animal fat, either pork or beef fat, which was not consumed by either Muslims or Hindus. The cartridges had to be bitten to remove the cover and that was abhorrent to the soldiers. The general feeling was that this action was intentional on the part of the British to defile the religions of India. In this context, the 19th Regiment was particularly important because it was charged with testing the new cartridges in February 1857 in Barrackpore, sixteen miles from Kolkata, by the banks of Hooghly river.

When the sepoys in that regiment refused to comply, they were dismissed from service. Present in Barrackpore along with the 19th Regiment, was the 34th Regiment which comprised amongst others some 335 Brahmins and 200 Muslims. On March 29, 1857, Mangal Pandey attacked and injured his British sergeant on the parade ground and wounded an adjutant with a sword. When his arrest was ordered by General Joyce Hearsay, Mangal Pandey tried to shoot himself. He failed, and was captured and sentenced to death.

He was hanged on April 8th, 1857. The attack by, and punishment of Mangal Pandey is widely seen as the triggering event of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Sangameswara temple surfaces at Srisailam

Atmakur, DC: The ancient Sangameswara temple which remains under water for 10 months in a year, has once again risen from the backwaters of the Srisailam reservoir.

The temple which resurfaces every year in April or the first week of May rose late this year. This is mainly because there was sufficient water in the reservoir this year. The temple is located in the Atmakur sub-division of Kurnool district.

Temple has remained submerged since the construction of the Srisailam reservoir in 1980. The temple re-surfaced in 2003 after 23 years and several pujas were conducted.



Thousands of devotees throng this temple every year to offer prayers to Lord Sangameswara. Things were different this year since muddy water prevented them from reaching the temple for the past two weeks.

The temple priest Telakapalli Raghurama Sharma with the help of local fishermen reached the temple by wading through the mud. The temple was cleaned and the priest performed special pujas. These pujas will be conducted in the temple on the next three Mondays and thousands of devotees are expected to visit the temple to receive the darshan of the Lord.