Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. The map displays an early supercontinent, Gondwana, which eventually moved to form the continents we know today. Fossils of similar organisms across widely disparate continents encouraged the revolutionary theory of continental drift.
Most people will be
surprised by this heading. But it’s true, India was part of this land mass. Did
you know India was once an island, and even part of Antarctica! About 50
million years ago, it connected with the Asian continental plate, and due to
the crashing of the continental plate the Himalayas was born. According to the
geologists, the Himalaya mountains is a young mountain range, still growing. What
changed when the Indian tectonic plate bumped into the Eurasian plate?
Continental drift is
the hypothesis that the Earth's continents have moved over geologic time
relative to each other, thus appearing to have drifted across the ocean bed.
The idea of continental drift has been included into the science of plate
tectonics, which studies the movement of the continents as they ride on plates
of the Earth's lithosphere. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought
continents moved over time. Today, the theory of continental drift has been
replaced by the science of plate tectonics.
Earth’s outer shell
is divided into large slabs of solid rock, called plates that make up continents.
These plates glide over Earth’s mantle due to the heat currents building up
deep inside the Earth’s core. This geological theory called Plate Tectonic
theory, includes the movement of plates like the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate,
among others.
Have you heard about
Gondwanaland? Millenia ago, the supercontinent of Gondwanaland was formed with
present-day South America, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica. About 180
million years ago, it began to breakup, with the Indian subcontinent drifting
northwards at about 10 cm per year. Covering a whopping 9,000 km in 70 million
years, it eventually hit the Eurasian Plate to create the Indian subcontinent.
Geologists have found seashells and other marine remains in the Himalayas
confirming that there was a sea here before the collision and the birth of the
Himalayan mountains.
Continental drift
describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over
time. The map displays an early supercontinent, Gondwana, which eventually
moved to form the continents we know today. Fossils of similar organisms across
widely disparate continents encouraged the revolutionary theory of continental
drift.
As India crashed
into the Eurasian plate, it gave rise to the highest mountain range of the
world, the Himalayas. The sediment from the eroding Himalayan rocks led to the
formation of the Bengal Delta. Interestingly, India’s journey across the
waters, carrying along the animal and plant biology from the erstwhile
Gondwanaland makes it comparable to the Viking funeral ship. One of the alleged
Viking traditions called for dead Vikings to be set off to sea in a funeral
ship along with their belongings.
As India was getting
closer to the Eurasian Plate over millions of years, withstanding several
climatic changes evolution took the front seat. For example, a deer-like mammal,
Indohyus, once living on the Indian subcontinent is said to have evolved into
what we know today as the whale. Before the collision of the Indian and
Eurasian plates, the Earth was so warm that there were no ice caps on the North
and South poles. Silicates in the Himalayas started to quickly absorb large
amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, resulting in global cooling. This began the
last Ice age.
Are the plates still
moving? Is India still moving? The answer is a clear yes. And you have proof
too. The Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat in 2001 and the Nepal earthquake in 2015 is
a clear indication. Although slowed down, the Indian subcontinent continues to
move northwards, resulting in Phenomena such as earthquakes from time to time.
The collision of the
Indian subcontinent and Asian continent created the Himalayan Mountain range,
home to the world's highest mountain peaks, including 30 that exceed 7300
meters (24,000 feet). Because continental drift is still pushing India into
Asia, the Himalayas are still growing.
Recently villagers in a small remote Indian village made
a remarkable discovery; the remains of a well-preserved temple that had been
lost to time since the 1850s. The villagers unearthed the 200-year-old temple
buried in sand for nearly a century. The temple is dedicated to Lord
Nageshwara, an avtar of Lord Shiva. The older generations of Perumallapadu had
fond memories of visiting the shrine, though the younger generations were
unaware of its existence.
Stories village elders told of the temple buried in
the dunes inspired younger people to pick up their tools and start digging. It
was found in Perumallapadu, a village in Nellore district in India. In about
1850, the village was rendered unlivable because the nearby Penna river rose
and constantly flooded the remote village. When the local folks moved away, the
sand dunes engulfed the whole temple. And it was only recently it was
re-discovered.
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Rebranding the Incredible India campaign was used to increase tourism by promoting its diversity and making it a point of attraction for local and foreign tourists by embracing this diversity, contrasting culture, traditions, cuisine and wonderful sights. According to a study by the website money.co.uk, India ranks seventh in the list of the most beautiful countries in the world. From magnificent mountains in the Himalayas to colourful coral reefs in Andaman and ancient monuments dotted all over India make it so.......
Most people in the west
and some of our neighboring countries too still have the age-old image of India,
like the Taj Mahal, Yoga, crowded country with a large population and the land
of Hindus and sadhus. Contrary to the popular belief India is much more, and
most people are not even aware of the progress and development India has made
in the last couple of decades; which has made India the fifth largest economy
and soon may become the third largest economy in the world. India’s catapult to
success is not only due to the development in the present, but it was started
years ago by various governments and was helped by our age-old legacy of
centuries back.
Today India has
banished those doubts and negative mindset about the country. We have done all
the hard work and put together a list of unique facts of India you probably
haven’t even heard of and which has made it – Incredible India. As you journey
through this blog, you will uncover the hidden facts and how the new modern
India is forging new ideas, thoughts and paths through Make in India that makes
India stand out and is unstoppable. Not only in IT, but technology, space,
agriculture, education, health, defense, industrial manufacturing, skilled
manpower and in many other fields India is as good as the developed countries
in the west. Digital India is one such example.
Rebranding the
Incredible India campaign was used to increase tourism by promoting its
diversity and making it a point of attraction for tourists by embracing this
diversity, contrasting culture, traditions, cuisine and sights. According to a
study by the website money.co.uk, India ranks seventh in the list of the most
beautiful countries in the world. From magnificent mountains in the Himalayas
to colourful coral reefs in Andaman and ancient monuments dotted all over India
make it so. Another misconception most people have is not all Indians are
vegetarians as generally believed by many. It is known for non-vegetarian
dishes and delicious seafood specially along coastal India. India is the second
largest English-speaking country in the world. Curry is one of India’s popular
dishes.
Did you know India
was once an island, and even part of Antarctica! About 50 million years ago, it
connected with the Asian continental plate, and due to the crashing of the
continental plate the Himalayas was born. And thus, was the emergence of the
Indian subcontinent and a civilization. Thus was the emergence of the
sub-continent and ancient India with a rich culture, tradition and secularism. Hinduism
is considered to be the oldest religion. Along with the Hindus, others like
Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Jews, etc live here in harmony. All
are a people of a common heritage and history whatever may be their religion.
In 1947 Pakistan was carved out of India as some Muslim leaders wanted a
separate nation for Muslims. And after over seven decades, it is a failed state
facing grave political, sectarian, terrorism, severe economic and other crisis.
For Indians nation
comes first, religion is a private matter. This comes naturally to Indians and
this has helped India to progress and develop at a fast pace and catch up with
the developed countries. Indians are respected all over the world and are aware
India has arrived. In India everyday is a festival. Its colourful place with friendly and smiling people. India and Indians are know for their hospitality. Atithi devo bhava meaning guest is god is the tagline of the campaign in India to treat tourists as God and develop a sense of responsibility towards the guests.
Are you aware as per
the data of 2020, Indian women hold 11 percent of the world’s gold. Indian
women currently own 21,733 tons of gold. Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala is
considered to be the richest temple in the world with gems, jewelry, gold,
silver locked in its huge vaults. There are many such rich temples all over the
country.
India has been the
largest troop contributor to UN missions since its inception. Apart from
Indians occupying top positions in major corporates, another surprising fact is
Indians own more property in London than the English people. More than 40
percent of the motels in the US are owned by Indian Americans. 30 percent of
the Fortune 500 companies have Indians as their CEO’s. India accounts for
one-third of all engineers in Silicon Valley in the US and 10 percent of the
world’s high-tech business CEOs. This speaks a lot about the Indian values,
education system, the schools, colleges, Universities, IITs, IIMs, some of them
are ranked highly in the world. Indian parents value education and sacrifice a
lot to educate their children. Credit must go to the Indian parents.
The number of people
travelling in the Indian Railways every day is equal to the population of
Australia. More than 19,500 languages are spoken in India. It’s said that every
few km you travel, the language or accent and food changes. India currently has
the tallest statue in the world – Sardar Patel’s statue in Gujarat, measuring
600 feet in height, is known as the Statue of Unity. Indian boxer Mary Kom
recently won her 8th medal at the World Boxing Championship, making
her the most successful boxer of all time. India was the first country to mine
diamonds, from the fourth century BC for around 1000 years, India was the only
source of diamonds in the world.
Superstar Freddie
Mercury is of Indian origin known as the world’s first Indian rock star.
Freddie was born of Parsi origin with the name Farrokh Bulsara. The Golden
Temple in Amritsar feeds a vegetarian meal to over 50,000 people every day
regardless of race, religion and class. Similarly, many other temples in India
offer free meals as prasad to all devotees with food cooked by cooks and
volunteers in the huge kitchens. Some of them are partly automated, in some temples,
certain sections are run-on solar energy. Piplantri, a village in Rajasthan
plants 111trees every time a girl child is born. Women empowerment has been the
focus of succeeding governments.
The country is third
in the world for billionaires. India now boasts of 6,884 ultra-high-net-worth
individuals and claim to have 140 billionaires. Roughly 67 % of the world’s
outsourcing is done in India. The IT industry is valued at over US$150 billion.
Silicon Valley in US boasts of Indians in responsible senior posts and have
also been instrumental in creating many successful start-ups.
The state of
Meghalaya, in northeast India is the wettest inhabited place on earth. The
forest region has an average rainfall of 12000 mm of rain every year. Cheerapunji
was considered the wettest place but now Mawsynram receives the highest
rainfall in India. It is reportedly the wettest place on earth, with an average
annual rainfall of 11,872 millimeters (467.4 in). According to the Guinness
Book of World Records, Mawsynram received 26,000 millimeters (1000 in) of
rainfall in 1985. White tigers are only found among Indian tigers. The white
tiger is a leucistic pigmentation variant of the regular tiger.
With documents
dating back as early as 5,500 BCE, Hinduism is considered the oldest religion
in the world. The holy city of Varanasi, also known as Banaras or Kashi, is
believed to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. The Kumbh Mela is
a spiritual event held once in 12 years in north India. In 2011, this religious
gathering was so vast that it was visible in space through a satellite. It
attracted over 70 million people from all over India and the world. The event
was conducted peacefully without any untoward incident.
About 35 meters
taller than the Eiffel Tower, the arch-shaped Chenab bridge in Jammu and
Kashmir is the world’s tallest rail bridge. It stands at the height of 1,178
feet over the river Chenab. The feat was achieved by Indian engineers and local
material and technology. Many such marvels in the form of infrastructure, bridges, roads, flyovers, expressways, tunnels etc have be constructed in the last few decades.
India has a myriad
of landscapes, great heritage and culture, varied flora and fauna. A world
carved in time and timelessness, generously endowed with nature’s bounties. A
region that pulsates with life, a land that celebrates life. India is the most
preferred tourist destinations for tourists around the world. Indian culture
and traditions are getting globalized and attracting a lot of foreigners. Apart
from Taj Mahal, huge monuments, forts and Palaces, the backwaters, the beaches
in Goa, Gokarna and elsewhere, the beautiful hill stations are a major draw and
captivating.
In the last 180
years, the inhabitants of Meghalaya have been using living root bridges to
cross rivers and streams. These bridges stand tall against the test of time,
with a capacity to hold 50 people at a time. It’s an example of traditional art
and expertise which is useful even today in remote areas of the state with no
harm caused to nature. Ancient India was home to two of the world’s first
cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. These cities had buildings, multiple stories
and sewage systems like modern cities. India was the first civilization to use
algebra and calculus. The number zero was invented by Aryabhatta in ancient
India. Sage Shushratha is considered the father of modern surgery. Ayurveda too
is India’s gift to the world.
Indian spices are
known all over the world. Indian fashion is making waves. Indian food and
cuisines are a favourite with foreigners. Cricket and Bollywood are another
major attraction. Spiritual tourism is also attracting many to the holy places
located all over India. India is known for ancient monuments, temples, stupas
and other religious structures, centers of learning all over India. Kashmir
valley in the north is no doubt the most beautiful tourist places in India;
Kerala in the south, rightly called God’s Own Country, is a beautiful state
known for its laidback culture and bounty of nature with palm-fringed
backwaters, rejuvenating ayurvedic spas and striking wildlife.
India has achieved a
lot in the last couple of decades. Polio eradication all over India in 2014. The
Chandranyan, mission to the moon. In 2013 launch of MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission),
In 2012 Western Ghats was designated as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 2010,
in sports, India won 101 medals in Commonwealth Games. Later did well in
Olympics and World Championships in different sports.
In the field of
science and technology, India has designed and built its own aircrafts, arms,
EW systems, missile systems, frigates and aircraft carrier and Vande Bhart fast
trains. Other contributions of India to the world – Chess, Snakes and ladders
game, Basmati rice, yoga, Sanskrit, Ayurveda, detection of water on the moon,
plastic surgery, binary system, ink, fiber optics and USB and many more. The
profound shift in politics and foreign policy, diplomacy and digitization along
with art and sports. India’s GDP growth rate in the last 10 years has been an
average growth rate of 6-7 per cent. This has made India the fifth largest
economy overtaking UK recently and is aiming to be the third largest economy
very soon.
The concept of a family doctor is mainly unique to
India. Else-where they are a vanishing breed. The family doctor is a friendly
neighborhood general practitioner. The family doctor is not only a physician,
but a friend, philosopher and guide to his patients. More often like a family
member, as he is familiar and treats all the members of the family, from
grandparents to their children and grandchildren. He knows them all by name and
is also familiar with the health history of each of his regular patients. He
has a calming influence on the patient and makes him feel better and confident.
And most importantly, he is affordable and can be trusted. In most cases,
patients feel much better by just visiting and talking to him.
In many instances, he advices and also guides
patient’s regarding health, education and even personal matters of the
patient’s relatives and friends, and their children, sometimes even advises
them on matrimonial matters and even counsels them in personal issues of his
patients. One truly realizes the importance of your friendly family doctor when
you are out, in India or abroad. You miss his advice and words of wisdom. He
knows your body and case history. He knows the medicines that suit you and what
is allergic or if it has any side effects on his patients. You miss him, his
comforting words, simple medicine and above all, the confidence to treat you
back to normal health. I am sure many will vouch for their family doctor who is
also a good friend.
If
you feel that Aneela Nike Post is making a difference to your life, do take a
minute to consider a comment or contribution. We would also value your
suggestions as how to make ourselves more relevant to you. Please write to akn929@yahoo.com to give
your valuable feedback.
Pakistan seems to have realized it has been isolated, even the Muslim countries are ignoring them. On the international front, Pakistan is trying hard to come out from political isolation. It relies on all-weather friend China. But China has never dared to help them against India. China too seems to regret having trusted Pakistan and invested in CEPEC.......
What does Pakistan want? They themselves are confused.
Pakistan is in a real fix, with price rise, shortages, terrorist attacks and
economy sinking it’s becoming difficult to run the country. And FATF is making
it harder for them, falling into the pitfalls that are sabotaging their return
to normalcy. The blunder lies in attempting to forge a different path every
time there’s some hope, thereby snubbing the potential of some semblance of
recovery. It’s not merely about having a backup plan, but also about broadening
their horizons and expanding their opportunity. They are averse to constructive
criticism. Hence, it’s all too easy to get weighed down by challenges. Day by
day it’s getting difficult for Pakistan.
Pakistan was divided into two entities
after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. And it was their own doing to
subdue the Bengalis, and India was forced to intervene due to the genocide by
the Pak army and influx of a million Bengali refugees to the Indian states
bordering former East Pakistan. Bengali people, intellectuals and civilians
were killed, even women and children were not spared, mass rape of women was a
planned policy to subdue and insult them. India mounted pressure and the final
assault by the Indian army with the support of Mukti Bahini, the Pak army was
forced to surrender to the Indian forces. Pakistan is continuously and
desperately trying to take revenge of 1971 war by spreading terrorism in
Kashmir and other parts of India.
Pakistan knows very well that it cannot
win against India in a conventional war, therefore it has adopted proxy war
with the help of state sponsored terrorism. It sends trained Jihadists through
the border to attack the Indian army. It also provokes Kashmiri people against the
Indian army with the help of pro-Pakistani elements and Hurriyat Conference
leaders. It encourages separatists to burn schools and throw stones at Indian
army. It also tries to obstruct Indian army while they are in the process of
cordoning and killing terrorists from Pakistan. All these methods are failing
and they are disappointed that their plans are not working any more.
In 1984, in a proactive action by the
Indian army, Pakistan army was defeated in Siachen and was unable to get hold
of the glacier heights. It was major strategic victory for India. And since
then, the Indian forces are in control of entire Siachen area though they tried
a few times to attack the Indian army but the Indian forces responded strongly.
More than the enemy, it’s the hostile climate that takes a toll of the forces
who have to be replaced regularly. The cost is high but it’s a must has a
strategic advantage for India.
In 1989 it tried to change the demography
of Kashmir valley by expelling Kashmiri Pandits, the only Hindus in the valley
through the terrorist organisations. It threatened Kashmiri Pandits to leave the
valley and killed many of them in broad daylight. Thus, in the Kashmir valley
the original inhabitants, the Kashmiri Pandits had to flee leaving behind their
homes, business, orchards and property in 1989 and live in congested refugee
camps. They were driven away from their own homes. Now the government is trying
to resettle them.
In 1999 it tried to occupy Kargil and
wanted to cut off Leh and Ladakh from rest of India by cutting off the supply
line from national highway number 1A. Pakistan’s propaganda that it captured
Kargil from India sounds hollow when one of their own spokes-person stated,
Pakistan won as long as they did not come face to face with the Indian army!
Once the Indian army came on the scene, the Pakistanis had to flee with many of
their soldiers being killed. The Pakistanis even refused to take the bodies of
their dead soldiers and the Indian army buried them with dignity.
Pakistan is hosting the well- known
terrorists like Hafiz Saed, Mulla Omar, Salahuddin etc. Different terror
organisations like LeT, LeJ, Jem, Hijbul mujahidin, Hakkani network etc.,
thrive in Pakistan under the state patronage and the army. They plan and
organise separatist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. They send jihadis to kill.
Some locals fall prey to their preaching but now the young and educated
Kashmiris are realizing their motive and would like to be a part of the
progress and development in Kashmir. This is hurting the Pakistan plans.
Pakistan seems to have realized it has
been isolated, even the Muslim countries are ignoring them. On the international
front, Pakistan is trying hard to come out from political isolation. It relies
on all-weather friend China. But China has never dared to help them against
India. China too seems to regret having trusted Pakistan and invested in CEPEC.
The world is now aware of the nefarious activities of Pakistan and the
state-sponsored terrorist activities.
In desperation they are using all kinds of
provocation to separate Kashmir from India. But majority of Kashmiri people are
happy with Indian government and the development. A small number of the
population in the valley area are influenced by Pakistan. Thus all efforts of
Pakistan government are proving futile. With the abrogation of article 370, the
progress in the area and G20 meeting scheduled in Kashmir, Pakistan already
feels they have lost Kashmir. Now they are worried about holding on to POK
where protests are common and the locals are keen to join their brethren in
Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan received billions of aid from
America to facilitate war in Afghanistan and to fight terrorism. Instead of
using this money against terrorism it has used it to promote terrorism against
India. After the conspiracy of Osama Bin Laden hiding in Abbottabad was
exposed, America stopped trusting Pakistan and has stopped financial aid.
Pakistan since its inception, survived on aid which the army and the
establishment utilized for its own benefit.
It is desperate to internationalize the
Kashmir issue by all kinds of false statements and photographs in UN and other
forums. But India is able to expose their propaganda in front of the
international community.Some months
ago, a photo of a woman with pellet injuries on her face was shown in UNGA by
Pakistan’s ambassador to UN Maleeha Lodhi proved to be a fake photo. It was a
photo of a Palestinian woman from Gaza city and not from Kashmir. The picture
used by Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN was reported by a number of media
outlets as that of a 17-year-old girl injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
city in 2014. As a result, all efforts by Pakistan to internationalize the Kashmir
issue has received a setback with most countries not taking them seriously.
Kashmiri people are genuinely fed up with the
continuous disturbance and violence in the region. They are now getting
recruited in police and civil services in large numbers. Pakistani terrorists
and separatists are now targeting Kashmir police personnel to create fear. This
is their frustration at the extreme. Pakistan in no way is capable of
separating Kashmir from India. The leaders too have realized Kashmir is lost
and no country is willing to listen. They are worried about holding on to POK.
Hurriyat leaders like Gilani and Yasin Malik
are under house arrest and those involved in terror funding are being
investigated and questioned by NIA. Therefore, anti-India shows and
stone-pelting has totally stopped as Indian army has been ordered to weed out
the terrorist and separatist elements. The terrorists from Pakistan who enter
Kashmir are cordoned and killed in retaliatory actions by Indian army. The
result being there’s normalcy in Kashmir except for a few isolated incidents
provoked by infiltrators and their local sympathizers.
Modi government has changed the foreign
policy towards Pakistan. No more talks till Pakistan stops state-sponsored
terror. It has adopted a tit- for- tat policy and the army has been given full
power to decide the extent of retaliation. Surgical strike in POK in September
2016 was pointer to this. After the recent incident in Poonch where five
personnel of Rashtriya Rifles died due to grenade throwing and random firing on
a convoy of trucks by terrorists, Pakistan is expecting a strong retaliation
from India. And it may soon happen. Such attacks can only happen with a nod
from the government and the army. Foreign Minister Bhutto is likely to visit
India for the SCO summit. Nothing much is expected from this visit. Foreign
Minister Jaishankar has made it clear no talks with countries promoting terror.
Some Pakistanis talk of independent
Kashmir. The most important question is whether Pakistan will allow an
independent Kashmir to survive in the neighborhood? And if it annexes Kashmir,
whether it will be able to provide the basic necessities to Kashmiri people.
Pakistani citizens are not provided with the basic facilities in Pakistan. People
have to stand in queue to get their basic needs. The prices of essential
commodities have gone beyond reach of the common man. With shortages of essential
items, there is anger among the people. The leaders travel to all the Muslim
and friendly countries to borrow and get financial aid to run Pakistan which is
already sinking. FATF has made things very clear to Pakistan government. They
are required to fulfil certain strict conditions which would be difficult for
the Pakistan government. With the nation in economic doldrums, they talk of
standing on their own feet. Some are even talking about the breakup of
Pakistan.
Govt to set up helipads, drone landing facilities on highways
NHAI is developing world-class Wayside Amenities at
more than 600 locations along the National Highways, said the Minister for Road
Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.
According to an official release, the Minister for
Road Transport and Highways said that NHAI is developing world-class Wayside
Amenities (WSA) at more than 600 locations along the National Highways which
will include setting up helipads and drone landing facilities. These facilities
would help in dealing with medical emergencies, such as road accidents and
organ transplantation.
Apart from basic facilities like good toilets, parking
and restaurants; the WSAs will also have dormitories for truck drivers,
electric vehicles charging, trauma centres among others.
There will also be retail outlets for promoting
handicrafts and locally-manufactured products, the minister said, adding some
of the WSAs will also have helipads and drone landing facilities to deal with
medical emergencies like road accidents and organ transplantation. Gadkari
further said, “PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) is a very big
initiative and it will help us reduce logistics costs".
He added that logistics cost in India is higher at
13-14 per cent of GDP compared to 8-9 per cent in other developed economies,
such as the US.
“Higher logistics cost reduces the competitiveness of
'Made in India' products in global markets. Reducing logistics costs to 9 per
cent of GDP is at the top of the government's agenda," the minister emphasized.
If
you feel that Aneela Nike Post is making a difference to your life, do take a
minute to consider a comment or contribution. We would also value your
suggestions as how to make ourselves more relevant to you. Please write to akn929@yahoo.com to give
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