Christmas

Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. It falls on December 25 every year. During the days of Christmas, people decorate their houses with star -shaped lights. This is to symbolise the legendary star that showed the way for the magi (wise men) from the east who came to see child Jesus with precious gifts. Carol songs are sung by groups of people who move from house to house. This practice reminds one of the heavenly song sung by the angels on the night Jesus was born.
Jesus was born during the second census held in the reign of Augustus Caesar, the famous Roman Emperor. As per the royal decree, all male had to go to their ancestral home town with their family, to register their names. Thus, Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem (now in Palestine), the royal town of King David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. There Jesus was born. The town was full of people who came from far and wide. Mary wrapped the new born baby in clothes and placed him in a manger (the trough for the cattle to feed from), because there was no room for them in the inn.
To symbolise Jesus' birth in humble circumstances, the Christians make small huts resembling the cattle-shed where child Jesus rested. Miniatures of the characters present during Jesus' birth are placed within this. Thus, you can see Child Jesus, his parents, the wise men, the angels and the shepherds with their sheep, the cattle around and the divine star. The Bible says that the poor shepherds were the first to come to share the joy of the child birth, with Joseph and Mary.
The Christians attend church services in the previous night and the morning of the Christmas day.
Christmas is a winter festival. The message of this festival is "peace to men on earth', as the heavenly angels sang. The Christians believe that it reminds us of God's love for the humans because He sent His Son to the earth to die for the human kind. Thus, it is day of celebrations as well as thanks giving.

Buddha Purnima

Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha is widely celebrated, on the full moon night the month of Vaisakh (April/May) in the Saka Calendar.
All the four important incidents in the life of Lord Buddha occurred on the full moon nights of Vaisakh. The Buddha was born on the Full Moon day in the month of Vaisakh in 563 BC, in Lumbini, near Kapila Vastu (presently in Nepal). On another full moon day in the same month, he abandoned his family and all earthly pleasures and went in search of the Supreme Truth. Also, Lord Buddha attained enlightenment on a full moon night in Vaisakh at Bodh gaya in Bihar. He achieved nirvana on full moon night in the same month.
It is also believed that Yashodara, Gautam's wife, his charioteer Channa and even his horse Kantaka were born on full moon days in the same month.
On this day, Buddhists offer prayers in their temples. Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon (known as Dharmachakra pravartana) and Bodh Gaya are the main centres of celebration.

Baisakhi

Baisakhi is New Year's Day in Punjab. It falls on April 13, though once in 36 years it occurs on 14th April. It marks the foundation of the Khalsa (the Sikh brotherhood) by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, on this day in 1699. The Sikhs, therefore, celebrate this festival as a collective birthday.
Baisakhi is celebrated with music and dancing. Sikhs visit gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and listen to kirtans (religious songs) and discourses. After the prayer, kada prasad (sweetened semolina) is served to the congregation. The function ends with langar (the community lunch) served by volunteers.
Processions are taken out. Mock duels and bands playing religious tunes are part of the processions. These are followed by readings from Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs.
Baisakhi is the harvest festival of Punjab. It is seen as a festival of thanks giving and it marks the beginning of the next agricultural season by sowing.

Civil Service Examination 2010 Notification

Date of Notification :- 02 January 2010.

Last Date for receipt of Applications :- 01 Feb 2010(Monday).

Date of Commencement of Examination :- 23 May 2010(Sunday).

For more details.....

http://www.upsc.gov.in/exams/notifications/csp2010/notcvl.htm#PageTop

International Boundary Lines

1.Durand Line - India and Afghanistan(Demarcation line drawn in 1896 by Sir Mortimer Durand).

2.Radcliffe Line - India and Pakistan (Drawn in 1947 by Sir Cyril Radcliffe,Chairman of the Boundary Commission for India and Pakistan).

3.McMohan Line - India and China (Drawn by Sir Henry McMohan.The 1120km frontier line is not recognized by China.In 1962 Chinese crossed this line and invaded India.)

4.49th Parallel - USA and Canada.

5.17th Parallel - North Vietnam and South Vietnam (This line defined the boundary between them before the union).

6.38th Parallel - North Korea and South Korea.

7.Oder Niesse Line - Germany and Poland(Drawn after the Second World War).

8.Hindenberg Line - Germany and Poland (The line to which the Germans retreated in 1917 during First World War)

9.Maginot Line - France and Germany.(A line of fortification constructed by France for protection from Germany's attack).

10.Siegfried Line - Germany and France.(A line of fortification drawn up by Germany).

11.Mannerthiem Line - Russia and Finland.

12.24th Parallel - India and Pakistan.(It is the latitude line which Pakistan claimed should be the demarcation line the Kutch dispute.India rejected the claim)

Important Days...

January 12 - National Youth Day.

January 15 - Army Day.

January 26 - Republic Day,International Customs Day.

January 30 - Matyrs' Day

February 28 - National Science Day.

March 8 - International Women's Day.

March 15 - World Disabled Day.

March 21 - World Forestry Day.

March 23 - World Meteorological Day.

April 5 - National Maritime Day.

April 7 - World Health Day.

April 18 - World Heritage Day.

April 22 - Earth Day.

May 1 - Worker's Day(International Labour Day).

May 3 - Press Freedom Day.

May(2nd Sunday) - Mother's Day.

May 8 - World Red Cross Day.

May 15 - International Day of the Family.

May 17 - World Telecommunication Day.

May 24 - Commonwealth Day.

May 31 - Anti-tobacco Day.

June 5 - World Environment Day.

June 27 - World Diabetes Day.

July 11 - World Population Day.

August 6 - Hiroshima Day.

August 9 - Quit India Day,Nagasaki Day.

August 15 - Independence Day.

August 29 - National Sports Day.

September 5 - Teacher's Day.

September 8 - World Literacy Day.

September 16 - World Ozone Day.

September 21 - Alzheimer's Day.

September 26 - Day of Deaf.

September 27 - World Tourism Day.

October 3 - World Habitat Day.

October 4 - World Animal Welfare Day.

October 8 - Indian Air Force Day.

October 9 - World Post Office Day.

October 10 - National Post Day.

October 13 - UN International Day for Natural
Disaster Reduction.

October 14 - World Standards Day.

October 15 - World White Cane Day.

October 16 - World Food Day.

October 24 - UN Day.

October 30 - World Thrift Day.

November 14 - Children's Day.

December 1 - World AIDS Day.

December 4 - Navy Day.

December 7 - Armed Forces Flag Day.

December 10 - Human Rights Day.

December 23 - Kisan Divas(Farmer's Day).

Persons(Sobriquets)

Abdul Gaffar Khan - Badshah Khan;Frontier Gandhi.

Adolf Hitler - Fuhrer.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak - Lokmanya.

Benito Mussolini - II Duce.

C F Andrews - Deenabandhu.

C N Annadurai - Anna.

C R Das - Deeshabandhu.

C Rajagopalachari - Rajaji.

Dadabhai Narorji - Grand Old Man of India.

Duke of Wellington - Iron Duke.

Dwight David - Ike.

Eisenhower Earl of Warwick - King Maker.

Erwin Rommel - Desert Fox.

Florence Nightingale - Lady with the Lamp.

Francisco Franco - El Cauclillo.

Geoffery Chaucer - Father of English Poetry.

Jawaharlal Nehru - Chacha,Panditji.

Jayaprakash Narayan - Loknayak.

Joan of Arc - Maid of Orleans.

Lal Bahadur Shastri - Man of Peace.

Lala Lajpat Rai - Punjab Kesari.

M K Gandhi - Bapu.

M S Gohlwalker - Guruji.

Madan Mohan Malaviya - Mahamana.

Napolean Bonaparte - Man of Destiny.

Otto Von Bismark - Man of Blood and Iron.

Queen Elizabeth - Maiden Queen.

Rabindranath Tagore - Gurudev.

Rajinder Singh - Sparrow.

Samuel Langhome Clemens - Mac Twain.

Sarojini Naidu - Nightingale of India.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah - Lion of Kashmir

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - Bangabandhu.

Subhash Chandra Bose - Netaji.

T Prakasam - Andra Kesari.

Vallabhai Patel - Man of Iron,Strong Man of India.

Walter Scott - Wizard Of The North.

William Ewart Glandstone - Grand Old Man of Britain.

William Shakespeare - Brand of Avon.

Younger Pitt - Great Commoner.