Coronation of Shivaji in June 1674 [Continued from Apr. 18] So it was that the coronation was celebrated at Raigad in June 1674. A massive grand, opulent and spectacular preparation was made for a month-long celebration. The coronation ceremony was performed by the greatest of the Brahman Ganga Bhat from Banaras known to be the…
PET TALK
April 22, 2020In this week’s Pet Talk, Maneka tells about the steps to be taken to help street animals during summer By Maneka Gandhi Does a person require a licence to engage in animal selling activities? The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018 in the…
THE TRUTH IS: WE ARE MEANINGLESS
April 21, 2020By T.J.S. George Sardar Patel’s statue at Ahmedabad was recently advertised for sale at Rs. 30,000 crore by “unknown persons.” Clearly it was someone’s idea of a joke and could have been dismissed as such. But the quality of humour is strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain for only the cultured. It blesseth him…
Covid Symptoms and Humour
April 19, 2020As the lockdown continues with the ever-increasing list of symptoms for COVID-19, most of us are sure to second guess and even panic at least once during the lockdown. Initially, we were told to look out for chronic dry cough, followed by fever and then difficulty in breathing. Then suddenly diarrhoea was declared a symptom….
Remembering Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — 15: Shivaji attacks Mughal Fort Sinhagad
April 18, 2020[Continued from Apr. 15] Historians differ in their opinions about the war that began between Mughal army and Shivaji following this letter. One version says Aurangzeb was busy dealing with a sudden Persian invasion in the North and Pathan rising at Peshawar. Here in the South it was a divided command between Dilir Khan, who…
Power of “Faith” in trying times
April 16, 2020By N.K.A. Ballal, Retd. Sr. Vice-President, ITDC My friend Sarasa sent me this story which I thought of sharing with ‘SOM’ readers as it fits in with the current times: Once a man got lost in a desert. The water in his flask had run out two days ago and he was on his last…
Remembering Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — 14: Shivaji introduces Administration and Tax Reforms
April 15, 2020[Continued from Apr. 12] Shivaji on his return to Raigad from the prison of Aurangzeb in Agra took over the administration of the Government from his mother and the Ministers. Officially, there appeared a sort of peace between Mughal Emperor and Raja Shivaji even though the agreement was broken by the Emperor by his imprisonment…
Pet Talk: April 15, 2020
April 15, 2020In this week’s Pet Talk, Maneka explains how to leash train a cat and about first aid for a dog injured in accident By Maneka Gandhi Can I vaccinate a pregnant animal? Vaccinations should not be given to pregnant animals, but most vaccinations are safe for nursing animals. What should be the first aid medication for a…
Remembering Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — 13
April 12, 2020The great escape and predicament of priest Kashi ! [Continued from April 9] At Mathura, Shivaji moved around in disguise with the help of a friendly Brahmin named Kashi. Shivaji shaved his head, removed his moustache and beard, smeared his face with ashes and put on the yellow robe as a religious mendicant. He had…
Cure is in Nature
April 11, 2020Nature creates, nature cures, nature destroys. We better save nature if we want to save ourselves. Because nearly half of all human pharmaceuticals are originally derived from natural sources and we humans by systematically destroying more and more species of plants and animals are also destroying nature’s medicine cabinet. Since the past few weeks, a…











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