Sunday, September 28, 2008

Navaratri

Navratri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रि) is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava meaning Nine and Ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi i.e. female divinity are worshipped.




Traditions Of Navaratri:

There are five Navaratris devoted to the worship of Shakti(Parvati or Durga). Out of these only three are being celebrated now.

1. Sharada Navaratri - This is the Navaratri, which is celebrated during Sharad Ritu (beginning of winter) (Sept-Oct). This is also called Maha Navaratri. Sharada became Sharad in some places. This celebrates the slaying of Mahishasura by Durga. The festival is observed in most parts of India - especially in the East.


Commences on the first and ends on the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month Aswayuja/Asvina.

‘The Navaratri festival has to be celebrated during the bright fortnight of the month of Asvina, in the order of pratipada, etc, until the navami ends,’ says the Dhaumya-vacana

2. Vasant Navaratri - This is celebrated during Vasant Ritu (beginning of summer) (March- April). This Navaratri is celebrated in North India. Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu observes Navaratri during this period.


This is celebrated during Vasantha Ruthu (beginning of summer) (March- April). This is also known as Chaitra navaratri as it falls during the lunar month of Chithra.


3. Ashada Navaratri - This Navaratri is particularly important for all Upasakas of Varahi- Celebrated in July-August. This is called Guhya Navaratri in Himachal Pradesh. Varahi is one of the seven Matrikas of Devi Mahatmya!


Rituals:

The Navratri commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashwin. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during the beginning of October, although as the dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less.

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Goddess Parvati in her different forms. The Chaitra Navratri culmintes in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navratri culminates in Durga Puja and Dussehra.The Dussehra of Kulu inHimachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North.

In the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, Sharad Navratri is celebrated by setting up of Golu (pronounced as Golu or Kolu) or Bombegalu. It is believed that this was a means to invite people home to celebrate the festivities with them. In Karanataka, particularly Mysore on the 10th day the enacting of destruction of evil (Ravana destroyed by Rama) is displayed with the lighting of dolls representing Ravana and forces of evil (2.5 millennia earlier version of the British Guy Faukes Day - Nov 5th).

The last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form in the state of West Bengal in East India where they are celebrated as Durga Puja.This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahisasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.

In West India, Sharad Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba dance.

Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.


First three days: The goddess is invoked as a spiritual force called Durga also known as kali in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects..


Second three days:
The Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth. She is the goddess of wealth.

Final three days:
The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship.

In South India, Saraswathi pooja is performed on the 7th day. Eight day is traditionally Durgashtami which is big in Bengal. The 9th day is Ayudha Pooja when everyone gives their tools of the trade -- pens, machinery, books, automobiles, school work, etc. a rest and ritually worships them. They start afresh from the next day, the 10th day which is considered as 'Vijaya Dashami'. Many teachers/Schools in south India start teaching Kindergarten children from that day onwards. Students also pay homage to their respective teachers as they are considered the third god (Maathaa, Pitha, Guru, Daivam - Mother, Father, Teacher & God). On this tenth day of Navratri in October - the holiday of Dussehraor Dasara, an effigy of Ravana burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil.

During Navratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. A period of introspection and purification, Navratri is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures.

During this vowed religious observance, a pot is installed (ghatasthapana) at a sanctified place at home. A lamp is kept lit in the pot for nine days. The pot symbolizes the universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the effulgent Adishakti, i.e. Sree Durgadevi. During Navratri, the principle of Sree Durgadevi is more active in the atmosphere.

Navratri is celebrated in a large number of Indian communities. The mother goddess is said to appear in 9 forms, and each one is worshipped for a day. These nine forms signify various traits that the goddess influences us with. The Devi Mahatmya other texts invoking the Goddess who vanquished demons are cited.




Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Good News For Gamers

WORLD'S FIRST 3D MONITOR DESIGNED FOR GAMERS


We thought the world was flat? That was back in the days of 2D monitors. Now we know that the world of gaming, computer graphics or movie watching can be better than real life with iZ3D.

Now gamers can immerse themselves into the thrilling action of the game and see explosions that really explode and stare in wonder at the game scenery that game designers put months of work into.

More and more movies are being created in stereoscopic 3D so movie watchers can experience the action and duck that arrow or truly jump off a cliff. Bring this level of immersive entertainment to your home with an iZ3D 22-inch widesrceen 3D LCD monitor.

The iZ3D monitor is your portal to the amazing world of 3D entertainment! Get in the action now. Don't just watch it.


You can select from the following 8 types of polarized, passive eyewear. In the future, iZ3D will offer more stylish choices, game oriented helmets, and other gadgets.





  1. BeCool
  2. AliG
  3. Sharp
  4. Smooth
  5. Blues Brothers
  6. AlCapone
  7. Dorky
  8. Clip-On

Some of iZ3D Supported Games:

(official):
  1. Armies of Exigo
  2. Ballance
  3. Battlefield 2
  4. Battlefield 2142
  5. Battlefield 2 Special Forces
  6. Beowulf
  7. Bet on Soldier (B.o.S.)
  8. BioShock
  9. Black & White 2
  10. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
  11. Call of Duty 2
  12. Call of Duty 4
  13. Cars Demo (Pixar-Disney)
  14. Civilization IV
  15. Command & Conquer III: Tiberium Wars
  16. Command & Conquer: Generals
  17. Counter Strike: Source
  18. Crysis - ATI Only
  19. Dark Messiah of MM
  20. Delta Force: Xtreme
  21. Devil May Cry
  22. Dungeon Siedge II
  23. Dungeons and Dragons
  24. Empire Earth II
  25. Fahrenheit
  26. Far Cry
  27. FEAR
  28. Flatout 2
  29. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
  30. GTR
  31. Guild Wars
  32. Half Life 2
  33. Half Life 2: Lost Coast
  34. HALO
  35. HALO 2 (Vista Only)
  36. Hellgate: London
  37. Heroes V
  38. Lego Star Wars
  39. Live For Speed
  40. LOTR: Battle for MiddleEarth II
  41. LOTR Online: Shadows of Angmar
  42. LOTR: Return of the King
  43. Men of Valor
  44. Medal of Honor: Airborne
  45. Micro Machines 4
  46. MTX Moto Trax
  47. NBA 2005
  48. NBA 2006
  49. Need for Speed: Carbon
  50. Need for Speed: Underground 2
  51. Need for Speed: Most Wanted
  52. NHL 2005
  53. NHL 2006
  54. Painkiller
  55. Portal
  56. Red Orchestra
  57. Rise and Fall
  58. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl
  59. Serious Sam II
  60. Sid Meier's Railroads
  61. SiN 2: Episodes
  62. Singles 2
  63. Sniper Elite
  64. Sonic Adventure DX
  65. Starship Troopers
  66. StarWars: BattleFront I
  67. Team Fortress 2
  68. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
  69. The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles
  70. The Movies
  71. Tomb Raider
  72. Unreal Tournament 2004
  73. Warcraft III
  74. Warcraft III: Frozen Throne
  75. Warhammer 40k Dawn of War
  76. Warhammer 40k Winter Assault
  77. World in Conflict
  78. World of Warcraft
  79. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade

(User Submitted):

  1. Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
  2. Assassins' Creed
  3. Day Of Defeat:Source
  4. Dirt
  5. EVE Online
  6. Infernal
  7. Medieval Total War
  8. Need For Speed:Underground 2
  9. Prince Of Persia
  10. RaceDriver Grid
  11. Rainbow Six:Vegas
  12. Resident Evil 4
  13. Ryzom
  14. Sins of the Solar Empire
  15. Spell Force 2 Shadow Wars
  16. Star Trek Legacy
  17. Star Wars Galaxies
  18. SWAT 4
  19. The Witcher
  20. Titan Quest
  21. Turok
  22. Unreal Tournament III
and goes on...

iZ3D also offers custom painted monitors..some of these monitors are in production...

you will have the ability to pick a design you want and even have your own custom word or phrase applied.

Here is the video preview of iZ3D:


Friday, August 15, 2008

Happy Independence Day!!


















Hey all!!
I wish a very Happy Independence Day to INDIANS all around the World :)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Quakes Caught By Laptop Sensor

A device originally put into laptops to prevent damage to the hard drive if the machine is dropped has been put to a novel use by scientists.

The tiny devices that detect unexpected movement are being used to give warnings on earthquakes.

The Quakecatcher Network has been built by combining the readings of sensors in laptops known as accelerometers.

It successfully detected last month's quake in Los Angeles.

Jesse Lawrence, assistant professor of geophysics at Stanford University and colleagues from the University of California Riverside, told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme that accelerometers are perfect for monitoring earthquakes.

In the case of laptops, the accelerometer detects when the machine has been knocked off a desk or dropped. Before impact the heads on the hard drive are pulled clear of the platters where data is stored to prevent physical damage.

"When you accidentally knock your laptop off the desk, the accelerometer is detecting a large, strong new motion," he said.

Triggers

Currently the system is iin its early stages with only three laptops fully connected.

While an individual machine "can't necessarily tell the difference" between a quake and someone just getting up quickly and knocking their laptop forcefully, Dr Lawrence explained the key is the number of machines networked together.

"If there's just a few of them, then the server will know it's just people knocking their laptops around accidentally," he said.

Opening in the San Andreas Rift Zone.


People wait outside duri
ng LA earthquake












The recent quake in LA was captured by the network













There is a 99.7% chance of a 6.7 or higher quake by 2037
"But if we're flooded with a large number of triggers, then we'll know that there is a large, significant earthquake in the area."

The sensitivity is variable, depending on distance from the quake.

Once movement is detected, the information is sent to the server, where it is verified as to whether it is an earthquake.

Although this may only provide a few moments' warning, every second counts in such a situation.

"If it is an earthquake, we could potentially send out signals to those who need it even before the energy from the quake has expanded out from the epicentre to those other people," Dr Lawrence said.

"In California, we train pupils in schools to jump underneath desks when there's an earthquake drill.

"We can do the same thing in all sorts of varieties of situations, and those few seconds can count.

Fuel Checker

Fuel Checker Makes Sure You Grabbed The Right Handle















Have you ever put the wrong type of fuel in your car? I’m not talking about skimping out and getting regular when your car calls for premium. No, I’m wondering if you’ve ever put diesel into your gas tank by mistake? Well, now there’s a handy gadget that can check whether or not you’re putting the right stuff in your vehicle.

Install this little gadget on the inside of your fuel flap, then just hold the fuel nozzle up to it ever time you fill up. It will light up to tell you whether or not you’ve got the right type. Seriously, do we really need something like this? Why not just look at the pump and make sure you grabbed the right one? Heck, if I’m not mistaken, the nozzle on a diesel pump is actually larger than that of regular gas so it won’t fit into your car. If you’re really paranoid, then by all means pick one of these.

Palm Size LED Projector





























LG launches in Korea market its HS102G, a palm size LED projector. LG HS102G features 160 ANSI lumens brightness, a 2000:1 contrast ratio, 30,000 hours of LED life and integrated 1.2-watt speaker. It offers a short throw distance of 1.1M. It has a high-glossy black finish with a red touch button. It weighs only 780g.

LG HS102G is priced at 790,000 Korean Won.

Aroma Alarm Clock

Osim Nioi Alarm Clock Concept Uses Smells Instead Of Sounds








































I wonder if historians in the future will look back on these times as the renaissance for alarm clocks? It seems almost every day there’s a different model popping up that uses some clever trick to get you out of bed in the morning. Today we have the Osim Nioi alarm clock concept which was designed by Alfie Lake. Instead of using a loud buzzing or beeping sound to basically shock you out of a comfortable sleep in the morning (usually putting you in a bad mood) the Osim Nioi releases pleasurable scents, like the smell of freshly baked bread, to wake you up.

In fact the Osim Nioi goes one step further and allows for up to 3 different scent cartridges that can actually be used to give you a more relaxing sleep. For example, in addition to your 7:30am fresh bread wake up call, you can also set the clock to release a lavender scent at midnight, which supposedly calms the body and increases the amount of time you spend restfully sleeping. While I like the idea, I know that the smell of fresh bread isn’t enough to bring me out of my dormant coma in the morning. However, I imagine something that smelled a bit more unpleasant might actually do the trick.