In Hinduism a guru is a spiritual teach or guide. Sikhs have retained his basic meaning, but the title itself is very limited in application: there have only been ten human Gurus, starting with Guru Nanak who founded the Sikh religion. The Gurus are: Guru Nanak, 1469-1539 Guru Angad: born 1504, Guru 1539-1552 Guru Amar Das: born 1479, Guru 1552-1574 …

Nanded (pronounced Nander), formerly in Hyderabad State is now a district town in Maharashtra. It is a railway station on the Manmad-Secunderabad section of South Central Railway. One of the five Sikh Takhts is located here and the Sikhs reverently refer to it as Hazur Sahib. Nanded is associated with the first and the last of the Sikh Gurus. While …

Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA – December 24, 2016 – A total of 5,025 race participants dressed in Santa suits crossed the finish line at the Surf-N-Santa 5 Miler in Virginia Beach, breaking the Guinness World Record for the Largest Santa Claus Run. Photo: A total of 5,025 race participants dressed in Santa suits crossed the finish line at the Surf-N-Santa …

George Michael has died aged 53. The musical superstar, who originally made his name in the pop group Wham! before finding global success as a solo artist, passed away at his home in Oxfordshire. Police say there are no suspicious circumstances. In a statement, the star’s publicist said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, …

Author: Leo Grasset (translated by Barbara Mellor) Publisher: Profile Books / Hachette India Pages: 162 Price: Rs 499 It was birthplace of the human race but that is not the only contribution of Africa to life on our planet. On its sprawling savannah can be seen many intriguing and inexplicable natural phenomena, spanning morphology (stripes/long necks), behaviour (deer warning signals) …

Typhoon / Cyclone / Hurricane Images: Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon; we just use different names for these storms in different places. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term “hurricane” is used. The same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a “typhoon” and “cyclones” occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Publisher: Robinson/Hachette India Pages: 256 Price: Rs 599 Geoff Tibballs Book Review: World’s 100 Weirdest Museums If you have a penchant for collecting something strange, say car horns, chocolate wrappers, or college yearbooks, of which your family or friends can never see the point, go on. If you amass a sizeable collection, your display may soon be among some unique …

Born On: 24 February 1948 (Mysore, India) Died On: 5 December 2016 (Chennai, Tamil Nadu) Career: Actress and Politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram is one of those few former iconic superstars who have not only attained a legendary status in the realms of cinema, but also continue to supersede other influential public figures in the state politics of Tamil Nadu. Over the …

Publisher: Pentagon Press Pages: 251 Price: Rs 895 Astounding as it may sound, but the arguments put forth by the current Director of Himalayan Aid in a recent book bluntly show that the United States as well as the Western world has lost track of what it set out to achieve from the “Free Tibet” movement. And this is not …

This year marks the 103rd birth anniversary of the much-respected artist Balraj Sahni. It also happens to be his 43rd death anniversary. One of the icons of Punjabi intellectual world, his dignified presence on the silver screen lent a high measure of respectability to the films he was associated with. Here is a recap of the life and work of …