Herbs and Spices in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada

Herbs and Spices in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada. For many items, the translations is missing. If anyone is aware of the translations, kindly let me know.

Herbs and Spices

English	Hindi	Marathi	Kannada
Amaranth greens	Chau lai	Rajgira, Maath, tamda math, shravani maath	callaloo, dhantinasoppu / harive
Aniseed	Valaiti saunf or aawonf	Somp, (barik) Badishep	Somp
Asafoetida	Hing	Hinga	Hinger, Ingu
Basil (Holy Basil - India tulsi, Sweet Basil - italian cuisine)	Bawari bawari,Ban thulasi, Tulsi	Sabja/Tulasa	Amli, Huli, Tulasi
Bay Leaf / Indian Cassia (Cinnamomum Tamala)	Teg Patta	Tejpata /Darchini	Patre
Bishop's Weed/Tymol Seeds	Ajwain	Owa	Omina Kaalusi
Black Pepper	Kali Mirch	Kali Miri	Kari Menasu
Caper	Kabra	Kabur	-
Caper / Flinders rose	-	-	-
Caraway Seed	Siya zira or Shia zira	Vilaiti zirah	Shime jeerige
Cardamom	Elaichi	Velchil	Elakki
Cassia Cinnamomum	Jangli dalchini	Jangli dalchini	-
Celery	Shalari, Ajmud, Randhuni	Ajmoda	-
Charoli	Chironji	Charoli	-
Chilli	Mirch	Mirchi	Menasinakaayi
Cinnamon	Dalchini	Dalchini	Lavangapattai, Chakke
Cloves	Lavang	Lavanga	Lavanga
Coriander Leaves (Cilantro)	Hara Dhania	Kothimbir	Kottambari Soppu
Coriander Seeds(Cilantro)	Dhaniya	Dhane	Kottambari Beeja
Cumin Seeds	Jira, Jeera, Zira or Safaid jeera Or Zeera	Jeera, Jeregire	Jeerige
Curry Leaves	Kathnim, Mitha neem, Curry or kurry patta, Gandhela, Bareanga	Kadhi patta, Karhinimb, Poospala, Gandla, Jhirang	Karibevina Soppu
Dill	Suvabhaji	Shepu	Sapsige Soppu
Dry Ginger	Sondh	Suntha	Vana Shunti
Fennel	Saunf, sonp	Badishep	Badi-sopu
Fenugreek	Methi	Methi	Menthya, Menthya Da Soppu
Fenugreek Leaves dried	Kasoori Methi Dried	-	-
Fenugreek Seeds	Methi	Methi	Menthya
Gambooge/ Malabar Tamarind	-	-	Uppage Huli
Garlic	Lasan	Lasun	Bellulli
Ginger	Adrak	Ala (Suntha)	Shunti, Ardraka
Greater Galanga	Kulanjan	Koshtkulinjan	Rasmi
Green Chilli	Hari Mirch	Hirvi Mirchi	Hasiru Menasinakaayi
Horseradish	Sahijan	-	-
Hyssop	Jufa	-	-
Indian Cassia (Cinnamomum Tamala)	Teg Patta	Tejpata/Darchini	Patre
Jaggery	Gur	Guul	Bella
Juniper Berry	Hapusha, Aaraar	-	-
Kokam, Indian Tallow tree/Garcinia	Kokam	Amsol, Katambi, Kokam, Ratamba	Murgala
Lemon	Leembu	Limbu	Nimbekaayi
Mace	Javitri	Jaypatri	-
Mango Powder	Amchoor	Amchoor	Vana Maavina Pudi
Marjoram	Marwa	-	Maruga, Kumaon bantulsi
Mint	Pudina	Pudina	Pudina
Mustard Plant	Sarson	-	-
Mustard Seeds	Rai, Banarasi rai, Kalee sarson	Mohari	Aasur, Sorisa, Sasive
Nigella seed	Kalonji	-	-
Nutmeg	Jaiphal	Jaiphal	Jayikaayi
Onion	Pyaz	Kanda	Irulli, Ullagaddi
Oregano	Sathra, Mirzanjosh	Onva	-
Parsley	Ajmood	Ajmoda	Achu-Mooda
Pepper Long	Pipli	Pimpli	Hippali, Hippalibali, Kuna
Poppy Seeds	Khus-Khus	Khus-Khus	Gasagase, Khasksi
Red Chilli	Lal Mirch	Lal Mirchi	Kempu Menasinakaayi
Rosemary	Rusmari	-	-
Safflower Plant leaves	-	Kardai	-
Saffron	Kesar	Keshar	Kesari
Sage	Salvia, Sefakus	-	-
Scallions, Spring Onions	-	Kanda Paat	-
Sesame Seeds	Til	Teel	Ellu
Spinach	Palak	-	Palak Soppu
Star Anise	Anasphal	Badian, Chakra Phool	-
Stone Flower	-	Dagad Phool	-
Sweet Flag	Bach, Gorabach	Vekhand, Bariboj, Wach	Baje,Bajegda
Tamarind	Imli	Chincha	Hunasehannu, Huli
Thyme	Banajwain	-	-
Turmeric Powder	Haldi	Halad	Arishina

Vegetable names in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada

Vegetable names in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada. Many names are missing. If anyone knows about them or any corrections required in existing data, kindly let me know.

Vegetables

English	Hindi	Marathi	Kannada
Artichoke	Hathichouk	-	Palle Huvu
Ash Gourd	Petha	Kohala	Budkumbalkai/Boodhagumbala Kaayi
Beetroot	Chaquander	Beet	Beetroot
Bell Pepper (Capsicum)	Bari Mirch, Simla Mirch	Dabu mirchi, Dhobli Mirchi	Donnmenasinakaayi
Bitter Gourd	Karela	Karli	Haagalakaayi
Bottle Gourd	Lauki - Kaddu - Doodhi	Doodhi	Sorekai
Brinjal (Eggplant)	Baingan	Vangi	Badanekaayi
Broad Beans - Fava Beans - Field Bean	Papdi - Val - Bakla	Papdi - Val	Avarekai
Cabbage	Bandh Gobi, Pattagobi	Kobi	Ele Kosu
Carrot	Gajar	Gajar	Carrot
Cauliflower	Phool Gobi	Phulavar	Hoo Kosu
Chayote Squash	-	-	Seemebadane Kaayi
Cluster Beans	Gowaar Phali	Gavar	Gorikaayi
Colacassia (Leaves, Roots)	Arbi - Arvi	Alu	Kesu/Arvi
Cucumber	Kheera - Kakdi	Kaakdi	Souvatekaayi
Double Beans	Boda	Double bee	Chapparadavrekai
Drumstick	Shingh phali / Sahjan Ki Phali	Shevagyachi Shenga	Nuggekaayi
Field Beans	Val	Val	Avrekai
Gherkins	Tendli	Tondali	Thondekaayi
Green Beans/ French Beans	Fansi Beans	French Beans/Farasbee/Shravan Ghevada	Huralikaayi
Green Onions sprout	Hara Pyaz	Kandapaat	Irulli Kaavu
Green Peas	Matar	Matar	Hasi Batani
Ivy Gourd - Tindora	Kunduri, Tondli	Tondle	Thondekaayi
Knolkol	Gathgobi, knolkol	Navalkol	Navil kosu
Ladies Finger (Okra)	Bhindi	Bhendi	Bendekaayi
Mushrooms	Khumb , Guchhi, Goochi	Mushrooms, Khumb	Anabe
Plantain	Kachcha Kela	Keela cha khood (not sure about it)	Baalekaayi
Potato	Aloo	Batata	Aloogedde
Pumpkin	Kaddu	Lal bhopla	Kumbalakaayi
Radish	Mooli	Mula	Moolangi
Radish Pods	Mungre, moongre, mooli pods	Dingari, mulyachya shenga	Mulangi saang
Ridge Gourd	Taroi	Dhodka	Hirekaayi
Snake Gourd	-	Padwal	Padvalkaayi
Sweet Potato	Shakarkand	Ratali	Gensu
Tapioca	Simla Aloo	-	Genasu
Turnip	Shalgam	-	Navilkosu
Water Chestnuts	Shingara	Shingada	Shingara
Yam	Suran	Suran	Surangadde
Zucchini	Tori	-	-

Updated Based on comments. :) This is list of vegetables available in India only. If I am missing anything, kindly add the comments. Thanks

Grains & Pulses names in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada

Grains & Pulses names in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada. Many names are missing. If anyone knows about them or any corrections required in existing data, kindly let me know.

Grains & Pulses

English	Hindi	Marathi	Kannada
Barley	-	Jav	-
Buck Wheat	-	Kuttu	-
Corn	Makkai	Maka	Musakina Jola
Cow Peas - Long Beans	Lobia	Chawli	Alsande
Finger millet	Raagi	Nachani	Raagi
Flax /common flax / linseed	Alsi	Jawas	-
Foxtail millet	-	-	Navane
Kidney Beans	Rajma	Rajma	-
Maize	-	Maka	-
Oats	Jau	Jau	-
Pearl millet	Bajra	Bajri	-
Red Gram, Pigeon Pea	Arhar Dal	Tur Dal	Togari Bele
Red Lentils	Masoor Dal	Masur Dal	Masur Bele
Rice	-	Tandool	-
Rice (Boiled)	-	Ukda Tandool	-
Rice (Pressed)	-	Pohe	-
Rice (Puffed)	-	Murmure	-
Semolina (Wheat middlings)	Suji	Rawa	Rawa
Sorghum/durra/Jowar	Jowar	Jwaarie	Jola/Jondhahlaa
Wheat	-	Gahu	-
Wheat Flour Refined	Maida	Maida	Maida Hittu
Wheat Flour Whole	Atta	Kaneek	-

Updates:- Updates based on comments. 

In Hindi the word "rai" means mustard seeds, not "Rye". There is no word for Rye in hindi, marathi and Kannada as it is not natural to India or being used in India since ancient times. So it is called Rye only in Hindi.

Fruit names in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada

Fruit names in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada. Many translations are missing. If anyone knows the missing translations, kindly do let me know.

Fruits

English	Hindi	Marathi	Kannada
Avocado	Makhanphal	-	Butterfruit
Apple	Seb	Safarchand	Sebu
Apricot	Khubani	Jaradaalu	Jaradaalu
Asian Pear	Nashpati	Nashpati	Mar Sebu
Bael / Bengal quince / Stone apple *	Bel	Bael / Maredu	Belada Hannu/ Bilvapatre
Bahera / Beleric *^	vibhīdaka / Bibhitaki	Behada	-
Banana ^	Kela	Keela	Baale Hannu
Bignay *	Himalcheri	Amati	-
Bilimbi	Bilimbi	Bilambi	-
Breadfruit	Bakri-chajhar	Nirphanas	Gujjekai
Buddha’s hand *	-	-	-
Burmese Grapes	Leteku	-	-
Black Currant	Munakka	Kāḷyā Munakka	-
Black berry	-	-	-
Bullocks Heart	Ramphal	Ramphal	Ramphal
Camachile	Jangal Jalebi	Vilayatichinch	Seeme hunase
Cannonball Fruit ^	Nagalinga, tope gola	Shivalingam	Lingada mara
Cantaloupe (Muskmelon)	Kharbooja	Tarbooj	Kharbooja
Cape Gooseberry/Goldenberry	Macao, Tepariyo, Tipari	Popti, chirbot, phopati	Budde hanu, doddabudd
Carambola/Star fruit ^	kamrakh	karambal	karambal-drakshi or kaparakshi hannu
Karonda / Carissa congesta *	Karaunda	Karawand/kali maina	kauLi hannu
Cashew Apple	Kaju	Kaju Phal	Godambi, Geru
Chitra / Indian barberry *	Chitra	-	-
Citrifolia ^	Bartundi	Nagakunda	Tagase maddi
Citron *^	Bara nimbu, bijaura, kutla	Mahalungi	Rusakam
Cochin goraka/ False Mangosteen *^	Jharambi, tamal, tumul	Bhavishya	Devajarige
Coconut *	Nariyal	Naral	Kaayi
Custard Apple/ Sugar Apple ^	Śarīphā	Sītāphaḷa	Kasṭarḍ sēbu/Sitapala
Date	Khajur, sendhi	Kharik, kharjur, shinda	Ichalu, kharjura
Downy Myrtle *^	Baragasha, murad, vilayati mehndi	Firangimethi, murt	Murukulu gida
Elephant Apple	Chalta, karambel	-	Betkanagalu
European Pear	Babugosha	-	-
Fig	Annjeer	Anjeer	Anjoora
Grapefruit/Pomelo **	Cakōtarā	Papnasa	Chakotha Hannu
Grapes	Angoor	Draksha	Dhraakshi
Green Mango	Kachcha Aam	Kairi	Mavina Kaayi
Grewia asiatica *	Phalsa	Phalsa/Falsa	Phulsa
Guava	Amrud	Peru	Seebe Hannu
Harendong	Kamini, shapti	Rindha, palore	Ankerki, kinkerika
Indian Almond / Bengal almond	Jaṅgalī bādāma	Jaṅgalī bādāma	-
Indian gooseberry /Gooseberries *	Amla	Awala	Nellikaayi
Indian Plum / Flacourtia/ Indian cherry/ Coffee plum/ Vikankata *	Kancu, paniyala, bilangra	-	Llumanika, dodda gejjalaka
Jack Fruit *	Kathal	Fanas	Halasin Hannu
Jambul/ Jamun *	Jamun	Jambhul	kempu Nerale Hannu
Jam berry / Jamfruit	-	Paanchara	Gasagase hannina mara
Jujube/ Indian jujube/ Ber	baer	bor	Yelchi Hannu
Kiwi fruit	-	Kedu	-
Kokum *	Kokum	Kokum	Murgina, punarpuli
Lakoocha /Lakuchi / Monkey Jack *	Barhal	Naka-renu	-
Lemon *	Nimbu	Limbu	-
Ling nut / water chestnut / Water caltrop ^	singhada	singada	-
Lychee	Lychee	Lychee	-
Malabar Plum	-	-	-
Mango *^	Aam	Amba	Mavina Hannu
Marany nut *	Bhallaataka	Bhallaataka	-
Mowha *^	Mahua	-	-
Myrobalan / Haritaki*^	harra	hirda	alale
Mysore Raspberry *	-	-	-
Mulberry **	Chinni, shahtut, tutri	Tuti	-
Orange **	Santra	Santra	Kittale Hannu
Papaya	Papita	Popeye	Parangi Hannu/
Peach / Nectarine	Peach/ adoo/ Āḍū	Peach/ adoo/ Āḍū	-
Pineapple	Ananas	Ananas	Ananas
Plum	Aloobukara	AlbuKhar	Plum
Pomegranate *^	Anar	Dalimba	Dhalimbe Hannu
Rose Apple / Java Apple/ Bell fruit	Jamrul, amrool	-	-
Sapote	Chikku	Chikku	Sapota
Star Gooseberry	Harfarauri	Harpharori	-
Strawberry	Rasbhari	Strawberry	-
Sweet Lime **	Musambi	Mosambi	-
Tamarind ^	imli	Chincha	-
Toddy Palm/Sugar palm fruit / Palm fruit/ Nungu *	Tari	Tadgola	Tale Hannu
Tomato	Tamatar	Tomato	Tomato
Watermelon ^	Tarbooj (Kalingad)	Kalingad	Kallangadi Hannu
Wood Apple *^	Kaitha / Kath Bel / Kabeet	Kavath	Byalada Hannu / balulada hannu

* - Origin in India/India subcontinent.
** - Origin in area belonging to Indian subcontinent and bordering regions.
^ - Present in India for more than 2500 years. Reference to fruits found in ancient Sanskrit documents, AyurVeda, Archealogical findings.

Dry Fruits and Nuts names in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada

Updating after long time, lost touch with the blog. Now rebooting the blog again with some Gyan I collected over last 4 years. Moverd over from C++ to C# and now coming back to C++. But first, I will start with post on food :)

Been in Bangalore for past 4 years, so started learning kannada words. Most essential words required generally are related to food items. Now Bangalore is cosmopolitan city, so folks here understand English and Hindi pretty well. However when it comes to local vegetable sellers who come from neighbouring villages to sell their goods, it becomes quite a challenge.

So next few posts, I am going to give translations of names of food items in english, marathi, hindi and kannada in english alphabets.

Most data is obtained by googling, different blogs, reciepe sites, wikipedia and my friends inputs. Do let me know in case of any errors.

Dry Fruits and Nuts

English	Hindi	Marathi	Kannada
Almond	Badam	Badam	Badami
Cashew Nuts	Kaju	Kaju	Godambi
Dates	Khajoor	Khajoor	Khajoora
Peanut, Groundnut	Moong-Phali	Sheng Dana	Kadale Kaayi
Pistachio	Pista	Pista	Pista
Raisins	Kismish	Bedana/Manuka	Vana Drakshi
Walnuts	Akhrot	Akrod	Acrota

Coming next, "Fruits"

Dynamic Variable Names in C++

I had this post created some 5 years back, but never published it. Not sure if this is exact repost of content of other site or data collected by me from various sites and composed. Posting it as it is very interesting. If anyone has information about original website/blog, do let me know. We use a custom language based on Lua in our product development. One of the important features of Lua is no variable distinction for the scripting language user. Meaning is a variable is currently pointing to a integer value, in the next step it can be made to point to a char * (string) value.

And more amazing feature is, suppose you got a variable say abc which points to integer value 10. Now what one can do is call a function which will give value pointed to by the variable whose name is same as the string value being passed to the function, say

process_string(“abc”).

The process_string function will return the value 10.

It always made me wonder how achieved this because one cannot create dynamic variable names in C++, which scripting languages allow.

When a C++/C code is compiled, it loses its symbol base identification. This is because C++ uses a static compilation and linkage translation model and has very limited runtime support. So one cannot create Dynamic Variable Names in C/C++ directly which is possible in script like languages such as PHP - or those that have their own runtime system such as Java with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) or .NET languages with the Common Language Runtime (CLR).

This allows C++ (like C) to be used in situations where you would not have such a runtime system available - operating systems or a JVM or CLR implementation for example. On the other hand this does mean you have these sorts of limitations.

In your case the way forward is to create an object (or variable if you prefer) dynamically at runtime using new (and destroy it using delete of course)

To create Dynamic Variable Names you need to create dynamic memory and store in a map in format of stringName, value pair/pointer.

That is what lua does. That’s why u can do process_string in lua. When you create a variable say local a = 10,
a (string “a”, new int() = 10) gets stored in it’s internal map.


Example
You can create an object (or variable if you prefer) dynamically at runtime using new and destroy it using delete of course

       double * pointer_to_double( new double(value) );

If the new operation fails - e.g. due to lack of memory during program execution - then new throws a std::bad_alloc which you can catch and handle either directly or in some outer calling function:

       double * pointer_to_double(0);
       try
       {
               pointer_to_double = new double(value);
       }
       catch ( std::bad_alloc & )
       {
               // Handle allocation failure
       }

I shall ignore error handling concerns for the purposes of demonstration from here on in, however this does not mean that your production code should not handle such conditions.

Now to the do it yourself part. You can create the objects you wish on the fly at runtime, but you also need to associate them with a name string. You can do this using some sort of key,value mapping in which the key is the name string and the value is the (pointer to the) object. You can use std::map to achieve this:

       #include “string”
       #include “map”
// I cant add the brackets symbols in typesetting this html page. 
// That’s why I have replaced brackets in include with “
       namespace
       {
               std::map  gDblVarMap;
       }

       MakeVariable( std::string const & var, double val)
       {
               double * pDbl( new double(val) );
               gDblVarMap.insert( var, pDbl );
       }

I have left out checking for such things as ensuring the variable does not exist already and that the name is valid (e.g. not empty, only contains alphanumeric characters or underscore, first character not numeric).

I have defined a global map of strings keys and double pointer values in an anonymous namespace - which means that other source modules cannot access gDblVarMap even though it is global and has external linkage.

I also tidied up your function signature - passing the string by reference to a constant string rather than passing a copy of the string.

You will find that you will have to add other services - to access the variables for example:

double GetDouble( std::string const & varName );

Which might throw if the name did not match an existing variable, or you could use something like:

bool GetDouble( std::string const & varName, double & value );

Which returns a true value if the variable value is found or false if not.

You will also require some means to tidy up when you wish to destroy a variable - which will remove the variable from the map and explicitly delete the double. You will also require an operation to do this for all existing variables in the map.

Doing these sort of things suggests using a class to associate the data (e.g. the variable map) with the operations (e.g. MakeVariable):

       class Doubles
       {
       public:
                    ~Doubles();
             void   Add( std::string const & varName, double value );
             bool   Get(std::string const & varName, double & value );
             bool   Delete( std::string const & varName );

       private:
               typedef std::map  DblVarMapType;

               DblVarMapType        iMap;
       };

~Doubles() is a destructor and should iterate through the map keys calling Delete to both remove each variable from the map and to delete it.

You could use the Doubles class like this:

       // GlobalDefs.cpp
       Doubles   gDblVars;

       // Module1.cpp

       // ...

       gDblVars.Add( "double1", 1.1);
      
       // ...

       // Module2.cpp

       // ...

       double value(0.0);
       if ( gDblsVars.Get( "double1, value ) )
       {
              // use value
       }
       else
       {
             // handle non-existent variable
       }

       // ...

Although the use of global variables should not be encouraged of course. So making Doubles a singleton class - if you only wish there to _ever_ be one set of double variables in you program may be preferable - or use it in the creation of a singleton object (either as a sub-type of Doubles or containing a Doubles instance) or even just a function that returns an instance of a Doubles:

       Doubles & GlobalDoublesInstance()
       {
               static Doubles variables;
               return variables;
       }

One way to implement Doubles as a singleton is to add a static instance member function and declare (and define) a private constructor:

       class Doubles
       {
       public:
            static Doubles & Instance();

                    ~Doubles();
             void   Add( std::string const & varName, double value );
             bool   Get(std::string const & varName, double & value );
             bool   Delete( std::string const & varName );

       private:
               typedef std::map  DblVarMapType;

               DblVarMapType        iMap;

       // private constructor:
                    Doubles() {}
       };

Making the constructor private prevents anything other than Doubles members from creating Doubles instances. In this case the member that does so is the static Instance member - which is implemented just like the previous GlobalDoublesInstance example. You then access the double variables like so:

Doubles::Instance().Add( "double1", 1.1);

Finally, all this has come straight out of my head so there is no guarantee that the examples a typo free - or do not contain other errors (although I did read it back before posting to you!).

Overnight I realised that I forgot to correct one of those errors I mentioned might creep in.

The insert operation of std::map<> classes in the form we want takes a single parameter of a std::pair type – in which the first member is the key and the second the value. So my example MakeVariable function should look like:

       #include “string”
       #include “map”
       #include “utility”

       void MakeVariable( std::string const & var, double val)
       {
               double * pDbl( new double(val) );
               gDblVarMap.insert( std::make_pair(var, pDbl) );
       }

I also missed adding void as the return type – which is C and C++ speak for no returned value – i.e. the function is what might in other languages be called a procedure. This oddity came about as C originally assumed that any function that did not specify a return type returned an int value.

Note the use of the C++ library function template std::make_pair<>() to turn the two separate parameter values into a single std::pair<> value – in fact the std::pair<> type is std::pair - the key and value types of the map, std::pair is <> a template (like a lot of the C++ standard library, including std::map<> and std::basic_string).

Programming Ring - Old Post

Great quotes by comedians

"If you ever see me getting beaten by the police, put down the
video camera and come help me."
--Bobcat Goldthwait

"I've been doing the Fonda workout: the Peter Fonda workout. That's
where I wake up, take a hit of acid, smoke a joint, and run to my
sister's house and ask her for money."
--Kevin Meaney

"My mom said she learned how to swim. Someone took her out in the lake
and threw her off the boat. That's how she learned how to swim. I said,
'Mom, they weren't trying to teach you how to swim.' "
--Paula Poundstone

"In elementary school, in case of fire you have to line up quietly in a
single file line from smallest to tallest. What is the logic? Do tall
people burn slower?"
--Warren Hutcherson

"I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I lock every
other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the
locks, they are always locking three."
--Elayne Boosler

"Ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?"
--John Mendoza

"Today I met with a subliminal advertising executive for just a second."
--Steven Wright

"Relationships are hard. It's like a full-time job, and we should treat
it like one. If your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to leave you, they
should give you two weeks' notice. There should beseverance pay, and
before they leave you, they should have to find you a temp."
--Bob Ettinger

"A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills
than men. I just want to say to the authors of that study: Duh."
--Conan O'Brien

"I haven't taken my Christmas lights down. They look so nice on the
pumpkin."
--Winston Spear

"Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's
how dogs spend their lives."
--Sue Murphy

"My grandfather's a little forgetful, but he likes to give me advice. One
day, he took me aside and left me there."
--Ron Richards

"I worry that the person who thought up Muzak may be thinking up
something else."
--Lily Tomlin

"USA Today has come out with a new survey: Apparently three out of four
people make up 75 percent of the population."
--David Letterman

"Chihuahua. There's a waste of dog food. Looks like a dog that is still
far away."
--Billiam Coronell

"I was a vegetarian until I started leaning towards sunlight."
--Rita Rudner

"I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific."
--Lily Tomlin

"The Swiss have an interesting army. Five hundred years without a war.
Pretty impressive. Also pretty lucky for them. Ever see that little
Swiss Army knife they have to fight with? Not much of a weapon there.
Corkscrews. Bottle openers. 'Come on, buddy, let's go. You get past me,
the guy in back of me, he's got a spoon. Back off. I've got the toe
clippers right here.'"
--Jerry Seinfeld

"I planted some bird seed. A bird came up. Now I don't know what to feed
it."
--Steven Wright

"I don't kill flies but I like to mess with their minds. I hold them
above globes. They freak out and yell, 'Whoa, I'm way too high!' "
--Bruce Baum

"I met a new girl at a barbecue, very pretty, a blond I think. I don't
know, her hair was on fire, and all she talked about was herself. You
know these kind of girls: 'I'm hot. I'm on fire. Me, me, me.' You know.
'Help me, put me out.' Come on, could we talk about me just a little
bit?"
--Garry Shandling

"I think that's how Chicago got started. A bunch of people in New York
said, 'Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't
cold enough. Let's go west.'"
--Richard Jeni

"Sometimes I think war is God's way of teaching us geography."
--Paul Rodriguez

"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant? I'm halfway through my
fishburger and I realize, Oh my God....I could be eating a slow learner."
--Lynda Montgomery



General Post Ring - Old Post

Introduction to coin collection

Found this great article. Forgot the link. If anyone finds the original please send me the link so that I will put up the link on the blog.

Coins old and new have a special attraction for many people, professionals as well as amateur hobbyists; Estimates of the number of active collectors worldwide range into the millions. Scholars regard coins as mirrors of history, studying coin portraits of contemporary Monarchs some famous, others scarcely known except for coins and the inscriptions and designs that often refer to important events. even analyzing the purity of the metal from which a coin was made can provide an insight into the economics of its time. amateur Collectors, often called Numismatists, enjoy coins for their beauty, their rarity, and the stories behind them. Added to this is the excitement of searching for and finding specific coins, or the challenge of identifying an unfamiliar item. Numismatists also enjoy arranging and displaying a collection. Most appealing of all, perhaps, is the possibility of finding rare coins for a bargain price and the hope that coins in a collection will in time increase in worth.

The market value of any coin,that is, the price a dealer would charge for it, is determined by supply and demand, the available quantity of a coin and the number of collectors and degree of interest they have in owning it. Once a coin becomes recognized as a rarity, its value frequently increases every time it changes hands. A key element in the value of any coin is its state of preservation. A specimen in perfect condition, just as it left the mint, may be worth many times as much as the same coin in average used condition. Mutilation or damage greatly reduces the value of a coin. Collectors and dealers use a point system as well as a set of terms to describe the condition of coins: Uncirculated or Mint State (ms 70-60), about Uncirculated (au 55-50), Extremely Fine (ef 45-40), Very Fine (vf 30-20), Fine (f 12), Very Good (vg 8), and Good (g 4).

Collectors are likely to start with coins of their own countries because of their availability. With this kind of collection, every date, mint mark, and variation in design is counted as a different coin; The goal is not only to acquire one of every variety issued but also continually to upgrade the condition of the coins already found. The number of coins to be found in circulation is, however, fairly restricted, and a collector must resort to trading or buying to fill in such a series.

Another popular form of collecting is assembling types of older coins. Instead of trying to have a specimen of every date and variety of a series, the collector obtains a single coin to represent each "face different" series. This kind of collection is particularly interesting because every coin is different and has its own history.

If a Numismatist turns to coins of other countries, many thousands of specimens become available. Series collections or type collections of any country that interests the collector can be formed. Specific dates and varieties of foreign coins are much harder to find even in dealers' stocks, so a Numismatist may try putting together a collection of one coin each of many different countries, or only commemorative coins.

Topical or Thematic collecting has also become popular. In this kind of collection the coins are related to one another on the basis of their design and the people or objects shown. Animals, Plants, Ships, Maps, Buildings, and religious motifs are well represented on coins; By watching the new issues of the world for appropriate designs, additions to a collection can be made.

When deciding on the purchase of expensive coins, collectors must do the same kind of research necessary for any other investment. The current market value for the item, how readily and for what kind of price it can be resold, and its potential appreciation must be determined. Above all the collector must be knowledgeable enough to know whether a coin is genuine, or must have confidence that the dealer does.

Coin catalogs give some idea of current prices realized for various coins; Dealer advertisements in the special coin magazines and newspapers are, however, usually more up to date. Coin auctions are an important feature of the major Numismatic conventions. Catalogs of the items to be sold are issued ahead of time, and lists of the prices at which the items were sold can often be obtained afterward. Conventions may have tables where Numismatists can consider the offerings of many dealers. To assess future trends the collectors need to meet with other enthusiasts, perhaps by joining a local club.

The most elegant way to display a coin collection is in a cabinet with pull-out trays. The most convenient way, on the other hand, is to use an album system with plastic pages that hold individual cardboard coin mounts. The best way to deal with large numbers of coins is to use small, standard-size coin envelopes filed in boxes. The same precautions taken for other valuables must be used to safeguard a coin collection.



Coins Ring - Old Post

Hobby Of Kings - Part 6

This ends my articles about history of coins. Now I will start giving articles regarding actual coin collection and then show different coins which I have and their information.

References

http://www.aboutcoincollecting.com/coinhistory.htm
http://www.snible.org/coins/hn/lydia.html
http://rg.ancients.info/lion/article.html
http://www.coin-gallery.com/cgearlycoins.htm
http://www.worldcoincatalog.com/Contents/Invention/invention.htm
http://rg.ancients.info/lion/article.html
http://www.snible.org/coins/hn/lydia.html
http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china1.htm#heavy%20spade


Coins Ring - New Post
Coins Ring - Old Post

सागरा प्राण तळमळला - स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर - Swatantryaveer Savarkar

Lyricist :Swatantryaveer Savarkar
Music Director :Hridayanath Mangeshkar

गीतकार :स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर
संगीतकार :पं. हृदयनाथ मंगेशकर


ने मजसी ने परत मातृभूमीला, सागरा, प्राण तळमळला

भूमातेच्या चरणतला तुज धूता, मी नित्य पाहीला होता
मज वदलासी अन्य देशी चल जाऊ, सृष्टिची विविधता पाहू
तइं जननीहृद् विरहशंकीतहि झाले, परि तुवां वचन तिज दिधले
मार्गज्ञ स्वये मीच पृष्ठि वाहीन, त्वरि तया परत आणीन
विश्र्वसलो या तव वचनी मी, जगद्नुभवयोगे बनुनी मी
तव अधिक शक्त उद्धरणी मी, येईन त्वरे, कथुन सोडीले तिजला
सागरा, प्राण तळमळला ...

शुक पंजरी वा हिरण शिरावा पाशी, ही फसगत झाली तैसी
भूविरह कसा सतत साहू या पुढती, दश दिशा तमोमय होती
गुणसुमने मी वेचियली या भावे, की तिने सुगंधा घ्यावे
जरि उद्धरणी, व्यय न तिच्या हो साचा, हा व्यर्थ भार विद्येचा
ती आम्रवृक्षवत्सलता रे, नवकुसुमयुता त्या सुलता रे
तो बाल गुलाब ही आता रे, फुलबाग मला, हाय, पारखा झाला
सागरा, प्राण तळमळला ...

नभि नक्षत्रे बहुत, एक परी प्यारा मज भरत भूमिचा तारा
प्रसाद इथे भव्य, परी मज भारी आईची झोपडी प्यारी
तिजवीण नको राज्य, मज प्रियसाचा वनवास तिच्या जरि वनीचा
भुलविणे व्यर्थ हे आता रे, बहुजिवलग गमते चित्ता रे
तुज सरित्पते जी सरिता रे, तद्विरहाची शपथ घालितो तुजला
सागरा, प्राण तळमळला ...

या फेनमिषें हससि निर्दया कैसा, का वचन भंगिसी ऐसा
त्वत्स्वामित्वा सांप्रत जी मिरवीते, भिऊनि का आंग्ल भूमी ते
मन्मातेला अबल म्हणुनि फसवीसी, मज विवासना ते देती
तरि आंग्लभूमि भयभीता रे, अबला न माझी ही माता रे
कथिल हे अगस्तिस आता रे, जो आचमनी एक क्षणी तुज प्याला
सागरा, प्राण तळमळला ...


General Post Ring - New Post
General Post Ring - Old Post

When the Mahatma's cowards erupt in fury, it is hurt. It isn't terror

Took liberty of posting this article here. This is what foreigners are saying. Then why the Hell doesn't Congress Party of India (rather Indian Muslim League in disguise) wake up?. Or they really are Indian Muslim League. BJP should stand up and be counted as party of Hindus, for Hindus. Not be cowards.

When the Mahatma's cowards erupt in fury, it is hurt. It isn't terror.
Francois Gautier

Is there such a thing as 'Hindu terrorism', as the arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur for the recent Malegaon blasts may tend to prove? Well, I guess I was asked to write this column because I am one of that rare breed of foreign correspondents—a lover of Hindus! A born Frenchman, Catholic-educated and non-Hindu, I do hope I'll be given some credit for my opinions, which are not the product of my parents' ideas, my education or my atavism, but garnered from 25 years of reporting in South Asia (for Le Journal de Geneve and Le Figaro).

In the early 1980s, when I started freelancing in south India , doing photo features on kalaripayattu, the Ayyappa festival, or the Ayyanars, I slowly realised that the genius of this country lies in its Hindu ethos, in the true spirituality behind Hinduism. The average Hindu you meet in a million villages possesses this simple, innate spirituality and accepts your diversity, whether you are Christian or Muslim, Jain or Arab, French or Chinese. It is this Hinduness that makes the Indian Christian different from, say, a French Christian, or the Indian Muslim unlike a Saudi Muslim. I also learnt that Hindus not only believed that the divine could manifest itself at different times, under different names, using different scriptures (not to mention the wonderful avatar concept, the perfect answer to 21st century religious strife) but that they had also given refuge to persecuted minorities from across the world—Syrian Christians, Parsis, Jews, Armenians, and today, Tibetans. In 3,500 years of existence, Hindus have never militarily invaded another country, never tried to impose their religion on others by force or induced conversions.

You cannot find anybody less fundamentalist than a Hindu in the world and it saddens me when I see the Indian and western press equating terrorist groups like Islamist SIMI, which blow up innocent civilians, with ordinary, angry Hindus who burn churches without killing anybody. We know also that most of these communal incidents often involve persons from the same groups—often Dalits and tribals—some of who have converted to Christianity and others not.

However reprehensible the destruction of Babri Masjid, no Muslim was killed in the process; compare this to the 'vengeance' bombings of 1993 in Bombay , which wiped out hundreds of innocents, mostly Hindus. Yet the Babri Masjid destruction is often described by journalists as the more horrible act of the two. We also remember how Sharad Pawar, when he was chief minister of Maharashtra in 1993, lied about a bomb that was supposed to have gone off in a Muslim locality of Bombay .

I have never been politically correct, but have always written what I have discovered while reporting. Let me then be straightforward about this so-called Hindu terror. Hindus, since the first Arab invasions, have been at the receiving end of terrorism, whether it was by Timur, who killed 1,00,000 Hindus in a single day in 1399, or by the Portuguese Inquisition which crucified Brahmins in Goa . Today, Hindus are still being targeted: there were one million Hindus in the Kashmir valley in 1900; only a few hundred remain, the rest having fled in terror.

Blasts after blasts have killed hundreds of innocent Hindus all over India in the last four years. Hindus, the overwhelming majority community of this country, are being made fun of, are despised, are deprived of the most basic facilities for one of their most sacred pilgrimages in Amarnath while their government heavily sponsors the Haj. They see their brothers and sisters converted to Christianity through inducements and financial traps, see a harmless 84-year-old swami and a sadhvi brutally murdered. Their gods are blasphemed.

So sometimes, enough is enough.At some point, after years or even centuries of submitting like sheep to slaughter, Hindus—whom the Mahatma once gently called cowards—erupt in uncontrolled fury. And it hurts badly. It happened in Gujarat . It happened in Jammu , then in Kandhamal, Mangalore, and Malegaon . It may happen again elsewhere. What should be understood is that this is a spontaneous revolution on the ground, by ordinary Hindus, without any planning from the political leadership. Therefore, the BJP, instead of acting embarrassed, should not disown those who choose other means to let their anguished voices be heard.

There are about a billion Hindus, one in every six persons on this planet. They form one of the most successful, law-abiding and integrated communities in the world today. Can you call them terrorists?
(The writer is the editor-in-chief of the Paris-based La Revue de l'Inde.)


General Post Ring - New Post
General Post Ring - Old Post

Hobby Of Kings - Part 5

Coins in India before Mauryan Empire

Pre-Coinage
In the Rig Veda, the price of an image of Indra, which was being offered for sale, is said to be ten cows. In another passage, a sage is said to have refused to sell his image of Indra for a hundred, or a thousand, or even ten thousand cows. In a third passage, we are told that the Bharat army went out for war, impelled by the desire to acquire cows. Again, we find that Indra sent his messenger to recover his stolen treasure and treasure was nothing deals but cows. Similarly, in the Aitareya Brahmana, wealth is frequently estimated in terms of cows.

It was then; found that metal, which could not be destroyed easily and was handier, could be used as a stable medium of exchange. However, mere discovery of metal as a suitable medium could not serve the purpose. The problem was how to use metal. However, transactions involving metal were equally tedious as scales were required for every transaction. To overcome this difficulty metallic pieces of definite weight and value began to be used. In course of time, settlement of bargains on the basis of a particular weight and form became customary.

The medium was required to be uniform in weight and size to serve the purpose of exchange. Consequently, balance was invented, and with it raised the need for a standard weight. Seeds were considered a suitable medium, as they were fairly uniform in weight and size. Metal was weighed against seeds and various kinds of seeds were introduced as standard weights in different regions, according to their availability.

In spite of the apparent uniformity in weight and size of ingots and metal sheets, or pieces made from them, there was no guarantee as to the quality of the metal. To obviate these difficulties, the practices of stamping the metallic pieces with a mark or device of a responsible authority as assign of guarantee were introduced in many countries. This led to the birth of the coin.

Coin System

Ancient Indian coinage was based on `Karshapana' unit that consists of 32 rattis (3.3 grams of silver). A `Ratti' is equivalent to 0.11 gms which is the average weight of a Gunja seed (a bright scarlet colored seed). Subsidiary denominations of Karshapana like half Karshapana (16 ratti), quarter Karshapana (8 ratti) and 1/8 of Karshapana (4 ratti) were also minted.

Panini, Sanskrit grammarian ( c500 BCE) in his treatise Astdhyayi wrote about coins and various fractions suggesting that the concept of coins existed prior to 500 BCE. He mentioned Satamanas (sata= 100, manas = units) and Karshapana ( subfraction). Each unit was called "Ratti" weighing 0.11 grams. Ratti was average weight of a Gunja seed (a bright red seed with a black tip - see the picture below). He has also mentioned Satamana, Nishkas, Sana, Vimastika, Karshapana and it's various sub-divisions as coins. There is a sutra that illustrate that metallic pieces were stamped (ahata) with rupa (symbols). it appears that during his time stamped metallic pieces had become contemporary and that along with the unstamped metallic and were concomitantly current. In the Ashtadhyayi, coins are also called karshapna and sana.

It is stated in the Taitariya Brahmans suggests that ' Krishnala ' was the unit for weighing metal. Krishnala or abrus precatorius is referred to in later literature as raktika or gunja and known to us today as ratti. But this is the only reference of krishnala in Vedic literature.

Another type of money mentioned in Vedic literature is Nishka; it is generally believed that nishka was ornament, some kind of a necklace. Nishka is mentioned in tens and hundreds as payment towards dakshina. It was absolutely a term of value, as is apparent from the ashtadhayi where objects purchased with one, two or three nishkas are called naishkikam, dvi-naishkikam, and tri-naishkikam.

Coins described in Later Vedic Literature:

1) Nishka ( Material : Gold ) : Weight 320 Ratti or 560 Grains

2) Shatamana ( Material : Gold ) : Weight 100 Ratti or 175 Grains

3) Suvarna ( Material : Gold ) : Weight 80 Ratti or 140 Grains

4) Paada ( Material : Gold ) : equal to Quarter Suvarna / Shatamana


Beginning of Indian Coinage
In Rig-Vedic period (Rig Veda is the first out of the four Vedas which contains scriptures and hymns in Sanskrit, probably composed in 10th-13th century BC), the Aryan tribes had spread over the whole country from Kabul (Kubha in Sanskrit) to upper Ganga (Ganges) and had built up small states mostly under hereditary monarchs and few republics. By 11th century BC, India was divided into many small and large states called Janapadas and Mahajanpadas. About 6th century BC, sixteen Mahajanapadas or kingdoms rose to pre-imminence in India. According to ancient text Anguttara Nikayas they were as follows: Anga, Magadha, Kashi, Koshala, Vajji, Malla, Vatsa, Chedi, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Ashvaka, Avanti, Gandhar and Kamboja. One of the earliest coins of india were minted by following Mahajanapadas.

In north western part of India, Takshashila or Taxila and Pushkalavati, became an important commercial centers for the trade with Mesopotamia. These wealthy satrapies (provinces) introduced a unique coinage to facilitate the trade. These were silver concave bars of 11 gms which are popularly called as `Taxila bent bars' or `Satamana bent bars'. Satmana or Shatamana represented 100 rattis of silver in weight (Shata means 100 while mana means unit). These silver bars were punched with two septa-radiate (seven arms) symbols, one at each end. These bent bars represents one of the earliest coins of India.

The earliest coins of India are commonly known as punch-marked coins. As the name suggests, these coins bear the symbols of various types, punched on pieces of silver of specific weight. Interestingly earliest Indian coins have no defined shapes and they were mostly uniface. Secondly, these coins lack any inscriptions written in contemporary languages and almost always struck in silver. These unique characters makes early Indian coins very different than their contemporaries in Greece.

Many early historians believed that concept of coinage was introduced in India by Greeks. But unlike Indian punch-marked coins, Greek coins had inscriptions, they were round in shape, were stamped on both the sides and minted using silver, electrum and gold too. Today we are certain that the concept of coinage was invented in India independent of foreign influence which imparted the unique characteristics to these punch-marked coins, not seen in any other coins of the ancient world.


Most of these Janapadas were subsequently absorbed into Magadha empire (ruled by Saisunaga dynasty) between 600-321 BC. Pradyotas of Avanti were defeated by Saisunaga in 400 BC. The most remarkable king of Magadha was Bimbisara (also called Shrenika) who ascended on throne in 545 BC. He annexed kingdom of Anga (east Bihar) and married princesses of Koshala and Vaishali thereby expanding his kingdom to the borders of Nepal. He was a very efficient administrator and built the city of RajGriha (Rajgir in Bihar). Both, Goutam Buddha and Mahavir Jain preached their doctrines during his reign. His son Ajatshatru (494-462 BC) defeated many of his adversaries including humbling his uncle Presanjit of Koshala. He founded the city Pataliputra (modern Patna) which was metropolis of ancient India for next four centuries.


In ancient India during 600-321 BC, many Janapadas issued coins with only one symbol like Lion (Shursena of Braj), humped bull (Saurashtra) or Swastika (Dakshin Panchala). Four symbol coins were issued by Kashi, Chedi (Bundelkhand), Vanga (Bengal) and Prachya (Tripura) Janapadas. Five symbol punch marked coins were first issued by Magadha which were continued during Mauryan expansion.

Ajatshatru was followed by many kings who eventually lost this kingdom to the family of Nandas who began line of Shudra or semi-Shudra kings. To maintain the huge army of 200,000 infantry and 3000 elephants (supported by Greek evidence), Nandas had to resort to heavy taxation which was detested by people. They found a new leader in Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 BC) who eventually with the help of Taxilian bramhin Kautilya or Chankya overthrew the Nanda and laid the foundation of illustrious dynasty of Maurya






Coins Ring - New Post
Coins Ring - Old Post

A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow–
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand–
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep–while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?



Poems Ring - Old Post

Veer Savarkar - Hindutva and Eradication of Untouchability

The reason for the blog, well man current day politicians, feed on the history books written by all communist parties don't quiet understand the philosophy which Swatantrya Veer Savarkar followed and preached. The most common label associated with him is that of Hindu Extremist belonging to a high caste who wanted to make India only a pure Hindu country so that the high caste people will always remain in power.

It's a sad thing that the current ruling party, who's many policies are actually one's which where introduced by Savarkar, go to such a length of discrediting him. They are also trying to(or may be already removed) plague from Andaman Nicobar Island Jails which has Savarkar's writing's on it.

Also it's a small note to all dalit upliftment organisations, who simply go on blaming these so called extremist Hindu's for there woes, please go through the work done by these revolutionaries before making such comments.

Anyways, following are some key points in Savarkar's life, which are not known to many.


1909 - Gandhi was in London in November. Savarkar then organised a public gathering of Indians to celebrate the festival Vijayadashami. He requested Gandhi to be its Chairman.

In his speech Gandhi said, “Though I have my differences with Savarkar, I consider it a great honour to be in his company today.” Referring to the fact that Savarkar was not called to the bar, Gandhi said, “May India bear the fruits of his sacrifices.”

Since 1911-
Savarkar organised the political prisoners and started to raise their voice against filthy conditions, poor quality food and lack of amenities. Hindus were particularly badly treated. He said, “ When we fought for better life for Hindus we also took side of Muslim prisoners too, when required. By our agitation we brought about changes in prison life. That benefited Hindus as well as Muslims who therefore developed a respect for us.”

Shuddhi movement

Savarkar witnessed how Muslims were forcing their religion on Hindus by the most brutal means with the connivance of the prison authorities. He mounted an agitation against this practice and started re-conversion of those forcibly converted to Islam back to Hindu Dharma. This was called Shuddhi.

He said, “ In this chapter, and in others I had to mention repeatedly the fanaticism and barbarity of Muslims. That is unfortunate, but majority of Muslim prisoners were religious zealots. But those Muslims who were not religious fanatics will testify how friendly I was with them.”

“ It must be said that not only the ordinary Muslims but even the fanatic Muslims developed a deep respect for me. Because, apart from our quarrel over their proselytization activities I took their side against the prison authorities just as I did for Hindu prisoners. I supported their legitimate demands and fought for their grievances too.”

“Moreover, we political prisoners were trying to improve conditions in prison and try to remove utterly harsh life. As a result we suffered un-describable punishments. The reforms we brought about as a result of our agitation were beneficial to Hindus as well as Muslims. It would have been surprising if those fanatical Muslims had not developed a sense of respect and gratitude for us.”

“ Every one has right to propagate their religion by preaching. But Muslims always resort to gangsterism, violence, murder, kidnapping and rape to spread Islam. That will not be tolerated. Muslims must accept that we Hindus too have right to preach our religion and convert Muslims to our religion.”

He wrote “I always maintained that Shuddhi (re-conversion) and Sanghatan (organisation of Hindus) are essential for achieving Hindu Muslim unit. That is why I first took a case of forcible conversion to Islam in 1913 and have been fighting for the same cause ever since. I must stress that I never hated or despised Muslims, Christians or even the tribal people. I only denounce the tendency of Muslims to impose their religion on others by barbarous means.”

With persistent efforts the tide of Muslim aggression turned. By 1920, Savarkar wrote, “ Those Muslims who had terrorised us Hindus in the past feared that Hindus will now seek revenge. That was reflection of their behaviour. It had never been in the blood of Hindus to behave rudely towards others. I must emphasise that we always treated fairly any ordinary Muslims and those who were free from religious fanaticism. I taught many of them to read and write. I wrote applications of many Muslim prisoners. I always did things to improve their life with whatever little influence I had in prison. I am sure they will testify to that.”

Note - Unfortunately Savarkar’s book ‘My transportation for life’ was published in Marathi only in 1927. It was vital that English version should have been published for wider publicity but that did not happen and when Gujarati translation was published in 1934 the book was banned by British Authorities in Bombay Province. The English version was not published till 1950.

1924 - March - Savarkar’s articles about impending danger to Hindus in Sind province was published. In it Savarkar wrote, “Oh Muslims, remember what happened recently in Mecca when Sindhi Muslims went on Haj pilgrimage! How much they were insulted and humiliated by Arab Muslims. Who will come to your rescue? Hindus. So, it is in your interest to stop your religious fanaticism.”

1924 - July - Savarkar stressed the need for emancipation of the untouchables and worked for the same incessantly during his internment.

1924 - December - Jatpat Todak Mandal (Society for the abolition of the caste system), Lahore elected Savarkar as President for their annual session, but he could not attend due to restrictions on him.

1929 - On May 19th Savarkar presided over the conference of (former) untouchables held in Malvan. Mr Rajbhoj, editor of the paper ‘Dalitbandhu’, said, “ Savarkar is sincere in his efforts for securing a better life for us and this has removed my misconceptions about his Hindu Sanghatan movement.”

On 20th Savarkar distributed the holy threads (janeo) to the then untouchables and said, “ Now there is no reason for infighting. Let us all unite under the banner of Hindu Dharma. The Vedas are just as heritage of yours as they of the Brahmins.” This was a great revolutionary step indeed.

1930 - Savarkar practised ‘dining together’ of all Hindus since 16 November 1930. Such functions were not heard of even among the High caste Hindus. In Ratnagiri even the untouchables participated.

On 9 December, Times of India reported, “ Mr Gandhi, and many of his followers in the Congress Party believe in Chaturvarnya and castes based on birth. But the reformers in Ratnagiri believe that castes based on birth are harmful and have started ‘dining together’ of all Hindus including untouchables, and it is astonishing that Mr V D Sarvarkar is their source of inspiration.”

(Times of India remained a life long opponent of Savarkar)

So much for the secular ideology being followed by the current day Congress party. Following path of a Hindu Nationalist Savarkar, yet denouncing him, not acknowledging him and on top of it going to the Andaman Jails and removing the Plaque which he had written on. Go learn history first.

1931 - A Temple for ALL Hindus

On 22 February, The famous Hindu temple ‘Patit Pavan Mandir’ was consecrated and declared open by Savarkar to Hindus of all castes including the untouchables. There was no other similar temple throughout India.

On 25th sixth annual conference of the Bombay Province Association for Removal of Untouchability of was held in Ratnagiri. Savarkar was in chair. Delegates from outside Ratnagiri could not believe the enormous social changes brought about by Savarkar.

In March, the untouchables carried a Satyagraha for allowing entry into the Rama Temple in Nasik. As Savarkar was interned in Ratnagiri, he could not go to Nasik. He therefore sent a letter to High Caste Hindu residents of Nasik and appealed to them to allow the untouchables in the temple. The Times (of London) published the letter on 20 March 1931 and remarked “ A touching letter to Hindus”

April 26

Somavanshi Mahars (a former untouchable caste) held their conference in Patit Pavan Mandir. Savarkar was in chair. Some 700 Mahars participated. They could not believe that there was a Temple open to all Hindus including untouchables.

During the conference some Mahars from Mumbai objected to the slogan “Hindu Dharma ki jai” or Glory to the Hindu Dharma. After discussion with Savarkar they changed their minds and shouted, “Hindu Dharma ki jai.”

1932 - April 9 - Somavanshi Mahars of Ratnagiri District held their conference in Ratnagiri. Savarkar was the chief guest. At the end, the participants resolved that they will remain Hindus and will NOT change their religion.

1933 - Since December 1932 Savarkar had been in touch with Mr Gopalrao Deodhar of the All India Anti-untouchability League (Maharashtra branch). Seth Ghanashyamdas Birla was President of the League. He was prepared to spend 25,000 rupees for benefit of untouchanbles of Maharashtra. Savarkar collected Rs 500 in Ratnagiri District and Birla added Rs 1,000. The fund was utilised for housing, education, building wells and other social benefits.

With incessant efforts Savarkar managed to abolish the observance of untouchability in Ratnagiri and on 22 February 1933, an effigy of untouchability was publicly burned in that town.

1933 - A Café for all Hindus

Savarkar opened a café for all Hindus in Ratnagiri on 1 May 1933. Tea, snacks and food were served by an untouchable. Such a café was unthinkable at that time even in industrial city like Mumbai.

1935 - Prof Patwardhan was one of those who opposed Savarkar’s views on purification of Marathi language. He wrote, “ I was asked by editor of Vividh Dnyanvistar to write an article criticising Savarkar. But I thought that before critising him I must read his articles. The surprise was that when I studied his articles on purification of Marathi language I became thoroughly convinced of his arguments and became his staunch supporter.”

That has been the tragedy of Savarkar. Our history would have changed substantially if only his opponents had at least read his views. A well known follower of Gandhi made such a confession in 1983.

May be the current Congress party and the communist parties of India should do that.


1940 - 22 June
Subhash Chandra Bose came to see Savarkar. He told Bose, “ Why do you waste time in your movement to remove the monument to ‘ Blackhole of Calcutta ‘? A person like you should go out of India and form an army out of our prisoners of war and attack the British from outside the India. There are only two or three such men who can dare such an attempt. But I have particularly high hopes about you.”

Bose eventually did what Savarkar had asked by forming the Indian National Army (I.N.A) out of the prisoners of war held by the Japanese.

1954 - Rajendra Prasad, first President of India visited Andaman Islands. He saw the prison cell where Veer Savarkar was imprisoned and bowed in respect.

1964 - Nehru died in May. Within months, the Congress Party repented the years of neglect of Savarkar and in October the Government of India sanctioned him a pension, acknowledging his part in the Indian freedom struggle against the British rule.

1966 - Self-immolation of Savarkar. As soon as his death was announced, K M Munshi, founder President of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, rushed to Savarkar’s house and paid his respects (Bhavan’s journal June 2001, p19)

Munshi was Home Minister in the first Congress Government of Bombay Province during 1937-39.

1983 - 26th February was death anniversary of Veer Savarkar. Well-known Marathi writer Purushottam Laxman Deshpande was on Andaman Islands. He visited the cell where Savarkar was kept and was overwhelmed by emotions. The cell was only 13 by 7 foot. Deshpande then addressed the Maharashtrians who had gathered outside the cell and made a powerful speech. It was astonishing that a Socialist and admirer of Gandhi and Nehru all his life could make such a speech and pay tributes to Savarkar.

Deshpande made following points –
* The punishments suffered by Savarkar are described in his book ‘My Transportation for Life’ However, it is my conviction that he has not described even 10% of what he actually suffered, because he did not want pity or sympathy. He wanted the youth to come forward and say – ‘I too am prepared to suffer like Savarkar for our nation.’

* We do not even read what he had preached.

* Persons like Savarkar never die, nor ever say Goodbye. They are eternal. Even one line or one word of from them gives us inspiration.

* Persons like Savarkar can never die by any vicious attacks, or neglect or propaganda against them. They are self-made. They live like the great Banyan trees providing comforts to others in their hour of need.

* We need to think how his thoughts could be spread in all the Indian languages.

* So much has happened here that every Indian should come here in bow in respect of freedom fighters like Savarkar.

Deshpande concluded his speech by saying, “ To remind our people every year, there should be a day of celebrations, right here in the Cellular Jail on national level. And it should be presided by the highest authority of the country.”


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Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.


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Essentially Unessential: Hobby of Kings - Part 4

Essentially Unessential: Hobby of Kings - Part 4

Hobby of Kings - Part 4

Coins of China

The shapes and manufacturing method of the coins can be considered as indirect evidence of independent invention in China. The chinese coins were made of base metals by casting . The earliest chinese coins were probably made in Yellow river valley. They were made of in the shape of miniature hoes, spades and knives. They were probably first issued around the 6th century BCE during the Zhou dynasty.

The first metallic coins, cast in bronze, date from about 500 B.C. according to Chinese archaelogists. The first coins were cast bronze imitations of these monetary objects, hoes, knives and cowries. It may be that these metal objects first served as means of exchange in the country. ... Four types of coinage were current in China in the fourth and third centuries [B.C.]. ... They were as follows: the Shansi region ... where spade-shaped coins were in circulation; the kingdoms of the north-east ... where coins were knife-shaped; the Wei valley in Shensi ... where round coins with a central hole were used; lastly the sphere of influence of the the Ch"u kingdom (middle Yangtse and Han valley), where use was made of gold coins shaped as tablets divided into sixteen little squares carrying the indication of their value, and where bronze cowrie shells were also struck

The earliest coins were inscribed imitation hoes issued by the Zhou kings in the late sixth century BC ... In the third century BC a practical solution to the problem of handling irregularly shaped coins was found by replacing hoe and knife coins with flat disc-shaped coins with a central hole, so they could be carried in bulk on strings.

Hollow Spade Coins
Several specimens of hollow handled spades with a pointed feet from Shantung peninsula were dated to be from 600 BCE. The dating of these coins is not considered definitive by many scholars. There is considerable disagreement among the numismatic scholars. Hollow handle spades with pointed feet are called Pu. They are considered to be the first coins by some. The name suggest that they might be transition money from primitive money. Pu was the term of earlier primitive money. These spades can not be considered as true coins for lack of stamping or inscriptions on them. However, they were cast to an ancient chinese weight standard of 1 liang = 24 shu (1 shu = 0.56g). These spades were cast to 3 liang.




Flat Foot Spade Coins
The second type are the large, heavy flat-foot spades occurring in a number of varieties both with and without inscriptions (one or two characters when present). The form is very close to that of actual tools, suggesting an early date. They are rare, suggesting a short-lived series and/or a very restricted area of circulation, but there are other hollow-handled spade types that appear to have evolved from them.

These large hollow-handled pointed foot spades appear to have evolved into the smaller, more robust hollow-handled spades with a shallow curve to the foot and single-character inscriptions, which show up much more commonly today.




The name of the denomination is as yet uncertain, but the evidence indicates units of "CHIN". Wang, on plate X #2, illustrates a specimen with the character for "CHIN", and on plate XI #2 another specimen which seems to indicate a denomination of "3 CHIN". The first specimen appears to be of a slightly earlier series and it is possible the denomination changed from 1 chin to 3 chin at some point, but this seems unlikely. It is more likely the earlier spades did not need a units mark as only one denomination (3 chin) was in use. The second, slightly later type, is part of a series with more than one denomination, so unit marks become more important.

Flat Handle Spade Coins
Around 400 BC flat spades revolutionized the spade currency. Unlike the hollow-handled spades which required a complex multi-piece mold with a casting core in the handle, the flat spades required only a simple two-piece mold, allowing for larger mintages in shorter periods of time. They were sturdy and easier to store. The flat spades were cast to an ancient chinese weight standard based on multiples of 12 shu (1 shu = 0.56g). They were issued in three denominations of 1/2 liang (12 shu), 1 liang (24 shu) and 2 liang (48 shu). They were called "CH'IEN. This word later come to mean money in Chinese language. They also met all the conditions to be a true coin. Many bear mint and denomination marks, suggesting they may have circulated beyond the boundaries of the cities that cast them.





Pointed Foot and Round Foot Thin Spade Coins
Pointed Foot and Round Foot thin spades are a bit of a mystery. Wang suggests they evolved directly from hollow-handled spades and are contemporary with the heavy flat spades, but from different mints. Their general form and style of calligraphy tends to suggest this may be so, in which case they belong to the 4th century BC, and we would expect some of them (early issues) to be cast to a 12 shu standard, with possibly others (later issues) at a 10 shu standard. We hope to be able to look into this fairly soon.




It appears that between 350 and 250 BC the heavy flat spades gave way to the thinner square foot flat handled spades, in an extensive series bearing a variety of mint names, but only a few distinct forms.

Most spades in this series weight between 5 and 6 grams (10 shu) but for some types there are also examples around 11 grams (20 shu). The larger examples with sharp corners can weight as much as 14 gram but appear to have been intended as a 20 shu denomination. Their denominations were 1/2 liang (10 shu) and 1 liang (20 shu).



Knife Coins
The knife money probably appeared around 500 BCE in the Yellow river valley. Some believe that they were cast earlier than 500 BCE. We assume the pointed knifes, with a smooth curve down the back, are the earliest form of knife money. They have the closest style to genuine knives, and like the early hollow-handled spades often appear without inscriptions, although the inscriptions are normally weak or difficult to see on most specimens. The casting and calligraphy are similar to the hollow-handled spades. They were called "Ch'i" knifes. It is a difficult and contentious issue dating this Knife money. Pointed knives and Ming knives average between 15 and 16 grams or about 30 shu.




Ming Knife Coins
The "Ming" knifes probably followed next, but they are still a bit of a mystery. The fabric is similar to common square-foot spades except that the inscriptions give no indications of mint names. All bear the character "Ming" on one side, which Wang (page 166) suggests is made up of the characters for "sun" and "moon", meaning "bright". These are by far the most common of all knife money and must have been cast in vast numbers, and are found over a wide area of Northern China and as far away as Northern Korea





There are two distinct shapes of ming knifes, the first of which has a distinctly angled back, and the second with a mildly curved back. The exact significance of this is uncertain, but it is possible that the mildly curved back varieties are the earliest, having evolved from the pointed curved back knifes. A partial hoard of these that we obtained recently, had both types well represented.

The curved-back ming knifes can be further divided into two distinct inscription varieties. The first variety has a mint name and monetary designation on the reverse. The second variety has reverse inscriptions which do no appear to have a relationship to mints or denominations. It appears that these two varieties are probably roughly contemporary but from different districts.

All of the angle-back specimens have the second type of inscription without mint name or monetary designation.

Dating ming knifes is a little problematical, but we suspect that they appear in the very late Zhou, probably at the end of the 4th century BC and continue down to and possibly after the unification under the Ch'in.

The more stylized straight knifes, with characters on one or both sides may be contemporary with the ming knifes. There are only a few varieties and the characters appear to be mint names. These tend to be poorly represented in the literature and more work needs to be done on them before we can comment on how they may fit into the system.



The large heavy knifes may be the most misunderstood part of this series. They are traditionally described as the earliest knife form, a theory to which we cannot subscribe. With the exception of the three-character Ch'i knife, which is not overly common, all heavy knifes are rare to extremely rare. If they had really seen the 600 years of circulation suggested by Wang, one would expect them to be very common coins.



The dating of these coins will probably remain uncertain until archeological evidence can provide some answers, but the coins themselves do give us some clues. It is significant that no uninscribed, or even simple versions are known to exist. These are normal steps in coinage evolution, which exist for hollow-handle spades, pointed knifes and cowry imitations. In fact these heavy knifes first appear with full developed complex inscriptions including a mint name and indication of a monetary unit, a feature not seen on other coins until the late hollow-handled and heavy flat spades which probably date to around 400 BC.

While rims are present on many ancient coins, they are usually low and thin. The rims on these coins are thick and high. There is no real parallel to them, but the closest seem to be the early round coins of "I" (a city in the Ch'i territory), which are certainly of a very late date. Of the specimens that we have seen, none have shown significant signs of wear, which leads us to believe that they may not have been part of the general circulating coinage. They also seem to be the most finely cast of all ancient Chinese coins.

When all the features of these coins are considered, we can believe they may have been made for ceremonial purposes such as presentations or burial, which is consistent with the use of the state (Ch'i) as a mint designation, rather than one of the cities in Ch'i as is the usual pattern for the coinage of the Zhou period.

Round Holed Coins
The round coins with round hole in the center appeared around 300 BCE. They have a mint mark and monetary units on them. They were cast with new weight standard. There came in two denomination 1/2 liang (10 shu or 5 grams) and 1 liang (20 shu or 10 g) and ch'ien.

Early round coins with round holes can be divided into two major types. The first type are those with multiple-character inscriptions including both mint marks and monetary units having many features similar with the heavy flat spades.
They differ from the spades in one important aspect. All the specimens we have been able to confirm fall into the weight system based on multiples of 10 shu with an average about 10 grams (20 shu) for the full units, and about 5 grams (10 shu) for the half units, while the heavy flat spades were cast to the weight standard based on multiples of 12 shu. This leads us to believe they we issued as a replacement for the heavy flat spades as the new weight system was adopted

The second series of round-holed round coins are those with only a mint name, but no denomination. These are seen with either one-or two-character legends but in all other ways, including the weights, resemble the multi-character types. The use of only a mint name without monetary units is a characteristic shared with the square-foot spades which are cast to the same weight standard, in a close relationship between the two and suggest a date right around or just after 300 BC.



Square-Holed Round Coins
Early square-holed round coins seem to be found exclusively in areas associated with knife money. They come in two distinct series, the relatively common "MING" types that appear to be related to the ming knifes, and the much scarcer "I" series which seem to represent the issues of a single mint called "I". The only inscriptions they have is their monetary designation of "HUO", a character which has come to mean "knife money", but which had also become a unit of denomination by the time these coins were issued.




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