With the end of the breath taking chinese olympics in2008, the next call for Olympics was made for London by Jacques Rogge - at the closing ceremony in china. With the eyes wide open on the next Olympics event at London the Olympic association have already announced the host of the 2016 Olympics hosting nation. The land of sambas and beautiful sceneries Rio de Janeiro won the bid and has already started celebrating.

Olympics always bring the worlds attention to the hosting country. Which also bring lot of new opportunities and business to the nation.
But Olympic event always have played a greater role in broadcasting the nations culture, traditions , and customs, which makes this event unique every year.
Rio is and always has been a highly cultured city as Brazilians call it as "Cidade Maravilhosa", or the "Wonderful City".

The high population density and rich ethnic mix has given shape to all forms of artistic expression, which is evident in the music, dance and lifestyle of the Cariocas ( residents) - especially during Carnival. There are many cultural centres, art galleries and performance venues in Rio, hosting an ever-changing series of events.

THE BEACH CULTURE: Rio de Janeiro follows the beach culture just like California where everything begins from beach.
Early in the morning you have people walking and jogging before work. During the day many play volleyball, football and beach tennis. You also have the outdoor gyms where people push and pull to achieve that perfect body. And then you have the surfers...

Beach is a social place for people to meet discuss or simply google around.
There is nothing that you cannot do on a beach at Rio de Janeiro, swim, play, dance, party and the best thing if you forgot your towel you can use the beach sheet (ony for girls!)And boys can get it on rent.(so no excuse to enjoy )
The beach in Ipanema is curiously divided into informal sections, you have one for gay, another for students and so on. There are unwritten rules how to behave, what to wear and how you sit.

The Rio is planning hard to get their things placed in order as they have planned for the Olympics.
The sensational video shows the master plan of the city and the event hosting campaign. I truly believe this would not be a Sports festival but a CELEBRATION of sports.

Here are some of the promotional video of some countries who bided for Olympics 2016.
Watch what other countries had planned for 2016 Olympics. [Brazil, Madrid, Tokyo, Chicago, Doha, Baku ]

The Brazil Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics bid video.

Madrid 2016 Olympics bid videos
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Tokyo 2016 Olympics bid videos
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Tokyo 2016 Olympics bid videos


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Doha 2016 Olympics bid videos (
Doha 2016 Olympics bid videos


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Baku 2016 Olympics bid videos (
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Do’s and don’t’s :
learn as much Portuguese as you can
Avoid dark and isolated places especially if you are alone.
Respect the locals

i will post some more post regarding rio de jenerio soon !!

Ganesh or Vinayaka Chaturthi is dedicated to Lord Ganesh (son of Shiva), the elephant -headed god of all good beginnings and success. The festival celebrated as the birth day of Lord Ganesha, is a ten day long event held annually in India especially with great fervour in Maharashtra. It falls on the fourth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Bhadhrapada (August -September).

Ganapati an important deity of the Hindus,has different names and manifestations. He is the God of knowledge, wisdom and the 'remover of Obstacles' ('Vignaharta') hence called 'Vigneswar'. He is invoked at the beginning of every major venture.
On the occasion of the Ganapati festival, large number of images are made of clay
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On the occasion of the Ganapati festival, large number of images are made of clay or metal in all possible sizes sometimes even up to twenty feet. People buy them and install them in their houses and worship for one and a half, five, seven, or ten days (Ananda Chaturdashi), after which the images are taken out ceremoniously, carried in a procession through the streets of the towns, especially in Maharashtra and immersed into the river, sea or well for immersion or 'Visarjan'. People chant 'Ganpati bappa Morya, Pudchya Varshi Lvkar Ya' ('Father Ganpati, Come again soon next year') while immersing. The idol should not be kept after this day, as it is considered inauspicious. The sea front at Mumbai, packed with people, is a spectacular sight.

Aarthis are performed everyday and kumkum thrown over the seated Ganesh idol when it is kept at home. It is customary to make 'Naivedya' or offerings of twenty one blades of grass Kewra (pandanus buds) a lotus flower, fruits and sweets, specially twenty one pieces of 'modaks' made of rice flour and filled with jaggery; before him. After the ritual worship it is distributed as 'Prasad' (sacred food) to everyone present.

Although Ganesh worship was performed from time immemorial it was Lok Manya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who was responsible for making Ganesh utsav into a public celebration. A cultural feast is held to coincide with Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra especially at Pune. Classical dance, music performances, poetry recitations, folk dances, theatre and film festival are the main features of this festival.
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STORY OF LORD GANESH AND THE LEGEND BEHIND THE FESTIVAL !!
Legend behind the origin of Ganesh:
In Shiv purana it is said that Ganesh was the creation of Goddess Parvati, who breathed life into an image made of clay. She placed the image outside the door while she was bathing and ordered him not to allow anyone to enter. Then her husband Lord Shiva arrived and was refused admission by the doorkeeper. Shiva became furious and severed the head of the idol. Parvathi was very upset over the incident as she considered the idol as her son (manas putra). To make amends Shiva ordered his servant to go and bring the head of the first living being he would meet. The servant saw an elephant, and he at once cut his head and took it to Shiva. Shiva joined the elephant's head to the body of Parvati's son. Thus Ganapathi came in to being.

Ganapathi's mount is a mouse and he has a snake tied around his belly. His origin has a philosophical aspect to it. The whole cosmos is >>READ MORE here>>
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compared to the belly of God. Shakti Parvati is the primordial energy. The seven worlds above,seven worlds (lokas) below and the seven oceans are inside the cosmic belly of Ganesha, held together by the cosmic energy kundalini symbolized as the huge snake which Ganesha ties around him. The mouse is nothing but our ego. Ganesha, using the mouse as a vehicle, exemplifies the need to control our ego. One who has controlled the ego is believed to have Ganesha consciousness or God-consciousness.
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Ganesh Rituals in the Cities of India.

The preparation of the festival begins much before the ten-day rite. Houses are cleaned and even white washing or painting is done. Especially the place where the idol will be kept are cleaned and decorated several days before the festival. Newly molded idols of Ganesha are bought from the shops, which are there only for the festival purpose. The idols are carried with their faces covered with a saffron cloth amidst chanting and the sound of cymbals. In the evening it is placed properly at the place where the puja will be held. The priest then performs a ritual by which the idol, is said to be imbued with life. Next follows the traditional puja. Worshippers bathe and the priest wears a silken lower garment, usually red, with a shawl around his shoulders. On this day every household in Maharashtra installs a small clay murti of Ganeshji in their homes. He is offered pujan and prasad until Sud 14 - Anant Chaturthi.
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In Gujarat and in the Swaminarayan mandirs a clay or plaster of paris murti of Ganesh is installed on Ganesh Chaturthi and worshiped for ten days. The murti is submerged on 'Parivartini' i.e. 'Jal Zilani' Ekadashi. Devotees observe a waterless fast. The traditional prasad offered to Lord Ganeshji are chopped cucumbers and 'ladus' - sweet balls of wheat flour, ghee and sugar. Five pujas and arti are offered, together with a boat ride after each arti before Ganeshji's 'Visarjan' - submergence. In this manner Ganesh is a deity of auspiciousness, wisdom and wealth. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival inspiring devotees to inculcate redemptive virtues in their lives. The puja begins according to the time mentioned on the ritual calendar. The ceremony begins by placing the image, usually made of terracotta, in a sacred arena, symbolic of a throne. The worshipper then sips holy water and performs pranayama; he then bows and prostrates before Ganesha and all the other gods. The Ganapati Aarti and the Atharvashirdha (devotional chanting) are sung to the accompaniment of cymbals, bells and rhythmic clapping. The modak, a sweetmeat of rice-flour and sweetened coconut, are offered to the deity along with flowers. This completes the rituals of the first day. For the remaining days, the image is worshipped, morning and evening, with simple recitations of the Ganesha Stuti, devotional songs, offerings of flowers and incense, and lamps. The event is now the celebration of all community where everyone participates.
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IMMERSION CEREMONY

During the immersion ceremony huge crowds move in a procession carrying idols of Ganesha towards the Chowpatty beach where the idols are emerged. These processions, starts in the afternoon and continue till late night. Although this festival is observed in all parts of the country, it is celebrated in big way in Maharashtra where it is celebrated both publicly and privately. Apart from celebrations at home, there are also many public celebrations called Sarvajanik Ganeshotsava. These are community pujas held by building pandals. Maharashtra is the most happening place to be during the time of this festival. Besides Maharashtra, Tamilnadu
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is another place where the festival is celebrated with great festivity and zeal. Lord Ganesha is worshiped in the temples as well as at each and every home accompanied by the preparation of 'modak,' a sweet supposed to be the favorite of Lord Ganesha. Orissa and Pune are also famous for their celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It is a celebration where people from each and every community participate with excitement and joy. During this ten days of the festival Maharashtra has a new look altogether it is the best time to visit the place. It portrays the true culture and tradition of the Indian beliefs.
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The Dagduseth Halwai Ganpati one of the oldest Ganpati temples in the country

Established in the year 1893, the temple boasts of a rich history of more than 100 years. The temple is located close to Shaniwarwada in the heart of Pune city.

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The Dagduseth Halwai Ganpati is one of the oldest Ganpati temples in the country. Established in the year 1893, the temple boasts of a rich history of more than 100 years. The temple is located close to Shaniwarwada in the heart of Pune city.

A halwai or sweetmaker called Dagdusheth is credited for constructing this temple. It is believed that he lost his son in a plague outbreak which plunged him and his wife in a state of depression. To bring him out of this state, his Guru advised him to make idols of Lord Ganesha and Shree Datta Maharaj and take care of them like he would father his son. It was then that the very first idol of Ganesha was made.

Looking at his dedication, one of Dagdusheth’s good friends, Lokmanya Balgandharva Tilak- associated with the independence movement in the late 1800s, came up with the idea of transforming Ganesh Chaturthi into a public festival. The main ideology behind this decision was to bring the people together and unite them against the British. In this way this festival came to be celebrated at a community level every year rather than being restricted to a household affair.

The simple construction of the temple allows the devotees to catch a glimpse of the Ganesh idol even from outside the temple. As the temple is visited by hundreds of devotees on a daily basis, this simple yet beautiful architectural design of the temple helps people watch the daily proceedings like the aarti and the pooja from well outside the entrance of the temple.

The idol of Ganesha is undoubtedly the highlight of the temple which is adorned with gold and precious jewellery which have been offered to the Elephant God by the devotees as a token of their love and affection. The idol has a solid gold ear and is decorated with nearly 8 kilos of gold. It is believed that the idol is insured for an astonishing sum of Rs. 1 crore.

Pooja is performed twice everyday and people visit the temple in large numbers to pray. Heaps of coconuts are offered to the Hindu God on a daily basis. Especially during the Ganesh Chaturthi the demand of coconut reaches nearly five lakhs per day

The temple is well maintained by the Shrimant Dagadusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust which also does a lot of philanthropic work from the donations it receives. The trust opened an old age home called Pitashree in 2003 in Pune which also provides housing and education to 40 underprivileged kids.

It’s best to visit the temple during the morning hours because of less traffic. But there is no escaping the crowd if you wish to pay your homage to Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi festival when thousands of people from all over India flock down to the city to catch a glimpse of their favourite Ganesh idol.
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The City of Light harbors a city of darkness, a vast network of subterranean tunnels that once gave refuge to bandits, smugglers and saints, and cradles the bones of some 6 million Parisians.

Today, this eerie maze is the haunt of living spirits, from youths looking for adventure to urban explorers carving out a new frontier.

An underground movie house replete with bar and phone service, recently discovered by police, is but a slice of the thriving underworld below Paris.

Some 185 miles of tunnels and underground passageways honeycomb the underbelly of the city, most old quarries for the Lutecian limestone used to build the French capital. Others house electricity and telephone cables.

In the deepest sphere, some 100 feet under, lie the catacombs, holding ancient bones from overstocked cemeteries. Part of the catacombs are open to the public, but dropping into the rest city of darkness is illegal and can be hazardous.

This is not a journey for the faint of heart. One way is a middle-of-the-night descent through a manhole and down a ladder. Once inside, a sand-colored maze of galleries, nooks and crannies unfolds. Ominous holes seem to descend to the center of the Earth.

It's an all-weather trip that includes strolling, sloshing through mud and slithering through narrow tunnels.


"Paris is a Mecca" for underground exploration, said Lazar Kunstmann, a spokesman for the group that set up a cinema across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower. The group has seven other subterranean sites, he said, refusing to give details.

In the eternal night of underground Paris, secrecy is sacrosanct, creating a subculture with its own code and names.

Slipping into the underground, social classes melt away, and "there's a sense of having a double life," said Patrick Aalk, a photographer with more than two decades of experience as an urban explorer.

Like Lewis Carroll's Alice discovered when she fell through a rabbit hole, fear, intrigue and wonder await the subterranean traveler. Instead of a tea party with the Mad Hatter, there are parties by flashlight in dank, musty quarry rooms bearing names like "Byzance," "the Cellar" or "Room Z."

But this strange universe is being increasingly scarred by "cataphiles" who daub graffiti on walls or leave beer cans behind. Some quarry rooms are covered in paint, irking another breed of subterranean spirits who call themselves urban explorers.

The police chief in charge of subterranean Paris fears the new generation of fun-seekers is on a collision course with the urban explorers who regard the underground as part of Paris' patrimony.

"It's a milieu that is becoming more and more mixed ... with some people who can be in opposition to others," Commander Luc Rougerie told The Associated Press.

Cataphiles have haunted the Paris underworld for decades, but the Aug. 23 discovery by police of the cinema, set up by an urban explorers' group calling itself The Perforating Mexican, revealed just how sophisticated life below ground has become.

The cinema seated about 30 people on benches carved from rock — and covered with wood for comfort, according to Kunstmann. The complex included a bar, a restaurant and some annex rooms for privacy.

A toilet drew water from the Trocadero gardens above, where "there was a permanent leak," said Kunstmann. Electricity was siphoned off by wrapping wires around the state power company's cables, he said. "The problem is not to leave a trace on the electricity counter."

According to Kunstmann, the cinema, finished some 18 months ago, was a renovation of a crude theater built three years ago.

"There was a certain surprise" when police found the movie house, Commander Rougerie conceded.



A less sensational but more worrisome discovery was made across town, under the high-security La Sante prison. There, several tunnels, once shut, were partially reopened. Fears that prisoners were plotting an escape or, worse, that terrorists had invaded the underground set off alarms.

In the end, "we think it's amateurs of the underground looking for an old passage," said Catherine Briguet, judicial police spokeswoman. There have been no arrests, she said.

Rougerie warns of dangers, from thin air that can cause queasiness to cave-ins. He cited cases of people falling into 30-foot-deep wells or getting lost. There are no known deaths.

The catacombs have inspired writers from Victor Hugo to Gaston Leroux, whose "Phantom of the Opera" hid in "that infernal underground maze."

"When you go down, you enter the city's past. It's a voyage into the bowels of the city," said Aalk, the photographer.

Through the ages, the catacombs have harbored an eclectic lot. In the 13th century, bandits hid under the Chateau de Vauvert, now the Luxembourg Gardens, and sorcerers used the quarries for black masses during the 1348 plague.

St. Denis, patron saint of France, said Mass in the quarries during the Christian persecution, according to Simon Lacordaire's "The Secret History of Subterranean Paris." During World War II, Resistance fighters used the network as hideouts.

Scoundrels still haunt the underworld.

People have been caught stealing telephone cables, "to resell the copper by the kilo," Rougerie said. Some have also been found carrying old bones from the catacombs.

Nearly two decades ago, there were reportedly 300 accesses to the quarries. Most have been sealed, but new entryways are uncovered by enterprising explorers.

Asked how many accesses exist today, Rougerie, the police official, conceded: "There are those I know and those I don't."
Source : cbsnews.com

This Video shows the hard earned struggle of India's Independence and the struggle for freedom from the British empire in India, under the guidance of the great leaders of India ,and some legends who fought without any followers,they fought on their own, and gave up their life to free them from the British rule,
This is the hardest earned freedom struggle in the world .
"Independence through Non violence".
and i am sure no other country or territory has ever tried this or can ever try, this freedom struggle was initiated by mahatma Gandhi in South Africa and then in India.

Japanese Beliefs and Superstitions

A widely believed myth among Japanese is that one's blood group has great influence over his personality.

About 100 years ago, a doctor researched the relation between blood group and personality, and concluded that the O-typed were good for army soldiers. Nowadays, most psychiatrists and doctors say this research was wrong.
However, many people still believe it.

Blood group A :
A man with blood group A is diligent, methodical, steady, and nervous.
Blood Group B :
A man with blood group B has originality, but is fickle.
Blood Group AB :
A man with blood group AB is sociable and sensitive.
Blood Group O :
A man with blood group O is durable and resolute.

> Sleep
You'll get bad luck if you talk back to someone talking in their sleep.

> Funeral Car:
If a funeral car passes you should hide your thumb.


NOW THIS IS INTERESTING !!

> Sneeze
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If you sneeze once, you're being spoken of well.
If you sneeze twice, people are saying bad things about you.
The third time, someone loves you, and, finally,
The fourth time, you have a cold.

> If your ear itches, you'll hear good news.

> If your nose itches, someone that you know will have a baby.

> Cut nails at night:
If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die.

> The number four:
The number four is considered inauspicious because it is pronounced the same as the word for death (shi). Therefore, one should not make presents that consist of four pieces, etc. In some hotels and hospitals the room number four is skipped.

> Stick chopsticks into the rice:
Do not stick your chopsticks into your food generally, but especially not into rice, because only at funerals, chopsticks are stuck into the rice which is put onto the altar.

> Give food from chopstick to chopstick:
This is only done with the bones of the cremated body at funerals.

> Sleeping towards the North:
Do not sleep towards the North because bodies are laid down like that.


> Lie down after eating:
If you lie down immediately after eating, you will become a cow.

> Whistle in the night:
If you whistle in the night, a snake will come to you.

> Black cat:
There are also some imported superstitions such as the believe that black cats crossing the street in front of you cause bad luck.
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