Confia Interactive: February 2014

Friday 21 February 2014

Lepakshi - Hanging Pillar and Epic Nandi

Ultimate Lepakshi

Hanging Pillar
Image Source: http://musetheplace.com/

Lepakshi is a small town in Ananthpur district of Andhra Pradesh state. It is 15 km east of Hindupur and about 120 km north of Bangalore. Lepakshi is very important historically and archaeologically. There are three shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Virabhadra. The most interesting thing about Lepakshi is its hanging pillar. A pillar which is attached with the ceiling but not to the floor. The pillar is at Veerabhadra temple. It is famous as Aakaasa Sthambha (floating pillar), though it is ahanging pillar and not a floating pillar. One can easily pass a cloth between the underside of the pillar and the floor.

Lepakshi Nandi
Image Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/

Another interesting thing about Lepakshi is its monumental Nandi. The monolithic "Nandi" sculpture which is said to be the biggest monolithic Nandi in India, is synonymous with Lepakshi. It is 4.5 m high and 8.23m long.

The big granite bull is on the main road, about 200 meters from the temple. It has been positioned such that it faces the shivalinga shielded by a huge serpent inside the temple. Said to be the second largest monolith in India, after Gomateswara, the Nandi sports a huge kaasu malai, a bell chain, earrings and other jewellery.

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Wednesday 19 February 2014

Mini Switzerland - Khajjiar

Khajjiar

Often referred as Mini Switzerland, Khajjiar is a popular hill station located in the Himalayan mountain range about 26 km from Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh. Situated at a height of 6500 feet, the hill station is bestowed with natural beauty and pleasant climate.

Vast expanse of green meadows and dense forests besides vistas of majestic snow-clad Himalayan peaks make Khajjiar a popular destination with tourists. Khajjiar Lake and Chamera Lake add to the charm of Khajjiar. For its stunning natural beauty, Khajjiar is also referred as Gulmarg of Himachal Pradesh.

The picturesque landscape of Khajjiar has acted as a magnet for tourists from across the world. Khajjiar’s picturesque beauty evokes strong comparisons with Switzerland. Khajjiar was bestowed with the title of Mini Switzerland in 1992 by Wiily Blazer, Vice Chancellor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland. Khajjiar is one of the 160 places in the world that bear tropical resemblance to Switzerland.

It is popular destination with trekkers too. The hamlet serves as the starting point for treks to Chamba, Dalhousie, Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary, etc. Trekking is the best way to explore the Khajjiar. Zorbing, a popular recreational activity that involves rolling downhill from inside a plastic orb, is a popular activity in Khajjiar during April-May.

Khajjiar Kalatop sanctuary is a delight for nature lovers and wildlife photographers. One can spot a wide range of exotic flora and fauna in the sanctuary.

Not much is known about Khajjiar’s history. However, temples dating back to 12th century still stand in majestic splendour in Khajjiar. The Khajji Naga temple is the most sacred shine in Khajjiar.

People of Khajjiar generally speak Himachali. However, almost all of them are comfortable with Hindi as well.

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Monday 17 February 2014

Budget 2014 Highlights

What's there in Budget?

No change in income tax rates.
Populism is not our way of governance.
Growth for next year should be 5 per cent.
6 pc excise duty for all mobile phones.
Soaps, TV, fridge to be cheaper now.
Excise duty on SUVs reduced to 24%, on large cars to 20%.
FM reduces excise duty on capital goods from 12% to 10%.
Cars to be cheaper as FM proposes to reduce excise duty on automobiles. Excise duty on small cars, motorcycles reduced from 12% to 8%.
Disappointed that we have not been able to introduce DTC.
Focus on building up manufacturing capacity.
Community radio to be promoted with Rs 100 crore.
All taxes on exports to be waived for manufacturing sector.
Rs 65,000 crore for fuel subsidies.
Three more industrial corridors announced.
Govt is dedicated to keeping Indian economy in robust health.
CAD can only be addressed by foreign investment.
Budgetary support to railways raised to 29,000 cr.
Propose a moratorium period for some education loans.
PSU banks got more than 25 lakh student loan accounts in 2013.
Proposes Rs 11,200 crore for capital infusion in PSBs.
Govt approves one rank one pay for retired jawans.
Defense allocation for FY15 increased by 10 per cent.
Plan expenditure at Rs 5 lakh 55,322 crore in 2014-15.
Non-plan expenditure in 2014-15 estimated to be over Rs 10 lakh crore.
Budgetary support to railways at Rs 29,000 crore in 2014-15.
Over Rs 45000 cr allocated for scheduled caste sub-plan.
Seven new airports under construction.
Those at the bottom of the pyramid need Aadhar.
Govt remains fully committed to Aadhar.
50,000 MW of thermal power under construction.
UPA's growth story unparalleled.
P Chidambaram promises 1 million jobs.
FDI policy has been liberalised to attract larger investment.
Foreign exchange reserves up by $15 billion.
Reject the argument of policy paralysis.
Food-grain production estimated at 263 million tons in 2013-14.
Agriculture credit will cross $45 billion against $41 billion in 2012-13.
296 projects worth Rs 6,60,000 crore cleared by Cabinet Committee on Investment by end January 2014.
Growth needs to be more inclusive.
Growth in Q3 and Q4 FY14 will be at least 5.2 per cent.
Among emerging economies, rupee affected least.
Two projects sanctioned under Nirbhaya Fund; original Rs 1,000 crore made non-lapsable; another Rs 1,000 crore granted.
Agriculture GDP growth expected at 4.6 per cent in current year.
National manufacturing policy is set to revive manufacturing in 2014.
Construction underway for 50,000MW of conventional power.
Over 29,000 MW of power capacity added during fiscal.
Exports have recovered sharply.
Too many obstacles in implementing projects.
Core inflation at 3 per cent. Food inflation remains a key worry.
CAD will be contained $45 million.
Fiscal deficit to be contained at 4.6 per cent.

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Wednesday 12 February 2014

Wedding Hitanshu+ Priyanka

Wedding Hitanshu + Priyanka

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Thursday 6 February 2014

Champhai the ultimate place to visit

Champhai

Champhai
Image Source : http://champhai.nic.in

Set in the beautiful state of Mizoram with its colourful tribal traditions, orchids and butterflies, Champhai boasts a fabulous view of the Myanmar hills. It is said that the history of Mizo starts from Champhai and ends in Champhai. Major towns are Ngopa, Khawhai and Khawzawl. It is a fast developing venue on the Indo-Myanmar border. The famous Rihdil Lake is only about 50 kms away from the town of Champhai. Champhai has a salubrious climate and a number of tourist attractions. A picturesque spot here is the Champhai valley known as "The Rice bowl of Mizoram" located towards the base of the town. A chain of green hills encircle luxuriant rice fields, which add to the beauty of this place. This place should be in your travel list.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Loktak (Floating Lake)

Loktak Lake
Image Source: http://mybuzz9.blogspot.in

Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in North- Eastern India, also called the only Floating lake in the world due to the floating phumdis (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matters at various stages of decomposition) on it. It is located near Moirang in Manipur state, India. There are several ‘phumdis’ floating all over the entire stretch of the lake giving it an amazing perspective. These floating ‘phumdis’ are sturdy enough to build thatched huts upon them and make great settlements for the local fishermen. This lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur. It is considered to be the lifeline for the people of Manipur.

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