PINNATE

Pinnate is a term used to describe feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis in plant or animal structures, and comes from the Latin word pinna meaning “feather”, “wing” or “fin”. A similar term is pectinate, which refers to a comb-like arrangement of parts. The term contrasts somewhat with palmate, in which the parts or structures radiate out from a common point.

COLEUS LEAVES

Solenostemon is a genus of perennial plants, native to tropical Africa, Asia, Australia, the East Indies, The Malay Archipelago, and the Philippines. They are commonly known as Coleus, a name which derives from an earlier classification under the genus name coleus, species of which are currently included in either solenostemon or another genus, Plectranthus.

VENUS FLYTRAP

The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey – mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant’s leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insects or spider crawling along the leaves comes into contact with one or more of the hairs twice in succession, the trap closes. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value.

CANTILEVER BRIDGE

A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from structural steel, or box girders built from prestressed concrete.

CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE

A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one of more columns, with cables supporting the bridge deck.

There are two major classes of cable-stayed bridges: In a harp design, the cables are made nearly parallel by attaching cables to various points on the towers so that the height of attachment of each cable on the tower is similar to the distance from the tower along the roadway to its lower attachment. In a fan design, the cables all connect to or pass over the top of the towers.

BOX GIRDER BRIDGE

A box girder bridge is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder normally comprises either prestressed concrete, structural steel, or a composite of steel and reinforced concrete. The box is typically rectangular or trapezoidal in cross-section. Box girder bridges are commonly used for highway flyovers and for modern elevated structures of light rail transport.

JUSCELINO KUBITSCHEK BRIDGE

The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, also known as the President JK Bridge or just the JK Bridge, crosses Lake Paranoa in Brasilia, D.F. It is named for Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, former president of Brazil, who in the late 1950s decided to build Brasilia as the new capital of the country. It was designed by architect Alexandra Chan and structural engineer Mario Vila Verde.

ROMAN BRIDGE

The Romans were the world’s first major bridge builders. The following list constitutes an attempt to list all known Roman bridges, many of which still survive to this day.

A Roman bridge in the sense of this article includes any of these features:
Roman Arches
Roman Pillars
Roman Foundations
Roman Abutments
Roman Roadway
Roman Cutwaters

WADI LEBAN BRIDGE

The Wadi Leban Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia designed by Seshadri Srinivasan. It was built between 1993 and 1997.

SALGINATOBEL BRIDGE

Salginatobel Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge designed by renowned Swiss civil engineer Robert Maillart. It was constructed across an alpine valley in Schiers, Switzerland between 1929 and 1930. In 1991, it was declared an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, the thirteenth such structure and the first concrete bridge so dedicated.

SAFAVID BRIDGE

The Si-o-se Pol, which means 33 Bridge or the Bridge of 33 Arches), also called the Allah-Verdi Khan Bridge, is one of the eleven bridges of Esfahan, Iran. It is highly ranked as being one of the most famous examples of Safavid bridge design.

OCTAVIO FRIAS DE OLIVEIRA BRIDGE

The Octavio Frias de Oliveira bridge is a cable stayed bridge in Sao Paulo, Brazil over the Pinheiros River, opened in May 2008. The bridge is 138 metres (450 ft) tall, and connects Marginal Pinheiros to Jornalista Roberto Marinho Avenue.

The bridge deck is unusual due to its form, which is similar to an “X”, crossing at the tower.

AKASHI-KAIKYO BRIDGE

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, also known as the Pearl Bridge, is the world’s longest suspension bridge. It is located in Japan and was completed in 1998. The bridge links the city of Kobe on the mainland of Honshu to lwaya on Awaji Island by crossing the busy Akashi Strait. It carries part of the Honshu-Shikoku Highway.

GOOSE BIRD

Goose (Plural: Geese) is the English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family alos includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller.

A number of other waterbirds, mainly related to the shelducks, have “goose” as part of their name.

SWANS

Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae. There are six to seven species of swan in the genus Cygnus; in addition there is another species known as a swan, the Coscoroba Swan, although this species is no longer considered related to the true swans. Swans usually mate for life, though ‘divorce’ does sometimes occur, particularly following nesting failure. The number of eggs in each clutch ranges from three to eight.

DUCK

Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. The ducks are divided between several subfamilies listed in full in the Anatidae article; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered ducks. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.

Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated water birds with similar forms, such as loons or divers, grebes, gallinules and coots.

HILL BIRD

The Indian Himalayas stretches from Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. It crowns the country in the north with the highest and most foreboding mountain range in the world. The altitude differences coupled with climatic diversity and heavy rainfall make the Himalaya an unique home for some of the most beautiful and sought after birds in the world.

SANTRAGACHI BIRDS

Just a 20 minute drive from the center of Kolkata lies a 13,75,000 square feet lake, known as the Santragachi Jheel. Winter months (October to March) draw 4000 to 5000 ducks and moorhens to this safe haven.

Santragachi is not beautiful. It is hemmed in by habitation and railway tracks. Water hyacinth covers a large part of the surface and there is very little green cover. But the birds more than make up in their variety, numbers and in the unconcerned way they make Santragachi a home.

JAIN TEMPLE

The innumerable Jain Shrines that dot in India speak of a myriad intimate associated with the lives and activities of the Jain Tirthankars (Jain religious preachers), who spread the message of peace, non violence, love and enlightenment.

It is this that has attracted and moulded the sentiments of millions of people across the nation as well as the world. Today around 3.2 million Jain devotes live in India.

SRAVANABELAGOLA

Sravanabelagola, a great centre for Jain culture is situated at a distance of about 100 kms from Mysore and is famous for its colossal statue of Gomateshwara who is also referred to as Lord Bahubali. Carved out of monolithic stone, the imposing 17 metre high statue of Gomata towers stands in majestic splendour and is visible even from a distance of 20 kms. Starkly simple, the beautifully chiselled features of the statue embody serenity. His perfect lips are turned out at the corners with a hint of a smile, viewing the world with detachment.

Sravanabelagola means ‘the monk on the top of the hill’ and hermits, mystics and ascetics have journeyed and lived there since at least the third century BC.

RANAKPUR

Ranakpur – The Jain Temples in Aravali
Ranakpur in the state of Rajasthan is one of the five most important pilgrimage sites of Jainism. It is home to an exceptionally beautiful temple complex in the Aravali ranges and a must visit for the tourists coming to this region.

LOCATION
Ranakpur is tucked away in a remote valley in the Aravali range. It is situated around 60 km north of Udaipur in Pali district and boasts of one of the largest and most important Jain Temples in the country. The place is well connected through a road network to other places in the region.

DILWARA TEMPLE

The Jain Dilwara temples of India are located about 2½ kilometres form Mount Abu, Rajasthan’s only hill station. These temples dating back from the 11th to the 13th century AD are world famous for their stunning use of marble. The five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are the sacred pilgrimage of the Jains. They are an overwhelming blend of simple beauty and exquisite elegance. The marble temples have an opulent entranceway. The simplicity in architecture verily reminds one that Jainism as a religion “encouraged honesty and frugality”. The temples reside amidst memmerizing surroundings of mango trees and wooden hills. A high wall, shimmering luminous in the sunlight, shrouds the temple complex.

DILWARA MARBLE TEMPLE

Dilwara Jain Temple is one of the finest Jain temple known world over for its extraordinary architecture and marvellous marble stone carvings, some experts also consider it architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal. It seems fairly basic temple from outside but every cloud has a silver lining, the temple interior showcases the extraordinary work of human craftsmanship at its best. These temples were built between 11th to 13th century AD, The beautiful lush green hills surrounding the temple gives a very pleasant feeling.

Dilwara Temple complex consist of five major sections of temples devoted to five jain trithankaras (saints):

Shri Mahaveer Swami Temple
Shri AdiNath Temple or Vimal Vasahi Temple
Shri ParshavNath Temple or Khartar Vasahi Temple
Shri Rishabdaoji Temple or Peethalhar Temple
Shri NemiNathji Temple or Luna Vasahi Temple

NORTHERN WATER SNAKE

The Northern Water Snake is a large, non-venomous, well-known snake in the Colubridae family that is native to North America. They are active during the day and at night. They are most often seen basking on rocks, stumps, or bush. During the day, they hunt amount plants at the water’s edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals.

At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water. It was once an endangered species but now in shallow water. It was once an endangered species but now benefits from the introduction of round goby, an invasive species.

SCHNEIDER’S SMOOTH WATER SNAKE

Local Names: Telugu Multo Pam, Ally pam.

The Schneider’s Smooth Water Snake is a smooth, glossy, moderately thick snake with rounded snout and rather long muzzle. Its transverse slit like nostrils are placed on top of the head. Its eyes are small and are placed high on the face. Its iris is dotted with golden specks and pupils are vertically elliptic.

The Schneider’s Smooth Water Snake is olivaceous-green or brown above. Its belly is lemon yellow in color. A dark line demarcates its ventrals laterally. It is an aquatic species frequenting fresh and brackish water. It’s a timid and inoffensive snake not known to bite when handled. The Schneider’s Smooth Water Snake feeds mainly on fish.

DOG-FACED WATER SNAKE

The species name of the dog faced water snake is Cerberus rhynchops. Its frontals are partially and parietals are entirely broken up. It’s a stout, rough-skinned snake with pear-shaped head. Its eyes are small and pupils are vertical.

It is dark grey in color with numerous ill-defined darker crossbars. Its belly is coarsely spotted or dappled with greenish black. It is an inoffensive reptile and bites only under serious provocation. Under great excitement it emits an unpleasant odor. It feeds exclusively on fish.

DIAMONDBACK WATER SNAKE

The Diamond back Water Snake is a common species of water snake found throughout much of the cenral United States and northern Mexico. It is non-venomous and a member of the colubrid family. There are three recognized subspecies of N. Rhombifer. The species was first described as Tropidonotus rhombifera by Edward Hallowell in 1852.

BURROWING SNAKES

Burrowing snakes live underground. Of course, there are also other snakes that go underground to escape the heat of the sun and to hide from predators. But burrower’s are the only ones that can dig their own holes. The other has to depend on the holes made by crabs, rats and termites. The burrowing snake’s skull is as powerful as the point of a crowbar. Its stocky body and strong neck muscles make it easy for the snake to bulldoze its way through soft soil. The species from the hills are so dependent on remaining cool that they often die in a human hand (which usually has a temperature of about 37º C).

PINNIPED

Pinnipeds (from Latin pinna, wing or fin) or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobendidae (the walrus), Otariidae (eared seals, including sea lions and fur seals), and Phocidae (earless seals). Formerly classified as a separate biological suborder, Pinnipedia is now sometimes considered a superfamily within Caniformia, a suborder in the Carnivora order, now sometimes considered a superfamily within Caniformia, a suborder in the Carnivora order.

DOLPHIN

Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 m (4 ft) and 40 kg (90 lb) (Maui’s Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and 10 tonnes (9.8 LT; 11 ST) (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacean order, and relatively recent; dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture.

SEA STAR

Sea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names “sea star” and “starfish” are sometimes differentiated, with “starfish” used in a broader sense to include the closely related brittle stars, which make up the class Ophiuroidea, as well as excluding sea stars which do not have five arms (have Many arms), such as the sun stars and cushion stars.

Sea stars exhibit a superficially radial symmetry. They typically have five “arms” which radiate from a central disk (pentaradial symmetry). However, the evolutionary ancestors of echinoderms are believed to have had bilateral symmetry. Sea stars do exhibit some superficial remnant of this body structure, evident in their larval pluteus forms.

FISH

Fishes are aquatic animals, cold-blooded animal. Their body is covered by scales and has two sets of paired or unpaired fins, one or two dorsal fins, an anal fin, and tail fin; has jaws. Fish has a streamlined body that allows it to swim rapidly; extracts oxygen from the water using gills. They are found abundantly in sea or fresh water. Fishes are oviparous, they shed their eggs and the eggs are fertilized outside of the female’s body by the male squirting milt onto or around them. Fish range in size from the 16 m (51 ft) whale shark to an 8 mm (just over ¼ of an inch) long stout infant fish.

TABLE MOUNTAIN

Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Twon in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. The mountain forms part of the Table Mountain National Park.

GRAND CANYON

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the first national park in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

BLACK FOREST

The Black Forest is a wooden mountain range in south western Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 meters (4,898 ft). The region is almost rectangular with a length of 200 km (120 mi) and breadth of 60 km (37 mi). Hence it has an area of approximately 12,000 km2.

ANGEL FALLS

Angle Falls is the world’s highest waterfall, with a height of 979m (3212ft) and a clear drop of 807 m (2,647 ft). It is located in the Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela.

The highest of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is atomized by the strong winds and turned into mist.

The fictional “Paradise Falls” in the 2009 Pixar film Up was inspired by Angel Falls. The production staff toured this area of Venezuela prior to the making of the film.

Taj Mahal Story

Male Protagonist: Shah Jahan (Prince Khurram)
Female Protagonist: Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum)

Shah Jahan met Mumtaz Mahal and fell in love. He married her after five years and they were leading a very happy life. While giving birth to their last child, Mumtaz Mahal died due to some complications. A few years later Shah Jahan built the world's most beautiful monument "Taj Mahal" in the memory of his wife.

One of the wonders of the world "Taj Mahal" has a beautiful love story behind its construction. Taj Mahal love story is about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, took birth in the year 1592. The son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India, he fell in love in Arjumand Banu Begum at first time. At that time he was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her. Read on to know more about the love story behind Taj Mahal of Agra…

The match got solemnized after five years i.e., in the year 1612. Shah Jahan became the Emperor in the year 1628 and entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He also bestowed her with the tile of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". Though Shah Jahan had other wives also, but, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite and accompanied him everywhere, even on military campaigns. In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications.

It is said that Shah Mahal was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into morning for two years. Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument, which is also said to be the last wish of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World.

This is the true story of the Taj Mahal of India, which has mesmerized many people with its bewitching beauty.

History of Taj Mahal

The history of the Taj Mahal tells us "why was the Taj Mahal built" and many other myths and facts associated with this wonderful structure. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) met Mumtaz Mahal (then Arjumand Banu Begum) at the age of fourteen and fell in love at the first sight. She was a Muslim Persian princess and Shah Jahan was the son of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Five years later, in 1612, they got married. As you read further you will come to know more about the history of the Taj Mahal at Agra…

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument in her memory. But this has not been proven to be true, till date. However, Shah Jahan did indeed build a magnificent monument as a tribute to her wife, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife.

The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631 and it took approximately 22 years to build it. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. It was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. However, the history of Taj Mahal of India still has some gaps. For example, there are many theories regarding the architect of this magnificent monument.

GAUTAMA BUDDHA

Siddhartha Gautama was a spiritual teacher in the north eastern region of the Indian subcontinent who found Buddhism. He is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE; more recently, however, at a specialist symposium on this question, the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha’s death, with others supporting earlier or later dates.

GOD SHIVA

Shiva is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is one of the five primary forms of God.

Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas. Shaivism, along with Vaisnava traditions that focus on Vishnu and Sakta traditions that focus on the goddess Devi are three of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.

HINDU TEMPLES

These may also be called by other names, including mandir or mandira, koil or kovil, devasthana and devalaya, depending on the region in the Indian subcontinent and its local language.

Hindu temples are large and magnificent with a rich history. Some date as far back as the Bronze Age and later the Indus Valley Civilization. In the present day magnificent Hindu temples have been built in various countries of the world including India, Great Britain, the United States, Australia, South Africa and Canada.

INDIAN RELIGIONS

Indian religions are the related traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Ayyavazhi, inclusive of their sub-schools and various related traditions. They form a subgroup of the larger class of “Eastern religions”. Indian religions have similarities in core beliefs, modes of worship, and associated practices, mainly due to their common history of origin and mutual influence.

The documented history of Indian religions begins with historical Vedic religion, the religious practices of the early Indo-Aryans, which were collected and later redacted into the Samhitas, four canonical collections of hymns or mantras composed in archaic Sanskrit.

Jainism and Buddhism arose from the sramana culture. Buddhism was historically founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a Kshatriya prince-turned-ascetic, and was spread beyond India through missionaries. It later experienced a decline in India, but survived in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and remains more widespread in Southeast and East Asia. Jainism was established by a lineage of 24 enlightened beings culminating with Parsva and Mahavira.

TEMPLE

A temple (from the Latin word templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, of augur. It has the same root as the word “template”, a plain in preparation of the building that was marked out on the ground by the augur.

Templus also become associated with the dwelling places of a god or gods. This tradition dates back to prehistoric times. For the ancient Egyptians, the word pr could refer not only to a house, but also to a sacred structure since it was believed that the gods resided in houses.

The word “temple” (which dates to about the 6th century BCE), despite the specific set of meanings associated with the religion of the ancient Rome, has now become quite widely used to describe a house of worship for any number of religions and is even used for time periods prior to the Romans.

FLOWER

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds. The process begins with pollination, is followed by fertilization, leading to the formation and dispersal of the seeds.

Flower Morphology

Flowering plants are heterosporangiate, producing two types of reproductive spores. The pollen (male spores) and ovules (female spores) are produced in different organs, but the typical flower is a bisporangiate strobilus in that it contains both organs.

Rose

A rose is a perennial flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colours. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. It is a common error to error to refer to roses having thorns.

PIG FEVER

Pig Fever is an easy to spread human influenza virus that has normal people talking in muffled voices and the good looking people looking like the ugly. Most airport workers at international airports, except in Trinidad and Tobago, are wearing face mask to reduce the risk of taking sick leave. We, in Trini, are smarter than that and need to look good regardless of the threat of:
Cough
Congestion
Nasal Congestion
Body Aches
Joint Pains
Fevers
Sore throat
Headaches
Fatigue
Decreased energy
Death is rare

These symptoms are nothing new to Trinis and a higher than normal amount of citizens suffer from all these symptoms on Mondays and sometimes even on Fridays so there is concern but not alarm. There are drugs but not easy access to them. There are hospitals but not compassion. There are sick days so they will be taken.