To Believe-Poem

To believe is to know that every day is a new beginning.

 It is to trust that miracles happen, and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds, 

To know the wonder of a stardust sky and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,

 The innocence of a child's eyes and the beauty of an aging hand, for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength and courage that lies within us. When it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know we are not alone, That life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it. 

To believe is to know that wonderful surprises are just waiting to happen, And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

If only we believe.

Self Confidence-

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think that you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win and you think you can't
It's almost certain that you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost;
For out in the world you'll find
Success begins with a fellows will -
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think that you are out-classed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise;
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

GST Bill Passed

India moved yet another step closer for rolling out the country’s biggest tax reform after the Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved four crucial bills required to implement Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The four bills--Central GST, Integrated GST, Union Territories GST and GST Compensation bills--were passed one by one through voice vote after almost 9 hours of intense debate.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley explained to the lawmakers the implication of the GST bills.

The CGST and IGST bills will enable the Centre to levy and collect taxes across the country.

The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) provides for compensation to the states for the loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the GST.

The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017, will enable levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods and services or both by the union territories.

O me O Life-A Poem

O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless--of cities fill'd with the
foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I,
and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light--of the objects mean--of the
struggle ever renew'd;
Of the poor results of all--of the plodding and sordid crowds I see
around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest--with the rest me
intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring--What good amid these, O me, O
life?

Answer.

That you are here--that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse. 

A place to visit in Delhi,India

Qutub minar is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India. An inscription over its eastern gate provocatively informs that it was built with material obtained from demolishing '27 Hindu temples'. A 7 m-high iron pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque. It is said that if you can encircle it with your hands while standing with your back to it your wish will be fulfilled.

                                      A Visit to the Historical Monument

The monument complex located in Mehrauli, Delhi, India, remains open to visitors all day from sunrise to sunset. Entry fees per person for Indian citizens is Rs. 30/- and for foreigners is Rs. 500/-. Entry is free for children up to 15 years of age. Although visitors were allowed to climb the staircase inside the minaret to reach its top, a severe accident on December 4, 1981, that killed 45 people and injured several others led authorities to restrict such access to general public. A masterpiece of the medieval age India, the Qutub Minar has over time remained one of the most popular tourist spots in Delhi, India.

                                                How to Reach:

 By Metro - board from any DMRC station and reach Qutb Minar station and then follow rail map to reach the minar; by DTC buses; by Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus Service offered by Delhi Tourism.

A Place to visit in Delhi,India

Spread over an area of 80 acres, Lodhi Gardens is a popular historical park which is visited by tourists and locals alike. It is located between Lodhi Road, Max Muller Marg and Amrita Shergill Marg. Developed during British Period, the park was inaugurated by Lady Willingdon on 9th April in the year 1936. Initially named as Lady Willingdon Park, it was later renamed as Lodhi Gardens due to its historical and architectural importance.

*The Lodhi Gardens houses the following four monuments:

*Tomb of Mohammad Shah

*Big Dome

*Sheesh Gumbad (Tomb)

*Tomb of Sikandar Shah

and various gardens like:

*Rose Garden

*Bamboo Garden

*Herbal Garden

                Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad are some of the other historical attractions inside the gardens. Bara Gumbad or the ‘Big Dome’ is the gateway to an attached three domed masjid. Sheesh Gumbad which is situated opposite to the Bara Gumbad, preserves the remains of an unknown family.

Lodhi Gardens boasts of having an excellent collection of trees including Neem, Amaltas, Moulshree, Peepal, Bargad, Kusum, Gulmohar, Ashok, Shahtoot, Silver oak, Magnolia etc. Because of its peaceful ambience and green trees, it has become a hotspot destination for both morning and evening joggers and a perfect place for Flower/nature lovers and picnics and recreations.

Few important pointers for visitors:

The gardens are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Entry and photography is free.

Nearest metro station is Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Race Course which falls on the Violet Line and Yellow line respectively of the Delhi Metro.

Lesser known facts about The Taj Mahal

We know that the Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. We know who built it and for whom. We know it is the pride of our nation, India. We know a lot about it. But we don't know a lot of things about it.

Let's look at some of them:

1. There is a small hole on the ceiling of the main hall perpendicularly above the tombstone of Mumtaz Mahal .

According to stories it is the work of an artisan who decided to sabotage Shah Jehan 's dream of creating a masterpiece after he came to know about his decision to amputate all the artisan's arms. So the Taj is not as flawless as we would like to think it is.

2. The ASI had to conceal the Taj during WW-II  with a huge scaffold to misguide bombers.

One of the most majestic man-made creations, the Taj was covered with a huge scaffold in the 20th Century so that it looked like a stockpile of bamboo to bombers. Then d uring the India- Pakistan war in 1971, and after 9/11, it was protected by camouflaging it with a green cloth.

3. Ever wondered what was Shah Jehan's first reaction on beholding the great Taj?

"Should guilty seek asylum here,Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,All his past sins are to be washed away.The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.In this world this edifice has been made;To display thereby the creator's glory."

4. The story of the arms of all artisans being amputated by is probably a myth because the architect worked on other projects.

The architect who lead the team of architects to build the Taj mahal laid the foundation of the Red fort too. Ustad Ahmed Lahauri, was probably the leader of the architect's team. Seeing that Shah Jehan commissioned him to work on a project after Taj means he was clearly using both his arms!

5. The minarets were built tilting outwards to protect the Taj from calamities like earthquakes.

If you observe carefully, you'll find that the four minarets are tilting outwards. Thi s was done so that in the event of a natural disaster, like earthquake, theminars won't fall on the main ' gumbad ' or Dome, thereby ensuring the safety of the Tomb.

6. A temple was built for the conman Natwarlal, who sold the Taj Mahalrepeatedly.

Natwarlal who repeatedly sold the Taj Mahal , has a temple on his name. The people of his native village Bangra in Bihar decided to put up a statue of him as his monument, at the place, where his house once stood.

7. The foundation of Taj Mahal would have eroded years ago if Yamunawasn't there.

Taj's foundation is made of timber which is not supposed to be long lasting. T he wood should weaken overtime and crumble owing to rot and ruin, but that did not happen because the wood is kept strong and moist by the Yamuna river.

8. The interior of Taj is capable of blinding any goblin with its grand inlay work.

28 kinds of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal . They were sourced from Sri Lanka, Tibet, China and of course several places in India. During the British rule, the monument was violated several times because of these stones and it was only in the late nineteenth century that restoration work was taken over.

9. The Taj Mahal is taller than Qutub minar.

The Taj Mahal is about five feet taller than Qutub Minar. A comparison with other monuments around the world can be found below.

10. How expensive was it for Shah Jehan to build the Taj exactly?

Shah Jehan spent about 32 million rupees during the years 1632-1653 on this great architectural venture. Today that amount would be close to 1,062,834,098 USD.

11. The fountains have a special feature to ensure uniform water pressure in the fountains.

To ensure uniform and undiminished water pressure in the fountains, the fountain pipes were not connected directly with the copper pipes feeding them. Instead a copper pot was provided under each fountain pipe so that the water first fills the pot and then only rises at the same time in the fountains. The pressure in the pots is maintained and so in the fountains.

12. PC Sorkar Jr. made the Taj Mahal vanish in the year 2000.

PC Sorkar Jr. managed to create an optical illusion that made the Taj vanish from the eyes of the public at Kachhpura in Agra on 8th November 2000.

13. Around 12,000 visitors come to see The Taj every day.

One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj sees many visitors everyday.

14. Shah Jehan wanted to build another Taj Mahal , a black Taj Mahal .

Emperor Shah Jehan is widely believed to have desired a mausoleum for himself similar to that of the one he had built in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal . The writings of the European traveller, Tavernier mention that Shah Jehan began to build his own tomb on the other side of the river but could not complete it as he was deposed by his own son Aurangzeb .

15. George Harrison clicked a selfie at the Taj .

One of the first selfies taken at Taj were by George Harrison. He used the fish-eye lens.

16. T he plinth of the Taj varies all around.

The plinth of the tomb is 2'10" on an average but varies all around. T his convexity has deliberately been given to the plinth in the center of each arch. The architect fully anticipated the apparent size which a finial would present from such a great height. If this wasn't the way then the building would have appeared as if it were falling down.

17. The Taj changes colors depending on the light.

The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines.

18. Shah Jehan's daughter Jahanara Begum refused a grand burial like theTaj .

She said:

Allah is the Living, the Sustaining. Let no one cover my grave except with greenery, For this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor. The mortal simplistic Princess Jahanara, Disciple of the Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti,Daughter of Shah Jahan the Conqueror May Allah illuminate his proof.

19. An American Grammy Award-winning artist named himself Taj mahal.

Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award-winning Blues musician.

20. The makers employed an optical trick so that as you move closer to the gate, the Taj keeps getting smaller.

It seems to grow bigger as you walk away. The guides here say when you leave,you take the Taj with you in your heart.