Early this month, during the 29th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting at Durban, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway(NMR) was declared a World Heritage Site. A historic moment not only for the NMR, but for the residents of the Nilgiris and for all those who have travelled on this train.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) was inscribed in 1999. Jointly, these two sites have been designated as "Mountain Railways of India".
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway connects Mettupalayam in the foothills to Ooty — as Udhagamandalam was called.
A railway to connect the beautiful hill stations of Coonoor and Ooty, to the plains became necessary. The idea was mooted in 1854, but work on this dream project could begin only in 1891 and was completed in 1908.
A Swiss inventor named Riggenback offered to construct the Nilgiri railway on his patented Rigi pattern.
But his conditions could not be met and his proposal fell through. However, in 1882 he came to the Nilgiris on the invitation of the Government and submitted a detailed estimate for laying the line. A local company called "The Nilgiri Rigi Railway Co. Ltd." was formed. But it was 1886 before work finally commenced on the Rigi-system in metre gauge.
Coonoor was the destination until 1899 and then the tracks were extended to Fernhill in 1908 and finally to Ooty a month later. The Madras Railway Company managed the railway line for the government.
And as the train goes up hill and down valley, through tea estates and tunnels you get to see Nature at its best.
The stations with their quaint names Runnymede, Hill Grove, Adderly, Lovedale... are picturesque. The stations are relics of the Raj.
From Mettupalayam to Kallar, the ride is practically on a level, but as soon as you leave Kallar the climb begins. The line is a metre gauge and the train uses the rack and pinion system to climb the incline. This train is still fuelled by a steam engine.
Finally, ensure you get a window seat, so you don't miss out on anything.
This rail system is unique because it uses the Alternate Biting System (ABT) or the rack and pinion system. A special toothed-rack rail is mounted on the sleepers between the running rails. The train is fitted with cog wheels, that mesh with the rack rail. From Coonoor to Udhagamanadalam, it runs on a non-rack system.
Normally when we travel by train we see the engine in the front. But in the NMR don't be surprised to see the engine at the tail end when climbing. This is because it has to push the train up. And while descending the engine is in front making sure that the train comes down gradually.
The maximum speed of the train is 33-km per hour. It traverses 16 tunnels, 26 bridges, with one big viaduct over the Bhavani. These are indeed feats of engineering, as they merge with Nature — never incongruous, never unattractive.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
worms in vegetable and fruit cultivation
Worm infestation is a common problem in vegetable and fruit cultivation. On early detection, a light spray of malathion (2ml dissolved in one litre of water) and for advanced stages of infestation, metasystax (2ml dissolved in one litre of water) may be done to prevent the infestation.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
80,000 Blogs Created Daily
According to the 'State of the Blogsphere' statistics released by Technorati, around 80,000 new blogs are created daily - at least one every second. Of the 14.2m blogs tracked, 55% are considered active (a posting in the last 3 months) and 13% are updated at least weekly.
More State Of The Blogosphere
Technorati have posted more stats about the blogosphere such as:
* Technorati is tracking about 900,000 blog posts created every day
* That's about 10.4 blog posts per second, on average
* Weekends tend to be slower posting days by about 5-10% of the weekly averages
* During the day, posting tends to peak between the hours of 7AM and noon Pacific time (10AM - 3PM Eastern time)
More State Of The Blogosphere
Technorati have posted more stats about the blogosphere such as:
* Technorati is tracking about 900,000 blog posts created every day
* That's about 10.4 blog posts per second, on average
* Weekends tend to be slower posting days by about 5-10% of the weekly averages
* During the day, posting tends to peak between the hours of 7AM and noon Pacific time (10AM - 3PM Eastern time)
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Fahd, known as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was one of around 48 sons of King Abdul Aziz, founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Under his rule the kingdom has had to absorb the huge cost of the 1990 Gulf War, the Impact of falling oil prices and the rise of extremism
1923: Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud born in Riyadh
1932: Desert state Kingdom founded and oil discovered
1950s-60s: Gains reputation as a bon vivant
1953: Become nation’s first Minister of Education. Expands school system from 30,000 students to over 3.2m. Builds seven universities
1962: Appointed Minister of the Interior
1967: Becomes Second Deputy Prime Minister. Arab sentiment against U.S. support for Israel during Six-Day War spills over into criticism of ruling family.
1970s: Oil boom – as home to world’s greatest oil reserves petro-dollars flood in. Future king amasses personal fortune estimated at $18 billion.
1973-1974: Oil embargo against nations that support Israel during Arab-Israeli War triggers crisis in U.S.-Saudi relations.
Mar 1975: Becomes Crown Prince when his brother Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz is proclaimed King.
1979: Revolution in Iran leads to fears of Islamic upheaval spreading to Saudi Arabia. King Fahd supports Baghdad in Iraq’s war with Iran.
1981: Proposes peace plan to seek end to Arab-Israeli conflict. Plan becomes basis of Fez Declaration
June 13, 1982: Crown Prince Fahd succeeds Khalid as fifth King of Saudi Arabia
1986: Takes title khadimal-Haramayn al-Sharifayn-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques – to indicate his protection of the sacred sites at Mecca and Medina
1990: Iraq invades neighbouring Kuwait. King Fahd invites U.S.-led forces temporarily onto Saudi soil.
1990s: After Gulf War American forces do not leave, stirring up widespread popular resentment against United States. Estimated $60 billion cost of Gulf War to Saudi Arabia forces ailing monarch to introduce unpopular austerity measures
1995: King Fahd suffers a stroke cedes much of his power to his half-brother, Crown Princes Abdullah.
1996: Bomb attack on U.S. desert headquarters at Dhahran kills 19 service members
2001: Revelation that 15 of 19 terrorists in 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals deals sledgehammer blow to U.S.-Saudi relation. Saudi government severs diplomatic relations with Taliban regime in Afghanistan
2003: Saudi government refuses to participate in U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. U.S. finally pulls troops out of Kingdom.
August 1, 2005: King Fahd dies. Crown Prince Abdullah succeeds as monarch.
King Fahd, known as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was one of around 48 sons of King Abdul Aziz, founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Under his rule the kingdom has had to absorb the huge cost of the 1990 Gulf War, the Impact of falling oil prices and the rise of extremism
1923: Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud born in Riyadh
1932: Desert state Kingdom founded and oil discovered
1950s-60s: Gains reputation as a bon vivant
1953: Become nation’s first Minister of Education. Expands school system from 30,000 students to over 3.2m. Builds seven universities
1962: Appointed Minister of the Interior
1967: Becomes Second Deputy Prime Minister. Arab sentiment against U.S. support for Israel during Six-Day War spills over into criticism of ruling family.
1970s: Oil boom – as home to world’s greatest oil reserves petro-dollars flood in. Future king amasses personal fortune estimated at $18 billion.
1973-1974: Oil embargo against nations that support Israel during Arab-Israeli War triggers crisis in U.S.-Saudi relations.
Mar 1975: Becomes Crown Prince when his brother Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz is proclaimed King.
1979: Revolution in Iran leads to fears of Islamic upheaval spreading to Saudi Arabia. King Fahd supports Baghdad in Iraq’s war with Iran.
1981: Proposes peace plan to seek end to Arab-Israeli conflict. Plan becomes basis of Fez Declaration
June 13, 1982: Crown Prince Fahd succeeds Khalid as fifth King of Saudi Arabia
1986: Takes title khadimal-Haramayn al-Sharifayn-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques – to indicate his protection of the sacred sites at Mecca and Medina
1990: Iraq invades neighbouring Kuwait. King Fahd invites U.S.-led forces temporarily onto Saudi soil.
1990s: After Gulf War American forces do not leave, stirring up widespread popular resentment against United States. Estimated $60 billion cost of Gulf War to Saudi Arabia forces ailing monarch to introduce unpopular austerity measures
1995: King Fahd suffers a stroke cedes much of his power to his half-brother, Crown Princes Abdullah.
1996: Bomb attack on U.S. desert headquarters at Dhahran kills 19 service members
2001: Revelation that 15 of 19 terrorists in 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals deals sledgehammer blow to U.S.-Saudi relation. Saudi government severs diplomatic relations with Taliban regime in Afghanistan
2003: Saudi government refuses to participate in U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. U.S. finally pulls troops out of Kingdom.
August 1, 2005: King Fahd dies. Crown Prince Abdullah succeeds as monarch.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Fun stories
Kerala
Moo to music
Apparently, animals can enjoy Carnatic music, and they are appreciative, too. Residents of Kashimadom in Ambalamedu, Erakualm, give the 20 cows in the ashram a daily dose of Carnatic music and Marathi bajans through loudspeakers in the cowshed. The result: an abundant milk supply.
Himachal Pardesh
Love in Shimla
They came, they saw and they married. Americans Adriane and Eskala, who fell in love six months ago while touring Shimla, came all the way from the US to the hill resort to wed in the desi Hindu style. Reason: Hindu wedding fascinate them. The couple exchanged vows at a heritage hotel, where they had a priest translate the Sanskrit couplets to them. The staff played witness to this karmic union.
Kerala
High level test
Mahouts in the Cochin Devaswom Board could soon be seen scampering up coconut palms. Aspiring mahouts has a demonstrate their skill in climbing the palms in the recruitment test conducted by the board recently in Thrissur. The reason: this way, they need not depend on anyone to get coconut fronds for their pachyderms to munch on.
Uttar Pradesh
Prize catch
Students of Nishatganj Government Inter Collage in Lucknow have more than just heavy books on their shoulders. This year the authorities asked them to canvass their neighbourhood for new admission to the school. Apparently, they did such a good job that the school received more applications than usual. Guess that the prize is? Book for those who roped in more than four students
Delhi
Kidding with kidnap
What’s a man to do when he has too much work and too little leisure? Kuldeep Singh, 21, a peon, thought he would fake his own kidnapping. He had the smarts to trick the police, but not enough for his dad. His father recognized Singh’s voice when he called home demanding Singh was soon back home.
Moo to music
Apparently, animals can enjoy Carnatic music, and they are appreciative, too. Residents of Kashimadom in Ambalamedu, Erakualm, give the 20 cows in the ashram a daily dose of Carnatic music and Marathi bajans through loudspeakers in the cowshed. The result: an abundant milk supply.
Himachal Pardesh
Love in Shimla
They came, they saw and they married. Americans Adriane and Eskala, who fell in love six months ago while touring Shimla, came all the way from the US to the hill resort to wed in the desi Hindu style. Reason: Hindu wedding fascinate them. The couple exchanged vows at a heritage hotel, where they had a priest translate the Sanskrit couplets to them. The staff played witness to this karmic union.
Kerala
High level test
Mahouts in the Cochin Devaswom Board could soon be seen scampering up coconut palms. Aspiring mahouts has a demonstrate their skill in climbing the palms in the recruitment test conducted by the board recently in Thrissur. The reason: this way, they need not depend on anyone to get coconut fronds for their pachyderms to munch on.
Uttar Pradesh
Prize catch
Students of Nishatganj Government Inter Collage in Lucknow have more than just heavy books on their shoulders. This year the authorities asked them to canvass their neighbourhood for new admission to the school. Apparently, they did such a good job that the school received more applications than usual. Guess that the prize is? Book for those who roped in more than four students
Delhi
Kidding with kidnap
What’s a man to do when he has too much work and too little leisure? Kuldeep Singh, 21, a peon, thought he would fake his own kidnapping. He had the smarts to trick the police, but not enough for his dad. His father recognized Singh’s voice when he called home demanding Singh was soon back home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)