Abdul Kalam was born on i5th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu, to a working class Tamil Muslim family. He received his degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology in 1958. After graduation he joined India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to work on a hovercraft project. In 1962, Kalam moved to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), where his team successfully launched several satellites. He made a significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully placed the Rohini space satellite into near earth orbit in July 1980. In 1982, Kalam returned to DRDO as Director, focusing on Indigenous guided missiles. He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of the AGNI and PRTTHVI missiles. This earned him the sobriquet "India's missile-man". He also helped in the formulation of healthcare products using technology developed for missiles. more...

The discord that exists between Hindus and Muslims dateback to the i6th century. The harmony between these two groups was ruined due to the abrasive Muslim that exists at the end of the l7th century. With the fall of the Mughal Dynasty the Indian subcontinent was exposed to intruders. With the onset of the Britisn rule both Hindus and Muslims came together ' and fought against British rule. Hindus and Muslims were refused high-ranking jobs in the government and the military due to which tension increased between the two factions. The Indian National I Congress had been formed. The Indian National Congress comprised all religions but was dominated by Hindus. Citizens of India raises demand for equal rights and freedom from colonial rule. In the earlier stages of freedom struggle Hindus and Muslims rose together in a non-violence resistance lead by the head of the Indian National Congress, Mohandas K. more...

I think culture, religion, ethnicity is very important in one's life. They should know where there from and who they are. Everyone comes from somewhere around the world, even if they were born in another country, they still originated from somewhere. If they don't know where they're from they don't have an identity; their last name is just part of their identity, they should know where that last name came from, and who else it belonged to. Pride isn't necessary, people should know where they came from, and should be proud; but don't have to go around saying this pride, that pride; and only associate with their own kind.                  Assimilation shouldn't be a main goal in America today. People should try really hard to adjust to American life; but it's so hard, especially when someone comes to this country at first. There are so many diverse cultures' here today, it's more...

India, the land of varied cultures and traditions is a land I of festivals and fairs. It is a land of festivity - religious as well as folkloristic. Whether you go to the East or the West, | North or the South you would be able to enjoy every month a festival or a fair. Be it cultural or religious, it gives j everyone an opportunity to enjoy and join the festivity. Festival is the time to rejoice and have fun. Many festivals celebrate the various harvests; commemorate great historical figures and events, while many express devotion to the deities of different religions. Every celebration centres on the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new cloths, music, and dance and feasting. In India every region and every religion has something to celebrate. The festivals reflect the vigour and life-style of its people. Vibrant colours, music and more...

The Sikh religion emerged during the early i6th century in the state of Punjab in North India. The founder of this faith was Guru Nanak, who from his childhood was attracted to both Hindu and Muslim saints. Born a Hindu, but also inspired by the teachings of Islam, he began to preach the message of unity of both religions. According to him, the basic teachings of both faiths were essentially the same. Nanak attracted many followers and came to be known as a Guru or a teacher. His disciples came together to form a new religious tradition called Sikhism. The Gurus who followed Nanak contributed to the consolidation and spread of Sikhism. The teachings of Guru Nanak were incorporated in the 'Guru Granth Sahib', the Holy Book of the Sikhs which became a symbol of God for Sikhs. The fifth Guru, Guru Arjun built the Golden Temple at Amritsar which more...

Christianity first came to India by way of St. Thomas. He came to Kerala, in southwestern India, and founded the first church. Ironically, Shankaracharya, a Hindu reformer and seer, was born in Kerala some five hundred years after St. Thomas. St. Thomas ended up dying in the Chennai region (then known as Madras) of the Tamils. Most Christians in India are Catholic (over 60 percent) and a majority of them are found in the south, particularly Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. Approximately one third of Kerala's population is comprised of Christians and they are involved in all aspects of society. Contrary to popular belief, British rule had little to do with the growth of Christianity in India. The missionaries generally tended to turn public opinion, even those of the Indian Christians, against foreign rule. Bengali Christiansin Calcutta was fairly import.mt in their respective areas, whether it was in education, as more...

It is not sure where the earliest practices of Hinduism came from. The best evidence suggests that it originated from the Indus valley civilization around 4000 B.C. to2000 B.C. During this time period Hinduism was influenced by many different invasions. Around 1500 B.C. the "Aryan" Indo European tribes invaded Northern India. With this invasion they brought their religion of Vedism. The Vedic Arians influenced the practices and beliefs of the Indus valley people and gave Hinduism its distinct identity. It is also said that this theory may not be accurate. Some people say that the time the Arians invaded India does not agree with other historical dates. What was clear was that there was a combining of cultures lead to what is Hinduism today. Hinduism is not really considered a religion; it is a way of life. It consists of thousands of religions that have evolved in India over the more...

Jainism as a religious tradition was established in India about the same time as Buddhism. Mahavira, one of the J'mas (conquerors) preached the Jain philosophy around the same time that Buddhism began. Like Buddhism, Jainism rose against the corruption in the interpretation of Hinduism prevalent at the time. The underlying philosophy of Jainism is that renunciation of worldly desires and self-conquest leads to perfect wisdom. This faith believes in total abstinence and asceticism as practiced by the Jinas and the Tirthankars ("crossing-makers"). The "crossing refers to the passage from the material to the spiritual realm, from bondage to freedom Followers of this faith accept the popular gods of Hinduism but they are placed lower than the jinas. The focus of this religion has been purification of the soul by means of right conduct, right faith and right knowledge. This faith also enunciates complete non-violence and the Jain monks can be more...

Discipline is the basis of the whole universe. The sun and the planetary movements around it are all governed by a set of laws to maintain perfect harmony and beauty. Without this order, there would be utter chaos. Similarly, discipline is one of the basic equipments of a civilized society. Societies which were not governed by discipline and order, fell prey to outside aggressions and degenerated. The strength of a nation lies in discipline. It helps to make progress, fight external invasions and maintain national unity. Citizens of a disciplined nation work with a spirit of cooperation and unity. History tells us that whenever a nation is torn apart by internal strife, it morale drops and opportunist neighbours often take advantage of the situation. Discipline means mode of life in accordance with rules. It, however, does not mean negation of personal liberty. Discipline means to subject oneself to control. In more...

Raja Ram Roy was born in Radhanagar village in Bengal's Hooghly district on May 22, 1772, to conservative Bengal Brahmin parents. Ram Mohans' parents, Ramakanta Roy and Tarini Mukherjee, were devout Hindus. His father was a worshipper of Lord Vishnu. Ram Mohan showed a religious disposition from an early age.                 At the age of 14 he wanted to be a "sanyasi" hermit, but his mother persuaded him otherwise. Another example of his devoutness was his habit of not even having water each morning until he had recited a chapter from the Bhagvata Purana. Ram Mohan was reputed to have a "tenacious memory", and showed signs of intelligence at an early age. He learnt Bengali at school first. He also went to Tibet to learn about Buddhism. He learnt Persian, which was the court language. This gave him the ability to read the mystic poerty and philosophy of the Persian Sufis. more...