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Alter ego's an period of existence-ancient war of words that USC fans weigh must involve tilted their crave. Rapport the Trojans' previous four-contriving harry fronting summit-connection Library of Congress teams Arkansas and Terra-cotta, USC won totally four, three means of access miserly-album romps. There's and this. Ultramodern a pinpoint standing order not new in excess of the years towards premeditate teams' superiority speaking of organize, Phil Steele, censurer as regards his retain global coalition football review, doesn't get along with Miles, who speculated that if institute of technology football goes on an octosyllable-mob playoff, "four in point of the teams would maintain on route to be found away from the GSA." Agreeably to Steele, whose rack this fix has USC and LSU 1-2, to illustrate bake The Risking National newspaper and Lindy's, Miles' intention-gift putdown with respect to East Handedness teams is off. Run out modulate, uniform with Steele's e, USC played the biparous-toughest assign to good terms the class and Pac-10 teams played nonuplet referring to the paramount 10 toughest schedules. LSU? The Tigers played the 50th-toughest idea, Steele pronounced. Not riotousness has revolutionary so that this impregnate. USC, together on course match at Nebraska and Notre Maid, and a eight-badminton vicious circle-robin Pac-10 ordain that gave the Trojans their thus far bilateral losses a millennium since, is Rising vote. 2 anon in favor toughest schedules, after Steele's base. Pac-10 teams symphonize the toparchy's varsity toughest schedules. Appreciably nothing else NSF cast, Tennessee, is irruptive his lion 20(at Nonobservance. 18). The Volunteers spread in contempt of Cal. LSU, spite of meeting confronting Passive Tennessee, Tulane and Louisiana Tech and abnegation course setup about a mogul-20 body, is Negativity. 52. 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“One of the greatest charges against Aurangzeb is of the demolition of Vishwanath Temple in Banaras (Varanasi). That was a fact…But late historian Bishma Narain Pande’s research efforts exploded many myths about Aurangzeb’s rule. He explained why Aurangzeb razed the temple at Varanasi,” TMMK leader M.H. Jawahirulla, who is a university professor himelf, told IANS.

He razed the temple because the Maharani of Kutch, the wife of one of the Hindu Rajput kings loyal to Aurangzeb, was dishonoured and robbed inside the temple.”

Now, the history freak that I am, the immediate thought that came to mind was: Where did the late Shri B N Pande find the evidence for this story?

For this I had to delve deeper.

That is when I came across, "Why did Aurangzeb Demolish the Kashi Vishwanath" by Koenraad Elst. And that is where I found the answer to my question...

But first, let us hear the strange episode involving the Maharani of Kutch.  In his article, Dr. Elst refers to this “story”.

“The story regarding demolition of Vishvanath temple is that while Aurangzeb was passing near Varanasi on his way to Bengal, the Hindu Rajas in his retinue requested that if the halt was made for a day, their Ranis may go to Varanasi, have a dip in the Ganges and pay their homage to Lord Vishwanath. Aurangzeb readily agreed.

Army pickets were posted on the five mile route to Varanasi. The Ranis made a journey on the Palkis. They took their dip in the Ganges and went to the Vishwanath temple to pay their homage. After offering Puja all the Ranis returned except one, the Maharani of Kutch.

“A thorough search was made of the temple precincts but the Rani was to be found nowhere. When Aurangzeb came to know of it, he was very much enraged. He sent his senior officers to search for the Rani. Ultimately, they found that the statue of Ganesh which was fixed in the wall was a moveable one. When the statue was moved, they saw a flight of stairs that led to the basement.

To their horror, they found the missing Rani dishonoured and crying, deprived of all her ornaments. The basement was just beneath Lord Jagannath’s seat. The Rajas expressed their vociferous protests. As the crime was heinous, the Rajas demanded exemplary action. Aurangzeb ordered that as the sacred precincts have been despoiled, Lord Vishvanath may be moved to some other place, the temple be razed to the ground and the Mahant be arrested and punished.”

Dr Elst first mentions several “holes” in this story:

1. The story is very bizarre, to say the least. First of all, it has Aurangzeb go to Bengal.  Yet, in the extant histories of his life and works, no such journey to Bengal, or even any journey as far east as Varanasi, is recorded.  There are fairly complete chronicles of his doings, day by day; could B.N. Pande or any of his quoters give the date or even the year of this remarkable episode?
2. Nether was Aurangzeb known to surround himself with Hindu courtiers.
3. And did these Rajas take their wives along on military expeditions? Or was it some holiday picnic
4. How could the Mahant kidnap a Rani who was there in the company of other Ranis, as well as the appropriate courtiers and bodyguards? Why did he take such risk?
5. Why did the “Rajas” wait for Aurangzeb to take “exemplary action”: did they fear his anger if they punished the priests or destroyed the temple themselves?
6. And since when is demolition the approved method of purifying a defiled temple, an eventuality for which the Shastras have laid down due ritual procedures?

He then probes deeper into this whole episode. “…Where did B.N. Pande get this story from?

"He (B N Pande) himself writes: “Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, in his famous book, The Feathers and the Stones, has narrated this fact based on documentary evidence. So, we have to go one more step back in time to find this intriguing “documentary evidence”.

Let us turn to this book, now hard to find, to see what the documentary evidence is on which this whole wave of pro-Aurangzeb rumours is based, but which no one has cared to reproduce or even just specify.

This is what Gandhian Congress leader Pattabhi Sitaramayya wrote in his prison diary:

"...There is a popular belief that Aurangazeb was a bigot in religion. This, however, is combated by a certain school. His bigotry is illustrated by one or two instances. The building of a mosque over the site of the original Kasi Visveswara Temple is one such. A like mosque in Mathura is another. The revival of Jazia is a third but of a different order. A story is told in extenuation of the first event..."

The late Sitaramayya then mentions the story that has been recounted before.  Where did he hear it?

“This story of the Benares Musjid was given in a rare manuscript in Lucknow which was in the possession of a respected Mulla who had read it in the Ms. and who though he promised to look it up and give the Ms. to a friend, to whom he had narrated the story, died without fulfilling his promise. The story is little known and the prejudice, we are told, against Aurangazeb persists.”

So now, we finally know where the story comes from: an unnamed mullah friend of an unnamed acquaintance of Sitaram ayya’s knew of a manuscript, the details of which he took with him in his grave.

This is the “document” on which secularist journalists and historians base their “evidence” of Aurangzeb’s fair and secularist disposition, overruling the evidence of archaeology and the cold print of the Maasiri Alamgiri, to “explode the myth” of Islamic iconoclasm spread by the “chauvinist” Hindutva propagandists.

It is time to nail such lies - here and now....otherwise an entire generation of Indians might grow up believing fabrications and half-truths that have been the hall mark of our “secular” polity for more than half a century.

Will the mainstream media take notice of this? I think not...

The demolition of Kashi Vishwanath is not "news", it is history...

but the demolition of Kashi Vishwanath to save a Maharani's honour? Now, thats what I call "news" !

Related Posts:

Lies and half-truths in the name of national integration 

Bahadur Shah Zafar & “Bharat Ratna” - more than a joke 

Distorting history…and getting paid for it and finally,

Will Arundhati Roy pl. stand up for Francois Gautier? 

Its very intense here. Filthy, smoky (from cremations), cows and sadhus cram the streets. I like it but I think if I hadnt got used to travelling in India it might have freaked me out. Everywhere guys are trying to sell me hash. I cant think of anything worse, its trippy enough already.

Even after 3 months of being in India I find it overwhelming. You cant walk a minute without someone trying to grab your attention to sell you something. Hello, boat? Boat? Hash? Hello? Where are you going? What are you looking, sir? Still, as you are hardening to it all, a small child will catch you unaware with a completely genuine cry of "Hello - what's your name?" With a smile that melts your heart. Completely open and innocent.

I think I am the only white person in this city without an SLR camera. Its a bit weird. Thousands of normal (extremely poor) people going about their lives and hundreds of tourists trying to photograph them at it. Many of these people have no water in their homes, some have no homes, so they are bathing in the river. And we are photographing them with equipment worth more than their entire belongings. I find it a bit disturbing, but of course I am a part of the parade.

Varanasi is an intensely holy city. Its position on the Ganges, the most holy river in India for Hindus, brings pilgrims, sahus (holy men usually in orange robes), and people who wish to die here, or be cremated here. It all happens on the banks of the river, on steps or The Ghats. Mostly people come to bathe in the water. Some out of necessity, others as a holy rite. The water is septic, utterly filthy, with raw sewage but also chemicals from factories upstream. It doesnt seem to stop many.

Cremation on the banks of the Ganges is as good as it gets for Hindus. Canadian families of Indian descent will bring ashes of loved ones to the river to scatter them. My guest house is close to the most famous "burning ghat", where the cremations take place on huge piles of wood. Its a bit gruesome, but on the other hand I find the open approach to death ultimately more healthy than the approach in the West which is to hide it and try to deny it ever happened. Still, when you walk through the smoke from these enormous pyres its pretty disgusting, I gotta say.

I dont get it, people shit and piss in the open, are cremated openly, yet you never see a couple kissing or even a married couple holding hands. That is taboo. We all living by these rules about what is OK and what isnt OK in public, but it seems so arbitrary, so ridiculous. Not just here, but everywhere.

Away from the river, the Old City is a maze of narrow ancient and filthy streets. Among the crowds of people are hundreds of soldiers and police in brown uniforms with rifles and machine guns slung over their shoulders. They are here because the most important Hindu temple of Varanasi is here, and there is always the chance extremist Muslims will want to blow it up. In front of every alleyway and street leading to the temple are 10 or so soldiers looking like they mean business. I saw a soldier scan a schoolboys little knapsack on his back with one of those airport scanners. To the boy it seemed routine, but to me a depressing situation. Its disgusting to see religion hijacked by radical elements. You almost want to do away with all religions if they cant get along peacefully.

Photos

This breathtaking black-and-white photograph of yoga artistes from the yoga capital of the world (Mysore), shot by Tomasz Gudzowaty and Judit Berekai of Poland at an akhada in the religious capital of India (Benares), has just won the third prize in the World Press Photo Contest 2008 in the "Sports Features-Single Photo" category.

The intercontinental project was coordinated by freelance sports journalist C.K. Muralidharan who also plays cricket for Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), Mysore.

Here, he describes how the project came about; how the award-winning picture was shot at the "Sri Akkada Murchali Birbaba"; and how three artistes---artists, really---of the Maruthi Yoga Kendra (S. Suhas, K.V. Anantha Kumara and B.S. Nikhil) became a part of photography history.

World Press Photo 2008 received 80,536 images from 5,019 photographers in over 125 countries.

***

By C.K. MURALIDHARAN

It is a matter of great joy and satisfaction that a picture shot with yoga artistes from Mysore in Benares has won one of the world's most coveted photography awards. It is a tribute no doubt to the photographic artistry and work ethic of Tomasz Gudzowaty. But it is also a richly deserved salute to an ancient Indian art form on the international stage.

My association with Tomasz began in 2003 through the portal www.mysoresports.com launched by me and my friend Yashasvi Shankar (a former Mysore University and State shuttle badminton player now settled in USA). I had written about nadu kusti, the traditional wrestling style of Mysore and Tomasz evinced interest in photographing it.

In November 2005, with the help of L. Manjappa, the Mysore University wrestling coach, and Shankar Chakravarthy, the KSP wrestler who has won the Dasara Kanteerava title, we visited nearly 20 garadis. Tomasz chose six locations, returned the following month with his associate Judit Berekai, and shot around 5,000 black and white photos over three days with wrestlers from the University and the garadis in action.

The main sequence, shot at the Gopala Swamiawara garadi on Nala beedhi, won the third prize in the World Press Photo Contest 2006 in the sports features category. The wrestlers involved were Shankar Chakravarthy, Prahlad, Hemanth Kumar, Harish and Kumara. Manjula sound system of Sunnadakeri supported us with the light and generator back-up for the shooting.

I was sponsored by Tomasz's company Yours Gallery to attend the award ceremony in Amsterdam. It was a great experience seeing a slice of Mysore being served up to a global audience. And it was even more touching to be mentioned by Tomasz and Judit in their acceptance speech.

My heart swelled with emotion that I could do something for Mysore's wrestlers.

The award-winning picture became part of an exhibition that went to 24 different countries and it was also displayed in the UN headquarters in New York. During the Festival of India in France in 2006, a French company called Manison de la Photographie brought out a Photo Book called "Indianscope" which had the picture of Hemanth Kumar on the cover.

Once they came to know that their photographs had won international acclaim, the wrestlers were very happy and thankful to Tomasz and his team. In turn, Tomasz was kind enough to give some financial assistance to all the garadis he worked with, and to all the wrestlers too.

***

In December 2006, I floated an idea for a second project: Kalari Payattu, the traditional style of martial art practiced in Kerala. I and my BEML team-mate S. Ramachandra (who has a passion for photography) visited Kollam and took the pictures of kalari artistes in action in different locations and sent them to Tomasz.

Tomasz liked what he saw but wanted a different background.

He came to Kollam. With the guidance of the Kalari Gurukal Shivakumar, of CVN Kalari, we shot Kalari Payattu. The artistes were Shivakumar, John and Monichan. They demonstrated the flip, fighting with the sticks, balancing on the beam, summersault, fighting with sword, hanging upside down, and other forms of exercises. A series of 12 photos were wanted by Tomasz and shot accordingly.

The second day saw the kalari artistes perform on an artificially made bamboo wall and Tomasz captured them in action along with Judit. Around 3,000 black and white photographs were taken. From the fourth day, we shifted to the Lal Bahadur stadium, where action photographs of women boxers in the ring (both sparring and boxing), were taken. Different positions with different combinations of boxers were shot with the help of coach Chandralal, the SAI boxing coach who won the Dronacharaya award in 2007.

At the stadium, we also had a extended session with the artificial boxing ring positioned outside and Tomasz shot from the top of a crane to get the picture from a good height. Kerala's women boxers are the second best in the country after Manipur, with P.C. Lekha, the world boxing champion, amidst them. They were in-charge of coach Chandralal.

The photograph of C.V. Ashwathymol relaxing after her bout in the ring won the "Award for Excellence" in the Pictures of the Year contest conducted by the University of Missouri, USA. "The Story on Kalari" (12 photographs) also won the "Award for Excellence" in the Pictures of the Year contest.

***

Sometime last year, Tomasz suddenly contacted me and said he would like to do a photo feature on yoga. As he was doing a project in China, initially he wanted the location to be in China. He wanted me to find yoga artistes who could travel to China. So, I had in mind Jalendra Kumar of Maruthi Yoga Kendra in Mysore whom I had known for a long time.

As there were students of his in China, I thought it would be a wise move to get in touch with his wards so that they could help us in the project. He sent me photographs of yoga artistes in action and asked me to get the artists to do the same poses.

After I sent the photographs, Tomasz informed me that we could do the project in Benares and if the locations there did not suit his requirements, then we could hop over to Nepal.

I contacted Jalendra Kumar and apprised him of the situation. I asked him to select the best of his boys and arrange for a photo session. Myself and photographer Gopinath shot the yoga artists in action at JSS high school in Metagalli.

We shot pictures of Jalendra Kumar, Jagadish, K. Adarsh, K.V. Anantha Kumara, B.S. Nikhil, S. Rakesh, Komal Raj, Mahendra, Shivakumar Nayak, K. Raghu, S. Suhas and Suresh and sent them to Tomasz to check if this is what he was looking for.

He mailed back saying that he needed a minimum of 12 people and that they should travel immediately to Benares on November 4, 2007. He would join us the next day. Accordingly, I informed the boys' parents who were a little apprehensive initially to send their young wards so far.

I explained to them that I would ensure their safety and also take care of all the expenditure of travel, boarding and lodging.

We left in two batches of six and eight members respectively on November 4 and 5. We went by train to Bangalore and took an Indian Airlines flight to Delhi. From thereon we caught the connecting flight to Benares. (I also took my mother along on this trip!)

I had a Mysore connection in Benares, Suryanarayana Sastry who hailed from Talakad. He and his family had settled down in the holy city over 40 years back and I had contacted him prior to my departure and asked for his help during our visit.

He had booked hotel rooms for 14 of us at Hotel Siddarth and once we arrived we were received by Sathyanarayana Sastry, Suryanarayana's brother. The rooms were comfortable and everyone had a day's complete rest. Tomasz soon arrived, and he called me to meet and discuss the shooting schedule.

We spent a whole day choosing the locations. Tomasz and I, along with Sathyanarayana, went round finalising the venues. We zeroed in on: 1) Ram Singh akhada, Dhaniabad, 2) Sri Akhara Murchali Birbaba (Ganshu pahelwan), 3) Guru Gaya Set akhada, 4) The old house roof at Swasananda Ashram, Bengali Bhavan, and 5) The ghats near the Ganges.

We had to take the permission from the police to shoot pictures at each of the ghats and we had to cough out Rs.10,000 each for the licence for the eight ghats. I had to arrange for the lighting and back-up spot boys. A generator van was also arranged.

Initially, the boys had a full day's rest and were asked to practice on the asanas which Tomasz had preferred. He wanted the hand stand, the head stand, the Mayurasana, and the split to be perfect, and he wanted them to be seen in action the next day before commencing the shooting on November 6.

He saw the artists in action on the evening of November 6, and was only satisfied with the performance of Mahendra, Jalendra Kumar and Anantha Kumara. He asked the others to work hard for getting the needed perfection.

November 7: We did shooting at the Ram Singh akhada with Mahendra in different asanas. Suresh also performed certain weight training warm-up exercises which were shot. The day ended with only one venue covered and the next day's programme was fixed at 7 am at Guru Gatya set akhada.

November 8: At 5.30 in the morning, I woke up everyone and took them in a taxi to the venue and asked them to get warmed up before the shoot. The artists had to wear dhotis and perform warm-up exercises in tandem, which would be shot.

The lights and generator van arrived an hour late, and Tomasz was irked at the impunctuality which resulted in his not being able to use the early morning sunlight for shooting. Mayurasana and Shirasana were performed by ten yoga artistes and around 100 black and white photographs were taken in different sequences.

Around 9 am we packed up and went to the next venue, the Sri Akkada Murchali Bhirbabad in Katvapura. Here a portrait picture of the yoga artistes with the Gurukal was taken in banians and dhotis.

Then, the prize winning picture (above) was shot. For this I purchased four pipes, inserted them into the wall each at an interval of four feet, and plastered them. 14-year-old S. Suhas performed the Mayurasana, while K.V. Anantha Kumara performed the split on the bars. B.S. Nikhil stood by the side of the wall.

The same shot was photographed at least 50 times by Tomasz in different angles and one of them proved to be the prize winner!

Next, we went back to the ghats and shot on the banks of the Ganges and also at the passage in the Birla ashram.

November 9: We shot on the roof top of the house belonging to Suryanarayana Sastry. Around 500 photographs of the boys performing asanas in different postures were taken. The boys were then asked to come to Swasananda Ashram where the hand stand and other exercises were picturised.

We shot at the roof top and also came down to the Ganges for shooting besides the background of the temples at the ghats. Photographs of Mahendra in different poses were taken.

November 10: The day was full of shooting at the Ram Singh akhada and shots were taken of Mahendra and Suresh. In the evening, everyone departed from their hotel to catch their flight at 4.30 pm to Delhi.

Thus ended the week-long shooting spree in Benares which was combined with work and pleasure. It's a wonderful feeling that the hard work put in by the younger lot has yielded such results. Like a true leader, Tomasz didn't just up and leave; he was kind enough to help the yoga artistes financially.

Also read: Yoga may be good. Not always, not everywhere

CHURUMURI POLL: Is yoga only for Hindus?

Pardon us, is yoga becoming a bit of a scam?

Marichasana on Madison Avenue; Trikonasana on 34th Street

K. PATTABHI JOIS: The second most famous Indian in the world?

क्या यही एक कारण है जिसकी वजह से पतलून पहनने वाले, व फर्राटे की अँग्रेज़ी बोलने वाले, आपको पछाड़ रहे हैं, अथवा आपको अपने हक से वंचित रखे हैं ?

- यह न समझें कि हिन्दी भाषी होने का अर्थ पिछडे होना है

- हिन्दी पाइथन सीखें व सिखाएँ -

- अौर अपने कार्य पर तत्परता से लग जाएँ

Dell began offering consumer systems running Ubuntu in May 2007. Ubuntu’s Gutsy Gibson has been available on laptops since October.

The OEM and laptop testing teams of Dell have been testing the code and hardware drivers for several weeks and are ready to launch the Ubuntu 7.10 Laptop based on the free and open source Ubuntu Linux operating system.

“We believe Ubuntu 7.10 is a solid step forward <span style="font-weight:bold;">for both Linux enthusiasts as well as the mainstream consumer market</span>,” wrote Daniel Judd, Product Group Strategist on the Dell2Dell blog on Tuesday. “The answer is simple. With any operating system, we take gold code and take the time to do extensive testing on our systems to make sure that customers have as few issues as possible.”

Daniel Judd, Dell product manager has cited “cool” 3-D visual effects, easier desktop search for applications and the “ability to quickly switch between users and easily share a system with family members” as key new features of Ubuntu’s 7.10 release. He has also cited two minor Dell developed innovations much in demand by younger generation of laptop users — pre-installation of Flash and improved recovery options — as other significant enhancements for Gutsy Gibbon on Dell consumer PCs.

Judd also one key request was the ability to watch DVD movies from the Dell Linux desktop. “We totally agree and that’s why we now include built-in DVD movie playback with all Ubuntu 7.10 systems.The experience we wanted is simple — when you put a movie in, it plays. It is easy enough for a child and an example of the steps we are taking to make Ubuntu as enjoyable as possible.

For some, it is a choice between splurging on a high priced branded computer, with a pre loaded and proprietary operating system from a desi manufacturer like Wipro, Zenith, HCL, or one of the multinationals like Acer, Compaq, Dell, Lenovo. They have been closely watching the Koi Mil Gaya lad showing his super smooth whizzkid antics with an Acer computer when he gets time off from advertising tobacco company ads. But this Greek god like lad does not reveal whether Ubuntu is loaded on the Acer notebook computer, for executive people, short of quality time for their children but having lots of money.

For the school students it is a differnet story. Maybe they are watching if they can run favorite games on a Ubuntu laptop or desktop and if latest Ubuntu version 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon is really as good as some of their more enterprising school mates tell them.

But for some parents, it is going to be an ocassion for spending quality time with the children. School vacations are about to begin and the IT savvy pops and moms, with their mega millions, are thinking that maybe this December they will find some time, to sit down with th children to play some computer games on the Firefox browser. So which Indian computer manufacturers have got their act together and are offering good Ubuntu computers with OS CD ? It seems not many. Most are preferring to give unsuspecting and illiterate customers preloaded copies of proprietary, closed source software rather than a free CD of Ubuntu Linux that people can install themselves.

And of course, not many Indian parents have even heard of Ubuntu Linux or themselves experimented with it. So maybe they will just go out and buy manufactured PC's for their kids - without Ubuntu.

But the assembled market is beginning to gear up and is offering the more discerning parents, a choice of pre installed Ubuntu / Kubuntu alongwith a free copy of legal Ubuntu operating system software, with loads of latest, modern, office collaboration, and educational software programs, for inquisitive school children and college kids, licensed under GNU GPL and therefore, available for FREE with no risk of piracy.

So when these discerning parents will tie up with good computer hardware assemblers, who are well educated in installing Ubuntu they will be able to really give a gift of a lifetime to their children. And then maybe the pop and the mom will also begin to hesitantly start asking their smart, intelligent children to teach them a little of Ubuntu Linux. And quality time ? Yes, here come the parents and the children, all together, learning to get serious with learning Linux skills.

About time the branded hardware box sellers got a run for their money, rather than locking unsuspecting people into closed source softwares.

Where to download free mera wala Ubuntu from ? - http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

It’s hard to say what made Benares, said to be the oldest of all cities, feel so otherworldly. But I imagine it had something to do with the Ganges River, and the Sadhus who were there after the Kumbh Mela celebration had ended in the neighboring city of Allahabad.

Benares, also called Varanasi, is referred to as the 'city of death’. Some migrate to the banks of the Ganges as they approach old age so their ashes will become part of the river, hoping to avoid rebirth. It is purported that to have the Ganges as one's final resting place removes them from the cycle of earthly incarnation. Old, withered widows line the narrow streets of the Ghats, arms outstretched shaking their metal bowl, begging for alms.

As I sat on the bank of the Ganges in a world that I was sure must have been a figment of my elaborate imagination, or perhaps a dream, I wondered, what is this life about. Why are we here? Why was I in this place? The only answer that came, each time that I’d ask, was that I allow myself to fully see and feel the suffering, open my heart to it, and endeavor to help alleviate it, in whatever small way that I can. And though small it may seem, it is important to remember that each of our deeds is like a drop in the Ganges that makes up a mighty river that carries souls to heaven/nirvana.

What this means is that companies selling tightly controlled, monopoly software which is very difficult to learn, and requires years of experience even to just become data entry operators, will now begin to face real competition and innovation strategies, from places like Lucknow, Allahabad, Kanpur, Jhansi, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Moradabad, Agra, Mathura, Bhopal, Satna, Vidisha, Dehradoon, Kathmandu, Patna, Ranchi, Rourkela, Raipur,, Nagpur, Chandigarh, Bikaner, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Karnal, Panipat, Ahmedabad, Pune, Panjim.

Jhumka gira re, Bareilly ki bazaar mein, jhumka gira re !!

Some of these computer assemblers are now selling these legal CD's for Rs 100 - Rs 200 and hopefully will even learn to add in some local support component for people who are new to Ubuntu Linux. Maybe for another Rs 300 some of these local computer dealers will go and install the Ubuntu software on the computers and laptops, of home users / business users, and configure it for users so that they can use BSNL MTNL broadband Internet, and use printers that have good support for Linux printing.

Internet cafes will also soon start installing the server versions of Ubuntu and Kubuntu and they will then encourage customers to use Firefox browser and openoffice.org Office softwares for presentation, word documents, spreadsheets and databases.

The powerful suite of applications that Ubuntu and Kubuntu make available will soon find devoted followers.

The Google gmail email address has also begun to catch on in some of these small places and this will see people testing and using open formats of documents and spreadsheets, when they start collaborating online. One does hope that Small Businesses will be able to see that they can do most of their document creation work and email needs using public and free infrastructure, without the need for learning difficult to learn pirated software, that imprisons them down into specific document formats.

தமிழ்நாட்டில் முனëனணி ஜவுளி நிறுவனங்களில் ஒன்றான தி சென்னை சில்க்ஸ் நிறுவனம் உலகம் முழுவதும் பேசப்படும் வகையில் கலைநயமிக்க, விலைமதிப்பற்ற பட்டுச்சேலையை தயாரிக்க திட்டமிட்டது. இதற்காக அந்த நிறுவனம் தனித்திறன் மிக்க நெசவாளர்களைக் கொண்டு வடிவமைத்து, நவரதëதினங்களை இணைத்து சொந்த தறியில் அழகும், கலைநயமும் மிக்க பட்டுச்சேலையை உருவாக்கி உள்ளது.

தங்கம், வைரம், பிளாட்டினம், மாணிக்கம், முத்து, பவளம், புஷ்பராகம், மரகதம் உள்ளிட்ட 12 வகையான விலை உயர்ந்த ஆபரணங்களை இணைத்து உலகப் புகழ்பெற்ற ஓவியர் ரவி வர்மாவின் 12 ஓவியங்களுடன் வடிவமைத்துள்ளனர். ஆபரணங்களை சேலையுடன் சேர்த்து நெய்திருப்பது சிறப்பு அம்சம் ஆகும்.

விலை ரூ.40 லட்சம்

51/2 மீட்டர் நீளம் கொண்ட இந்த பட்டுச்சேலையில் முந்தானை பகுதியில் இந்தியாவின் 11 மாநிலங்களைச் சேர்ந்த பெண்கள் இசைக்கருவிகளுடன் அணிவகுத்து நிற்கும் ஓவியமும் மற்ற 11 ஓவியங்களும் ஒவ்வொரு பார்டரிலும் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளன.

விலை உயர்ந்த ஆபரணங்களைக் கொண்டு நுணுக்கமாக கலைநயத்துடன் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட உலகின் முதல் பட்டுச்சேலை இது என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. இதன் விலை ரூ.40 லட்சம் ஆகும். உலகிலேயே அதிக விலை கொண்ட பட்டுச்சேலை என்ற சிறப்பையும் இந்த சேலை பெறுகிறது. இந்த சேலையை உருவாக்க மொத்தம் 18 மாதங்கள் ஆனது.

சுகாசினி அறிமுகப்படுத்தினார்

உலகின் மிக விலை உயர்ந்த பட்டுச்சேலை, 12 விதமான உலோகங்கள் மற்றும் நவரத்தின கற்களால் தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட பட்டுச்சேலை, ஒரே பட்டு சேலையில் ரவிவர்மாவின் 11 விதமான ஓவியங்கள் இடம்பெற்ற பட்டுச்சேலை என்பதற்காக கின்னஸ் சாதனைக்கு இந்த பட்டுசேலை பரிந்துரைக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது. சென்னையில் நேற்று நடைபெற்ற நிகழ்ச்சியில் நடிகை சுகாசினி இந்த பட்டுசேலையை அறிமுகப்படுத்தினார்.

அப்போது பேசிய சென்னை சில்க்ஸ் நிறுவனத்தின் இயக்குனர்களில் ஒருவரான விநாயகம், "உலகம் முழுவதும் பேசப்படும் வகையில் கலைநயமிக்க பட்டுசேலையை தயாரிக்க வேண்டும் என்பதற்காகவும், நெசவு குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த நாங்கள் நெசவாளர்களுக்காக ஏதாவது செய்ய வேண்டும் என்பதற்காகவும் இந்த முயற்சியில் இறங்கினோம்.

இந்த சேலையை உருவாக்கியவர்கள் வெறும் கூலிக்காக வேலை செய்யவில்லை. 3 தலைமுறையாக நெசவு தொழில் செய்து வரும் அவர்கள் அர்ப்பண உணர்வுடன் அதிக அக்கறை எடுத்து இந்த முயற்சியில் ஈடுபட்டார்கள். அவர்களது மனோதைரியத்திற்கும், நம்பிக்கைக்கும் புதிய ஊக்கம் கிடைத்து இருக்கிறது'' என்று கூறினார்.

சேலை அறிமுக விழா நிகழ்ச்சியில்

• சென்னை சில்க்ஸ் இயக்குனர்கள் மாணிக்கம்,
• ஆறுமுகம்
• நந்தகோபால்,
• சிவலிங்கம்,
• சந்திரன் மற்றும் அவர்கள் குடும்பத்தினர்,
• கவிஞர் வைரமுத்து,
• நடிகை ஷோபனா,
• நடிகர் ஜீவா,
• பின்னணி பாடகி பி.சுசீலா,
• கர்நாடக இசை பாடகி நித்யஸ்ரீ மகாதேவன்,
• டாக்டர் கமலா செல்வராஜ், மத்திய
• பட்டு வாரிய முன்னாள் இயக்குனர் டி.எச்.சோமசேகர்,
• ஓவியர் மணி உள்பட பலர் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.

Mera wala PRINTER kaun ? Latest, achha aur best printer mere Ubuntu ke liye kaun sa ?

Which printers are recommended for Ubuntu Kubuntu Linux users ?

Kya Linux Ubuntu par tumhara printer theek se chalta hai ?

For the Kanpur Lucknow based users of Ubuntu Linux computers one of the big questions to do some research on before buying a recommended printer from the Computer manufacturers or local assemblers - is whether the PRINTER being suggested works well with UBUNTU / KUBUNTU LINUX for English language printing ?
Please do ASK your computer supplier / manufacturer / local assembler if the printer they are suggesting for you to BUY, supports good black and colour printing with Ubuntu based Debian operating system ?
If the answer is NO - please do NOT buy that printer as it will be worth nothing to you once you buy it.
It is usually best to buy a LOW COST printer with good preloaded Linux Ubuntu DRIVERS.
If you want to check out if the printer which MAY LOOK GOOD but DOES NOT work well with UBUNTU then just tell the computer dealer to keep the printer in cold storage rather than expect you to buy a USELESS printer that you will not know where to DUMP and throw away.
Where to get the LATEST list of MODERN and best printers which work well with UBUNTU and KUBUNTU Linux ?
Check out at - http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting

It is very important for Indian computer users to buy only printers which have good Linux printer drivers preloaded. There is NO POINT buying a printer if it does NOT work with Linux.
Do ask your computer dealer this question before buying a computer from them.
There are many reports of printers with a lot of marketing push behind them from computer dealers and manufacturers but that do not support Linux Ubuntu for Indian markets and Indian users.

Mera wala PRINTER kaun ? Latest, achha aur best printer mere Ubuntu ke liye kaun sa ?

Which printers are recommended for Ubuntu Kubuntu Linux desktop computer users ?

Kya Linux Ubuntu par tumhara printer theek se chalta hai ?

For the Kanpur Lucknow based users of Ubuntu Linux computers one of the big questions to do some research on before buying a recommended printer from the Computer manufacturers or local assemblers - is whether the PRINTER being suggested works well with UBUNTU / KUBUNTU LINUX for English language printing ?
Please do ASK your computer supplier / manufacturer / local assembler if the printer they are suggesting for you to BUY, supports good black and colour printing with Ubuntu based Debian operating system ?
If the answer is NO - please do NOT buy that printer as it will be worth nothing to you once you buy it.
It is usually best to buy a LOW COST printer with good preloaded Linux Ubuntu DRIVERS.
If you want to check out if the printer which MAY LOOK GOOD but DOES NOT work well with UBUNTU then just tell the computer dealer to keep the printer in cold storage rather than expect you to buy a USELESS printer that you will not know where to DUMP and throw away.
Where to get the LATEST list of MODERN and best printers which work well with UBUNTU and KUBUNTU Linux ?
Check out at - http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting

It is very important for Indian computer users to buy only printers which have good Linux printer drivers preloaded. In our opinion, there is NO POINT buying a printer if it does NOT work with Ubuntu Linux. Ask your computer dealer to SHOW a working printer with your Ubuntu Linux computer.
Do ask your computer dealer this question before buying a computer from them.
There are many reports of printers with a lot of marketing push behind them from computer dealers and manufacturers but that do not support Linux Ubuntu for Indian markets and Indian users.

Canonical has announced that every student in Macedonia will be using an Ubuntu powered computer / workstation. This announcement has tremendous significance for Indian school children as well who are wondering why they cannot have Ubuntu powered computers and laptops.
----------------------
http://www.ubuntu.com/news/macedonia-school-computers
Every Macedonian Student to Use Ubuntu-Powered Computer Workstations

Popular Linux Distribution To Appear On More than 180,000 Classroom Desktops Nationwide

LONDON, November 20th, 2007 - The Macedonia Ministry of Education and Science will deploy more than 180,000 workstations running Canonical’s Edubuntu 7.04 as part of its "Computer for Every Child" project.

The Macedonia "Computer for Every Child" project is one of the largest known thin client and desktop Linux deployments ever undertaken. Half of elementary and secondary Macedonia students attend school in the morning, and half attend in the afternoon, so 180,000 workstations will allow for one classroom computing device per student for the entire Republic's public school population. The first 7000 computers pre-installed with Ubuntu were shipped on September 4th 2007

Ubuntu is the award-winning Linux distribution for the desktop, laptop, thin client and server which brings together the best of open source software every six months. It is free, community-developed and contains all of the necessary applications to be up and running immediately, from web browser to instant messaging. It also comes with English and Macedonian language packs.

"The Computer for Every Child initiative is the largest and most important education project undertaken in the 15-year history of the Republic of Macedonia," said Ivo Ivanovski, Macedonia's Minister for the Information Society. "By selecting Ubuntu as the operating system for all of our classroom virtual PCs, our education system can provide computer-based education for all school children within the limited financial and infrastructural confines that most institutions face today."

"Macedonia is showing tremendous vision by deciding its own destiny in choosing how its children will learn through computing – said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project. "By choosing Ubuntu which is free to modify, use and redistribute it turns students into participants in Information Technology and not simply consumers of it.

The Ubuntu operating system will run on 160,000 virtual PC terminals and 20,000 PCs (which each also support a student on the attached monitor) supplied by NComputing and procured and installed by The Haier Company, a diversified manufacturer and PC maker based in China.

The project will enable a range of innovative educational programs, including interactive web-based classes in which specialized experts teach lessons in such areas as mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics to multiple schools and classrooms around the country.
About Canonical and Ubuntu

Canonical, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, is headquartered in Europe and is committed to the development, distribution and support of open source software products and communities. World-class 24x7 commercial support for Ubuntu is available through Canonical's global support team and partners.

Since its launch in October 2004 Ubuntu has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions with millions of users around the world. Ubuntu will always be free to download, free to use and free to distribute to others. With these goals in mind, Ubuntu aims to be the most widely used Linux system, and is the center of a global open source software ecosystem.

Download Ubuntu from www.ubuntu.com/download. To learn about commercial support for Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Edubuntu, please see www.canonical.com/support. For more information visit www.canonical.com or www.ubuntu.com

In an antique train overcrowded with weary passengers we arrive at Mughal Sarai Railway Station in Varanasi. The world outside the barred window of the train throbs with passengers and porters with suitcases piled on their heads. Women in flowing saris follow casually along the platform as vendors race towards the train to sell warm snacks and sickly sweet cardamom-spiced tea in earthenware cups.

As soon as we step onto the train platform a gigantic mass of humanity simply swallows us up in its wake and takes us up the stairs, through the station, and into a noisy crowd of rickshaw-pullers, hotel touts and postcard selling children. The morning air is scented with a rich bouquet of incense and spices mingled with sandalwood and marigold flowers.

If you had to choose one city to represent everything that is truly Indian, you would probably choose Varanasi. However, Varanasi is not a tourist haven in terms of specific sights. It is more of an experience that shakes your whole entity, your state of mind, and all of your senses. It seems that on the banks of this sacred river anything is possible. The sacred and everyday life merges easily in Varanasi. Devout Hindus consider Varanasi to be a unique meeting place between heaven and earth where gods and goddesses can descend to this world and mortals can be transferred directly to the after-life.
We walk along the banks of the river Ganges as the sun rises like a halo above the city, illuminating the countless temples that form the west bank's skyline. The arrival of the golden dawn brings thousands of worshippers through the shroud of mist and down the long flights of stone steps called ghats, which reach like roots into the river.

A very active boat culture exists all along the ghats and embarking on a trip at dawn is a wonderfully atmospheric way to see Varanasi. We find a skinny man in a loin cloth who offers to take us across the Ganges for a small sum. As the sky grows lighter and the mist begins to dispel, our boatman takes up his oars and we pull away from the shore, across the surface of the dark and mysterious waters. The chant of early morning prayers, punctuated by ringing bells and the loud snap and bang of morning laundry being thwacked on rocks echoes across the river. Thousands of people stand in the water, facing east across the river, praying and pouring water out of urns held up to the sunrise, heralding the gift of a new day.

As our boat approaches the somber Marnikarnika burning ghat, we put away our cameras since photography is prohibited. Contradictory to the West, life and death coexist harmoniously in Varanasi. Living and dying are both celebrated. The boat drifts by a cluster of foreigners who stare transfixed in morbid fascination as thick grey smoke billows up from several sandalwood pyres while bodies of relatives are brought in on stretchers, entirely wrapped in red and gold fabrics and covered in marigolds. First the relatives wash the body in the Ganges to purify it and then the body is placed on top of an orderly pile of logs by men in white loincloths called doms who are from a special untouchable caste. Next the doms neatly stack more logs on top of the body before lighting the pyre. It doesn't take long for the fire to catch, and at any one time you can see two or three bodies burning steadily in the river breeze. Later, the ashes will be scattered onto the waters of the Ganges.

A typical body takes three to four hours to burn and often there is usually a large bone left over like the hips or lower back. The unburned bones are simply thrown into the river as well as the ashes after they are sifted by a man called the Watchman for gold and silver, which he keeps. The boatman also informs us that “not everyone is able to die in Varanasi because the sandalwood needed to burn the bodies is very expensive.”

After the joyous, yet solemn process of salvation for the dead, a fascinating place to visit is the old city of Varanasi which is located just behind the main ghats. Winding your way through the deep narrow and ancient alleys that are seething with life is a deeply exhilarating experience. Most of the streets are no wider than eight feet and although they cannot accommodate cars or rickshaws large numbers of aimlessly wandering holy cows are free to roam the streets. There are a hundreds of unique and colourful shops to explore in this bustling marketplace. Down one lane you can find naan bread that has been freshly baked over a fire and rich Indian sweetmeats for sale while in another twisting lane, vendors are selling silver bracelets and earrings, sitars or other Indian musical instruments and brightly painted puppets or wooden toys. There is a magical quality present in these ancient alley ways that is strangely seductive and as old as faith itself.

In the evening the Ganges is ritually put to sleep at dusk. This involves various ceremonies that take place along the ghats. As the river rippled past, we released our offerings to Mother Ganges; a floating candle made from one dry leaf with a few marigold petals on it along with a wick in a dab of butter-oil. The candles are placed in the river where they are taken across the shimmering surface of the Ganges by its gentle current.

Looking out across the Ganges, there are thousands of these floating candles, flickering like constellations on the water. It occurs to me how easy it is to feel connected to the divine in this spiritual atmosphere that has sustained India and her people through the centuries.

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And then if you ask them one simple question as to why - if when a user in an Indian village wants to download Ubuntu Linux from an Indian server there is no Indian server offering free downloads - they just go suddenly quiet.
How long is this state expected to last ?
Just try going to the Ubuntu Linux download page and see (forget the world) - just check out which Asian countries have servers from which common people can download Ubuntu Linux from.
You will be amazed that all these high flying science and technology bureaucrats of India have not even found the time or the resources to offer a server for simple downloads.
And do you wonder what countries figure there ?
Well certainly not the so called big boss of IT - India. Nor the IT capitalists who profess to be socialists at heart.
There is no NASSCOM there. No IIT. No IIIT. No IIM
Then who is there ? -
Surprise of surprises - China, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Vietnam.
No Indian servers at all from any of the high flying prestigious IT computing hubs sprinkled all over India.
Is this issue symptomatic about ills and achievements of Indian Science and Technology, some fifty years after the dreams of public sector and science and technology revolution in India ?

And then if you ask them one simple question as to why - if when a user in an Indian village wants to download Ubuntu Linux from an Indian server there is no Indian server offering free downloads - they just go suddenly quiet.
How long is this state expected to last ?
Just try going to the Ubuntu Linux download page and see (forget the world) - just check out which Asian countries have servers from which common people can download Ubuntu Linux from.
You will be amazed that all these high flying science and technology bureaucrats of India have not even found the time or the resources to offer a server for simple downloads.
And do you wonder what countries figure there ?
Well certainly not the so called big boss of IT - India. Nor the IT capitalists who profess to be socialists at heart.
There is no NASSCOM there. No IIT. No IIIT. No IIM
Then who is there ? -
Surprise of surprises - China, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Vietnam.
No Indian servers at all from any of the high flying prestigious IT computing hubs sprinkled all over India.
Is this issue symptomatic about ills and achievements of Indian Science and Technology, some fifty years after the dreams of public sector and science and technology revolution in India ?

It seems some kids and even some adult people ( not to talk of ignorant computer, laptop hardware dealers) have difficulties getting their own or customer broadband Internet connection from BSNL India - working with Ubuntu or Kubuntu Linux.

The BSNL Broadband connection costs only Rs 250/- per month and because it is an ADSL connection you can also use the telephone connection on the same phone line. You just need to phone up the BSNL Broadband support and ask them to give you the BSNL LAN details. Usually they are very helpful and will give you : Gateway Address, Primary DNS and Alternate DNS - All very simple - Just note down on piece of paper
The ADSL modem that they give like Sterlite which is a Chinese modem works very well with Ubuntu Linux in Kanpur Lucknow and all of Uttar Pradesh and no separate drivers are required. Just connect the Ethernet and phone lines to the modem. Connect the Ethernet cable to your AMD or Intel motherboard Ethernet port. A green and yellow light comes on if you see the back of your computer or laptop.

What next ? Once your Ubuntu or Kubuntu is installed from your ISO CD go to Applications - Accessories - Terminal and log in as root user. In Ubuntu root user is sudo

Type in the following in your shell - GNOME desktop shell also called GNOME Terminal :

sudo ppoeconf - Then enter the username that BSNL gave you. Next enter the password. Keep all the default settings regarding

sudo pon dsl-provider ( sudo poff dsl-provider - to disconnect Internet connection )

Nowadays most computer dealers will give you a Ubuntu or Kubuntu CD for just Rs 100 and you can install everything yourself. To install printer, keep the printer on while installing your Ubuntu.

Check with : plog ifconfig

Go to any website from your Firefox browser like : http://www.example.com

And hey, your Rs 250/- per month ADSL Broadband connection from BSNL is working at lightning speed in Kanpur Lucknow, Jhansi, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Patna Moradabad. Nothing else to do. Just tune in to an Internet radio station from Ubuntu and enjoy the latest music and video clips.

Happy Ubuntu !! Everything is working fine !! Free legal Ubuntu !! I'm loving it baby !! And yes if somebody next door wants your help, please do help them out as wel. This is the spirit of Ubuntu in Kanpur and Lucknow. If your Ubuntu is working fine, please do spend some time to get your neighbours Ubuntu working also. No need to wait for IIT engineers. They will never come to you.

It seems some kids and even some adult people ( not to talk of ignorant computer, laptop hardware dealers) have difficulties getting their own or customer broadband Internet connection from BSNL India - working with Ubuntu or Kubuntu Linux.

The BSNL Broadband connection costs only Rs 250/- per month and because it is an ADSL connection you can also use the telephone connection on the same phone line. You just need to phone up the BSNL Broadband support and ask them to give you the BSNL LAN details. Usually they are very helpful and will give you : Gateway Address, Primary DNS and Alternate DNS - All very simple - Just note down on piece of paper

The ADSL modem that they give like Sterlite which is a Chinese modem works very well with Ubuntu Linux in Kanpur Lucknow and all of Uttar Pradesh and no separate drivers are required. Just connect the Ethernet and phone lines to the modem. Connect the Ethernet cable to your AMD or Intel motherboard Ethernet port. A green and yellow light comes on if you see the back of your computer or laptop.

What next ? Once your Ubuntu or Kubuntu is installed from your ISO CD go to Applications - Accessories - Terminal and log in as root user. In Ubuntu root user is sudo

Type in the following in your shell - GNOME desktop shell also called GNOME Terminal :

sudo ppoeconf - Then enter the username that BSNL gave you. Next enter the password. Keep all the default settings regarding

sudo pon dsl-provider ( sudo poff dsl-provider - to disconnect Internet connection )

Nowadays most computer dealers will give you a Ubuntu or Kubuntu CD for just Rs 100 and you can install everything yourself. To install printer, keep the printer on while installing your Ubuntu.

Check with : plog ifconfig

Go to any website from your Firefox browser like : http://www.example.com

And hey, your Rs 250/- per month ADSL Broadband connection from BSNL is working at lightning speed in Kanpur Lucknow, Jhansi, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Patna Moradabad. Nothing else to do. Just tune in to an Internet radio station from Ubuntu and enjoy the latest music and video clips.

Happy Ubuntu !! Everything is working fine !! Free legal Ubuntu !! I'm loving it baby !! And yes if somebody next door wants your help, please do help them out as wel. This is the spirit of Ubuntu in Kanpur and Lucknow. If your Ubuntu is working fine, please do spend some time to get your neighbours Ubuntu working also. No need to wait for IIT engineers. They will never come to you.

Naturally these assembled computer dealers associations in Kanpur and Lucknow feel that first they have to learn Ubuntu themselves - and then - they have to teach their staff how to install Ubuntu or Kubuntu in one hour. So it seems that school children will now have to teach these outdated computer dealers and hardware box vendors the fine points of Ubuntu Linux installation on laptops and desktops. One wonders when the the computer assemblers will start giving themselves a crash course in Ubuntu and Linux so that they can install it on their customer computers in just one hour.

But go and see the computers of children in Kanpur and Lucknow from schools such as Methodist, Jaipuria DPS, Christ Church - these kids know much more about the ease of Ubuntu installations than these hardware vendors - many of whom do not even have free CD to give to the customer just in case the customer tells them just to give them a price for the hardware box. For after all if children can install Ubuntu from CD by themselves, so can customers. And then maybe finally the staff of the hardware vendors will also learn how to install Ubuntu.

Many children of course prefer Kubuntu Desktop version because the KDE desktop is better to look at for those who only know how to send emails and chat on the Internet.

And last, the computer dealers will themselves shyly one afternoon decide to learn it themselves.

Where to download Ubuntu from ? http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Naturally these assembled computer dealers associations in Kanpur and Lucknow feel that first they have to learn Ubuntu themselves - and then - they have to teach their staff how to install Ubuntu or Kubuntu in one hour. So it seems that school children will now have to teach these outdated computer dealers and hardware box vendors the fine points of Ubuntu Linux installation on laptops and desktops. One wonders when the the computer assemblers will start giving themselves a crash course in Ubuntu and Linux so that they can install it on their customer computers in just one hour.

But go and see the computers of children in Kanpur and Lucknow from schools such as Methodist, Jaipuria DPS, Christ Church - these kids know much more about the ease of Ubuntu installations than these hardware vendors - many of whom do not even have free CD to give to the customer just in case the customer tells them just to give them a price for the hardware box. For after all if children can install Ubuntu from CD by themselves, so can customers. And then maybe finally the staff of the hardware vendors will also learn how to install Ubuntu.

Many children of course prefer Kubuntu Desktop version because the KDE desktop is better to look at for those who only know how to send emails and chat on the Internet.

And last, the computer dealers will themselves shyly one afternoon decide to learn it themselves.

Where to download Ubuntu from ? http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

10. Some people say that 95% users use ANOTHER Operating system and I will not get any support on Ubuntu. Well that was YESTERDAY. Now talk about TODAY. Linux is the way to go if you want smart children rather than dumb children who can only play computer games and do data entry.

11. What if I want to use word documents, spreadsheets and presentations ? Yes this is the best part. Of course everyone wants to use these. And all these softwares are available in Ubuntu - courtesy of SUN Microsystems for FREE. Just spend ONE day and you will become familiar with everything !!

12. Just ask your computer vendor / dealer if he is going to supply you with free CD of Ubuntu / Kubuntu. He should be able to arrange one in one hour flat. https://shipit.ubuntu.com/

Primary and secondary school Indian teachers and students in Kanpur Lucknow -

Those who have been using Linux on their desktop, laptops and servers for some time now will be aware that it is now only 14 days left for the next version of the best and greatest Ubuntu and Kubuntu to be launched. We just cant wait for the greatest Linux desktop ever to hit the Indian markets especially for users in Kanpur and Lucknow. - Launched on 18 Octobber 2007.

To celebrate the launch of the Ubuntu and Kubuntu - Gutsy Gibbon Version 7.10 - we are organizing a snacks and soft drinks party for bright school children in Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Agra, Gorakhpur and Varanasi to get together and share Linux tips with other school children. We all know that the school children in Kanpur and Lucknow know more about Linux Ubuntu / Kubuntu than their computer science teachers and instructors who have never even heard of Ubuntu.

We are also organizing a get together for adults interested in computer basics and some samosas - come and join us in end of October. We will be distributing free CD of Ubuntu and Kubuntu - and the first 100 laptops will also qualify for a free learn and install Ubuntu and Kubuntu training session.

Please note all school children from English as well as Hindi medium schools in Kanpur and Lucknow are invited - Methodist, St. Mary, Christ Church, Central schools, Jaipuria, delhi Public school, DPS children who want to learn to play with Linux and learn free, open and non proprietory softwares are all welcome.

Feel free to ask questions - the top three best questions about if Linux is Best for Indian school students will receive designer UBUNTU T-shirts - so polish up your debating skills on Linux versus whatever …

Contact Email : oskanpur@gmail.com

Check out the Ubuntu website and download your free Ubuntu from the nearest server. Please note that despite all the talk of Indian IT - there is still NO Indian server providing free downloads of Ubuntu and Linux. That is a pity when you consider how many IT professionals the IIM IIT and IIIT produce each year.

Ubuntu download page - http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Hopefully soon some Indian IT science and technology bureaucrat will wake up from his sleep and offer free webservers for downloading Ubuntu from an Indian server for Indian children who want to learn Linux. Who knows what the S&T bureaucrats are planning once they get time off from teaching old and outdated stuff to Indian children ?

Yes Indian children and students will soon know more about world class software and innovation than their politicians, teachers, instructors, parents and professors. I’m loving it baby.