Know India

Know India is an attempt to bring to you some amazing facts about our country. Every second day we post something that tells you more about our land. Starting from issues to history, from culture to literature and fine arts, this is a magic box of small write-ups that you will fall in love with soon.

The Param Vir Chakra: An ode to the bravest of all

Submitted by aurora on

pvc.jpg (8127 bytes)The Parama Vira Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy.The PVC was established on 26 January 1950 (the date of India becoming a republic), by the President of India, with effect from 15 August 1947 .It can be awarded to officers or enlisted personnel from all branches of the Indian military. It is the second highest award of the government of India after Bharat Ratna (amendment in the statute on 26 January 1980 resulted in this order of wearing). It replaced the former British colonial Victoria Cross (VC).

The Golden Temple at Amritsar: Uniqueness defined!

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Golden Temple.Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple, (on account of its scenic beauty and golden coating for English speaking world), is named after Hari(God) the temple of God.The Sikhs all over the world, daily wish to pay visit to Sri Amritsar and to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib in their Ardas.

Guru Arjan Sahib, the Fifth Nanak, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Earlier the planning to excavate the holy tank (Amritsar or Amrit Sarovar ) was chalked out by Guru Amardas Sahib, the Third Nanak, but it was executed by Guru Ramdas Sahib under the supervision of Baba Budha ji. The land for the site was acquired by the earlier Guru Sahibs on payment or free of cost from the Zamindars (landlords) of native villages.

Digboi: The worlds oldest continuously producing oilfield!

Submitted by aurora on

Digboi is a town and a town area committee in Tinsukia district in the north-eastern part of the state of Assam, India.The town's history begins in 1867 when a small group of men from the Assam Railway and Trading Co. found their elephants' legs soaked in black mud, that smelt somewhat like oil. The men began exploring more, and in 1889, the English started a small oil installation. India (and Asia) obtained its first refinery in Digboi in the year 1901. Various web sites offer variations on the elephant’s foot story, a consensus of which would be that engineers extending the Dibru-Sadiya railway line to Ledo for the Assam Railways and Trading Company (AR&TC) in 1882 were using elephants for haulage and noticed that the mud on one pachyderm’s feet smelled of oil. Retracing the trail of footprints, they found oil seeping to the surface. One of the engineers, the Englishman (not Canadian) Willie Leova Lake, was an ‘oil enthusiast’ and persuaded the company to drill a well.

Indian Volleyball: A Brief Insight

Submitted by aurora on

India. . The game of Volleyball was brought to India more than 70 years ago when some Physical Education teachers who had been abroad, were trained in different games including Volleyball. Y.M.C.A., College of Physical Education, Madras took this game seriously and started training of Volleyball in The students trained here took the sport to other parts of the country. The formation of V.F.I. has been one of the main factors in the development and popularization of the game of Volleyball in India.

The Volleyball Federation of India was formed in the year 1951. Prior to the formation of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), the game was controlled by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and at that time the Interstate Volleyball Championship was held every two years from 1936 to 1950 for men only.