CULTURALQA 11-2023-14 All the BELOW QA are from Quora DIGEST to me on 14-11-2023.
QUORA ANSWERS NEEDNOT BE 100% CORRECT ANSWERS. Compiled and posted by R.Gopala Krishnan, 80, on 14-11-2023. Q1 What aresome interesting facts about the Sahara desert? A1 GaryMeaney, passionate fan of all things animal2y The Sahara is unimaginably vast; spanning some 9 millionsquare kilometres, it’s the world’s largest desert outside those of the polarregions. Thus, as you would expect, there’s an awful lot of interesting stuffgoing on inside it. For this answer I’ve picked only the most fascinatingtidbits I could find on this region. Despite its (deserved) reputation as a scorchingwasteland, it doesoccasionally snow in the Sahara. Three instances of significant snowfallhave been recorded here, all in Algeria, and in all cases the snow meltedwithin hours of it falling. Thelast time it happened was January of 2018. In some parts of the Sahara Desert, especially Tunisia,desert roses form.These are beautiful crystals of gypsum, encrusted in sand, which are created bythe evaporation of shallow water bodies. It’s easy to see how they get theirname. In Mauritania youcan find an immense circular rock formation known as the Richat Structure, orthe Eye of the Sahara. It measuresforty kilometres in diameter, and was originally thought to be an impactcrater, but is now understood to be an eroded dome of volcanic rock. About 14,500 yearsago, an eracalled the African Humid Period began, lasting up until ~6,000 years ago.During this time, the monsoon ofWest Africa became stronger, and the Saharan region saw a marked increase inrainfall. The desert gave way to lush savannah,leading to a Green Sahara. Lake Chad iscurrently the largest body of water in the Sahara, but it is a shadow of its former self. While theregion was green, Lake Chad was Lake MegaChad, over 700 times its modern size!In fact, it was the world’s largest lake, by far, at more than a million squarekilometres in area. The Sahara Desert contains more prehistoric rock artthan perhaps any other part of the world. These ancient paintings dateback as far as 12,000 years ago, and depict everything from warfareand farming to people swimming and now-extinct local wildlife. They are an invaluablewindow into the lush, rainy past of this now-bleak desert. In Eastern Morocco, there is an incredibly richfossil site - the Kem Kem Beds - from around 95 million years ago. It shows that this part ofthe Sahara was once a marshy place which was the abode of some of the largestcarnivorous dinosaurs of all time, 30-ton sauropods, giant crocodiles, sawfishbigger than minivans, and much more. The desert’s Saharan silver ants are spectacularlywell-adapted to the extreme heat. Their beautiful silvery hair reflects sunlight, and theyhave special proteins which allow them to withstand up to 53 degrees Celsius!Even still, they can only spend 10 minutes per day in the sun, so they have tobe speedy - in fact, for their size they are the third-fastest organisms onEarth.(That paragraph was criminally short for an overview of these amazingants, I’ll have to do them justice in a full answer some day…) The Sahara ishome to a fascinating plant called Anastatica hierochuntica, also known as the rose ofJericho. When the dry season begins, it shrivels up and becomes fullydesiccated, detaching from the ground and blowing away in the wind. Yet, uponcontact with moisture in the following wet season, it “resurrects” itself,regaining its former vitality. In Chad, you canfind Guelta d’Archei, a beautiful secluded oasis in a deep sandstone gorge. Every day, it is used bylocal herders to quench the thirst of thousands of camels, which have stainedthe waters black with their dung. The oasis is the only known remaining colony of West African crocodilesin the Sahara Desert, too. In 1993, electrician Emile Leray was travelling inthe desert of Morocco when his car allegedly hit a rock and had its front axledestroyed. He dismantled the wreck, and used the parts to build a fully functioningmotorcycle, which he dubbed his “Steel Camel” and rode to civilization. (It’s worth mentioning that, while this isnevertheless really cool, it’s unlikely that it was a daring tale of survivalas is often claimed. What’s much more probable is that Leray went to the Saharawith the explicit intention of building a motorbike out of his Citroen there.) The hottestknown part of the Sahara Desert is Bou Bernous, a very small and isolated townin western Algeria.Its average temperature over the course of a day was once recorded at ablistering 47 degreesCelsius, the highest such measurement anywhere on Earth! If you look at a satellite map of Libya, you mightnotice an abrupt little black dot. That is Waw an Namus, a verdant oasis inside a volcano, famousfor its black tephra (volcanic gravel, basically). It is rich in bird-life,unlike the surrounding wasteland. The Ancient Romansmade several military explorations deep into the Sahara, even venturing intosub-Saharan Africa. One expedition party, for example, arrived at Lake Chad, which theycalled the “lake of hippopotamuses”. They stationed a small garrison here. In Mali’s Dogon region, in the southern extreme ofthe Sahara, there is a steepcliff known as the Bandiagara Escarpment. Here, the local people build spectacular villages of mudhuts which hug the sandstone cliffside. The MauritanianRailway is a rail route on which some of the world’s longest trains traverse. These trains can be up tothree goddamn kilometres long, and weigh tens of thousands of tonnes! Theycarry iron ore and occasionally passengers. In Tunisia, there is a unique desert village calledMatmata. Here, some local Berbers dwell in underground houses, formed around one or morelarge pits, perfect for shielding oneself from the scorching Saharan sun. Thetown was the main filming location of Tatooine in the original Star Wars film. One of Egypt’sUNESCO World Heritage Sites is Wadi El Hitan, or the Valley of the Whales. It is in fact apaleontological dig site, where exceptional fossils of the ancient whaleBasilosaurus have been uncovered. Remains of sharks, sea cows, turtles and even the first ever pelicanhave also been found there, showing the sands were once a shallow sea. Morocco boasts the title of having the world’s largestconcentrated solar power plant, the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. Its constructionbegan in 2013, and when it is finished it will produce an estimated 582megawatts of energy. The project has cost around 2.5 billion dollars. Though not nearly as famous for the structures asEgypt is, Sudan is home toover 350 pyramids - more than twice as many as the former nation has.These were built by the Nubian people, who were then known as the Kingdom ofKush, starting at around 800 BC. When you think about Saharan scenery, you probablyimagine featureless dune fields and rocky plains, but the Hoggar Mountains ofAlgeria feature many dramatic landscapes. These highlands are volcanicin origin, and some of their peaks are nearly 3 kilometres high. In the desert of Niger, you can find the world’s tallestmud-brick building, the Mosque of Agadez. It was built way back in 1515, andhas gone practically unchanged since then. In Morocco every year, the Marathon des Sables isheld - arguably the world’s most gruelling and challenging footrace. At 251 km in length, thecourse is six times longer than a standard marathon, and takes nearly a week tocomplete. Due toCOVID-19, the race hasn’t been held since 2019. There is a 7,000 square kilometre lake in theTunisian Sahara called Chott el Djerid which - in summer - becomes the desert’s largest salt pan. Due toevaporation, a crust of salt builds up over the water, thick enough to drive acar over. When winter comes, it returns to its watery state. On average, 182million tonnes of Saharan dust are blown west over the Atlantic Ocean eachyear. Of that, 28.8 million tonnes settle in the Amazon Rainforest of SouthAmerica. This seemingly plays a crucial role in the jungle’sbiodiversity, as the dust carries vital minerals for fertility such asphosphorus. Some of that dust also ends up in Cape Verde, anarchipelago off the west coast of the Sahara, and acculumates in the VianaDesert. Thissmall field of sand dunes could be considered an extension of the Sahara Desertfound way out in the Atlantic Ocean. Egypt is home toboth a Black Desert and a White Desert. The former is a volcanic area full ofmounds of basalt,in which dinosaur remains have been excavated. The latter is famous for its chalk rocks, which have beeneroded into exquisite shapes. So, I’ll leave it that for today. At first glance,the Sahara seems pretty empty, but upon taking a much closer look I’ve realizedthat I couldn’t possibly fit all of its interesting features in a digestibleanswer. I hope you enjoyed the ones that I selected. As an aside, I know the phrase “Sahara Desert” istautological, as the word Sahara itself derives from the Arabic word fordesert. However, I have used the phrase in this answer, mainly to mix up theword choice a bit. A bit ironic that I ended up using a repetitive name toavoid being repetitive, but anyway… Q2 Why isTulasi [Tulsi Leaves] always added in Prasadam offered to Lord Shri Krishna? A2 AditiPathak,Author and Servant of Lord Krishna2h There are a fewreasons why tulsi leaves are always added in prasadam offered to Lord Shri Krishna: Tulsi is asacred plant in Hinduism. Tulsi is known as the "queen of herbs" and is revered forits medicinal and spiritual properties. It is believed that tulsipurifies the body and mind, and promotes spiritual growth. Tulsi is dear toLord Krishna. According to Hindu scriptures, tulsi is an incarnation of the goddessVrinda, who was Krishna's beloved consort. Vrinda was known for herunwavering devotion to Krishna, and it is said that Krishna is especiallypleased when he is offered tulsi. Tulsi enhancesthe flavor of prasadam. Tulsi has a unique and refreshing flavor that complements manydifferent dishes. It is also said to add a special spiritual energy to food. For these reasons, tulsi is always added in prasadamoffered to Lord Shri Krishna. It is a symbol of devotion, purity, andblessings. In addition to the above reasons, there are also somepractical benefits to addingtulsi to prasadam. Tulsi is a natural preservative and can help to keepfood fresh for longer. It alsohas antibacterial properties, which can help to prevent food poisoning. Overall, adding tulsi to prasadam is a way to showour devotion to Lord Krishna, to purify our food, and to enjoy a healthier andmore flavorful meal. My note- I have read elsewhere the Tulsi leaves,garlands etc can be washed and reused in temples. Q3 What are some details of Gautam Goswami, a BiharIAS officer of 1991 batch ? A3 Do youknow this person? He was Gautam Goswami, a Bihar IAS officer of 1991batch, he made headlines as one of the TIME ASIAN HEROES of 2004 and later hewas accused in the infamous flood relief scam. Born in Bihar,he did his schooling from Banaras. Healso did his MBBS and MD from Banaras Hindu University. He was alwaysthe topper of his school and college. He cracked civil services exam in 1991and joined as an IAS. He first hit the national headlines when he literally puthis hand on microphones to prevent the then Union home minister, Lal KrishnaAdvani, from continuing his speech at an election rally in 2004. Gautam Goswami was serving as the DM of Patna andAdvani's election rally was going on in Gandhi Maidan. Exactly at 10 PM, Goswami comes on stage and putshis hand over Advani's mic. “Sir, your time is up.” The officer told the minister referring to the Election Comission'sModel Code of Conduct which proscribed use of Public address system after 10PM. To this, Advaniasks him, “Do you know whom are you talking to?” Goswami replied,“Sir, I am just following my duty and I know very well what am I doing.” Times Magazine printed his photo on its cover pageand gave a message to many IAS officers about how to follow their duty. Just after 1 yearof this, Bihar saw massive floods in 2005. Once again Gautam Goswami did hisduty well and dueto this Times Magazine awarded him with Asian Young Achiever and he made theheadlines once again. But he was alleged for a scam of Rs 18 crores duringthe flood relief campaign. The chief accused of this scandal was Santosh Jha whowas an close ally of Sadhu Yadav, brother-in-law of Lalu Yadav. Sadhu Yadavsurrendered himself in the court in December 2006 but he was granted bail after1 month. But Goswami hadto spend 1 year in jail. When released from jail, his health was not well. It was found that hewas diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He lost the battle of life against cancer and left thisworld at the age of 41. According to his friends , “there couldbe a stain on moon, but stains on Goswami's character were unnecessary.” TIME magazine wrote, Goswami’s reputation forupholding the law improves the image of a civil service perceived by manyIndians as corrupt or inefficient. Ironically, the same bureaucrat ended updying as a tainted officer. There are manyother examples like this. Ashok Khemka, IAS. He was transferred 52 times in his27 year-career. He was in headlines for stopping land deal betweenRobert Wadra and DLF. He brought Wadra under scrutiny. Durga ShaktiNagpal, IAS. She came into public view after launching a massive drive againstcorruption and illegal sand mining within her jurisdiction of Gautam Budh Nagar. She was later suspended bythe Uttar Pradesh government for allegedly demolishing an illegal mosque wallin a village in Greater Noida, which resulted in severe opposition as it wasperceived to be based on flimsy grounds. There was a growing demand from various political parties,associations of Indian bureaucrats, and by the general public on online socialmedia for her suspension to be revoked. Her suspension was revoked by the UttarPradesh government on 22 September 2013. DK Ravi , IAS.He committed suicide by hanging himself due to false allegations of corruption. YashwantSonawane, IAS. He was burnt alive by the oil Mafia. Narendra KumarDev, IPS. He was killed by the mining mafia for stopping a tractor because of illegal mining. Zia-Ul-Haq, aUP Police officer. Known for his honesty, he was shot dead in Kunda. UP Minister Raghuraj PratapSingh alias Raja Bhaiya was alleged to be the part of conspiracy. Satyendra Dubey,IES. He was murdered for exposing corruption of NHAI. DK Ganpathi,Karnataka Police officer. He killed himself and CBI named Karnataka Minister KJ George as theprime accused in its FIR. Neha Shorie , aPunjab State Civil Services Officer was shot dead. Although the murderer killed himself after shootingher. ShanmugamManjunath. This brave officer worked as a sales manager for Indian OilCorporation and worked actively to stop selling of adulterated fuel. His courageous nature andhonesty made him one of the most commendable officers the country has seen. Buthe too paid the price for being an honest man, while he was on his way to exposing two petrol pumpsselling adulterated fuel in Lucknow. He ordered to seal them, and when theystarted working again, he conducted a surprise raid. He was shot dead the samenight and his body with six bullets was found in his own car’s backseat. There are a lot ofexamples of great officers/employees who had to pay for their honesty. What did these officers get for being honest? honesty is Crime faces Transfers, bullets, falseallegations, etc, etc. In a single word, I would say Politics. Yes, the politicalsystem and politicians always makes me sad about India. Why I mentioned politics? Because it doesn't matter how honestly a person worksfor the system, these bastard politicians surely up his/her career. Edit: Not allpoliticians are corrupt but a majority of them are. Period!Edits are welcome. My note- Raju Narayanaswamy, A 1991 Kerala-cadreofficer Narayanaswamy has held a number of posts and has been repeatedlypenalised for exposing corruption. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thatha_patty+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/2062646263.1855491.1699944760063%40mail.yahoo.com.
