Mamalla Dance Festival Jan 2010

Mamallapuram cries out for a concert hall...
Improper facilities at Natyanjali Dance festival Dec 2008 to Jan 2009 at Mamallapuram, Tamilnadu. Conducted in open air before the arjuna penance rock for all these years.
with No proper auditorium.
The artistes perform on open air stage exposed to the vagaries of nature.The festival is attended by many foreign tourists, dignitaries, public and yet the programme is conducted in a lacklustre manner sans a proper sound system, no comfort seating for viewers, no apt lighting, mosquito problem, minimal facilties for dancer troupe.
Only the sheer magnetic attraction of the performances provide the visitors an incentive to come to this festival inspite of these inconveniences..
Given the high revenue generation by tourists provision of such basic infrastructure is mandatory and a urgent necessity. Authorities must ensure tourists leave with a happy feeling or else it is very bad advertising and the tourist interest will dip in such festivals.
There is huge scope for improving the infrastructure and I really hope and wish that the authorities look into the ways of transforming the presentation of our cultural heritage. Sponsors and govt have a responsible role to play here..anyone listening?!

Heat Pad - A Wonderful pain reliever!

The heat pad is a great find from an exhibition in Chennai. A fine health care product.
I have used it as a external heat pad on muscle pain, sprains and also for knee pains. It is very handy, reusable, retains heat longer and effective in soothing muscle pains! Very good for SCIATICA!

The Heat Pad is made from sodium acetate (salt) and water and is therefore extremely safe. The sodium acetate is a type of salt that is excellent at cooling and exists as a liquid when combined with water at room temperature.

However, if you 'Click' the metal disc, it momentarily increases the temperature of the molecules surrounding the disc, setting off a chain reaction amongst the adjoining molecules and thus heating the pad.

The pad will stay warm for up to 2 hours and can be moulded and applied to any area. To return the pad to its original state, simply pop it into boiling water on the stove for 5 -10 minutes until the pad has totally returned to gel.

You're then ready to re-use as many times as you like!

IS IT SAFE?

Yes, the Heat Pad is made from Non Toxic materials and is totally safe. It contains Sodium Acetate (SALT) and water.

HOW HOT DOES IT GET?

The Heat Pad will increase to a safe temperature of 54 degree C / 130 Degree F once activated.

HOW LONG DOES IT STAY HOT FOR?

Although this is dependant on the environment, on average the Heat Pad will remain hot for 1 - 2 hours.

HOW MANY TIMES CAN I USE IT?

This is the great part, the Heat Pad can be re-used as many times as you like!

WHAT USES DOES IT HAVE?

You can use the Heat Pads for any situation where constant durable heat is required. We find that most of our clients use them for general aches and pains such as stiff necks, back aches or menstrual pains. We also see a great deal of people using them for camping and hiking not only for comfort but also as a back up emergency heat source. In general, just about any situation where a constant durable heat source is needed, the Heat Pad is up to the task. The Heat Pad also works in reverse and can be used as a Cool Pack, simply freeze overnight and it will stay Ice Cold for hours.

I have used this and very effective and reusable...good for sciatica, muscle pains, aches!
Try at this site:
http://www.heatomatic.com/site/1399402/page/546569
6.8" X 4.5" sized Palm shaped hand warmer
5" X 4.5" sized Heart Shaped Hand Warmer
available in different colors..

This article is selected as a feature at http://thumbjointpain.net/blog_awards/index.php?id=3142
http://thumbjointpain.net/thumb_pain.php

The latest news is Chennai people can
visit the Smart Shoppers Exibition at YMCA grounds, Royapettah, Chennai opening from Jan 14th (Thursday)till Jan 18th (Monday 2010. This Expo is also coming to Kovai (Coimbatore) from Jan 23rd to Jan 26th, 2010.
There are other good health care products too, check them out...

Foot Roller, Face Mask, Hand Roller, Neck Belt, Eye mask, cool pad, etc.,

Besides the expo has so much to offer...
http://www.smartshoppers.co.in/

and get a great bargain; just Rs.350/- for one Heatpad
at the stall of Star Health Products, A Mumbai Company.
http://tcistar.co.in/ItemDetails.aspx?itemId=12

AVATAR! Hmmm Interesting, man itz great!!

Avatar!
I got the chance to see it on big screen; wow it held me spellbound by its dreamworld!! The Computer Graphics were amazing and the creativity was excellent. The Creatures, the new aliens, the hanging mountains, the prayers and spiritual ways of the alien race were all very nicely portrayed.
The story line is nothing new but you gotta have a decent one and it has been told nicely. A huge amount of work has gone into the making of this movie and the results show off spectacularly!
I feel that an Indian impact is clear in many aspects of the movie. The spiritual prayers, telepathic connections, chanting all have a Sanskrit flavour and the aliens have tails alike the mythical monkey god Hanuman!
The human invaders are portrayed as invaders without heart nor understanding of the mind power of the alien race. The villains remind us of the war mongering, inhuman brutal streak present in many;which overrides the humanity. This shortsighted barbarism is wreaking havoc, pain, destruction and poverty across many nations on our own earth in reality.
One has got to see it on 3D IMAX theatre to experience the new technology- sound, video in a whole new splendour! Get transported...well telejetted into a new dimension in visual entertainment..Hats off to James Cameron & his fine team!!!

Harikatha by Mrs.Visaka Hariji

Visaka Hariji made a fantastic presentation of the glory, simplicity and power of the name of Lord Sri RAMA through the Harikatha recital "Rama Nama Prabhavam".
Harikatha is a fine blend of carnatic music, sanskrit slokas, crisp story telling
The Rama nama transcends religious and caste barriers and is open to all those who beleive in its power and purity.
Rama Nama japam mahimai (Power of Chanting) was nicely illustrated with the story of a robber who realises his folly when no one is ready to share his sin of robbery. He seeks salvation through Rama Nama Japam initiated by Sage Narada(AKA Sage Valmiki).
The stories of Saints protected by Rama Nama Saint Sri Thyagarajar, Sri Bodendral, Sri Tulasidasar.
The Rama Sloka which formed the heart of the concert;
" Aapatha mapha harthaaram thatharam sarva sambhathaam
Lokaphiraaman Sriramam Bhooyo Bhooyo namamyaham"

Real life examples and humourous references relavant to discussion were a treat.
Visakaji's lilting and dynamic rendering took everyone present to a different realm of spirituality. The vibrant and unique style of the concert held the audience spellbound and we were transfixed in awe. But all good things come to an end and we left richer in thoughts.
Fortunately I was lucky to buy the latest DVD release of "Sri Andal Kalyanam" by Visakaji to elevate the devotional spirit of Marghazhi to new heights.

Torrents - A P2P with so much to explore!!!

It is with great pain that I share the information that mininova and piratebay are down. A big blow to information sharing. The battle rages on between the so-called copyright owners and the supporters of free information exchange!

Private & public
trackers
There are plenty of P2P clients, sites and forms of free information exchange!

uknova.com
thebox.bz
themediasite.net
hd-torrents.org
hdme.eu
elbitz.net
hdvnbits.org
hdclub.com.ua
all4nothin.net
and many more which will be added...

Safety
A periodically updated antivirus security suite with a firewall protection is a must for every P2P/ browser.

good browsing habits

sharing attitude

A Treasure Trove of media information!

psychology
http://www.alkistis.net/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/user/alkistisTV

Alkistis Keletseki-Agiorgiti PhD was born in Athens, Greece (1968) and grew up in Montreal, Canada.

In 1985 she studied International Finance at the Chartered Institute of Bankers in London’s City, and then began working in Barclay's Bank Corporate Finance.

At the age of twenty-two she had a profound inner transformation which changed the course of her life towards the direction of Psychology and Personal Development. In the years following, she went to live and work as a free-lance management trainer in Paris, Rome, and then Berlin with clients including Mercedez-Benz , America-on-Line, Bertelsmann, Ernst & Young Cap Gemini, Banque National de Paris.

What will you get through Leadership and Life Coaching? Leadership and Life Coaching will allow you to understand
and apply the personal best practices of the superstars
in business

A Carnatic Music Dance Festival - Chennaiyil Thiruvaiyaru 2009

Come December and Chennai is the ultimate entertainment destination in Music, Dance, Drama and arts. A galaxy of fine young talents and big names come together for a week long programme from 18th, Friday till 25th, Friday, December 2009 at the Kamaraj Memorial hall, Anna saalai, Chennai. Don't miss your favourite artiste!!
Chennaiyil Thiruvaiyaru schedule:
http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/chennaiyil-thiruvaiyaru/2009/schedule-2009.asp

Online ticket booking facility also available:

http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/chennaiyil-thiruvaiyaru/2009/tickets.asp

A collection of nice attachments! A continuing affair...

I wanted to share and treasure of the nice and superb email attachments I have been receiving over many years. The credit for these rest with the original creators whoever they are...I salute and applaud their creativity and imagination!!
There are so many...let me post one by one...

A detailed insight into the wonderful methods of natural eye care by following proven methods of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.
A doc giving the details can be dowloaded from:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/nzumve2nug1/Eyesight aurobindo pondy.doc

Please go thro' these websites for more info...

http://sriaurobindoashram.info/Content.aspx?ContentURL=_StaticContent/SriAurobindoAshram/-03%20The%20Ashram/Departments/School%20For%20Perfect%20Eyesight

http://7times7.blogspot.com/2007/01/my-visit-to-pondichery.html

http://perfectsight.com/discus/messages/19/36.html?MondayAugust820050438am
The School for Perfect Eyesight: Pondicherry, South India.

This school is one of the few schools that prescribe to the Bates Method for improvement in eyesight, in India. Having just completed a two week course, In 14 hours of tuition I improved my sight from - 2.75/-3.00 to �2.25, both eyes, and was amazed at the result.

The course is completely FREE - you can make an anonymous donation if you wish.

The exercises are taking an hour, and after an initial check up you walk into the center and carry out the exercises. You are not supposed to wear glasses or watch television during the duration of the course. During the exercises there is relaxing light music playing in the background.

Contact

Prappana Swain, School of Perfect Eyesight, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry India. 605001.
Email: auroeyesight@yahoo.com
Tel: 0091 413 337156

Something about life!
http://www.mediafire.com/file/mmkwzdl1jdt/The Seed.txt

A clear vision

A pleasant surprise I had when I needed to replace my spectacles...
I discovered this outlet


I found the people there very friendly and receptive. The service was good and I was lucky to get the promotional offer; -an extra pair of specs at a price of Rs.99/-. A nice offer.
The area of specs and contact lenses was lacking a good service and the Indian customer had a raw deal thus far. Now I feel it is a welcome change and hats off to this Reliance Pearle venture. I hope they do reach out to the small towns and smaller metros soon...

Vision Express is Europe's largest optical chain and offers its expertise in several countries across the world. In India, Vision Express is a joint venture of Reliance Retail and Pearle Europe, offering the benefits of trust, affordability, quality, international designs and proven optical skills.
Services offered:

Free eye test: Come experience quality eye testing. Vision Express has qualified experts certified by the L V Prasad Eye Institute, a leading eye hospital, research and training centre, which also collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO). The eye tests are conducted with the help of state-of-the-art equipment from reputed international companies.
Affordable and stylish: At Vision Express you can find a wide range of frames that offer great value for money. Being Europe’s leading optical chain, the frames offered are modern and stylish.

Express delivery: Vision Express works to deliver your spectacles at the earliest. In the showrooms with an in-house lab, Vision Express will deliver your spectacles within a few hours, in most cases.

Free services: Walk-in for cleaning of glasses and repairs, all for free. Parts replaced, may be charged for.

They have a promotional offer which you can grab...Hurry!

A wonderful shopping experience!

Tata's CROMA electronics store...Truly a megastore!

Wow! I visited this store's outlet at North Usman road, T.Nagar, Chennai. They have got all the brands on any consumer electronic product. you name it and u can see it, have a demo all under one big roof. The customer attention & service is very good!
You also get to see Tata own croma brand of products. The handy vacuum cleaner is quite good! Tata offers an extended warranty on any brand you buy at a nominal extra fee. This will assure the buyer dependable service at your doorstep.
Humans' life is being dominated by machines and it is reiterated by the broad array of electronic devices on display at this convenient store! So many appliances to make our lives easier and enjoyable...provided your budget fits it!
At Croma, well-trained store advisors, who have an in-depth knowledge of the products, guide, advise and help you choose a product that's just right for you.
Their stores are large (15,000-20,000 sq ft), well-planned and designed to make shopping a pleasure. The world class in-store experience is backed by robust after-sales service.
Croma is owned and run by Infiniti Retail Limited, a 100% subsidiary of Tata Sons. Woolworths Ltd, the Australian retail giant, provides technical support and strategic sourcing facilities from its global network.
visit...http://www.cromaretail.com/ Experience it!

A real view - Life, its philosophy?!

Hi! I wanted to dwell on a more serious topic this time...a look at life in a different way! I wanted to write about this seeing the happenings aroung us and the times we live in...
Human beings lead their lives in various ways, some follow the path shown by their faiths, others do what they like and many live it day by day...Every religion, faith teaches their followers to live in harmony, show understanding, have tolerance, live a life with humanity and compassion for other lives. The core philosophy of any religion is unselfish love and goodness within and radiating to all! Yet many problems we see daily have their roots in the inability to reason.
If one wants to understand the basic philosophy of a religion, they need to read its scriptures, check out its history, move with people practise that faith and then they will begin to realise that the roads lead finally to one destination -god or ultimate bliss; salvation! But the routes are myriad and many get lost in the way and face multitude of obstacles before they see the light!
If we learn to screen out the prejudices, egos and self imposed complication life would be so much easier and happier!! It is easier said than done! There is much more to be said, yet I want to hear your views!!

PublicTransport- The future

Magnetic levitation? faster, safer & better way of transport...German engineering has solved the puzzle and made it a reality after years of research, trials and vigorous tests.
China has taken a big leap forward in mass rapid public transport by investing in this futuristic transit system in one of its big cities; Shanghai!

Indeed, the Maglev is faster than any speeding locomotive precisely because it's as much like a plane as any railroad we've known.
The Shanghai Maglev Train or Shanghai Transrapid "Shanghai Magnetic Levitation Demonstration Operation Line") is the first commercial high-speed maglev line in the world. The system and trains were built to the Transrapid standard. Construction began in March 2001, and public service commenced on 1 January 2004.
During a test run on 12 November 2003, a maglev vehicle achieved a Chinese record speed of 501 km/h (311 mph).
The train set and tracks were manufactured using German technology.
True, the train has no wings, but no wheels or engine, either. Transrapid, the German firm that developed the system, describes the Maglev as "the first fundamental innovation in the field of railway technology since the invention of the railway."

Magnets are the attraction. First, powerful magnets lift the entire train about 10 millimeters above the special track, called a guideway, since it mainly directs the passage of the train.

Other magnets provide propulsion, and braking, and the speeds - up to 500 kph in test runs; a good 60 percent faster than the renowned Bullet Trains - are attained largely due to the reduction of friction.

The line runs from Longyang Road station in Pudong, on the Shanghai subway line 2 to Pudong International Airport. The journey takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the distance of 30 km. A train can reach 350 km/h (220 mph) in 2 minutes, with the maximum normal operation speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) reached thereafter.
The line is operated by Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co., Ltd. As of May 2008, the line operates daily between 06:45–21:30, a one-way ticket cost ¥50 (US$7.27), or ¥40 ($5.81) for those passengers holding a receipt or proof of an airline ticket purchase. A round-trip return ticket cost ¥80 ($11.63) and VIP tickets cost double the standard fare.

Helmet safety when you need it!!!

I usually never ride without wearing helmet to my office. I want to share this real life experience which would reinforce the necessity of wearing helmets. I was going on the road at about 50kmph when a scooter zipped past at nearly 70kmph overtaking my bike. The road had no other traffic in near sight. Then it happened in a flash. just as the scooter crossed me, something hit my helmet front visor with a thump and fell off. I was not at all distracted but it took me a moment to realise that it was a piece of stone which was sent off flying like a missile from the scooter tyre catapulting it from the road. I thanked my lucky stars that I had my visor on. If not for the visor that stone would have hit me on my temple..what a close call! Well my friends do not forget both your helmet and more importantly the safety visor! Take care as so much depends on you!

Useful and Friendly software for Kids- They'll love it!

I wish to share with you information on a few excellent freely available softwares on the net which are very good for kids! I will be updating this topic regularly!
TUXPAINT
http://tuxpaint.org/download/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/tuxpaint/
Tux Paint is a free, award-winning drawing program for children ages 3 to 12 (for example, preschool and K-6). It combines an easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program.
Kids are presented with a blank canvas and a variety of drawing tools to help them be creative. Tux Paint is completely free software, released as “Open Source” software, under the provisions of the GNU General Public License (GPL). This means you may download it and install it on as many machines as you wish, copy it for friends and family, and give it to your local schools.You can also download the free stamps pack which will be great fun for the kids as they explore the amazing range of tools provide in this sleek program.
TUXMATH
https://alioth.debian.org/frs/download.php/2972/tuxmath-1.7.2-win32-installer.exe
TUXTYPING
Tux Typing" is an educational typing tutor for children. It features several different types of gameplay, at a variety of difficulty levels.
http://tuxtype.sourceforge.net/download/
STYKZ
Stykz is a great multi-platform stick figure animation program in the world and it is COMPLETELY FREE!
http://www.stykz.net/Home.html
LEGO DIGITAL DESIGNER
The program that lets you build with LEGO bricks on your computer.
http://ldd.lego.com/download/default.aspx
GOGGLE SKETCHUP
Google SketchUp 7 can create, modify and share 3D models for free
http://sketchup.google.com/download/
SCRATCH
Scratch is a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web.
Scratch is designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills. As they create and share Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaborativel. Scratch is available free of charge!
http://scratch.mit.edu/download

SETERRA

Seterra Geography Tutor - EXCELLENT and FUN way to learn World GeographyA very nice, and free, geography teaching package. Covers all parts of the world. Includes quizzes and map exercises. Runs in several different languages. Each exercise has a high score list. Examples of exercises: countries in Europe; US states; US state capitals; German cities; cities in Mexico; countries in Africa, etc, etc... Seterra is perfect for school use, for homeschooling or just for fun!
http://www.wartoft.nu/produkter/seterra/seterra.exe

ASTRONOMY SOFTWARES
STELLARIUM
Stellarium is planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars. It's easy to use, and free.
http://www.stellarium.org/
CELESTIA
A free real-time space simulation that lets you experience our universe in three dimensions
http://www.shatters.net/celestia/
The resources will continue........Enjoy! Thanks to those super developers who gave it free! My congratulations for their noble thought, excellent effort and ensuring its availablity to all!

Updated in Feb2012! Here is more useful stuff!!

Drawing For Children  Written by Mark Overmars
http://drawing.gamemaker.nl/

Drawing for Childen is a free drawing program for children with many nice options. You can draw with many different pens, you can put stamps on your drawings, create all sort of text effects, and much more. The program is suitable for very young children and has a child mode especially for them. But it also provides lots of fun to older kids. It is used by hundreds of thousands of kids all over the world. The best way to see what is possible is to simply download it and install it. Remember, it is free.

GCompris
http://gcompris.net/-en-
GCompris is a high quality educational software suite comprising of numerous activities for children aged 2 to 10. Some of the activities are game orientated, but nonetheless still educational. list of categories with some of the activities available in that category.

  computer discovery: keyboard, mouse, different mouse gesture, ...
  algebra: table memory, enumeration, double entry table, mirror image, ...
  science: the canal lock, the water cycle, the submarine, electric simulation ...
  geography: place the country on the map
  games: chess, memory, connect 4, oware, sudoku ...
  reading: reading practice
  other: learn to tell time, puzzle of famous paintings, vector drawing, cartoon making, ...

Currently GCompris offers in excess of 100 activities and more are being developed. GCompris is free software, that means that you can adapt it to your own needs, improve it and, most importantly, share it with children everywhere.

 ABC Color with Me
http://www.papajan.com/download/ABC-color.exe

- This delightful free software will entertain children for hours coloring pictures on the computer and listening to songs! Download time is approximately 5 minutes with a 56k modem. ABC Color with Me is available for Windows 95/98/ME/XP, and includes install/uninstall support.
 

Great people who died in air crashes! I liked them for prowess in their fields...

I was shocked and saddened by the information I saw about the number of famous personalities who lost their lives by tragic aircrashes at the pinnacles of their careers...

Jim Reeves

Soft-voiced country and western singer Jim Reeves6 enjoyed a string of hit singles in the early 1960s, including 'He'll Have To Go', 'I Won't Forget You' and, following his death, the biggest-selling single of 1964, 'I Love You Because'. His songs continued to record posthumous success right through to the 1970s, perhaps the most memorable being the 1966 hit 'Distant Drums'.On 31 July, 1964, Reeves was piloting a Beechcraft 35-B33 Debonair returning from Batesville, Arkansas to Nashville, Tennessee, when he ran into a thunderstorm. As was the case with the pilots in charge of the planes which killed Buddy Holly and Patsy Cline, Reeves was not qualified to fly on instruments. Two days later, the wreckage was found in dense woods ten miles south of Nashville. Reeves and his manager Dean Manuel were both killed. Coincidentally, both Reeves and Patsy Cline's pilot were trained by the same instructor.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd were the undisputed kings of Southern Rock, producing five best-selling studio albums between 1973 and 1977, as well as the hit singles 'Free Bird' and 'Sweet Home Alabama'. Formed by Ronnie Van Zant in 1964 from friends and schoolmates in Jacksonville, Florida, the band was at its peak when on a tour of the southern states of the USA on 20 October, 1977.

On Thursday, October 20, 1977, just three days after the release of Street Survivors, and five shows into their most successful headlining tour to date, Lynyrd Skynyrd's chartered Convair 240 developed an engine problem, near the end of their flight En route between Greenville, South Carolina and Baton Rouge, Louisiana and started consuming excessive fuel. Eventually running low, the plane crash-landed in woodland near Gillsburg, Mississippi, killing six of the 26 aboard and seriously injuring many of the rest. Sadly, the dead included three band members: vocalist Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and Steve's sister and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines.Though the pilots attempted an emergency landing on a small airstrip, the plane crashed in a forest five miles northeast of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were all killed on impact

Homi Jehangir Bhabha (October 30, 1909 – January 24, 1966)

Homi Jehangir Bhabha, FRS was an Indian nuclear physicist who had a major role in the development of the Indian atomic energy program and is considered to be the father of India's nuclear program.He died in the Air India Flight 101 air disaster near Mont Blanc in 1966.

On the 24th of January 1966 at 0702 UTC, Air India Flight Number 101, a Boeing 707-437 called "Kanchenjunga" crashed on its regular route from Bombay (Mumbai) to London via Delhi, Beirut and Geneva. The plane was carrying 106 passengers and 11 crew members. It crashed into Glacier des Bossons (Bossons Glacier) on the south west face of Mont Blanc in France. At 4807 meters altitude, Mont Blanc is the highest summit in Western Europe. There were no survivors. It was quickly determined that the pilot had made a navigationalerror while descending for landing into Geneva. It was the second time such an air disaster had occurred on that part of the mountain, both crashes involving aircraft operated by Air India. Earlier on 3rd of November 1950 Air India Super Constellation called the "Malabar Princess," carrying 48 passengers and crew had crashed in almost exactly the same spot killing all on board.

After his death, the Atomic Energy Establishment was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in his honour. Bhabha also encouraged research in electronics, space science, radio astronomy and microbiology. The famed radio telescope at Ooty, India was his initiative, and it became a reality in 1970. Bhabha has since become known as the "Father of India's Atomic Energy Programme". The Homi Bhabha Fellowship Council has been giving the Homi Bhabha Fellowships since 1967. Other noted insititutions in his name are the Homi Bhabha National Institute, an Indian deemed university and the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai, India.

Amelia Earhart (July 24, 1897 – missing July 2, 1937,

declared dead January 5, 1939)

Amelia Mary Earhart (pronounced "AIR-hart"); was a noted American aviation pioneer, and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots.During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. Fascination with her life, career and disappearance continues to this day.

'Amelia Earhart' was the 'Action Girl' of her time. She set a world altitude record in 1931, and again on 21 May, 1932, in her Lockheed Vega, and became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, repeating Charles Lindbergh's feat of 1927. Taking off from Newfoundland, Earhart successfully overcame a series of technical crises, including a fuel leak and a broken altimeter, before landing the following day at Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Four years earlier she had become the first transatlantic female passenger in a Fokker F7, the Friendship, in 1928.

On that occasion, after negotiating an Atlantic storm, the crew successfully managed to land the Fokker at Burry Port, Wales.Earhart's end came during a round-the-world attempt in a Lockheed Electra 10E with navigator Fred Noonan in July, 1937. Having successfully travelled eastwards from Miami to Lae,New Guinea, they attempted a 2,500-mile hop to Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. They never arrived, and a major air/sea search failed to recover anything. It is assumed that either they ran into a storm, or their navigation led them off course, and scattered clouds made it difficult to identify the tiny island before they ran out of fuel.

Ritchie Valens (17) (Richard Steven Valenzuela; May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959)

Buddy Holly (22)

Jiles "the Big Bopper" Richardson (29)

On February 3, 1959, a small-plane Beechcraft Bonanza crashed shortly after taking off in a snowstorm near Clear Lake, Iowa, United States killing three American rock and roll musicians: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called 'The Day the Music Died', by Don McLean in his 1971 song "American Pie". Pilot was not IFR qualified. Valens got to go on the flip of a coin leaving Tommy Allsup behind.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999),

often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr., John Kennedy or John-John, was a journalist, lawyer, pilot, and socialite. He was the first son of President John F.Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, and the younger brother of Caroline Kennedy and the older brother of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy. Known as the "American Son" Kennedy was one of the few presidential children to actually be raised in the White House. He was killed in a plane crash along with his wife and sister-in-law in mid-1999.

On July 16, 1999, Kennedy was killed along with his wife and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette when the aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. He was flying a Piper Saratoga II HP from Essex County Airport in New Jersey to Martha's Vineyard. Kennedy and his wife were traveling to the wedding of his cousinRory in Hyannis, Massachusetts, which was then postponed, while Lauren was to have been dropped off at Martha's Vineyard en route.

Soundarya (July 17, 1971 - April 17, 2004)

She was a film actress in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. She had a successful career of 12 years as heroine in films until her death in a plane crash near Bangalore. She acted in more than 100 films.Soundarya died on April 17, 2004 in an plane crash near Bangalore when the four-seater plane Cessna 180 caught fire immediately after take off . She was on her way to Andhra Pradesh to campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party for the elections. Her brother, Amarnath, a producer of Kannada films and the pilot of the plane also died in the accident. She was just three months pregnant.

Dag Hammarskjöld,

Son of a Swedish Prime Minister7, Dag Hammarskjöld8 was an economist who represented Sweden in the United Nations, and in 1953 was elected UN Secretary General. During his tenure, he led diplomatic efforts in the Korean War, the Suez Crisis and the Congolese Civil War, and he commissioned the first UN peace-keeping force.It was on 17 September, 1961 that Hammarskjöld took a flight from Léopoldville9 on a Douglas DC-6B to negotiate a ceasefire between UN and Congolese forces with the president of the Katanga Province. The plane crashed overnight into jungle on the approach to Ndola airport, Northern Rhodesia10, killing all 16 on board. The official investigation cites navigational errors causing too low an approach, but conspiracy theories also exist, including one that the plane was bombed by Western intelligence agents. Hammarskjöld was posthumously awarded the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize.

Wladyslaw Sikorski, (May 20, 1881 – July 4, 1943)

Polish national hero Wladyslaw Sikorski made his name fighting for independence against the Russian occupiers in the early part of the 20th Century. He led the Polish Army to victory in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920, and served as Prime Minister in the newly-independent republic. Losing power in a military coup in 1926, he left politics, but returned after Germanyinvaded Poland in September, 1939, forming a government-in-exile, based in the UK. Sikorski found himself at odds with Stalin, who had designs on annexing Poland, and in 1943 he accused the Russians of the murders of 4,000 Polish officers in an atrocity at Katyn. Russian sabotage is one of a number of theories surrounding Sikorski's death on 4 July, 1943.

Returning from an inspection of Polish troops in the Middle East, Sikorski was a passenger on a Consolidated B-24C Liberator which took off for London after a stopover in Gibraltar. The plane crashed into the sea, shortly after take-off, for no obvious reason, killing 12 of the 13 on board. Sikorski may well have been betrayed by Kim Philby, the double-agent who was head of British counter-intelligence in the area at that time. He was killed, together with his daughter, his Chief of Staff, Tadeusz Klimecki, and seven others, when his plane, a Liberator II, serial AL523, crashed into the sea 16 seconds after takeoff from Gibraltar at 23:07 hours. He was subsequently buried in a brick-lined grave at the Polish War Cemetery in Newark-on-Trent, England. On September 17, 1993, his remains were exhumed and transferred to the royal crypts at WawelCastle in Kraków, Poland. Other than to confirm the identity of the remains, no forensic examination was made. On July 2, 2008 archbishop Stanisław Dziwisz gave consent for the exhumation of Sikorski's remains from their grave in Krakow. An exhumation was necessary to investigate the circumstances of how Sikorski died, in spite of the account provided by the British Government. In January 2009 Polish investigators concluded that there was no evidence Sikorski was murdered.

Ramón Magsaysay, (August 31, 1907 - March 17, 1957)

The third president of the Philippines, Ramón Magsaysay4 was elected to office in 1953, and is widely regarded as a man of integrity and a champion of the people. A former guerilla leader during the Japanese occupation, he was an ally of the United States, and was one of the founders of the anti-communist SEATO alliance in 1954.It was during a re-election campaign on 17 March, 1957 that Magsaysay boarded his presidential Douglas C-47 for Manila, having given a speech in Cebu City. Later that day, the plane's wreckage was discovered on Mt Manunggal in Cebu. One survived, a journalist, but 24 lost their lives. The cause is not clear, but the crash is believed to have been accidental.