List of islands of India:

This is a partial list of islands of India.

•         Andaman Islands

•         Barren Island

•         Great Andaman

•         Little Andaman

•         Ritchie's Archipelago

•         Sentinel Islands

•         Islands of the Cauvery River

•         Srirangapatna

•         Shivanasamudram

•         Sri Rangam

•         Crocodile Island (Tamil Nadu)

•         Chorao, Goa

•         St. Mary's Islands

•         Netrani Island

•         Diu

•         Divar, Goa

•         Lakshadweep

•         Majuli fluvial island

•         Minicoy Island

•         Munroe Island, Kollam, Kerala

•         Islands of Mumbai Harbour

•         Butcher Island (Mumbai)

•         Cross Island

•         Elephanta Island

•         Middle Ground

•         Oyster Rock

•         Salsette Island

•         Nicobar Islands

•         Great Nicobar

•         Car Nicobar

•         Sagar Island (West Bengal)

•         Pamban Island

•         Sriharikota

•         Vashee, Goa

•         Vypin, Kochi, Kerala

•         Willington Island, Kochi, Kerala

•         Vallarpadam, Kochi, Kerala

•         Kavvayi

•         Quibble Island – an island in the City of Chennai bordered west by Buckingham Canal, South by River Adayar, North by River Coovam and to the east by Bay of Bengal. The island starts from University of Madras and ends in Estuary of Adayar. An entirely man-made island.

•         South Talpatti Island – a three-mile-long island that was disputed to be owned by both India and Bangladesh. The Associated Pressreported it submerged in March 2010.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

~Tourist Places in India~

India is very very diverse – probably the most diverse of countries that you will find on this earth. We have some of the Coldest places in Kashmir, A place that has highest rainfall in world – Cherrapunji, and also one if the driest places on the Earth – The Thar Desert. Adding to that – More than half of Indian boundary is home to beautiful beaches. And don't forget that Northern part of India hosts Himalayan Ranges snow capped mountains.

Agra

Agra’s Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah Jahan’s favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and one of three World Heritage Sites in Agra.

Completed in 1653, the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal king Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Finished in marble, it is perhaps India’s most fascinating and beautiful monument. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-1652) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewelers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens.

Jaipur / Udaipur

Jaipur is also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Jaipur is a very famous tourist and education destination in India.

Lots of people flock to Jaipur to view the various forts and monuments in Jaipur which reflect its glorious past. Tourism is a significant part of Jaipur’s economy. Some of the world’s best hotels are located here.

Forts & Monuments

• Hawa Mahal
• Amber Fort
• Jaigarh Fort
• Nahargarh Fort
• City Palace
• Jantar Mantar
• Jal Mahal
• Rambagh Palace
• Chandra Mahal, The City Palace, Jaipur
• Diwan-e-Aam, City Palace
• Central Museum, (Albert Hall Museum)

Goa

Goa is Famous for its pristine beaches, in fact 90% of all the tourism in Goa happens only for its beautiful beaches in Coastal Areas. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays.

In 2008 there were more than three million tourists reported to have visited Goa, more than half million of whom were from Foreign visitors. In fact, many foreigners have made Goa as there home for its laid-back and relaxed lifestyle !

Kashmir

Kashmir was once called Heaven on Earth, and once of the most beautiful places in the world. However, in last couple of decades, terrorism has faded its charm – A place home to Himalayan Ranges.

The State of Jammu & Kashmir has main three geographical regions known as “The Lesser Himalayas” or the “Jhelum Valley” (Kashmir), “The Inner Himalayas” or “The Indus Valley” (Ladakh & Frontier areas) also called “Trans-Himalayas”, and “The Outer-Himalayas” or “The Southern mountain range” (Jammu). The area of Jammu & Kashmir is 2, 22,236 square kilometers.

Kanyakumari

Though there are several places of tourist-interest in the town and district, Kanyakumari is especially popular in India for its spectacular and unique sunrise and sunset. The confluence of three ocean bodies – the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea – makes the sunrise and sunset even more special. On balmy, full-moon evenings, one can also see the moon-rise and sunset at the same time – on either side of the horizon.

Kerala (Backwaters)

Kerala, situated on the lush and tropical Malabar Coast, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Named as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 places of a lifetime" by the National Geographic Traveler magazine, Kerala is especially known for its ecotourism initiatives, Beautiful Backwaters and Alternative healing massages.

Old Delhi

Delhi, Capital of India has many attractions like mosques, forts and other monuments that represent India’s history. The important places in Old Delhi include the majestic Red Fort. New Delhi on the other hand houses many government buildings and embassies, apart from places of historical interest.

The Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb have been declared World Heritage Sites.

Ajanta Ellora

Ajantha & Ellora are 28 – 30 rock-cut cave monuments created during the first century BC and 5th century AD, containing paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art.

The caves are located just outside the village of Ajantha / Ellora in Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Since 1983, the Ajanta & Ellora Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Darjeeling

Darjeeling in India owes’ its grandeur to its natural beauty, its clean fresh mountain air and above all, the smiling resilient people for whom it is a home. Known for its natural splendor, Darjeeling’s best gift to its’ visitors is the dawn of a new day. The mountains awaken first with a tentative peeking of the sun.

A steep ride, five kilometers from Ghoom, or an invigorating walk up a steep incline, leads sun worshippers to Tiger Hill. The air is chilly with darkness and damp. To the east, a dull orange sun emerged painting the sky with brilliant strokes of magenta, gold, orange and fuchsia. The snow capped Everest, Kabru, Kanchenjunga, Jannu and other peaks slowly emerge from slumber to start a new day. The sun worshippers gasp at the magnificent sight.

Mysore

Mysore is a tourism hot spot within the state of Karnataka and also acts as a base for other tourist places in the vicinity of the city. The city receives the maximum number of tourists during the period of the Dasara festival when festivities take place for a period of 10 days. One of the most visited monuments in India, the Ambavilas Palace (also known as Mysore Palace) is the center of the Dasara festivities.

Courtesy: http://trak.in

Word of the Day From Dictionary:

frondescence \fron-DES-uhns\, noun:

1. Leafage; foliage. 2. The process or period of putting forth leaves, as a tree, plant, or the like.

collop \KOL-uhp\, noun:

1. A small slice of meat. 2. A small slice, portion, or piece of anything. 3. A fold or roll of flesh on the body.

operose \OP-uh-rohs\, adjective:

1. Done with or involving much labor. 2. Industrious, as a person.

bobbery \BOB-uh-ree\, noun:

A disturbance or a brawl.

altruistic \al-troo-IS-tik\, adjective:

1. Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others. 2. Animal Behavior. Of or pertaining to behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, often its close relatives.

churlish \CHUR-lish\, adjective:

1. Boorish or rude. 2. Of a churl; peasantlike. 3. Stingy; mean. 4. Difficult to work or deal with, as soil.

serry \SER-ee\, verb:

To crowd closely together.

panegyrize \PAN-i-juh-rahyz\, verb:

1. To eulogize; to deliver or write a panegyric about. 2. To indulge in panegyric; bestow praises.

stertor \STUR-ter\, noun:

A heavy snoring sound.

procrustean \proh-KRUHS-tee-uhn\, adjective:

1. Tending to produce conformity by violent or arbitrary means. 2. Pertaining to or suggestive of Procrustes.

dipsomania \dip-suh-MEY-nee-uh\, noun:

An irresistible, typically periodic craving for alcoholic drink.

appetence \AP-i-tuhns\, noun:

1. Intense desire; strong natural craving; appetite. 2. Instinctive inclination or natural tendency. 3. Material or chemical attraction or affinity.

crepitate \KREP-i-teyt\, verb:

To make a crackling sound; crackle.

poltroon \pol-TROON\, noun:

1. A wretched coward; craven.

adjective: 1. Marked by utter cowardice.

salvo \SAL-voh\, noun:

1. Something to save a person's reputation or soothe a person's feelings. 2. An excuse or quibbling evasion. 3. A simultaneous or successive discharge of artillery, bombs, etc. 4. A round of fire given as a salute. 5. A round of cheers or applause.

mitigate \MIT-i-geyt\, verb:

1. To lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
2. To make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.
3. To make (a person, one's state of mind, disposition, etc.) milder or more gentle; mollify; appease.
4. To become milder; lessen in severity.

FAMOUS ORIGINAL NAMES WITH ABBREVIATED OR ALTERNATIVE NAMES:

Acharya Rajneesh:Osho

Adam Smith: Father of Economics

Adolf Hitler: Fuhrer (also fuehrer)

Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Suspense

Andrei D. Sakharov: Father of the (Soviet) Hydrogen Bomb

Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Lokmanya; Father of Indian Unrest

Bhagat Singh: Shahid - e - Azam

C. Rajagopalachari: C.R. Rajaji

C.F. Andrews: Deenabandhu

C.N. Annadurai: Anna

Chittaranjan Das: Deshbandhu

Dadabhai Naoroji: Grand Old Man of India; Father of Indian Politics and Economics.

Dadasaheb Phalke: Father of Indian Cinema.

Duke of Wellington: Iron Duke.

Dwight David Eisenhower: lke

Edmund Spencer: Poets' Poet

Eivis Presley; Elvis the Pelvis

Ernest Rutherford: Father of Nuclear Physics.

Erwin Rammel: Desert Fax.

Florence Nightingale: Lady with the Lamp.

Geoffrey Chaucer: Father of English Poetry.

George Bernard Show: 'G.B.S'

Giovanni Baccaccio: Father of the Novel

Gurcharan Singh: Ground Old Man of Indian Pottery, Daddyji.

Henrik J. Ibsen: Father of Modern Drama

Herodotus: Father of History

Hippocrates: Father of Medicine

Homi J. Bhabha: Father of Indian Nuclear Science

Indira Gandhi: Iron Lady of India

J.R.D. Tata: Father of Civil Aviation in India.

Jamshedji Tata: Father of Indian Industry

Jawaharlal Nehru: Chacha; Panditji

Jayaprakash Narayan: 'J.P'; Loknayak

Joan of Arc: Maid of Orleans

Joseph Priestley: Father of Soda Pop; Father of Modern Chemistry

K.M. Cariappa: Kipper, Grand Old Man of Indian Army.

K.V. Puttappa: Kuvempu

Kalidas: Indian Shakespeare, Shakespeare of India

Kato Ichire: Dr. Robot.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan: Badshah Khan; Frantier Gandhi; Fakhre-e Afghan,

Lala Lajpat Rai: Punjab Kesari (Lion of the Punjab or Sher-e-Punjab)

M.F. Robespierre: The Incorruptible

M.K. Gandhi: Bapu; Mahatma; Father of the Nation.

M.S. Golwalkar: Guruji

Madan Mohan Malaviya: Mahamana

Nandlal Base: Father of Modern Painting in India.

Napoleon Bonaparte: Little Corporol; Man of Density.

Otto Von Bismarck: Man of Blood and Iron; Iron Chancellor

Queen Elizabeth I; Maiden Queen

Rabindranath Tagore: Gurudev

Rajinder Singh: Sparrow

Raja Rammohan Roy: Father of Indian Renaissance.

Richard Cobden: Apostle of Free Trade

Samudragupta: Indian Napoleon.

S. Sathyamurthi: Firebrand of South India

Salim Ali: The Birdman of India

Sarojini Naidu: Nightingale of India

Shakti Chattapadhyaya: Robert Frost of West Bengal.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah: Lion of Kashmir (Sher-e-Kashmir)

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Bangabandhu

St. Nicholas: Santa Claus

Subhash Chandra Bose: Netaji

Susruta: Father of Modern Plastic Surgery

T.T. Krishnamachari: T.T.K.'

Tanguturi Prakasam: Andhra Kesari

Tenzing Norgay: Tiger of Snows

Thomas Cook: Father of Modern Tourism

Thomas Edward Lawrence: Lawrence of Arabia

Tushar Kanti Ghosh; Grand Old Man of Indian Journalism

Vallabhbhai Patel: Iron Man of India, Bismarck of India.

Vinoba Bhave: Acharya

V.M. Basheer: Sultan of Beypore

Walter Scott: Wizard of the North

William Ewart Gladstone: Grand Old Man of British Politics.

William Pitt: The Younger Pitt, Grand Commoner

William Shakespeare: Bard of Avon.

Objective General Knowledge Q&A:

Q. A ligament is 1 a fibrous tissue that joins the muscle to bone 2 a type of amorphous gel that cements nonmovable joints together 3 a type of fibrous connective tissue that joins bones together at joints 4 only formed to repair damaged muscle tissue Ans:3

Q. A light sensitive compound used in photography is 1 Silver chloride 2 Silver sulphide 3 Silver bromide 4 Silver oxide Ans:3

Q. A man weighing 96kg, consist of approximately -------- leaters of water. 1 50 liters 2 66.5 liters 3 82 liters 4 42 liters Ans:2

Q. A mature living cell without a nucleus is a 1 sieve cell 2 sieve tube 3 companion cell 4 vessel Ans:2

Q. A Minister who wants to resign from the council of Ministers in India shall address his resignation letter to- 1 Prime Minister 2 President 3 Speaker of the Lok Sabha 4 Party President Ans:2

Q. A Mitochondria possesses a 1 Single membrane 2 Double membrane 3 Three-layered membrane 4 Four-layered membrane Ans:2

Q. A mixure of solid Al2O3 and Fe2O3 can be separated by the method of 1 Forth floatation 2 Magnetic separation 3 Gravity separation 4 Dissolving in Water Ans:2

Q. A Money Bill in the Parliament can be introduced only with the recomendations of the: 1 President of India 2 Union Cabinet 3 Speaker of the Lok Sabha 4 Union Finance Minister Ans:1

Q. A MoU was, on December 10. 2009, signed between - and the Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games, making the former official partner of 2010 Games. 1 Delhi Metro Railway Corporation 2 SAIL 3 NTPC 4 All of the above Ans:3

Q. A narrow inlet of sea between cliffs or steep slopes, especially associated with Scandinavia is 1 Bay 2 Gulf stream 3 Fjord 4 None of these Ans:3