Latest news with #Persian
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Optical illusion: Only a keen observer with sharp eyes can spot the hidden phone in this image
Have you ever looked at a seemingly simple image and found your mind playing tricks on you? Optical illusions are more than just fascinating; they challenge the way we perceive the world around us. Our brains, trained to quickly interpret visual information, often take shortcuts, leading us to see things that aren't quite what they seem. This makes optical illusions a fun and engaging way to test our perception and sharpen our minds. Recently, a particularly tricky optical illusion has surfaced on Reddit, offering a delightful challenge for puzzle enthusiasts. The image, which appears to be a traditional Persian rug, hides a surprising twist—a phone perfectly camouflaged within its intricate patterns. The task? Spot the hidden phone before your brain convinces you it's not ther. (Also read: Optical illusion: Only those with top-notch observation skills can spot the hidden snake in this image) The optical illusion presented shows a highly detailed Persian/Oriental rug, featuring beautiful blue floral patterns on a cream-coloured background. Underneath the rug, a white table is visible, and the rug's borders are adorned with traditional motifs, adding to the complexity of the design. As your eyes scan the image, your task is simple: find the hidden phone, cleverly camouflaged within the ornate design. Check out the image here: The puzzle is designed to test not only your attention to detail but also your ability to distinguish subtle differences in patterns and shades. Hidden objects, like this phone, are a common feature in optical illusion challenges, as they encourage viewers to engage their brains and sharpen their observational skills. Optical illusions are captivating because they tap into the brain's natural tendency to make quick interpretations based on visual stimuli. Our minds are wired to recognise patterns, which is why illusions that mislead our expectations become so intriguing. When presented with complex images, like the rug in this puzzle, our brains are forced to slow down, look closely, and process the image more carefully. The longer we take to search for hidden objects, the more satisfaction we get from finally spotting them. (Also read: How many people are actually sitting in this car? This optical illusion has left the internet stumped) While the rug's intricate patterns may seem overwhelming at first, patience and a sharp eye can lead you to the hidden phone. So, take a moment, examine the image carefully, and let your brain enjoy the challenge. Can you spot the phone before others? It's time to test your observation skills!
The Star
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rooted in the earth, Indian traditional mud wrestling thrives
KOLHAPUR: Crowds cheer as muscular men in loincloths slap sacred scented soil on their bulging thighs and arms for a mud wrestling bout in India. "When we fight, we sweat," said 33-year-old Mauli Jamdade, a wrestling star in Maharashtra state, rubbing red-brown earth onto his body for each clash. "The mud gives us grip and helps us grapple better." Unlike conventional wrestling matches played on mats with regulated draws, India's mud wrestling is more raw - but has been the training ground for Olympic success. This style of wrestling, known as "kushti" or "dangal", has millennia-old roots but emerged during the period of India's Mughal rulers in the 16th century, blending traditional hand-to-hand combat with Persian martial arts. There are no blows or kicking, but plenty of throws to the ground, and it remains hugely popular. It took Jamdade over 15 minutes to defeat his rival, starting with a slow circling dance then twisting, turning and locking arms, before he pinned him down. The bout ends when one wrestler pins his opponent's back to the mud, irrespective of how long it takes. Both men and women Indian wrestlers have won medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games in the more regulated form of the sport. But it is the mud, not mat, version that is popular in swathes of rural areas - with supporters saying it is not just a spectacle but a tradition that many want to uphold. Bank cashier Anil Harale ended his wrestling career after injuring his leg, but after work still slips out of his office clothes for a dirty wrestle. "I miss it," said the 46-year-old, who hopes his "unfulfilled dream" will be realised by his teenage son, an aspiring wrestler. Wrestler K D Jadhav, who took bronze at the 1952 Olympics - the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal - began his sporting career as a mud wrestler in Kolhapur, a city in Maharashtra. "It is from mud that wrestlers reach the Olympics," said excited fan Sachin Mote, among hundreds cheering the wrestlers at a bout. Kolhapur is a core base of the sport with its centuries-old residential gymnasiums known as talims. Jamdade joined the Gangavesh talim aged 14. A picture of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman - a deity worshipped by wrestlers for his strength and devotion - gazes over waist-deep pits where the soil is dug. The earth is mixed with turmeric, yoghurt and milk, as well as neem tree leaves and oil, before it is ploughed and smoothened across the ring. For the wrestlers, the soil is sacred. "It is everything," said Jamdade. "There is nothing without it." More than a hundred wrestlers - some as young as 10 - train at the talim. It is an austere life. The rigourous training includes waking up before dawn, running, hundreds of push-ups, rope climbing and grappling. Tobacco and alcohol are strictly prohibited, phone usage is restricted and pre-marital relationships are considered a distraction. For Jamdade, the first year at the talim was all about gaining weight - and that is an expensive affair. "There are people who weigh 125-130 kilos (275-285 pounds)," he said. "To fight with them, and match their strength, I need to be at least 120 kilos." So when he is not in the ring or training, Jamdade focuses on eating. That includes at least five kilos of goat meat each week, some 70 egg whites, 24 apples, leafy vegetables and dry fruits. He washes that down with at least 21 litres of milk, 14 litres of sweet lemon juice and a protein shake made with almonds, cashews, honey, cardamom seeds, honey and milk. His monthly food bill totals US$350 but the prize money he has won helps his family, who are from a poor farming background. Winnings range from a few hundred dollars to US$1,700 - more than the annual average income of an agricultural household in India. While the popularity of more organised wrestling on mats has grown, Jamdade believes mud bouts have a safe future as a core part of village fairs. "Fairs will always continue," he said. "Mud wrestling will never end." - AFP
Scroll.in
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
From the archives: How Raj Khosla and Guru Dutt struck up an instant friendship
In the late 1980s, I had the privilege of meeting Raj Khosla. I was introduced to him by Guru Dutt's sister, the artist Lalitha Lajmi, who took me to see him in Marina Apartments in Pali Hill in Bandra, Mumbai. His apartment was later bought by Aamir Khan's family, and it is where they still live today. At that time, I was researching material for a documentary I later made called In Search of Guru Dutt (Channel 4 TV, UK, 1989) and meeting Raj Khosla was most memorable. His love for cinema, warmth of personality and generosity of heart were so evident. Following are excerpts from two conversations, the first an audio interview recorded on November 5, 1986, and the second filmed on September 22, 1988. Raj Khosla: In those days [late 1940s, early 1950s], I wanted to be a playback singer. Dev [Anand] was trying to help me, but things weren't working out. So, one day he told me, 'There's a friend of mine, Guru Dutt, and he's going to direct my next picture. Why don't you become his assistant?' 'I don't want to do filmmaking; I want to sing.' He said, 'Come on! Get together, things will gradually fall into place.' That's how I met Guru Dutt. He asked me, 'Do you have any experience in being an assistant in films? Dev has recommended you.' 'Yes, I have, I'm studying filmmaking.' The second thing he asks, 'Do you know Hindi?' 'Of course I know Hindi.' I didn't write in Hindi. I wrote in Urdu and Persian. In the 1940s, most Punjabis knew Urdu well, and some, even Farsi. But I didn't know how to write in Devanagari. He said, 'Fine, join duty from tomorrow.' So I ran from there and the first thing I did was learn to read Hindi, ka, kha, ga. Sure enough, after six or seven days, he said, 'Just copy out these scenes.' By that time, I had picked up some Hindi. When I wrote the scenes, he asked, 'One second, when did you start learning?' I said, 'The day you asked me if I knew Hindi.' He smiled. We struck up a friendship instantly. Nasreen Munni Kabir: What was your relationship with the Anands? Raj Khosla: The Anand family and my family were from the Punjab. We had generational relations. Their father and mine were college mates and friends. So, we were the second generation of friends. When I was looking to work, Chetan Anand said, 'Why don't you work at Navketan?' Since they were producing Baazi at that time, my destiny was kind to me. I opted to work as Guru Dutt's assistant. Nasreen Munni Kabir: You told me you were very fond of Sahir Ludhianvi. Raj Khosla: I was a college student when I heard the work of Sahir sahab. I told my father that Sahir Ludhianvi was going to be a fantastic success. In my college days, I used to know a poem written by Sahir, Sanaa-khvaan-e taqdis-e mashriq kahaan hain. This poem became Jinhen naaz hai hind par woh kahaan hain. The lines were changed for Pyaasa, because who would understand the Persianised original lines? One day we were sitting in the Navketan office, and I sang the whole song to Guru Dutt. I had composed the tune myself, and he said, 'Raj, this is it! This is Pyaasa!' By chance, Sahir was already writing for him in Baazi. So, there was no problem of copyright or anything. Guru Dutt had a great gift of understanding emotion. But the relationship between Sahir and Guru Dutt was a little distant, I would say. In art, they were very close but personally they were not very close. I was personally much closer to Sahir. Nasreen Munni Kabir: You said you wanted to be a singer. Did you record any songs? RK: No, I didn't. In Jaal, we had this song, Sun Ja Dil Ki Dastaan. Guru Dutt recorded me singing it, but I failed the test. SD Burman said, 'Raj is good, but...' The song was later re-recorded in Hemant Kumar's voice. It was a tremendous hit. Raj Khosla: My first film was Milap, I made it for the same producer, TR Fatehchand, who also made Jaal. Many people thought C.I. D. was my first film, because Milap was not a hit. It was C.I.D. that got me noticed as a director. There's an amusing incident that happened when C.I.D. was released in Calcutta in 1957. We had very heavy rains that year and all the flights were cancelled, so we went to Calcutta by train. We took a box of beer and drank in the compartment. Remember Bombay-Calcutta was 46 hours in those days. We got thoroughly bored with each other. As the train ultimately entered the train station, the distributor, who was a very fat man, I don't remember his name, had garlands ready for us and he said, 'Raj, it's a hit. Ho gaya kaam!' (The work is done!) The garlands told us things were okay. Nevertheless, we went to the theatre to see for ourselves how C.I.D. was doing. Twenty minutes into the film, Guru Dutt says, 'Raj, you've made a super-hit film, come on, let's celebrate.' The next morning, I didn't find him in the hotel suite. I searched everywhere for him. Where is he? Fully dressed, with bowtie and all, lying in the bathtub. He must have been drinking all night. He was very sweet. Nasreen Munni Kabir: Why didn't you carry on directing under Guru Dutt's banner? Raj Khosla: As a matter of fact, after C. I. D., he offered me a lakh of rupees for the next film, which was a lot of money in 1957. I said, 'No, Guru Dutt, I will not work with you anymore.' 'Why? What's the problem?' 'You don't grow under a big tree. I'm a small plant. If I work with you, it'll always be Guru Dutt made this film.' He said, 'Go your way. Whenever you want to come and make a film for me...' Nasreen Munni Kabir: Can you talk about the C.I.D. song Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar, featuring Dev Anand and Shakila? It was filmed on the pedestrian promenade on the Worli Sea Face [now part of the Coastal Road]. Raj Khosla: Dev Anand was a very disciplined person. He still is one of the most disciplined actors we ever had. The only thing I remember about that song is that Dev Anand tells me, 'Raj, what am I doing in this song?' 'The song is doing everything, you just walk.' So we started shooting. It was quite a long walk down the promenade, you know. The song goes through its entirety for about three minutes or so and he keeps walking. So after a few shots, he said, 'You want me to walk a mile or two or something? What am I doing in this song?' I said, 'You're walking. You're not going to sing.' 'Okay, you're the boss.' Typical of Dev, you know, he always wants to be active. Then the second thing I remembered is that while walking he had this habit of always using his hands somewhere. 'You don't move your hands.' He says, 'I can't sing, I can't move my hands, I'm supposed to walk.' 'That's it, you're just supposed to walk and look handsome!'
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Hi-tech makeover for 161-year-old Prayagraj Public Library
As part of the initiatives undertaken under the Prayagraj Smart City project to turn the city smart in different phases, the Government Public Library, having historical importance of holding the first meeting of the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Province on January 08, 1887, has now turned hi-tech. Having over 1.25 lakh books, rare manuscripts and bound volumes of newspapers including around 500 books as old as 400 to 500 years, the monitoring and functioning of the library is being done through a customised Library Management Software. According to librarian Dr Gopal Mohan Shukla, the Public Library is the largest in the state as it is the lone library present in Category 5 in UP. 'As per government norms, libraries are classified into five categories based on several parameters including the count of collection of books and manuscripts, daily average footfalls, count of registered members, maximum seating capacity at any given time, annual budgetary allocation, etc.,' he said. The Government Public Library, having a rich collection of nearly 150 manuscripts and famous original works right from the Mughal period, including the Shahnama, a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi, and the Persian translation of Upanishads by Dara Shikoh, etc., is the lone member classified in Category 5 in UP, he added. Presently, over 1.25 lakh books including nearly 500 books as old as 400 to 500 years are being monitored and controlled through a Library Management Software. The books and manuscripts have been barcoded to facilitate their monitoring. Along with this, the IT team of Smart City has also created the library's website — — for the convenience of readers. As per the Manager (IT) of Prayagraj Smart City Project, Mani Shanker Tripathi, the automation of the Government Public Library was done through a budgetary allocation of around ₹2.25 crore, including placement of 22 CCTV cameras in different locations of the library. The 161-year-old library, established in 1864 during the British rule with the approval of the then Lieutenant Governor Sir William Muir in Alfred Park (now known as Chandra Shekhar Azad Park), also has bound volumes of gazettes including: Gazette of India (1900 to 1953), North-Western Provinces Gazette (1860 to 1902), United Provinces Gazette (1903 to 1951), and Uttar Pradesh Gazette (1951 to 2000), besides bound volumes of newspapers as old as The Pioneer of 1864, Bharatvarsh (Bangla) from 1924 to 1969, Punch Magazine from 1925 to 1974, The Round Table from 1910 to 1974, Spectator from 1938 to 1973, Economist from 1948 to 1974, etc. Presently, the library has over 3,000 registered members besides a staff strength of 26.
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Bhool Bhulaiya In Lucknow: This 240-Year-Old Maze Still Baffles Tourists Every Day
Right in the middle of Lucknow, yes, the land of kebabs, tehzeeb, and royal drama, stands one of India's most mind-bending historical spots. Welcome to Bhool Bhulaiya, the insane labyrinth tucked inside the iconic Bara Imambara. With endless corridors, identical doors that love to confuse, and secrets buried in silence, this place is no regular monument. Built back in the 18th century under Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, it is both a work of architectural genius and a solid reflection of Lucknow's cultural roots. Whether you are into history, architecture, or just want your brain to do cartwheels, Bhool Bhulaiya is the plot twist you did not see coming. So, if you are planning to visit one of India's most iconic heritage sites, keep these wild facts in mind. Here Are 8 Fascinating Facts About Bhool Bhulaiya: 1. Built To Beat A Famine, Not Just Show Off Grandeur In 1784, when a severe famine gripped Awadh, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula launched a project that would feed his people with dignity. Instead of handing out alms, he commissioned the construction of the Bara Imambara, including Bhool Bhulaiya, to create jobs for thousands. According to historians, this was no ordinary relief plan. Labourers built by day, and nobles worked by night, dismantling and rebuilding the same sections. It was a way to keep employment going for as long as possible. Functional, thoughtful, and way ahead of its time. 2. It's Over 1,000 Corridors Bhool Bhulaiya is not your average maze. With more than 1,000 winding passageways and 489 identical doorways, it was designed to confuse. Many of the paths loop back or hit a dead end, and the symmetry plays tricks on even the sharpest eyes. Veteran visitors still advise one thing: do not enter without a guide, unless you want to spend the afternoon trying to find your way out - and possibly missing lunch. 3. No Pillars. Just Brilliance. The central hall of the Bara Imambara is an engineering marvel. It stretches 170 feet long and 55 feet wide, and here is the kicker - there are no supporting pillars holding up the massive ceiling. Instead, it rests on the clever design of the maze above, which distributes weight and adds structure. This technique continues to puzzle modern architects, and it is a major reason the site remains one of Lucknow's most famous architectural landmarks. 4. A Monument Born From A Design Challenge The Nawab did not settle for any regular layout. He hosted a design competition, and the winner was Kifayatullah, an architect from Delhi. His design combined Mughal and Persian elements, with smart usage of ventilation, natural light, and sound engineering. Today, his tomb rests within the Imambara complex - a quiet reminder that this was as much an artistic feat as it was a structural one. 5. The Whispering Gallery Is Not A Myth Bhool Bhulaiya is home to a whispering gallery, where even a faint murmur at one end can be heard loud and clear at the other. According to Lucknow Tourism's official blog, this feature was used by the Nawab and his people for private communication and surveillance, kind of like old-school spy tech, minus the wires. The acoustic design is so precise, it still works flawlessly after 240 years. 6. The Tunnels Might Be Sealed, But The Stories Are Not Local legends say the monument once had hidden tunnels connecting to Delhi, Faizabad, and beyond. While no one can confirm how far they went - and most are now sealed - the myth remains deeply woven into Bhool Bhulaiya's lore. Whether or not you believe the tales, it is clear that this monument holds secrets beyond what meets the eye. 7. Not Just A Monument - It's A Living Space Of Faith The Imambara is not just a historical site; it continues to serve as a place of worship and reflection. At the centre of the main hall lies the tomb of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, and the complex remains significant for the Shia Muslim community. Tourists and devotees share the space, so a moment of quiet respect goes a long way when visiting. 8. India's Only Historical Maze? Quite Possibly. There is no other heritage maze in India like this one. Its unique mix of architectural finesse, cultural relevance, and sheer mystery makes Bhool Bhulaiya stand alone. Whether you come for the history, the thrill, or the sheer beauty, you will not walk away unimpressed. When Is The Best Time To Visit Bhool Bhulaiya? From October to March, Lucknow's weather is cooler and pleasant, ideal for long walks through the maze and exploring the full Bara Imambara complex without breaking a sweat. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays) | 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM How To Get There The Bara Imambara is located right in the centre of Lucknow, and it is easily accessible by taxis, auto-rickshaws, buses, and app-based cab services. Nearest Railway Station: Lucknow Junction Nearest Airport: Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, 14 km away Here's 6 Quick Tips Before You Go: 1. Hire a Guide: Seriously. It is not just about directions. They will make the stories come alive. 2. Footwear: Shoes off before entry, so wear something easy to slip on and off. 3. Dress Code: Modest clothing is appreciated. Lightweight, breathable fabrics that cover shoulders and knees work well. 4. Claustrophobic? The maze is tight in parts. Take a deep breath before entering if you are not fond of confined spaces. 5. Water Bottle: It takes a good 2-3 hours to explore fully. Stay hydrated. 6. Whispering Gallery: Do not leave without testing the acoustics. It is one of the most surreal parts of the whole experience.
