Friday, July 30, 2010

Endhiran -The Most Awaited Movie Of Year


Endhiran  is a forthcoming Tamil science fiction film directed by S. Shankar. The film features Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles with Academy Award-winning film composer A. R. Rahman working on background score and soundtrack. Produced by Kalanidhi Maran, the film is expected to be a multiple-record breaker: it is currently being made on the highest ever film budget in Indian cinema while it is also expected to make the largest film release ever.

After meticulous filming and production for over two years, the film is currently undergoing post-production work. It is expected to be released worldwide on September 3, 2010 along with its dubbed versions: Robot in Hindi and Robot in Telugu. The film release will follow the film's soundtrack release, which is set to be held in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2010.

EVER DREAM THIS MAN?

n January 2006 in New York, the patient of a well-known psychiatrist draws the face of a man that has been repeatedly appearing in her dreams. In more than one occasion that man has given her advice on her private life. The woman swears she has never met the man in her life.

That portrait lies forgotten on the psychiatrist's desk for a few days until one day another patient recognizes that face and says that the man has often visited him in his dreams. He also claims he has never seen that man in his waking life.



From January 2006 until today, at least 2000 people have claimed they have seen this man in their dreams, in many cities all over the world: Los Angeles, Berlin, Sao Paulo, Tehran, Beijing, Rome, Barcelona, Stockholm, Paris, New Dehli, Moskow etc.

At the moment there is no ascertained relation or common trait among the people that have dreamed of seeing this man. Moreover, no living man has ever been recognized as resembling the man of the portrait by the people who have seen this man in their dreams.

'World's Hardest Tongue Twister'

It just goes to show that sometimes the ones looking the most simple are often indeed the best.

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

 


Try saying that one 3 times with speed!

Some of course you can just see coming, like this one:


Our Joe wants to know if your Joe will lend
our Joe you Joe's banjo. If your Joe won't
lend our Joe your Joe's banjo our Joe won't
lend your Joe our Joe's banjo when our Joe
has a banjo!


Of course some of the lengthier ones look reasonably simple and aren't so bad to start with, but do catch you in the end like the old:


One-One was a racehorse.
Two-Two was one, too.
When One-One won one race,
Two-Two won one, too.

And who remembers the old guaranteed every time....

Red leather! Yellow leather!

And of course we couldn't leave this one out! (best not said aloud with little kiddies in the room!)

I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son,
And I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come
!


A stronger, wider, deeper relationship

It's a real pleasure to be back in India. This is my third trip here and with each visit, time seems to have leaped forward by decades in just a few years. It is exhilarating to see a country growing at super-speed before your eyes. But I'm not just here to enjoy the energy of this country. I'm here with a very clear purpose: to renew the relationship between India and Britain — to re-launch a relationship that is stronger, wider and deeper. Both our countries have talked about it long enough. Now it's time to turn those words into reality.
To show how serious I am, I have brought with me the biggest visiting delegation of any British Prime Minister in recent memory: members of my cabinet, industry leaders, top businessmen and women, figures from the arts, sports and local government. We're all here to make the case that this deeper relationship will be beneficial not just for our own countries, but for the world. 

From the British perspective, it's clear why India matters. Most obviously, there is the dynamism of your economy. In the U.S., they used to say: “Go West, young man” to find opportunity and fortune. For today's entrepreneurs, the real promise is in the East. But your economy isn't the only reason India matters to Britain. There's also your democracy with its three million elected representatives — a beacon to our world. There is your tradition of tolerance, with dozens of faiths and hundreds of languages living side by side — a lesson to our world. And there is this country's sense of responsibility. Whether it's donating reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan, peacekeeping in Sierra Leone or providing intellectual leadership in the G20, India is a source of strength to our world.
So it's clear why India matters to Britain. But why should Britain matter to India? I believe our two countries are natural partners. We have deep and close connections among our people, with nearly two million people of Indian origin living in the U.K. We share so much culturally, whether it's watching Shah Rukh Khan, eating the same food or watching cricket. Beyond the cultural bonds, Britain has practical attractions for India. We speak the world's language. We are still the world's sixth largest manufacturer and the best base for companies wanting to do business in Europe. We have some of the best universities in the world and we are a great hub for science and innovation. Britain still has the strengths of its history, not least our democracy, rule of law and strong institutions, but there is also the modern dynamism of the nation that helped pioneer the internet, unravel the DNA code and whose music, films and television are admired the world over. All of these things can mean opportunity for Indian investors and entrepreneurs.
So if these are the foundations of a stronger relationship, how can that relationship benefit our countries and the wider world? I believe there are three global challenges we must take on together.
The first challenge is economic. In the past couple of years, we have seen global economic turmoil. Now both our nations must ask how we can emerge from the storm stronger and more prosperous. We come at this challenge from very different angles. On any measure, India's economy is on an upward trajectory. In Britain, we're waking up to a new reality. For centuries my country assumed we could set the global economic pace. But economic power is shifting — particularly to Asia — so Britain has to work harder than ever before to earn its living in the world. I'm not ashamed to say that's one of the reasons why I'm here in India. I believe that to spread opportunity for all our people, from Delhi to Dundee, Bangalore to Birmingham, we would benefit from a common strategy for economic growth.
We must start by making our own economies as open and dynamic as possible. That's why within fifty days of coming into power, our government introduced an emergency budget to cut red tape, reduce corporation tax rates, improve our infrastructure and show that Britain is open for business. Next, both India and Britain must encourage more investment from each others' countries. Companies like Vodafone, Wipro and Infosys are showing the way — now let's go further. Yes, that means bringing together the best and brightest from both our countries through scholarships and by twinning universities. But it also means doing the more difficult thing of opening up our own economies to foreign direct investment. We have welcomed your expertise in car manufacturing and steel production; and we need you to reduce the barriers to foreign investment in legal services, defence, banking and insurance.
But perhaps the biggest economic boost of all will come from more trade. EU-India trade is worth £50 billion a year already — and I'm determined we expand that by sorting out an EU and India Free Trade Agreement by the end of the year. We also need to hammer out a global deal. Agreement on Doha would add $170 billion to the world economy. Together we need to make the argument that we will only get things moving on Doha if we expand it — because when the pie gets bigger, we'll all get a greater share. So let's demonstrate our commitment by opening up our economies and showing we mean business.
The second challenge we must meet together is ensuring global security. Both India and Britain have suffered grievously at the hands of terrorists. We've worked together in the fight against terrorism before and I'm here in India to propose an even closer security relationship. This year and in 2012, Delhi and London are hosting the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. It makes sense that we co-operate closely to ensure both are as safe as possible. It also makes sense for us to share expertise on defence technology — as we've seen with the building of Jaguar and Hawk aircraft in India in recent decades. And when it comes to the security of our people, we cannot ignore what's happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Let me be clear: India's relations with those countries are a matter for you — and you alone. But because when we both want to see a Pakistan free from terror, when we both want to see an Afghanistan that is secure in its own right, again it makes sense that we work together to realise those interests.
The third challenge we must meet together is climate change. Decisive action is long overdue — and that must be global action, with all major economies playing their part. It's only fair that those with the longest history of carbon emissions make the biggest contribution to this. But it's also fair that the largest polluting countries contribute too. Indian action is of course different to U.K. action. We know that India's development needs mean that its energy needs and carbon emissions will have to grow. But by working together, we can help you avoid some of the high carbon mistakes we made.
So this is the case I'm making for a stronger, wider, deeper relationship between India and Britain. I have come to your country in a spirit of humility. I know that Britain cannot rely on sentiment and shared history for a place in India's future. Your country has the whole world beating a path to its door. But I believe Britain should be India's partner of choice in the years ahead. Starting this week, that is what we are determined to deliver. 
Source: The Hindu

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

King Solomon


Solomon was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a King of Israel. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David. He is also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah split; following the split his patrilineal descendants ruled over Judah alone.
The Hebrew Bible credits Solomon as the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem, and portrays him as great in wisdom, wealth, and power, but ultimately as a king whose sin, including idolatry and turning away from God, leads to the kingdom being torn in two during the reign of his son Rehoboam Solomon is the subject of many other later references and legends.

Wives
Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. The wives are described as foreign princesses, including Pharaoh's daughter and women of Moab, Ammon, Sidon and of the Hittites. These wives are depicted as leading Solomon astray. The only wife that is mentioned by name is Naamah, who is described as the Ammonite. She was the mother of Solomon's successor, Rehoboam.
Succession
Solomon became king after the death of his father David. According to the biblical First Book of Kings, when David was “old and advanced in years" "he could not get warm." "So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king."
While David was in this state Adonijah, David's fourth son, acted to have himself declared king, he being heir-apparent to the throne after the death of his elder brothers Amnon and Absalom. But Bathsheba, a wife of David and Solomon's mother, along with the prophet Nathan induced David to proclaim Solomon king. Adonijah fled and took refuge at the altar, and received pardon for his conduct from Solomon on the condition that he shows himself "a worthy man." (1 Kings 1:5-53)
Adonijah asked to marry Abishag the Shunammite, but Solomon denied authorization for such an engagement, although Bathsheba now pleaded on Adonijah's behalf. He was then seized and put to death (1 Kings 2:13-25). As made clear in the earlier story of Absalom's rebellion, to possess the royal harem was in this society tantamount to claiming the throne evidently this applied even to a woman who had shared the bed of a king advanced in age.
David's general Joab was killed, in accord with David's deathbed request to Solomon, because he had killed generals Abner and Amasa during a peace (2 Samuel 20:8-13; 1 Kings 2:5). David's priest Abiathar was exiled by Solomon because he had sided with rival Adonijah. Abiathar is a descendent of Eli, which has important prophetic significance. (1 Kings 2:27) Shimei was confined to Jerusalem and killed three years later, when he went to Gath to retrieve some runaway servants, in part because he had cursed David when Absalom, David's son, rebelled against David. (1 Kings 2:1-46)
Wisdom
One of the qualities most ascribed to Solomon is his wisdom. Solomon prays:
"Give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people and to know good and evil."1 Kings 3:9
"So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked...'" (1 Kings 3:11-12) The Hebrew Bible also states that: "The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart." (1 Kings 10:24)

In one account, known as the Judgment of Solomon, two women came before Solomon to resolve a quarrel about which was the true mother of a baby. One mother had her baby die in the night after rolling over it in her sleep and crushing it; each claims the surviving child as her own. When Solomon suggests dividing the living child in two with a sword, the true mother is revealed to him because she is willing to give up her child to the lying woman, as heartbreaking a decision as it is. Solomon then declares the woman who shows compassion to be the true mother, and gives the baby back to her.
 
Fictional accounts and legends

















One Thousand and One Nights
A well-known story in the One Thousand and One Nights describes a genie that had displeased King Solomon and was punished by being locked in a bottle and thrown into the sea. Since the bottle was sealed with Solomon's seal, the genie was helpless to free him, until freed many centuries later by a fisherman who discovered the bottle.
Angels and magic
According to the Rabbinical literature, on account of his modest request for wisdom only, Solomon was rewarded with riches and an unprecedentedly glorious realm, which extended over the upper world inhabited by the angels and over the whole of the terrestrial globe with all its inhabitants, including all the beasts, fowl, and reptiles, as well as the demons and spirits. His control over the demons, spirits, and animals augmented his splendor, the demons bringing him precious stones, besides water from distant countries to irrigate his exotic plants. The beasts and fowl of their own accord entered the kitchen of Solomon's palace, so that they might be used as food for him, and extravagant meals for him were prepared daily by each of his 700 wives and 300 concubines, with the thought that perhaps the king would feast that day in her house.
Seal of Solomon
A magic ring called the “Seal of Solomon” was supposedly given to Solomon, and gave him power over demons. The magical symbol said to have been on the Seal of Solomon which made it work is now better known as the Star of David. Asmodeus, king of demons, was one day, according to the classical Rabbis, captured by Benaiah using the ring, and was forced to remain in Solomon's service. In one tale, Asmodeus brought a man with two heads from under the earth to show Solomon; the man, unable to return, married a woman from Jerusalem and had seven sons, six of whom resembled the mother, while one resembled the father in having two heads. After their father's death, the son with two heads claimed two shares of the inheritance, arguing that he was two men; Solomon, owing to his huge wisdom, decided that the son with two heads was only one man. The Seal of Solomon, in some legends known as the Ring of Aandaleeb, was a highly sought after symbol of power. In several legends, different groups or individuals attempted to steal it or attain it in some manner.
Solomon and Asmodeus
One legend concerning Asmodeus goes on to state that Solomon one day asked Asmodeus what could make demons powerful over man, and Asmodeus asked to be freed and given the ring so that he could demonstrate; Solomon agreed but Asmodeus threw the ring into the sea and it was swallowed by a fish. Asmodeus then swallowed the king, stood up fully with one wing touching heaven and the other earth, and spat out Solomon to a distance of 400 miles. The Rabbis claim this was a divine punishment for Solomon having failed to follow three divine commands, and Solomon was forced to wander from city to city, until he eventually arrived in an Ammonite city where he was forced to work in the king's kitchens. Solomon gained a chance to prepare a meal for the Ammonite king, which the king found so impressive that the previous cook was sacked and Solomon put in his place; the king's daughter, Naamah, subsequently fell in love with Solomon, but the family (thinking Solomon a commoner) disapproved, so the king decided to kill them both by sending them into the desert. Solomon and the king’s daughter wandered the desert until they reached a coastal city, where they bought a fish to eat, which just happened to be the one which had swallowed the magic ring. Solomon was then able to regain his throne and expel Asmodeus. (The element of a ring thrown into the sea and found back in a fish's belly earlier appeared in Herodotus' account of Polycrates of Samos).
In another familiar version of the legend of the Seal of Solomon, Asmodeus disguises himself. In some myths, he's disguised as King Solomon himself, while in more frequently heard versions he's disguised as a falcon, calling himself Gavyn (Gavinn or Gavin), one of King Solomon’s trusted friends. The concealed Asmodeus tells travelers who have ventured up to King Solomon's grand lofty palace that the Seal of Solomon was thrown into the sea. He then convinces them to plunge in an attempt to retrieve it, for if they do they would take the throne as king.
 Artifacts
Other magical items attributed to Solomon are his key and his Table. The latter was said to be held in Toledo, Spain during the Visigothic rule and was part of the loot taken by Tarik ibn Ziyad during the Umayyad Conquest of Iberia, according to Ibn Abd-el-Hakem's History of the Conquest of Spain. The former appears in the title of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire who’s framing tale is Solomon capturing demons using his ring, and forcing them to explain themselves to him.
Other forms of Solomon legend describe Solomon as having had a flying carpet that was 60 miles square, and could travel so fast that it could get from Damascus to Medina within a day. One day, due to Solomon exhibiting pride, the wind shook the carpet and caused 40,000 men to fall from it; Solomon on being told by the wind why this had happened, felt ashamed. Another day Solomon was flying over an ant-infested valley and overheard an ant warning its fellow ants to hide lest Solomon destroy them; Solomon desired to ask the ant a question, but was told it was not becoming for the interrogator to be above and the interrogated below. Solomon then lifted the ant above the valley, but the ant said it was not fitting that Solomon should sit on a throne while the ant remained on the ground, so Solomon placed the ant upon his hand, and asked it whether there was any one in the world greater than he. The ant replied that she was much greater as otherwise God would not have sent him there to place it upon his hand; this offended Solomon and he threw the ant down reminding it who he was, but the ant told him that it knew Solomon was created from a corrupted drop, causing Solomon to feel ashamed.
Angels
Angels also help out Solomon in building the Temple; though not by choice. The edifice was, according to rabbinical legend, throughout miraculously constructed, the large, heavy stones rising to and settling in their respective places of themselves. The general opinion of the Rabbis is that Solomon hewed the stones by means of a shamir, a mythical worm whose mere touch cleft rocks. According to Midrash Tehillim, the shamir was brought from paradise by Solomon's eagle; but most of the rabbis state that Solomon was informed of the worm's haunts by Asmodeus. The shamir had been entrusted by the prince of the sea to the mountain cock alone, and the cock had sworn to guard it well, but Solomon's men found the bird's nest, and covered it with glass. When the bird returned, it used the shamir to break the glass, whereupon the men scared the bird, causing it to drop the worm, which the men could then bring to Solomon.
Solomon in the Kabbalah
Early adherents of the Kabbalah portray Solomon as having sailed through the air on a throne of light placed on an eagle, which brought him near the heavenly gates as well as to the dark mountains behind which the fallen angels Uzza and Azzael were chained; the eagle would rest on the chains, and Solomon, using the magic ring, would compel the two angels to reveal every mystery he desired to know. Solomon is also portrayed as forcing demons to take Solomon's friends, including Hiram, on day return trips to hell.
The palace without entrance
According to one legend, while traveling magically, Solomon noticed a magnificent palace to which there appeared to be no entrance. He ordered the demons to climb to the roof and see if they could discover any living being within the building but the demons only found an eagle, which said that it was 700 years old, but that it had never seen an entrance. An elder brother of the eagle, 900 years old, was then found, but it also did not know the entrance. The eldest brother of these two birds, which was 1,300 years old, then declared it had been informed by its father that the door was on the west side, but that it had become hidden by sand drifted by the wind. Having discovered the entrance, Solomon found an idol inside that had in its mouth a silver tablet saying in Greek (a language not thought by modern scholars to have existed 1000 years before the time of Solomon) that the statue was of Shaddad, the son of 'Ad, and that it had reigned over a million cities, rode on a million horses, had under it a million vassals, and slew a million warriors, yet it could not resist the angel of death.
Throne

Solomon at his throne, painting by Andreas Brugger, 1777
Solomon's throne is described at length in Targum Sheni, which is compiled from three different sources, and in two later Midrash. According to these, there were on the steps of the throne twelve golden lions, each facing a golden eagle. There were six steps to the throne, on which animals, all of gold, were arranged in the following order: on the first step a lion opposite an ox; on the second, a wolf opposite a sheep; on the third, a tiger opposite a camel; on the fourth, an eagle opposite a peacock, on the fifth, a cat opposite a cock; on the sixth, a sparrow-hawk opposite a dove. On the top of the throne was a dove holding a sparrow-hawk in its claws, symbolizing the dominion of Israel over the Gentiles. The first midrash claims that six steps were constructed because Solomon foresaw that six kings would sit on the throne, namely, Solomon, Rehoboam, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah. There was also on the top of the throne a golden candelabrum, on the seven branches of the one side of which were engraved the names of the seven patriarchs Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job, and on the seven of the other the names of Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses, Aaron, Eldad, Medad, and, in addition, Hur (another version has Haggai). Above the candelabrum was a golden jar filled with olive-oil and beneath it a golden basin which supplied the jar with oil and on which the names of Nadab, Abihu, and Eli and his two sons were engraved. Over the throne, twenty-four vines were fixed to cast a shadow on the king's head.
By a mechanical contrivance the throne followed Solomon wherever he wished to go. Supposedly, due to another mechanical trick, when the king reached the first step, the ox stretched forth its leg, on which Solomon leaned, a similar action taking place in the case of the animals on each of the six steps. From the sixth step the eagles raised the king and placed him in his seat, near which a golden serpent lay coiled. When the king was seated the large eagle placed the crown on his head, the serpent uncoiled itself, and the lions and eagles moved upward to form a shade over him. The dove then descended, took the scroll of the Law from the Ark, and placed it on Solomon's knees. When the king sat, surrounded by the Sanhedrin, to judge the people, the wheels began to turn, and the beasts and fowls began to utter their respective cries, which frightened those who had intended to bear false testimony. Moreover, while Solomon was ascending the throne, the lions scattered all kinds of fragrant spices. After Solomon's death, Pharaoh Shishak, when taking away the treasures of the Temple (I Kings xiv. 26), carried off the throne, which remained in Egypt till Sennacherib conquered that country. After Sennacherib's fall Hezekiah gained possession of it, but when Josiah was slain by Pharaoh Necho, the latter took it away. However, according to rabbinical accounts, Necho did not know how the mechanism worked and so accidentally struck himself with one of the lions causing him to become lame; Nebuchadnezzar, into whose possession the throne subsequently came, shared a similar fate. The throne then passed to the Persians, who their king Darius was the first to sit successfully on Solomon's throne since his death, and after that the throne passed into the possession of the Greeks and Ahasuerus.


Monday, July 19, 2010

Indian-origin student wins New Zealand debate

An Indian-origin student of New Zealand's Victoria University was part of a team that won a debating competition in which 100-odd varsities take part every year.
Udayan Mukherjee was part of the three-member team of Victoria University which became the first New Zealand university to win 'Australs', the Australasian University Debating Championship, in the last 12 years.
Held in Auckland July 7, it is considered one of the top debating competitions in the world, Australs said on its website.
Victoria won its fourth ever Australs title and its first since 1998.

3 year-old aims to be world’s youngest singer -- Atithi Gautam KC

Atithi Gautam KC, a three-year-old girl from Kathmandu, has cut a solo album of nine Nepali songs, including the country's national anthem, and has set her sights on entering the Guinness Book of World Records.
Atithi recently gave a live performance, singing three songs from her album.
Orbit Publishers, Atithi's father's company and Ambar Gurung, a Nepalese musician, released the album.
Her elder sister Usna, and her father, Uddhav, who is a Nepali folk singer, accompanied her at the ceremony.
Although her age did not deter Atithi from cutting the solo album, the composer said it was difficult to work with the child on account of her age.


"There is a vast difference in working with a professional singer and a child singer. It was really difficult to work with Atithi, too," said Shyam Sharma, who composed the music for Atithi's album.
Her father has planned to register her name in the Guinness Book of World Records.
"Atithi started singing at the age of two. She got into the habit of imitating her sister, so we worked on the process to record her songs," said Uddhav KC.
Atithi has performed live on state-owned Nepal Television and radio stations in Nepal. (ANI)

Women most beautiful at 31

Women aged 31 are at the peak of their beauty, according to a new study which breaks the age-old myth that teenagers are the most attractive.
Women in their late 20s and early 30s are considered more attractive than fresh-faced eighteen and nineteen year olds, researchers said.
The findings, from a survey of the opinions of over 2,000 men and women, found that beauty was as much rooted in personality as appearance, according to The Telegraph.
The average British woman is already married with children by her thirties. When asked when women are at their most attractive, more people picked 31 than any other age.
Beauty was defined as being confident by 70 percent of respondents, having good looks by 67 percent and being stylish by 47 percent.


Caveman's 4,500-year-old doodle discovered

Scientists have discovered what is believed to be one of the world's oldest doodles - an ancient scrawl carved onto a rock by a caveman 4,500 years ago. Cambridge University experts believe the crudely etched circles are the Neolithic version of a modern office worker's scribbles on a post-it note. The 17 square cm chunk of sandstone was discovered by an
amateur archaeologist, Susie Sinclair, from the bottom of a deep quarry in Over, Cambridgeshire, during a university fun day, reports the Telegraph. Christopher Evans, director of the Cambridge University's archaeological unit, thinks the concentric circles were created by one of our early ancestors "killing time" as opposed to a work of art.
Evans said: "I think it was a doodle. I don't think it has any deep and meaningful religious significance."
"In this era of the Neolithic period they had a lot of time on their hands. It could show they were quite bored at times, but we don't know for sure."
"We do know when they weren't out harvesting or planting crops they had to find a way of killing time," Evans said.
The rock was discovered by business language teacher Susie Sinclair, 48, at Needingworth Quarry, alongside the river Great Ouse, near Over, early in July.
Sinclair was on a geological weekend course being run by the University of Cambridge's Institute for Continuing Education.
"I picked it up and showed it to our course leader Peter Sheldon who realised it was more significant than a fossilised worm," said Sinclair.
"He took a photo and sent it to Christopher Evans and the director of Stonehenge (a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire) and that is when we realised it was serious," Sinclair added
Indian Rupee finalized Symbol
NDTV Correspondent, 15 July, 2010  

Finally, the Rupee will have a symbol like the Dollar ($) or the Euro (€) or the Pound (£). The Cabinet today finalized the design for the Rupee
IIT post-graduate Uday Kumar’s entry has been selected out of five shortlisted designs as the new symbol for the Indian Rupee.


The government had organized a symbol design competition with a prize money of Rs 2.5 lakh. Five designs were shortlisted from a competition and all new notes will bear the design finally approved.The growing influence of the Indian economy in the global space is said to have prompted this move that will result in the Indian rupee joining the select club of global currencies like the US dollar, the British Pound, European Euro and Japanese Yen that have unique symbols.The abbreviation for the Indian Rupee, 'Re' or 'Rs' is also used by India's neighbors Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.