World’s Fattest Tree - Allee de Baobab, Madagascar
Imagine if you pulled a carrot from the garden, turned it upside down and stuck it back in the ground with the roots facing upwards. What you would see is very much like the Baobab tree. It is quite bizarre in appearance, with a barrel-like trunk that can reach close to 15 meters (50 feet) in diameter. It would take over 25 people linking arms to form a circle around some of the largest of these trees.
The Baobab can also grow very tall and some trees are 25 meters (82 feet) tall. The branches are short and twisted. Its roots are shallow, but wide-spreading to take advantage of the infrequent, but heavy downpours of the savannah regions of Africa where it grows abundantly in its native environment. The Baobab is also found naturally in Madagascar and Australia and has been planted in the Caribbean.
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A Message for Your Soul!
Remember Milky Way, a collection of Islamic Rhymes in English? Bangalore-based ghazal singer Syed Hamid Hussain whose audio collection of Milky Way became popular in Muslim homes all over India and the world, is now back with more. This time he has packed an album, titled Shaheen which is conceived and rendered by him. It comprises excerpts from eight of renowned Urdu poet Mohammed Iqbal’s poems. Urdu journalist Sharfuddin Syed has produced the album on Cds and audio-cassettes. While all the eight compositions touch your soul, the most haunting one is “ Khirad Mandon Se Kya Poocho.” Syed Hamid Hussain has to his credit not just Milky Way, but, Come Towards God and Awaze Niswan too. A unique aspect about Hussain is his unmatchable skill to combine a message for the society in all his compositions and that is what makes his albums evergreen memories to be heard again and again. You can get in touch with Hussain on Ph: 31853797 or email him at:hussain8@indiatimes.com
Website:
www.hamidworld .com
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Cheraman Juma Masjid A Secular Heritage
By P.A. Muhammed
This is the first Mosque in India situated in Methala, Kodungallur, hardly 20 kms from the Irinjalakkuda railway station. The Arab world had trade contacts with Kerala coast from very early times. As the tradition goes, a Chera king, Cheramanperumal of Kodungallure, left for Makkah, embraced Islam, and accepted the name Thajudeen. He married the sister of then King of Jeddah. On his return trip, accompanied by many Islamic religious leaders, led by Malik-ibn-Dinar (RA), he fell sick and passed away. But he had given introductory letters for the team to proceed to ‘Musiris’ (Kodungallur, the Chera capital. The visitors came to Musiris and handed over the latter to the reigning king, who treated the guests with all respect and extended facilities to establish their faith in the land. The king also organised help for the artisans to build the first Mosque at Kodungallur, by converting Arathali temple into a Juma-Masjid. It was build in 629 A.C., and the area around it had been ear-marked for the team’s settlement.
The original Mosque has undergone extensive repairs, but traces of the original construction are seen in the plinth, the columns and the roof which are in the old traditional styles of Hindu temples.
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It’s Better To Give Than To Receive
A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions. As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day's work.
The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them." "My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."
The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes. While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing. The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?" The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's better to give than to receive."
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