The Incredible Finn

The White Death

 Häyhä during training.

Simo Häyhä, the man famously known as 'The White Death', is often regarded as the best and deadliest sniper in the world.

He was born in 1905 in Rautjarvi, Finland, a small town near the Russian border. He belonged to  the family of farmers. From his school days, he excelled in shooting activities and also won many competitions. In 1925, he began his mandatory military service in the Finnish Army. His precision, tactics, and commanding abilities soon established him as one of the main soldiers in the army. In 1939, he served as a sniper for the army. During the Winter War (1939-40) against the Soviets, he patrolled at temperatures ranging from -20 to -40 degrees Celsius in a white Ghillie suit (for camouflaging) and single-handedly killed approx. 260 Red Star soldiers during his mission stint. As the Soviet Union was suffering from The Great Purge of 1937, which included many arrests of high-profile Soviet army men, the Red Star Army was low on morale and disorganized. Also, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin didn't commission camouflage suits for his army; as a result, the Red Star's were on the backfoot and the Finnish Army got an upper hand in the battle. On 6th March 1940, during close combat, Häyhä brutally injured his face as the bullet from the enemy's gun pierced through his lower left jaw and fainted him. After the end of the war, he was declared dead and left behind on the field with his martyred fellows. But the courageous and determined Häyhä was not his last breath and nearly after one week he informed the army that he was alive. Soon after, he underwent twenty-six surgeries, in which the damaged jawbone was replaced by a piece of his hipbone. The deformity on Häyhä's face was the result of these surgeries. Because of his bravery and actions, he was awarded the Liberty Medal and promoted to commissioned officer. He spent his full life as a bachelor and died in 2002 at the age of 96. 

His deformed face after injury.

The Finnish Govt. also dedicated a museum to Simo Häyhä in his hometown Rautjarvi, which was opened in 1983. The legacy of his work and life will be remembered forever by the Finn's.  

Thank You, 

Sarthak P. Khode 😊

Please let me know in comments about this type of content and any other suggestions are also welcomed.

नीलकुरिंजी

 नीलगिरी का पुष्प

भारत- एक ऐसा देश जो अपनी जैव विविधता के लिए पुरे विश्वभर में जाना जाता है, हमारी धरा कई दुर्लभ जीव-जंतु, पेड़, एवं पौधों की धनि है | ऐसा ही एक अनोखा और काफी दुर्लभ पुष्प है 'नीलकुरिंजी' जो की नीलगिरी पर्वत श्रृंखला में पाया जाता है | यह फूल बारह सालों में केवल एक बार खिलता है, इसी कारण इसे भारत सरकार द्वारा संरक्षित प्रजाति की तीसरी अनुसूची में स्थान दिया गया है, जिसके अनुसार अगर कोई व्यक्ति इन्हें हानि पहुंचाता है तो उसे तीन साल तक का कारावास हो सकता है |मेरी तरह ही आपके दिमाग में भी यह सवाल कौंध रहा होगा की आखिर किस कारण से यह फूल इतने लम्बे अंतराल पर खिलते है, फिर मैंने तुरंत ही गूगल की ओर रुख किया और पाया की मौसमी गतिविधियाँ और जीवों से बचने के लिए एवं प्रकृति अनुसार ढलने के लिए इन फूलों के परागण (Pollination) में काफी समय लगता है, जिसके कारण यह हर बारह वर्ष पश्चात् खिलते रहते है | 

'नीलकुरिंजी', यह नाम दो मलयाली शब्दों ; 'नील' यानी 'नीला', और 'कुरिंजी' अर्थात 'फूल' से मिलकर बना है | यह मनमोहक, लुभान्वित, नीले एवं बैंगनी पुष्प सितम्बर से दिसंबर की शुरुआत तक खिलते है, फिर बीज उत्पन्न कर मुरझा जाते है, और यही चक्र चलता रहता है | स्वास्थ्य के लिहाज़ से भी नीलकुरिंजी बहुत उपयोगी है, इन फूलों में कैंसर-विरोधी, दर्द-निवारक, एवं विभिन्न लाभदायक तत्वों की पुष्टि की गई जो शारीरिक समस्याओं का निवारण करने में समर्थ है, कईं शोधों में यह भी पता चला है की इन फूलों के रस द्वारा तैयार शहद 'कुरिंजीथन' के सेवन से हार्ट-ब्लॉकेज भी ठीक होते है |

पुरातन काल में कर्नाटक के पालियन समाज के लोगो द्वारा इन फूलों का इस्तमाल अपनी आयु का अनुमान लगाने में भी किया जाता था | ऐसा माना जाता है की 'नीलगिरी' अर्थात 'नीला पर्वत', का नाम भी इन्ही फूलों के रंग के कारण रखा गया है | 'नीलकुरिंजी' सिर्फ एक पुष्प नहीं बल्कि भारत के प्राकृतिक सौंदर्य का पर्याय है और हमें इसे एवं अन्य दुर्लभ और अनुपम संपदाओं को सहेज रखना होगा ताकि हमारे देश की यह अद्भुत सुंदरता बरक़रार रह सके |

धन्यवाद,

सार्थक खोडे़ 😊

    

 

R.K. Laxman- The Common Man

 The Common Man

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman- a renowned cartoonist, humorist, and illustrator. The man who created the famous cartoon character 'The Common Man', which describes the troubles, hopes, and daily life of an average Indian middle-class family, But how did this common man become a cartoon sensation across India ? Let's find out.

 

R.K. Laxman was born into a middle-class Hindu brahmin family on October 24, 1924, in the Mysore Presidency. His elder brother, R.K. Narayan, was a famous novelist. From his early days, he developed an interest in cartoon creations. Laxman ji was influenced by renowned British cartoonist David Low, whose illustrations were printed in the 'The Hindu' newspaper. After completing his schooling, he pursued his degree from the University of Mysore in Bachelor of Arts. He started making illustrations for his elder brother, RK Narayan, who worked as a storywriter for 'The Hindu'.

 

He started working as a political cartoonist for 'The Free Press Journal' in 1946, where he was joined by yet another famous cartoonist, Bal Thackeray. Later,  he left the job to work on his own weekly 'Marmik'. Laxman ji joined 'The Times of India' in 1947, where his job was to create a unique cartoon for the comic strip named 'You said it', which was published on the front page of TOI. The comic strip became so popular among people, that it was published for almost five decades. The turning point in Laxman ji's life was the creation of the cartoon character 'The Common Man', a simple man with dhoti, specs, and a plaid jacket. It draws attention to the daily life and happenings of politics in a simple and humorous way. A tiny shift in politics cannot be overlooked by this common man. He also created other characters, including the common woman, the common man's wife, etc. The cartoon soon established itself as the most recognizable feature in The Times of India. According to Laxman ji the alchemy of a cartoonist consist of three vital components ; General Knowledge, Craftsmanship and Humor.

In 2005 he was awarded with Padma Vibhushan for his contributions in Industry. Following RK Laxman's legacy Indian Postal Service commemorated a postal stamp featuring Common Man, Google also created Doodle on the occasion of RK Laxman's 94th birthday. The R.K. Laxman museum was constructed in Pune which features his life story and his creations. 

Thank You, 

Sarthak P. Khode 😊

The Symbol of Democracy

 The Indelible Ink 

The symbol of democracy, the ink mark on your finger, which determines the fate of our country. But what' s the history behind the Indelible ink ? Let's find out.

 

In 1951, the then president of India, Rajendra Prasad, approved the Representation of the People Act. Under Section 61 of the act, it is written that 'any individual with a mark of the ink on his or her thumb or any other finger represents the person who has casted its vote'. The main reason for this action is to control multiple-vote casting by an individual. The ink was first used in the 1962 general elections. Generally, the ink is applied on the index finger of the left hand, partially on the nail root and skin. The National Research Development Corporation was responsible for the development of the ink, whereas Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd. (MVPL) are the only firm allowed to manufacture it. The Mysore-based firm also exports this ink to thirty countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Canada, Nepal, etc. The ink contains silver nitrate, which is responsible for rapid drying and a non-removable stain that can't be washed off; it can only be removed when new cells grow and replace the mark. Because of its non-removable nature, it was popularized as 'The Indelible Ink'. There was also a comic incident during the 1962 elections when brides refused to vote because the indelible stain of the ink might not look good on the wedding day. 

 

Apart from the ink, MVPL also manufactures enamels, primers, etc. They are the leading producer of sealing wax for India Post. The company receives its biggest orders during elections. The company delivered 26.55 lakh vials worth 55 crores to polling booths across the country during the 2024 general elections.

Thank You,

Sarthak P. Khode 😊