The world's 10 most powerful brands

The barely 10-year-old Google is the world's most powerful brand, followed by General Electric and Microsoft, according to a survey conducted by Millward Brown's BrandZ index. The survey assigned values to various brands based on their financial strength and consumer sentiment.

1. Google


Google, with a brand value of $66.434 billion, is the world's most powerful brand.

The global search engine giant was started as a research project in January 1996 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Ph.D students at Stanford University, California. Google Inc was incorporated on September 7, 1998, at a friend's garage in Menlo Park, California. The company, known for its innovations and stupendous growth rate, went public on August 19, 2004.

Page and Brin's search engine was originally called BackRub. The name 'Google' originated from 'googol,' which refers to the number represented by a 1 followed by one-hundred zeros.

Eric E. Schmidt is the CEO of Google, while co-founder Sergey Brin and Larry page are Technology President and Products President, respectively.

The company is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol GOOG. 'Google' is now a verb, having found its way into the dictionary. It means 'to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet.'

2. GE

General Electric's brand value has been estimated at $61.880 billion, making it the world's second most powerful brand.

GE is a giant US multinational, with headquarters in Fairfield, Connecticut, engaged in technology and services industries. It is the world's second largest company in terms of market capitalisation.

The famous inventor Thomas Alva Edison opened a new laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey in 1876, where the incandescent electric lamp was invented. By 1890, Edison formed the Edison General Electric Company. In 1879, Elihu Thomson and Edwin J. Houston formed the Thomson-Houston Electric Company to rival Edison's firm. However, in 1892, both the companies merged to give birth to the General Electric Company.

GE slowly began to diversify its operations. Today its businesses span information technology, financial services, industrial technology, aviation, healthcare, oil and gas, films and entertainment, theme parks, locomotives, insurance, etc. In India, too, GE's enjoys widespread presence.

Jeffrey Immelt is GE's chairman & CEO; while Keith Sherin is the CFO, and Robert Wright is GE vice chairman

3. Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is the world's largest software company, with global annual revenue of over $44.28 billion. With a brand value of $54.951 billion, it also is the planet's third most powerful brand.

Bill Gates, the world's richest man, is the executive chairman of the software giant which he co-founded along with Paul Allen in 1975. On June 25, 1981, the company was incorporated. On August 12, 1981, IBM introduced its personal computer with Microsoft's 16-bit operating system, MS-DOS 1.0. On Feb 26, 1986, Microsoft moved to corporate campus in Redmond, Washington, and on March 13, 1986, Microsoft stock went public.

On May 22, 1990, Microsoft launched Windows 3.0.

On November 20, 1985, Microsoft released its first retail version of Microsoft Windows, originally a graphical extension for its MS-DOS operating system.

Gates is equally admired for his insight and criticised for his business tactics.

Steve Ballmer is the company's CEO, while Ray Ozzie is chief software architect. Microsoft employs 76,000 people across 102 countries.

4. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola's brand value has been estimated at $44.134 billion, making it the world's foruth most powerful brand.

Coca-Cola, a carbonated soft drink, was intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in 1885 by Dr. John Stith Pemberton in Covington, Georgia. It was then called Pemberton's French Wine Coca.

Pemberton's partner and bookkeeper, Frank M Robinson, suggested the name and penned the now famous trademark 'Coca-Cola' in his unique script. Coca-Cola was bought over by businessman Asa Griggs Candler in 1887 and incorporated it as the Coca Cola Company in 1892. Griggs made the brand a force to reckon with through his marketing strategies. Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time on March 12, 1894.

In 1919, a group of investors headed by Ernest Woodruff and W C Bradley purchased The Coca-Cola Company for $25 million. Coca-Cola is also the world's best known brand.

E Neville Isdell is the company's chairman and chief executive officer.

5. China Mobile

China Mobile is the world's 5th most powerful brand with a value of $41.214 billion.

China Mobile Communications Corporation, also known as China Mobile or CMCC, is China's largest mobile phone operator.

It is the world's largest mobile phone operator ranked by number of subscribers, with over 296 million customers. By turnover it is second to Vodafone, which owns 3.3% of the China Mobile. A state-owned enterprise, it was spun off from former monopoly China Telecom in 2000, and now has a 65% share of the highly competitive Chinese mobile market.

China Mobile is the largest company registered in Hong Kong.

Wang Jianzhou is the telecom major's chairman and CEO.

6. Marlboro


Marlboro's brand value has been estimated at $39.166 billion, making it the 6th most powerful brand.

Marlboro, made by Altria, is the world's best selling cigarette brand. It is famous for its billboard advertisements and magazine ads of the Marlboro Man.

Philip Morris, a London-based cigarette manufacturer, created a New York subsidiary in 1902 to sell several of its cigarette brands, including Marlboro.

Marlboro then suddenly faltered badly in the market till the 1950s, when it made a rollicking comeback following the introduction of a new cowboy image for the brand. Sales skyrocketed by 5,000%. Marlboro with a filtered tip was launched in 1955.

The brand is named after Great Marlborough Street, the location of its original London factory. Richmond, Virginia, is now the location of the largest Marlboro cigarette manufacturing plant.

Altria CEO & chairman is Louis Camilleri.

7. Wal-Mart

The world's 7th most powerful brand, Wal-Mart, is estimated to be worth $36.880 billion.

Wal-Mart Stores is an American public corporation and the world's largest retailer. It is the largest private employer, the largest grocery retailer, and the largest toy seller in the United States.

It was founded by Sam Walton, who opened his first Wal-Mart discount store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. The company was incorporated on October 31, 1969, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972.

Sam Walton died on April 5, 1992 at the age of 74.

His widow Helen R Walton, daughter Alice L Walton, and sons Jim C Walton, John T Walton and S Robson Walton, each with a personal wealth of $20.5 billion, have all been ranked among the richest Americans by Forbes.

H Lee Scott is Wal-Mart CEO, while S Robson Walton, is the retail giant's chairman.

8. Citi

Citi is the world's 8th most powerful brand with an estimated value of $33.706 billion.

Citigroup Inc was formed following the $140 billion merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group on April 7, 1998 to create the world's largest financial services organisation. The company employs almost 300,000 people around the world.

Travelers was founded in 1864 in Hartford, Connecticut. It dealt in insurance and is noted for many industry firsts: the first automobile policy, the first commercial airline policy, and the first policy for space travel. In the 1990s, it went through a series of mergers and acquisitions.

It was bought by Primerica in 1993, but the resulting company retained the Travelers name. In 1995, it became The Travelers Group. It bought Aetna's property and casualty business in 1996.

Citicorp was the descendant of First National City Bank, founded in New York City. It was one of the oldest banks in the United States (founded in 1812), and had the largest international branch presence of any United States headquartered bank. In the 1960s and 1970s, chairman Walter Wriston led the bank into sovereign debt and loan syndication. It was Writsen who led the technology of ATM cards before the the banks. He also spearheaded the name change to Citibank in the late 1970s.

Charles Prince is the company's chairman & CEO.

9. IBM

International Business Machines Corporation, also called IBM or 'Big Blue', is a multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA.

Till 2006 it was the world's largest computer company, but has now ceded the top spot to Hewlett-Packard. With over 350,000 employees worldwide, IBM is the largest information technology employer in the world.

The company which became IBM was founded in 1888 as Herman Hollerith and the Tabulating Machine Company. It was incorporated as Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR) on June 15, 1911, and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. IBM adopted its current name in 1924, where it became a Fortune 500 company.

Samuel J Palmisano is IBM chairman & CEO.

10. Toyota

Toyota with an estimated brand value of $33.427 billion is the 10th most powerful brand in the world.

Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation and the world's largest auto company that manufactures automobiles, trucks, buses, and robots. The headquarters of Toyota are located in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. It is the world's eighth largest company by revenue of $179 billion as of 2006.

The company was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda as a spinoff from his father's company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. It created, first as a department of Toyota Industries, its first product Type A engine in 1934 and its first passenger car in 1936.

Toyota Motor Co. was established as an independent company in 1937. Although the founding family name is Toyoda, the company name was changed in order to signify the separation of the founders' work life from home life, to simplify the pronunciation, and to give the company a happy beginning. Toyota is considered luckier than Toyoda in Japan.

Katsuaki Watanabe is Toyota's president and CEO, while Fujio Cho is chairman. Shoichiro Toyoda is the company's honorary chairman; Hiroshi Okuda is senior advisor; and Katsuhiro Nakagawa is vice chairman.

India's 25 best employers

Aditya Birla Group, Satyam Computer Services and Marriott Hotels India have been ranked as the top three employers in India.

The Best Employers in Asia 2007 study, conducted by Hewitt Associates and presented in partnership with The Wall Street Journal Asia, provides a definitive benchmark against which you can measure how effective an organisation is in providing a workplace that engages the intellectual and emotional commitment of its employees.

The best 25 employers in India include companies from, both, the new as also the old economy sectors.

The others who make up the top 25 include: Eureka Forbes Limited,, Cisco Systems (India) Private Limited,, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, Agilent Technologies Ltd, Standard Chartered Scope International - India, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, Wipro BPO, Covansys (India) Private Limited, Ajuba Solutions India Private Limited, Pantaloon Retail India Limited, Text 100 India Pvt. Ltd, Domino's Pizza India Limited, Ford India Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd, HCL Technologies Ltd,- BPO Services Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited, Johnson and Johnson Medical, India GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd, HSBC, and Monsanto India Limited.

The study determines what it is that makes organisations great employers, analyses the relationship between the 'best employers' and top performing organizations, and identifies emerging workplace trends for the future.

The Hewitt survey is the largest of its kind in India. The Hewitt survey accounts for the views of over 1,140000 employees and have been represented by over 44,000 employees in 230 companies across industry sectors in India.

The study undertook an analysis of what differentiates organisations when it comes to employee management, and conducted a thorough audit of all related areas, including people policies, recruitment, talent management, learning and development, recognition, opportunities, etc.

Best employers represent a wide range of industries. Despite this, they all have two things in common-they have aligned their practices with the organisation's strategy and goals specific to their industry needs, and have created an environment that produces a positive employee experience and results.

India's 25 best employers

Rank Organisation
1 Aditya Birla Group
2 Satyam Computer Services Limited
3 Marriott Hotels India
4 Eureka Forbes Limited
5 Cisco Systems (India) Private Limited
6 Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.
7 Agilent Technologies Ltd.
8 Standard Chartered Scope International - India
9 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
10 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
11 Wipro BPO
12 Covansys (India) Private Limited
13 Ajuba Solutions India Private Limited
14 Pantaloon Retail India Limited
15 Text 100 India Pvt. Ltd.
16 Domino's Pizza India Limited
17 Ford India
18 Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd.
19 Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd.
20 HCL Technologies Ltd.- BPO Services
21 Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited
22 Johnson and Johnson Medical, India
23 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd.
24 HSBC
25 Monsanto India Limited

The study also revealed that employee Engagement in India, has gradually increased since Hewitt's first Best Employers study was conducted back in 2001. This demonstrates that organisations are placing a growing emphasis on creating a more challenging environment for their people.

In India, career opportunities is a key driver of employee Engagement, clearly reflecting the ambitions and aspirations of a restless and demanding workforce that is keen to ride the growth wave. As a result, organisations that are able to manage employees' career aspirations and provide them with opportunities for growth and development will have a more engaged workforce. The study showed that 76% of employees at Best Employers are satisfied with their career opportunities, compared with 64% at The Rest.

Smita Anand, head of Hewitt India, commented, "The Best Employers differentiate themselves by making their employees a part of their growth story. They provide unrivalled opportunities for growth and development irrespective of an employees' background, differentiating only on the basis of performance. As a result, they see stronger business results and stand out as a place where people want to work."

The Best Employers in Asia study revealed four key benefits to being a Best Employer:

A strong competitive advantage over other organizations. Best Employers have a highly engaged workforce that is prepared to go the extra mile for their organization and customers.

Better business results and the ability to grow a sustainable business. This is because Best Employers take a long-term approach to building a sustainable workforce and focus on growing committed and loyal employees who have faith in the leaders of the company.

Attracting the best talent and recognition in the marketplace for having a strong employer brand. Best Employers' employees believe their companies are hiring the right people for the right jobs and deliver on their employment promises.

Long-term employee relationships, which leads to fewer employees leaving the organization. Best Employers also have outstanding leaders in place who not only inspire employees, but actively make them feel valued in the workplace.

The Best Employers in Asia 2007 study commenced in September 2006 and results were published late last week.

CAT 2007 - The six month countdown

CAT, the Common Admission Test to the management institutes of the country, is going to be held on November 18, 2007.

With just over six months to go, it's time for those of you who plan to give the exam to start your preparation -- if you haven't done so already. Do remember, however, that unless you have a clear study strategy, the hours of effort you invest in your preparation can be wasted.

Here's how you can plan your preparation over the next six months:

To begin with, divide your preparation into time slots. Give yourself targets to achieve within these time slots.

After mid-September, your entire focus should be on maximising scores based on what you already know rather than spending time learning new topics. This is why it is important you spend the time you have before that on achieving a high degree of comfort with the basics of all the areas CAT will test you in.

Now, let's look at a timewise break-up.

May 1 to July 18

Objective: To work on every area thoroughly. You also need to understand what kinds of questions can be asked to you in each area.

This period is probably the most crucial -- it should be utilised as a launch pad for the four months thereafter.

In Data Interpretaion, you should use this time to become thorough with every type of representation. There are about six to seven types of DI sets that are possible. Also, there are standard types of questions like percentage increase, percentage share, counting, etc, as well as questions which are specific to a data representation.

In Quantitative Ability, you should go through the 15 to 20 chapters that are important for the CAT exam, giving special importance to Numbers, Number Theory, Geometry and Mensuration. By July 18, you should know every formula and concept in Quant, as well as the steps involved in solving these questions.

At the end of the first two months, you should have solved each type of question at least two to three times. It is not important as yet to solve the problem quickly. The focus is entirely on getting to know the variety of questions and developing the ability to solve them.

For Reading Comprehension, you should read at least 100 articles (at least two a day) in as many spheres as possible. In CAT, the passages can come from Psychology, Philosophy, Medicine, Economics, Sociology, Art, Culture and Religion, Literature, Politics and all other general topics. As we can see, there are about 10 subjects from which the RC passages can be given. Hence, in the next two months, you should read at least 10 articles from each of these subjects/ areas.

You also need to tackle the other areas in CAT, viz, Reasoning, Verbal ability and Data Sufficiency in a similar manner. At the end of two months, you need to be thorough in each of these sections; you need to know the types of questions that can be asked as well as the methods to solve them.

July 20 to September 19

Objective: To explore ways of solving each type of question in the shortest possible time.

After the first two months, you'll gain confidence -- confidence that there are questions in CAT you can solve. Now, aim to increase this confidence so that you can target the ideal IIM score.

By now, you can identify every question and know possible ways of solve it. Yet, you could be taking a lot of time to solve each question, making it impossible for you to go through the entire CAT paper in the given time. As a result, there is a good possibility that you might miss out on easy questions.

The solution to this is to spend time analysing the exercises you have already solved and redo them. This time, look at shortcuts and at intuitive methods of solving the questions. The methods might have been taught to you in a coaching class, but you will start understanding and appreciating them only when you know the traditional method of solving these problems.

Solve a number of exercises. Also take individual area tests to test your ability to grasp the fundamentals in the given time. Analyse every test paper that you take thoroughly. You will start seeing that there are always better and easier ways of solving a question than the pattern you have followed thus far.

Do a complete revision of all the areas while taking an All India MOCK CAT (AIMCAT) every Sunday. This will ensure you keep improving in each area. You can also check your progress through the results of your AIMCATs.

September 20 to November 18

Objective: To get the best results from your preparation.

This is the last leg of your preparation. From now on, all you should concentrate on is maximising your scores. You should take two full CAT level tests in each week, one on every Sunday and one on Wednesday/ Thursday.

The focus in the initial month would be on experimentation. You should adopt various strategies in each of the AIMCATs that you write and check which strategy is giving you the best results. It is possible that, despite a wrong strategy, you may have got good marks or, despite a correct strategy, you may have got fewer marks.

To ensure that you don't fall pray to such mistakes, check each strategy for at least two papers. If one strategy seems to be working, use the same for two more papers so that you are in a position to finalise the strategy you are going to use on the final day of CAT. You must remember to keep your strategy flexibile, just in case there are changes in the exam pattern.

This way, the last two months would be primarily used to give you the maximum returns on your preparation.

'It is the end of the road for the Indian tiger'

August 2005: 26 tigers. 21 adult tigers and 5 five cubs younger than 20 months
October 2006: 31 tigers. 18 adult tigers and 13 cubs
These figures, reflecting the population of tigers in one of India's top tiger reserves, the Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, revealed by The Indian Express a few days ago, suggest that eight adult tigers have gone missing since 2005.

The reasoning: By October 2006 the tigers who were cubs back in 2005 should be part of the adult population. Instead the adult population has dipped.

Missing tigers, sadly, is not a new story in this neck of the woods, 18 tigers were discovered missing in 2005. And if eight adult tigers are indeed missing, their disappearance is merely the next chapter in a tragedy that has been unfolding for a long time in many of India's 29 tiger reserves (38,620 sq kms).

It is a tragedy that mirrors the complete apathy of our government say tiger experts, who are infuriated by the course of events. They feel the indifference of the authorities makes a mockery of the years of energy and money poured into saving the tiger.

They also believe we are today living with the last wild tigers on earth.

A small backgrounder: Back in the 1970s India's tiger powerful conservation programme, Project Tiger, that had the backing of then prime minister Indira Gandhi, won international acclaim for its excellent work in boosting the population of this big cat from about 2,000 to 5,000.

Project Tiger relied on the first Tiger Task Force report, put together under the chairmanship of conservationist and politician Karan Singh, to formulate an enlightened strategy to tackle the issues.

The second Tiger Task Force was constituted in 2005, 32 long years after the first and only after the tiger losses in Ranthambore and the disappearance of tigers altogether from the Sariska National Park, Rajasthan. The report from this force, which was very long in preparation, stated: 'The protection of the tiger is inseparable from the protection of the forests it roams in. But the protection of these forests is itself inseparable from the fortunes of people who, in India, inhabit forest areas.' The report suggested: 'The habitat must be shared between the people and the tigers, so that both can coexist, as they must. The poverty of one, otherwise, will be the destruction of the other.'

This suggestion was the source of much debate and was cited as evidence that the report was not well researched.

Wildlife expert and conservationist Valmik Thapar, who has dedicated his life to defending India's tigers, spoke to rediff.com from London.

Thapar, the author of several ground-breaking books and documentaries, has been passionate about this big cat ever since he saw his first tiger at the age of nine. He believes India is facing one of the worst wildlife crises ever:

It is possible that tigers have gone missing in Ranthambhore. This has happened many times earlier. And this was the only news story I read about since leaving Delhi.

Tigers go missing because they get poached or younger ones leave the park for newer areas. But they find nowhere to go. They then starve. Or get killed by men or other tigers competing for territory.

Missing tigers points to poor federal governance and bad local management at a federal level. We are in the worst mess I have ever seen in 31 years of tiger work.

We have the most senior positions of director general and special secretary forests and additional director general wildlife (in the ministry of environment and forests) vacant for so many months. The former is the boss of India's forests. The latter is the boss of India's wildlife. They both work in the ministry of environment and forests.

Also not constituted and non-functioning is the forest advisory committee and the national board of wildlife. Run by the same ministry, the forest advisory committee has the legal status to protect forest land from degradation. The latter chaired by the prime minister is responsible for all wildlife issues.

To this abysmal record by the ministry, add the non-constitution of the Wildlife Crime Prevention bureau for over a year now.

The poor state governments! What can they do if all the institutions of the federal arm are non-functioning. Naturally tigers will go missing and poachers will have a field day!

Add into this menu China's effort to legalise trade in tiger derivatives. It becomes a disaster recipe and will fuel the trade, with fatal impact on the Indian tiger

The Tiger Task Force was a badly constituted authority -- mainly of non-tiger people. Its report was too encyclopedic and people-centric. It became redundant after its report. It has no meaning whatsoever today and most of its recommendations remain only on paper ie the Wildlife Crime Prevention Bureau.

One central theme to remember is that tigers do not coexist with people because they eat the four-legged animals that people rear -- cows and buffalos. This brings them into conflict. One or another gets killed. Therefore tigers do well when there are no people around. Even school children knows this. But our politicians and bureaucrats in the last two years have chosen to ignore simple facts thereby effecting policy change that signs the death warrant for tigers.

The government has failed like no other government since Independence. This Congress government has wiped out the legacy of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in relation to forests and wildlife. The new popular legislation of the tribal bill piloted by the Left parties (Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers -- Recognition of Forest Rights -- Bill, 2005, which wishes to recognise and give forest rights and occupation in forest land of forest-dwelling scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest-dwellers) will end an era of forests and wildlife of India. As it becomes law in the next months forests will be plundered and looted. And legally.

There are probably 1,200 tigers left in India

I will not go into the issue of counting it is too complicated

The only hope lies in the Supreme Court of India. In the last years their orders have saved bits of the forests and wildlife. The question is: How much can they do?

I believe there is a complete breakdown in wildlife governance and the end of the road for the Indian tiger.

The tiger may survive in ten national parks in the future. But that is down from 120 protected areas. It cannot be a worse scenario

3,500-year-old investment tips that still work!

A book was cast in stone more than 3,500 years ago in Babylon and was found by a British professor late last century. What impressed him -- and helped him come out of a debt crisis -- were the inscriptions on how to manage one's finances.

The book is now available as The Richest Man of Babylon. It's a very small book, but with some very profound thoughts.

1. Pay yourself first

When we think of budgeting against our income, we typically look at our expenses: how much do I have to pay my landlord, my grocery bills, my medical expenses, my entertainment bills, et cetera. Once we have decided on our expenses, we find out what our savings will be.

Financial advisors and many credit card companies (or banks) today help clients in estimating their lifestyle expenses and help them understand where their money is being spent.

The old book turns this theory on its head: it says 'pay yourself first.' Before you pay others for the services that they give you, you should save money for yourself. You are working for yourself and not just for paying your bills and, hence, you should receive a fair share of your income for yourself.

The Richest Man of Babylon decrees that you should pay a minimum of 10% of whatever you earn to yourself. And the best thing is: once you have paid yourself, you will realise that your lifestyle does not change at all!

In today's consumption-driven world, this simple philosophy takes a back seat. It is important to nip the temptation of over-spending at the bud. With facilities like ECS available today, it is easy to transfer money to investments as soon as income is received.

For the clients that we have done that, they say that after the first couple of months, they have become used to the lesser disposable income, and do not feel the pinch in their life style at all.

2. Make your money work harder

The Richest Man of Babylon says that the only way for your money to grow is if it procreates. Using a wonderful analogy, it states that the money saved -- and invested -- is the father and it should bear children. The joy -- and the secret to financial independence -- lies in seeing the children grow bigger than the father.

It is very instructive to learn the difference between savings and investments. Indians typically 'save' a lot -- as demonstrated by the savings to GDP ratio of around 30%. However, in many cases, savings do not translate into investments, which earn returns.

Leaving money in the savings account for a rainy day is not investment. Such savings are like impotent people, who are progressively eaten away by age -- and inflation.

With the development of the financial markets, there are many avenues in which savings can be easily invested to procreate. Depending on your circumstances and requirements, you can invest in equities, real estate, long-tenor fixed deposits, etc. The idea should be that the children (the interest or dividend or capital appreciation) is so large that they can support their original father -- you.

Once your passive income is enough to sustain you, you are out of the rat race.

3. Take calculated risks -- but do take them

It is not always that the best intentions produce the best results. After having saved for one year as decreed by The Richest Man in the book, his disciple gave all his money to a merchant who was to go into far seas in search of the spices. Neither the boat, nor the man returned and all the savings of the disciple were lost.

While it is important -- rather it is a prerequisite -- that you need to take some risks to earn returns on your savings, you need to be careful in evaluating the risks that you can/should take. The first thing that you need to understand is the amount of risk that you are able and willing to take. It is easy to confuse between the ability and willingness -- and this is where you will need the assistance of your financial advisor.

Depending on your circumstances, you should define the amount and nature of risks that you can take. If you are nearing your retirement and have painstakingly built your nest-egg over your working life, it is important for you to ensure safety of your principal.

Conversely, if you are young and without responsibilities, you can risk your savings for higher returns.

4. Be persistent

After losing the money with the sea merchant, the disciple wanted to give up on saving and investment, saying that it is an illusory game leading to losses and pain. The Richest Man warned him not to lose heart and to continue the process year after year throughout his life. When the disciple invested -- more cautiously -- the second time, he not only received his principal back, but also received handsome interest.

It is easy to be lost in the maze of headlines and advisors who talk about the uncertainties in the markets and their abilities to time and make more money out of it. While one can try to get that extra return by tactically optimising on the portfolio allocations, what should not be lost sight of is that the mantra to investment success is to be disciplined.

There will be shocks on the way, but it is important that your savings are working for you.

It is surprising how the logic of wealth-creation written down millennia ago is still relevant today. The British archeologist who found these stone tablets was in a debt crisis, with credit card companies knocking at his door daily. By following the simple dictates above, he not only made his life debt-free, but set out on a path to financial independence!

India, now a $1-trillion economy!

India is now a trillion-dollar economy.

According to a Credit Suisse report, Indian GDP at the current price level of the rupee (Rs 40.76 per $) stands at $1trillion. The strengthening rupee has now made India the 12th country to achieve this milestone.

With the Rupee appreciating to below 41 against the US dollar on Wednesday, it was the first day for the economy to be a trillion-dollar economy.

The report said that India's stock market capitalisation too stands at $944 billion, just shy of the $1-trillion mark. However, if one stretches the definition of what constitutes an Indian stock, plus does a rounding, the Indian stock market is also about a trillion dollars as of Wednesday.

The first ever attainment of these landmarks is likely to create many self-congratulations and media events in the coming days. Fundamentally, they do not change anything, but the likely hoopla will add to investor sentiment, says the Credit Suisse report.

The report, adding some history trivia, says that eight out of the 10 economies had their stock markets rise in the one-year period after they first crossed $1trillion mark in GDP. The United Kingdom is the only economy to stop being a trillion-dollar economy for a while after attaining the status the first time.

The report, however, says that there is nothing magical about $1trillion or any such mark; and that it is wrong to take quarter-end GDP and some interim exchange rates for the calculation of GDP in a foreign currency. Any apparent GDP growth in foreign currency denomination due to the exchange rate move is not real growth, it said.

The other economy that crossed the same mark recently is Russia, which was within the last 2.5% as per the latest published GDP data of D

ec-06. Somewhat coincidentally perhaps, the economies that crossed $1t-rillion mark mostly had positive equity markets in a year after they first crossed the level, even though some may want to partly attribute the "coincidence" to the halo effect on inflows created by reaching such a milestone.

The Reserve Bank of India said on Monday that the Indian economy is expected to post a robust growth for the fourth straight year, expanding by an accelerated 9.2 per cent in 2006-07 as against 9 per cent in the previous fiscal.

The acceleration in growth during 2006-07 is driven by continued momentum in the services and manufacturing sectors, growth of which are expected to be in double-digit figures.

Combined NRI wealth more than India's GDP

The combined wealth of the 20-million strong non-resident Indians community is estimated to be over $1 trillion dollars -- more than the country's entire economy.

Overseas Indians are estimated to hold financial wealth, apart from real estate, gold and art, of over $500 billion. The total wealth would be over $1 trillion, according to the report by High-Powered Expert Committee appointed by the Centre to suggest ways to make Mumbai an international financial centre.

These NRIs were a natural beachhead as a customer base where an Indian Personal Wealth Management industry can get started. Their wealth management services were presently being sourced almost exclusively from abroad, the report said.

The report listed 11 activities typically provided by an international financial centre (IFC) and referred to PWM as one of the most important activities undertaken at an IFC.

According to the report, PWM for high-net worth individuals is estimated to involve management of personal assets of $8-10 trillion globally.

9 affordable cellphones for you

With so many cellphones flooding the market, one is at a loss when it comes to making the right choice. While some go for looks, others go for the available features -- like camera, Internet connectivity, e-mail and multimedia.
Price is another big factor while determining which phone to buy.

We scope out the low end (read cheap) models available in the market and the features they support.

Note: The phones featured here do not have a camera. Prices may vary from city to city.

Nokia 1110

Launched in mid 2005, this is one of the most basic phones with a monochrome (black and white) display. This phone has a talking clock and alarm. Though this model looks better than its predecessor (Nokia 1100), it lacks the inbuilt torchlight, which was quite popular among users.

Weighing about 80 grams, the phone is small enough to fit into your pocket. It offers three games and polyphonic ring tones. Nokia 1100's battery will give you about four to five hours of talktime and a long standby time.

Cost: Rs 1,900 (approximately)

Nokia 2310


Launched a year ago, this phone has a decent colour display supporting about 65,000 colours (this is the maximum number of different/unique colours that the screen is capable of displaying).
In the display features of this phone, you can customise animated screensavers and wallpapers to jazz up your screen.

Nokia 2310 does not give much connectivity options, as it does not support most of the communication modes like Bluetooth, and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). However you can connect to your favourite FM station using the inbuilt FM tuner.

Besides the inbuilt FM, you also get voice dialing, speakerphone, polyphonic ring tones, alarm and a few other common features.

The phone is on the bulkier side, weighing more than 100 grams. Nokia 2310 will give you five hours of talktime and a long standby time.

Cost: Rs 3,100 (approximately)

Nokia 6030

Launched more that a year back, the Nokia 6030 continues to be the fastest selling phone among the low level segment.
Weighing approximately 90 grams, Nokia 6030 looks larger than other phones. This JAVA (programming language) supports installation software applications like games, besides supporting 65,000 colours, polyphonic ring tones, multimedia messaging, FM tuner, speakerphone plus a few other basic tools.

This phone also provides support for a few languages -- Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati. The phone has better connectivity as it supports GPRS and WAP. Expect approximately 2.5-3.5 hours of talktime.

Cost: Rs 3,800 (approximately)

Nokia 6060

This good-looking phone has voice dialing, speakerphone, polyphonic and MP3 ring tones besides supporting WAP and GPRS.
What sets this JAVA enabled phone apart are inbuilt applications like expense manager and time management (these are small software that help you track expenses by entering the expenses you made in a day/month and analysing them).

The only downside of this clamshell phone from Nokia is that it does not have an external display to check who is calling. Though, Nokia has tried to spice up the external panel by providing a light on the panel, this does not compensate for the lack of external display. Expect the battery to last about 3 hours.

Cost: Rs 4,500 (approximately)

Sony Ericsson J230

This low level phone from Sony Ericsson released in the last quarter of 2005, weighs about 85 grams and supports about 65,000 colours. The phone does not have many communication options except for GPRS.
Its features include an inbuilt FM tuner, handsfree speaker and polyphonic ring tones. The battery life is about four to five hours.

Cost: Rs 3,200(approximately)

Motorola W220

This flip phone from Motorola supports 65,000 colours and an inbuilt FM tuner. Like the Nokia 6060, this phone does not include an external display.
However, Motorola has been creative enough to provide a few icons on the top to alert you in case of a new messages, missed calls and battery life.

The phone's features include polyphonic ring tones, GPRS and a host of games like Football, Rebels and Crazy. With a talk time of over 5 hours, the W220 battery has one of the longest talk time (compared to others phones in this price range).

Cost: Rs 3,850 (approximately)

Motorola Fone F3

The Motofone F3 looks just like the Motoslvr L-6 or L-7, but comes minus the camera and a whole range of functions.
Weighing 68 grams, the phone has a feather touch keypad. And two antennas for better coverage. Available in black and silver, these phones have a speakerphone, a large display screen, and voice prompts in Hindi, English and Punjabi.

The Motorola F3's revolutionary Electrophoretic Display (EPD) technology provides users with a large, high-contrast screen that can be seen even in bright sunlight. Expected battery life is about 4 hours.

Cost: Rs 1,800 (approximately)

Samsung X160

In the Samsung X160, the lack of an external screen has been taken care of by a greyish-bluish design on the front panel.
The phone, launched less than a year ago, weighs under 80 grams, supports 65,000 colours, polyphonic ring tones, built-in handsfree speaker, and has a large phone book memory -- 1000 records. The phone is JAVA enabled and supports GPRS connectivity.

Expect a talktime of about three hours with this phone.

(The Samsung X200 and X21 have similar details and some voice features like voice memo. Samsung X210 also boasts of FM Radio. Both these phones are priced under Rs 4,000)

Cost: Rs 3,500 (approximately)

Samsung C130

Resembling a sliding phone, the Samsung C130's features include 500 phonebook records, polyphonic ring tones, GPRS, voice memo(a built in voice recorder enabling the user to record notes), speakerphone and multimedia messaging.
Also, you have a choice of four colours for the outer casing on the standard black body of the phone.

The phone weighs just 75 grams and supports the basic 65,000 colour screen. The phone provides a decent talktime of about 4.5-5 hours.

Cost: Rs 2,900 (approximately)

Buying a Bag/Briefcase - for WOMEN

Dressing attractively for work builds confidence. So does shouldering a good handbag or gripping a neat briefcase.

"A handbag can transform even the dullest outfit," says fashion consultant Shadaab Razak. "Your choice of handbag should depend on your job profile and lifestyle. But most people don't give this any thought when buying one."

For women

Make sure your handbag/ briefcase is not dull. It should not be inconvenient to use either. Here are some bag ideas to match your work profile:

~ Executive

"A checked/ striped bag will do wonders to your business suit," says Shadaab. "You can select a bag with a light background like beige, with darker stripes of brown, black or even red. A beige, brown or dark tan handbag with a sturdy handle is your best choice if you are an executive. Remember, your bag must be able to carry a diary, pens, your cellphone, comb, compact and lipstick."

~ Senior management

A classic bag with a big buckle will give you just the right image. The bag must have a clean-cut appearance, with just a dash of bling, courtesy the buckle.

~ Teacher/ professor

Naina De, a 33-year-old senior lecturer in Kolkata, says, "I always choose a sturdy, roomy bag for work; it should be able to carry my books, a purse and my tiffin box and water bottle."

"In Naina's case," says Shadaab, a tote or a large bag is her best option. It's very roomy. At the same time, it does not look obnoxiously big since it's made of soft fabric and has short handles which fit on the shoulder."

~ College student/ athlete

A sling bag, as the name suggests, is flung across the shoulder. It usually has one or two long straps attached to it. Carrying a sling bag keeps your hands free, while adding value to your outfit.

"Women should choose a sling bag that is not too big; it must be just the right size to complement your hips. We Indians have started quite a trend internationally with our glass studded and embroidered slings," says Shadaab.

"This fashion trend has been internationally copied by top Hollywood stars. A sling was a constant in the serial, Friends; it would be slung across Phoebe's shoulder most of the times. This kind of bag is usually preferred by the younger generation, who carry it off easily," he adds.

~ Media/ creative

If you are in the creative field, use a large tote. This tote can be either in one colour like black, or self-printed in chocolate brown, cream or any other flat colour that suits your wardrobe.

"You cannot imagine all the stuff a tote can hold," says Shadaab.

~ Bags for Indian wear

A good-sized shoulder bag is what you need. They are available in a variety of colours and styles.

There is no standard size -- it could vary from person to person. These days, large bags are in vogue, so those who are fashion conscious are using large totes/ bags.

If you wear a salwar kameez, sari or fusion wear to work, a smart shoulder bag in a bold fabric print will accentuate your attire.

Shadaab adds, "Most people prefer carrying a bag in a flat colour to work, thinking it's more conservative. Well, not really. You can pick up hand bags which have flowers/ motifs printed on the fabric of the purse, or are embroidered or jewelled."

A medium-sized shoulder bag, with a flap, which showcases a smart buckle, is what you need.

Ladies can alter their purses to match their clothes. Tie a string of beads, a scarf, or add fancy pins on your bag to match it with your attire.
A tote can look fabulous with a salwar kameez/ jeans or a sari.
Avoid acrylic bags, which come as complimentary gifts. They are passe.
Bags should always be stuffed with plastic or paper when not in use. Else, they lose shape.
Keep your leather briefcase/ purse in a flannel bag cover when not in use. It prevents them from getting spoilt.
You can use stain removers to clean the fabric on suede, cloth or velvet bags. Use leather cleaners to buff your leather briefcases and bags.

Buying a bag/ briefcase? for MEN

It's difficult to imagine a well-dressed man going to work without a bag/ briefcase in his hand. When you buy one, however, do remember it needs to match not just your personality but also your job profile.

Here we offer tips on how men can choose a bag depending on the kind of work they do:

~ Media/ creative

"Your bag should portray your vibrance. Go for a good sling (which hangs on the shoulder) if you are in a creative environment," says fashion consultant Shadaab Razak. "Apart from slings, you could also try out messenger bags, a briefcase (in soft or hard leather) or whatever suits your profile."

A messenger bag is usually slung across your chest while the bag rests on your lower back or over your shoulder. Messenger bags, which are a smarter version of the plain old sling bag, are a popular accessory with young men in cities across the world. It is also known as a courier bag; you may have seen it on men riding bikes to work

It is a medium, square-shaped bag with two to three compartments that can hold a lot of stuff. It is usually crafted from thick material or soft leather, and has large straps.

~ Senior management

A handsome leather briefcase is what you need. "Personalise your bag by embossing your initials in a bold script on one corner of the bag. Please do not use gold or silver for this. It should be self-print on leather. Any leather workshop can customise your designer briefcase. These days, designer brands do it too at a slightly extra cost," says Shadaab.

~ Management

Are you a management grad? Do you work as a manager in the corporate world? A good messenger bag that can double as a handbag, in soft leather -- or suede if you are adventurous -- in matt/ shiny, black/ brown/ burgundy is a nice choice.

Shadaab says, "These days, carrying a good messenger bag is a fashion statement for men. Be it a business suit or jeans, it definitely adds a dash of boyish charm."

"Always try and match your bag either with your belt or shoes. Do not carry a bag of a different colour when you wear a matching belt and shoes," she adds.

~ Athlete/ sportsperson/ coach

A sports Nike bag, a Tommy Hilfiger sling, or a smart Boss tote is what you need for your entire tedious workout garb. The fact that you are making a fashion statement at the same time doesn't hurt. Some of the best slings are available at very reasonable prices.

Quick tips

You should pick up a briefcase that suits your skin tone. A person with dark skin tones should not buy a dull handbag. Instead pick up a vibrant bag that has some gloss or bling to it.
If have a fair complexion you probably have a wider choice. But don't overdo it; you do not want the bag to get more attention than your face.
Keep abreast with the fashions by browsing magazines and fashion programmes on television. "However, do not let fashion dictate you, create your own style, keeping your taste in mind," says Shadaab.
Most metros in India have malls and stores that have originals or replicas of the latest designs.
Hidesign, a popular Indian brand, has a great range of bags of all types. You can also try department stores like Shoppers' Stop or Lifestyle.

What your ringtone says about you!

Whether you have Beethoven's Fur Elise as your ringtone or a hip techno one, it speaks volumes about your personality, if research is to be believed.

According to The Age, these are the finds of new research carried out by Tesco Mobile on 1,000 people:

i. If you have rude or animal sound tones, especially the popular Crazy frog, you are little more than a boy.

ii. If you have the latest chart hit, you could be unreliable.

iii. If you have an old-fashioned ringtone, you could be pretentious.

iv. If you have a polyphonic version of My generation and More than a feeling, you must be an ageing rocker!

v. If you have a recording of yourself, your partner or child, you can be more than a little self-obsessed.

vi. If you have a standard ringtone, you could lack daring or even an aversion to technology.

More findings of the research

1. Twenty-one per cent of those questioned thought having a standard ringtone was 'uncool'.

2. Twenty-five per cent said the first thing they did on acquiring a new phone was to personalise the ring tone.

3. Sixty-six per cent had got so annoyed with someone else's choice of mobile tone they had either switched off the phone or asked the owner to do so!

5 cell phone features that simplify life

Many of us buy expensive cell phones with gazillion features, but remain clueless about their functions. If you are one of those people, then, here's what you need to know.

Speed dial

A feature that allows you to call your friends and loved ones just by pressing a single key on your phone's keypad. Most modern day phones support this feature. You can assign any number to a contact you wish to call in a hurry.

To find out if your phone supports speed dial, unlock the keypad and press any numerical key for about 2 seconds (except 0 in most cases). If your phone starts dialing a number present in your phonebook or displays a message indicating 'Number / Record not found', it supports speed dialing.

Quite a few cell phones support upto 9 speed dial numbers (some support more, depending on the memory). You can also edit the number by pressing the option for speed dial in the phone book menu

Battery saving mode

There are some days when you're too busy to charge your phone or when you forget your charger at home. To get the maximum talktime and standby time for your phone, follow these tips:

~ Reduce the backlight level and duration for the phone display.

~ Reduce the screen contrast to the minimum readable level.

~ Turn off screensavers, if any.

~ Reduce the ringtone to the lowest possible volume.


Flight Mode

Airplane, offline or stand-alone mode is the synonym for flight mode. Some phones have a special mode that turns off the wireless radio transmission part of the device for safe use while on an aircraft where radio transmitters are not allowed.

The use of wireless radio devices like cell phones on aircraft has been banned by the government to prevent interference with the plane's radio and navigational systems. Hence, flight mode allows the user to safely use the non-wireless functions of the phone such as music, games, organisers and various mobile phone applications.

Please note: Not all airlines allow the use of mobile phones on board even in flight mode. Do check with airline officials before using this feature.

T9

It stands for 'Text on 9 Keys', and usually comes loaded on most handsets to make typing text faster and easier on numeric keypads. T9 is a software that combines a group of letters pressed to check the dictionary for all possible words that can be formed using these key combinations.

For example, to type the word 'fill' on your regular mobile phone keypad, you need to press '333' to type 'F' then '444' for 'I' followed by '555' for the first 'L' and '555' again for the second 'L'. This means 12 key presses to type '4' characters for a mobile message. With T9, you can find out which word you want by pressing any key 4 times. Check your phone booklet for steps to activate 'T9'. Learn more by visiting T9.

Copy Records / Phonebook

Unlike the old days, you can save your contacts in the phone memory as well as the SIM (subscribers identification module) card memory. Usually, contacts are saved in the SIM card, although some save contacts in the phone memory as well as the SIM card.

However, when switching to a new cell phone, contacts saved in the old one cannot be transferred unless you copy all contacts on your SIM card and then transfer them to your new phone. One can copy all contacts from a SIM card's memory to the handset's memory within a couple of minutes, provided there is enough free memory available.

As different manufacturers have different navigational menus, it is not possible to list the exact steps to activate the above mentioned features. Go through the user manual of your handset for more information.

WHC in India - Churches and Convents in Goa

Date of Inscription: 1986
Criteria:
(ii)to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design
(iv)to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
(vi)to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

Brief Description

The churches and convents of Goa, the former capital of the Portuguese Indies – particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier – illustrate the evangelization of Asia. These monuments were influential in spreading forms of Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque art in all the countries of Asia where missions were established.

No time to shampoo? Just spray!

Going straight from work to a date and no time to shampoo? Relax! You're just a spray away from fresh-looking hair.

Toni & Guy has launched its Refresh It Dry shampoo mist spray, a styling product from the Red & White signature range.



The makers claim this fine-mist spray is suitable for all hair types and will rid your hair of excess oil to refresh and invigorate the tresses between shampoos.

Winner of the Grooming Award 2006 for the Best Emergency Grooming Solution, it is priced at Rs 775 for a 250 ml bottle and is available at all leading lifestyle stores across the country.

WHC in India - Manas Wildlife Sanctuary

Date of Inscription: 1985
Criteria:
(vii)to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
(ix)to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
(x)to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation

Inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger: 1992

Brief Description

On a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical forests, the Manas sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife, including many endangered species, such as the tiger, pygmy hog, Indian rhinoceros and Indian elephant.

Threats to the Site:

The Committee decided to include this site on the World Heritage in Danger List in 1992, when it was invaded by militants of the Bodo tribe in Assam. Damage to the sanctuary was estimated at more than two million US dollars. The site's infrastructure suffered considerable damage during 1992-93. Political instability seems to have led to poaching during this period of thirty-three rhinos during 1989-1992. A monitoring mission jointly undertaken by the Government of India and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in January 1997 confirmed the extensive damage to Park infrastructure and decrease in the population of some species, particularly the greater one-horned rhino.

The Government of India, the State Government of Assam and the Park authorities have elaborated a $US 2,35 million rehabilitation plan which began to be implemented in 1997 and is progressing satisfactorily. And while security conditions in and around Manas have improved, the threat of insurgency still prevails in the State of Assam and militants often traverse the sanctuary. Nevertheless, conditions for site- protection and the relationship with local villagers appear to be improving.

WHC in India - Keoladeo National Park

Date of Inscription: 1985
Criteria:
(x)to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

Brief Description
This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park.

WHC in India - Kazhiranga National Park

Date of Inscription: 1985
Criteria:
(ix)to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
(x)to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation

Brief Description

In the heart of Assam, this park is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence. It is inhabited by the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers and bears, and thousands of birds.

WHC in India - Sun temple, Konarak

Date of Inscription: 1984
Criteria:
(i)to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
(iii)to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
(vi)to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

Brief Description

On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konarak is a monumental representation of the sun god Surya's chariot; its 24 wheels are decorated with symbolic designs and it is led by a team of six horses. Built in the 13th century, it is one of India's most famous Brahman sanctuaries.

WHC in India - Group of monuments in Mahabalipuram

Date of Inscription: 1984
Criteria:
(i) to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
(ii) to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design
(iii) to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
(vi)to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

Brief Description

This group of sanctuaries, founded by the Pallava kings, was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries. It is known especially for its rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges', and the temple of Rivage, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva.

WHC in India - Tajmahal

Date of Inscription: 1983
Criteria:
(i)to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius

Brief Description

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

WHC in India - Ellora caves

Date of Inscription: 1983
Criteria:
(i)to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
(iii)to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
(vi)to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

Brief Description

These 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff, not far from Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. Ellora, with its uninterrupted sequence of monuments dating from A.D. 600 to 1000, brings the civilization of ancient India to life. Not only is the Ellora complex a unique artistic creation and a technological exploit but, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India.

WHC in India - Ajanta Caves

Date of Inscription: 1983
Criteria:
(i)to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius

(ii)to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design

(iii)to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared

(vi)to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

Brief Description
The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence.

WHC in India - Agra Fort

Date of Inscription: 1983
Criteria: iii. - to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

Brief Description
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.

World Heritage Centres (WHC) in India - by UNESCO

The World Heritage List includes 830 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. These include 644 cultural, 162 natural and 24 mixed properties in 138 States parties.

Here is the listing of the world heritage centres (WHC) in India as declared by UNESCO.

Agra Fort (1983)
Ajanta Caves (1983)
Ellora Caves (1983)
Taj Mahal (1983)
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
Kaziranga National Park (1985)
Keoladeo National Park (1985)
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
Elephanta Caves (1987)
Great Living Chola Temples (1987, 2004) 12
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
Sundarbans National Park (1987)
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005)
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
Mountain Railways of India (1999, 2005) 13
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)


In the upcoming updates will post more details of why these centres are declared to be of heritage values....

Basilica's in India - Lady of Immaculate Conception (Mount Mary, Mumbai

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Mount Poinsur, has been a Catholic Parish from 1547 to 1739 and again from 1912 onwards. It is presently operated by the C.M.S.F. brothers founded by Fray Paulus Moritz.

Mount Poinsur is an area of the city of Mumbai, in what is now called the "Western suburbs", and is now usually identified as part of the suburb of "Borivali (W)".

Mount Poinsur was originally a craggy hillock on Dharavi Island, an island that no longer exists independently, as, due to reclamations, it has been united with the island of Salsette.

According to tradition, the intrepid Franciscan missionary, Padre Antonio do Porto was the founder of this church in 1544, ten years after the Bombay-Baçaim coastal tracts were ceded by the Sultan of Cambay, Bahadur Shah, to Portugal by the Treaty of Baçaim (see Fr. Ernest Hull, S.J., Bombay Mission History: With A Special Study of the Padroado Question, Examiner Press, Bombay, 1929. Vol. I, pg. 10).

Fr. Meersman however holds that although Porto was its founder, the foundation could only have taken place shortly after his arrival in these parts in 1547 (Fr. Achilles Meersman, O.F.M., The Franciscans in Bombay, St. Anthony's Friary, Bangalore, 1957).

By October 1548, he and his companion, Joao de Goa, had made a number of converts and had founded a 'devout hermitage' at Mount Poinsur. In October 1549, we have the following description of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Our Lady of Piety):

"On an island opposite Baçaim, a league and a half from the river... there is a church of Our Lady where there must be four hundred Christians.... It is entirely in a rock cliff.... It is very large and has four chapels." (Fr. Meersman, O.F.M., The Ancient Franciscan Provinces in India 1500 - 1835, Christian Literature Society Press, Bangalore, 1971. pg 193).
During the time of the same Padre Porto, the village of Mount Poinsur was granted to the Franciscans by the Governor of Baçaim Jorge de Cabral in the name of King John III of Portugal, for the maintenance of their work. Soon the Franciscans bought the two neighboring villages of Pare and Erangal around 1556-1559. Adjoining the church, they also built a Royal College in 1549, the ruins of which are still standing close to the present church.

Over the years, the four hundred villagers converted by Padre Antonio do Porto grew in number and soon a settlement for them was built around or opposite the church (records Padre Paulo da Trinidade).

Around 1630, the parish counted some 1500 parishioners in the villages of Mount Poinsur, Dhainsa, Simpor, Canaria and Cassor, with a chapel dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel in Canaria. It was also around this time that the name of the church at Mount Poinsur was changed to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

During the Maratha invasion of 1739, Mount Poinsur was captured, the Friars dispersed, and the church, friary and college pillaged and left in ruins. Then for a century and a half, time and nature abetted by the local people who used the ruins as a quarry for stones did their destructive work, so that what had been spared by the Marathas fell into still deeper ruin.

Adjoining and beneath the church are the Mandapeshwar caves, the habitation of Hindu ascetics until the Franciscans took over and converted them into a crypt for the church which they built over them. After 1739, the Marathas reconverted the caves to Hindu usage. When these lands were ceded by the Marathas to England by the Treaty of Salbai in 1774, the caves under the dilapidated church were repossessed by the predominantly Catholic people of Mt. Poinsur to serve as a chapel, and functioned in this manner for a little more than a century. From 1739-1912, it appears that there was no resident Vicar of Poinsur. In 1888, through the efforts of the people of the City of Bandra and under the guidance of the Archdiocese of Goa's Vicar-General of the North, Padre Joao Braz Fernandes, the old parish church was rebuilt on the hillock above the caves and has since functioned as the parish church.

The church has had its own Vicar only from 1912 onwards, thus Humbert (J. Humbert, S.J., Catholic Bombay, Her Priests and Their Training, Catholic Press, Ranchi, Bihar, 1964. Vol. II, pg 219).

The church underwent major repairs and renovations in 1912.

As for the caves, they have been taken over by the Government of India in the 1960s and are designated as protected archaeological monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.), although the Hindus are permitted to worship in them.

Mount Poinsur remained loyal to the Archdiocese of Goa during the Padroado-Propaganda conflict, as part of the Vicariate of the North (O Norte), and was later made part of the Diocese of Damaõ, 1886-1928, which revived the parish and assigned it to Brother Paulus Moritz and his newly founded Franciscan congregation.

In 1928, most of the Diocese of Damaõ, including the parish of Mount Poinsur, was integrated into the Archdiocese of Bombay, under its first Portuguese Archbishop Joachim da Lima, S.J.

The current Parish Priest as of 2006 is Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is Fr. Franklin.

Mt. Mary Church is among the most prominent churches in Mumbai, with devotees flocking here from all faith. Situated in West Bandra past Hill Road the Basilica of our Lady of Mount Mary was built by the Portuguese in 1640. Mary Church is famous for the kind rituals that reinforce the power of prayers. The Marathi speaking communities refer Mother Mary as - Math Mauli.

In the month of September the festival of the Virgin Mother culminates in a week long Bandra fair. Abuzz with a carnival like excitement, the Bandra fair has stalls selling gooey Goan sweets and wax idols of the Virgin along with an assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body. It is the time when the sickly and all those in need for blessings converge with a pious hope that Mother Mary will consider their appeals for help.

The locale of Mt. Mary Church is just as picturesque as it's sacred. One can watch the sunset and calmness that engulfs Arabian Sea from this place. With devotees flocking Mt. Mary Church all round the year, it has gained a special place of faith among the hearts of people from all sects and religion. People strongly believe that Mount Mary fulfils their genuine wishes if prayers are made earnestly and faithfully.

Basilica's in India - Bom Jesus - Goa - World Heritage symbol

The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Basilica of Bom Jesu (Portuguese: Basílica do Bom Jesus) is located in Goa, India. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier. The church is located in Old Goa, which was the capital of Goa in the early days of Portuguese rule, about 10km from the city of Panjim.

'Bom Jesus' means 'Good (or Holy) Jesus'. The cathedral is India’s first Minor Basilica, and is considered as one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India.

This world heritage monument built in 1695 and has emerged as a landmark in the history of Christianity. It contains the body of St. Francis Xavier; a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) founded by Ignatius Loyola. St. Francis Xavier died while on a sea voyage to China on December 2, 1552.


The following year, while transferring Francis Xavier's remains to Goa, in accordance with his wishes, it is said that the saint's body was as fresh as the day it was buried. The relic attracts a huge number of devotees from all over the world, especially during the public viewing of his body every ten years (last held in 2004). The saint is said to have miraculous powers of healing, and pilgrims come from all over the country.

This church is one of the richest churches in Goa and is carpeted with marble flooring and inlaid with precious stones. Apart from the elaborate gilded altars, the interior of the church is simple. The church also holds paintings of St. Francis Xavier. The Tomb of St. Francis Xavier (1696) was the gift of the last of the Medicis, Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The tomb was carved by the 17th century Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini. It took ten years to complete. The casket containing his body is made of silver. The holy relics of the saint are displayed every ten years during the anniversary of the Saint's death. His feast is the third of December.

On the upper level, overlooking the tomb, is the Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery, containing the works of the Goan surrealist painter, Dom Martin.

Author and fellow Jesuit Anthony De Mello was also from Goa and has mentioned the cathedral in his writing.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus church at Goa India is around 400 years old. It has relics of St. Francis Xavier, the body of St. Francis Xavier kept in well decorated casket which is seen in the photographs below is open to public everyday but one can touch it only during the periodic expositions. Some photos taken inside the church are attached for better understanding of the art work of that time. These art work are called "Murals"

Basilica's in India - Santhome Cathedral, Chennai

The Portuguese between the 14th and the 15 century AD built The Santhome cathedral. Deriving its name after St. Thomas, this continues to be an important place of pilgrimage for the Christian community in the country and is also historically important. This Roman Catholic church is said to house the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle. It is close to the seaport. A towering neo gothic spire dominates the 55 metres high San Thome Cathedral. This church is located on the southern end of Marina Beach. It has in its possession a small hand bone of Thomas and the head of a lance, which brought him down. Renovated in the early 1970s, this Basilica draws huge crowds. Besides the beauty of its rising spire, this Gothic styled church has a brilliant stained glass depiction of St. Thomas' encounter with the resurrected Christ. In the cathedral is a 3ft. high statue of Virgin Mary, which is believed to have been brought from Portugal in 1543.

Close to the seashore, the impressive Basilica is built over the tomb of St.Thomas which contains in it's crypt a small hand bone of the Apostle and the head of a lance which is said to have been used in the attack on him.

Between the 14th and 15th centuries,the beach church fell to ruins and in 1522 the Portugese moved the Apostle's remains to a new tomb, and built a new church which was given the status of a cathedral in 1606. In 1893 however, this church was also demolished and the present Gothic style cathedral was built and consecrated in 1896. in 1956, this cathedral was elevated to the status of a Basilica as a fitting tribute to the martyred St. Thomas.

Basilica's in India - Our Lady of Lourdes - Poondi

Origin of Shrine

In the beginning of the eighteenth century (1714-1718) a great Italian Jesuit missionary named Rev. Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi S.J. popularly known as "Veeramamunivar" built a church and named it as the church of "Mary Queen of

Poondi is just a tiny village located in the Thiruvaiyaru taluk of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. The rivers Cauvery and the Colleroon flank the northern and southern sides of this village. In a district that is predominantly rural, Poondi Madha Shrine is a celebrated place of pilgrimage for over half a century now.

It is a historically recorded fact that Veeramamunivar the Italian Jesuit missionary who was a renowned Tamil scholar, built a church at this very same place and dedicated it to Mother Mary. The present structure of the shrine is constructed in mix of Gothic and French architecture. The highlight of the structure is the row of statues of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, saints like Francis Xavier and also one of Veeramamunivar (Constantine Joseph Beschi) on the facade, above the portico

Immaculate Conception".


There is an interesting story behind how the present structure was erected. Rev. Fr. Lourdes Xavier, Parish Priest of the church in 1955, feared that the main roof, which was in a bad condition, would collapse any moment. When an engineer was consulted, he found that except for the central roof, he rest of the structure was quite strong. He recommended that it was enough to demolish only the roof. A little after this, on a rainy November night, the roof of the church collapsed, leaving everything else intact, thus saving the cost of demolishing. Shortly after this, the number of pilgrims to the Shrine was on the rise and kept increasing as accounts of miracles and cures started to spread.

Apart from the religious significance, Poondi is worth visiting just for the sight of lush greenery and the two rivers which have made Thanjavur the 'granary of Tamil Nadu'. The primary occupation of the villagers residing here being farming, the village is surrounded by coconut groves, paddy and sugar cane fields.

Basilica's in India - Our Lady of Good Health - Vailankanni

VAILANKANNI where the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health gloriously stands, is situated on the East Coast 10 kms to the south of Nagapattinam which is 350 kms to the South of Chennai the Capital of TamilNadu, India.

The history behind the global fame of Our Lady of Good Health, is founded on three events that took place intermittently since the 16th Century at Vailankanni.

The foremost incident is the Apparition of Our Lady, Mother of Jesus, which occurred during the pleasant daybreak on a sunny day in the 16th century, when a shepherd boy, carrying milk was on his way as was his daily practice, from Vailankanni to his master at Nagapattinam. Despite the morning freshness, fatigue overcame the little dutiful boy as he was passing by a water pond at the Anna pillai street at Vailankanni. Placing the milk-pot near the banyan tree by the water pond, the boy fell into an unusual slumber, only to be startled to his feet by the sweet vision of a most graceful Lady of exquisite beauty, holding in her hand a most charming child of divine appearance. Both wore celestial halos around their heads. As the boy was still in a world of surprise, shock and happiness the Lady asked of him some milk for her child. Filled with reverence and awe, the boy offered milk. The heavenly smile of the Child and Mother was the only message.

The impatient master did not believe the narration of the boy. But to the greater astonishment of all present, the milk began to surge over the pot and flow out. On reaching the place of apparition, the gentleman and others began to believe in the heavenly Lady. This place began to be called, "Our Lady's Tank".


Around the end of the 16th century, there lived at Vailankanni a poor widow with her son who was lame by birth. Every day the lame boy used to sit under a banyan tree at a place called 'Nadu Thittu' (central mound) and sell butter-milk to the thirsty wayfarers. On a certain day, to his bewilderment, a very bright light appeared in front of him and from amidst the light, a Lady of peerless grace with a divine Child in her arms, asked the boy for a cup of butter-milk. Then She directed him to go and inform a catholic gentleman at Nagapattinam to put up a Chapel in her name on the spot of her apparition. The boy realised that his lame legs have become normal upon the word from the Lady. With great joy, he buoyantly ran to Nagapattinam to carry out the errand. Having been already directed in vision by Our Lady, the Catholic gentleman, with the support of the people, built a Chapel at 'Nadu Thittu' where now stands the present Shrine Basilica. The Lady was called, 'Our Lady of Good Health'.

In the 17th century, a Portuguese merchant vessel, sailing from Macao in China to Colombo in Ceylon was caught in a tempest in the Bay of Bengal.The helpless sailors besought Mary the Star of the Sea to save them.

They vowed to build a Church in her name, wherever they could land on. The stormy sea became calm. Their ship landed near the shore of Vailankanni on the 8th September, the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady.

They transformed the thatched Chapel erected by the catholic gentleman of Nagapattinam into a beautiful stone-built Chapel. On their next visit, they decorated the Altar with porcelain plates, illustrating biblical themes. These plates giving testimony to their thanksgiving to Our Lady, are seen even today around the throne of the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Good Health, over the main altar of the Shrine Basilica. From that time the Feast of Our Lady of Good Health is celebrated every year preceded by hoisting of the flag on 29th August. During these eleven days of the Feast, about 15 to 20 lakhs of people visit the Shrine Basilica.


Historical Data of Vailankanni Shrine

1.
The history of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni, dawned in the 16th century

2.
In September 1771, Vailankanni which had been a substation of Nagapattinam Parish, was raised to the status of a Parish.



3.
The majestic Shrine facing the East, was renovated twice in 1920 and 1933.

4.
His Holiness Pope John the XXIII, raised the Shrine to the status of 'Basilica' on the 3rd November 1962. The apparitions of Our Lady, the Miraculous statue of Our Lady, the countless miracles, the magnificent architecture and beauty of the Shrine, were the motives for this Shrine to become a Basilica.

5.
The storeyed extension Basilica was blessed and opened in 1975.

6.
In 1985,the little Chapel at Our Lady's Tank, was built a new and blessed.