A soldier's father -- Wing Commander Venki Iyer. A tribute to 73 year-old Rajput Lachhman Singh Rathore.

April 29, 2014, 12:04 am

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                                                            A SOLDIER’S FATHER

                                                                             By

                                                    WING COMMANDER VENKI IYER

The helicopter appeared over the late morning horizon. We were to receive Mr Lachhman Singh Rathore who was visiting our flight to perform the last rites of his son, Flying Officer Vikram Singh.

Only the day before, I had sent the telegram, “Deeply regret to inform that your son Flying Officer Vikram Singh lost his life in a flying accident early this morning. Death was instantaneous.” It was the first time for me, to meet and manage the bereaved next of kin.

While most wives and mothers insist on seeing the body, many a time there isn’t a body to show. Flying Officer Vikram Singh’s remains were only a few kilos – scrapped from what was left in the cockpit. We had to weigh the wooden coffin with wood and earth.

The pilot brought the helicopter to a perfect touchdown. Soon Mr Lachhman Singh Rathor was helped down the ladder. A small man of 73 years clad in an immaculate dhoti. As I approached him, he asked in a near whisper, “Are you Venki, the Flight Commander?” “Yes Sir.” “Vikram had spoken to me about you. I’d like to speak to you alone for a minute.” We walked to the edge of the concrete apron. ‘I have lost a son, and you have lost a friend. I’m sure that you have taken great care in arranging the funeral. Please tell me when and where you want my presence and what you want me to do. I’ll be there for everything. Later, I would like to meet Vikram’s friends, see his room and, if it is permitted, visit his work place. I then would like to return home tomorrow morning.” A commander couldn’t have given me clearer instructions.

The funeral, with full military honours, was concluded by late afternoon. After the final echoes of the ‘Last Post’ faded away Lachhman Singh spent the evening talking to the Squadron Pilots. Vkram’s roommate took him to see Vikram’s room. Lachhman Singh desired to spend the night in his son’s room instead of the guest house we had reserved for him. Early next morning after a tour of the squadron area, my boss took him to his office. A while later the staff car took Lachhman Singh to the civil airfield two hours away.

As the car disappeared round the corner, I remarked to my Boss, “A brave man he is. Spoke to me like a General when he told me exactly what he expected from us during his stay here. I admire him.”

“Yes Mr Lachhman Singh Rathore is a warrior in his own way. He sired three sons. His first son Captain Ghanshyam Singh of the Gurkha Rifles was killed in Ladakh in 1962. His second son, Major Biri Singh, died along the IchogilCanalin 1965. His youngest, Vikram Singh, who had the courage to join the Air Force, is also gone now. This simple farmer has contributed more to our country’s defence than any other I know.”

Yes, he is a brave Rajput.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/epi2009/LXSMqkYQCuo

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Ukraine: EU imposes new sanctions on Russia

April 29, 2014, 6:14 am

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Ukraine: EU imposes new sanctions on Russia – live updates

• Deputy prime minister among 15 named
• Seven of Putin's inner circle sanctioned by US
• Russia condemns measures as revival of 'iron curtain'
• Read the latest blog summary

• • Mark Tran
  • theguardian.com, Tuesday 29 April 2014 13.03 BST

12.59pm BST

It is ironic that Russia has accused the west of bringing back the iron curtain of the late 1940s. It was of course Winston Churchill who had accused Stalin of bringing down an iron curtain across Europe. Here is that historic speech, officially called "Sinews of Peace" made in Fulton, Missouri in 1945. The phrase occurs well into the discourse.

From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of central and eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow.

12.45pm BST

Ukraine's gross domestic product shrank an estimated 1% in the first quarter of 2014, compared with the same period last year. "The first quarter result is better than we expected," deputy economy minister Anatoliy Maksyuta told a briefing. "...It will be roughly minus 1%, according to our estimates." 

12.35pm BST

Tim Judah, who covered the Balkan wars in the 1990s, has thisthoughtful piece in the New York Review of Books. Here's an extract on how the people in eastern Ukraine are being subjected to Russian propaganda about the "fascists" taking over in Kiev.

Talk to people manning the anti-government barricades and taking part in the demonstrations against Kiev here, however, and one thing in particular is scary. After a day or two you realize that they all say more or less the same thing. “We want to be listened to,” people say. The government in Kiev, which took power after the pro-European revolution there, is a “fascist junta” backed by Europe and the US.

It is as though the Russian media—which is widely watched and read here—has somehow embedded these messages into the heads of people and they have lost the ability to think for themselves. Those who are angry talk as though they were a long persecuted minority, as if they have forgotten that easterners under former president Viktor Yanukovych ran the country until February. Everyone here has been robbed blind by politicians in a system that was as corrupt as can be, but all that seems to be registering right now is a nationalist and hysterical drumbeat from Russia about the new Nazis of Kiev and their Nato masters.

Now the Russian media says the fascists have returned. And of course, just as there were indeed then some admirers of Croatia’s wartime fascists, there are some right-wing nationalists in Ukraine now; the big lie is to give them a significance they simply don’t have.

12.23pm BST

Summary

• The EU has named 15 people for sanctions, including General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, and deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak, who has been charged with developing Crimea. Several leaders of the pro-Russian militia and protestors who have been occupying buildings in eastern Ukraine have also been named. They will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans.
• Russia has accused the west of reverting to an 'iron curtain'. The Russian foreign ministry said the EU is doing Washington's bidding and should 'be ashamed' of itself.
• The mayor of Kharkiv, who is fighting for his life after being shot in the back, has been flown to Israel for treatment. Reasons for the shooting still unknown.

12.04pm BST

Visa, the US credit card company, is to suspend network services to Russian banks SMP and InvestCapitalbank, to comply with US law. This from Reuters.

"We regret any disruptions that the institutions, their cardholders or merchants may experience," Visa said in a statement. "All of Visa's systems are processing normally, and we continue to service our other unaffected Russian clients."

Rival MasterCard Inc said yesterday it would suspend services in the near future to cards issued by SMP bank and InvestCapitalbank.

InvestCapitalbank and SMP bank are controlled by the Rotenberg brothers, Boris and Arkady.

The Rotenbergs, linked to big contracts on gas pipelines and at the Sochi Olympics, were named on a previous US sanctions list issued in March after Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Russia recently revived plans to develop its own card payment system to cut its dependence on Visa and Mastercard .

11.58am BST

Anti-corruption experts from around the world are in London to discuss the retrieval of assets worth billions of pounds stolen from Ukraine by former president Viktor Yanukovych and his regime. The Press Associations reports:

Home secretary Theresa May, co-hosting the Ukraine Forum on Asset Recovery at Lancaster House with US attorney general Eric Holder, said that the meeting was a "tangible manifestation" of determination not to allow impunity to leaders who loot the assets of their own countries.

Asked whether the White House was considering targeting the personal assets of Russian president Vladimir Putin himself, Holder said: "We believe that Russia must cease its illegal intervention and its provocative actions in Ukraine and we remain prepared to impose further sanctions if that doesn't occur."

Ukraine's general prosecutor Oleh Makhnitskyi told the London forum that the country has already identified stolen assets totalling at least 35bn Ukrainian hryvnias (£1.8bn) and expects the eventual total to amount to tens of billions of US dollars. Funds are believed to have been transferred to international bank accounts in countries around the world.

Describing the Yanukovych regime as an "organised criminal group" whose tentacles reached throughout the administration, Makhnitskyi said: "The new government was set up and we found that our treasury was empty and the funds were misappropriated."

Holder announced the creation of a kleptocracy squad within the FBI tasked with "aggressively investigating and prosecuting corruption cases not only in Ukraine, but around the world".

May said officials from Britain's National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service have already travelled to Ukraine to offer their assistance.

11.36am BST

Updated at 11.44am BST

11.17am BST

Around 2,000 pro-Ukrainian protesters march through the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Monday, resulting in violent clashes

Updated at 11.21am BST

11.07am BST

Alec Luhn assesses the latest EU sanctions and provides details on those targeted.

The EU sanctions on 15 Russian officials announced Tuesday lacked the punch of the preceding US sanctions, since they did not target officials overseeing Russia's state-owned oil giant Rosneft or the assets of Kremlin-connected oligarchs.

However, they did target General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, deputy prime ministerDmitry Kozak, who has been charged with developing Crimea, and several leaders of the pro-Russian militia and protestors who have been occupying buildings in eastern Ukraine. EU countries depend heavily on Russian oil and gas exports.

Among the pro-Russian leaders, most of whom were little-known before the wave of unrest, was Igor Strelkov, cited by some media as the head of the Donbass People's Militia. He is also reputed to be one of the “little green men” Russia has allegedly sent to promote unrest in eastern Ukraine, and EU officials identified him as a Russian military intelligence officer and an advisor to Crimean PM Sergei Aksyonov.

Denis Pushilin, the prime minister of the self-declared “Donetsk People's Republic,” was also included on the list. Little-known before the occupation of the Donetsk regional administration building, Pushilin previously worked for MMM, a company that ran a notorious pyramid scheme in the 1990s.

After Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the EU negotiated a plan in Geneva to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, Pushilin refused to recognise the agreement, saying the Donetsk protestors would refuse to leave the buildings they've taken until the Kiev government leaves its buildings, and they hold a referendum on the region's fate.

Several other pro-Russian leaders from Donetsk also fell under sanctions. Little is known about Andrei Purgin, besides the fact that he is a pan-Slavic activist who has agitated against the new pro-western government in Kiev. According to a social network page apparently belonging to him, he holds an IT degree from a Donetsk university and is now the co-chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic.

Sergei Tsyplakov is reportedly the deputy head of the Donbass People's Militia and is also apparently a long-time pro-Russian activist. He told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that he was “extremely proud” of his inclusion on the list, adding that the sanctions are laughable.

Two protest leaders from the neighbouring Luhansk region, where heavily armed men have been holding the regional security service headquarters, also face visa bans. Valery Bolotov, a commander of the Army of the Southeast group that has been occupying the building, was announced as the “people's governor” of Luhansk last week. The protestors soon followed Donetsk's example and declared a “Luhansk People's Republic.”

German Prokopyev is also reportedly a leader of the Luhansk militia, but even less is known about him than about the other pro-Russian leaders.

Updated at 11.22am BST

11.00am BST

Putin at Schröder's birthday function

The German government is none too pleased that former chancellor Gerhard Schröder is being feted by Putin. Schröder attended a meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, of gas pipeline operator Nord Stream AG, of which he is board chairman. After the event Putin reportedly turned up for a celebration in honour of Schroeder's 70th birthday.

A senior German official, has stressed that Schröder was not in Russia on behalf of Angela Merkel's government. An opponent of EU sanctions on Russia, Schröder has compared Russia's annexation of Crimea to Nato's intervention in Kosovo in 1999. Merkel rejected the parallel as "shameful".

Updated at 1.03pm BST

10.51am BST

Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, says the EU announced sanctions against 15 Russians because of the threat to Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. Here is part of herstatement.

I am alarmed by the worsening security situation in Eastern Ukraine. The downward spiral of violence and intimidation undermines the normal functioning of the legitimates tate institutions. A number of people have been killed, wounded, tortured or kidnapped in the last few days. I notably condemn the shooting of mayor of Kharkiv Henadiy Kernes yesterday and the detention of military observers from OSCE participating States in Slavyansk by armed separatists since last Friday. All persons still illegally detained by armed groups in Eastern Ukraine need to be immediately released. I am also concerned about continued attacks on journalists and the deterioration of media freedom environment in Eastern Ukraine, including the illegal seizure of TV transmission towers.

10.36am BST

Russia: EU should be 'ashamed' of itself

Russia's foreign ministry has responded to the latest set of EU sanctions with criticism of the EU. "Instead of forcing the Kiev clique to sit at the table with southeastern Ukraine to negotiate the future structure of the country, our partners are doing Washington's bidding with new unfriendly gestures aimed at Russia," a statement said.

"This is a revival of a system created in 1949 when western countries essentially lowered an 'iron curtain', cutting off supplies of hi-tech goods to the USSR and other countries," said Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Updated at 11.12am BST

10.04am BST

Reuters has this newsflash: Nato has no information indicating a withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border.

9.56am BST

The self-declared mayor of Slavyansk, a pro-Russian separatist stronghold, has said he would discuss the release of detained military observers with the west only if the EU dropped sanctions against rebel leaders. Reuters reports:

Vyacheslav Ponomaryov told Interfax news agency the imposition of visa bans and asset freezes against Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-styled People's Republic of Donetsk, and Andrei Purgin, another leader in the eastern region, "was not conducive to dialogue".

"We will resume dialogue on the status of the prisoners of war only when the European Union rejects these sanctions," he said. "If they fail to remove the sanctions, then we will block access for EU representatives, and they won't be able to get to us. I will remind my guests from the OSCE about this."

The six observers were in Ukraine under the auspices of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a democracy watchdog. They were detained last week after separatists said they had found a Ukrainian spy with them.

9.51am BST

Those Russian military exercises near the border with Ukraine seem to be winding down. The Guardian's Alec Luhn writes from Moscow.

Russia has called back military forces who were conducting exercises along the Ukraine border, news agency Interfax reported. Defence minister Sergei Shoigu told this to his US counterpart Chuck Hagel in a phone conversation, it said.

"As soon as the Ukrainian authorities announced they didn't have any intention of using regular military units against the unarmed population, Russian divisions were returned to their home bases," the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Shoigu said Russia had announced the exercises on 24 April after the Kiev government concentrated 80 tanks, more than 130 fighting vehicles and transports and more than 60 artillery pieces in southeastern Ukraine.

Updated at 10.04am BST

9.36am BST

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg tweets on the latest sanctions.

I doubt those members of Donbass People Militia/Donetsk People's Republic/Lugansk Guard in EU sanctions list will be quaking in their boots

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) April 29, 2014

9.34am BST

The Russian markets may be untroubled so far, but Gazprom sounds worried although it has not been targeted by sanctions yet. It says any expansion of sanctions could lead to adverse consequences for its business and shares, reports Reuters. The company, which meets 30% of Europe's gas demand, also said in its financial report that a pricing disagreement with Kiev could potentially lead to a disruption of its gas exports to Europe through pipelines crossing Ukraine.

9.29am BST

Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov says he sees no immediate impact on Russia's hi-tech companies from US sanctions imposed yesterday.

"I cannot see at the moment that any companies will suffer," Siluanov told journalists, Reuters reports. Vladimir Putin said yesterday that Russia will be able to replace any defence industry imports lost due to the Ukraine crisis with its own products.

The Russian stock market has not been too bothered by the latest western sanctions. Russia's main indexes, the rouble-traded MICEX and the dollar-denominated RTS index, both rose in early trading, up 1.8% and 1.1% respectively. Stocks closed up yesterday on relief that no major listed companies were included in the sanctions.

9.19am BST

The mayor of Kharkiv, who is fighting for his life after being shot in the back, has been flown to Israel for treatment, Agence France-Presse reports. Kharkiv is Ukraine's second largest city. The shooting came as pro-Russian thugs broke up a pro-Ukraine rally in Donetsk.

Yury Sydorenko, director of information at Kharkiv city council, said in a statement that Israeli doctors decided after examining his wounds that mayor Gennady Kernes, who is Jewish, could be transported.

"At half past two, he was driven to the airport," Sydorenko added.

The shooting of Kernes in Ukraine's second-largest city was the latest violent incident in the east of the country where authorities have launched what they call an "anti-terrorism" operation against pro-Russian separatists.

He appeared to be targeted by a sniper although the exact circumstances and motivations behind his shooting remained unclear.

Locals officials say he was cycling but his entourage said he was jogging. The city council said he was "hit by a bullet in the back".

The doctor who performed emergency surgery on him, Valeriy Boyko, said the mayor's life was "in danger".

9.10am BST

The EU has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on 15 Russians, including deputy prime minister Dmitry Nikolayevich Kozak and a deputy chairman of the Duma - the lower house of Russia's parliament - Ludmila Ivanovna Shvetsova. Others on the EU include Valery Vasilevich Gerasimov, chief of staff of Russia's armed forces, as well as separatist leaders. The move follows yesterday's sanctions announced by the UStargeting seven prominent Russians, including the head of Rosfnet, Russia's largest oil company, and 17 Russian companies. But as the Guardian's Ian Traynor writes from Brussels, there is little to suggest the two stages of western sanctions already being implemented will change Vladimir Putin's ways. Tier Three sanctions - sectoral measures on trade, energy, finance and military equipment - are a different story. But Traynor says there is little stomach for such sweeping moves as the result would be a trade war that would damage a weak European economy.

• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/29/ukraine-eu-imposes-new-sanctions-on-russia-live-updates?view=desktop#block-535f8906e4b05034061a9897
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-aBb3IbQuY

Continuity in hieroglyph motifs from Meluhha to Ancient Near East

April 29, 2014, 9:38 pm

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This note is a tenth sequel to the work: Philosophy of symbolic forms in Meluhha cipher. 

See the first to ninth sequels at: 

1.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/meluhha-metallurgy-hieroglyphs-of.html Meluhha metallurgy: hieroglyphs of pomegranate, mangrove date-palm cone (raphia farinifera), an elephant's head terracotta Nausharo, Sarasvati civilization 

2.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/ant-twisted-rope-and-other-meluhha.html  Twisted rope, ant and other Meluhha hieroglyphs on Ancient Near East and Indian seals3.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/perforated-plaques-of-tello-lagash.html Perforated plaques of Tello, Lagash, Sumerian artifacts, and Meluhha hieroglyphs 4.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/zimrilims-palace-mural-painting-and.html  Zimrilim's palace mural painting and Meluhha hieroglyphs (Compliments to Jack M. Sasson) 5. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/tin-road-assur-kanesh-trade.html Tin road -- Assur-Kanesh -- trade transactions and Meluhha hieroglyphs6. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/revisiting-cire-perdue-in.html  Revisiting cire perdue in archaeological context and Meluhh7. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/revisiting-ayo-ayas-barbar-temple-seals.html  Revisiting ayo, ayas, Barbar temple seals, dhokra kamar, 'cire perdue' specialists and Meluhha hieroglyphs8. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/representations-of-metallurgical.html  Representations of metallurgical processes in Meluhha hieroglyphs 9. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/meluhha-hieroglyphs-on-cylinder-and.html Meluhha hieroglyphs on cylinder and other seals of Bronze Age Three hieroglyph motifs can be readily identified to demonstrate the continuity of representation of the motifs on seals from Meluhha to Ancient Near East. The three motifs are the following which are explained as rebus readings of Meluhha glosses:1. Overflowing water from a vase Hieroglyphs: lo'pot overflow' kāṇṭam'water' Rebus: lo 'copper' khāṇḍā 'tools, weapons'2. Six hair-curls Hieroglyphs: āra ‘six’, ‘rings of hair’ Rebus: āra 'brass'. 3. One-eyed person Hieroglyphs: kāṇa 'one-eyed' Rebus: kaṇṇahāra -- m. ʻhelmsman, sailor’. kannār 'coppersmiths'.Meluhha settlements in Mesopotamia of the Bronze Age are attested in cuneiform texts. There is a possibility that some of the hieroglyphs deployed on cylinder seals of Mesopotamia were based on Meluhha cipher: that is, Meluhha hieroglyphs rendering rebus as Meluhha glosses to denote stone-/metal-artefacts.A number of cylinder seals are presented from Ward, William Hayes,1910, The cylinder seals of western Asia, Carnegie Institute of Washington, Publication No. 100 Рипол Классик  wich has 1315 illustrations.m1656 Mohenjodro Pectoral. kāṇṭam காண்டம் kāṇṭam, n. < kāṇḍa. 1. Water; sacred water; நீர். துருத்திவா யதுக்கிய குங்குமக் காண் டமும் (கல்லா. 49, 16). <kanda>  {N} ``large earthen water ^pot kept and filled at the house''.  @1507.  #14261.(Munda) Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘metal tools,  pots and pans’ (Marathi) http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/zimrilims-palace-mural-painting-and.html

On this cylinder seal, the 'hero' is shown with six circles, curls (?) on his hair. Length: 4.120 cm. Diameter: 3.650 cm. Early dynastic period ca. 2700 BCE.
Source: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/w/calcite_seal,_combat_scene.aspxhttp://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2011/11/sit-shamshi-bronze-glyphics-compared.html

m0308 Mohenjodaro seal. Person grappling with two flanking tigers standing and rearing on their hindlegs. Comparable to the Mesopotamian cylinder seal (BM 89538), this Indus seal depicts a person with six hair-knots. kaṇṇahāra -- m. ʻhelmsman, sailor’. ( काणkāṇa‘one-eyed’, āra‘six’, ‘rings of hair’ symbolic forms). kannār 'coppersmiths'; kan 'copper'. arye 'lion' Rebus: āra 'brass'.

One-Eyed Hero with Lions Flanked by Enclosures Iran (?) (ca. 3100 B.C.E) 50 x 40 mm Seal No. 4"Seal 4 presents as its central figure a cyclopic hero holding lions. The rest of the scene includes animals, pots, and other types of containers, as well as a human figure and two lion-headed eagles, all apparently meant to be within an inclosure indicated by two stockade-like frames. A related theme is found in a fragment of a vase from Khafajah.... The nude bearded hero seen in 4 remained a stock figure of the Mesopotamian repertory, aapearing for the most part in contst scenes. The cyclopic version of this figure in 4 is paralleled in only one other instance, an Early Dynastic seal impression from Fara (ancient Shuruppak). A plaque from Khafajah of some thousand years later shows a cyclopic demon whose head has the form of a sun. Because of the wide gap in time, however, there is no assurance that the hero in 4 is to be associated in any manner with this figure."--Porada, CANES, p. 3Center: nude one-eyed hero holding two reversed lions, two more lions forming pyramid above him -- Left: section of inclosure containing sheep, latter between two pots, with lion-headed eagle perched on head of sheep; basket, pouch(?), fish, and bird in upper field -- Right: sheep-headed demon grasping pole of second section of inclosure; within latter, human figure(?) with upturned curls holding in outstretched hands indefinable curved object marked by vertical incisions; lion-headed eagle above horns of sheep-demon; crib(?) in upper field. 

Cylinder unperforated; in both top and bottom shallow central cavity and outer circle of small depressions."Seal 4 presents as its central figure a cyclopic hero holding lions. The rest of the scene includes animals, pots, and other types of containers, as well as a human figure and two lion-headed eagles, all apparently meant to be within an inclosure indicated by two stockade-like frames. A related theme is found in a fragment of a vase from Khafajah.... The nude bearded hero seen in 4 remained a stock figure of the Mesopotamian repertory, aapearing for the most part in contst scenes. The cyclopic version of this figure in 4 is paralleled in only one other instance, an Early Dynastic seal impression from Fara (ancient Shuruppak). A plaque from Khafajah of some thousand years later shows a cyclopic demon whose head has the form of a sun. Because of the wide gap in time, however, there is no assurance that the hero in 4 is to be associated in any manner with this figure."--Porada, CANES, p. 3 http://www.themorgan.org/collections/collections.asp?id=789 Some hieroglyphs which recur on Ancient Near seals and their Meluhha rebus readings are: bull-man, bullḍangar 'bull' read rebus ḍhangar 'blacksmith'; ṭagara 'ram' Rebus: damgar 'merchant' (Akkadian) ṭhakkura, ‘idol’, ṭhākur ʻ blacksmith ʼ, ṭhākur m. ʻmaster’.ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’. tiger kol 'tiger' Rebus: kol 'working in iron' lion arye 'lion'āra 'brass' aquatic bird karaḍa ‘aquatic bird, duck’ Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy'  eagle eraka 'eagle' Rebus: erako 'moltencast copper buffalo கண்டி kaṇṭi , n. 1. Buffalo bull Rebus: Pk. gaḍa -- n. ʻlarge stoneʼ? (CDIAL 3969) six hair-curlsāra 'six curls' Rebus: āra 'brass' face mũh ‘face’ Rebus: mũh ‘ingot’. stag karuman 'stag' karmara 'artisan' antelope melh 'goat' Rebus: milakkhu 'copper' calf khoṇḍ 'young bull-calf' Rebus khuṇḍ '(metal) turner'.  scorpion bica ‘scorpion’ (Assamese) Rebus: bica ‘stone ore’ stalk daṭhi, daṭi  'stalks of certain plants' Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral.kāṇḍa काण्डः m. the stalk or stem of a reed. Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’.  twig kūdī ‘twig’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’ fish ayo 'fish' Rebus: ayo, ayas  'metal'.   overflowing pot lo ‘pot to overflow’ kāṇḍa ‘water’. Rebus: लोखंड lokhaṇḍ Iron tools, vessels, or articles in general. spear  మేడెము [ mēḍemu ] or మేడియము mēḍemu. [Tel.] n. A spear or dagger. Rebus: meḍ  ‘iron’.  ring, bracelet kaḍum a bracelet, a ring (G.) Rebus: kaḍiyo [Hem. Des. kaḍaio = Skt. sthapati a mason] a bricklayer; a mason;  star मेढ [ mēḍha ]  The polar star (Marathi). [cf.The eight-pointed star Rebus: meḍ 'iron' (Mundari. Remo.) safflower karaḍa -- m. ʻsafflowerʼ Rebus:  करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c. (Marathi)   twig kūdī ‘twig’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’  frond (of palm), palm tamar, ‘palm tree, date palm’ Rebus: tam(b)ra, ‘copper’ (Prakrit)  tree kuṭhāru 'tree' Rebus:  kuṭhāru ‘armourer or weapons maker’(metal-worker) ram, ibex, markhor 1.ram मेंढा [ mēṇḍhā ] m (मेष S through H) A male sheep, a ram or tup.(Marathi) meḍ 'iron' (Mundari. Remo.) goat melh 'goat' Rebus: milakkhu 'copper' knot (twist) meḍ, ‘knot, Rebus: 'iron’ reed, scarf dhaṭu  m.  (also dhaṭhu)  m. ‘scarf’  (WPah.) (CDIAL 6707) Rebus: dhatu ‘minerals’ (Santali); dhātu ‘mineral’ (Pali) kāṇḍa काण्डः m. stem of a reed. Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ mountain डोंगर [ ḍōṅgara ] m A hill. डोंगरकणगर or डोंगरकंगर [ ḍōṅgarakaṇagara or ḍōṅgarakaṅgara ] m (डोंगर & कणगर form of redup.) Hill and mountain; hills comprehensively or indefinitely. डोंगरकोळी [ ḍōṅgarakōḷī ] m A caste of hill people or an individual of it. (Marathi) ḍāngā = hill, dry upland (B.); ḍã̄g mountain-ridge (H.)(CDIAL 5476). Rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili) dhokra 'cire perdue metallurgist' wing eraka 'wing' eṟaka, ṟekka, rekka, neṟaka, neṟi ‘wing’ (Telugu)(DEDR 2591). Rebus: erako 'moltencast copper'. snake nāga 'snake' nāga 'lead' frame of building sã̄gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ (M.)(CDIAL 12859) Rebus: sangāṭh संगाठ् । सामग्री m. (sg. dat. sangāṭas संगाटस्), a collection (of implements, tools, materials, for any object), apparatus, furniture, a collection of the things wanted on a journey, luggage (Kashmiri) jangaḍ 'entrustment note' (Gujarati)  monkey kuṭhāru = a monkey (Sanskrit) Rebus: kuṭhāru ‘armourer or weapons maker’(metal-worker), also an inscriber or writer.   kick kolsa 'to kick' Rebus: kol working in iron, blacksmith foot . khuṭo ʻ leg, foot ʼ Rebus: khũṭ  ‘community, guild’ (Santali) copulation (mating) kamḍa, khamḍa 'copulation' (Santali) Rebus: kampaṭṭa ‘mint, coiner’ adulteryṛanku, ranku = fornication, adultery (Telugu)  ranku 'tin'

William Hayes Ward Seal No. 26.

Source: https://archive.org/details/sealcylindersofw00warduoft  

http://www.scribd.com/doc/221054125/The-cylinder-seals-of-western-Asia-Carnegie-Institute-of-Washington-Publication-No-100-Ward-William-Hayes-1910

Cylinder Seal of Ibni-Sharrum Agade period, reign of Sharkali-Sharri (c. 2217-2193 BCE)Mesopotamia Serpentine H. 3.9 cm; Diam. 2.6 cm Formerly in the De Clercq collection; gift of H. de Boisgelin, 1967 AO 22303 "A scene testifying to relations with distant lands Buffaloes are emblematic animals in glyptic art in the Agade period. They first appear in the reign of Sargon, indicating sustained relations between the Akkadian Empire and the distant country of Meluhha, that is, the present Indus Valley, where these animals come from. These exotic creatures were probably kept in zoos and do not seem to have been acclimatized in Iraq at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. Indeed, it was not until the Sassanid Empire that they reappeared. The engraver has carefully accentuated the animals' powerful muscles and spectacular horns, which are shown as if seen from above, as they appear on the seals of the Indus."

http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/cylinder-seal-ibni-sharrum

Found on christies.com

AN AKKADIAN BLACK STONE CYLINDER SEAL CIRCA 2300-2200 B.C. With contest scene, the nude hero Lahmu, with long beard and three large curls either side of head, wearing triple-stranded belt, holding a sword in his raised hand, and holding a bull inverted by its tail in the other, resting his foot on its neck, and a human-headed bull holding a sword in one hand and a lion inverted by its tail in his other hand, stylised plant between the pairs 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) high http://www.pinterest.com/pin/403353710347940947/ 

Seal Nos. 23, 26, 27, 29 (Ward, p. 9, p.20)

Loc.cit. https://www.academia.edu/6598519/On_a_cylinder_seal_a_god_decrees_a_fate_for_a_king_May_it_be_your_lot_to_be_a_god._ 

Goddess Pleading Before Enki c.2330-2150 B.C.E Akkad period. Marble. Cylinder seal. Mesopotamia

A supplicating goddess of lower rank, indicated by her single-horned miter, approaches the enthroned Enki flanked by his two-faced minister Isimud and his acolyte, the nude hero. With her arm uplifted and her hand held before her mouth, she appears as a supplicant to Enki.

Attacking Demons

c.2000-1600 B.C.E Isin-Larsa-Old Babylonian period. Hematite. Cylinder seal. Ischali, in the Diyala region, Mesopotamia.
A kneeling figure with upraised arm is attacked by demonic creatures with leonine heads and bird feet, and by a male figure with multiple mace and scimitar.

The exact nature of the demonic figures is difficult to determine, but the association of birdlike beings with the nether world is common in the Near East and the Aegean. The galla are described as those "who flutter over heaven and earth" in "Dumuzi¹s Dream", suggesting their birdlike nature. And as Henri Frankfort has shown, soul-birds in Egypt and harpies and sirens in the Aegean area all objectified certain aspects of terror inspired by death. The frightening, bird-clawed monsters with gaping mouths may represent similar underworld beings threatening the small cringing man with death.Goddess from the Other World 2000-1600 B.C.E Isin-Larsa-Old Babylonian period. Hematite. Cylinder seal. Mesopotamia

An enormous winged bird-footed goddess stands frontally with hands clasped. A double register scene appears alongside her. In the upper register a nude goddess and a bearded deity receive homage from human worshippers. A row of composite beings appear in the lower register. A fly, a hedgehog(?), and a human head appear above these creatures in the field.

This goddess with bird features has been identified with Lilith. She may represent the chthonic aspect of Inanna/Ishtar derived from her association with the demonic and frequently bird-like creatures and gods that inhabit the underworld. Here, the goddess¹s horned head appears alongside deities and their human worshippers while her bird-feet appear beside demonic creatures. The hierarchical arrangement of this scene may signify her dual nature, partially of "heaven and earth" and partially of the underworld.

Inanna on Her Throne

c.2000-1600 B.C.E Akkad period.Nephrite. Cylinder seal. Mesopotamia

During the period of Akkadian control of Mesopotamia (c.2334-2154 B.C.), the early Sumerian "Lady of Heaven" and fertility goddess Inanna merged with the Semitic Ishtar, a warrior goddess. The goddess Inanna/Ishtar appears on this Akkadian seal, seated on a throne decorated with two crossed lions. Weapons, including a scimitar and a mace, rise from her shoulders as she gestures to two worshippers and looks full-face at the viewer. Her flounced garment covers only one shoulder, and her long hair falls in curls down to her elbows. To the left of Inanna/Ishtar stands an attendant goddess wearing a single-horned miter. To her right a female figure gestures in worship and pours a libation into a vessel. 

Goddess in Underworld

c.2330-2150 B.C.E Akkad period. Hematite. Cylinder seal. Mesopotamia
Flanked by two forms shaped like mountains, perhaps symbolic of the kur (the underworld), stands a frontal-facing goddess. Undulating rays or flames rise from her shoulders and may indicate either her solar or infernal nature. A ring -- possibly similar to the ring that was taken from Inanna when she entered the fifth gate of the underworld -- is held in her hand.
To the right, within one mountain, a deity with rays or flames rising from his shoulders grasps the tail of a bull-man. To the left, a deity with a scourge stands grasping the horn of another deity who collapses within another flaming mountain. A small figure kneels beside the mountain to the left.

Scorpions and Rosette c.3300 B.C.E Gawra period. Steatite. Stamp seal. North Mesopotamia
Inanna¹s symbol, the eight-pointed star or rosette, appears between the pincers of two scorpions on the square face of this stamp seal.
King Feeding Rosette Flowers to Sheep c.3200-3000 B.C.E Late Uruk-Jemdet Nasr period. Marble. Cylinder seal. Mesopotamia

 A bearded male figure wears a round cap and a skirt with netlike pattern. This man appears on many artifacts excavated at Inanna¹s city, Uruk, and may represent the en, or priest-king, of the city, who assumes the role of divine consort of Inanna in the sacred marriage ceremony. Clasped to his chest are two curving branches ending in rosette-flowers. These rosette symbols of Inanna are nibbled by maned sheep, literally portraying the nourishment of the flocks ensured by the union of the goddess and her consort. The emblems of Inanna that flank the scene suggest that it is taking place within the sacred precinct of her temple.

http://wings.buffalo.edu/english/faculty/christian/syllabi/375/hhjw1/hhjw1.htm

Foundation Figure of a Kneeling God Holding a Peg

Mesopotamia, period of Gudea (ca. 2144–2124 b.c.); copper Height: ca. 19.5 cm Purchase: AZ 145

 "This well-preserved copper figurine is a god, identifiable as such by his headgear, topped by several pairs of bull's horns. He is symbolically "nailing" the foundation of the temple permanently to the earth. The sculptor vested a figure, fully realized in the round, with an inherent naturalism and delicate fluidity. Though immobilized by the act depicted, the muscular interaction of his body parts is well understood. By analogy with earlier inscribed foundation figures, the deity probably represents the personal god of Gudea, ruler of Lagash." Copper Foundation Figure with a Kneeling God Holding a Peg [sculpture]. God (probably the personal god of Gudea) wearing short kilt and long split skirt in semi-kneeling posture, supporting between its legs a large peg. Gudea was the leader of Lagash around 2150 B.C.

Traces of fabric remain in the corrosion in the area around the beard on the god’s head. Foundation figures were often wrapped in cloth prior to burial. Inscription names "Gudea" and "Lagash", but because of the corrosion, it is impossible to read the remainder, which would have named the god and the temple http://www.themorgan.org/collections/collectionsPaging.asp?page=92&id=Seals

Hero Grasping Lion Griffin; Monkey Perched on Tree Flanked by Ibex and Bird of Prey Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Middle Assyrian period (ca.thirteenth century B.C.E)
Chert  15 mm diameter Seal no. 596 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 571 Lion-griffin in grasp of bearded hero brandishing ax -- Terminal: tree with volute below branches; monkey perched at top, eating fruit; ibex at left, bird of prey at right. "Palm trees marked with volutes are found in 596 and 597. This use of volutes recalls Mitannian designs, though in the latter the tree as a whole always conveys an impression of artificiality, whereas on the Middle Assyrian seals it has the appearance of a natural tree merely ornamented with metal bands." Porada, CANES, p. 69

Bearded Hero with Daggers Between Two Ibexes Facing Tree Cylinder seal and impression
Mesopotamia, Middle Assyrian period (ca. thirteenth century B.C.E) Jasper  29 x 12 mm Seal no. 597 Bearded hero (full face), dagger in each hand, standing between two ibexes that jump away from him, each toward tree that is flanked by them as scene repeats. "Palm trees marked with volutes are found in 596 and 597. This use of volutes recalls Mitannian designs, though in the latter the tree as a whole always conveys an impression of artificiality, whereas on the Middle Assyrian seals it has the appearance of a natural tree merely ornamented with metal bands." Porada, CANES, p. 69

Hero Spearing Ibex, Second Ibex Jumping Toward Tree on Mountain Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Middle Assyrian period (ca. thirteenth century B.C.E) Chert  32 x 14.5 mm
Seal no. 600 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 1130 Ibex, hero grasping second ibex and spearing it, both ibexes jumping toward tree on mountain, which they flank at either side as scene repeats -- Star, crescent, and sun in sky.

Enthroned Goddess with Worshipers Pouring a Libation over a Flaming Altar and Bearing Offerings Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Serpentine  37 x 25 (23) mm Seal no. 245 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 215, 1244 Enthroned goddess with mace facing worshiper who carries kid and pours libation over flaming altar -- Behind worshiper, two female worshipers, one with pail, other with arm upraised supporting object on palm of her hand -- Star and crescent in sky -- Terminal: plant. "Scenes showing worshipers standing before a deity without an intermediary (245-247) are rare in this period and later." Porada, CANES, p. 30


Leather Worker(?) in Rooms Framed by Serpo-Felines Cylinder seal Mesopotamia, Late Uruk period (ca. 3500–3100 B.C.E) Serpentine 29.5 x 25 mm Seal no. 1

Ewe and Ram Flanking Plant with a Gatepost Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Late Uruk period (ca.3500–3100 B.C.E) Serpentine 16 x 13 mm Seal no. 5

Pigtailed Figures with Vessels; Cows Lying On Mountains Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Late Uruk period/Jamdat Nasr period (ca. 3500–2900 B.C.E) Serpentine
21.5 x 20 mm Seal no. 7

Three Stags with a Plant Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Late Uruk period/Jamdat Nasr period (ca. 3500–2900 B.C.E)  Serpentine  25 x 22 mm Seal no. 20

Scorpion with a Plant Cylinder seal and impression  Mesopotamia, Late Uruk period/Jamdat Nasr  period (ca. 3500–2900 B.C.E.) Marble  36.5 x 21 mm Seal no. 31 "... a pot of the Jamdat Nasr period shows a scorpion in a panel and the effect is much the same as that produced by the design of seal 31."--Porada, CANES, p. 6-7

Suppliant Goddess with Scorpions Before Winged Goddess with Weapons in Chamber Formed by Guilloches Cylinder seal and impression Syria (ca. 1720–1650 B.C.E) Hematite  21.5 x 11 mm Seal no. 960 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 957 Two facing suppliant goddesses, between them, star disk in crescent, three scorpions, one above other -- Winged goddess with spear and scimitar in chamber formed by guilloches "A number of cylinders (958-960) picture a winged goddess holding a spear or some other weapon that indicates her martial character. That the figure represents a goddess and not a god is indicated by the headgear, a square horned miter seen only on female deities ... In 959 the goddess appears to be supervising a contest between two gods, one of whom is identified by the crescent on his helmet as associated with the moon. Seal 960 shows her in a chamber formed by guilloches, while outside of this inclosure suppliant goddess are worshiping scorpions, perhaps her symbol. ... The portrayeal of the suppliant goddesses in 960 does not deviate greatly from Old Babylonian examples; this may support a dating of the seal near the time of the First Dynasty of Babylon." . Porada, CANES, p. 128

Male Figure Before a Goddess Drawing Aside Her Mantle Cylinder seal and impression
Syria (ca. 1720–1650 B.C.E) Hematite 23 x 11 mm Seal no. 945 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 924 Male figure before goddess drawing aside her mantle, bird perched on her finger -- Secondary motif: two sitting lions, facing, above guilloche -- Below it, ibex pawed by griffin."In 945 and 946, the nude female is partly clothed, but the mantle falling over one leg, far from covering her nudity, serves only to accentuate it. This is especially true in 945, where she is shown holding the mantle to one side. The male personage facing her in 946 is clad much like the worshiper in 910. in what has been judged to be royal attire (in 945 only his cap is like that in 910). The fact that the nude female usually appears with a mantle in scenes in which she is associated with such a personage, for example in Louvre A.934, may indicate that this rendering illustrates her specific aspect in relation to that figure, presumably a king."--Porada, CANES, p. 124-125

God with Lightining Fork and Foot on Bull Facing Male Figure; Nude Femaile Above Antelope Head; Male Figure Approaching Enthroned Figure Cylinder seal and impression Northern Mesopotamia, Mitannian period (ca. 1600–1350 B.C.E.) Hematite  27 x 13 mm Seal no. 1020 God with lightning fork placing foot on bull and facing mace-bearing figure in ascending posture -- Small nude female beside vessel above antelope head -- Figure with scimitar facing enthroned figure, between them sun disk, lion, and ball staff -- Stand(?) composed of five globes behind head of enthroned figure -- Six scattered globes in field. "Seals 1020 and 1021 still recall Old Babylonian designs in the general arrangement of their principal figures and in the ascending posture of the gods with emblems. However, the Mitannian elements in these seals are more pronounced; they are manifested by the small designs in the field, and in 1021 by the secondary motif and by the standard held by the god."--Porada, CANES, p. 141

Female Worshiper Facing God Enthroned on Two Human-Headed Bulls Cylinder seal and impression Southern Mesopotamia, Kassite period (ca. 1430–1155 B.C.E) Jasper  32.5 x 16 mm Seal no. 575 Ward, Morgan, no. 125 Female worshiper facing god who holds vase(?) and is seated on throne supported by two kneeling human-headed bulls -- Terminal: Inscription, one line carried into field."Seals 568-585 represent the earlier stage. Most of the designs of this group show elongated figures and extensive inscriptions containing prayers. This style seems to have evolved at about the beginning of the Kassite period. The phase of transition from Old Babylonian designs to Kassite cylinders of this type is clearly marked by pieces like 568 and 569. The style is therefore referred to as Early Kassite, despite the fact that it appears to have survived into the later centuries of Kassite rule. This is indicated by the names of the Kassite kings found in some of the inscriptions..."--Porada, CANES, p. 63

Hero Grasping Lions Standing on Kneeling Bulls, Winged Sun Disk Above: Birds of Prey Perched in Palmette Tree Flanked by Sphinx and Griffin Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Middle Assyrian period (ca. fourteenth century B.C.E) Rock crystal  27 x 13 mm Seal no. 592 Ward, Morgan, no. 165 Center: hero grasping lion at either side, each lion on back of kneeling bull; above each lion, bird of prey; below first lion, kneeling antelope; over whole group, winged sun disk -- Terminal: bird of prey between female sphinx and griffin, each monster resting hind foot on one lion of main motif, other hind foot on small antelope, while forefeet of both monsters rest on crown of palmette tree."A fourteenth-century dating is indicated for 592 by the fact that the design retains many Mitannian features. There is still a considerable use of the drill, the composition takes in the entire height of the seal, and certain figures--the kneeling bulls, the sphinx, and the griffin--are taken over almost unchanged from Mitannian seal designs." Porada, CANES, p. 68

Lion Griffins Attacking Bull; Palmette Tree Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Middle Assyrian period (ca. fourteenth century B.C.E) Chert  24 x 11.5 mm Seal no. 594 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 698 Two lion-griffins attacking bull between them -- Terminal: palmette tree. "Dating of 594 in the fourteenth century is indicated by its similarity to a seal impression of that time (Weber 316a). In each instance a decorative motif is formed by using the wings of the lion-griffins to frame a palmette tree. In the scene of the impression the shoulder feathers of the lion-griffin’s wings are indicated by drillings. This distinctive detail (which appears to derive from Mitannian designs), though it is lacking in 594, does appear in 595." Porada, CANES, p. 68

Griffin Demon Grasping Bull Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Middle Assyrian period
(ca. fourteenth century B.C.E) Chalcedony  20 x 10 mm Seal no. 595 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 636 Walking bull with its tail grasped by griffin-demon on one knee, whose other hand touches same bull, thus initiating repetition of scene -- In field, inscription. "Dating of 594 in the fourteenth century is indicated by its similarity to a seal impression of that time (Weber 316a). In each instance a decorative motif is formed by using thw ings of the lion-griffins to frame a palmette tree. In the scene of the impression the shoulder feathers of the lion-griffin’s wings are indicated by drillins. This distinctive detail (which appears to derive from Mitannian designs), though it is lacking in 594, does appear in 595. Furthermore, the delicate modeling of the latter seal indicates that it belongs to the fourteenth-century group of Middle Assyrian cylinders. It may be noted that in 595 the tip of the second horn of the bull is indicated; thus the bull’s head is shown in a quasi three-quarter view. While such three-quarter profiles remain unparalleled in Mesopotamian designs, they occur frequently in contemporary Aegean art." Porada, CANES, p. 68

Hero Grasping Bull and Mouflon Menaced by a Lion Attacked by a Second Hero Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic II period (ca. 2750–2600 B.C.E) Marble  28 x 24 mm Seal no. 52 "The heros in the contests often, as in 52, wear flat caps as well as skirts tucked up above the knee to provide freedom of movement. The fact that in a contemporaneous limestone inlay from Kish a king is similarly attired shows that such caps and skirts were characteristic of the Second Early Dynastic period." . Porada, CANES, p. 9-10

Lion-Armed Demon with Human Torso and Legs; Two Scorpions; Small Seated Figure, and Crossed Lions Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic II period (ca. 2750–2600 B.C.E) Marble  37 x 24 mm Seal no. 61 "Equally distinctive of this age is the two-pointed headdress seen in 60 and 61 and rendered on a larger scale in an alabaster plaque from Fara... In 61 the composite monster with two-pointed headdress is comparable to the composite figures in the contest friezes of the Second Early Dynastic period, as found in 59. Though the meaning of this monster, as well as that of the rest of the scene, is enigmatic, the arrangement of the figures and their strange actions suggest that the scene may be connected with some mythological concept." Porada, CANES, p. 10-11

Horned Deity (?) Seated Before a Shrine, with a Nude Hero Attacking a Lion; Entwined Lion-Headed Snakes Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic II period (ca. 2750–2600 B.C.E) Lapis lazuli  25 x 12 mm Seal no. 62 "The theme of 62, in which a hero and a lion--both figures of the contest frieze--take part in the main scene, has been interpreted by Frankfort as representing the god of fertility seated before his temple. The classification of this seal is not quite certain, because the engraving shows an application of the drill that is unusually pronounced for this period." Porada, CANES, p. 11

Seated Figures Drinking Through Tubes; Eagle Between Small Animals, with a Boar and Scorpion Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic III period (ca. 2600–2334 B.C.)
Marble  38.5 x 24 mm Seal no. 112  "Seals 105 and 106... and perhaps also 107 and 112, belong to the Second Early Dynastic period... In the lower register of 112, the monster whose tail ends in a scorpion recalls the composite monsters of the Second Early Dynastic period; a dating in this period is also indicated by the linear execution of the design." Porada, CANES, p. 16

Bull Man Protecting Horned Animals Attacked Felines; Scorpion Above Crossed Felines
Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic III period (ca. 2600–2334 B.C.E) Marble 
41 x 25 mm Seal no. 75 "Seals 74-77, which show a treatment of the frieze similar to that in 73, may be assigned to the same time." Porada, CANES, p. 13

Heroes Protecting Animals From Felines Cylinder seal Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic III period (ca.2600–2334B.C.E) Lapis lazuli  24 x 13 mm Seal no. 80 Nude hero with dagger and curved weapon attacking leopard that menaces stag -- Latter clasped by hero with upturned curls who also clasps mouflon assailed by lion -- In field: inscription. "Seals 80-84 probably originated in the same time [as Seal 78], since the small figures on these seals are in the same style as those on the impression of the seal of Barnamtarra, Lugalanda’s wife." Porada, CANES, p. 13

Kilted hero with dagger and stick attacking feline -- Latter attacking bull that is also assailed by lion crossed with bull whose lower parts are merged with reversed feline -- Terminal: horizontals with empty space above and head of human-headed bull below. Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 114 Kilted Hero Attacking Felines Menacing Horned Animals; Human-Headed Bull Below Empty Space Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Early Dynastic III period (ca. 2600–2334 B.C.E) Lapis lazuli  22 x 14 mm Seal no. 85

Crowned Hero Grasping Bull; Nude Bearded Hero Holding Human-Headed Bulls Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Carnelian  23.5 x 13 mm
Seal no. 149 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 190 Feather-crowned hero grasping bull -- Two nude bearded heros each holding one of two human-headed bulls -- Small man between the human-headed bulls."In the seals deriving from the beginning of the Akkad period, the Early Dynastic frieze of closely interwoven figures gradually breaks up into two or three groups of contestants. Frequently a symetrical effect is obtained by a duplication of the human-headed bull (147-52, 154). These scenes... show the lack of cohesion in composition that is characteristic of Early Akkad seals. Equally characteristic is the more developed modeling of the figures. Lastly, a number of details serve to distinguish this class of seals: the attitudes of the heroes and of the bull-men, who often show a characteristic flexion of the elbow in reaching toward the top of the victim’s head; the lion’s head frequently seen from above, as in the representations of the Third Early Dynastic period; the attire of the heroes, most often plain or fringed kilts, with flat caps or feather crowns appearing in several instances."--Porada, CANES, p. 21

Nude Bearded Hero Wrestling with Water Buffalo; Bull Man Fighting Lion Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Serpentine 36 x 25 mm Seal no. 159 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 177 Water buffalo subdued by nude bearded hero --Bull-man fighting lion -- Between contestant pairs, tree on knoll."In the seals of mature Akkad style, the theme of contest between heroes and beasts is embodied in two pairs of fighting figures flanking a central design or the panel of an inscription. A characteristic detail of the resulting rather formal composition is the lozenge effect produced by the arms of the fighters and the legs of their victims. The nude bearded hero and the bull-man are the most common protagonists in these contests, but figures attired like human huntsmen often take the place of the nude bearded hero (165) or of both fighters (166, 169). In other instances two identical bull-men (167) or nude bearded heroes (168) are represented. Water buffaloes and lions are the most frequent opponents of the heros. In these seals of mature Akkad style, lions are almost always shown in profile. The scene of 170, showing a figure pouring a libation beside the two fighting pairs, is exceptional." Porada, CANES, p. 22

Foundation Figure of King Ur-Namma Mesopotamia, Third Dynasty of Ur  (ca. 2112–2004 B.C.E)  Copper Inscribed: Ur-Namma, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad, the one who built the temple of Enlil. Height: 335 mm MLC no. 2628 Copper (metal) Probably the product of a royal workshop.  Translation of inscription : "Ur-Namma, King of Ur, King of Sumer and Akkad, who rebuilt the temple of Enlil."
Stone Foundation Tablet Inscribed With the Name and Titles of King Ur-Namma in Sumerian Mesopotamia, Third Dynasty of Ur, Reign of Ur-Namma  (21st century B.C.E) Inscribed: Ur-Namma, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad, the one who built the temple of Enlil. Limestone 8.3 x 12.4 cm MLC no. 2629

The tablet was part of the regular foundation deposit of Ur-Namma, together with a bronze figure of Ur-Namma.

Nude Bearded Hero Subduing Bull; Bull Man Overpowering Lion Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Jasper  32 x 22 (20) mm Seal no. 162 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 184 Bull subdued by nude bearded hero -- Bull-man overpowering lion -- Between contestant pairs, inscription -- Terminal: Kneeling mouflon."In the seals of mature Akkad style, the theme of contest between heroes and beasts is embodied in two pairs of fighting figures flanking a central design or the panel of an inscription. A characteristic detail of the resulting rather formal composition is the lozenge effect produced by the arms of the fighters and the legs of their victims. The nude bearded hero and the bull-man are the most common protagonists in these contests, but figures attired like human huntsmen often take the place of the nude bearded hero (165) or of both fighters (166, 169). In other instances two identical bull-men (167) or nude bearded heroes (168) are represented. Water buffaloes and lions are the most frequent opponents of the heroes. In these seals of mature Akkad style, lions are almost always shown in profile. The scene of 170, showing a figure pouring a libation beside the two fighting pairs, is exceptional." Porada, CANES, p. 22

Bull Men Contesting with Lions Cylinder seal and impression  Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Marble  28 x 26 (25) mm Seal no. 167 Ward, Morgan, no. 44 Two contestant pairs, each consisting of bull-man fighting lion -- Between contestant pairs, inscription (erased) -- In field (later additions): Standing bird, seated lion, eagle with spread wings. "In the seals of mature Akkad style, the theme of contest between heroes and beasts is embodied in two pairs of fighting figures flanking a central design or the panel of an inscription. A characteristic detail of the resulting rather formal composition is the lozenge effect produced by the arms of the fighters and the legs of their victims. The nude bearded hero and the bull-man are the most common protagonists in these contests, but figures attired like human huntsmen often take the place of the nude bearded hero (165) or of both fighters (166, 169). In other instances two identical bull-men (167) or nude bearded heroes (168) are represented. Water buffaloes and lions are the most frequent opponents of the heroes. In these seals of mature Akkad style, lions are almost always shown in profile. The scene of 170, showing a figure pouring a libation beside the two fighting pairs, is exceptional." Porada, CANES, p. 22

Sun God Rising with Attendants Opening the Gates of Heaven Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Serpentine  40.5 x 28 (27) mm Seal no. 178 Ward, Morgan, no. 70 God carrying mace -- Sun god with rays, ascending between two mountains -- At either side, attendant opening wing of gate."Among the mythological figures on Akkad seals, the most frequent is the sun god, Shamash. One of the distinctive settings in which this god appears is found in 178-186. The god, identified by his saw and usually by rays emanating from his shoulders, is shown in ascending posture either between two mountains, placing his foot on one and resting his hand on the other, or beside a single mountain on which he steps while resting his hand on a mace. Before him attendants throw open the gates of heaven. The fullest elaboration of this motif is found in 178, 179, 181-183... The motif of a sun god with his attendants is sometimes enlarged by the addition of other deities. Examples are: 178, in which a god, at the left of the scene, seems to be hiding a mace behind his back." Porada, CANES, p. 24

Male and Female Worshipers Led Toward the Sun God Enthroned on a Mountain Cylinder seal
Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca.2334–2154B.C.E) Lapis lazuli  16.5 x 19.5 mm Seal no. 190 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 271Female worshiper with pail following male worshiper who carries kid and is being led by minor deity toward sun god with rays enthroned on mountain -- Before sun god, vessel and ball staff. "Among the mythological figures on Akkad seals, the most frequent is the sun god, Shamash. One of the distinctive settings in which this god appears is found in 178-186. The god, identified by his saw and usually by rays emanating from his shoulders, is shown in ascending posture either between two mountains, placing his foot on one and resting his hand on the other, or beside a single mountain on which he steps while resting his hand on a mace. Before him attendants throw open the gates of heaven... Worshipers are sometimes found on seals featuring the ascending sun god, as in 184 ... Hovever, figures approaching the god appear more frequently when he is enthroned than when he is ascending a mountain. Such figures may be human or divine worshipers (189-194)." . Porada, CANES, p. 24

Enthorned Water God with Two-Faced Vizier Leading Gods Bringing Birdman for Judgement  Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.) Serpentine  32.5 x 19.5 mm Seal no. 198 Ward, Morgan, no. 60 Enthroned water god holding flowing vase, crescent in sky before him -- Approaching, two-faced god preceding two minor gods, the first carrying plant hung from curved stick, the second carrying bird-man hanging from mace."Another deity often shown on Akkad seals is the water god, Ea, who bears a vase from which two streams flow over his shoulders; usually there are fishes swimming along these streams. Seals 195-197 embody a frequent theme involving this god--that of a bird-man led captive toward the god. Seal 198 shows the captive brought hanging from a mace, while a plant--presumably stolen by him--is carried pendant from a stick in a procession led by the water god’s two-faced minister." Porada, CANES, p. 25

Nude Bearded Hero with Flowing Streams Flanked by Winged Lion Demons; in the field: Human Head and Hand Cylinder seal and impression Syria (ca. 1720–1650 B.C.E) Hematite 
18 x 13 mm Seal no. 979 Ward, Morgan, no. 265 Two winged lion-demons, one at either side of nude bearded hero with stream flowing over each shoulder, star at either side of his head -- In field: hand; human head -- Terminal: bird and hand before ibex above walking lion with animal head above its back. 

"The bull-man of the Old Babylonian repertory is rarely found in Syrian seals ... Syrian seals more frequently show the nude bearded hero as a water bearer with flowing vase (979), a representation for which Old Babylonian renderings like 517 ... probably served as examples. Both in 979 and in the Syrian seal Berlin 545, two stars appear above the hero’s shoulders, suggesting that he has some astral significance."--Porada, CANES, p. 133 "The representation of a nude bearded hero with two stars over his shoulder ... might be interpreted as the equivalent of the constellation we know as Aquarius"--In August Company, p. 60

The temple of the god Enlil, at Nippur, where this figurine was found in 1905, is one of several erected or reconstructed by King Ur-Nammu, the first prince of the dynasty that ruled southern Babylonia for 108 years. Worshiper Approaching Enthroned Water God and Two-Faced Vizier in a Sanctuary Guarded by Nude Bearded Heroes Grasping Gateposts Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia,  Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Serpentine with calcite vein 30 x 19 m Seal no. 202 Worshiper -- Nude bearded hero holding gatepost -- Two-faced god reaching into frame within which water god sits enthroned, holding vase with fishes along its streams -- Second nude bearded hero holding gatepost -- In field, inscription. "Another deity often shown on Akkad seals is the water god, Ea, who bears a vase from which two streams flow over his shoulders; usually there are fishes swimming along these streams ... Seal 202 shows the water god seated in his ocean chamber ... In 202, 203, 205, the god is shown approached by worshipers." Porada, CANES, p. 25
Water God Facing Deity; God with a Mace and Lion-Headed Eagles Attacking Fallen God Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Rock crystal 
24.5 x 16 mm Seal no. 201 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 454c Water god, holding flowing vase with fishes along its streams, standing with foot on mountain and facing minor god -- God fallen on one knee under attack of one large and one small lion-headed eagle, larger held by god brandishing mace -- Terminal: Empty panel over small man."Another deity often shown on Akkad seals is the water god, Ea, who bears a vase from which two streams flow over his shoulders; usually there are fishes swimming along these streams. Seals 195-197 embody a frequent theme involving this god--that of a bird-man led captive toward the god ... Seals 199-201 have been interpreted by Frankfort as depicting the victory over Zu, the bird-man, with the water god receiving the joyous news." Porada, CANES, p. 25

God with Grain Following a God with Plough and a Third God Toward a Vegetation Deity Enthroned on Grain Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Serpentine  35 x 25 (22.5) mm Seal no. 207 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 374 God with stalks of grain growing from his skirt and three other stalks in his hand, following god with plow and third god toward deity enthroned on heap of grain, who holds three stalks, while other stalks sprout from his shoulders. "Male and female deities associated with the cultivation of grain are represented in 207-214. The fullest characterization of them is found in 207 and 212. In these latter seals the principal deities are seated on heaps of grain; stalks of grain sprout from their shoulders and rest in their hands. In 207 a plow is carried before the deity ... The gesture of the minor god standing with hands outstretched before the enthroned deity of grain in 207 and 210 is typical of scenes featuring this divinity." Porada, CANES, p. 26

Libation Before the Weather God and the Rain Goddess Cylinder seal and impression  Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.) Shell 35.5 x 20 mm Seal no. 220 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 127 Worshiper pouring libation over altar before goddess standing on lion-griffin that draws chariot in which weather god stands cracking whip. "Two deities who are obviously weather gods appear in 220--a goddess holding bundles of rain, and a god in a chariot, brandishing a whip, who brings to mind thunder and lightning. A parallel exists for the goddess standing on a lion-griffin that draws the god’s chariot; however, the more frequent Akkad representations of these deities show both figures standing on such monsters." Porada, CANES, p. 28

Etana's Flight to Heaven on the Back of an Eagle Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2334–2154 B.C.E) Serpentine  36.5 x 28 (26) mm Seal no. 236 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 392 Man astride eagle in sky over two sitting sheep dogs, shepherd standing behind each dog; shepherd at left holding whip and pail, shepherd at right resting on stick and followed by ram and three sheep -- Above this group, crisscrossed rectangle and two men, each on one knee, with large vessel between them -- In sky, crescent, small vessel, and large vase (beside eagle). "Seal 236 probably illustrates the myth of Etana, the shepherd king who flew to heaven on the back of an eagle to obtain the plant of birth for his childless wife." Porada, CANES, p. 29

Eagle Above Hatched Undulating Line and Crosshatched Triangle Below Cylinder seal and  impression Mesopotamia, Akkadian period (ca. 2154–2100 B.C.E) Serpentine  26 x 13 mm Seal no. 265 Ward, Morgan, no. 141 Undulating crosshatched line with eagle above and crosshatched triangle below. "Seals 264-266, each of which presents a frieze with an eagle in the center, are characterized as Post-Akkad stones by their deeply incised engraving. Moreover, the eagle in 264 and 265 corresponds with a similar figure in Berlin 247, a seal showing in its lower register the birds found to be distinctive of Post-Akkad cylinders (258, 260)." Porada, CANES, p. 32

A Lion-Headed Eagle Grasping Two Mountain Goats, inscribed Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, Post-Akkadian period (ca. 2154–2100 B.C.E) Steatite 30 x 17 mm Seal no. 267 Ward, Morgan, no. 13 Lion-headed eagle clutching hindquarters of two ibexes -- Terminal: inscription. "Seals 264-266, each of which presents a frieze with an eagle in the center, are characterized as Post-Akkad stones by their deeply incised engraving. Moreover, the eagle in 264 and 265 corresponds with a similar figure in Berlin 247, a seal showing in its lower register the birds found to be distinctive of Post-Akkad cylinders (258, 260). Of this group, 267 is the only seal that shows a continuation of Akkad style. It is included here because of its Sumerian inscription, which is typically Post-Akkad. The subject of the seal, a lion-headed eagle clutching animals, is an Early Dynastic theme found especially on the monuments of Lagash, where it still persisted in Post-Akkad times. For example, the theme is treated in a manner similar to that of this seal, but with lions replacing the ibexes, on a stele of Gudea, a ruler of Lagash in the latter part of the Post-Akkad period. It seems possible, therefore, that 267 was made at Lagash in or about the time of Gudea." Porada, CANES, p. 32

Worshiper Led by Goddess Toward Enthroned God, inscribed Cylinder seal and impression
Mesopotamia, Third Dynasty of Ur (ca. 2112–2004 B.C.E) Jasper 32 x 20 mm Seal no. 277 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 308

The religious sentiment of the period is profoundly visualized on this seal. The enthroned deity on the right receives a worshiper led by an interceding goddess. The deity is characterized by his erect posture, long flowing beard, and the steady gaze of his eye fully sculpted in profile. The scene is remarkable for the interaction of the figures expressed by their gestures, specifically through their delicately carved hands. Commerce was crucial to the success of the Third Dynasty of Ur; the inscription on the seal identifies its owner as a trader. "The type of scene most frequently found on cylinders of the Third Dynasty of Ur shows a minor goddess leading a worshiper by the hand toward an enthroned deity (277-287), who is more often female than male. Usually the throne resembles a shrine. This scheme is derived from such Akkad seals as 190, with the difference that now the enthroned deities are rarely identified by the objects they hold or by other distinctive features of their appearance. A crescent is usually placed in the sky before the enthroned deity; often a bird or some other animal appears near the knees of the figure."--Porada, CANES, p. 35

Suppliant goddess and worshiper before god with rod and ring on temple throne, his feet on kneeling bull -- Goddess (full face) -- God holding vase with three leaves protruding -- In field, nude male figure; bull (in sky); star disk in crescent above goat sitting on platform behind throne; nude female.  Cylinder seal Mesopotamia, First Dynasty of Babylon (ca.1894–1595b B.C.E) Hematite  23.5 x 12.5 mm Seal no. 391 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 327 "In 387 and 388, the god stepping on the dragon rests his hand on a scimitar. In 389 and 390 he is enthroned with his feet on the back of the dragon and appears to hold a rod. Such a rod, together with a ring, appears in the hands of a number of apparently different gods on Babylonian seals. For example, the two objects are held by the enthroned god in 391. This deity may be the sun god, since the latter appears without his saw but with a rod and ring in the relief on the stele bearing Hammurabi’s code. This suggestion is possibly confirmed by the appearance in 391 of a bull in the sky and of another under the feet of the deity, since this animal is frequently depicted in association with the sun god on Old Babylonian seals... The double pleats in the robes of the deities resemble corresponding details in impressions on tablets of the time of Hammurabi and of Samsu-iluna, his successor (Louvre A. 527 J, E; Louvre A. 553 A, E). A similar dating is therefore suggested for 391.". Porada, CANES, p. 48-49

Goddess, Suppliant Goddess, Priest, and Worshiper Carrying Kid Before Sun God with Goddess and Goat Behind; in the field: Star Demonic Mask, Bull, Human Head, Star and Crescent Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, First Dynasty of Babylon (ca. 1894–1595 B.C.)
Hematite  25 x 13.5 mm Seal no. 399 Goddess with clasped hands, suppliant goddess, and worshiper carrying kid before sun god -- Goddess (full face) -- In field: star; demonic mask above priest with pail and sprinkler; bull, human head, inscription, one above other (before sun god); star disk in crescent above sitting goat. "There may be some significant relation between the sun god and the goddess standing with clasped hands at the left in 399... The double pleats in the robes of the deities on this seal and on 401 are similar to those seen in 391 above, for which a dating in the time of Hammurabi and Samsu-iluna has been suggested." Porada, CANES, p. 49-50

Bull Man Fighting Lion; Nude Bearded Hero Kneeling on a Lion and Holding a Lion Behind His Head; Kneeling Man Attacked by Lion Griffin Cylinder seal and impression Mesopotamia, First Dynasty of Babylon (ca. 1894–1595 B.C.E) Hematite  26 x 13.5 mm Seal no. 362 Ward, Morgan, no. 49 Bull-man fighting lion; nude bearded hero on one knee, poised on back of second lion and holding third lion behind his head; man on one knee on knoll, with lion-griffin attacking. "... while the arrangement of the Old Babylonian contests is similar to that used in the earlier period, the introduction of new figures, especially in 359-369, indicates that such ontests had acquire new significance. The new figures include a goat seated upright on a knoll and attacked by a lion or lion-griffin or both, and a man on one knee at the mercy of similar assailants." Porada, CANES, p. 44

Worshiper Offering Gazelle to Enthroned Deity Holding Ankh, Winged Sun Disk with Pendant Cobras Above; two registers behind throne, upper: Ibex Demon and Winged Bull Demon Shouldering Bar with Suspended Stag, lower:Two Attendants Carrying Bar with Suspended Antelope Cylinder seal and impression Syria (ca. 1850–1720 B.C.E) Hematite  29.5 x 15 mm Seal no. 910 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 858 Worshiper offering gazelle, held by hind leg, to god enthroned on platform and grasping Egyptian life sign -- Between figures, sun disk with pendant uraeus-like snakes -- Behind throne, recumbent ibex with triple-ringed cup above it -- Secondary motif: above, ibex-demon holding hare by hind leg and winged bull-demon, both shouldering bar from which stag is suspended, with vulture perched on front tip of bar -- Below, two attendants carrying bar from which antelope is suspended, with ibex head impaled on rear end of bar. "Seals 910-913 show worshipers before a seated deity; ... The shape of the throne, which in 910-913 resembles that of a temple, is characteristic of scenes of the Third Dynasty of Ur and of early Old Babylonian designs ... Since 910 has been referred to the time of Hammurabi, 911-913, which present related subjects, may be similarly dated, though the deities are rendered not with horned miter as in 910 but with the more typically Syrian short curled hair. The worshiping scenes of 910-913 can be differentiated from their Mesopotamian parallels by the egyptianizing character of the objects held by the enthroned deities ... Of the small symbolic designs that appear in the field in Old Babylonian seals, only the ball staff and vessel recur with any frequency in these Syrian seals."--Porada, CANES, p. 118-119

Weather God with Helmet Standing on Mountains, Brandishing Mace and Holding Snake, Lotus Blossom, and Rein of Kneeling Bull Surmounted by Nude Goddess Opening Veil, Suppliant Goddess Behind Cylinder seal and impressionSyria (ca. 1720–1650 B.C.)Limonite 
25 x 13 mm Seal no. 967 Ward, Morgan, no. 237 God with spiked helmet standing on two mountains, brandishing mace, and holding before him snake, lotus blossom and rein of kneeling bull on which nude goddess stands opening her veil -- Suppliant goddess -- Over shoulders of nude goddess, star, cross disk in crescent -- Above bull’s head, second cross disk in crescent -- Above bull’s tail, bird with Egyptian atef crown -- Below tail, animal head -- Terminal: two female figures, guilloche, sitting lion, one above other. "Indubitable renderings of the weather god are found in 967 and 968. In both these seals he is standing on mountains an dbrandishing a mace in one hand. In 967 he is shown holding a snake and a bull’s rein in the other hand, like the god in 964, though here the snake is clearly depicted, while the third object in the same hand is a lotus blossom, not an ax. This blossom invites comparison with a relief from Ras Shamra in which the weather god holds a spear topped with a plant element, probably a transformed lightning symbol. ... In 967 he faces a nude goddess standing on a bull, like the female deity in 942 and 943. This representation, and a similar one in Brett 90, where, however, the nude goddess appears in a winged inclosure, suggest a connection between these two figures like that predicated in regard to the nude female and the weather god in Old Babylonian seals. ... 966 and 97 show the fastidious engraving that marks the height of Syrian glyptic."--Porada, CANES, p. 129

Nude Goddess with Open Veil and Worshiper Holding Hare Before Enthroned Male Figure, Vultures Above Cylinder seal and impression Syria (ca. 1720–1650 B.C.E) Hematite  21 x 10 mm
Seal no. 937 Ward, Seal cylinders, no. 917 Nude goddess with opened veil -- Worshiper holding hare behind leg before enthroned deity(?) with cup -- In sky, star, sun disk in crescent -- Fish in field -- Terminal: sitting antelope above two small female figures -- Upper border, three vultures with spread wings."The figure of a woman lifting the ends of her veil and displaying her nudity, as found in 937-944, is differentiated from the earlier Syrian and Cappadocian representations of a nude female by a more rounded form and a more elaborate coiffure. The hair is bound up in the back, but otherwise it resembles the ornate coiffure of the goddess in an ivory relief from Ras Shamra that reflects the feminine fashion prevailing in the Levant and in the Aegean regions around the middle of the second millennium. A dating at about this time is likewise suggested by the vase held by the enthroned figure in 937, since it corresponds in shape with a Mycenean gold cup dated in the second half of the sixteenth centuy B.C. ... Sometimes she stands before an enthroned male figure who my, by the mere fact that he is seated, be characterized as a superior deity (937, 938)."--Porada, CANES, p. 124
http://www.themorgan.org/collections/collections.asp?id=635


A cylinder-seal impression of two Gods, one with a left hand in the shape of a scorpion and the other plowing behind a dragon and a lion. The impression was made by a seal found at Tell Asmar in Iraq.
http://www.mitchellteachers.org/WorldHistory/MrMEarlyHumansProject/MrMSumerianCivilizationAchievements.html


Seal Published: Stratified cylinder seals from the Diyala Region, by H. Frankfort Two persons on a couch. An animal below the couch.

Metmuseum. New York. Mating bull and cow.

MM 13730 :: Seal. Seal impression.

Cylinder seal Animal combat: Lion standing facing right menaces a goat running to the right. The bodies of the animals are marked by lineal ridges emphasizing abdomens, necks and haunch of the goat. The horn of the animal is notched and curves round and back, the tale of the lion curves up curling at the end. In the field are a tree-like shrub with small plants at each side, before it the goat's head and above this a crescent. Above the haunch of the goat a star or sun, before the lion a rhombus and above its back a (?) winged bird in flight, beneath its abdomen an unidentified object. Border lines above and below. Helen Merrillees catalogue 1995.

http://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-mhm/web/object/3400273
https://www.academia.edu/6889335/A_cylinder_seal_shows_a_king_is_engendered_by_a_bull_he_is_born_from_a_cow_just_like_king_Culgi  Source: https://independent.academia.edu/TomvanBakel 

The cylinder seals of western Asia, Carnegie Institute of Washington, Publication No. 100 Ward, William Hay...

Mirror: https://www.academia.edu/6912489/Continuity_in_hieroglyph_motifs_from_Meluhha_to_Ancient_Near_East

Emotional evasions from Priyanka Vadra are not enough -- Business Standard Edit

April 29, 2014, 10:38 pm

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The Vadra effect

Emotional evasions from Priyanka Gandhi are not enough

Business Standard Editorial Comment  |  New Delhi  

April 28, 2014 Last Updated at 21:40 IST

For someone who is campaigning in only two constituencies,Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has certainly achieved quite an effect. Her sniper shots from Amethi and Rae Bareli about the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) prime ministerial candidate,Narendra Modi, have caused that party's campaign to wheel itself around, like a heavy tank, to fire in her direction. Perhaps the BJP would have been better served ignoring Ms Gandhi. But a campaign that lives by television news will always fear dying by television news - and Ms Gandhi's barbs were attracting entirely too much attention in the studios of New Delhi for the BJP's comfort.

The BJP, in its return salvo, released a well-produced video and a six-page booklet - so well produced that, in fact, the party might well have been holding it in reserve for just such an eventuality - on the controversial land deals of Ms Gandhi's husband, Robert Vadra. This has additional resonance for the BJP because Ms Gandhi's brother, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, has recently begun attacking the transfer and sale of land in Gujarat to various industrial houses by the Narendra Modi administration. The BJP's argument is not a new one; it has been in the public domain for some time, and has been articulated by Arvind Kejriwal, among others. It is that Mr Vadra used his connections to grow his wealth vastly through clever land deals. In Haryana, Mr Vadra benefited from a legal change in status of panchayat land, which he bought and resold to developers at a vast profit. In Rajasthan, Mr Vadra bought land around electricity sub-stations that private solar power producers subsequently had to buy from him.

There are also charges against Mr Vadra that he may have benefited, in the Rajasthan case, at least, from insider information about policy changes to help the solar power sector. But the BJP has now been in power in Rajasthan for months, and has failed to pursue the case, indicating it is unlikely that any prima facie indication of criminality exists. However, the court of public opinion is quite a different thing. Mr Vadra has maintained silence since these charges have been levelled against him by political parties. And the truth is that Ms Gandhi's emotional response to the accusations against her husband - that she is hurt, and that she doesn't know what to tell the children - is rightly seen as an evasion. Such a response is hardly adequate and she should explain with credible evidence if her husband is not guilty of the charges levelled against him. The Congress'"saviour", as some are seeing Ms Gandhi, seems to have less substance than the existing heir. In the past, the party's president and vice-president have avoided discussing Mr Vadra, but the renewed prominence of Priyanka Gandhi means the party and its leaders cannot avoid the strong whiff of disrepute attached to his dealings. The country will expect a clearer explanation of why Mr Vadra chose to make his deals and what he knew; as well as a promise of a full, transparent investigation into possible collusion by government servants.

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Onkareshwar Properties, which sold 3.5 acres in Shikopur, near Manesar, to Sky Light Hospitality in February-March 2008 for Rs ...

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11 Oct 2012

Arvind Kejriwal's new allegations against Robert Vadra, DLF, and the Haryana government make for interesting reading. But then, ...

http://www.business-standard.com/category/specials-robert-vadra-10961.htm

Dr. Subramanian Swamy defends Baba Ramdev (Video 32:43)

April 29, 2014, 11:18 pm

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDY7Zzj7PW0&sns=em

Published on Apr 29, 2014

There is no stopping Baba Ramdev. The popular yoga expert on Tuesday held yet another press conference in Himachal Pradesh, despite a ban on his campaigns by Election Commission in the state. At the press conference in Chamba, Ramdev accused the Congress of pressuring the Election Commission to act against him.

NaMo, India is now third largest economy. With Dr. Swamy in your team, take India to the status she had in 1 CE, over 30% of world GDP.

April 29, 2014, 11:35 pm

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India is now third largest economy, ahead of Japan

Express News Service | New Delhi | April 30, 2014 11:16 am

SUMMARY

The United States remained the world’s largest economy, but it was closely followed by China when measured using PPPs.

It highlighted the fact that the largest economies were not the richest, as shown in the ranking of GDP per capita.

India is now the world’s third largest economy in terms of purchasing power partiy, ahead of Japan and behind the US and China which hold the top two spots. This was revealed by the 2011 round of the World Bank’s International Comparison Program (ICP) released on Tuesday.

Read full summary of results and findings here

“The United States remained the world’s largest economy, but it was closely followed by China when measured using PPPs. India was now the world’s third largest economy, moving ahead of Japan,” the report said.  It highlighted the fact that the largest economies were not the richest, as shown in the ranking of GDP per capita. The middle-income economies with large economies also had large populations, setting the stage for continued growth, it added.

The report says India “went from the 10th largest economy in 2005 to the third largest in 2011. Incidentally, the economies of Japan and the United Kingdom became smaller relative to the United States, while Germany increased slightly and France and Italy remained the same.

The relative rankings of the three Asian economies—China, India, and Indonesia—to the United States doubled, while Brazil, Mexico, and Russia increased by one-third or more.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-is-now-third-largest-economy-ahead-of-japan/

China's economy overtakes Japan's in real terms

CHINA has become the world's second biggest economy according to data released on Monday August 16th. Japan's economy fell behind China's at market exchange rates in the second quarter (it has been number three in PPP terms for some time). These numbers are not strictly comparable: Japan's data have been seasonally adjusted while those for China have not. Quibbles aside, Japan will surely be eclipsed soon, if it has not been already. Data compiled by Angus Maddison, an economist who died earlier this year, suggest that China and India were the biggest economies in the world for almost all of the past 2000 years. Why they fell so far behind may be more of a mystery than why they are currently flourishing.

http://www.economist.com/node/16834943

Jashodaben votes, prays for BJP landslide

April 30, 2014, 3:34 am

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AHMEDABAD, April 30, 2014

Updated: April 30, 2014 15:40 IST

Jashodaben votes, prays for BJP landslide 

PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENT 

PTI

File photo of Jashodaben, wife of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Mr. Modi's wife visited a temple before casting her vote

Jashidaben Modi, wife of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi cast her vote in Unjha, Mehsana district on Wednesday. Before going to the polling booth, she paid a visit to a temple and prayed for Mr. Modi's success.

In his election affidavit submitted in Vadodara on April 9, Mr. Modi admitted to his marriage for the first time.

"Ms. Jashodaben cast her vote at 12.39 p.m. She went to a temple and prayed for the welfare of the country. She prayed that the BJP wins 300 seats, that God makes Mr. Modi happy and for him to win by a huge margin," Ashok Modi, Jashodaben's brother told The Hindu on the phone.

In the wake of the controversy surrounding Mr. Modi's affidavit, Ms. Jashodaben had become incommunicado.

http://www.thehindu.com/elections/loksabha2014/west/jashodaben-votes-prays-for-bjp-landslide/article5962500.ece?homepage=true

Newsmaker: VS Sampath

April 30, 2014, 5:16 am

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Newsmaker: V S Sampath

Power expert to keep tabs on voting

Aditi Phadnis  |  New Delhi  

June 15, 2012 Last Updated at 00:11 IST

The joke in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is that if you are an IFS officer who has slogged to learn Chinese, the chances are that you will be posted in Australia, given the administrative vagaries of the system.

Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath is an expert on power and energy. He has had extended exposure to the sector as an administrator and knows the political economy of deregulating the sector first hand, having done it himself—and guess where the government has sought out his talents? In managing elections.

Sampath took over as the chief election commissioner (CEC) earlier this month after a long innings in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) which he joined in 1973. AnAndhra Pradesh cadre officer, between 1986 to 1989 in the state, he served as managing director in a cooperative bank, a handloom marketing society, and an oilseeds federation in the food and public distribution department, industries department and finance department

But in 1990, this quiet, self-effacing but thorough officer caught the eye of the then chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu, who made him principal secretary, energy. Recall Naidu’s guts and glory days. His approach was to deregulate, free up, open up. At an Asean business forum, which he addressed as India’s no 1 reformer chief minister, extolling telecom reform, he said that when there was a public sector monopoly over telecom, the joke was that those who didn’t have a phone were waiting to get it, while those who were lucky enough to have one were waiting for the dial tone.

When Naidu launched power sector reform, he relied on Sampath. The Telugu Desam party (TDP) leader won at least one election in the teeth of opposition from the Congress to power sector reform—the party offered free electricity to voters but still lost the election! Naidu—and Sampath - demonstrated how effective governance and reforms could help growth, reduce transmission losses and improve efficiency.

Naidu then promoted Sampath to be the finance secretary. But, in 2004, around the time YS Rajasekhara Reddy brought the Congress to power in Andhra Pradesh in a landslide victory, Sampath thought it might be prudent to move to Delhi. He was posted in the Ministry of Rural Development in the relatively unknown department of land resources. A few months later, he became director general, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad.

When Ram Vilas Paswan became the minister for chemicals and fertilisers, Sampath was asked to flesh out India’s first petroleum, chemical and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR). It was expected that massive investment would create the equivalent of Special Economic Zones in the petrochemicals sector. Paswan was ebullient about the potential the experiment offered – both for him personally and for the country. There were big corporate houses to meet, deals to be done. Colleagues recall Sampath as efficient and hardworking but correct. When ‘corporate plans’ were to be discussed, he always preferred to stay away from the meetings sending an additional secretary or a joint secretary instead.

The PCPIR was launched in Visakhapatnam and was expected to generate 1.2 million direct and indirect jobs with an investment of Rs 3.43 lakh crore. But private sector companies are cussed about money. The government did manage to attract ONGC and OIL to put in money. RIL also invested. But it never got beyond that: You needed railways, roads, power and water to get it off the ground. A PCPIR was almost like creating a new city. It might have worked in South Korea or Soviet Union in the 1970s where the government was all powerful. But this was India and this was the decade of 2000.

Anyway, after this Sampath became secretary (power). Those who interacted with him found him knowledgeable about the sector: he knew the game, but exerted himself only up to a point. The Restructured-Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP to renovate and modernise Indian power utilities was his contribution. But this was no aggressive bureaucrat, thumping tables to get doors opened. Instead, a sober, thorough man, sincere about doing his best, but always by the book.

With a short time left for superannuation, Sampath did something that made his colleagues blink. AP Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy came to Delhi and told Sonia Gandhi that Sampath be given a job in the Election Commission.

Reddy was a fair and farsighted man. In the fashion of erstwhile feudal lords, if a bureaucratic from his state – who had not harmed him – asked him for something, he always took up the case. Sampath became Election Commissioner in 2009 after N.Gopalaswami retired and the general elections of 2009 were on. He became Chief Election Commissioner of India on 11 June 2012.

Sampath now has two important tasks: one, he has to set back on course, the relations between the Election Commission and the government, specifically the Law Ministry. And second, he will have to conduct the general elections due 2014, maybe even earlier, where a crucial electoral factor in the formation of the new government will be Jaganmohan Reddy’s new party. His actions will be watched very, very closely.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/newsmaker-v-s-sampath-112061500017_1.html

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Barbar temple, Bahrain and Meluhha hieroglyphs

April 30, 2014, 7:17 am

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 Copper ? Bull's head. c. 20 cm. high  After Fig. 3 in: During Caspers, Elizabeth C.L., 1971, The bull's head from Barbar temple II, Bahrain, a contact with early dynastic Sumer, East and West, Vol. 21, No.3/4, September-December 1971, p.217. The curved style of the horns becomes a way of decorating the crowns of eminent persons on Sumerian, Elamite and Mesopotamian cylinder seals.

ḍhangra ‘bull’ Rebus: ṭhakkura m. ʻ idol, deity (cf. ḍhakkārī -- ), ʼ lex., ʻ title ʼ Rājat. [Dis- cussion with lit. by W. Wüst RM 3, 13 ff. Prob. orig. a tribal name EWA i 459, which Wüst considers nonAryan borrowing ofśākvará -- : very doubtful] Pk. ṭhakkura -- m. ʻ Rajput, chief man of a village ʼ; Kho. (Lor.) takur ʻ barber ʼ (= ṭ° ← Ind.?), Sh. ṭhăkŭr m.; K. ṭhôkur m. ʻ idol ʼ ( ← Ind.?); S. ṭhakuru m. ʻ fakir, term of address between fathers of a husband and wife ʼ; P. ṭhākar m. ʻ landholder ʼ, ludh. ṭhaukar m. ʻ lord ʼ; Ku. ṭhākur m. ʻ master, title of a Rajput ʼ; N. ṭhākur ʻ term of address from slave to master ʼ (f. ṭhakurāni), ṭhakuri ʻ a clan of Chetris ʼ (f. ṭhakurni); A.ṭhākur ʻ a Brahman ʼ, ṭhākurānī ʻ goddess ʼ; B. ṭhākurāni, ṭhākrān, °run ʻ honoured lady, goddess ʼ; Or. ṭhākura ʻ term of address to a Brahman, god, idol ʼ, ṭhākurāṇī ʻ goddess ʼ; Bi. ṭhākur ʻ barber ʼ; Mth.ṭhākur ʻ blacksmith ʼ; Bhoj. Aw.lakh. ṭhākur ʻ lord, master ʼ; H. ṭhākur m. ʻ master, landlord, god, idol ʼ, ṭhākurāin, ṭhā̆kurānī f. ʻ mistress, goddess ʼ; G. ṭhākor, °kar m. ʻ member of a clan of Rajputs ʼ, ṭhakrāṇī f. ʻ his wife ʼ, ṭhākor ʻ god, idol ʼ; M. ṭhākur m. ʻ jungle tribe in North Konkan, family priest, god, idol ʼ; Si. mald. "tacourou"ʻ title added to names of noblemen ʼ (HJ 915) prob. ← Ind.Garh. ṭhākur ʻ master ʼ; A. ṭhākur also ʻ idol ʼ AFD 205.(CDIAL 5488)

Seal, Bet Dwaraka 20 x 18 mm of conch shell. Drawing based on a seal from the Harappan port of Dwaraka (After Fig. 5.7 in: Crawford, Harriett EW, 1998, Dilmun and its Gulf neighbours, Cambridge University Press) 

The artistic rendering with vivid eyes of the ligatured set of animals is typical Dilmun but the motif is from Meluhha as evidenced by many seals with a comparable ligatured set of animals.

m1169, m1170, m0298 Mohenjo-daro seals which compare with the Dwaraka shell seal of Dilmun type motifs.

Meluhha hieroglyphs read rebus:

sangaḍi= joined animals (M.) Rebus: sangāṭh संगाठ् । सामग्री m. (sg. dat. sangāṭas संगाटस्), a collection (of implements, tools, materials, for any object), apparatus, furniture, a collection of the things wanted on a journey, Rebus: sãgaṛh m. ʻline of entrenchments, stone walls for defenceʼ; sangath संगथ् । संयोगः f. (sg. dat. sangüʦü संग&above;च&dotbelow;ू&below;), association, living together, partnership (e.g. of beggars, rakes, members of a caravan, and so on); jangaḍ ‘entrusted articles on approval basis’. Allograph:  sangath संगथ्  (of a man or woman) copulation.

tagara'ram, antelope' Rebus: tagara'tin'; damgar, tamkāru 'merchant' (Akkadian)

ayo ‘fish’ (Mu.) Rebus: aya = iron (G.); ayah, ayas = metal (Skt.)

mr̤eka ‘goat’.  Rebus:  milakkhu  ‘copper’ Rebus: meṛh ‘helper of merchant’. miṇḍāl‘markhor’ (Tōrwālī) meḍho a ram, a sheep (G.)(CDIAL 10120) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.)

kondh ‘young bull’. ‘Pannier’ glyph: खोंडी [ khōṇḍī ] f An outspread shovelform sack (as formed temporarily out of a कांबळा, to hold or fend off grain, chaff &c.) Rebus: kõdā‘to turn in a lathe’ (Bengali) . कोंद kōnda‘engraver, lapidary setting or infixing gems’ (Marathi) 

ḍhangra ‘bull’. Rebus: ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’.

kolom‘sprout’ Rebus: kolami‘smithy, forge’ (Telugu)

khareḍo = a currycomb (Gujarati) Rebus: करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c. (Marathi)

"Dilmun and the Harappans. The Harapan civilistion played a formative role in the emergence of Bahrain's mercantile tradition. The inhabitants of Bahrain adopted the Harappan weight system. Seven weights conforming to the Harappan series are known from Qala'at al-Bahrain, mainly in City IIa layers, with others found at Saar. The value of a Dilmun standard measure, calculated according to ratio given in an Isin Larsa text from Ur, was found to correspond exactly to a unit in the Harappan system. Harappan script and motifs are found on Persian Gulf seals which are associated with the 3rd milennium...At Saar a number of sherds comparable to Late Sorath Harappan and possibly Jhukar ware have been found...In Gujarat, a Dilmun seal was found at Lothal in unstratified deposits perhaps indicating the presence of Dilmun merchants at that site; a Dilmun-related seal has been reported from Dwarka...the role of the Harappans in the maritime trading system of the late 3rd millennium appears to have been very great." (Carter, Robert, 'Restructuring bronze age trade: Bahrain, southeast Arabia and the copper question, in: Crawford, Harriet, 2003, Archaeology of Bahrain, Proceedings of a seminar held on Monday 14th July 2000, BAR International Series 1189, pp.34, 42)

This note is an eleventh sequel to the work: Philosophy of symbolic forms in Meluhha cipher. 

See the first to tenth sequels at: 

1.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/meluhha-metallurgy-hieroglyphs-of.html Meluhha metallurgy: hieroglyphs of pomegranate, mangrove date-palm cone (raphia farinifera), an elephant's head terracotta Nausharo, Sarasvati civilization 

2.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/ant-twisted-rope-and-other-meluhha.html  Twisted rope, ant and other Meluhha hieroglyphs on Ancient Near East and Indian seals3.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/perforated-plaques-of-tello-lagash.html Perforated plaques of Tello, Lagash, Sumerian artifacts, and Meluhha hieroglyphs 4.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/zimrilims-palace-mural-painting-and.html  Zimrilim's palace mural painting and Meluhha hieroglyphs (Compliments to Jack M. Sasson) 5. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/tin-road-assur-kanesh-trade.html Tin road -- Assur-Kanesh -- trade transactions and Meluhha hieroglyphs6. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/revisiting-cire-perdue-in.html  Revisiting cire perdue in archaeological context and Meluhh7. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/revisiting-ayo-ayas-barbar-temple-seals.html  Revisiting ayo, ayas, Barbar temple seals, dhokra kamar, 'cire perdue' specialists and Meluhha hieroglyphs8. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/representations-of-metallurgical.html  Representations of metallurgical processes in Meluhha hieroglyphs 9. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/meluhha-hieroglyphs-on-cylinder-and.html  Meluhha hieroglyphs on cylinder and other seals of Bronze Age 10. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/continuity-in-hieroglyph-motifs-from.html Continuity in hieroglyph motifs from Meluhha to Ancient Near EastMirror: https://www.academia.edu/6917339/Barbar_temple_Bahrain_and_Meluhha_hieroglyphs

Some hieroglyphs which recur on Ancient Near seals and their Meluhha rebus readings:

bull-man, bull ḍangar 'bull' read rebus ḍhangar 'blacksmith'; ṭagara 'ram' Rebus: damgar 'merchant' (Akkadian) ṭhakkura, ‘idol’, ṭhākur ʻ blacksmith ʼ, ṭhākur m. ʻmaster’.ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’.

tiger kol 'tiger' Rebus: kol 'working in iron'

lion arye 'lion'āra 'brass'

aquatic bird karaḍa ‘aquatic bird, duck’ Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy' 

eagle eraka 'eagle' Rebus: erako 'moltencast copper

buffalo கண்டி kaṇṭi , n. 1. Buffalo bull Rebus: Pk. gaḍa -- n. ʻlarge stoneʼ? (CDIAL 3969)

six hair-curls āra 'six curls' Rebus: āra 'brass'

face mũh ‘face’ Rebus: mũh ‘ingot’.

stag karuman 'stag' karmara 'artisan'

antelope melh 'goat' Rebus: milakkhu 'copper'

calf khoṇḍ 'young bull-calf' Rebus khuṇḍ '(metal) turner'. 

scorpion bica ‘scorpion’ (Assamese) Rebus: bica ‘stone ore’

stalk daṭhi, daṭi  'stalks of certain plants' Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral.kāṇḍa काण्डः m. the stalk or stem of a reed. Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’. 

twig kūdī ‘twig’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’

fish ayo 'fish' Rebus: ayo, ayas  'metal'.  

overflowing pot lo ‘pot to overflow’ kāṇḍa ‘water’. Rebus: लोखंड lokhaṇḍ Iron tools, vessels, or articles in general.

spear  మేడెము [ mēḍemu ] or మేడియము mēḍemu. [Tel.] n. A spear or dagger. Rebus: meḍ  ‘iron’. 

ring, bracelet kaḍum a bracelet, a ring (G.) Rebus: kaḍiyo [Hem. Des. kaḍaio = Skt. sthapati a mason] a bricklayer; a mason; 

star मेढ [ mēḍha ]  The polar star (Marathi). [cf.The eight-pointed star Rebus: meḍ 'iron' (Mundari. Remo.)

safflower karaḍa -- m. ʻsafflowerʼ Rebus:  करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c. (Marathi)  

twig kūdī ‘twig’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’ 

frond (of palm), palm tamar, ‘palm tree, date palm’ Rebus: tam(b)ra, ‘copper’ (Prakrit) 

tree kuṭhāru 'tree' Rebus:  kuṭhāru ‘armourer or weapons maker’(metal-worker)

ram, ibex, markhor 1.ram मेंढा [ mēṇḍhā ] m (मेष S through H) A male sheep, a ram or tup.(Marathi) meḍ 'iron' (Mundari. Remo.)

goat melh 'goat' Rebus: milakkhu 'copper'

knot (twist) meḍ, ‘knot, Rebus: 'iron’

reed, scarf dhaṭu  m.  (also dhaṭhu)  m. ‘scarf’  (WPah.) (CDIAL 6707) Rebus: dhatu ‘minerals’ (Santali); dhātu ‘mineral’ (Pali) kāṇḍa काण्डः m. stem of a reed. Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’

mountain डोंगर [ ḍōṅgara ] m A hill. डोंगरकणगर or डोंगरकंगर [ ḍōṅgarakaṇagara or ḍōṅgarakaṅgara ] m (डोंगर & कणगर form of redup.) Hill and mountain; hills comprehensively or indefinitely. डोंगरकोळी [ ḍōṅgarakōḷī ] m A caste of hill people or an individual of it. (Marathi) ḍāngā = hill, dry upland (B.); ḍã̄g mountain-ridge (H.)(CDIAL 5476). Rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili) dhokra 'cire perdue metallurgist'

wing eraka 'wing' eṟaka, ṟekka, rekka, neṟaka, neṟi ‘wing’ (Telugu)(DEDR 2591). Rebus: erako 'moltencast copper'.

snake nāga 'snake' nāga 'lead'

frame of building sã̄gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ (M.)(CDIAL 12859) Rebus: sangāṭh संगाठ् । सामग्री m. (sg. dat. sangāṭas संगाटस्), a collection (of implements, tools, materials, for any object), apparatus, furniture, a collection of the things wanted on a journey, luggage (Kashmiri) jangaḍ 'entrustment note' (Gujarati) 

monkey kuṭhāru = a monkey (Sanskrit) Rebus: kuṭhāru ‘armourer or weapons maker’(metal-worker), also an inscriber or writer.  

kick kolsa 'to kick' Rebus: kol working in iron, blacksmith

foot . khuṭo ʻ leg, foot ʼ Rebus: khũṭ  ‘community, guild’ (Santali)

copulation (mating) kamḍa, khamḍa 'copulation' (Santali) Rebus: kampaṭṭa ‘mint, coiner’

adultery ṛanku, ranku = fornication, adultery (Telugu)  ranku 'tin'S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research CenterApril 30, 2014

Will never forget FIR against me for showing lotus, says Modi

April 30, 2014, 4:09 pm

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Live: Will never forget FIR against me for showing lotus, says Modi

by Apr 30, 2014

10.53 pm: Will remember the first FIR against me, says Modi

Reacting to the case registered against him by Gujarat police on Election Commission's order for addressing the media after casting his vote in Ahmedabad and displaying BJP's symbol, Narendra Modi today said it was the first FIR of his life which he will never forget.

He also lashed out at Congress, saying it was facing defeat and was worried that "a person who (once) eked out his livelihood by selling tea" was challenging it.

Addressing a campaign rally here, Modi said, "To date in my entire life, not even a single FIR was registered against me, not even for wrong-side scooter driving, and not even for wrong parking.

"Suddenly today when I landed here I came to know that an FIR has been registered against me... I will never forget April 30. One can understand if someone points (threatens with) a knife, a pistol or a gun (and FIR is registered). But do you know why FIR was registered against me? Because I showed a lotus to the people," he said.

From PTI

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/live-will-never-forget-fir-against-me-for-showing-lotus-says-modi-1468459.html

Published: April 30, 2014 15:19 IST | Updated: April 30, 2014 23:25 IST

EC’s action against Modi toughest in this election

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

The Election Commission's decision to order an FIR against BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi on Wednesday is the poll panel’s toughest action yet since the 16th Lok Sabha elections commenced on March 5.

The EC, so far, has taken action against several leaders for violation of the Model Code of Conduct, but no senior leader has been booked for violating the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Action against Mr. Modi was initiated by the commission for displaying his party’s symbol at a press interaction after he cast his vote for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

The directive followed demands by the Congress and other groups that Mr. Modi be disqualified for his alleged violation of several sections of the RP Act.

The Congress, in its petition to the EC, sought strict action against Mr. Modi for delivering speech in a fashion to canvas for the BJP, himself and also displayed the election symbol to the public while showing his finger for having cast his vote. The BJP, on its part, maintained that it would respect the decision of the commission, but asserted that its PM candidate did not violate the law.

There have been complaints about the campaign methods employed by Mr. Modi and the BJP on the days of polling in some or the other parts of the country. For instance, his decision to file his nomination papers for the Varanasi constituency accompanied by a mammoth crowd during the April 24 phase of voting was criticised by several parties. Likewise, on the day of the first phase of polling on April 7, the BJP chose to release its election manifesto.

The Congress, in its complaint to the EC, said, “It had been noticed in live news telecast on various news channels that Mr. Modi went to the polling station at Gandhinagar to cast his vote. And on his way out he was campaigning for the BJP and delivering speech in a fashion to canvas for the party, himself and also displayed the election symbol to the public while showing his finger for having cast his vote.”

http://www.thehindu.com/elections/loksabha2014/ecs-action-against-modi-toughest-in-this-election/article5962565.ece?homepage=true&ref=relatedNews

If Left has any future, the country has no future left -- Cho. May Day !

April 30, 2014, 6:46 pm

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This May Day, celebrate the eclipse of the Left

by Virendra Parekh

on 01 May 2014

The ongoing elections will most likely push the Leftist parties into total irrelevance. Following a dialectics neglected by Marx and Angels, it is the Leftist bloc that is showing signs of withering away. Celebrate it. For, as Cho Ramaswamy put it aptly, if the Left has any future in the country, the country has no future left.

No other ideology has exercised a more perverse and pervasive influence on Indian polity than the local hotchpotch variety of Marxism. That influence is visible in India’s repudiation of its ancient civilisational ethos as the basis of Indian-ness and national integration; its choice of an inward-looking control-ridden economic model, and a ‘non-aligned’ foreign policy that was visibly tilted towards the Soviet bloc. These choices were collectively presented as the national consensus on secularism, socialism and non-alignment. The personality of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a lot to do with these choices, but that does not detract from the ideology underlying them.

For each of the choices, the cost has been heavy. Secularism has clouded our vision, confused our intellect and paralysed our will in the name of national integration and communal harmony. It has led to self-doubt and self-forgetfulness, and sapped the national will to deal with fissiparous tendencies and separatist forces. Socialism kept us poor, backward and underdeveloped in the name of planned economic development and growth with social justice. The country was brought to the brink of defaulting on the foreign debt before it agreed to turn its back on Socialism - in a half-hearted and piecemeal manner. By the time non-alignment became irrelevant after the collapse of the Soviet Union, India had been reduced to a third-rate Third World country good mainly at preaching platitudes in international gatherings.

Blinded by a borrowed ideology, the people of the Book became willing accomplices of foreigners in subversion of India, secure in the belief that History (with a capital H) was on their side.

Marxists routinely rail against the West, but they rarely realize how thoroughly European Marx was in his thinking about India. For Marx, India was “a country not only divided between Mahommedan and Hindoo, but between tribe and tribe, between caste and caste; a society whose framework was based on a sort of equilibrium resulting from a general repulsion and constitutional exclusiveness between all its members… The question, therefore, is not whether the English had a right to conquer India, but whether we are to prefer India conquered by the Turk, by the Persian, by the Russian, to India conquered by the Briton,” he wrote in an article “The Future Results of British Rule in India” published in the New-York Daily Tribune, August 8, 1853. His own preference was clear. He went on to write, “England has to fulfill a double mission in India: one destructive, the other regenerating: the annihilation of old Asiatic society, and the laying the material foundations of Western society in Asia”.

Indian Marxists swallowed hook, line and sinker Marx’s view of Indian society as a loose conglomeration of disparate groups and his justification of British rule in India. It is strange but true that the British domination of India never particularly exercised them. Right from its inception in 1925, the CPI faithfully followed the Soviet line. Its denunciation of Gandhiji and the freedom struggle led by him, sabotage of the Quit India movement, support to demand for Pakistan, and dismissal of independence as a conspiracy between British officialdom and Congress leaders are all recorded facts. At the time of the Chinese invasion, some of them sympathized with China and the party split. Their stand on Bangladeshi infiltration has been downright anti-national. On Ram Janmabhoomi they are on the same page as the Babri Masjid Action Committee.

Indeed, they took upon themselves England’s “historic” double mission in India, especially the destructive part - the annihilation of old Asiatic society i.e. destruction of India’s ancient civilisation and everything that flows from it. They became the cutting edge of Western civilisation. Their contempt for India, particularly the India of religion, culture and philosophy is absolute, uncompromising and unmitigated. And why? Because Marx said religion was the opium of masses!

Before and after independence, communists have masterminded subversion of the national psyche with anti-Hindu poison. As academicians, they have systematically and thoroughly distorted and falsified every period of Indian history to rob it of its Hindu ethos and ensure that it contains nothing that a Hindu could be proud of. Inspirational models, practices, metaphors and expressions – both concrete and abstract – have been belittled as marginal or parochial. Everything that is associated with India’s civilisational genius is blackened by deliberately putting it mean-mindedly in the narrowest possible context. In this, they are ably supported by products of the church-run schools and colleges.

If Marxism poses a lethal threat to Indian civilisation, it poses an equally serious threat to its economic resurgence. Its influence on economic policy wasted four decades of India after independence. When Marxists were elected to rule West Bengal, it was one of the leading industrial states in the country. Thirty-five years later when they were ousted from power, it was among the poorest states; industry had fled, young talent had been forced to move out in search of jobs and investors regarded it as a nightmare. They opposed tooth and nail economic reforms launched since 1991. India’s economic downfall in the last five years is attributed by all independent observers to the populist measures dictated by some Left-leaning elements in the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council.

For all their talk of historical determinism, Indian communists have ignored the changes in technology and the evolving character of the working class. When the young generation is exercised about jobs in the time of economic slowdown, the CPI(M) frets about workers being “the main target of exploitation by the neo-liberal regime.” On terrorism, the communists seem to think the biggest problem facing India isn't Lashkar-e-Toiba or the Indian Mujahideen but “the bias and targeting of innocent Muslim youth.”

CPM’s manifesto in 2014 promises a new food security law that would provide for a universal public distribution system excluding only income-tax payees, the enactment of a legislation for employment guarantee in all urban areas, and a sub-plan for Muslim minorities. Each of these measures is a recipe for disaster. But then economics was never a strong point of Marx; it has never been one of Marxists.     

With a record like this, the surprise is not that Marxists have a limited political influence, but they have any. But there is no mystery.

In an interesting paradox, Marxism appeals to the emotions of the intelligent and to the intelligence of the illiterate. In thousands of pages of Das Kapital, there is not a single theory which can stand the test of analytical rigour. But Marxism gets over it by promising equality, justice, end of poverty and the “ascent from the kingdom of necessity to the kingdom of freedom”.

As to the workers who know nothing about economics or history, the Theory tells them that their final victory is guaranteed by the march of History; that their biggest ally is Time; they have only to wait for the capitalistic system to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. Of course, time has passed and still the Marxists wait. Meanwhile, it was the Soviet Union, that paradise of the Proletariat which imploded from within.

In practice, Marxism is not about equality, justice or poverty removal. It is about power - power over producers of wealth. A socialist state keeps workers on a tight leash. In a mixed economy, socialist politicians love to appropriate for themselves and their vote banks the surplus produced by the private sector. They talk about welfare and social justice but sell the promise of giving something for nothing. They invoke the poor and the workers to justify their plunder. They are the ultimate parasites.

The alien origin of Marxism, its religious hatred of Hinduism, its suspicion of freedom, its authoritarian politics and parasitic economics pose a living threat to the Indian nation.  

The last Englishman left will be an Indian, wrote Malcolm Muggeridge. The last communist, in the same vein, may be found in the streets of Calcutta. It is a dubious distinction that the country can live without - in both the cases. 

http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=3184

Barbar, Meluhha: Persian gulf seals and Meluhha hieroglyphs

April 30, 2014, 8:34 pm

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The term 'barbarian' originates from the Greek word βάρβαρος (barbaros). Hence the Greek idiom "πᾶς μὴ Ἕλλην βάρβαρος" (pas mē Hellēn barbaros) which literally means "whoever is not Greek is a barbarian". The Ancient Greek word  βάρβαρος  (barbaros), "barbarian", was an antonym for  πολίτης (politēs), "citizen" (from πόλις - polis, "city-state"). The sound ofbarbaros onomatopoetically evokes the image of babbling (a person speaking a non-Greek language)(Pagden, Anthony (1986). "The image of the barbarian. The fall of natural man: the American Indian and the origins of comparative ethnology. Cambridge University Press.) The earliest attested form of the word is theMycenaean Greek pa-pa-ro, written in Linear B syllabic script. (Johannes Kramer, Die Sprachbezeichnungen 'Latinus' und 'Romanus' im Lateinischen und Romanischen, Erich Schmidt Verlag, 1998, p.86).  In Homer's works, the term appeared only once (Iliad 2.867), in the form βαρβαρόφωνος (barbarophonos) ("of incomprehensible speech"). The verb βαρβαρίζειν (barbarízein) in ancient Greek meant imitating the linguistic sounds non-Greeks made or making grammatical errors in Greek. बर्बर mfn. (also written वर्वर) stammering (Monier-Williams, p. 722)

म्लेच्छ any person who does not speak Sanskrit and does not conform to the usual Hindu institutions, ignorance of Sanskrit , barbarism (Monier-Williams, p. 837) Thus, in the Indian tradition, a barbara may be a mleccha, that is, a Meluhha speaker. The two Meluhha's mentioned in ancient cuneiform texts of 3rd millennium and 1st millennium, respectively, may refer to mleccha speakers (India) and to Barbara speakers (North Africa).

See a review of seven works in: Reflections on the history and archaeology of Bahrain (1985) by D.T. Potts

Dilmun appears first in Sumerian cuneiform clay tablets dated to the end of fourth millennium BC, found in the temple of goddess Inanna, in the city of Uruk. The adjective Dilmunis used to describe a type of axe and one specific official; in addition there are lists of rations of wool issued to people connected with Dilmun. (Dilmun and Its Gulf Neighbours by Harriet E. W. Crawford, page 5.) There is both literary and archaeological evidence of extensive trade between Ancient Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization (probably correctly identified with the land called Meluhha in Akkadian). Impressions of clay seals from the Indus Valley city of Harappa were evidently used to seal bundles of merchandise, as clay seal impressions with cord or sack marks on the reverse side testify. A number of these Indus Valley seals have turned up at Ur and other Mesopotamian sites. The "Persian Gulf" types of circular, stamped (rather than rolled) seals known from Dilmun, that appear at Lothal inGujarat, India, and Failaka, as well as in Mesopotamia, are convincing corroboration of the long-distance sea trade. What the commerce consisted of is less known: timber and precious woods, ivory, lapis lazuli, gold, and luxury goods such as carnelian and glazed stone beads, pearls from the Persian Gulf, shell and bone inlays, were among the goods sent to Mesopotamia in exchange for silver, tin, woolen textiles, olive oil and grains. Copper ingots from Oman and bitumen which occurred naturally in Mesopotamia may have been exchanged for cotton textiles and domestic fowl, major products of the Indus region that are not native to Mesopotamia. Instances of all of these trade goods have been found. The importance of this trade is shown by the fact that the weights and measures used at Dilmun were in fact identical to those used by the Indus, and were not those used in Southern Mesopotamia.

"the ships of Dilmun, from the foreign land, brought him wood as a tribute" 

(Larsen, Curtis E. (1983). Life and Land Use on the Bahrain Islands: The Geoarchaeology of an Ancient Society. University of Chicago Press, p. 33.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bahrain 

Strabo, the Greek historian, geographer and philosopher mentioned that the Phoenicians came from Bahrain where they have similar gods, cemeteries and temples. Herodotus's account (written c. 440 BC) refers to the Phoenicians originating from Bahrain. (History, I:1).

According to the Persians best informed in history, the Phoenicians began the quarrel. These people, who had formerly dwelt on the shores of the Erythraean Sea (the eastern part of the Arabia peninsula), having migrated to the Mediterranean and settled in the parts which they now inhabit, began at once, they say, to adventure on long voyages, freighting their vessels with the wares of Egypt and Assyria...

—Herodotus

Phoenicians men their ships in service to Assyrian king Sennacherib, during his war against the Chaldeansin the Persian Gulf, ca. 700 BCE. 

"Bahrain (Arabic: ‏البحرين‎, Bahreyn), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain  (Arabic: مملكة البحرين‎) is a small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is an archipelago of 33 islands, the largest being Bahrain Island, at 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway. Iran lies 200 km (124 mi) to the north of Bahrain, across the Gulf. The peninsula of Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain.

Barbar, Bahrain, a village in the north of Bahrain. Close to this village, a temple dated to ca. 3000 BCE has been found, caleld Barbar temple. "Inhabited since ancient times, Bahrain occupies a strategic location in the Persian Gulf. It is the best natural port between the mouth of the Tigris, Euphrates Rivers and Oman, a source of copper in ancient times. Bahrain may have been associated with the Dilmun civilisation, an important Bronze Age trade centre linking Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain 

Bahrain is believed to be the site of the ancient land of the Dilmuncivilisation." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Bahrain

In Arabic, Bahrayn is the dual form of bahr ("sea"), so al-Bahrayn means "the Two Seas". It is possible that the word barbar may be related to bahr'sea', as sea-people. It is instructive that both barbara and mleccha (Meluhha) are used as languages but with ungrammatical, variant pronunciations, making them dialectical variants as lingua franca as opposed to grammatically correct, literary versions of languages. .

http://www.scribd.com/doc/221314427/Early-Dilmun-seals-from-Saar

Early Dilmun seals from Saar

Tews, Sophie, 2011, Seals in Dilmun Society  The use and value of Bronze Age seals from Saar, Bahrain

http://www.scribd.com/doc/221315777/Seals-in-Dilmun-Society-Sophietews

Seals in Dilmun Society Sophietews

Who will guard the guards? Who will punish EC for its abysmal lapses? -- Kanchan Gupta

April 30, 2014, 10:35 pm

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Who will guard the guards? Who will punish EC for its abysmal lapses?

---

Kanchan Gupta30 Apr 2014

Kanchan Gupta is Editorial Director of NiTi Digital. He has worked at several newspapers, including The Telegraph, The Statesman and The Pioneer. During a break from journalism he served in the PMO as an aide to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and as Director of Maulana Azad Centre in Cairo.

By instructing the Gujarat administration to file an FIR against BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi under stringent sections of the Representation of the People Act, and insisting on compliance by Wednesday evening, the Election Commission of India has neither shown itself to be free of bias nor covered itself with glory. Narendra Modi, according to a complaint filed with the EC by the Congress, allegedly violated the law by taking a selfie and speaking to journalists in a media scrum after casting his vote in Gandhinagar constituency. The Congress took offence on two grounds: He displayed the party symbol, ‘Lotus’, and his comments were directed against the ‘ma-bete ki sarkar’. The EC subsequently construed this as canvassing for the BJP while people were casting their votes. The EC, in its wisdom, has come to the conclusion that this was meant to sway voter opinion.

That’s utter rot. Flashing the party symbol would have in no manner altered voting choices at that hour. People would have made up their minds long before Wednesday. In any event, Modi, as also others representing the Congress, addressed several election rallies elsewhere during the day, which were telecast either in full or in part for viewers to see in the States where polling was being held. If it’s a question of influencing voters, those rallies would have had the same impact. A staggered election – the longest ever – has its drawbacks and the EC should have known that. Instead, it has chosen to be sanctimonious in the most partisan manner. Similar complaints against the Congress and AAP, a proxy of the Congress, have gone unnoticed in Nirvachan Sadan. Outrageous comments by Modi-baiters, ranging from Mulayam Singh Yadav to Farooq Abdullah to Mamata Banerjee, have gone unchallenged by those responsible for conducting a free and fair election.

Worse, the EC is guilty of disenfranchising tens of thousands of citizens of India, stripping them of their right to vote, by deleting their names from electoral rolls. As witnessed in Maharashtra, those who wanted to vote could not do so despite having a voter card because their names had strangely gone missing from the rolls. All that the EC had to say about its towering inefficiency (some would say malicious mischief) was an unmeaning ‘sorry’. That does not in any manner alter the fact that polling in constituencies where flawed electoral rolls were used were neither free nor fair. There are credible reports of booth-capturing in West Bengal by Trinamool Congress goons and in Uttar Pradesh by Samajwadi Party thugs. The EC has chosen to ignore these gross malpractices for reasons best known to the Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath.

The time has come to challenge the cussedness of the EC. As the custodian of elections in this country, it must be held accountable for its sins of omission and commission – its lapses must be held up to public scrutiny and its biases subjected to pitiless criticism. A beginning could be made by those disenfranchised by the EC filing criminal cases against the Chief Election Commissioner and his colleagues, and ensuring that these are taken to their natural conclusion. Indeed, there exists a fit case for a class action suit. The hollow men of Nirvachan Sadan are not above the law of the land and there is no reason why they should get away unscathed for their abysmal lapses, intended or otherwise.

http://www.niticentral.com/2014/04/30/who-will-guard-the-guards-who-will-punish-ec-for-its-abysmal-lapses-218502.html

US 17.1%, China 14.9%, India 6.4% share of 2011 world GDP, PPP-based. India should overtake China.

April 30, 2014, 11:20 pm

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India displaces Japan to become third-largest world economy in terms of PPP: World Bank

By ET Bureau | 30 Apr, 2014, 06.59AM IST

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NEW DELHI: India has displaced Japan to become the world's third biggest economy in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), according to a World Bank report released on Tuesday.

The 2011 round of the bank's International Comparison Program (ICP) ranked India after the US and China. The last survey in 2005 had placed the country on 10th place.

PPP is used to compare economies and incomes of people by adjusting for differences in prices in different countries to make a meaningful comparison.
India's share in World GDP in terms of PPP was 6.4% in 2011 compared with China's 14.9% and the US' 17.1%, the latest ICP showed. The survey covered 199 economies.
"The United States remained the world's largest economy, but it was closely followed by China when measured using PPPs. India was now the world's third largest economy, moving ahead of Japan," the report said.

Despite high inflation in India in recent years, prices in the country are still well below those in advanced economies, explaining the higher raking for India on the PPP measure. But according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India's economy is 12th largest and only about a third of Japan's in terms of absolute unadjusted dollars. "The economies with the lowest prices are either in Africa or Asia and the Pacific and include India, which has the third-largest economy," the report noted.

"Because economies estimate their GDP at national price levels and in national currencies, those GDPs are not comparable. To be compared, they must be valued at a common price level and expressed in a common currency," the report said, giving out the rationale for the PPP adjustments.



For example, people in a country with higher average per capita income may not necessarily have a better quality life than a country with lower average per capita income.

This makes it a good tool to compare poverty levels across countries.

"One major use of PPPs is poverty assessment using the World Bank's international poverty threshold of $1.25 per day per person. National poverty assessments differ because the purchasing power of national currencies differs from one economy to another," the report said.
In terms of per capita GDP, even in PPP terms, India ranks very low at 127 in the 199-country ranking.

"The largest economies were not the richest, as shown in the ranking of GDP per capita. The middle-in-come economies with large economies also had large populations, setting the stage for continued growth," the report noted.

In the latest ranking, India's economy was 37.1% of the US economy compared with 18.9% in 2005.
The report said in terms of spending power, the differences have come down.

"The spread of per capita actual individual consumption as a percentage of that of the United States has been greatly reduced, suggesting that the world has become more equal," it said but cautioned some of this could be due to changes in the methodology
.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-displaces-japan-to-become-third-largest-world-economy-in-terms-of-ppp-world-bank/articleshow/34392694.cms?prtpage=1

12:57 am ET
Apr 30, 2014

China’s Economy Surpassing U.S.? Well, Yes and No

• By
 
• TOM WRIGHT

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/04/30/chinas-economy-surpassing-u-s-well-yes-and-no/

China destroys statues as 'anti-Christian' campaign widens

May 1, 2014, 3:04 am

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China destroys statues as 'anti-Christian' campaign widens

Chinese Catholics weep as statues depicting the Passion of Christ are removed or hidden from public view in what they say is reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution

China is on schedule to become the world's largest Christian nation by 2030, according to recent projections.

Holy statues depicting Biblical scenes including Jesus’ crucifixion have been destroyed, removed or "hidden" by authorities in a city known as China’s Jerusalem 

By Tom Phillips, Shanghai

9:45AM BST 01 May 2014

Holy statues depicting Biblical scenes including Jesus’ crucifixion have been destroyed, removed or "hidden" by authorities in a city known as China’s Jerusalem, it has emerged, fuelling fears of a renewed government offensive against Christianity.

Around 50 government workers sealed off Wenzhou’s Longgang Hill, a site of Catholic pilgrimage, on Saturday and used bricks to "hide" statues portraying moments from the Passion of Christ.

Statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, each weighing up to five tons, were “bricked around to hide them from public view” while cranes were used to remove other holy statues and tablets from the park. “All other religious decoration was demolished,” according to UCA News, a news agency covering Catholic issues in Asia.

“About 100 Catholics who came to watch the removals were blocked at the entrance,” said one witness, who asked not to be named because of “security concerns”. “Some who managed to sneak in sang hymns and prayed while watching. Some could not hold back their tears.”

“The authorities’ behaviour is reminiscent of the smashing of church property during the Cultural Revolution,” another member of the city’s Catholic community told UCA News’ Chinese-language service.

• China demolishes church amid 'barbaric anti-Christian campaign' 
  28 Apr 2014
• China on course to become 'world's most Christian nation' within 15 years 
  19 Apr 2014
• China denies declaring war on Christians after mega-church is razed 
  29 Apr 2014

_{Church members told The Telegraph authorities had attempted to silence the congregation}

The removals, which were first reported on Thursday night, took place last Saturday, 48 hours before government demolition teams razed a Protestant church in the same city.

Wenzhou’s Sanjiang church became a symbol of resistance to the Communist Party’s draconian religious policies in early April. Thousands of Christians formed a human shield around the place of worship after plans to demolish it were announced but the building was eventually levelled on Monday evening.

Christians accuse Communist Party leaders in Zhejiang province of attempting to slow their faith’s rapid growth by destroying churches deemed too “conspicuous”.

A list that was compiled by Christian activists and shown to The Telegraph this week names more than 20 churches that are facing or have already suffered some form of demolition work.

Officials deny the demolitions are an attack on Christianity, claiming their campaign is aimed at illegal constructions “including factories and Buddhist temples”.

Authorities would “aggressively push on with the demolition of illegal buildings,” the state-controlled Zhejiang Daily reported this week.

The motive for what appeared to be a “widening crackdown” was unknown but “an increasingly violent standoff between authorities and the church” was now under way, UCA News reported.

Four Catholics were beaten and injured by government officials in Wenzhou last week when an argument broke out during the forced demolition of one church, the news agency claimed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10800404/China-destroys-statues-as-anti-Christian-campaign-widens.html

China accused of anti-Christian campaign as church demolition begins

Activists accuse Communist Party of ‘barbaric’ campaign against Christianity after demolition teams and police descend on a church that became a symbol of resistance

Photographs sent to The Telegraph and posted on social media sites showed at least four excavators that appeared to be ripping down large sections of the church’s exteriorBy Tom Phillips, Shanghai

9:47AM BST 28 Apr 2014

Demolition teams began destroying parts of a Chinese church that has become a symbol of resistance to the Communist Party’s draconian clutch on religion, activists and witnesses said on Monday.

Sanjiang church in Wenzhou, a wealthy coastal city known as the "Jerusalem of the East", made headlines earlier this month when thousands of Christians formed a human shield around its entrance afterplans for its demolition were announced.

Church members accused Communist leaders in Zhejiang province of ordering an anti-church crackdown and claimed there were plans to completely or partially demolish at least 10 places of worship.

Officials rejected those accusations, alleging the church had violated building codes.

After mounting their high-profile occupation in early April, many protesters withdrew from Sanjiang church after its leaders appeared to have negotiated a compromise with the government.

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  14 Apr 2014
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  24 Apr 2014

_{Picture of the felled church}

However, that deal appears to have broken down in recent days with reports that some church leaders and worshippers had been harassed and detained by security agents and officials.

On Monday morning demolition teams began tearing down parts of the church in Wenzhou, a city around 230 miles south of Shanghai that has one of the country’s largest congregations.

“I saw three or four excavators out front, demolishing the church, and three or four out back, demolishing the annex building. I also saw a small excavator going inside the church doing demolition work inside,” said one witness who claimed there were around 100 police around the church, including armed officers.

_{Church members told The Telegraph authorities had attempted to silence the congregation}

“All the roads are blocked, you can't get close to the church,” said a local Protestant leader, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals from the government. “The two sides of the main hall are being demolished.”

Photographs sent to The Telegraph and posted on social media sites showed at least four excavators that appeared to be ripping down large sections of the church’s exterior.

Other images showed black police vans, military trucks and security agents standing on the main road outside.

It was not immediately possible to verify those pictures. Nor was it clear whether authorities planned to destroy the entire church, which has a large red cross on its spire, or just part of the structure.

Church members told The Telegraph authorities had attempted to silence the congregation and said they believed their communications were being monitored. “My phone is not safe,” said one.

Bob Fu, a US-based Christian activist, said: “This government-orchestrated barbaric forced demolition represents a serious escalation against religious freedom in Zhejiang. The Chinese regime chooses to disregard its own laws and the will of its best citizens.”

^{Church members accused Communist leaders in Zhejiang province of ordering an anti-church crackdown}

The demolition of Sanjiang church would “definitely further erode the little remaining trust between millions of Chinese Christians and the Chinese government,” added Mr Fu, president of the Texas-based group China Aid.

“History has proved and will prove again with this case that another church revival will happen after this new wave of persecution.”

In an unusual step, Chen Yilu, the head of the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, spoke out against the provincial government’s “crude and hard-line” handling of the Sanjiang church crisis.

In a strongly-worded commentary that has been circulating online, Mr Chen said the incident would damage the Communist Party’s image as well as harming “social stability”. He called on Beijing to “intervene as soon as possible to avoid further deterioration”.

Provincial authorities deny they are waging an orchestrated campaign against Christian places of worship. However, Feng Zhili, the head of Zhejiang’s ethnic and religious affairs committee, complained earlier this year that Christianity’s spread had been “too excessive and too haphazard”.

_{Other images showed black police vans, military trucks and security agents standing on the main road}

In a recent interview Fenggang Yang, a leading expert on religion in China, said he believed the Asian country could overtake Brazil, Mexico and the United States to become the world’s most numerous Christian congregation by 2030.

However, Prof. Yang warned that Chinese Christians should brace themselves for growing interference as the Communist Party fought to stunt the Church’s growth.

One of the Party’s most senior officials hit out at those predictions last week, in an indication of Beijing’s discomfort at the rapid growth of Christianity.

Ye Xiaowen, a member of the elite 205-member Central Committee, dismissed Prof. Yang’s projections as “unscientific” and “obviously inflated”.

“It is completely meaningless to predict how many people might believe in Christianity in China in the future,” said Mr Ye, who was the country’s top official in charge of religious affairs until 2009.

Asked to comment on Monday’s demolition, a propaganda official from Zhejiang’s Communist Party Committee said, “I don’t know” before the line went dead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10792386/China-accused-of-anti-Christian-campaign-as-church-demolition-begins.html

---

EC acted in haste on registration of FIR against Modi, says Jaitley

May 1, 2014, 3:15 am

≫ Next: Why has Robert Vadra not filed financial returns since 2011? -- Hakeem Irfan

≪ Previous: China destroys statues as 'anti-Christian' campaign widens

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EC acted in haste on registration of FIR against Modi, says Jaitley

A public meeting is a public meeting; the media byte is not a public meeting, said Jaitley. 

Press Trust of India | New Delhi | May 1, 2014 3:27 pm

When Constitutional institutions react in haste and even anger, they miss out the larger vision, said Jaitley. (PTI)

BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Thursday questioned the Election Commission’s order for registration of an FIR against Narendra Modi and said it acted in “haste and anger” and the interpretation given by it may fall foul of Constitutional provisions.

Jaitley said the poll body has missed out the larger vision as the meaning of criminal law cannot be stretched out and definition of polling area be defined as Modi was not inside the polling station while giving a media byte after voting like other leaders elsewhere in the country.

“When Constitutional institutions react in haste and even anger, they miss out the larger vision. Criminal law provisions are to be strictly construed. Their meaning can’t be stretched out.

“A public meeting is a public meeting; the media byte is not a public meeting. If media is to be prosecuted for displaying comments of politicians on a voting day such a provision will fall foul of constitutional guarantee of free speech since it is not covered by the prescribed restrictions under Article 19 (2),” Jaitley said in an article on his blog.

Citing examples of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and other leaders who spoke to media after casting their vote, the BJP leader said, “I am only illustrating that an interpretation being given by the EC may fall foul.”

He said Article 324 of the Constitution is a reservoir of residuary jurisdiction and it cannot impact areas occupied by law. “It cannot dilute the import and content of the right to free speech,” he said.

On defining the polling area, Jaitley said if the whole country is a polling area as scattered and phased elections are on in several parts of India, the political rallies and their reportage by media when polling is going on in some other parts of the country, would attract penal consequences.

He said the EC’s order makes it appear that the entire country could be a polling area since the media comment could be seen in every part of the country.

Jaitley said every time senior politicians cast their vote, a large number of media persons assemble outside the polling station and they freely interact with media by making short comments and that is precisely what Modi did.

“He was not expected to be rude enough and give the media no comments,” he said.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/ec-acted-in-haste-on-registration-of-fir-against-modi-says-jaitley/

The Campaign Diary – 1st May, 2014

May 1, 2014

The Duty to Vote 
It is mentioned in several election speeches that even one vote can make a difference. Every eligible voter has a right to vote. He also has a duty to cast a vote. I was faced with a heavy odd having been Member of the Rajya Sabha Gujarat for three times in a row. Since my vote is enrolled in the Gandhinagar Parliamentary Constituency. Do I leave my own constituency in Amritsar to cast my vote or do I skip my vote? I started my day very early with a visit to the Golden Temple and the Durgiana Mandir. I travelled to each of the nine assembly segments. By the time almost 50 percent of the votes had been cast, my wife and I flew in to Gandhinagar to cast the vote. I was back in Amritsar by the evening. It was tiresome but satisfying. Those who missed the vote failed in their primary duty as a citizen. 

FIR against Mr. Modi 

Every time senior politicians cast their vote, a large number of media persons assemble outside the polling station. They want their comments on their own vote and also on the trend of the elections. The politicians freely interact with the media. They make short comments and then leave. This is precisely what Mr. Narendra Modi did. He was not expected to be rude enough and give the media no comments.
The Election Commission of India has directed that an FIR under section 126(1)(a) and section 126(1)(b) be registered against Mr. Modi and the media organizations which have telecast his bite through the media. The substance of the allegations in the Election Commission’s order is that within the ‘polling area’, a ‘public meeting’ has been held. Polling was in progress in various parts of the country. Since the comment has been telecast during the polling hours and the Lotus symbol displayed, both Mr. Narendra Modi and the media are liable. From the Election Commission’s order, it is not clear as to what the definition of ‘polling area’ is. Is it the polling station? In any event the comment was made outside the polling station. The Election Commission’s order makes it appear that the entire country could be a polling area since the media comment could be seen in every part of the country.

When Constitutional institutions react in haste and even anger, they miss out the larger vision. Criminal law provisions are to be strictly construed. Their meaning can’t be stretched out. A public meeting is a public meeting, the media bite is not a public meeting. If media is to be prosecuted for displaying comments of politicians on a voting day such a provision will fall foul of constitutional guarantee of free speech since it is not covered by the prescribed restrictions under Article 19 (2). If the whole country is a polling area, since scattered and phased elections are on in several parts of India, the political rallies and their reportage by the media when polling is going on in some other parts of the country, would attract penal consequences. Prof. Amartya Sen spoke to the media after his vote yesterday. He gave his reasons why he does not favour Modi. The Prime Minister spoke to the media after casting his vote in Assam. So did most other political leaders. I am not pleading for their prosecution. I am only illustrating that an interpretation being given by the Election Commission may fall foul.

Article 324 of the Constitution is a reservoir of residuary jurisdiction. It can’t impact areas occupied by law. It cannot dilute the import and content of the right to free speech.

The ‘Snoopgate’ Commission
Media reports have indicated that the lame duck UPA Government is finally planning to name a judge for the ‘Snoopgate’ Commission. The Commission of Inquiry is already on in Gujarat. Both the lady in question and her family have already sent their statements to the National Women’s Commission. So far all judges approached by the UPA have refused to lend themselves in this political and malafide exercise. 438 Parliament constituencies have already seen polling. In a fortnight, the results will be out and a new government will be in. I will be very curious to know the name of the Judge who has agreed to ‘lend’ himself to the UPA. I will be surprised if there is one. I hope, for the cause of judicial dignity, no one agrees to be a part of this desperate exercise.

http://www.arunjaitley.com/

Why has Robert Vadra not filed financial returns since 2011? -- Hakeem Irfan

May 1, 2014, 4:34 am

≫ Next: FIR against Modi is nonsense -- Arun Jaitley

≪ Previous: EC acted in haste on registration of FIR against Modi, says Jaitley

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Why has Robert Vadra not filed financial returns since 2011?

Thursday, 1 May 2014 - 6:00am IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA

Hakeem Irfan

Already in the eye of a political storm for his dubious land deals, Sonia’s son-in-law does not want his business details to be leaked

Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, already in the eye of a political storm for his dubious land deals, has since March 2011 stopped filing mandatory annual returns or financial statements with the ministry of corporate affairs of all the 13 companies he owns. The reason? He may have panicked as his "business model and land deals" have raked in huge controversy and the BJP has been gunning for him during the election campaign.

In March 2011, a controversy had erupted over Vadra using DLF money to buy land in Haryana and for his bulk purchase of desert land in Rajasthan. He had disclosed both the facts – DLF's unsecured loans and bulk land purchase – in his financial statements submitted to the ministry till March 2011. However, since then, Vadra has not been filing financial statements.

dna checked the records of Vadra's 13 companies available with the corporate affairs ministry and found that he had not been filing financial statements of seven companies for the past two years. In the case of the remaining six companies, Vadra incorporated them in a span of three months (July to August 2012) and did not submit information about their financial deals. All six companies have some 'Agro' link and have most probably been raised to buy rural land, sources said.

Interestingly, his wife Priyanka Gandhi, who staunchly defended Vadra recently, had helped him incorporate one of the companies - Blue Breeze Trading Private Limited - in November 2007. Priyanka, however, gave up her directorship in the company within eight months of its incorporation; her mother-in-law Maureen Vadra then moved in as director. Blue Breeze is filing its annual returns.

As per the ministry of corporate affairs rules, Vadra has defaulted for two consecutive years and if he does not file the returns for the third year in succession, the ministry may take action against him and all the companies where he is one of the directors. The action ranges from a minimum fine of Rs50,000 or Rs5,000 per day till the financial statement is filed. The minimum fine is levied only if the company has justifiable reasons for not filing the returns, ministry sources said.

"Robert Vadra's act is not so much driven by the fear of the ministry's action. He can handle that by paying hefty fine. The fear of further exposure of his business or land deals in the media has perhaps stopped him from making his financial statements public," a senior ministry official said.

Vadra does not want any further leak of his future or ongoing business plans.

Four of Vadra's companies -- North India IT Parks Private Limited, Real Earth Estates Private Limited, Sky Light Realty Private Limited, Sky Light Hospitality Private Limited - are under the scanner for land deals in Rajasthan, where he has reportedly bought several thousand acres of land at throwaway prices. The value of the land shot up drastically as eight months after the deals, the ministry of non-conventional and renewable energy announced the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission Policy under which huge subsidies were offered for setting up grid tight solar plants. The BJP government in the state ordered a probe which would be expedited after Lok Sabha elections.

Vadra's six new companies are apparently all Agro-based and may be dealing in land transactions and agricultural technology, as the names suggest, in the absence of any financial details or returns. None of these companies has filed annual returns or balance sheets since inception.

Sources in the revenue intelligence disclosed that many companies have opted for not filing their financial statements for years in the past. Their investigations reveal that such companies primarily indulge in handling their black money. "They raise black money from one company and route it to other companies. Once they settle their finances, they start rolling out financial statements,'' said a revenue intelligence source.

Another possibility in Vadra's case could be that he is winding up some of his companies which were embroiled in controversy. "He may cite bad financial health of these companies and can opt for Fast Track Exit through the ministry of corporate affairs,'' the source said. "Many companies wind up their old companies on financial grounds and route their money into new companies."

In three months in 2012, Vadra floated six new companies, but their details are so bare that one can only risk to speculate.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-why-has-robert-vadra-not-filed-financial-returns-since-2011-1983881

FIR against Modi is nonsense -- Arun Jaitley

May 1, 2014, 6:55 am

≫ Next: Diggy joins Congress’s Ishaqzaade league (Video 2:11)

≪ Previous: Why has Robert Vadra not filed financial returns since 2011? -- Hakeem Irfan

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FIR against Modi is nonsense

Arun Jaitley1 May 2014

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi holds his party’s symbol and looks into his phone after casting his vote in Ahmedabad on April 30, 2014. The country’s ruling Congress has complained to the Election Commission against Modi displaying his election symbol and making a speech after casting his vote, according to a local news agency. (AP Photo by Ajit Solanki)

It is mentioned in several election speeches that even one vote can make a difference. Every eligible voter has a Right to Vote. He also has a duty to cast a vote. I was faced with a heavy odd having been Member of the Rajya Sabha Gujarat for three times in a row. Since my vote is enrolled in the Gandhinagar Parliamentary Constituency. Do I leave my own constituency in Amritsar to cast my vote or do I skip my vote? I started my day very early with a visit to the Golden Temple and the Durgiana Mandir. I travelled to each of the nine Assembly segments. By the time almost 50 per cent of the votes had been cast, my wife and I flew in to Gandhinagar to cast the vote. I was back in Amritsar by the evening. It was tiresome but satisfying. Those who missed the vote failed in their primary duty as a citizen.

FIR against Modi

Every time senior politicians cast their vote, a large number of media persons assemble outside the polling station. They want their comments on their own vote and also on the trend of the elections. The politicians freely interact with the media. They make short comments and then leave. This is precisely what Narendra Modi did. He was not expected to be rude enough and give the media no comments.

The Election Commission of India has directed that an FIR under section 126(1)(a) and section 126(1)(b) be registered against Modi and the media organisations which have telecast his bite through the media. The substance of the allegations in the Election Commission’s order is that within the ‘polling area’, a ‘public meeting’ has been held.

Modi’s selfie gets him the first FIR of his life

Polling was in progress in various parts of the country. Since the comment has been telecast during the polling hours and the Lotus symbol displayed, both Narendra Modi and the media are liable. From the Election Commission’s order, it is not clear as to what the definition of ‘polling area’ is. Is it the polling station? In any event, the comment was made outside the polling station. The Election Commission’s order makes it appear that the entire country could be a polling area since the media comment could be seen in every part of the country.

People will show exit door to corrupt UPA: Rajnath

When Constitutional institutions react in haste and even anger, they miss out the larger vision. Criminal law provisions are to be strictly construed. Their meaning can’t be stretched out. A public meeting is a public meeting, the media bite is not a public meeting. If media is to be prosecuted for displaying comments of politicians on a voting day such a provision will fall foul of Constitutional guarantee of free speech since it is not covered by the prescribed restrictions under Article 19 (2). If the whole country is a polling area, since scattered and phased elections are on in several parts of India, the political rallies and their reportage by the media when polling is going on in some other parts of the country, would attract penal consequences. Prof Amartya Sen spoke to the media after his vote on April 30, 2014. He gave his reasons why he does not favour Modi. The Prime Minister spoke to the media after casting his vote in Assam. So did most other political leaders. I am not pleading for their prosecution. I am only illustrating that an interpretation being given by the Election Commission may fall foul.

Article 324 of the Constitution is a reservoir of residuary jurisdiction. It can’t impact areas occupied by law. It cannot dilute the import and content of the Right to Free Speech.

The ‘Snoopgate’ Commission

Media reports have indicated that the lame duck UPA Government is finally planning to name a judge for the ‘Snoopgate’ Commission. The Commission of Inquiry is already on in Gujarat. Both the lady in question and her family have already sent their statements to the National Women Commission. So, far all judges approached by the UPA have refused to lend themselves in this political and malafide exercise. The 438 Parliament constituencies have already seen polling. In a fortnight, the results will be out and a new Government will be in. I will be very curious to know the name of the judge who has agreed to ‘lend’ himself to the UPA. I will be surprised if there is one. I hope, for the cause of judicial dignity, no one agrees to be a part of this desperate exercise.

Watch! Corruption, governance, highpoints of UPA’s misrule: BJP 

http://www.niticentral.com/2014/05/01/fir-against-modi-makes-no-sense-218619.html

Diggy joins Congress’s Ishaqzaade league (Video 2:11)

May 1, 2014, 8:33 pm

≫ Next: Deepa Tarangini (Bharatanatyam Dance (1:14:28)

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Diggy joins Congress’s Ishaqzaade league

30 Apr 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmIVJ9RTns0

http://www.niticentral.com/2014/04/30/diggy-joins-congresss-ishaqzaade-league-218469.html

Deepa Tarangini (Bharatanatyam Dance (1:14:28)

May 2, 2014, 6:38 pm

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIk4j_R4PoM Published on Jul 13, 2012

50 dancers of Sri Rama Nataka Niketan, Hyderabad, India, under the extraordinary teaching of Mr.V.S.Ramamoorty & Ms.Manjula Ramaswamy performed Bharatanatyam Dance on Inverted Mud Pots with 3 small brass pots on their head and lit candles on their two hands & head for one hour.
The program was recorded on a timber on the occasion of setting record for Limca Book of World Records. The group set a record in Limca Book of World Records 2011. Would like to submit the same record to Guinness World Records.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=416815518453282

Joy Music HD

ஹிந்தி மொழி நடுவர்களை ஆச்சரியத்தில் ஆழ்த்திய பரத நாட்டிய நடனம் ...நீங்கள் இப்படி ஒரு பெண்களின் நாட்டிய நடனத்தை பார்த்திருக்கமாட்டீர்கள் ..நாட்டியத்தை பாருங்கள் -
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=416815518453282
COMMENTARY IN HINDI AND ENGLISH

AMAZING DANCE

Ramesh Manivasagam ஆடியவர்கள் ஆந்திராவிலுள்ள ஷெக்கந்திரா பாத்தை சேர்ந்தவர்கள் தமிழர்கள் அல்ல எனக்கு கிந்தி தெரியும் அதனால் புரிந்தது முதல் கேள்வியே உங்கள் குழுவுக்கு என்ன பெயர் என்றதும் ஆடும் பெண் கூறுகின்றார் ஸ்ரீ ராமநாத நிகெந்தன் பின் கூறுகின்றார் நாங்கள் செக்கிந்திராபாத்திலிருந்து வந்திருக்கின்றோம் என்று எது எப்படியோ நல்லபடி ஆடியிருக்கின்றார்கள்

Like · Reply · 22 · February 3 at 10:10pm

• Kathiripillai Jegatheeswaram Pillai அருமையான நடனம். தமிழரோ, யாரோ! நடனம் நம்முடைய கலாசாரம்; அதையே அவர்கள் அழகாக ஆடினர்.

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 7 at 1:02am
• Ramesh Manivasagam எனக்கு இந்த நிகழ்வை அனுப்பியவர் தமிழர்கள் என்றதனால் அவருக்கு சுட்டினேன் தவிர எனக்கு மொழிவெறி இல்லை எல்லோரும் நம் உறவே அன்பே வெல்லும்.

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 5 at 1:47am
• Vasantha Kumar Cool Excellent girls

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 2 at 11:19pm
• Thiru Gold wonderful

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 2 at 11:17pm
• Niroshan Aus super super super .............

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 2 at 10:42pm
• Mani Play supper goled record

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 2 at 10:30pm
• Neethimathy Tharmakulasingam wow nice

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 2 at 9:25pm
• Mangai Thanabalasingam Super super....................................

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 2 at 9:13pm
• Mallikeswaran M.v Power of Tradition; Power of Classical.

  Like · Reply · 3 · February 2 at 7:36pm · Edited
• S P Saleem Khan wonderful

  Like · Reply · 6 · February 3 at 12:39am
• Raga Deepam Awesome ..! Mind blowing ! Wow.. Splendid Performance

  Like · Reply · 2 · February 4 at 4:37pm
• Thamotharan Kanna Wow amazing. tamilan perumai vazlga

  Like · Reply · 2 · February 2 at 9:09pm
• Janesan Kamalananthan Excellent girls

  Like · Reply · 2 · February 2 at 7:36pm
• கிரிதரன் மகாதேவன் my sincere pranams to Matha Manjula jee from telepathygiiridharbaba from coimbatore

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