Lord Curzon, the late Viceroy of India, in an address delivered at the Delhi Durbar in 1901:
Powerful Empires existed and flourished here [in India] while Englishmen were still wandering painted in the woods, and while the British Colonies were a wilderness and a jungle.
India has left a deeper mark upon the history, the philosophy, and the religion of mankind, than any other terrestrial unit in the universe. [ link ]
Related Posts:
The Myth of a Benevolent “Raj” 
India in the 1820s
Loot – in search of East India Co. (excerpts) 
Clearing the dust off …

Dear All: This post is a “lazy post”…i.e. a collection of comments on another post which branched off on the topic of Bhagwaan Shri Ram, Sita Mata, Agni Parikshaa, Vaali Vadh etc.
I have excerpted the comments and opened this new thread since they offer (I feel) a very good basis for a thought-provoking discussion on a highly controversial but sensitive topic …and is an issue I believe must have engaged the minds of many Hindus and Indians.
Without further ado, here is the collection of comments starting with this one by Nanda, …

Read RealityCheck on why this election is going to be largely an enumeration of the strength and a concentration of narrow interests.
Next, hear Sh Narendra Modi on IPL’s decision to move outside India. 
Read Rohit’s thoughts on India’s missing think tanks (I need to point Rohit in the direction of IPI)
See if you agree that
The most galling thing about this financial crisis is that so many Wall Street types think they actually deserve not only their huge bonuses and lavish lifestyles but the awesome political power their own mistakes have left them in possession of.
or…as Sanjay says: …

UPDATED on 4th April 2011:
|| ॐ ||
भारतीय नव-वर्ष आप सभी के लिये मंगलमय, समृद्धशाली व स्वास्थ्य-वर्धक हो |
कृपया अपने मित्रों, सहपाठियों व परिवारजनों को भी नव वर्ष की शुभकामनायें अवश्य दें…व वसंत के हर्षोल्लास में खिली हुई प्रकृति का स्वागत करें…व स्मरण करें…
चक्रवर्ती सम्राट श्रीरामचन्द्र व महाराज युधिष्ठिर के राज्याभिषेक का…
महाराज शलिवाहन द्वारा शकों पर विजय का …
संत झुलेलाल जी व सिख गुरु श्री अंगद देवजी का…
अपनी भाषा, अपनी संस्कृति तथा अपनी परम्पराओं का स्मरण करें…आइये सब मिल कर वसंत का स्वागत करें,
शुभकामनाओं सहित,
|| Aum ||
Happy Gudi Padwa, Happy Chaitra Vishu and Happy Ugadi !!
Today is the first day of Chaitra, the beginning of the new year …

*** Excerpts from “Richest politicians“ by Shankkar Aiyar ***
…Entering public life is now an investment of time and effort for dividends to be earned from political entrepreneurship. A joint study by INDIA TODAY and EmpoweringIndia.org (an initiative of the Liberty Institute) of the reported assets of our elected representatives reveals a startling contrast between the rulers and the ruled.
In a country where over 77 per cent of the populace, or an estimated 836 million people, earn an income of Rs 20 per day and over 300 million are living below the poverty …

From a recent report, titled “Eating Red Meat May Boost Death Risk“:
Men and women who eat higher amounts of red meat and processed meat have a higher risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, and other causes compared to those who eat less, according to a new study.
…”We found the consumption of red and processed meat is associated with a modest increase in overall mortality, as well as cancer and cardiovascular mortality in both men and women,” says study researcher Rashmi Sinha, PhD, a senior investigator at the National Cancer …