 This one is a nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye/ Tales. Once upon a time, it happened in a forest that a hare was resting under a banyan tree. He had an intuition of doom and thought, “What would happen to me, if the earth will break? “. Suddenly, he heard a weird striking sound. He said, “It’s happened, the earth is breaking up”. He jumped up and ran madly without even observing the direction. When he was running through the forest, a hare saw him and asked, “What happened? Where are you going in such a hurry? “. The Hare cried,” The earth is breaking up. You better run too”. The second hare ran so fast that he overtook the first hare. As they were passing the forest, both of them shouted to other hares, “The earth is breaking up. The earth is breaking up”. Very soon, thousands of hares were running through the forest.

 On seeing hares running through the forest, the other animals too got frightened. The news spread from mouth to mouth and soon, everyone came to know that the earth was breaking up. It didn’t take much time before all the animals joined the race. All creatures whether reptiles or birds, insects or four-footed animals, everyone was trying to escape and their cries of fear created chaos all around. A lion standing on a hill saw all the animals running and thought,” What is the matter? “. He ran down the hill rapidly and positioned himself in front of the crowd. He shouted at them, “Stop! Stop! ”. The powerful presence of the lion curtailed the rising wave of fright among the animals. A parrot yelled, “The earth is breaking up”, alighting on a rock near him. The Lion asked,” Who said it? “. The parrot replied, “I heard it from the monkeys".

 When the monkeys were asked, they replied that they had heard it from the tigers. When the tigers were asked, it was found that they were informed by the elephants. The elephants told that the buffaloes formed their source. Finally, when the hares were caught up, they pointed one to another until the one, who started this menace was recognized. The Lion asked the hare, “What made you think that the earth is breaking up?” The hare wavering in fear answered, “Your Majesty, I heard it cracking with my own ears”. The Lion investigated the matter and explored the sound that the hare had heard. Ultimately, he came to know that the sound had been caused by a large coconut falling from a tree. The coconut fell on a pile of rocks causing a minor landslide.

 The Lion said to all the animals, “ Go back to your homes. The earth is absolutely safe. Next time onwards, check a rumour before acting on it”. The animals, which were now looking quite stupid, went back to their homes.  What is the Moral of this Story?

 Indian Classical Dances  India has thousands of year old tradition of fine arts and classical and folk music and dances. Some of the world-famous dance forms that originated and evolved in India are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam and Odissi. All these dance forms use basically the same 'mudras' or signs of hand as a common language of expression and were originally performed in the temples to entertain various Gods and Goddesses.

 Indian Folk Dances  India is a land of varied cultures and traditions. Diversities in all spheres make the Indian culture quite unique. Indian folk and tribal dances are product of different socio-economic set up and traditions. Indian folk and tribal dances are simple and are performed to express joy. In India they have festivals and celebrations virtually every day. This has added to the richness of Indian culture. Since every festival is accompanied by celebration, folk dances have become an integral part of our social milieu.

 The Mughals brought henna to India in the 12th Century A.D. It evidently caught on, because by the time the 1600s rolled around, henna-covered hands were commonplace in India.  Henna is the Persian name for the plant with the Latin name, 'Lawson inermis' which is found in many hot, dry countries. The leaves from the plant are picked, dried, crushed and then made into a paste which is then applied to the body in patterns or shapes and as it dries stains the skin underneath. Once the henna is dry, which takes anything up to a couple of hours, the flakes are rubbed off and the pattern can be seen.

 Henna body art is traditionally used in the Indian culture in ceremonies related to marriage.  In the Middle East it customary for Arabs not to present their hands for henna if they are lying about something, and like in India, it is usually body paint for brides. In countries like Turkey, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia henna is a symbol of good luck.  People in Morocco use henna body painting for many different things – pregnant women use henna designs n their ankles to protect them through childbirth; these designs remain family specific and are passed down through generations.

 The henna night traditionally marks the official beginning of the wedding festivities. In times past Arab brides would be covered from head to toe in henna patterns and somewhere on her body the henna artist would include the initials of the husband. The husband's task on the wedding night was to find those initials. Weddings  These days, the bride and her guests usually have patterns applied to just their hands, feet and ankles. Professional henna artists are always hired and you’ll find each henna salon and each area of the Gulf has its own specific patterns. The henna patterns in Oman often involve large areas of very dark brown/black geometric patterns (African influence) and in Bahrain the colour is lighter and the patterns are smaller and more delicate, often using flowers (Indian influence).

 Symbolism Peacocks ~ beauty Swans ~ success Birds ~ messengers (between heaven and earth) Butterflies ~ transformation Parrots ~ messengers of love Dragonflies ~ rebirth Fishes ~ a womans eyes Scorpian ~ love and romance, its sting is analogous to Cupid's arrow while being stung produces the same effects as being in love - glittering eyes, breathless, heat and feverish Flowers ~ joy and happiness Vines and leaves ~ longevity, devotion, perseverance, entwined lives and vitality Lizards and snakes ~ seekers of enlightenment Tortoise ~ Protection and fertility Lotus Blossom ~ the light within / the awakening of the human soul. Grace, beauty, creativity, sensuality, femininity, and purity. Sahasrara ~ thousand-petal lotus ~ uniting the soul with the 'Divine Source' Sun, Moon,and Stars ~ deep and lasting love between lovers/partners Paiselys ~ represent fertility and good luck Eye ~ said to mirror back the 'Evil Eye' The bud ~ signifying new growth especially at the end of a drought, and thus represent new life, fertility and joy - or as a metaphor in bridal mehndi to symbolise the start of a new love and a new life. ZigZag ~ this symbol means "rain" and represents fertility and abundance. The game (chess board) ~ an ancient symbol which, in different variants, represents happiness and joyful moments. Ripples ~ represent running water, which purifies and brings life. Also symbolising human emotion. Square ~ magical, used to heal and protect the sick.