The Navratri festival is dedicated to the Mother Goddess. Known by other names such as Durga, Devi, she occupies a special place in the Hindu pantheon. She represents Shakti, the cosmic energy that animates all beings, and is also considered to be prakriti (nature), the counterpart of purusha. Together, they are responsible for the creation of the world according to …

Smooth muscle is found in the digestive system, bladder, and blood vessels. It works automatically, even when we asleep. Skeletal or striated muscle is different because we can control it at will. It covers our bones and is used to move them.

There is no real difference between pigeons and doves. In the pigeon family there are about three hundred species. Some of these are larger and plumper than the others and have square tails – these are often called pigeons. Others are smaller, sleeker and have pointed tails – these are usually called doves. Of the many sorts of pigeons there …

The apes are divided into three groups: the gibbons, the great apes and man. Apes differ from monkeys by being more intelligent.

Intensive farming produces surpluses of crops and livestock for a farmer to sell for profit. Subsistence farming produces only just enough produce for a farmer to live on.

Most people recoil in horror at seeing a toad in the garden. Toads are certainly more ugly than frogs. They have large flattened bodies with dry, wrinkled and primply skins. The head of toad is blunter than a frog’s and its arms and legs are shorter. The toad spends most of its time on land and it is a slow …

Dandiya and Garba are the featured dances of Navratri evenings in Gujarat. Originated as devotional Garba dances, which were performed in the honor of Goddess Durga, this dance form is actually the staging of a mock-fight between the Goddess and Mahishasura, the mighty demon-king. The sticks of the dance represent the sword of Durga. Women normally perform it in a …

Antelopes, cows, goats and sheep have horns. Horns are composed of a bony central core attached to the skull and converted in a horny sheath. The horny sheath is ‘grown’ by a lair of tissue covering the bony core. Horns continue to grow throughout the life of the animal. (When people used horns for drinking from, it was the horny …

Sea lions have external ear-flaps, but seals do not. Also, sea lions can pulls their hind limbs forward to use as ‘back legs’ when on land. Seals cannot do this.

A blazer is for formal wear and a coat is for anytime wear. Formal blazers are generally made in deep shades. Coats can be made of any fabric like cotton, linen and leather. There is a slight difference though. Typically, coats form part of a man’s suit, while blazers are available without pants as you can wear them with formal …