About 600 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon-one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Series of terraces were raised on a square base with sides about 120 metres long. One above the other, and narrower at the back than the front, these formed a sort of pyaramid. Stone beams and pillars were used and the floors …

Legend has it that a huge, hairy man-like creature lives in the high frozen wastes of the Himalayan mountains. The native Tibetans called it the Yeti, and many of them claim to have seen it. It is even thought by some people to be a sort of ‘missing link’ between man and the apes. Evidence? In one of the temples …

The boas and pythons are gaint constricting snakes. Many people imagine this means they coil themselves around their prey, and squeeze and squeeze until the victim is crushed to death. This is, in fact, not so. A Boa constrictor, or any other Boa or python, strikes at its prey with an open mouth. Backward-pointing teeth grip the animal while the …

Yes, God does assure us that there are believers destined for heaven in all different groups. The words Islam and Muslim are more than just a name. They are a description of performing total devotion to God alone. The equivalent English word for Islam is Submission, which is practiced by a Submitter to God alone. There are submitters who are …

∼ Manisha Class 8th A Student of St. Gregorios School, Gregorios Nagar, Sector 11, Dwarka, New Delhi.

When we describe someone as being slothful, we mean that they are lazy and sleepy. But does the sloth really live up to this name? Is it as lazy as the term suggests? I’m afraid that the answer is yes, although it would be unfair to say that the sloth sleeps all the time. The main characteristic of sloth is …

The ten founders of Sikhism are considered by Sikhs to have been spiritual masters or saints. Each of them contributed to Sikhism in unique ways. Many of the texts in the Guru Granth advise the seeker of spiritual enlightenment to seek the company of saints. Sikhs consider the scripture of the Granth to be their eternal Guru and therefore the …

Prayer and meditation are an integral part of Sikhism necessary to reduce the effect of ego and bond the soul with the divine. Both are performed, either silently, or aloud, individually, and in groups. In Sikhism prayer takes the form of selected verses from Sikh scriptures read on daily basis. Meditation is achieved by reciting a word or phrase of …

The proper name for the Sikh place of worship is Gurdwara. There is no particular day set aside for Sikh worship services. Meetings and program are scheduled for the convenience of the congregation. Where the membership is large enough, formal Sikh worship services may begin as early as 3 am and continue until about 9 pm. On special occasions services …

In Sikhism the equivalent to baptism is the Amrit ceremony of rebirth. Sikh initiates drink an elixir prepared from sugar and water stirred with a sword. Initiates agree to give their head and sever ties with their former way of life in a symbolic gesture of surrendering their ego. Initiates adhere to a strict spiritual and secular moral code of …