It is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram but not the Islamic month. It is also called Yaumu-l ‘Ashurah, or simply Ashura meaning, ‘the tenth day’. It is well-known because of historical significance and mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic …
Read More »Can an elephant drink through its trunk?
This is the equivalent of asking, ‘Can you drink through your nose?’ and of course the answer is no. The elephant‘s trunk is an extension of its nose and upper lip. It does not just hang limply but can be operated to carry out a vast range of tasks. The most important of these is food gathering. The sensitive finger …
Read More »Where do elephants die? Kids Social Science Q&A
Groups of elephants have been found buried together both in Africa and Asia. The nearness of the animals to each other may be no more than a coincidence. The areas may be no more than sites, since elevated and dried, where elephants have been drowned in bogs are while crossing rivers. However, many people will argue that old elephants, when …
Read More »Which is the elephant’s closest relative?
You might think that the elephant‘s nearest relative would be another big lumbering animal of the African or Indian bush, but in fact its ‘nearest and dearest’ is a tiny creature called a rocky hyrax. Rock hyraxes live in rocky or wooded regions in parts of Asia and Africa. They couldn’t look less like an elephant, either, for they are …
Read More »Who was the Elephant Man? Kids Social Science Q&A
‘The Elephant Man’ was cruel name given to a man called Joseph Merrick, who was very severely deformed. Although he died before he was thirty years old, Joseph Merrick became a celebrity in Victorian England because, despite his deformities, he was gentle, intelligent and brave man. When he was young, unscrupulous men exhibited him as a freak in fairs and …
Read More »Why do African elephants have bigger ears than Indian elephants?
African elephants have larger ears than Indian, or Asiatic, elephants because they live in hotter conditions and are bigger and more aggressive and active. The huge ears of the African elephant, sometimes three and a half feet wide, enable it to hear more acutely. When the animal charges its fans out its ears, augmenting its terrible appearance and striking fear …
Read More »Which is the Chariot Festival of India?
Every year in mid-summer, Lord Jagannath, with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, goes on vacation, traveling on grand chariots, from his temple in Puri, to his garden palace in the countryside. This belief of the Hindus has given rise to one of the biggest religious festivals in India – the Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival. This is …
Read More »What steps are taken by the WHO on World No Tobacco Day?
WHO has taken many steps in reducing or banning the use of tobacco or its products by establishing an event called World No Tobacco Day and various other health awareness campaigns on world level. Some of the special steps taken by the WHO towards no tobacco use are mentioned below:
Read More »What are Themes for World No Tobacco Day?
For effectively celebrating the World No Tobacco Day all over the world, WHO selects a special theme every year as central component in order to distribute a global message to the people for more awareness. Other publicity materials for the theme like brochures, posters, fliers, press releases, websites and etc are also provided by the WHO to the members organizing …
Read More »What is Bacha bazi?
It’s an ancient practice in Afghanistan, secretly revived – young boys sold by families to ‘entertain’ wealthy merchants and warlords. In The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan, Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi (Behind Taliban Lines) returns to his native land to expose an ancient practice that has been brought back by powerful warlords, former military commanders and wealthy businessmen. Known as “bacha bazi” …
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