Shiva statue surprise in Amsterdam

Prestigious Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam recently conducted an X-ray of its thousand-year-old monumental Shiva-Nataraja statue as a part of research and was surprised to know that it was cast in solid bronze.

Hollow sculptures have reportedly been a common practice in Europe since the Greek Antiquity. The museum discovered that even the aureole and the demon under Shiva's feet were also solid.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has applaudedRijksmuseum for its interest in Hindu artifacts.

This Dancing Shiva statue was X-rayed using high-energy digital radiation, along with the lorry transporting it, in the most powerful X-ray tunnel for containers of the Rotterdam customs authority, normally used to scan sea containers for suspicious contents. It is said to be the first research of its kind on a museological masterpiece.

At 153 cm x 114.5 cm, this 300 kilograms Shiva statue is claimed to be the largest known bronze statue from the Chola Dynasty kept in a museological collection outside of India. "This solid bronze Shiva is evidence of a high level of mastery of bronze casting", a Museum release says.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged the major museums of world to acquire more Hindu sculpture and art; dedicate permanent space to Hindu artefacts; and organize more exhibitions of Hindu art, sculptures, and architecture to make the present and future generations aware about their richness.

Rajan Zed argued that because of their richness and other factors, Hindu artefacts were becoming a favourite of museums in America and the West. Many prestigious museums already owned Hindu sculptures and other artefacts and many were planning to acquire them.

Even some formations in world famous Grand Canyon National Park of USA were named as Shiva Temple, Krishna Shrine, Vishnu Temple, Rama Shrine, Brahma Temple (7851 feet), and Hindu Amphitheatre, Zed pointed out.

According to Rajan Zed, various renowned museums in USA which have acquired statues and other artefacts of Hindu deities include Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California; Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, California; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond; Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California; Museum of Art and Archaeology in University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri; Mingei International Museum in San Diego, California; American Museum of Natural History, New York; Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania; Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland; Dallas Museum of Art, Texas; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri; etc.

Zed further says that other prestigious world museums, which possess statues of Hindu deities, include British Museum in London, United Kingdom; Musae Guimet in Paris, France; Museum for Asiatische Kunst in Berlin, Germany; Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand; Beijing World Art Museum, China; National Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada; Victoria and Albert Museum in London, United Kingdom; etc. Thailand reportedly has a private Ganesha Museum.

Rajan Zed asked foremost art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d'Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Art Institute of Chicago, Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid (Spain), National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands, whose collection comprises 1.1 million objects dating from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Its history goes back to 1800 and it attracts about 900,000 visitors each year. A. Ruys is Chair while Anna Slaczka is curator of South Asian Art of this Museum which contains many stone and bronze sculptures from India.

Zed said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

Govt proposes 49% FDI in airlines

India's beleaguered airline industry was thrown a potential lifeline on Tuesday when the Aviation Ministry said it would recommend that the government allow foreign airlines to buy stakes of up to 49 percent in Indian carriers.

India currently bars foreign airlines from buying into Indian airlines, although foreign investors are allowed to hold a cumulative 49 percent.

"The question was to allow other airlines to participate in FDI (foreign direct investment). I discussed it with the finance minister and he agreed," Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told reporters. "We realised that FDI is one of the factors that will help the industry survive the current financial problems."

Shares of Indian airline companies surged by 7 to 12 percent ahead of a meeting earlier in the day between Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

India's loss-making airlines are grappling with high jet fuel prices, low fares and an economic slowdown.

The total debt of the industry is expected to rise to $20 billion for the fiscal year ending in March, according to an Aviation Ministry report.

A decision to open up the sector would be especially welcome to debt-laden Kingfisher Airlines (:KING.NSKING.NS), which has long lobbied for the change.

"It is strongly welcomed. It has been long long overdue," said Kapil Kaul, regional head of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, an aviation consulting firm.

"This will lead to capital, strategic expertise. This will also lead to foreign and domestic fund flows to the sector." Kaul told Reuters.

U.S. billionaire Wilbur Ross briefly invested in budget airline SpiceJet (:SPJT.BOSPJT.BO) in 2010, making it the only Indian carrier to get major foreign investment in recent years.

British Airways (:ICAG.LICAG.L) has been speculated as a possible candidate to pick up a stake in Kingfisher, which said last month that it would join the global oneworld alliance from February to help boost its competitiveness and finances.

"The current losses of the airlines make the valuations attractive," said Amber Dubey, director of aviation at KPMG.

An analyst at a Mumbai brokerage, who did not wish to be identified, said airlines such as Kingfisher and Jet Airways, with large founder stakes, would be comfortable with diluting their shares to allow investment by foreign carriers.

NON-PERFORMING

The Chairman of State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, said on Tuesday that his bank would find it difficult to lend more to Kingfisher as the bank considers its loans to the airline to be non-performing.

SBI is the leader of the consortium of lenders to Kingfisher.

All but one of India's six main airlines are loss-making as they engage in aggressive price competition.

India's airlines are expected to lose up to $3 billion in the fiscal year that ends in March.

State-owned Air India, operating on government life support, is expected to account for more than half of that, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has said.

Shares of Jet Airways (:JET.NSJET.NS) India's biggest airline, closed up 10.3 percent ahead of the announcement.

Budget carrier SpiceJet (:SPJT.BOSPJT.BO), whose CEO has said his airline would consider selling stake to a foreign carrier if the government changed the FDI rules, rose 10 percent.

Kingfisher ended up 4.8 percent.

Despite heavy losses, domestic air traffic increased 17.6 percent to 55 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2011, government data shows.

"India is one of the fastest growing markets today and nobody wants to miss out on the growth story," said Sharan Lillaney, aviation analyst at Angel Broking.

A group of ministers will meet soon to work on the debt restructuring Air India, Singh said.

The meeting will also discuss whether to allow direct imports of jet fuel, a demand Kingfisher Airlines has been making as it seeks to ease its fuel bill.

Taxes make jet fuel in India 60-70 percent more expensive than the global average.

Singh also said the government would release 1.5 billion Indian rupees to Air India to pay overdue salaries of its pilots. The government owes a total of about 6 billion rupees to the carrier, he said.

Tips for having the 'right' breakfast

The importance of having a healthy and nutritious breakfast is largely understood by most people with a rising number of lifestyle and health-themed channels and magazines highlighting breakfast as the day’s most essential meal. 

However, what constitutes the right breakfast is still a grey area, engaging different sorts of viewpoints that can often be confusing. This is an attempt to resolve the issue with simple, effective and easy-to-understand tips.

t processed foods ranging from the standard loaf of bread to crunchy cookies, sweet buns and instant noodles do little good. A breakfast is supposed to satiate your hunger for several hours so that you don’t snack in between meals. Secondly, it should provide sufficient energy so that you don’t feel de-energized at your work. 

Processed foods, loaded with de-fibered cereals and lots of refined sugar, don’t meet either of these criteria. Firstly, processed carbohydrates tend to cause a spike in your glucose levels as carbs can be converted into glucose quickly. However, this sugar spike slumps rather soon since glucose is quickly routed to the body’s energy storehouse. This causes a sugar craving or hunger pang which initiates a cyclic chain of craving more sugar and food.

Thus, you should avoid:
• Excess of Jams/Sauces/Sweetened spreads/Chutneys
• Fruit juices to which glucose or sugar has been added
• Cakes

Load-Up On Proteins Even If You Are Not A Gym Junkie

The onslaught of diet fads like the Atkins Diet and wronged perceptions about gymming hard has made people either too obsessed or wary of proteins. To feel energetic throughout the day, your breakfast should contain a more than average amount of protein. Metabolism of protein takes longer, ensuring that energy is released constantly. The traditional recommendation of having a glass of milk was probably based on this logic. However, the quality of milk has depreciated considerably in the last, few years. You need to seek better, more promising sources of protein. Choose egg whites or whole eggs as they contain one of the purest forms of protein found in the animal kingdom. If you are a strict vegetarian, choose sprouted dals, cottage cheese or paneer or a quick glass of lassi made from low-fat curd. Soybean in the form of soy milk, soy flakes or boiled soya chunks tossed with some green chilli and tomatoes is a tasty, vegetarian protein choice.

Add Fiber & Nutrition In The Easy, Time-Saving Manner

The biggest reason why breakfasts are either unplanned or ignored is that the morning rush leaves little time for us. However, you can easily overcome this hurdle by choosing some smarter, time-saving sources of nutrition. For instance, dry fruits including all types of nuts, almonds and walnuts are an enriching source of macro-and micro-nutrients, including essential vitamins and trace minerals. You can add these with ease in your sandwiches, rolls or just chew them even as you exit your
house in a hurry.

Make Smarter Replacements

These tips are directed towards making healthier, more nutritious breakfast choices.
This includes:
• Using honey instead of jam and other sugar-sweetened spreads
• Choosing low-fat milk over full-cream milk
• Choosing low-fat butter over traditional butter
• Using honey as a sweetener instead of sugar
• Opting for whole-grain, oatmeal or multi-fiber breads over white bread
• Eating fresh fruits instead of processed/packaged juices
• Choosing cornflakes made from high fiber cereals like bran and muesli over conventional cornflakes. 

10 things to do before the chill ends

1. THE OUTDOORS:

There’s no better time than now to get a break from the gym and take your fitness regime outdoors.

Head to the nearest park for a jog or better yet run a little to really feel your heart pump while you get one with nature. It’s also the best time of the year to impress the opposite sex with your level of fitness without having to worry about beads of sweat dripping down your face; opt for a game of tennis or squash, go on a romantic cycling date or even try something new together for the very first time like horse riding. Take to the greens with a buddy for a game of golf and enjoy a sunday with your mates for a game of cricket or soccer. With all that physical activity, body heat and happy endorphins, you’ll be smiling through the icy weather.

2. SOMETHING STEAMY:

A cup of steaming hot chocolate on a chilly winter evening is as close to heaven as one get.

Enjoy as many cappuccinos, cafe mochas, hot chocolate as you can. For those that enjoy their cup of tea experiment with many varieties including masala, Darjeeling, green or camomile. Winter months are also the best time to go for that lazy breakfast date or explore some cozy tea rooms for an evening high tea ritual.

Chicken soup for the soul, there’s nothing like a cup of steaming soup to lift your spirits after a long days work.
3. HEAT THINGS UP:

No pun intended.

Spend a few extra hours under the covers, indulge in a romantic evening in front of a fire or just enjoy the cozy warmth of a loved ones arms. Loose some fun loving bets at board games or even cuddle up and watch that romantic movie. Take your social life outdoors; forget done to death restaurants, clubs or hotels, get together with friends and family and build a bonfire for a warm and informal evening.

4. BE MASTERCHEF FOR A DAY:

Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, promotion, graduation or engagement at a heart warming cook out . Drum up a barbecue with friends or spend a day with family in the kitchen. Whip up a potato salad, some barbecued chicken and a pasta for a relaxed evening with plenty of warmth, delicious food, great company.
FOND OF FONDUE:

We may not have freezing weather, but that’s no reason to stop you from eating like the Swiss. Indulge your palate with a pot of simmering fondue; it’s sophisticated comfort food that not only makes you feel good but also look chic. Crusty bread, steamed vegetables, meats and baby potatoes taste so much better when coated with cheese so treat yourself to a melting cheese fondue. For those with a sweet tooth, winter is the best time to spoil yourself rotten with strawberries coated in gooey chocolate fondue or have fun with other accompaniments like fresh fruit, pound cake and marshmallows. For the adventurous, the Asian hot pot is a good recommendation, cook your own marinated meats and vegetables over a simmering pot of stalk for that out of the ordinary meal.

6. SPA-TASTIC:

There remains no doubt that those new year resolutions to stop abusing your body call for some R& R and winter is the time to treat yourself to it. Check into a spa, pamper yourself with body treatments like deep tissue massages, relaxing acupressure massages, ayurvedic traditional massage, seaweed wraps, sea salt scrubs, just to name a few. Don’t hesitate to go the whole nine yards and get a cleansing facial and some hand and foot therapies.

Pamper yourself with a Hammam ritual, a steam and sauna to really feel cleansed, relaxed and refreshed. It’s high on the feel good factor and promises to give you peaceful night of sleep.

7. PICK A PICNIC:

Enjoy a sunny winter day in a the park while you catch up with friends over a fun filled picnic sangria, hors d’oeuvres, music and a frisbee bee. Unwind old school style head out on a day trip, explore an old fort, a monument, the zoo or a tourist hot spot.

Head for a field trip close to town and take the family and pet along.

8. FALL IN LOVE:

You’ve done the infamous summer flings many a times, try something different and fall in love this winter. Cuddling is never more fun than in frosty winter weather,. Feel the tingle of new love and cool air at the nape of your neck. Take a chance on someone and watch your romance blossom through spring.

9. LAYER ON THE FASHION:

If you haven’t taken out that overcoat, draped yourself in a faux wrap or showed off those thigh high boots, time’s running out. Don’t go overboard and wear everything all at once but do try to go through that winter closet and look fashionably up- tothe- minute. It’s a shame to own all those goodies and keep them in hiding eight months of the year but it’s adding insult to injury if you don’t even flaunt them during the four months that you can.

10. WINTER SPORTS:

Head to the mountains — Kashmir, Manali, Shimla to get a real feel of the cold; step onto fresh white snow, ski down some slopes, try your hand at snow boarding or just feel the chill burn as you make that carrot nosed snowman. If you can’t get out try your skills at the latest ice skating rink in town to feel one with winter.

Govt rule to make gold more expensive

 

India, the world's biggest consumer of bullion, has changed the import duty on gold to two percent of value from the earlier flat 300 rupees per 10 grams and that of silver to six percent of value from 1,500 rupees per kilogram, the government said.

The changes could nearly double duties on both metals.

Prices of gold on the Multi Commodity Exchange (:MCXMCXnull) rose after the duty hike with the February gold contract gaining as much as one percent to 27,760 rupees.

Silver for March delivery rose more than two percent at 53,361 rupees per kg.

Shares in jewellers slipped with Rajesh Exports (:REXP.NSREXP.NS) losing nearly three percent after the announcement.

The duty change would translate to about 570 rupees per 10 grams for gold, which is priced internationally in dollars, said Prithiviraj Kothari, president of the Bombay Bullion Association. Silver import duty could equate to 3,000 rupees per kg at current prices, he added.

"We could have done without this hike," said Rajesh Mehta, chairman of Rajesh Exports. He added that he thought it should be easily digested by the market.

The rupee's reaction was largely muted, traders said.

India hiked its gold import duty by 90 percent and doubled the tax on silver on Tuesday as the world's biggest consumer of bullion seeks to increase revenues, sending futures prices higher and hitting shares of jewellers.

India changed the import duty on gold to 2 percent of value from the earlier flat 300 rupees per 10 grams and that of silver to 6 percent of value from 1,500 rupees per kilogram, the government said in a statement.

Gold has soared this year, with international dollar prices touching a record of $1,920.30 per ounce in early September and Indian domestic prices hitting a peak in early December.

The duty change would translate to about 570 rupees per 10 grams for gold, said Prithiviraj Kothari, president of the Bombay Bullion Association. The silver import duty could equate to 3,000 rupees per kg at current prices, he added.

The BBA is sticking to its forecast for imports to fall 50 percent in January to March after they slipped about 8 percent on a year ago to 878 tonnes.

Gold futures on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) rose after the announcement, with the February contract, gaining 1 percent to 27,778 rupees.

Silver for March delivery rose nearly 3 percent to 53,874 rupees per kg.

"It is not likely to impact demand in any meaningful way; we did not see any meaningful decline in demand last time, and hence may not affect demand this time around as well," said Chirag Mehta, manager of the Quantum Gold Fund.

The government last hiked the import duty on precious metals in February 2010, which was seen as having minimal impact on buying.

"This increase in duty would be passed on to the retail consumers by the jewellers as the actual rate of gold itself would increase due to the increase in duty," said Rajesh Mehta, chairman of jeweller Rajesh Exports.

But he did call for a rollback of the duty hikes, saying abolition "would completely eradicate the major issues of smuggling and would control black money in a substantial manner".

Shares in Rajesh Exports lost nearly 3 percent after the announcement as other jewellers also fell.

India's coalition government has been struggling to meet its fiscal deficit target due to increasing outlays, which include subsidies for fuel and food.

Analysts GFMS have just said they expect gold prices to climb above $2,000 in late 2012 or early 2013.

Silver imports are also unlikely to be affected, traders said.

"As it is, silver is a volatile market, the 1,500 rupees difference in prices won't impact buying," said Haresh Kewalramani, proprietor of Vishindas Gianchand & Sons, a large silver trader in Mumbai.

India, the world's largest importer of silver, bought 3,029 tonnes in 2010, double the year earlier after a weak monsoon cut demand in 2009.

Understanding how HRA works!

The end of another financial year is drawing close and is a couple of months away. The words "income tax" start ringing a frantic bell towards the end of every financial year, and many questions arise. Please do note that it is best to be prepared in the beginning rather than the end of a financial year!

There are many tax components you need to be clear about and also figure out how to plan your investments to gain maximum returns as well as maximum tax benefits. One such tax component is the tax benefit you can claim from your house rent allowance. This article helps you understand how this works!

HRA (house rent allowance) is provided to salaried people under Section 10 (13A) of Income Tax Act, 1961, in accordance with rule 2A of Income Tax Rules. Self employed professionals are eligible for tax deductions under section 80GG of Income Tax Act, 1961.

Dependent factors

When you are calculating HRA for tax exemption you take into consideration four aspects which includes salary, HRA received, the actual rent paid and where you reside, i.e. if it is a metro or non-metro. If these aspects remain constant through the year, then tax exemption is calculated as a whole annually, if this is subject to change, as in a rent hike or shift in residence etc. then it is calculated on a monthly basis.

The place of residence is significant in HRA calculation as for a metro the tax exemption for HRA is 50% of the basic salary while for non-metros it is 40% of the basic salary.

On paying rent

It is not essential that you should pay rent only to a landlord to avail your HRA benefits. You can pay rent to your parents to claim tax benefits. However, they need to account for the same under `Income from house/property' and will be entitled to pay tax for the same.

Remember you cannot try the same with your spouse, as it is not permissible under income tax law, as you are expected to reside together for all practical purposes.

You need to submit proof of rent paid through rent receipts, for which only two need to be submitted, one for the beginning of the year and one towards the end of the financial year. It should have a one rupee revenue stamp affixed with the signature of the person who has received the rent,  along with other details such as the rented residence address, rent paid, name of the person who rents it etc.

How is HRA calculated

To figure out how much HRA exemption you are eligible for, consider these three values which includes a. The actual rent allowance the employer provides you as part of your salary, b. the actual rent you pay for your house from which 10% of your basic pay is deducted, c. 50% of your basic salary when you reside in a metro or 40% if you reside in a non-metro.

The least value of these three values is allowed as tax exemption on your HRA. You can discuss restructuring your pay structure with your employer in order to avail the most of your HRA tax benefit.

Here is a sample illustration for your understanding:

Sheetal earns a basic salary of Rs. 40,000 per month and rents an apartment in Delhi for Rs. 20,000 per month (hence eligible for a 50% of the basic pay for HRA exemption). The actual HRA she receives is Rs. 25,000.

These values are considered to find out her HRA tax exemption:

a. Actual HRA received, i.e. Rs. 25,000,

b. 50% of the basic salary, i.e. Rs. 20,000, and

c. Excess of rent paid over 10% of salary, i.e. Rs. 20,000 — Ra 4,000 = Rs. 16,000

The value considered for her actual HRA exemption will be the least value of the above figures. Hence, the net taxable HRA for Sheetal will be Rs. 25,000 — 16,000 (available HRA deduction) = Rs. 9,000.

Availing tax benefits on your home loan and HRA

As long as you are paying rent for an accommodation, you can claim tax benefits on the HRA component of your salary, while also availing tax benefits on your home loan. This could be the case if your own home is rented out or you work from another city etc. However, you need to account for any rental income you receive from the property you own.