Month: February 2022
Aryavart Gramin Bank, a Regional Rural Bank, was constituted on 3rd October 2006 after amalgamation …
Aryavart Gramin Bank, a Regional Rural Bank, was constituted on 3rd October 2006 after amalgamation of three Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) namely Avadh Gramin Bank, Barabanki Gramin Bank and Farrukhabad Gramin Bank as per Government of India notification no. F.No.1/4/2006-RRB dated 03-10-2006.
The Aryavart Gramin Bank, henceforth mentioned as the Bank, has 306 branches, six Regional Offices and a Head Office. The bank offers home loan, personal loan, agricultural loan, educational loan etc in order facilitate the customers in rural and semi urban areas.
Purpose- Financial assistance for setting up Agri Clinic and Agri Business centers for providing expert advice for better cropping practices, protection from pests and diseases, market trend and also clinical services for animal health.
Eligibility- Agriculture graduates or graduates in subject allied to agriculture, like veterinary, dairy, etc.
Amount 0f Loan -Rs.10 Lac
Quantum Of Loan- As per project cost.
Margin- No Margin up to Rs.5 Lakh, 25% above Rs.5 Lakh
Subsidy- 25% to 33.33% on capital investment (back ended), interest subsidy for two years
Rate of Interest- 12.50% per annum
Repayment- 5 to 10 years including moratorium period of maximum 2 years
History is full of great gifts, gifts that have stood the test of time and have become legendary through our history. They are the gifts that are known by name, gifts matched not only in their legendary status but also size and originality.
What would you consider to be the two greatest gifts in history? Do mythological gifts count? Do real gifts count? In terms of real gifts, there are two that come first.
Statue of Liberty
As far as gifts go, this may be the biggest in history. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the French presented this statue to the United States as a gift of friendship. The Americans built the base for the statue, while the statue itself was constructed by the French under the guidance of Frederic Bartholdi.
The trojan Horse
Some gifts seem like gifts, but are in fact, traps. That was the case during the Trojan War when the Greeks built a horse and filled it with Greek warriors before putting it in front of the gates. It was customary in ancient times for a defeated general to surrender his horse, so the symbolic gift of the horse seemed to trojans to be a notice of surrender from the Greeks. The trap worked and the Trojans were defeated because of one of the most cunning military ploys in history.
In terms of mythological or fictional gifts, you can’t beat these two:
Fire
According to Greek mythology, we can thank one god for the gift of fire – Prometheus. Prometheus, who also gave humanity writing, mathematics, agriculture, and medicine, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to humanity. For his betrayal of Zeus, Prometheus was chained to a rock where an eagle came every day to rip out his liver, which grew back every time.
The Gift of the Magi
In this book written in 1906, Jim and Della Dillingham Young are a couple in love, but who can barely afford their apartment. For Christmas, Della buys Jim a chain for his prized pocket watch given to him by his father. She pays for it by cutting off her long hair and selling it to make a wig. Unknown to her, Jim sells his pocket watch to buy her a beautiful set of combs so she can comb her long hair.
The moral in that story, written by William Porter, is that sometimes material possessions are not the greatest gift you can get, and sometimes unselfish love is the greatest of all gifts.
Just a few years ago, there were a limited number of categories for food: there was food according to taste (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) and there was food according to what it is made of (meat, fruit, vegetable, fish). In recent years, however, a new category was introduced, that is, food according to how it is made. With this, the term organic foods comes into the picture.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic foods are those foods that are made or grown without the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, growth hormones or any form of biotechnology. They are those foods that grow at a natural pace, are plucked when ripe and are taken as is. In contrast, non-organic foods are those that are grown for commercial consumption and are hence aided by pesticides, artificial fertilizers, growth hormones and biotechnology to grow faster, become plumper and appear more appetizing. In line with this new distinction among foods, a new age argument has (literally) been placed on the table: which is better, organic food vs. non-organic food?
Powerful arguments support each side. For those who believe that organic food is better than non-organic food, they adhere to the belief that all the pesticides, artificial fertilizers and chemical enhancers that go into non-organic foods are the reason behind many human ailments and diseases. While this belief can be backed up by some research, this research is still not conclusive and hence cannot yet be considered as fact. In addition, those who are supporters of organic food also pride themselves in the fact that creating organic foods is far less expensive and friendlier to the environment. For those who do not believe in buying organic food, they stress on the points of organic food being far more expensive to purchase and much harder to keep because of the lack of preservatives. They bank on previous studies linking organic foods to no more health benefits than non-organic foods and they also point to the fact that organic foods are not necessarily 100% free of artificial additives as the USDA still permits the use of some chemicals in growing them.
Because research on the topic has not yet completely been verified, the difference between organic and non-organic foods rests primarily in ones preference; at least for now. What scientists and most doctors are urging people to do is, rather than focusing on how healthy organic foods might be compared to non-organic foods, they should take a closer look at their daily diets and determine the health of their lifestyles from there. It is said that it happens all too often these days that people obsess over organic foods and yet have diets loaded with artificial flavouring, trans fats and processed sugars, i.e. junk. Before joining in on the argument of organic foods vs. non-organic foods, one must first make the necessary changes in ones diet in order to be able to call oneself truly healthy and health-conscious. As for organic foods vs. non-organic foods, let that be the next step.
Tradition has it that Imam Muhammad bin Ismail left Medina and went to southern Iraq, where he acquired the epithet of al-maktum (veiled one), and then at Nishapur in disguise, where he lodged for some times. Afterwards, the Imam proceeded towards Ray, about 15 miles from Tehran. Ishaq bin al-Abbas al-Farsi, the Abbasid governor of Ray professed Ismailism. Imam betrothed to Fatima, the daughter of Sarah, sister of Ishaq bin al-Abbas. When the news of Imam Muhammad bin Ismail’s stay at Ray reached the ears of Harun ar-Rashid, he wrote to Ishaq bin al-Abbas, ordering to arrest the Imam and send him to Baghdad. Upon receipt of caliph’s letter, he showed it to the Imam and replied to the caliph that he found no trace of the Imam, and would send as soon as he was arrested, and thus he tried to put the caliph off the scent. But the spies planted by Baghdad reported to the caliph that Imam Muhammad bin Ismail not only was living at governor’s house, but that he was operating his mission from there. Upon this, the caliph wrote another letter to Ishaq bin al-Abbas, impugning him to come in person with his forces if his orders were not obeyed forthwith. The governor however made his usual reply. Meanwhile, the complaints about Ali bin Musa bin Mahan, the governor of Khorasan reached the point where Harun ar-Rashid could no longer ignore them, and adopted a militant stance. In 189/805, he marched towards Ray with a detachment of his army, and after searching for the Imam through a tracking party, ordered to arrest Ishaq bin al-Abbas. Ishaq died as a result of severe torture inflicted upon him, and was rigorously flogged till death. He did not waver and stood steadfast in spite of excruciating tortures. In spite of the gloomy situation, his faith remained unshakable.
Imam Muhammad bin Ismail selected Hurmuz as a mission centre, and then had made his footing at the fortified city of Nihawand, where he stayed with the governor, Mansur bin Jowshan, who had close ties with Ishaq bin al-Abbas. He allotted the Imam a piece of land in the district of Sarha, where he led a peaceful living. It is related that the Abbasid agent, named Muhammad bin Ali al-Khorasani, who surprised the Imam in a mosque, traced the Imam out on one day in Sarha. He was greatly impressed to behold the Imam, and lost courage to arrest him, and permitted the Imam to escape. Thence, the Imam went to Azar in Khuzistan. The Imam then proceeded to Shapur. Disguised as a merchant, he stayed in Shapur with a certain Qamas bin Nuh, whose daughter Rabta, he married. When the Abbasids intensified their search for the Ismaili Imam to its extreme, Imam Muhammad bin Ismail had to travel out of Iran
Imam Wafi Ahmad came to settle down in Nihawand, and betrothed to Amina, daughter of Hamdan, son of Mansur bin Jowshan, who was from Kazirun. The brother of Wafi Ahmad also married here and had a posterity. Imam Wafi Ahmad further on repaired to Daylam with his 32 trusted da’is, where he got married with an Alid lady in the village of Ashnash. The adoption of strict taqiya, and moving from one to another place, forced the Imam to assign the mission works to his brother, Hussain bin Muhammad. It is most possible that Imam Wafi Ahmad lived in Suk al-Ahwaz for a short period.
In Iran, the Ismailis founded their state in the fort of Alamut, where they ruled for about 171 years. Soon after the fall of Alamut, the Ismailis resided in different villages. The Imams also passed peaceful living as traders, farmers or local persons. In 1841, Imam Hasan Ali Shah left Iran for India. The condition of the Ismailis was worse for about a century. Poor economical condition, living in villages, agriculture, spinners, some employed as teachers or in army.
The King Reza Shah Pehelvi ascended in 1921 in Iran, and gave liberty to the people to practice their faith. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah admired his policy and published a letter in London Times in appreciation of the new policy of Iran, and made a forecast of a bright future of Iran. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah also propagated the splendid culture of Iran in Europe. The Iranians began to cultivate high regards for him.
In 1933, the 1000th anniversary of the poet Firdawsi was celebrated in Iran. Since Imam liked his poetry, he introduced the poet through his writings in the newspapers in Europe. In 1937, he also arranged to place a plate on the front entrance of the edifice of the League of Nations in Geneva, the following verse of poet Firdawsi:- “Whole mankind is like the different organs of one body. If one organ is injured, the other organs have to suffer.”
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah visited Iran in 1951. When his airplane landed at Mehrabad airport, loud cheers of joy and continued clapping of hands filled the air with deafening noise. Hakim al-Mulk, the member of the royal court, was the first to greet him on behalf of the king of Iran. Then the gentry and elite of the city of Tehran led by Aqai Ruknuddin Ashyani, welcomed the Imam. One of the relatives of the Imam presented the Koran and a bunch of flowers to the Imam. When the ceremonies ended, the Imam looked at the sky and the scene around him, and said with a smile, “What a lovely and beautiful country I have! I had been cherishing for years the desire to visit my beloved native land.” He was then led to Royal Palace of Princess Shams.
The Imam and the Begum then had an audience with the king. On his return to the palace, he also met the diplomats connected with the embassies of England, Egypt and India. He and the Begum spent the evening in the company of Princes Shams Pehlavi, the daughter of the late king. On February 11, the king of Iran awarded the Imam the title of The Order of the Crown First Class. The Imam also attended the marriage of the king on February 12, and presented one case of pure gold, one bangle of gold set with jewels, one lion and the sun with the royal crown set on it. The hand bangle of pure gold contained diamonds and emeralds set in it. During the conclusion of his tour in Iran, the Imam had appointed Timsar Amir Asad Shah Khalili as his agent, who led the Ismailis into a new era and many new schools and jamatkhanas were built in the villages where Ismailis resided.
After assuming the Imamate, the Present Imam visited Iran to see his followers. He arrived at Tehran on October 24, 1959 where he was accorded a warm welcome. He then went to see the king of Iran, and stayed in the palace of Bashgah Afasaran as a royal guest. On next day, he took a lunch with the king, and also attended the birth anniversary of the king on October 27, 1959. The Imam visited Ispahan on October 28, where the governor, Farzanigana, greeted him with great pomp. The village of Meimeh is about 100 kilometers from Ispahan, where a grand didar program had been arranged. Imam visited there on October 29, 1959 to see his followers who were accommodated in 800 tents. The Imam then returned to Ispahan on the same day and took lunch with the governor. He also attended a tea-party being arranged by Akbar Mirza Masud Sarm-i Dawla, the close relative of Lady Aly Shah, and the grandson of Nasiruddin Shah. On the evening, the Imam reached at Shiraz, and on October 31, 1959 he went to Birjand to give didar to his followers. Col. Abdul Ali Khan Shah Khalili, a well-known Ismaili leader had arranged the entire arrangements.
The Imam finally returned to Tehran on November 1, 1959 and held a press conference before evening. He announced for one million shillings for the foundation of a hostel in Tehran University. He also declared a donation of 40,000 shillings per year to the Red Lion and Sun Society of Iran, which continued for five years. At the evening, the Imam had a tea-party with the king of Iran. The Imam was honoured with the title of His Royal Highness. He attended a dinner party of the king, lasted till 11.00 p.m., and left Tehran for Geneva at 1.00 a.m. on November 2, 1959. The Imam also visited Iran to attend the coronation ceremony of the king of Iran on October 26, 1967, which was celebrated at Golestan Palace.
In Iran, the Ismailis are called Muridan-i-Aga Khan (the followers of the Aga Khan), and the jamatkhana is called Khanaqah Panjtani. The Ismailis have populated it for nearly 450 years in Dizbad, which boasts a high school in the name of Nasir Khusaro, and Syed Suleman Badakhshani established it in 1940 according to the advice of the Imam. In Khusk, there is a primary school, which was erected by Mulla Murad according to the Imam’s instructions.