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George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He also presided over the convention that drafted the Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution established the position of President of the republic, which Washington was the first to hold.

Washington was elected President as the unanimous choice of the 69 electors in 1788, and he served two terms in office. He oversaw the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the wars raging in Europe, suppressed rebellion, and won acceptance among Americans of all types.

His leadership style established many forms and rituals of government that have been used since, such as using a cabinet system and delivering an inaugural address. Further, the peaceful transition from his presidency to the presidency of John Adams established a tradition that continues into the 21st century. Historically, Washington has been widely regarded as the "father of his country".

Washington was born into the provincial gentry of Colonial Virginia; his wealthy planter family owned tobacco plantations and slaves. After both his father and older brother died when he was young, Washington became personally and professionally attached to the powerful William Fairfax, who promoted his career as a surveyor and soldier. Washington quickly became a senior officer in the colonial forces during the first stages of the French and Indian War.

Chosen by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 to be commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolution, Washington managed to force the British out of Boston in 1776, but was defeated and almost captured later that year when he lost New York City. After crossing the Delaware River in the dead of winter, he defeated the British in two battles, retook New Jersey and restored momentum to the Patriot cause. Because of his strategy, Revolutionary forces captured two major British armies at Saratoga in 1777 and Yorktown in 1781.

Historians laud Washington for his selection and supervision of his generals, encouragement of morale and ability to hold together the army, coordination with the state governors and state militia units, relations with Congress and attention to supplies, logistics, and training. In battle, however, Washington was repeatedly outmaneuvered by British generals with larger armies. After victory had been finalized in 1783, Washington resigned as Commander-in-chief rather than seize power, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to American republicanism.

Dissatisfied with the weaknesses of Articles of Confederation, in 1787 Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution. Elected unanimously as the first President of the United States in 1789, he attempted to bring rival factions together to unify the nation. He supported Alexander Hamilton's programs to pay off all state and national debt, to implement an effective tax system and to create a national bank (despite opposition from Thomas Jefferson).

Washington proclaimed the United States neutral in the wars raging in Europe after 1793. He avoided war with Great Britain and guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795, despite intense opposition from the Jeffersonians. Although never officially joining the Federalist Party, he supported its programs.

Washington's "Farewell Address" was an influential primer on republican virtue and a warning against partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars. He retired from the presidency in 1797 and returned to his home, Mount Vernon, and his domestic life where he managed a variety of enterprises. He freed all his slaves by his final will.

Washington had a vision of a great and powerful nation that would be built on republican lines using federal power. He sought to use the national government to preserve liberty, improve infrastructure, open the western lands, promote commerce, found a permanent capital, reduce regional tensions and promote a spirit of American nationalism.

At his death, Washington was hailed as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen". The Federalists made him the symbol of their party but for many years, the Jeffersonians continued to distrust his influence and delayed building the Washington Monument. As the leader of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire in world history, Washington became an international icon for liberation and nationalism, especially in France and Latin America. He is consistently ranked among the top three presidents of the United States, according to polls of both scholars and the general public.

Source: Wikipedia

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (pronounced; 19 May 1881 (Conventional) – 10 November 1938) was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey. His surname, Atatürk (meaning "Father of the Turks"), was granted to him (and forbidden to any other person) in 1934 by the Turkish parliament.

Atatürk was a military officer during World War I.Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, he led the Turkish national movement in the Turkish War of Independence. Having established a provisional government in Ankara, he defeated the forces sent by the Allies. His military campaigns gained Turkey independence.

Atatürk then embarked upon a program of political, economic, and cultural reforms, seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern, westernized and secular nation-state. Under his leadership, thousands of new schools were built, primary education was made free and compulsory, while the burden of taxation on peasants was reduced.The principles of Atatürk's reforms, upon which modern Turkey was established, are referred to as Kemalism.

Early years
Following graduation, Mustafa Kemal was assigned to the Fifth Army based in Damascus as a Staff Captainin the company of Ali Fuat (Cebesoy) and Lütfi Müfit . He joined a small secret revolutionary society of reformist officers led by a merchant Mustafa Elvan (Cantekin) called Vatan ve Hürriyet ("Motherland and Liberty"). On 20 June 1907, he was promoted to the rank of Senior Captain (Kolağası) and on 13 October 1907, assigned to the headquarters of the Third Army in Manastır.

He joined the Committee of Union and Progress, with membership number 322, although in later years he became known for his opposition to, and frequent criticism of, the policies pursued by the CUP leadership. On 22 June 1908, he was appointed the Inspector of the Ottoman Railways in Eastern Rumelia (Doğu Rumeli Bölgesi Demiryolları Müfettişi).In July 1908, he played a role in the Young Turk Revolution which seized power from Sultan Abdülhamid II and restored the constitutional monarchy.

In 1910 he was called to the Ottoman provinces in Albania.At that time Isa Boletini was leading Albanian uprisings in Kosovo and there were revolts in Albania.In 1910 he met with Eqerem Vlora. Later, in the autumn of 1910, he was among the Ottoman military observers who attended the Picardie army manoeuvres in France.In early 1911, he worked at the Ministry of War (Harbiye Nezareti) headquarters in Istanbul for a short time.

Italo-Turkish War (1911–1912)
Later in 1911, he was assigned to the Ottoman Tripolitania Vilayet (present-day Libya) to fight in the Italo-Turkish War, mainly in the areas near Benghazi, Derna and Tobruk.

A massive Italian amphibious assault force of 150,000 troops had to be countered by 20,000 Bedouins and 8,000 Turks (a short time before Italy declared war, a large portion of the Ottoman troops in Libya were sent to the Ottoman province of Yemen in order to put down the rebellion there, so the Ottoman government was caught with inadequate resources to counter the Italians in Libya; and the British government, which militarily controlled the de jure Ottoman provinces of Egypt and Sudan since the Urabi Revolt in 1882, didn't allow the Ottoman government to send additional Ottoman troops to Libya through Egypt; causing the Ottoman soldiers like Mustafa Kemal to go to Libya either dressed as Arabs (risking imprisonment if noticed by the British authorities in Egypt), or through very few available ferries (the Italians, who had superior naval forces, effectively controlled the sea routes to Tripoli).

However, despite all the hardships, Mustafa Kemal's forces in Libya managed to successfully repel the Italians in a number of occasions, such as the Battle of Tobruk on 22 December 1911.

During the Battle of Derna on 16–17 January 1912, while Mustafa Kemal was assaulting the Italian-controlled fortress of Kasr-ı Harun, two Italian planes dropped bombs on the Ottoman forces and a piece of limestone from a damaged building's rubble entered Mustafa Kemal's left eye; which caused a permanent damage on his left eye's tissue, but not a total loss of sight. After receiving medical treatment for nearly a month (he attempted to leave the Red Crescent's health facilities early after only two weeks, but when his eye's situation worsened, he had to return and resume the treatment) on 6 March 1912 Mustafa Kemal became the Commander of the Ottoman forces in Derna.

He managed to defend and retain the city and its surrounding region until the end of the Italo-Turkish War on 18 October 1912. Mustafa Kemal, Enver Bey, Fethi Bey and the other Ottoman military commanders in Libya had to return to Ottoman Europe following the outbreak of the Balkan Wars on 8 October 1912, due to which the Ottoman government agreed to surrender the provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan and Cyrenaica (present-day Libya) to the Kingdom of Italy with the Treaty of Ouchy (First Treaty of Lausanne) signed ten days later, on 18 October.

Source: Wikipedia

Greek mythology are myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices.

They were a part of religion in ancient Greece and are part of religion in modern Greece and around the world as Hellenismos. Modern scholars refer to, and study, the myths in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece, its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.

Greek mythology is embodied, explicitly, in a large collection of narratives, and implicitly in Greek representational arts, such as vase-paintings and votive gifts. Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, and mythological creatures. These accounts initially were disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; today the Greek myths are known primarily from Greek literature.

The oldest known Greek literary sources, Homer's epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on events surrounding the Trojan War. Two poems by Homer's near contemporary Hesiod, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices.

Myths also are preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age and in texts from the time of the Roman Empire by writers such as Plutarch and Pausanias.

Archaeological findings provide a principal source of detail about Greek mythology, with gods and heroes featured prominently in the decoration of many artifacts. Geometric designs on pottery of the eighth century BC depict scenes from the Trojan cycle as well as the adventures of Heracles.

In the succeeding Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, Homeric and various other mythological scenes appear, supplementing the existing literary evidence.Greek mythology has had an extensive influence on the culture, arts, and literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in the themes.

Source : Wikipedia

Hugh & Colleen Ganzter watched entranced as the raths of Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra began their annual journey in Puri. On a humid monsoon day, you can experience Puri's epiphany. So did a million other people.

They streamed down side streets and lanes and little winding alleys, poured into the broad Grand Road till it became a flowing river of humanity. And still more surged in, packed tighter and tighter till all we could see from our grandstand in the terrace of the palace was a sea of heads streaked with snaking currents of saffron, red and white as sects and cults merged with flood of devotees.

In the morning the frisson of festivity had been electric. The huge raths may have been shifted to the far end of Grand Road where zestful crowds clanged cymbals, thudded drums, danced and sang. A street-side langar got ready to serve steaming poori-bhaji to eager pilgrims. After breakfast, the police cleared a path for hurrying heralds lofting standards and banners, stopped at the gate of the palace.

The Gajapati Maharaja, dressed in white robes with a plumed and jewelled turban, and the sash and cummerbund of office, emerged accompanied by the head priest. He stepped into a silver palanquin as his Ganga dynasty ancestors had done ever since they had built the great temple by the shore of the Bay of Bengal a thousand years ago.

The flags and standards tracked his passage through the jubilant crowd. Then, using a golden broom, he carefully and ceremonially swept the forecourt of the huge raths, signalling the start of the divine trio's annual yatra from their temple on the second day of the shukla pakshya (waxing moon) in the month of Ashadh, to the Gundicha temple, at the end of the Grand Road.

A red fire tanker may spray a plume of water over the crowd as pilgrims danced in ecstatic devotion. Slowly, ponderously, the black and red chariot of Subhadra rolled into view. It was crammed with saffron-clad servitors clanging gongs, waving cheerily. The chariot moved on, the crowd flowed in behind it. Cameras clicked and flared around.

Two young pandas sat astride the white, wooden, horses. Worshippers on our terrace joined their hands and bowed deeply in obeisance till this, the last and most powerful ratha, had passed. The three chariots began to shrink with distance as they drew closer to Gundicha temple where the deities would rest for eight days before making the return journey to the main temple.

The great cacophony of celebration began to subside as the crowds dispersed in the soft light of sunset, laughing and clapping, charged by their twelve-hour close encounter with their gods. Even we felt unusually vitalized by it all.

Source: The Indian Times

Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar , also known as Shahanshah Akbar-e-Azam or Akbar the Great (15 October 1542  – 27 October 1605), was the third Mughal Emperor.

He was of Timurid descent; the son of Emperor Humayun, and the grandson of the Mughal Emperor Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur, the ruler who founded the Mughal dynasty in India. At the end of his reign in 1605 the Mughal empire covered most of northern and central India.

He is most appreciated for having a liberal outlook on all faiths and beliefs and during his era, culture and art reached a zenith as compared to his predecessors.

Akbar was 13 years old when he ascended the Mughal throne in Delhi (February 1556), following the death of his father Humayun. During his reign, he eliminated military threats from the powerful Pashtun descendants of Sher Shah Suri, and at the Second Battle of Panipat he decisively defeated the newly self-declared Hindu king Hemu.

It took him nearly two more decades to consolidate his power and bring all the parts of northern and central India into his direct realm. He influenced the whole of the Indian Subcontinent as he ruled a greater part of it as an emperor. As an emperor, Akbar solidified his rule by pursuing diplomacy with the powerful Hindu Rajput caste, and by marrying a Rajput princess.

Akbar's reign significantly influenced art and culture in the country. He was a great patron of art and architecture He took a great interest in painting, and had the walls of his palaces adorned with murals.

Besides encouraging the development of the Mughal school, he also patronised the European style of painting. He was fond of literature, and had several Sanskrit works translated into Persian and Persian scriptures translated in Sanskrit apart from getting many Persian works illustrated by painters from his court.

During the early years of his reign, he showed intolerant attitude towards Hindus and other religions, but later exercised tolerance towards non-Islamic faiths by rolling back some of the strict sharia laws.His administration included numerous Hindu landlords, courtiers and military generals.

He began a series of religious debates where Muslim scholars would debate religious matters with Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians and Portuguese Roman Catholic Jesuits. He treated these religious leaders with great consideration, irrespective of their faith, and revered them.

He not only granted lands and money for the mosques but the list of the recipients included a huge number Hindu temples in north and central India, Christian churches in Goa.

Source: Wikipedia

The attack on Pearl Harbor (called Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (Operation Z in planning) and the Battle of Pearl Harbor) was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan).

The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.

The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of these eight damaged, two were raised, and with four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war.

The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship,and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded.

Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.

The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters.

The following day (December 8), the United States declared war on Japan. Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been strong,disappeared. Clandestine support of Britain (for example the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day.

There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan. However, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy".

Source: Wikipedia

Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the world.

A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide.Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations,is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians,and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

The precise year of Jesus' birth, which some historians place between 7 and 2 BC, is unknown. His birth is mentioned in two of the four canonical gospels. By the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted in the East.

The date of Christmas may have initially been chosen to correspond with the day exactly nine months after early Christians believed Jesus to have been conceived, as well as the date of celebration of the southern solstice (i.e., the Roman winter solstice), with a sun connection being possible because Christians consider Jesus to be the "Sun of righteousness" prophesied in Malachi 4:2.

The original date of the celebration in Eastern Christianity was January 6, in connection with Epiphany, and that is still the date of the celebration for the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia, where it is a public holiday. As of 2012, there is a difference of 13 days between the modern Gregorian calendar and the older Julian calendar.

Those who continue to use the Julian calendar or its equivalents thus celebrate December 25 and January 6 on what for the majority of the world is January 7 and January 19. For this reason, Ethiopia, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, and the Republic of Moldova celebrate Christmas on what in the Gregorian calendar is January 7; the Church of Greece and all Greek Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25.

The popular celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.

Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, an exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.

In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore.

Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Commemorating Jesus' birth
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament's Messianic prophecy. The Bible contains two accounts which describe the events surrounding Jesus' birth. Depending on one's perspective, these accounts either differ from each other or tell two versions of the same story.

These biblical accounts are found in the Gospel of Matthew, namely Matthew 1:18, and the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26 and 2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem.

On Christmas Day, the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is traditionally lit in many church services.

According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals. A manger (that is, a feeding trough) is mentioned in Luke 2:7, where it states Mary "wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (KJV); and "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them" (NIV). Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel, and were the first to see the child.

Popular tradition also holds that three kings or wise men (named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar) visited the infant Jesus in the manger, though this does not strictly follow the Biblical account.

The Gospel of Matthew instead describes a visit by an unspecified number of magi, or astrologers, sometime after Jesus was born while the family was living in a house (Matthew 2:11), who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the young child Jesus.

The visitors were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem, believing it to announce the birth of a king of the Jews. The commemoration of this visit, the Feast of Epiphany celebrated on January 6, is the formal end of the Christmas season in some churches.

Christians celebrate Christmas in various ways. In addition to this day being one of the most important and popular for the attendance of church services, there are other devotions and popular traditions. In some Christian denominations, children re-enact the events of the Nativity with animals to portray the event with more realism or sing carols that reference the event.

Some Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity, known as a Nativity scene or crèche, in their homes, using figurines to portray the key characters of the event. Prior to Christmas Day, the Eastern Orthodox Church practices the 40-day Nativity Fast in anticipation of the birth of Jesus, while much of Western Christianity celebrates four weeks of Advent.

The final preparations for Christmas are made on Christmas Eve, and many families' major observation of Christmas actually falls in the evening of this day.

A long artistic tradition has grown of producing painted depictions of the nativity in art. Nativity scenes are traditionally set in a stable with livestock and include Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus in the manger, the three wise men, the shepherds and their sheep, the angels, and the Star of Bethlehem.

Source: Wikipedia

A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem.

Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing unit (CPU) and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operations based on stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations saved and retrieved.

The first electronic digital computers were developed between 1940 and 1945 in the United Kingdom and United States. Originally they were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs). In this era mechanical analog computers were used for military applications.

Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space. Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "computers". However, the embedded computers found in many devices from mp3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous.

History of computing
The first use of the word "computer" was recorded in 1613, referring to a person who carried out calculations, or computations, and the word continued with the same meaning until the middle of the 20th century. From the end of the 19th century the word began to take on its more familiar meaning, a machine that carries out computations.

Limited-function early computersThe history of the modern computer begins with two separate technologies, automated calculation and programmability, but no single device can be identified as the earliest computer, partly because of the inconsistent application of that term.

A few devices are worth mentioning though, like some mechanical aids to computing, which were very successful and survived for centuries until the advent of the electronic calculator, like the Sumerian abacus, designed around 2500 BC of which a descendant won a speed competition against a modern desk calculating machine in Japan in 1946, the slide rules, invented in the 1620s, which were carried on five Apollo space missions, including to the moon and arguably the astrolabe and the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient astronomical computer built by the Greeks around 80 BC.

The Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria (c. 10–70 AD) built a mechanical theater which performed a play lasting 10 minutes and was operated by a complex system of ropes and drums that might be considered to be a means of deciding which parts of the mechanism performed which actions and when.This is the essence of programmability.

Around the end of the 10th century, the French monk Gerbert d'Aurillac brought back from Spain the drawings of a machine invented by the Moors that answered either Yes or No to the questions it was asked.Again in the 13th century, the monks Albertus Magnus and Roger Bacon built talking androids without any further development (Albertus Magnus complained that he had wasted forty years of his life when Thomas Aquinas, terrified by his machine, destroyed it).

In 1642, the Renaissance saw the invention of the mechanical calculator, a device that could perform all four arithmetic operations without relying on human intelligence. The mechanical calculator was at the root of the development of computers in two separate ways. Initially, it was in trying to develop more powerful and more flexible calculators that the computer was first theorized by Charles Babbage and then developed. Secondly, development of a low-cost electronic calculator, successor to the mechanical calculator, resulted in the development by Intel of the first commercially available microprocessor integrated circuit.

First general-purpose computers
In 1801, Joseph Marie Jacquard made an improvement to the textile loom by introducing a series of punched paper cards as a template which allowed his loom to weave intricate patterns automatically. The resulting Jacquard loom was an important step in the development of computers because the use of punched cards to define woven patterns can be viewed as an early, albeit limited, form of programmability.

It was the fusion of automatic calculation with programmability that produced the first recognizable computers. In 1837, Charles Babbage was the first to conceptualize and design a fully programmable mechanical computer, his analytical engine.

Limited finances and Babbage's inability to resist tinkering with the design meant that the device was never completed—nevertheless his son, Henry Babbage, completed a simplified version of the analytical engine's computing unit (the mill) in 1888. He gave a successful demonstration of its use in computing tables in 1906. This machine was given to the Science museum in South Kensington in 1910.

In the late 1880s, Herman Hollerith invented the recording of data on a machine-readable medium. Earlier uses of machine-readable media had been for control, not data. "After some initial trials with paper tape, he settled on punched cards ..." To process these punched cards he invented the tabulator, and the keypunch machines.

These three inventions were the foundation of the modern information processing industry. Large-scale automated data processing of punched cards was performed for the 1890 United States Census by Hollerith's company, which later became the core of IBM. By the end of the 19th century a number of ideas and technologies, that would later prove useful in the realization of practical computers, had begun to appear: Boolean algebra, the vacuum tube (thermionic valve), punched cards and tape, and the teleprinter.

During the first half of the 20th century, many scientific computing needs were met by increasingly sophisticated analog computers, which used a direct mechanical or electrical model of the problem as a basis for computation. However, these were not programmable and generally lacked the versatility and accuracy of modern digital computers.

Alan Turing is widely regarded as the father of modern computer science. In 1936 Turing provided an influential formalisation of the concept of the algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, providing a blueprint for the electronic digital computer. Of his role in the creation of the modern computer, Time magazine in naming Turing one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, states: "The fact remains that everyone who taps at a keyboard, opening a spreadsheet or a word-processing program, is working on an incarnation of a Turing machine".

The Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was the world's first electronic digital computer, albeit not programmable. Atanasoff is considered to be one of the fathers of the computer.Conceived in 1937 by Iowa State College physics professor John Atanasoff, and built with the assistance of graduate student Clifford Berry, the machine was not programmable, being designed only to solve systems of linear equations. The computer did employ parallel computation. A 1973 court ruling in a patent dispute found that the patent for the 1946 ENIAC computer derived from the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.

The first program-controlled computer was invented by Konrad Zuse, who built the Z3, an electromechanical computing machine, in 1941.The first programmable electronic computer was the Colossus, built in 1943 by Tommy Flowers.

George Stibitz is internationally recognized as a father of the modern digital computer. While working at Bell Labs in November 1937, Stibitz invented and built a relay-based calculator he dubbed the "Model K" (for "kitchen table", on which he had assembled it), which was the first to use binary circuits to perform an arithmetic operation.

Later models added greater sophistication including complex arithmetic and programmability. A succession of steadily more powerful and flexible computing devices were constructed in the 1930s and 1940s, gradually adding the key features that are seen in modern computers. The use of digital electronics (largely invented by Claude Shannon in 1937) and more flexible programmability were vitally important steps, but defining one point along this road as "the first digital electronic computer" is difficult.Shannon 1940 Notable achievements include:

Konrad Zuse's electromechanical "Z machines". The Z3 (1941) was the first working machine featuring binary arithmetic, including floating point arithmetic and a measure of programmability. In 1998 the Z3 was proved to be Turing complete, therefore being the world's first operational computer.

The non-programmable Atanasoff–Berry Computer (commenced in 1937, completed in 1941) which used vacuum tube based computation, binary numbers, and regenerative capacitor memory. The use of regenerative memory allowed it to be much more compact than its peers (being approximately the size of a large desk or workbench), since intermediate results could be stored and then fed back into the same set of computation elements.

The secret British Colossus computers (1943), which had limited programmability but demonstrated that a device using thousands of tubes could be reasonably reliable and electronically reprogrammable. It was used for breaking German wartime codes. The Harvard Mark I (1944), a large-scale electromechanical computer with limited programmability.

The U.S. Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory ENIAC (1946), which used decimal arithmetic and is sometimes called the first general purpose electronic computer (since Konrad Zuse's Z3 of 1941 used electromagnets instead of electronics). Initially, however, ENIAC had an inflexible architecture which essentially required rewiring to change its programming.

Source: Wikipedia

Whatever other resolutions we make leading up to the New Year -- to call Mom more often, lay off the late-night snacks -- getting ourselves organized is likely near the top of the list. And that often means clearing out the clutter that keeps us from functioning efficiently, whether we're at work or at home.

Many employees -- whether they go to actual offices or do their jobs from home -- find the last week of the calendar year is ideal for sorting through e-mails, clearing their desks, and reorganizing their work spaces. Sorting through stuff is rarely fun, but those who tackle it now will find themselves a step ahead when their now-vacationing colleagues and clients come staggering back after the holidays.

 

According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, which sponsors the annual "Get Organized Month" each January to help folks take control of their time, tasks and possessions, 83% of members polled say that "paper organization" ranks highest on their individual and corporate clients' to-do lists. For people taking time off between Christmas and New Year's, this week offers a chance to get things in order before 2013 arrives.

 

Devoting time to both physically and mentally clearing out the "old" and embracing the "new" is about more than just getting rid of stuff. Being organized is really about being in control, says Susan Fleischman, a Chicago-based professional organizer, home stager and founder of clutterfree.

 

"As joyous as the holidays can be, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's is probably one of the most stressful of the year for people," she says. That's why spending the week after Christmas decluttering "really helps you recover and detox from the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

 

"It's very symbolic -- we're ramping up to the ultimate do-over. We all get to turn the calendar page and make a fresh start."

 

For those at work, says Fleischman, "the phone stops ringing, there are fewer meetings. Real work probably comes to a screeching halt. There are far fewer reasons to keep letting getting organized fall to the bottom of the to-do list." And these days, when employees often feel compelled to work harder and longer, being organized can be a real competitive advantage.

 

NAPO Industry Member Director Mary Dykstra says that on average, Americans waste time amounting to between six and 12 weeks a year searching for things in their offices and homes. "Just imagine if you could get out from under that clutter and spend that time helping your company build their business and ultimately, your career," says Fleischman, who was a public relations and marketing executive before launching her professional organizing business.

 

"Every minute counts when it comes to impressing the boss, your colleagues and clients. At work, we strive to project that we're knowledgeable, in control and experts. We're constantly accessing, sharing, reacting to information. Being able to put your hands on the information or generate some information means the better you'll be able to rise to the top and have clarity of thought and creativity, and maximize productivity."

 

But what about moving from work to the home front? Cynthia Ewer, the Washington state-based editor of OrganizedHome.com and the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Organized Fast-Track," suggests we use this in-between-holidays week to step back and reflect on our habits and how well they're working for us at home.

 

It's important to remember, says Ewer, that "there are different personality types. "Organized" is what works for you. There are filers -- people who love folders. They want the serenity of knowing where things are. Pilers like to keep their eyes on their stuff. Deniers have bags of paperwork shoved into closets. Instead of using a "What-does-it-look-like?" yardstick, it's a "How-will-it-work?" question. Know yourself, and come up with solutions that reflect who you are, she says.

 

After all, she says, " 'It's here somewhere' is the most frustrating phrase in the English language."

 

Cutting clutter also can boost the bottom line. "How many times do you go to the store and buy the things you couldn't find?" asks Fleischman. But cleaning up and cleaning out also can generate money, says Ewer.

 

"It can be a real fun process to turn your clutter into cash."

 

Nab tax deductions by donating cleared-out items to nonprofit organizations. Declutterers can send usable books, DVDs, video games, and music to third-party merchants in exchange for gift cards through the Amazon Trade-In Program. 

Even computer manufacturers like Apple offer gift cards to customers who send in an old iPhone, iPad, or computer for reuse or recycling if those devices still have monetary value.

 

"Leading an orderly life is about saving time, saving money, reducing stress," says Fleischman, who also blogs about organizing tips and clutter makeovers. "And that's energy you can spend on leisure pursuits, which is very important to emotional well-being."

 

Some tips for cutting through the workplace and home clutter this holiday week:

 

• Stockpile your supplies. Fleischman advises making sure you've got the right trash bins, shredders, file folders and markers at your fingertips before you start sorting and tossing. 

 

• Take it a zone at a time. Your office, home and car didn't become a mess overnight, so declutter in increments. Fleischman suggests starting with desktops, then floors, then moving on to file cabinets and bookcases.

 

• Go from horizontal to vertical piles. If you're purging papers, clear those piles from your desk and the floor by placing newly sorted files in a cabinet or an upright vertical file. This way, your eyes can quickly scan and identify what you need at a glance.

 

• Free up the fridge. "Get the ghosts of Christmas past out of there -- all those little cans of this and that, the beef sticks from the gift basket no one can bear to throw out," says Ewer. Besides, this clean-up also will save you some calories.

 

• Be realistic. If you really write out bills at the kitchen table and not in the home office, says Ewer, get yourself a wheeled cart you can roll where the work gets done. If your kids' toys actually live in the family room -- not in the bedroom toy box -- create a storage solution there.

 

"Look at your patterns of living and organize yourself accordingly."

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

 

* Do your New Year's resolutions include a push to clean up? Here are some tips to start

* Being organized is about being in control, says professional organizer Susan Fleischman

* Cleaning clutter can eliminate the need to buy what you simply can't find

 

-By Maureen Jenkins, Special to CNN

Nayabad Mosque is situated on the bank of the Dhepa river in village Nayabad in Ramchandrapur Union under Kaharol Thana of Dinajpur district, about 20 km to the north-west of the district town. The mosque, built on about 1.15 bighas of land, has been renovated by the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh. A madrasa has recently been built in front of the mosque.

An inscription on the central doorway records the date of its construction as 2 Jyaistha, 1200 BS (1793 AD) in the reign of Emperor shah alam II. According to local traditions, the mosque was built by Muslim architectural workers who had come to this place from the west to build Kantanagar Temple sometime in mid-18th century. They had settled in Nayabad, a village near the temple, and had built the mosque for their own use.

It is an oblong three-domed mosque with octagonal towers at the four corners and measures 12.45m ´ 5.5m externally. The walls are 1.10m thick. Of the three arched entrances the central one is bigger than the flanking ones. These are equal in height and width. The central arch is 1.95m high and 1.15m wide. There is an arched window each on the south and north sides. Multi-cusped arches have been used in the doorways and windows. There are three mihrabs inside in the western wall in line with the three entrances. The central mihrab (2,30m high and 1.08m wide) is bigger than the flanking ones which are of equal size. Three hemispherical domes cover the mosque, of which the central one is bigger than the side ones. Pendentives have been used in their phase of transition. The parapet and cornice are straight.

Of the four corner towers in the four outer corners of the mosque two (northeastern and northwestern) still possess the cupolas on their top. The top of the other two is now bare. The corner towers are plastered and gradually tapering; each had a lantern-like chhatri on the top crowned with a cupola. Four bands at regular intervals decorate the surface of each tower.

The terracotta plaques used in the decoration of the mosque have become loose and most of them have been damaged. At present there are about 104 terracotta plaques (rectangular in shape, 0.40m ´ 0.30m) used in the surface decoration of the mosque walls. Though damaged some of them show floral and creeper motifs. It is noteworthy that one contains a depiction of a pair of peacocks.

Nine-Dome Mosque is located on the western bank of the Thakurdighi, less than half a km away to the southwest of the tomb-complex of Khan Jahan. The mosque is now a protected monument of the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh.

It is a brick-built square structure measuring about 16.76m externally and 12.19m internally. The 2.44m thick walls on the north, south and east sides are pierced with three arched-openings on each side; the central one, set within a rectangular frame, is larger than the flanking ones

The interior of the mosque is divided into three aisles and three bays by two rows of stone pillars, two in each row, thus creating nine independent square bays, each of which is covered with an inverted cup-shaped dome. All the nine domes are internally carried on four intersecting arches springing from stone pillars and brick pilasters attached to the side walls. The phase of transition for each dome is achieved by means of traditional Bengali pendentives.

The qibla wall is internally recessed with three engrailed arched-mihrabs, which correspond to the three archways on the eastern facade. Here also the central mihrab is larger than the side ones and has an outer projection.

The stone pillars, supporting the domed roof, have stepped square pedestals and capitals. Their shafts are octagonal and are separated from the pedestals and capitals by raised bands. The engaged brick pilasters have also stepped square bases and capitals with stone imposts on the top. The corner towers emphasising the four exterior angles of the building are circular in the Khan Jahani style. All these towers, having moulded bases and plain tops, do not rise above the roof level. The cornices are gently curved.

The decoration, wrought in terracotta, is now confined to the archways, mihrabs, corner towers and cornices. On the exterior surface the rectangular frames, enclosing the archways, are enriched with net patterns. The narrow vertical sunken panels between the archways depict at their bases a pair of mouldings with lozenges. The space between the mouldings are decorated with rosettes alternating with diapers and sometimes with running scrolls containing small rosettes. Inside the building the spandrels of all the entrance arches depict large full-blown lotus flowers, while the faces of the arches at the key-point are embellished with large lozenges containing bordered rosettes. Three moulded bands ornamented with rows of small rosettes and lotus petals crown each of these archways. The narrow sunken spaces in between the bands depict necklaces, scrolls, tendrils and flowers of varying designs.

All the mihrabs are very richly decorated. The spandrels of the central mihrab arch are enriched with flower motifs. The space between the two moulded bands on top of the mihrab arch is docorated with vine scrolls containing bunches of grapes. The semi-circular mihrab niches are marked with decorated horizontal sunken panels, each being separated from the other by a raised decorated band. The motifs of ornamentation vary from panel to panel and consist of necklace designs, lotuses, palmettes and different types of interlocking patterns. Dividing the semi-circular mihrab niche a chain hangs down from the apex of the half-domed top and ends in a rectangular pendant, now bare. The rectangular frame, which encloses the mihrab arches, is filled with interlocking designs with rosettes. Above the frame are two boldly projected bands decorated with a row of rosettes. A frieze of ornamental crests crowns the whole composition.

The curvature of the cornice gives the building a pleasing appearance. The two cornice bands, running all round the building are enriched with rows of lozenges, while the sunken space in between them still depicts ornamental square panels at several places. The corner towers, divided by moulded bands, depict such decorative motifs as lozenges, lotus petals and pellets.

The mosque is stylistically dated to the time of khan jahan. Local tradition ascribes the building to one of Khan Jahan’s officers who had his residence nearby on the same bank of the Thakurdighi.

Ramsagar  man-made water tank located at the village of Tejpur about 8 km south of Dinajpur town. It is considered to be the biggest man-made tank of Bangladesh. It can be approached from the town by a metalled road, which was once known as the ‘Murshidabad Sarak’.

The tank was named after Raja Ram Nath who excavated it on the eve of the battle of palashi. At that time Alivardi Khan was the nawab of Bengal. The tank was excavated to supply drinking water to the people living in the surrounding villages. It is said that there was a continuous drought and famine in this part of the country from 1750 to 1755 AD. Perhaps Ram Nath initiated to dig the tank on the basis of ‘food for work’ and help to survive the famine-stricken people. About 1.5 million labours worked for digging the Ramsagar and the total expense amounted is about 30,000 Taka.

The water area of Ramsagar measures 1079m along north-south and 192.6m along east-west. Approximate depth of the tank is 9.5m. There was a ghat on the middle of the western bank and the remains of it still exist. Made of sandstone slabs of different sizes, the structure measured about 45.8m by 18.3m. The tank is surrounded by 10.75m high embankments. Beyond the embankment the surrounding is a large plain area having some undulating landscape.

Ramsagar is now a famous tourist spot under the care of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation. Parjatan Corporation has taken some initiative for the beautification of the area. A resthouse has been constructed on the western side of the tank and some small recreation spots have been made for the children on the four sides of the huge water body. The name of Ramsagar is pronounced with that of the famous temple of Kantanagar, the other historical edifice of Dinajpur.

Khan Jahan’s Tomb (Bagerhat) stands on a high artificial mound on the northern bank of the so-called Thakurdighi and is surrounded by an outer wall of 67.1 m from east to west and 64.7m from north to south. It is popularly called the dargah complex of khan jahan. The complex consists of the square tomb building of Khan Jahan himself; a sarcophagus of Muhammad Tahir, his diwan; a single-domed mosque and the so-called kitchen. An intermediate wall encircles the tomb of Khan Jahan and the sarcophagus of his diwan.

The Tomb of Khan Jahan, measuring 13.7m a side externally and 9.1m internally, is a brick-built square building and forms the nucleus of the complex. The four exterior angles of the building are emphasised with solid circular towers.

The four walls, with a thickness of 2.4m, have stone casings upto the height of about 0.9m-a technique which was no doubt introduced with a view to preventing the building from being affected by the ground moisture so common in the humid climate of south Bengal.

The interior of the building could originally be entered through four axial archways fitted with stone lintels, but the northern one is now closed with brick fillings. The large hemispherical brick dome which covers the entire building is internally carried on squinches springing from the stone brackets projected out of the walls. The triple cornice bands, running round the corner towers, are curved in a manner typical of the Bengali style.

The sarcophagus, beneath which lie the mortal remains of Khan Jahan, occupies the centre of the floor. It consists of four stepped terraces diminishing upwards and a top designed in the simple pointed barrel form. The three upper terraces of stone are covered with pious expressions in Arabic and Persian, but much of them are now illegible. The two brick-made lower terraces of the sarcophagus and the entire floor are enriched with polychrome encaustic tiles of square and hexagonal designs. Unfortunately, the glazed coatings of many of the tiles have already disappeared due to constant use by visitors.

An inscription on the tombstone records the death of Khan Jahan on 27 Zilhajj 863 AH (25 October 1459 AD). Apparently, Khan Jahan had probably constructed the building before his death.

The building is now well preserved because of a series of restoration work done to it over the years by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh Archaeology Departments. In many of its features, such as the square plan, the Firozian combination of arch and lintel, the curvature of the cornices, the flanking corner towers divided by moulded bands, and the squinches for the support of the dome, the building is a reproduction of the eklakhi mausoleum (early 15th century) at Hazrat pandua. But unlike the octagonal interior of the Eklakhi building, the present tomb, for the first time in Bengal, is square both internally and externally.

This practice, from this point onward was to be found to appear repeatedly in almost all single-domed buildings in Bengal. Unlike the usual octagonal corner towers of Bengali monuments, the corner towers of the present tomb as well as that of all buildings ascribed to Khan Jahan are circular. The circular shape of the corner towers, the bare surface of the walls, and the combination of arch and lintel construction are very similar to the Tughlaq architecture of Delhi. Relying on these Tughlaqian elements in Khan Jahani monuments, some scholars have tried to trace their origins back to Delhi. But it is very likely that the immigrant artists, who perhaps came and settled here during firuz shah tughlaq’s Bengal expedition and the sack of Delhi by Timur in 1398, introduced these Tughlaqian elements in Bengal architecture.

The Tomb of Muhammad Tahir is just to the west of Khan Jahan’s mausoleum. It is merely a cenotaph formed of three stepped terraces of stone. One of the inscriptions on the top terrace records the death of Muhammad Tahir in the month of Zilhajj 863 AH (1459 AD). Local legends indicate that Muhammed Tahir was a favourite high official of Khan Jahan. The location of his tomb beside that of Khan Jahan reinforces this belief.

Mosque The single-domed mosque is the western most building of the complex. It is brick-built, square in plan with three archways in the east and one on each of the north and south sides. The northern and southern archways are now closed. The qibla wall is internally recessed with a semi-circular mihrab corresponding to the central archway in the east. The four corner towers on the exterior angles are circular and the cornices are curved. The hemispherical brick dome that covers the single square room of the building is carried on squinches rising from the stone brackets. In plan and constructional details the mosque seems to be a replica of Khan Jahan’s tomb. It can therefore be conjectured that it was built at the same time as the tomb ie mid-15th century.

The so-called kitchen building, now levelled to the ground, was in quite well preserved condition when the author visited the site in the 1970s. At that time the four walls were found intact and the roof, which was of the chau-chala vaulted type, was in a damaged condition. There were three arched openings on the west wall and one each on the north and south walls. The inner side of the eastern wall had several shelves.

It was a rectangular structure of 12.2m by 8.5m with circular towers on the exterior angles. What the building was actually intended for is not known. A local tradition relates that in the last years of his life Khan Jahan dwelt in the building, where he now lies buried, and used the adjacent building as his kitchen. About a century back the building was known to have been used for the same purpose by two Faqirs, who then looked after the mosque and the tomb.

Patenga (Bengali: পতেঙ্গা) is a sea beach located 14 kilometres south of the port city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River. Patenga beach is one of the most popular beaches of Bangladesh, stretching for miles near at the meeting place of the Bay of Bengal and the river Karnaphuli. Nature lovers come around here to enjoy the scenic beach area to gateway from busy city life and breath in fresh air.

Patenga is a popular tourist spot. The beach is very close to Bangladesh Naval Academy of Bangladesh Navy, and Shah Amanat International Airport. The beach width is narrow and swimming in the seas is not recommended. Part of the seashore is built-up with concrete walls. Also large blocks of stones have been laid out to prevent erosion. During 1990s a host of restaurants and kiosks have sprouted out around the beach area. Lighting of the beach area has enhanced the security aspect of visiting in the night. People rise up early in the morning to witness the beautiful sunrise.

Patenga Beach lies approximately twenty kilometers outside the city of Chittagong, and is located near to fascinating landmarks including the Shah Amanat International Airport and the BNS Isha Khan Naval Base. It is located at the Karnaphuli River mouth and stretches to the Bay of Bengal. Vendors from the city flock to Patenga Beach to sell their selection of ice creams, cold drinks and food to the hundreds of tourists who come to Patenga Beach.

The beach itself is quite sandy, with a few rocky patches here and there. Most visitors come to Patenga Beach as it is known for having some of the most stunning sunsets and sunrises in Bangladesh. The more adventurous travelers will also be able to enjoy a river cruise on the Karnaphuli River, or a boat trip onto the ocean waves. Nature enthusiasts will find Patenga Beach to be a haven for most of the wading bird species of Bangladesh and if lucky, bird watchers will also be able to see spoon-billed sandpipers running around.

If the crowds at Patenga Beach become too much, visitors should move on to Parky Beach, which is just a quieter extension of Patenga. Here, the beach is lined with massive shady palm trees and fishing boats. Fishermen sit around peacefully, going about their daily chores while sea gulls patiently circle overhead waiting for the odd scrap of fish to be thrown their way. It is the perfect location for a quiet picnic or day of relaxation.

Visitors will find Patenga Beach to be diverse, fascinating and, above all, beautiful. It is a tourist destination that lures visitors with the attractions of good weather, natural splendor and the quiet lapping of the ocean waves at their feet. Every moment at Patenga Beach is a photographic opportunity and an unforgettable memory in the making.

During 1990′s, a host of restaurants and kiosks have sprouted out around the beach area. Nowadays, Alcohol peddling is very common at the beach. Vendors from the city flock to Patenga Beach to sell their selection of ice creams, cold drinks and food to the hundreds of tourists who come to Patenga Beach. According to the local people, Patenga is the best place for delicious, mouth-watering street food at very low costs. One of the popular dishes of the food stands is the fried, spicy mud crab served with a small plate full of falafel, a deep fried ball made of soybean and chickpeas, garnished with cucumber and onion. The beach has a wonderful cool atmosphere even at the evening,and people come around to enjoy the soothing breeze every now and then. The beach is lined with massive shady palm trees and fishing boats.It also has an array of speed boats for visitors with a sense of adventure.The beach, however,is quite sandy, with a few rocky patches here and there. Most visitors come to ‘Patenga’ Beach as it is known for having some of the most stunning sunsets and sunrises in Bangladesh.

Kuakata in the located in Patuakhali district of Bangladesh and only a few miles away to the south from Khepupara. It is the only sea beach in the world from where both the sunrise and sunset can be observed. The beauty of Kuakata can only the enjoyed and not described. The best time of the year to visit the beach is winter.

The beach is 10 Kilometers in length and approx. 2 kilometers in breadth. So the east there lies the dense woods named as Gangamati and to the west it stretched upto the border of the Sunderbans.

If anyone wishes to enjoy the matchless beauty that nature could bestow on this spot lavishly. One may do so by reaching khepupara first and then to start for Kuakata by bus or by launch and there lies Kuakata a little ahead.

Fascinating name Kua (well), Kata (dug) was perhaps given to it by the earliest Rakhyne settlers from Kingdom of Arakan who landmarked the place by digging a well. Fabled curative qualities of well-waters of Kuakata is still a matter of “willing suspension of disbelief”. Fascinating still more is the sight of the sun at dawn rising from the depths of the sea and sinking into the same at dusk which can be glanced from the same point.

Parki beach is located at Gahira, Anwara thana within the  southern region of Chittagong is about 8 km.  from Anwara thana. The beach lies about 28 km away from southern part of Chittagong city.  This beach is lies over the Karnaphuli river channel, hence the visitors can view both the Karnaphuli river and the sea together. Pakri beach is about 15 km long & 300 to 350 feet wide with 20 km tamarisk forest and about 17/18 km away from the Chittagong town.

Tourists enjoy the views of big ships anchored at the outer anchor, fishermen catching fish in Bay of Bengal, sunset, various coloured crabs at the beach, and quiet environment. In picnic season, many visitors come to the beach.