29 June - Rajendra Lahiri born in 1901

Rajendra Lahiri (1901–1927), full name Rajendra Nath Lahiri, was an Indian revolutionary, who was the mastermind behind Kakori conspiracy and Dakshineshwar bombing. He was active member of Hindustan Republican Association aimed at ousting the British from India.

Rajendra Lahiri was born in 1901 in the village of Lahiri Mohanpur in a Brahman family of Pabna District, Bengal Presidency (now in Bangladesh). His father, Kshitish Mohan Lahiri, owned a large estate there.

He was Mastermind behind the Kakori train robbery on 9 August 1925. He was arrested and tried in the previous bomb case of Dakshineswar in Bengal and sent to jail for 10 years rigorous imprisonment. When the legal proceedings started in Lucknow for the train robbery, he was also included in the Kakori conspiracy case and tried with several other revolutionaries.

He was found guilty after a long trial and was hanged in the Gonda district jail on 17 December 1927, two days before the scheduled date, along with Thakur Roshan Singh, Ashfaq Ullah & Ram Prasad Bismil.

29 June - National Camera Day USA

Everything comes into focus on June 29th each year when we recognize Camera Day. The day commemorates photographs, the camera, and their invention. A camera is an irreplaceable tool used to record and replicate memories, events, and people/places. Before the invention of the camera, the only resource to document a vision was a painting. Capturing an image of a person or place in a drawing took time and skill. Very few people can perfectly draw the likeness of someone, let alone capture the essence of an event.

The power of a camera provided many with a simple, inexpensive, and fast solution. George Eastman, also known as “The Father of Photography,” brought the camera to the masses. While he did not invent the camera, he did develop many additions improving the use, ease, and production of the camera. His developments made the camera widely available to homes around the world.

Can you imagine a life where you couldn't capture the first dance at a wedding or a baby's first year or a graduation or one where there are no movie theaters? Here are some ways you can honor the humble device:

• Take your camera with you and record little moments of the day.
• Share the pictures you took on any of the photo sharing social website out there.
• If you have always wanted to learn about photography, today may be the day to start.
• Learn more about the history and science of cameras and photography

#Camera Day,#Camera,#Photo 

29 June - Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis birth anniversary

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis was a distinguished Indian scientist and statistician, renowned for his pioneering work in the field of statistics and for his significant contributions to the development of modern statistical methods in India. He was born on  29 June 1893, in Calcutta, British India (now Kolkata, India), and he passed away on 28 June 1972.

Mahalanobis was educated at the University of Calcutta and later at the University of Cambridge, where he studied under renowned statisticians such as Ronald Fisher. He played a crucial role in establishing the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata in 1931, which became a premier institution for statistical research and education in India.

One of Mahalanobis's most notable contributions to statistics is the development of the Mahalanobis distance, a measure used to quantify the distance between a point and a distribution. He also made significant contributions to the field of sample surveys, introducing innovative techniques that are widely used in survey research today.

In addition to his work in statistics, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis made significant contributions to various other fields, including economics, planning, and policy-making. He played a key role in shaping India's economic development strategies, particularly through his involvement in the Planning Commission of India.

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis's contributions to statistics and science have earned him widespread recognition and accolades, both in India and internationally. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1968. He is remembered as one of India's greatest statisticians and intellectuals, whose work continues to influence research and policymaking in India and beyond.

28 June - King Edward IV crowned in 1461

  

Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) king of England from 1461 until October 1470 and again from April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a leading participant in the Yorkist-Lancastrian conflict known as the Wars of the Roses.

Edward was the eldest surviving son of Richard, duke of York, by Cicely, daughter of Ralph Neville, earl of Westmorland. His father was descended from two sons of the 14th-century king Edward III and, in the 1450s, led a revolt against Henry VI; in 1460, Richard’s supporters declared him Henry’s successor. When his father was killed in December of that year, Edward gathered an army in Wales and defeated Henry’s supporters (called Lancastrians because of Henry’s descent from John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster). Edward was crowned as King Edward IV in London on June 28, 1461.

28 June - Battle of Berestechko fougth from 28 to 30 June 1651

The Battle of Berestechko was fought between the Ukrainian Cossacks, led by Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, aided by their Crimean Tatar allies, and a Polish army under King John II Casimir. It was a battle of a Cossack rebellion in Ukraine that took place in the years 1648–1657 after the expiration of a two-year truce.Fought from 28 to 30 June 1651, the battle took place in the province of Volhynia, on the hilly plain south of the Styr River.The Polish camp was on the river opposite Berestechko and faced south, towards the Cossack army about two kilometers away, whose right flank was against the River Pliashivka (Pliashova) and the Tatar army on their left flank.It is considered to have been among the largest European land battles of the 17th century.

First modern dog show 28 -29 June 1859

The first modern dog show, on 28–29 June 1859 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was an added attraction to the annual cattle show. Its country character was clear, as only setters and pointers – sporting breeds – were shown and the prizes were guns. It was a low key start to what would be, by the end of the century, a hugely popular pastime, with dog owning fashionable among all classes of society, and which had huge implications for canine breeding.

The first show to include non‑sporting breeds was held in Birmingham later in 1859 and was such a success that a year later, the Birmingham Dog Show Society ran the first National Dog Show, for which there were 267 entries, with 30 breeds, judged in 42 classes. The main organiser was Richard Brailsford, a gamekeeper on the Knowsley estate of the Earl of Derby, then leader of the Conservative opposition and three-time prime minister. The earl’s pointer, Juno, won a prize in 1862, indicating how rapidly participation in dog shows spread to the country’s elite, making dog fancying fashionable and respectable. By the end of the 1860s, the National Dog Show was attracting over 700 dogs and 20,000 paying visitors.

27 June - R. D. Burman Indian music director birth anniversary

Rahul Dev Burman (27 June 1939 – 04 January 1994) was an Indian music director. From the 1960s to the 1990s, Burman composed musical scores for 331 films.Burman did major work with his wife, Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar and scored many of the songs that made these singers famous. He has also scored many songs sung by his sister-in-law, Lata Mangeshkar. Nicknamed Pancham, he was the only son of the composer Sachin Dev Burman.

He was mainly active in the Hindi film industry as a composer, and also provided vocals for a few compositions.He served as an influence to the next generation of Indian music directors,and his songs continue to be popular in India and overseas.

26 June - Bankimchandra Chatterjee birth anniversary

Bankimchandra Chatterjee or Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, ( 26 June 1838– 08 April 1894)was an Indian novelist, poet and journalist.He was the composer of Vande Mataram, originally in Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring activists during the Indian Independence Movement. Chattopadhyay wrote thirteen novels and many serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific and critical treatises in Bengali. His works were widely translated into other regional languages of India as well as in English. He was born on 13th Ashard 1245, as per Bengali calendar.

 

                

A pair of golden shoes for Goddess Meenakshi Amman by Rous Peter

A British Collector named Rous Peter  was appointed as Collector of Madurai from 1812 to 1828. 

Though a Christian by faith, he respected all faiths including Hinduism and also honored local practices. 

Collector Peter was the temple administrator of the Meenakshi Amman Temple and conducted all his duties with sincerity and honesty and respected the religious sentiments of all people.

Collector Rous Peter respected and treated people of all faiths equally and this noble trait earned him the popular nickname ‘Peter Pandian' 

Goddess Meenakshi Amman Temple was situated between Collector Peter's residence and office.

Everyday he used to go to the office by his horse and while crossing the temple, he got down from his horse, removed the hat and his shoes and crossed the whole path on his foot. 

Through this small gesture he expressed his reverence to the Goddess!

One day there was a heavy downpour in Madurai city and River Vaigai was in spate.

Collector was sleeping in his residence and was suddenly disturbed and woken up by the sound of anklets and he left his bed to find out from where the sound had came. 

He saw a small girl wearing pattuvastrams (silk garments) and precious ornaments and addressing him as 'Peter come this way'. 

And he came out to follow her and was running behind the little girl to find out who she was!

As he came out of the house and was running, he was shocked as he turned to see behind him, his residence (whole bungalow) being washed away by the flood waters of River Vaigai!

He turned to follow the girl but she disappeared into thin air!

He saw that the girl ran without any shoes and was wearing anklets. 

He beleived that his devotion for Mother Goddess Meenakshi  had saved his life. 

Later, he wished to give a gift to Lord Meenakshi Amman & consulted the priest of temple and ordered for a pair of golden shoes for Goddess Meenakshi Amman.

It is thus that the pair of Paadhukams consisting of 

412 rubies,
72 emeralds,
and 80 diamonds

were made and donated to the temple. 

His name was sculpted as "Peter" on the shoes. 

Till this day the pair of Paadhukams are known as 'Peter Paadhukam'

Every year at the time of 'Chaitra Festival', utsava moorthy of Goddess Meenakshi Amman is decorated with the Padukams. 

This is the incidence that had  happened 200 years back in 1818.Paadhukams are posted below !

26 June - Bal Gandharva birth anniversary

Narayan Shripad Rajhans, better known as Bal Gandharva (26 June 1888 – 15 July 1967), was a Marathi singer and stage actor. He was famous for his roles in female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time.

Bal Gandharva got his name after a singing performance in Pune. Lokmanya Tilak, a social reformer and a freedom fighter of Indian independence movement was in the audience, and after the performance, reportedly patted Rajhans on the back and said that Narayan was a "Bal Gandharva" (lit. Young Gandharva).