Inside India's rat temple where 20,000 of them are worshipped, fed and protected as they scurry between the feet of tourists

An Indian temple is overrun with more than 20,000 rats - and the devotees couldn't be happier.

The Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan, India, is known for its devotion to the furry animals, often seen as the scourge of urban areas.

Rats scurry throughout the temple, where they are worshipped, fed and protected.

Devotees have even gone to extreme lengths to protect the species by building netting and grills to keep out predators such as raptors.

Putting faith in his furry friends: A child watches a group of rats drinking milk in the rat temple in Rajasthan, India, which is home to around 20,000 of the creatures

Rodent ritual: Worshipers believe the rats are an incarnation of the Goddess Karni Mata whose statue is pictured (above) in the temple

VIP treatment: The rats are allowed to scurry through the temple, where they are worshipped, fed and protected

Surender Sharma, a visitor, said: This is my first visit to this temple. There is no history of plague in this area, despite the presence of rats for many years. People come here to worship rats as god.'

The rodents move freely within the temple and can be seen eating from a huge metal bowl of milk and grains, placed there daily by devotees.

Small children can be seen playing and interacting with the rats - while scores of tourists flock there each day to catch a glimpse of the unique spectacle.

Many visitors offer sweets and other candy to the vermin. The food nibbled by the rats is also considered holy and is sometimes consumed by a devotee - even if it has been half eaten by rodents.

Hands-on experience: A worshipper feeds one of the rats, which are known as kabbas. Many travel great distances to visit the temple

Not for the faint-hearted: A close-up of a rat eating a peanut. Eating food that has been nibbled on by the rats is considered to be a high honour

In every nook and cranny: Two rats (left) are seen climbing on a door at the rat temple in Rajasthan, India. Pictured (right) is the Goddess Karni Mata

Savita Sharma, another visitor, said: 'I keep visiting this temple. The first time I visited this place I was glad to see rats all around. But I did scream out loudly when a rat touched my foot.'

While black and brown rats are easily spotted in the temple courtyard, devotees believe sighting a white rat is a blessing.

DC Mishra said: 'I have come to see rats and white rat is considered lucky. If someone see's a white rat then he or she gets good luck and the blessings of god. I am glad that I have seen a white rat.'

Star attraction: Hundreds of people queue to offer their prayers at the temple in Rajasthan, India, where the rats are worshipped

Paying their respects: The temple draws visitors from across the country for blessings as well as curious tourists from around the world

Priests at the temple treat the furry inhabitants with serious devotion and warn visitors to walk carefully within the temple premises to avoid trampling them.

According to the temple rules, stepping accidentally on rat and killing it is a sin.

The perpetrator is then bound to buy a gold or silver rat statue and place it in the temple as a payment of sin.

Ritual: People seen preparing food in a huge cauldron. Charan priests perform Mangla-Ki-Aarti and offer special food to the rats as worship

Shrine: This Hindu temple was constructed by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 1900s as a tribute to the rat goddess Karni Mata 

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Pretty girl seeking a rich husband got a shocking Investment banker's reply

 Not sure if a CEO has the time to reply to such things, but this is surely fun to read!lol

A young and pretty lady posted this on a popular forum:

Title: What should I do to marry a rich guy?




I’m going to be honest of what I’m going to say here. I’m 25 this year. I’m very pretty, have style and good taste. I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above. You might say that I’m greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York.

My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary? Are you all married? I wanted to ask: what should I do to marry rich persons like you?

Among those I’ve dated, the richest is $250k annual income, and it seems that this is my upper limit.
If someone is going to move into high cost residential area on the west of New York City Garden(?), $250k annual income is not enough.

I’m here humbly to ask a few questions:

1) Where do most rich bachelors hang out? (Please list down the names and addresses of bars, restaurant, gym)
2) Which age group should I target?
3) Why most wives of the riches are only average-looking? I’ve met a few girls who don’t have looks and are not interesting, but they are able to marry rich guys.
4) How do you decide who can be your wife, and who can only be your girlfriend? (my target now is to get married)
Ms. Pretty

A philosophical reply from CEO of J.P. Morgan when you continue!


Dear Ms. Pretty,
I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours. Please allow me to analyse your situation as a professional investor.
My annual income is more than $500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I’m not wasting time here.
From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you. The answer is very simple, so let me explain.

Put the details aside, what you’re trying to do is an exchange of “beauty" and “money" : Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square.
However, there’s a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can’t be prettier year after year.

Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It’s not just normal depreciation, but exponential depreciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worse 10 years later.

By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a “trading position".
If the trade value dropped we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for long term - same goes with the marriage that you wanted. It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or “leased".

Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you. I would advice that you forget looking for any clues to marry a rich guy. And by the way, you could make yourself to become a rich person with $500k annual income.This has better chance than finding a rich fool.

Hope this reply helps.

signed,
J.P. Morgan CEO 
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Britain asked to apologise for creating northern Nigeria's woes during colonial era

NEW York civil society organisation the Gatestone Institute has called on Britain to apologise to Nigeria because the problems and tensions across the north of the country today  are direct results of the British colonial government's hangover.   Britain created Nigeria by conquering the various nationalities that made up the country and on January 1 1914, it amalgamated the northern and southern protectorates to form one nation. However, under Britain's indirect rule policy, northern Nigeria was denied the same access to education that prevailed in the south, creating a developmental gulf.   Because Britain devolved administration to feudal oligarchs across northern Nigeria, there was limited missionary activity there, resulting in less education and opportunity. This gulf remains just as wide as it was then and the troubles have spilled into the open, resulting in the Boko Haram insurgency whereby deprived and helpless northern youths have embraced Islamic terrorism.   At a workshop for leaders of ethnic minorities in the north held in Abuja, Alan Craig, the Gatestone Institute's representative said Britain should accept responsibility for the crisis. He added that Britain had no choice than to apologise to Nigerians following the sad fallouts of colonialism.   Mr Craig said: "This type of grassroots work is significant for the people in the villages and we hope to help the local people to have a voice. We want to support ordinary people to have a voice and we are always on the side of the minorities.   “The problems of northern Nigeria are direct results of left-over's by the British government and therefore the tension and difficulties in northern Nigeria are a direct result of the British colonialism. My argument now is that the British government should be rectifying the situation by contributing instead of telling the Nigerian government about the gay rights laws, for instance."   Organised by the Minority Interests Rights Project (Mirp) and the Stefanos Foundation of Nigeria, the workshop sought to discuss solutions to the Islamic insurgency across  northern Nigeria. At the event, Mirp coordinator Mark Lipdo, revealed that 75% of the indigenes of southern Borno State had fled to Cameroon following the recent attack on them by Boko Haram.   Mr Craig added: “Britain should be saying we are sorry for the legacy we left and other things we did, although there are other good things the then British colonial government did too. So, don’t condemn it all but that particular aspect was wrong and was a mistake, so the British government should be rectifying it.”   At the event, Mr Lipdo also expressed reservations over the 20 slots given to Nigeria's ethnic minorities in the forthcoming National Dialogue. He added that in his opinion, the number was too low, given that there will be a total of 492 delegates at the summit.   Mr Lipdo said that ethnic minority groups across northern Nigeria believed that the insurgency and attacks by herdsmen on their communities were deliberate plans to expel them from their homes and take over their lands. He expressed fears that the forthcoming conference might not give the minority groups the needed opportunity to speak out. 

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Enugu State Government takes Full Page Newspaper Ad to congratulate Chiwetel Ejiofor on his BAFTA Win

Congrats to Chiwetel, courtesy of the Enugu State Government.

On Sunday 16th February 2014, British-Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor beat Leonardo DiCaprio andChristian Bale, to win the Leading Actor award at the 2014 EE British Film Academy Film Awards(BAFTAS). Watch his acceptance speech here.

To celebrate his first major award win, the Enugu State Government took a full page advertisement slot inThe Nation newspaper .

The ad was to congratulate “our brother”
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Awesome Quotes

Awesome Quotes
(Worth Sharing Quotes )

1) Never Share Ur Secrets with Anyone. This can be Self-Destructive, Perhaps the most Important Advice in Life.

2) Never Tell Ur Problems to Anyone. 20% will not Care & 80% will be Glad that U have Them.

3) Life is similar to Boxing Game. Defeat is not Declared when U Fall Down. It is Declared when U Refuse to Get Up.

4) Always WRONG PERSONS Teach the RIGHT LESSONS in Life. That is called LIFE EXPERIENCE.

5) Faith is taking the 1st Step, even when U dont see the whole Staircase.

6) Keep Ur Face to the Sun, & U will not see the Shadow.

7) Everything is Valuable only at 2 Times: 1: Before Getting It. & 2: After Losing It.

8) Things brings Happiness & Success in Life:

1: The way U Manage when U have Nothing. &
2: The way U Behave when U have Everything.

9) 2 Places are most Valuable in the World:
1: The NICEST Place is to be in Someone's Thoughts. & 2: The SAFEST Place is to be in Someone's Prayers.

10) 'FEAR' has 2 Meanings:

1: Forget Everything & Run. & 2: Face Everything & Rejoice. Choice is Ours.

11) ATTITUDE at its Best: "My BACK is not a VOICE MAIL. Kindly Say whatever U have by FACING
ME".

12) What is SUCCESS ?
SUCCESS is, when Ur Photo's are Uploaded on 'GOOGLE' instead of FACEBOOK.
13) 'EGO' is the only Requirement to Destroy any Relationship. Be a Bigger Person, Skip the 'E' & let it 'GO'.
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Tube Strike Backfires As Commuters Steal Train Keys And Drive Themselves

THE London tube strike ended abruptly last night after commuters stormed trains and instantly mastered the controls.

Remember to stop when you get to one of these

The latest walk-out was prompted by concerns over reduced staffing levels in ticket offices, or pay, or the withdrawal of Quavers from canteen vending machines masquerading as some bullshit about safety.

But the action backfired when a group of frustrated would-be travellers stole keys and entered train cabs to discover that tube driving mainly involves pressing a button.

Civilian hijacker, Martin Bishop, said: “When we got in the cab we discovered there was just one button. A big, red button like a clown’s nose.

“You press it once to stop, once to go. And the train itself is on rails, so you don’t have to worry about steering.

“I thought to myself, ‘I can probably handle this’.”

He added: “Basically, working a train is not that hard and if I was getting forty grand a year to do it I’d probably keep my head down, perhaps even do cockney-style sing-a-longs over the PA to keep everyone sweet.

“In Paris they don’t even have human drivers, it’s all automatic and inside the cabs there’s just a baguette with a cap stuck on it.”

Meanwhile, other angry civilians broke into ticket offices and immediately began operating them in a friendly and polite manner.

Disgruntled punter Emma Bradford said: “Apparently reducing ticket office staffing levels in stations would make them less safe. But, while I can understand that in principle, last time I went to the ticket window and asked for a Zone 2 Travelcard, the man looked at me as if I’d just offered to fill his hat with some of my shit.

“So on that basis, I’m not entirely sure the same person could be relied upon to help if my hair was on fire.”

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McDonald's reveal EXACTLY what is in their chicken nuggets (note: it's not pink goop)

It's an image that has never gone away since it was first circulated in 2010 - a huge pouring of synthetic pink soft serve-like matter falling into a cardboard box that was purportedly the filling on McDonald's Chicken McNuggets.

And, despite announcements time and time again the ubiquitous image of pink goop had nothing to do with McDonald's, the fast food giant continues to try to dispel the myth.

This week the world's largest restaurant chain released a video that was filmed inside one of their nugget factories in Cargill, Canada.

It purports to detail the start-to-finish process of how McDonald's manufactures their best-selling snacks. 

The image that sparked an outrage: This photo, first circulated in 2010, purported to show the filling of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. The fast food giant continues to try and dispel the myth

Step one: Workers start to de-bone the raw chickens

According to McDonald's the chicken meat is separated because only the breast is used in their nuggets

The breast meat is then collected and prepared for shredding

The breast meat is mixed with seasoning and chicken skin and put through a shredder, as seen here

The resultant mixture is then further blended

The process starts with the chickens being de-boned and the breast meat separated.

McDonald's maintains that only breast meat is used in their nuggets.

The meat is then shredded before being mixed in with seasoning and chicken skin.

McDonalds' Canada chain supply manager Nicoletta Stefou shows a picture of the infamous 'pink goop' photo on an iPad at one point to show how it differs from the 'real' mixture.

The meat is then cut into the four nugget shapes - the bell, the ball, the boot and the bow tie.

They are twice battered and partially fried.

The nuggets will be properly cooked at the restaurant outlets in deep fryers.

Finally, they are bagged, boxed, frozen and shipped.

As of 2012, there are more than 33,000 restaurants around the world, in 118 countries. 

More 14,000 of those restaurants are in the United States.

McDonalds' Canada chain supply manager Nicoletta Stefou holds up the 'pink goop' photo on an iPad to show how it differs from the mixture

The mix is then cut into the four McNugget shapes - the bell, the ball, the boot and the bow tie

The nuggets are first battered lightly and then covered in a thicker tempura mixture

The nuggets are then partially fried so the batter can set against the chicken

A worker demonstrates the mix inside the finished nugget is the same as what was seen earlier

The nuggets will be properly cooked at the restaurant outlets, so they are bagged up and then frozen

Finally, the nuggets are boxed up and prepared for shipping

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The key to longevity depends on your SEX: Sleep is crucial for men while women need plenty of vitamin B6 and vegetables

As if they needed any more excuse, new research suggests men need their sleep if they’re to live a long life.

Women, on the other hand, can live long lives despite poor sleep habits as long as they eat a diverse diet that includes vitamin B6 and plenty of vegetables.

Vitamin B6 can be found in food such as meat, bananas, nuts, garlic and pistachios. Among other things, it allows the body to use and store energy from protein and carbohydrates.

Good sleep patterns can help men live longer, but women will only benefit if they also have a diverse diet

The findings come from a study led by Melbourne-based Monash University which looked at how diet contributed to sleep quality and mortality among elderly men and women.

Emeritus Professor Mark Wahlqvist from Monash University said sleep played a more important role in men’s mortality than women’s.

'Poor sleep has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease,' he said. 

‘We found that for both genders, poor sleep was strongly correlated with poor appetite and poor perceived health.'

Women, on the other hand, can live long lives despite poor sleep habits as long as they eat a diverse diet that includes vitamin B6 and plenty of vegetables. Vitamin B6 can be found in food such as meat, bananas, nuts, garlic and pistachios

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But the researchers also found a significant relationship between a diverse diet and sleep, particularly in women.

‘For women, good sleep only provides a survival advantage if they had a diverse diet,’ said Professor Wahlqvist.

The study found women were almost twice as likely as men to sleep badly.

Women who were poor sleepers had a lower intake of vitamin B6 from food than those whose sleep was rated 'fair' or 'good'. Fair sleepers had lower iron intakes than good sleepers.

Both men and women could improve their outlook by eating a more varied diet, the research said.

‘Sufficient dietary diversity in men could offset the adverse effect on mortality of poor sleep while women need to make sure they are eating foods high in vitamin B6,’ said Professor Walhqvist.

Participants in the study who did not sleep well were also less able to chew, had poor appetites, and did less physical activity.

‘These characteristics could contribute to lower overall dietary quality and food and nutrient intake, especially for vegetables, protein-rich foods, and vitamin B6,’ Professor Wahlqvist said.

‘They may also contribute to the risk of death, either in their own right or together with problematic sleep. Intervention focusing on education on healthy dietary practices in elderly people could improve sleep duration and provide more stable levels of health.’

The study was conducted on 1865 elderly men and women who were a part of the Nutrition and Health survey in Taiwan. The data was collected from 1999-2000.

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Yemeni girl leaves doctors speechless by crying STONES instead of tears

A 12-year-old girl has left doctors speechless after crying stones instead of tears. 

Saadiya Saleh, who lives in a village in Yemen, produces the small, hard stones beneath her eyelids.

They are then naturally pushed to the front of her eyes, before falling down her cheeks.

A video of the bizarre phenomenon was posted on YouTube by Yemeni television channel Azal. 

Footage shows Saadiya lying on a hospital bed, surrounded by doctors and relatives - one of whom can be seen brushing a stone out of the child's eye with a cloth.

Strange: A video of the phenomenon was posted on YouTube by Yemeni television channel Azal. Above, a collection of small, hard stones that Saadiya has 'cried' out

However, locals have spoken of their fears that the young girl is possessed by magic.

'The case has triggered panic in the area where this girl lives,' a presenter can be heard saying in the video. 

'Some say the girl could be gripped by a magic spell, while others say it might be the devil.

'Others fear it could be the start of a dangerous epidemic.'

Concern: However, locals have spoken of their fears that the young girl is possessed by magic or 'the devil'

Read more:

• ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ - ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿
• Video: The girl that cries stones instead of tears baffles doctors and panics villagers

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Sex for dummies! Brazilian thief caught on camera breaking into a clothes shop and sexually assaulting a female mannequin

This is the moment a Brazilian thief broke into a shopping mall and tried to have sex with a mannequin.

After stealing a number of clothes, the man takes the headless female mannequin and places it against the wall in the centre in Jaragua, southern Brazil.

He then kisses the kisses and carries out a sex act on the dummy. 

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Caught: The Brazilian thief was captured on CCTV by security guards

Security guards came across the footage after trawling through CCTV following the break-in. 

The man appears to be wearing a t-shirt over his head and a pair of shorts which he pulls up while he walls away. 

The clip has been viewed thousands of times after it was uploaded on YouTube.

According to the Folha De Jaragua newspaper the offender was arrested after he returned to the mall and was recognised by members of staff. 

The man picks up the mannequin and places it against the wall before caressing it

Bizarre: The clip has been viewed thousands of times after it was uploaded on YouTube

Police believe he stole the clothes to sell them for drug money.

Ricardo Carvalho, manager of the shopping centre, described the incident as 'strange'.

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Man arrested after allegedly threatening to kill George W. Bush

New York (CNN) -- A New York man armed with a rifle, boxes of ammunition and a machete was arrested Friday after allegedly threatening to kill former President George W. Bush, according to a

federal court complaint.

Benjamin Smith, a resident of upstate New York, threatened to "kill, kidnap and inflict bodily harm" on Bush, the complaint said.

Smith also professed a love interest in Barbara, one of the former president's twin daughters, according to the complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

"Bush will get his," Smith allegedly screamed as he was being arrested, said the complaint.

The U.S. Secret Service was alerted to the threat after Smith's mother found a note in the home they share in which he allegedly wrote that he's "going to work for George W. Bush and the Pentagon," the complaint said.

Smith also allegedly wrote: "I have to slay a dragon and then Barbara Bush is mine... America is finished. Obama, Etc."

Smith's defense lawyer, Peggy Cross-Goldenberg, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. It was not clear whether Smith remained in custody Saturday evening.

Smith's mother reported that a rifle was missing from the house and that she did not know where her son was.

Using cell phone tracking, the Secret Service located Smith, who they say had driven to Manhattan.

On Friday, agents found Smith sitting in his car in Manhattan, with a loaded .38-caliber rifle, two boxes of ammunition, a container of gasoline and a machete, according to authorities.

During questioning, Smith told Secret Service agents, "I'm divorced and not currently seeing anyone, but I am working on a relationship with Barbara Bush," the complaint said.

Threats against presidents of the United States are a federal crime.
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5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Intelligence

1. Minimize Television Watching – This is a hard sell. People love vegetating in front of the television, myself included more often than I’d like. The problem is watching television doesn’t use your mental capacity OR allow it to recharge. It’s like having the energy sapped out of a muscle without the health benefits of exercise.
When you feel like relaxing, try reading a book instead. If you’re too tired, listen to some music. When you’re with your friends or family, leave the tube off and have a conversation. All of these things use your mind more than television and allow you to relax.

2. Exercise – I used to think that I’d learn more by not exercising and using the time to read a book instead. But I realized that time spent exercising always leads to greater learning because it improves productivity during the time afterwards. Using your body clears your head and creates a wave of energy. Afterwards, you feel invigorated and can concentrate more easily.

3. Read Challenging Books – Many people like to read popular suspense fiction, but generally these books aren’t mentally stimulating. If you want to improve your thinking and writing ability you should read books that make you focus. Reading a classic novel can change your view of the world and will make you think in more precise, elegant English. Don’t be afraid to look up a word if you don’t know it, and don’t be afraid of dense passages. Take your time, re-read when necessary, and you’ll soon grow accustomed to the author’s style.

Once you get used to reading challenging books, I think you’ll find that you aren’t tempted to go back to page-turners. The challenge of learning new ideas is far more exciting than any tacky suspense-thriller.

4. Early to Bed, Early to Rise – Nothing makes it harder to concentrate than sleep deprivation. You’ll be most rejuvenated if you go to bed early and don’t sleep more than 8 hours. If you stay up late and compensate by sleeping late, you’ll wake up lethargic and have trouble focusing. In my experience the early morning hours are the most tranquil and productive. Waking up early gives you more productive hours and maximizes your mental acuity all day.

If you have the opportunity, take 10-20 minute naps when you are hit with a wave of drowsiness. Anything longer will make you lethargic, but a short nap will refresh you.

5. Take Time to Reflect – Often our lives get so hectic that we become overwhelmed without even realizing it. It becomes difficult to concentrate because nagging thoughts keep interrupting. Spending some time alone in reflection gives you a chance organize your thoughts and prioritize your responsibilities. Afterwards, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s important and what isn’t. The unimportant stuff won’t bother you anymore and your mind will feel less encumbered.

I’m not saying you need to sit on the floor cross-legged and chant ‘ommm’. Anything that allows a bit of prolonged solitude will do. One of my personal favorites is taking a solitary walk. Someone famous said, “All the best ideas occur while walking.” I think he was on to something. Experiment to find the activity that works best for you.

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