In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and offcourse in India.

In India, Valentine's Day is catching on very quickly. About 10 years ago, the only people who knew about Valentine's Day in India were the people who had spent some time in the U.S. But this has changed, and in most of the metropolitan areas, as soon as the New Year's festive atmosphere dies down, the wait for Valentine's Day begins. This revolution, of course, is being spearheaded by the university student generation in India. Then in college, the end of January would mean:
(1) discussion among friends concerning who will be whose "Valentine"
(2) where to get the best flowers
(3) where to get the best cards and
(4) which restaurant is offering the best deal for dinner/lunch or afternoon tea.
Of course, the card, flower and chocolate sellers realized what a tremendous business opportunity this was...they would advertise so much that it would be an insult to be a college student and not receive a rose!! Oh I forgot to mention.... the way a guy asked a girl to be his "Valentine" was by offering her a rose!!!
But this custom is so thoroughly misinterpreted...A guy would ask a girl to be his "Valentine" by offering her a rose ...but this rose could be white, pink or red in color. If the guy gives someone a white one it means that he wants to be friends. If it is a pink one that he offers, then his feelings are almost the same but could change into something deeper. If the red rose is being offered, well, this means " My Love is like a red, red rose ......" . But this meant that most of the studs in College would sit from morning to evening near a bunch of red roses and would give a rose to any girl who caught their eye! And what would the girl do? She could accept the rose (meaning she accepts his friendship/near friendship/or some deeper feelings), she could give the rose back (which means she doesn't accept whatever is being offered, no matter how shallow or deep), or she could crush the rose under her heels! Guys would pray that if a girl did not accept the rose, she would give it back so that they could give it to someone else!

Well, this is all campus stuff, but for people already in relationships, it meant a good time together, lots of gifts being exchanged, and a reaffirmation of love...like anywhere else in the world.

Wish you all Very Happy Valentine Day!!!
Enjoy this day with your Valentine.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianise' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February -- Valentine's Day -- should be a day for romance.

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

To be continued...

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?

The history of Valentine's Day and its patron saint is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognises at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were killed cause of their beliefs. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realising the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

To be continued...

I am back again....My internet connection was giving lots of trouble....Now it's ok...

I want to say THANKS to all of you for ur pray....She is better now...
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!

The woman I love and I care is from hill. I dont know how much I love her, but I want to see her smile always... I cant see her in problem or in pain. But now she is very sick. About two months back she broke her knee by an accident (a car smashed her). She couldn't take sufficient rest..She joined to her office on 1st January, 2004....Last week suddenly again she felt pain...As per doctor advice she is taking rest...But the main problem started from 14th morning....Till tonight she has very high fever (min is 102) with vomiting and bodyache....Doctor said, "an infection from the wound...It might be anything serious...it's very dangerous, she need immediate hospitalisation...Anything can happen."
I need your prayer...Please pray for her... Please

Dickie Bird was the best umpire of Cricket world. Some incidents of Bird’s Umpiring career:
He umpired his first first-class match in 1970 at the Oval and reached the ground at 6.30 in the morning to find the gates locked and barred. Bird then attempted to scale the wall round the ground and coincidentally there arrived a policeman. Imagine Bird, one leg astride the Oval wall and being examined by a doubting policeman.
Bird’s life has been full of incidents. Even the Persian Gulf city of Sharjah where he had gone to officiate in a cricket tournament received him with its first serious rainstorm. The Sharjah desert heat did not lag behind and had poor Bird collapse on the ground. He had to be taken back to the pavilion on a stretcher.
After West Indies had won the World Cup in 1975 at Lords spectators invaded the pitch and Bird who was umpiring the game lost his hat, which was snatched by a spectator. On the following day when Bird was traveling by a bus he happened to sit beside a West Indian passenger wearing the same hat that he had lost the previous day. When Bird enquired of the hat the passenger replied “Man, I snatched it from the umpire at Lords yesterday”. What a coincident and how humorous!
There have been other funny incidents too in Bird’s life. Once while umpiring a game the batsman hit the ball very high and from his position at the bowler’s end Bird ran towards the boundary following the flight of the ball. There he was on the boundary edge ready to catch the ball when he suddenly realized that he was not playing but umpiring. He felt really embarrassed and started signaling six as the ball had gone over the boundary.
During a test match at Old Trafford between England and West Indies he urgently wanted to go to the toilet and so stopped the match saying to the players, “I’m very sorry, gentlemen, but nature calls”. He then ran off to the toilet to the amusement of the players and a tremendous roar from the crowd.
Bird’s worst cricket day was at Lords in 1973 in a test match between West Indies and England when there was a bomb scare. All spectators had to leave the ground. Bird sat on the covers thinking it was the safest place and also feeling very sad. The game resumed later in the day and his favourite Gary Sobers went on to record his 26th and last test century.
Bird does not enjoy coming off for bad light. He favours playing on in all light, believing that it usually rains if the light is really poor. He also deplores mass appealing and premature celebrations of a wicket before an umpire has even made his decision.

In June 2003 I met three girls through MSN. That time it was a very formal realtionship. I never thought, oneday she'll become my best friend. But this is true, now she is my best friend. I am really very lucky, coz she is my friend. Thank God!! I have lot of respect and love for her. She is such a wonderfull person (she is wise, she is honest, she is genuine person, she is kind, she has a "platinum" heart.....). [I cant write well so I dont know how to write. I am sorry for that]. She is MEGHA. And today is her Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO U, MEGHA.
"Tum jeeo hazaro saal har saal ke din ho pachas hazar(read 10000000000)"

It's a Cricket season....Lots of people are enjoying cricket. So I am going to share some funny facts of Cricket field.

Greg Thomas was bowling to Viv Richards in a county game. Viv missed a superb outswinger, and Thomas said "It's red, round and weighs about 5 ounces."
Next ball Viv hits Greg Thomas out of the ground and replies, "Greg, you know what it looks like. Go ahead and find it!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Incident described in "From the Pavilion End" by Harold "Dickie" Bird)

"Bomber" Wells, a spin bowler and great character, played for Glocuestershire and Nottinghamshire. He used to bat at No.11 since one couldn't bat any lower. Of him, they used to paraphrase Compton's famous words describing an equally inept runner.

"When he shouts 'YES' for a run, it is merely the basis for further negotiations!" Incidentally, Compton was no better. John Warr said, of Compton "He was the only person who would call you for a run and wish you luck at the same time."

Anyway, when Wells played for Gloucs, he had an equally horrendous runner as the No.10. During a county match, horror of horrors... both got injured. *Both* opted for runners when it was their turn to bat. Bomber played a ball on the off, called for a run, forgot he had a runner and ran himself. Ditto at the other end. In the melee, someone decided that a second run was on. Now we had *all four* running. Due to the confusion and constant shouts of "YES" "NO", eventually, *all* of them ran to the same end. Note - at this point in time, the entire ground is rolling on the floor laughing their behinds out. One of the fielders - brave lad - stops laughing for a minute, picks the ball and throws down the wicket at the other end.

Umpire Alec Skelding looks very seriously at the four and calmly informs them "One of you buggers is out. I don't know which. *You* decide and inform the bloody scorers!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Playing in a cricket match I was standing at the non-striker's end. The batsman at the other end was batting on 49 and was quite anxious to get to his 50. The bowler bowled a fast full toss ball and in his excitement the batsman hit him for a straight drive. I saw the ball coming at me like a runaway train. Realizing I couldn't get out of the way of the ball, I put my bat infront of the ball. The ball hit my bat and popped up for an easy catch to the bowler. To this day he hasn't forgiven me for getting him out at 49.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When India visited England 1986( I am not sure about the year, but Kapil smashed 4 sixes in an over to avoid the follow -On ) Raman Lamba (as a 12th man) was substituting K. Srikanth. He forgot to go back to pavilion even after Srikanth was back on to the field. Meanwhile India was having 12 fielders on the field for complete one over.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remember this incident from the Indian tour of West Indies in 82-83. Actually, it was in the Indian tour of Windies in 97 that either Charu sharma or Harsha Bhogle, I'm not sure which of them, related it. Anyway, here it goes. It was the second test match at Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain. We had lost the first test match, though thats hardly related to the incident. One of the guys in the crowd had a bet with two others that Sunny would score more than Greenidge and Haynes combined!!! The day began and Holding breezed in to pack Sunny back, though not before he score a single. This guy who waged all his savings on Sunny that the best thing to do was to leave the venue and never to be seen again. India went on to go ahead and make all fo 175 before making the Windies bat again. The other two who were for the greeny-haynes combo were enraged that the rat had slinked off after what had happened, not honouring the bet. As it happen, Sandhu came in to bowl and before anyone could realise what had happened, both Greenidge and Haynes were back in the pavilion on individual scores of 0 and 0!!! I really dont know what happened to the bet though.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's this anecdote aboutt Chandrashekar, once in England, getting a batsman plumb in front twice. Both times, he was turned down. A ball later, he sent one through and bowled the batsman. Chandra goes, Howzaaat? The umpire looks puzled and says, he's bowled. Chandra's reply was a classic: "I know he is bowled, but is he out?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two funny incidents by Indian umpires one was in Titan cup match between India and SAfrica when the umpire went to the boundry to check for a sixer or four without asking third umpire.Another one was when the umpire while raising his hand to give Jadeja out stopped midway and adjusted his hat.This match between India and Srilanka.

If your father is a poor man,
it is your fate but,
if your father-in-law is a poor man,
it's your stupidity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was born intelligent -
education ruined me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practice makes perfect.....
But nobody's perfect......
so why practice?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If it's true that we are here to help others,
then what exactly are the others here for?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since light travels faster than sound,
people appear bright until you hear them speak.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How come "abbreviated" is such a long word?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Money is not everything.
There's Mastercard & Visa.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One should love animals.
They are so tasty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Behind every successful man, there is a woman
And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every man should marry.
After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The wise never marry.
and when they marry they become otherwise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Success is a relative term.
It brings so many relatives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never put off the work till tomorrow
what you can put off today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Your future depends on your dreams"
So go to sleep
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There should be a better way to start a day
Than waking up every morning
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hard work never killed anybody"
But why take the risk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Work fascinates me"
I can look at it for hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
God made relatives;
Thank God we can choose our friends.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The more you learn, the more you know,
The more you know, the more you forget
The more you forget, the less you know
So.. why learn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk, I have a work station....
what more can I say........

Waugh gave the cricket world something to remember him by with 15 boundaries in a signature 159-ball knock in his 168th Test to finish with 10,927 Test career runs at an average of 51.06.

Waugh went all out for an emotional century with the overs running out and a draw looking virtually certain. When Waugh came to the crease Australia looked vulnerable at 196 for four with 38 overs left chasing an against-the-odds 434 runs for victory.

The 18-year Test warrior came out to bat in the 260th and last innings of his 168th Test to a rousing reception from his 27,056 home fans -- the biggest fifth-day Test crowd ever at the SCG.

WAH BHAI WAUGH!!!