The Corpus Christi celebration is believed to have originated in the early 13th century, when nun Juliana of Liège( a city in Spain) began to have a strange vision every time she prayed, in which a full moon appeared with its centre darkened by a shadow. Finally Jesus appeared to her in a dream and explained the significance of her vision: the bright circle signified all liturgical celebrations and these were only darkened by the lack of the actual presence of Christ in the Eucharist, which at that time was questioned by several sectors of the Church. Eucharist denotes the Christian sacrament of consecrated bread and wine and the ritual connected with it. The term "Eucharist" is based upon the Greek word eucharisto, meaning to give thanks or to rejoice. Fortunately Official recognition of Corpus Christi came about in 1246 in a synod called by Roberto de Torote, bishop of Liège.

Must be there :

Planning to take a vacation with your family to escape the clutches of the sweltering heat? Well then, instead of the regular hill stations and sea resorts, try some place, off the beaten track. Why not try Vizag or Vishakhapatnam for a change?

The port city of Vizag is on the eastern coast of India with exquisite beaches lining the Bay of Bengal. Vizag is situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh and is gradually gaining prominence as a holiday resort. Besides being renowned for its shipbuilding industry and oil refineries, the city is also known for its scenic beauty. The port of Vizag is a major landmark and the sight of ships anchored in the harbor is simply awesome. Ross Hill is the highest point in Vizag. A chapel, mosque and a temple are its main attractions. For nature lovers the rocky ridge (resembling a dolphin) with a projection into the sea at the Dolphin's Nose is a major crowd-puller. Similarly Kailashgiri offers a breathtakingly beautiful view of the Vizag beach. The Ramakrishna Beach and the Lawson's Bay are a must for your itinerary. During the month of May it gets rather hot in Vishakhapatnam. Therefore it is advisable for tourists to go well-equipped with very light cottons, caps and sunshades, sunglasses and sunscreen lotions.

Plant Focus

Semul Tree

Semul, or the Silk Cotton tree (Salmalia malabarica), is the largest and most beautiful tree of the Indian subcontinent. It can thrive quite easily in hilly areas as well as in the plains. The natural habitat of Semul starts from Burma in the East extends to Afghanistan in the West. The bark of semul tree is gray-white, with short thick bristles. The branches begin in whorls at uniform gaps at the height of its bole. With prickles on stem, the leaves are compound.
Semul trees bear beautiful red-colored flowers during January to March. The fruit, the size of a table tennis ball, matures during March and April. These fruits burst to expose gauzy cotton-like fibrous stuff, which get easily blown away here and there by strong winds. This cotton like substance is used for filling pillows, quilts and various types of upholstery etc.
Semul is a fast growing tree; the diameter of its trunk often reaches 2 to 3 m, and its height may reach about 30 m in nearly 50 years. Its wood, when sawn fresh, is white in color. It is easy to work with; hence it is widely used in the manufacture of plywood, match boxes and sticks, scabbards, patterns, moulds, besides canoes and light duty boats.
 
Why not ....

.... Learn about the origin of Playing cards?

The earliest references to playing-cards in Europe date back to the 14th century. In spite of their long history, ample light has begun to be shed on their origin only recently. Playing Cards were probably invented in China, where paper had been first made in ancient times. Cards entered Europe from the Islamic empire, where cups and swords were added as suit-symbols. It was in Europe that these were replaced courtly figures: Kings and their attendants, knights (on horseback) and pageboys .Even today, packs of Italian, Spanish, German and Swiss playing-cards do not have queens. The modern cards probably originated in France, replacing the Arab-influenced designs.
In Germany and Switzerland, the two lower court cards are both on foot, representing an 'upper' and a 'lower' rank-as stated in the 14th century description of playing-cards. In Swiss cards the tens are represented by a banner, showing just one suit-symbol. Incidentally in these two countries, the 52-card pack was shortened to 48 cards by dropping the Aces. The deuce, or Daus, was then promoted to being the top card, and nowadays is denoted by the letter A, as if it were an ace. As one travels to the southern parts of Europe the familiar suits of Hearts Spades Diamonds and Clubs give way to an entirely new range of symbols: Hearts Leaves Bells (round hawkbells) and Acorns in Germany; Shields 'Roses' Bells and Acorns in Switzerland; Coins Cups Swords and Clubs (cudgels) in Spain and Mediterranean Italy; Coins Cups Swords and Batons in Adriatic Italy.