Srinagar was controlled by the Mauryan empire until the 14th century, and it was emperor Ashoka who brought Buddhism to Kashmir's valley. The Kushans are said to have governed over this region throughout the first century from their strongholds in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Even King Vikramaditya of Ujjain reigned over this region before handing up sovereignty to a nomadic clan known as the Huns in the sixth century. Mihirkula, a member of this clan, was one of the city's most fearful governors.

Finding fireflies is one of the summer's joys. You might be able to spot a ghost firefly if you're in the Southern Appalachians; you'll know it when you see it because it will shine a distinctive blue-green color rather than the usual white.

There are eye drops available that advertise themselves as "dissolving cataracts." Millions of people worldwide would have healthy eyes if such drops actually functioned. In truth, the development of cataract eye drops is still highly active. Lanosterol, a natural steroid that has demonstrated the capacity to lessen cataracts, is being studied by scientists. However, their study is still under progress, and there isn't yet a cataract-curing eye drop on the market.

The northwestern Brazilian city of Manaus, on the banks of the Negro River, is located in the centre of one of the world's most lush jungles. Manaus, the Amazon's largest city and a major port, is a well-developed and busy metropolitan centre with a population of over 2.5 million people. However, the metropolis' position is unusual in that it is totally encircled by the Amazon Rainforest.

Koko is a renowned gorilla that understands sign language. When asked where gorillas go once they die, the gorilla quickly signed "Comfortable hole, bye."

Statistics say that the average Starbucks customer visits the store about six times per month. If this seems low, they also show that a loyal 20% of customers go about 16 times per month.

You may have be aware that Valentine's Day was named after its patron saint, St. Valentine — but there is some debate about which St. Valentine the celebration truly commemorates. According to History.com, at least two persons called Valentine may have inspired the festival, one of whom was a priest in third-century Rome. According to legend, this Valentine disobeyed Emperor Claudius II's marriage ban (he believed it distracted young troops), illegally married couples in the spirit of love until he was apprehended and put to death.

Natural Moonstone helps to calm the wearer's aggressive side. It gives calm and stability to individuals who are aggressive and insensitive by balancing all energy. It is thought to bring good fortune and help the user adjust to changes.

Wyoming Territory became the first state to grant the right to vote to women above the age of 21 in 1869. Historians believe that, in addition to granting women equal rights with males, MPs passed the statute in order to attract more settlers to the state.

Because the International Space Station (ISS) has Russian-language modules and operations, all astronauts who travel to the ISS must be fluent in the language. According to some astronauts, learning this new language was the most difficult aspect of their training. English-speaking astronauts can expect to spend 1,100 class hours to reach a reasonable level of fluency in Russian, according to the US State Department Foreign Service Institute. That's twice as long as it takes to learn other languages such as French, Spanish, or Dutch.

The Korean alphabet is known as Hangul. King Sejong the Great designed it in the 15th century. Koreans have previously employed the Chinese alphabet and characters (called Hanja). Because this was difficult for commoners to learn, Hangul was invented for the sake of literacy. There are 14 consonants and 10 vowels in the alphabet. Letters are organized into syllable blocks.

Piet de Goede, a Dutchman, raised the world's biggest beet in 2005, weighing 156 pounds. This incredible achievement was accomplished by de Goede, who had been cultivating vegetables for over 40 years, and was a testimonial to his knowledge of the industry. The beet was so massive that it made the Guinness Book of World Records.

Why are chia seeds so well-liked right now? One important factor might be their status as nutritional powerhouses: Chia seeds have a caloric content of 69 calories per tablespoon (tbsp).

Mirrors first appeared in ancient times, when people would simply use a pool of dark water or a dark container filled with water. This only changed around 6000 BC, when polished glass was introduced.

Despite many years of mining, Wales remains an enormous supplier of natural minerals, providing coal, slate, copper, steel, and other materials to many countries. South Wales used to account for 40% of all coal exported from the United Kingdom.

While not everything in The Bell Jar corresponds to Plath's life, she drew on many of her own experiences to write the novel. Just like Esther in The Bell Jar, Plath received electroshock therapy as a treatment for her depression and was hospitalized several times over the course of her life. She received her first electroshock treatment after her first suicide attempt at the age of 20. She was treated at Maclean Hospital in Massachusetts, which has also treated Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, David Foster Wallace, James Taylor, and Ray Charles.

A piece of porcelain requires many processes beginning with the gathering of raw materials and ending with the final firing. These processes include crushing the raw materials, cleaning and mixing them, forming the shape, bisque-firing (first-firing), glazing, and final firing.

not even contemporary graffiti. The graffiti that covers Pompeii is not a result of disrespectful tourists; rather, it dates from before the eruption. Private messages, public announcements, and election notices are just a few examples of how it provides tourists and historians with a remarkable window into Roman society. On one of our Pompeii tours from Rome, you can see all of this graffiti while imagining yourself going about your daily business in an ancient city.

Brit Garry Turner has quite the talent – he can pull the skin of his stomach a length of 15.8 cm (6.22 in) giving him the record for the Stretchiest skin! 

He is able to do this because he has a rare medical condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. With this, the collagen that strengthens the skin and determines its elasticity allows for him to have such loose skin and super flexible joints.

The majority of USB flash drives weigh less than 30 grammes, which makes them simple to carry and move around. Although small, your USB flash drive could hold crucial data, files, and information that, if lost, could be disastrous. You may conveniently carry them in your pocket, store them in your wallet, or clip them to your keys thanks to the USB flash drive's lightweight characteristics. So you always have access to your reliable

As of June 2020, San Marino has the highest mortality rate per capita of any nation due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact. Following a sluggish distribution of the final immunizations, the country made news in April 2021 for employing the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine rather than vaccines authorized by the EU. San Marino is the world's oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic. It is neither a member of the EU nor the Eurozone, despite using the Euro as its currency.

Have you ever thought about why you get hiccups? The spasms in your diaphragm compel you to suck in a breath, producing a gulping sound in your voicebox. Hiccups aren't beneficial in today's society, yet they were 370 million years ago. Scientists think that our ancestors had both gills and lungs and that when they pulled water in via their gills, it might aspirate into their lungs. A well-timed hiccup would clear the airway and prevent choking. Even though we no longer have gills, we still love the occasional hiccup!

Lions are very adaptable and hence can live in dry areas such as the Kalahari desert. Here they meet their water requirements from their prey and some plants such as Tsamma melon.

According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Herodotus wrote in 440BC that when a pet cat died in Ancient Egyptian times the family members would shave off their eyebrows in mourning. Now that’s an interesting cat fact!