India’s passport authorities confirmed Sivananda’s age from a temple register, the only record many Indians, even decades younger, have of their date of birth.”.“I just want people to be happy, healthy and peaceful.

“I avoid taking milk or fruits because I think these are fancy foods.Sivananda, from the holy city of Varanasi, grew up in extreme poverty and chose to become a monk, saying he owed his age to “yoga, discipline, and celibacy”.Sivananda was featured by local media earlier this summer, with a newspaper noting he looked 50 years younger than his apparent age, but taking his claims at face value. If true, his life would have spanned three centuries, but despite his apparent age he remains strong enough to perform yoga for hours at a time.  

In my childhood, I slept many days on an empty stomach,” he said.He is now applying to Guinness World Records to verify his claim. It currently lists Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who died in June 2013 aged 116 years and 54 days, as the oldest man to have ever lived. I eat very simply — only boiled food without oil or spices, rice and boiled daal (lentil stew) with a couple of green chillies,” he told AFP after a two-hour yoga session in Kolkata, where he had come for a short visit.58 metres (five feet two inches) tall, Sivananda sleeps on a mat on the floor and uses a wooden slab as a pillow. “Earlier people were happy with fewer things. (Photo: AFP)Looking remarkably unlined for his claimed 120 years, an Indian monk who says he is the oldest man to have ever lived puts his longevity down to no sex or spices, and daily yoga.However, it would be extremely difficult to independently verify his age.Fit and without any medical complications, he lives independently and even travels alone on trains.Sivananda said he had not previously come forward to claim the record because he did not seek ICE  MAKER factory publicity, but was eventually persuaded by his followers to apply.The elderly man lost both parents before he was six and was given away by his relatives to a spiritual guru, whom he travelled with around India before settling in Varanasi.Indian monk Swami Sivananda, who claims to be 120 years old, displays his passport in the house of one of his followers in Kolkata. Nowadays people are unhappy, unhealthy and have become dishonest, which pains me a lot,” he said.“I lead a simple and disciplined life.Sivananda, who was born in colonial-era India without electricity, cars or telephones, says he is not enthused by new technology and prefers being on his own.Hindu monk Swami Sivananda was born on August 8, 1896, according to his passport.

Rejecting reports in this regard, the Finance Ministry stated the "said company" had been supplying bank note paper till 2010 and further as per the decision taken in 2013, the company was permitted to supply a security feature for bank notes till December 2015.

"No fresh contract has been given to this company by the Government during the last three years.Accusing the government of compromising national interest, the Congress said that a "tainted" UK-based note printing company De La Rue has been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes despite it being blacklisted.The ministry also said the company has applied for setting up a factory in India, but "no action has been taken on their application".

Earlier in the day while talking to reporters at the AICC headquarters former Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy said: "A tainted UK-based note printing company De La Rue has China Resistance band manufacturers been shortlisted for printing of plastic notes in India despite it being blacklisted. The Security Clearance for this company has been withheld by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and hence no fresh orders have been placed with the said company since 2014," it said.New Delhi: The Finance Ministry today denied allegations made by the Congress of engaging a tainted UK-based firm for printing plastic notes, saying no fresh contract has been given to the company during the last three years. It shows complicity at the highest level".

On Friday, the BMC’s teams of inspectors visited 5,664 shops and collected a fine of `1.35 lakh.Mumbai: Non-woven polypropylene (PP) bags, which have a striking similarity to cloth bags, have become a major bone of contention in the implementation of the plastic ban.  

In order to ban the non-woven PP bags, the state should ban their manufacture. They have been banned and we want people to discard their use,” said deputy municipal commissioner Nidhi Choudhari. Instead, they are levying a fine on the common man,” said Vinay Surve, a Mulund resident. Both type of bags look exactly the same. Their main contention is these bags look like cloth bags and hence they refuse to pay the fine,” said an inspector.“The non-woven PP bags are not recycled often and are thus harmful for the environment.

“People find it hard to believe.PP bags are made of synthetic plastic polymer.People are up in arms against BMC inspectors after being asked to pay a fine for using non-woven PP bags, which have been prohibited under the plastic ban.“It’s very difficult to differentiate between non-woven PP bags and cloth bags.. Non-woven PP takes those fibres and presses them under heat to create a sealed sheet. Woven PP is composed of polymer fibres woven together perpendicularly to make sheets.A civic inspector said that they are finding China Kettlebell with Rubber Manufacturers it difficult to convince people that non-woven PP bags are made of plastic only. They also seized 20 kg of banned plastic during the drive.

Rosenberg, who was owed 1. A year later, when the casino collapsed into bankruptcy, those owed the most got only 33 cents in cash for each dollar owed, with promises of another 50 cents later.Five hundred miles away, in Ashtabula, Ohio, Robert Morrison of the Molded Fiber Glass Co. was pressing his workers to finish the domes, minarets and other faux Moorish ornaments in time for an April 2 opening — and worrying about who was going to pay for it all.A quarter of a century has passed since Donald Trump refused to pay in full 253 contractors who helped build his Taj in Atlantic City.“This guy never paid me,” MacLeod deadpanned.The check never came.  

The contractor who put in the bathroom partitions had to lay off his brother.Many contractors didn’t know what to think.Over his protests, regulators unsealed a devastating report in August written by Trump’s own accountants that showed he had been burning through cash in his personal accounts so fast in the spring that he would have had nothing by end of the year if he didn’t take drastic action.1 million for installing floor-to-ceiling curtain walls of glass, picked up the phone in his Atlantic City office and called one of Trump’s men overseeing construction. Millar is deceased. “Pay me my money!”Documents filed with regulators suggest Trump gave Paone about a third of what he was owed over the next year. Others caught up in the Taj turmoil didn’t fare as well.  

An invoice sent weeks ICE  MAKER manufacturers earlier for 1.. (Photo: AP)The contractor who provided the onion domes for the Taj Mahal casino had to eat 2 million in losses.”For the contractors, the first signs of trouble came in February 1990.Trump managed to open the Boardwalk casino on April 2, 1990, and continued to dismiss rumours that he was in financial trouble, but the truth soon came out. A day later, he got his answer: The money’s coming in two weeks.Marty Rosenberg, former vice-president of Atlantic Plate Glass, says the way Trump handled the contractors shows the candidate is shrewd and clever, but Trump won’t get his vote.

In this April 5, 1990 file photo, Donald Trump stands next to a genie’s lamp as the lights of his Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort light up during ceremonies to mark its opening in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The company refused to comment.Giving a slide presentation of his work to an architectural firm two days after Trump swept the New York Republican primary in April, he slipped in two photos — one showing one of the elephants, the other showing Trump’s name on the casino marquee in red lights. “We could lose everything. His family wouldn’t comment.” Court documents suggest he got about 30 cents on the dollar over the next year.“If ethics or morality has nothing to do with business,” Rosenberg says, “he’s a very good businessman.Morrison wrote off 2 million of the 3 million Trump owed him, according to his book. In 1996, he filed for personal bankruptcy.4 million still hadn’t been paid.9 million. Desperate for money to pay workers and suppliers, some contractors became easy targets for a new Trump offer: Agree to less than they billed, and he’d pay the lower amounts immediately. When the casino emerged from Chapter 11, Trump got a contract to manage it. But he had received only 100,000 of the 1.He exploded one day just as his son, Philip Paone, then 24, walked up to his office door.“I want my money!” Philip recalls his father screaming into the phone to Trump.In this April 5, 1990 file photo, Donald Trump stands next to a genie’s lamp as the lights of his Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort light up during ceremonies to mark its opening in Atlantic City, New Jersey.Marble man Millar had to lay off workers, shut down his business Avalon Commercial, close many of his retail stores and borrow from friends to make ends meet, according to court documents and Millar’s lawyers and former employees. Strapped for money, some contractors sold the bonds immediately, getting a fraction of what they were worth at maturity. Regular checks for work completed stopped arriving in the mail. (Photo: AP) 01TRUMP1. Everyone laughed.Morrison’s Molded Fiber Glass joined with 47 others in a negotiated settlement with Trump for cash equal to 33 cents of each dollar owed, plus 50 cents in convertible bonds, according to a book by Morrison published in 1994.One of the hardest hit was marble supplier John Millar, who was owed 3. The next year, the Trump Taj filed for bankruptcy. “I took a big hit. It took years to get the rest, assuming the companies survived long enough to collect.Mario Paone, president of Hastings, rarely lost his temper.” After the Taj opened in April 1990, the self-anointed “King of Debt” owed 70 million to contractors employing thousands who built the domes and minarets, put up the glass and drywall, laid the pipes and installed everything from chandeliers to bathroom fixtures.3 million he had billed Trump. Trump said he needed to complete audits first to make sure they weren’t overcharging; he denied he was in financial trouble. “I have a tremendous amount of cash,” he told the Washington Post that March.“I’ll check it out, Marty, and call you right back,” the man said. “We got next to nothing,” says Michael MacLeod, whose 40-person studio made the giant elephant statues at the casino’s entrance.MacLeod, the elephant sculptor, says his anger has faded.  

The contractor who supplied the Carrara marble from Italy ended up filing for personal bankruptcy.As he was walking into a meeting with contractors to share strategies, landscaper Herman Caucci asked him what he planned to do: Stick it out, or take cash at a discount “I don’t know, Herman, I need the money,” Caucci recalls Millar responding before the March 1990 meeting. But for many of them, it could have happened yesterday.Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks and Trump attorney Alan Garten did not respond to a list of questions about the candidate’s Taj dealings. The stress was also building at Hastings Pavement, a company supplying paving stones.

The view from Dracula’s Castle in Bran, Transylvania.Romania was under the iron hand of communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu, who ruled the country from 1965 until he was finally overthrown and killed in a revolution in 1989. In Bucharest, we dined at the 125-year-old Neo classical restaurant Cera Cu Bere. Mind you, the local cuisine is rather bland for the Indian palate.* The average temperature is 5 degrees on most days and even goes down to -7 degrees, so travellers are advised to plan an extensive winter wardrobe and layer themselves well. We opted for a five-star property in Bucharest, and unlike the rest of Europe, accommodation will not cost you more than 120-150 Euros per night, at a star hotel.Bucharest deserves the title of capital city with its old world charm, wide roads paved with imposing trees that are deprived of leaves in harsh winter.   But getting back to their attitude, the Romanians pretty much don’t care that despite being one of the poorest European countries, they’re still fitness equipment not open to tourism. The closely-knit, colourful in bright hues (you do find such houses in Goa’s bylanes) houses are eye-catching as is the modernised clock tower, which doubles up as a museum and is the prime attraction for visitors. Maybe it could have something to do with the Dracula effect, because on a shivering *-7 degree afternoon, most restaurants — ironically even our local Udupis are bigger — were shut, save for one, which despite having tables, had an extremely cantankerous receptionist, insisting that there was no room available.Even the rooftops in smaller towns are peppered with snow, making the landscape stand out like a fairy tale land.Be forewarned: the Romanians are not exactly the friendliest lot, waiting to welcome visitors with open arms. Europeans take their holiday season very seriously, so many restaurants are short staffed, and there it is not uncommon for guests to wait up to an hour for a meal. Arcul De Triumf, Bucharest in Romania. Most cafes and eateries face the main shopping area, and going by the high-end brands available, this tiny town is also a shopper’s paradise.  

She was instantly given a lecture on the importance of opening doors to outsiders, thereby earning revenue, by a rather miffed group member.Exploring the relatively virgin destination of Romania, with its colourful landscapes and Gothic influences. So, hire a guide to make life easy. And communication can be an issue, unless you are staying in a luxury hotel. According to one legend, it got its name when people, who stood on this bridge and lied, found it moving and making noises. Under his dictatorship, the average Romanian had not stepped out of his city, and that hangover from the colonial past still exists. Be that as it may, Sighisoara is apt for a day visit as it is just a 1. Besides the constant curious glances coming your way, one even got asked, “Where are you guys from?”Early morning view of Brasov City in Romania.. While eastern European countries like Croatia have become a huge draw for Indian tourists, Romania,  located in Southeastern Europe, is relatively a virgin destination for Indians.In the somewhat remote medieval town of Sighisoara, the birthplace of Dracula, people are not open to new faces. It also houses some of their trendiest restaurants like the Trip Advisor-recommended Kullinarium and Strada. While it would be easy — and somewhat pessimistic — to dismiss this as racism and hostility, one has to understand the country’s background before passing judgment. That is why they are extremely wary of tourists.  

The iconic Palatul Parlamentului or Palace of the Parliament with its 1,100 rooms occupies the pride of place in the city.5 hour drive. This is why, unlike the rest of Europe, where you will inevitably bump into a desi face at every nook and corner, that doesn’t happen in Romania.Our next halt was the city of Brasov, which is a three-hour drive from Bucharest. The whole vibe is chilled out and feels like you are dining at a friend’s home. Their national dish Michi (grilled minced meat rolls), and sarmale (cabbage rolls) are flavourful, but the diet here comprises a lot of red meat (more pork than beef), potatoes and diary products. The food is a mix of European cuisines at most of these places, but the wait can be endless. Dining out is very affordable, and you can get a good meal for fewer than 30 Euros per head. You can spend hours gazing at the stunning architecture here.  Austrian architect Siegfrid Kofczinsky designed this gothic revival building in 1899.

Visitors driving in from the airport will pass the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, which showcases authentic village life, with reconstructs of farmlands and homes from the hinterland. Cobblestone Pathways in SibuiAs you savour your meal, music fills the air, a group of young men and women perform a modern dance for guests. Brasov, located in central Romania, is the perfect location from which you can head to other smaller towns like Sighisoara. The Bridge of Lies in Sibui                                                    If you have a soft spot for snow-clad mountains, freezing temperatures, and visualise yourself spending your winters in a picturesque environment, then Romania is the perfect country for you.Sibiu has a very Florence-like vibe, with cobblestone pathways that lead to the Bridge of Lies, which is one of Romania’s oldest cast iron bridges. An oversized, brightly lit Christmas tree occupies that pride of place, and is the prime landmark for visitors who lose their way. It is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, and is popular for its Black Church and the Council Square, locally known as Piata Sfatului.The meal turned out to be sumptuous. The prettiest town has got to be Sibiu, which is a four-hour drive from the capital city Bucharest, and offers you a stunning panorama of the Transylvanian topography, which appears to be straight out of a nature magazine. This is where the famous Christmas market is set up every year, where little shops are huddled together, and you get everything from fur coats and piping hot chocolate to mulled wine.