Patna Girl Cries Tears of Blood

In a weird and very unusual twist of medical fate, Rashida Khatoon, a young girl from northeast India cries tears of blood instead of water.

She and her unusual medical condition have been transformed into a holy shrine where worshipers come to watch in awe as blood drips from her eyelids several times a day.

Doctors in the region of Patna, northeast India, have no medical explanation as to the cause of this most unusual anomaly, but local Hindu holy men have declared Rashida a miracle. Followers bow in deference as they stand before her, showering her family with holy offerings.

“I do not feel any pain when it happens, but it’s a shock to see blood instead of water,” said Rashida of her most unusual situation.

What could be the cause of this weird occurrence? Some have suggested a brain tumor or malfunctioning of tear ducts, but there is no medical evidence to support that. No one in authority in fact, seems to know or will even venture a guess, which is even more disconcerting than to watch the phenomenon, which occurs every few hours.

Could Rashida be suffering from a case of a rare phenomenon known as Haemolacria? Little is known about this medical condition other than the fact that it occurs when a person produces tears, which are partially composed of blood. This can manifest as anything from red-tinged tears to those, which appear to be entirely blood.

Bleeding from the eyes is most certainly weird and creepy. It may be the result of a very rare medical condition, but whatever it is, it is not likely to be a gift of any sort from the holier powers that be. If you think about it, how could bleeding from the eyes be a gift except from a very creepy donor?link

Court acquits widow's pet dog

A happy Raj Kumari Devi on Wednesday woke up tension free and "upbeat" after her pet dog Chhotu won a legal battle in a Bihar court.

This was one of several legal wars against Chhotu that Devi's neighbours have been waging. Chhotu was sentenced to death six years ago but Devi obtained clemency for her "only companion".

This time, Chhotu was accused of breaching peace in Purnia town, after neighbours alleged that the eight-year-old canine is mad and has bitten several people in the area.

The case was filed July last against Chhotu and Devi, a frail middle-aged childless widow, under CrPC section 107 (disturbing peace).

Sub divisional officer A D Thackeray Tuesday dismissed the case because it had become time-barred after six months.

The judgement brought back a smile on Devi's face, who was worried over Chhotu's fate.

"After months, I slept Tuesday night without tension and woke up Wednesday morning upbeat to take care of Chhotu," she said.

Official sources in the Purnia district administration said that hearing in the case was deferred several times in the last six months, due to floods and ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

"It is a conspiracy by my neighbours to grab my property. They are targeting my protector, Chhotu," she said.

Dilip Kumar, Devi's lawyer, said several cases had been lodged against Chhotu by her neighbours in the last few years.

She owns some land her neighbours are allegedly trying to encroach upon.

Nearly six years ago when the dog was sentenced to death by a local court she single-handedly fought a legal battle and mobilised the support of animal rights activists, including former central minister Maneka Gandhi.

The order was finally stayed.

"I simply begged for clemency saying that being a widow, Chhotu was my only companion and protector," Devi said.

Litchi production in bihar may dip by 50 per cent this season

Litchi production is likely to dip by 20 per cent from the normal 4.2 lakh tonnes to around 3.36 lakh tonnes this year due to adverse weather conditions in the growing regions.

"This year the production may go down by 20 per cent from the normal crop size as the weather was extremely hot with almost no rainfall in the main growing regions of Bihar, Uttrakhand and Himachal," Litchi Growers Association of India President Niraj Chhinwal.

In Bihar production may dip by 50 per cent if there is no rainfall in a week, a litchi farmer in Muzaffarpur said.

For the last 2-3 years there has been a dip in litchi production due to adverse weather conditions, he added.

The season for the fruit has already started with the 'Bambiya' variety from West Bengal currently available in the markets.

The most popular variety 'Sahi', grown in Muzaffarpur, will hit the market from May 20, Chhinwal added. The Bihar variety will be followed by the ones from Uttarakhand and then Himachal.

Litchi is mainly grown in about 7,000 hectares in Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The fruit is also grown in Tripura, Assam, Orissa and Jharkhand.

Repoll not required in Bihar's certain constituencies: Election Commission

The Election Commission today said there was no case for ordering repoll in certain constituencies in Bihar following the fact finding team's visit there.

"The Commission has decided that there is no case for any repoll in certain constituencies," Deputy Election Commissioner R Balakrishnan told reporters here.

He said the six teams of EC officials, which went into the complaints, had detailed discussions in the state and briefed the EC today.

The panel members did not recommend any repoll, he said.

BJP had earlier criticised the Commission for sending fact finding teams to Bihar to probe alleged poll irregularities in six parliamentary constituencies but the electoral body justified its decision saying the "Commission cannot ignore the complaints made to it".

A delegation of NDA leaders had met the Commission and submitted a memorandum to it in context of six teams of Commission officials' visit to Bihar to look into complaints of alleged malpractices in a few constituencies which went to poll on April 16 and April 30.link

An evening dedicated to mothers of Patna

At a glittering function, full of musique concrete and fun, a number of moms in different age-groups sashayed down the ramp to mark Mother's Day on Sunday at Chanakya Hotel here. The vibrant programme was jointly organised by The Times of India and Radio Mirchi. The chief guest on the occasion was Bollywood producer and actor Poonam Sinha, better known as wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha. Also present on the occasion was Meera Srivastava, mother of actress Neetu Chandra.

The special evening was dedicated to the mothers of Patna who came with their kids and participated in the three-hour-long programme. The title of Super Mom went to Sushmita Mukherjee and the first and second runners-up were Nisha Agarwal and Anita Rathee respectively. They were awarded by Poonam Sinha, who too, possibly for the first time, walked on the ramp in a black sari amid much applause.

Super Mom Sushmita said, "I am feeling very nice and I never expected to be adjudged the Super Mom." She gave credit for this to her daughters, Ishani and Indrani, who were also present on the occasion. The first runner-up Nisha said, "My entire family is delighted. I too had not expected this award." Nisha has two children -- Ritwik and Ananya.

Poonam Sinha, who was there for over one and a half hours and enjoyed the evening, said this was the first time she was away from her children Luv, Kush and Sonakshi on Mother's Day. She, however, was hopeful to reach Mumbai before midnight to be with her children to accept their greetings. But she was happy to be in the midst of a good number of mothers and children and said they belong to her extended family.

The programme, full of fun, entertainment, humour, games, food and music was anchored by Radio Mirchi's RJs who successfully tried to involve all the mothers present there. All participants, including children, were given away prizes. A few mothers also shared their views and spoke about their hubbies and children. Others who were involved in hosting this programme included Advantage Services, Chanakya Hotel, VLCC and Sudha.link

Muzaffarpur girl to star in Aamir’s next venture

After Darsheel Safary, perfectionist Aamir Khan is set to make a star out of a little girl from Bihar.

Parul, a nine-year old girl hailing from Muzzafarpur is going to be part of Aamir’s next venture named “The Falling” which will be directed by Anushka Rizvi.

Parul’s performance in a play staged in Delhi impressed Aamir so much that he made the mind to cast the little girl in his next movie.

Trained under renowned theatre stalwart Habib Tanwar Parul has travelled across the continents and won acclaims as a part of her Theatre’s play in Germany and European Countries.

Parul has a lengthy role in the movie and Aamir is thrilled that he found a talent like her for the film.

The film which is based on the serious issue of farmer suicides in Maharashtra had started shooting since six months. Parul has already started shooting for the film.link

Tourists' resort at Manersharif to become operational soon

Bihar's first resort for tourists at the famous Sufi centre -- Manersharif -- would soon be a reality. The area in and around the resort would be developed at par with international standards to attract Asian and domestic tourists. Manersharif is barely 32 km away from west of Patna on Patna-Ara highway.

Manersharif is the most important and oldest centre of Sufis in Bihar. Maner has the tombs of several Sufi saints, including the Mausoleum of Shah Daulat, a contemporary of Akbar and Jehangir. Sufism is still a living tradition in Bihar and many important centres of the Sufis continue to flourish even today.

This resort has been designed to cater to the needs of family willing to spend a weekend at the resort. As of now, there is no such place in the nearby areas where a family can spend a day with all basic amenities.

The facilities would be designed to cater to the needs of children and health conscious citizens. It would be designed in an eco-friendly atmosphere and tourists can enjoy their outing away from hustle and bustle of the city.

The project includes construction of a 32-room hotel, gymnasium, conference room, car parking, landscaping in and around the hotel, flood lights, tubewells for water supply, boating, cafeteria, with proper lighting.

"This project has already been delayed. The Centre has already released Rs 7 crore for developing this resort for tourists," said a senior official of the tourism department.

Bihar's building construction department has been given the job of construction of the hotel. The Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) would invite tenders to run this hotel under private-public partnership, said an official.

The work on the development of pond facing the monument would start after clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The removal of all the vegetation developed inside the pond, construction of staircase and pathway are also on the cards. Boating in the pond would be an added attraction for the visiting tourists.

"Almost 90 per cent work at the site has been completed. The resort would become operational within six months. At present, the cafeteria is being run by the BSTDC," said an official.

The BSTDC-run cafeteria at Manersharif is still the favourite eating joint for those who are passing through Maner en route Ara and beyond. "It gives us an ambience of peaceful atmosphere. It also offers simple home-made food, but it requires more facilities," said a couple who were having lunch at the restaurant.link