What was the most epic battle in history?

 September 11th, a day that changed the world.

But this is 1683, not 2001.

I'm talking about the clash of two cultures, two empires, with more than 200,000 soldiers involved in the gigantic Siege of Vienna. The magnificent city of Vienna, Austria, a cultural center of Europe and Western Christianity, was under siege by the forces of the Ottoman Empire.

The siege looked a bit like this:

This was the decisive battle between West and East. The great bastion of Christianity, the capital of the mighty Habsburg Empire, against the most dangerous enemy Europe had ever faced: the Turks.

Facing 200,000 men with a garrison of only 20,000, the Austrians seemed defeated. The siege had cut off all supplies to the city, making the besieged increasingly hungry. The siege lasted two months, from July to September, and only then did a turning point come.

King John Sobieski of Poland arrives to the rescue with a charge of the Winged Hussars, the elite Polish cavalry, routing the Ottomans and ending the siege. This also leads to the decline of the Ottomans for the next 23 decades.

Despite the Poles' bad reputation militarily, this was the time they saved all of Europe. Congratulations to Poland!

And if the miraculous charge of the hussars seems rather familiar to you:

You're right! This battle was essentially the inspiration for the siege of Minas Tirith where the Rohirrim play the part of the Poles.

What is the history behind Rathyatra of Lord Jagannath?

 It all began centuries ago when a tribal chief named Biswabasu secretly worshipped a magnificent sapphire deity named Neelamadhava in a hidden forest cave of Odisha.

Far away in Malwa, King Indradyumna ( a devotee of Lord Vishnu) was desperate to see this form of Vishnu and sent his minister, Vidyapati, to find it.

Vidyapati lived among the tribe, fell in love with Biswabasu’s daughter Lalita and married her.

One day he tried to convince Lalita to ask her father to take him to his place of worship. Biswabasu was hesitant but eventually agreed on a condition that Vidyapati has to be blindfolded all the way to the cave.

But, Vidyapati was clever, he carried mustard seeds along with him and dropped the seeds along the path. When the monsoon rains came, the seeds sprouted into a trail of bright yellow flowers, allowing the king to find the secret spot.

However, by the time the king arrived, the sapphire deity had vanished. Instead, the Lord directed the king in a dream to look for a massive, sacred Neem log floating on the shores of Puri. The king retrieved the divine log, but a new problem arose: no royal artisan could shape it.

Every time a carpenter struck the wood, their iron axes and chisels instantly shattered into pieces. Finally, an old, mysterious sculptor named Ananta Maharana (believed to be Lord Vishwakarma) stepped forward, promising he could carve the wood as long as he was locked inside the sanctuary for 21 days with absolute privacy.

On the 14th day, there was no thud-thud sound, absolute silence. Queen Gundicha was driven by anxiety, thinking the old man might have died, the royal couple opened the doors only to find the old man gone and three abstract, beautifully "unfinished" deities left behind.

Well, the philosophy behind the unfinished deities is, God doesn't need to have a typical physical form to run the universe. He can be both Sakara (with form) and Nirakara (without form).

Once the grand temple in Puri was built, Lord Jagannath was so pleased with the king's devotion that He appeared before him and said,

Ask for any boon you desire, O King, and it shall be granted.

Fearing that his descendants might become arrogant and claim ownership over the Almighty, King Indradyumna made a shocking request, saying,

O Lord, bless me so that I leave behind no children, no descendants, and no lineage, so that no one can ever call this temple their personal property.

Well, Queen Gundicha was utterly broken-hearted over losing the chance to be a mother,

You have given away our future, my King. Who will call me mother? Whose footsteps will echo in our empty palace?

Seeing her tears, Lord Jagannath comforted her with a moving promise, saying, "

Do not weep, Queen Gundicha. If you have no children of your own, then from this day forward, my siblings and I are your children. Every single summer, we will leave our grand temple and come stay with you at your palace for nine days.

And this is the core behind the Rathyatra of Lord Jagannath.

---

Beyond this touching family promise, there's another history.

Source: Google

In ancient times, rigid societal rules strictly barred people of lower castes and different faiths from entering the main temple sanctuary.

Remembering His humble beginnings with the tribal chief Biswabasu, Lord Jagannath refused to be locked away only for the privileged.

He decided that if some of His children were not allowed to enter His house, He would step out onto the dusty streets to meet them.

Today, when the three massive wooden chariots roll down the Bada Danda (Grand Road) of Puri, all social barriers completely crumble. It remains a powerful celebration where the Lord becomes fully accessible to every single human being equally, regardless of their caste, creed, or background.

What are the most mysterious photos in history?

 Here are some photos that I found mysterious, likely to shock you.

• This photo was taken in 1941 during the reopening of the South Forks Bridge in Canada. At first glance, it looks like any other picture from that period. But if you examine the details, something is amiss. There appears to be a man in modern clothing among the hats and suit jackets of the 1940s. He also seems to be holding a modern camera, wearing unusual glasses, and sporting a logo that doesn't quite fit the era.

• In 1964, French photographer Robert Serrec spotted and quickly took a picture of what appeared to be a giant, snake-like creature resting on the seabed off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Although some suggested it was a giant tarp, no credible explanation has ever been found for this bizarre photograph.

• Since the 1940s, a strange luminous phenomenon has been observed in the Hessdalen Valley, Norway. The spectacle involves a white or yellow light of unknown origin, either hovering or floating at ground level. Between 1981 and 1984, the lights were observed up to 20 times a week, but their frequency has decreased considerably since then, appearing only about 10 to 20 times a year. Despite ongoing research and numerous hypotheses, there is still no convincing explanation.

• In 2000, two photographs of a "skonke monkey" were taken by an anonymous woman and mailed to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office in Florida. The photos were accompanied by a letter from the woman in which she stated that she had photographed a monkey in her backyard. People claim it's a black bear, but it doesn't look the same.

• Like most families, the Coopers had moved into their new home in Texas and wanted to take a family photo of themselves sitting together. However, when the photo was taken, a body appeared to fall from the ceiling. Since no plausible explanation was ever offered, there is much speculation about what happened.

• This is one of the most famous unexplained images of all time. While the image is centered on Mary, something eerie hovers over her left shoulder. There's an object that appears to be some kind of UFO hovering above the cliffs. Just below, a man and his dog can be seen watching the saucer.

• On March 13, 1997, a series of bright, unidentified lights appeared over Phoenix, Arizona. They remained completely stationary for hours. The Air Force said the lights were flares released for a training exercise. However, the lights reappeared over Phoenix in 2007 and 2008. They remain unexplained.

• There is said to be an ancient, dark object orbiting Earth for 13,000 years called the "Black Knight Satellite." No one knows how it got there, its purpose, or even who started calling it the "Black Knight." The photo above was taken during a U.S. space shuttle mission to the International Space Station in 1998.

What are some strange customs that people had in the past?

 Some customs from the past are the following:

1) Bathroom machines.

When people wanted to bathe in the sea, those in the 18th and 19th centuries couldn't simply wade into the water. They needed a bathing machine, which served as a kind of "hut," preventing them from being seen while bathing. As was typical for the time, the bathing machines used by women needed to be located away from men.

2) Post-mortem photographs.

It may seem strange, but it was common for families in the past to take photos with their loved ones who had passed away. This was a way to preserve memories of people, since they often had few photos taken during their lifetime.

3) The Sangrias.

Bloodletting was a very old treatment method used to "cure" a number of different illnesses. Doctors of the time believed that many diseases could be treated simply by making the patient bleed, and for this purpose, leeches and various devices that produced bleeding were used. Over time, of course, the method proved ineffective and unnecessary, and eventually fell into disuse.

4) Hygiene was not as we know it today.

Many people don't prioritize hygiene as much as they should even today, but things were even worse in the past. Bathing wasn't seen as a daily necessity, and in fact, many people went months without a thorough wash.

We can only imagine how difficult it must be to approach someone in these circumstances, but people at that time didn't care about that.

5) Dresses for children.

Today, dresses are garments typically associated with girls, but that wasn't always the case. From the 16th century until the mid-1920s,This clothing was commonly worn by childrenbecause they lasted a long time and didn't need to be changed as often as they grew.

Who is the most evil person in history?

 Countess Elisabeth Báthory de Echedo

Elizabeth Báthory, known as "Blood Countess" and "Countess Dracula," is considered the most prolific serial killer in history, with over 650 murders directly related to her name.

Báthory's coat of arms

Báthory, who held the title of Count, was born into a highly influential Hungarian noble family. Known as an intellectual and learned woman, she was initially very popular among her subjects. At the age of 15, in 1575, she married Ferenc Nádasdy, the son of a baron. The wedding took place in Vallenno and was attended by over 4,500 guests.

Her husband spent much of his time studying in Vienna, leaving Elisabeth to live alone. She made Čavutice Castle, located in what is now Slovakia, her home.

Years later, as she approached middle age, Elisabeth began to experience tantrums and fits of rage. She would attack her young female servants. Legend has it that she punched a clumsy servant who was brushing her hair, and when she pulled a little too hard, blood dripped from the girl's nose, and she realized that she could maintain her youth with the blood of virgins.

Thus began a 20-year-long ordeal of terror. Hundreds of girls hired to work in Elisabeth's castle disappeared one after another, their whereabouts never to be heard again. The villagers grew suspicious, but because of Elisabeth's position, they could do nothing.

Eventually, suspicions about the disappearance reached the King of Hungary, who demanded an investigation. The king's followers arrived at the castle in Transylvania and demanded to see the secret chamber beneath Elisabeth's residence. What they discovered was horrifying.

Beneath her castle lay a vast and intricate torture chamber run by Elisabeth. With the help of several key accomplices, she imprisoned her female servants and extracted their blood through horrific surgeries.

Báthory's first victims were local peasant girls, many of whom were abducted to Čachtice with offers of lucrative servant jobs at the castle. Later, she began killing daughters of nobles, who were sent by their parents to her palace school to learn court etiquette. Abductions are also said to have taken place. The most consistently described atrocities included brutal beatings, burning hands, biting off flesh from faces and arms, and death by freezing or starvation. Among the testimonies of her accomplices in court were mentions of the use of needles. The longest-lasting accusation is that Elisabeth bathed in the blood of young virgins at court to maintain her youthful appearance, which is the origin of her name.

Some reports claim that Elisabeth was captured while being tortured by inspectors who visited her, but there is little evidence to support this.

Needless to say, the king was not impressed. Elisabeth did not receive a severe punishment because of her position, but she was immediately placed under house arrest. At her trial that followed, more than 300 witnesses testified to the atrocities she had committed, some claiming to have seen her bathing in blood. Numerous bones were discovered, which served as evidence of the crime. Three of her accomplices were sentenced to death, and Báthory was imprisoned in Čachtice Castle, where she was confined in solitude. She died there in 1614.

Today, Elisabeth Báthory is one of the most (infamous) Hungarians in history, and many books, television shows, and films have been made about her twisted life. Because of her ruthlessness and vampire-like tendencies, she is to me the most evil person of all time.

What was the largest amount of gold ever found in history?

Without a doubt, nothing represents wealth better than gold, especially when we're talking about a 27-kilogram nugget.

Kevin Hillier, a fellow from Australia, had a stroke of great luck. When he found a solid piece of pure gold weighing just over 27 kilograms, he did so using a rudimentary metal detector.

The piece was sold for close to one million dollars and is currently on display in Las Vegas, specifically at the Golden Nuggets casino.

It is estimated that its value has increased; they now estimate it to be worth around 40 million dollars.

Who is the strangest person in the history of humankind?

 An individual hailing from an unrecognized nation.

In 1954, a corporate traveler described as white landed at Tokyo's Haneda Airport to attend a commercial conference. This traveler was fluent in multiple tongues, including Japanese, and stated he had traveled to the country on numerous occasions. Everything appeared perfectly normal up until a border agent looked over his travel document and failed to recognize the nation. The passport had been printed by an unknown state named Taured.

Initially, the agent assumed it was just a lapse in his own knowledge and requested assistance from his manager. The manager was equally baffled, as were all the other personnel on duty. The document itself looked completely authentic and featured various border stamps from global destinations, including Japan. Consequently, they requested that the traveler identify his homeland on a world map.

He laid his finger right on Andorra (the tiny nation nestled between Spain and France). When the agents corrected him and explained that the territory he selected was actually Andorra, he grew incredibly furious and insisted that Taured had a recorded history spanning a millennium! The individual was highly distressed and genuinely appeared convinced that Taured was an actual sovereign state.

They placed a call to the lodging establishment he claimed to have reserved in Tokyo, but the front desk had no such reservation on file. The corporation he was supposedly visiting for his commercial meeting did exist in Tokyo, but they had never heard of any branch or contact in Taured (naturally).

Unsurprisingly, authorities feared this individual could be a fraudster. Therefore, they confined him to a local hotel room with a pair of guards positioned directly in front of the door (which served as the sole way into or out of the space). The accommodation was situated on a high level of a skyscraper hotel and completely lacked any exterior balcony.

To their absolute astonishment, when they unlocked the accommodation the following morning, they found that the traveler had vanished entirely along with his bags and his travel document. How could he have escaped given that the sole doorway was under constant surveillance throughout the night?

Certain individuals argue that this enigmatic figure truly originated from Taured, suggesting that the nation occupies a separate reality and that he had accidentally slipped through a rift in dimensions to arrive at Haneda Airport. An alternative perspective posits that the puzzling figure was a chronological voyager who had mistakenly touched down at the terminal. Most of all, plenty of skeptics argue that the entire event is merely a highly detailed digital legend.

Which is the best century in the history of world cricket?

 A Century can be considered as best by looking at multiple factors like, strength of the bowling line up against which that century came, pressure condition, level of difficulty for batting in that pitch.

Best century in odi cricket format according to me is Chris Gayle 133 runs against south africa

In 2006, because of Chris Gayle century West Indies able to won champion trophy semi final match. It was a century made with semifinal pressure, against a strong bowling line up which includes, sahun pollock, nitni and jay kallis.

South Africa made a fighting Total of 258, which was not easy to chase against a bowling line up which south africa had at that time.

Best century in T20 format according to me is Chris Gayle 117 runs against south africa

Chris Gayle made 117 runs in 56 balls with a strike rate over 200, against a strong bowling line up which includes sahun pollock, mhakaya nitni, morne morkel and phillendar, this century was more special because it was made on South African ground which was not batting friendly.

Best century in test match according to me is Sunil Gavaskar 147 not out against West Indies in the year 1983

In that match Sunil Gavaskar played against the most brutal and greatest bowling line up in the cricket history, a bowling line up which includes, malcolm marshall, Michael holding, geol garner and Andy Robert who are considered as greatest bowlers in cricket history, Sunil Gavaskar made this century in West Indies ground which are not batting friendly more favourable for fast balling in 80s.

Best double century in ODI according to me is Sachin Tendulkar double century against South Africa

He made this double century against a strong bowling line up of South Africa which includes bowlers like dayel styen and jaque kallis.

Best double century in test cricket history according to me is Sunil Gavaskar 236 runs against West Indies

Sunil Gavaskar made this double century against one of the most brutal and greatest bowling attack in cricket history which includes malcolm marshall, Andy Robert and Michael holding.

Best triple century in test cricket according to me is Chris hris Gayle 317 runs against south africa in 2005

Chris Gayle made this triple century against a strong bowling line up which includes sahun pollock, mhakaya nitni and jaque kallis in West Indies cricket ground which are not batting friendly.

What is the most unbelievable thing in human history?

 In the days before smartphones and video games, people devised creative ways to pass the time.

They were engrossed in blood sports.

Fox crushing

The name of the sport says it all.

In later generations, perhaps because the novelty had worn off, competitors sometimes wore costumes.

Two people wait, each holding one end of a rope. The moment an animal is released from its cage and passes over the rope, they pull the rope with all their might, sending the animal flying high into the air. The competition is to see who can send the animal the highest.

Besides foxes, rabbits, wild boars, muss rats, and wildcats are also used.

The animals that fall may attack the competitors, but they are usually severely injured and all die.

There is virtually no chance of survival.

It seems that this isn't the only blood sport enjoyed in leisure time. Goose pulling...

It's a common form of entertainment, and its content is exactly as the name suggests.

A goose is hung upside down from a large wooden frame resembling a doorway. A competitor on horseback charges at full speed and tears off the oiled goose's head with their bare hands.

It's actually still a popular sport today, but nowadays they use dead geese.

People from all walks of life have been captivated by this bizarre blood sport.

Rat bullying

A large animal (often a dog) is released into an enclosure containing rats. Spectators bet on how long it will take for the rats to be torn to pieces.

Blood sports themselves are quite familiar to modern people and are not particularly shocking. Bullfighting, cockfighting, dogfighting, octopus wrestling, and fox hunting are well-known examples.

The examples cited in this article are shocking because they involve actively harming harmless animals.

They torture animals without mercy—and laugh gleefully.

"That was so much fun the other day, Mary. You should try it too!"

"Oh, what are you talking about?"

"It's obviously to kill the fox!"

"Yes, let's take the kids with us!"

This conversation might have taken place!

In this day and age, animal cruelty leads to jail time. It's not like wealthy Americans in disguise are killing foxes.