Chital

The chital or cheetal (Axis axis), also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer, is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and in small numbers in Pakistan. The chital goes by various names in India, among which include: chital horin in Bengali, thith muwa in Sinhalese, jinke in Kannada, pulli maan in Tamil and Malayalam, jinka in Telugu, phutuki horin in Assamese, haran/harin in Marathi, and hiran in Hindi/Urdu (the latter two derived from harina, the Sanskrit cognate for 'deer'). It is the most common deer species in Indian forests. The name chital comes from the Bengali word chitral (চিত্রল)/chitra (চিত্রা), which means "spotted" in Bengali (from the Sanskrit "chitra", "variegated" or "spotted").

The chital is monotypic within the genus Axis, but this genus has also included three species that now are placed in Hyelaphus based on genetic evidence.

Description

The chital's coat is pinkish fawn, marked with white spots, and its underparts are also white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in a lyre shape and may extend to 75 cm (2.5 ft). Compared to the hog deer, its close relative, the chital has a more cursorial build. It also has a more advanced morphology with antler pedicles being proportionally short and its auditory bullae being smaller. It also has large nares. The male chital averages about 90 cm (35 in) tall at the shoulder, with a total length of 170 cm (67 in), including a 20 cm (7.9 in). Males, at a typical weight of 30 to 75 kg (66 to 165 lb), are somewhat larger than females, at 25 to 45 kg (55 to 99 lb). Exceptionally large males can weigh up to 98 to 110 kg (216 to 243 lb). Their lifespans are around 8–14 years.

Axis (novel)

Axis is a science fiction novel by author Robert Charles Wilson, published in 2007. It is a direct sequel to Wilson's Hugo Award-winning Spin, published two years earlier. The novel was a finalist for the 2008 John W. Campbell Award.

Plot

Axis takes place on the new planet introduced at the end of Spin, a world the Hypotheticals engineered to support human life and connected to Earth by way of the Arch that towers hundreds of miles over the Indian Ocean. Humans are colonizing this new world — and, predictably, fiercely exploiting its resources, chiefly large deposits of oil in the western deserts of the continent of Equatoria.

Lise Adams is a young woman attempting to uncover the mystery of her father's disappearance ten years earlier. Turk Findley is an ex-sailor and sometimes-drifter. They come together when showers of cometary dust seed the planet with tiny remnant Hypothetical machines. Soon, this seemingly hospitable world becomes very alien, as the nature of time is once again twisted by entities unknown.

Axis (song)

"Axis" is the first track from the Pet Shop Boys album Electric, released as a promotional single on 1 May 2013.

Background

"Axis" was written during the writing process for the duo's previous album Elysium. The song was produced by Stuart Price.

Live performances

It is being performed as the first and opening track on the Electric tour in a slightly shorter and more up-tempo version.

Release formats

The single has been released as a digital download and as a 12" vinyl single (released 15 July 2013). The Boys Noize Remix was also released as a digital download.

There are different versions of the song: the original album version, the shorter (and slightly remixed) video version, the edited live version and two Boys Noize remixes.

Charts

References

External links

Axis (technical festival)

AXIS is the annual technical festival of the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur. Traditionally held in the month of September or early October, AXIS has grown to become one of the largest technical festivals in India and the largest in Central India. AXIS organises over 40 events, exhibitions and workshops, encompassing multiple engineering disciplines, with an aim to provide a national platform to attract and nurture talent in the fields of science and technology. AXIS also undertakes various social initiatives which strive to bring about a change in the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. Started in 2004 after merging two traditionally held festivals - the IEEE Expressions and Odyssey, AXIS has come a long way from its modest beginnings and annually attracts over 25,000 school and college students from different parts of the country.

Structure and Organisation

AXIS is an entirely student organised event. At its helm are the 12 core committee members, who overlook all the aspects of the techfest and manage the finances, publicity and logistics, among others. Each event has its own (third year) event managers and (second year) organisers, who interact directly with the core team. AXIS also has the assistance of professors-in-charge, who are the professors in VNIT. The strong and well-established VNIT Alumni also assist the coordinators in varied aspects of different events.