Dimdima
Online Children's Magazine from India
Vinata, mother of Garuda, had been enslaved by the nagas after she had quarrelled with their mother, Kadru. The nagas offered to release Vinata from servitude if Garuda brought them amrita (nectar of immortality) from the moon.
Garuda brought the nectar after overcoming numerous obstacles, battling even the gods in the process.
The nagas were delighted when he placed the pot containing the nectar before them. They let Vinata go and then they went to wash themselves before partaking of the ambrosia.
On their return they found the pot missing. Indra had taken it away. The nagas feverishly tried to lick up the drops of nectar that had fallen on the darbha grass on which the pot had been kept. They didn't get much nectar, but the sharp blades of the grass slit their tongues.
Snakes ever since have had forked tongues.
Fact File: Snakes smell with the help of their tongues and an organ of smell called Jacobson's organ in the roof of the mouth. A forked tongue helps them smell better. Besides snakes, a few species of lizards too have forked tongues.
Dimdima is the Sanskrit word for ‘drumbeat’. In olden days, victory in battle was heralded by the beat of drums or any important news to be conveyed to the people used to be accompanied with drumbeats.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
K. M Munshi Marg,
Chowpatty, Mumbai - 400 007
email : editor@dimdima.com
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
505, Sane Guruji Marg,
Tardeo, Mumbai - 400 034
email : promo@dimdima.com
Dimdima.com, the Children's Website of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan launched in 2000 and came out with a Printed version of Dimdima Magazine in 2004. At present the Printed Version have more than 35,000 subscribers from India and Abroad.