User Forum

(1) Michael Jackson was once one of the world’s most popular entertainers. He became a star as a child and later became so well known as a singer, songwriter, and dancer that he was known as the King of Pop.

(2) Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. When he was 5, he joined four of his brothers in a musical group called the Jackson 5. In 1969, they signed a recording contract with Motown Records. They soon became stars with several hit songs, and Michael became the lead singer.

(3) While he sang and performed with the Jackson 5, he also made recordings on his own. By the late 1970s, he began to pursue a career on his own. His first solo album, “Off the Wall”, appeared in 1979. It was the best-selling album of the year. In 1982, Jackson released his album “Thriller”. It would become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Several songs on the album were hit singles as well, including “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, and “Beat It”. The music video for the album showed off Jackson’s dancing abilities as well as his singing. Other albums included Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HI Story: Past, Present, and Future, Book One (1995), and Invincible (2001).

(4) Jackson also worked on various projects with other artists. In 1978, he acted in the film “The Wiz”. Seven years later, he wrote a song with Lionel Richie. Performances of the song, called “We Are the World”, raised money for starving people in Africa.

(5) In 1997, Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Jackson 5. In 2001, he was inducted as an individual artist. In the 1990s, however, his reputation had begun to suffer. Some people thought that he acted oddly. He was accused of mistreating children and went on trial. He was found not guilty, but he lost much of his fortune during this period.

(6) Jackson was planning a series of concerts to make a comeback when he died suddenly on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, California. “This Is It”, a film featuring rehearsals for the concerts, was released in October 2009.

Hakka and Bukka were brothers as well as warriors. The brothers wanted to build their own kingdom where people could live without fear. They collected a band of young men and trained them in warfare. They lived in a forest hideout on the banks of the river Tungabhadra in South India.

One day, the brothers were out on a hunt with ferocious dogs accompanying them. They crossed the river and rode on. A couple of frightened rabbits ran out of the bushes. The dogs gave them chase with the two brothers following closely behind on their horses.

It was a long chase. The rabbits kept on running for their lives and the dogs were catching up. Suddenly, in a swift move, the rabbits turned and faced the dogs head on. Taken aback by the show of defiance, the barking dogs stepped back. Hakka called back the dogs. As the dogs turned back, the rabbits walked away calmly. Hakka looked around. They were on the other side of the Tungabhadra. It was a rocky land. The sun was blazing in the sky.

“Strange! I’ve never seen rabbits challenging dogs before!” said Bukka. “That’s the quality of this land,” said a quiet voice. “Even rabbits face their fears and fight.”

Startled to hear a stranger speak, the two brothers turned. They saw a holy man walking towards them. He was a picture of peace and tranquillity. At the same time, his eyes were blazing bright. The brothers fell at his feet.

“You must be Vidyaranya, the famous sage of Sringeri,” said Hakka. “And you are the brothers struggling to build a kingdom–Hakka and Bukka,” said the saint with a smile.

The brothers had heard that Vidyaranya was doing penance on the banks of the Tungabhadra. Nobody knew of his exact whereabouts. And here he was, giving them his blessings!

“There are hundreds of kingdoms. Tell me, in what way will your kingdom be different?” asked Vidyaranya.

“Our kingdom will have a strong foundation,” said Hakka, speaking slowly, weighing every word. “The foundation of Dharma–truth and justice.”

Vidyaranya smiled, “I’m satisfied with your response. Truth and justice. Peace and prosperity. You will build an empire that will stand for the victory of truth and justice. Its name shall be Vijayanagara. Build your capital at the very place that knows no fear, where even rabbits become courageous!”

The brothers bowed. Soon Vijayanagara emerged as a powerful empire on the banks of the Tungabhadra, with Hampi as its capital.