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Sonipat सोनीपत
—  city  —
Sonipat Location of Sonipat in Haryana and India
Coordinates	28°59′N 77°01′E / 28.98°N 77.02°E / 28.98; 77.02Coordinates: 28°59′N 77°01′E / 28.98°N 77.02°E / 28.98; 77.02
Country	India
State	Haryana
District(s)	Sonipat
Member of Parliament	Jitender Singh Malik
Member of Legislative Assembly	Kavita Jain
Population	279,175 (2011[update])
Sex ratio	1.19 ♂/♀
Literacy	73%
Official languages	English, Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation • Coastline	• 224.15 metres (735.4 ft) • 0 kilometres (0 mi)
Codes • Pincode • 131001-05 • Telephone • +91-0130-05 • Vehicle • HR-10 HR-11 HR-13 HR-69 HR-70 HR-88 HR-99(TEMPORARY)
Website	http://www.sonipat.nic.in/

Sonipat (Hindi: सोनीपत), also spelled as Sonepat, is an ancient town and a municipal council in the Sonipat district in the state of Haryana, India. It comes under the National Capital Region and is around 20 km from Delhi's Border. The Yamuna River runs along the eastern boundary of the district. Sonipat comprises 3 sub-divisions namely Sonipat, Ganaur and Gohana and seven blocks (Sonipat, Ganaur, Rai, Kharkhoda, Gohana, Kathura and Mundlana). It has been carved out of Rohtak and made a full fledged district on 22 December 1972.

Its believed that Sonipat was founded as Swarnaprastha by the five Pandava brothers during the times of Mahabharata. Its one of the five Preasthas or towns demanded by Yudhisthira from Duryodhana as the price of peace. Another legend ascribed it to Raja Soni, the thirteenth descendent of Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers. Both the traditions are without substance. There is no mention of Sonipat in the Mahabharata, although it has been noted much earlier by the great grammarian Panini in his celebrated Ashtadhyayi. The town was therefore already in existence around 600 B.C.

Geography[link]

Sonipat is located at 28°59′N 77°01′E / 28.98°N 77.02°E / 28.98; 77.02.^[1] It has an average elevation of 224.15 meter above the sea level (735.4 feet).

Topographically Sonipat district is divided into three regions - Khadar, Upland Plain and Sandy Region. Sonipat city is lying on upland plains, which is covered with old alluvium, which if properly irrigated, is highly productive. Extensive farming of crops, oilseeds, horticultural plants, vegetables and flowers, is undertaken in this region. Broadly speaking, the district is a continuous part of the Haryana-Punjab plain but the area is not levelled in some parts. Sonipat District has fine loamy soil with rich color. However, some areas have sandy soil.

Sonipat borders Delhi (National Capital) in south, Panipat district in the north, Uttar Pradesh state in the east and Rohtak district in the west. The total area of Sonipat district is 2,260 km².

Demographics[link]

As of 2011^[update] India census,^[2] Population of Sonipat is 1,279,175 with a sex ratio of 839 women per 1000 men. The growth rate(1991–2001) of population is 22.36%.

Sonipat has an average literacy rate of 72.79%(male literacy: 83.06%, female literacy: 60.68%). Males constitute 54.38% of the population and females 45.62%.

Ancient History[link]

According to legend, Sonipat was earlier known as Sonprastha, which later on became Swarnprastha, meaning the "Golden City": derived from two Sanskrit words, Swarn (Gold) and Prastha (Place). Over a period of time, the classical name Swarnprasth's pronunciation degraded into Swarnpath, and then to its current form, Sonipat.

The another reference of this city comes in the epic Mahabharata, and at that time, it was one of the five villages demanded by the Pandavas in lieu of the kingdom of Hastinapur. The other four villages were Panprastha (Panipat), Baghprastha (Baghpat), Tilprastha (Tilpat) and Indraprastha.

Places of Interest[link]

Khwaja Khizar Tomb

Khwaja Khizar Tomb[link]

Tomb of Khwaja Khizar houses the remains of the saint who lived during the rule of Ibrahim Lodhi. The structure was built in the periods between 1522 and 1525 AD. Khwaja Khizr was Darya Khan's son. Tomb stands on an elevated platform. It is one of the few monuments where red sandstone along with ‘kankar’ blocks have been used.

The ceiling is decorative and comprises floral designs that come in multicolors. The hues of yellow, red, and green make the ceiling quite colorful. The cenotaph chamber is surrounded by a dome-shaped structure which rests on a small drum of octagonal shape. Now its under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and surrounded by 4 acre of lush green gardens.^[3]

Yamuna River[link]

Main water system in the district comprises River Yamuna and the irrigation canals flowing out of it. The river flows besides the rural belt in the eastern side of district. It also acts as a natural boundary between state of Haryana and the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Illuminated Chintpurni Mandir

Temples & Churches[link]

Atlas Shri Ram Temple is the one of the oldest temple in Sonipat. During the Janmashtami(birth anniversary of Lord Krishna) it is beautifully decorated and illuminated. Shiv Temple having a big statue of Lord Shiva. It is situated on Sonipat-Murthal road. Baba Dham is one of the attractive religious place in city. Shankar Kui is one of the oldest temple in Sonepat and his age need to be discovered. Its having many small temples in it (Radha Krishana Temple, Shiv Temple, Shani Temple, Sai Temple and many more) and also two big statue of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman. Mata Chintpurni Mandir situated in Sector 14. Sai Dham is situated on Sonipat By-Pass road. Methodist Mission Church at Mission School Campus near Mission Chowk. Holy Child Church at Holy Child School Campus, Patel Nagar.

Mughal Buildings[link]

At the outskirts of the city one can enjoy the site of Mughal Buildings which lie unprotected. Among them is the Mosque of Abdullah Nasir-ud-din, who was a descendant from Mushid of Iran.

Economy[link]

Industries[link]

Industry revolution of the city is started in 50's with Atlas cycle industry. Since then many small and big industries has been established. A few industries in Sonipat are listed below. Despite these, there are many Industrial Areas which are having numerous number of micro, small and medium scale industries.

Atlas Cycle Industry

When the car company Maruti was less well known, more than 95% of India's vehicle-owning population owned a bicycle. That time Sonipat was the home of one of the biggest cycle manufacturer - Atlas cycle.^[4] Atlas Cycles started its odyssey way back in 1951 and today it is one of the largest manufacturer of bicycles in the world. Now, Atlas Cycles (Sonepat) has also bagged ISO 9001: 2000 certificate by implementing the latest International Quality Management System.

Electric Construction & Equipment Co. Ltd.

A Company of B. K. Birla Group which is well known as E.C.E.^[5] or Birla Company. Which manufactures Transformer and Switchgear. It is situated near Sector 12 on Delhi road.

OSRAM India

Former it was the part of E.C.E. but in October 1998 it's acquired by OSRAM.^[6] The OSRAM plant in Sonipat is the fourth in India and the seventh in the world to be awarded the Best4 (Business Excellence Sustainability Task) Integrated Management certification by RINA. The Sonepat Plant has also been honored with the Siemens Environmental Award 2006. It manufactures Electric Bulb, Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and Tubelight.

LT Overseas

LT Overseas^[7] is a global rice food company.Daawat Rice is their product. It is one of the major organization in Haryana involved in milling, processing and marketing of branded basmati rice. LT Overseas Sonipat rice processing plant is Asia's only plant with SQF Certification. It is situated on NH 1.

An agricultural area

Agriculture[link]

Despite recent industrial development, Haryana is primarily an agricultural state. The main crops are wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds, pulses, barley, maize, millet etc. Presently, rice and sugarcane cultivation is undertaken in the Khadar area and oilseeds, horticultural plants, vegetables and flowers, is cultivated in upland plains of district. The main source of irrigation is tube wells and canals. There are two main types of crops: Rabi and Kharif. The major Kharif crops of Haryana are rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, jute, sugarcane, sesame and groundnut. For these crops the ground is prepared in April and May and the seeds are sown at the commencement of rains in June. The crops are ready for harvesting by the beginning of November. The major Rabi crops are wheat, tobacco, pulses, linseed, rapeseed and mustard. The ground is prepared by the end of October or the beginning of November and the crops are harvested by March. Dairy farming forms an essential part of rural economy. Animal husbandry has been taken up as an integral component of diversified agriculture.

Climate[link]

Climate of Sonipat is dry with hot summer and a cold winter. The weather becomes milder during the monsoon (period July to September). The post-monsoon months October and November constitute a transition period, prior to the onset of winter.

The winter starts in December when day and night temperatures fall rapidly. January is the coldest month when the mean daily minimum temperature is 6 to 7 ⁰C. During cold waves, the minimum temperature may go down to the freezing point of water, and frosts can occur. During the summer months of May and June, the maximum temperature sometimes reaches 47°C. Temperature drops considerably with the advancement of monsoon in June. However, the night temperature during this period continues to be high.

The annual rainfall varies considerably from year to year. However, the maximum rainfall is experienced during the monsoon season, which reaches it's peak in the month of July. In fact, the monsoon period accounts for 75% of the annual rainfall in the district. On an average there are 24 days in a year with rainfall of 2.5 mm (or more) per day in district Sonepat. Humidity is considerably low during the greater part of the year. The district experiences high humidity only during the monsoon period. The period of minimum humidity (less than 20%) is between April and May. During the monsoon, the sky is heavily clouded, and winds are strong in this period. Winds are generally light during the post-monsoon and winter months.^[8]

Culture[link]

Food[link]

A cake of Ghevar

Sonipat is famous for its monsoon time sweet dish Ghevar. It is also well known for its Dhabas (local restaurants) at Murthal on Grand Trunk Road for its Pranthas.

Here food includes ghee and butter as they are home made and is used liberally in their routine diet. The home made butter is known as Nooni Ghee and is daily churned fresh in most homes. Some of the popular food in Haryana is Hara Dhania Cholia, Kadhi Pakora, Bathua Raita, Bajra Aloo Roti, Kachri ki Sabzi, Bhura Roti with Ghee, Kheer, Churma, Malpuas and Besan Masala Roti with Makhan (Butter). The food is considered to be incomplete without Lassi and Thandai.

Festivals[link]

Lohri is the marks of winter culmination, and is celebrated on the 13 Jan a day before Makar Sankranti. People gather round the bonfires, throw sweets, puffed rice and popcorn into the flames, sing songs and exchange greetings. Basant Panchami is celebrated in Haryana, Delhi and Punjab to welcome spring season. The main attraction of this festival is Kite flying. Baisakhi is the New Year's Day for Panjabis is celebrated with joyous music and dancing . It falls on April 13, though once in 36 years it occurs on 14th April. Holi is a religious spring festival also known as festival of Colors. People throw Gulal (scented powder) and colors on each other. Men folk throw water on women who retaliate by a mock beating with sticks or kolras (twisted cloth strips). Janamashtami is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temples witness an extravagant and colorful celebration on this occasion. Gugga Naumi is a religious festival, celebrated all over Haryana. It is connected with snake-worship and observed in August-September. Dusshera is probably the chief Hindu festival, being associated with the great Epic Ramayana and its renowned hero, Rama. Ram Leela is enacted in various places. On the last day the effigies of the demon king Ravana and his supporters are burned, which forms the concluding event. Diwali is a festival of lights symbolizing the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness. It is celebrated 20 days after Dusshera. This festival commemorates Lord Ram's return to his kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14-year exile. Twinkling diyas and candles light up every home and firework displays are common all across the country. The goddess Lakshmi, who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity, is also worshipped on this day. Lord Ganesh, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day.

Education[link]

Universities[link]

Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology[link]

Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University Of Science and Technology is situated at the Sonepat-Murthal road is the University in the field of Science & Technology in Haryana. Earlier, it was known as Chhotu Ram State College of Engineering. It is spread over 274 acres (1.11 km²) of land and is in very congenial rural environmental setting providing for an ideal place for attaining excellence in Education and Research.It offers Undergraduate programmes in Architecture, Bio-Medical Engineering, Bio-technology, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business Management, English Communication, and M.SC. in Science subjects. Besides the Undergraduate Programmes, Post Graduate Programmes are available in most of the Subjects. M.Tech. in most engineering branches, and in the newly created Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology is offered. The university proposes to set up Centre of Excellence in the fields of Highway Safety, Estate Management, Community Development and Business Incubation. A Center of Excellence for Energy and Environmental Studies offers M.Tech. degree. A Renewable Energy Test Center has been set up in collaboration with HAREDA for testing renewable energy devices.

O.P. Jindal Global University[link]

O.P. Jindal Global University is a non-profit global university established by the Haryana Private Universities (Second Amendment) Act, 2009. JGU is established in memory of the Mr. O.P. Jindal as a philanthropic initiative of Mr. Naveen Jindal, the Founding Chancellor. The University Grants Commission has accorded its recognition to O.P. Jindal Global University. The vision of JGU is to promote global courses, global programmes, global curriculum, global research, global collaborations, and global interaction through a global faculty. JGU is situated on a 60-acre state of the art residential campus. JGU’s global vision is also recognised by many institutions worldwide and has enabled JGU to develop international collaborations with the United Nations University, Harvard University, Yale University, University of Michigan, Cornell University, New York University, King’s College London, University of Cambridge, and many other reputed universities and educational institutions worldwide. JGU has established four schools: Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Jindal Global Business School (JGBS)^[9] and Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA) and Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP).^[10]

Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya[link]

This is the First university for Woman in North India situated at Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat. The University has 185 acres (0.75 km²) existing campus and there is a proposal to acquire 450 acres (1.8 km²) of more land. It promises a world class infrastructure in the University. The proposed direct road connectivity with the National Highway no.1 (Sher Shah Suri Marg / GT Road) will substantially reduce its distance from Delhi. The University has various Institutions running, a Central Library, hostels for the students and Faculty houses for the Lecturers. New Institutions and Teaching blocks for the existing and proposed new courses with the latest infrastructure, hostels, modern Faculty Houses and Staff Houses are coming up fast. Apart from this, a new Central Library with all the modern facilities, Auditoriums for co-curricular and extracurricular activities and indoor and outdoor stadiums for sports activities are proposed in the next phase of construction which will cater to the demands of about 10000 students.

Many thousand students, already enrolled, with the various colleges of the university are getting education and training in professional courses like BAMS, B.Ed, D.Ed, Diploma in Electronics and Communication, Computer Engineering, Pharmacy, Library and Information Science, MLT, IT and Modern Office Practice. Five year and three year LLB courses are imparted at PSD Girls Law College. To crown all these efforts are the Learning Resource Centres in the University which train all the students, irrespective of their professional field, in English.^[11]

Colleges[link]

The Sonipat Hindu Educational & Charitable society has been active since 1914 and has established 14 institutions offering programmes at secondary, senior secondary, graduate and post graduate levels in the fields of Science, Arts, Commerce, Pharmacy, Education, Engineering and Technology. The number of students in all these institutions is over 20,000. Hindu Boys College, Hindu Girls College, Hindu College of Education, Hindu College of Pharmacy, Hindu Institute of Management, Hindu Institute of Technology, Hindu College OF Engineering are the colleges which is being run by this Society.^[12]

Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Gita bhawan (Regd.) Sonipat is a another charitable trust which is very active in the field of education in city. Society is running Gita Vidya Mandir College of Pharmacy and Gita Vidya Mandir Girls College in Sonipat.

There are many colleges in the field of Arts, Commerce, Hospitality, Pharmacy, Education, Engineering, Technology and Management. Some of them are Bhagwan Mahaveer Institute of Engineering & Technology, Bhagwan Parshuram College of Engineering, Bharat Institute of Technology, CRA College, Delhi Institute of Technology & Management, Gateway College of Architecture & Design, Gateway Institute of Engineering and Technology, Gateway Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Govt. Polytechnic, Royal Institute of Management and Technology, Shri Balwant Institute of Technology, South Point Women Institute of Engineering, Tek Chand Mann College of Engineering, Tika Ram P.G. Girls College and many another.

Sports[link]

Indian Wrestlers or Pehlwan

Sports Authority of India has established there Northern Regional Center SAI, Ch. Devi Lal Regional Center at Sonipat to provides world-class facilities to the athletes here.

In July 1973 Government of Haryana established Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, Sonipat^[13] to provide excellent education facilities with extra emphasis on sports. Here breed of athletes for Hockey, Basketball, Lawntennis, Horseridding, Gymnastics, Swimming, Rifle Shooting, Volleyball, Boxing, Cricket and Football, are being produced.

Yogeshwar Dutt (Wrestling-Freestyle) and Seema Antil (Discus Thrower) are Gold and Bronze winner in Commonwealth Games 2010- New Delhi, are from Sonipat.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sonipat

• Official Website
• Sonipat City Portal
• Sonipat District Portal

v t e Sonipat district topics Cities and towns Ganaur Gohana Kharkhoda Sonipat Education Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya Transport NH 1 Lok Sabha constituencies Sonipat

Pandit Motilal Nehru
Congress President
In office 1919–1920
Preceded by	Syed Hasan Imam
Succeeded by	Lala Lajpat Rai
Congress President
In office 1928–1929
Preceded by	Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari
Succeeded by	Jawaharlal Nehru
Personal details
Born	(1861-05-06)6 May 1861 Agra [1]
Died	6 February 1931(1931-02-06) (aged 69)
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Indian National Congress
Alma mater	University of Cambridge
Occupation	Freedom fighter Activist
Religion	Hindu

Motilal Nehru (6 May 1861 – 6 February 1931) was a lawyer, an activist of the Indian National Movement and an important leader of the Indian National Congress, who also served as the Congress President twice, 1919–1920 and 1928–1929. He was the founder patriarch of India's most powerful political family, the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Early life and education[link]

The family of Motilal Nehru, with him seated in the centre.

The Nehrus originally Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir, settled in Delhi in the beginning of 18th century, where Motilal Nehru's grandfather, Lakshmi Narayan, became the first lawyer (Vakil) of the East India Company at the Mughal Imperial Court of Delhi after 1812. His father Gangadhar, was a police constable (Kotwal)^{[citation needed]} in Delhi in 1857, and during the Bengal Mutiny, when the British troops began shelling their way into the city, he fled to Agra along with his wife Jeorani and four children. He died here four years later, and three months after his death, his youngest son Motilal was born.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}

He spent the early part of childhood in Khetri, second largest thikana estate within the princely Jaipur State, now in Rajasthan, where his elder brother, Nandlal was Diwan (Chief Minister). Thereafter in 1870, when Nandlal left his job, qualified as a lawyer and started practicing English law at Agra, the family moved with him. Subsequently the High Court shifted base to Allahabad, and the family settled there.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

He became one of the first generation of young Hindu's to receive a Western-style college education. He passed the matriculation examination from Kanpur, and went on to attend Muir Central College at Allahabad,^[1] but failed to appear for the final year B.A. examinations. Later he qualified "Bar at law" from University of Cambridge and then enlisted as a lawyer in the English courts. Honored with “Proud Past Alumni" in the list of 42 members, from "Allahabad University Alumni Association", NCR^[6]

Career[link]

Motilal passed lawyer examination in 1883, started practicing as a lawyer at Kanpur, three years he moved to Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh., as his elder brother Nandlal already had a lucrative practice at the High Court. Here he became a barrister and settled in the city. The following year, in April 1887 his brother Nandlal died at the age of forty-two, leaving behind five sons and two daughters, thus Motilal at the age of 25 became sole bread-winner of the family.^[1] Many of Motilal's suits involved civil cases and soon he made a mark for himself in the legal profession of Allahabad. With the success of his practice, in 1900 he bought a large family home in the Civil Lines of the city, rebuilt it and named as Anand Bhavan (lit. Happy house).^[1] In 1909 he reached the pinnacle of his legal career by gaining the approval to appear in the Privy Council of Great Britain. His frequent visits to Europe, angered the Kashmiri Brahmin community as he refused to perform the traditional "prayashchit" or reformation ceremony after crossing the ocean (according to Orthodox Hinduism, one lost his caste after crossing the ocean, and was required to perform certain rites to regain caste). He was the first Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Leader, and a leading daily published from Allahabad.^[7]

On February 5, 1919 he launched a new daily paper, the Independent, as a counterblast to the Leader, which was much too liberal for Motilal's standard and articulate thought in 1919.^[1]

He started on the path to become wealthy among the few leaders of the Indian National Congress. Under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi in 1918, Nehru became one of the first to transform his life to exclude western clothes and material goods, adopting a more native Indian lifestyle. To meet the expenses of his large family and large family homes (he built Swaraj Bhavan later), Nehru had to occasionally return to his practice of law.

Political career[link]

Motilal Nehru twice served as President of the Congress Party, once in Amritsar (1919) and the second time in Calcutta (1928).^[1] Elected to preside over the Amritsar Congress (December 1919), Motilal was in the centre of the gathering storm which pulled down many familiar landmarks during the following year. He was the only front rank leader to lend his support to non-cooperation at the special Congress at Calcutta in September 1920.The Calcutta Congress (December 1928) over which Motilal presided was the scene of a head-on clash between those who were prepared to accept Dominion Status and those who would have nothing short of complete independence. A split was averted by a via media proposed by Gandhiji, according to which if Britain did not concede Dominion Status within a year, the Congress was to demand complete independence and to fight for it, if necessary, by launching civil disobedience.^[1] He was arrested during the Non-Cooperation Movement. Although initially close to Gandhi, he openly criticized Gandhi's suspension of civil resistance in 1922 due to the murder of policemen by a riotous mob in Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh. Motilal joined the Swaraj Party, which sought to enter the British-sponsored councils.

In 1923, Nehru was elected to the new Central Legislative Assembly of British India in New Delhi and became leader of the Opposition. In that role, he was able to secure the defeat, or at least the delay, of Finance bills and other legislation. He agreed to join a Committee with the object of promoting the recruitment of Indian officers into the Indian Army, but this decision contributed to others going further and joining the Government itself.^[8]

In March 1926, Nehru demanded a representative conference to draft a constitution conferring full Dominion status on India, to be and enacted by the parliament. This demand was rejected by the Assembly, and as a result Nehru and his colleagues left the Assembly and returned to the Congress.^[8]

The entry of Motilal's glamorous, highly-educated son Jawaharlal Nehru into politics in 1916, started the most powerful and influential Indian political dynasty. When in 1929, Motilal Nehru handed over the Congress presidency to Jawaharlal (Jawaharlal was elected, with Gandhi's backing), it greatly pleased Motilal and Nehru family admirers to see the son take over from his father. Jawaharlal had opposed his father's preference for dominion status, and had not left the Congress Party when Motilal helped found the Swaraj Party.

Unlike Jawaharlal Nehru who, though he had initial camaraderie and even organizational connections with national revolutionaries turned communists of the type of Veerendranath Chattopadhyaya (Sarojini Naidu's elder brother), was not that favourbaly disposed towards national revolutionaries (called terrorists in those days) of any sort, either conservative or socialist, Motilal Nehru had no qualms in keeping relations with nationalist revolutionaries, especially of the progressive, liberal socialist sections among them like that of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (Azad, Bhagat Singh, etc.). Chandrasekhar Azad was a frequent visitor to Motilal Nehru (of course incognito to others) and received occasional or frequent monetary help from him^{[citation needed]}. More so, Azad held him in great veneration. When Yashpal planned bomb explosion underneath the Viceroy's train in December 1929 just before the Congress session, and somehow having a hunch of the things Motilal questioned Azad and asked him to defer that action at least till the Congress was over, Azad readily conceded and sent a word to Yashpal to immediately stop the action.^{[citation needed]} Of course, it is entirely a different matter that Yashpal defied Azad's command and went on to explode but the Viceroy miraculously escaped. Later when Motilal Nehru died on 6 February 1931 Azad was all in tears, weeping like a child on the death of his father. At great risk to his personal safety Azad joined the funeral procession in Allahabad and walked all the way and stayed until the cremation was over. It seems one or two days afterwards Azad met Jawaharlal also and Jawaharlal gave him some money asking him to go into exile to Soviet Union preferably.^{[citation needed]} But we all know Azad, due to treachery, was shot dead in a real encounter at Alfred Park, Allahabad (now renamed Azad Park) on 27 February 1931. Also Motilal Nehru was all in praise for the daring Chittagong Armoury Raids (April 18, 1930) by the national revolutionaries of Bengal under Surya Sen and seemed to have enquired whether such meticulous action was the work of any ex-Army men among the revolutionaries.^{[citation needed]}

Nehru report[link]

Motilal Nehru chaired the famous Nehru Commission in 1928, that was a counter to the all-British Simon Commission. Nehru's Report, the first constitution written by Indians only, conceived a dominion status for India within the Empire, akin to Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It was endorsed by the Congress Party, but rejected by more radical Indians who sought complete independence, and by many Muslims who didn't feel their interests, concerns and rights were properly represented.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Motilal Nehru married Swaroop Rani, a Kashmiri Brahmin. His eldest son Jawaharlal was born in 1889, followed by two daughters, Sarup (later Vijayalakshmi Pandit) and Krishna (later Krishna Hutheesing) born in 1900 and 1907 respectively.

Death and legacy[link]

Motilal Nehru's age and declining health kept him out of the historic events of 1929-1931, when the Congress adopted complete independence as its goal and when Gandhi launched the Salt Satyagraha. He was arrested and imprisoned with his son; but his health gave way and he was released. In the last week of January 1931 Gandhiji and the Congress Working Committee were released by the Government as a gesture in that chain of events which was to lead to the Gandhi-lrwin Pact. Motilal had the satisfaction of having his son and Gandhiji beside him in his last days. On February 6, 1931 he died.^[1]

Motilal Nehru is largely remembered for being the patriarch of India's most powerful political dynasty which has since produced three Prime Ministers. Son of his great-grandson is a Member of Parliament and General Secretary of Congress Party.^[9] Also the widow of another great-grandson Sanjay Gandhi, Mrs Maneka Gandhi as well as her son Varun Gandhi are member's of India's Parliament representing the main opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Today there are a number of educational institution named after him, like Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Motilal Nehru College, Delhi, and Motilal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad. A prominent road in Central Delhi is named after him.

Family and descendants[link]

Nehru has the following descendants, most of whom played an active role in the Politics of India:

• Lakshmi Narayan Nehru
• Ganga Dhar Nehru (son of Lakshmi Narayan Nehru, Kotwal of Delhi)
• Motilal Nehru (son of Ganga Dhar Nehru) president of congress party
• Nand lal Nehru (son of Ganga Dhar Nehru, Diwan of Khetri State)
• Bansi Dhar Nehru (son of Ganga Dhar Nehru)
• Pt Braj Lal Nehru (son of Nand Lal Nehru, Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir)
• Rameshwari Nehru (wife of Braj lal Nehru)
• Pt Braj Kumar Nehru (son of Braj Lal Nehru, Economic Minister in the Embassy of India in Washington, Indian Director of the World Bank, Ambassador to the USA, High Commissioner to U.K, Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat)
• Swaraj Mati Nehru (relative of Jawaharlal Nehru Member of Parliament
• Jawaharlal Nehru (son of Motilal - late Prime Minister of India)
• Kamala Nehru (wife of Jawaharlal Nehru)
• shyam lal Nehru (son of Nand lal Nehru) Member of Legislative Assembly
• Uma Nehru (wife of Shyam lal Nehru) Member of Parliament
• Shyam kumari (daughter of Shyam lal Nehru) Member of Rajya Sabha
• Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (daughter of Motilal Nehru, Cabinet minister, Governor, and ambassador to the USSR, USA, Mexico, High Commissioner to UK and President of the UN General Assembly)
• Krishna Hutheesing (daughter of Motilal Nehru)
• Ajit Hutheesing (son of Krishna Nehru Hutheesing)
• Nayantara Sahgal (daughter of Vijaya Lakshmi - eminent writer on women's issues and politics)
• Prof. Kailas Nath Kaul (brother-in-law of Jawaharlal Nehru), renowned botanist and world authority on palms
• Sheila Kaul (aunt of Indira Gandhi) was a Minister and Governor
• Vikram Kaul (son of Sheila Kaul)
• Deepa Kaul (daughter of Sheila Kaul, former minister, Uttar Pradesh)
• Indira Gandhi (daughter of Jawaharlal - late Prime Minister of India)
• Feroze Gandhi (husband of Indira Gandhi, Member of Parliament
• Arun Nehru (son of Shyam Kumari) Member of Parliament
• Rajiv Gandhi (son of Indira - late Prime Minister of India)
• Sanjay Gandhi (son of Indira) Member of Parliament
• Sonia Gandhi (wife of Rajiv - Italy-born - MP current Parliament of India): President of the Indian National Congress, Leader of the Majority
• Maneka Gandhi (wife of Sanjay - MP current Parliament of India)
• Rahul Gandhi (son of Rajiv Gandhi - MP current Parliament of India)
• Varun Gandhi (son of Sanjay Gandhi)- MP current Parliament of India)
• Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (daughter of Rajiv Gandhi)
• Nikhil Ajit Hutheesing (son of Ajit Hutheesing)
• Vivek Ajit Hutheesing (son of Ajit Hutheesing)
• Ravi Ajit Hutheesing (Son of Ajit Hutheesing)

Works[link]

• The Voice of Freedom: selected speeches of Pandit Motilal Nehru. ed. Kavalam Madhava Panikkar, A. Pershad. Asia Pub. House, 1961
• Motilal Nehru: essays and reflections on his life and times, by Preet Chablani. S. Chand, 1961.
• Selected Works of Motilal Nehru (Volume 1-6), ed. Ravinder Kumar, D. N. Panigrahi. Vikas Pub., 1995. ISBN 0-7069-1885-1.

Biographies[link]

• Pandit Motilal Nehru: His life and work, by Upendra Chandra Bhattacharyya, Shovendu Sunder Chakravarty. Modern Book Agency, 1934
• Motilal Nehru: a short political biography, by A. Pershad, Promilla Suri. S. Chand, 1961.
• Motilal Nehru (Builders of modern India), by Bal Ram Nanda. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1964.
• Pandit Motilal Nehru, a great patriot, with D. C. Goswami, R. K. Nayak, Shankar Dayal Singh. National Forum of Lawyers and Legal Aid, 1976

See also[link]

• Political Families of The World

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Katherine Frank, Indira: the life of Indira Nehru Gandhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru, My Autobiography

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Little Angels are a hard rock band of the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. The band reformed in 2012 and will play the Download Festival.

History and members[link]

Little Angels formed in Scarborough, England in 1984, under the name Mr Thrud. The founding members were Toby Jepson (vocalist), Mark Plunkett (bassist), Dave Hopper (drummer) and the brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson (guitarist and keyboardist respectively). Michael Lee joined the band to replace Hopper around 1988/89, when the band changed their name to Little Angels and began to achieve national success.

It was at this time that the band met Kevin Nixon who would become their manager and label boss when he signed them to his York-based company Powerstation Records. Eventually out-growing the local scene the band signed to Polydor Records, allegedly a deal done backstage at the old Marquee Club on Charing Cross Road.^{[citation needed]}

Lee was sacked from Little Angels during the Young Gods tour, after it was discovered he had auditioned for The Cult behind their backs. He went on to play the full Ceremony world tour. Lee was replaced by Mark Richardson, who filled in for him on several tour dates, before taking his place officially during the recording of the band's third album, Jam.

"The Big Bad Horns" ("Big" Dave Kemp on saxophone, Frank Mizen on trombone and Grant Kirkhope on trumpet) had become synonymous with the 'Angels' sound over the years, contributing to a large majority of their recorded output, and appearing live with the band more often than not. However, they were keen to remain independent from the band, so appearances on stage and record are credited to Little Angels & The Big Bad Horns.

Little Angels were successful in the UK and cracked the U.S. to some extent, although not enough to satisfy their record label.^{[citation needed]} Nonetheless, they had a massive profile in the UK, playing with Van Halen (who Jepson would be approached to join in 1996) and Bon Jovi, amongst others. In an act of extraordinary generosity Van Halen gave the band their entire back-line for free at the end of the UK tour.

Despite the seemingly disappointing record sales, they followed the announcement of their split by playing a sold-out six date UK tour culminating in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

After Little Angels[link]

After the demise of Little Angels, the Dickinson brothers would form b.l.o.w. with Richardson and the former No Sweat guitarist (turned vocalist) Dave Gooding. Jepson recorded and toured an album, Ignorance Is Bliss, under the moniker "Toby and the Whole Truth", which was intended to launch a solo career, but illness scuppered the tour & his immediate plans. He would spend subsequent years away from the spotlight before a solo return in 2002.

When b.l.o.w. folded, Jimmy Dickinson became a member of the synthpop group Younger Younger 28's who had some success in Japan, and who released one album, Soap, on the V2 label. He went on to play with the One Hit Wonders, and is now working as a teacher at the Westwood School of Music in Scarborough, including a course in electronic music.

Bruce John Dickinson went on to teach at, and manage, The Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey. He is now the Managing Director of the Brighton Institute of Modern Music which he set up with former Angels manager, Kevin Nixon.

Mark Richardson joined Skunk Anansie to replace their original drummer. When that band folded, he joined Feeder, following the suicide of their original drummer Jon Lee. He remained with the band until the end of 2008 when he re-joined Skunk Anansie for a greatest hits tour & album, and new material.

Mark Plunkett (bass) turned his hand to artist management. Surprisingly for many, he went on to manage first Boyzone, then Ronan Keating.

Michael Lee worked as a jobbing drummer, often playing with Robert Plant.

After a long while away from the spotlight, Jepson struck out on his own in 2001, touring the "Refresh EP" in early 2002 and onwards. Financial pressures sadly put the brakes on this solo venture, and it looked as though he would once again withdraw from the stage. However, he made a return as a solo artist supporting Thunder on their 2006 UK tour and has - once again - performed solo since then.

A spot as guest vocalist for Gun, at a charity gig in Glasgow promoted by rockradio, on the January 8th 2008 resulted in him taking the role permanently. This was confirmed in April 2008.

Jepson, Plunkett & the Dickinson brothers were reunited - supposedly for the first time since the band's split - at Michael Lee's funeral in December 2008.^[1]

Toby Jepson left GUN in June 2010 due to increased responsibility in other aspects of his musical involvement.

2012 Reunion[link]

It was announced in January 2012 that the band were reforming to perform at that year's Download Festival.^[2]

Their newly launched website for the occasion credits the meeting of the four founding members at Michael Lee's funeral as the catalyst for this re-union, stating "From the tragic death of their band-mate old friendships are rekindled."^[3]

In an interview with EverythingRock ([3]), Guitarist Bruce Dickinson stated that he doubted the reunion would be a permanent one, although his answer was not definitive.

On March 1, Little Angels were confirmed to play at the 2012 Sweden Rock Festival.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Too Posh To Mosh [Mini Album] (1987)
• Don't Prey for Me (1989)
• Young Gods (1991) UK #17
• Jam (1993) UK #1
• A Little of the Past (1994) UK #20
• Too Posh to Mosh, Too Good to Last! (1994) UK #18

Singles[link]

• "90 In The Shade" (1988)
• "Big Bad EP" featuring "She's a Little Angel" (1989) UK #74
• "Big Bad World" (Japanese only, seven track CD)
• "Do You Wanna Riot" (1989) UK #91
• "Don't Pray For Me" (1989) UK #93
• "Kicking up Dust" (1990) UK #46
• "Radical Your Lover" (1990) UK #34
• "She's A Little Angel" (1990) UK #21
• "Boneyard" (1991) UK #33
• "Product of the Working Class" (1991) UK #40
• "Young Gods" (1991) UK #34
• "I Ain't Gonna Cry" (1991) UK #26
• "First Cut is the Deepest" (Germany only, according to the LotP inlay)
• "Too Much Too Young" (1992) UK #22
• "Womankind" (1993) UK #12
• "Soapbox" (1993) UK #33
• "Sail Away" (1993) UK #45
• "Ten Miles High" (1994) UK #18

References[link]

1. ^ JepFans.com, photo.
2. ^ [1] Download Festival
3. ^ [2] Little Angels' Official Site

External links[link]

• Official Little Angels site
• Official Toby Jepson site
• Big Bad World site
• The only b.l.o.w. site
• The first American Toby Jepson site
• Official GUN site
• Official GUN fan site

B-boying
Ryan Grasell in Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA.
Genre	Hip-hop dance
Inventor	N/A - Street dancers from New York City
Year	1970s
Country	United States
Competitions	Battle of the Year B-Boy Summit [1] UK B-Boy Champs Freestyle Session The Notorious IBE Red Bull BC One We B*Girlz Warsaw Challenge R-16 Korea Floor Wars World B-Boy Classic

B-boying or breaking, often called "breakdancing", is a style of street dance that originated as a part of hip-hop culture among African American and Latino youths in New York City during the early 1970s.^{[2]:125, 141, 153[3]} Fast to gain popularity in the media, the dance style also gained popularity worldwide especially in South Korea, France, Russia, Japan, and Brazil. While extremely diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo and beat patterns.

A practitioner of this dance is called a b-boy, b-girl, or breaker. Although the term "breakdance" is frequently used to refer to the dance, "b-boying" and "breaking" are the original terms. These terms are preferred by the majority of the art form’s pioneers and most notable practitioners.^[4][5]

Terminology[link]

The terminology used to refer to b-boying changed after promotion by the mainstream media. Although widespread, the term "breakdancing" is looked down upon by those immersed in hip-hop culture. Purists consider "breakdancing" an ignorant term invented by the media^[2]:58[4] that connotes exploitation of the art^[2]:60[4] and is used to sensationalize breaking. The term "breakdancing" is also problematic because it has become a diluted umbrella term that incorrectly includes popping, locking, and electric boogaloo.^[2]:60[6] Popping, locking, and electric boogaloo are not styles of "breakdance". They are funk styles that were developed separately from breaking in California.^[7] The dance itself is properly called "breaking" according to rappers such as KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC.^[8]

The terms "b-boy" (break-boy), "b-girl" (break-girl), and "breaker" are the original terms used to describe the dancers. The original terms arose to describe the dancers who performed to DJ Kool Herc's breakbeats. DJ Kool Herc is a Jamaican American DJ who is responsible for developing the foundational aspects of hip-hop music. The obvious connection of the term "breaking" is to the word "breakbeat", but DJ Kool Herc has commented that the term "breaking" was slang at the time for "getting excited", "acting energetically" or "causing a disturbance".^[9] Most b-boying pioneers and practitioners prefer the terms "b-boy", "b-girl", and/or "breaker" when referring to these dancers. For those immersed in hip-hop culture, the term "breakdancer" may be used to disparage those who learn the dance for personal gain rather than for commitment to the culture.^[2]:61 B-boy London of the New York City Breakers and filmmaker Michael Holman refer to these dancers as "breakers".^[4] Frosty Freeze of the Rock Steady Crew says, "we were known as b-boys", and hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa says, "b-boys, [are] what you call break boys... or b-girls, what you call break girls."^[4] In addition, co-founder of Rock Steady Crew Santiago "Jo Jo" Torres, Rock Steady Crew member Mr. Freeze, and hip-hop historian Fab 5 Freddy use the term "b-boy",^[4] as do rappers Big Daddy Kane^[10] and Tech N9ne.^[11]

History[link]

A b-boy practicing downrock at a studio in Moscow.

Origin[link]

B-boying at its inception borrowed from other performance styles, as many elements of b-boying may be seen in other antecedent cultures prior to the 1970s. Concerning martial arts, b-boying looks very similar to the movement found in the Brazilian martial art capoeira which came about in the 1500s;^[19] however, b-boy pioneers Richard "Crazy Legs" Colon and Kenneth "Ken Swift" Gabbert, both of Rock Steady Crew, deny they ever witnessed capoeira when they were young; they cite James Brown and Kung-Fu films as influences instead.^[20][21] Many of b-boying's more acrobatic moves, such as the flare, show clear connections to gymnastics. An Arab street dancer performing acrobatic headspins was recorded by Thomas Edison in 1898.^[22] However, it was not until the 1970s that b-boying developed as a defined dance style.

Beginning with DJ Kool Herc, Bronx-based DJs would take the rhythmic breakdown sections (also known as the "breaks") of dance records and prolong them by looping them successively. The breakbeat provided a rhythmic base that allowed dancers to display their improvisational skills during the duration of the break. This led to the first battles – turn-based dance competitions between two individuals or dance crews judged with respect to creativity, skill, and musicality. These battles occurred in cyphers – circles of people gathered around the breakers. Though at its inception the earliest b-boys were "close to 90 percent African-American", dance crews such as "SalSoul" and "Rockwell Association" were populated almost entirely by Latino Americans.^[23] Historian Joseph Glenn Schloss described it as such:

“

In other words, there were three basic stages to the development of the dance: the early rock dance of the '60s, which was Latino and citywide; Brooklyn rocking or uprocking which was Latino and Brooklyn-based; and b-boying, which is Black and Latino and Bronx-based. Within this basic framework, it is not difficult to see how three constituencies-Brooklyn Latinos, Bronx Latinos, and African Americans-could have three totally different perspectives on the history.[2]:153

”

Uprock[link]

A separate but related dance form which influenced breaking is uprock also called rocking or Brooklyn rock. Uprock is an aggressive dance that involves two dancers who mimic ways of fighting each other using mimed weaponry in rhythm with the music.^[14] Uprock as a dance style of its own never gained the same widespread popularity as breaking, except for some very specific moves adopted by breakers who use it as a variation for their toprock.^[24]:138 When used in a b-boy battle, opponents often respond by performing similar uprock moves, supposedly creating a short uprock battle. Some dancers argue that because uprock was originally a separate dance style it should never be mixed with breaking and that the uprock moves performed by breakers today are not the original moves but poor imitations that only show a small part of the original uprock style^[25]

It has been stated that breaking replaced fighting between street gangs.^[12] On the contrary, some believe it a misconception that b-boying ever played a part in mediating gang rivalry. Both viewpoints have some truth. Uprock has its roots in gangs.^{[24]:116, 138} Whenever there was an issue over turf, the two warlords of the feuding gangs would uprock. Whoever won this preliminary battle would decide where the real fight would be.^[26] This is where the battle mentality in breaking and hip-hop dance in general comes from.^[27] "Sometimes a dance was enough to settle the beef, sometimes the dance set off more beef."^[14][24]:116

Brazil[link]

Ismael Toledo was one of the first b-boys in Brazil.^[28] In 1984, he moved to the United States to study dance.^[28] While in the U.S. he discovered breaking and ended up meeting b-boy Crazy Legs who personally mentored him for the four years that followed.^[28] After becoming proficient in breaking, he moved back to São Paulo and started to organize b-boys crews and enter international competitions.^[28] He eventually opened a hip-hop dance studio called the Hip-Hop Street College.^[28]

Korea[link]

B-boying was first introduced to South Korea by American soldiers shortly after its surge of popularity in the U.S. during the 1980s, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the culture and dance really took hold.^[29] 1997 is known as the "Year Zero of Korean breaking".^[18] A Korean-American hip hop promoter named John Jay Chon was visiting his family in Seoul and while he was there, he met a crew named Expression Crew in a club. He gave them a VHS of a Los Angeles b-boying competition called Radiotron. A year later when he returned, Chon found that his video and others like his had been copied and dubbed numerous times, and were feeding an ever-growing b-boy community.

In 2002, Korea's Expression Crew won the prestigious international b-boying competition Battle of the Year, exposing the skill of the country's b-boys to the rest of the world. Since then, the Korean government has capitalized on the popularity of the dance and has promoted it alongside Korean culture. R-16 Korea is the most well-known government-sponsored b-boy event, and is hosted by the Korean Tourism Organization and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Japan[link]

Shortly after the Rock Steady Crew came to Japan, b-boying within Japan began to thrive. Each Sunday b-boys would perform breaking in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park.^[30] One of the first and most influential Japanese breakers was Crazy-A, who is now the leader of the Tokyo chapter of Rock Steady Crew.^[30] He also organizes the yearly B-Boy Park which draws upwards of 10,000 fans a year and attempts to expose a wider audience to the culture.^[31]

Dance elements[link]

Gravity Benders crew showcasing the four elements of b-boying — toprock, downrock, freezes, and power moves — some crew choreography, and a short battle.

There are four primary elements that form breaking. These include toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes/suicides.

Toprock generally refers to any string of steps performed from a standing position. It is usually the first and foremost opening display of style, though dancers often transition from other aspects of breaking to toprock and back. Toprock has a variety of steps which can each be varied according to the dancer's expression (ie. aggressive, calm, excited). A great deal of freedom is allowed in the definition of toprock: as long as the dancer maintains cleanness, form and the b-boy attitude, theoretically anything can be toprock. Toprock can draw upon many other dance styles such as popping, locking, tap dance, or house dance. Transitions from toprock to downrock and power moves are called "drops".^[32]

Downrock (also known as "footwork" or "floorwork") is used to describe any movement on the floor with the hands supporting the dancer as much as the feet. Downrock includes moves such as the foundational 6-step, and its variants such as the 3-step. The most basic of downrock is done entirely on feet and hands but more complex variations can involve the knees when threading limbs through each other.

Power moves are acrobatic moves that require momentum, speed, endurance, strength, and control to execute. The breaker is generally supported by his upper body while the rest of his body creates circular momentum. Some examples are the windmill, swipe, and head spin. Some power moves are borrowed from gymnastics and martial arts. An example of a power move taken from gymnastics is the Thomas Flair which is shortened and spelled flare in b-boying.

Freezes are stylish poses, and the more difficult require the breaker to suspend himself or herself off the ground using upper body strength in poses such as the pike. They are used to emphasize strong beats in the music and often signal the end of a b-boy set. Freezes can be linked into chains or "stacks" where breakers go from freeze to freeze to the music to display musicality and physical strength.

Suicides, like freezes, are used to emphasize a strong beat in the music and signal the end to a routine. In contrast to freezes, suicides draw attention to the motion of falling or losing control, while freezes draw attention to a controlled final position. Breakers will make it appear that they have lost control and fall onto their backs, stomachs, etc. The more painful the suicide appears, the more impressive it is, but breakers execute them in a way to minimize pain.

B-boy styles[link]

B-boy Timon doing a baby freeze

There are many different individual styles used in b-boying. Individual styles often stem from a dancer's region of origin and influences. However, some people such as b-boy Jacob "Kujo" Lyons feel that videos inhibits individual style. In an interview with B-Boy Magazine he expressed his frustration:

... because everybody watches the same videos online, everybody ends up looking very similar. The differences between individual b-boys, between crews, between cities/states/countries/continents, have largely disappeared. It used to be that you could tell what city a b-boy was from by the way he danced. Not anymore. But I've been saying these things for almost a decade, and most people don't listen, but continue watching the same videos and dancing the same way. It's what I call the "international style," or the "Youtube style."^[33]

Although there are some generalities in the styles that exist, many dancers combine elements of different styles with their own ideas and knowledge in order to create a unique style of their own. B-boys can therefore be categorized into a broad style which generally showcases the same types of techniques.

• Power: This style of b-boying is what most members of the general public associate with the term "breakdancing". Power moves comprise full-body spins and rotations that give the illusion of defying gravity. Examples of power moves include headspins, backspins, windmills, flares, airtracks/airflares, 1990s, 2000s, jackhammers, crickets, turtles, hand glide, halos, and elbow spins. Those b-boys who use "power moves" almost exclusively in their sets are referred to as "power heads" or power movers.
• Abstract: A very broad style of b-boying which may include the incorporation of "threading" footwork, freestyle movement to hit beats, house dance, and "circus" styles (tricks, contortion, etc.).
• Blowup: A style of b-boying which focuses on the "wow factor" of certain power moves, freezes, and circus styles. Blowups consist of performing a sequence of as many difficult trick combinations in as quick succession as possible in order to "smack" or exceed the virtuosity of the other b-boy's performance. This is usually attempted only after becoming proficient in other styles due to the degree of control and practice required in this type of dancing. The names of some of the moves are: airbaby, airchair, hollow backs, solar eclipse, reverse airbaby, among others. The main goal in blowup-style is the rapid transition through a sequence of power moves ending in a skillful freeze.
• Flavor: A style that is based more on elaborate toprock, downrock, and/or freezes. This style is focused more on the beat and musicality of the song than having to rely on "power" moves only. B-boys who base their dance on "flavor" or style are known as "style heads".

Downrock styles[link]

In edition to the styles listed above, certain footwork styles have been associated with different areas which popularized them.^[34]

• Traditional New York Style: The original style of b-boying from the Bronx, based around the Russian trepak dance, this style of downrock focuses on kicks called "CCs" and foundational moves such as 6-steps and variations of it.
• Euro Style: Created in the early 90's, this style is very circular, focusing not on steps but more on glide-type moves such as the pretzel, deadlegs, undersweeps and fluid sliding moves
• Canadian Style: Created in the late 90's, also known as the 'Toronto thread' style. Based upon the Euro Style, except also characterized by elaborate leg threads

Power versus style[link]

Multiple stereotypes have emerged in the breaking community over the give-and-take relationship between technical footwork and physical power. Those who focus on dance steps and fundamental sharpness are labeled as "style-heads." Specialists of more gymnastics-oriented technique and form—at the cost of charisma and coordinated footwork—are known as "power-heads." Such terms are used colloquially often to classify one's skill, however, the subject has been known to disrupt competitive events where judges tend to favor a certain technique over the other.

This debate however is somewhat of a misnomer. The classification of dancing as "style" in b-boying is inaccurate because every b-boy or b-girl has their own unique style developed both consciously and subconsciously. Each b-boy or b-girl's style is the certain attitude or method in which they execute their movements. A breaker's unique style does not strictly refer to just toprock or downrock. It is a concept which encompasses how a move is executed rather than what move is done.

Music[link]

The musical selection for breaking is not restricted to hip-hop music as long as the tempo and beat pattern conditions are met. Breaking can be readily adapted to different music genres with the aid of remixing. The original songs that popularized the dance form borrow significantly from progressive genres of jazz, soul, funk, electro, and disco. The most common feature of b-boy music exists in musical breaks, or compilations formed from samples taken from different songs which are then looped and chained together by the DJ. The tempo generally ranges between 110 and 135 beats per minute with shuffled sixteenth and quarter beats in the percussive pattern. History credits DJ Kool Herc for the invention of this concept^[24]:79 later termed the break beat.

Gender inequality[link]

Like the other aspects of hip-hop culture, graffiti writing, MCing, and DJing, males are generally the predominant gender within breaking. However, this is being challenged by the rapidly increasing number of b-girls. Critics argue that it is unfair to make a sweeping generalization about these inequalities because women have begun to play a larger role in the breaking scene.^[35][36]

Despite the increasing number of female breakers, another possible barrier is lack of promotion. As Firefly, a full-time b-girl, says "It's getting more popular. There are a lot more girls involved. The problem is that promoters are not putting on enough female-only battles."^[37][38] More people are seeking to change the traditional image of females in hip-hop culture (and by extension, b-boy culture) to a more positive, empowered role in the modern hip-hop scene.^[39][40][41] The lower exposure of female dancers is probably caused not by any conscious discrimination, but simply by the fewer number of female breakers compared to the number of male breakers. However, both males and females do practice this art form equally together and are competitively judged only by skill and personal expression, not gender.

Media exposure[link]

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