For ages, the mountain people of the Pamir had been calling their homeland Bam-i-Dunya. Only by the mid-19th century, after British explorers had reached Asias rugged interior, did the translation catch on worldwide: Roof of the World.

In its original and narrowest definition, that term applied only to the Pamir Plateau. But Roof of the World is a phrase so compact and expressive that it was soon transferred to other parts of High Asia, including to the Himalayas, and specifically to Everest, but also to the Tibetan Plateau.

And so, the phrase only added to the confusion about the complex geography of this part of the world. With eight simple strokes of the pen, this map brings clarity to the matter: not by adding detail, but by removing it. The map is a masterful miniature, reducing the region to eight key mountain regions and ranges, and showing how they relate to each other.

It is fitting that the Pamir Plateau, the original Roof of the World, is at the center of this cluster. The area is also known as the Pamir Knot, precisely because it ties together so many different mountain chains. If there ever was the perfect cheat sheet for the geography of High Asia, this is it. Here follows, very briefly, Roof of the World 101.

Most of the Pamir highlands and mountains are in Gorno-Badakhshan, an autonomous region in the southeast of Tajikistan. The Pamir spills over into Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China.

Three of the five so-called Snow Leopard peaks the highest points of the former Soviet Union, all over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) are in the Tajik part of the Pamir. Among them is Ismoil Somoni Peak, formerly Communism Peak and before that Stalin Peak (7,495 m or 24,590 ft), the highest summit in the USSR. Around 600 mountaineers have climbed all five and earned the Snow Leopard Award.

The Tien Shan (Heavenly Mountains in Chinese) run from Uzbekistan to Xinjiang in western China. This biodiversity hotspot is where tulips, cherries, apricots, apples, and pears originated, among many other now globalized plants.

Here are the two other Snow Leopard peaks. Jengish Chokusu (7,439 metres or 24,406 ft) is known in Russian as Pik Pobeda. Both names mean Victory Peak, a name bestowed in 1946 to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany. Some say Jengish Chokusu is the most northerly 7,000-meter mountain in the world. Others claim it is Khan Tengri (King of Heaven), 16 km (10 mi) to the northeast. Why the confusion? Its about how you measure summits. Mountaineers claim Khan Tengri is 7,010 m (22,999 ft) tall, but geologists subtract the 15 m (49 ft) of ice capping its rocky summit.

The Altyn Tagh Range in northwestern China separates the Tibetan Plateau from the eastern Tarim Basin. Its name is Turkic for Gold Mountain; the Chinese translation is Jin Shan. (The hybrid form Altun Shan is also used). The main Silk Road ran north of these mountains, which were therefore also called Nan Shan, or Southern Mountains.

Altun Shan is also the name of an individual mountain in Chinas Gansu province. It is the highest summit (5,798 m) in the eastern part of the range. The highest peak of the entire Altyn Tagh range is Sulamutag Feng (6,245 m or 20,489 ft), which remains unclimbed.

In Chinese mythology, Mount Kunlun is the navel of the earth, the pillar of heaven, and the birthplace of the Chinese nation. This exotic Western Paradise is the residence of the gods, most famously the Yellow Emperor, with his four faces, and Xi Wang Mu, the tiger-toothed and leopard-tailed Queen Mother of the West. In James Hiltons classic 1933 novel Lost Horizon, the Kunlun Mountains are the location of the Shangri-La monastery another mythical paradise, albeit of more recent coinage.

In todays geography, the Kunlun Mountains, in western China, separate the Tibetan Plateau in the south from the Tarim Basin and the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts in the north. The highest mountain of the range is Liushi Shan, also known as Kunlun Goddess Peak (7,167 m or 23,514 ft), which was first climbed only in 1986.

With 18 summits higher than 7,500 m (24,600 ft) and four above 8,000 m (26,000 ft), the Karakoram mainly in Pakistan, but dipping across its neighbors borders as well is the worlds second highest mountain range. The range is home to K2 (8,611 m or 28,251 ft), the worlds second highest peak.

It is also the most glaciated place on Earth outside both poles. Glaciers cover up to half the range, an area of more than 15,000 sq km (5,800 sq mi). For comparison: glaciers cover only around 10% of the Himalayas.

Karakoram is Turkic for black gravel, a term that originally applied only to the Karakoram Pass. Indian geographers called the mountains Krishnagiri, or black mountains.

Featuring the worlds highest mountain, Everest at 8,849 m (29,032 ft), and more than 100 others over 7,200 m (23,600 ft), the Himalayas are the highest and most iconic mountain range on the planet. In Sanskrit, its name means Land of Snow. Because it contains the worlds third largest deposit of ice and snow, its also called the Third Pole.

Even at the top of Everest, there is evidence that it was once at the bottom of the sea: The limestone it is made of contains trilobites and other ancient marine creatures. The range is still geologically active, rising about 5 mm (one fifth of an inch) per year.

The Himalayas also extend into Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan. Bhutans highest peak, Gangkhar Puensum (7,570 m or 24,836 ft) is the worlds highest unclimbed mountain. And it will remain unclimbed for the foreseeable future, as Bhutan completely banned mountaineering in 2003.

The Hindu Kush stretches from central Afghanistan into northwestern Pakistan and southeastern Tajikistan, where it merges with the Karakoram Range. Its highest point is Tirich Mir (7,708 m or 25,289 ft) in Pakistans Chitral District.

Before the arrival of Islam, this range was a major center for Buddhism: The famous Bamiyan Buddhas, blown up by the Taliban in 2001, were carved out of these mountains. Even after Islam was firmly established elsewhere, the remotest valleys in the Hindu Kush region managed to hold out for centuries. Kafiristan (land of pagans) was forcibly converted only in the late 19th century. It is now known as Nuristan (land of light).

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The ranges name means Hindu killer, possibly a reference to the subcontinental slaves who died there en route to the slave markets of Central Asia. The Hindus themselves obviously favored other names. In Sanskrit, the range was known as Uparisyena, alternatively said to mean beyond the reach of eagles, or covered with juniper.

The Alai Range, not to be confused with the Altai Mountains much further to the northeast, runs east-west from the Tien Shan and forms the southern border of the fertile Fergana Valley. Its highest summit is Tandy Kl (5,544 metres or 18,189 ft) on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Strange Maps #1223

The map is found here on Twitter, from the account of Araib Ali Baig (Tales from the mountains of Karakoram, Himalayas, Hindukush).

Got a strange map? Let me know at [emailprotected].

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The "Roof of the World," in eight simple lines - Big Think

Express News Service | Published: 16th October 2023 08:19 AM A scene from Ananda Shankar Jayants Bharatanatyam-Kuchipudi production Tales from the Bull and the Tiger to be staged at the ongoing Soorya Festival on Monday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Renowned classical dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant of Hyderabad will stage her power-packed Bharatanatyam-Kuchipudi production Tales from the Bull and the Tiger at the ongoing Soorya Festival on Monday.

The 77-minute trailblazing work, with 23 artists, will be staged at 6.45 pm on October 16, bringing to life Ganesha Skanda Devi Parvati and Bhagawan Shiva through poetry, music and philosophy in Sanskrit and Tamil. The venue is the Soorya Ganesham Hall at Thycaud in the city.

The experimental production, which retells the stories of Lord Shiva and Parvathi as told by the godly couples vahanas Nandi and Simha, has been acclaimed for its riveting choreography backed by precision and aesthetics.

Along with Ananda, the main performers are Mithun Shyam, Aditi Rao, Poojitha Namburi, Archita Bhat, Srividya Sripathi, Neha Sathanapalli and Ridhisri Yadav besides Cameo Sreekanth on the lights. Choreographed by Ananda, Tales from the Bull and the Tiger has its musical soundscape composed by Sathiraju Venumadhav, and I V Renukaprasad, digital design by young creative artist Gunjan Ashtaputre and voice by Jayant Dwarkanath.

Padma Shri awardee Ananda, who is the artistic director of the 1979-founded Shankarananda Kalakshetra in the Telangana capital, is an alumnus of Chennais Kalakshetra and a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar (2009). Having served in Railways as an IRTS officer, her penchant for harnessing technology for the arts led her to create Natyarambha as a first-of-its-kind Bharatanatyam practice app. The 2017-launched facility has users from students and gurus across the world.

More recently, Ananda came up with a cutting-edge digital product named Kutty Kahani. A video-embedded e-book that brings Indic stories by and for children through the prism of art, it caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hailed the unique venture in his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast on June 18.

A sought-after TED speaker, Ananda gives motivational talks at corporate houses, leadership programmes, hospitals, universities and schools. The dance production has been travelling across Kerala for a week, having performed every evening since October 10. The first was at Pinarayi in Kannur district.

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Anandas Tales from the Bull and the Tiger to be staged at Soorya Fest today - The New Indian Express

BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. Canal Street Art Gallery presents: Martha & John: a Love Story of Yoga and Art, exhibiting luminous oil paintings of the Vermont landscape by the late Martha Nichols, and paintings of brightly colored abstract mathematical designs inspired by the yoga tradition of the yantra by John van der Does. Martha & John opens Oct. 20, and is on view through Dec. 9. Join the gallery on Third Friday Gallery Night on Oct. 20, from 5-7 p.m., in historic downtown Bellows Falls, for the opening reception. All Gallery events are free and open to the public and wheelchair accessible, please call 802-289-0104 upon arrival.

Color, light, and, more recently, sound, are my primary interests. We are surrounded by ever changing light, color, and sound as we go about our days in the landscape. I explore the vast variety of colors which I can mix, and their interactions with each new painting. The elements of the landscape or sky are used as a foundation for the design of each piece. It evolves from there until I am satisfied that some sense of glowing color has been achieved. My interest in obtaining a glow of color really comes from my meditation experience. Light and color in the landscape ultimately act as metaphors for inner exploration, as I continue to grow through meditation, says Nichols.

My wife [Martha] was married to my cousin Peter Nichols, a person of hidden insanity and homosexuality, as well as alcohol and drug problems. One time in the late 1950s, Peter, after an evening listening to jazz at the Birdland Jazz Club, took me from Grand Central Station, going underground from 42nd Street and exiting a manhole on 59th Street near Central Park. After that, and sometime in the early 1990s, I kept on meeting Marty; at Peters funeral, uncle Jims and aunt Elleanors funeral, and then at Gouverneur and aunt Muffys funerals. Marty and I started a relationship, and it really got started when I sent her a bunch of lilies on Easter. She visited me at the Dexter House on 86th Street, a low cost transient hotel, and was smitten when she saw me in a tiny room sitting on my bed in the lotus position. We got married and took marriage vows with the Self-Realization Fellowship in Greenfield, Front Royal, Virginia. Marty studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and her artwork concerns inner growth and the spiritual realms. She was connected to Paramahansa and the Self-Realization Fellowship, says John van der Does

Join the gallery on Nov. 3, from 6-8 p.m., for a film screening of Mysore Yoga Traditions, by Andrew Eppler, followed by a talk by John van der Does on Vedic mathematics. Following the screening and talk, attendees are invited to practice Asanas in the gallery, led by the artist. Mysore Yoga Traditions, by Andrew Eppler is a documentary film providing an intimate glimpse into the yoga of Mysore. The elders, scholars, philosophers, yogis, and spiritual leaders of the community express their views on what yoga is, its original intention, and how they feel about the way it is being taught and practiced around the world. Vedic mathematics is a system of mathematics reconstructed from Sanskrit texts by Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji. Asana is one of the eight limbs of classical Yoga. Asanas are poses and postures, held steadily, comfortably, and firmly. The event is free and space is limited. Participants may use the gallery to practice their yoga postures together with the artist. Please bring your own yoga mat.

Canal Street Art Gallery is located at 23 Canal Street in historic downtown Bellows Falls, Vt., and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. 5 p.m. For more information about the Martha & John: A Love Story of Yoga and Art show or Canal Street Art Gallery, go to http://www.canalstreetartgallery.com online, call Mike at 802-289-0104, or email to artinfo@canalstreetartgallery.com.

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Martha & John: a Love Story of Yoga and Art opens at Canal Street ... - Vermont Journal

For representation purpose only

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World Food Day, celebrated on October 16 each year, is a global reminder of the urgent need to address food-related challenges such as hunger, food security, and sustainability. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the environmental impact of our food choices. As a result, cafes around the world are taking the initiative to promote sustainable eating practices, not only to ensure a healthier planet but also to offer their customers more eco-friendly and ethical dining experiences. Here's a look at some cafes leading the charge in sustainable eating.

A green oasis amid the pulsating capital, Elina Vara is a boutique restaurant tucked away in New Delhi's Chhattarpur area. The brainchild of designer Simran Kocchar Pal, it encompasses the idea of organic eating, which stemmed from her need to source chemical-free foods for her daughter, who was allergic to most packaged produce. Her quest resulted in Elina Vara's birth, a Sanskrit term for pure blessings. The lush space, which offers an al fresco experience even while being indoors, serves artisan' farm to fork' dishes with ingredients grown primarily on the restaurant's private farmland. The showstopper is Skinny Witch, a sugar-free prosecco from the historic Strada del Prosecco with which the meals are paired.

Address: 16 Vatika Green Mandi Road , Chattarpur Farms, New Delhi-110030

Cost For Two: INR 2,500 for two.

Timings: 10:30 am to 10:30 pm.

All the rage in Mumbai's culinary world, Masque may be the perfect fine dining space for an evening out, but behind all the glitz is a painstakingly curated ten-course chef's tasting menu, among other dishes, with each ingredient sourced from handpicked farms. More than that, much of the food and sourcing came from extensive foraging trips founder Aditi Dugar made herself, be it up north for fiddlehead ferns or down south to coastal regions for seaweed. It was an enlightening journey for her that led to a deep dive into local communities and culinary artists and their ways with food, all of which are reflected in the tastes and finesse of Masque.

Address: Unit G3, Laxmi Woolen Mills, Shakti Mills Lane, Off Dr. E. Moses Road, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai 400011

Cost For Two: INR 6,000 for two.

Timings: Tuesdays to Sundays from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm for lunch and 7:30 pm onwards for dinner.

Started by Bangalore-based bankers turned entrepreneurs Bobby Antony and Dominic Mascarenhas, passionate brewers and restaurateurs at heart, We: Neighborhood is the city's largest sustainable brewery. The two launched several popular food and drink outlets across the city they call home before launching the sum of their learning, We. It is completely solar-powered and aims to revolutionise the local bar experience with a range of craft beers paired with delectable, seasonal dining. To minimise food and tissue wastage, the place sources its greens locally and then collects the brewery waste to be fed to cattle on those farms. Circularly, it recycles everything and places a special emphasis on educating patrons on the environmental friendliness of its business.

Address: 67 & 67/1, Brigade Solitaire, Residency Road, Opposite Advaith Hyunda, Brigade Road, Bangalore

Cost For Two: INR 1,800 for two.

Timings: 11:30 am to 12 am.

When it comes to sustainable foods, Okapi Vegan Kitchen walks the talk. Other than the fact that plant-based food has a much lower carbon footprint than meat or dairy-based food, small, simple steps make this a cutting example of what can be done differently. Best known for its desserts and run by the dynamic duo Aarti Sinha and Mahi Baid, Okapi pays attention to what's going into the food they serve and what's going out of their kitchen.

They'd rather take limited orders or run out than throw away extra food! They have deliberately made a large part of their subscription-based operations to tackle food wastage. Only reusable packaging is used for the same: good old steel tiffins for lunch deliveries or bagasse (crop waste) and paper packaging for takeaways. Their seasonal farmers' markets, as are their community dinners, are a huge hit, which brings people together to cook and share meals.

Address: House 372, Pequeno, Coimawaddo, Moira, Goa

Cost For Two: INR 550 for two.

Timings: 12 pm to 3:30 pm on weekdays, and 5 pm to 10 pm on weekends. Closed Tuesdays.

Named after a local comfort dish, Cafe Khoblu sits far from the buzz of cities in the hills of Shimla. It is an ode to all things Himachal and fresh and bountiful from a dedicated farm. The warm and welcoming cafe uses local art and architecture for its ambience, quirky quotes, and design for a playful balance. Set up by journalist-turned-permaculturist Sanjay Austa, who experiments with growing food at his farm Meenabagh orchards in Ratnari, this cafe is where you can taste seasonal goodness in an ever-evolving menu. From thick blueberry shakes to apple kheer, all major ingredients in its dishes are plucked and ferried from Meenabagh, two hours away, which one can visit and stay at. Long-term stays are open to volunteers who want to learn the nuances of permaculture and farming from the man himself.

Address: 452R+XHF, Engine Ghar, Sanjauli, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 171006

Cost For Two: INR 800 for two.

Timings: 10 am to 9:30 pm.

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World Food Day: Cafes Taking Sustainable Eating To The Next Level - Outlook Traveller

Ghats on the Godavari River

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Standing beneath the Panchavati today, with all the noise and traffic around us, it was difficult to imagine the sowmya pushiptakanan (beautiful flowering forest) which had mesmerized the epic hero Ram. But as our guide chanted couplets describing the beauty of the place as mentioned in various literary works, from Valmiki's Ramayana to Kalidasa's Raghuvansham to Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, we slowly fell under his spell. Whether it was his mellifluous voice or our willing suspension of disbelief, I cannot say. But soon, we were following the crowds on the customary trail.

We had arrived in Nashik the day before and had decided to do a quick tour of the town before heading towards the Gangapur Dam reservoir. Nashik is located on the Godavari banks in Maharashtra and is deeply intertwined with the Ramayana. Dotting the older part of the town, on the north bank of the river, are sites associated with various events from the epic. It is said that Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, lived here for some time, accompanied by his wife Sita and younger brother Lakshman, during his 14 years in exile. The area was part of the Dandakaranya (Dandak forest). He decided to set up a small cottage beneath the Panchavati because the presence of five banyan trees (pancha vat) had rendered the place auspicious, and it was surrounded by scenic views and friendly denizens of the forest. Unfortunately, the tranquil setting did little to assuage their problems.

Surpanakha, sister of Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, lived nearby. She was attracted to the young princes from Ayodhya. Although the description of Surpanakha and her story varies between the original and the various regional versions of the Ramayana, it is generally accepted that she first expressed her love for Ram and urged him to marry her. Ram politely declined, saying he was already married. She then approached Lakshman, who also turned her down.

An upset Surpanakha turned violent, and an enraged Lakshman cut off her nose. Nasika is Sanskrit for the nose, and the place gradually became known as Nashik. Seeing Surpanakha wounded, her cousins Khara and Dushana, who lived in the Dandak forest, attacked Ram and Lakshman but were defeated by the princes. Surpanakha then reached out to her brother Ravana, the king of Lanka, who decided to take revenge by abducting Sita.

After a tour of the Ghats where people were busy taking holy dips, we reached Panchavati. The trees stand in a rough circle, spreading their branches and roots, receiving homages from devout pilgrims who make a beeline for Ram Kund, Sita Gupha (meaning Sita's cave), and other pilgrim spots nearby. Ram Kund is a pond along the course of the river. It is believed that Ram used to bathe here, and it was here that he immersed the ashes after the funeral rites of his father, King Dasharath of Ayodhya.

Expect a long queue at the Sita Gupha, especially during the festive season. The way to the sanctum sanctorum consisted of narrow staircases accessible by one person at a time. Inside was a shrine dedicated to the trio (Ram, Sita and Lakshman) and another containing a shivling, which Sita worshipped. According to local belief, it was from here that Ravana abducted Sita. You may also see the gallery depicting the incident through a diorama series. We soon discovered that dioramas and life-size installations depicting various incidents are typical here. Located nearby is the Kalaram Mandir, a temple (with a gold-plated dome) which gets its name from the idols carved out of black stones. The present temple, also made of black stone, with its elaborate architectural detail, was built by the Peshwa rulers of Maharashtra. It is said that it took nearly 200 workers 12 years to complete the work. The temple authorities organise colourful processions during Ram Navami, Dussehra and Chaitra Padwa.

There are many temples in and around Panchavati (such as Naroshankar, Kapileshwar, Muktidham, etc.), but we had to skip them owing to a shortage of time. However, the pilgrimage did not end here. Following our fellow pilgrims' footsteps, we drove to a rocky riverine zone called Tapovan. This place is associated with the Hindu pantheon and is said to have been the abode of many hermits.

There are many temples here, including one which is known as the Sarva Dharma Mandir (professing all faiths). Those on the Ramayana trail head to the temples dedicated to Lakshman and the monkey god Hanuman. The idol in the Lakshman temple is said to depict him in the Seshnag avatar. The hall contains a rather grotesque installation of Surpanakha in a wounded pose. It is said that Lakshman had cut off her nose here. The green cover of the Hills from the days of the epic has long gone, but people are happy to enjoy a merry outing among the streams and boulders, along with earning some holy merits. The confluence of the rivers Godavari and Kapila located here is considered sacred. Hunger pangs drove us back to the Panchavati area, where we snacked on some delightful missal pav, sabudana wada, and lassi before starting for our next destination.

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Exploring Nashik: Where Legends Of The Ramayana Come To Life - Outlook Traveller

When the sweet October breeze embraces us, our hearts prepare for the arrival of Maa Durga on our land. She comes with her four children - Maa Lakshmi, Maa Saraswati, Ganesh Ji and Kartikeya Ji. It is believed that this earth is her maiden home. Hence, Bengalis every year prepare to welcome their daughter and dedicate themselves to having an enjoyable time with her.

Here are 5 Sanskrit hymns to welcome Goddess Durga. Memorise and sing them when she comes to our land.

This hymn has been penned down in the Sanskrit language. It describes the eternally powerful Maa Durga. Ai Giri Nandini is exactly translated to the divine goddess, the daughter of the mountains, the powerful and vigorous Devi Durga. Memorising this powerful hymn and singing it during Durga Puja functions will get you goosebumps.

Coated with a sweet melody, Rupang Dehi Jayam Dehi will take you closer to the Goddess Durga. The goddess is praised for her immaculate power, she has been called the destroyer of evil. Her devotees ask for her blessings through this magical Sanskrit hymn.

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A powerful hymn penned down in Sanskrit, Jaya Jaya Japya hails the compelling powers of Devi Durga. This is one of the most energetic hymns of the Mahishasura Mardini album. It praises and calls out Maa Durgas name as the slayer of the demon Mahishasura. Hence, she is named Mahishasura Mardini.

The first hymn (Hanuman Chalisa Significance) that has been arranged in the Mahishasura Mardini, Ya Chandi is a Sanskrit shloka that will shake your soul. It is a welcome song for Devi Durga. In this song, we call Durga Maa by her other name Chandika who is the slayer of demons like Madhu and Kaitabha, who kills the Mahashasura, Chanda and Munda.

Don't Miss:Kumartuli Tales: Crafting The Creator's Idols

The second hymn in the Mahishasura Mardini is Simhastha Shashishekhara. This refers to Devi Durga as the one who rides a lion. She is fierce, she is vigorous and she is strong. She kills Mahishasura alone which no other god or goddess could do. This hymn celebrates her power.

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Durga Puja 2023: Welcome The Goddess With These 5 Devotional Songs - HerZindagi

My keenness to go to Kumarajivas birthplace Kucha was born the day I visited Xian, the place of his death.

Sudheendra Kulkarni

Published: 15 Oct 2023, 9:00 AM IST

My keenness to go to Kumarajivas birthplace Kucha was born the day I visited Xian, the place of his death, a few years ago, writesSudheendra Kulkarni.

(Photo: Author/The Quint)

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(This is Part two of a three-part series on the author's recent extensive travels in Xinjiang, China's only predominantly Muslim province and his observations on where the Indo-China ties currently stand, independent of the Western view. Read part one here.)

Kumarajiva, his black stone statue in a meditative pose sitting on a lotus pedestal, looked every bit the great scholar-monk he was. In the background, the Kizil Buddhist Caves carved out on the face of a barren hill also appeared immersed in endless meditation.

The ruination of the spiritual and artistic treasure in these once magnificent shrines, first by bigoted human hands and later by centuries of exposure to natures unkind forces, had not disturbed their Zen-like calm. Rather, in line with the teachings of the Great Buddha, both the place and the person who made it famous seemed to be intently reflecting upon the causes of mankinds perennial follies and sufferings, and the ways to overcome them.

The author in front of the statue ofKumarajiva.

I was in Kucha, the birthplace of Kumarajiva (344413), in Aksu prefecture in Chinas Xinjiang Autonomous Region. This was the third leg of my maiden journey to the province in June this year. I had come here after visiting Urumqi, the provincial capital, and Turpan, another city with a rich Buddhist heritage now in ruins. From Kucha I would travel to Khotan and Kashgar, both made historic by an added factor. Here the footprints of Buddhism look even more distinctly overridden by Islamic influence.

A Buddha shrine near Khotan.

As I have mentioned in the first of this three-part article, many reasons impelled me to visit Xinjiang, Chinas westernmost and only Muslim-majority province. Chief among them was to understand the close cultural, religious, and civilizational links between India and this region, which is located on the fabled Silk Road of yore at the junction of China, South Asia, West Asia, and Central Asia.

It was through Buddhism that China and India came near to each other and developed many contacts, writes Jawaharlal Nehru in his classic The Discovery of India. Among the most important of these contacts was Kumarajiva, the celebrated translator of the Buddhist sutras into the Chinese language.

As his name itself suggests, he carries an Indian connection. His father, Kumarayana, was a Kashmiri Pandit. Jivaka, his mother, was a princess of Kucha. He mastered Sanskrit and several languages at a young age. He studied the Vedas and astronomy. His reputation as a prodigious scholar of Mahayana Buddhism soon spread as far away as Changan (todays Xian) in central China, whose haughty ruler ordered him to come and stay in his kingdom. He even sent his general to bring Kumarajiva to Changan. When Kumarajiva refused, he was taken prisoner. All kinds of allurements were shown to him but to no avail.

Eventually, under a new and benign ruler, he was honoured with the position of a master teacher of the nation in Changan, where he immersed himself in the translation of Buddhist scriptures in 294 volumes. It was the first time in Chinas history that foreign classics were translated in such large numbers. Prominent among them are the Lotus Sutra, Vimalakirti Sutra, Maha Prajnaparamita Sutra, The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, and The Treatise on the Establishment of Truth.

He also translated the life of the great Indian philosopher Nagarjuna, founder of the Madhyamika (Middle Way) school of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. Because of the excellent quality of his translations, they are highly popular even today among Buddhists in China, Japan, and Korea, and Buddhist scholars worldwide.

My keenness to go to Kumarajivas birthplace Kucha was born the day I visited Xian, the place of his death, a few years ago. His samadhi is located in a tranquil Buddhist temple on the outskirts of this city, where he taught his disciples. The memorial is a small structure called Sarira Stupa, erected over the place where he was cremated. Out of curiosity, I asked, Why is it called Sarira Stupa? The head of the temple explained, Before his death, Kumarajiva had told his disciples, If my tongue has uttered a single untruth in imparting my knowledge to you, my entire sarira (body in Sanskrit) will turn into ashes when you cremate it after my death. However, if all I have taught you is true and nothing but true, the entire sarira will become ashes except my tongue. His death vindicated his words. When his body was cremated, people were wonderstruck to see that his tongue was intact. That is why they erected the Sarira Stupa.

Here is a thoughtful episode from Kumarajivas Lotus Sutra. Once Sakyamuni Buddha asked his learned disciples who among them would preach the Lotus Sutra in the dark, violent, and chaotic future ages, and who would endure all the difficulties and hostilities in doing so. All of them showed readiness, hoping to inherit the propagation of the Law after his mentors death.

However, Sakyamuni declined to entrust them with this mission and, instead, summoned the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who postpone their own salvation in order to help other living beings. A large number of Bodhisattvas emerged from the ground as human lotus flowers. In the words of the Lotus Sutra, they are Firm in the power of will and concentration, with constant diligence seeking wisdom, and their minds are without fear.

Paula Tizzano Fernndez, from whose scholarly article The Great Kumarajiva and his Transcreation of the Lotus Sutra I have taken the above passage, describes him as a Translator-Bodhisattva. A professor at the University of Alicante, Spain, she says Kumarajiva devoted himself to translation not as a profession, but as a self-chosen mission in life, as a compassionate practice to help and empower his fellow human beings (He) was himself a remarkably free and intercultural mind, a man of true humanism, transcending enclosed fanaticisms and religious dogmatisms. The translation performed by Kumarajiva was actually a dialogue among civilizations specifically, a dialogue between Indian and Chinese civilisations.

At a time when our world is witnessing multiple conflicts and crises, it certainly needs many such Bodhisattvas among translators, scholars, and statesmen, who can promote a constructive dialogue among nations, religions, and civilisations.

The lives of Kumarajiva and Xuan Zang (602-664), another legendary Buddhist monk whose name is inextricable from the history of India-China civilisational interaction, are separated by over two centuries. Yet, there is one interesting common fact. Like Kumarajiva, Xuan Zang (popularly known in India as Hiuen Tsang) was also imprisoned by a ruler, who, impressed by the fame of his scholarship, wanted him to stay in his kingdom.

This happened at a place called Gaochang, a once-magnificent city now in complete ruins near the Taklamakan Desert. It was an unbearably hot afternoon when I reached there from Turpan, which itself is the hottest place in China. Gaochang was the capital of several thriving kingdoms between the 2nd century BC and the 14th century AD, when it was attacked by Khizr Khwaja Khan, a Central Asian prince.

It had a large Buddhist monastery with several thousand monks. But it was also a cosmopolitan city. Confucianism, Taoism, Nestorian Christianity and Manichaeism (an Iranian dualistic religion that was founded in the 3rd century AD) had also flourished here. Xuan Zang visited Gaochang around 630 AD and preached there when he was on a pilgrimage to India in search of Buddhist scriptures. My guide and Uyghur interpreter Alimjan narrated what happened to him there.

The king of Gaochang, who came to listen to Xuan Zangs discourses, was so impressed that he didnt want the monk to leave his kingdom. When the latter refused, he was held a prisoner. Xuan Zang went on a hunger strike for three days, and told the king, My bones can stay here when I die, but my soul will continue the journey to India.

The king not only relented, but became such an ardent pupil of Xuan Zang that he would allow the monk to step on his back to climb the platform meant for delivering the discourses. He later bade goodbye to Xuan Zang on his onward journey to India with full state honours.

Xuan Zang visited Gaochang around 630 AD and preached there when he was on a pilgrimage to India in search of Buddhist scriptures.

How true is the Sanskrit proverb: Swadeshe Pujyate Raja, Vidwan Sarvatra Pujyate, which means a king is honoured in his country only, whereas a great scholar is honoured all over the world.

Nothing of the auditorium in which the discourses were held now remains. However, the half-destroyed temple next to it, in which Xuan Zang meditated, is still extant. There is no trace of Buddhist religion or art left in it. All visual depictions of the Buddha and other human forms all over Gaochang were erased under the Muslim rule. Manuscripts considered un-Islamic were destroyed. Even the dome of this icon-less temple has gone. So, when I sat on the dusty floor to offer prayers, all I could see was its bare mud walls with a round hole on top, where a splendid blue sky appeared to have become the new dome of this shrine.

Buddhist temple in Gaochang, whereXuan Zang meditated.

Abstraction, minimalism and simplicity Less is more are the hallmarks of Zen Buddhism. (Zen meditation, which focuses attention on the emptiness of all reality, is Chan in Chinese, which itself is the sinicization of Dhyana in Sanskrit.) Goacheng, though destroyed and abandoned many centuries ago, seemed to have defiantly preserved this Buddhist teaching.

Not far from Gaochang, geography, history, literature, and scholarly probe combine to showcase Xinjiangs yet another amazing connection with India. This is at the Flaming Mountain near Turpan. This red sandstone mountain figures prominently in the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en (1505-1580) and in the exploits of its enthralling hero, the Monkey King. It is the story of how the Monkey King safely escorted his master, Xuan Zang, on his pilgrimage to the Western Paradise (India) in search of Buddhist spiritual knowledge. When they were barred from proceeding further by the Flaming Mountain, the Monkey King is described as having borrowed a magic palm-leaf fan to stop the flame and create a safe passage. He similarly saved the monk from various dangers all through his journey.

According to Professor B R Deepak, an eminent sinologist at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, several noted Chinese scholars have concluded through textual research that the magical monkey is not a domestic product, but an Indian import. They believe his character is inspired by Hanuman in the Ramayana, and later sinicised with Chinese myth-making. Deepak quotes Prof Ji Xianlin, a widely revered Indologist who translated the Ramayana into Chinese, as saying: We cant refute the relationship between Sun Wukong and Nala and Hanuman of the Ramayana. However, at the same time, it cannot be denied that Chinese authors have further developed Sun Wukong, and have innovatively combined the Indian monkeys with Chinas Wu Zhiqi (an ape-like water demon who is said to be the prototype of the Monkey King). With their powerful imagination and refinement, they have created the brave and bold, lively and artistic image of Sun Wukong, which is loved by the people.

Prof Deepak says, Sun Wukong is the crystallization of the integration of Chinese and Indian literary images in the long process of cultural exchanges. It is a hybrid of the Chinese and Indian civilizations.

In front of a museum at the ruins of Gaochang stands an eye-catching statute of Xuan Zang. After the saga of captivity, release, honour, and farewell by the king, it shows the monk resuming his journey to India with a determined stride. Quite appropriate because, after Gaochang, Xuan Zang crossed the desert, travelled to Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan), Balkh (now in Afghanistan), Khotan, Yarkand (both in Xinjiang), climbed the Himalayan heights, and finally reached India.

He studied at the famous Nalanda University and became a master teacher there. He visited many holy places in the north, south, west, and east of India, seeking new knowledge, making friends, and gaining admirers everywhere. One of his greatest admirers was King Harshavardhana, who, because of this association, sent an envoy to the court of the Tang dynasty in Xian, thereby establishing the first diplomatic relations between India and China. Before Xuan Zangs departure to China, the king also gave him a grand farewell.

But why did Xuan Zang undertake this ordeal? In his own words: The purpose of my journey is not to obtain personal offerings. It is because I regretted that, in my country, the Buddhist doctrine was imperfect and the scriptures were incomplete. Having many doubts, I wished to go and find out the truth, and so I decided to travel to the West at the risk of my life, so that the Dew of the Mahayana sutras would have not only been sprinkled at Kapilavastu (a sacred Buddhist place of pilgrimage now in Nepal), but the sublime truth may also be known in the eastern country (China).

When he returned to Xian in China after spending 17 long years in India and covering over 16,000 km on foot and horses, he was given a heros welcome by both the king and the people. The king built a majestic pagoda, known as the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, where he, assisted by hundreds of his disciples, would spend many years translating the over 650 Sanskrit texts he had brought from India. His epic journey and the enduring impact of his work place him among the worlds greatest scholar-explorers of all time.

The book he penned on his heroic exploration, titled The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, is an invaluable account of India of those times. Nehru in The Discovery of India praises it highly and writes, Coming from a highly civilized and sophisticated country, at a time when Chinas capital Si-an-fu (Xian) was a centre of art and learning, his comments on and descriptions of conditions in India are valuable.

This is what Xuan Zang wrote about the Indian society of those days: With respect to the ordinary people, although they are naturally light-minded, yet they are upright and honourable. In money matters, they are without craft, and in administering justice they are considerate. They are not deceitful or treacherous in their conduct, and are faithful in their oaths and promises. In their rules of government, there is remarkable rectitude, whilst in their behaviour there is much gentleness and sweetness. With respect to criminals or rebels, these are few in number, and only occasionally troublesome. As the administration of the government is founded on benign principles, the executive is simple.

Incidentally, Xuan Zang was uniquely honoured when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China in May 2015. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who usually receives foreign heads of state and government in Beijing, departed from the protocol and welcomed Modi in front of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian. As a symbol of India-China civilizational interaction in ancient times, the choice of the place was perfect. Alas, when it comes to adding substance to this interaction in the modern era, our two countries are still faltering.

After the advent of Islam in Xinjiang in the tenth century, not only did Buddhism experience rapid decline, but Buddhist art, culture, scholarship and places of worship came under intense attack. The new rulers waged a jihad against Buddhism forcing the people to convert to Islam. When I asked Alimjan, my Uyghur guide and interpreter, about this, he remarked, This happened because Islam came to Xinjiang with the Holy Quran in one hand and the sword in another.

I saw evidence of this at two more places one near Turpan and the other in Khotan. At the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, located on a cliff in the Murtuk River gorge of the Flaming Mountains, only 83 caves are still in existence. These, featuring both Buddhist and Manichaean traditions, must have been stunning when they were created more than a thousand years ago. But now there is not a single statue of the Buddha intact. All were were broken and disfigured. Even their eyes were gouged out.

Much of what was left of the colourful fresco art in the caves was further damaged a century ago. In 1906, an unscrupulous German expedition team led by Albert Von Le Coq removed about 500 square meters of murals and took away the pieces to Berlin. Some of it was spoilt during transit. Some more were destroyed in the bombing in the Second World War. A few other Western experts, including Hungarian-British archaeologist Aurel Stein, also participated in this cultural pillage. The same was also done at the Kizil Caves in Kucha, first by Islamic extremists and later by Western explorers. All this happened because the Buddhist heritage sites in Xinjiang there are scores of them did not have any protection until the founding of a stable government in China in 1949.

Despite all that is tragically lost, fragments of the fresco art that still survive in the Bezeklik Caves show the splendour of what was once produced with infinite care, creativity and faith many paintings of Buddhacharitra, Bodhisattva Manjushri, a procession of worshipping Bodhisattvas, Heavenly Rajas, dancing Apsaras, Brahman musicians, Vajrapala guardians, and even Vasudeva (Krishna).

The second place where I witnessed similar destruction of Buddhist heritage was Damagou, an oasis town near Khotan. In what is called the smallest Buddhist shrine in all of Xinjiang (only 2x2 metres), there is a statue of a sitting Buddha without a head and without even a torso. It was discovered two decades ago buried under a mound in a desert when kids had gone to collect firewood.

Khotan was once a major centre of Mahayana Buddhism. But so extensive was the destruction of cave monasteries and libraries during the Islamic conquest of Khotan that alarm bells rang in distant Dunhuang Grottos in the east over a thousand kilometres away. Dunhuang, a famous oasis city on the Silk Road in Gansu province, is the cradle of Buddhism in China. A vast treasure of Buddhist art resides in its nearly 700 caves. When the monks at Dunhuang heard of what Islamic conquerors were doing in Khotan and other places in Xinjiang, they deposited over 50,000 manuscripts, including Khotanese literary works, and paintings in a small side chamber now known as Cave 17, or the Library Cave adjoining a larger cave. The chamber was walled up, plastered over, concealed by murals, and sealed up for posterity. This secret treasure thus remained hidden for nearly a thousand years. It was only discovered by accident at the turn of the last century.

As can be seen from the above description, Indias cultural and spiritual influence was once broad and deep all over Xinjiang in the first millennium. Today it is only present in museums, a grim reminder of what happened in the second millennium. Can the third millennium be different?

Now India has no land access to this region and to other neighbouring regions in Central Asia, West Asia and even a part of South Asia (Afghanistan). This is mainly because after our Independence in 1947, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir and Ladakh have remained landlocked with no access to Pakistan on the one hand and China on the other. Without physical connectivity, cultural and civilizational links get atrophied over time. Economic cooperation also gets severely impaired.

It is necessary to add here that, with the recent outbreak of the deadly Israel-Palestine conflict, the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) has become a non-starter.

IMEC, which aims to provide sea-land-sea-land connectivity from India to Europe via Saudi Arabia and Israel, was announced with much fanfare on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September. Some over-enthusiastic scholars in India and the West even predicted that IMEC would effectively counter Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. But since there is no hope of normalization of Israel-Saudi relations in the near future, this project is as good as dead.

What then can provide India with the closest, smoothest, least expensive and most dependable land connectivity to Central Asia, West Asia, Eurasia and Europe? It is the Belt and Road Initiative with Xinjiang as the hub.

The sad part is, most Indian politicians and intellectuals, including those who claim to be torchbearers of nationalism, do not seem to understand or care that India is losing out big time due to a lack of connectivity and cooperation with our neighbours, near and extended.

China, in contrast, is marching ahead confidently by establishing modern connectivity links with all its neighbours in Eurasia, West Asia and South Asia (minus India). Yet, China also faces considerable challenges. In particular, the threat of religious extremism, terrorism and separatism has not fully disappeared in Xinjiang. So what is the status of Islam in Xinjiang? Why and how is the Chinese government trying to implement its policy of localization of Islam in Xinjiang, by incorporating Chinese characteristics into it? This will be the subject of the last of my three-part article.

(The writer, who served as an aide to Indias former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is the founder of the Forum for a New South Asia Powered by India-Pakistan-China Cooperation. He tweets @SudheenKulkarni. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the authors own.The Quintneither endorses nor is responsible for them.)

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

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Xinjiang Tales: In the footsteps of Kumarajiva and Xuan Zhang - The Quint

A Story of Ours: Us and Them, was staged at the Archdiocesan Curia and Cathedral Pastoral Centre (ACCPC) at St Josephs Cathedral on September 29 and 30, by the St Josephs Family of Schools Kuching in collaboration with the Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) through the MySeni grant that supports and promotes local arts and culture. Oct 16, 2023

Choir and cast singing the original song,

By St Josephs Family of Schools (SJFS) A Story of Ours: Us and Them, was staged at the Archdiocesan Curia and Cathedral Pastoral Centre (ACCPC) at St Josephs Cathedral on September 29 and 30, by the St Josephs Family of Schools Kuching in collaboration with the Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) through the MySeni grant that supports and promotes local arts and culture.

Challenging the conceptions and ideals behind the boundaries and divisions in our societies, this years production was not just entertaining but also reflective and thought-provoking. Through an adaptation of an original play, Us and Them, written by David Campton, the audience was led on a journey of discovery into the heart of the human condition. The combination of news reports, current affairs and real-life struggles in the scenes that were intricately woven into the original play kept the audience captivated and on the edge of their seats.

The audience was taken on a journey, from the start of the show that featured the vibrant musical performances to the heart of the show which was the play, performed by the students of the three schools, namely St Josephs Private Primary School, St Josephs Private Secondary School and St Josephs Private International School.

The selected musical piece preceding the play, sung by the Primary School Choir, A Light of Hope and A Song of Peace, set the reflective tone. The play was about two groups of people who came to settle in an area. Divisions and the setting up of fences and walls later brought about dire consequences that mirror what is happening in our world today.

Messages of hope and calls to build bridges and not walls through dialogue and collaboration were emphasised in the play and were foreshadowed by the beautiful musical performances that preceded it. One example was the dance, Ekaritma, meaning Unity in Sanskrit, that showcased the dance moves and costumes of the major ethnicities in Sarawak. The other was the world premiere of the musical piece, Limitless Seas, written by US-based composer, Ben Hylton, who had adapted it especially for this production. The SJFS Concert Band in collaboration with the St Teresas School Band performed the said piece in a trio of songs. The other two songs were Under the Double Eagle and Inspiration Fanfare.

Adorned in traditional Malay costumes, the schools award-winning Chamber Choir enthralled the audience by singing the regional folk song, Soleram, along with a contemporary piece, Singkap Siaga which was composed by Dr Tracy Wong. Combining traditional and contemporary dance movements, the dancers of SJPSS Contemporary Dance Club moved gracefully, in sync with the rhythm of Singkap Siaga, telling the story of shadow puppets and life.--Today's Catholic

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St Joseph's Family of Schools' Production explores boundaries in ... - Malaysian Christian News

Photo Credit: ISRO The first solar observatory that India will get is through the ISRO project called the Aditya-L1 mission.Aditya-L1 mission objectives include the fullexploration of the Sun from a unique vantage point. Photo Credit: ISRO Launched on September 2, 2023, theAditya-L1 missionspacecraft embarked on a 110-day voyage to an extraordinary location in space. Photo Credit: ISRO Aditya-L1 destination is approximately 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometres) from Earth, offering an uninterrupted view of the sun. Photo Credit: ISRO/Twitter To ensure Aditya-L1 mission spacecraft stays on its precise course, a Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) was executed on October 6, 2023, lasting 16 seconds. Photo Credit: Pixabay This TCM is a standard procedure by ISRO for deep space missions to fine-tune theAditya-L1spacecraft's orbit. Photo Credit: NASA The correction was necessary after the Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) manoeuvre was performed on September 19, 2023. Photo Credit: Unsplash Aditya-L1 mission payloads are 7 in number to be carried out across the 5-year mission to study the sun, representing India's second deep space mission. Photo Credit: ISRO The first was the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), which reached Mars in 2014. Aditya means "the sun" in Sanskrit. Photo Credit: NASA The "L1" in Aditya-L1 refers to its orbit location, Earth-sun Lagrange point 1, ensuring continuous solar observations. India's journey to unveil the secrets of our sun continues. Photo Credit: Pixabay ISRO has a number of projects ongoing apart from Aditya-L1 mission. It includes the Chandrayaan-4 mission, Mangalyaan-2 mission and Shukryaan mission.

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Aditya-L1 Mission: Solar observatory shooting toward the Sun to its parking spot - HT Tech

Kerala University, once envisioned by Sir CP Ramaswami Aiyar for quality education, now grapples with scandals and declining standards. Political favoritism, subpar theses, and controversial appointments plague the system. Scholars call for reform as the legacy of excellence gives way to a grim reality of nepotism and educational decay, writes Kumar Chellappan

Sir CP Ramaswami Aiyar, former Diwan of the princely State of Travancore, may be turning in his grave if he were to read about the happenings in Kerala University, which he founded in 1937. All colleges in the provinces of Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar (predecessors to present-day Kerala) were affiliated with Madras University until 1937, which had made higher education inaccessible for students from average and middle-income families. When the university was launched as Travancore University (its name was later changed to Kerala University after the formation of the State of Kerala), Sir CP brought in the best teachers in the country as faculty members. He even approached Albert Einstein with an offer of Rs 6,000 per month as salary to head the physics department. However, for reasons best known to him, Einstein preferred to join Princeton University in the US.

Gone are the days of the Maharaja of Travancore and the Diwan. Sir CP, who aimed to establish a modern Kerala, faced a multitude of calumnies from vested interests, and there was even an attempt on his life. Immediately after the country was liberated from the shackles of colonialism, Sir CP tendered his resignation and returned to his ancestral house, The Grove in Chennai. Soon after the swearing in of the popular governments, Kerala University began its descent into an abyss. The institution has fallen into a Black Hole. Not only Kerala University, but all universities in the State have become cesspools of political manipulations, favoritism, and the appointment of near and dear ones of comrades to senior positions and teaching posts. The appointment of the wives of CPI(M) minister MB Rajesh, Speaker Shamseer, and Chief Ministers secretary Rakesh in violation of all norms has reached the Supreme Court. Most universities are functioning with temporary vice chancellors following the standoff between the CPI(M) Government and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. The Governor, famous for his no-nonsense approach to all issues and a stickler for norms, has questioned the double standards of the CPI(M) in the selection of vice chancellors, which has infuriated the commissars and comrades.

What comes next is literally shocking. The degrees, especially the PhDs in humanities, represent the pinnacle of callousness, irresponsibility, nepotism, and spinelessness among the senior staff members. Chintha Jerome, the youngest CPI(M) state committee member, obtained a PhD in English literature by submitting a thesis riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as factual errors. She couldn't differentiate between Vailoppilli Sreedhara Menon and Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, two romantic poets in the Malayalam language. Even schoolchildren in Kerala are familiar with the significant works of Changampuzha and Vailippilli. Addressing them as Vailoppalli and Krishna Menon is an unpardonable error. Despite her thesis being packed with factual errors, grammatical and spelling mistakes, university authorities gleefully awarded her the PhD. There is a clamour for PhDs among students, as a research degree is essential for a teaching profession according to University Grants Commission guidelines. The Higher Education Department of the Kerala Government has discarded the UGC's directives in the selection procedures for faculty and awarding of doctoral degrees. Jerome has become the subject of jokes on social media due to her subpar English speeches. There is nothing surprising in the British leaving India in haste, as they were taken aback by the way we speak English, remarked an academic in the State.

Chintha's case is not a flash in the pan example of a substandard doctoral thesis. Sunil Elayidam, a professor at Sree Sankara Sanskrit University, obtained a PhD in Malayalam language only after the intervention of a Marxist minister who requested that he be awarded the doctoral degree. The examiner who reviewed Elayidam's work candidly admitted that the thesis was substandard and did not meet the minimum requirements for a creative work.

He had already made headlines for plagiarising Bharatanatyam, A Reader, a work by Davesh Soneji, a social historian based in the US working in the field of performing arts. This earned him the nickname Suniladi, rhyming with Coppiyadi, Malayalam for copying an original work. Many Marxist leaders in Kerala consider a PhD a status symbol, granting access to the intellectual elite.

A PhD in the field of art and literature should embody creativity, and the thesis should serve as a reference point for researchers and critics alike," said Professor Ravi Shankar S Nair, an avant-garde critic in Malayalam literature.

Professor Nair, who meticulously evaluates all PhD theses in the state, highlighted a recent research work by a student of Sree Sankara Sanskrit University at Kalady. He remarked that the thesis, titled Onam: A Cultural Analysis, is of lower quality than an essay authored by a high school student. "The main findings of this PhD thesis assert that thousands of people participate in the Kerala Government-funded Onam-Tourism week with enthusiasm. There is no permanent crowd for this festival; it is a mobile crowd. Since food is freely distributed by temples, all hotels remain closed... these are the findings for which the 'researcher' has been awarded the Ph.D.!" stated Professor Nair.

Appalled by the decline in the quality of higher education, CK Anandan Pillai, a septuagenarian scholar and chief editor of Sahitya Vimarsam, a quarterly magazine, sent a questionnaire to ten academics in the State regarding the selection process of faculties pursued by university authorities and the quality of research theses. All those who responded to Pillai's inquiries were unanimous in their belief that the selection of faculties in universities is the most significant scam of modern times.

"Most of the PhD theses submitted to the universities lack the value of the papers on which they are written. Dustbins are the ideal place for them," remarked RS Sasikumar, an academician with more than three decades of experience. According to KV Thomas, an educationist, PhD theses could be described as the best comedies. "Since none but the candidate reads these creations, there are no complaints," added Thomas. Rasheed Panoor, a teacher with a three-decade-long outstanding track record, suggested that Kerala may be the only State in India where the appointment of vice chancellors is based on caste, community, and religion.

True to what Rasheed has said, the names of vice chancellors are discussed in the liaison committee of the Left Democratic Front before being presented to the Governor.

Sasikumar and his fellow academics have formed a Save University Campaign Committee and submitted a memorandum to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is leading a battle against the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government, requesting him to intervene immediately to rescue the higher education sector in the State from the shackles of Marxists. As this article is being written, yet another PhD scandal has come to light, this time from Sree Sankara Sanskrit University in Kerala. The university awarded a PhD to a Marxist leader for her thesis, which is riddled with errors. Princy Kuriakose, who has been appointed as a member of the Kerala Public Service Commission, claimed in her thesis that Adi Sankara lived during the period 1800 to 1900. When asked about this mistake, the vice chancellor who oversaw the research took the easy way out. See, I am traveling and did not see any reports about this incident. Let me get back to the University and study the issue, said Dharmaraj Adat, the then vice chancellor.

The Malayalam term for University is Sarva Kalaa Saala, which means an institution that encompasses all forms of arts. However, Anandan Pillai suggests that the ideal Malayalam term should be Sarva Kalla Saala (a comprehensive institution for all kinds of thefts - 'Kalla'). There have been instances in the past where individuals going to oil-rich West Asian countries managed to secure employment by presenting wedding invitation letters to Sheikhs as if they were degree certificates from engineering colleges. Welcome to God's Own Country.

(The writer is Chennai-based Special Correspondent of The Pioneer)

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Black hole of nepotism - Daily Pioneer