In 2008, when Korean swimming legend Park Tae-hwan secured his and the nation's first Olympic victory, there were 1,570 elementary school swimmers, as reported by the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee ("KSOC"). By 2023, this number had grown nearly 1.6 times to 2,484. This growth is particularly notable as it occurred alongside a decrease in the total number of elementary school students in Korea, which fell from approximately 3.67 million to 2.67 million during the same period.

Elementary school swimmers saw significant growth, notably after the 2014 Sewol Ferry disaster. Following the incident, more young students began learning survival swimming, leading to the discovery of new swimming talents. Ironically, this tragic event served to promote the expansion of swimming culture.

Indeed, growing a swimming culture doesn't guarantee immediate success in sports. Take China, for example, where many people ride bicycles, yet they have few global cyclists. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, China secured just two of the 12 gold medals in track cycling, while Japan claimed the remaining gold medals.

In the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, Japan won just two gold medals out of 14 in the same event. Experts widely agree that Japan's rapid rise as a strong player in track cycling within just five years is largely attributed to the High Performance Center of Japan Cycling. Operating under the goal of elevating Japanese cycling to a world-class level, the center provides a systematic elite training program grounded in science.

In Buddhism, occurrences depend on the presence of both direct and indirect elements. For example, cheese forms from milk only when the correct temperature and humidity are present. Similarly, success in 21st-century sports hinges on combining a thriving base culture and elite training programs. Korea's success in the Hangzhou Asian Games can be attributed to the combination of a widespread swimming base and the support of the Korea Swimming Federation.

Using a Buddhist saying to illustrate progress in sports is linked to KSOC President Lee Kee-heung, a devout Buddhist and a two-time leader of the Korean Buddhist Jogye Order believers. Lee's appointment as the first president of KSOC may seem fateful, as it coincided with the merger of KSOC, which primarily represents elite sports, and the Korea Council of Sport for All, which focuses on grassroots sports, in 2019. Nevertheless, President Lee seems focused on delineating athletes and non-athletes, possibly due to his emphasis on elite sports representation.

The World Health Organization reported that Korean female students aged 11 to 17 face one of the most severe levels of physical inactivity globally (97.2%). Team Korea in women's sports secured 13 gold medals in Hangzhou, trailing Japan by nine medals. In men's sports, Korea also won 26 gold medals, but its total medal count falls short of Japan's. Prioritizing elite sports over fostering a sports-for-all culture may not yield positive results.

Kyu-In Hwang kini@donga.com

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Impact of the 2014 Sewol Ferry disaster on Korean sports -

ISLAMABAD, Oct 27 (APP): To commemorate 40 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and the Republic of Korea, the Department of Archeology and Museum (DOAM) in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea organized a photographic exhibition titled 40 Years of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Korea and Pakistan.

The exhibition, which opened on Friday, features photographs of historical sites and monuments in Pakistan and Korea, including Buddhist sites in Pakistan. It also showcases the work done during excavations, conservation, and restoration of important Buddhist sites in both countries.

In his opening address, notable speakers were Park Kijun, the Korean Ambassador, the Executive Director of the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation (KCHF), and Dr. Abdul Azeem, the Director General of DOAM.

The Joint Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division emphasized the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and South Korea, which have resulted in substantial advancements in their bilateral relations over the past four decades. He highlighted the shared interest of both countries in ensuring a peaceful and prosperous South Asia, and their cooperation in various multilateral forums.

The Joint Secretary also stressed the broad spectrum of cooperation between Pakistan and Korea, encompassing areas such as cultural heritage. He mentioned that Buddhism, with its diverse tapestry of traditions and life teachings, was introduced to the ancient Baekje Kingdom in Korea from present-day Pakistan by Monk Maranantha nearly 1,500 years ago.

The Ambassador Park Kijun, in his speech, highlighted the vast potential for mutually beneficial collaboration in diverse fields. He said that the special exhibition promises to bring the cultural heritage of Pakistan and Korea together.

The exhibition features a diverse range of photographs, capturing the rich cultural heritage of both Pakistan and Korea. Some of the notable photographs include:

A panoramic view of the ancient city of Taxila in Pakistan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A close-up of a Buddha statue from the Gandhara region of Pakistan, dating back to the 2nd century AD.

A photograph of the Bulguksa Temple in Korea, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. A photograph of the Seokguram Grotto in Korea, home to a magnificent 7th-century Buddha statue.

The exhibition also features photographs of the ongoing conservation and restoration work at important Buddhist sites in both countries. For example, one photograph shows archaeologists working at the site of the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, while another photograph shows conservators restoring a Buddhist mural at the Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond in Korea.

The photographic exhibition 40 Years of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Korea and Pakistan is a timely and important celebration of the deep cultural ties between the two countries. It is also a reminder of the shared commitment of Pakistan and Korea to preserving and promoting their cultural heritage. The exhibition is open to the public until November 10, 2023, at the Pakistan National Museum in Islamabad.

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Pakistan and Korea Celebrate 40 Years of Diplomatic Ties with ... - Associated Press of Pakistan

Green tea's enduring popularity is reflected in the "teacup without handle" emoji (left). The "hot beverage" emoji (right) takes its cue from another tea tradition: black tea. Illustration by Meilan Solly / Background map via Perry-Castaeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin

When searching for a tea emoji on most text messaging apps, a range of options appear. One shows what looks like green liquid in a white bowl. Another features a saucer and a cup filled with a darker liquid that doubles as coffee.

These emojis designs allude to the long history of tea, tracing how this centerpiece of a cherished Asian tradition grew into a global beverage. For most of recorded history, the word tea referred to green tea from China and later Japanillustrated by the emoji officially called teacup without handle.

The whole world was drinking Chinese green teas quite late, says Erika Rappaport, author of A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World. Black tea, on the other hand, is almost a 20th-century phenomenon, she adds. Its represented by the second, more generically named hot beverage emoji.

The tea plant,Camellia sinensis, is indigenous to a region spanning present-day China, India, Myanmar and Cambodia. All types of tea are derived from the same plant. But different methods of processing the plants leaves produce different types of teas, with the level of oxidation affecting the color and flavor of the resulting beverage.

To make green tea, manufacturers dehydrate, heat and shape the leaves, preventing oxidation and preserving the plants original color. At the other end of the spectrum, black tea leaves are fully oxidized, changing hue from green to a darker brown. Oolong tea, which can appear green or black in color, is a distinct variation that falls somewhere in the middle, with leaves undergoing partial oxidation.

Popular lore suggests the mythical Chinese Emperor Shennong accidentally discovered tea in 2737 B.C.E. By 350 B.C.E., tea was established enough to warrant a mention in a Chinese dictionary.

Initially a medicinal beverage, tea became a daily drink by the third century C.E., with elite members of Chinese society viewing tea drinking as a leisurely pastime. By the eighth century, during the Tang dynasty, Chinas tea culture was flourishing, giving rise to tea ceremonies and social events, as well as art and literature inspired by the drink. The Chinese monk Lu Yu wrote the first treatise on tea, titled The Classic of Tea, around 760. Over the next few centuries, green tea was enjoyed by all sectors of Chinese society, and tea became a cornerstone of Chinas trade with other countries.

To the east of China, in Japan, elite citizens started drinking tea in the eighth century. But wider domestic cultivation and appreciation of tea only came to the country in the late 12th century, when Buddhist monk Eisai popularized the drink. While studying Zen Buddhism at a monastery in China, Eisai learned of a beverage the other monks drank to help stay alert for meditation: green tea. Tea is the most wonderful medicine for nourishing ones health, Eisai wrote in a treatise on tea. It is the secret of long life.

In Japan, matchaa green tea made from powdered leavesis often served in a small bowl during a traditional tea ceremony. This drinking vessel, known as a chawan, originated in China but took on a new form in Japan between the 13th and 16th centuries. Today, its enduring popularity is reflected in the teacup without handle emoji. The hot beverage emoji, meanwhile, takes its cue from another tea tradition: black tea, which gained a foothold in the West through trade between Europe and Asia.

In the early 17th century, Portuguese and Dutch traders returning from Asia brought green teaback home, where it quickly gained traction as acurative beverage. Tea enjoyedsimilar prominence in the Americas following its introduction by colonial powers and their trading companies, including the British East India Company (EIC) and the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

There is this long history of green tea being the go-to tea in the United States, says Robert Hellyer, author ofGreen With Milk and Sugar: When Japan Filled Americas Tea Cups. By the 18th century, Europeans and Americans were primarily drinking green or oolong teas known by colonial trading names like hyson, singlo, bohea, congou and souchong.

The U.S.s founders were no strangers to tea. George Washingtonenjoyed drinking Chinese green teas out of porcelain tea bowls. Writing to his tea supplier in 1794, Thomas Jefferson stated his preference for young hyson, [which] we prefer both for flavor and strength. All342 chests of tea dumped overboard during theBoston Tea Party in 1773 wereimported from China by the EIC. The three tea ships targeted by the Patriots held 265 chests of oolong tea and 75 chests of green tea.

Contemporary and historical observers alike often incorrectly identify bohea, congou and souchong as black teas when they were, in fact, oolong. The English phrase black tea has been in continual usage from the 18th century to the present, but it has not always referred to the same drink, says Andrew Liu, author ofTea War: A History of Capitalism in China and India.

As tea expert Bruce Richardson explains, European and American tea merchants didnt really know the difference between green, black or oolong, or where it came from. Merchants just took anything that they could possibly get because there was this unquenchable thirst for tea in Europe and America.

In China, green teas are traditionally made from young tea leaves harvested at the beginning of spring. By the 18th century, green tea was the most valuable and delicate variety exported from China. But the finest Chinese teas never made it to European or American markets.

By the time merchant ships arrived in Canton (the port known today as Guangzhou) in the winter, the Chinese had already drunk the best of their wares. So they would go back and just pretty much strip the bushes just to have enough tea to fill up those chests, says Richardson. Bohea, then, was the common cheap tea that was oxidized longer than green and travels much more easily.

Britains taste for tea led to a trade imbalance with China, which would only accept silver as payment for its exports. Eager to gain the upper hand, British merchants started smuggling opium into China illegally. As more of Chinas citizens became addicted to opium, its government sought to enforce a ban on the drug, attracting the ire of the British and launching the Opium Wars of the mid-19th century. China lost both of these armed conflicts, allowing Britain to reassert its dominance in the trading arena.

Around this same time, the EIC in India and the VOC in Indonesia decided to become not just traders but also producers of tea. In the 1830s, when the EIC cleared land in Assam, India, to grow tea plants, it was trying to make oolong tea similar to the bohea and congou varieties imported from China. But the imperial Chinese government closely guarded the means of production, preventing European attempts to grow and cultivate tea.

Lacking the knowledge the Chinese had honed over centuries, the British and Dutch allowed their tea leaves to fully oxidize, producing a drink that was essentially a new product that had hitherto never been seen or drunk by anyone, writes George van Driem in The Tale of Tea.

Although tea makers in southern China produced and consumed oolong teas for years before the entry of European traders, true black tea did not appear until the late 19th century, at the behest of foreign tastes, says Liu. In other words, the Chinese had sent out oolong to the world, and in response, the world asked for teas that were even darkerblack tea.

According to Rappaport, early black tea tasted terrible, so the British had trouble selling it. They heavily advertised these plantation-grown black teas not because people loved black tea then but because theyre grown in India and therefore British, the historian explains.

As demand for black tea grew, the EIC sought Chinas help to increase production and improve the quality of its wares. With demand for green tea declining and pressure from Europe mounting in the aftermath of the Opium Wars, the Chinese agreed. You need to think of black tea as a co-product between the British Empire and China and Asia, says Liu. What the East India Company was attempting in Assam became an incubator for growing black tea and produced the prototype for a black tea they then asked China to make more of for their global market.

To produce black tea on an industrial scale, European growers started importing indentured laborers from other provinces of India into Assam, Darjeeling and Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon), forcing them to work under conditions similar to slavery. As Rappaport says, Black tea represents the way in which the British Empire colonized the land, labor and taste of the territories it occupied.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the EIC and other companies in British-controlled India and Sri Lanka embarked on a concerted campaign to change drinking habits in the West by boosting black teas and denigrating green and oolong Chinese teas. European and American advertising was imbued with imperial ideology that produced notions of racial difference and white supremacy, writes Rappaport in her book. She tells Smithsonian that black tea also appealed to working-class Britons because it seemed to be stronger, so you could use less tea and make it go further by continually pouring hot water in and make the tea last longer.

In 1866, Britain imported 96 percent of its tea from China. By 1894, this number had fallen significantly, with India and Sri Lanka supplying 88 percent of the tea consumed in Britain.

The U.S. took longer to embrace black tea than Great Britain, in large part because of the newfound popularity of Japanese green tea in the mid-19th century. Transported from Edo Bay (now Tokyo) to San Francisco via steamer in just 18 days, the beverage readily outperformed Chinese varieties of green tea, says Richardson.

In 1905, 40 percent of tea imported into the U.S. came from Japan. Chinese green, oolong and black teas accounted for another 45 percent of imports, while black teas from India and Sri Lanka made up the last 15 percent. By the mid-20th century, however, America was predominantly a nation of black tea drinkers.

Identifying a single factor behind the national move from green to black [tea] is challenging, says Hellyer, but as with so much of the American experience, racism played a role. The same types of advertising campaigns that popularized black tea in Britain used racial suspicions to sow seeds of doubt about Chinese and Japanese green teas, he adds. World War II also contributed to the shift in taste, with the conflict cutting off trade with both China and Japan.

Today, black tea is the most popular variety in the Western world; in Japan and China, green tea continues to dominate. Other types of tea, including oolong, white, yellow, puer and herbal, boast dedicated fans but have yet to reach the heights of black and green tea.

When tea was first introduced to Europe and North America, its appearance mirrored the teacup without handle emoji, much as the drink is still enjoyed in Asia today. As the global tea trade ramped up in the following centuries, tea in Europe and the U.S. came to look more like the hot beverage emoji.

Whatever ones personal preference, the diverse range of emoji representing tea (other variations include images of bubble tea and a teapot) speaks to the drinks enduring appeal. As an American merchant once wrote, No other production of the soil has, in equal degree, stimulated the intercourse of the most distant portions of the globe; nor has any other beverage so commended itself to the palates of the people or become so much a source of comfort, and a means of temperance, healthfulness and cheerfulness.

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The Global History of Tea | History - Smithsonian Magazine

How did a retired businessman in his 60s end up rescuing ancient Sanskrit manuscripts, taking crumbling pages and preserving them in digital form?

It is a story that began with a retirement plan. At 51, Sanjaya Singhal decided he would give his career another nine years, then step away from his electronic metering company, Secure.

He would study Sanskrit so that he could read the Mahabharata in the original. Then, I wanted to pick an area of interest within the language, and do a PhD. The target was to complete my studies by 70, says Singhal, who is 68 and lives in Udaipur.

Right on schedule, in 2017, Singhal began to study and translate shlokas. Along the way, he stumbled into the world of computational linguistics. With my technological background, I found this field fascinating. It could help preserve manuscripts that were crumbling across the country, he says.

To better understand the potential for this, Singhal made his way to the World Sanskrit Conference, which was being held in Canada in 2018. Here, his mission was reaffirmed. Speaker after speaker discussed how precious manuscripts were crumbling and uncared-for.

Singhal had found a new mission, an urgent one.

Over the next century, we will begin to lose the oldest manuscripts, Singhal says. These ancient texts were usually inscribed on palm leaves, endowed with a remarkable longevity of up to 700 years. But many are already more than 500 years old.

Not knowing where to begin, Singhal turned his focus to the Vaidika Samshodhana Mandala (VSM) research library in Pune, which he had frequented as a student. It houses 15,000 Vedic manuscripts. Singhal had met then VSM director Bhagyalata Pataskar at the World Sanskrit Conference in Vancouver. He crafted a proposal, laying out his plan for digitisation of the librarys archive. The library signed on.

About 6,000 manuscripts had already been scanned and digitised and saved on two hard discs. Regrettably, one of these discs had become corrupted, Singhal says. We enlisted the services of a forensic lab, and retrieved about 40% of the data (equivalent to 2,500 manuscripts). The rest, despite their fragile state, would have to be scanned again.

The library had also preserved some manuscripts on microfilm. Given how easily this material degrades, Singhal decided to digitise the 900 microfilm rolls too. He and his team of 30 four IT specialists and 26 Sanskrit scholars also worked to develop a software program for VSM in 2019, which now acts as a library management system.

Now that things were rolling, Singhal decided to give the project a name, and enlarge its scope. He reached out to libraries across India, to tell them about his Project Sangraha (Sanskrit for collection or the act of organising).

The open-access portal sangraha.org currently features 7,000 digitised manuscripts from across seven libraries. The entries can be searched using keywords and filters. Each of the participating libraries determines its own norms for access (some manuscripts are downloadable as free PDFs; some cost 100 per page).

We lost about two years to the pandemic, as operations were put on hold. But Project Sangraha aims to catalogue 2.5 million manuscripts by 2045, Singhal says.

This endeavour will grant global access to Indias abundant heritage of knowledge, adds Saroja Bhate, chairperson of the VSM managing committee. Manuscripts from across India, carefully preserved in closed racks and cupboards for many years, are now accessible worldwide in digital format, thanks to the Sangraha initiative.

Singhal is now looking to expand his team, with more Sanskrit scholars and specialists in subject such as the Vedas, astronomy and grammar. This ancient language must embrace the digital age, he says. I envision projects like this as stepping stones toward establishing a robust digital platform for Sanskrit, ultimately attracting a new generation of enthusiasts.

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Sanskrit scrolls with the time: A digital project races to preserve a rich past - Hindustan Times

After smashing the game with its successful Chandrayaan-3 moon mission and crossing off milestones for its Aditya-L1 sun explorer, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is getting set for yet another major spaceflight endeavor: Gaganyaan.

The Gaganyaan mission, which translates from Sanskrit to "celestial vehicle," will be India's attempt to launch at least three astronauts to low-Earth orbit before the end of 2024, though a concrete timeline for liftoff hasn't been shared yet. What has been shared, however, is the date of Gaganyaan's upcoming test flight that'll look at the efficacy of the crew capsule's emergency escape system.

On Oct. 21, ISRO will launch an empty module from Satish Dhawan Space Center in India before bringing it safely back to Earth, deputy minister for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, said on Tuesday (Oct. 11), according to Reuters.

"The success of this test flight will set the stage for the remaining qualification tests and unmanned missions, leading to the first Gaganyaan mission with Indian Astronauts," ISRO said in a statement released on Oct. 6.

Related: India tests parachutes for Gaganyaan crew capsule using a rocket sled (video)

The test Crew Module (CM), according to the statement, will be akin to the pressurized module that'll hold crew members during their ascent to space this version, however, will be unpressurized. It will be launched via a single-stage liquid rocket specifically developed for this mission that will simulate an abort scenario; the true CM, by contrast, will ride atop a 143-foot-tall (43.5-meter) Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) rocket with a solid stage, liquid stage and cryogenic stage. The latter recently received human safety certifications, R. Hutton, project director of the Gaganyaan mission, said during a conference last month.

ISRO says the test module will explore various other components of the mission, too, including drogue parachutes designed to stabilize and slow the spacecraft during reentry as well as "recovery aid actuation systems." A Crew Escape System (CES) tested during the demonstration and "CM fairing and Interface Adapters" will help the agency assess the emergency escape system that'll be used to eject astronauts if need be.

"This flight will simulate the abort condition during the ascent trajectory corresponding to a Mach number of 1.2 encountered in the Gaganyaan mission," the statement reads. "Subsequently, the abort sequence will be executed autonomously commencing with the separation of CES and deployment of the series of parachutes, finally culminating in the safe touchdown of CM in the sea."

Upon return to Earth, the CM will be recovered by a diving team from the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal using a dedicated vessel. Eventually, another test flight will follow this one, Singh said, which will carry a robot to outer space. That robot is named Vyommitra, which translates from Sanskrit to "space's friend," and has a humanlike face, can speak like a human and possesses robotic arms but no robotic legs.

So far, the CM has undergone various forms of electrical testing in Bengaluru and is yet to experience vibration tests with the CES and be integrated with the vehicle on the launch pad, ISRO's statement says.

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India to launch test flight on Oct. 21 for future Gaganyaan astronaut ... - Space.com

One leaders thesis quoted the name of the wrong author when she wrote about a literary work. Even her guide did not notice that. Plagiarism and lack of substance are quite often alleged. Now, the latest issue is the alleged 3,000 errors in a DYFI leaders PhD thesis. And interestingly, she is a Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) Member designate. Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the thesis, of serious errors, from the Shodhganga website and it should undergo re-scrutiny. The Shodhganga@INFLIBNET Centre provides a platform for research students to deposit their PhD theses and make them available to the entire scholarly community in open access.

SUCC has submitted a memorandum before the Vice Chancellor of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit demanding the cancellation of the Dean status of the former Vice Chancellor Dharmaraj Adatt and the permanent debar of the evaluators from that assignment. The memorandum says it is a shame on the university which is named after Adi Sankaracharya when it approves a PhD thesis which shows the life period of Sankaracharya erroneously. It is believed that Adi Sankaracharya lived during eighth ninth centuries whereas Princys thesis says, he lived in eighteenth nineteenth centuries. SUCC alleges that Princy does not know the life period of Sankaracharya and the time when untouchability existed in the country. And, the 210 page thesis contains 3,000 grammatical and spelling errors. Plagiarism cannot be traced with the help of computer software, thanks to such a huge number of grammatical and spelling errors. Princy got PhD, in 2018, on A comparative study of Vedic concepts of Shankaracharya and Chattambiswamy in 2018

SUCC has requested the State Governor Arif Mohammed Khan not to accept the recommendation to appoint Princy as the KPSC member.

SUCC further alleged that the research student prepared the thesis in English; but she lacks basic knowledge of English grammar. SUCC says that an experts panel appointed by them (SUCC) had opined that even though the student had passed MA in Sanskrit literature, herself and her guide Dharmaraj Adatt do not have the basic qualification to carry out research in Sanskrit Vedanta.

The thesis saying that Sankaracharya lived in eighth ninth centuries and that the caste discrimination and untouchability started in mid-19th century had caused controversies much earlier.

Princy, a SFI leader, is a former students union chairman of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. She has worked as the Ernakulam district president of DYFI. She had also served as the Youth Commission member when Chintha Jerome, another DYFI leader, was its chairperson. Jeromes PhD thesis was controversial too. Her thesis quoted the name of a wrong author when she wrote about a literary work.

Even her guide did not notice that. She was drawing a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month as the chairperson of Youth Commission. Originally it was Rs 50,000. After drawing it for two years it was hiked to Rs 1 lakh. Even though she said, she had not written to the government for the hike, some channels had telecast the letter she allegedly wrote to the Principal Secretary demanding the salary hike. Hike was reported to have implemented with retrospective effect.

Reports suggest, Princy is going to get Rs 2.5 lakhs as a PSC member and will be entitled to have a pension package of Rs 1 lakh when she turns 38. It is also reported that it is first time a student-youth leader gets appointed to such a significant Constitutional position.

SUCC chairman R.S. Sasikumar and convener Shajer Khan alleged that the state government stands for politics-based appointments.

There are numerous allegations against SFI and DYFI leaders in connection with the manipulations in the academic matters. One leader reportedly passed the examinations which he had not even appeared for. When the controversy erupted, software system was blamed. Another leader faked an experience certificate, from the college where she studied, but never had taught, and got jobs in two colleges as guest lecturer based on the above certificate. Another comrade got MCom admission in the very same college where he studied BCom and failed. A DYFI leader was arrested for forging the NEET examination mark list for MBBS admission and for trying to cheat the court. SUCC alleged about a comrade who tried to get MA (English Literature) admission on sports quota after passing BCom.

In another words, a series of never-ending stories. God alone knows where is the end.

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Kerala: 3,000 errors alleged in DYFI leaders 210 page PhD thesis - Organiser

Dussehra 2023: Shardiya Navratri has started and people are all out celebrating with full grandeur and religious fervour. Dedicated to the nine avatars of Maa Durga, Navratri is celebrated over the span of nine nights and concluded in the 10th day of Shukla Paksha of the Ashwin as Dussehra. This festival is also known as Vijayadashami. Vijaya Dashami is celebrated at the end of the nine-day Navratri festival.

For many people, Dussehra marks the beginning of the preparations for Diwali, which is a festival of lights that celebrates the victory of good over evil. In 2023, Vijayadashami will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 24th. The festival is celebrated by Hindus all over the world, and it commemorates the victory of good over evil.

Navratri 2023: What Is The Difference Between Dussehra, Vijayadashami And Dashain? | Freepik

The word Dussehra comes from the Sanskrit words, 'Dasha' and 'hara.' Dasha means ten (Ravana had ten heads) and hara means defeat (Lord Rama defeats Ravana). The festival symbolises the victory of good over evil.

Vijayadashami or Dussehra and Dashain are different names for the same Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. Dussehra is primarily celebrated in North India, Vijaya Dashami is celebrated in South India, and Dashain is celebrated in Nepal. Some of the rituals that are followed on the day of Vijayadashami such as - Shami Puja, Aparajita Puja, and Seema Avalanghan.Why Vijayadashami Is Celebrated After Navratri?

The terms "Dussehra," "Vijayadashami," and "Dashain" are all related to Hindu festivals, but they are celebrated differently and hold distinct cultural and regional significance.

Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is a Hindu festival celebrated in various parts of India. The name "Dussehra" is derived from two Sanskrit words, "Dasha" meaning ten and "Hara" meaning defeat, symbolising the victory of good over evil.

Dussehra is called by different names across the country Durga Puja or Vijayadashami in the East and North-east, Dussehra in Northern and Western states. There are many mythological stories behind the celebration of Dussehra but the most famous story associated with Dussehra is the battle between Lord Rama and the demon king Ravana.

Navratri 2023: What Is The Difference Between Dussehra, Vijayadashami And Dashain?

On Dussehra, the effigies of Ravana along with his brother Kumbhkaran and son Meghnad are burned in public bonfires. This is a symbolic way to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Happy Navratri Wishes & Quotes

Why is Sendha Namak allowed during Navratri?

Dos And Donts During Navratri

Differences between Durga Puja and Navratri

Vijayadashami is another name for Dussehra and is often used interchangeably. It also signifies the victory of good over evil, with Lord Rama's triumph being the central theme.

The celebrations of Vijayadashami are similar to Dussehra, involving the burning of Ravana effigies, processions, and cultural performances. The name "Vijayadashami" emphasises the victorious aspect of the festival.

Dashain is the longest and most significant festival in Nepal. While it shares some similarities with Dussehra, it is a distinct cultural celebration.

Dashain is celebrated to commemorate the day the goddess Durga killed demons known as Mahishasura - who were killing the world of the gods, the devaloka. After ten days of battle, Durga was victorious and from then on, Dashain has been celebrated over fifteen days to symbolise the fight of good against evil.

Dashain is marked by various rituals, including the flying of kites, worshipping of goddess Durga, and receiving tika from elders as a blessing. Dashain typically lasts for 15 days and is a time for family reunions and cultural activities in Nepal.

Navratri 2023: What Is The Difference Between Dussehra, Vijayadashami And Dashain? | Freepik

What is the significance of Dussehra?

Dussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil, with its roots in the epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama defeated the demon king Ravana.

How is Dussehra celebrated in different parts of India?

Dussehra is celebrated with regional variations. In the North and West, it's marked by Ravana effigy burnings, while in the South, it celebrates the victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari over Mahishasura.

What is the Ayudha Puja?

Ayudha Puja, observed mainly in Karnataka, is a day to honour and worship one's tools and instruments, recognizing their role in one's livelihood.

What is the significance of the Golu doll display in Tamil Nadu?

The Golu doll display is a cultural tradition in Tamil Nadu, where families arrange an elaborate exhibit of dolls representing various deities and aspects of Indian culture.

What message does Dussehra convey to society?

Dussehra conveys the message of the enduring triumph of truth, unity, and hope, inspiring people to stand up against injustice and evil.

(Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.)

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Navratri 2023: What Is The Difference Between Dussehra, Vijayadashami And Dashain? - Indiatimes.com

Panaji: The Goa University (GU) plans to introduce a programme on the ancient language, Pali, at its newly established School of Sanskrit, Philosophy and Indic Studies (SSPIS). To begin with, the SSPIS which was formed by integrating the universitys department of philosophy and school of Sanskrit and Indic knowledge systems will offer courses in Sanskrit. In the near future, the SSPIS will offer programmes in Sanskrit language and literature, computational linguistics, Buddhist studies, philosophy, and Pali. Through these, SSPIS wants to build a cosmopolitan knowledge community capable of addressing societal challenges from the perspective of the humanities discipline, said an official. Currently, SSPIS offers masters and doctoral courses in philosophy, encompassing both the Indian and Western philosophical specialisations. At present, GU is in the process of recruiting faculty so that it can offer a masters degree in Sanskrit. Any graduate will be able to pursue this programme, provided they studied Sanskrit in school and have basic knowledge of the language. The masters programme will cover literature, poetry, and philosophy in the classical language, while Indic knowledge systems pertain to the study of texts, traditions and analytical systems of the ancient Indic civilisation covering modern-day India as well as the surrounding regions. Plans are also afoot to introduce a postgraduate programme in Ayurveda as a complementary programme. It is felt that the knowledge of Sanskrit will enable translation of texts on Ayurveda and research of such texts.

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Pali language course on the anvil at GU - IndiaTimes

It doesnt take a scientist to know that a Facebook post bursting with party popper emojis or angry face symbols gets more reactions and shares than a flat, factual account of a childs graduation or an airlines villainous customer service.

But, University of Maryland researchers trying to understand why posts go viral on social mediaincluding ones with misinformation and conspiracy theorieswould like to understand the best methods for tracking emotions on platforms to create the most accurate predictive models.

In a new article in Science Advances, the team uncovered that when a post expresses highly specific emotionsfrom anger and love all the way to kama muta (Sanskrit for being moved or heartwarming), wonder, pride and amusementthere is a significant and predictable impact on whether it gets shared. However, tracking broader characteristics of emotions within posts, like the degree to which they were positive or negative, led to less accurate predictions of post sharing.

There has always been concern about the spread of social media posts, said lead author Susannah Paletz, associate professor at the College of Information Studies and an affiliate at UMDs Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS). The purpose of this study was to understand the emotion theories that play into social media sharing.

Co-authors included Ewa M. Golonka, Nick Panda, C. Anton Rytting and Devin Ellis of ARLIS, Michael Johns of the Institute for Systems Research, Egle E. Murauskaite of the ICONS Project and Cody Buntain of the College of Information Studies.

The team developed a research method to understand emotions in social media posts, also recently published at Behavior Research Methods. Both projects are part of the greater Emotions in Social Media UMD project, funded by the Minerva Research Initiative and the Office of Naval Research.

Independent judges analyzed more than 4,000 posts on Facebook in Poland and Lithuania for more than 20 emotionsexamining the entire spectrum of multimedia contentand then compared different models that drew from three different theories of emotion to predict how many times a post would be shared.

Overall, the models that included specific emotions performed better in explaining sharing behavior on social media compared to models that grouped emotions differently. However, the model that included more than 20 different emotions was the most informative.

Controlling for number of followers and other variables, posts with anger, contempt, love, admiration, cute/kama muta, wonder, pride, sadness, and amusement were associated with an increase in post sharing, whereas sexual attraction and happiness in posts were associated with a significant decrease.

In other words, as everyone on social media knows, jokes, cute things, amazing things are all shared more, Paletz said.

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A Grin Emoji for Advance in Predicting Viral Facebook Posts - Maryland Today

The 5th and the 6th convocation of Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University will be held on Wednesday and 102 students who passed out of the varsity are eligible to receive their degrees.

The convocation is for students who passed out of the varsity during the academic year 2019-20 and 2020-21. The Vice Chancellor of the varsity Prof. Nagesh V. Bettakote, said the convocations could not be held then due to the pandemic. While 83 students of both batches have cleared the examination in different streams, there are 19 medals, and cash-prize awardees who have topped in their respective streams and six others who are eligible to receive D.Litt degrees, said Prof. Bettakote.

The varsity is also conferring honorary doctorates to Vidhushi D. Shahikala, Madhusudhan Sai and Pt. Vinayk Torvi in the 5th convocation while Sri Ganapathi Sacchidananda Swamiji, Prof. S.C. Sharma, and Pt. Sripada Hegade Kampli will be conferred the honorary doctorate at the 6th convocation.

The D.Litt degrees will be conferred to Hamsalekha, A. Lokesha, and M. Manjunath who are on the Faculty of Performing Arts, S. Soumya of Faculty of Instrumental Music, K.N. Hiranaih, Faculty of Theatre Arts, Ms. A.R. Shalini, Faculty of Dance.

The Governor, Thawar Chand Gehlot who is also the Chancellor of the varsity will preside, Dr. M.C. Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education and Pro-Chancellor, will be present and Prof.Mallepuram G Venkatesh, former Vice Chancellor of Karnataka State Sanskrit University, will deliver the convocation address. The venue is Vijnana Bhavan, Mansagangotri campus, University of Mysore and the convocation will begin at 4 p.m.

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Music university convocation on October 18 - The Hindu