Hinduism

This article offers an overview of the pantheon and religion of one of the most distinctive indigenous populations of Arunachal Pradesh in North-Eastern India: the Apatani. In particular, through an ethnographical field study on the distinctive culture of this ethnic group, the study aims to explain the symbolisms and functions inherent in the mythical figure of the buru, a kind of animal-chimaera, which plays a key role in the myth of the origins of the Apatani. At the same time, this study proposes a critical analysis of the results of Ralph Izzard's exploratory expedition shortly after WWII, which discounted any possibility of investigating a cosmogonic myth, but strove to trace a legendary extinct saurian. The misinterpretation of the British expedition in the 1950s gave rise to a series of beliefs that in contemporary times (mostly in the West) have aimed to prove the real existence of the buru, extrapolating it from the folklore record. For this reason today the buru has become a sort of post-modern legend, or better a classical figure of cryptozoology, understood as pseudoscience and sub-cultural product. This essay tries to explore the issue through a religious and anthropological investigative approach.

The present article discusses the performance of the ancient artistic technique of the wall paintings known as anital among the indigenous group of the Lanjia Saora of the Rayagada district in southern Orissa (India). The anital is a painting in which the aesthetic holds maybe a lesser importance if compared to its ritual function in Saoran shamanic practices performed by the kuran (the medicine man of the community). Through the wall-painting, as through a window between the dimensions that constitute the cosmos, the group strengthens the covenant between the living and the dead. The subject of this ādivāsī art form is thus highly symbolic and usually tells a dream, or a vision of the shaman that, through his performance, portrays the subtle world. However, with the advent of Christianity the anitals have become a target of persecution among the converted, precisely because they embody the tribal identity of the past. The recent revival of indigenous works along with many initiatives developed by local NGOs have tended to replicate ad infinitum the arcane motifs of anitals, identifying them for the consumption of modernity as purely 'tribal art' deprived of its ancient and authentic religious value. Despite this moment of profound social change and anthropological transition I will demonstrate how the traditional technique is still alive and how it can be decoded through knowledge of the Saoran culture.

This article offers an overview of some of the most peculiar mythological creatures of the Hindu pantheon related to the watery element. Starting from the analysis of the concept of liminality, which is fundamental to Monster Theory, the symbolism and functions of water in ritualism, folklore and the traditions of South Asia will be explored. Indeed, destruction, metamorphosis, transition, purification and rebirth are all concepts that in Indian traditions are frequently sublimated into the dynamics of the circulation of waters. The monsoon phenomenon, the rushing rivers flowing down from the Himalayas and the depths of the Indian Ocean abysses therefore rise here to metaphysical and existential metaphors. Their hidden meaning has been represented in an allegorical key over the centuries by monstrous, bizarre and emblematic figures that have animated art, iconography and literature and popular legends. This essay tries to explore the issue through a religious and anthropological inv...

The contemporary era, both in the “East” and in the “West”, seems to have – in a certain sense – legitimised the theme of fear, the figure of the monster and the fright that it instils. Multiple and polychrome representations through fashionable narrative cycles – such as television and film series, comics and novels, videogames and whatever else distinguishes the mass production of the postmodern period – have now accustomed contemporary society to a certain familiarity with the theme (Levina / Bui 2013, Asma 2009). However, in these contemporary forms of representation of what we conceive of as unknown, unknowable and consequently scary, even potentially monstrous – but also prodigious and admirable – there is a certain widespread awareness of the survival of the original root of an ancient tradition. A certainly pre-modern, pre-urban cultural element that boasts a similar imagery in social and ideological complexes that are also very distant in space and time. It is important to ...

The reason for the construction of the Ngabean (Yogyakarta)-Palbapang (Bantul)-Sewugalur (Kulon Progo) railway line with a length of 28 km was to accommodate 4 sugar factories along the line. In order to shorten the rail transport line on the Yogyakarta-Sewugalur railway line, 12 small stations were made. But unfortunately, in 1942 this line was closed causing some of these stations to be closed and disappeared. Among the available stations are Winongo Station, Bantul Station, and Palbapang Station. This study aims to look at the characteristics of 18th century Dutch Indonesian architecture in the station building. Knowing the architectural character of the station building can play as a reference for maintaining the conservation of historical buildings in Indonesia. This study employed a rationalistic-qualitative approach. To identify the architectural character of the station building, this study was conducted by looking at the spatial system, architectural system, and structural ...

Innovation on Information Communication and Technology (ICT) are not suddenly accepted and directly used by individuals in work and workplace, even some individuals refuse to work using adoption ICTs. Therefore this research needs to be done to reveal what factors influence this attitude. This article aims to analysis variables or factors such as performance expectancy (PE) as X1, effort expectancy (EE) as X2, social influence (SI) as X3 and facilitating condition (FC) as X4 that contribute to the behavioral intention (BI) as Y of individual in accepted or rejected innovation based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model perspective. The method was applied factor analysis. A technique of collecting data using the checklist of questionnaire instrument, with total the population of 85 people, then according to tables of Isaac and Michael obtained the sample of 68 respondents who came from the Government Employees in the Disdikpora Dharmasraya Regency. T...

The truth is not one-sided. There can be a multifaceted understnding of the truth. In our limited conception and narrow myopic viewpoint, we can often only see one small aspect of the truth. So it is with "The Blind Men and the Elephant." It is a classic tale, which resonates with most people, because we can all relate to the message being conveyed. We are all like the blind men in some respect. Each of sees only a fraction of the true essence of reality, but not the whole

Archaeology delves into humanity's past, exploring social organization, resource utilization, dietary habits, belief systems, communication methods, and societal changes. Ancient expressions were primarily recorded as rock art in prehistoric societies and pottery graffiti in agrarian cultures that followed. This study attempts to connect these cultural extremes through a shared medium: incisions or graffiti marks. By comparing the Harappan pottery graffiti with the prehistoric petroglyphs of the Edakkal Rock Shelters in Wayanad, this research seeks to understand cultural continuity and dialectics.

Eight-armed Sarasvat# (Tenth Century) on lintel of p_ga niche is found in Some$vara temple at Mukhali"gam. She is seated in ardhapary_"ka with her left knee slightly raised. She plays the V#ƒ_ with her front set of hands, other right hands display varad_ and hold a sword and a book. Her low left hand holds a vessel, the middle hand holds an indistinct object (goad), upper hand holds a shield. A lion-mount is carved on the face of vi$vapadma pedestal beneath her left knee.

The Māṇḍūkya Upanishad, the briefest yet one of the most profound Upanishads, encapsulates the core of non-dual Vedānta by delineating the Self (Ātman) in four aspects: waking (Viśva), dreaming (Taijasa), deep sleep (Prājña), and the Fourth (Turiya)-the substratum of all states. This paper proposes a modern analogy using a simple quantum system with three discrete energy levels, illustrating how this ancient insight may be interpreted in quantum mechanical terms. The comparison highlights that the true Self is not any particular experiential mode but the underlying ground of all possible experiences.

While the occurrence of rituals in anxiogenic contexts has been long noted and supported by ethnographic, quantitative and experimental studies, the purported effects of ritual behaviour on anxiety reduction have rarely been examined. In the present study, we investigate the anxiolytic effects of religious practices among the Marathi Hindu community in Mauritius and test whether these effects are facilitated by the degree of ritualization present in these practices. Seventy-five participants first experienced anxiety induction through the public speaking paradigm and were subsequently asked to either perform their habitual ritual in a local temple (ritual condition) or sit and relax (control condition). The results revealed that participants in the ritual condition reported lower perceived anxiety after the ritual treatment and displayed lower physiological anxiety, which was assessed as heart-rate variability. The degree of ritualization in the ritual condition showed suggestive al...

Upanishada pertence a Vajasayeni Shakha de Shukla Yajurveda, que é derivada pelo sábio Vajasaneya, o grande Brahmavadin da linhagem do sábio Yagnyavalkya. A palavra "Radhika" é formada pela palavra raiz "Radha", que vem do verbo "Radhayati", que significa "Extremamente misericordiosa". Radhika é a forma magnífica de Radha quando Ela está envolvida no divina dança da Rasa. A palavra 'Tapani' significa 'um ouro florescente aquecido e purificado' que se refere à superioridade e pureza deste texto. A famosa palavra 'Upanishada' significa 'sentar perto do Acharya e receber o conhecimento'. Assim é a etimologia do título.

This paper examines the changing nature of Hindu ritual performed in neighbourhood temples in the Malleswaram 'locality' of Bangalore city against a background of sweeping socio-economic change driven by globalisation. The investigation points to several 'accretions of change' in the embedded and experiential world of popular urban Hinduism. I argue that in the changing, competitive and multisectarian field of urban sacred landscapes in India, Hindu Brahmin priests act as 'religious entrepreneurs' and agents of change to create 'dynamic' adapted rituals that enable innovative approaches in order to expand their devotee base. The restructured and revitalised rituals lead to the invention of a 'new cultural grammar' that allows a reinterpretation and contextualisation of the language of traditional Hindu ritual to suit the needs of 'modern' devotees. The paper focuses on the nature, performance and experience of 'dynamic' ritual in an era of 'mass customisation', including three exemplar 'strategies of engagement' brought about by the Hindu priests in Bangalore: the incorporation of technology; the language of international imagery; and modern conceptions of hygiene. This paper is dedicated to my father Prof. M.N. Srinivas who was unstinting in his support of my study of the sacred landscapes and Hindu priests of Bangalore, and whose enjoyment of my fieldwork stories kept me going back for more. I would like to thank Prof. Peter L. Berger for encouraging me to attempt this paper. Thanks also to Professors Nur Yalman, Michael M.J. Fischer and Robert P. Weller for their thoughtful reading of earlier versions of this paper, and to Lakshmi Srinivas for her patient encouragement and her discussions with me on the subject. I remain indebted to the priests, devotees, informants and friends at the Hindu temples in Malleswaram who were kind and generous with their time, information, and opinions. I also thank Prof. G.K. Karanth for his critical comments and suggestions. Suggestions from anonymous reviewers were also helpful and I thank them.

Recent years have seen a surge of interest in the interface between mental health and areas formerly viewed as unrelated (the arts, philosophy and religion). In this article, I zoom in on the ways in which central texts and insights from the Daoist corpus can open a window into modern mental health issues. In its critique of the Confucian insistence on ‘mental hygiene’, the Daoist position vouches for an important level of flexibility conducive to what we now refer to as mental health. Importantly, this removes the stigma on so-called neurodiversity by placing it on a spectrum, away from the strict Confucian emphasis on order and harmony. As such, texts like the Zhuangzi discussed below have an uncanny relevance for any serious investigation of mental health and illness in twenty-first-century China.

The Gender discourse in Hinduism is occurred by discrimination against Hindu women problem. Like the patriarchal culture that Hindus still practicing it. This case was criticized by some Hindus figures who also talk about gender in Hinduism. One of them is Mahatma Gandhi who explain the existence of gender discrimination in Hindu's traditions. This statement is supported by several verses that contained in Veda Smerti. Mahatma Gandhi also suggested the reinterpretation of that verses of Veda Smerti. From this research, the author found that the concept of gender in Hinduism appearing was based on some women figures and activists who claim dissatisfaction and even inequality in the role they lived in. It is in the form of discrimination in side of daily life, in the activity, economy and also in the role of marriage. The study of gender that carried out by activists of Hindu women goals to return the dignity and role of women that basically has the same role as the men.

Konstruksi umat Hindu di Bali dibangun di atas pondasi ajaran Siwa Siddhanta, dan Tantra yang dalam implementasinya dikemas dalam nuansa Magis. Siwa Siddhanta menekankan pada upaya membangkitkan spirit "kesucian diri" (siddhi), guna mencapai Realitas Tertinggi (Siwa) dalam spektrum "kalepasan" (Moksa). Sedangkan elemen Tantra (Tantrayana) sebagai inner power lebih mengedepankan pembangkitan energi Sakti. Ajaran Tantra ini kemudian banyak mewarnai perkembangan Hindu, yang akhirnya membentuk karakter umat Hindu sebagai masyarakat sosiomagis-religius. Konsekuensinya, dalam praktik kehidupan beragamanya, terjadi marginalisasi sifatsifat agamais (religiositas/spiritualitas) menjadi lebih ke arah terbentuknya karakter magis yang lebih kuat mendorong tampilnya jiwa-jiwa manusia "super ego" berperilaku menyimpang. Artikel ini hendak mengungkap bahwa, telah terjadi pergeseran bahkan penyimpangan tujuan membangun umat Hindu yang diharapkan bergerak ke arah terbentuknya karakter daiwi sampad -kedewataan, namun kenyataannya berkecenderungan mengarah pada perilaku asuri sampad -keraksasaan.

This article critically examines the current engagement between Islam and science, focusing on the role of theology in shaping this discourse. While previous efforts have centered on Islamizing science and aligning Qurʾānic verses with modern scientific knowledge, recent discussions have shifted towards methodological inquiries and specific theological issues. Nidhal Guessoum advocates for reinterpreting Islamic theology to align with modern scientific paradigms, suggesting that traditional frameworks are in tension with contemporary science. This article challenges that view, arguing that classical Sunnī theology, when rigorously applied, offers a no-conflict stance with modern science that does not require radical reinterpretation. By revisiting and carefully examining the metaphysical and hermeneutical foundations of Sunnī thought, we propose that many perceived conflicts between Islam and science stem from misunderstandings, and that classical Islamic theology holds untapped potential for constructive engagement with scientific developments while preserving the integrity of Islamic beliefs.

In post-independence India, the policy of independent growth adopted by
the state played a role in creating the conditions for the expansion and
consolidation of a national audience, which was, in most parts of the country,
either solely captive to the Bombay film industry or divided in its loyalties
between a regional product, and Bombay or Hollywood films.1 In her
study of the cinematic imagination where she collates Hindi films and
social history, Virdi (2003) states emphatically that at the heart of all Hindi
films, mainstream or otherwise, lies the “fictional nation”. As such, serious
tensions that threaten to fracture the nation are obsessively manifested in
film as moral conflicts or ethical dilemmas. She also alludes to the homogenizing
mission of the nation state as a strain that runs through Hindi films.
Doing so she refers to the fact that romantic love has transgressed divisions
among all endogamous groups and communities except the Hindu and the
Muslim communities.
The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive outline
for the imagination – and reimagination of nation and nationhood –
in popular Hindi cinema, as it traces the roots of a volatile engagement
with notions of nation-building, multiple nations subsumed in one, and the
paradigm shifts taking place with respect to the changing forms of cinematic
exhibition and consumption.

India's ancient riverfront cities feature Ghats, vital social and religious sites. Wai Ghats on the Krishna River, known as Southern Kashi, remain understudied. This study investigates the relationship between Wai Ghats' built environment and natural landscape, exploring geographical, ecological and spiritual implications. Using mixed-methods research, combining field observations, GIS analysis and stakeholder interviews, this study assesses how architecture influences environmental sustainability and liveability. Preliminary findings indicate a strong correlation between contextual design and ecological significance. This research contributes to sustainable urban planning and cultural heritage preservation in India's ancient cities, enhancing our understanding of built environment-natural landscape interactions.

East Asia is one of the most populated regions in the world with 1.5 billion people, approximately 133 people per square kilometer or 22% of all the people in the world. It has a history that reaches back thousands of years containing narratives of people surviving trauma after trauma drawing on available resources from rich cultural and religious heritages such as Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Ancestor Worship. While there are multiple worldviews that guide social relations, most have their roots in Chinese traditions. East Asia has also witnessed a drastic economic growth and permeating force of Western culture and ideology that changes family structure, social patterns, and the way of living. It is within this context that pastoral counseling in East Asia has to negotiate and find its place among the complexity of psychosocial, religious, philosophical, economic, and political world of East Asia.

This chapter studies the many meanings of a reconfigured idea of kingship through a close reading of the Assamese Dharmapurana, an eighteenth-century Tungkhungia courtly text. By incorporating philological and art historical methods of reading, the chapter foregrounds the ways in which the concept of jati emerged as the foundation of a new political imagination of kingship, expressed in words and in paintings. Finally, the chapter suggests that we read early modern conceptions of caste expressed in Brahminical texts as a discourse on dharma in practice, situated within transregional networks of learning in eighteenth-century India.

There are approximately 4400 Hindus in Zambia, with five Hindu temples in Lusaka and two in Kafue. The majority of Zambian Hindus are descendants of people who migrated from India in the 20th century or from the boarder Indian diasporas. However, during our research temple priests and leaders said that there were about 60 indigenous Africans and
30 white Europeans who embraced Hinduism in their pursuit of spiritual growth and the feeling of protection. They frequent some of the temples included in this study. The aim of this paper is to explain how Zambian Hindus understand the concept of God, the belief in reincarnation and caste system, the extent to which Hinduism in Zambia is influenced by African Traditional Religions (ATR), and whether or not the Hindu community in Zambia deliberately engages in proselytising and converting the local populace. These issues are examined in an interdisciplinary approach. This paper uses two methodologies. While the first part uses the anthropological method, the second employs the cognitive approach (conceptual metaphor theory, CMT).

Saint-poets like Rāmprasād Sen embraced a nuanced, human-centred interpretation of Tantra in their Bhakti poetry, influenced by texts like the Kulārņavatantra. This text, while ancient, critiques the fetishisation of ritualistic externals, asserting that true liberation lies beyond surface-level practices. Rāmprasād Sen’s devotional songs to Goddess Kālī embody this ethos, reimagining her variously as mother, teacher, consort, and warrior. His portrayal humanised the divine and redefined Kālī’s role in the public consciousness, offering a vision of spirituality that was both accessible and transformative. This reimagination resonated deeply with the Bengali ethos, shaping cultural identity and fuelling resistance against colonial rule. The paradigm he inspired is evident in movements like Sri Aurobindo’s Anushilan Samiti, where spirituality and political activism converged, reflecting a dialectical relationship between devotion, identity, and resistance.

Ὁ Χριστιανισμός, ὅπως γρήγορα διαμορφώθηκε, κυρίως χάρη στὸν Ἀπόστολο Παῦλο, περιεῖχε συστατικὰ στοιχεῖα ἀπὸ ὅλα τὰ μεγάλα θρησκεύματα. Καὶ αὐτό, προκειμένου νὰ ἐπιτευχθῆ  παγκοσμιοποίηση τῆς τότε «Οἰκουμένης» στοὺς κόλπους μιᾶς ἀνανεωμένης Ρωμαϊκῆς Αυτοκρατορίας.

The Serpent-Myth explores the significance of serpents in various mythologies and religions. It highlights the serpent’s association with deities like Hermes, Asklepios, and Herakles in Greek mythology, and its symbolic representation of wisdom, healing, and power. The text also delves into the serpent’s portrayal in the Bible, where it is often linked to evil, particularly in the story of the Fall of Man, though its exact nature remains debated.

The Old Testament describes serpents as symbols of the four elements, with the Brazen Serpent representing salvation. The Fall of Man, tempted by a serpent, is debated as a literal event or allegory. Serpent worship is evident in ancient structures and Gnostic symbols, often associated with wisdom and the sun god.

The serpent, revered by the Ophites as a symbol of wisdom, is depicted in the Talmud as a complex figure, embodying both evil and beneficial qualities. While the serpent is associated with temptation and sin, it is also seen as a source of healing and a symbol of centripetal force in mystical traditions. Occultists interpret the serpent as a bisexual emblem, representing both masculine and feminine energies, and its association with the zodiacal sign Scorpio is further explored.

Embedded, as they are, in a complex web of global connections, historical events and developments cannot be perceived as autochthonous because they do not result from intracultural factors alone. 1 Every historical context is a "contact zone" 2 where the cultural encounter takes place, where the encounter between multilingual / multicultural agents create a dynamic of ideas, doctrines, and meanings. In order to comprehend historical events, we should conceive of contact zones as "translation zones", 3 where the production of knowledge and the construction of cultures and religions is inextricably intertwined with the process of translating cultures and religions. In this contact zone, where differences must be negotiated and cultural boundaries crossed or established, religion plays a central role: it is a transfer of culture, a medium for conveying cultural, social, and political messages, it can be an instrument of communication, a means of circulating knowledge, or a symptom of cultural incommensurability and untranslatability. Although the term 'religion' bears strong Eurocentric and Christian etymological connotations, I use it as a theoretical concept, and I redefine the dominion of the concept of religion to encompass Christian and non-Christian phenomena. 'Religion' is meant in the following as a cultural representation defined by: 1. a theological or ideological datum (the dimension of the sacred word, of belief, of doctrine, of theological reflection), 2. a practical Kapitel 8

Devotionality or spirituality is the matter of strong deep belief for the people of Bharata. Bharata is renowned for having a wealth of religious literature. It has given a new identity in the planet by some great works named Ramayana, Mahabharata, puranas, Vedas, Upanishads and numerous bhajans. Some spiritual poets have influenced the world through their philosophy and belief. The purpose of this study is to make a critical analysis of the poetry named "Yamunasthakam" and the romantic elements presented in this poetry.

I) The sounds of Sanskrit: Ancient Indian linguistics in a nutshell

While this course won’t promise to make you “speak Sanskrit in ten days”, as the title of a popular booklet goes, participants will be encouraged to have some first-hand experience of “the language of the Gods” (Pollock), practising the letters of the Indic devanāgari script and doing lip service to the great grammarian Pāṇini: “k, kh, g, gh…” – Such breathtaking exercises in phonetics and phonology will be setting the stage for exploring the sounds of Sanskrit right up to the sophisticated methods of Vedic recitation, including a very short introduction to the notorious sandhi rules as well as a variety of simple words and paradigms: a modest tribute to the lasting traditions of ancient Indian linguistics.

II) From comparative linguistics to post/colonial encounters

When William Jones was speculating about the linguistic significance of Sanskrit – “more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin”, believing the various languages “to have sprung from some common source”, comparative philology was yet to be established as a discipline: as the work of pioneers was followed by years of painstaking research in the nascent field of Indo-European linguistics, the comparative method turned language into a „family plot“ of almost Hitchcockean proportions. Learning to distrust the evidence of lexical similarities, participants will get a chance to dig up relations between such terms as Sanskrit “pitar” and English “father”, juggling with a range of equivalents from Greek and Latin as well as modern Indo-European languages. While this course won’t promise to make you “speak Sanskrit in ten days”, as the title of a popular booklet goes, you will be encouraged to have some first-hand experience of “the language of the Gods” (Pollock), doing lip service to the great grammarian Pāṇini: “k, kh, g, gh…” – Such breathtaking exercises in phonetics and phonology will be setting the stage for considering the possible impact of Sanskrit upon linguistic theories in Europe, including structuralist notions of modern linguistics as well as recent trends in computational modelling.
However, as regards (our passage to) the languages of India, that is only half of the story. In addition to its classical heritage and oral traditions, including such ancient literary languages as Sanskrit, Tamil and Bengali, the Indian subcontinent has yet another “world of words” (Dustoor) to offer, as – amidst a rich and varied scenario of spoken languages and dialects – English turns Indian: the English language, a colonial legacy once detrimental to indigenous systems of communication and knowledge, has gradually adapted to Indian linguistic and cultural contexts, altering its features of phonology, grammar, lexis and discourse. Thus, within the larger context of “World Englishes” (Kachru) and the postcolonial conditions of diasporic communities, words of Indian origin are increasingly entering domains of spoken English as well as standard English dictionaries. Far from being “minorityware” – i.e. “a type of art, entertainment, etc., that appeals to a small number of people” (Chowdury-Sengupta), Indian varieties of English are “carving out large territories for themselves within its frontiers”, as Salman Rushdie once put it with regard to the role of English as an Indian literary language.

Literature: A reader (including a text to be prepared for the first session) will be provided on Moodle. Registered students are going to receive a specially devised coursebook for this unit during the first weeks of the term.

Requirements: Set reading and assignments (plus final test or term paper for graded credits).


Das Proseminar ist als einführende Lehrveranstaltung für Studierende der Anglistik und Amerikanistik bzw. sprachtheoretischer und/ oder kulturwissenschaftlicher Fachrichtungen konzipiert. Mit einem spezifisch anglo-indischen Fokus auf linguistische Wissenstraditionen post/kolonialer Provenienz zielt der Kurs darauf ab, Fragestellungen aus dem traditionellen Gebiet der historisch-vergleichenden Sprachwissenschaft mit aktuellen Belangen der „World Englishes“ in einem umfassenden kulturwissenschaftlichen Rahmen zu erörtern. Die Vermittlung der Inhalte wird sich mithilfe eines eigens für den Unterricht konzipierten Lehrbuches (As Europe learns Sanskrit, English turns Indian: From comparative linguistics to post/colonial encounters. An introductory coursebook and resource book for students) an folgenden Themenblöcken orientieren:

1. Europe learns Sanskrit: Of pioneers and paṇḍits
2. The comparative method: Language families and typologies
3. Post/colonial contexts and World Englishes: The languages of India
4. Coming to terms with Sanskrit: the “language of the Gods” and the devanāgari script
5. Classical Indian theories of language and modern linguistics

Jedną z podstawowych kwestii związanych z dialogiem międzykulturowym jest pytanie o rodzaj teorii kultury, na których gruncie jest on możliwy. Moja propozycja polega na wyodrębnieniu czterech grup teorii kultury, przy czym kryterium klasyfi kacji stanowi przyjmowane źródło kultury. Pierwsza grupa widzi źródło kultury w szeroko pojętej biologii, druga upatruje je w nieświadomości, trzecia kieruje się w stronę języka, czwarta rozważa zaś problem wartości. W tekście zostały rozważone cztery możliwe odpowiedzi na to pytanie. W pierwszym wypadku rozważanym przykładem była socjobiologia oraz koncepcja Andrzeja Wiercińskiego, w drugim myśl Freuda, Junga, Campbella i Grofa. Przykładem trzeciej grupy stały się z kolei rozważania językoznawstwa kognitywnego. W wypadku czwartego rodzaju teorii kultury poruszone zostały kwestie uniwersalizmu i partykularnych uwarunkowań systemów etycznych. Ostatecznie propozycja zawarta w tekście w swej strukturze idzie w kierunku proponowanym przez Johna Hicka. Filozof ten widzi możliwość ujęcia prawdy jako procesu szczególnego rodzaju, zakładając przy tym, że można prawdę procedować, wymieniając odpowiednie warunki dla takiej czynności. Wydaje się, że podobnie sprawa wygląda w wypadku wartości. Starałem się podać w tekście odpowiednie warunki konieczne i wystarczające dla procedowania wartości. Wydaje się, że zastosowanie tych warunków może uczynić z dialogu międzykulturowego dialog skuteczny. Nie ma jak na razie wystarczających do wykorzystania w praktyce dobrych modeli ukazujących możliwość połączenia różnych kultur i cywilizacji, o ile te ostatnie nie musiałyby zrezygnować ze swych ważnych i cennych cech oraz wartości. Proces globalizacji najczęściej jest pojmowany potocznie jako proces "MacDonaldyzacji", co przypomina tworzenie "zdrowej potrawy" z coraz bardziej sztucznych składników. Mimo deklaracji elit politycznych kontekst wielokulturowości przegrywa z kontekstem agresywnej akulturacji, w której dominuje projektowana kultura społeczeństwa globalnego 1 . W dialogu pomiędzy kulturami najczęściej porównuje się też z sobą najbardziej jaskrawe morfologicznie cechy, nie zawsze sięgając do głębszych struktur decydujących o ich tożsamości danej między innymi poprzez deklarowane

Four new acyl sucroses, isolated from Petunia nyctaginiflora Juss. (Solanaceae) were characterised as 2,3,4tri hex a noy 1-a.-D-gl uco py ra nosy!-13-D-fructofu ra noside, 2,3,4-t ri he pta noy 1-a.o-gl u copy ra nosy 1-13-D-fru c tofu ra noside, 2,3,4-t ri hex a noy 1-a.n-gl uco py r a nosy 1-13-D-6-ace ty I fr ucto fu ra nosi de, 2,3,4-t ri he pta no y 1-a.-Dgl uco p y ra nosy 1-13-D-6acetyl fructofuranoside, on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence.

Panconscism is the new metaphysical term meaning that Consciousness is the fundamental reality, and everything else, including mind and matter, is derived from Consciousness. Three AI programs, Google's AI, Meta AI and ChatGPT, were asked if the Ananda Marga "Path of Bliss" philosophy is a form of panconscism, and also what other philosophies, ideologies and religions align with panconscism. Ananda Marga was found to align with panconscism, according to all three AI programs, along with several other Western and Eastern philosophies.

Ingrid Therwath, Cyber-Hindutva : le nationalisme hindou, la diaspora et le web, e-Diasporas Atlas, April 2012. © Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme -Programme de recherche TIC-Migrations -projet e-Diasporas Atlas -2012 Fondation Maison des sciences de l'homme 190-196 avenue

With the aid of high-resolution satellite images, this article highlights the complex factors that defined the cultural landscape of the 25-kilometre-long fertile valley of the Malaprabha River (a tributary of the Krishna River) in north Karnataka and impacted the development of a diverse religious landscape from the 6th to the 12th century CE. The major temple sites under discussion include the rock-cut caves scattered around a large water tank at Badami located at one end of the Malaprabha river hemmed in by the hills; Aihole (Aryapura/ Ahivolal) at the opposite entrance to the valley; and the royal temple complex at Pattadakal (ancient Kisuvolal) in the middle. These early shrines occur in proximity to prehistoric rock-shelters and funerary structures associated with Iron Age burials termed megaliths in the archaeological record..
This essay makes a case for studying religious architecture not as an isolated stand-alone structure but locating it within its larger cultural landscape that helps establish its spatial relationship not only with other contemporary religious architecture, but also with water bodies and funerary monuments, all of which formed a part of the sacred microcosm. This shift in perspective is essential for a holistic understanding of the interaction between diverse communities and religious shrines through historical time and is essential for the long-term preservation of our past.

This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of ancient Hindu temples, revealing their significance within the socio-cultural and historical contexts of their time. Through a multidisciplinary approach that includes archaeological excavations, art historical analysis, and epigraphical studies, we investigate the architectural innovations, ritual practices, and community dynamics associated with these sacred spaces. The study focuses on several key sites across India, uncovering artifacts, inscriptions, and structural remains that shed light on the worshippers' beliefs and practices. By examining the evolving architectural styles and the interplay between religion and regional cultures, we aim to enrich the understanding of Hindu temple development from antiquity through the medieval period. Additionally, the implications of these findings for contemporary heritage preservation efforts are discussed. This research ultimately contributes to the broader discourse on the intersection of archaeology, religion, and identity in the Indian subcontinent.

Numerous systems of units were developed in India for lengths, angles, areas, volumes, time or weights. They exhibit common features and a continuity sometimes running from Harappa to Bhaskaracharya, but also an evolution in time and considerable regional variations. This paper presents an overview of some issues in Indian metrology, especially with regard to units of length and weight, some of which are traceable all the way to the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. It discusses, among others, the aôgula and its multiple variations, and the value of yojana and its impact on calculations for the circumference of the Earth.

The author in his earlier publications "The Appearance of Adam from the Quranic Perspective-Creation or Evolution?" and "Tracing the Appearance of Adam (AS) " has proposed that Adam (AS) most likely evolved from Homo habilis or from a late form of Australopithecus in Africa. He could be the father of Homo erectus who appeared about 1.6 to 1.9 million years in East African Rift Valley (Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania near Lake Victoria).

After demonstrating the superiority of Adam(AS) over the angels, Allah(ST) placed him and Hawwa(AS) in a Jannah, biblically known as the Garden of Eden. The objective of this paper was to integrate the information available in the Quran, the Bible, and archeological data to identify the location of the Garden of Eden.

The analysis of the author suggests the Jannah (Garden of Eden) where Adam(AS) and Hawwa(AS) were placed was on the earth. His analysis suggests that Bahir Dar could be the location of the Garden of Eden. It is located in northwestern Ethiopian Highlands near the southern extremity of Lake Tana (Biblical Eden) where the Blue Nile starts its journey. It is about 200 miles northwest of Adis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Morell, a recent explorer of the Blue Line and the author of "Ethiopia's River of Magic and Mystery," writes: Bahir Dar's 'gardens are filled with colorful bougainvillea, towering hibiscus, and sweet-scented frangipani bushes.' The birds are in abundance-'songbirds, sugar-stealers, buffalo weavers, rosy finches-flitted from bloom to bloom. Dense stands of papyrus grow along parts of Lake Tana's shoreline. With its languid air and bounty of flowers and birds, Bahir Dar is about as close as one gets to paradise in Ethiopia. The singing of the birds and the breeze scented with jasmine, ginger, and honeysuckle makes the environment very uplifting. The fig and mango trees, acacias, and the foreign eucalyptus provide nice shade on the grassy banks of the Blue Nile around the area.'