Popular Religion in the Pala Period

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archishman Sarker
Keyword(s):  
West Bengal ◽  
Popular Religion ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Female Deities ◽  
North Bengal

This article is an iconographic study of four sculptures from northern Bengal, of four female deities associated with Vajrayana Buddhist and Brahmanical cultic and religious practices: Aparajita, Rudra-Camunda, a snake goddess, and Mesavahini Sarasvati. They are housed at the Akshaya Kumar Maitreya Heritage Museum in North Bengal University, the Balurghat College Museum and the Coochbehar Palace Museum—three regional museums in northern West Bengal. Their provenance indicates that they were produced in the heart of the Varendri region, in present-day West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh. This study sheds light on the background in which these images were conceived—that of the co-existence of Vajrayana Buddhist practices and philosophy, several major and minor Brahmanical cults, and other local religious practices whose existence pre-dates both Buddhism and organized Brahmanism.

scholarly journals Relations between Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Devotional Practices and Implicit and Explicit Anthropomorphic Reasoning about Kṛṣṇa

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Chilcott ◽  
Raymond F. Paloutzian
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Regression ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Narrative Comprehension ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Devotional Practices ◽  
Religious Cultures ◽  
Implicit And Explicit ◽  
Hindu Deity

Employing a narrative comprehension task procedure, this study tests the hypothesis that engagement in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava religious practices, which are aimed at cultivating a personal relationship with the Hindu deity Kṛṣṇa, predict increased implicit attribution of anthropomorphic properties to him. Contrary to our hypothesis, multiple regression analyses of data from 184 native Krishna devotees in West Bengal, India, indicated that increased engagement in these practices loaded as a tertiary predictor after education and age, such that increased practice predicted a decrease in implicit anthropomorphic reasoning about Kṛṣṇa (ß = 0.16, p < 0.03). Based on these and additional analyses of the data, we theorize that these results may be due to the tradition’s emphasis on presenting Kṛṣṇa’s non-anthropomorphic dimensions to neophyte practitioners and the non-Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava public. One implication of these results is that religious cultures and engagement in religious practices have the potential to significantly affect a human cognitive tendency to implicitly attribute anthropomorphic properties to divine beings. This may result from developing alternative knowledge from which to reason about a deity by engaging in religious practices and beliefs shaped by particular theological, historical, and cultural factors.

An Ideal Religion for an Ideal State

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4-2) ◽  
pp. 330-350
Author(s):  
Anna Afonasina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Common Good ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Popular Religion ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Negative Energy ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Ideal State ◽  
The Common ◽  
The One ◽  
The City

All of us have an idea of the ideal conditions in which we would like to live. They will vary according to the degree of ambition and level of education. However, people have common wishes since we don’t live in isolation (perhaps with rare exceptions) and we require guarantees from other people that they are willing to accept certain rules and conditions for the best possible coexistence. Plato was the first to look for such general or even necessary requirements to create an ideal social structure. He considers different aspects of social reality – the division of society into classes, the specifics of upbringing and education, even the physical structure of the city and its religion. The article is devoted to the consideration of religious practices, associated cult activities and holidays. In ancient Greece, religion permeated all areas of human life. It would be more correct to say that religion simply did not exist separately from everyday life. Of course, we can distinguish major religious events in the form of solemn organised processions marking the change of seasons, dedicated to the harvest or some other memorable dates. But more often, religious practices were tightly woven into people’s lives, so that even political and military actions were accompanied by an offering to the gods or consultation with the oracle. Understanding the role that religious activity plays in educating citizens, Plato does not seek to create an entirely new popular religion, but as a philosopher interested in the common good, he begins to interpret the images of traditional Greek gods differently. He focuses most of his attention on Zeus, Dionysus and Aphrodite. By comparing traditional notions of the gods with the way Plato portrays them, we conclude that the philosopher has done serious work to rationalise their images. Zeus ceases to be a famous womanizer and head of Olympus, and acquires the traits of a creator, the only good god who is incapable of any evil or injustice. The raucous fun, dancing and intoxication that used to be the cause of many misfortunes and associated with Dionysus are now being declared useful in terms of testing strength and honesty on the one hand, and, on the other, are understood as a necessary means of getting rid of negative energy and bringing people together. The uncontrolled erotic desire sent by Aphrodite is seen by Plato as behavior that is unacceptable in the citizens of an ideal state, and so he develops the doctrine of the two Aphrodites, heavenly and vulgar, in which the heavenly Aphrodite is declared to be a certain stimulus that leads the soul to the supreme good.

ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION STATUS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL: AN ANALYSIS

Ensemble ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-95
Author(s):  
Dr. Niladri Pradhan ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The State ◽  
State University ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
The One ◽  
North Bengal

The primary goal of this research is to examine and compare the overall quality of higher education institutions' results. In terms of research methodology, it falls under the category of descriptive comparative status studies. In the state of West Bengal, 218 colleges affiliated with seven universities were purposefully chosen as samples. The data is analysed using qualitative statistical methods such as percentages and graphical representations. It was discovered that 43.26 percent of colleges received a B score. It's also worth noting that 1.08 percent and 3.57 percent of colleges affiliated with Calcutta University and Vidyasagar University, respectively, have earned A++ and A+ accreditation. On the one hand, colleges affiliated with four universities (Burdwan University, North Bengal University, West Bengal State University, and Kalyani University) have received A, B++, B+, B to C grades, while colleges affiliated with two universities (Calcutta University and Vidyasagar University) have received A++, A+, A, B++, B+, B to C grades. As a result of the results, it is possible to infer that many colleges' success levels in terms of quality are not up to par.

Beta Thalassemia In Different Tribal Population In West Bengal, India

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 5170-5170
Author(s):  
Deboshree Majumdar ◽  
Jayasri Basak ◽  
Abhijit Chakraborty ◽  
Soma Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Nabamita Pal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Bengal ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Globin Gene ◽  
Genetic Defect ◽  
Beta Thalassemia ◽  
Dihydrogen Phosphate ◽  
Common Mutation ◽  
Beta Globin ◽  
Beta Globin Gene ◽  
North Bengal

Abstract Abstract 5170 Background: The Thalassemias are a group of anemia that results from a genetic defect whch reduces the rate of synthesis of normal globin chains. Beta Thalassemia results in severe microcytic, hypochromic, haemolytic anaemia among affected patients. It has emerged as one of the most common health problems among the tribal populations in West Bengal. A project entitled, “Status of Prevalence and Awarness Among Thalassaemia Population: Special reference to various tribes belonging in different Districts of West Bengal” has been sanctioned by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India(BT/PR10336/SPD/24/293/2007). This study is aimed to observe the spectrum of various beta mutations among the tribes. In the screening schedule thalassemia awarness programme was conducted in various rural areas of West Bengal. We mainly confronted with the Sardar tribes in extreme south of West Bengal. In North Bengal there were Toto, Rabha, Oraon, Munda, Toppo, Baraik, Nagbanshi, Khalko, Kheria, Kerketta and Soren. Method: In the year 2009–2010, 1289 tribes were screened. Mass awarness programme were followed by collection of peripheral blood samples in EDTA vials and transported to the laboratory in ice packs. NESTROFT was done on spot using 0.36% Saline Buffer solution (Sodium chloride, Sodium dihydrogen phosphate, Disodium hydrogen Phosphate). Complete Blood Count was performed within 24 hours of collection. HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) was done to identify the beta samples. DNA was extracted from the blood of beta carrier and beta major and subjected to ARMS (Amplification Refractory Mutation System) PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) to detect the point mutations. Result: Conclusion: Molecular Characterization of Beta globin gene mutations among these tribes have confirmed the presence of the following mutations: IVS-1 nt5 (G>C), IVS-1 nt1(G>T), codon 15 (G>A), codon 26 (G>A), the mutation which leads to HbE, codon 19 (A>G), codon 17 (A>T), -28 (A>G). The most common mutation observed among Totos and Rabhas were codon 26 (G>A) of North Bengal. The prevalence of Beta carrier among them is negligible. The mutation IVS-1 nt5 (G>C) is prevalent among the Oraon, Nagbanshi and Sardar tribes of Bengal. The other mutations which are present among them are codon 15 (G>A) and codon 30 (G>C). There are two codon 17 (A>T) and one -28 (A>G) mutations which are present among Mundas. The rest of them are mutation IVS-1 nt5 (G>C). In few cases presence of sickle cell anemia was observed. Our results have added to the existing data on the common beta globin gene defects which are prevalent among the general population of West Bengal, India. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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