Rat Temple in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rat Temple in India - Essay Example Considering the norm with Hindu temples, one must remove their shoes when they enter this temple. In addition, one must be careful not to step on them as that would be considered unholy; and if a rat dies because of being stepped on, it is expected that whoever killed it should replace the rat with a gold or silver statue of the same weight as the rat, for atonement. There are chains and grills positioned all around the enclosure of the temple, to protect the rats from predators such as birds. Inside the temple also, there are caretakers and priests that reside with their families and clean away the excrements of the rats, whilst ensuring they are fed. Foodstuffs such as coconut shells are scattered around the temple for the rats to feed on and milk to drink served in pots (Kaushik). Karni Mata’s rats are treated as deities due to the Hindu’s belief in samsara which is the cycle of transmigration that one undergoes when they die and are reincarnated. The legend’s origins can be traced to the goddess of influence and victory, Durga who was reborn as Karni Mata that came to be a spiritual matriarch of the 14th century. In her life, one of members of her tribe lost their child and Karni Mata attempted to bring him back to life, only to be informed by Yama, the goddess of death, that he had by then been reincarnated. Following this, Karni Mata made an agreement with Yama whereby everyone from the tribe would be reincarnated as rats until the entire clan was reborn. This is in accordance with the Hindu belief that death signifies the end of one stage and start of another (Kaushik). Karni Mata temple completed at the beginning of the 20th century was designed in the late Mughal style, and Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner was responsible for its completion and in 1999, Kundanlal Verma undertook further renovation. Born in October 1387, Karni Mata was the seventh daughter of Mehoji Charan and Deval Devi and they resided in Rajasthan; considered an h onorific name, Karni got it when she cured her aunt at the tender age of six years. Even though they did not live an ordinary matrimonial life, Karni Mata was married to Dipoji Charan. She had four sons who were reincarnated as white rats and are believed to bring luck if one spots them out of the other tens of thousands found within the temple this is because they are believed to be holy above all the rest (Karni Temple). The sophisticated, artistic sense of Indians can be noted with the intricate marble panels that line the entrance and floors of the Karti Mana Temple, and features silver and gold decorations all over. Linked to the royal family that ruled Bikaner, the nearby city, the Temple was established to provide greater power and protection to the family, as goddesses are believed to be directly involved in people’s personal lives. Thus, where a Hindu royal family seeking more power would establish a cult in favour of a goddess as is the case with Karni Mata and the worshipping of rats. Also deemed to be a blessing or sign of good luck, is sampling on food and water that has previously been nibbled on by the rats within the temple. In a bid to gain luck from sighting of the ‘special’ white rats, visitors of the temple offer Prasad, a sweet-tasting type of food. Proof of the holiness of these rats has been the fact that there has never been an outbreak of any

Issues in Nuclear Power

Issues in Nuclear Power Dear Sir, I have read your article, The Truth About Nuclear Power. Your ideas and opinions hold much significance and are compelling. You describe Nuclear energy as dirty, dangerous, expensive, un-sustainable, prone-to-terrorism and impractical. However, I would like to present my personal concepts and sentiments on the topic which might negate your proposals. To start, life is motion; and everything that tends to move has an inherent property to emit energy in some way. Mankind has been trying to utilize, conserve and generate this very energy for years. And while many sources of energy are being used, the concept of self-sustaining energy source is still very much theoretical. The dire need of a superior source of energy rose and Nuclear Energy was discovered in the quest. The first concern you mention is that of Nuclear Power being dirty. To my knowledge, Nuclear Power is perhaps the most refined method to generate power. No doubt nuclear power has the disadvantage of giving off radioactive waste to some extent but that is really all that is harmful about it. Over 94% of this waste is low-level waste, possessing no harmful effects of any kind. Only 6% of the total waste is considered high-level waste as it still holds a significant amount of energy. This is either re-used for further power production or is kept in a concealed environment until it loses all its energy and converts into an inert element. As far as emissions are concerned, power produced through Nuclear Energy emits 15 grams of Carbon Dioxide per Kilo-Watt-Hour (kWhr) of electricity. Coal in contrast, produces an immense 900 grams of Carbon Dioxide per kWhr, highest in the category. Furthermore, the estimated mortality rate globally through coal is 100,000 deaths per Trillion kWhr. Oil being second in list, claiming 36,000 lives. Biofuel and Hydroelectric power being third and fourth with 24,000 and 14,000 deaths per Trillion kWhr, respectively. Meanwhile, nuclear power claims fewer than 23 lives per trillion kWhr globally. This is self-explanatory. Besides, virtually every fossil fuel involves a combustion process. This produces gases that are far more brutal than the radiations produced through nuclear power. The second concern of yours is mining. The mining process for oil requires excavating at least 6,000 feet. Uranium, the most common element used in nuclear power, requires about 1,900 feet on average. Natural gas can be as deep as 15,000 feet in some areas. As more Radon gas is given-off as you go deeper down the Earth; this makes Uranium safest to mine. Another reason for fossil fuels being more precarious to mine is the sheer quantity in which they are required. For comparison, it takes 17,000 kg of coal to produce the same amount of energy as 1kg of Uranium-235. This results in much less mining needed which ultimately, results in less radiation exposure. Next is the concern of safety. No doubt that there have been three major nuclear disasters in the past but none of them were as catastrophic as they were portrayed. The worse of them was the Chernobyl incident. Despite the reactors meltdown caused substantial amount of radiation leakage, only two deaths occurred due to radiations. Furthermore, Chernobyl was the result of inadequate experience and a human flaw. It dates back to 1986, when nuclear power was new to the world and there were not much expertise in the field. A like calamity is almost outlandish to happen now. The Three Mile Island reactor meltdown in 1979, was also a human error. It caused no harm to the residents or the workers and no deaths occurred. Additionally, the Fukushima incident was merely a natural disaster as it was struck by an atrocious earthquake followed by a cataclysmic tsunami; although, no deaths occurred due to the radiation leakage. This elucidates that natural disasters can cause catastrophes but the effect would not only be on nuclear facilities. An example is the Sayano-Shushenskaya accident in Russia which caused 75 immediate deaths. A larger incident occurred in 1975 when The Banqiao Reservoir Dam was hit by typhoon, Nina. This caused a stupendous death toll of nearly 171,000 people and displaced another 11 million. Your fourth concern is the security of nuclear facilities. To begin, nuclear plants now are robustly designed and are resilient against even the strongest blows. Furthermore, state-of-art security measures and technology is used to protect the facilities and top-notch counter-terrorism forces and weaponry is provided. All of this is commanded by the federal government itself. Moreover, in an unlikely occasion of an attack, the facilities can shut-down themselves. And even if the Uranium is stolen by any means, it cannot be used to make nukes so simply as it involves extensive enrichment and use of expensive technology. Lastly, you have commented on the expense of nuclear energy. Energy from coal costs 9 cents per kWh and 16 cents per kWh from solar. Nuclear energy meanwhile, costs just 4 cents per kWh. Moreover, solar power hinges-on weather conditions, far more than nuclear energy. In a few hundred words, this is my personal reasoning, of why I believe that a nation should hold onto its nuclear programs and continue developing them. While many people deem it dangerous and unnecessary, I for one, think that it is a need for todays world and living. Yes, I agree that it needs strict, well defined protocols to function and it must stay out of wrong hands, but if done correctly, it is one of the greatest achievements for a nation. Yours sincerely, Abdul Rafay.

WWI poems and information :: World War 1 I One

Siegfried Sassoon Biography With war on the horizon, a young Englishman whose life had heretofore been consumed with the protocol of fox-hunting, said goodbye to his idyllic life and rode off on his bicycle to join the Army. Siegfried Sassoon was perhaps the most innocent of the war poets. John Hildebidle has called Sassoon the "accidental hero." Born into a wealthy Jewish family in 1886, Sassoon lived the pastoral life of a young squire: fox-hunting, playing cricket, golfing and writing romantic verses. Being an innocent, Sassoon's reaction to the realities of the war were all the more bitter and violent -- both his reaction through his poetry and his reaction on the battlefield (where, after the death of fellow officer David Thomas and his brother Hamo at Gallipoli, Sassoon earned the nickname "Mad Jack" for his near-suicidal exploits against the German lines -- in the early manifestation of his grief, when he still believed that the Germans were entirely to blame). As said: "now he unleashed a talent for irony and satire and contumely that had been sleeping all during his pastoral youth." Sassoon also showed his innocence by going public with his (as he grew to see that insensitive political leadership was the greater enemy than the Germans). Luckily, his friend and fellow poet Robert Graves convinced the review board that Sassoon was suffering from shell-shock and he was sent instead to the military hospital at where he met and influenced . Sassoon is a key figure in the study of the poetry of the Great War: he brought with him to the war the idyllic pastoral background; he began by writing war poetry reminiscent of ; he mingled with such war poets as Robert Graves and Edmund Blunden; he spoke out publicly against the war (and yet returned to it); he influenced and mentored the then unknown ; he spent thirty years reflecting on the war through his memoirs; and at last he found peace in his religious faith. Some critics found his later poetry lacking in comparison to his war poems. Sassoon, identifying with Herbert and Vaughan, recognized and understood this: "my development has been entirely consistent and in character" he answered, "almost all of them have ignored the fact that I am a religious poet." Survivors No doubt they’ll soon get well; the shock and strain Have caused their stammering, disconnected talk. Of course they’re ‘longing to go out again,’ - These boys with old, scared faces, learning to walk. They’ll so forget their haunted nights; their cowed Subjection to the ghosts of friends who died, - Their dreams that drip with murder; and they’ll be proud

Deception Point Page 31

More laughter this time. â€Å"And,† she said, glancing down at the bottom of the screen, â€Å"I had certainly not imagined I would be sitting at the President's desk†¦ much less on it!† This brought a hearty laugh and some broad smiles. Rachel felt her muscles starting to relax. Just give it to them straight. â€Å"Here's the situation.† Rachel's voice now sounded like her own. Easy and clear. â€Å"President Herney has been absent from the media spotlight this past week not because of his lack of interest in his campaign, but rather because he has been engrossed in another matter. One he felt was far more important.† Rachel paused, her eyes making contact now with her audience. â€Å"There has been a scientific discovery made in a location called the Milne Ice Shelf in the high Arctic. The President will be informing the world about it in a press conference tonight at eight o'clock. The find was made by a group of hardworking Americans who have endured a string of tough luck lately and deserve a break. I'm talking about NASA. You can be proud to know that your President, with apparent clairvoyant confidence, has made a point of standing beside NASA lately through thick and thin. Now, it appears his loyalty is going to be rewarded.† It was not until that very instant that Rachel realized how historically momentous this was. A tightness rose in her throat, and she fought it off, plowing onward. â€Å"As an intelligence officer who specializes in the analysis and verification of data, I am one of several people the President has called upon to examine the NASA data. I have examined it personally as well as conferring with several specialists-both government and civilian-men and women whose credentials are beyond reproach and whose stature is beyond political influence. It is my professional opinion that the data I am about to present to you is factual in its origins and unbiased in its presentation. Moreover, it is my personal opinion that the President, in good faith to his office and the American people, has shown admirable care and restraint in delaying an announcement I know he would have loved to have made last week.† Rachel watched the crowd before her exchanging puzzled looks. They all returned their gaze to her, and she knew she had their undivided attention. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to hear what I'm sure you will agree is one of the most exciting pieces of information ever revealed in this office.† 35 The aerial view currently being transmitted to the Delta Force by the microbot circling inside the habisphere looked like something that would win an avant-garde film contest-the dim lighting, the glistening extraction hole, and the well-dressed Asian lying on the ice, his camel-hair coat splayed around him like enormous wings. He was obviously trying to extract a water sample. â€Å"We've got to stop him,† said Delta-Three. Delta-One agreed. The Milne Ice Shelf held secrets his team was authorized to protect with force. â€Å"How do we stop him?† Delta-Two challenged, still gripping the joystick. â€Å"These microbots are not equipped.† Delta-One scowled. The microbot currently hovering inside the habisphere was a recon model, stripped down for longer flight. It was about as lethal as a housefly. â€Å"We should call the controller,† Delta-Three stated. Delta-One stared intently at the image of the solitary Wailee Ming, perched precariously on the rim of the extraction pit. Nobody was anywhere near him-and ice cold water had a way of muffling one's ability to scream. â€Å"Give me the controls.† â€Å"What are you doing?† the soldier on the joystick demanded. â€Å"What we were trained to do,† Delta-One snapped, taking over. â€Å"Improvise.† 36 Wailee Ming lay on his stomach beside the extraction hole, his right arm extended over the rim trying to extract a water sample. His eyes were definitely not playing tricks on him; his face, now only a yard or so from the water, could see everything perfectly. This is incredible! Straining harder, Ming maneuvered the beaker in his fingers, trying to reach down to the surface of the water. All he needed was another few inches. Unable to extend his arm any farther, Ming repositioned himself closer to the hole. He pressed the toes of his boots against the ice and firmly replanted his left hand on the rim. Again, he extended his right arm as far as he could. Almost. He shifted a little closer. Yes! The edge of the beaker broke the surface of the water. As the liquid flowed into the container, Ming stared in disbelief. Then, without warning, something utterly inexplicable occurred. Out of the darkness, like a bullet from a gun, flew a tiny speck of metal. Ming only saw it for a fraction of a second before it smashed into his right eye. The human instinct to protect one's eyes was so innately ingrained, that despite Ming's brain telling him that any sudden movements risked his balance, he recoiled. It was a jolting reaction more out of surprise than pain. Ming's left hand, closest to his face, shot up reflexively to protect the assaulted eyeball. Even as his hand was in motion, Ming knew he had made a mistake. With all of his weight leaning forward, and his only means of support suddenly gone, Wailee Ming teetered. He recovered too late. Dropping the beaker and trying to grab on to the slick ice to stop his fall, he slipped-plummeting forward into the darkened hole. The fall was only four feet, and yet as Ming hit the icy water head first he felt like his face had hit pavement at fifty miles an hour. The liquid that engulfed his face was so cold it felt like burning acid. It brought an instantaneous spike of panic. Upside down and in the darkness, Ming was momentarily disoriented, not knowing which way to turn toward the surface. His heavy camel-hair coat kept the icy blast from his body-but only for a second or two. Finally righting himself, Ming came sputtering up for air, just as the water found its way to his back and chest, engulfing his body in a lung-crushing vise of cold. â€Å"Hee†¦ lp,† he gasped, but Ming could barely pull in enough air to let out a whimper. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. â€Å"Heee†¦ lp!† His cries were inaudible even to himself. Ming clambered toward the side of the extraction pit and tried to pull himself out. The wall before him was vertical ice. Nothing to grab. Underwater, his boots kicked the side of the wall, searching for a foothold. Nothing. He strained upward, reaching for the rim. It was only a foot out of reach. Ming's muscles were already having trouble responding. He kicked his legs harder, trying to propel himself high enough up the wall to grab the rim. His body felt like lead, and his lungs seemed to have shrunk to nothing, as if they were being crushed by a python. His water-laden coat was getting heavier by the second, pulling him downward. Ming tried to pull it off his body, but the heavy fabric stuck. â€Å"Help†¦ me!† The fear came on in torrents now. Drowning, Ming had once read, was the most horrific death imaginable. He had never dreamed he would find himself on the verge of experiencing it. His muscles refused to cooperate with his mind, and already he was fighting just to keep his head above water. His soggy clothing pulled him downward as his numb fingers scratched the sides of the pit. His screams were only in his mind now. And then it happened. Ming went under. The sheer terror of being conscious of his own impending death was something he never imagined he would experience. And yet here he was†¦ sinking slowly down the sheer ice wall of a two-hundred-foot-deep hole in the ice. Multitudes of thoughts flashed before his eyes. Moments from his childhood. His career. He wondered if anyone would find him down here. Or would he simply sink to the bottom and freeze there†¦ entombed in the glacier for all time.

Frank Lloyd Wright Biography Architecture Essay

Frank Lincoln Wright was born on June 8th, 1867 in Richland Center, Wisconsin. When he was still a yearling, his male parent got a new occupation as a church curate in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Frank ‘s female parent had wanted him to go an designer, so when Frank was nine, in 1876, his female parent bought him Froebel Blocks, ( which subsequently helped him plan edifices ) . At the age of 10, Frank ‘s household moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where his male parent opened a music school ( He discontinue his occupation as a curate ) . Frank and both of his sisters loved music merely every bit much as their male parent. During the summer after he turned eleven, Frank started to work on his female parent ‘s household ‘s farm. A typical twenty-four hours for him would be wake up at four in the forenoon, feed the hogs, milk the cattles, weed the gardens, and work in the Fieldss. The work was so difficult ; Frank tried to run away twice. His Grandfather ever caught him though. To Frank, life was n't that bad on the farm, because he loved nature. He liked to happen the forms of his Froebel blocks on the Wisconsin Prairie. When he was 14, his parents divorced. He ne'er saw his male parent after that. Because of this, he changed his in-between name to Lloyd in order to honour his female parent ‘s household, the Lloyd-Joneses. After completing high school in 1886, Frank went to the University of Wisconsin to analyze civil technology, since there were n't any colleges for architecture in the Midwest. Wright did n't wish his categories, so after a few semesters, he left the University of Wisconsin to happen a occupation in Chicago. After a few yearss in Chicago, he found a occupation with J.L. Silsbee ‘s Architectural house. Wright quit his occupation at J.L Silsbee ‘s Architectural Firm earlier even working at that place for a twelvemonth and got a new occupation as a draughtsman at the office of Louis Sullivan. Wright used Sullivan as a function theoretical account because Sullivan did n't plan edifices in the traditional Victorian manner. He designed existent American architecture. At the age of 21, Wright married Catherine Tobin. He designed a house for Catherine and himself on land given to him by Louis Sullivan. Within a twelvemonth, the twosome had their first kid, Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. When 1903 rolled about, that household of three turned into a household of eight. Sometimes invitees would see the Wright ‘s house and inquire Frank to plan them a house. Wright would reply yes, without Louis Sullivan knowing. When Sullivan eventually figured this out, he told Wright that he could merely plan edifices with Sullivan ‘s architectural house. Because of this, Wright discontinue his occupation and started his ain concern. By 1901, Wright had completed around 50 of his ain designs! One dark at a party, an designer by the name of Daniel Burnham made an offer to Wright to travel to analyze architecture in Europe for six old ages. In the offer, when Wright came back, he would have an of import occupation. Though it was a great trade, Wright turned it down because he did non desire to plan in the European manner. He wanted to go on planing existent American Architecture. In 1908, the discoverer Frederick Robie came to Wright inquiring for a house that had a batch of infinite, was fire safe, and had a good position of Chicago. He besides wanted a drama room for his childs and a twosome garages for his autos. By 1909, Wright had created a prairie manner house that met all the demands Robie had thought of. One dark, Wright met a adult female named Martha Cheney. He separated from Catherine Tobin, and traveled to Europe with Cheney. When he arrived back in America, he designed a studio for himself in Oak Park, Illinois. He called it Taliesin. While Wright was in Chicago on August 15, 1914, Martha Cheney and her two kids were at Taliesin. One of Wright ‘s workers, Julian Carlton killed Cheney, her kids and four others. Soon after, Wright fixed his studio. On November 13, 1922, Wright and Catherine Tobin eventually divorced. Soon after, Wright married Miriam Noel on November 19, 1923. The matrimony did n't last really long, and on August 26, 1927, the two divorced. During the Great Depression, Wright did n't hold really many clients. Alternatively, he spent his clip composing an autobiography and giving addresss on organic architecture. He besides opened an architectural school with his 3rd married woman Olga Milanoff, which he called the Taliesin Fellowship. When 1934 came along, Wright met with the parents of one of his pupils, Edgar Kaufmann Jr. They wanted a new place. Wright told them about constructing the house above a waterfall in Bear Run, Pennsylvania. When the Kaufmanns agreed, Wright began to plan this house. In 1937, he invited the Kaufmanns to his studio. After a speedy circuit, he showed them the house designs. The Kaufmanns liked the designs and the house was built. It is called Falling Water and is likely Frank Lloyd Wright ‘s most celebrated design. Wright wanted a new studio in 1937. He designed a studio in Scottsdale, Arizona. This besides was his place with Olga Milanoff until he died. April 8, 1959, was the concluding twenty-four hours of Wright ‘s life. After 72 old ages of working as an designer, Frank Lloyd Wright left behind over 500 edifices like Falling Water, the Robie House, Taliesin, and the Guggenheim Museum.