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Observer
5 days ago
- General
- Observer
Mythology: Where much of history began... so they say
Mythology, whether Egyptian, Greek, or Roman mythology, has played a role in all our lives as stories, myths and legends that have influenced us virtually since the beginning of time. The deities, heroes, legends, characters and creatures have inspired us in the same way that our cultures and traditions have. In Egyptian mythology, the mighty Sun God Ra ruled the Earth after creation as the King of gods and mortals. His alter ego, the 'Eye of Ra', was a malevolent force he could unleash to quell discontent among his followers. Yet it was Osiris, the God of life and fertility, who stimulated an almost fanatical devotion. He survived dismemberment by his brother Set and was brought back to life by his wife Isis long enough to conceive a son, Horus. This genealogy sustained an amazing thirty-one dynasties of mythologically inspired rule in Egypt, with figures like 'Hatshepsut', the adored Queen Regent; 'Amenhotep III', the ninth Pharaoh; and 'Ramesses II', or 'Ramesses the Great', the mightiest of all the pharaohs, able to rule as the hand of the gods with absolute power. It is believed that this mythology inspired the religious and social order of the Middle East through Egypt's strength and force. These may not have been peaceful times, but reflective of the ancient Egyptian proverb that 'To have peace there must be conflict'. This is apparent in the iconic pyramids, which represent new life and each day's sunrise, as well as being virtually indestructible pharaonic tombs and monuments. Today, many of us possess the 'Eye of Horus', protective amulets said to offer divine protection. The ancient Egyptians were great storytellers and writers, but sadly much of their formal and largely symbolic hieroglyphs and the cursive hieratic form in everyday use, rarely survived the test of time. Roman mythology, as warlike as it was, or is, is essentially a reimagining of Roman history and was more of a literary response to hero worship. The gods and goddesses were heroic, with strong Roman cultural values and a belief that their manner of living and their passing was one of divine determination. Their gods, such as Jupiter the god of thunder and lightning; Venus the goddess of love and desire; Neptune, the god of the seas; Mars the god of war; and Hercules, the god of great strength, were all like-for-like copies of the Greek gods. What is Roman mythology's legacy for today's generation? Well, William Shakespeare was a staunch devotee of the form, especially through 'Antony and Cleopatra' and 'Julius Caesar'. Throughout many of his plays, he utilised the symbolism and imagery of mythology, Greek and Roman, to get his points across. These are still key elements in the teaching of Shakespeare to hundreds of thousands of students today. Greek mythology, more than any, lives on in our colloquialisms and our literature. To recall just a few in common use, we refer to being as handsome as Adonis; to be as rich as Croesus, or to have a Midas touch; a two-faced person as having a Janus face; or to have a weakness as an Achilles heel; something large being, like Titan, titanic, or something huge a Colossus; a romantic deed being inspired by Cupid; or of a platonic relationship being Plato's description of Socrates' affection. Greek mythology is believed to have originated almost four thousand years ago as an oral-poetic literary form concerning the origins and nature of the world, greatly inspired by how the Trojan Wars were seen through the eyes of Homer in his two magnificent epic poems, the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey'. Those original 'myths of origin' featured plotlines that could be from any soap opera on television today of love, beauty, wealth, betrayal, fury, deception, hatred, jealousy and revenge. Ironically, 'Chaos' was one of the original characters of Greek mythology and it's still around! BLURB The ancient Egyptians were great storytellers and writers, but sadly much of their formal and largely symbolic hieroglyphs and the cursive hieratic form in everyday use, rarely survived the test of time.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Back from brink: Mind coach recalls gritty Karun's fight to stay afloat after Test snub in 2018
Mullanpur , Karun Nair's fall into a world of despair back in 2018 is a well-documented tale of frustration but what pulled him out of that rut? The answer lies with Bengaluru-based mind coach Shree Advani, whom Karun consulted at his most vulnerable and the one who ensured that the talented batter did not allow his axing from the team, despite a rare triple ton in Tests, become a defining moment for his self-worth. Shree, brother of 28-time World Champion cueist Pankaj Advani, worked with Karun for a year and was left impressed with his dedication towards the game that had not returned his love back at the time. "We had to make him realise that the drop was not a reflection on his ability. And we had to keep the confidence in his ability high and make him understand that there is so much cricket left in him," Shree recalled in an interview to PTI, expressing his joy at Karun's comeback to the Test squad for the tour of England next month. Though he didn't do much wrong after becoming the second ever triple centurion from India in December 2016, Karun did not get too many chances the following year and when he warmed the bench for the entire tour of England in 2018, his frustration hit its peak. "Karun has gone through a lot in his career. After not getting opportunities on the entire tour of England, Karun was frustrated to say the least. It hit him hard and there were bound to be self doubts. You tend to question your self worth. Like 'what more do I need to do?'..." Shree remembered. However, the worst was yet to come as after COVID-enforced shutdowns, he was dropped from the Karnataka Ranji squad and his viral social media post, pleading for a chance to prove himself, followed. He was forced to move to Vidarbha where his career got a second wind that has now led to a Test comeback after eight years. Shree recalled the mind sessions with Karun between 2018 and 2019 and praised his ability to bounce back after hitting rock bottom. "But even at that time, his dedication towards the game stood out. My belief was that he is coming back stronger than ever," said Shree, who has worked with elite athletes from different sporting backgrounds. A forgotten notebook and red mustang ========================= Shree has lost count of the sessions he had with Karun but one interaction stays fresh in his mind. "So, he would take down notes during our sessions, which is something that I encourage. On that particular day, he left his notebook at home, he had driven down in his Mustang, which also got the number 303 . "When he realises he has forgotten the notebook, he drives back, picks it up, comes to see me. So, he was a very, very committed and dedicated student of the mind. And that is why I'm not surprised that he's, you know, right there at the top again, because of these kind of qualities," said Shree. The value of his 300 ============== Besides joining Virender Sehwag in the thin list of triple centurions in Tests, Karun also has a 300 to his name in Ranji Trophy. So, when he was suddenly out of selectors' radar, Shree felt it was important for him to stress on his glorious past. "...the 300 in Tests and Ranji, these things don't happen by chance. So, don't ever let a selector's decision define your calibre," the mind coach recalled telling him in one of the sessions. The chat with universe =============== "Dear Cricket, give me one chance," Karun had hopelessly written on Twitter in December 2022 after being dropped from the Karnataka squad. Now that the game has given him that chance, Shree reflected on Karun's state of mind at the time. "That tweet was him communicating with the universe more than the selectors. And, when you dial the universe, it picks up. It listens. It answers your call. And now that's exactly what has happened."
Hans India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Maha govt to implement Adi Shakti campaign for women empowerment
Ahilyanagar: Maharashtra Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday took a slew of decisions during the Tricentennial Anniversary Year of Ahilyabai Holkar, the famed 18th-century warrior queen. The meeting, which took place at Ahilyabai Holkar's birthplace Choundi, decided to implement Adi Shakti campaign for women empowerment, produce a commercial multilingual film on Ahilyabai Holkar featuring her life, leadership and battles she fought, construct hostels for the Dhangar community students pursuing post matriculation education, launch of special projects to rejuvenate and revive water distribution systems set up Ahilyabai Holkar and reconstruction of temples across the state. The Chief Minister told reporters that the government will launch the Adi Shakti campaign and give away awards to create awareness and sensitivity about various problems faced by women, including financial, social, academic and health. The campaign, to be implemented through women and child welfare department, aims to reduce malnutrition, infant mortality and maternity deaths, increase education of girls by curbing gender inequality, create society free from child marriage and violence free family and community building and women development by providing benefits of government schemes and self employment opportunities. The government will give away awards to the gram panchayats for the successful implementation of this campaign. The government will spend Ra 10.50 crore for the state-wide implementation of the Adi Shakti campaign. The government will implement a scheme named after Raje Yashwantrao Holkar to provide education to 10,000 students from the Dhangar community in leading schools annually. The scheme is titled as Yashwant Students Scheme. The government has distributed Rs 288.92 for this scheme. Raje Yashwantrao Holkar, between 1797 and 1811, in a bid to promote education, had implemented the gurukul scheme, military education, among others. He opened education for all and developed facilities for girls' education. The Chief Minister said that the Cabinet has also approved the development of hostels at the revenue division headquarters for Dhangar community students pursuing post-matriculation education. He said that this will be named after Ahilyabai Holkar Hostel Scheme. Each hostel will have an intake capacity of 200 students, comprising 100 boys and girls each. 'These hostels will come in Nabi Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Nagpur and Amravati. The work is underway in Nashik, while the development will begin soon in Pune and Nagpur,' he said. Meanwhile, in order to rejuvenate, revive and protect the water sources and distribution systems developed by Ahilyabai Holkar, the government will implement a special plan at the cost of Rs 75 crore. The government proposes to preserve three historical lakes at Chandwad, Trimbakeshwar, Malhar Gautameshwar and Jejuri, 19 wells, six troughs and six ghats and 34 reservoirs. The government proposes to repair those reservoirs, remove sludge, revive water sources and beautify them. Further, the Cabinet approved the opening of a government medical college and a 430-bed hospital at Ahilyanagar at the cost of Rs 486.08 crore. The college will be named after Ahilyabai Holkar. The government will provide land for the district civil hospital and the necessary manpower. The Chief Minister said the Cabinet, in a bid to support Ahilyabai Holkar's temple reconstruction works, has cleared the restoration and conservation of six temples and a memorial of the 18th-century warrior queen at the cost of Rs 5503.69 crore. Further, the Cabinet approved the establishment of an industrial training institute for girls and women in Ahilyanagar and the setting up of a civil court at Rahuri. The Cabinet also approved extending the duration of Mission Managram implemented through the Village Social Transformation Foundation (VSTF) up to 2028 from 2022-25.
Telegraph
02-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
The fascinating story behind Rome's eight ancient obelisks
An African puzzle towers above tourists near Rome's Colosseum. It is covered in a curious code, is linked to a falcon-headed deity, and was born in a time and place so distant that it feels almost alien. Thousands of travellers pass by this 150ft-tall pillar each day as they wander through Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano to reach the adjoining basilica and sanctuary. Most would be unaware that the oldest standing structure in Italy's capital is not a Roman temple, amphitheatre or palace. Instead, it is this 3,500-year-old Egyptian wonder, the Lateran Obelisk, etched with hieroglyphic symbols. Tall, thin columns with pyramidal crests, obelisks were pioneered in Egypt more than four millennia ago. They are icons of ancient Egypt, arguably behind only the Pyramids in symbolic significance. Normally positioned in pairs outside Egyptian temples, obelisks celebrated pharaohs, were dedicated to a part-bird, part-man sun god called Ra, and were decorated with hieroglyphics which long mystified scholars. Typically, each was hand-carved out of one massive slab of red granite sourced from the quarries of Aswan, an historic city on the bank of the Nile in southern Egypt. Their sleek appearance ensured they became widely admired beyond Africa. Obelisks were copied by other ancient civilisations, including the Canaanites of the Middle East and the Phoenicians from the Mediterranean. Many Egyptian obelisks were later gifted to other nations, or stolen as spoils of war. For example, tourists to London's Victoria Embankment Gardens can see Cleopatra's Needle, a 3,500-year-old obelisk that Egypt gave to the British government in 1819 to mark Britain's victory over France in the 1798 Battle of the Nile. Long before that, however, the Romans were their biggest fans. So much so that, after the Roman Empire annexed Egypt in 30 BC, they started hoarding these monuments. Emperor Augustus sent the seized obelisks across the sea to his grand capital. Academics still ponder how the Romans achieved this in such an era, given many of them weighed hundreds of tons. As a result, Rome has more Egyptian obelisks than any city in Egypt. Dotting this Italian metropolis are eight of the roughly 30 ancient Egyptian obelisks remaining on earth, including the aforementioned Lateran Obelisk. Each of those eight pillars now sits near to popular Rome attractions. In the heart of its tourist district, three obelisks are a stone's throw from the Pantheon, the 2,000-year-old Roman temple. To the Pantheon's south is the small and distinctive Minerva Obelisk. Also called the Elephant and Obelisk, due to the long-trunked animal that forms the base of this 43ft-tall structure, it is at least 2,600 years old, and is believed to have arrived in Rome in the 1st century AD. It later collapsed, and remained buried for many generations, before being rediscovered in the 1600s. That is when the Minerva Obelisk was positioned atop a fresh foundation: the elephant crafted by Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Not far from the Pantheon lies the grander Montecitorio Obelisk. Stretching 112ft towards the sky, it occupies Piazza di Monte Citorio, in front of a magnificent Italian parliament building. This obelisk is roughly 2,500 years old and was brought to Rome by Emperor Augustus, who is commemorated in an inscription on its pedestal. At the northern side of the Pantheon, in tiny Piazza della Rotonda, tourists can find the Macuteo Obelisk. Now topped by a Christian cross, this 46ft-tall spire is laden with hieroglyphics which venerate the sun god. Originally, the Macuteo Obelisk guarded the entrance to a temple at Heliopolis in Egypt. There it was paired with the Matteiano Obelisk, also later exported to Rome. Similar in size to Macuteo, this is perhaps the most tucked away of all Rome's obelisks. A 650-yard walk south of the Colosseum, it is concealed amid the tall trees and dense vegetation of Villa Celimontana, a 16th-century mansion whose tranquil gardens are free to explore. Farther north, near the main entrance to the busy Rome Termini train station, is the red granite Dogali Obelisk. Tourists commonly sit and rest on the base of this 30ft-tall pillar from Heliopolis. Although its original inscriptions venerate Ra, it is now used to commemorate the hundreds of Italian soldiers who died during the 1887 Battle of Dogali, between Italian and Ethiopian forces. Far grander, and more prominently positioned, is the 3,300-year-old Flaminio Obelisk. Tourists visiting the Leonardo da Vinci Museum must walk through the stately Piazza del Popolo, anchored by this, the third-tallest of Rome's obelisks, at 118ft. Flaminio was the first brought to Italy, to celebrate the conquest of Egypt. Meanwhile, over on the western side of the river Tiber, is the eighth of Rome's Egyptian obelisks. Although, technically, the Vatican Obelisk is not located in Rome but the Vatican City. It is almost 131ft tall, and tourists get plenty of time to absorb its majesty as they line up to enter St Peter's Basilica. This obelisk dominates St Peter's Square, opposite the mighty church. At its crest is a cross with the family symbols of Pope Sixtus V Peretti, who ordered it be positioned here. Now, more than 2,000 years after it arrived in Italy, the Vatican Obelisk is one of this city's eight Egyptian pillars which, to keen-eyed tourists, stand as a marker of ancient African ingenuity and Roman conquest.
Economic Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Carlyle to sell $308 million stake in PNB Housing via block deal
Mumbai: Carlyle is launching a block trade to offload up to $308 million (Rs 2,604 crores) worth of shares in PNB Housing Finance Ltd., according to deal terms seen by ET. ADVERTISEMENT Carlyle is offering up to 27.1 million shares in the mortgage lender, representing around 10.4% of the total outstanding equity. The floor price for the transaction is set at Ra 960 per share, reflecting a 5% discount to PNB Housing's April 30 closing price of Ra 1,010.20 on the National Stock Exchange. The transaction, which is entirely secondary in nature, is being managed by IIFL Capital Services Ltd., acting as the sole bookrunner and placement agent. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
