Thursday, December 26, 2019

College Student s Intake Of Energy Drinks Essay - 877 Words

Malinauskas, Aeby, Overton, Carpenter-Aeby, and Barber-Heidal (2007) discussed that energy drink consumption has been on the rise since the debut of Red Bull in 1997. There has been no or little research in the consumption of energy drinks among college students in the United States (US). Malinauskas et al. (2007) wanted to define college student’s intake of energy drinks. The study also looked at the occurrence and frequency of energy drink consumption in six situations. The situations that were studied were any inadequate sleep patterns that a college student had, any increase in a college student’s energy while they studied, any times of driving long distances that the college student had done, drinking any type of alcoholic beverages, and treating an hangover the next day. Malinauskas et al. (2007) also looked at any side effects of energy drink side effects and any type of effects that are contributed to the amount of energy drink that the college student con sumed throughout the day. A sample size of 496 participants was enrolled in the study. The average age of the participants were 21.5  ± 3.7 years. The institution is a university that is in the Central Atlantic region of the US. The enrollment of undergraduates was 18,000 students and the enrollment of graduate students was 6,000 for the fall semester of 2006, 85% of the undergraduates were 18 to 24 years old, 12% were 25 to 40 years old, and 3% were 41 years old and older (East Carolina University factShow MoreRelatedAlcohol Consumption in the US Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pagesalcohol consumption amongst US college students and US adults has proven that it is extremely dangerous and is responsible for many deaths. Therefore, there needs to be an tremendous change in the amount of alcohol consumption in the US, and with this change there will be an explicit alteration of the amount of alcohol intake. The first article that was chosen is named, â€Å"Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks: Consumption Patterns and Motivations for Use in U.S. College Students.† This article written by CecileRead MoreThe Effects Of Caffeine Addicted Individuals Can Take Action For The Addictions1329 Words   |  6 Pagesgradually decreases the intake consumed, which doesn’t cause the severe withdrawal symptoms an individual could have and makes the process more tolerable for the individual. (Maisto, Galizio, Connors, 2011). Sleep While there is some research done on sleep patterns, there is a decline in the research when it comes to college-age students and young adults. In a survey done at a private Midwestern University of approximately 1,125 students, only about 30% of students reported getting eight hoursRead MoreAlcohol as an Ergogenic Aid1082 Words   |  5 Pagesalcohol or ethanol, is a depressant that provides 7 kCal of energy per gram, and is the most abused drug for athletes and non-athletes in the United States. Prior to my research on alcohol, I assumed that alcohol abuse was not prevalent among college athletes, outside of the occasional partying that normal college students partake in as well. But according to Lifestyles and Health Risks of Collegiate Athletes, college athletes generally drink more heavily and are more likely to engage in binge drinkingRead MoreEating Habits and Obesity of Filipino3148 Words   |  13 Pagesâ€Å"The Relationship of Snacking Patterns and Body Mass Index amon g PT students from 3rd year to 4th year of DLS-HSI† GROUP 12 Members: Aquino, Riva Casanova, Jayson Gautani, John Rudolf Mercado, April Peji, Shiela Adviser: Dr. Elizabeth Rey-Matias TITLE: â€Å"THE RELATIONSHIP OF SNACKING PATTERNS AND BODY MASS INDEX AMONG 3rd YEAR TO 4th YEAR PT STUDENTS OF DLS-HSI† CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND The prevalence of obesity is still high in developed and developing countries. Presently worldwide, it isRead MoreThe Consumption Of Energy Drinks1538 Words   |  7 PagesReality is most Americans have consumed an energy drink or at least know what energy drinks are. Their popularity on the rise energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster are the hottest-selling component of the beverage industry, but experts in the medical field are warning the population about the possible health hazards they pose and demanding for better regulation. The highest consumers of energy drinks are adolescents and they are mostly likely to abuse the consumption of the beverage. With theRead MoreCutting the Calories of College Life1704 Words   |  7 PagesCalories of College Life November 20, 2012 Introduction It’s often said that starting college is like beginning a brand new chapter of life. Making new friends, studying harder courses and living 200 miles away from home. While all that may seem difficult enough, those are just the obvious examples. What about the change in eating habits, the stress that leads to over eating, and the lack of time to make healthy eating habits? These changes that occur in the first year of college are often referredRead MoreAnalysis of Commercial Advertisement Essay examples1639 Words   |  7 Pagesproving for what it are made. We have heard a very common slogan named as â€Å"RedBulls Gives You Wings†. It is the very popular television advertisement of RedBulls energy drink with many advertisement prints and different characters. We have seen the advertisement in which a bird pisses on a man and after that man took out a RedBull energy drink from his pocket and after drinking it, he got wings and he flew overthe bird and unbuttoned his pants and immediately camera shifted tothe bird and it is screamingRead MoreThe Effects Of Obesity On Children And Adults1462 Words   |  6 PagesOverall, obesity prevalence among children whose adult head of household completed college was approximately half that of those whose adult head of household did not complete high school (9% vs 19% among girls; 11% vs 21% among boys) in 1999–2010 (Ogden, Carroll, Kit Flegal, 2014). Among non-Hispanic white children, the lowest prevalence of obesity was observed among those whose adult head of household completed co llege (Ogden, Carroll, Kit Flegal, 2014).Therefore the aim of the study is to findRead MoreThe Healthy Benefits Of Gymnastics1736 Words   |  7 Pagesand strength with tumbling and acrobatic skills, all performed in an artistic manner. Gymnastics is performed by both women and men at many levels, from local clubs and schools to colleges and universities, and in elite national and international competitions. The major difference between men s gymnastics and women s gymnastics is in the events, or gymnastics apparatus, on which the gymnasts compete. They only share two events in common: vault and floor. Female gymnasts compete on four events total:Read MoreWhy People Should Nap During The School Of Montgomery College Essay1665 Words   |  7 PagesMost college students spend their time up all night studying, and they regret it the next morning when they are struggling to stay awake from the lack of sleep. Along with this many students nap during the day to make up for the loss of sleep. Many studies have found that napping can actually improve moods, health, and academic performance. This is shown in different studies from surveys, to testing different reactions and moods. All the way to actually providing students with a place to nap. Napping

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

What is Existentialism - 1533 Words

Existentialism is a philosophical movement that puts a lot of emphasis on, as the name suggests, existence. However, the movement stresses more on the existence of the human being in particular. Key elements of this movement with regards human existences is the question of choice, freedom and subjectivity. I am particularly interested in the matters that arise from the existentialists and their effect on Africa and its people. I will generalize here as I try to look at Africa in a broad sense focusing using examples on different existential issues that affect the African continent. Existentialism comes through from a time of the Romantic Period in Europe. Focus had been put on a return to nature, feelings and an attack on rationalism. Most thinkers in this tradition like Kierkergard, Hiedegger and Nietzche focus on the issue and feeling of anxiety in the human condition. Treated well this anxiety goes on to breed authenticity in the human being. Anxiety comes about as an ontological question. One constantly asks themselves the question of â€Å"being†, â€Å"who am I?† Kiekergaard talks of this anxiety this way, â€Å"All existence make me anxious, from the smallest fly to the mysteries of the Incarnation; the whole thing is inexplicable to me, I myself most of all; to me all existence is infected, I myself most of all.† (Journals, II A 420). Kierkegaard who was born in the 19th century is situated in a Europe which was experiencing the industrial revolution. Mass movements of people fromShow MoreRelatedExistentialism : What Is It? Essay1704 Words   |  7 PagesDecember 2016 Period 6 Mr. Reidinger Existence: What Is It? One of the most persistent, haunting dilemmas is the uncertainty of the meaning of life. Although there is no single answer to this enigma, there are countless theories concerning it. For example, one philosophical approach is known as Existentialism. Jean Paul Sartre, a well-known existentialist, introduced his 3-word ideology, existence precedes essence in his lecture titled Existentialism is a Humanism which was presented during 1940’sRead MoreExistentialism : What Do You Choose? Essay2349 Words   |  10 PagesAllow me to begin by saying that I find this particular assignment to be the universe’s idea of some sort of sick joke against me. Ironically, we are studying existentialism. What a peculiar coincidence that I have to research for myself the topic of existentialism, while I feel as though I am going through an existential crisis as of right now. It felt as though I was transported into one of those cheesy high-school-esque movies that the Hollywood machine p umps out over and over; where the booksRead MoreExistentialism : What s It All About And Who Cares?3875 Words   |  16 Pagesâ€Å"Existentialism: What’s It All About Who Cares?† Patrick Jemmer Swansea Philosophy Cafà ©: Wednesday 9 January 2013 How can we classify it? Existentialism maps out a believable and engaging â€Å"blueprint† for living a â€Å"good life,† rather than being a single, unified, and unchanging â€Å"school† of philosophical doctrine. We could say that is a way of life for individuals bold enough not to â€Å"prefer a handful of ‘certainty’ to a cartful of beautiful possibilities.† How did it start? We might see ExistentialismRead MoreExistentialism : Existentialism And Existentialism994 Words   |  4 Pageshis choices† (Sartre, n.d.). When discussing existentialism, the man responsible for this quote is always attached to the conversation. As the man who is often remembered for bringing the most amount of international attention to the theory of existentialism, Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre deserves to have his theories and ideals discussed and respected whenever possible. Firstly, what exactly is existentialism? The textbook defines existentialism as â€Å"a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizingRead MoreExistentialism and its Role Today1027 Words   |  5 PagesDaoism, Stoicism, and Existentialism. Since each person defines their happiness differently, each person has their own opinion as to whether or not what is read to be correct or not. The goal is to at least shine a light to what everyone seems drawn towards. Existentialism is an important theory to consider in order to achieve the Good Life. Although existentialism may not appeal to everyone as a reliable theory to achieve the Good Life, it does elaborate as to how existentialism can be used to attainRead MoreExistentialism1408 Words   |  6 Pages Existentialism and its facets There are many philosophies that people use in their lives. Some of the ways of thinking are linked to some prominent people. There is idealism, naturalism, experimentalism, and existentialism among others. This essay explores existentialism, which has been postulated by Sartre among others. The other proponents of existentialism include Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, martin Buber, Martin Heidegger and Martin Buber. The weakness and strengths of existentialism are going toRead MoreSartre s Idea Of The Self983 Words   |  4 Pagesor God. Sartre’s idea of Existentialism introduces a new way of thinking in terms of how we become a self. This paper will argue for Sartre’s idea of Existentialism by addressing the way in which it provides a concept of the self that has not been predetermined. Jean-Paul Sartre was considered one of the foremost thinkers in the world of existentialism. He firmly represented the idea of atheistic existentialism, and further described the broader term of existentialism as â€Å"existence precedes essence†Read MoreShakespeares King Lear vs. Tuesdays with Morrie1495 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Existentialism was in part a reaction to modernism, but its roots can be traced to ancient philosophical traditions ranging from Zoroastrianism and Judaism, Buddhism and Platonism (Flynn). The essence of existentialism is authenticity of experience, asking the philosopher to undergo deep introspection. However, existentialism is perhaps most famous for its probing questions about what Friedrich Nietzsche called the tension of the soul, (2). Known colloquially as existential angst, the tensionRead MoreExistentialism And Human Emotions By Jean Paul Sartre1513 Words   |  7 PagesJean-Paul Sartre s novel Existentialism and Human Emotions discusses h is philosophy that man is responsible for what he is and what he does; that man chooses his values and makes himself. At the beginning of the book, Sartre defends existentialism against several charges that had been laid against it. Throughout the book, Sartre refers to the basis of existentialism using the phrase ‘existence precedes essence . With this, phrase lies the basis for the argument that Existentialism is a Humanism. InRead MoreExistentialism and Its Role today799 Words   |  4 Pagesdaoism, stoicism, and existentialism. Since each person defines their happiness differently, each person has their own opinion as to whether or not what is read to be correct or not. The goal is to at least shine a light onto what everyone seems drawn towards. Existentialism is an important theory to consider in order to achieve the Good Life. Although existentialism may not appeal to everyone as a reliable theory to achieve the Good Life, it does elaborate as to how existentialism can be used to achieve

Monday, December 9, 2019

Sacred Shrine Kamakhya free essay sample

Through the ages Kamakhya has remained the most celebrated centre of the Sakti cult in Assam. Instead of an image or iconic representation of the goddess, prayer is offered to a Yonimandala of stone. Several literary works like the Kalika Purana, the Yogini Tantra give different accounts of the Aryan origin of Kamakhya. However Banikanta Kakati and Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi mention Kamakhya as a non-Aryan goddess. The temple was constructed by Koch king Biswa Singha during 1515-1540 A. D. The present temple was constructed on the earlier temple by Koch King Naranarayana with the help of his brother Chilarai in 1564. Kamakhya temple is associated with different religious cults like Tantricism, Saktism, Saivism, Buddhism and Vaisnavism etc. As a Tantric Pitha, it is related with religious practices like animal scarifies, Kumari Puja, Yantra worship and several other Tantrik rites and rituals. Several religious rituals and festivals like Ambubachi, Devadhani, Durga Puja, Vasanti Puja, Kumari Puja, Punsavan ceremony etc. are observed in the temple Ambubachi is the most popular among these festivals. Besides Kamkhya temple there are many other Sakti temples like Bhubaneswari temples, Chatrakara temple, Ugratara temple, Dirgheswari temple, Kali temple at Ajara, Kali temple at Baliluha, the Dipteswari temple, the Bhairabi temple, the Mahamaya temple, the Burhi Gosani temple, the Tamreswari temple etc. The Bhubaneswari temple situated at the top of the Nilachala Hills. The worship of Bhubaneswari is of Tantric origin. The Chatrakara temple is situated in the Uzanbazar area at Guwahati. Yogini Tantra mention the temple is situated on an umbrella shaped hillock as a sacred place. The Ugratara temple is also situated in the Uzanbazar area. According to the Kalika Purana the naval of sati had fallen in this place when lord Siva, Sati’s husband, journeyed towards the east taking Sati’s dead body on his shoulder. The temple of goddess Dirgheswari is situated at the Rangmahal area of North Guwahati. The mode of worship of the goddess is of Tantric origin. The Kali temple at Ajara is located in the district of Nalbari. The image in the temple is known as Daksinakali. The kali temple at Baliluha is situated in the village of Baliluha of Nalbari district. Ahom king Siva Singha constructed the temple and donated land to the temple. By the river side of Puthimari near Rangia in the Kamrup district there is a temple of goddess Dipteswari. It is interesting to note that water in the temple never runs insufficient and the image is seen on the surface of the water. The Tamreswari temple, popularly known as the Dikkaravasini temple is situated at eighteen miles away from modern Sadia town in Tinsukia district. According to Hari Nath Sarma Doloi, the river Digaru flowing through Sadia, might have a sanskritized name Dikkara after which the goddess came to be known as Dikkaravasini. There are various mythological and historical evidences written in literary works like the Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra, and Assam Buranji of Gunabhiram Barua about the origin of Kamakhya. It is mentionable here that instead of an image or iconic representation of the goddess in the temple, prayer is offered to a Yonimandala made of stone. The Yoipitha and Yonimandala of Kamakhya temple are different froms each other. The Yonipitha is a vast tract of land in which the Yonimandala is situated. The Yonipitha has a length of ‘five crosh’. Inside of the Yonipitha there is the Hill called Nila situated within the Yonipitha. They are the Brahmasaila, the Nilasaila, the Maniparvat and the Bhasmachala Hills. The Yonimandala is a squire sized red stone. It remains always wet with water that flows from a spring below. The length of the Mandala is one arm and twelve fingers. It is also attracted with a Siva Linga. Saktism, the cult of worshipping the mother goddess as the supreme deity known by various names such as Devi, Durga, Kali, Kalika, Uma, Kamakhya, Tara, Chandi, Chamunda, Vindhyavasini, Sakambhari and so on were centered in and around the Kamakhya temple in ancient Assam. However, as literary records like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Kalika Purana and epigraphical records like the Allahabad Pillar inscription inform Assam was then known as either Kamrupa or Pragjyotisa. According to the Kalika Purana and Yogini Tantra Kamrupa remained the most suitable place for Sakti worship from the ancient period for the practice of magic and witchcraft which were mainly practiced in the Kamakhya. According to the Kalika Purana, Siva was not interested in worldly activities. Brahma, the creator was afraid that if Siva did not marry, then the whole process of creation would come to a halt. So he engaged Kamadeva the God of love to enchant Siva. By doing this Brahma wanted to convince Siva to marry which would ultimately, help in the process of Creation. Brahma wanted to make the Primal energy to be the wife of Siva. So he told Daksa to worship the mother goddess so that she was born as the daughter of Daksa. At the advice of Brahma, Daksa worshipped the mothers goddess for about three thousand years. Being satisfied the goddess told Daksa that she would take birth as Daksa’s daughter and also marry Siva. But at the same time, she warned Daksa that if she was neglected by Daksa, she would abandon her life. According to her promise, the mother goddess took birth as the daughter of Daksa. In her youth she worshipped Siva to get him as her husband. Siva was satisfied. He married her and began to stay at the Himalayas. King Daksa was dissatisfied with Siva when he did not get sufficient respect and hounour from Siva. Once he decided to perform a sacrifice without giving invitation to Siva and Sati, his daughter. He had invited everybody excluding Siva and Sati in the sacrifice. Hearing about the performance of the sacrifice, Sati went to the sacrifice alone. But in the sacrifice Daksa insulted her saying ill of Siva as the Kapalika. He maintained that Sati was merely the Kalpika’s wife. Being neglected by her own father, Sati abandoned her life at the sacrificial fire. When Siva heard of the sudden death of Sati, he became angry and went to Daksa’s house with his follower Birabhadra to destroy the sacrifice. Siva destroyed the whole sacrifice and also beheaded Daksa. But at the request of Daksa’s wife Birini, he transposed the head of a goat to Daksa’s body. With heavy panic, Siva took the dead body of Sati in his shoulder and started his journey towards the east. Seeing the anger of Siva, Brahma, Visnu and Sani entered into the dead body of Sati. Visnu started to cut the different parts of the dead body with his Chakra. The parts of the deadbody of Sati, a human incarnation of the mother goddess fell into fifty one places. At each place, there emerged a Saktipitha, a Shrine of Sakti along with a Linga, the phallic representation of Siva. The Kalika Purana mentions the different places where the parts of Sati have fallen in the following way. â€Å"Kamrupe Kamagirau nyaptat yonimandlam | Tatraiba nyaptaddhumau purbato nabhimandlam||43|| Jalandhare Stanayugan Svarnaharabhibusitam | Ansagriban Purnagirau Kamrupaotah Sirah||44||† (The genital organ of Sati fell into the Kamaparvata in Kamrupa. The naval portion of Sati fell into the eastern side of Kamrupa. Again, the breast of Sati fell into Jalandhara. The head of Sati had fallen into the last part of Kamrupa. ) The Kalika Purana also mentions five main Saktipithas in which different parts of Sati has fallen. â€Å"Katayani Coddayane Kamakhya Kamarupini| Purnesvari Purnagirau Chandi Jalandhare girau||50||† (These five main centres of Saktism are Katyani at Uddiana, Kamakhya at Kamrupa, Purneswari and Chandi at Jalandhara and Dikkaravasini at the eastern-most part of Kamrupa). Kamakhya came to be recognized as the most important Saktipitha among the five main one as it is related to the genital organ of the mother goddess. According to the Kalika Purana, as the goddess came to fulfill her sexual desire with Siva in the Nilakuta Hillock, she is named as Kamakhya. The Kalika Purana says, â€Å"Kamarthamagota Yasmanamaya Sarddhan mahagirau| Kamakhya procyote nilkute rahogata||1||† Kalika Purana also mentions the other variants of the name of the goddess Kamakhya as Kamada, Kamini, Kama, Kanta and Kamangadayini. In this respect, the Kalika Purana says- â€Å"Kamada Kamini Kama Kanta Kamangadayini| Kamanganasini Yasmat Kamakhya tena cocyate||2||† The Kalika Purana, written in the 10th century A. D. , also relates the story of Naraka, the mythological king of Kamrupa, with the goddess Kamakhya. According to the Kalika Purana, â€Å"Rajasvala gatraya gorbhe beeryena potrinah| Yato Yatastato bhuto deva putraohapi so ha surah||7||† (Mother Earth gave birth to Naraka. He was fathered by the Boar incarnation of Visnu. The concept took place during the period of her menstruation. Therefore, he beheaved like a demon) According to the Kalika Purana, Mother Earth gave birth to Naraka at the sacrificial place of Janaka, the king of Mithila, also known as Videha. Mother earth told Janaka that he would have to take care of the son. After the birth of the son, Visnu told Mother Earth that he would be the king of Pragjyotisapura at the age of sixteen. He again said that until he followed the human conduct he would be happy and wealthy. King Janaka adopted the baby-boy born placing its head on a human skull in his sacrificial place. So the sage Gautama named the boy as Naraka. Mother Earth took care of the boy in disguise of a nurse named Katyayani. Sixteen years later, mother earth brought Naraka to the bank of the river Ganga from where Visnu brought of them to pragjyotisa and Siva dwelt in a secret place. In Pragjyotisa, Naraka killed Ghataka, the kirata king ruling in the region. Then Naraka started to worship Mother Kamakhya on the advice of Visnu. However, at the end of the Dvapara age, Naraka gave up the worship of Visnu and Kamakhya as he came under the influence of Bana, the king of Sonitpura and a worshipper of Siva. Naraka also prevented sage Vasistha to offer his prayer to the goddess Kamakhya. The sage cursed Naraka that his own father would kill him very soon and until then the goddess would disappear from the Nilachala Hills. Being frightened, Naraka worshipped Brahma who blessed him with five boons. Being empowered by Brahma, Naraka started neglecting all Brahmanical rites and took away the Kundala (ear-rings) of Aditi, the Mother of the gods. Hearing the misesies created by Naraka, Krishna, the incarnation of Visnu at the Dvapara age, killed Naraka in a battle. Thus, Krishna translated Vasistha’s curse into reality. After the death of Naraka, his son Bhagadatta was enthroned by Krisna as the king of Pragjyotisa. The Yogigni Tantra, written in the sixteen century A. D. , gives a different account about the origin of Kamakhya. According to the fifteenth Patal (Chapter) of the Yogini Tantra, Devi asked Maheswara about Kamakhya and Maheswara answered in the following way. â€Å"Ya Kali parama vidya Brahmarupa sanatani| Kamakhya Saibe dibesi Sarbasiddhibinodini||† (Supreme Goddess Kamakhya is not different from Kali) According to the Yogini Tantra, Brahma after creating the Universe, became arrogated at his Creation. The goddess then created a fearsome Demon called Kesi from the pride of Brahma. The Demon Kesi tried to swallow Brahma as son as he was born. The Demon Kesi also built a city named Kesipura and started to harass the people of the three worlds. Finding no way of rescue, both Brahma and Visnu started to pray the goddess Kali. Kali asked Brahma to create a hill from the ashes of Kesi. She asked Brahma to do so, so that he can free himself from his sin of taking pride in his creation. Kali, or Kamakhya, killed the Demon Kesi at the request of both Brahma and Visnu. Goddess Kali told Brahma that in the spot where Brahma and Visnu prayed her to kill the Demon Kesi, would emerge a Yonimandala (yoni circle). This Yonimandala would emerge for the welfare of Brahma and the whole world. The entire region would be known as Kamrupa. The literary evidences inform us that Naraka was a devotee of Kamakhya. However there is no information in the Kalika Purana about the construction of the Kamakhya temple by Naraka. Only in the Assam Buranji by Raibahadur Gunabhiram Barua mentioned that the Kamakhya temple was constructed by Naraka. He also tells a story about it. It is stated that being attraction by the beauty of Kamakhya, Naraka wanted to marry her. Goddess Kamakhya told Naraka that she will marry him only if he built a rest house and four stone roads from four sides to the shrine within one night. Naraka started his construction and was about to complete the task. The goddess forged a cock to declare the advent of dawn. Being angry, Naraka beheaded the cock. The road built by Naraka still prevail in the Kamakhya temple and the place where Naraka beheaded the cock still known as Kukurakota Chaki. Though there are various literary evidences about the origin of Kamakhya, it is difficult to determine definite and specific date and period of the origin of Kamakhya. The Kalika Purana says that the genital organ of Sati fell on a hillock named Kubjikapitha in Kamrupa before the advent of Naraka. As the genital organ of Sati fell on the hill, the hill turned blue. Hence the hill came to be known as the Nilachala. As soon as the genital organ of Sati fell on Nilachala Hill, it turned into a slab of stone which came to be considered as the goddess Kamakhya. Yuan Tsang, who visited Kamrupa during the period of Bhaskar Varman. Gives a valuable description of Kamrupa in his book si-yu-hi. According to him, during that period there were several Deva temples in Kamrupa which also prove, the existence of Saivism at that time. All the ruling dynasties of Assam, occupy the Pala king Vaidyadeva, who was a worshipper of Visnu, had worshipped Siva. Therefore, probably during the period of the Varman dynasty, Saivism had a predominant role in the religion of Assam and the glory of Saktism had declined after them. It is mentionable that the Koch king Biswa Singha, who belonged to sixteen century, built a temple on the Nilachala Hills. There is no sufficient evidence about the construction of the Kamakhya temple before sixteenth century. Only the Assam Buranji of Gunabhiram Barua mentions that Naraka constructed a road by the Kukurakota Chaki on the Nilachala Hills. One day, Biswa Singha during his expedition against the Ahom Kingdom arrived at the Nilachala Hills and came to know that the hills are the sacred dwelling place of Goddess Kamakhya. Biswa Singha worshipped Goddess Kamakhya with great devotion to help him to regain his lost army. He promised her to build a temple of gold in that place. Surprisingly his desire was fulfilled. Consequently he had constructed a temple on the Nilachala Hills by giving one Rati of gold to every slab of stone according to his promise. Thus Biswa Singha revived the glory of Kamakhya by constructing the temple complex. However temple constructed by Biswa Singha was destroyed by Kalapahar, the powerful general of Nawab of Gauda (Bengal). Chilarai, the brother of Biswa Singha’s son and successor reconstructed the Kamakhya temple in 1565. According to Raibahadur Gunabhiram’s Assam Buranji, king Naranarayan had brought some Brahmanas from Uttar Pradesh to worship goddess Kamakhya. Thus Naranarayana and his brother Chilarai took significant roles in the renovation of the temple and also in the spread of Saktism in the region. Chilarai or Sukladhvaja, introduced Durga Puja in the Kamakhya temple. During the period of Ahom role, the glory of Kamakhya enhanced greatly. Siva Singha, the son of Rudra Singha was preached by Krishnaram Bhattacharya, the chief priest of the Kamakhya temple to become a disciple of Saktism. The Nat Mandir of the Kamakhya temple was constructed by king Rajeswar Singha and Gaurinath Singha. Two inscriptions belonging to the Ahom king Pramatta Singha testify that he constructed the Amratakeswar Mandir and the Daul Mandir of the Kamakhya temple. On the basis of several literary evidences a critical investigation about the origin of Kamakhya can be done. Banikanta Kakati mentions that the word ‘Kamakhya’ has its origin in the Austric Khasi word Kesh, meaning pine trees. After cutting down the pine trees on an around the Nilachala Hills, some hermits started worshipping Kama, a ‘cremation-ground-dwelling goddess. ’ Eventually this goddess came to be known as Kamakhya. Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi mentions that at the beginning Kamakhya Pitha was the place of mother worship of the non-Aryan people. The concept of mother worship remains important among the Austric Khasi people. Moreover, the Mongoloid Bodo people worshipped the Sakti. Therefore, Kamakhya might, be a place for mother worship of the Bodo and Khasi people in the ancient period. In North-East India the tribal people worship bamboo in some of their festivals instead of an image. The Kamakhya temple also lacks an image. Here also a symbol of Yoni is worshiped. The Yoni represents the creative force of the mother goddess. The worship of Yoni existed as Linga worship existed among the non-Aryan people in the ancient period. During the age of the prevalence of Tantricism, this worship of yoni was assimilated with the religions beliefs of the Aryan group of people. Being influenced by the Aryan culture, the Yonipitha or the worship of the female genital organ got associated with the worship of Sakti or Devi and Kamakhya became centre for the worship of Yoni. Saktipitha Kamakhya, famous for Sakti worship in India is a meeting ground of various religious cults like Tantricism, Saivism, Vaisnavism, Buddhism etc. All, these religious cults which exist in the temple are deeply associated with each other and so it is difficult to make a separate study of each of these cults. Saktism enjoyed a strong hold in the religion of Assam from the ancient period. According to Kalika Purana and Yogini Tantra Kamrupa was the most suitable place for the worship of Sakti. Saktism, the cult of worshipping the mother goddess as the supreme deity known variously as Devi, Durga, Kali, Kalika, Uma, Kamakhya, Tara, Chandi, Chamunda, Vindhyavasini, Sakamabhari and so on, centred in and around the Kamakhya temple in ancient Assam. The Saktipitha Kamakhya came to be recognized as the most important Saktipitha not only among the Saktipithas of Assam but also among the five main Sakti centres in India viz, Katyayani at Uddiyana, Kamakhya at Kamrup, Purneswari and Chandi at Jalandhara and Dikkaravasini at the eastern part of Kamrupa. Saktism is associated with the sacrifices of various animals, human beings etc. Sacrifice of pigeons, ducks, goats and buffaloes are still prevalent in the Kamakhya temple. Without the sacrifice the worship of Kamakhya is not supposed to be completed. Saktism is also associated with the worship of Yoni in the Kamakhya temple. In the temple, prayers are offered to a Yonipitha of stone in lieu of an image or iconic representation of the goddess. Though there is an image of goddess Kamakhya belonging to much later period main worship is still offered to the Yonipitha in the monobhavaguha (the cave in which the Yoni of the goddess exists). The sex organ of a female represents creation. Therefore, Yoni worship means the desire for fertility. Thus, the desire for fertility in the form of Yoni worship got associated in the Kamakhya temple. Saktism has three types of worship viz, Jap, Hom and Tarpan. Jap is the system of worship in which mantras are uttered by the priest to worship the goddess. Hom is system of worship in which items like Ghee, Belpat (wood-apple leaves), Til (serame) and Chaul (rice) are sacrificed in the sacred fire. Tarpan, the worship of the goddess with sixteen upacara is also an important part of Sakti worship in the temple. The sixteen upacaras are- Asana (seat), Swagata (calling), Padya (protection for foot), Arghya (an utensil made of copper to pour milk or water to the goddess), Asamania (to wash hand and mouth), Madhuparka (mixture of honey, curd, milk, molasses and sugar), Punarasamaniya (again to wash hand and mouth), Snana (bath), bastra (cloth), Abharana (ornaments), Gandha (perfume), Puspa (flower), Dhup (incense sticks) Deep (eathen lamp) and Naibedya (eatable items like gram and fruits offered to the goddess). The religious festivals observed in the Kamakhya temple are related with the worship of Sakti. The festivals associated with the Sakti worship are Durga puja, Manasa Puja, Kali Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Saraswati Puja and so on. Durga Puja which is observed in the autumn season is a popular festival of temple. It is observed in the month of Ahin (mid September to mid October) of Assamese calendar and worship is offered according to the Tantric mode. No image of goddess Durga is used in the temple. Sacrifices of animals like goats, pigeons and buffaloes are offered to the goddess during that period. Another important festival observed in the Kamakhya temple is the Manasa Puja or Devadhani festival. It is observed on the last day of Shaon and first day of Bhada (mid August) of Assamese calendar. The folk goddess Manasa is considered as the goddess of snakes. During this festival different musical instruments are played along with the recitation of the Beula-Lakhindar ballad. Sacrifices of animals are offered to the goddess during this festival. Laksmi Puja is also observed in the Kamakhya temple on the next bright fortnight of Bijayadasami (the last day) of Durga Puja. In this festival sacrifices are offered to goddess Kamala, one of the Dasmahavidyas. Goddess Kamala is considered as the Laksmi in the Kamakhya temple. Kali Puja is observed in the Kali temple (one of the Dasamahavidya temples) in the Kamakhya temple complex on the next black fortnight of Laksmi Puja. The worship of goddess Kali is performed by giving animal sacrifices. The Sarawati Puja which is also a worship of Sakti is performed on the fifth day of bright fortnight of Assamese Magh (mid January to mid February) month. The Saraswati Puja is performed in the Matangi Pitha (one of the Dasamahavidyas) of the Kamakhya temple in which animal sacrifices are offered to the goddess. Kamakhya temple is also associated with the worship of folk goddess Sitala in the Sitala temple on the southern side of the Kamakhya temple. Moremover, an image of goddess Sitala also exists in the Kamakhya temple premises. In Assam, goddess Sitala is considered as ‘nature goddess’ who can cure small-pox, one of the common diseases of Assam. Saivism is another important religious cult associated with the Kamakhya temple. In Kamakhya temple, the Mahadeva cult is connected with the cult of Sakti. The cult of fertility or the worship of the phallus or Linga which was later personified as Lord Siva is also found in the Indus valley remains and Vedic literature. Saivism is one of the oldest religious faiths of Assam. During the period of Naraka Siva dwelt secretly. He was then worshipped by the indigenous Kirata people. Banana the king of Sonitpura followed Saivism. Siva worship was first introduced in early Assam by king of Jalpaiguri (North Bengal) known as Jalpeswara and also had founded a Siva temple by his name. The Chinese traveler Yuan Tsang had given some information about the prevalence of Saivism in Assam. Yuan Tsang who visited Kamrupa during the period of the Varman king Bhaskar Varman (594-650 A. D. ) mentions in his book Si-Yu-Ki that there were hundreds of Deva temples in Kamrupa. Perhaps those Deva temples mentioned by Yuan Tsang were dedicated to Lord Siva, because he used the word Deva in place of the word Devi. Probably during that period the tradition of mother worship continued in a low profile. The worship of Siva prevailed in Assam from a remote period and it was the popular form of religion amongst both the aboriginals and the Aryanized people. The popularity of Saivism in ancient Assam is also proved by the copperplates and land grants of the kings appeard in the Kamrupa Sasanavali. The kings of ancient Assam had expressed their allegiance to Saivism through those copperplates and land grants. In the Kamakhya temple the joint worship of Siva and Sakti is prevalent. Tantra also popularizes the worship of Siva and Sakti. According to Tantras, Siva without Sakti is not capable of moving. The joint worship of Siva and Sakti is purely of a Tantric origin. The mother goddess Kamakhya is united with Siva or Mahakala or Kamesa and pairs with Him as Kameswara-Kameswari. The union of Siva and Sakti is proved by the Dasamahavidya temples existing in the Kamakhya temple. Dasamahavidyas represent ten different forms of Sakti. There are ten Mahavidya temples in the Kamakhya complex. Except Dhumavati, who is represented as widow, the nine Mahavidyas are worshipped with their Bhairavas. The Bhairavas of the Mahavidyas are- Goddess Kali (worshipped with Mahakala), Tara (with Aksaubha), Sodasi (with Kameswara), Bhubaneswari (with Tryamvaka Siva), Bhairabi (with Dakshinamurti), Chinnamasta (with Kavandha), Bagala (with Ekavakltra Siva), Matangi (with Matanga Siva) and Kamala (with Sri Visnu). There are five Pithas of Panchanana Siva within the Kamakhya temple which proves the existence of Siva cult in the Kamakhya temple. Besides this there are some other Siva temples in the Kamakhya Pitha. Some local festivals observed in the Kamakhya temple are also related with Saivism. One such local festival prevalent in the Kamakhya temple in the Puhan Bia or Punsavan ceremony. This ceremony is one of the ten Hindu Samskaras. It is performed to produce male child. It is observed at the seventh or eight month of the first conception of any remembrance of the Hara-Gauri’s (Siva-Parvati’s) marriage ceremony. This festival is held on the second or third Tithi of dark fortnight of the Pusya constellation of the Puh or the Magh month (mid December to mid February). Sivaratri, another religious ceremony performed to worship Siva in the Kamakhya temple on the Krishna Chaturdasi Tithi, i. e. , on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Fagun (mid February to mid March), also proves the prevalence of Saivism. In this occasion non-vegetable Bhoga, made of fish and meat of castrated goat is offered to Kamakhya in the five Siva Pithas (Panchanana). In this festival a castrated goat is decapitated in the temple. Tantricism is also associated with the worship of goddess Kamakhya. The shrine in regarded as the perfect place for the practice of the Tantric cult. Tantricism has also a non-Aryan origin and all the elements like the use of magic and charms, the use of wine, the evolting rites the beliefs in the efficacy mantras and sex worship are found in other primitive cultures around the world. One element of the religious heritage of ancient Assam is ‘Fetishism’, a belief in magic which is associated with objects like stones and trees etc. constituting the foundation of Tantricism in Assam with its centre at the Kamakhya temple. Tantric worship centres round the union of Siva and Sakti. In the Kamakhya temple unified prayer is offered to Siva and Sakti in the forms of Kameswara and Kameswari respectively. As a centre of Tantricism, the Panchamakara i. e. the ‘fifth M’ method is practiced in the Kamakhya temple. These Panchamakara include Madya (alchohol), Mangsa (meat), Matsya (fish), Mudra (signs of seats) and Maithuna (sexual intercourse). Yantra worship is also an integral parts of Tantrik worship which existed in the Kamakhya temple. In the temple worship is mainly performed on the Srichakra (Yantra) which is considered as principle among the other 960 Yantras. This Srichakras (Yantras) are actually symbols which the Sadhaka tries to establish god or goddesses in that symbol. Several festivals are observed in the Kamakhya temple at various times. Many of them are related with Tantricism. The Ambubachi festival observed in the Kamakhya temple from the seventh day to the eleventh day of Ahar (within the first fortnight of the month of June) is an example of such festivals. It is believed that this is the period of menstruation of goddess Kamakhya. During this period the temple is closed for the devotees and Visitors. The temple is re-opened on the fourth day. After the period of menatruation, the productive power of a woman becomes active. Ambubachi is a festivals which signifies the power of fertility. Thus, the concept of fertility is related with mother goddess Kamakhya. This is a Tantrik belief. In the Kamakhya Pitha, the worship of the Dasamahavidyas is also prevalent. These temples are the Kali temple, the Tara temple, the Bhubeneswari temple, the Bhairavi temple, the Bagalamukhi temple, the Dhumavati temple, the Sinnamasta. All the Mahavidyas except Bagalamukhi, are worshipped with red flowers. The use of wine is the speciality of the worship of the Dasamahavidyas along with Dhyana and Bija-mantra. The Kamakhya temple is also associated with the Buddhist faith especially with the Buddhism or Tantrik Buddhism. The architectural remains of the Natachala Hills indicate the Buddhist influence on the temple. Some Buddhist tradition state that Buddhism entered Kamrupa around the third century B. C. Kalhana’s Rajtarangini also mentions about the prevalent of Buddhism in Kamrupa of the Pre-Bhaskarvarman era. The Bagalamukhi is one of the famous goddess among the Dasamahavidyas and in Kamakhya temple also there is a temple of goddess Bagala. Bagala is the best example of the assimilation of the Buddhist and the Hindu Tantras. In the Buddhist Tantras, there is a goddess named Bagala or Bogla Dakini. Various Buddhist relies are found on the Nilachala Hills in which testify the Buddhist influence on the Kamakhya temple. All the sculptures are in various shapes. They are on the verge of decay. They depict episodes of Gautam Buddha’s life. Two images of Buddha and Buddhisattava are found on the Nilachala Hills. Moreover, a rock cut image of Buddha under the Bodhi tree was discovered by the side of the old path of the Kamakhya temple. Some other Buddhist sculptures like Gautama in archery contest, Gautama on hoseback etc. are also found on the Nilachala Hills. Moreover, a broken image of Padmapani Buddha in the form of Dhyana and an image of a mother with a child, probably representing the Buddhist goddess Hariti are found in the temple. Some broken images of elephants and oxen’s are also found in the Kamakhya temple. All these sculpture belong to the seventh or the eight centuries and they signify the existence of the Buddhist cult in the Kamakhya temple. The cult of Vishnu is also associated with the Kamakhya shrine. According to the Kalika Purana, Mother Earth gave birth to Naraka. Naraka was fathered by the Boar incearnation of Visnu. After coming to Pragjyotispura, Naraka started to worship goddess Kamakhya on the advice of Visnu. This signifies the influence of Vishnu cult over the Kamakhya Shrine. In the Kamakhya temple there is a temple of Vishnu, known as Kamleswar in which both Visnu and Siva Jointly exist and the sonnet form is known as Kambalakhya. There are several stone structures and statues related with the Visnu cult in the Kamakhya temple. These testifies the prevalence of Vishu cult in Kamakhya temple. There are several stone structures related with the Visnu cult in the Kamakhya temple. In the Nilachala Hills, there is a stone statue of Visnu Vasudeva and three statues of Visnu Krisna. Moreover, there are several stone stuatues of Visnu Balarama, the elder brother of Krisna, carrying a plough in his hand. In the first gate of the main walking path to the Kamakhya temple, a statue of young Balaram is affixed. Balaram is seen as killing Mustika, the wrestler of king Kansa. A rock cut flute playing statue of Krisna Vasudeva is also found in the Kamakhya temple. Moreover, near the main temple of goddess Kamakhya, a Krisna temple exists. Regular worship is held in the Krisna temple. Some festivals observed in the Kamakhya temple are also related with the cult of Visnu. The Douljatra or Holi, the festival of colour and joy is observed in the temple on the full moon day of the Assamese month Fagun (mid February to mid March). The Douljatra is a festival related with Lord Krisna. The festival is observed in the Kamakhya temple with pomp and grandeur. Another important festival related with the Visnu cult or Krisna cult is the Janmastami (the birthday of Krishna). Janmastami is celebrated in the Kamakhya temple on the Krisnastami Tithi (day) of the month of Bhada (i. . on the eight day of the black fortnight between mid-August to mid September). In this festival, Hom is offered in the Kamaleswar temple. Moreover, animal sacrifices are also conducted in the main Pitha of the Kamakhya temple on this occasion. All these festivals signify the existence of the Visnu cult in the Shrine. The worship of Ganesa is an important pa rt of the religious aspect of the Kamakhya temple. In the temple, a traditional ritual exists in which the devotee can enter the main Kamakhya Pitha after taking permission from the image of Ganesa which is situated near the tank Saubhangakuda. Stone images of Ganesa are found on the Nilachala Hills in large numbers. The numbers of Ganesa idols discovered on the Nilachala Hills are above fifty. It is mentionable here that most of the Ganesa statues on the Nilachala Hills have two full teeth where the Ganesa images of rest of India are generally single toothed. The Kamakhya Pitha is assimilated with several religious cults like Saktism, Tantricism, Saivism, Buddhism and Vaisnavism etc. However, it is popular mainly as the centre of Sakta Tantricism. On the Nilachala Hills, several families inhabit. They are mainly Brahmanas, Kayasthas, Napits, Dhobas and so on. All these people are associated with the Kamakhya temple by several professions. The Brahmanas are the Pandas who conduct the worship of Goddess Kamakhya. All these people are live at the Nilachala Hills are followers of Sakta Tantricism. Besides Saktism, they believe in other cults like Saivism and Vaisnavism. As all these religious cults are amalgamated with the worship of the Kamakhya shrine, the people have naturally, become the followers of all these cults. Therefore, there is no distinct sectarian division among the inhabitants of the Nilachala Hills who belong to Sakta, Tantric, Saivite and Vaisnavite sects at the same time. In the day to day worship of goddess Kamakhya, some important rituals are observed in the temple. The Shrine remain open from dawn to dusk. For the regular worship of the goddess, the main temple is opened in the morning. The Kumari Puja or virgin worship is one of the important religions rituals observed in the Kamakhya temple. There is no specific time for virgin worship in the Kamakhya temple. Virgin worship is mainly performed in the Panchanan temple, in the Dasamahavidya temple and in the homes of the Pandas. In the virgin worship there is no caste division. But in the Kamakhya temple, preference is generally given to the Brahman girls from the age of five to nine. In this ritual, the selected girl is bathed at first. She is then decorated with new cloths, ornaments and flowers. The priest then imagines the virgin as the goddess and worships her with flower, lamp. Besides this there are several religious rituals associated with the goddess in the Kamakhya temple. Some important religious festivals observed in the Kamakhya temple are Ambubasi, Devadhani, Durga Puja, Vasanti Puja, Durga Deul, etc. Ambubasi the festival observed during the period of menstruation at Kamakhya i. e. from the seventh to the eleventh day of the month of Ashadha (i. e. the first fortnight of the month of June). On this occasion red clothes, symbolizing menstruate blood, are worshipped and distributed among the devotees. The festival reminds us of mother earth. Thus, the festival symbolizes the fertility cult, originating probably from the belief of the aboriginals that emphasized on the worship of mother earth for better yield of the crops. Thus festival of Ambubasi is of much importance as thousands of devotees throng the temple premises for several days even at present. Another important festival observed in the temple on the last day of Shravana and first day of Bhadra (i. e. mid August) is Devadhani in which different musical instruments are played along with the recitation of the Beula-Lakhindar ballad worship of Manasa is held in the Pancaratna temple. The worship of Durga and Vasanti are held in autumn and spring season respectively. Except the time of worship, Durga and Vasanti are not different for they are incarnations of Kamakhya. Both Dugra and Vasanti are worshipped in the Devipitha according to the instructions of the Kalika Purana and Devi Purana. Accordingly, Laxmi, Saraswati and Ratanti, Kalika Puja, Kali Puja, Sivaratri ‘Brata’, Janmastami, Daul Jatra and local festivals like Pusyabhiseka, Madanacaturdasi and Navana are also regularly held. ‘Durga Deul’ is, however uncommon in the other parts of the country. This festivals is held during the spring particularly a second, third, forth, fifth and sixth day of the bright fortnight. Like Radha Krishna in the Daul Jatra, Kameswara and Kameswari are kept in the swing in their respective temples. On the evening of the sixth day, Devi Kameswari is taken out in a procession for all these days special worships are held. This is held in the month of Caitra (i. e. , March-April). There are some fixed procedure one has to observe before entering the shrine. The devotee needs to go to the ‘Saubhagyakunda’, the play resort of Kamakhya and the place of worship of Prajapati by Indra and other gods worship Prajapati. After taking a holy bath in the tank, the devotee needs to approach Ganesha to seek his permission to visit Kamakhya. Before entering the shrine proper, one has to go to Kambalesvara. After entering the Shrine, the devotee is to worship the mobile image or ‘Calanta Murti’. The image of the Yoni of goddess Kamakhya is at the doorsteps of the ‘Manobhavaguha’. The ‘Pujaris’ or the ‘Pandas’ are the priests, who according to Sastric myth, were brought from Uttar Pradesh by a king named Dharmapala. Gradually they became the mediator between the devotee and the goddess. They get ‘Dakhina’ from the devotees and this has remained now-a-days as the only means they live by. The Pujaris conduct the whole Puja according to the injunctions of the Kalika Purana. They also perform scarifies of animals on behalf of the devotees. Everyday a number of goats and pigeons and sometimes buffaloes are sacrificed to the goddess. The mother goddess, Kamakhya had a great influence in the minds of the people of Assam from the earliest time till today. The temple of Goddess Kamakhya not only attracts people of Assam but also from all over India and abroad. The goddess Kamakhya became an important Sakti cult in Assam centering round the Kamakhya temple. REVIEW OF SOME OF THE AVAILABLE LITERATURES A review of some of the literature related to Saktism and Kamakhya temple have been made to get an idea about the socio-religious context of Kamakhya temple. The first volume of The Comprehensive History of Assam, edited by H. K. Barpujari gives us some information about Saktism in Assam. It also gives us some information of the origin of the temple. However, the discussion on Saktism and Kamakhya included in the book is rather short and hence there is a dearth of sufficient information or discussion of the socio-religious context of the temple. Bani Kanta Kakati, in his book Purani Kamrupar Dharmar Dhara, throws light on different myths related with the origin of Kamakhya. He also gives detailed information about Saivism, Saktism, the conflict between Saivism and Saktism and their consequent union, the system of worshipping Kamakhya and the system of animal sacrifice in the temple, besides discussing a few rites and rituals like Kumari Puja and the previous existence of the Natinee system. Though the religious aspect of the temple has found some notable expression in the book, the social context is remains untouched. Still, it must be mentioned that this literary giant has not discussed all the religious rites and rituals. Hari Nath Sarma Doloi, in his Ph. D. thesis Saktism and Sakta Literature in Assam has thoroughly discussed the history of Saktism, its nature and philosophy in Assam. Moreover, the thesis gives us information about different Sakti temples of Assam. He also gives information about the impact of Saktism on Assamese life and society. However, a critical reading of the thesis develops a feeling that the religious context of Kamakhya needed some extra emphasis. Moreover, the thesis says little about the social context of the temple. Asamat Saktipuja by Debendra Nath Bhattacharyya informs us about the origin and development of Saktipuja in Assam. It also throws light on cults like Saivism and Tantricism. However, the book only mentions Kamakhya here and there without mentioning anywhere its socio-religious context. Nirmal Probha Bordoloi in her book Devi has focused on the origin of the temple. She has given valuable information about the construction of the temple, besides giving information about various rituals and festivals associated with Kamakhya. However, all information regarding the rituals and festivals in the book deserves detail discussion. Moreover, the socio-religious context was scarcely discussed there. Kali Prasad Goswamis Ph. D. thesis Kamakhya Temple: Its Origin, Religious Aspect and Economic Impact discusses the economic impact of the temple on the people associated with it, besides discussing many rites and rituals observed in the temple. However, the rites and rituals of the temple have not been studied from the socio-religious point of view. Saktipith Kamakhyar Aitihasik aru Sanskritik Adhyayan, an M. Phil dissertation by young scholar Grihalakshmee Talukadar has described the religious rituals in details, but everything has been done from a point of view of culture only. Thus some of the available literature regarding Saktism and Kamakhya establish the fact that the socio-religious context of the temple still stands as an unexplored area. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books: Adhikari, Gajendra. History of. the Temples of Kamrup and TheirManagement. Guwahati: Chandra Prakash, 2001. Barpujari, HK. (Ed. ) Comprehensive History of Assam: Vol. I. Guwahati: Assam Publication Board, 2004 (1990) Barua, BK. Cultural History of Assam (Early Period). Guwahati: LawyersBook Stall, 1969 Barua, Birinchi Kumar. Asamar Loka Sanskriti. Guwahati: Bina Library, 1989. Barua, Gunabhiram. Asam Buranji. Guwahati: Assam Prakashan Parishad, 1972. Basu, AK. Sakta Geeti Padavali. Calcutta: Orient Book Corporation, 1964. Basu, NN. Social History of Kamrupa: Vol-I, II, III. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre, 1983. Bhandarkar, RG. Vaishnavism, Saivism and Minor Religious Systems. NewDelhi: Asian Educational Service, 1983. Bhattacharya, Debendranath. Asamat Saktipuja. Pathsala: Bani Prakash, 1977. Bhattacharyya, Mahendra Nath. Shri Shri Kamakhya Teertha. Guwahati: Tara Devi Bhatacharyya, 2000. Bhattacharyya, N. Tantra Bhidhana: A Tantric Lexicon. New Delhi:- Manohar Publishers and Distributors, 2002. Bordoloi, Nirmal Prabha. Devi. Guwahati: Sahitya Prakash, 1986 Chaudhury PC. The History of the Civilization of the People of Assam to the Twelfth Century. Guwahati: Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies, Government of Assam, 1955 Chatterji, SK. The Place of Assam in the History and Civilization of India Gauhati: Gauhati University Press, 1955.. Chattopadhyaya, SM. TrantrerKatha. Calcutta: Sahitya Sansad, 1983. Das, Narayan and Paramananda Rajbongshi. (Eds. ) Asamiya Sanskritir Kanika. Guwahati: Chandra Prakash, 1998. Das, Surjya. Asamar Dharmiya Paramparat Narabali. Guwahati: Dalimi Prakashan, 1992. Devasarma, Dharani Kanta. Kamakhya Teertha. Guwahati: Kamakhya Pradarshani, 1991. Doloi, H. N. S. Asamat Saktisadhana aru Sakti Sahitya. Barpeta: SB Devi,1983. Gait, E. A. A History of Assam. Guwahati: Lawyers Book Stall, 1981. Goswami HC. Kamaratna Tranta (Tr. ) Shillong: Government of Assam, 1928 Goswami Mamoni Roysom. Cinnamastar Manuhto. Guwahati: Students Stores, 2001. Kakoti, BK. Mother Goddess Kamakhya. Guwahati: Assam Publication Board, 1989 Kakoti BK: Purani Kamrupar Dharmar Dhara. In Bani Kanta Kakoti Racanavali Ed. by Maheswar Neog. Guwahati: Assam Prakashan Parishad,1991. Madan TN. Indias. Religions: Perspective from Sociology and History. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Neog, M. Prascyasasanavali. Guwahati: Assam Publication Board, 1974 Neog, Maheswar. Asamar Dharmar Buranji. : Andhar aru Pohar. Jorhat: Assam Sahitya Sabha, 1998. Neog, Maheswar. (Ed. ) Pabitra Assam. Jorhat: Assam Sahitya Sabha, 1969. Radhakrishnan, S. Shakti and Her Episodes. Delhi: Eastern Book Linkers, 1986. Sarma, PK. The Principles of Shakti. Delhi: Eastern Book Linkers, 1986. Sastri, Gaurinath (ed. ) Introduction to Tantra: Vol I, II. New Delhi: Cosmo Publications, Division of Genesis Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Sharma, MM. Inscriptions of Ancient Assam. Guwahati: Gauhati University Press, 1979. Singh, Rajnath. Religious Tantricism, Vol. II. New Delhi: Dominant Publishers and Distributors. Tripathi, RS. History of Ancient India. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1987. Theses: Devi, Minakshi. Kamakhya Dhamar Puja Parvan Aru Utsava Anusthan: Ek Bishleshanatmak Adhyayan. Guwahati: Department of MIL, Gauhati University, 2008 Doloi, HNS. Saktism and Sakta Literature in Assam. Guwahati: Department of Assamese, Gauhati University, 1969. Goswami, Kali Prasad. Kamakhya Temple: Its Origin, Religious Aspect and Economic Impact. Guwahati: Department of Economics, Gauhati University, 1996 Dissertations: Talukdar, Grihalakshmee. Shaktipith Kamakhyar Aitihasik aru Sanskritik Adhyayan. Guwahati: Department of MIL (Assamese), Gauhati University, 2003- 2004

Monday, December 2, 2019

Shakespeare Life Essays (709 words) - William Shakespeare

Shakespeare Life England's greatest poet and playwright was born at Stratford-upon-Avon, the son of a tradesman and Alderman of Stratford, John Shakespeare in 1564. William, the eldest son, and third child (of eight) was baptised on 26th April 1564 and probably educated at Stratford Grammar School, but little is known of his life up to his eighteenth year. He did not go to University and his younger contemporary and fellow-dramatist, Ben Johnson, would later speak disparagingly of his "small Latin, and less Greek" in the eulogy prefaced to the Firs Folio. However the Grammar School curriculum would have provided a formidable linguistic, and to some extent literary, education. Although, in 1575 when he was eleven, there was a great plague in the country and Queen Elizabeth journeyed out of London to avoid its consequences and stayed for several days at Kenilworth Castle near Stratford enjoying "festivities" arranged by her host Lord Leicester. It is probable these events may have made a strong impact on the mind of young William. At the age of Eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior. Five years later he left for London. William worked at the Globe Theatre and appeared in many small parts. He first appeared in public as a poet in 1593 with his Venus and Adonis and the following year with The Rape of Lucrece. He became joint proprietor of The Globe and also had an interest in the Blackfriars Theatre. The play writing commenced in 1595 and of the 38 plays that comprise the Shakespeare Cannon, 36 were published in the 1st Folio of 1623, of which 18 had been published in his lifetime in what are termed the Quarto publications. Love's Labour's Lost and The Comedy of Errors appear to be among the earliest, being followed by The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Romeo and Juliet. Then followed Henry VI, Richard III, Richard II, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew, King John, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, All's Well that Ends Well, Henry IV, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry V, Much Ado about Nothing, As you like it, Twelth Night, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, Othello, Measure for Measure, Macbeth, King Lear, Timon of Athens, Pericles, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Cymbeline, A Winter's Tale, The Tempest, Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen. When he retired from writing in 1611, he returned to Stratford to live in a house which he had built for his family. His only son, Hamnet died when still a child. He also lost a daughter Judith (twin to Hamnet), but his third child Susanna married a Stratford Doctor, John Hall and their home "Hall's Croft" is today preserved as one of the Shakespeare Properties and administered by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. In 1616 Shakespeare was buried in the Church of the Holy Trinity the same Church where he was baptised in 1564. Tradition has it that he died after an evening's drinking with some of his theatre friends. His gravestone bears the words:- Good frend for Jesus sake forebeare, to digg the dust encloased heare, Bleste be ye man yt spares thes stones, And curst be he yt moves my bones. In his will Shakespeare left his wife, the former Anne Hathaway, his second best bed. We cannot be sure of the reason for this. It may have been the marital bed the best bed being reserved for guests. It may suggest that they had a not altogether happy marriage which nevertheless produced three children, Susanna, born on May 26th 1583 and twins , Hamnet and Judith, born on February 2nd 1585. These entries appear in the Holy Trinity Register. There is no direct evidence of the marriage of William Shakespeare to Anne Hathaway although most historians accept that an entry in the Bishop's Register at Worcester in November 1582 regarding the issue of a marriage licence to William Shaxpere and Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton does not refer to the famous bard. However the following day a guarantee of ?40 was undertaken in Stratford by two yeomen of the town against the prevention of the legal marriage of William Shagspere and Anne Hathway on only one reading of the banns. In 1582 , ?40 was a considerable sum of money and one cannot believe that the simple fact of Anne's being three months pregnant would warrant it. No marriage of an Anne Whatelely has ever been traced, neither has the marriage of Anne Hathway, but lack of record does not mean that it did

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Carton as Christ essays

Carton as Christ essays Throughout A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens paints a dynamic picture of Sydney Carton. At first, Carton appears a disillusioned lost soul, lost in a drunken stupor. However, as the story progresses, Carton becomes the ultimate savior. Replaced with compassionate manners, he comes to exemplify the Christian ideal of the New Testament, as he becomes a Christ-like figure in order to repent for the crimes committed by the Evermondes. In the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, Carton is the lost soul. He is referred to as the jackal in contrast to Darnay who is referred to as the lion. As the jackal, Carton is always a few steps behind his counterpart, and should be eaten by the lion. Both Darnay and Carton acknowledge the dynamic present between them. Darnay is fully aware of his superiority stating, You are in a bad way, you know; you really are in a bad way. You dont know the value of money, you live hard, youll knock up one of these days, and be ill and poor (Dickens 169). As most people believe, Carton feels that he himself has no purpose. He agrees with the way other people feel about him and takes no initiative. However, Carton slowly becomes a kindhearted, well-established character that the audience can empathize with. Through his love for Lucie and little Lucie, Carton cleans up his act, so to speak. After Darnay and Lucie get married, Carton is the first to visit and offer his congratulations. It is in this scene that we first notice the change in Carton. Even Darnay notices a certain rugged air of fidelity about him (Dickens 251). Moreover, when Darnay is captured, Carton fills his void. Bonding with little Lucie to the point where she needs him to tuck her in every night, Carton begins to plan his final deed. Like Christ in the New Testament, Carton is seen as a resurrection character. He s ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

An Introduction to Academic Writing

An Introduction to Academic Writing Students, professors, and researchers in every discipline use academic writing to convey ideas, make arguments, and engage in scholarly conversation. Academic writing is characterized by evidence-based arguments, precise word choice,  logical organization, and an impersonal tone. Though sometimes thought of as long-winded or inaccessible, strong academic writing is quite the opposite: It informs, analyzes, and persuades in a straightforward manner and enables the reader to engage critically in a scholarly dialogue. Examples of Academic Writing   Academic  writing is, of course, any formal written work produced in an academic setting. While academic writing comes in many forms, the following are some of the most common. Literary analysis: A literary analysis essay examines, evaluates, and makes an argument about a literary work. As its name suggests, a literary analysis essay goes beyond mere summarization. It requires careful close reading of one or multiple texts and often focuses on a specific characteristic, theme, or motif. Research paper: A research paper uses outside information to support a thesis or make an argument. Research papers are written in all disciplines and may be evaluative, analytical, or critical in nature. Common research sources include data, primary sources (e.g., historical records), and secondary sources (e.g., peer-reviewed scholarly articles). Writing a research paper involves synthesizing this external information with your own ideas. Dissertation: A dissertation (or thesis) is a document submitted at the conclusion of a Ph.D. program. The dissertation is a book-length summarization of the doctoral candidate’s research. Academic papers may be done as a part of a class, in a program of study, or for publication in an academic journal or scholarly book of articles around a theme, by different authors. Characteristics of Academic Writing Most academic disciplines employ their own stylistic conventions. However, all academic writing shares certain characteristics. Clear and limited focus. The focus of an academic paper- the argument or research question- is established early by the thesis statement. Every paragraph and sentence of the paper connects back to that primary focus. While the paper may include background or contextual information, all content serves the purpose of supporting the thesis statement.Logical structure. All academic writing follows a logical, straightforward structure. In its simplest form, academic writing includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides background information, lays out the scope and direction of the essay, and states the thesis. The body paragraphs support the thesis statement, with each body paragraph elaborating on one supporting point. The conclusion refers back to the thesis, summarizes the main points, and highlights the implications of the paper’s findings. Each sentence and paragraph logically connects to the next in order to present a clear argument.E vidence-based arguments. Academic writing requires well-informed arguments. Statements must be supported by evidence, whether from scholarly sources (as in a research paper), results of a study or experiment, or quotations from a primary text (as in a literary analysis essay). The use of evidence gives credibility to an argument. Impersonal tone. The goal of academic writing is to convey a logical argument from an objective standpoint. Academic writing avoids emotional, inflammatory, or otherwise biased language. Whether you personally agree or disagree with an idea, it must be presented accurately and objectively in your paper. Most published papers also have abstracts: brief summaries of the most important points of the paper. Abstracts appear in academic database search results so that readers can quickly determine whether the paper is pertinent to their own research. The Importance of Thesis Statements Let’s say you’ve just finished an analytical essay for your literature class. If a peer or professor asks you what the essay is about- what the point of the essay is- you should be able to respond clearly and concisely in a single sentence. That single sentence is your thesis statement. The thesis statement, found at the end of the first paragraph, is a one-sentence encapsulation of your essay’s main idea. It presents an overarching argument and may also identify the main support points for the argument. In essence, the thesis statement is a road map, telling the reader where the paper is going and how it will get there. The thesis statement plays an important role in the writing process. Once you’ve written a thesis statement, you’ve established a clear focus for your paper. Frequently referring back to that thesis statement will prevent you from straying off-topic during the drafting phase. Of course, the thesis statement can (and should) be revised to reflect changes in the content or direction of the paper. Its ultimate goal, after all, is to capture the main ideas of your paper with clarity and specificity. Common Mistakes to Avoid Academic writers from every field face similar challenges during the writing process. You can improve your own academic writing by avoiding these common mistakes. Wordiness. The goal of academic writing is to convey complex ideas in a clear, concise  manner. Don’t muddy the meaning of your argument by using confusing language. If you find yourself writing a sentence over 25 words long, try to divide it into two or three separate sentences for improved readability.A vague or missing thesis statement. The thesis statement is the single most important sentence in any academic paper. Your thesis statement must be clear, and each body paragraph needs to tie into that thesis.Informal language. Academic writing is formal in tone and should not include slang, idioms, or conversational language.Description without analysis. Do not simply repeat the ideas or arguments from your source materials. Rather, analyze those arguments and explain how they relate to your point.  Not citing sources. Keep track of your source materials throughout the research and writing process. Cite them consistently using one style manual (MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style, depending on the guidelines given to you at the outset of the project). Any ideas that are not your own need to be cited, whether theyre paraphrased or quoted directly, to avoid plagiarism.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Parental Divorce and Childrens Adjustment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Parental Divorce and Childrens Adjustment - Essay Example This represents the efforts by the parents to shield their children from the impending deficiencies in development in the occurrence of divorce. Therefore, this implies that the children who go through the process of parental divorce exhibit a variety of negative developmental outcomes (Lansford 5). These developmental problems could be summarized as the internalization of problems and externalization behaviors, problems in social relations and poor academic achievements. However, these developmental issues also rely on other issues such as age, race, and gender. Parental divorce has been known to have adverse effects on the development of family members, especially the children. As a result of the high prevalence of parental divorce, many children are forced to adjust to the situation in order to cope with life. Therefore, different sets of children react in different ways in the occurrence of divorce. For instance, infants may react to their parents’ mood swings through practices such as loss of appetite. However, in the cases of adolescents, they may react rather personally to such an occurrence. They may be emotionally affected, and this could even lead to poor academic results and poor relationships. This is owed to their maturity at the time of divorce. In some cases, adolescents may even blame themselves for the divorce. Consequently, they could even go an extra mile to try and help their parents in resolving their differences. Studies have revealed that the leading cause of parental divorce is extramarital sex. This is closely followed by domestic violence within the family. Other causes of parental divorce include midlife crisis, addictions, and religion. However, divorce has a negative impact on the development of family relations both in the short term and long term.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Does urea formation have a feedback inhibition mechanism Explain the Essay

Does urea formation have a feedback inhibition mechanism Explain the why or why not - Essay Example Carbomyl phosphate synthase I acts as the rate limiting enzyme in urea cycle. N-acetylglutamate allosterically activates it thus lowering its Km for protein synthesis. Carbomyl Phosphate Synthase I binds with the primary ATP molecule and converts into a vigorous conformation. It then changes into a second form by binding with N-acetylglutamate thus enhancing its own ATP affinity. As a result, a phosphate group is transferred from a subsequent ATP to the enzyme bound carbamate. This changes the carbamate to carbomyl phosphate. This happens according to the Rubio-Britton-Grisolia model. Hence, it is seen that hepatic N-acetylglutamate controls the rate of protein synthesis in the urea cycle, by regulating its rate-limiting enzyme allosterically (Das 475). Arginine does not cause feedback inhibition of Carbomyl PS-1 or OTC but stimulates the activity of acetylglutamate synthetase. However, according to Snodgrass (67), â€Å"in bacteria and fungi, arginine inhibits conversion of glutamate to acetylglutamate†. Also, only at high concentration levels, orthinine transcarbomylase and argininosuccinate synthase undergo feedback inhibition mechanism by citrulline and argininosuccinate, which are their respective

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Partnership with Parents Essay Example for Free

Partnership with Parents Essay Parents are experts on their own child and are their childs first and main educators. To meet the needs of children in our care effectively, childcare centers have to build strong relationships with parents and make sure that the sharing of information is a two-way, on going process. Aim for practitioners should be to achieve an open, supportive relationship with parents, who will be made to feel welcome, involved and fully informed about what happens in the childcare center. The preschool experience is often a young child’s first significant experience away from home. The first separation from home frequently places stress on the family until the transition is made. I have vivid memories of the first day I dropped off my son at preschool. I must have had a thousand questions and a million concerns: Would he behave? Would he cry? Would the teachers be able to keep up with him? The questions and concerns went on and on until I and my son finally felt comfortable with the preschool staff and environment. Positive parent-teacher partnerships assist young children with the transition from home and promote healthy growth and development. Even though actively reaching out to parents requires time, patience, and energy, teachers benefit by understanding children’s home environments. If the partnership between parents, staff and child is going well, each need to be able to trust and respect the other. The self-esteem and well-being of the people in the partnership are important when they are working together. Very important is a good start. Childcare staff should to help parents and children to feel welcome when they first arrive at the setting for e. g. parents and visitors are given a friendly welcome by staff; an attractive display in the entrance area showing some of the recent activities that children have been involved in; information showing the names of staff, with their photographs. Important is positive image and messages about diversity- for e. g. different languages, ethnicities and genders. The key to success in the partnership is good communication. Practitioners can sharing information with parent for one-way or two way communication. One-way communication occurs when teachers seek to inform parents about events, activities, or children progress through a variety of sources, such as an introductory letter at the beginning of the preschool year, newsletters, report cards, communication books, childcare center Web sites, and so on. Two-way communication involves interactive dialogue between preschool’s teachers and parents. Conversations may occur during telephone calls, home visits, parent-teacher conferences, open houses, and various preschool-based community activities. Teachers should actively incorporate both strategies to maximize sharing information with parents. Parents and teachers share in the responsibility of a childs education. The two should work cooperatively to foster a positive educational experience for a child. Often times, however conflicts do arise. Conflicts between teachers and parents can arise in a number of ways. A parents sometimes have a hard time dealing with the fact that someone else is parenting their child. Another common parental gripe is that the teacher is not giving the child enough attention or otherwise treating her inappropriately. Additional problem may be language barrier. An increasing number of parents do not speak English as a first language so they are unable to understand communications from the preschool. This can be a real issue and preschool teacher should assess whether hi or she is in a position to address this. When it comes to things like parents meeting teacher can invite some of parents family or friends who know English and can translate Even those parents who are fluent in English can have trouble understanding some communications from the preschool. Preschool teachers may be always think carefully when communicating with parents and ensure that they don’t use the jargon they might use with they colleagues. The key to a good relationship between teachers and parents is open communication. Parents should always talk directly with the teacher about the problem. Good communication prevents conflict from arising and makes resolutions a lot easier.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Conspiracy of Water Fluoridation Essay -- Conspiracy Theory, Fluori

Few object to the therapeutic use of fluoride to stop tooth decay, but fluoridation, the addition of fluoride to the public water supply, can spark avid controversy. Most dentists, medical groups, and government officials argue that fluoridation is a cheap and risk-free venture that doubles cavity prevention. In contrast, a small minority of dentists and conservative political groups argue that fluoride is a hazardous, poisonous substance that should not be consumed. Some antifluoridationists even claim that fluoridation is an untrustworthy form of socialized medicine. But rather than just attacking fluoridation as socialized medicine, opponents originally claimed that it was a conspiracy to poison or brainwash Americans through the water supply. This theory arose in the 1940s when the scientific community refused to endorse or reject fluoridation, thus allowing the debate to expand into the social sphere. While fluoridation opposition may be subconsciously inspired by naturali sm, the social development of fluoridation into a Communist or fascist conspiracy resulted from a conscious effort by conservatives to suppress a growing government. The fluoridation debate results from a visible conflict of paradigms; profluoridationists seek to protect the communal good, while antifluoridationists defend individual rights. According to William Gamson, â€Å"Antifluoridation literature is frequently concerned with†¦ intrusion of government into private realms and with violation of individual liberty and choice† (Gamson, 527). Such concerns are often embodied in the characterizations of fluoridation as mass medication and socialized medicine. One expression identifies water treatment as a violation of free choice while the other po... ...3 May 2003. Schrecker, Ellen. The Age of McCarthyism. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2002. The Blue Book of the John Birch Society. Belmont, Massachusetts: Robert Welch, 1961. United States. House of Representatives. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commence: Hearings on Fluoridation of Water. Washington, GPO, 1954. United States. House of Representatives. House Special Committee on Un-American Activities. Investigation of Un-American Propaganda Activities in the U.S. Volume 9. Washington, GPO, 1972. United States. Supplement to Cumulative Index to Publications of the Committee on Un-American Activities, 1955 through 1968. Washington: GOP,1970. Waldbott, George L. Fluoridation: the Great Dilema. Larwerence, Kansas: Coronado Press, 1978.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Bel Canto Essay

Bel Canto – Essay Love in a pressure cooker is much different then love in â€Å"real† life or in the mundane world. The pressure cooker in Bel Canto would be the situation of being held hostage, held inside by terrorists. Not being able to live the lives that they all once lived. In the mundane world people are busy. They are busy taking children here and there; people have schedules to attend to and places to be. The ability to do what they want is limited. Many parts of the â€Å"real† world are dictated by agendas. People lose the ability to love naturally. They learn to love something or someone because they are around it all the time or it’s what they are told to love. Many of times people forgo doing things they love because they don’t have time or don’t make time to do what they love. When Kato played piano for the first time it was like a hearing all their feelings come alive. Kato didn’t tell anyone that he played piano he just decided to play. Simon and Edith also found there love again, there love for each other. Because death and danger were possible many of the characters wanted to have friendships while in the hostage situation. Many of them faced language barriers but over came them so that they had what they wanted in dire times. The characters also live for the moment. They act in ways that they wouldn’t in any other situation because the unknown thought of death is lingering. When Hosokawa started to realize that he loved Roxanne it was not known if they would ever really be together. Hosokawa was willing to give up his life in Japan to be with Roxanne, because he realized in this situation that he was not doing what he loved and did not love the life he was living. Love in a pressure cooker situation makes people be more spontaneous and do the things they have forgotten about or want to do rather then what they have to do. Love in the real world is different. It’s harder to get to know someone sometime, or be able to be with someone because society says it shouldn’t be allowed. Real world love is harder and more difficult to keep at times. But in the end, Love is still Love and it is something that is felt by all, whether you are in a pressure cooker situation or in the real world. The desire to be loved by someone is always there and the desire to love someone is always there too.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Managing Staff Essay

Health care managers have many different roles in any health care facility. According to Chapter 9 of Health Care Finance, â€Å"The manager is responsible for seeing that an employee is present and working for each position and for every shift required for that position’. Managers have a role to understand and know how to use staffing measurement known as the full-time equivalent (FTE). The role of health care managers can vary depending on their position as well as the size of the facility. The role of a health care manager consist of many different things such as staffing, budgeting, scheduling, marketing, accounting, and organizing decisions that will benefit the facility and ensure that everything is effective. â€Å"Group medical practice managers work with a group of medical doctors and handle the budgets, billing, personnel, and patients†, (Role of a Healthcare Manager, 2010). Another role of health care managers is to be available at all times. Comparing Productive and Nonproductive Time According to Chapter 9 of Health Care Finance, â€Å"Productive time actually equates to the employee’s net hours on duty when performing the functions in his or her job description†. Nonproductive time is paid-for time when the employee is not on duty: that is, not producing and therefore â€Å"nonproductive.† Some things that will consist of nonproductive time would be holidays, paid-for vacation days, personal leave days, and/or sick days. Some things that will consist of productive time would be an employee net time or days that they actually at worked on the job. Costs Tied to Staffing Costing is tied to staffing in a variety of ways, because the health care field is a 24-hour job. In the health care setting you have staffs employees working majority of the day. Some employee work sixteen hours shifts, but shift does change every eight to twelve hours in many facilities. The role of a manager is staffing, and employees normally work forty hours per week. If the facility consists of eight hour shifts then the staff would normally work eight hour shifts five days a week, and if it is a twelve hour shift the staff would work three in half days to get forty hours. The Difference between the Annualized Method and the Scheduled-Position Method There are two different approaches to use to compute the staff full-time equivalent (FTE). The Two approaches are the annualized method and the scheduled-position method. The role of a manager comes into place when concerning the annualized method, because the manager would take the productive days and the nonproductive days of each employee and account them in the formula used to complete the hours. The annualized method is a yearly thing and it is calculated with the time the employee has worked. The role of a manager comes into place when concerning the schedule-position method, because the productive days and nonproductive days are accounted for when filling a scheduled shift. The scheduled-position method is a weekly schedule thing. It is important to have a staffing plan in any health care facility. It is important to have enough staff present for the quality of the residents or patients. A staffing plan can help to determine what staffs are schedule and if more staffs are needed to work. Having a staffing plan helpful, because this way every employee time worked are accounted for when recording productive days and nonproductive days. Annualize Staffing Annualizing staff is important in any health care facility, because it is something that the staff have worked hard for and deserve what they have coming to them. Annualizing staff is important because the staffs will be get days off such as Christmas, New Years and etc., and still get paid for it depending on how long they have been employed, because the annualized method is hours accumulated on a yearly method. According to Chapter 9 of Health Care Finance, â€Å"Annualizing is necessary because each employee that is eligible for benefits (such as vacation days) will not be on duty for the  full number of hours paid for by the organization†. The Benefits of Recording Productive and Nonproductive Time There are many benefits of recording productive and nonproductive time in health care management. One benefit of recording productive and nonproductive time is that it improved productivity and decreased non-productivity. Some other benefits of recording productive and nonproductive time are to presence-to-performance ratio, to keep a time log, to make a checklist of recoverable time, and to sharpen the saw. It is important for managers to have a staffing plan available to manage staff and keep record of all staff hours to avoid miscommunication. References T Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Occupational employment statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes113031.htm#ind Crainer, S., & Dearlove, D. (Eds.) (2004). The Financial Times handbook of management. (3rd ed.) New York, NY: Pearson. Tina Su (2010) http://workawesome.com/productivity/full-engagement-at-work/

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Approaches Used For Hiring At Walmart Management Essay Essays

Approaches Used For Hiring At Walmart Management Essay Essays Approaches Used For Hiring At Walmart Management Essay Essay Approaches Used For Hiring At Walmart Management Essay Essay These yearss the concern environment is altering persistently and everyone in the society which we know has its ain norms, values, symbols, and beliefs. Everyone is being affected or will be affected at the terminal of the twenty-four hours straight or indirectly and will hold to confront the altering concern environment. Business is all about conveying a alteration whether in itself, in the community, or heads of people because I believe the lone invariable left out in the universe is the word changeless itself. All concerns have to measure their strength, failings, chances and menaces if they want to last in this cut pharynx competition. As the universe is altering and acquiring globalized, one has to believe of ways in order to last in this cut pharynx competition but non at the cost of making something unethical or possibly illegal. This scenario has instilled in many concerns the desire to alter and do sky rocketing net incomes along with supplying lowest monetary values that they can offer. Whenever one thinks of lowest monetary values of consumer goods, the first thing that pops in our head is Wal-Mart. That is why Walmart s slogan is Save Money, Live Better . The hallmark of Wal-Mart is what you call the cheapest monetary values you can happen anyplace in the United States. Most people think price reduction retailing began in 1962 the twelvemonth that Kmart, Target, and Wal-Mart foremost opened. But really, the concatenation of assortment shops Sam Walton owned during the 1950s faced stiff competition from many regional price reduction shops. Before opening Wal-Mart, Sam traveled the state analyzing everything he could approximately dismiss retailing. He became positive American consumers wanted a new type of shop. Trusting his vision, Sam and his married woman Helen put up 95 per centum of the money for the first Wal-Mart shop in Rogers, Arkansas. In 1972, Wal-Mart went public for the first clip which means its stocks were traded at the New York stock exchange which helped the company grow from 15 shops to more than 200 shops. Wal-Mart was the first one to recognize the demand of the clients or they realized what the clients were looking for and what they wanted. As Sam Walton said in his autobiography: If you think about it from the point of position of the client, you want everything: a broad mixture of quality ware ; the lowest possible monetary values ; guaranteed satisfaction ; friendly, knowing service ; convenient hours ; and a pleasant shopping experience. You love it when a shop exceeds your outlooks, and you hate it when a shop incommodiousnesss you, gives you a difficult clip, or pretends you re unseeable. Today in the 20 first century, Wal-Mart has emerged as the most successful retail merchant in the universe. Today, 7,390 shops and nine locations in 14 markets employ more than 2 million associates, functioning more than 176 million clients a twelvemonth. Their history is a perfect illustration of how to pull off growing without losing sight of their values. Their most basic value has ever been, and ever will be, client service. This elephantine company has a different attack to engaging. The method and technique that Wal-Mart focal points is the on-line hiring. The ground being that, this method is cost effectual. When you post a occupation with your local newspaper you are charged either by the sum of lines or words. Whereas online, you have limitless infinite to depict the place and the type of individual you are looking for. It is speedy and easy to update and besides easy to redact occupation posting. Besides, recruiters can seek efficaciously and expeditiously on-line, costs are lower and Wal-Mart finds a greater range in happening possible employees. Wal-Mart takes full advantage of today s advanced engineering. The web site under callings is truly impressive and reflects a image of efficiency and effectivity of the Human Resource squad at Wal-Mart. The website under callings has been sectioned as corporate callings, shop callings, Sam s nine callings, pharmaceutics callings, optometry callings, logistics callings, and international callings. Wal-Mart is making what it does best, viz. crushing up on sellers. It s easier for Wal-Mart to alter its spouses than alteration itself, non that any attempt for the good should be disregarded, even if it is out of a demand to smooth the company s hapless public image. But allow us besides non bury, despite many of the advanced elements of this plan, that it is being applied merely externally. As the universe s largest retail merchant, Wal-Mart values diverseness and further a on the job environment that enriches the personal and professional experiences of our associates, promotes excellence, and cultivates the rational and personal growing of the full associate population. We make diversity portion of our concern program, guaranting we can go on to be a planetary leader in all facets of Diversity and Inclusion Wal-Mart is non truly good at advancing diverseness while engaging in actuality. They tend to engage largely work forces. Wal-Mart is presently a suspect in the largest class-action favoritism case in history, brought on behalf of 1.6 million adult females. And it besides has a awful record of employment patterns in general, including successful prosecution for necessitating employees to work off the clock, intending without wage. This harms the image of the company which is already celebrated for giving stone underside rewards. As a consequence of the reappraisal, Wal-Mart made 40 alterations and moved $ 60m of concern from white male to minority and female relationship spouses, seting them into a place of influence in the houses in an unprecedented move that reflected its influence as one of the biggest legal clients in the US private sector. It besides stopped making concern with some houses. Following the reappraisal, which moved $ 60m of concern from white male to female and minority spouses in the houses, Thomas Mars, Wal-Mart s general advocate, says all 100 spouses involved became more antiphonal on its diverseness issues. As Thomas Mars from Wal-Mart s general advocate said We saw an up stick in the committedness of the houses to diverseness, that included the white male relationship spouses who he says realized the company might non merely take the concern off from their jurisprudence house, but that it might take it off from them and give it to person else in the house. The direction manner of Walmart under Sam Walton was contrarian and original. As portion of Walmart direction control, Walton used to wing from shop to hive away doing personal visits. Contrarian originality is non merely a great beginning of mould-shattering schemes like those, but of a uninterrupted watercourse of new, idiosyncratic and really frequently much better ways of managing and put to deathing. WalMart s famed Saturday forenoon meetings, for illustration, are a superb agency of communicating and inspiration that has remained effectual throughout the astonishing thrust from Arkansas to universe retail leading. The direction at Walmart were advised by Walton to break all the regulations and an illustration of direction and leading at Walmart was that store helpers ( and in fact all staff ) were referred to as associates . Sam Walton s direction manner was popular with employees and he founded some of the basic constructs of direction that are still in usage today. After taking the company populace in 1970, Walton introduced his net income sharing program . The net income sharing program was a program for Wal-Mart employees to better their income dependant on the profitableness of the shop. Sam Walton believed that persons do nt win, squads do . Employees at Wal-Mart shops were offered stock options and shop price reductions. These benefits are commonplace today, but Walton was among the first to implement them. Walton believed that a happy employee meant happy clients and more gross revenues. Walton believed that by giving employees a portion of the company and doing their success dependant on the company s success, they would care about the company. The company encourages the applier to use on-line because Wal-Mart has been endeavoring for protecting the environment that is GO GREEN. They encourage appliers to cut down the use of paper by directing resume via electronic mail or printing sketch on both sides of paper. They appreciate the attempts of the appliers in back uping sustainability and protecting the environment. Besides, working for Wal-Mart is the opportunity to be a portion of a company unlike any other in the universe. It s more than a occupation ; it is a topographic point to develop your accomplishments and construct a calling with competitory wage and wellness benefits for you and your household. To work for Wal-Mart is to be welcomed into a diverse household, where the single parts of every associate are respected and valued. Above all, it is an chance to fall in a squad 1.9 million strong who is assisting the universe live better every twenty-four hours. Wal-Mart does this by salvaging clients money on the things they need for their households, their places and their concerns. They do it by making out and giving back to the communities where their clients and their associates live. And they do it by working together to work out some of the biggest challenges confronting the universe today, like the environment, energy and wellness attention. Wal-Mart is at its best when offering occupations online. Most of its hiring is done online which helps Wal-Mart protect is environment friendly image. Offering occupations online is a fantastic resource for people who like being a portion of a company that supports the Go Green factor. There are many advantages of offering occupations online. First, it is speedy and easy. Second, the occupations that are posted on-line are easy to redact, as compared to occupations that are posted in the newspaper. Last, it is cost effectual. In the newspaper, companies are charged for each word or for each line nevertheless posting occupations on-line helps Wal-Mart cut its advertizement costs. The followers are some illustrations of Wal-Mart s occupation descriptions, Shop GM Cardinal Accountabilities: Pull off the overall operations, and guarantee best-quality client service and the concern mark fulfilment ; Develop the shop gross revenues program and use quantifying direction ; Supervise the associates to put to death the standards to guarantee a unvarying and stable operation ; direct and organize the operation of assorted sections to guarantee normal operation ; oversee the executing of company client service policy ; Organize community events to construct and prolong the company s trade name and construct friendly relation ; Build and sustain good communicating with related authorities maps ; Organize, develop, put to death the preparation program to prolong the associates competence degree ; Develop tailored stage development mark and executing program for the in-store squad. Requirements: Associate grade or above ; with 7-10 old ages working experiences in retail direction ; Excellent communicating and interpersonal accomplishment ; Good work force planning and budgeting accomplishment ; Good logistic analysis and judgement ; Outstanding executing and good presentation accomplishment ; General cognition of computing machine operation, Elementary English. Store Executive Deputy GM Cardinal Accountabilities: Assist Store GM to pull off operations in some sections, guarantee best-quality service and successful execution of gross revenues, net income and stock list programs ; Disseminate and put to death the company civilization holistically ; Set up an efficient squad ; Develop, disseminate, explain and present the company policy ; Organize to develop gross revenues program for low-level nutrient sections, and guarantee the gross revenues and net income budget is beaten ; Monitor associates to put to death the client service standard purely to guarantee high quality client service is provided, guarantee a smooth operation ; Develop reasonable disbursal program and split it by sections ; Control the cost and disbursal efficaciously ; Develop people growing program of the subsidiary sections and oversee its executing Requirements: Associate grade or above ; With at least 4-6 old ages working experience in retail direction ; Excellent communicating and interpersonal accomplishment ; Good work force planning and budgeting accomplishment ; Good logistic analysis ability and reasonable judgement ; Good presentation and dialogue accomplishment ; General cognition of computing machine operation, Elementary English. Wal-Mart does supply benefits for its employees. Wal-Mart s success is the direct consequence of the dedication of their associates, and they reward their difficult work with benefits that work for them. Wal-Mart s benefits include more than medical coverage and a competitory wage bundle. They offer associates retirement nest eggs programs, pharmaceutics benefits, the chance to portion in fillips and valuable price reductions at our shops. All Wal-Mart associates go through an in-depth orientation that Lashkar-e-Taiba s them know what it means to be portion of the Wal-Mart household. This begins with a concern simulation that places new associates in the function of the client. The simulation exercising helps associates understand client outlooks and what they can make to run into and transcend those outlooks. Training and development is non a erstwhile happening at Wal-Mart. It is an on-going portion of an associate s life. We aim to supply associates with the tools and resources to assist them mount every bit high as they want to travel. Read more about preparation and development at Wal-Mart. Leaderships Out In Front ( LOIF ) is a new direction preparation plan unfastened to all salaried Wal-Mart Stores USA field associates ( Assistant Managers, Co-Managers, Shop Directors and Market Managers ) . The AIM ( Associate Investment Model ) Toolkit provides a 180-degree accomplishment appraisal, designed to clear up occupation duties and promote development. The appraisal considers non merely how one evaluates him or herself in each competence, but besides how a supervisor evaluates the same competences. When combined, the appraisal will foreground any spread between the two and supply development suggestions to help the associate in making an Individual Development Plan. Overall Wal-Mart is considered a reasonably good company to work for but of class there are some pros and cons of every company one time a possible employee looks to use in a peculiar company. Professionals include competitory get downing wage if you bring some experience to the tabular array ; direction is really competent for the most portion. Cons include Market squads are out of the cringle wholly when it comes to the day-to-day workings of a shop. Benefits could be better, but they are non that bad. Policies contradict each other frequently. Due to recent jurisprudence suits, it is about impossible to acquire a publicity as a white male. As a group we came to a decision as an reply to the inquiry that whether Wal-Mart is a good company to work for or non is that ; We think it varies from location to location because a friend of one of our group members that worked at the Wal-Mart in Englewood, Colorado perfectly loved it. It likely has much to make with Human Resource section. A director s attitude creates the attitude of their employees. We think that Wal-Mart as a whole, from our observation of articles around the cyberspace, truly needs to take a expression at whether or non their directors are keeping up Sam Walton s values and esteeming their employees. So Wal-Mart may non be the best topographic point or the best company to work for but still it is one company in the universe which can non travel out of concern for at least several decennaries, which means that it wo nt layoff its employees for any peculiar ground chiefly gross revenues. So when person gets the credence missive from Wal-Mart direction for a peculiar occupation, he besides gets a warrant of non fring his occupation because of economic system. To wrap up, we will cite from one of the statement of John Stuart Mill which is ; Which actions would hold the greatest benefits for the greatest figure of people? We would wish to reason our research with what Peter Cooper said ; I have ever recognized that the object of concern is to do money in an honest mode. I have endeavored to retrieve that the object of life is to make good.