title: Barracks

text: Each of the Portuguese Army bases is referred as a "quartel" (barracks). In a barracks, each of the dormitory buildings is referred as a "caserna" (casern). Most of them are regimental barracks, constituting the fixed component of the Army system of forces and being responsible for the training, sustenance and general support to the Army. In addition to the regimental administrative, logistic and training bodies, each barracks can lodge one or more operational units (operational battalions, independent companies or equivalent units). Although there are housing blocks within the perimeter of some regimental barracks, the Portuguese usual practice is for the members of the Armed Forces to live outside the military bases with their families, inserted in the local civilian communities.


title: Barracks

text: Many of the Portuguese regimental barracks are of a model developed by the old Administrative Commission for the New Infrastructures of the Armed Forces (CANIFA). Because of this, they are commonly referred as "CANIFA type barracks". These types of barracks were built in the 1950s and 1960s, following a standardized architectural model, usually with an area of between 100,000 and 200,000 square metres, including a headquarters building, a guard house, a general mess building, an infirmary building, a workshop and garage building, an officer house building, a sergeant house building, three to ten rank and file caserns, fire ranges and sports facilities. In average each CANIFA type barracks was intended to lodge around 1000 soldiers and their respective armament, vehicles and other equipment.


title: Barracks

text: Until the end of the 18th century personnel of the Imperial Russian Army were billeted with civilians homes or accommodated in slobodas in a countryside. First barracks were built during the reign of Emperor Paul I. For these purposes, Paul I established a one-time land tax based on the amount of land owned by citizen. This tax was not mandatory, but person who paid it was permanently exempted from billets.


title: Barracks

text: From the end of 1882, the money collected for exemption from billet was transferred to the military ministry. This has made it possible to step up the construction of barracks for the army. By 1 January 1900, 19015 barracks had been built, which accommodated 94% of the troops.


title: Barracks

text: In the 17th and 18th centuries there were concerns around the idea of a standing army housed in barracks; instead, the law provided for troops routinely to be billeted in small groups in inns and other locations. (The concerns were various: political, ideological and constitutional, provoked by memories of Cromwell's New Model Army and of the use of troops in reign of James II to intimidate areas of civil society. Furthermore, grand urban barracks were associated with absolutist monarchies, where they could be seen as emblematic of power sustained through military might; and there was an ongoing suspicion that gathering soldiers together in barracks might encourage sedition.)


title: Barracks

text: Nevertheless, some "soldiers' lodgings" were built in Britain at this time, usually attached to coastal fortifications or royal palaces. The first recorded use of the word 'barracks' in this context was for the Irish Barracks, built in the precinct of the Tower of London in 1669. At the Ordnance Office (responsible for construction and upkeep of barracks) Bernard de Gomme played a key role in developing a 'domestic' style of barrack design in the latter half of the 17th century: he provided barrack blocks for such locations as Plymouth Citadel and Tilbury Fort, each with rows of square rooms arranged in pairs on two stories, accommodating a Company of some sixty men, four to a room, two to a bed. Standard furnishings were provided, and each room had a grate used for heating and cooking.


title: Barracks

text: In England, this domestic style continued to be used through the first half of the eighteenth century; most new barracks of this period were more or less hidden within the precincts of medieval castles and Henrician forts. In Scotland, however, a more demonstrative style was employed following the Jacobite rising of 1715 (as at Ruthven Barracks) and that of 1745 (as seen in the monumental Fort George). This bolder approach gradually began to be adopted south of the border during the eighteenth century (beginning with nearby Berwick, 1717). There was much building in and around the Royal Dockyards at this time: during the Seven Years' War, fears of a land attack led to defensive 'lines' being built around the dockyard towns, and infantry barracks were established within them (e.g. at Chatham, Upper and Lower Barracks, 1756, and Plymouth, six defensible square barracks, 1758–63). The newly constituted Royal Marines were also provided with accommodation in the vicinity of the Dockyards (e.g. Stonehouse Barracks, 1779) becoming the first Corps in Britain to be fully provided with its own accommodation. Large urban barracks were still a rarity, though. In London there was a fair amount of barrack accommodation, but most of it was within the precincts of various royal palaces (as at Horse Guards, 1753). The prominent Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich (1776) was one exception (but significantly the Artillery were under the command of the Board of Ordnance rather than of the Army).


title: Barracks

text: In the aftermath of the French Revolution, though, things changed. The size of the army grew from 40,000 to 225,000 between 1790 and 1814 (with the Militia adding a further 100,000). Barrack accommodation at the time was provided for a mere 20,000. To deal with the situation, responsibility for building barracks was transferred in 1792 from the Board of Ordnance to a specialist Barracks Department overseen by the War Office. With a view to dealing with sedition, and perhaps quelling thoughts of revolution, several large cavalry barracks were built in the 1790s: first at Knightsbridge (close to the royal palaces), then in several provincial towns and cities: Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham and Sheffield (as well as Hounslow Barracks just west of London). Several smaller cavalry and artillery barracks were established around this time, but very little was built for the infantry; instead, a number of large camps (with wooden huts) were set up, including at Chelmsford, Colchester and Sunderland, as well as at various locations along the south coast. Barrack-masters were appointed, one such was Captain George Manby at the Royal Barracks, Great Yarmouth. Coincidentally his father, Captain Matthew Manby, had been barrack-master at Limerick.


title: Barracks

text: It was not until some years after the end of the Napoleonic Wars (and post-war recession) that barrack-building began again. John Nash built four as part of his London improvements: Regent's Park and St John's Wood for the Cavalry, Wellington Barracks for the Guards, and St George's Barracks (since demolished) behind the National Gallery. In several instances elsewhere, buildings were converted rather than newly built (or a mixture of the two, as at Cambridge Barracks, Portsmouth where a new frontage, housing officers, was built in front of a range of warehouses converted to house the men). In response to the Chartist riots three barracks were established in north-west England in the 1840s, Ladysmith Barracks at Ashton-under-Lyne, Wellington Barracks at Bury and Fulwood Barracks at Preston.


title: Barracks

text: A review conducted following the demise of the Board of Ordnance in 1855 noted that only seven barracks outside London had accommodation for more than 1,000. This changed with the establishment of large-scale Army Camps such as Aldershot (1854), and the expansion of Garrison towns such as Colchester; over time in these locations temporary huts were replaced with more permanent barracks buildings. Large-scale camps were not the only way forward, however; from the 1870s, the localisation agenda of the Cardwell Reforms saw new and old barracks established as depots for regional or County brigades and regiments. The latter part of the 19th century also saw the establishment of a number of Naval barracks (an innovation long resisted by the Royal Navy, which had tended to accommodate its sailors afloat either on their ships or else in hulks moored in its harbours). The first of these, Keyham Barracks in Devonport (later HMS Drake), was begun in 1879, and only completed in 1907.


title: Barracks

text: During the 20th century, activity ranged from the need for speedy expansion during the First World War (when large camps such as Catterick were established), to the closure of many barracks in the interwar period. Many of those that remained were rebuilt in the 1960s, either substantially (as happened at Woolwich, behind the facade) or entirely (as at Hyde Park and at Chelsea - built 1863, demolished and rebuilt 1963, closed 2008). There has been an ongoing focus on improving the quality of barracks accommodation; since the 1970s several former RAF bases have been converted to serve as Army barracks, in place of some of the more cramped urban sites. Today, generally, only single and unmarried personnel or those who choose not to move their families nearby live in barracks. Most British military barracks are named after battles, military figures or the locality.


title: Barracks

text: In basic training, and sometimes follow-on training, service members live in barracks. Formerly, the U.S. Marine Corps had gender-separate basic training units. Currently, all services have training where male and female recruits share barracks, but are separated during personal time and lights out. All the services integrate male and female members following boot camp and first assignment.


title: Barracks

text: After training, unmarried junior enlisted members will typically reside in barracks. In the 21st century, these service members are generally housed in individual rooms conforming to the DoD's "1+1 standard", though exceptions still exist. During unaccompanied, dependent-restricted assignments, non-commissioned and commissioned officer ranks may also be required to live in barracks. Amenities in these barracks increase with the rank of the occupant.


title: Barracks

text: Unlike the other services, the U.S. Air Force officially uses the term "dormitory" to refer to its unaccompanied housing.


title: Barracks

text: During World War II, many U.S. barracks were made of inexpensive, sturdy and easy to assemble Quonset huts that resembled Native American long houses (having a rounded roof but made out of metal).


title: Rajesh Pilot

text: Squadron Leader Rajeshwar Prasad Bidhuri (10 February 1945 – 11 June 2000), also known as Rajesh Pilot () was an Indian politician, a minister in the Government of India and a former Indian Air Force officer. He belonged to the Indian National Congress party and represented the Dausa constituency in Lok Sabha. His original name was Rajesh Bidhuri. Rajesh Pilot died on 11 June 2000 in a car crash near Jaipur.


title: Rajesh Pilot

text: Rajeshwar Prasad Bidhuri was born in Baidpura Village in present day Greater Noida and was a member of the Bidhuri Gujjar community. He was respected from an early age as he was admitted to Indian Air Force, which was an outstanding achievement in rural India. Rajeshwar Prasad, was commissioned in the General Duties (Pilot) branch of the Indian Air Force as a pilot officer on 29 October 1966. He was promoted to flying officer on 29 October 1967 and to flight lieutenant on 29 October 1971. He fought in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 as a bomber pilot, flying a modified de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou. He was promoted to squadron leader on 29 October 1977. On 8 August 1978, he was seconded to the Ministry of Agriculture.


title: Rajesh Pilot

text: In late 1979, Prasad resigned his commission while posted in Jaisalmer to join politics, under the influence of his friend Rajiv Gandhi, who later became the Prime Minister of India. He contested the 1980 Lok Sabha elections as an INC candidate from Bharatpur, changing his surname to Pilot at the same time.


title: Rajesh Pilot

text: Pilot emerged as a prominent Gujjar leader in India. In his first election as a candidate, Pilot defeated the former queen of Bharatpur State.


title: Rajesh Pilot

text: On an official visit to the Netherlands in 1988, his Dutch counterpart, learning Pilot was a former IAF officer, arranged for him to fly a RNLAF F-16; the IAF subsequently invited Pilot to test a new MiG-29 following his return to India.


title: Rajesh Pilot

text: He sent Chandraswami to prison when he was the Internal Security Minister. Later, he lost the election for the post of Congress president to Sitaram Kesri, but remained in the first line of Congress leaders.


title: Rajesh Pilot

text: In New Delhi and Gurgaon, a road has been named in his honour. In Rewari, a roundabout has been named after him in his honour.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: Superorganism are an indie pop band based in London, formed in early 2017. The group originally consisted of eight members: lead vocalist Orono Noguchi, as well as Emily, Harry, Tucan, Robert Strange, Ruby, B, and Soul.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: Many of the group's members originally met online before forming the group, while four of their members previously performed together as the Eversons. Their self-titled debut album, "Superorganism", was released on 2 March 2018 through Domino Recording Company and Hostess Entertainment.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: Superorganism initially started as a casual recording project with members based in multiple countries across the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Most of the members of Superorganism had met online in music forums and via mutual friends over a number of years. At the time of Superorganism's formation, the majority of the members had been living in London since 2015 and decided to embark on a musical project together.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: Four of the members – Mark Turner (Emily), Christopher Young (Harry), Timothy "Tim" Shann (Tucan), and Blair Everson (Robert Strange), had previously met Orono Noguchi when they were touring Japan in another band called the Eversons. Noguchi, at the time a high school student from Maine, had first discovered the Eversons via her YouTube recommendations, thereafter becoming a fan of the group. During a 2015 summer trip to Japan, Noguchi found the Eversons to be performing a gig nearby and attended. They became friends, bonding over their shared interest in internet memes.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: After discovering Noguchi could sing (she had been regularly posting covers on SoundCloud), the group sent a message to Noguchi, asking if she wanted to add lyrics and vocals to a demo they had been working on at the beginning of 2017. Collaborating on their project remotely, Noguchi received a GarageBand instrumental file and sent back to the band her deadpan vocals recorded using the built-in microphone of her MacBook laptop. The demo came to be Superorganism's first single "Something For Your M.I.N.D.", which was later featured on the soundtrack of "FIFA 18". It also featured during the season three premiere of "Legion", in which the band portrayed themselves.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: After graduating from John Bapst Memorial High School in June, seventeen-year-old Noguchi relocated to London. "Ever since I was little I had two big goals," says Noguchi, "One of them was to be a musician or an artist of some sort, and the other was to go to college in the States. That’s why I made the decision to go to Maine by myself when I was fourteen." In regards to college, she said, "[Forming Superorganism] was a really big decision but you don’t get to decide when opportunities come. So I'll do this, and I can go to college any time I want."


title: Superorganism (band)

text: Robert Strange was Superorganism's original visual artist. As of late 2017, seven out of eight band members lived together in a large terraced house in the East End of London that doubles as a 24-hour studio.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: South Korean New Zealand background vocalist Soul (Earl Ho), is the only member to live apart from the group, residing in Sydney, Australia. An enlarged image of Soul's face often takes his place in group photographs. Going by the project name "CHI", Soul has also released material to a Bandcamp account of his own, playing the guitar and keyboard himself.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: In June 2018, Superorganism covered Hikaru Utada's as promotion for the release of her album "Hatsukoi" (2018).


title: Superorganism (band)

text: In October 2018, Superorganism embarked on a tour of the UK and Ireland with Japanese band Chai as their support.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: In January 2019, the Eversons were dumped from their record label, Lil' Chief Records, due to allegations dating from 2012 against Mark Turner (Emily), that "became common knowledge among the New Zealand indie music scene." The label released a statement saying they were against sexual misconduct and apologised unreservedly for not acting sooner. Some songs by the Eversons were controversial in New Zealand for their misogynistic and offensive content.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: Superorganism contributed the song "Hello Me & You" to the of the film "", released in February 2019.


title: Superorganism (band)

text: On 7 March 2022, Superorganism announced their second studio album, "World Wide Pop", with a 15 July release date, alongside the release of the single "Teenager". It was also announced that Ruby, Turner and Robert Strange had left the band.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The Fairchild Channel F, short for "Channel Fun", is a video game console, the first to be based on a microprocessor and to use ROM cartridges instead of having games built-in. It was released by Fairchild Camera and Instrument in November 1976 across North America at a retail price of . It was launched as the "Video Entertainment System", but when Atari released its Video Computer System the next year, Fairchild rebranded their machine as "Channel F" while keeping the Video Entertainment System descriptor.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The Fairchild Channel F achieved only about 350,000 units before Fairchild sold the technology to Zircon International in 1979, trailing well behind the VCS. The system was discontinued in 1983.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: In 1974, Alpex Computer Corporation employees Wallace Kirschner and Lawrence Haskel developed a home video game prototype consisting of a base unit centered on an Intel 8080 microprocessor and interchangeable circuit boards containing ROM chips that could be plugged into the base unit. The duo attempted to interest several television manufacturers in the system, but were unsuccessful. Next, they contacted a buyer at Fairchild, which sent engineer Jerry Lawson to evaluate the system. Lawson was impressed by the system and suggested Fairchild license the technology, which the company did in January 1976.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: Lawson worked with industrial designer Nick Talesfore and mechanical engineer Ron Smith to turn the prototype into a viable project. Jerry Lawson replaced the 8080 with Fairchild's own F8 CPU; while Nick Talesfore and Ron Smith were responsible for adapting the prototype's complex keyboard controls into a single control stick, and encasing the ROM circuit boards into plastic cartridges reminiscent of 8-track tapes. Talesfore, providing Industrial Design (ID), and Ron Smith, providing Mechanical Engineering (ME), collaborated on the styling and function of the 8 degrees of freedom hand controller. They were responsible for the design of the hand controllers, console, and video game cartridges. In addition to providing the ID for this system, Talesfore also art directed Tom Kamafugi, the graphic designer who did the original graphic design for the early video cartridges cartons.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: Lawson moved on to form his own company, Video Soft. Talesfore continued working on the system at Fairchild, and eventually a number of these improvements resulted in the improved System II. The major changes were that the controllers were now removable, using the Atari joystick port, and their storage was moved to the back of the machine. The sound was now mixed into the RF modulator, coming out through the television and removing the need for the internal speaker. The internal electronics were also simplified, with custom logic chips instead of standard logic, resulting in a much smaller circuit board. This version also featured a simpler and more modern-looking case design.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: Sometime in 1979, Zircon International bought the rights to the Channel F and released the re-designed console as the "Channel F System II" to compete with Atari's VCS. Channel F II struggled, managing to only release six new games after the debut before its demise; several of these were developed at Fairchild before they sold the rights.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: A number of licensed versions were released in Europe, including the "Luxor Video Entertainment System" in Sweden, "Adman Grandstand Video Entertainment Computer" in the UK, the "SABA Videoplay", "ITT Telematch Processor" and "Nordmende Color TelePlay µP" from Germany, and the "Dumont Videoplay" and "Barco Challenger" from the Barco/Dumont company in Italy and Belgium.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The F8 was very complex compared to the typical integrated circuits of the day and had more inputs and outputs than other contemporary chips. Because chip packaging was not initially available with enough pins, the F8 used in the original form of the VES/Channel F (replaced by System II) was instead fabricated as a pair of chips that had to be used together to form a complete CPU. However, due to the F8's design, there was a considerable savings in terms of pins that enabled the inclusion of 64 bytes of internal scratchpad RAM. A single-chip variant of the F8 was used by both the System II and the VideoBrain computer system.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The Channel F is able to use one plane of graphics and one of four background colors per line, with three plot colors to choose from (red, green, and blue) that turned into white if the background is set to black, at a resolution of 128 × 64, with approximately 102 × 58 pixels visible and help from 64 bytes of system RAM, half the amount of the later Atari 2600. The Maze game (cartridge 10) required 1K of on-cartridge static RAM, adding to the cost to manufacture it. The Chess game contained considerably more on-cartridge RAM than that. The F8 processor at the heart of the console is able to produce enough AI to allow for player versus computer matches, a first in console history. All previous machines required a human opponent. "Tic-Tac-Toe" on Videocart-1 had this feature, it was only for one player against the machine. The same is true for the chess game, which would have very long turn times for the computer as the game progressed.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: In the original unit, sound is played through an internal speaker, rather than the TV set. However, the System II passed sound to the television through the RF modulator.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The Channel F is also the first video game console to feature a pause function; There is a 'Hold' button on the main unit of the console which allows players to freeze the game and change several game settings in the meantime.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The controllers are a joystick without a base; the main body is a large handgrip with a triangular "cap" on top, the top being the portion that actually moved for eight-way directional control. It could be used as both a joystick and paddle (twist), and not only could it be pushed down to operate as a fire button, it could be pulled up as well. The model 1 unit contained a small compartment for storing the controllers when moving it. The System II featured detachable controllers and had two holders at the back to wind the cable around and to store the controller in. Zircon later offered a special control that featured an action button on the front of the joystick. It was marketed by Zircon as "Channel F Jet-Stick" in a letter sent out to registered owners before Christmas 1982.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The functions printed on the console is how they work in the built-in games and also some of the original games: all buttons (except reset) are controlled by the programming and can be used for anything the programmer decides.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: One feature unique of the console is the 'hold' button, which allows the player to freeze the game, change the time or change the speed of the game. The hold function is not universal (like the hardwired reset).


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: Despite the failure of the Channel F, the joystick's design was so popular—"Creative Computing" called it "outstanding"— that Zircon also released an Atari joystick port-compatible version, the Video Command Joystick, first released without the extra fire button. Before that, only the downwards plunge motion was connected and acted as the fire button; the pull-up and twist actions were not connected to anything.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: Twenty-seven cartridges, termed "Videocarts", were officially released to consumers in the United States during the ownership of Fairchild and Zircon, the first twenty-one of which were released by Fairchild. Several of these cartridges were capable of playing more than one game and were typically priced at . The Videocarts were yellow and approximately the size and overall texture of an 8 track cartridge. They usually featured colorful label artwork. The earlier artwork was created by nationally known artist Tom Kamifuji and art directed by Nick Talesfore. The console contained two built-in games, Tennis and Hockey, which were both advanced "Pong" clones. In Hockey, the reflecting bar could be changed to diagonals by twisting the controller and could move all over the playing field. Tennis was much like the original Pong.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: A sales brochure from 1978 listed "Keyboard Videocarts" for sale. The three shown were "K-1 Casino Poker", "K-2 Space Odyssey", and "K-3 Pro-Football". These were intended to use the Keyboard accessory. All further brochures, released after Zircon took over Fairchild, never listed this accessory nor anything called a Keyboard Videocart.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: There was one additional cartridge released numbered Videocart-51 and simply titled "Demo 1". This Videocart was shown in a single sales brochure released shortly after Zircon acquired the company. It was never listed for sale after this single brochure which was used in the winter of 1979.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: German electronics manufacturer SABA also released a few compatible carts different from the original carts: translation in Videocart-1 "Tic-Tac-Toe" to German words, Videocart-3 released with different abbreviations (German), and Videocart-18 changed graphics and German word list.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: In 2021, a number of new 'Homebrew' games were released on itch.io by retro developer Arlasoft. These included ports of mobile puzzle games Tents & Trees, 2048 and Threes, as well as a port of the classic arcade shooter "Centipede".


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: The Channel F had beaten the Atari VCS to the market, but once the VCS was released, sales of the Channel F fell, attributed to the types of games that were offered. Most of the Channel F titles were slow-paced educational and intellectual games, compared to the action-driven games that launched with the VCS. Even with the redesigned Channel F II in 1978, Fairchild was unable to meet the sales that the VCS and its games were generating. By the time Fairchild sold the technology to Zircon in 1979, around 350,000 total units had been sold.


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: Ken Uston reviewed 32 games in his book "Ken Uston's Guide to Buying and Beating the Home Video Games" in 1982, and rated some of the Channel F's titles highly; of these, "Alien Invasion" and "Video Whizball" were considered by Uston to be "the finest adult cartridges currently available for the Fairchild Channel F System". The games on a whole, however, rated last on his survey of over 200 games for the Atari, Intellivision, Astrocade and Odyssey consoles, and contemporary games were rated "Average" with future Channel F games rated "below average". Uston rated almost one-half of the Channel F games as "high in interest" and called that "an impressive proportion" and further noted that "Some of the Channel F cartridges are timeless; no matter what technological developments occur, they will continue to be of interest." His overall conclusion was that the games "serve a limited, but useful, purpose" and that the "strength of the Channel F offering is in its excellent educational line for children".


title: Fairchild Channel F

text: In 1983, after Zircon announced its discontinuation of the Channel F, "Video Games" reviewed the console. Calling it "the system nobody knows", the magazine described its graphics and sounds as "somewhat primitive by today's standards". It described "Space War" as perhaps "the most antiquated game of its type still on the market", and rated the 25 games for the console with an average grade of three ("not too good") on a scale from one to ten. The magazine stated, however, that Fairchild "managed to create some fascinating games, even by today's standards", calling "Casino Royale" ("Video Blackjack") "the best card game, from blackjack to bridge, made for "any" TV-game system". It also favorably reviewed "Dodge-It" ("simple but great"), "Robot War" ("Berzerk without guns"), and "Whizball" ("thoroughly original ... hockey "with" guns"), but concluded that only those interested in nostalgia, video game collecting, or card games would purchase the Channel F in 1983.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: A folkloric hero among the sect of Daryapanthi Sindhis, Jhulelal is the most revered deity of Sindhi Hindus in modern South Asia.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: Legends converge upon that Jhulelal was born during the rule of one Islamic despot "Mirkshah", who had issued an ultimatum to local Hindus for converting to Islam. The child being the reincarnation of a Hindu deity exhibited supernatural powers since childhood, and preached about how the Hindus as well as Muslims believed in the same God, and the Koran forbade forced conversion. Ultimately, Jhulelal convinced the King to spare the Hindus and even gained devotees among the Muslims.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: Devotion towards Jhulelal was not uniform in pre-partition Sindh; many Sindhi Hindus had never heard of him and he was one of the many deities belonging to the Sindhi pantheon. However, in 1950 an emigrant section of Sindhi Hindus, led by Ram Panjwani in Bombay, decided to transform Jhulelal into the "iṣṭa-devatā" of all Sindhi Hindus and unify the diaspora"." Devotional songs were penned, pamphlets printed, statues installed, festivals celebrated, and cultural events organized in thousands for the cause of Jhulelal."" Over the course of decades, Jhulelal has successfully become the representative Hindu God of Sindhis within the folds of Hinduism.""


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: Iconography of Jhulelal varies widely."" Sindhi Hindus worship Jhulelal at the Shrine at Odero Lal in Pakistan's Sindh province, which is jointly used by Hindus, and Sindhi Muslims who revere the shrine as the tomb of Sheikh Tahir. A second shrine named "Jhulelal Tirthdham" exists in India at Narayan Sarovar, Kutch, Gujarat.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: After a long period of harmonious existence between the Hindus and Muslims, one Mirkshah of Thatta ascended the throne. Instigated by his advisors, he ordered that all local Hindus convert to Islam or be put to death. The Hindus prayed to Indus, who promised that Varuna will take the form of a child and avert the impending catastrophe.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: In 1007, the day of Cheti Chand in Chaitra, one Uderolal was born to a local Hindu family. As he began to be worshiped, Mirkshah sent his ministers to investigate who witnessed various strange events. The child metamorphosed into a young warrior, then into an old man, before back to child; at other times, he swam upstream on a fish. Mirkshah grew afraid but his advisors coerced him to hold stead.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: Soon, he went to meet Uderolal and was impressed by his understanding of Islam — Uderolal preached about how the Hindus and Muslims believed in the same God, and the Koran forbade conversion. However, his advisors suggested that his teachings be disregarded and Uderolal imprisoned. When the guards proceeded to arrest him, an inferno and a flood engulfed his palaces. Mirkshah relented, abolished his decree, and asked for forgiveness from Uderolal.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: As the palace was saved and harmony restored, Jhulelal gained devotees even among the Muslims (including Mirkshah). Jhulelal requested that a flame be burnt for eternity, in the memory of his deeds, before leaving his earthly avatar.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: The myth of Jhulelal is not seen in regional histories written prior to the 20th century. While all Jhulelal legends broadly revolve around two themes — the valorization of Sindhi communal harmony and the intrinsic superiority of tolerant and devout Hindus over Muslims who weren't even able to interpret their own religious texts — the specifics vary widely and have even been a site of internal contestation among Sindhi Hindus. Moreover Sindhi Muslims have forged their own legends concerning Jhulelal.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: The birth-name varies from Uderolal to Amarlal to Daryasahib; the event of his first appearance is either noted to be from a human birth or from the Indus, riding on a fish. He is variously noted as an "avatara" of Vishnu or a manifestation of Varuna; one conflates the two to deem him as the Varuna avatara of Vishnu. How he came to be known as Jhulelal attracts another set of fascinating claims. The transpirings that arose out of his encounter with Mirkshah varies — some claim that the King had submitted long ago in the face of his supernatural powers while others claim that Jhule Lal led a secretly gathered force to victory in an old-school war.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: The presentation of the narrative differs too. Many renderings choose to emphasize on the cruelty of Muslim rulers against Brahmins (and Hindus, by extension) — a column in Indian Express had projected contemporary Hindu Nationalism onto the narrative with Jhule Lal "fill[ing] the shrinking Hindus with courage" and "put[ting] holy terror into the persecuting Muslims" while some Sindhis have transplanted Jhulelal into the reign of Aurangzeb, a ruler notoriously renowned in public memory for being the worst persecutor of Hindus. Some choose to emphasize on the Hinduness of Jhulelal drawing tenuous connections with Vedic corpus.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: The Cheti Chand festival in the month of Chaitra, marks the arrival of spring and harvest, as well as the mythical birth of Uderolal in the year 1007. Uderolal morphed into a warrior and old man who preached and reprimanded Mirkhshah that Muslims and Hindus deserve the same religious freedoms. He, as Jhulelal, became the saviour of the Sindhi Hindus, who according to this legend, celebrate the new year as Uderolal's birthday.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: Chalio or Chaliho, also called Chaliho Sahib, is a forty-day-long festival celebrated by Sindhi Hindus to express their gratitude to Jhulelal for saving them from their impending conversion to Islam. The festival is observed every year in the months of July to August; dates vary according to Hindu calendar. It is a thanksgiving celebration in honor of Varuna Deva for listening to their prayers.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: The Jhulelal Shrine at Odero Lal is situated in Matiari District, almost 40 kilometers away from the Sanghar District of Sindh; The Hindus and the Muslims can pray here at the same place simultaneously. Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Matiari, Sanghar and Mirpur Khas are the nearby major cities to reach at the Shrine near Tando Adam.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: It forms the seat of the Daryapanthis, originally a subsect of the followers of Gorakhnath, who belong to the Nath tradition.


title: Jhulelal (Hinduism)

text: Sindhi Hindus in India built a religious shrine and cultural complex in Kutch, near the border of Sindh Province. The 100-acre complex includes a 100-foot statue of Lord Jhulelal, a museum, meditation centre, an auditorium, and a cultural and arts-and-crafts centre with 100 accommodations. Aiming to be the "a centre for global Sindhi identity", the project costs an estimated ₹100 crore and was built on the donations from wealthy Indian Sindhis. Harish Fabiani, one of the key promoters of the project, stated regarding the cultural complex, "The younger generation is aware they are Sindhis, but they do not know their language. We must learn our language and culture. We should have a place we can call our own."


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: The Reich Security Main Office ( or RSHA) was an organization under Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacity as "Chef der Deutschen Polizei" (Chief of German Police) and "Reichsführer-SS", the head of the Nazi Party's "Schutzstaffel" (SS). The organization's stated duty was to fight all "enemies of the Reich" inside and outside the borders of Nazi Germany.


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: Himmler established the RSHA on 27 September 1939. His assumption of control over all security and police forces in Germany was a significant factor in the growth in power of the Nazi state. With the formation of the RSHA, Himmler combined under one roof the Nazi Party's "Sicherheitsdienst" (SD; SS intelligence service) with the "Sicherheitspolizei" (SiPo; "Security Police"), which was nominally under the Interior Ministry. The SiPo was composed of two sub-departments, the "Geheime Staatspolizei" (Gestapo; "Secret State Police") and the "Kriminalpolizei" (Kripo; "Criminal Police"). In correspondence, the RSHA was often abbreviated to "RSi-H" to avoid confusion with the "SS-Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt" (RuSHA; "SS Race and Settlement Office").


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: The creation of the RSHA represented the formalization, at the highest level, of the relationship under which the SD served as the intelligence agency for the security police. A similar coordination existed in the local offices, where the Gestapo, criminal police, and SD were formally separate offices. This coordination was carried out by inspectors on the staff of the local higher SS and police leaders. One of the principal functions of the local SD units was to serve as the intelligence agency for the local Gestapo units. In the occupied territories, the formal relationship between local units of the Gestapo, criminal police, and SD was slightly closer.


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: The RSHA continued to grow at an enormous rate during World War II in Europe. Routine reorganization of the RSHA did not change the tendency for centralization within Nazi Germany, nor did it change the general trend for organizations like the RSHA to develop direct relationships to Adolf Hitler, adhering to Nazi Germany's typical pattern of the leader-follower construct. For the RSHA, centrality within Nazi Germany was pronounced since the organization completed the integration of government and Nazi Party offices as to intelligence gathering and security. Departments like the SD and Gestapo (within the RSHA) were controlled directly by Himmler and his immediate subordinate SS-"Obergruppenführer" and General of Police Reinhard Heydrich; the two held the power of life and death for nearly every German and were essentially above the law.


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: Heydrich remained the RSHA chief until his assassination in 1942. In January 1943 Himmler delegated the office to SS-"Obergruppenführer" and General of Police Ernst Kaltenbrunner, who headed the RSHA until the end of the war in Europe. The head of the RSHA was also known as the CSSD or Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD (Chief of the Security Police and of the Security Service).


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: According to British author Gerald Reitlinger, the RSHA "became a typical overblown bureaucracy... The complexity of RSHA was unequalled... with at least a hundred... sub-sub-sections, a modest camouflage of the fact that it handled the progressive extermination which Hitler planned for the ten million Jews of Europe".


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: RSHA-controlled activities included gathering intelligence, criminal investigation, overseeing foreigners, monitoring public opinion, and Nazi indoctrination. The RSHA was also "the central office for the extra-judicial NS (National Socialist) measures of terror and repression from the beginning of the war until 1945". The list of persecuted people included Jews, Communists, Freemasons, pacifists, and Christian activists. In addition to dealing with identified enemies, the RSHA advocated expansionist policies for the Reich and the Germanization of additional territory through settlement. "Generalplan Ost" (General Plan East), which was the secret Nazi plan to colonize Central and Eastern Europe exclusively with Germans, displacing inhabitants in the process through genocide and ethnic cleansing in order to obtain sufficient "Lebensraum", stemmed from officials in the RSHA, among other Nazi organizations.


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: In its role as the national and Nazi security service, the RSHA coordinated activities among various agencies with wide-ranging responsibilities within the Reich. According to German historian, Klaus Hildebrand, the RSHA was "particularly concerned with racial matters". Adolf Eichmann stated in 1937 that "the anger of the people expressed in riots [was] the most effective means to rob the Jews of a sense of security". Entry into the Second World War afforded the RSHA the power to act as an intermediary in conquered or occupied territories, which according to Hans Mommsen, lent itself to implementing the extermination of Jewish populations in those places. An order issued by the RSHA on 20 May 1941 to block emigration of any and all Jews attempting to leave Belgium or France as part of the "imminent Final Solution of the Jewish question" demonstrates its complicity for the systematic extermination of Jews. Part of the RSHA's efforts to encourage occupied nations to hand over their Jews included coercing them by assigning Jewish advisory officials. Working with Eichmann's Reich Association of Jews in Germany, they also deliberately deceived Jews still living in Germany and other countries by promising them good living quarters, medical care, and food in Theresienstadt (a concentration camp which was a way station to extermination facilities like Auschwitz) if they turned over their assets to the RSHA through a phony home-purchase plan.


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: The RSHA oversaw the "Einsatzgruppen", death squads that were formed under the direction of Heydrich and operated by the SS. Originally part of the SiPo, in September 1939 the operational control of the "Einsatzgruppen" was taken over by the RSHA. When the units were re-formed prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the men of the "Einsatzgruppen" were recruited from the SD, Gestapo, Kripo, Orpo, and Waffen-SS. The units followed the invasion forces of the German Army into Eastern Europe. Not infrequently, commanders of "Einsatzgruppen" and "Einsatzkommando" sub-units were also desk officers from the main office of the RSHA. Historian Raul Hilberg estimates that between 1941 and 1945 the "Einsatzgruppen", related agencies, and foreign auxiliary troops co-opted by the Nazis, killed more than two million people, including 1.3 million Jews.


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: As early as 1941, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels began to complain that large numbers of Jews had not been transported out of Germany because of their work in the armaments industry. They were protected from deportation as they were considered to be irreplaceable labourers, and many were also married to Aryan Germans. These Jews believed that these factors ensured their safety. But by late 1942, Hitler and the RSHA were ready to rid Berlin of its remaining German Jews. In September 1942, Hitler decided that these labourers would still be protected, but that they were to be sent out of the country. Meanwhile, Auschwitz administrators were lobbying the government to send them more armaments workers, as they had struck a bargain with the arms producer IG Farben to construct a camp specifically for arms development using slave labour. As a result, the RSHA decreed the "Fabrik-Aktion", an initiative to register all Jews working in armaments production. The primary targets of this action were Jews who were married to Aryans.


title: Reich Security Main Office

text: The RSHA planned to remove all German Jews from Berlin in early 1943 (the deadline to deport these Jews was 28 February 1943, according to a diary entry Goebbels wrote in early February). On 27 February 1943, the RSHA sent plainclothes Gestapo officials to arrest intermarried Jews and charge them with various crimes. Around 2,000 intermarried Jewish men were taken to Rosenstrasse 2–4, where they were held. Goebbels complained that many of the arrests had been "thwarted" by industrialists since some 4,000 Jews were expected to be detained. Angry wives—as "Women of German blood"–began protesting against this action in front of the building on Rosenstrasse where the men were being held. On 6 March, all but 25 of the intermarried Jews were released; the 25 still held were sent to Auschwitz. On 8 March, RSHA head Ernst Kaltenbrunner told Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick that the deportations had been limited to Jews who were not intermarried.


title: Master data management

text: Master data management (MDM) is a technology-enabled discipline in which business and information technology work together to ensure the uniformity, accuracy, stewardship, semantic consistency and accountability of the enterprise's official shared master data assets.


title: Master data management

text: Organisations, or groups of organisations, may establish the need for master data management when they hold more than one copy of data about a business entity. Holding more than one copy of this master data inherently means that there is an inefficiency in maintaining a "single version of the truth" across all copies. Unless people, processes and technology are in place to ensure that the data values are kept aligned across all copies, it is almost inevitable that different versions of information about a business entity will be held. This causes inefficiencies in operational data use, and hinders the ability of organisations to report and analyze. At a basic level, master data management seeks to ensure that an organization does not use multiple (potentially inconsistent) versions of the same master data in different parts of its operations, which can occur in large organizations.


title: Master data management

text: Other problems include (for example) issues with the quality of data, consistent classification and identification of data, and data-reconciliation issues. Master data management of disparate data systems requires data transformations as the data extracted from the disparate source data system is transformed and loaded into the master data management hub. To synchronize the disparate source master data, the managed master data extracted from the master data management hub is again transformed and loaded into the disparate source data system as the master data is updated. As with other Extract, Transform, Load-based data movement, these processes are expensive and inefficient to develop and to maintain which greatly reduces the return on investment for the master data management product.


title: Master data management

text: As a result of business unit and product line segmentation, the same business entity (such as Customer, Supplier, Product) will be serviced by different product lines; redundant data will be entered about the business entity in order to process the transaction. The redundancy of business entity data is compounded in the front- to back-office life cycle, where the authoritative single source for the party, account and product data is needed but is often once again redundantly entered or augmented.


title: Master data management

text: A typical example is the scenario of a bank at which a customer has taken out a mortgage and the bank begins to send mortgage solicitations to that customer, ignoring the fact that the person already has a mortgage account relationship with the bank. This happens because the customer information used by the marketing section within the bank lacks integration with the customer information used by the customer services section of the bank. Thus the two groups remain unaware that an existing customer is also considered a sales lead. The process of record linkage is used to associate different records that correspond to the same entity, in this case the same person.


title: Master data management

text: One of the most common reasons some large corporations experience massive issues with master data management is growth through mergers or acquisitions. Any organizations which merge will typically create an entity with duplicate master data (since each likely had at least one master database of its own prior to the merger). Ideally, database administrators resolve this problem through deduplication of the master data as part of the merger. In practice, however, reconciling several master data systems can present difficulties because of the dependencies that existing applications have on the master databases. As a result, more often than not the two systems do not fully merge, but remain separate, with a special reconciliation process defined that ensures consistency between the data stored in the two systems. Over time, however, as further mergers and acquisitions occur, the problem multiplies, more and more master databases appear, and data-reconciliation processes become extremely complex, and consequently unmanageable and unreliable. Because of this trend, one can find organizations with 10, 15, or even as many as 100 separate, poorly integrated master databases, which can cause serious operational problems in the areas of customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, decision support, and regulatory compliance.


title: Master data management

text: Another problem concerns determining the proper degree of detail and normalization to include in the master data schema. For example, in a federated HR environment, the enterprise may focus on storing people data as a current status, adding a few fields to identify date of hire, date of last promotion, etc. However this simplification can introduce business impacting errors into dependent systems for planning and forecasting. The stakeholders of such systems may be forced to build a parallel network of new interfaces to track onboarding of new hires, planned retirements, and divestment, which works against one of the aims of master data management.


title: Master data management

text: Master data management is "enabled" by technology, but is more than the technologies that enable it. An organisation's master data management capability will include also people and process in its definition.


title: Master data management

text: Several roles should be staffed within MDM. Most prominently the Data Owner and the Data Steward. Probably several people would be allocated to each role, each person responsible for a subset of Master Data (e.g. one data owner for employee master data, another for customer master data).


title: Master data management

text: The Data Owner is responsible for the requirements for data quality, data security etc. as well as for compliance with data governance and data management procedures. The Data Owner should also be funding improvement projects in case of deviations from the requirements.


title: Master data management

text: The Data Steward is running the master data management on behalf of the data owner and probably also being an advisor to the Data Owner.


title: Master data management

text: Master data management can be viewed as a "discipline for specialized quality improvement" defined by the policies and procedures put in place by a data governance organization. It has the objective of providing processes for collecting, aggregating, matching, consolidating, quality-assuring, persisting and distributing master data throughout an organization to ensure a common understanding, consistency, accuracy and control, in the ongoing maintenance and application use of that data.


title: Master data management

text: Processes commonly seen in master data management include source identification, data collection, data transformation, normalization, rule administration, error detection and correction, data consolidation, data storage, data distribution, data classification, taxonomy services, item master creation, schema mapping, product codification, data enrichment, hierarchy management, business semantics management and data governance.


title: Master data management

text: A master data management tool can be used to support master data management by removing duplicates, standardizing data (mass maintaining), and incorporating rules to eliminate incorrect data from entering the system in order to create an authoritative source of master data. Master data are the products, accounts and parties for which the business transactions are completed.


title: Master data management

text: Where the technology approach produces a "golden record" or relies on a "source of record" or "system of record", it is common to talk of where the data is "mastered". This is accepted terminology in the information technology industry, but care should be taken, both with specialists and with the wider stakeholder community, to avoid confusing the concept of "master data" with that of "mastering data".


title: Master data management

text: There are a number of models for implementing a technology solution for master data management. These depend on an organisation's core business, its corporate structure and its goals. These include:


title: Master data management

text: This model identifies a single application, database or simpler source (e.g. a spreadsheet) as being the "source of record" (or "system of record" where solely application databases are relied on). The benefit of this model is its conceptual simplicity, but it may not fit with the realities of complex master data distribution in large organisations.


title: Master data management

text: The source of record can be federated, for example by groups of attribute (so that different attributes of a master data entity may have different sources of record) or geographically (so that different parts of an organisation may have different master sources). Federation is only applicable in certain use cases, where there is clear delineation of which subsets of records will be found in which sources.


title: Master data management

text: The source of record model can be applied more widely than simply to master data, for example to reference data.


title: Master data management

text: There are several ways in which master data may be collated and distributed to other systems. This include:


title: Master data management

text: Master data management can suffer in its adoption within a large organization if the "single version of the truth" concept is not affirmed by stakeholders, who believe that their local definition of the master data is necessary. For example, the product hierarchy used to manage inventory may be entirely different from the product hierarchies used to support marketing efforts or pay sales reps. It is above all necessary to identify if different master data is genuinely required. If it is required, then the solution implemented (technology and process) must be able to allow multiple versions of the truth to exist, but will provide simple, transparent ways to reconcile the necessary differences. If it is not required, processes must be adjusted. Without this active management, users that need the alternate versions will simply "go around" the official processes, thus reducing the effectiveness of the company's overall master data management program.


title: Taffy Nivert

text: Mary Catherine "Taffy" Nivert-Danoff (born October 25, 1944) is an American songwriter and singer. She is best known for being a member of the Starland Vocal Band.


title: Taffy Nivert

text: Mary Catherine Nivert was born 25 October 1944 in Washington, D.C. She received her nickname Taffy from her elder brother who, unable to pronounce her middle name as a young child, would call her Mary Tafferine. Nivert began singing along with the radio in high school. She was discovered by a bartender in Georgetown after he heard her singing to a jukebox. The bartender asked if she wanted to join a vocal group, and through this, she met her future husband Bill Danoff.


title: Taffy Nivert

text: Nivert began performing with Danoff as Fat City in the late 1960s. Initially a folk duo, the two later married and recorded four albums, the latter two credited to Bill & Taffy.


title: Taffy Nivert

text: In 1970, while traveling along Clopper Road to Nivert's family reunion in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Danoff began writing what would become "Take Me Home, Country Roads". The couple planned to complete the song and sell it to Johnny Cash. However, when Fat City opened for John Denver at The Cellar Door in December 1970, they decided to show it to him. Denver, who had injured his thumb in a car crash hours before, arrived at Danoff and Nivert's apartment in the early hours of the morning, where the trio finished the song. The next night, they performed the completed song, with Nivert holding the lyric sheet, and it went on to become a hit song for Denver on RCA Victor in early 1971, and included on his album "Poems, Prayers, and Promises", along with "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado," which Danoff and Nivert also wrote. Additionally, Danoff and Nivert sang backup on four of the album's tracks.


title: Taffy Nivert

text: Danoff and Nivert married in 1972. In 1976, the couple paired with Jon Carroll and Margot Chapman to form the Starland Vocal Band. Signed to John Denver's record label Windsong Records, they were most famous for the hit song "Afternoon Delight". The group released several albums before breaking up in 1981. Danoff and Nivert later divorced.


title: Taffy Nivert

text: Until 2011, Nivert lived in the Washington, D.C. area, where she occasionally performed with Danoff and the rest of the Starland Vocal Band. She later settled in Safety Harbor, Florida.


title: Khandoba

text: Khandoba (IAST: Khaṇḍobā), Martanda Bhairava, Malhari, or Malhar is a Hindu deity worshiped as a manifestation of Shiva mainly in the Deccan plateau of India, especially in the state of Maharashtra. He is the most popular Kuladevata (family deity) in Maharashtra. He is also the patron deity of select warrior, farming castes, Dhangar community and Brahmin (priestly) castes as well as several of the hunter/gatherer tribes (Bedar, Naik) that are native to the hills and forests of this region. The sect of Khandoba has linkages with Hindu and Jain traditions, and also assimilates all communities irrespective of caste, including Muslims. The character of Khandoba developed during the 9th and 10th centuries from a folk deity into a composite god possessing the attributes of Shiva, Bhairava, Surya and Kartikeya (Skanda). He is depicted either in the form of a linga, or as an image of a warrior riding on a bull or a horse. The foremost centre of Khandoba worship is the temple of Jejuri in Maharashtra. The legends of Khandoba, found in the text "Malhari Mahatmya" and also narrated in folk songs, revolve around his victory over demons Mani-malla and his marriages.


title: Khandoba

text: The name "Khandoba" comes from the words "khadga" (sword), the weapon used by Khandoba to kill the demons, and "ba" (father). "Khanderaya" means "king Khandoba". Another variant is "Khanderao", where the suffix "rao" (king) is used.


title: Khandoba

text: In Sanskrit texts, Khandoba is known as Martanda Bhairava or Surya, a combination of the solar deity Martanda and Shiva's fierce form Bhairava. The name "Mallari" or "Malhari" is split as "Malla" and "ari" (enemy), thus meaning "enemy of the demon Malla". "Malhari Mahatmya" records Martanda Bhairava, pleased with the bravery of Malla, takes the name "Mallari" (the enemy of Malla). Other variants include Malanna (Mallanna) and Mailara (Mailar).


title: Khandoba

text: Khandoba is sometimes identified with Muneeshwara of Dharmapuri Mallanna of Telangana, MallikarjunaSwamy of Andhrapradesh and Mailara/Mallayya of Karnataka. Other names include Khandu Gavda, Mhalsa-kant ("husband of Mhalsa") and Jejurica Vani.


title: Khandoba

text: In a popular oleograph representation of Khandoba, Mhalsa is seated in front of Khandoba on his white horse. Mhalsa is piercing a demon's chest with a spear, while a dog is biting his thigh and the horse is hitting his head. The other demon is grabbing the reins of the horse and attacking Khandoba with a club as Khandoba is dismounting the horse and attacking the demon with his sword. In other representations, Khandoba is seen seated on a horse with the heads of demons trod under the horse's hooves or their heads under Khandoba's knees.


title: Khandoba

text: In murtis (icons), Khandoba or Mailara is depicted as having four arms, carrying a damaru (drum), Trishula (trident), Bhandara-patra (turmeric powder-filled bowl) and khadga (sword). Khandoba's images are often dressed as a Maratha sardar, or a Muslim pathan. Often, Khandoba is depicted as a warrior seated on horseback with one or both of his wives and accompanied with one or more dogs. He is also worshipped as the aniconic linga, the symbol of Shiva. Often in Khandoba temples, both representations of Khandoba — the aniconic linga and the anthropomorphic horseback form.


title: Khandoba

text: Legends of Khandoba generally tell about the battle between the deity and demons Malla and Mani. The principle written source of the legend is "Malhari Mahatmya" ("Mallari Mahatmya"), which claims to be from the chapter "Kshetra-kanda" of the Sanskrit text Brahmanda Purana, but is not included in standard editions of the Purana. R.C. Dhere and Sontheimer suggests that the Sanskrit Mahatmya was composed around 1460–1510 AD, mostly by a Deshastha Brahmin, to whom Khandoba is the family deity. A version is also available in Marathi by Siddhapal Kesasri (1585). Other sources include the later texts of "Jayadri Mahatmya" and "Martanda Vijaya" by Gangadhara (1821) and the oral stories of the Vaghyas, bards of the god.


title: Khandoba

text: The legend tell of the demon Malla and his younger brother Mani, who had gained the boon of invincibility from Brahma, creating chaos on the earth and harassing the sages. When the seven sages approached Shiva for protection after Indra and Vishnu confessed their incapability, Shiva assumed the form (Avatar) of "Martanda Bhairava", as the Mahatmya calls Khandoba, riding the Nandi bull, leading an army of the gods. Martanda Bhairava is described as shining like the gold and sun, covered in turmeric also known as Haridra, three-eyed, with a crescent moon on his forehead. The demon army was slaughtered by the gods and finally Khandoba killed Malla and Mani. While dying, Mani offers his white horse to Khandoba as an act of repentance and asks for a boon. The boon is that he be present in every shrine of Khandoba, that human-kind is bettered and that he be given an offering of goat flesh. The boon was granted, and thus he was transformed into a demigod. Malla, when asked by the deity if he asked for a boon, asks for the destruction of the world and human-flesh. Angered by the demon's request, Khandoba decapitates him, and his head falls at the temple stairs where it was trampled by the devotees feet. The legend further describes how two Lingas appeared at Prempuri, the place where the demons were killed.


title: Khandoba

text: Oral stories continue the process of "Sanskritization" of Khandoba — his elevation from a folk deity to Shiva, a deity of the classical Hindu pantheon — that was initiated by the texts. Khandoba's wives Mhalsa and Banai are also identified with Shiva's classical Hindu wife, Parvati, and Ganga. Hegadi Pradhan, the minister and brother-in-law of Khandoba and brother of Lingavat Vani Mhalsa, the faithful dog that helps Khandoba kill the demons, the horse given by Mani and the demon brothers are considered avatars of Vishnu, Nandi and the demons Madhu-Kaitabha respectively. Other myth variants narrate that Khandoba defeats a single demon named Manimalla, who offers his white horse, sometimes called Mani, to the god. Other legends depict Mhalsa (or Parvati) and Banai or Banu (or Ganga) as futilely helping Khandoba in the battle to collect the blood of Mani, every drop of which was creating a new demon. Finally, the dog of Khandoba swallows all the blood. Sometimes, Mhalsa, or rarely Banai, is described as seated behind Khandoba on the horse and fighting with a sword or spear.


title: Khandoba

text: The legends portray Khandoba as a king who rules from his fortress of Jejuri and holds court where he distributes gold. Also, king Khandoba goes on hunting expeditions, which often turn into "erotic adventures", and subsequent marriages.


title: Khandoba

text: Khandoba has two wives who are women from different communities, who serve as cultural links between the god and the communities. He has two wives, Mhalsa and Banai (Banu, Banubai) being the most important. While Khandoba's first wife Mhalsa is from the Lingayat merchant (Vani) community, his second wife Banai is a Dhangar (shepherd caste). Mhalsa has had a regular ritualistic marriage with Khandoba. Banai, on the other hand, has a love marriage by capture with the god. Mhalsa is described as jealous and a good cook; Banai is erotic, resolute, but does not even know how to cook. Often folk songs tell of their quarrels. Mhalsa represents "culture" and Banai "nature". The god king Khandoba stands between them.


title: Khandoba

text: Mhalsa is believed to be a combined avatar of Parvati. Mhalsa was born as the daughter of a rich merchant in Newase called Tirmarsheth. On the divine orders of Khandoba in a dream to Tirmarsheth, she was married to Khandoba on Pausha Pournima (the full moon day of Hindu calendar month of Paush) in Pali (Pembar). Two shivlingas appeared on this occasion. An annual festival marking this event is celebrated in Pali every Paush Pournima.


title: Khandoba

text: Banai is believed to be the daughter of Brahma, the creator, incarnation of Goddess Ganga. Banai was found by Dhangar shepherd. When Banai grew up, it was predicted that she would get her match at Jejuri. There, she fell in love with the god Khandoba. Khandoba also fell in love with her. Khandoba accepted a self-exile for 12 years by intentionally losing a game of chess (Saripat) to his wife Mhalsa. He took disguise as a shepherd and started serving Banai's father. One day, Khandoba killed all the sheep and goats of Banai's father and promised to make them alive again if he was married to Banai. The reluctant Banai was married to Khandoba, the shepherd in disguise at Naldurg. Khandoba revealed his real form to Banai on their way back to Jejuri.


title: Khandoba

text: On reaching Jejuri, Khandoba was greeted by Mhalsa's fury and her strong protest of his second marriage. To avoid the quarrels of his wives, Khandoba gave the upper half of the hill to Mhalsa and the lower half to Banai. The idol of Mhalsa is placed with Khandoba in the main shrine at top of the hill at Jejuri. A separate shrine to Banai is situated halfway down the hill.


title: Khandoba

text: Khandoba's third wife, Rambhai Shimpin, is a tailor woman who was a heavenly nymph or "devangana" and is sometimes identified with Banai. She is a prototype of the Muralis — the girls "married" to Khandoba. Rambhai is worshipped as a goddess whom Khandoba visits after his hunt. She is also localised, being said to come from the village from Belsare, near Jejuri. The fourth wife Phulai Malin, from the gardener or Mali caste, She was a particular Murali and is thus a deified devotee of Khandoba. She is visited by him at "Davna Mal" (field of southernwood, a herb said to be dear to Khandoba). The fifth wife, Candai Bhagavin, is a Telin, a member of the oilpresser caste. She is recognised as a Muslim by the Muslims. Apart from these, Muralis — girls offered to Khandoba — are considered as wives or concubines of the god.


title: Khandoba

text: Mallana (Mallikaarjuna) of Andhra Pradesh and Mailara of Karnataka are sometimes identified with Khandoba (Mallari, Malhari, Mairala). Khandoba is also associated with Bhairava, who is connected with Brāhmanahatya (murder of a Brahmin). Devotees emphasize that Khandoba is a full avatar of Shiva, and not a partial avatar like Bhairava or Virabhadra. He accepts the attributes of the demon king — his horse, weapons and royal insignia.


title: Khandoba

text: Sontheimer stresses the association of Khandoba with clay and termite mounds. Oral legends tell of Khandoba's "murti"s being found in termite mounds or "made of earth". According to Sontheimer, Martanda Bhairava (Khandoba) is a combination of the sun god Surya and Shiva, who is associated with the moon. Martanda ("blazing orb") is a name of Surya, while Bhairava is a form of Shiva. Sundays, gold and turmeric, which are culturally associated with the sun, form an important part of the rituals of Khandoba. Sontheimer associates the worship of the Sun as termite mounds for fertility and his role as a healer to Khandoba's role as granter of fertility in marriages and to the healing powers of turmeric, which the latter holds.


title: Khandoba

text: Another theory identifies Kartikeya (Skanda) with Khandoba. The hypotheses of the theory rests upon the similarities between Skanda and Khandoba, namely their association with mountains and war, similarity of their names and weapons (the lance of Skanda and the sword of Khandoba) and both having two principal wives. Also the festivals for both deities, Champa Sashthi and Skanda Sashthi respectively for Khandoba and Skanda fall on the same day. Other symbols associated with Khandoba are the dog and horse.


title: Khandoba

text: Though Shiva is worshipped across Maharashtra in his original form, some Maharashtrian communities prefer to worship him in form of his avatars, Khandoba being the most popular. He is the most popular Kuladevata (family deity) in Maharashtra. One of the most widely worshipped gods of the Deccan plateau, Khandoba is considered as "the premier god of "Sakama bhakti" (wish-granting devotion) and one of the most powerful deities responsive to vows ("navas")". He is worshipped by the vast majority of Marathi Hindu people from all strata of that society. He is the patron deity of warrior, farming, herding as well as some Brahmin (priest) castes, the hunters and gatherers of the hills and forests, merchants and kings. The cult of Khandoba in the Deccan principally consists of peasant classes Marathas and Kunabis, shepherd Dhangars, village guards and watchmen Ramoshis — a "Denotified tribe", the former "untouchable" Mahars and Mangs, fisher-folk Kolis, "balutedar" castes like gardeners ("Mali") and tailors ("Shimpi"), though it also includes of a few Brahmins and even some Muslims. Although Brahmin presence is nominal in his sect, Deshastha Brahmins, as well as the Kokanastha Brahmins - in Nashik and Satara - do worship Khandoba, some imitating the Deshastha Brahmins. The Deshastha Brahmins, Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus, as well as the royal families like Gaikwads and Holkars worship Khandoba as their Kuladevata. He is also worshipped by Jains and Lingayats. He is viewed as a "king" of his followers.


title: Khandoba

text: Khandoba is believed to be a "kadak" (fierce) deity, who causes troubles if not propitiated properly as per the family duties. Khandoba is worshipped with Turmeric ("Bhandār"), Bel fruit-leaves, onions and other vegetables. The deity is offered "puran poli" – a sweet or a simpler dish called "bharit rodga" of onion and brinjal. Mostly a vegetarian "naivedya" (offering of food) is offered to Khandoba in the temples, although he is regarded by his devotees as a non-vegetarian. Goat flesh is also offered to the deity, although this is done outside the temple as meat is forbidden inside the temple.


title: Khandoba

text: An important part of the Khandoba-sect is "navas", a vow to perform service to the god in return for a boon of good harvest, male child, financial success etc. On fulfilment of the "navas", Khandoba was offered children or some devotees would afflict pain by hook-swinging or fire-walking. This type of worship using "navas" is called "Sakama Bhakti" – worship done with an expectation of return and is considered "to be of a lower esteem". But the most faithful "bhakta"s (devotees) are considered to be greedy only for the company of their Lord, Khandoba is also called "bhukela" – hungry for such true "bhakta"s in Martanda Vijaya.


title: Khandoba

text: Boys called "Vāghyā" (or "Waghya", literally "tigers") and girls called "Muraḹi" were formerly dedicated to Khandoba, but now the practice of marrying girls to Khandoba is illegal. The Vaghyas act as the bards of Khandoba and identify themselves with the dogs of Khandoba, while Muralis act as his courtesans ("devangana"s — nymphs or devadasis). The Vaghyas and their female counterparts Muralis sing and dance in honour of Khandoba and narrate his stories on "jagaran"s — all night song-festivals, which are sometimes held after "navas" fulfilment. Another custom was ritual-suicide by "Vira"s (heroes) in the cult. According to legend, an "untouchable" Mang (Matanga) sacrificed himself for the foundation of the temple at Jejuri to persuade Khandoba to stay at Jejuri forever. Other practices in the cult include the belief that Khandoba possesses the body of a Vaghya or "devrsi" (shaman). Another ritual in the cult is an act of chain-breaking in fulfilment of a vow or an annual family rite; the chain is identified with the snake around Shiva's neck, which was cut by the demons in the fight. Another rite associated with the family duties to please Khandoba is the "tali bharne", which is to be performed every full moon day. A "tali" (dish) is filled with coconuts, fruits, betel nuts, saffron, turmeric ("Bhandar") and Bel leaves. Then, a coconut is placed on a pot filled with water and the pot is worshipped as an embodiment of Khandoba. Then, five persons lift the "tali", place it repeatedly on the pot thrice, saying "Elkot" or "Khande rayaca Elkot". Then the coconut in the "tali" is broken and mixed with sugar or jaggery and given to friends and relatives. A "gondhal" is performed along with the "tali bharne". A "gondhal" is a ritualistic folk art in which the performer "Gondhali"s invoke the deities.


title: Khandoba

text: Khandoba is considered as the giver of fertility. Maharashtrian Hindu couples are expected to visit a Khandoba temple to obtain Khandoba's blessing on consummation of marriage. Traditional Maharashtrian families also organize a "jagaran" as part of the marriage ceremony, inviting the god to the marriage. Copper figurines of Khandoba riding on a horse (sometimes with Mhalsa) are worshipped by devotees on a daily basis in the household shrine.


title: Khandoba

text: The Sanskrit "Malhari Mahatmya" suggests offerings of incense, lights, betel and animals to Khandoba. The Marathi version mentions offerings of meat and the worship by "chedapatadi" – "causing themselves to be cut", hook-swinging and self-mortification by "vira"s. Marathi version calls this form of bhakti (devotion) as "ugra" (violent, demonic) "bhakti". "Martanda vijaya" narrates about "Rakshashi bhakti" (demonic worship) by animal sacrifice and self — torture. Possession by Khandoba, in form of a wind, is lower demonic worship ("pishachi worship"). Sattvic worship, the purest form of worship, is believed to be feeding Khandoba in form of a Brahmin.


title: Khandoba

text: Khandoba is also a figure of respect and worship to Muslims, and this affiliation is visible in the style of his temples. He is called "Mallu" or "Ajmat Khan (Rautray)" by Muslim devotees, and is many times portrayed as being a Muslim himself in this context. The latter is believed to conferred upon by the Mughal invader king Aurangzeb, who was forced to flee from Jejuri by Khandoba's power. Some of these distinguishing Muslim features include his usual appearance as that of a Paṭhān on horseback, one of his wives being a Muslim, and that his horse-keeper is a Muslim in Jejuri. The Mārtaṇḍa Vijaya expressly states that his devotees are mainly Muslims. The worship of Khandoba had received royal patronage by Ibrahim II, which consisted of the reinstatement of the annual jatra and the right of pilgrims to perform rituals at the Naldurg temple. "Malhari Mahatmya" even records Muslims ("mleccha") as the god's bhaktas (devotees), who call him as "Malluka Pathan" or "Mallu Khan". In Jejuri, a Muslim family traditionally looks after the horses of the god.


title: Khandoba

text: There are over 600 temples dedicated to Khandoba in the Deccan. His temples stretch from Nasik, Maharashtra in the north to Davangere, Karnataka in the south, Konkan, Maharashtra in the west to western Andhra Pradesh in the east. The eleven principal centres of worship of Khandoba or "jagrut kshetras", where the deity is to be called awake or "jagrut", are recognized; six of them in Maharashtra and the rest in northern Karnataka. Khandoba's temples resemble forts, the capital of his kingdom being Jejuri. The priests here are Guravs, not Brahmins. His most important temples are:


title: Khandoba

text: A six-day festival, from the first to sixth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Margashirsha, in honour of Khandoba is celebrated at Jejuri, to commemorate the fight with demons Mani-Malla. On the sixth day (Champa-Shashthi), Khandoba is believed to have slew the demons. A "jatra" (temple festival and fair) is held in Pember on Champa-shasthi, and the festival continues until the day of the new moon. Another festival Somvati Amavasya, which is a new-moon day that falls on a Monday, is celebrated in Jejuri. A "palakhi" (palanquin) procession of Khandoba and Mhalsa's images is carried from the Gad-kot temple to the Karha river, where the images are ritually bathed.


title: Khandoba

text: Deshasth Brahmans and Marathas also observe the annual Champa-Shashthi festival. The images of Khandoba and Malla are cleaned and worshipped. For six days, a fast is observed. On the seventh day, the devotees break their fast by a feast known as "Champasashtliiche parne". An invitation to this feast is regarded as an invitation from Khandoba himself and is harder to refuse.


title: Khandoba

text: In Pali-Pember, the ritual of the marriage of Khandoba with Mhalsa is annually performed. Turmeric is offered to the deities. Two festivals are celebrated in honour of Mailara, as Khandoba is known in Karnataka. These are the Dasara festival at Devaragudda, and an eleven-day festival in Magha month (February–March) in Mailar, Bellary district. Both festivals have enactments of the battle between Mailar and the demons Mani-Malla. Chaitra Purnima (full-moon day) is also considered auspicious. In general, Sundays, associated with the sun-god, are considered as considered auspicious for Khandoba worship.


title: Khandoba

text: The sect of Khandoba, a folk religion, reflects the effect of Vedic Rudra, the Puranic Shiva worshipped as Linga in Brahmanical religion and Nath and Lingayat sects. Khandoba may be a product of the Vedic Rudra, who like Khandoba was associated with robbers, horses and dogs. Sayana traces the name "Malhari" to Taittiriya Samhita, Malhari is explained as enemy (ari) of Malha (Prajapati) – an epithet of Rudra, who is considered a rival to deity Prajapati. According to Stanley, Khandoba originated as a mountain-top god, solar deity and a regional guardian and then assimilated into himself gods of various regions and communities. According to Stanley, Khandoba inherits traits from both the sun-god Surya as well as Shiva, who is identified with the moon. Stanley describes Khandoba as "a moon god, who has become a sun god", emphasizing on how the moon imagery of Shiva transforms into the solar iconography of Khandoba in the "Malhari Mahatmya".


title: Khandoba

text: As per R. C. Dhere, two stone inscriptions in 1063 C.E. and 1148 C.E mentioning the folk deities Mailara and his consort Malavva which suggests that Mailara gained popularity in Karnataka in this period. Soon, royals of this region started erecting temples to this folk deity, upsetting the elite class of established religion who vilified Mailara. Initially exalted by an incarnation of Shiva, Mailara was denounced by Basava, the founder of the Shiva-worshipping Lingayat sect – who would later promote the deity. Chakradhar Swami (c.1270, founder of Mahanubhava sect), Vidyaranyaswami, Sheikh Muhammad also criticized the god. The Varkari poet-saint Eknath also wrote "disparagingly" about Khandoba's cult worship, but after him, the "open" criticism of Khandoba stopped, but the "barbaric" practices of his cult were still targeted.


title: Khandoba

text: Sontheimer suggests that Khandoba was primarily a god of herdsmen, and that the cult of Khandoba is at least older than 12th century, which can be determined by references in Jain and Lingayat texts and inscriptions. A 12th-century Jain author Brahmashiva claims that a Jain, who died in battle after a display of his valour, was later named as Mailara. By the 13th century, wide worship of Malhari or Mailara is observed by kings, Brahmins, simple folk and warriors. With the rise of the Muslim empire, classical Hindu temples fell into ruin, giving rise to the folk religion such as of Khandoba. A remark of Chakradhara mentioned in his biography Lilacharitra is, 'by the end of the Kali Yuga, temples of Vishnu and Shiva will be destroyed, but those of Mairala will stay'. A 1369 AD inscription at Inavolu near Warangal tells an account of Mallari different from Malhari Mahatmya — Shiva helped the epic hero Arjuna kill the demon Malla, thus acquiring the title of Mallari. Mailara was the family deity of the Kakatiya dynasty (1083–1323 AD); a text from their rule records the self-torture rituals of Mailara-devotees and describes the deity. Throughout his development, Mailara is looked upon as a lower manifestation of Ishvara (God) by Lingayat and Maharashtrian bhakti saints.


title: Khandoba

text: By the 18th century, Khandoba had become the clan deity of the Maratha Empire. In 1752, the Maratha dowager queen Tarabai chose Khandoba's Jejuri temple to seal her pact with the Peshwa ruler, Balaji Bajirao, in the deity's presence.


title: Khandoba

text: Malhari Mahatmya states that Khandoba first appeared on Champashasti, which was a Sunday, at Premapur, which identified as Pember (Adimailar, Mailarapur) near Bidar. Marathi traditions tell that Khandoba came originally from Premapuri, now Pember in Karnataka, then went to Naldurg, Pali and finally to Jejuri. Sontheimer suggests that the cult of Mailara may have originated in Pember and then spread to Maharashtra, merging with the cult of Khandaka — the patron yaksha (demi-god) of Paithan giving it its distinct Maharashtrain characteristics. Maharashtrains call the god – "Kanadya Khanderaya", the god from Karnataka. The cult possibly was spread by Lingayat, Jain and other merchants, associated with Mailara-Khandoba, to other parts of the Deccan. Besides Mailara, Khandoba is identified with other deities of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and is called as Mallanna, Mairala, and Mallu Khan. Other traditions like Shakta sects of folk goddesses were assimilated into the Khandoba sect, identifying the goddesses with Khandoba's wives Mhalsa or Banai.


title: Khandoba

text: Marathi literature has a mixed reaction to the sect of Khandoba. Naranjanamadhva (1790) in stotra (hymn) dedicated to Khandoba calls him "an illustrious king with rich clothes and a horse with a saddle studded with jewels", who was once "an ascetic beggar who ride an old bull and carried an ant-bitten club (khatvanga)" – a humorous take on the Puranic Shiva. In another instance (1855), he is called a ghost by a Christian missionary and Koknastha Brahmin in a debate against Deshastha Brahmin. Another Brahmin remarks with scorn about the impurity of the Khandoba temple, visited by Shudras and whose priests are non-Brahmin Guravs. The Marathi term "khel-khandoba", which is taken to mean "devastation" in general usage, refers to the possession of devotee by the god in his sect.


title: Candice Renoir

text: Candice Renoir is a French crime television series created by Solen Roy-Pagenault, Robin Barataud and Brigitte Peskine and is aired since 19 April 2013 on France 2.


title: Candice Renoir

text: Candice Renoir is a mother of four children. She has taken a ten-year leave of absence from her job as a police detective in Paris and has spent this time as a stay-at-home mom, traveling with the family for her husband's jobs in, among others, the United States, Mexico and Singapore. After her marriage fails due to her husband's infidelity, Candice resumes her job as an investigator. She has called in favors and has landed the job of chief of the small BSU (Urban Security Brigade ("Brigade de Sûreté Urbaine"), criminal investigations division) of the Police Commissariat in Sète (Hérault), a Mediterranean seaside resort suburb of Montpellier. From the moment she arrives at the Police in Sète she is at odds with the local chief of police Commissary Yasmine Attia, as Candice's appointment was forced from the Police HQ in Paris, but also with Police Captain Dumas. Attia had promised Dumas the position of chief of the BSU and he acted in this assignment for a month, before Major Renoir's arrival sidelined him, relegating Dumas back to deputy, much to the frustration of the rest of the team. Renoir's ten-year career gap has left some gaps in her knowledge of more recent police procedures, which initially lands her in trouble. In addition her bubbly personality and soft, at times motherly behavior, unconventional for a criminal police detective, makes her subordinates call her 'Barbie doll' behind her back, but her unique approach brings results and quickly earns her their respect.


title: Candice Renoir

text: Some officer ranks of the French National Police are styled after the French Army, but are unrelated as the employees are civil servants. To underline the difference these are sometimes translated into English as Police Major, Police Captain, Police Lieutenant (or alternatively Major of Police, Captain of Police, Lieutenant of Police) etc.


title: Candice Renoir

text: In 2020 Polish commercial television channel Polsat started production of their own version of "Candice Renoir" called "Komisarz Mama".


title: Religion and alcohol

text: The world's religions have had differing relationships with alcohol. Many religions forbid alcoholic consumption or see it as sinful or negative. Others have allocated a specific place for it, such as in the Christian practice of using wine during the Eucharist rite.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith forbids the consumption of alcohol and other drugs unless prescribed by a physician. Intoxicants take away reason, interfere with making moral decisions, and harm the mind and body. Baháʼís are also encouraged to avoid jobs related to the production or sale of alcohol and are forbidden from involvement in the drug trade. Those addicted to alcohol or other drugs should seek medical assistance from doctors and/or support from organizations dedicated to curing addiction.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Christian views on alcohol are varied. Throughout the first 1,800 years of Church history, Christians generally consumed alcoholic beverages as a common part of everyday life and used "the fruit of the vine" in their central rite—the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. They held that both the Bible and Christian tradition taught that alcohol is a gift from God that makes life more joyous, but that over-indulgence leading to drunkenness is sinful or at least a vice.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In the mid-19th century, some Protestant Christians moved from a position of allowing moderate use of alcohol (sometimes called "moderationism") to either deciding that not imbibing was wisest in the present circumstances ("abstentionism") or prohibiting all ordinary consumption of alcohol because it was believed to be a sin ("prohibitionism"). Many Protestant churches, particularly Methodists and other Evangelical groups, advocate for abstentionism and prohibitionism, being early leaders in the temperance movement of the 19th and 20th centuries; the Book of Discipline of the Evangelical Methodist Church Conference, for example, teaches:


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Churches in the Methodist tradition (inclusive of those aligned with the holiness movement) require that "pure, unfermented juice of the grape" be used in the sacrament of Holy Communion.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Today, these positions exist in Christianity, but the position of moderationism remains the most common worldwide, due to the adherence by the largest bodies of Christians, namely Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Anglicanism.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In the Catholic Church, the Eucharistic wine becomes the Blood of Jesus Christ through transubstantiation. In Lutheran theology, the blood of Christ is in, with and under the sacramental wine (cf. sacramental union). The Plymouth Brethren teach that the wine is a symbol of the blood of Christ. Monastic communities like Trappists have brewed beer and made wine.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Hinduism does not have a central authority which is followed by all Hindus, though religious texts forbid the use or consumption of alcohol. In Śruti texts such as Vedas and Upanishads which are the most authoritative texts in Hinduism and considered apauruṣeya, which means "not of a man, superhuman", all alcoholic drinks or intoxication are considered as a recipe of sinfulness, weakness, failure and destruction in several verses:


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In Smriti texts which are considered less authoritative than Sruti, the verses contradict each other.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In Adi Shankara's Shankara Bhashya and Ramanuja's Sri Bhasya on Brahma Sutras, they quote Kathaka Samhita against drinking alcohol.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Observant Buddhists typically avoid consuming alcohol (, referring to types of intoxicating fermented beverages), as it violates the 5th of the Five Precepts, the basic Buddhist code of ethics and can disrupt mindfulness and impede one's progress in the Noble Eightfold Path.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In Jainism alcohol consumption of any kind is not allowed, neither are there any exceptions like occasional or social drinking. The most important reason against alcohol consumption is the effect of alcohol on the mind and soul. In Jainism, any action or reaction that alter or impacts the mind is violence (himsa) towards own self, which is a five-sense human being. Violence to other five sense beings or to own self is violence. Jains do not consume fermented foods (beer, wine and other alcohols) to avoid killing of a large number of microorganisms associated with the fermenting process.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In the Quran, "khamr", meaning "wine", is variably referenced as an incentive from Satan, as well as a cautionary note against its adverse effect on human attitude in several verses:


title: Religion and alcohol

text: At the beginning of Islam, even during the first battles, Muslims possibly drank alcohol. The prohibition of alcohol came many years after Muhammad had started his mission.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: This is documented in the Sunni Hadiths (the sayings and traditions of Muhammad). Jābir ibn Abd Allah (جابِر بن عَبْد الله) narrated: "Some people drank alcoholic beverages in the morning [of the day] of the ’Uhud battle and on the same day they were killed as martyrs, and that was before wine was prohibited." ’Anas ibn Mālik (أَنَس بن مالِك) narrated that the people said: "...some people [Muslims] were killed in the Battle of ’Uhud while wine was in their stomachs.' [...] So Allah revealed: 'There is not upon those who believe and do righteousness [any] blame concerning what they have eaten [in the past] if they [now] fear Allah and believe and do righteous deeds...'" [sura 5:93]


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Some scholars and writers, for example Gerald Drissner, suggested that the fact that the Muslims were sober (and their enemies possibly drunk) led to an advantage in battles. This could have been the reason why the Muslims - although most of the time outnumbered - were advancing so quickly and defeated the enemy (Meccans) with relative ease.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Judaism relates to consumption of alcohol, particularly of wine, in a complex manner. Wine is viewed as a substance of import and it is incorporated in religious ceremonies, and the general consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted, however inebriation (drunkenness) is discouraged.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: This compound approach to wine can be viewed in the verse in Psalms 104:15, "Wine gladdens human hearts," countered by the verses in Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is riotous; and whoever stumbles in it is not wise," and Proverbs 23:20, "Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat."


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Wine is a beverage of significance and import, utilized in ceremonies, for example, celebrating Abraham's military victory and successful liberation of Lot, festive meals, and the libations comprising the sacrificial service.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In Gen. 9:20-27, Noah becomes intoxicated from his wine on exiting the ark and lies unclothed in his tent where his youngest son, Ham, discovers Noah asleep, and "views his (Noah's) nakedness." Noah becomes aware of this the following day and curses Ham's son Canaan. In Gen. 19:31-37, in the aftermath of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot became inebriated on wine and had sexual intercourse with his two daughters. Moab (the father of the biblical nation by the same name) and Ben-Ammi (the father of the nation of Ammon) were born to Lot of this incest with his daughters. Religious service in the Temple must be void of consumption of alcohol or wine, as the priests are admonished, "Do not drink wine nor strong drink... when you enter the tabernacle of the congregation, lest you die."


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Halakha (Jewish law) mandates the use of wine in various religious ceremonies (such as sanctifying the Sabbath and festivals with wine at their start and conclusion, and at circumcision and at marriage ceremonies). The beverage required as "wine" by Jewish law generally permits the use of a non-alcoholic grape extraction (grape juice) for all ceremonies requiring wine .


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Excessive consumption and drunkenness, however are discouraged. According to the thirteenth century Orchot Chaim, as quoted in Beit Yosef "inebriation is entirely prohibited and there is no greater sin than drunkenness" and it is "the cause of many sins".


title: Religion and alcohol

text: A Nazirite voluntarily takes a vow to abstain from grapes or any of their byproducts (including wine), he refrains cutting the hair on his head, and he may not become ritually impure by contact with corpses or graves. While one motivation for becoming a Nazirite may be a reaction to "risky behaviors" associated with alcohol use disorder (Tractate Sotah, BT 2a), the term of the vow of the Nazirite is ordinarily a fixed term, with grapes and wine again permitted at the end of the term.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Anecdotal evidence supports that Jewish communities, on the whole, view alcoholic consumption more negatively than Protestant Christian groups. The small sample of Jews viewed alcohol as destructive while a sample of Protestants referred to it as "relaxing". The proliferation of "kiddush clubs" in some synagogues, and the institutional backlash to that proliferation, however, may provide an indication of growing awareness of alcohol use disorder issues in Jewish communities. A number of specifically Jewish non-profit addiction rehabilitation and education programs, such as the Chabad Residential Treatment Center in Los Angeles and Retorno in Israel, provide treatment for alcohol use disorder (and other substance use disorders) within a specifically Jewish framework for recovery. The non-profit Jewish institutions are supplemented by for-profit rehab centers with a Jewish focus.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: Sake is often consumed as part of Shinto purification rituals. Sakes served to gods as offerings prior to drinking are called Omiki . People drink Omiki with gods to communicate with them and to solicit rich harvests the following year.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In the Vodou faith of Haiti, alcoholic drinks such as rum are consumed to be able to allow spirits called "lwa" to enter one's body and help them find the motivation for or strength to survive everyday struggles or life.


title: Religion and alcohol

text: In Ancient Egyptian religion, beer and wine were drunk and offered to the gods in rituals and festivals. Beer and wine were also stored with the mummified dead in Egyptian burials. Other ancient religious practices like Chinese ancestor worship, Sumerian and Babylonian religion used alcohol as offerings to gods and to the deceased. The Mesopotamian cultures had various wine gods and a Chinese imperial edict (c. 1,116 B.C.) states that drinking alcohol in moderation is prescribed by Heaven.