The British effectively got rid of dynasties in India and India was headed towards being a true democracy with elected officials. India is the largest democracy in the world. India has the biggest number of people with franchise rights and the largest number of political parties, which take part in election campaign. Though the British soon got rid of the dynasty, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a new dynasty came alive in India. A dynasty with such chosen few that even a great soul cannot break into its ranks.

We define dynasty politics as the growing practice of close relatives or family members of established politicians stepping into the political arena and making a mockery of democracy. The number of relatives attached to the politicians reminds me of Bollywood where the son or daughter turns out as an actor and talent is given least preference. Talent takes the back seat and bias rules.

India is a fast growing political dynasty, whether it is the Gandhis, Karunanidhis or the Scindias. All you got to possess is a big and famous name and then even with no prior experience in governance or an age to match you can aspire to be the one calling the shots in a political party. But the question is what gives rise to dynasty politics in India. The political dynasties are perpetuated because voters vote them in and the party members elevate them to great heights.

Voters are now not able to distinguish between the party and the family name where individual merit is not considered important. The family name has now become synonymous with the party like the Gandhis associated with Congress or the Karunanidhi family associated with the DMK. Dynasty politics is an indicator of weak political systems, where politics is dominated by individuals rather than strong political institutions. We may lift our eyebrows thinking how by birth a person can be a successful politician. The only qualification you need to have is “Is your father, mother or relative a politician?” if the answer is yes, then you are the right candidate.

The fact remains that dynasty politics is an irony considering that India is the world’s largest democracy. Family members of politicians often get a good response among the public. The independent political members or the individual candidate fail to reach the audience as they get pushed away by dynasty politicians. Many a times they fail as the campaign and the press coverage associated with the party campaign demands money which they lack to gather.

The myriad stars in the cosmic sky have great significance in human life. They existed even before the origin of human race. The great astrological scholars have thrown light on the impact of stars in human life. Even the great scholars in astrology couldn’t close their eyes to the significance of stars and planets on Earth and the Human race and thus originated the era of astrology.
Astrology is the study of the Sun, the Moon and the planets of the solar system and how they influence the character and personality of a person. Astrology developed as an outcome when it bowed as a branch of astrophysics. The belief in a connection between the cosmos and terrestrial matters flourished astrology. Astrology is a science which has greater influence on both western and eastern cultures.
Astrology is believed to have its origin in Babylon. Babylon was the first organized system for astrology. Later astrology spread to countries like Syria and Greece. Thereafter man began to worship the forces of nature and the stars showered the light. The accurate calculation of trajectory of stars and planet calculated by our ancestors laid the foundation for astrology. The Holy Bible reveals the legend of the Kings who set out to see Jesus, identifying the direction by looking at the star.
The main traditions used by modern astrologers are Hindu Astrology, Western astrology, and Chinese astrology. In many countries, astrology was influenced by their culture and tradition. The Aryans and the Dravidans became the Godfathers of Indian Astrology and they moulded the Indian astrology according to Hindu mythology, influenced by the concept of the thirty three crore deities. Natural calamities were considered as the anger of various Deities. They regarded cyclones as the anger of God “Vaayu”, lightening as the arrogance of God Indra and flood as the tears of God Varuna. They clasped the stars to predict the natural calamities. The 27 stars and the 9 planets laid the foundation for structuring the Indian Astrology. Later they transferred their astrological doctrine to their successors as Sanskrit slogans and numerical.
Several innovations have occurred in contemporary astrological practice. In the past, astrologers often relied on close observation of celestial objects and the charting of their movements but no the modern astrologers use data provided by astronomers which are transformed to a set of astrological tables called ephemerides, showing the changing zodiacal positions of the heavenly bodies through time.

Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. Traditionally attributed to Sage Bharata, it was written during the period between 200 BC and 200 AD in classical India.

Natya Shastra is an encyclopedic work written in Sanskrit. It has 37 chapters dealing with various topics that are necessary for the production and presentation of drama before the spectators. The text consists of 6, 000 sutras or verse stanzas and the passages are composed in prose form.

Natya Shastra has influenced music, classical Indian dance and literature. It covers stage design, music, dance, makeup and every other aspect of stagecraft. It is very important to the history of Indian classical music because it is the only text which gives details about music and instruments of that period.

Sage Bharata describes fifteen types of drama ranging from one to ten acts. The principles for stage design are laid down in some detail. Individual chapters deal with aspects such as makeup, costume, acting, directing, etc. A large section deals with meanings conveyed by the bhavas and rasas. Natya Shastra ranges from issues of literary construction, to the structure of the stage or mandapa, to a detailed analysis of musical scales and movements, to an analysis of dance forms that considers several categories of body movements, and their impacts on the viewer.

It describes four kinds of Abhinaya or histrionics. They are described as Angika – motion of body part, Vachika- speech, Aharya – costumes and makeup and Sattvika – which describe internal emotions which are expressed through minute movements of the lips, eyebrows, and ear.
Natya Shastra is considered as an important text in fine arts from centuries and is also sometimes referred to as the Fifth Veda.

The Academy Awards are accolades by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. It is the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. It is also the oldest award ceremony in the media, and its equivalents, the Grammy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences itself was conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio boss Louis B. Mayer. Although there are seven other types of awards presented by the Academy the best-known one is the Academy Award of Merit, popularly known as the Oscar statue. It is made of gold plated britannium on a black metal base depicting a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes.

The first Academy Award was held on May 16, 1929, which was hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. de Mille. The first awards were presented at a private brunch at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 26 people. Winners had been announced three months earlier of their triumph for the first Academy Award. This system of declaring the winner was changed for the second Academy Award and the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11pm on the Academy Award night, which was then followed for more than a decade. Later it was modified and a sealed envelope was used to reveal the name of the winners since 1941.

The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings, for his performance in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. The honored professionals were awarded for all the work done in a certain category for the qualifying period. . Since the fourth ceremony, the system changed, and the professionals were honored for a specific performance in a single film. As of the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony held in 2010, 2,789 Oscars have been given for 1,825 categories. Till date, 302 actors have won Oscars in competitive acting categories or been awarded Honorary or Juvenile Awards.

As the coin has two facets, the British colonialism in India also had both positive and negative facet. The British government ruled India for more than two centuries. It started with the White Man’s Burden, the responsibility of the cultured white race to civilize the uncivilized black race. White Man’s Burden is the term used by the imperialist to justify their noble policies.
The British came to India in the beginning of seventeenth century. They came as mere traders. Slowly they broke the monopoly of the Dutch on spice trade by establishing the East India Company. The East India flourished and the British grew powerful administrators of the country. During their reign they brought many changes in education, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transport, communication and the political system.
The industrial revolution was a major turning point in human history. The Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th century marked major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions
During the reign of the British government they brought changes in the political system in the country. India was brought under a single administration and later these developments brought by laid the foundation for the present political administration in India. During the British Raj, education which was considered as the privilege of high caste society was offered to all without any bias.
The British has contributed a lot for the development of India. They built roads and railway roads which made it easier to travel across India. About thirty million acres of land was brought under cultivation. The English also built many institutions in India and laid the foundation for a productive government.

Rasa denotes an essential mental state and is the dominant emotional theme of a work of art or the primary feeling that is evoked in the person that views, reads or hears such a work. The concept of rasas is an outstanding contribution of Indian culture to the world of art and literature. India introduced this idea of Navarasa before the world and that made great influence on all most all forms of classical arts in Indian culture. Generally, the rasas are of nine types and they are collectively called Navarasa. Bharata Muni proposed Navarasa (nine emotions) in his treatise Natyasasthra. According to Natyashasthra, nine emotions arise in human beings as a response to the situations they are facing. Each rasa, according to Natyashasthra, has a presiding deity and a specific color.

These nine emotions are Shringara (Love), Bhaynaka (terror), Hasya (Laughter), Karuna (Kind-heartedness and compassion), Roudra (Anger), Veera (Courage), Bheebhatsya (Disgust), Adbutha (Surprise), and Shantha (Peace or Tranquility). Each of these nine emotions is the resultant of each Bhava, the gestures and facial expressions of the actors. Natyasasthra identifies each Rasa with the corresponding Bhava or mood. The Natyasastra vividly describe these bhavas to create each rasa.

In Natyasasthra, all these nine emotions have been connected with colors that signify all emotions or rasas. The Aura of a frightened person is black, and the aura of an angry person is red. The nine colors that signifies each emotions are Green (Shringara), White (Hasya), Grey (Karuna), Red (Roudra), Orange (Veera), Black (Bhayanaka), Blue (Bheebhatsya), Yellow (Adbutha) and White (Shantha).

The Indian gooseberry is one of the precious gifts of nature to man. Indian gooseberry popularly known as Amla is mainly found in India. The fruit is rich in Vitamin C and is considered as the best source of Vitamin C. All the parts of the amla plant are used for preparing Ayurvedic medicine including the fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers.
According to Ayurveda, amla fruit is sour and astringent in taste, with sweet, bitter and pungent secondary tastes. It may be used as a rasayana to promote longevity, and traditionally to enhance digestion, treat constipation, reduce fever, purify the blood, reduce cough, alleviate asthma, strengthen the heart, benefit the eyes, stimulate hair growth, enliven the body, and enhance intellect.
Ayurveda recommends taking a tonic made from this fruit through out the winter season. Fresh Amla has high concentration of Vitamin C in it. As it is rich in Vitamin C, this fruit helps to boost the functioning of immune system. This fruit helps in digestion and is used for making gastrointestinal Ayurvedic tonics. This fruit also assist body in excreting urinary waste.
The elements contained in this fruit are antiviral, raise the total protein level, and activate the adrenaline response. Amla also help in improving body weight. It is considered as a highly nutritious fruit. Apart from Vitamin C, this fruit also contains essential minerals.
In Ayurvedic polyherbal formulations, Indian gooseberry is a common constituent, and most notably is the primary ingredient in an ancient herbal rasayana called Chyawanprash. This formula, which contains 43 herbal ingredients as well as clarified butter, sesame oil, sugar cane juice, and honey, was first mentioned in the Charaka Samhita as a premier rasayana compound.

The Oedipus complex, in psychoanalytic theory, is a group of largely unconscious ideas and feelings which center on the desire to possess the parent of the opposite sex and eliminate the parent of the same sex. The complex is named after a Greek mythical character Oedipus, who kills his father and marries his mother.

Classical theory considers the successful resolution of the Oedipus complex to be developmentally desirable, the key to the development of gender roles and identity. In classical theory, individuals who are fixated at the oedipal level are “mother-fixated” or “father-fixated”, and reveal this by choosing sexual partners who are discernible surrogates for their parent.

According to Sigmund Freud, the Oedipus complex is a universal phenomenon, built in phylogenetic, and is responsible for much unconscious guilt. Freud first suggested the existence of what he would later call the Oedipus complex in The Interpretation of Dreams (1900). In this work, he describes a subconscious feelings in children of intense competition and even hatred toward the parent of the same sex, and feelings of romantic love toward the parent of the opposite sex. If these conflicting feelings were not successfully resolved, they would contribute to neurosis in later life.

Sigmund Freud used the name Oedipus complex to explain the origin of certain neurosis in childhood. It is defined as a male child’s unconscious desire for the exclusive love of his mother. This desire includes jealousy towards the father and the unconscious wish for that parent’s death. Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic.

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Dams were first constructed in Mesopotamia and the Middle East, where dams were used to control the water level. The earliest known dam is sited in Jawa, which is situated in Jordan. Dams can be formed by natural causes and by the intervention of wildlife such as beavers. Dams are even formed by human agency.

Man-made dams are typically classified according to their size, structure and the purpose of dam. Based on size, dams are classified as large and major dams. International standards define large dams as higher than 15-20 meters and major dams over 150-250 meters in height. Based on structure and material used, dams are classified as timber dams, arch-gravity dams, embankment dams or masonry dams, with several subtypes.

Dams and hydroelectric projects are constructed to fulfill needs of human beings. These hydroelectric projects are generally considered as environmental friendly because it represents a clean and renewal source of energy. These projects are made with huge promises throwing light on the reward alone. But many a times the impacts of these dams turn out to be ridiculous.

The ecological system is the first that gets disrupted by the construction of these dams. Apart from all these factors these have many environmental issues related to them. These hydroelectric power plants result in submersion of extensive areas upstream of the dams, destroying biologically rich and productive lowland and riverine valley forests, marshland and grasslands. Many a times issues are roused due to the lack of study done before implementing the project.

Dam failures are generally catastrophic if the structure is breached or significantly damaged. The dam failures have been some of the largest manmade disasters in history. A good design and construction are not adequate guarantee of safety, sometimes some geological eruptions can pull down them down. Dams are used primarily for storage of water and retaining the same. There are flood gates used to release water as in when required and more over to control the water pressure present in the dam. The water that flows out of the dam is also used for producing electricity using hydroelectric power. What happens when a dam is ill built or not maintained properly, cracks will appear and the same can be very fatal as the dam can burst thus leading to destruction to life and property worth millions. We need to ensure that our dams are well kept and regular maintenance is done to avoid such catastrophes.

Vedas, oldest scriptures of Hinduism, are written in Sanskrit. They are among the oldest sacred texts. Vedas include the most holy hymns and mantras. These mantras compiled together and form the four known as Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. It is very difficult to find out the exact period when these Vedas were written as these are considered to be orally passed on before they were written down.

Among the four Vedas, Rig veda is considered as the oldest one. The mantra of this veda considered to be the most important one. In Rig Veda, more than a thousand of mantras are arranged and written in ten circles, among which the tenth one is said to be most recent one. The hymns written in Rig Veda are dedicated to various deities. Some of the hymns also explain some phenomenon, concepts, some historical events mainly the struggle between the early Vedic people.

Sama Veda contains the hymns and many of these hymns are taken from Rig Veda. Sama Veda has melodies or music for the hymns written in Rig Veda. These music and melodies were meant for the priests who performed certain ceremonies. Sama Veda is also known as the Veda of Holy Songs.

Yajur Veda mainly aims at awakening the inner consciousness. This one was the main Veda used by the priests of the ancient India and it resembles the Egyptian book of the dead. This Veda also gives respect to various instruments used in sacrifice.
Atharva Veda is the fourth Veda. Atharva Veda contains many hymns from Rig Veda but also contain many magic spells. Atharva Veda is therefore not always accepted as Veda. The language used in Atharva Veda is simpler. The two main concepts mentioned in Atharva Veda are medicine and witchcraft. Atharva Veda is completely different from the other three Vedas.

The four Vedas thus play a major role in the Indian Hindu mythology as these are considered as the holy texts. These texts are used for performing the religious rituals of the Hindu religion. The Vedas are also said to be the best books of knowledge that exists in today’s world. The above-mentioned points just give a vague idea about the content given in the Vedas. Vedas are definitely an ocean of knowledge.