39 research outputs found
Conservation strategies for protection of the historic mathas in Pandharpur/
No full textShreekshetra Pandharpur is an important Pilgrim town in the state of Maharashtra. With its history dating back to the 6th Century CE, the town has seen major changes in terms of political, social as well as economic aspects. Numerous historical transformations, like the Varkari movement (which arose in the 13th Century), a regional variation of the large-scale Bhakti movement have deeply impacted the town. This complexity is often reflected through the webs and layers evident in the built fabric of the town. Pandharpur, being the destination of Vari pilgrimage has developed a unique cultural fabric. Over the centuries, it has grown due to the spiritual philosophies of Varkari. Since the 13th Century, many saints belonging to various towns in Maharashtra have shaped the founding religious and social ideologies of Vari and Varkari Sampraday. The saints have played an important role in unifying the region during the Islamic invasion through Varkari literature. A shift was observed when the saint culture in Pandharpur was followed by the culture of disciples. Since then, many communities of disciple Varkari have constructed religious institutions for the propagation of their philosophies as well as provision of accommodation during the Vari.
The thesis explores the historic religious institutions of Pandharpur. “Religious institution” means an institution for the promotion of any religion or persuasion, and includes any place or premises used as a place of public religious worship, by whatever name or designation known1 . The religious institutions of Pandharpur include Mathas, Phads, and Dharmshalas. Serving similar functions, they act as community infrastructure which follows specific rules and management systems. The typology of Mathas will be studied to understand the connection between community and the evolution of built heritage. A study of existing management and conservation patterns would give an insight into the traditions which have been lost, the ones which continue, and the ones in making.
Keywords: Pilgrimage, pilgrim town, religion, religious institutions, heritage, built heritage, Pandharpur, Vari, Varkari, Matha
Ultrasound Promoted Synthesis of Pyrazolyl / Isoxazolyl Oxadiazoles as Antimicrobials
Get PDFAzoles are the principal core structures present in natural products and acquired significance due to a wide range of biological properties associated with them. Amongst different azoles, oxadiazole and their derivatives have gained importance as they constitute the structural features of many bioactive compounds. 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticancer and anticonvulsant properties. In fact, the combination of different heterocyclic units in a molecule may alter the biopotency which can accommodate multiple biological targets. In continuation of our interest in the synthesis of bioactive heterocyclic compounds, we focused our attention to develop some new oxadiazoles under ultrasonication. The work related to these aspects will be presented. © 2020 Author(s).The author G. Yamini is thankful to the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, for the sanction of UGC-BSR fellowship
Molecular and morphological analysis of the family Calonymphidae with a description of Calonympha chia sp. nov., Snyderella kirbyi sp. nov., Snyderella swezyae sp. nov. and Snyderella yamini sp. nov.
No full textCalonymphids are a group of multinucleate, multiflagellate protists belonging to the order Cristamonadida (Parabasalia) that are found exclusively in the hindgut of termites from the family Kalotermitidae. Despite their impressive morphological complexity and diversity, few species have been formally described and fewer still have been characterized at the molecular level. In this study, four novel species of calonymphids were isolated and characterized: Calonympha chia and Snyderella yamini spp. nov., from Neotermes castaneus and Calcaritermes nearcticus from Florida, USA, and Snyderella kirbyi and Snyderella swezyae, spp. nov., from Calcaritermes nigriceps and Cryptotermes cylindroceps from Colombia. Each of these species was distinguished from its congeners by residing in a distinct host and by differences at the molecular level. Phylogenetic analyses of small subunit (SSU) rDNA indicated that the genera Calonympha and Stephanonympha were probably not monophyletic, though the genus Snyderella, previously only represented by one sequence in molecular analyses, appeared with these new data to be monophyletic. This was in keeping with the traditional evolutionary view of the group in which the morphology of the genus Snyderella is considered to be derived, while that of the genus Stephanonympha is ancestral and therefore probably plesiomorphic.Peer reviewedfinal article publishe
Multi-stakeholder Participation in Disaster Recovery: A Case Study
No full textAbstractEver since the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and a series of disasters that followed in the last decade, triggered the nations around the world to focus on emergency relief operations. A well prepared and coordinated relief operation is required to reduce the vulnerability of the affected and bring back normalcy in the minimum possible time. The present article discusses the relief and recovery operation during the Hudhud cyclone that hit the coast of Bay of Bengal in October, 2014. The paper brings together the information collected through focus groups, personal interviews with personnel involved in the relief operations when the disaster hit the city. The article describes the different activities carried out at the different phases of disaster management process and concluding the different actions taken by the state to reduce the impact of such disasters in the future. Also, key learnings and focus areas are listed for reference in future disasters
Housing Refurbishment using the Earth, Wind & Fire System: Towards a nearly energy-neutral housing in the Netherlands
No full textIn the Netherlands, the residential buildings consume the highest percentage of primary energy among the various building sectors. With around 80% of the Dutch housing built before 1995 a huge portion of the energy share is tapped in the old housing stock. While new housing constructions had to be nearly energy neutral as of 2020, a large portion of the existing housing stock has a higher relative energy consumption. The old housing stock thus needs urgent energy-retrofitting that is instrumental in reaching the goals targeted by the Dutch government by 2050. The Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF) system developed by Dr. Ben Bronsema (2013) during his PhD research can play an effective role in this aspect. Therefore, the research focussed on investigating the applicability of the Earth, Wind & Fire system for the Housing buildings in terms of energy-efficiency and thermal comfort potential. A case study building is selected to carry out the said investigation. Several design strategies were incorporated for the case study building to design the EWF system with highest technical performance. The study also incorporated dynamic simulations to evaluate the energy performance of the building after installing the EWF system. The study concluded that the integration of the Earth, Wind & Fire system has a great potential to reduce the energy consumption of the apartment buildings and improve the indoor comfort of the building and thus is a highly effective energy-retrofitting system for the housing buildings. The efficiency of the EWF system in improving the performance of the apartment buildings is thus highlighted. The effectives of the EWF system in reducing the energy consumption is dependent on the existing façade of the apartments and thus it is essential to refurbish the poor-performing façade to maximize the benefit. Thus, the study also concluded that apart from the installation of the EWF system several more improvements are needed in the existing buildings to achieve the goal of a nearly energy-neutral design.Sustainable design graduation studioArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Building Technology | Sustainable Desig
