Pakhala Divas – A unique festival of Odisha

Being from Odisha and being raised in a different state, I have always been curious about my ground culture and traditions. One of such interesting festival celebrated in Odisha is Pakhala Divas. The article will discuss more about its History, Significance & celebration of Pakhala Divas in Odisha.

Pakhala Divas is a unique festival celebrated in the eastern state of Odisha, India. It is celebrated on March 20th every year, marking the beginning of summer in the state. The festival is dedicated to Pakhala, a traditional dish made of rice, water, and curd.

Source – pragativadi.com

History of Pakhala Divas

The history of Pakhala Divas dates back to ancient times when Odisha was ruled by the Kalinga dynasty. During those times, Pakhala was a staple food for farmers and laborers who used to work in the scorching heat. The dish is prepared by mixing cooked rice with water and sour curd and kept overnight. This process allows the rice to ferment and gives it a unique taste and aroma.

The tradition of celebrating Pakhala Divas started in the 1990s when a group of social activists in Odisha came together to revive the traditional food culture of the state. They realized that the younger generation was losing interest in traditional dishes and were adopting western food habits. To promote traditional food habits, they organized the first Pakhala Divas in 1992.

Significance of Pakhala Divas

Pakhala Divas has significant cultural and social significance in Odisha. It is celebrated to promote the traditional food culture of the state and to create awareness among the younger generation about the health benefits of traditional food. Pakhala is a healthy dish that is rich in probiotics, which is beneficial for the digestive system. It also helps to keep the body hydrated during the scorching summer heat.

The festival also promotes the sense of community and togetherness. People in the state come together to share the meal with their friends and family, and it is a symbol of unity and brotherhood. It is also an occasion to express gratitude towards farmers and laborers who work hard to provide us with food.

Celebration of Pakhala Divas

Pakhala Divas is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor in Odisha. People prepare Pakhala in their homes and offer it to their friends and family members. They also distribute the dish to the poor and needy. In many parts of the state, restaurants and food joints offer free Pakhala to the public on this day.

Several cultural programs and events are also organized to mark the occasion. People dress up in traditional attire and participate in cultural activities such as folk dances and songs. The festival also includes competitions and games, including cooking competitions, pakhala-eating competitions, and quiz competitions related to traditional food culture.

Mandatory Military Service in Korea

The Korean mandatory military service, also known as conscription, requires all able-bodied South Korean men aged 18 to 28 to serve in the military for a period of about 18 to 21 months. The policy was first introduced in 1957, following the Korean War, and is seen as a crucial element in the country’s national security and defense.


Credit : YNA

There are several reasons why the Korean government imposes mandatory military service. Firstly, South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea and thus, there is a constant need to maintain a strong military presence to deter any potential aggression. Secondly, given the country’s geopolitical location and historical tensions with its neighbors, the government believes that a strong military is necessary to ensure regional stability and security. Finally, conscription is seen as a way to promote national unity and civic duty, instilling discipline and patriotism in young men.

Under the conscription system, all eligible men are required to undergo physical and mental health assessments before being assigned to a specific branch of the military. The majority of conscripts are assigned to the Army, with smaller numbers serving in the Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps. The training period typically involves several months of basic military training, followed by specialized training for each branch. During their service, conscripts receive a modest salary, food, and housing, and are prohibited from engaging in any commercial activities or leaving the country without permission.

While mandatory military service is a widely accepted practice in South Korea, it is not without controversy. Some argue that the policy places an undue burden on young men, disrupting their education and career prospects, and contributing to the country’s low birth rate. Others point to allegations of mistreatment and abuse within the military, including incidents of bullying, sexual harassment, and hazing.

To address some of these concerns, the Korean government has introduced several reforms to the conscription system in recent years. For example, in 2020, the government passed a law allowing alternative forms of military service, such as volunteering for social service or joining the police force, for conscientious objectors who oppose military service for religious or ethical reasons. The government has also increased funding for mental health services and improved training programs for soldiers.

In conclusion, the Korean mandatory military service is a longstanding policy that reflects the country’s commitment to national security and defense. While it is not without controversy, the government has taken steps to address some of the concerns raised by critics and to make the conscription system more equitable and humane.

NGO

Non governmental organization which works free of cost for the upliftment of the society. So today I am talking about Brahmakumaris.How this organisation is different?

Well like any other organisation it too has different roles,but the main role of this organisation is to bring awareness that “how important is human life” .

We have forgotten the importance of our own selves. And the person who is unsatisfied with his own life, how can he give importance to others?

So basically this organisation is teaching how valuable our life is. Importance of moral values in life and as a human being our first responsibility is to taking care of ourselves then only we can uplift others.

NGO

Non governmental organization which works free of cost for the upliftment of the society. So today I am talking about Brahmakumaris.How this organisation is different?

Well like any other organisation it too has different roles,but the main role of this organisation is to bring awareness that “how important is human life” .

We have forgotten the importance of our own selves. And the person who is unsatisfied with his own life, how can he give importance to others?

So basically this organisation is teaching how valuable our life is. Importance of moral values in life and as a human being our first responsibility is to taking care of ourselves then only we can uplift others.

Inefficiency of men and underdeveloped personality of women

Inefficient men can not utilise its own talent and time efficiently and results of this is unsuccessful life.

Unsuccessful men can not tolerate someone else’s success so they try to control or dominate the female members of the society. And women don’t get success too.

And the results of this is she won’t tolerate someone else’s success and their own children has to suffer because of conditioning.

This is very important to live life happily and be successful. Other wise we try to snatch limelight of others and destroy their personality.

Inefficiency of men and underdeveloped personality of women

Inefficient men can not utilise its own talent and time efficiently and results of this is unsuccessful life.

Unsuccessful men can not tolerate someone else’s success so they try to control or dominate the female members of the society. And women don’t get success too.

And the results of this is she won’t tolerate someone else’s success and their own children has to suffer because of conditioning.

This is very important to live life happily and be successful. Other wise we try to snatch limelight of others and destroy their personality.

Destruction: Curse of ignorance

The ongoing natural calamities are the results of human ignorance. From so many decades people have exploited nature and other living creatures. This is the consequence of cutting trees and animals .

Every creature present on the earth is a part of ecosystem but human interference has destroyed the balance and now it’s time to get fruits of ‘karma ‘.

Greed of humans have always become the cause of worry. The desire of rulling , created ‘ Mahabharata ‘, ‘Ramayan’ , India was under British rule and other powers, and other countries also suffered because of greed .

To many cases/stories are present in every society but we people are blind and doesn’t want to hear /see the truth. The name ” Natural Calamities” should be changed to “Human/Greed Calamities” .

Our need and greed has created this situation. We are the creator of “Destruction”. We are the poisonous creatures on the earth. And the name of poison is ‘greed’ which never gets nullified.

Destruction: Curse of ignorance

The ongoing natural calamities are the results of human ignorance. From so many decades people have exploited nature and other living creatures. This is the consequence of cutting trees and animals .

Every creature present on the earth is a part of ecosystem but human interference has destroyed the balance and now it’s time to get fruits of ‘karma ‘.

Greed of humans have always become the cause of worry. The desire of rulling , created ‘ Mahabharata ‘, ‘Ramayan’ , India was under British rule and other powers, and other countries also suffered because of greed .

To many cases/stories are present in every society but we people are blind and doesn’t want to hear /see the truth. The name ” Natural Calamities” should be changed to “Human/Greed Calamities” .

Our need and greed has created this situation. We are the creator of “Destruction”. We are the poisonous creatures on the earth. And the name of poison is ‘greed’ which never gets nullified.

Diversities of the Nations

Every Nation is different and their status is different. Every country is facing their own problems in different ways . Every where problems are same and common people are being affected . Rich section of the society is getting growth and prosperity.But poor section of the society is still under deprivation.

In the name of development every country is following western culture. But the problems they are facing is the sign of unsatisfied life.

We see poor section of the society is already caught up in orthodox and paradox practices. And this is one of the main reason of being poor and doing crime.

It is used to say ” only rich commit crime, poor are always innocent” . But in reality the crimes poor are committing is more than what rich people are doing.Poor people commit more crimes but most crimes are done in family so don’t get registered and It’s because of jealousy people criticise about rich people.

If we see the statistics rich people are more active and willing to work for better but poor doesn’t want to work they work to get food only. Rich people work day and night but poor people only works in crisis other wise they simply rest and give excuses about destiny and God.

Diversities of the Nations

Every Nation is different and their status is different. Every country is facing their own problems in different ways . Every where problems are same and common people are being affected . Rich section of the society is getting growth and prosperity.But poor section of the society is still under deprivation.

In the name of development every country is following western culture. But the problems they are facing is the sign of unsatisfied life.

We see poor section of the society is already caught up in orthodox and paradox practices. And this is one of the main reason of being poor and doing crime.

It is used to say ” only rich commit crime, poor are always innocent” . But in reality the crimes poor are committing is more than what rich people are doing.Poor people commit more crimes but most crimes are done in family so don’t get registered and It’s because of jealousy people criticise about rich people.

If we see the statistics rich people are more active and willing to work for better but poor doesn’t want to work they work to get food only. Rich people work day and night but poor people only works in crisis other wise they simply rest and give excuses about destiny and God.

Network Topology and its Types

Network topology refers to the arrangement of nodes, devices, and communication channels in a computer network. There are several types of network topologies, including bus, star, ring, mesh, and tree. Each topology has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the network’s size, scalability, and fault tolerance requirements.

Network topology has basically 5 types:

BUS TOPOLOGY – A bus topology connects all devices to a single communication channel called a bus. Data is transmitted along the bus to all connected devices, and each device listens for its specific address. This topology is simple and cost-effective for small networks, but it can suffer from congestion and is not scalable to larger networks.

Source – https://www.javatpoint.com/

STAR TOPOLOGY – A star topology connects all devices to a central hub or switch. Data is transmitted from the sender device to the hub, which then broadcasts the data to all other devices. This topology is widely used in LANs and is scalable, fault-tolerant, and easy to manage. However, it requires a larger number of cables and devices, and a single point of failure in the hub can disrupt the entire network.


Source – https://www.javatpoint.com/

RING TOPOLOGY – A ring topology connects all devices in a circular loop, where each device is connected to its neighboring devices. Data is transmitted in one direction along the loop, and each device repeats the data to the next device until it reaches its destination. This topology is simple and efficient for small networks, but it can suffer from congestion and a single faulty device can disrupt the entire network.


Source – https://www.javatpoint.com/

MESH TOPOLOGY – A mesh topology connects all devices in a fully interconnected network, where each device is connected to every other device. Data can be transmitted through multiple paths, making this topology highly fault-tolerant and scalable. However, it is complex and expensive to implement, and requires a large number of cables and devices.

Source – https://www.javatpoint.com/

TREE TOPOLOGY – A tree topology connects devices in a hierarchical structure, where branches of devices connect to a single root node or hub. Data is transmitted from the sender device to the hub, which then broadcasts the data to all other devices in the branch. This topology is scalable and fault-tolerant, and it allows for easy management and troubleshooting. However, a single point of failure in the root node can disrupt the entire network, and the network’s size and complexity can affect its performance.

Source – https://www.javatpoint.com/

In summary, network topology is an important aspect of computer networks that can affect the network’s performance, scalability, and fault tolerance. Choosing the right topology depends on the network’s requirements, size, and cost constraints. It is also important to consider network security and management issues when designing and implementing a network topology.

What is Open System Interconnection(OSI) Model ?

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a conceptual framework for network communication that was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the 1980s. The OSI model provides a way to understand how data is transmitted over a network by breaking down the process into seven layers. Each layer has a specific function, and the layers work together to ensure reliable communication.

The OSI model provides a standardized way of describing network communication, which allows different network technologies and devices to communicate with each other. For example, a device that uses Ethernet can communicate with a device that uses Wi-Fi because they both follow the same OSI model. The OSI model also allows for easier troubleshooting of network issues because each layer has a specific function that can be tested independently.

However, the OSI model is a theoretical framework and does not correspond directly to the actual implementation of network protocols. In practice, network protocols are often a combination of multiple OSI layers, and some layers may be merged or omitted entirely. Nonetheless, the OSI model remains a useful tool for understanding the complex process of network communication.


Source – https://www.real-sec.com/

The seven layers of the OSI model are:

  1. Physical Layer: The physical layer is responsible for transmitting raw data bits over a physical medium such as copper wires, optical fibers, or radio waves. It deals with the electrical, mechanical, and physical characteristics of the physical medium. It also defines the procedures and functions that physical devices and interfaces have to perform for transmission to occur.

  2. Data Link Layer: The data link layer is responsible for the reliable transfer of data frames over a physical medium. It establishes and terminates connections between network devices, performs error detection and correction, and manages flow control.

  3. Network Layer: The network layer is responsible for routing data packets from the source to the destination network. It determines the best path for data to travel and manages congestion control.

  4. Transport Layer: The transport layer is responsible for ensuring reliable end-to-end communication between applications. It segments and reassembles data into packets and provides error recovery and flow control.

  5. Session Layer: The session layer is responsible for managing communication sessions between applications. It establishes, maintains, and terminates sessions and provides synchronization and recovery in case of failures.

  6. Presentation Layer: The presentation layer is responsible for ensuring that data is presented in a format that can be understood by the application layer. It provides data encryption, compression, and decryption.

  7. Application Layer: The application layer is responsible for providing network services to user applications. It provides a user interface and manages application-level protocols such as HTTP, FTP, and SMTP.

Test tube baby and Women’s independence

Recently I heard about test tube baby and its successful results. So many people get married to get a boy baby who will take care of them. And this greed of getting old age comfort leads to injustice to women.

Test tube baby is one of the great invention of making women empowered . Many people are bound to marry just to get baby and because of this women had to sacrifice their health, body, beauty, career, and personal growth stops due to this.

This invention would be quite costly. Only rich can afford, so I think government subsidies should be given to this invention by which poor people could afford and get benefits and women won’t have to suffer.

But again government have to be careful while making policies regarding this or else it will lead to population growth again. And should promote celibacy and benefits of adopting it . Only by this we can solve lots of problems of society. As a human being women deserve all kind of growth.Because of this common people will be less interested in early marriages and people can have a child in old age too. By doing this every individual of the country will get more time to get personal growth and financial stability in life.

Test tube baby and Women's independence

Recently I heard about test tube baby and its successful results. So many people get married to get a boy baby who will take care of them. And this greed of getting old age comfort leads to injustice to women.

Test tube baby is one of the great invention of making women empowered . Many people are bound to marry just to get baby and because of this women had to sacrifice their health, body, beauty, career, and personal growth stops due to this.

This invention would be quite costly. Only rich can afford, so I think government subsidies should be given to this invention by which poor people could afford and get benefits and women won’t have to suffer.

But again government have to be careful while making policies regarding this or else it will lead to population growth again. And should promote celibacy and benefits of adopting it . Only by this we can solve lots of problems of society. As a human being women deserve all kind of growth.Because of this common people will be less interested in early marriages and people can have a child in old age too. By doing this every individual of the country will get more time to get personal growth and financial stability in life.

Vedic Era

In Vedic era we had varna system which was based on occupation. In present era it is caste based which is getting improvised slowly.

But the concept of having varna system is not only physical or materialistic. It was in the mind of the society that no body is superior or inferior irrespective of the work done by them , or their physical identity. Every one used to get respect of being. People used to understand that everyone is important. They used to uplift the individual, keeping their personal egos aside. They used to worship a woman not physically but giving respect internally. Because humans used to value individuality and their uniqueness.

People did not had idol to worship because every one was like a ‘ living idol’ . After Vedic Era we started doing worshipping and yagya in desire of getting something but we ourself didn’t try to become like our ancestors.

Still there is lots of stuff I can share about vedic era but the important is “do we really want to be like them?”. If yes , then we all have to be the living idols . The one who gives happiness and blessings to everyone irrespective to what they are giving to us . Simply just method of upliftment of others will definitely bring the vedic era back.