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intern<strong>at</strong>ional<br />
fe<strong>at</strong>ures 26<br />
Archbishop<br />
OMANDAILYOBSERVER<br />
TUESDAY l DECEMBER 13 l 2016<br />
@heritage<br />
Makarios III becomes President<br />
On this day in 1959 Archbishop Makarios III becomes the first<br />
President of Cyprus.<br />
Things not to e<strong>at</strong> before<br />
going to bed<br />
PORTUGUESE-ERA BELLS<br />
adorn Maharashtra temples<br />
QUAID NAJMI<br />
Few <strong>may</strong> be aware th<strong>at</strong> the bells ringing<br />
in some of the most important<br />
temples in modern-day Maharashtra<br />
have Christian antecedents and<br />
once adorned imposing churches<br />
constructed during the early part<br />
of the 450-year-long Portuguese rule — till they<br />
were taken away as war trophies by the conquering<br />
Mar<strong>at</strong>ha armies.<br />
This is one resounding piece of Portuguese-<br />
Mar<strong>at</strong>ha era history th<strong>at</strong> came to light after 25 years<br />
of research initi<strong>at</strong>ed by F<strong>at</strong>her Francis Correa of<br />
Vasai, and guided his team of experts to crystallise it<br />
in the past couple of years.<br />
“There were 80 churches built during the<br />
Portuguese era in the 1730s in (wh<strong>at</strong> is now)<br />
Maharashtra, with an average of two bells per<br />
church, plus other bells in educ<strong>at</strong>ional institutions<br />
and convents, totalling to around 500-600.<br />
We have concrete evidence of 38 of those bells<br />
now adorning 34 temples in nine districts,” the<br />
77-year-old Correa said.<br />
The research team comprised Pascal Lopes<br />
(numism<strong>at</strong>ist, archaeologist, historian), Affigin<br />
Tuscano (academician), Joseph Pereira (local<br />
geography expert), Berina D’Silva (writer) and<br />
Augustine Tuscano (photographer).Their efforts have<br />
culmin<strong>at</strong>ed in a book entitled: “Old Ambassadors<br />
of the New Era” and its Mar<strong>at</strong>hi version named<br />
“Navyugachya Preshita”, penned by Correa.<br />
Correa said a majority of the bells remain in good<br />
condition, though some are over 400 years old, and<br />
many have saved thousands of lives when they were<br />
sounded as warnings during n<strong>at</strong>ural calamities,<br />
storms or floods.<br />
“The most amazing aspect is th<strong>at</strong> the bells have<br />
not been tampered or tinkered with in any manner;<br />
they have been accorded the same dignity; and the<br />
condition of a majority is excellent.<br />
A few developed cracks due to improper use,<br />
which can be repaired,” he said.<br />
The Portuguese bells are visible in important<br />
Hindu temples like Rameshwar Temple, Nashik<br />
(the site of Kumbh Mela); Tulja Bhavani Temple,<br />
Osmanabad; Bhimashankar Temple and Jejuri<br />
Temple, both in Pune district; Mahalaxmi Temple,<br />
Kolhapur; and Shri Shetra Mahabaleshwar Temple,<br />
S<strong>at</strong>ara; among others.<br />
Church bells of different sizes, weight, but all<br />
made of ‘Panch Dh<strong>at</strong>u’ (five metals — gold, silver,<br />
copper, iron and lead), are placed in temples in<br />
Nashik, Ahmednagar, Jalna, Osmanabad, Pune,<br />
S<strong>at</strong>ara, Kolhapur, Raigad and R<strong>at</strong>nagiri, with the<br />
maximum 12 in Pune and eight in S<strong>at</strong>ara, he added.<br />
“The bells in these 34 temples came from the<br />
centuries-old churches in modern-day Palghar-<br />
Thane districts bordering Mumbai.<br />
After the Mar<strong>at</strong>has vanquished the Portuguese,<br />
these bells were taken as war trophies or victory<br />
symbols by the Mar<strong>at</strong>ha armies,” Lopes, who<br />
specialises in Portuguese-Mar<strong>at</strong>ha era history, said.<br />
The gre<strong>at</strong> Mar<strong>at</strong>ha warrior king, Chh<strong>at</strong>rap<strong>at</strong>i<br />
Shivaji Maharaj, was devoted to the Tulja Bhavani<br />
Temple and regularly prayed there, and had once<br />
visited the temple in S<strong>at</strong>ara town, the birthplace of<br />
five major rivers — Krishna, Koyna, Venna, Gay<strong>at</strong>ri<br />
and Savitri.<br />
Correa explained th<strong>at</strong> the Church has two main<br />
denomin<strong>at</strong>ions — C<strong>at</strong>holics and Protestants — and<br />
his team looked for various symbols to identify the<br />
origins of the bells.<br />
The C<strong>at</strong>holics have 2,000-year-old traditions and<br />
vener<strong>at</strong>e the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus,<br />
but not so the Protestants, who emerged only in the<br />
16th century.<br />
They came across marks/symbols like “Iesus<br />
Humilis Societas” or “Iesus Hominum Salv<strong>at</strong>or”<br />
(Humble Society of Jesus or Jesus Savior of Men)<br />
connected with Lord Jesus, and “Ave Maria” linked to<br />
Mary. Correa, who belongs to the Vasai Diocese, and<br />
is an expert historian on the Vasai Portuguese fort,<br />
stumbled upon a mention of the missing bells from<br />
th<strong>at</strong> fort in an 1876 book by 19th century historian,<br />
Gerson D’Cunha, which ignited his research on the<br />
topic.<br />
It mentions how during a 26-month period<br />
between March 28, 1737, and May 23, 1739, when<br />
the Mar<strong>at</strong>ha warrior, Gen Chimaji Appa, the younger<br />
brother of the gre<strong>at</strong> Bajirao Peshwa, defe<strong>at</strong>ed the<br />
Portuguese and captured several forts in the Konkan<br />
This is one resounding piece of<br />
Portuguese-Mar<strong>at</strong>ha era history<br />
th<strong>at</strong> came to light after 25 years<br />
of research initi<strong>at</strong>ed by F<strong>at</strong>her<br />
Francis Correa of Vasai, and<br />
guided his team of experts to<br />
crystallise it in the past couple<br />
of years.<br />
region, including Vasai and Arnala.<br />
At th<strong>at</strong> time, there were more than 80 big and<br />
small churches and after their success, the victors<br />
carried away these bells which were installed in<br />
Hindu temples, whose trustees lovingly care for<br />
them till today.<br />
Lopes said the study involved research from<br />
primary sources, extensive footwork, system<strong>at</strong>ic<br />
document<strong>at</strong>ion, scanning historical records, meeting<br />
trustees, experts, local historians and people from<br />
different walks of life for the authentic outcome.<br />
After the gre<strong>at</strong> explorer, Vasco da Gama, came<br />
to India <strong>at</strong> Cali<strong>cut</strong> now in Kerala, in May 1498, the<br />
found<strong>at</strong>ion was laid for the Estado Portugues da<br />
India, and they l<strong>at</strong>er ruled over large parts of western<br />
and eastern coastal India.<br />
In 1661, wh<strong>at</strong> is now Bombay, a group of seven<br />
isles, was handed over to Britain as dowry of the<br />
Portuguese Princess C<strong>at</strong>herine of Braganza during<br />
her marriage to King Charles II of England.<br />
As the Mar<strong>at</strong>has gained strength in the Konkan,<br />
Deccan and other parts, the Portuguese lost most<br />
of their Northern Province to the Mar<strong>at</strong>ha Empire<br />
by 1739, when they were defe<strong>at</strong>ed by Gen Chimaji<br />
Appa.<br />
Portuguese rule continued in pockets of India<br />
like Goa, Daman and Diu till December 19, 1961;<br />
They were defe<strong>at</strong>ed by the army of Independent<br />
India, ending nearly 450 years of their influence on<br />
the subcontinent. — IANS<br />
One should e<strong>at</strong> carefully to<br />
stay fit and fabulous but<br />
keeping a check on your<br />
diet before going to bed<br />
needs extra <strong>at</strong>tention as some food<br />
items have the tendency to disturb your<br />
sleep if taken regulalry.<br />
Sonia Narang, nutrition expert, lists<br />
products th<strong>at</strong> shouldn’t be consumed <strong>at</strong><br />
night<br />
* Chocol<strong>at</strong>e: Dark chocol<strong>at</strong>es are<br />
considered as a healthy food th<strong>at</strong><br />
contains magnesium and antioxidants,<br />
but it also contains caffeine, which<br />
could keep you awake.<br />
So one should avoid it specially<br />
during night-time as it <strong>may</strong> cre<strong>at</strong>e<br />
hindrance in your sound sleep.<br />
* Nut Butter: Nut butter is a healthy<br />
source of f<strong>at</strong>.<br />
Also, it <strong>may</strong> help in losing weight but<br />
f<strong>at</strong>s digest slow and <strong>may</strong> remain present<br />
in your stomach all night if consumed<br />
in large quantities, hence, <strong>may</strong> lead to<br />
disturbed sleep.<br />
So keep high f<strong>at</strong> foods like (nuts,<br />
cheese, cream sauces) rel<strong>at</strong>ively low <strong>at</strong><br />
night.<br />
* Chillies and spicy foods: Chillies<br />
are healthy if made with the right<br />
mix of ingredients, but they are spicy,<br />
and <strong>may</strong> end up causing heartburn, if<br />
consumed l<strong>at</strong>e in the night and <strong>may</strong><br />
result in killing your sound sleep.<br />
So heavy spiced foods should be<br />
avoided during night because if your<br />
sleep is disturbed, your health will<br />
deterior<strong>at</strong>e.<br />
* Greasy or f<strong>at</strong>-filled foods like pizza:<br />
Greasy, heavy, f<strong>at</strong>ty foods would make<br />
your stomach overwork throughout<br />
night, resulting in disturbed sleep and<br />
making you sluggish next morning.<br />
So foods like fast food, nuts, ice<br />
cream or super cheesy foods should be<br />
avoided before bed.<br />
* Chinese Food: This is another<br />
food item th<strong>at</strong> is important to avoid<br />
during night as the MSG (Monosodium<br />
Glutam<strong>at</strong>e, flavour enhancer) found<br />
in Chinese food works in a similar<br />
manner as the caffeine would do in the<br />
body, making it really difficult to fall<br />
asleep.<br />
* Milk: Though we consider milk to<br />
be a rich source of protein and calcium,<br />
it <strong>may</strong> kill your sleep if you drink it<br />
before bed because of its lactose content<br />
th<strong>at</strong> can cre<strong>at</strong>e digestive issues in many<br />
individuals.<br />
Especially if you are lactose<br />
intolerant, you should definitely avoid<br />
it.<br />
* Red me<strong>at</strong> and other non-veg items:<br />
E<strong>at</strong>ing red me<strong>at</strong>s and other non-veg<br />
items in large amounts <strong>at</strong> night will<br />
remain in your digestive system for<br />
long time and it will make it hard for<br />
you to get sound sleep while you’re<br />
digesting.<br />
Suffering from mental<br />
illness? Adopt a pet<br />
@ health<br />
Running is actually good for knee joints: Study<br />
Contrary to popular perception, running actually<br />
reduces inflamm<strong>at</strong>ion in knee joints and slows the<br />
process th<strong>at</strong> leads to osteoarthritis, a study said.<br />
“This idea th<strong>at</strong> long-distance running is bad for your<br />
knees might be a myth,” said study co-author M<strong>at</strong>t Seeley,<br />
Associ<strong>at</strong>e Professor of exercise science <strong>at</strong> Brigham Young<br />
University in Utah, US.<br />
In the study published in the European Journal of Applied<br />
Physiology, the researchers measured inflamm<strong>at</strong>ion markers<br />
in the knee joint fluid of several healthy men and women<br />
aged 18-35, both before and after running.<br />
The researchers found th<strong>at</strong> the specific markers they were<br />
looking for in the extracted synovial fluid — two cytokines<br />
named GM-CSF and IL-15 — decreased in concentr<strong>at</strong>ion in<br />
the participants after 30 minutes of running.<br />
When the same fluids were extracted before and after a<br />
non-running condition, the inflamm<strong>at</strong>ion markers stayed<br />
<strong>at</strong> similar levels.<br />
“Wh<strong>at</strong> we now know is th<strong>at</strong> for young, healthy individuals,<br />
exercise cre<strong>at</strong>es an anti-inflamm<strong>at</strong>ory environment th<strong>at</strong><br />
<strong>may</strong> be beneficial in terms of long-term joint health,” said<br />
study lead author Robert Hyldahl from Brigham Young<br />
University. Hyldahl added the study results indic<strong>at</strong>e<br />
running is chondroprotective, which means exercise <strong>may</strong><br />
help delay the onset of joint degener<strong>at</strong>ive diseases such as<br />
osteoarthritis. — IANS<br />
For individuals suffering<br />
from various mental illness,<br />
pets can provide them with<br />
unconditional support as<br />
well as help manage stigma, a research<br />
suggests.<br />
The study found th<strong>at</strong> the consistent<br />
presence and close physical proximity<br />
of their pets can provide an immedi<strong>at</strong>e<br />
source of calm and therapeutic<br />
benefit for people with mental health<br />
conditions.<br />
“The people we spoke to through<br />
the course of this study felt their pet<br />
played a range of positive roles such<br />
as helping them to manage stigma<br />
associ<strong>at</strong>ed with their mental health<br />
by providing acceptance without<br />
judgement,” said lead author Helen<br />
Brooks from University of Manchester<br />
in Britain.<br />
For 60 per cent of study participants,<br />
pets played a central role in the social<br />
networks of people managing a longterm<br />
mental health problem.<br />
“Pets were also considered<br />
particularly useful during times of<br />
crisis.<br />
Pets provided a unique form of<br />
valid<strong>at</strong>ion through unconditional<br />
support, which they were often not<br />
receiving from other family or social<br />
rel<strong>at</strong>ionships,” Brooks added.<br />
According to the participants,<br />
one reason for this was th<strong>at</strong> their<br />
pet helped by distracting them from<br />
symptoms and upsetting experiences<br />
such as hearing voices or suicidal<br />
thoughts.<br />
Participants from the study were<br />
quoted as saying: “I felt in a sense<br />
th<strong>at</strong> my c<strong>at</strong> was familiar, in th<strong>at</strong> he<br />
understood or was an extension of my<br />
thoughts.”<br />
However, despite the identified<br />
benefits of pet ownership, pets were<br />
neither considered nor incorpor<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
into the individual care plans for<br />
people with mental conditions, the<br />
researchers said, suggesting th<strong>at</strong> pets<br />
should be considered a main source of<br />
support in the management of longterm<br />
mental health problems.<br />
For the research, published in the<br />
journal BMC Psychi<strong>at</strong>ry, the team<br />
interviewed 54 participants, aged 18<br />
and above, who were under the care<br />
of community-based mental health<br />
services and had been diagnosed with<br />
a severe mental illness. — IANS