Reworked product from the Air Force 1 Lows shoe line. Sneakers made of leather with a tongue designed like the wings of the gods. Inside the shoe is an inscription that defines the ancient Greek goddesses. Nike words and palm branches are embroidered on the heel. Photo: Independent. On the heel, the Nike lettering is embroidered with silver thread in an ancient Greek script. The remaining shoes are adorned with thin palm branches symbolizing victory. However, netizens discovered the brand’s mistake when embroidering and arranging the Nike character, when reading the Greek word “Piks”. “I can’t understand a big brand that doesn’t learn how to write Greek when working on a country’s culture. The words on the shoes have absolutely no meaning, it is not read as Nike. This can be considered as Nike. cultural appropriation,” shared social media users. Others said that Nike’s work reminded them of the story Kim Kardashian was once criticized for insulting Indian culture. In May, the beauty released a series of fashion photos showing the hidden personality of modern women. Specifically, she wears tight skirt designs that embrace the dominant red tone and a unique braided hairstyle. Kim quickly faced a wave of criticism from netizens after wearing earrings with the symbol “Om”. According to the Independent This is a sacred sound and spiritual symbol in Indian religious culture including Buddhism and Hinduism. In the three photos, many people find it offensive when Kim lies on the bed wearing a pair of diamond-encrusted silver earrings with the sign “Om” and a charming face. They consider wearing this accessory an insult to the culture and disrespect of Indian beliefs. “This is a symbol of religion. Why is she bringing it out as an accessory? The symbol is sacred, not a fashion aesthetic specifically for her. I hope Kim apologizes to everyone. people”, the social network user commented. Kim Kardashian caused controversy with diamond studded earrings with the sign “Om”. Photo: @sitabellan.

In 2014, American journalist Patrick Abboud visited this mountain to learn and discover the incredible customs and life of the local people. His show has been broadcast on American SBS. Origin of custom This strange ritual dates back to the 16th century, when a young Indonesian prince named Pangeran Samudro, the son of a Javanese king, had an abusive love affair with his stepmother, Princess Nyai Ontrowulan. The two fall in love despite the ties that bind them, and then run away together to the mountain Gunung Kemukus. However, they were caught in the act of having sex and killed by the king. Their graves were built by locals and since then, many people have come here to offer flowers to pray for good luck. Gunung Kemukus mountain in Indonesia. Since then, the Pon festival on the top of Gunung Kemukus was opened. People believe that the above couple has not completed the “sexual affair”, so if you come here and have sex with a stranger, you will have luck and fortune, have a happier and richer life. According to journalist Patrick, this is a Javanese ritual and it is completely different from the Muslim world or anywhere in Indonesia. It is a mixture of beliefs between Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. 8,000 people go to the mountains to have sex with strangers During the Pon festival on Mount Gunung Kemukus, attendees will find a stranger to have sex with. Furthermore, for their wish to come true, they had to do this 7 times in 35 days. Witnessing this custom, journalist Patrick exclaimed: “Unbelievable”. But what surprised him more was the large scale of this festival, each night up to thousands of people, with a peak night of more than 8,000 people coming here to pray. It will take them several weeks to perform this ritual. Pilgrims go to the mountains to pray for good luck. From married men, married women, government officials or prostitutes, all can participate in the ritual for good luck. Most are Indonesians from all regions. In the morning, they will go to the temple to offer flowers and pray. In the evening, they would go looking for strangers to spend the night together. This ritual is so popular that Mount Gunung Kemukus has become a popular tourist destination in Indonesia, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. The government and local people have allowed toll fees at Gunung Kemukus mountain, and built many hotels, motels, service areas and bus routes to serve tourism. Unforeseen consequences In the Indonesian concept, going to Gunung Kemukus mountain to have sex with strangers is for good luck, has nothing to do with relationships outside of marriage. However, this also left many unpredictable consequences, Gunung Kemukus accidentally became the main territory of the sex workers. Journalist Patrick followed pilgrims up the mountain for good luck, then approached a woman named Mardiyah, a widow with difficult financial conditions. When she met Mr. Patrick, Ms. Mardiyah had just completed the ritual of having sex 7 times in 35 days. She said the ritual worked because her business got better, helping her make more money. Couples are comfortable “making love” in the hope of having a happier and richer life. Ms. Mardiyah said: “I met a man who also came here for pilgrimage named Gepeng and went with his friends. He didn’t want to reveal the story because he didn’t want his wife to find out but his life. It has also changed a lot.” According to journalist Patrick, the Pon festival inadvertently turned Gunung Kemukus mountain into a good place for prostitution. It can cause problems with sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, and has many marital and family consequences, such as adultery or children out of wedlock. “I think there’s a contradiction between this ritual and prostitution. That’s why it’s been condemned by the government and the leaders. A lot of people who have contracted sexually transmitted diseases should have it. many health clinics are built in the mountains.I spoke to a doctor and learned that most sex workers are sexually ill, men don’t use condoms often, so The risk is great,” journalist Patrick shared. In addition, this festival also entails many lucrative business activities such as karaoke bars, motels disguised as prostitution, causing bad effects, obscuring religious values. Even so, religious believers still believe in the effectiveness of the festival, while the local government turns a blind eye.

Dressed in white, Mr. Kumar sat in the courtyard of the crematorium with other monks. Of the 26 pyre, only one is in operation. Another body is on its way there. “It’s comfortable now. Every 3-4 days, a body with Covid-19 will come here. We have time to breathe, eat and sleep,” he said The Hindu . To this day, he still cannot imagine what he had to go through two months ago. Unforgettable days Walking around the crematorium, Mr. Kumar pointed to an empty lot. Here, the staff of the crematorium had to erect 9 more cremation pylons. On another site, 5 pyre were built. Now, this area is just a black coal-stained void, with a few bricks left. Mr. Kumar pointed to the land that used to be the cremation pyre of Covid-19 victims. Photo: The Hindu. Taking a step further, Mr. Kumar pointed to another field. “This used to be a children’s cemetery. However, when the number of deaths peaked, we had to turn this into a crematorium and build 72 more cremation pylons. We even had to break down a wall to move the wood in,” he recalls. For about 10 days in April, more than 20 staff at the crematorium, including monks, sanitation workers and helpers, worked 24 hours a day. They even have to cremate their bodies in the middle of the night, which is against Hindu beliefs. “People leave dead bodies at the door without telling us. In addition, many families asked us to send back the video of the cremation ceremony,” Mr. Kumar recalled. “My mother used to make me go home and sleep for a few hours. I chanted sutras even in my sleep, according to family accounts,” he recalls. “Now I can sleep well.” Mr. Kumar has a 6-month-old baby girl. He did not dare to hold his child for the past month and a half due to fear of contracting Covid-19. At home, he ate and slept in a separate corner, trying to stay away from family members. “We didn’t wear protective gear because it was too hot. Can’t breathe… We just use masks and gloves,” he said. Now, the situation is less tense. When India’s vaccination campaign kicked off, all crematorium staff were vaccinated. This is a priority object due to the need to handle the body of a person who died due to Covid-19. “We once cremated a 6-month-old boy, who died from Covid-19, while the father of the baby wept bitterly. I will never forget this scene,” Mr. Kumar said. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused pain to hundreds of thousands of Indian families. Photo: BBC. Return to normal state At Lok Nayak Hospital, two large tents used to be used as waiting rooms for patients in front of the emergency ward. To date, they have been removed. No more patients on oxygen outside the hospital. There is no longer a long line of ambulances with the sound of the patient’s family crying and begging the hospital to accept it. Mr. Abhay, a community volunteer, reminisces about the shifts at the peak of the epidemic. “I don’t want to remember,” he said. At the Punjabi Bagh crematorium, the trees used to die because new pyrements were erected next to them. Now the green sprout is back. “I got used to this scene from last year, so I wasn’t affected much,” said monk Pankaj Sharma. However, for inexperienced monks and staff, seeing a mass of bodies leaves a psychological impact. “There were days when we didn’t have time to eat,” said Deepanshu, a 23-year-old employee. “A working day starts at 6:30. We help the victim’s family. Many were crying, scared, and didn’t know where to go or what to do. We only get to rest after 9-10pm.” Contrary to Seemapuri crematorium staff, Deepanshu and colleagues have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. “When the vaccination campaign started, government officials called us to get information. They asked us to go to a nearby hospital. However, when they arrived at the hospital, they said we were not on the list,” one staff member told The Hindu. During the peak of the epidemic, Indian crematoriums operated day and night. Photo: Reuters. “We are near the bodies of Covid-19 and many Covid-19 patients. We deserve an injection,” Deepanshu asserted. Currently, only 1-2 bodies infected with Covid-19 are brought to this crematorium every day. Most of the pyre are not working. “The situation here is not as bad as other crematoriums. People still have to wait, but with a much shorter time,” said monk Pankaj Sharma.

On April 12, three million Indians gathered on the banks of the Ganges River. They gathered in the ancient city of Haridwar, in the state of Uttarakhand, to take a dip in the sacred river. Devoted and full of Hindu devotees crowded the streets. The Naga Sadhus, the “saints” of the Hindu ascetic practice, pose for a photo on the banks of the Ganges. Photo: AFP. This is one of the holiest days of the Kumbh Mela festival. This festival is one of the most important occasions for Hindus, attracting millions of pilgrims every year. On the same day, India recorded 169,000 new Covid-19 cases and surpassed Brazil to become the second hardest-hit country by the pandemic, according to Guardian . Ignore danger In the weeks before that, a second deadly wave of Covid-19 swept across the whole of India. However, calls to cancel the festival were rejected. By April 15, more than 2,000 festivalgoers had tested positive for the virus. As of the end of the festival on April 28, more than 9 million people have soaked in the water of the Ganges River. The actual number of Kumbh Mela participants is yet to be announced. Millions of pilgrims return home without being tested or quarantined. Several states have begun belated efforts to trace and isolate returnees from Kumbh Mela. In Madhya Pradesh, 789 pilgrims have been placed in quarantine. Of those, 118 tested positive. The Naga Sandhus attend a procession on the banks of the Ganges. Photo: Reuters. T Jacob John, former head of virology at the Indian Council of Medical Research, said: “The pilgrims in the states carry with them mutated strains of the virus and spread the disease everywhere.” . Ashish Jha, dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, said that Kumbh Mela could be “the largest super-contagious event in the history of the Covid-19 pandemic”. Devotees attend night prayers on the banks of the Ganges River at the Kumbh Mela festival, April 13. Photo: Reuters. During the festival period, the state of Uttarakhand recorded a 1,800% increase in the number of virus positive cases. Most of the infections are related to the Kumbh Mela festival. No one escapes Covid-19 Thakur Puran Singh, a senior member of the BJP, does not believe he has contracted Covid-19 at Kumbh Mela. At dawn on April 9, he and his family drove nearly 600 km to Haridwar to attend the Kumbh Mela. Over the next five days, his family took several dips in the Ganges River. On April 16, a day after returning home, Mr. Singh started showing symptoms of Covid-19. At first, he refused to believe that he had Covid-19. However, on April 21, his condition worsened. When he was taken to a local hospital, doctors suspected he had Covid-19 because his lungs had been damaged. His son did not believe him and took him to another hospital that he considered more reputable. Thakur Puran Singh and family participate in Kumbh Mela festival. Photo: The Guardian. “I couldn’t believe the doctors and their diagnosis. I didn’t even wear a mask when I took my dad to the hospital,” said Dinesh Singh Thakur. However, Mr. Singh died en route. Eight days later, his brother, Balwant Singh, also died with symptoms of Covid-19. “Even after Mr Singh’s death, the family kept a secret that they had come to Kumbh Mela,” said Dr. Shameema, regional medical director. After returning, they also participated in four weddings. Dr Iqbal Malik, another health official, confirmed that four members of Mr Singh’s family have tested positive. More than two dozen other people who were in close contact with Singh’s family members also had similar results. Mr. Singh’s body was cremated according to the procedures of the victim who died from Covid-19. However, his family still does not believe that he died from the virus. “There are 11 people in my family, why is it that only my father is gone? My father’s death was not due to Covid-19. Fate has called him,” Thakur said. Regret Gopal Singh’s family and neighbors were touched to see him return to his hometown from Kumbh Mela. The people of Madhi Chaubisa village came out to greet him and hoped for blessings. Contrary to the joy of the villagers, he was still terrified. Singh joined about 100 others from the surrounding villages on a sacred pilgrimage to Kumbh Mela. On the way home, he saw everyone falling ill. Many passengers said they had high fever and diarrhea. However, their vehicle did not stop at any of the Covid-19 testing sites. Devotees await the Naga Sadhus at the Kumbh Mela festival. Photo: AP. “I have been to Kumbh Mela twice before but I have never seen anything like this. A lot of people have been infected,” he said. Mr Singh insisted on being tested for Covid-19 despite a local doctor dismissing his concerns. Four days later, as expected, he was positive for SARS-CoV-2. Before that, he had contact with many people in the village. Three other people traveling with Mr Singh also tested positive. Ragu Raj Dangi, head of the village, said: “After everyone returned from Kumbh Mela, the number of people with Covid-19 has increased to more than 30 cases in just a few days. There are still a lot of other people who have symptoms but haven’t been tested.” A few days later, Mamta Bhai, Mr. Singh’s neighbour, developed a fever. She was treated by a local doctor. Although she was later taken to the intensive care unit, she still did not survive. Singh feels guilty: “Stubbornness and ignorance pushed us into a disaster. I feel terrible. Because of fanatics like me, other people get the virus.” Mr. Pragyaanant Giri, a Hindu monk, also went to Kumbh Mela. Like many at the monastery, he believes Covid-19 is a conspiracy. After a month of attending the festival, Mr. Giri developed symptoms of a sore throat and high fever. His companions advised him to rest. The police officer asks a person to leave after taking a dip in the water of the Ganges. Photo: Reuters. After that, his condition worsened. After two weeks of intensive care, Mr. Giri passed away. Despite the rules for patients dying from Covid-19, his body was buried at the monastery. People in the monastery said: “More than 10 people who came into contact with Mr Giri have developed Covid-19 symptoms and some have been hospitalized. However, most members of the monastery are not tested.” Even after Giri’s death, the belief that Covid-19 is not real still pervades the monastery. Swami Harigiri, the head of the monastery, thinks this is a plot against the Hindus. “We drink cow urine. Covid-19 will not affect us. Giri’s death caused by Covid-19 is fake news,” he said. In a small village in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, a group of five women came to the festival on an 11-day trip. After returning, two people died. Although the local health department announced the victims had tested negative for Covid-19, family members told a different story. Awadh Kishore Tiwari, grandson of Bindu Devi, one of the two dead women, said: “She fell ill the day she returned home. The very next day she was gone forever. My mother also tested positive after coming into contact with her.” Ms Devi’s brother-in-law, Awadhesh Chauhan, said he advised her not to attend the Kumbh Mela because of Covid-19. However, she laughed off: “Nothing will happen to me, don’t worry”. Bringing the ashes of unclaimed Covid-19 victims to the Ganges River Indian volunteers collect ashes from crematoriums to organize funerals for Covid-19 victims in Haridwar city.

Highlights in the frames come from sparkling diamond accessories and fancy long nails with the help of makeup artist Ash K Holm. All moments were taken by photographer Sita Abellan. Kim Kardashian caused controversy with diamond-encrusted earrings with the sign “Om”. Photo: @sitabellan. However, Kim quickly faced a wave of criticism from netizens after wearing earrings with the “Om” logo. According to the Independent This is a sacred sound and spiritual symbol in Indian religious culture including Buddhism and Hinduism. In 3 photos, the audience sees the objection when Kim lies on the bed wearing silver diamond-encrusted earrings with the sign “Om” and a charming face. Many people consider wearing this accessory a cultural insult and disrespect for Indian beliefs. “This is a symbol of religion. Why is she bringing it out as an accessory? The symbol is sacred, not a fashion aesthetic specifically for her. I hope Kim apologizes to everyone. people”, the social network user commented. Fashion set of Kim Kardashian and photographer Sita Abellan. Photo: @sitabellan. Previously, Kim made the Japanese angry when naming the lingerie brand with the name of the country’s national costume – Kimono. Before the wave of protests, she said this was a misunderstanding and the brand was not related to the kimono of the country of cherry blossoms. Even the mayor of Tokyo even wrote a letter to Kim. In the end, she had to change the brand name to Skims. In addition, Kim Kardashian was also strongly criticized by the public for deliberately darkening her skin in the image promoting the product line of cosmetic brand KKW Beauty. Many netizens believe that she has shown the “black face” action in the form of makeup, because she has never had dark skin. In the 19th century, “black face” was a common racist act in the entertainment industry. In plays and movies, non-black artists often painted their faces black, playing low-class working-class people such as slaves, gardeners, and nannies. By the 1960s, this movement ended after the civil rights movement of African-Americans. Kim Kardashian intentionally colorizes photos to dark skin like women of color. Photo: KKW Beauty.

My Son Sanctuary is located in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, about 69 km from Da Nang city and near Tra Kieu ancient citadel. My Son Sanctuary is located in a valley about 2 km in diameter, surrounded by hills. My Son Sanctuary includes many temples, once the place of sacrifices of the Champa dynasty. This place is considered one of the main temple centers of Hinduism (Hinduism) in Southeast Asia. In 1999, My Son Sanctuary was selected by UNESCO as one of the world heritages at the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee according to standard C(ii) as a good example of cultural exchange and according to UNESCO. standard C(iii), the only evidence of the disappearance of Asian civilization. Currently, this place is included in the list of 23 special national monuments of our country. My Son Sanctuary was built in the fourth century. Centuries later, this holy place was supplemented with large and small towers, which became the main relic of Champa culture in Vietnam. In addition to the ceremonial function, My Son Sanctuary is also the cultural and religious center of the Champa dynasties and the burial place of kings and powerful priests. There are about 70 architectural works such as temples, tombs… were built in My Son Sanctuary. These works are built with 2 main materials: stone and fired brick. In it, there is a temple built of stone. It is also the only stone temple of the Cham Pa relics. The main temples in My Son Sanctuary worship Linga and Yoni cultural symbols, the image of Lord Shiva (the protector of the Champa kings). The god worshiped in My Son is Bhadrésvara, who founded the first king line of Amaravati at the end of the 4th century, combined with the name of Shiva, becoming the main religion to worship the god – king and royal ancestors. In 1885, My Son relic was discovered by a group of French soldiers. In 1898-1899, two French researchers, L.Finot and L.de Lajonquière, and architect and archaeologist H. Parmentier came here to study epitaphs and the art of Cham architecture and sculpture. In addition to My Son Sanctuary, Quang Nam province also has the ancient town of Hoi An recognized as a World Cultural Heritage. This is a neighborhood formed from the 16th to 17th centuries, formerly a trading port of the Central region. Up to now, the ancient town of Hoi An still preserves almost the original state of the architectural relics complex, including many types of houses, assembly halls, communal houses, temples, shrines, wells, bridges, ethnic churches, harbors, markets. combined with horizontal and vertical roads to form checkerboard-style squares, a popular model of oriental commercial cities in the Middle Ages.

Two weeks ago, just as dawn broke over the Ganges, a riverside resident discovered several bodies drifting into the shallows of the river most sacred to Indians. Darsan Nishad – a 35-year-old man working for a local environmental program – pulled the eight bodies out of the water. He then tied these bodies with sacks to take them away to check the cause of death. Finally, the unfortunate victims will be cremated – according to Hindu rites. “We don’t know where these bodies come from. We didn’t even know if they had any diseases,” said Nishad, pointing to the area where he and his colleagues had to carry out this difficult task. Hindus make offerings to the sacred Ganges River after scattering the ashes of their loved ones. Hundreds of bodies were found floating or buried in the river in May. Photo: Washington Post. Saddened by the experience, Nishad shared his belief in the Ganges, which Hindus revere as a sacred river. According to Hindu beliefs, anyone who has bathed in the river will be cleansed of all sins. “The river has great spiritual significance to us. Indians believe that if you dip yourself in this water even once, you will be protected for life,” said Nishad, standing a few feet from the crematorium in the river. “For us, the river is the goddess,” said Nishad. This is just a small number of hundreds of other bodies floating or buried in sand along the length of the river in the context that India suffered the second worst consequences in the world because of the Covid-19 pandemic. after America. Worried fisherman The mystery surrounding the bodies remains unanswered. Authorities have not been able to find out how many people have Covid-19 among those bodies. Many believe that some families have opted for extreme measures – dropping the bodies of loved ones in the Ganges – because they cannot afford to cremate them. Before the second wave of Covid-19 “swallowed” India, the cremation rite cost only 70 USD. However, the number has now risen to more than $400 – almost six times higher – since the end of April. In Sujabad – a large community that depends on the Ganges for a living – many people are currently without work. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the loss of jobs for river boaters carrying pilgrims and tourists. With bodies constantly dropping into the river causing pollution, local fishermen are worried about their catch and fish stocks being affected. For many people, the source of fish on the sacred river has been a way of life for a long time. The Indian crematorium burns day and night. Photo: New York Times. According to people here, the most prosperous business at this time is providing wood for the crematorium. As of May 23, India recorded more than 26.2 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 295,000 deaths. The number of new infections per day in India has recently decreased, but the average number of deaths in the past 7 days has remained high, above 4,000 people per day. The “tsunami” of Covid-19 has put the Indian economy on the brink of collapse. Like the bodies found in the Ganges – whether they died from coronavirus, heart attacks or old age – residents of communities like Sujabad are falling victim to this virus. Government gets involved Images of floating bodies prompted authorities to step in. Patrol ships are deployed across more than 2,400 kilometers of the Ganges River. State and local governments have established a network of free cremation sites – providing firewood and inviting priests to perform Masses for families who cannot afford it. Hundreds of such crematoriums have been opened across Varanasi, the holy city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh state, and home to a series of steps leading down to the Ganges (called ghats). Usually, Hindus will gather in large numbers at ghats to bathe, baptize their children and scatter the ashes of the dead. However, now the ghats are uninhabited, while the crematoriums operate continuously day and night. In downtown Varanasi, officials have set up a Covid-19 “command center”. Here, thousands of staff will take calls from residents, check on patients, order ambulances for those in need of hospitalization and arrange cremation services. A large screen hung on the wall continuously displays the latest information on the number of hospital beds, oxygen supply and the number of new infections. Government employees patrol the Ganges River. Photo: Washington Post. Share with Washington Post , cleric Satindra Kumar in Varanasi could not hide his fatigue after long days of performing funeral rites. “I have performed the funeral rite 15 times in the past two days, most of the dead are patients with corona virus. People who don’t die from the disease also come here,” Kumar said. “The pandemic is so devastating! Everyone is afraid and suffering. I cannot stop what is happening, but I will continue to pray. I hope that will bring peace to the relatives of the deceased.” Even the poor still have to celebrate However, in rural areas, there is no similar service for the family of someone who has died of Covid-19 or other causes. Despite the extra cost, many people still make trips to the ghats to pray for their loved ones in accordance with Hindu custom. They believe that even with the added economic burden on their shoulders, they still have to bear to follow the ancestral traditions. Journalist of Washington Post witnessed a group of peasants reach out to one of Varanasi’s oldest ghats to perform funerals for three loved ones. Cremation platforms along the riverside. Photo: Getty. They prepare offerings consisting of pellets and spices, wrapped in large leaves under the supervision of a Hindu priest. After the bodies of three loved ones were blessed, the men stepped off the ghats, floated their offerings in the river, and began scattering the ashes. After that, besides the cremation fee, the group also had to pay the ceremony money for the ceremony just now. They anxiously counted every penny they had accumulated, plus the costs of barbers, photographers and gifts. They do not hesitate to pay expensive expenses to fulfill their religious obligations at a time of uncertainty, fear of an invisible and deadly force. “For generations, villagers have come here to perform the last rites of life,” said Lakshmi Singh, a farmer in his 60s. Bringing the ashes of unclaimed Covid-19 victims to the Ganges River Indian volunteers collect ashes from crematoriums to organize funerals for Covid-19 victims in Haridwar city.

But also in the media, it is seen that every morning, hundreds of Indians in the midst of the pandemic go to bathe in the Ganges River. No masks. No spacing. They hardly know or need to know what a Pandemic is… Peaceful Ganges! That’s the real India! Peaceful India is a country of religion! The etymology of the sacred Ganges is “Ganga”, the embodiment of the goddess Ganga – the daughter of the Himalayas – the guardian deity – the great mother of the country. Legend has it that in order to save the people from the severe drought, the god Sihva pulled a river from the sky above the heavens to flow through his hair for thousands of years and then poured down to earth. In the Vedas, there are also the most solemn words praising the Ganges River, which has the function of dissolving all sins and cleansing all impurities. According to Hindu beliefs – the majority of the Indian continent, bathing in the Ganges River means that all sins are washed away. If you drink river water before you die, it is a good omen for both the living and those who return to heaven. Many Hindus also ask to be cremated on the banks of the Ganges and then scatter the ashes into the river. Throughout history, since the legend, every morning, at dawn, tens of thousands of Indians flock to the banks of the Ganges River to bathe, meet, share, and chat. For them it is a great gift of life, so no power can take it away, not even the scary but invisible COVID virus… In the symbol of humanity, “water” which symbolizes the purification of desire directs people to the bright and benevolent domain. Because it is a flow, “river” is a symbol of renewal and rebirth. Moreover, it is also a symbol of purity (because of being purified) and an instrument of liberation. But with Indian culture, the holy Ganges River has a higher symbolic meaning than “giving prosperity and blessed salvation”. Therefore, those who bathe in the Ganges river will be “transmitted purity into their hearts” by the goddess. Most Hindus certainly believe so! The Ganges River becomes the patron god of the life and people of India, the mother river that flows cultural flows into the body of Indian society. Where there is lack of spiritual water from that spiritual flow, that place is not India! The most primitive legend tells that the goddess Ganga was always standing on a sea monster, which was her means of transportation. Her holy face was both stern, tolerant, kind, and holy. Her figure shows a symbol of strength, nobility, courage. She always wears a crown to reveal her high, pure, bright forehead. She always wears a necklace low down to her bountiful breasts symbolizing her ability to bestow prosperity… This legend is the fulcrum for two immortal epics, “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata”, the most massive ancient epics in the world. The “Mahabharata” alone is 7 times the length of the “Iliad” and “Odyssey” combined. A Battle on the banks of the Ganges in “Ramayana”! It can be affirmed that the structure of the massive “Mahabharata” epic is the structure of the great Ganges river flow because the river is like an artistic symbol expressing the spiritual life of the main characters, who govern and direct the people. as a spiritual leader. The opening part of the epic tells about the origin of genealogies with the main core being that the Vasus family sinned against the Taoist Vasita, so they were reincarnated into the world as the children of the goddess Ganges and King Santanu. As soon as they were born, they were thrown into the river by their mother (goddess) to free them from the Taoist spell. This is a great and constant archetype so that everyone wants to bathe in the Ganges River in the future with the desire to wash away sins. The motif of bathing in the sea and sacred river water becomes a common symbol for human culture talking about renewal and rebirth. God of Fire in Greek mythology was a naughty, hyperactive boy who once provoked Dot, so he was thrown into the sea, unfortunately, he fell on an island and lost his leg. Since then, the Fire god has been limping (flashing like fire!). In Egyptian mythology, Prince Morann, son of the king of Cairpe, was born a mute monster and was thrown into the sea. Fortunately, the sea water broke the monster mask so that later the prince became a great judge… But among those episodes, the meaning of bathing in the Ganges river is the most enduring, followed by many people. Best. And maybe forever as long as there is the Ganges! When epic wars occurred, the Ganges River served as a witness to history. Only in the space of the Ganges can the characters “enlighten” the truth and morality as well as the principles of Indian spiritual life, of the Indian spirit of peace and selflessness. Sacred water helps them return to their human roots to neutralize hatred. In front of the Ganges, the sinner will realize his sin and repent… There is an event that no one will miss when reading “Mahabharata” when the villain Aswatthama fled to the banks of the Ganges with the most cruel revenge of killing the Pandava family’s grandson still in the womb. but this action was nullified by the god Krishna. Then the whole Pandava family forgave him… It turned out that the Ganges had sanctified people. Since then forgiveness has become an Indian character, an Indian spirituality. At the end of the war, despite the victory, there is no victory song, because the war is destruction anyway, on both sides. King Yudhisthira triumphantly ascended the throne, but there were no grand festivals. Just a ritual sacrifice: “The king went to the Ganges River and according to the traditional custom of offering sacrifices to pray for the souls of the deceased to rest.” It should be said more clearly that the king prayed for all the dead souls, both on this side, on the other side, regardless. This detail shows more clearly the human meaning of the king’s enthronement without the corresponding ritual. It’s an Indian identity! And yet, King Yudhisthira is also depicted when standing in front of the Ganges River, he is like standing in front of a sacred, sacred and extremely mysterious cathedral, and then the mood rises with torment about what he has caused suffering to people. other. He repented. He judges and punishes himself. He became a symbol of endurance and patience… This symbol entered Indian culture and became a living and action maxim: “Patience is the highest virtue!”, “Tolerance is fame, endurance is glory!”. The Indian cosmology is also: “All things operate according to the principle of endurance!”. So we understand the modern Indian revolution based on the principle of non-violence! Because the moral concepts of endurance and patience have become the spiritual foundation of Indian society! In the epic “Ramayana” the characters always pray and bow to the Ganges. The character always considers the river a fulcrum of strength, a moral fulcrum for action. It is a creed as constant in each character. Legend has it that King Xagara sent sixty thousand sons to find the lost sacrificial horse. Those sons traveled all over the world, finally finding the horse near Kapila. They immediately thought that He was a thief. Enraged, the god Kapila burned all the children of King Xagara. The king’s grandson, Angxumana, received advice: “You must make offerings to the sacred water of Ganga. Okay, then the ashes of these sixty thousand people will go to heaven.” Indeed, when offering water to the Ganges River, the souls of the dead are liberated to the high land of bliss. Legend is deeply ingrained, imprinted in the Indian mind: When you die, you will be cremated on the banks of the Ganges River is a happiness! Tradition must always be in sync with the present for people to enter civilization. To hold on to tradition is to be conservative. The whole world is making the best efforts to prevent the epidemic … but in India it is not yet. That’s the lesson: A traditional gem in the light of modern science will shine even brighter!

During those 5 years, the young man observed plants and animals of many different regions, and one of which was especially important, was that he discovered sparrows in the Galapagos Islands and sparrows living in the Galapagos. deep in the continent, although similar, have evolved different biological characteristics to suit feeding in their particular habitat. Later, that guy wrote the book “On the Origin of Species” and introduced the theory of Evolution that shocked public opinion. That boy is Charles Darwin. There are 365 days in a year, and only one day is dedicated to Darwin. However, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, a poll was held and the results were that only 39% of Americans believed in the theory of evolution. At the same time, in England, home of the scientist, The Guardian reported that half of adults did not believe in Darwin’s theory and of those, 22% believed in God’s Genesis. Sole. Millions of Hindus have joined the festival on the Ganges River in recent days, causing an outbreak of the disease. In the Museum of Creation in Petersburg, Kentucky, there is a painting of Adam and Eve sharing a forest with a dinosaur 10,000 years ago, although we think dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago while humans are now New era appeared from 200,000 years ago is clear as day. The US and UK are the two leading countries in scientific research. I immediately thought of this story when I saw the pictures of the millions of Hindus in India celebrating the Kumbh Mela festival and then paying the price with the burning cities burning the dead. because of COVID-19. “The faith of the pilgrims will overcome the fear of the virus,” the state premier of Uttarakhand told the press ahead of the festival. Indeed, in just a few days, 3 million people jumped into the sacred Ganges River to bathe, the fear of a new virus that appeared more than a year ago that science warns is nothing compared to the power of the government. boss of the gods for thousands of years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has also proposed to study the hypothesis that Ganges living water can cure COVID. Yet, just a short time ago, Hindu politicians criticized Muslims for holding large prayers in New Delhi. Actually, they are all the same. Why is there such a thing as unscientific in an age that is thought to be very unscientific? Don’t we often read articles complaining about people’s increasing dependence on technology, on phones, on tablets – and technology is a totem of modern science? Even so, the formula for writing innocuous articles in health care categories is “proven science”—the word “science” is so overused that it becomes inert. But, it seems, the dominance of science and technology is just a fragile outer shell that can always be broken. And people rely on science for the comfort and convenience that scientific discoveries bring, not necessarily for truths or facts about the world. To find out about this strange phenomenon, Professor Andrew Shtulman of the Department of Cognitive Sciences Occidental University devised a test as follows. He invited 150 students who had taken science and math classes to read a few hundred scientific conclusions and asked them to mark the correct ones. A rather surprising result was that it took them a little longer to check the box “Earth revolves around the Sun” than the box “The moon revolves around the Earth”. Both of the above conclusions are clearly correct, but if the Moon revolves around the Earth is something that we can easily perceive, then the Earth revolves around the Sun is something that goes against our common sense and is only possible. know through education. This implies that science’s way to awareness is always resisted by a force of instinctual belief. So, sympathize with the old theologians who thought Copernicus was a heretic, because even the well-educated, raised in a 21st-century environment with bright scientific lights If there is a flash of light on the top of your head, somewhere in your mind there are still remnants of the feeling that the Sun revolves around the Earth, also that the ancient people did not have an inch of tools at hand. Painting “A dinosaur in the garden of Eden”. In a similar test run by University of Maryland psychologist Kevin Dunbar, he also observed blood vessels pooling in the prefrontal cortex when participants validated claims they thought were false. naturally in science, this part of the cerebral cortex is responsible for controlling consciousness. According to Dunbar, this is evidence that the acceptance of some scientific knowledge is not actually about absorbing facts but about suppressing myths. The truth is often hard to swallow, and it holds true in many fields, and even more so in the history of scientific research. The great breakthroughs that completely changed the axis of our knowledge, from heliocentric theory to the theory of evolution, from relativity to quantum mechanics, almost all brought up uncomfortable truths and to With scientific achievements, humanity must abandon the abiding realm of intuition to jump into a crater of flesh-burning truths. But not just dance once. Scientific truth is different from religious truth. The basis of religious truth is certainty, and the basis of scientific truth is doubt. Karl Popper, philosopher of science said that “Truth and certainty must be clearly distinguished. Knowledge is the search for truth. Not a search for certainty.” Or in the words of Richard Feynman, the essence of science is “the hard work of proving you wrong”. No need to take great examples of how Einstein proved Newton wrong and how people question Einstein today, just talk about chocolate, sometimes scientists say that This is a dish that is harmful to health, another time they say it helps to beautify the skin and keep it in shape. Compared to betting on a change like the flash pan of science, to many people, in many matters, religion or intuition seem to be more stable and secure “horses”. Science always puts people in such insecurity. Nowhere is our “me” more vulnerable than in science, because we are always faced with the fact that we are wrong. What’s more, there are many different kinds of truths, and scientific facts are not always better than others. But, there are subjective truths that can push people into a dead end. Like prayer can conquer COVID. Like the Ganges that can wash away diseases. Or as climate change is an exaggeration of zealot scientists. Indeed, according to the survey, a quarter of the population of the US – the world’s closest high carbon emitter – considers climate change a negligible threat! But, even more surprising, in a study published in the journal Psychological Science by Matthew Feinberg and Robb Willer of UC Berkeley, most people when reading dire messages about climate change don’t want to believe it. This is because, that “inconvenient” truth threatens the need to see the world as an organized, stable, and just place where honest workers are rewarded and vandals. will be punished. Meanwhile, climate change creates an equal apocalypse for everyone, guilty or not. Yet, the world is such a cruel place, where the origin of man is nothing more than a divine being, but a fish with finfish, where the Earth is never the navel of the universe, where religious ritual cannot save people from the virus, where the environment is being destroyed irreversibly. And in general, as Carl Sagan, one of the most widely known astronomers to the public, once wrote: “Better hard truths, in my opinion, than consoling illusions.”

At the cremation site, where the fire was only temporarily extinguished late at night, loved ones had to wait for hours to say goodbye. The cremation scene was photographed, filmed, even broadcast live on social networks. These images will be sent to relatives in quarantine across India. They even appear on entire world news and newspapers, bringing India’s tragedy to a global audience. Fire ceremony participants must wear masks and protective gear. Photo: The New York Times. From the rooftops, local residents took pictures of the fire to show the world why they had to wear masks even indoors. Smoke and a strong smell of death, enveloping narrow alleys all day, even crept through closed windows, according to The New York Times. The cremation flame is a testament to the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on India. Exhausted from cremation The Covid-19 virus spread too quickly in India. The country continuously records more than 400,000 new cases every day. Nowhere in the country is beyond the devastating “tsunami”. Every day about 300 official deaths are recorded in New Delhi. However, this number is not believed to reflect the reality. “Before the pandemic, I received six to eight bodies a day,” said Jitender Singh Shunty, founder of a volunteer cremation organization Seemapuri, east of New Delhi. Now, every day I have to hold a cremation ceremony for about 100 bodies. Through his organization Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal, Mr. Shunty has provided free or low-cost cremation services to the poor for 25 years. As demand skyrocketed, Mr. Shunty’s full-time workforce encountered numerous difficulties. They had to build dozens of new crematoriums in the adjacent field. Mr. Shunty’s cremation center received 100 bodies a day. Photo: The New York Times. Mr. Shunty’s daily job is to help move bodies and arrange the location of his cremation. During a pandemic, he had to change his protective shirt, mask and gloves dozens of times a day. At night, he slept in his car because his wife and two sons had Covid-19. Crematorial staff are receiving special care in the hospital. “Our team is about 16 people. We are working day and night, ”he said. “It is only 8 am, but I have received 22 phone calls to confirm the body.” According to Hindu tradition, cremation is a frequently used method. They believe that cremation disrupts the association of the soul with the physical body. The eldest son will lead the funeral delegation and relatives will carry the body onto the funeral pyre. A Hindu monk, also known as pandit, will recite his last prayers before the fire is lit. The ash of the deceased will be scattered in the Ganges or another sacred river. Mourners will gather at the deceased person’s home to commemorate and conduct prayer rituals. Families usually collect the ash immediately to avoid confusion. Unclaimed ashes, Mr. Shunty said, are held for up to two months, after which they are scattered into the Ganges River. Separate birth and death In addition, the pandemic also deprives the deceased’s final rites and deprives relatives of their private space. Traditionally, relatives will gather to share the pain of loss. Now, the fear of infection keeps most loved ones away. Even many bodies were cremated with no one nearby. “My family members can’t even see those last moments,” said Mittain Panani, a 46-year-old businessman. Mr. Panani and his brother are the only two people who directly attended their father’s cremation in Mumbai. His mother is still hospitalized with Covid-19. “Even if you have money, power, influence, you can’t do anything in that moment. I feel really powerless, ”he said sadly. Relatives brought the body of Covid-19 patient to the cremation area. Photo: The New York Times. “Flames were rising from the funeral pyre, relatives wearing masks and protective clothing. The scene is like the end of the world, ”said Dimple Kharbanda, a film producer who returned to New Delhi to attend the cremation ceremony of his late father. She had to beg relatives, including aunts in the neighboring state, not to come to Delhi because of the risk of infection. “When someone in India dies, we get together and talk about them, their lives, their habits and the good things. However, at this point, we can’t even do that, ”said Poonam Sikri, Ms. Kharbanda’s biological aunt. “When I watched his cremation (Miss Kharbanda’s father) on the phone, it felt like I had lost a part of my body. I want to stroke his hair, rub his face and hug him one last time. But I can’t do it ”. For the families of Covid-19 victims, the cremation site is the final stop of a series of difficult trials. It ended a series of days dragging patients from hospital to hospital in search of a bed and struggling in line for oxygen. Last stop Before Darwan Singh’s body was taken to Seemapuri, his family did everything they could to save the 56-year-old breadwinner. His fever did not go away while the oxygen level in his blood dropped to a dangerously low level of 42%. For two days, his family could not find a hospital bed or an oxygen tank. His nephew, Kuldeep Rawat, said he was given oxygen for an hour before the hospital supplies ran out. The family brought Mr. Singh home at night. The next day, they had to wait another five hours in the parking lot of another hospital. Mr. Rawat said the family had to pay a bribe of about $ 70 to get a free bed in a public hospital. Unfortunately, Mr. Singh died overnight. According to Hindu tradition, cremation is believed to break the connection of the soul with the physical body. Photo: New York Times. With the Seemapuri cremation center overloaded, the hospital was unable to immediately hand over the body. On April 25, his body and five other people were taken to the cremation site. Mr. Rawat said he had to get in an ambulance to confirm his uncle’s identity. The family then took him inside the crematorium and had to wait 5 hours before it was his turn to bring his uncle to the pyre. Even the last stop also cost them a relatively large amount: 25 USD for the prayer meeting, 34 USD for wood, 14 USD for the pandit priest and 5 USD for the protective suit. Mr. Singh’s family could not even come to the funeral. Both his mother, wife, daughter and son were infected with Covid-19. Mr. Rawat feared that he would also be infected during the period of sending his uncle to the emergency room. “They have a hard time understanding what’s going on.” For the families living around the crematorium, the fire that burns all night and day is a constant reminder of Covid-19’s death that awaits them. In the Sunlight Colony, where shabby houses and flats lie with Seemapuri, smoke is so much that many people are forced to wear masks while indoors. Children are rinsed with hot water before going to bed and laundry is dried in the room. People living near cremators must wear masks even when indoors. Photo: The New York Times. Waseem Qureishi, a resident right next to the Seemapuri crematorium, said: “My kitchen is upstairs but I really can’t stand it inside. If the wind is headed towards my house, the situation is even worse. Anuj Bhansal, an ambulance driver who lives near the Ghazipur crematorium, also in eastern New Delhi, says he is very worried about his four children. He said every time the cremated body number reached 100 people, children in the neighborhood would run up a nearby garbage hill to see. “When the children watched the fire and smoke coming from the cremation site, they asked why it did not go out,” Mr Bhansal said sadly. “They have a hard time understanding what’s going on.” The chaplain’s account of the funeral for 150 Covid-19 patients before cremation Every day, Hindu cleric RamKaran Mishra performs a funeral for about 150 people who have died from Covid-19 at the Ghazipur crematory facility east of New Delhi, India.

In February 2021, health care and epidemiologists in India were delighted to see that the pandemic-related figures have all been plummeting. The number of Covid-19 cases has decreased, and the number of oxygen ventilators is sufficient for the patient. Experts at that time predicted that India had overcome the second wave of epidemics. However, in April, “lucky god” suddenly disappeared. Pictures of a series of corpses waiting to be cremated in turn flooded social networks. Hospitals lack bed and oxygen is severe. Many sick people and desperate families turned to buying medicine at the black market. Meanwhile, many others suffocated painfully in the hospital from lack of oxygen, according to the report Washington Post. The number of new cases in India has hit a record in the past few days. There is no indication that the number of infections will decrease in the near future. Temporary crematoriums are being massively erected in India. Photo: Reuters. Gathering people Back in early February, India had just over 13,000 cases a day, while the population was 1.4 billion. India has acquired a community immunity. Up to the present time, India has become the focal point of the global epidemic and receives great attention from the international community. On April 29, the country recorded 379,257 new cases of Covid-19 and 3,645 people died from the pandemic, marking the worst day ever of the pandemic in India. To date, the number of Covid-19 cases in the country has reached 18.38 million, including 204,832 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health of India. Experts commented that community immunity in India may not exist as previously assessed. The Naga Sadhus – Hindu ascetic “saints” – carry a sword or trident, leading devotees to participate in the Kumbh Mela festival on March 11. Photo: Reuters. The new wave of epidemics has made the poor now even more afflicted. Not only that, it is also reaching the rich class in Indian society. Although the rich tried to isolate society during the first wave of epidemics, they could not avoid this epidemic either. Crowds of people also play a huge role in spreading the virus. Blockade and quarantine restrictions are believed to have been lifted too soon in the world’s second most populous country. Residents are allowed to organize major parades. Hindu festivals attract tens of millions of pilgrims. These people often gather in cramped locations without protection. Random tests at pilgrimage sites recorded thousands of new infections. Even while the epidemic was peaking, the people of India were still not following the rules. Thousands of people gathered at the Ganges River to perform the ritual of bathing the river. They believe that the waters of the Ganges can save them from disease. “People let their guard down when India launched the vaccination campaign in January. People have returned to a normal life, traveling,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, an epidemiologist at Princeton University. calendar, organizing a family wedding and without any restrictions, even wearing a mask “. New variant Scientists are still debating the role the new variants will play in making the pandemic in India unbelievably bad. Variation B.1.1.7, first discovered in the UK, is currently the dominant variant in the Indian state of Pubjab. Many studies show that B.1.1.7 is 40 to 70% more contagious than the original virus. At the same time it also makes the patient more likely to die. A medical worker walks over the bodies at a mass cremation point in Delhi on April 26. Photo: Reuters. Another variant, B.1.617, is present in the majority of patients in the state of Maharashtra. This variant is called a “double mutation” when it contains up to 2 official mutations found in two other strains. However, to date there is no official study showing whether B.1.617 is more transmissible than other variants. India also does not have the ability to decode the genetic sequence of B.1.617. Besides that, Brazilian and South African variants are also found in India. Why India lacks oxygen? Usually India’s hospitals and medical clinics use only 15% of the liquid oxygen produced in this country. However, until now, nearly 90% of the country’s supply has been transferred to health care facilities. Some Indian states do not have factories for the production of liquid oxygen. These regions must rely on supplies from other states. It takes two hours to fill a full tank with oxygen. This caused a long queue of trucks outside the factories. Even after full, oxygen trucks can only drive at 40 km / h and only move during the day. People in India are struggling with an unprecedented wave of Covid-19. Photo: AP. In October 2020, the Indian Ministry of Health announced plans to build a plant for more liquid oxygen production. However, only 33 out of 162 factories have been built so far. Prime Minister Modi also announced plans to build 551 other oxygen liquefaction plants on April 25. Even so, it would still be too late for the dying of hypoxia patients across India. “We told the authorities that we are ready to increase capacity, but we need financial support,” said Rajabhau Shinde, director of a small oxygen plant in Maharashtra. India decided to provide vaccines to anyone over the age of 18, starting May 1. The country also limits the number of exported vaccines and concentrates on domestic distribution. Several cities and states have announced new blockade restrictions. The government ordered a curfew, banned travel, and banned unnecessary activities. However, authorities believe that blockade is only the last resort. He refused to issue a nationwide blockade. A woman and a relative after her husband died of Covid-19. Photo: Reuters. The Indian government sends oxygen trains to all regions of the country. Military medical equipment stores were opened to deal with the urgent shortage. Armed forces have been deployed to hospitals. The world immediately rescued India Countries have already begun to take measures to help India. Singapore, Germany, UK sent oxygen-related devices on April 26. France, Russia and Australia will send medical aid. China and Pakistan have offered to help. The European Union has worked with member states to provide oxygen and medicines. The World Health Organization (WHO) will send more staff and supplies to India. The White House on April 28 said it would provide $ 100 million in aid to India, including 1,000 medical oxygen cylinders, 15 million N95 masks and one million Covid-19 rapid test kits. “Just as India sent support to the United States when our hospitals were stressed in the early stages of a pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in times of need,” the White House statement said. download on the website on April 28 clearly. The US is lifting a ban on sending raw materials abroad, enabling India to produce more AstraZeneca vaccines. President Biden is mobilizing a team of health experts and funding the expansion of India’s vaccine production capabilities. Doctors Without Borders welcomed the US move. The organization calls on the US government to ask pharmaceutical companies to “share technology and know-how.” However, the companies rejected this request. The crematorium and hospital were packed with people amid the Covid-19 wave in India The number of new Indian Covid-19 cases increased by more than 360,000 on April 27. In addition, the number of deaths increased exponentially, causing the crematorium to operate day and night.

In Western culture, blue represents trust and responsibility. However, this color is also associated with sadness and loneliness, so English has the phrase “having the blues” to express sad feelings. In some countries such as Turkey, Greece, Iran and Albania, the blue color represents protection from evil so we will often see enchantments with blue eyes that are supposed to protect protect the wearer from the demon’s eyes in these places. In some Eastern cultures, blue represents immortality, while in Hinduism this color is associated with the god Krishna, the god of love. In Western cultures, green represents many things, such as luck, nature, freshness, environment, wealth, and jealousy. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, green represents fertility, luck and is considered the traditional color of Islam. However, green can mean betrayal in some Eastern cultures, such as the Chinese concept of men wearing green hats as taboo because it means people. that man is being “cuckolded” by his wife. The yellow color in some Western cultures is associated with sunlight, happiness, warmth, and joy. However, sometimes it also means caution and cowardice. In China yellow represents royalty, while in Germany, yellow represents jealousy. Orange represents autumn, season, and warmth in Western culture. In Hinduism, the pale orange like saffron represents good prospects and holiness. In Western culture the color pink represents femininity, love, romance and care but in Japan this color is associated with more masculinity. Pink is believed to help stimulate the spirit and reduce violent behaviors. That is why many prisons are painted pink. Around the world, purple often symbolizes royalty, wealth and nobility. This color also represents fidelity, sincerity and repentance. In Brazil and Thailand, purple represents mourning. In many Asian cultures, the color red represents luck, joy, prosperity, and festival. In India, the color red represents purity, fertility and prosperity. That is why Indian brides traditionally wear red at their weddings. Meanwhile, that color represents passion, excitement, action, love, and danger in Western culture. Red represents luck in Egypt while in Iran it represents courage. Depending on the different cultures, black represents solemnity and sophistication, as well as symbolizing death, evil, grief, sickness, and mystery. In many Asian countries, white represents death, grief and funerals. However, in Western culture, white represents purity, elegance, peace, and is often worn by brides at weddings.