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.

In this South Asian country, it is easy to find similar shrines dedicated to Covid-19 and other plagues. “Goddess Corona is the only hope” Since the outbreak of the pandemic, India has recorded more than 27 million cases and more than 322,000 deaths from Covid-19. The latest outbreak that began in March has left the country’s health system in crisis because of a lack of hospital beds and oxygen. In states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, women gather near temples or under sacred trees to worship the corona virus, which is realized in the form of a goddess known as “Corona Maa”. . They sit around in a circle and perform rituals, offering milk, coconuts, flowers and sweets to the deity. Some chanted prayers to appease the goddess’ wrath. Bimla Kumari, a resident of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, said: “We are worshiping ‘Corona Maa’ so that our family members remain safe from the virus. The goddess’s wrath will be appeased with offerings, for she is an angry goddess, not a benevolent goddess. The hospitals are overcrowded and the government doesn’t care. So the goddess is our only hope.” After worshiping “Corona Maa” under a banyan tree with his friends, Kumari said “luckily, everyone gathered here today is healthy”. Monks perform a prayer ritual before the god “Corona Devi” at Kamatchipuri Adhinam temple in Coimbatore city to ask for blessings and help people overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: AFP. In India, there is a long tradition that in times of disaster, people turn to faith to alleviate suffering. The worshipers of Sheetla Mata – the goddess of smallpox – believed that she would protect them from the disease by killing the demons believed to cause it. Goddess Sheetla Mata is said to be the reincarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga. A 300-year-old temple in Gurgaon, near New Delhi, is dedicated to this goddess Sheetla Mata. In addition, some other temples specialize in praying for healing. These places worship male deities, for example Vaitheeswaran temple in the town of Mayiladuthurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. Here, devotees pray before the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Mahadeva Temple in Kerala state is where devotees come to cure epilepsy and chronic asthma. In the Tumkur district of neighboring Karnataka state, cancer patients regularly visit the Areyuru Vaidhyanatheshwara temple. They believe that this temple can cure them without treatment with modern medicine. The Pataleshwar Temple in the city of Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh – now closed due to the pandemic – is often a popular destination for people with skin diseases. Many pilgrims come here to ask for blessings by bringing brooms as offerings or sweeping the floors of the temple. Broom shops near temples are usually very expensive on weekends. After offering, most brooms are returned to the seller and continue to be sold to the next person. Elsewhere in the state of Uttar Pradesh, a hand pump at the Jagnewa Hanuman temple pumps up water that many believe has healing powers. Believers believe that a saint touched the pump and infused it with healing powers. They take water in a glass bottle and pour it over the patient’s body in the belief that they will be cured. Anant Kumar, a local, said: ‘My daughter’s chronic asthma – a disease that modern medicine could not cure for many years – disappeared within a month after she took it. water is taken from this manual pump”. Monks worship idols of god Shiva and goddess Parvati at a temple in Prayagraj city, India. Photo: AP. Cultural traditions or superstition? Millions of Indians place their trust in such “healing” temples. Meanwhile, many people are still skeptical about this and think that this is superstition. Harsh Bhagnani, an engineer in Mumbai, said: “Healing temples are just as effective as a placebo for fanatics. Curative therapies should be rooted in modern science and medicine.” Some opponents of these temples argue that the reason people flock here is because the health care system in India is not focused on investment. According to the results of the Human Development Report 2020 of the United Nations Development Program, India ranks 155 out of 167 countries in terms of the number of hospital beds available to meet people’s needs. The country-specific rate is 5 hospital beds and 8.6 doctors per 10,000 population. However, for RP Mitra, a professor of anthropology at Delhi University, these religious rituals are deeply rooted in the Indian subconscious. Indian hospitals are overwhelmed by the second wave of Covid-19, with shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen. Photo: Reuters. “These temples are a fulcrum, helping believers in times of insecurity, fear, and suffering caused by deadly diseases. The temples can be seen as a supernatural complex.” Professor Mitra analyzed. He said religious people may still want to receive divine blessings and still have faith in modern medicine, as the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. “Whether it’s traditional Chinese medicine or ancient therapies practiced across countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal or India, religious beliefs have always been incorporated into traditional medicine,” he said. said more. Countries rush to send medical supplies to India Before the request for support from India, some countries rushed to send medical equipment, including ventilators and oxygen generators, to support the South Asian country in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

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.

But few people know this simple act of hygiene was one of the important rituals of the aristocracy and the physically fit in medieval Europe. Washing hands was a rite of passage for the aristocracy and the physically fit in medieval Europe. (Image: Getty Images) People in the Middle Ages were often thought of as lacking a sense of personal hygiene, but the opposite was true. The kings and peasants of that time bathed thoroughly before and after meals. Furthermore, because cutlery is a rarity and most people eat with their hands, it is essential to keep hands clean before eating, and also to show respect to the person hosting the meal. “ Keep your fingers clean and your fingernails well-manicured , from Les Contenances de Table, a medieval text on table manners. Gradually, hand washing evolved into a ritual showing the power and wealth of the nobility, and washing hands was also considered a “sign of politeness”. Medieval aristocrats and clergy took hand-washing and face-washing to a new level. Even this action was solemnly organized by ancient European kings, with many complicated stages. When the princes have guests, they will invite guests to enjoy music and invite them to wash their hands with luxurious sinks, brand new high-end white towels and lotions. A team of servants will be around to help guests wash their hands. Women must wash their hands before going to the party, because in ancient times there was a belief that only girls with noble and pure dignity could touch white cloth without leaving a speck of dirt. After the guests were seated in the hall, the king entered and washed his hands in the presence of all the guests. Only after the king had finished his work were the others allowed to sit down. According to Amanda Mikolic, assistant curator of the Department of Medieval Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, it was a display of royal power for monarchs to wash their hands in front of guests. “ It’s a game of thrones to remind (guests) who holds the power ” said Ms. Mikolic. Lavabo – European hand sanitizer dispenser in the Middle Ages. (Image: Getty Images) ostentatious ceremony All elaborate rituals require ostentatious tools, in which case handwashing is bound to involve soap. From time immemorial, Crusader soldiers brought luxurious Aleppo soap made from olive oil and laurel to Europe. Before long, the French, Italians, Spaniards, and eventually the British all started making their own versions of Aleppo soap using local olive oil instead of the pungent tallow of many. previous century. Perhaps the most famous of the European soaps of the time was the Spanish Castile soap. Today, this soap is still produced and used around the world. Along with soap, the water jug ​​also played an equally important role in the hand-washing ritual of medieval European aristocrats. These vases are often very elaborately decorated and contain warm water mixed with aromatic oils. Another version of this tool is the lavabo – an object shaped like a bowl with a spout. In the most wealthy households, servants will sprinkle fragrant water on the hands of the owners before the meal. The role of the pitcher was so appreciated that Queen Jeanne d’Évreux of France, wife of King Charles IV, displayed a vase in the place of her favorite ornaments. After that, hand washing gradually became less important than before. Many historical scholars have blamed the fork for making people disregard hand hygiene before eating. It was not until the 18th century that this tool was commonly used in meals. “ The whole ceremonial nature around hand washing began to fade as the role of the tableware (knife, fork) became more prominent. Households began to prepare tableware for guests, and then people could eat without taking off their gloves. ” said Ms. Mikolic. But today, even though elaborately decorated water jugs and washbasins are out of fashion, hand washing can still show one’s wealth. It is still too early to say that the rituals of the pandemic period will stick with people for a long time. But today, though ornate water jugs and washbasins are out of fashion, hand-washing can still show a person’s wealth: through hand-painted metal sinks, expensive soaps and soaps. from essential oils to luxurious Egyptian cotton towels, etc. The luxurious rituals surrounding hand washing are constantly being created and developed. “ Every time I use soap, I’m reminded of medieval perfumes “, shared Mikolic.

One of the unique traditional customs in India is Namaste, also known as Namaskar, Namaskaare. This is a traditional form of greeting for the Indian people. It is mentioned in the Hindu Vedic Sutras. Indians will perform the way to greet Namaste by holding hands together and placed in front of their chest. The meaning of this action means “Let our minds understand each other”. In addition, the word Namaste can also be interpreted as “na ma” (not mine). This shows a reduction of self in front of another person. In Hindu culture, the first haircut for a baby boy in the first three years from birth (also known as mundan sanskar) is extremely important. According to Hindu conception, the newborn hairs of a child contain the evils and calamities of a previous life. Therefore, shaving the child will help start a new life, not being attached to the previous life. During the mundan sanskar ceremony, a monk will be invited to perform the ritual. After the barber has finished shaving, the child’s head will be covered with turmeric and a piece of sandalwood. Indian weddings are celebrated with many traditional customs. Among these, an important tradition is that the bride’s family will give dowry gold jewelry. This custom is called Stree-dhan. Over time, some of the above traditions have changed. Dowry can be cash, land. Even the bride’s family also gives a large sum of money for school education for the groom. This action is intended to thank the groom’s house for taking care of their daughter. Invite readers to watch the video: The people of New Delhi, India are disappointed by being the most polluted capital in the world. Source: VTV24.

This is Rituo (meaning mountain rock) in Tibet. The name comes from a rock that can cure all diseases. Natives say it still exists today. According to The Sun, Rituo is the loneliest temple in the world with about 700 years of history. It is like a jewel hidden in the highlands because there are very few visitors. Rituo Temple was built in a special position when located on Lake Yamdrok – one of the three sacred lakes of the Tibetans. The only person living in the temple is the monk Ahwang Pincuo. His daily job is to collect lake water, chant sutras and meditate. Through each generation, the temple is reserved for only one monk to keep. Ahwang Pincuo is the newest and he will pass it over to his successor at the right time. This temple is truly separate from the rest of the world. The closest town to it is Gyantse, which is up to 160 kilometers away. Upon returning, those lucky enough to visit the temple talk a lot about the tranquility and peace here. The breathtaking view from the temple is what visitors want to experience when arriving here. “You can see the Tibetan antelopes passing by. The geese are feeding in the beautiful lake water. When night falls, the starry sky is reflected on the lake surface,” wrote The Sun. describe. There is only one road connecting this temple to the mainland. That is the metaphor for the “lone path” – the journey that monk Ahwang Pincuo must go through while there. With ideal geographical conditions (high, no light pollution …), this is also a great spot for astrophotography lovers.