title: Oshin

text: Oshin is warmly welcome by Isho in Tokyo. But Oshin discovers that her hand is still not recovered enough for her to resume hairdressing. Ringleader Ken helps her to set up a food stall at a night market and rent her own house. All seems well until one day a woman bursts in to Oshin's house when Ken is there. She turns out to be Ken's partner and accuses Ken of having an affair with Oshin and spending all his money on her. Ken admits that he is in love with Oshin, but says he has done nothing wrong. Oshin is shocked and saddened to learn that she has been the cause of another woman's grief, and uncomfortable about Ken's feelings for her. She worries that rumours may reach Ryuzo in Saga. Despite Isho's entreaties for Oshin to stay with her, Oshin cannot bring herself to be a burden to Isho, and decides to give up the stall and return to her family home in Yamagata.


title: Oshin

text: Fuji is overjoyed to see her daughter Oshin after 4 years, but Oshin's brother's reception is cold when he realises that she intends to stay. They do not have enough food for her and Yu. Fuji's attempts to protect Oshin widen the rift with her brother and his wife. Oshin manages to find work helping other farmers.


title: Oshin

text: One day, Oshin is informed that the madam at Kagaya is seriously ill and unlikely to recover. Oshin visits the Kagayas in time to bid the madam a final farewell. Masao, Kayo's husband comes to offer incense, but Kayo wants him sent away as she is unable to forgive him for having a child with another woman. Oshin convinces Kayo to give Masao one more chance as Kagaya needs an heir. Plans are made for Masao to move back into the Kagaya household.


title: Oshin

text: When Kayo learns of Oshin's situation, she persuades Oshin to stay in Sakata and open a shop. Oshin decides to open a simple eatery, with a loan from the Kagayas.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin's eatery has no customers on its first day. After advertising for 3 days, the eatery begins to do well. As Kayo's father and husband have now taken over the business, Kayo decides to help out at Oshin's eatery. Kayo is surprised and touched when Masao agrees to let her do so.


title: Oshin

text: One evening a drunk customer comes to the eatery demanding sake. Oshin informs him that she does not serve sake and asks him to leave. The customer becomes increasingly belligerent until Kayo finally brings him sake, telling Oshin that they will be able to make more profit this way. Oshin is reluctant as she did not want the eatery turning into a bar.


title: Oshin

text: Eventually the local yakuza turn up at the eatery to stop Oshin from selling sake as her low prices are hurting the business of other bars. As they begin to destroy the shop, Kayo is terrified and tells the yakuza they will comply, but Oshin is utterly adamant that she will not give in to them. Insisting that they take the matter outside, the yakuza are surprised when Oshin gives the formal yakuza greeting of Ken's house in Tokyo. Soon, they are all enjoying warm sake in Oshin's eatery, where the local yakuza express their admiration for Oshin, calling her sister and promising their protection. Oshin confesses to Kayo later that in fact she is not part of Ken's yakuza house, but had learned the greeting from him.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin's eatery is now doing well enough to support Ryuzo, Oshin and Yu. Oshin has been writing to Ryuzo regularly for a year but has never received a reply. Little does she know that Kiyo has been intercepting Oshin's letters, so Ryuzo does not even know where Oshin lives. Oshin decides to write to Ryuzo one last time. If Ryuzo does not reply, she will give up on him.


title: Oshin

text: One evening, Kyota comes to Oshin's eatery, not realising that it is run by Oshin. Kayo, who has now gotten over her infatuation for him, tells Kyota that Oshin and Yu have been abandoned by Ryuzo. Kyota tells Oshin that the labour movement is now legitimate and he no longer needs to hide from the police. He offers to become a father to Yu.


title: Oshin

text: But all too soon, the government cracks down on the labour movement, making it once again difficult for Kyota to have a family. Oshin tells Kyota that just hearing his words of love have erased the years of bitterness from her heart. Kyota tells Oshin that although they will not marry, he will always look after them. Oshin says this is enough for her. Kyota says he will write to Ryuzo to make his intentions known.


title: Oshin

text: Back in Saga, in a bid to persuade Ryuzo to give up on Oshin and remarry, Kiyo shows him Kyota's letter, in which he mentions that Oshin sent Ryuzo many letters but did not receive a reply. Kiyo says that Oshin must have been lying to Kyota to make herself look good. Unable to bear the deceit any longer, Kasumi finally shows Ryuzo a stack of Oshin's letters that Kiyo had intercepted but which she had saved. Ryuzo tells his mother to give up on the idea of his remarriage. Oshin is his wife and once he reclaims the land, he will ask Oshin to return. In the meantime it is better that she continues to work in Sakata rather than suffering in Saga. If they are faithful to each other, they will be together again one day. Ryuzo writes to Oshin and sends her some money.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin is overjoyed to finally receive a letter from Ryuzo. However Kyota is astonished that Ryuzo is staying in Saga instead of coming to Sakata. But Oshin understands that Ryuzo has his male pride – he wants to succeed at the land reclamation. Also, Oshin knows that Ryuzo would not like running an eatery.


title: Oshin

text: One evening, two drunken customers get into a knife fight in the eatery. Kyota wants to intervene but Oshin says she will handle it as they are her customers. Not only does she manage to persuade them to take the fight outside, she even gets them to pay their bills. Watching Oshin scrabble on the floor picking up money and crockery, and fending off the advances of drunken customers, Kyota becomes increasingly worried. He points out that if Ryuzo does not like running an eatery, things could be difficult if he were to come to Sakata. Kyota advises Oshin to consider a different trade.


title: Oshin

text: Kyota arranges for Oshin to stay with his aunt in Ise and sell fish instead. Oshin soon picks up the trade and gains customers with her low prices and resourcefulness. She dreams that one day Ryuzo will join her and Yu in Ise.


title: Oshin

text: One evening, a typhoon hits Japan, washing away the land in Saga that Ryuzo had been painstakingly reclaiming for the past 4 years. With his dreams shattered once more, Ryuzo leaves Saga to forge a new life.


title: Oshin

text: As Oshin sets off to sell fish one morning, she sees a familiar figure some distance away – it is Ryuzo. When she catches up to him, he reveals that he is on his way to Manchuria, where he has friends, to start again. He had planned to come to Ise to divorce Oshin but when he saw her and Yu, he was unable to do so. He tells her to wait for him. As he turns to leave once more, he sees Yu and they have a tearful reunion.


title: Oshin

text: On the morning that Ryuzo is due to leave for Manchuria, he helps her push her cart to town and Oshin bids him goodbye. However, struck by the heaviness of the cart which Oshin pushes for 7 miles a day, Ryuzo decides to follow her to see what her life selling fish is like. When he sees how hard she has to work, he decides that he has no choice but to stay to help her. Oshin is overjoyed to be together as a family once more. With help from Oshin's landlady, the couple start a fish shop in town. Ryuzo begins to learn about fish and how to prepare and cook it.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin writes to Saga to update Ryuzo's parents on his whereabouts. Kiyo is furious and asks her husband to go to Ise to retrieve Ryuzo, but he tells Kiyo that she must never separate them again. Kiyo finally realises that Ryuzo's love for his wife is greater than his love for his mother. She sends Ryuzo his possessions, along with a letter encouraging to make a new life in Ise with Oshin. Oshin is overjoyed that Kiyo has finally forgiven her, and is determined to make the shop a success so that Ryuzo's parents can visit one day.


title: Oshin

text: Fuji is getting older and weaker, and is unable to do much work in the fields. Her son and daughter-in-law begin to resent having a useless mouth to feed. When Oshin writes inviting her mother to visit them in Ise, Oshin's brother is keen for his mother to stay with Oshin permanently. Just as Oshin and Ryuzo are wondering how to persuade her mother to stay with them, Oshin discovers that she is pregnant for the third time. Fuji is worried about being a burden as she is no longer strong enough to work. But Ryuzo's and Oshin's heartfelt entreaties convince her to stay, at least until Oshin delivers the baby. Oshin is also delighted to learn that after 10 years of marriage, Kayo is finally pregnant with the Kagaya heir.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin gives birth to a healthy baby boy, Hitoshi ("benevolence"). However, minutes after the birth, Fuji collapses. They discover that she has leukaemia, which is incurable. To fulfil her mother's last wish, Oshin brings her home to Yamagata, carrying her on her back as Fuji is too weak by now to walk. Fuji dies in Oshin's arms in her own home.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin learns that Kayo's husband Masao has committed suicide. Kyota appears asking Oshin to bring 100 yen to Kayo who is living in Tokyo. When Ryuzo sees the address, he tells Oshin that before the earthquake, this was a bad neighbourhood with many brothels. Oshin is adamant that Kayo would never turn to prostitution no matter how bad things became. But Ryuzo warns Oshin to prepare herself for the worst.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin enlists Ken's help to find Kayo in Tokyo's red-light district. Now a prostitute, a broken and dissipated Kayo reveals that Masao had gambled Kagaya's entire fortune away on rice derivatives that went awry. She and her parents had come to Tokyo but her mother fell ill after her father died, so Kayo had sold herself into prostitution to pay for her mother's medical bills. Unable to even bring their bones back to Sakata for a proper burial, Kayo now lives for her son Nozomi.


title: Oshin

text: Unable to raise the 1,000 yen required to buy Kayo out of prostitution, Oshin is determined to at least bring Nozomi to Ise. But when she and Ken return to the brothel the following morning, they discover that Kayo has died. She had a weak stomach but drank a large amount of sake the night before and vomited blood, eventually choking to death.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin finds a letter from Kayo among her belongings. Kayo knew she did not have long to live, but after meeting Oshin again, she knew that she could entrust Nozomi to Oshin's care. Oshin swears that from that day on, she will regard Nozomi as her own son.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin brings Nozomi back to Ise, and to a supportive Ryuzo. They bury the bones of Kayo and her parents in Ise so that Nozomi can visit them; he can bring them to Sakata one day if he chooses.


title: Oshin

text: One day Kyota comes to Ise. He asks Oshin for the location of Kayo's grave so that he can pay his respects in the morning. Oshin says she will meet him there so that he can see Nozomi but he tells her no, in case he is followed by the police. The next morning, Oshin waits for him at the grave with Nozomi and Hitoshi, but when Kyota arrives he is captured by the special policemen who accuse him of planning to escape to Moscow. The policemen allow Kyota to light incense for Kayo before they take him away. Kyota pretends that he does not know Oshin to protect her, but Oshin is devastated to see Kyota being taken away.


title: Oshin

text: 4 years later, Ken visits Ise on his way to Osaka. He is accompanied by Hatsuko, a 9-year-old girl from Yamagata whom he intends to sell to a brothel in Osaka as a cleaning girl. Ken is related to her parents – tenant farmers who had a bad harvest this year and had no other choice but to try to sell their daughter for 50 yen. Hatsuko's hard fate and cheerful resourcefulness remind Oshin of herself when she was a girl, and of Ai, the baby girl Oshin had lost who would be the same age as Hatsuko had she lived. The couple decide to take Hatsuko in, paying Ken the 50 yen. Ryuzo and Oshin treat Hatsuko as part of the family, even arranging for her to continue her education.


title: Oshin

text: Hatsuko grows closer to Oshin's sons. Soon, Yu is about to take an important examination. Yu tells Hatsuko that he must pass the examination because his mother has always worked so hard to look after him. The night before the examination, Oshin and Ryuzo are awakened by the sound of running water. When they go into the courtyard, they discover Hatsuko pouring cold water on herself while praying for Yu to pass his examination, a village superstition. The family is touched by her sincere, if foolish, actions.


title: Oshin

text: The day before Hitoshi and Nozomi start school, Oshin decides to tell Nozomi that he is adopted and that his birth parents are the Yashiros. She takes him to visit his parents' grave. Nozomi seems to takes the revelation well, but on his first day at school he is bullied for being an orphan and runs away from home. The family search all day and night for Nozomi, and a devastated Oshin ends up at Kayo's grave, where she finds Nozomi. When she sees him, she slaps him for not being strong enough to face up to the bullies. She tells Nozomi that life will be full of difficulties. He promises to go back to school, and Oshin tells him again that the whole family sees him as one of them. Oshin brings Nozomi home where he is warmly welcome by everyone.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin discovers that she is pregnant once more. Ryuzo is delighted, but concerned about making ends meet, he suggests sending Hatsuko back when her 3-year contract is over and she has graduated from junior high school. In any case Hatsuko's parents must be waiting for her. Oshin is reluctant to let Hatsuko go and feels that they should let her decide for herself when the time comes.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin gives birth to a healthy girl whom they name Tei ("happiness"). Having reached the end of her contract, Hatsuko feels that she should go home because otherwise she will be a burden to the family with the addition of the baby. But when Ryuzo and Oshin realise that Hatsuko would in fact prefer to stay, they joyfully welcome her to the family.


title: Oshin

text: Japan begins to enter a period of military rule. Ryuzo gets involved with the military to raise more money along with the fish shop, something Oshin opposes but relents when she puts his interests at heart and decided that they need the financial support. Due to the military propaganda during this time period, Yu begins to side with the military and support the Sino-Japanese Wars.


title: Oshin

text: When Yu began to apply for high school, he asked Ryuzo for permission to join the Military Officers Academy, where students are taught to become a military officer to fight the war. Oshin overhears the conversation and intervenes just when Ryuzo approves. Due to Oshin's convictions of pacifism, Oshin gets desperate to keep Yu from applying. When Yu remains firm on his decision to apply, Hatsuko reminds him that Oshin doesn't want him to fight since she has gone through adversity with him when he was still a child. To humor Oshin, Yu decides to apply to a school in Kyoto to study Humanities instead of applying to the Military Officers Academy.


title: Oshin

text: As 1940 arrives, food rationing is on the rise to support the war effort. This was also the time when the black market surfaced to sell rationed goods. When the black market began to sell illegal imports of fish, Oshin is forced to close down the store to prevent trouble. Hisa moves to Tokyo due to the lack of fishermen and rations. Subsequently, Oshin's family moves to a new house that was previously owned by a man working with the military, who relocated in Pyongyang. When Yu came by to visit, Yu and Hatsuko profess their love for each other, something that Ryuzo opposes. Ryuzo also gets involved in the military committee, where he encourages boys in the area to enlist, and begins to manage a uniforms factory. Life continues as usual until Yu visits again in 1943.


title: Oshin

text: Yu reveals to Ryuzo that student-exemptions for military drafts have been lifted, and later he breaks the news to Oshin that he must enlist within one month. A shocked Oshin begins to cry in front of Yu and feels like she betrayed Shunsaku, the military deserter who instilled pacifism in her as a child. After one month, Yu leaves in uniform.


title: Oshin

text: As air raids began to be feared, Ryuzo mulls whether to send Tei to the countryside where she won't be affected by the air raids. Ryuzo sends her to a home of one of his factory workers where Tei gets mistreated and neglected. As Japan begins to lose, Yu's regiment is sent to the Philippines, where he would be safer due to the air raids in Japan. Hitoshi begins to support the war effort and declares that he wants to join the kamikaze squad, something both Oshin and Ryuzo oppose. However, Hitoshi sneaks out and joins the kamikaze.


title: Oshin

text: Oshin's family begins to experience their first air raid and her first priority is to keep the house from burning down instead of evacuating into a bomb shelter. Before the bombs ignite into flames, Nozomi and Hatsuko get containers of water ready and diligently fight the fire but see that the factories they manage are burning down. After the air raid, Oshin receives a telegram stating Yu has died in the Philippines. Oshin refuses to believe until she has seen his body, and been informed by his best friend, who confessed Yu had malaria. Soon, Japan surrenders to the Allies in 1945.


title: Oshin

text: However, Ryuzo soon finds out that his company is completely out of money. Feeling scared, disappointed, and angered that he betrayed Oshin, he is found on a mountain by a commoner, having killed himself, in spite of knowing Oshin and his family needed him. Oshin was now a widow, and had lost two members of her family because of the war. Eventually, she successfully brought back home Tei with her. Hatsuko, not being able to handle everything, leaves to Tokyo, to work at a rice store.


title: Oshin

text: New trouble arises when the original owners of the house return from Pyongyang and demand their house back. They still hold the deed for the property and the paperwork Oshin produced were signed by the Japanese military and was not worth anything. The Tanokura family is forced to co-habit and are miserable. After being arrested for selling food on the street to earn money for her remaining family, Oshin gets kicked out of her house by an angry landlord. This entire war motivated Oshin to work as hard as she can, for her family's sake at least.


title: Oshin

text: Mrs. Hisayama reenters their life and she visits Oshin to let her know that she is going to start her fishing business in Ise. She invites Oshin and her family to come live with her and Oshin happily accepts.


title: Oshin

text: A decade after the war, Oshin is now 50 years old, and owns a seafood and vegetable market with Hitoshi. Ken visits Oshin, telling her she must visit Tokyo as soon as she can. Hatsuko lied when she said she worked at a rice shop. She really works at a brothel, greeting soldiers every night. This was supposedly her rebound from Yu. Oshin finds her in the brothel, asks Ken to drag her out, and slaps her. Oshin manages to convince Hatsuko to return home with her and to forget everything that had happened in Tokyo. Shortly afterwards, they hire a sweet girl named Yuri to work with them, as they drop by people's houses and deliver their food. Hitoshi has decided that he wants to become a businessman and make a living from there. He also tells Yuri that one day, he and Yuri will get married. Few months later, Hitoshi leave to Tokyo to work as a clerk only to know that he cannot get a job as a delivery man without a college education. He drifted in Tokyo for several months and returned home. He met his future wife, Michiko, a daughter of a rich businessman. Later Yuri learned about it and run away from home. Oshin is very upset of Hitoshi and opposed to the marriage of Hitoshi and Michiko.


title: Oshin

text: In Japan, the annual average audience share was 52.6%, with a peak rating of 62.9% for a single episode. Oshin served as a symbolic figure for perseverance, showing that a person should never give up – even in the most trying times. She was loved not only by the Japanese, but also by people from all over the world.


title: Oshin

text: "Oshin" enjoyed popularity when broadcast in Asian countries. Singapore was the first country in Asia and the world to broadcast the drama outside Japan. The drama was broadcast three times due to popularity. First being broadcast in Mandarin on MediaCorp Channel 8 in November 1984, it was aired again on the same channel the following year. The drama was dubbed into English and broadcast on MediaCorp Channel 5 later in 1994. The drama enjoyed popularity in numerous Asian countries such as Thailand (1984), Hong Kong (1984), China (1985), Malaysia (1986), Indonesia (1986),the drama was also dubbed in Sinhala and was aired on Rupavahini in Sri Lanka (1989), Pakistan (1991), Bangladesh (1992-1993), Nepal (1992), India (1992), Vietnam (1993), Myanmar (1994) and Taiwan (1994) to name a few. "Oshin" also enjoyed immense popularity in the Middle East where it was broadcast in countries such as Iran (1986), Jordan (1987), Morocco (1988), Bahrain (1989) Syria (1990), Lebanon (1991) and Egypt (1992). In Latin America, Oshin was broadcast in Mexico (1988), Puerto Rico (1989), Dominican Republic (1989), United States (1989), Cuba (1990), Brazil (1990), Venezuela (1991), Peru (1992), Colombia (1992), Bolivia (1992), Argentina (1992), Chile (1993), Paraguay (1993), and Ecuador (1994).


title: Oshin

text: Even today, is given warm reception when she visits such countries. In Vietnamese, the term "ô-sin" became a synonym (sometimes with scorn) for domestic worker. Oshin was also translated and distributed in Iran, where the serial was one of the rare films broadcast during the Iran–Iraq War. In February 2017, Ayako Kobayashi visited Sri Lanka, where the drama enjoyed immense popularity during the late 1980s, for the "Japan Expo Premier Sri Lanka 2017".


title: Oshin

text: In October 2013, a feature film based on the series was screened in cinemas across Japan. The film focuses on Oshin's childhood.


title: Oshin

text: In Japan, many references to Oshin were made when describing perseverance in the 1980s. For example, sumo wrestler Takanosato was given the name "Oshin Yokozuna", as he fought his way up to the rank of yokozuna, despite dealing with diabetes. Other terms were used during the 1980s, such as "Oshin Diet", where residents were dealing with the bubble economy and therefore were driven to eating radish and rice. A famous cruise line down the Mogami River was renamed the "Oshin Line".


title: Oshin

text: The comedy manga "Ouran High School Host Club" by Bisco Hatori has Tamaki Suou, leader of the club at the academy for the idle rich, refer to Haruhi Fujioka, the newcomer girl dressed as a boy as "Oshin", someone "sold to a mean master who'd overwork you and leave you crying into your pillow night after night." He also asks if Haruhi subsisted "on rice and horseradish." Haruhi is a poor but diligent student attending on scholarship.


title: Oshin

text: In Vietnam, ever since the broadcast of the series, the term Oshin (ô sin) has been widely used to call a maid.


title: Oshin

text: As a homage to Oshin's trade, second-hand clothing stores in Iran are called "Tanakura shop" () or simply "Tanakura". By the time, "Tanakura" became colloquial for second-hand clothes in Iran, although Oshin's trade was in textiles and later (before the earthquake) about fabricated clothes.


title: Oshin

text: On 28 January 1989, Iran National Radio had a special report on the birthday anniversary of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. The aim of the report was to tell the people that Fatimah was the best role-model for the Iranian women. But all of a sudden, a young lady told the reporter that despite the common belief, she can not accept Fatimah as a role-model because Fatimah lived 1400 years ago. She added that some women accepted Oshin as a role-model, but she could not accept that, too, because Oshin was from a different culture (Japan). But that was enough to ignite the anger of Ayatollah Khomeini. He ordered the National Radio and Television to prosecute those involved in that report. He asked for execution of those people if it was deliberate. Khomeini regarded that report as an insult to Fatimah and according to his interpretation of the Islamic Jurisprudence the punishment of such an act was death. Fortunately, nobody was executed, but 5 people were reportedly prosecuted with the punishments ranging from imprisonment to lashing according to the Sharia law.


title: Mason bee

text: Mason bee is a name now commonly used for species of bees in the genus Osmia, of the family Megachilidae. Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other "masonry" products in constructing their nests, which are made in naturally occurring gaps such as between cracks in stones or other small dark cavities. When available, some species preferentially use hollow stems or holes in wood made by wood-boring insects.


title: Mason bee

text: Species of the genus include the orchard mason bee "O. lignaria", the blueberry bee "O. ribifloris", the hornfaced bee "O. cornifrons", and the red mason bee "O. bicornis". The former two are native to the Americas, the third to eastern Asia, and the latter to the European continent, although "O. lignaria" and "O. cornifrons" have been moved from their native ranges for commercial purposes. Over 300 species are found across the Northern Hemisphere. Most occur in temperate habitats within the Palearctic and Nearctic zones, and are active from spring through late summer.


title: Mason bee

text: "Osmia" species are frequently metallic green or blue, although many are blackish and at least one rust-red. Most have black ventral scopae which are difficult to notice unless laden with pollen. They have arolia between their claws, unlike "Megachile" or "Anthidium" species.


title: Mason bee

text: Historically, the term mason bee has also been used to refer to bees from a number of other genera under Megachilidae such as "Chalicodoma", most notably in "The Mason-Bees" by Jean-Henri Fabre and his translator Alexander Teixeira de Mattos in 1914.


title: Mason bee

text: Unlike honey bees ("Apis") or bumblebees ("Bombus"), "Osmia" species are solitary; every female is fertile and makes her own nest, and no worker bees for these species exist.


title: Mason bee

text: When the bees emerge from their cocoons, the males exit first. The males typically remain near the nests waiting for the females, and some are known to actively extract females from their cocoons. When the females emerge, they mate with one or several males. The males soon die, and within a few days the females begin provisioning their nests.


title: Mason bee

text: "Osmia" females typically nest in narrow gaps and naturally occurring tubular cavities. Commonly, this means in hollow twigs but can be in abandoned nests of wood-boring beetles or carpenter bees, in snail shells, under bark, or in other small protected cavities. They do not excavate their own nests. The material used for the cell can be clay, mud, grit, or chewed plant tissue. The palearctic species "O. avosetta" is one of a few species known for lining their nest burrows with flower petals. A female might inspect several potential nests before settling in.


title: Mason bee

text: Within a few days of mating, the female has selected a nest site and has begun to visit flowers to gather pollen and nectar for her nests; many trips are needed to complete a pollen/nectar provision mass. Once a provision mass is complete, the bee backs into the hole and lays an egg on top of the mass. Then, she creates a partition of "mud", which doubles as the back of the next cell. The process continues until she has filled the cavity. Female eggs are laid in the back of the nest and male eggs toward the front.


title: Mason bee

text: Once a bee has finished with a nest, she plugs the entrance to the tube, and then may seek out another nest location.


title: Mason bee

text: Within weeks of hatching, the larva has probably consumed all of its provisions and begins spinning a cocoon around itself and enters the pupal stage, and the adult matures either in the fall or winter, hibernating inside its insulatory cocoon. Most "Osmia" species are found in places where the temperature drops below for long durations and they are well-adapted to cold winters; chilling seems to be a requirement for maturation. Some species of mason bees are semi-voltine, meaning that they have a two-year maturation cycle, with a full year (plus) spent as a larva.


title: Mason bee

text: "Osmia" share a basic anatomy with all bees and most insects; the main functional regions being the head, thorax, and abdomen. On the head, "Osmia" have 3 small ocelli, two large compound eyes, antennae, and a mouth. On the thorax, "Osmia" have six legs and four wings. The abdomen of females contains a scopa for pollen-collecting, absent in males. Although the scopa is usually located on the legs in most bees, it lies underneath the abdomen for "Osmia" and other genera in the family Megachilidae.


title: Mason bee

text: "Osmia" can pollinate very efficiently, which is largely attributed to their anatomy and behavior. Unlike most other bee species that collect pollen from their hind legs, female "Osmia" and other bees in the Megachilidae family use pollen-collecting hairs from their abdominal scopa. When "Osmia" transfer pollen to flowers, dry pollen falls from the scopa onto the flower's stigma, facilitating pollination at nearly every visit. "Osmia" typically pollinate early spring flowers in the family Rosaceae, and will even forage under poor weather conditions.


title: Mason bee

text: Some farmers currently manage populations of "Osmia" to facilitate efficient pollination on their farms. However, using non-native "Osmia" species as managed pollinators has ignited the spread of disease, introducing invasive bee species that increase competition for native bees. In some areas, native "Osmia" species are in decline as of 2020; practices to minimize the impact of non-native pollinators on wild species include prioritizing the use of native bee species, raising local bee populations, and enforcing parasite/disease screening.


title: Mason bee

text: Solitary bees produce neither honey nor beeswax. They are immune from acarine and "Varroa" mites, but have their own unique parasites, pests, and diseases. The nesting habits of many "Osmia" species lend themselves to easy cultivation, and a number of "Osmia" species are commercially propagated in different parts of the world to improve pollination in fruit and nut production. Commercial pollinators include "O. lignaria", "O. bicornis", "O. cornuta", "O. cornifrons", "O. ribifloris", and "O. californica". They are used both as an alternative to and as an augmentation for European honey bees. Mason bees used for orchard and other agricultural applications are all readily attracted to nesting holes – reeds, paper tubes, nesting trays, or drilled blocks of wood; in their dormant season, they can be transported as intact nests (tubes, blocks, etc.) or as loose cocoons. As is characteristic of solitary bees, "Osmia" species are very docile and rarely sting when handled (only under distress such as when wet or squeezed); their sting is small and not painful, and their stinger is unbarbed.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: The January Events () were a series of violent confrontations between the civilian population in Lithuania, supporting independence, and the Soviet Armed Forces. The events took place between 11 and 13 January 1991, after the restoration of independence by Lithuania. As a result of the Soviet military actions, 14 civilians were killed and over 140 were injured. 13 January, sometimes referred to as Bloody Sunday, was the most violent day. The events were primarily centered in the capital city Vilnius, but Soviet military activity and confrontations occurred elsewhere in the country, including Alytus, Šiauliai, Varėna and Kaunas.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: January 13th is the Day of the Defenders of Freedom () in Lithuania and it is officially observed as a commemorative day.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: The Baltic states, including Lithuania, were forcibly annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. This move was never recognized by Western powers.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: The Republic of Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union on 11 March 1990 and thereafter underwent a difficult period of emergence. During March–April 1990 the Soviet Airborne Troops (VDV) occupied buildings of the Political Education and the Higher Party School where later encamped the alternative Communist Party of Lithuania, on the CPSU platform.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: The Soviet Union imposed an economic blockade between April and late June. Economic and energy shortages undermined public faith in the newly restored state. The inflation rate reached 100% and continued to increase rapidly. In January 1991 the Lithuanian government was forced to raise prices several times and was used for organization of mass protests of the so-called "Russophone population" of the country.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: During the five days preceding the killings, Soviet, Polish, and other workers at Vilnius factories protested the government's consumer goods price hikes and what they saw as ethnic discrimination. According to Human Rights Watch, the Soviet government had mounted a propaganda campaign designed to further ethnic strife.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: In protection of the rallied Russophone population minority, the Soviet Union sent elite armed forces and special service units.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: On 8 January the conflict between Chairman of the Parliament Vytautas Landsbergis and the more pragmatic Prime Minister Kazimira Prunskienė culminated in her resignation. Prunskienė met with Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev on that day. He refused her request for assurances that military action would not be taken.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: On the same day the pro-Moscow Yedinstvo movement organized a rally in front of the Supreme Council of Lithuania. Protesters tried to storm the parliament building but were driven away by unarmed security forces using water cannons. Despite a Supreme Council vote the same day to halt price increases, the scale of protests and provocations backed by Yedinstvo and the Communist Party increased. During a radio and television address, Landsbergis called upon independence supporters to gather around and protect the main governmental and infrastructural buildings.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: From 8–9 January several special Soviet military units were flown to Lithuania (including the counter-terrorism Alpha Group and paratroopers of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division of the VDV based at Pskov). The official explanation was that this was needed to ensure constitutional order and the effectiveness of laws of the Lithuanian SSR and the Soviet Union.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: On 10 January Gorbachev addressed the Supreme Council, demanding a restoration of the constitution of the USSR in Lithuania and the revocation of "all anti-constitutional laws". He mentioned that military intervention could be possible within days. When Lithuanian officials asked for Moscow's guarantee not to send armed troops, Gorbachev did not reply.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: In the morning, Speaker of the Supreme Council Vytautas Landsbergis and Prime Minister Albertas Šimėnas were presented with another ultimatum from the "Democratic Congress of Lithuania" demanding that they comply with Gorbachev's request by 15:00 on 11 January.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: During an overnight session of the Supreme Council, Speaker Vytautas Landsbergis announced that he had tried to call Mikhail Gorbachev three times, but was unsuccessful. Deputy Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union, General Vladislav Achalov, arrived in Lithuania and took control of all military operations. People from all over Lithuania started to encircle the main strategic buildings: the Supreme Council, the Radio and Television Committee, the Vilnius TV Tower and the main telephone exchange.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Following these two attacks, large crowds (20,000 during the night, more than 50,000 in the morning) of independence supporters gathered around the Supreme Council building. People started building anti-tank barricades and setting up defences inside surrounding buildings. Provisional chapels were set up inside and outside the Supreme Council building. Members of the crowd prayed, sang and shouted pro-independence slogans. Despite columns of military trucks, BMPs and tanks moving into the vicinity of the Supreme Council, Soviet military forces retreated instead of attacking.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: In all, thirteen Lithuanians were killed by the Soviet army. An additional civilian died at the scene due to a heart attack, and one Soviet soldier was killed by friendly fire. All victims, except the Soviet soldier, were awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis (the Knight) on January 15, 1991.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: 12 of the 14 victims were buried in the Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius. Titas Masiulis was buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery in his native Kaunas, Rimantas Juknevičius was buried in the Marijampolė cemetery.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Immediately after the attacks, the Supreme Council issued a letter to the people of the Soviet Union and to the rest of the world denouncing the attacks and calling for foreign governments to recognise that the Soviet Union had committed an act of aggression against a sovereign nation. Following the first news reports from Lithuania, the government of Norway appealed to the United Nations. The government of Poland expressed their solidarity with the people of Lithuania and denounced the actions of the Soviet army.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: The reaction from the United States government was somewhat muted as they were heavily preoccupied with the imminent onset of Operation Desert Storm against Iraq and worried about possible wider consequences if they were to offend the Soviets at that critical juncture. President George H. W. Bush denounced the incident, but was notably careful not to criticize Gorbachev directly, instead directing his remarks at "Soviet leaders."


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: After the events, President Gorbachev said Lithuanian "workers and intellectuals" complaining of anti-Soviet broadcasts had tried to talk to the republic's parliament, but were refused and beaten. Then, he said, they asked the military commander in Vilnius to provide protection. Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov, Interior Minister Boris Pugo and Gorbachev all asserted that no one in Moscow gave orders to use force in Vilnius. Yazov claimed that nationalists were trying to form what he called a bourgeois dictatorship. Pugo alleged on national television that the demonstrators had opened fire first.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: During the following day, meetings of support took place in many cities (Kyiv, Riga, Tallinn) and some had defensive barricades built around their government districts.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Although occupation and military raids continued for several months following the attacks, there were no large open military encounters after 13 January. Strong Western reaction and the actions of Soviet democratic forces put the President and the government of the Soviet Union in an awkward position. This influenced future Lithuanian-Russian negotiations and resulted in the signing of a treaty on 31 January.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: During a visit by the official delegation of Iceland to Lithuania on 20 January Foreign Minister Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson said: "My government is seriously considering the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with the Republic of Lithuania." Iceland kept its promise, and on 4 February 1991, just three weeks after the attacks, it recognized the Republic of Lithuania as a sovereign independent state, and diplomatic relations were established between the two nations.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: These events are considered some of the main factors that led to the overwhelming victory of independence supporters in a referendum on 9 February 1991. 84.73% of registered voters voted, of which 90.47% of them voted in favour of the full and total independence of Lithuania.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Streets in the neighborhood of the TV tower were later renamed after nine victims of the attack. A street in Titas Masiulis' native Kaunas was named after him, likewise a street in Marijampolė after its native, Rimantas Juknevičius, a street in Kėdainiai after Alvydas Kanapinskas, and a street in Pelėdnagiai (near Kėdainiai) after Vytautas Koncevičius.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: From the interview of Mikhail Golovatov, ex-commander of "Alpha-group": "The weapons and ammunition that were given to us, were handed over at the end of the operation, so it can be established that not a single shot was fired from our side. But at the time of the assault, our young officer Victor Shatskikh was mortally wounded in the back. As we have already seized the TV tower and went outside, we came under fire from the windows of the neighbouring houses, and leaving from there we had to hide behind the armoured vehicles."


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: In 1996, two members of the Central Committee of Communist Party of the Lithuanian SSR, Mykolas Burokevičius and Juozas Jermalavičius, were given prison sentences for their involvement in the January Events. In 1999 the Vilnius District Court sentenced six former Soviet military men who participated in the events. On 11 May 2011, a soldier of the Soviet OMON Konstantin Mikhailov was sentenced to life in prison for killing customs workers and policemen in 1991 at the "Medininkai" border checkpoint with the Byelorussian SSR near the village of Medininkai (see Soviet aggression against Lithuania in 1990).


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Since 1992, representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office of Lithuania requested Belarus to extradite Vladimir Uskhopchik, a former general who was in command of the Vilnius garrison in January 1991 and the editor of the newspaper "Soviet Lithuania" Stanislava Juonienė. Lithuania's request has been repeatedly denied.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: In July 2011, diplomatic tensions rose between Austria and Lithuania when Mikhail Golovatov, an ex-KGB general who took part in the 13 January 1991 massacre, was released after being detained at the Vienna Airport. He then proceeded to fly to Russia. In response, Lithuania recalled its ambassador from Austria.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Hearings in Vilnius District Court started on 27 January 2016, with 67 individuals facing charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, battery, murder, endangering other's well-being, as well as unlawful military actions against civilians. The case consists of 801 volumes of documents, including 16 volumes of the indictment itself. The defendants included former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov, former commander of Soviet Alpha anti-terror group Mikhail Golovatov and Head of the Soviet Army's Vilnius garrison Vladimir Uskhopchik.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Robertas Povilaitis, a surviving son of one of the victims, requested that law enforcement authorities conduct an investigation into Mikhail Gorbachev's role in the events. On 17 October 2016, Vilnius Regional Court decided to summon Mikhail Gorbachev to testify as a witness. The Russian Federation refused to question Mikhail Gorbachev. As no pre-trial investigation has been initiated against Mikhail Gorbachev in the January 13 case, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania Dainius Žalimas argued that it is hard to believe that the events happen without the knowledge of the President of the USSR. The role of Mikhail Gorbachev in the January events remains disputed.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: In 2018 Russia's law enforcement began criminal proceedings against the Lithuanian prosecutors and judges who were investigating the case. Such Russian action was condemned by the European Parliament as "unacceptable external influence" and "politically motivated."


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: On 27 March 2019, Vilnius District Court found all 67 defendants guilty of war crimes or crimes against humanity. The vast majority of them were tried and sentenced "in absentia". Among the high-profile defendants, former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Mikhail Golovatov to 12 years in prison and Vladimir Uskhopchik to 14 years in prison. Others were sentenced to prison terms between 4 and 12 years.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: On 31 March 2021, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal announced its judgement, which only increased the time of imprisonment for the sentenced and awarded non-pecuniary damage of 10.876 million Euro to the victims. A judge, who announced the judgement, said that: "As they drove with the tanks over the people, they understood perfectly well what they were doing." Thereafter, Russia threatened to take retaliatory actions for the judgement. The European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders had promised that the European Union will defend Lithuanian judges who heard the January 13 case from persecution by Russia. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Lithuania will appeal to Interpol to reject Russia's appeal against the persecution of Lithuanian judges who heard the January 13 case.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: January 13th is the Day of the Defenders of Freedom () in Lithuania. It is not a public holiday, but it is officially observed as a commemorative day. It is a vividly remembered day in the Lithuanian national memory. The day has been associated with mourning and the national flags are usually raised with a black ribbon attached. In recent years, forget-me-not flower pins have become a symbol of commemoration of the events.


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Recently there have been public debates whether January 13th (and the events in general) should be viewed as the day of mourning or should rather be celebrated as the day of victory. Former Lithuanian leaders Vytautas Landsbergis and Dalia Grybauskaitė expressed the view that 13th January is not only the day of mourning and commemorating those who sacrificed their lives, but also the day of national victory. Other prominent public figures described January 13th as a Victory Day, including Arvydas Pocius and Valdemaras Rupšys, both of whom were volunteers defending the Parliament during the events, as well as Rimvydas Valatka, , .


title: January Events (Lithuania)

text: Lithuania has since accused Russia of trying to spread disinformation about the January Events. The European Parliament has condemned Russia and urged to "cease the irresponsible disinformation and propaganda statements" regarding the 13 January case. EUvsDisinfo has documented several examples of disinformation in the pro-Kremlin media.


title: Mohana Bhogaraju

text: Mohana Bhogaraju is an Indian playback singer who has recorded songs in Telugu-language films. She gained recognition with the song "Manohari" from the film "" for which she won the Radio Mirchi–Mirchi Music upcoming female vocalist 2015 award in Telugu Cinema.


title: Mohana Bhogaraju

text: Bhogaraju was born in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh but her family is settled in Hyderabad. She completed her bachelor's degree from Bhojreddy Engineering College and MBA from Osmania University. Since childhood, Bhogaraju has always had a fascination towards music and participated in many competitions held at schools and at various ethnic auditoriums such as Ravindra Bharati, Thyagaraja Ghana Sabha. She began singing at the age of 6. She received her first award from the former Assembly Speaker D. Sripada Rao at the age of 8.


title: Mohana Bhogaraju

text: Bhogaraju started her career in 2013. She has sung her first song "Sayyama Masam" in the 2013 Telugu film "Jai Sriram". She gained recognition by singing "Manohari" from. "". Her song "Bhale Bhale Magadivoy" from the film "Bhale Bhale Magadivoy" was charted in Radio Mirchi. She has given her voice in more than 100 Telugu films.


title: Balupu

text: Balupu () is a 2013 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by Gopichand Malineni. The film is produced by Prasad Vara Potluri under his PVP cinema banner. The film stars Ravi Teja, Anjali, and Shruti Haasan along with Prakash Raj, Adivi Sesh, Ashutosh Rana, and Brahmanandam in supporting roles. The film soundtrack is composed by S. Thaman.


title: Balupu

text: Released on 28 June 2013, the film was successful at the box office. It was remade in Bengali as "Herogiri" (2015). A Kannada remake titled "Thrishulam" is under production.


title: Balupu

text: Ravi works as a collection agent of ICICI bank in Bangalore and leads a happy life along with his friends and his father Mohan Rao. Mohan Rao wishes to see Ravi married to a girl soon although Ravi is against it. One day, Ravi is informed that one of his friends, Seenu has been admitted in the hospital as he tried to kill himself by drinking nail polish solution. Upon inquiring, Ravi finds out that his friend fell in love with a girl named Shruti. Shruti and her uncle Crazy Mohan, have a habit of cheating gullible young men in the name of love - including Seenu. Ravi decides to teach them a lesson.


title: Balupu

text: Ravi enters their life as a gullible youngster after Shruti "falls in love with him", starts torturing them. Crazy Mohan's plans and attempts to let loose off Ravi always go in vain before him. Crazy Mohan, hatching upon a plan, tells Shruti to ask Ravi to marry her, thinking that Ravi will get cold feet and they would be rid of him. As fate would have it, Ravi, guessing their next move, also comes with a marriage proposal to Shruti. The pair, then, approach Mohan Rao and tell him that Ravi is in love with Shruti and that he proposed to her. They assume that this would enrage Mohan Rao, but Mohan Rao, happy that his son has finally fallen in love and wishes to marry a girl, accepts the proposal heartily. However, Shruti was already engaged to Rohit by her father sometime in the past. Their entire act of "cheating gullible young men" was just so that Shruti can have fun spending the last few days before getting married while Crazy Mohan can profit from it. One day, Ravi saves Shruti from some goons and finally comes off clean to Shruti as he believes that things have gone too far. He advises her not to play with people's feelings in future. Shruti finds herself falling in love with Ravi and informs Ravi's father Mohan Rao.


title: Balupu

text: Mohan Rao leaves the final decision to Shruti's father and guarantees that they would not face any problem in the future from Ravi, if Shruti's father decides against the proposal. On the other hand, Rohit's mother, in a fit of anger after hearing all the events that have transpired, warns Shruti that she would torture her after her marriage. After listening to both of them, Shruti's father, realizes his mistake and fixes Shruti's marriage with Ravi. Rohit and his mother is humiliated, who calls her brother Poorna, a dreaded don in Vizag. After arriving at the wedding venue with his henchmen, Poorna recognises that Ravi and Mohan Rao are his former nemesis Shankar and Nanaji. While Ravi is fighting with the goons, Poorna stabs Mohan Rao, kidnaps Shruti and flees away to Vizag. After admitting Mohan Rao to the hospital, Ravi starts narrating his past.


title: Balupu

text: Past: Nanaji was a dreaded gangster with an established crime empire in Vizag, while Poorna was still trying to establish his own regime. In view to destroying Nanaji's empire, Poorna takes the help of Shankar, a young upstart, and makes him a partner-in-crime. Shankar, with his aggressiveness and cleverness, starts destroying the empire of Nanaji. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Dr. Anjali, without knowing the fact that she was Nanaji's daughter. As Anjali is a person who believes in non-violence and hates goons, Shankar lies to her that he is only a struggling musician. Anjali, soon reciprocates his love. Knowing this, Poorna's elder son Babji, who always had a grudge against Shankar, tries to injure Anjali by throwing acid on her, only to be killed by Nanaji. At this point, she learns about Shankar's true identity. She pleads to both Shankar and Nanaji to leave the syndicate, and Shankar agrees.


title: Balupu

text: Enraged by his son's death, instructs Shankar to kill Nanaji and Anjali. However, Shankar refuses and informs him that he has decided to quit. Kaasi, Poorna's younger son, advises Poorna to inform Nanaji that Shankar has kidnapped Anjali and will kill her. Nanaji, angered by this news, gathers his men and rushes to kill Shankar. Meanwhile, Shankar, having truly given up crime and wishing to marry Anjali, decides to approach Nanaji along with Anjali to seek his blessings. Nanaji on spotting them both, rushes to meet them head on. Kaasi too arrives at the same spot with his own men and attacks Nanaji's men. Thinking that they are all in league with Shankar, Nanaji retaliates and soon a feud takes place. Shankar, however, tries to stop the feud. In the ensuing chaos, Kaasi shoots Anjali, fatally wounding her. Enraged, Shankar promptly kills Kaasi and rushes to the hospital with Anjali. Anjali with a few moments left, reveals the truth to her father and requests him to leave the life of crime. Nanaji and Shankar, overcome with grief at the loss of Anjali's death, decide to leave Vizag for Bangalore to lead a normal life under their present names Ravi and Mohan Rao.


title: Balupu

text: Present: Shruti's father rushes to the hospital and tells Ravi/Shankar that Shruti is kidnapped by Rohit forcibly. Ravi reaches Vizag and upon entering the household of Poorna acts as if though Kaasi's soul is in his body and it wants to kill Shankar and Nanaji. Poorna, a superstitious man believes this despite everybody else's misgivings. With the help of Shruti, Mohan Rao/Nanaji, Dr. Savitri and his friends, Ravi manages to kidnap Rohit. Poorna along with Shruti, reaches the spot where they are to make an exchange of Rohit for Shruti. However, after the exchange, Poorna reveals that he never believed in Ravi's act and he just went along with his story to trap Ravi and Mohan Rao. A final fight ensues and Ravi finally defeats Poorna and marries Shruti.


title: Balupu

text: Gopichand Malineni and Ravi Teja together announced that their collaboration is set for a new film whose name was revealed later. In August 2012, it was announced that the filming would begin from October 2012. The film's muhurtam was held on 26 October 2012 in a quiet ceremony held at producer Potluri's office.


title: Balupu

text: A few of the film's songs were canned in Lisbon, Portugal thus making it the first Telugu film shot in Portugal. In an interview to the Portugal media, Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan and Gopichand Malineni thanked the Portugal tourism board and the local crew for their support. In May, Gopichand Malineni responded about the delay in the film's shooting, stating "Balupu has been delayed due to fight masters and fighters union problems. Now Ram-Laxman masters have got Hyderabad union card and we are on the way." For the first time in his career, Ravi Teja sang a song, thus making this film his debut as a singer, adding yet another feather in his cap. As on 4 June, The post-production works were reported to be running in full-swing at breakneck speed.


title: Balupu

text: Ravi Teja was signed to play the protagonist and his role was said to be a highly energetic one with a rugged look sporting a beard, similar to his look in his previous film "Venky". This film was the next film of Ravi Teja with PVP Cinemas after the 2003 film "Veede". Shruti Haasan has been recruited to play one of the female leads opposite Ravi Teja. She told IndiaGlitz that she would be playing a comedy role in the film and this will be her first attempt at comedy. For the first time in her career in Tollywood, she will be seen in a glamorous role. S. Thaman, who previously worked with Gopichand Malineni for "Bodyguard", was recruited as the music director for this project. Kona Venkat penned the script for the film. In October, Anjali was recruited as the second female lead, after signing for "Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu". After impressing everyone as a spoilt-brat in "Panjaa", Adivi Sesh was recruited for a pivotal role in this film. Apparently, It was reported that Anjali is playing the role of a medical student in this film. Ashutosh Rana, who previously worked with Ravi Teja for Venky, was recruited to play one of the antagonists. Brahmaji was also recruited to play a vital role in the film. Meanwhile, Brahmanandam's character name was revealed to be "Crazy Mohan" and his role was said to be one of the biggest assets of the film. In May, it was reported that Lakshmi Rai would make a special appearance in the film. In June, it was reported that prominent Telugu comedian Ali would essay the role of Dr. Savitri, a male/female doctor, which was said to be one of the highlights of the film.


title: Balupu

text: The film shooting started on 13 November 2012 and had a silent shoot and in December, the film has completed its first schedule in which the scenes between Ravi Teja, Bramhanandam and Sruthi Hassan were shot. In the end of December, it was reported that shooting is currently progressing near Simhachalam and it was reported that the film is reportedly set in the backdrop of Vizag and some important scenes are being shot right now on Ravi Teja and Anjali. Later, it was told that the film has completed about 50% of the shoot and the work is going on at a good pace. The next schedule started in Hyderabad in January 2013 where scenes featuring Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan were shot, which was confirmed by the actress on Twitter. The film's shooting was put on hold temporarily due to Gopichand Malineni's wedding and after a brief gap, the film's next schedule began in the end of February at Hyderabad, where some important scenes were canned between Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan. In March, the song "Patikella Chinnadi" was shot on Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan in Ramoji Film City and sources reported that Shruti Haasan will be seen in glamorous attire in that song. After the song's completion, the unit had its shoot at Appa Junction in Hyderabad for some crucial scenes at a very fast pace. After the completion of the major schedules, The film unit proceeded for the shooting of the remaining songs. Later it was known that few songs would be canned in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. After a shoot of 10 Days in Lisbon, the unit moved to Algarve region in Southern part of Portugal to shoot a couple of songs on Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan. After completing 2 songs under the choreography of Raju Sundaram, The unit returned from Portugal nearly on 20 April 2013. The final schedule began at Hyderabad in the month of May. On 18 May, Some scenes were canned at Lingampally railway station in Hyderabad. After completion of the schedule nearly on 18 May, the unit proceeded to Bangkok for canning some crucial scenes. After completing a long schedule in Bangkok, the unit resumed its shooting in Nanakramguda, where some crucial scenes on Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan were shot. The film unit then canned the song "Lucky Lucky Rai" on Ravi Teja and Lakshmi Rai at Bangkok. It was informed that Sekhar master is choreographing that song and shooting will go on till 15 June, with which the shooting of the film will be complete. Finally, shooting came to an end on 15 June.


title: Balupu

text: The music was composed by S. Thaman. This film marks Thaman's second venture with Gopichand Malineni after "Bodyguard" and also his sixth venture with Ravi Teja. Sirivennela Sitaramasastri and Bhaskarabhatla penned the lyrics for the songs. Ravi Teja also sung a song in this film. The film had its audio launch in Hyderabad International Convention Centre at Hyderabad on 1 June 2013.


title: Balupu

text: The audio got a positive response. "123telugu.com" gave a review stating ""Balupu" is one of the most commercially promising audio albums that Ravi Teja has had in recent times. The songs are peppy and are easy to like." APHerald.com gave a review stating "Over all Balupu audio sounded as a mix of a new and old track from Thaman’s previous movies." Telugucinema.com gave a review stating "All in all, Balupu is different in Thaman's repertoire and has songs that are easy to like. Thaman has come up with songs that would help the film. Has mass numbers as well as a melody number. The right mix of songs. Best album in Ravi Teja's career in the recent times." Cineoutlook.com gave a review stating: "Overall Balupu Audio is a combination of Class and Mass Masala songs. It’s a S.S. Thaman Brand Music."


title: Balupu

text: Initially, the film was slated for a worldwide released on 302 screens on 21 June 2013. But due to delays in post-production of the film, the release date was shifted to 28 June 2013. The film would have a premiere on 27 June 2013 in all the overseas countries. Though it was rumoured that the film would be delayed further, the unit confirmed its release on 28 June 2013. The film was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification on 24 June 2013. The film was awarded an A certificate by the Board after the objectionable dialogue was removed. The film released in 70 screens across USA, making it the biggest release of Ravi Teja there. With a massive release in AP, the film was also released in and around Chennai on 16 Screens.


title: Balupu

text: It was reported in the first week of January that the first look posters and stills would be released on 26 January 2013, thus coinciding with Ravi Teja's birthday, but the logo and teaser of "Balupu" were launched at a function organized in Marigold Hotel at Greenlands, Hyderabad on 25 January 2013. Ravi Teja launched the teaser, while PVP's executive director Rajeev Kamineni launched the logo. The audio launch was held on 1 June 2013 at HICC Novotel in Hyderabad. It was organised by "Shreyas Media", a popular event organizing company. The cost of organizing was 3.5 million, which was well-received, both in terms of TRP's and public response, making it one of the successful events organized by them. For the first time ever, Ravi Teja and Shruti Hassan performed live on stage along with S. Thaman, which elevated the event to Bollywood and Hollywood standards. The theatrical trailer, which was released on the same day generated an unusually positive response from the public. From 18 June 2013, the character sketches of Ali, Srinivasa Reddy, Satyam Rajesh, Pradeep, Thagubothu Ramesh, Ashutosh Rana, Lakshmi Rai, Adivi Sesh, Anjali, Prakash Raj, Shruti Haasan, Brahmanandam, Ravi Teja were displayed at "idlebrain.com", the official web partners of the film in images with a countdown till 28 June 2013 which was told as a unique promotion. Moreover, the posters of the film were decorated on 3 trains, covering all parts of Andhra Pradesh nearly on 26 June 2013, which was also a unique promotion activity.


title: Balupu

text: Noted producer and distributor Dil Raju bought the Nizam area rights of the film for a reported fancy prize. The overseas rights were secured by BlueSky for a fancy price. Zee Telugu bought the satellite rights of the film. The Australian distribution rights of this film, along with "Sahasam", were secured by Sai Manali and Lorgan Entertainment. The film had a great pre-release business in USA, with 33 centers in USA were closed within 48 to 72 hours of press note and remaining in final stages of closing, with all Non USA centers closed as on 21 June 2013.


title: Balupu

text: On 20 June 2013 Mr. Dronamraju Ravikumar, representative of the A.P. Brahmana Seva Sangha Samakhya, alleged that the trailer of the film contained derogatory remarks against Brahmins. The representatives of Brahmin organizations demanded the removal of trailers from all TV channels, thus submitting a formal complaint to the Censor Board and the Film Chamber with an intention of necessary action by the Censor Board since the film was not censored by that time. On the other hand, Gopichand Malineni stated that his intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings but just to conclude the controversy in a positive manner in this film and concluded saying that the Brahmin organizations are invited to watch the film before it gets censored. After showing the film to the irked community, the producer of the film sent a letter to Regional Censor Board Officer stating that he is going to delete the entire scene from the film to avoid controversies.


title: Balupu

text: Jeevi of idlebrain.com gave a review of rating 3.25/5 stating "Ravi Teja whose previous hit was released in January 2011 didn't find success at the box office despite having seven films in a span of 2 and half years. Balupu will provide oxygen to his career. Balupu has all ingredients with a dominating portion of entertainment to become a decent hit. You can watch it." The Times of India gave a review stating "The first half of the film looks pretty entertaining with good comedy, emotions and interval bang. Kona Venkat's comic drama style coupled with Gopichand Malineni's well-shot action sequences hogged the limelight in the second half, where the story gets into the flash back. Powerful dialogues, emotions and nice comedy might engage the audience." Postnoon.com gave a review of rating 3.5/5 stating "Balupu is a good concoction of action and entertainment which hits all the right notes. Ravi Teja has finally managed to hit the ball out of the park, after almost two years." Mahesh S Koneru of 123telugu.com gave a rating of 3.25/5 stating "With Balupu, we can perhaps say that Ravi Teja is back! His mass look and powerful punch dialogues work well. It ends up being a mass masala entertainer that is definitely worth a watch." Oneindia Entertainment gave a review stating "Ravi Teja is back with a bang this time. With repeated failures till now, it is refreshing to watch Ravi Teja at his best." IndiaGlitz gave a review of rating 3.25/5 stating "Balupu is a mix of action plus entertainment. Ravi Teja will win a battle for the first time since Mirapakay." APHerald gave a review of rating 2.25/5 stating "Balupu is not a complete action entertainer, but watchable once for Ravi Teja-Brahmi comedy." SuperGoodMovies gave a review of rating 3/5 stating "Raviteja’s Balupu is a movie with entertainment and action sequences. But it is just one time watch."


title: Balupu

text: The film was aired for the first time on 12 January 2014 as Sankranti special on Zee Telugu Channel which generated Huge TRP's for the channel.


title: Balupu

text: The film made a business (Share) in AP/Nizam and (Share) in Overseas, Karnataka and Rest of India. The film has collected (WW Share) at the box office. The film becomes the highest-grossing film of Ravi Teja's career. The film was declared a "Blockbuster" both overseas and in India.


title: Balupu

text: The film had a good start at the domestic box office, collecting on its first day. The film collected a share of in 3 days, with a collection of on the second day and on the third day in Andhra Pradesh. The film collected 4025,000 in 3 days in Tamil Nadu, which is the highest collection for a Ravi Teja film in Tamil Nadu till date, hence being declared a Super Hit at both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Box offices respectively, breaking Ravi Teja's previous records held by "Kick", "Don Seenu" and "Mirapakay". The film continued its pace by collecting at the end of the first week and with steady collections in the second week even after finding a stiff competition from "Singam", the successful dubbed version of Suriya's "Singam II". The film completed a successful 50 day run in 85 direct centers, collecting a gross of nearly all over the state.


title: Balupu

text: At the US box office, the film collected in three days, entering the list of the top 20 grossers in the US at 18th position, minting more than "Ghanchakkar", which was released on more screens and collected . The film collected in its first weekend, which was more than the closing businesses of his previous hits; "Kick" (with ), "Don Seenu" (with ) and "Mirapakay" (with ) respectively. The film continued its pace in spite of heavy competition from other big releases by collecting at the end of the second week, however failing to beat the record set by "Baadshah", which collected at that point of time, however subjected to the number of screens it was released. The film collected a total of at the end of its third week.


title: Balupu

text: It was remade as "Herogiri" in Bengali, starring Dev, Koel Mallick, Sayantika and Mithun Chakraborty. The film which was being remade in Kannada as "Ravichandra" starring Upendra and Ravichandran was shelved after partial completion of shooting.


title: Austenite

text: Austenite, also known as gamma-phase iron (γ-Fe), is a metallic, non-magnetic allotrope of iron or a solid solution of iron with an alloying element. In plain-carbon steel, austenite exists above the critical eutectoid temperature of 1000 K (727 °C); other alloys of steel have different eutectoid temperatures. The austenite allotrope is named after Sir William Chandler Roberts-Austen (1843–1902); it exists at room temperature in some stainless steels due to the presence of nickel stabilizing the austenite at lower temperatures.


title: Austenite

text: From alpha iron undergoes a phase transition from body-centered cubic (BCC) to the face-centered cubic (FCC) configuration of gamma iron, also called austenite. This is similarly soft and ductile but can dissolve considerably more carbon (as much as 2.03% by mass at ). This gamma form of iron is present in the most commonly used type of stainless steel for making hospital and food-service equipment.


title: Austenite

text: Austenitization means to heat the iron, iron-based metal, or steel to a temperature at which it changes crystal structure from ferrite to austenite. The more open structure of the austenite is then able to absorb carbon from the iron-carbides in carbon steel. An incomplete initial austenitization can leave undissolved carbides in the matrix.


title: Austenite

text: For some iron metals, iron-based metals, and steels, the presence of carbides may occur during the austenitization step. The term commonly used for this is two-phase austenitization.


title: Austenite

text: Austempering is a hardening process that is used on iron-based metals to promote better mechanical properties. The metal is heated into the austenite region of the iron-cementite phase diagram and then quenched in a salt bath or other heat extraction medium that is between temperatures of . The metal is annealed in this temperature range until the austenite turns to bainite or ausferrite (bainitic ferrite + high-carbon austenite).


title: Austenite

text: By changing the temperature for austenitization, the austempering process can yield different and desired microstructures. A higher austenitization temperature can produce a higher carbon content in austenite, whereas a lower temperature produces a more uniform distribution of austempered structure. The carbon content in austenite as a function of austempering time has been established.


title: Austenite

text: As austenite cools, the carbon diffuses out of the austenite and forms carbon-rich iron-carbide (cementite) and leaves behind carbon-poor ferrite. Depending on alloy composition, a layering of ferrite and cementite, called pearlite, may form. If the rate of cooling is very swift, the carbon does not have sufficient time to diffuse, and the alloy may experience a large lattice distortion known as martensitic transformation in which it transforms into martensite, a body centered tetragonal structure (BCT). The rate of cooling determines the relative proportions of martensite, ferrite, and cementite, and therefore determines the mechanical properties of the resulting steel, such as hardness and tensile strength.


title: Austenite

text: A high cooling rate of thick sections will cause a steep thermal gradient in the material. The outer layers of the heat treated part will cool faster and shrink more, causing it to be under tension and thermal staining. At high cooling rates, the material will transform from austenite to martensite which is much harder and will generate cracks at much lower strains. The volume change (martensite is less dense than austenite) can generate stresses as well. The difference in strain rates of the inner and outer portion of the part may cause cracks to develop in the outer portion, compelling the use of slower quenching rates to avoid this. By alloying the steel with tungsten, the carbon diffusion is slowed and the transformation to BCT allotrope occurs at lower temperatures, thereby avoiding the cracking. Such a material is said to have its hardenability increased. Tempering following quenching will transform some of the brittle martensite into tempered martensite. If a low-hardenability steel is quenched, a significant amount of austenite will be retained in the microstructure, leaving the steel with internal stresses that leave the product prone to sudden fracture.


title: Austenite

text: Heating white cast iron above causes the formation of austenite in crystals of primary cementite. This austenisation of white iron occurs in primary cementite at the interphase boundary with ferrite. When the grains of austenite form in cementite, they occur as lamellar clusters oriented along the cementite crystal layer surface. Austenite is formed by diffusion of carbon atoms from cementite into ferrite.


title: Austenite

text: The addition of certain alloying elements, such as manganese and nickel, can stabilize the austenitic structure, facilitating heat-treatment of low-alloy steels. In the extreme case of austenitic stainless steel, much higher alloy content makes this structure stable even at room temperature. On the other hand, such elements as silicon, molybdenum, and chromium tend to de-stabilize austenite, raising the eutectoid temperature.


title: Austenite

text: Austenite is only stable above in bulk metal form. However, fcc transition metals can be grown on a face-centered cubic (fcc) or diamond cubic. The epitaxial growth of austenite on the diamond (100) face is feasible because of the close lattice match and the symmetry of the diamond (100) face is fcc. More than a monolayer of γ-iron can be grown because the critical thickness for the strained multilayer is greater than a monolayer. The determined critical thickness is in close agreement with theoretical prediction.


title: Austenite

text: In many magnetic ferrous alloys, the Curie point, the temperature at which magnetic materials cease to behave magnetically, occurs at nearly the same temperature as the austenite transformation. This behavior is attributed to the paramagnetic nature of austenite, while both martensite and ferrite are strongly ferromagnetic.


title: Austenite

text: During heat treating, a blacksmith causes phase changes in the iron-carbon system to control the material's mechanical properties, often using the annealing, quenching, and tempering processes. In this context, the color of light, or "blackbody radiation," emitted by the workpiece is an approximate gauge of temperature. Temperature is often gauged by watching the color temperature of the work, with the transition from a deep cherry-red to orange-red ( to ) corresponding to the formation of austenite in medium and high-carbon steel. In the visible spectrum, this glow increases in brightness as temperature increases. When cherry-red, the glow is near its lowest intensity and may not be visible in ambient light. Hence blacksmiths usually austenitize steel in low-light conditions to accurately judge the color of the glow.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Rationalization is a defense mechanism (ego defense) in which apparent logical reasons are given to justify behavior that is motivated by unconscious instinctual impulses. It is an attempt to find reasons for behaviors, especially one's own. Rationalizations are used to defend against feelings of guilt, maintain self-respect, and protect oneself from criticism.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Rationalization encourages irrational or unacceptable behavior, motives, or feelings and often involves ad hoc hypothesizing. This process ranges from fully conscious (e.g. to present an external defense against ridicule from others) to mostly unconscious (e.g. to create a block against internal feelings of guilt or shame). People rationalize for various reasons—sometimes when we think we know ourselves better than we do. Rationalization may differentiate the original deterministic explanation of the behavior or feeling in question.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Many conclusions individuals come to do not fall under the definition of rationalization as the term is denoted above.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Quintilian and classical rhetoric used the term "color" for the presenting of an action in the most favourable possible perspective. Laurence Sterne in the eighteenth century took up the point, arguing that, were a man to consider his actions, "he will soon find, that such of them, as strong inclination and custom have prompted him to commit, are generally dressed out and painted with all the false beauties [color] which, a soft and flattering hand can give them".


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: According to the DSM-IV, rationalization occurs "when the individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by concealing the true motivations for their own thoughts, actions, or feelings through the elaboration of reassuring or self serving but incorrect explanations".


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Egregious rationalizations intended to deflect blame can also take the form of ad hominem attacks or DARVO. Some rationalizations take the form of a comparison. Commonly, this is done to lessen the perception of an action's negative effects, to justify an action, or to excuse culpability:


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Based on anecdotal and survey evidence, John Banja states that the medical field features a disproportionate amount of rationalization invoked in the "covering up" of mistakes. Common excuses made are:


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: In 2018 Muel Kaptein and Martien van Helvoort developed a model, called the Amoralizations Alarm Clock, that covers all existing amoralizations in a logical way. Amoralizations, also called neutralizations, or rationalizations, are defined as justifications and excuses for deviant behavior. Amoralizations are important explanations for the rise and persistence of deviant behavior. There exist many different and overlapping techniques of amoralizations.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Some scientists criticize the notion that brains are wired to rationalize irrational decisions, arguing that evolution would select against spending more nutrients at mental processes that do not contribute to the improvement of decisions such as rationalization of decisions that would have been taken anyway. These scientists argue that learning from mistakes would be decreased rather than increased by rationalization, and criticize the hypothesis that rationalization evolved as a means of social manipulation by noting that if rational arguments were deceptive there would be no evolutionary chance for breeding individuals that responded to the arguments and therefore making them ineffective and not capable of being selected for by evolution.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Ernest Jones introduced the term "rationalization" to psychoanalysis in 1908, defining it as "the inventing of a reason for an attitude or action the motive of which is not recognized"—an explanation which (though false) could seem plausible. The term ("Rationalisierung" in German) was taken up almost immediately by Sigmund Freud to account for the explanations offered by patients for their own neurotic symptoms.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: As psychoanalysts continued to explore the glossed of unconscious motives, Otto Fenichel distinguished different sorts of rationalization—both the justifying of irrational instinctive actions on the grounds that they were reasonable or normatively validated and the rationalizing of defensive structures, whose purpose is unknown on the grounds that they have some quite different but somehow logical meaning.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Later psychoanalysts are divided between a positive view of rationalization as a stepping-stone on the way to maturity, and a more destructive view of it as splitting feeling from thought, and so undermining the powers of reason.


title: Rationalization (psychology)

text: Leon Festinger highlighted in 1957 the discomfort caused to people by awareness of their inconsistent thought. Rationalization can reduce such discomfort by explaining away the discrepancy in question, as when people who take up smoking after previously quitting decide that the evidence for it being harmful is less than they previously thought.


title: Sankardev

text: Srimanta Sankardev( শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱ )(; ; 1449–1568) was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of importance in the cultural and religious history of Assam, India. He is widely credited with building on past cultural relics and devising new forms of music (Borgeet), theatrical performance (Ankia Naat, Bhaona), dance (Sattriya), literary language (Brajavali). Besides, he has left an extensive literary oeuvre of trans-created scriptures (Bhagavat of Sankardev), poetry and theological works written in Sanskrit, Assamese and Brajavali. The Bhagavatic religious movement he started, Ekasarana Dharma and also called Neo-Vaishnavite movement, influenced two medieval kingdoms – Koch and the Ahom kingdom – and the assembly of devotees he initiated evolved over time into monastic centers called Sattras, which continue to be important socio-religious institutions in Assam and to a lesser extent in North Bengal. Sankardev inspired the Bhakti movement in Assam just as Guru Nanak, Ramananda, Namdev, Kabir, Basava and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inspired it elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent. His influence spread even to some kingdoms as the Matak Kingdom founded by Bharat Singha, and consolidated by Sarbananda Singha in the latter 18th century endorsed his teachings.


title: Sankardev

text: His literary and artistic contributions are living traditions in Assam today. The religion he preached is practised by a large population, and Sattras (monasteries) that he and his followers established continue to flourish and sustain his legacy.


title: Sankardev

text: After the death of Sankardev, Madhavdev incorporated narrations of his life in prayer services, a practice that was followed by his apostles, and in due course of time a large body of biographical literature arose. These are generally classed in two groups: early (those by Daityari Thakur, Bhusan Dwija, Ramananda Dwija and Vaikuntha Dwija) and late ("Guruvarnana" by Aniruddha Das, the more than one anonymous "Katha-guru-carits", "Bardowa-carit", "Sankardev caritra" from Barpeta, the "Saru-svarga-khanda" and "Bar-svarga-khanda" by Sarvabhauma). The authorship of the biography credited to Ramcaran Thakur, Daityari Thakur's father, is doubted and it is generally dated to the 17th-century and classed with the late biographies.


title: Sankardev

text: In general, all biographies consider Sankardev as an incarnation of Vishnu, including that by Daityari Thakur, the earliest. The late biographies differ from the early group on the count that they ascribe supernatural feats to Sankardev, and describe miraculous events; and there is a tendency to read some events of the Bhagavata into his life.


title: Sankardev

text: The biographies are full of contradictions; even though the earlier ones are considered more accurate, not all they claim are true—Daityari Thakur's biography, the earliest one, claims Sankardev met with Chaitanya, which is now not accepted to be true.


title: Sankardev

text: Sankardev, then named Sankaravara, was born into the Shiromani (chief) "Baro-Bhuyans" family at Alipukhuri near Bordowa in present-day Nagaon district in c1449. Though some authors have expressed doubt that Sankardev could have lived that long, considering that he was of robust health 1449 is generally accepted. The Baro-Bhuyans were independent landlords in Assam, and Sankardev belonged to the Kayastha Hindu caste. His family-members, including parents Kusumvar Bhuyan and Satyasandhya Devi, were Saktas. Sankardev lost his father to smallpox when he was about 7 years old, and his mother died either soon after his birth, or soon after his father's death; and he was raised by his grandmother Khersuti.


title: Sankardev

text: He began attending Mahendra Kandali's "tol" or "chatrasaal" (school) at the age of 12 and soon wrote his first verses "karatala-kamala".


title: Sankardev

text: The complete poem was written before he was taught the vowels except, of course, the first one, and is often cited as an example of the early flowering of his poetic genius. He stayed at the "tol" during his teens, and studied grammar and Indian scriptures. He practised "yoga" (which he gave up later) and was physically very able, and according to legend, he could swim across the Brahmaputra while it was in spate. It is generally believed that he wrote his first work, "Harishchandra upakhyan", while at the "tol". Mahendra Kandali changed his name to 'Sankardev' while he was at school.


title: Sankardev

text: Sankardev soon mastered the major scriptures and thereafter left the "tol" in his late teens (c1465) to attend to his responsibilities as the Shiromani Bhuyan. He came to be known as the "Dekagiri" among his subjects and admirers. As Alipukhuri had become crowded, he moved his household from Alipukhuri to Bordowa. He married his first wife Suryavati when he was in his early 20s and a daughter, Manu, was born in about three years, but his wife died about nine months later.


title: Sankardev

text: It is possible that the death of his wife increased his already existing spiritual inclination and he left for a twelve-year-long pilgrimage, sometime after his daughter was married to Hari, a Bhuyan scion. He handed over the maintenance of his household to his son-in-law Hari; the Bhuyan Shiromaniship to his grand uncles Jayanta and Madhav; and began his journey in 1481. He was accompanied by seventeen others including his friend and associate Ramaram and his teacher Mahendra Kandali. At this point of time, he was 32. The pilgrimage took him to Puri, Mathura, Dwaraka, Vrindavan, Gaya, Rameswaram, Ayodhya, Sitakunda and almost all the other major seats of the Vaishnavite religion in India. He seem to have spent many years at Jagannath-kshetra at Puri, where he read and explained the Brahma Purana to the priests and lay people. At Badrikashram in 1488, he composed his first "borgeet"—"mana meri ram charanahi lagu"—in Brajavali. According to Katha Gurucharit, the first Borgeet was "Rama meri hridaya pankaje baise" and he composed it in 1481 at the very outset of the pilgrimage at a place called Rowmari. He returned home to Alipukhuri after 12 years (his family had moved back from Bordowa in his absence). During his pilgrimage, he became the part of a pan-Indian Bhakti movement and helped it blossom.


title: Sankardev

text: On his return from his pilgrimage (c1493), Sankardev refused to take back the Shiromaniship, though on the insistence of his elders, he took responsibility of a hundred families ("gomastha") but he soon handed over the responsibility to his son-in-law Hari. On his grandmother's insistence, he married Kalindi at the age of 54. Finally, he moved back to Bordowa and constructed a temple ("devagriha") in c1498, possibly a thatched house, built on the original site of his father's house where he could meet with people, discuss religious matters and hold prayers, and preach. He wrote "Bhakti pradipa" and "Rukmini harana". Soon after, he received a copy of the Bhagavata Purana from Jagadisa Mishra of Mithila, with Sridhara Swami's monistic commentary "Bhavartha-dipika". Mishra recited and explained the entire Bhagavata in the presence of Sankardev and this event is considered momentous in the development of Ekasarana. Datyari, an early biographer of Sankardev writes: Sankardev listened with rapt attention to the exposition by Jagadish Mishra and realised that the "Bhagavata" was a scripture without parallel, a scripture that determined Krishna as the only God, "naam" as the real dharma, and "aikantika-sarana" and "sat-sanga" as the indispensable elements of the faith." He also began composing the "Kirtana ghosha".


title: Sankardev

text: After his exposure to the detailed Bhagavata Purana and Sridhara Swami's commentary "Bhavartha-dipika", Sankardev produced a dance-drama called "Cihna yatra", for which he painted the "Sapta vaikuntha" (seven heavens), guided the making of musical instruments and played the instruments himself. According to other biographers, Sankardev produced "Maha-nata" in the presence of Jagdish Mishra in the temple he had constructed at Alipukhuri.


title: Sankardev

text: According to Neog, this was the point when Sankardev decided to preach a new religion. Some of the first to be initiated into this religion was the wife of Jayanta-dalai, a leper named Hariram (later Tulasiram), Ramaram his associate and Mahendra Kandali, his "tol" teacher. The 13 years at Alipukhuri was the period during which he reflected deeply on Vaishnavism and on the form that would best suit the spiritual and ethical needs of the people. Ananta Kandali, a profound scholar of Sanskrit, became his disciple during this time; he translated the later part of Canto X of the Bhagavata Purana after consulting Sankardev.


title: Sankardev

text: From Alipukhuri Sankardev moved back to Bordowa in 1509 and built a "thaan". Some authors claim that this "than" had all the major features of a sattra (central "kirtanghar", "cari-hati" etc.), whereas many others assert that these features did not exist during Sankardev's time. This "than" was abandoned and more than a hundred years later in the middle of the 17th-century, Sankardev's granddaughter-in-law, Kanaklata, established it again.


title: Sankardev

text: Biswa Singha, began his activities to remove the Bhuyans from power in the western part of the Brahmaputra valley in 1509. Furthermore, the Bhuyans in the Bordowa area picked up a quarrel with their Kachari neighbours, and when attacked Sankardev advised the Bhuyans to move, which brought to an end the independence of this group of Bhuyans. Sankardev and his associates first crossed the Brahmaputra river in 1516–17 and settled first at Singari and finally at Routa; and when Viswa Singha advanced towards Routa, Sankardev moved to Gangmau in the Ahom kingdom in 1527. At Gangmau they stayed for five years where Sankardev's eldest son Ramananda was born. At Gangmau, he wrote the drama "Patniprasad". In fact he lived alone at a place named Gajalasuti out of dissatisfaction with some relative. He penned the play there.


title: Sankardev

text: While at Gangmau, the Koch king Biswa Singha attacked the Ahoms. The Bhuyans fought for the Ahoms and the Koch king was defeated. Due to the unsettled situation at Gangmau Sankardev next moved to Dhuwahat, near Ahatguri in present-day Majuli, washed away by the Brahmaputra in 1913. The Bhuyans were settled here by the Ahoms with land and estate, Hari, Sankardev's son-in-law became a Saikia, and his cousin Jagatananda, grandson of Jayanta received a title 'Ramarai'. At Dhuwahat, he met his spiritual successor Madhavdev. Madhavdev, a sakta, got into a religious altercation with his brother-in-law Ramadas who had recently converted to Vaishnavism. Ramadas took him to Sankardev, who, after a long debate, convinced him of the power and the efficacy of "Ekasarana". The acquisition of Madhavdev, with his talent in poetry, singing and dedication to his new-found religion and guru, was a significant event in the "Ekasarana" history. At Dhuwahat he managed to attract a wider attention and popularity and he initiated many others into his religion.


title: Sankardev

text: The popularity of Ekasarana and the conversion of people alarmed the priestly Brahmins, who reacted with anger and hostility. Sankardev tried to diffuse their hostility—by meeting with them at the house of his relative Budha-Khan and asking his Brahmin antagonists to install a wooden idol of Jagannath, called Madan-Mohan, at his religious seat. (Sankardev left this idol hanging on a tree when he took flight from Dhuwahat, and it was rescued years later by Vamshigopaldev and installed at Deberapar-sattra). The Brahmins finally complained to the Ahom king, Suhungmung (1497–1539), who summoned Sankardev to his court for a debate with them. Sankardev was able to convince the king that he was not a religious rebel and a threat to the social order, and the charges against him were dropped. The hostility, nevertheless, continued.


title: Sankardev

text: Though the positions of the Bhuyans in the Ahom kingdom began comfortably—with Sankardev's son-in-law, Hari, becoming a Paik officer and Ramrai, his cousin, becoming a royal official—the relationship gradually deteriorated. After the death of Viswasingha, who was inimical to the Bhuyans, and the rise of Naranarayan (1540), the Koch-Bhuyan relationship improved somewhat. Sometime in the 1540s during the reign of Suklenmung (1539–1552) a royal officer visited the region for an elephant capturing expedition. Hari did not make himself available and furthermore, an elephant escaped through a barrier managed by the Bhuyans. The officer took grave offence in this dereliction of duty and arrested Hari as well as Madhavdev. At Garhgaon, Hari was executed and Madhavdev interned for about a year. According to Daityari, taking advantage of the Koch advance against the Ahoms (1546–1547), Sankardev and his followers escaped from the Ahom kingdom as they fell behind the vanguard of the Koch army setting up their garrison in Narayanpur further to the east.


title: Sankardev

text: Sankardev and his followers reached Kapalabari in Koch kingdom in later part of 1540 and put up there. But the water was very alkaline there. Several members including Madhavdev's mother Manorama died there. So after staying for some time at Kapalabari, Sankardev and his group moved to Sunpora in 1541. At Sunpora Sankardev initiated Bhavananda, a rich trader who had extensive business interest in the Garo Hills and Bhutan Hills besides Kamarupa. The trader, Narayana Das, settled at Janiya near Barpeta and took to agriculture. A man of the world otherwise, he soon flourished and became a provider to Sankardev and his devotees. He came to be known popularly as Thakur Ata.


title: Sankardev

text: After a great deal of moving, Sankardev settled at Patbausi near Barpeta in the Koch Kingdom and constructed a "Kirtanghar" (house of prayer). Some of the people he initiated here are Chakrapani Dwija and Sarvabhaum Bhattacharya, Brahmins; Govinda, a Garo; Jayaram, a Bhutia; Madhai, a Jaintia; Jatiram, an ascetic; and Murari, a Koch. Damodardev, a Brahmin, was initiated by Sankardev. Damodardev was entrusted by Sankardev to initiate Brahmin disciples. A Sattra was also constructed for him at Patbausi itself. Later Damodardev became the founder of the Brahma Sanghati sect of Sankardev's religion.


title: Sankardev

text: Among Sankardev's literary works, he completed his rendering of the Bhagavata Purana and wrote other independent works. He continued composing the Kirtan Ghosha, further translated the first canto of the Ramayana ("Adi Kanda") and instructed Madhavdev to translate the last canto ("Uttara Kanda"), portions that were left undone by the 14th century poet Madhav Kandali. He wrote four plays: "Rukmini harana", "Parijata harana", "Keligopala" and "Kalidamana". Another play written at Patbausi, "Kansa Vadha", is lost. At Patbausi, he had lent his Bargeets numbering around 240 to Kamala Gayan. But unfortunately, Gayan's house was gutted and most of the "borgeets" were lost. Since that incident Sankardev stopped composing "Bargeets". Of the 240, 34 remain today.


title: Sankardev

text: Sankardev once again left for a pilgrimage in 1550 with a large party of 117 disciples that included Madhavdev, Ramrai, Ramaram, Thakur Ata and others. Thakur Ata had to return after just one day's journey. Madhavdev had to take entire responsibility of logistics. He on the request of Sankardev's wife Kalindi urged him to return from Puri and not proceed to Vrindavana. Sankardev and the group returned to Patbausi within six months in 1551.


title: Sankardev

text: On receiving repeated complaints that Sankardev was corrupting the minds of the people by spreading a new religion Nara Narayan, the Koch king, ordered Sankardev's arrest, and Sankardev went into hiding. Chilarai—the general of the Koch army, half-brother of the king and married to Kamalapriya the daughter of Sankardev's cousin Ramarai—then convinced the king to give Sankardev a hearing instead.


title: Sankardev

text: For the audience with Nara Narayan, as he moved up the steps to the court, Sankardev sang his Sanskrit "totaka" hymn, composed extempore, to Lord Krishna "madhu daanava daarana deva varam"