Social Science Questions & Answers

What is the significance of Navratri? The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar. Navratri represents celebration of Goddess Durga, the manifestation …

Colours of Jihad: Why does the Taliban use a white flag while ISIS uses a black one? Explained Does the difference of colour in the two flags means the two terror outfits abide by differing Islamic doctrines? Or is it just a mere coincidence that the two terror organisations have an inverse colour combination in their flags, perhaps to stand …

Independence Day vs Republic Day: A few key differences in celebrations for world’s largest democracy. On August 15, 2021, India entered its 75th year of Independence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag at the red fort and addressed the nation. The Tricolour is hoisted to commemorate the Independence Day or Swatantrata Diwas across the country. Interestingly, many do …

While many people head to the beach for the 4th of July, there are a wide array of activities to keep locals and visitors in New York City for July 4th entertained. Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Beginning at approximately 9:20 p.m., Macy’s will have fireworks being released from six barges in the Hudson River. The fireworks will mark not …

Buddhism background: Buddhism came into existence in India some 2,600 years ago when an Indian Prince, Siddhattha, became enlightened and hence came to be known as the Buddha, meaning the Enlightened One. His teaching is preserved in Buddhist scriptures known as the Tripitaka, which literally means the three baskets, namely the Vinaya or Vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), Sutta or Suttanta-pitaka (collection …

The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) is an international Buddhist organization which was founded in B.E. 2493 (1950) in Sri Lanka where representatives from 27 countries from Asia, Europe and North America met for the first time in history. Buddhist delegates from all over the world representing various schools of Buddhism, viz., Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, were unified under …

Karma In Buddhism: The Karma or sum of good and bad deeds that a person did in one life, will affect the quality of their next life. Buddhist believe that everyone is reborn, therefore they think that Karma is important in once life. Karma in Buddhism is the force that drives samsara – the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each …

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha. The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his …

In Buddhism, can women attain enlightenment? The Buddha was the first religious leader to accept equal spiritual potentiality of men and women. The nature of enlightenment transcends gender difference, which otherwise tends to limit women in their social contexts. For this reason women were accepted into the Order (Sangha), and proved themselves worthy of the Buddha’s recognition. Some of them …

Eid-Ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr, often abbreviated to Eid, is a two-day Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm). Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity,” while Fiṭr means “original nature,” implying the restoration of one’s best human composition. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the thirty days of dawn-to-sunset …