Elaine Courtney and Dr. Michael Gutter of Florida Extension will present a 90-minute session on making a smart car buying decision. This webinar will offer PFMs and other financial educators resources and tips to help service members navigate the overwhelming process of buying a car. For many young service members, the purchase of a vehicle is the first major financial obligation he or she may make. By taking advantage of discounts offered to military service members, avoiding scams and risky sales, and maximizing savings, buyers can make the most of this big purchase.Elaine Courtney has been presenting on this topic in Florida Extension programs for a number of years. She has extensive experience teaching financial management, nutrition education and volunteer development programs. She received a B.S. and M.S. degrees from Florida State University, has done post graduate work at University of Minnesota and University of West Florida. She is a member of the Association of Financial Counseling, Planning and Education and is an Accredited Financial Counselor. Employed for 30 years with the University of Florida Extension Program in Okaloosa County (faculty member; ranking IV). Her primary responsibilities are in the areas of Family Economic Stability; Nutrition and Health; and Volunteer Development. She is the coordinator of the Okaloosa Saves program and helped begin the Military Saves program. She works closely with the military and has personal experience as a military spouse. For the last seven years, she has co-taught the Eglin AFB First Term Airman Class (FTAC) section on personal finance. She has served as co-chair of the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Focus Team for Financial Stability; UF/IFAS Tenure and Promotion Board 2008-2010; and on the America Saves/USDA-NIFA Extension Leadership Team. Received numerous awards from professional organizations, including FEAFCS Distinguished Service Award and state and national Continued Excellence Award.Michael Gutter, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor, Interim Family and Consumer Sciences State Program Leader, and Financial Management State Specialist for the Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, in the Institute for Food and Agricultural at the University of Florida. His BS is in Family Financial Management and his PhD is in Family Resource Management from The Ohio State University with a specialization in Finance. Gutter currently explores how financial education and financial socialization are related to financial capability. His Extension Programming includes the Florida Master Money Mentor Volunteer Program, Florida Saves, and Fresh$tart Florida. He recently won Outstanding Conference Paper Award for the 2010 Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. The common theme that connects Dr. Gutter’s Research, Teaching and Outreach is helping households achieve financial security. His projects focus on enabling access to resources and services as well as improving people’s knowledge and understanding about family resource management. These projects have had funding from the Consumer Federation of America and Bank of America.This free webinar requires no registration. To discover more on this topic, including supporting resources, and to connect to the webinar, visit the event page.This post was published on the Military Families Learning Network Blog on January 7, 2014.
Family Development WEBINAR Watch: Fathers, Work, and Family Life
Fathers, Work, and Family LifeMark your calendars for what’s next in our 2014 MFLN Family Development Webinar Series!Date: Thursday, May 29, 2014Time: 11a-1pm EasternLocation: Fathers, Work, & Family LifeDr. Scott Behson (Fairleigh Dickenson University) and Tim Red (National Fatherhood Initiative) are presenting on fathers, work and family life. This presentation will highlight the pressures faced by today’s working father, who are expected to work hard to succeed in their careers while also being far more involved as parents than dads of previous generations. The presentation will also cover work-family struggles unique to military fathers. Several strategies dads can use to be more efficient and effective in both roles will also be addressed in the presentation. In addition, the presentation will explore ways dads can consciously think through their priorities. Finally, presenters will discuss ways to help support dads as they cope with the work-family conflict.We offer 2.0 National Association of Social Worker CE credits for many of our webinars, click here to learn more. For more information on future presentations in the 2014 Family Development webinar series, please visit our professional development website or connect with us via social media for announcements: Facebook & Twitter.
Meet the Presenter! Dr. Anna Arthur
Professional photo University of Illinois Dr. Anna ArthurDr. Anna Arthur is an Assistant Professor and Sylvia D. Stroup Scholar of Nutrition and Cancer within the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Illinois. She is also Director of Oncology Nutrition Services at Carle Cancer Center in Urbana, IL. Dr. Arthur’s research focuses on the role of diet and nutritional status in determining molecular and clinical outcomes after a cancer diagnosis, with a special emphasis in head and neck cancers. Her lab utilizes both observational and behavioral intervention study designs to elucidate the complex relationships among diet and nutritional status, cancer progression and prognosis, quality of life and cancer-related biomarkers. The long-term goal of this research is to inform the development of new medical nutrition therapies and recommendations for cancer patients and survivors, ultimately improving survival and quality of life after cancer diagnosis. Dr. Arthur attended graduate school at the University of Michigan School of Public Health where she earned a Ph.D. in Nutritional Epidemiology and an M.P.H in Nutrition and Dietetics. She also completed an NCI-funded postdoctoral fellowship with the Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.Bio HighlightsAssistant Professor and Sylvia D. Stroup Scholar of Nutrition and Cancer at the University of Illinois and Director of Oncology Nutrition Services at Carle Cancer Center in Urbana, IL.Holds a Ph.D. and M.P.H. in Nutritional Sciences/Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.Previously worked as a Postdoctoral Scholar with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program funded by the National Cancer Institute.Research focuses on elucidating the complex relationships among diet and nutritional status, cancer progression and prognosis, quality of life and cancer-related biomarkers. This blog was posted by Robin Allen, a member of the Military Families Learning Network (MFLN) Nutrition and Wellness team that aims to support the development of professionals working with military families. Find out more about the MFLN Nutrition and Wellness concentration on our website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Add Beautiful Light to Your Scenes With a China Ball
China balls are one of the cheapest and most effective ways to add beautiful light to your scenes. Here are just three of the many ways you can use them on set.Top image from Leafhouse FilmsThe china ball is one of my favorite tools to work with on set. The quality of light from a china ball can be absolutely beautiful; it’s very soft, forgiving, and can really wrap around your talent’s face. That said, to make the most out of china balls means that you’ll need to know each and every way you can use them. Below are just three examples of the most effective ways to utilize them.1. Ambient Room LightingImage from The Kreen of the CropInterior scenes will often call for the base light level in a room to get brought up. Say for instance you’re working with a nice three point lighting setup on your actor, but the lights aren’t spilling into your background enough, and the ambient level of the room is too low. By placing a china ball or two up high near the ceiling, you can easily brighten the room without having to further soften the light. This is a very fast and foolproof way to add ambience without eating up more time on set.2. Softbox-styleImage from No Film SchoolIf you don’t have a softbox on set and there’s no time to set up c-stands, flags, and silks to diffuse your standard film lights, china balls are an excellent alternative. The light quality from a china ball is nearly identical to that of a high-quality softbox and requires very little set-up time. You’ll usually want to clip some black duvetyne to the back of the china ball to avoid having it spill all over the room. This will allow you to hit just the talent’s face with light (much like a sofbox would), effectively keeping the background light levels in check.3. On a Boom PoleImage from Comet Tale ProductionsOne of the most difficult types of setups to light (especially if you’re on a budget) is a long tracking shot. Tracking shots float through various spaces on your set, which means you need to light a much bigger area — unless, of course, you’re using a china ball.An excellent alternative to rigging up countless lights across your set is to simply put the china ball on a boom pole and have a crew member walk with it. Doing this will allow your actors to move freely throughout the set, and can save you precious time while still delivering beautiful results.Obviously this list is just the tip of the china ball iceberg. Here’s a little bonus video from Film Riot where Ryan Connolly teaches you how to build a china ball/dimmer switch combo.Ever used a china ball on set? Got any footage to share? Show us what you’ve got in the comments below!
How to Create a Pen Camera in Adobe After Effects
Learn how you can place your camera’s point of view on the tip of a pen (or anything) in After Effects with this video tutorial.Top image via Galymzhan Abdugalimov.As cameras have gotten smaller (without sacrificing quality), filmmakers have begun finding creative ways to use them that would have been impossible before. An example is the 5D Mk II on the barrel of a rifle in Act of Valor or a 7D on the edge of a shovel in Breaking Bad.Image via AMC.While cameras have become small enough to attach to tools, we may still be a few years out from seeing a camera that can actually film from the POV of a pen at broadcast quality. However, you can still pull off this trick in post-production with only a few simple steps.Before we jump into the tutorial, if you know that you’re going to apply this effect when you’re filming, you want to make sure you have a clear shot of the pen tip, and to make sure that it stays in focus so we can track it more easily in post-production. You also want to film at the highest resolution possible, as the shot will end up cropped after we apply the camera layer. Most importantly, make sure to frame the pen so it looks like the camera is on top of it to some extent. The MethodCreate a new composition with the footage, and find when the pen first touches the paper and when it stops touching it.If the tracker panel isn’t open, go to Window and select Tracker.Then hit Track Motion, and you’ll see the layer window.Set your track point at the nib or tip of the pen, and then hit analyze forward. The tracker may have a bit of trouble following the tip because when the ink hits the paper, the pen moves away — sometimes the tracker thinks that the black ink is the pen tip. If your tracking point loses focus, go back and manually adjust the tracking.When you have successfully tracked the movement, create a new null object, make sure that it’s the target, and hit apply.We are then going to add a new camera layer (the default setting is fine), and we’re going to parent the camera layer to the null object. To create the magic, we then turn our pen clip into a 3D layer by clicking this icon.We now have the camera following the tip of the pen as if it were attached to the pen itself. However, we also have a video clip that jumps around the composition and shows a lot of negative space.As I said, it is better to film in 4k if you can because we can simply change the composition to 1080p and crop out the negative space. If you don’t have the option of shooting in 4K, try to frame your shot with a bit of open space, so you can increase the scale of the clip without losing too much of the pen.There we go. A simple but very cool technique.
The Hustler’s Playbook: Hustlers Act Before They Are Ready
Get the Free eBook! Learn how to sell without a sales manager. Download my free eBook! You need to make sales. You need help now. We’ve got you covered. This eBook will help you Seize Your Sales Destiny, with or without a manager. Download Now Hustlers take action before they are ready.Getting Ready to Get ReadyThe would-be hustler spends a lot of time getting ready to get ready. They believe that they aren’t quite ready yet. They aren’t confident that they can succeed. They believe they need to know more, that they need more time, and that someday they’ll be ready.Would-be hustlers get stuck in this loop. The feel they aren’t ready. They make a list of all the things they lack, whether it is skills, connections, or resources. They refine that list over and over again, and the list of what they need to get started only grows longer.The root cause of would-be hustler’s procrastination is fear. They’re afraid they’ll fail. Afraid they’ll be judged. Afraid that they’ll be embarrassed.A few non-hustlers are afraid they’ll actually succeed. You may not know this, but a lot of non-hustlers fear success because it is a step into the unknown. Will they lose the comfort of the life they know? Will they lose their family, friends, and peer groups when they succeed?Ready, Fire, AimThe hustler begins before they are ready. If it’s not “ready, fire, aim” then it is “ready, aim, fire” with very little time wasted on the “aim.” It’s this bias for action that provides the hustler with the energy to break the gravitational pull that holds the would-be hustler firmly in place. The would-be hustler is locked in a status quo of their own making, never allowing themselves to risk the discomfort necessary to launch.The hustler doesn’t fear failure, knowing that failure is only feedback, a chance to make adjustments. The hustler doesn’t worry about being judged, either. They believe that the opinion of the critic sitting in their recliner playing Monday Morning Quarterback is purely motivated by their pent-up jealous.No one who isn’t actually in the arena has the right to criticize those who are.Stop getting ready to get ready. Stop getting ready. You are ready right now. Take the first step forward today. Take the second stop tomorrow. Adjust your course as you go. Don’t look back.
You Can Contribute and You Can Make a Difference
Essential Reading! Get my 2nd book: The Lost Art of Closing “In The Lost Art of Closing, Anthony proves that the final commitment can actually be one of the easiest parts of the sales process—if you’ve set it up properly with other commitments that have to happen long before the close. The key is to lead customers through a series of necessary steps designed to prevent a purchase stall.” Buy Now Anthony Robbins has a framework for human needs. It’s very much like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, something a lot of people are familiar with, especially if you have taken a psychology class. Maslow’s needs are called deficiency needs, and Robbins are the same, even if he has made them more practical and tactical, something that makes them easy to understand and apply.Robbins’ Six Human Needs are certainty, variety, belongingness (love and connection), significance, growth, and contribution. Like Maslow, all human beings share these needs, each of us being driven more by some than others. Much like Maslow’s hierarchy starts at your physiological needs and moves up to safety, then to belongingness, before reaching needs of a higher order, the needs Robbins framework follows the same direction, with contribution being the top of the pyramid (for Maslow, it’s self-transcendence). Once your deficiency needs are met, contribution seems to be the greatest driver, and the one that provides the greatest sense of meaning, mission, and purpose.If you want the ultimate hack when it comes to creating a sense of meaning, and mission, and purpose in your life, you can shift right to contribution. At any time, you can contribute to some cause outside of yourself. You can find someone or some organization that needs your help, and you can give them your time and energy or your money (no matter how much or how little).I once heard a story about a senior executive at a big company. He decided to get his MBA in Philanthropy. I was unaware that a degree was necessary, having always believed that a check given to a worthy cause— that also clears the bank—makes one a philanthropist. Generosity isn’t something that is reserved to the wealthy and well-off. Giving what you are able to give, regardless of how much or how little, is generosity and compassion, neither of which should be measured or compared to what others give.You can approach the hierarchy of needs from the other direction. You can contribute to some cause beyond yourself. What you give makes a difference, just like each drop of water makes up the ocean, one drop being no more or no less than every other drop, none being more or less wet than any other.
Look Backwards for Your Values and Virtues
The rules for success—and a successful life—haven’t changed very much (if they’ve changed at all). There are a certain set of character traits, beliefs, and behaviors that have served people since there have been people. There are virtues that have survived for millennia because they have been found useful, making them subject to the Lindy Effect. The Lindy Effect says that the longer something nonperishable survives, like an idea, the longer it will survive into the future.Aristotle had a list of 12 virtues that included courage, temperance, liberality, magnificence, pride, honor, good temper, friendliness, truthfulness, wit, friendship, and justice. His list of virtues is around 2,400 years old and as relevant today as they were in Ancient Greece.The Romans had 14 virtues. As you might imagine, there is a bit of overlap here: Auctoritas (knowing one’s place), Comitas (humor), Clementia (mercy), Dignitas (dignity), Firmitas (tenacity), Frugalitas (frugalness), Gravitas (gravity), Honestas (respectability), Humanitas (humanity, kindness), Industria (industriousness), Pietas (dutifulness), Prudentia (prudence), Salubritas (wholesomeness), Severitas (sternness, discipline), Veritas (truthfulness).Ben Franklin lived long after the Roman Empire and “the Roman Way” had died. There is roughly 1,300 years between Franklin and Rome’s demise in 476. Franklin had 13 virtues. He wrote his in a book and gave himself marks for keeping them each day. His were temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. Being remarkably human, he didn’t always keep these virtues. Many of these virtues go back to what Aristotle held true.Right now, a lot of people believe disruption is a value. They believe that what has come before is of no use to the future and that everything should be torn down to make way for what is new—even if what is new isn’t an improvement. Human progress has always been incremental, transcending and including what came before. What is working now looks very much like an improvement on what came before.Even more tend to believe that fame is a virtue, even when many are famous only for being famous, something that would have been confusing to those for whom fame was something earned through contribution. There are too many who have put the cart before the horse, seeking fame without developing themselves and without contribution. Mastery would be a better value (Gravitas).When it comes to business, the ethos of today is that one should build a business with the intention of flipping it. This ethos is really a pathology of the “get rich quick without working” variety. There are a lot of good reasons to start a business, and one should begin with the end in mind. But to be sure, you start a business because you want to create value for your clients. The thought of starting a business without pouring your heart and soul into is saddening. Essential Reading! Get my 3rd book: Eat Their Lunch “The first ever playbook for B2B salespeople on how to win clients and customers who are already being serviced by your competition.” Buy Now
Why Salesmanship Matters
Your dream client doesn’t have any way to know whether your company is better than your competitor’s. Nor are they likely to look for objective information to discern the differences. Trying to gain an advantage by starting with your company is ineffective because it doesn’t provide any real, actionable insights your dream client can use to decide.Level 1 is a ZeroYou believe that your product or service or solution is markedly better than your competitors. They believe that theirs is better. Both of you spend time trying to differentiate from your competitors in some meaningful way, including trying to tie what you sell to any preferences your dream client discloses. Remember, your dream client has no objective way to determine which of your solutions would better serve them, having never experienced either. You don’t help by providing them with information they can find on a website or sell sheet.Proof Providing isn’t ProofMaybe you provide your prospective client with references, people at companies that will vouch that you are an excellent partner. Your competitor may also provide a similar list, neither of you being so short-sighted as to provide any names and numbers of people who might say something that harm’s your chances of winning their business. What you believe to be proof isn’t strong evidence that your dream client should buy from you.You Are the ExperienceWhat, then, does your dream client have to go on when deciding whether to buy from you or your competitor?First, they have the experience of working with you throughout the process. They are getting an idea of who has the best idea about why they need to change, how they need to change, and what’s important to them. They also get a feel for what it is going to be like to work with you and your company, whether you are collaborative, whether you can be trusted, and how you are going to respond to challenges.Second, because deciding to buy from you is going to be visible to a lot of people on their team, they are gauging whether you are going to be acceptable—or better still, impressive—to the people you are going to interact with inside their company. Not only do you need to help them build consensus around change and the right solution, you are also being vetted to see whether the system is going to reject you.You are the element of your company that your dream client is going to have the most experience with before they make a decision to buy from you or your competitor. Even if they use a spreadsheet to pretend that they are making an objective decision based on measurable criteria, you are a large part of their decision. This means you have to up your game as it pertains to creating a preference to work with you and your company.You are, now more than ever, one of the largest components of the value proposition.
Sea of pilgrims
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SAD to highlight unfulfilled promises of the Congress
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) hit back at the Congress on Thursday, saying it would prepare a “report card” to highlight the promises the party had not fulfilled, ahead of the municipal corporation elections in Punjab. The reaction comes a day after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that 10 years of Akali misrule had led the State into “despair on all fronts”.“We will prepare a report card of the Congress government with regard to the deteriorating law and order and non-fulfilment of promises; it would be our key poll issue in the upcoming municipal corporations elections,” said senior party leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema during a meeting of councillors from Jalandhar at the SAD’s head office here.Criticising the ruling government, Dr. Cheema accused the Congress of taking anti-people decisions and stopping development work in the State. “New projects in the pipeline have been stopped. Work on ongoing projects has been stalled due to paucity of funds,” he said. On Wednesday, Capt. Amarinder had lashed out at the SAD and BJP for their criticism of his government’s two-month rule. He had said that the SAD-BJP combine was resorting to blatant falsehoods in a bid to fool the people.‘Criticism impertinent’“Their criticism is impertinent in view of the fact that it was their misrule of 10 years that plunged the State to such abysmal depths of despair on all fronts, with a mega debt burden compounding the problems of the Congress government,” the Chief Minister has said.
Acid attack on U.P. rape victim again
A 38-year-old rape and acid attack survivor from the Dalit community, faced her fourth acid attack here on Saturday evening in the compound of the hostel she is living in, though she has been accorded police protection. She suffered injuries on her face and chest.The woman, a mother of two, works at a cafe in the State capital run by acid attack survivors. She was admitted to the King George Medical University, and is being treated at the trauma centre.No FIR filedNo FIR has been registered yet, but the police are investigating the case.The victim was earlier attacked in March. Miscreants forced acid down her throat while she was on a train to Lucknow from her village in Rae Bareli.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had then visited her in hospital and announced an assistance of ₹1 lakh.On the Chief Minister’s direction, an armed guard was provided for her security round the clock.Additional Director-General of police, Lucknow, Abhay Kumar Prasad said it was likely that the woman was attacked while she was talking on the phone in the dark. “We have informed her relatives. Investigation has started,” Mr. Prasad said. S.N. Sankhwar, chief medical superintendent of the hospital, said the woman had received 10% burns on the lateral part of the right side of her face and upper part of the chest.“She is fine, her vitals are stable. The plastic surgeon and the critical cases department are treating the burns,” he said.The attack has raised serious questions about lapses in security. Police said the attack happened during the shift change of the two gunners who were assigned to guard the woman.SP Lucknow Sarvesh Kumar said the police would probe all angles, including the security lapse as the campus was a secured one. “The victim’s family has a long-running dispute with another family in Rae Bareli. We will explore that as well,” said Mr. Kumar.The police are also investigating the previous attacks on her and have rounded up the two men who were arrested — but later granted bail — in connection with the attack in March.The police does not have any CCTV footage so far and has been unable to track from where the miscreants entered the compound of the working women’s hostel in Aliganj locality.According to Stop Acid Attacks, an NGO working with acid attack survivors, the woman was allegedly gangraped in 2009.After she filed a complaint, the two accused allegedly physically assaulted her in 2011 and on December 25, 2013 attacked her with acid.
On the run, Hizbul Mujahideen bans mobile phones for its cadre
With over 140 militants already killed this year in the ongoing anti-militancy operations, Hizbul Mujahideen operational commander Riyaz Naikoo has banned its cadre “from using mobile phones to minimise the losses”.“It seems they [Hizbul militants] have damaged their old SIM cards. It’s not possible for them to survive without mobile phones. They have either managed new numbers or are staying without mobile phones,” said Inspector General of Police Muneer Khan.Sources said the killing of Hizb operations commander Yasin Itoo alias Mehmood Ghaznavi in an encounter in Shopian on August 13 had “struck a major blow to striking capability of Hizb” in south Kashmir.A top counter-insurgency official said that after Itoo’s killing, the new commander Naikoo has taken centre stage, and “is trying to keep the organisation’s ranks intact and disallow any defection to the more hard-line group led by Zakir Musa, who claims to represent the Kashmir arm of al-Qaeda”.In a bid to “revive striking capability”, Naikoo has asked militants to “surrender their mobile phones”.“In case of suspension of use of mobile phones, the police too will chalk out a fresh strategy to track them down. The ‘Operation All-Out’ will continue,” said IGP Khan.For the counter-insurgency team in Kashmir, mobile phones had become a handy tool to track militants. Sources said that the militants’ online activi-sm, wherein photos, audios, and videos were frequently uploaded on social media, “became a major tool to track them”. Security agencies told The Hindu that the “police had succeeded in planting SIM cards on many militants through its ground force”.Meanwhile, security agencies are closely watching the growing rivalry and online media war between Hizb’s Naikoo and Musa. Concerned by Musa’s growing following online, and to counter his “speeches based on Islamic teachings,” Naikoo recently released a 45-minute video on the political and historical background of the Kashmir issue.
Russian film fete to be held in Delhi, Mumbai and Panaji
‘Russian Film Days’, a film festival organised as part of an Indo-Russian government co-operation initiative, will be held in Delhi, Mumbai and Panaji. The film festival will open in New Delhi at Siri Fort complex on November 10 with the drama film Bolshoi, which will be presented by the director himself, Valery Todorovsky. The festival is being organised to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and India. Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, Russian Ambassador to India Nikolai Kudashev and leading representatives of Russian and Indian cinema are expected to be in attendance.The opening ceremony will see a tribute paid to the legendary Raj Kapoor and his hallmark 1970s film Mera Naam Joker that ran successfully across the USSR 45 years ago. Ballerina to attendSpecial guest for the evening will be Randhir Kapoor and Kseniya Ryabinkina, a former ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, who played one of the key roles in the film. This is the first time that the festival is being held in Goa. The film festival will travel from Delhi to Mumbai and culminate in Goa at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Pathbreaking films such as Light up, Hostage and Closeness will be screened at IFFI. Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev’s new masterpiece Loveless, which will show at the festival, has been described as an “apocalyptic study of a failed marriage and the subsequent disappearance of a child” in reviews.The festival is organised by the Cinemarus, a production company in cooperation with Russkoe Kino company and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Russian National Fund of Copyright Holders’s Support, the Filmmakers Union of the Russian Federation, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting India, Directorate of Film Festivals and IFFI.
Debate rages over ancient sculpture in TN village: is it Bahubali or not?
While the movie Bahubali caught the imagination of millions in the country, a village near here is debating if a sculpture identified days ago as over 1,000-year-old actually represented him.Bahubali was the son of Rishaba, the first of the 24 ‘Theerthankaras’ of the yore, according to Jainism.A bas-relief, a type of sculpture carved out of a hillock’s side portion is being worshipped all along by the local people as “Mottai Andavar,” a form of Lord Muruga at Kanakkuvelanpatti village about 30 km from here in western Tamil Nadu.“During our recent visit to this village, we found that the bas relief situated at an elevation of about 25-30 feet is actually that of a Jain Theerthankara dating back to 10th Century AD,” Archaeologist S. Ramachandran said.Sans any gestureStanding in a straight posture, the Theerthankara is without any symbolic gestures and such a position is called “Kayoth Sarga,” Mr. Ramachandran, who was formerly with the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department, told PTI.The Theerthankara’s bas relief is about eight feet in height, and he is flanked by “Yakshas” (attendants) on both sides, he said.According to the local people they are Valli and Devasena, symbolic divine consorts of Lord Muruga.Some archaeological enthusiasts, who too visited the bas-relief, opined that it could represent Bahubali.“Enthusiasts like Santharam pointing to features like the three-tier parasol above the bas relief opined that it was Bahubali, while Ramachandran, however, said it was a wrong inference,” Sugumarpoomalai, a resident and an archaeology enthusiast, said.Mr. Santharam said the bas relief “looks like Bahubali when you take a look at the three-tier parasol and his other images in a standing, meditative posture.”To villagers, he is ‘Mottai Andavar’Village chief, Muthu Ramaiah Vallal and Sugumarpoomalai told PTI: “Whatever may be their claims. For us, the deity is our Mottai Andavar and we reverentially worship him.” Mr. Sugumar said daily poojas were being held for ages adding annual festivals attract people from neighbouring villages as well.On claims that the bas-relief could be Bahubali, Mr. Ramachandran, who is also the co-founder of South Indian Social History Research Institute, said “only Theerthankaras have three parasol above their head as a mark of reverence and sanctity.” This bas relief of Theerathankara worshipped as Mottai Andavar is certainly not Bahubali and is only a Theerthankara, he added.Though Babubali was the son of Rishaba who enjoys an exalted Godly status in Jainism, he is still not a Theerthankara, the archaeologist said.Asked which Theerthankara the bas-relief represented, he said, “some features to identify a specific Theerthankara are missing in this bas relief making it difficult to identify.” To a question, Mr. Ramachandran said worshipping Theerthankara as Lord Muruga could have begun several centuries ago after Jain religion faded away from Tamil Nadu.“For the people, Mottai Andavar denotes Lord Muruga of the famed Palani hill temple which is also in the same Kongu region,” he said.Jainism thrived here 2 millennia agoThe Karur region (under which the village falls) had been a flourishing centre of Jainism as early as about 2000 years ago.Brahmi inscriptions dating back to 2nd Century AD threw light on the royal patronage from Chera kings for Jain monks, the archaeologist who is also an epigraphist said.Inscriptions say how rock beds on hillocks were chiselled for Jain monks to practice austerity and lead a secluded, pious life in places like modern day Pugalur in Kongu region, Mr. Ramachandran said.Against popular belief, Jain monks were also well-versed in music and and rock bed inscriptions (Circa, 4th Century AD) found at Arachalur in the the same Western Tamil Nadu region speaks volumes about it, he said.According to Jain tradition, the archaeologist said, Theerthankaras are regarded as holy gurus who top the five-tier hierarchy of preceptors (Pancha Parameshti).After being born as humans they attain ‘Moksha,’ through rigorous penance and such Theerthankaras are regarded as high as God by Jains.Yakshas are semi-divine in status in Jainism and they attained it through virtuous deeds.In bas-relief and statues of Theerthankaras, they stand near the top gurus as attendants.