art culture 365

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Contents
Chaukhandi Stupa . ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Sarnath . ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
About Archeological Survey of India (ASI) ................................................................................................ 8
AMARAVATI SCHOOL OF ART ............................................................................................................. 8
Gandhara: . ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Mathura : . ............................................................................................................................................... 9
MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH ............................................................................................................. 10
Treaty of Amritsar .................................................................................................................................. 10
NATIONAL MARITIME HERITAGE MUSEUM IN LOTHAL . ........................................................... 10
Underwater archaeology ........................................................................................................................ 11
Lothal . ................................................................................................................................................... 11
JNANPITH AWARD ................................................................................................................................ 11
Puerto Williams ..................................................................................................................................... 12
IMPHAL PEACE MUSEUM .................................................................................................................... 12
Kutiyattam. ................................................................................................................................................ 13
UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage: . ................................................................................. 13
International Yoga Day.............................................................................................................................. 14
Washi Paper . ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Sahitya Akademi Award ............................................................................................................................ 15
Kheer Bhawani Mela ................................................................................................................................. 15
Valasa Devarlu . ......................................................................................................................................... 16
Ottam Thullal . ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Chakyar Koothu ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Tiananmen Square ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Rock paintings in Karikiyoor ..................................................................................................................... 17
PREHISTORIC ROCK PAINTINGS .................................................................................................... 17
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TRIBAL GROUPS . ........................................................................ 18
TIPU SULTAN . ........................................................................................................................................ 19
GEOGRPAHICAL INDICATION TAG ................................................................................................... 19
SHIMLA AGREEMENT AND LAHORRE DECLARATION . ............................................................... 20
HAMPI . ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
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Raja Krishnadevaraya ............................................................................................................................ 21
JALLIANAWALLAH NATIONAL MEMORIAL (AMENDMENT) BILL 2019 . ................................. 22
WORLD HERITAGE SITE ...................................................................................................................... 23
Markandeshwar group of temples .............................................................................................................. 24
Temple Architecture in India ................................................................................................................. 25
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES.................................................................................................................. 30
Iconic Tourist Sites .................................................................................................................................... 31
Cuban Revolution . .................................................................................................................................... 31
Indian Folk Paintings ................................................................................................................................. 32
Jagannath rath yatra ................................................................................................................................... 36
Indian classical dances ............................................................................................................................... 36
National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) ................................................................................................. 40
WOMEN IN MUSIC ................................................................................................................................. 40
VEER SAVARKAR .................................................................................................................................. 40
RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD .......................................................................................................... 40
Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree ............................................................................................................. 41
3.8-million-year-old skull .......................................................................................................................... 41
Tirur Vettila . ............................................................................................................................................. 42
Arab ki Sarai Baoli ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Geographical Indication (GI) tags to four new products . .......................................................................... 42
Aadi Mahotsav: . ........................................................................................................................................ 43
Maharshi BadrayanVyas Samman ............................................................................................................. 43
National Youth Awards ............................................................................................................................. 44
Virasat-e-Khalsa museum .......................................................................................................................... 44
Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award .......................................................................................................... 44
3600 old year site in Odisha ....................................................................................................................... 45
Deciphering Indus Inscription .................................................................................................................... 46
MEGALITHIC CULTURE ....................................................................................................................... 46
Cave Tradition in India.............................................................................................................................. 47
Later Mural Traditions ........................................................................................................................... 50
Bodhisattvas . ............................................................................................................................................. 52
Buddhist Mudras . ...................................................................................................................................... 53
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ISHWAR CHANDRA BIDYASAGAR .................................................................................................... 55
KEELADI . ................................................................................................................................................ 56
About Sangam Age ................................................................................................................................ 56
BABUR . .................................................................................................................................................... 57
Pulikkali . ................................................................................................................................................... 57
BATTLE OF SARAGARHI ...................................................................................................................... 57
Guru Ravids . ............................................................................................................................................. 58
Bhakti movement ................................................................................................................................... 58
Sufism . .................................................................................................................................................. 61
JYOTIBA PHULE ..................................................................................................................................... 62
NEHRU MEMORIAL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY . ............................................................................... 63
Bhaona . ..................................................................................................................................................... 63
INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS . ........................................................................... 63
SHIROMANI GURUDWARA PRABNDHAK COMMITTEE (SGPC) . ............................................... 63
INDIA’S GOT COLOUR .......................................................................................................................... 64
CHALUKYA’S OF VATAPI .................................................................................................................... 64
MAMALLAPURAM ................................................................................................................................. 64
URDU . ...................................................................................................................................................... 65
KHON RAMLILA ..................................................................................................................................... 66
Thiruvalluvar. ............................................................................................................................................ 66
UNESCO’S CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK ......................................................................................... 68
Pathalgarhi Movement ............................................................................................................................... 69
Kodavas . ................................................................................................................................................... 70
Golkonda . .................................................................................................................................................. 70
CHANDRASHEKHAR AZAD ................................................................................................................. 70
BHIMA KOREGAON ............................................................................................................................... 71
THIRD BATTLE OF PANIPAT ............................................................................................................... 72
SABRIMALA TEMPLE ........................................................................................................................... 72
GANDHI PRIZE . ...................................................................................................................................... 73
YAKSHAGANA . ..................................................................................................................................... 73
EARLIEST SANSKRIT INSCRIPTION IN SOUTH INDIA . .................................................................. 73
INDIAN HISTORY CONGRESS ............................................................................................................. 74
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DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD ......................................................................................................... 74
PAIKA REBELLION ................................................................................................................................ 74
NEHRU-LIAQUAT AGREEMENT ......................................................................................................... 75
INDIAN CULTURE PORTAL ................................................................................................................. 75
NATIONAL FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARD . ............................................................................ 76
SURAJKUND FESTIVAL: The World’s Largest International Crafts Fair . ............................................ 76
PEN GAURI LANKESH AWARD ........................................................................................................... 76
Nagoba Jatara . ........................................................................................................................................... 76
INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL CENTER OF ARTS . ............................................................................ 77
PADMA SHRI FOR CONSERVATION .................................................................................................. 77
REPUBLIC DAY TABLEAUX ................................................................................................................ 77
Padma Awards . ......................................................................................................................................... 78
Bharat Ratna. ............................................................................................................................................. 79
GALLANTRY AWARDS ......................................................................................................................... 79
MOGHALMARI. ...................................................................................................................................... 81
PONGAL . ................................................................................................................................................. 81
STONE THROWING RITUAL AT BUDDHIST SITE . .......................................................................... 82
AKBAR PADMASEE ............................................................................................................................... 82
JALLIKATTU . ......................................................................................................................................... 82
BIBI KA MAQBARA ............................................................................................................................... 82
ASHFAQULLAH KHAN ......................................................................................................................... 83
Lai Haraoba . .............................................................................................................................................. 83
Zo Kutpui . ................................................................................................................................................. 84
NARI SHAKTI PURASKAR .................................................................................................................... 84
Dara Shikoh (1615-59) .............................................................................................................................. 84
PAYYANUR . ........................................................................................................................................... 85
Poompuhar . ............................................................................................................................................... 85
KUMBHABISHEGAM CEREMONY AT BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE . ............................................... 86
Bill to include more Tribes in ST category ................................................................................................ 86
PARSI POPULATION .............................................................................................................................. 86
NEOLITHIC AGE SIVA LINGA ............................................................................................................. 87
Qutub Minar . ............................................................................................................................................. 87
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RAKHIGARHI . ........................................................................................................................................ 88
MEDARAM JATRA ................................................................................................................................. 88
SUN TEMPLE RESTORATION .............................................................................................................. 89
KAMBALA . ............................................................................................................................................. 89
SHIVAJI . .................................................................................................................................................. 89
Gond Tribe and Corona ............................................................................................................................. 90
Corona Studies Series: NBT ...................................................................................................................... 91
Tribal lockdown ritual ................................................................................................................................ 91
New Year Festivals of India ...................................................................................................................... 92
Navroz . ...................................................................................................................................................... 93
Tara Tarini Temple .................................................................................................................................... 93
Shakti Peethas . ...................................................................................................................................... 94
Attukal Pongala Festival ............................................................................................................................ 94
Attukal Bhagavathy Temple ...................................................................................................................... 95
Foundation Day National Archives of India .............................................................................................. 95
Warli Adivasi Revolt ................................................................................................................................. 95
Indian Music – Hindustani and Carnatic Music ......................................................................................... 96
Hindustani Music ................................................................................................................................... 96
Carnatic Music . ..................................................................................................................................... 97
Folk Dance and Music ............................................................................................................................... 97
Important Theatrical Forms of India ........................................................................................................ 100
Puppetry In India. .................................................................................................................................... 103
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Chaukhandi Stupa
News: An ancient Buddhist site in UP’s Sarnath known as Chaukhandi Stupa has been declared to be “of national
importance” by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
About Chaukhandi Stupa
 The Chaukhandi Stupa was built during the Gupta period (4th and 5th century CE) and is believed to mark
the place where the Buddha first met a group of five ascetics (who were later to become his first disciples).
 Later Govardhan, the son of a Raja Todarmal, modified the stupa to its present shape by building the
octagonal tower to commemorate the visit of Humayun, the powerful Mughal ruler.
 Rectangular in shape, with steps leading upwards, it was decorated with sculptures of the Buddha.
Sarnath
Sarnath is a Buddhist pilgrim spot located near Varanasi. The city is famous for being the first place where Lord
Buddha preached for the first time after gaining enlightenment. Later, kings who followed Buddhism like King
Ashoka built a lot of stupas and structures here that are focused on Buddhism. Sarnath is also famous for the Ashoka
pillar, which is now the country’s national emblem. It is also a pilgrimage spot for Jains.
Sarnath History
 Sarnath was an important spot in ancient India where holy men lived. After attaining enlightenment in
Bodh Gaya, Lord Buddha visited Sarnath to get back to his fellow monks in Sarnath and preached five of
his companions.
 This was his first ever sermon.
 After Buddha, many elite monks lived in Sarnath. About 500 monks studied in Hinayana, a learning center
in Sarnath.
 In 389 BC, King Ashoka visited Sarnath where he built many stupas. He built a pillar which holds the
emblem of the country.
 By the end of 3 AD, Sarnath became a center for art, culture and learning. By the end of 12th century,
Turkish invaders ransacked the place, took away the building materials and destroyed many monuments.
 Sarnath is also the birthplace of many Jain monks and 11th teerthankar. A 2200-year-old pillar stands in the
place of kalyanak of Shri Shreyansnath Bhagwan.
Why Sarnath is so famous?
This structure houses numerous sculptures of Buddha.
 Thai Temple- Thai temple is a monastery that is built in Thai architecture style. The Buddha statue in the
Thai temple is the most predominant attraction. This statue is the one that you can spot from Chaukhandi
Stupa.
 Archeological museum of Sarnath- This museum holds Artifacts from 3rd century to 12th century. The
museum was inaugurated in 1910. The museum is open from 9 in the morning until 5 in the evening.
 Ashoka Pillar-Ashoka Pillar marks the visit of King Ashoka to Sarnath. This 50m long pillar has four lions
on top of it. This is the emblem of the country. Below the lions, there are four animals; bull, lion, elephant
and horse. These four represent the phases of Lord Buddha’s life. There is another pre-Ashokan pillar
which marks the spot of the first sermon of Lord Buddha.
 Tibetan Temple- This shrine is built in Tibetan style. The temple has a statue of Shakyamuni, a form of
Buddha. Prayer wheels are found outside the temple. On rotating the wheel, you can find paper scrolls
releasing from the wheels. The scrolls contain the prayers.
 Mulagandhakuti Vihara- This is the main attraction of Sarnath. It is a large tower temple which is 110 ft
tall. This is the place where Lord Buddha lived when he visits Sarnath. A Buddha Walk made with blue
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stone and a small lake that borders a park are some of the attractions near this temple. A small zoo is also
found near the temple.
 Bodhi tree- This tree is grown from a cut taken from the original Bodhi tree of Bodh Gaya. There is a Sri
Lankan monastery near the tree.
 DEER PARK- The forest area gifted by the King of Varanasi holds pride for being the place where Lord
Buddha taught the laws of Dharma to the world. He taught Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta and the
Anattalakhana Sutta to his disciples so they can propagate the same. A large number of deer inhabited the
area during those times.
 SARANGNATH TEMPLE- Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the ancient temple houses two Shivalingas in a
single Argha. It is known for its vibrant fair during Shravan (July-August) which continues for one full
month. Nearby is the huge Sarangnath Kund.
 DHAMEK STUPA- Dhamek Stupa, in Archaeological excavated site, is the most remarkable structure at
Sarnath. 28 metres in diameter at the base and 43.6 metres in height this cylindrical structure is built partly
of stone and partly of brick. The stone facing the lower part is adorned with delicate floral carvings of
Gupta origin. Dhamek Stupa is one of the most frequented attractions of the town as it was built to
commemorate Lord Buddha's first sermon to five of his disciples.
 EXCAVATED ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE- The Archaeological site showcases the grandeur of the
ancient times. An open exhibition of structures, Ashokan Column, monuments, relics, monasteries existing
here since the Mauryan period is showcased.
About Archeological Survey of India (ASI)
 Under the Ministry of Culture, it is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and
protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
 It regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.
 It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
 It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first Director-General.
About National Importance Site
 Under Section 4 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958,
ancient monuments or archaeological sites which are of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and
which have been in existence for not less than 100 years may be declared as of national importance.
 The protection and maintenance of monuments declared as of national importance is taken up by ASI by
way of structural repairs, chemical preservation and environmental development around the monument
which is a regular and on-going process.
AMARAVATI SCHOOL OF ART
News: Recently, a Buddhist relic, having features belonging to Amravati school of Art, has been unearthed by a
group of indologists on the banks of River Gundlakamma in Andhra Pradesh.
About Amravati School of Art
 Evolved and flourished for nearly six centuries commencing from 200-100 BC.
 Patronized first by the Satavahanas and later by the Ikshvakus and also by other groups.
 Outside Influence- indigenous.
 Religious Influence- Mainly Buddhist.
 Promoted by- Satvahanas and Icchavakus.
 Type of Sandstone- White marbles.
 Areas- Krishna Godavari lower valley.
Features of sculptures:
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 Reflects narrative.
 Theme based on life of Buddha as Jataka stories.
 Stories of previous birth of Buddha both in human as well as animal Form.
 Amaravati has a mahachaitya and had many sculptures which are now preserved in Chennai Museum.
 bodies are shown with three bents (i.e. tribhanga).
 Linearity becomes flexible, dynamic movement breaks the staticness of form.
Gandhara:
 The origins of Greco-Buddhist art are to be found in the Hellenistic Greco-Bactrian kingdom (250 BC- 130
BC)
 Outside Influence- Greek influence. Also called Indo Greek Art.
 Religious Influence- Mainly Biddhist.
 Promoted by- Kushana Dynasty.
 Type of Sandstone- Grey Sandstone/Bluishgrey sandstone.
 Areas- Northwest Frontier .
Features of sculptures:
 Spiritual Buddha sad buddha) Represents calmness.
 Bearded Buddha with Moustache Wearing Less ornaments.
 Having wavy hair.
 Large forehead.
 Buddha is seated in position of Yogi.
 Having large ears.
 Protuberance on his head.
Mathura :
 Mathura art developed during post Maurya peiod (mainly during Shunga period) and reached its peak
during the Gupta period (AD 325 to 600).
 Outside Influence- No outside influence – indigenous.
 Religious Influence- All three -Hinduism, Jain, Buddhist .
 Promoted by- Kushana Dynasty.
 Type of Sandstone- Spotted Red Sandstone.
 Areas- Mathura(U.P).
Features of sculptures:
 Head and face shaven.
 Muscularity.
 Dress is tight, energetic body.
 Buddha face reflects grace.
 seated in Padmasana.
 Right hand in Abhaya.
 Mudra raised above shoulders.
 Left hand on thigh.
 Buddha surrounded by two Bodhisattavas.
1. Padmapani – Holding lotus .
2. Vajrapani –Holding vajra.
 Halo around the head of Buddha decorated with geometrical motifs.
 Images of Vaishnava (mainly vishnu and his various forms).
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 Shiva represented through ling and Mukhaling.
 Jain Sculpture of Mahavira Protuberance on head.
 The Buddha image at Mathura is modelled on the lines of earlier Yaksha images whereas in Gandhara it
has Hellenistic features.
MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH
News:
 Recently statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839 AD) was unveiled on his 180th death anniversary at
the Lahore Fort,Pakistan.
 Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the 19th century ruler of the Sikh Empire in India, has beaten competition from
around the world to be named the "Greatest Leader of All Time" in a poll conducted by ‘BBC World
Histories Magazine'.
About Maharaja Ranjit Singh
 Maharaja Ranjit Singh, popularly referred to as “Sher-e-Punjab” or the “the lion of Punjab”, rose from an
obscure Sikh chieftain of the local “Misl” ( MISL refers to a unit or brigade of Sikh warriors of the time. At
that time there were 12 Mils in the region) and become the “Maharaja” of Punjab
 He was a Sikh leader who ruled Punjab in 19th century.
 Punjab during 1700s was ruled by powerful chieftains whohad divided the territory into Misls.
 Ranjit Singh overthrew the warring Misls and established a unified Sikh empire after he conquered Lahore
in 1799.
 Ranjit Singh belonged to the Sukerchakia misl.
 He ruled over a region spanning the border into modernday China and Afghanistan.
 His rule was called 'Sarka-i-Khalsa'.
 Under his tenure, the Sikh Empire was very secular and allowed men from different religions as well, to
rise to commanding positions of authority.
 Modernization of Army: He modernized his army using services of European officers, to train the
infantry and the artillery.
 He appointed French General Jean Franquis Allard to modernise his army.
 Sikh Khalsa Army was formed, to prevent the British from colonizing Punjab during his lifetime.
 He also captured the Zamzama Cannon, the biggest cannon of Asia at the time.
 The gold and marble work of the iconic Golden Temple in Amritsar was done under his patronage.
 He is also credited with funding Hazoor Sahib gurudwara at the final resting place of Guru Gobind Singh in
Nanded, Maharashtra.
 He had coins struck in the name of the Sikh Gurus, the revered line of Sikh leaders, and proceeded to
administer the state in the name of the Sikh commonwealth.
 The Kohinoor diamond, which is currently in the possession of the Queen of England, was once a part of
Ranjit Singh's treasure.
Treaty of Amritsar
 It was signed between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the British East India Company (Lord Minto) in 1809
which stipulated that perpetual friendship subsist between the British government and the State of Lahore.
 It fixed the Sutlej River as the eastern boundary of his territories.
 Treaty is said to had shattered Ranjit Singh's dream of establishing Sikh supremacy over the territories
between Jamuna and Satluj rivers as the extension of his power beyond river Satluj was prevented.
NATIONAL MARITIME HERITAGE MUSEUM IN LOTHAL
News: Underwater or marine archaeology in India is all set to get a boost with the government deciding to establish
a National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal, a Harappan site on the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat.
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About museum
 The museum will be an independent research centre of underwater archaeology for reconstruction of
maritime history, archaeology of boat building and materials traded.
 It will have on display salvaged material from shipwreck sites in the Indian Ocean waters.
 The museum is being set up with technical help from the Portuguese Maritime Heritage Museum.
 The central government has appointed the first Director General for the museum which will be attached to
the Maritime Board of the Gujarat government.
Underwater archaeology
 It is a specialized branch of archaeology that involves recovering submerged remains such as ports,
shipwrecks and studying proxy records of maritime activity from archaeological excavations as well as
archival and historical records.
 There are an estimated three million undiscovered shipwrecks lying on the ocean floor, according to the
UNESCO.
 Between 1824 and 1962, over 12,000 sailing ships and war vessels were lost at sea. Many of them got
wrecked in Indian coastal waters.
 In India, shipwreck studies were initiated in 1989 off Sunchi Reef in Goa waters.
 Later on, shipwreck were excavated and studied off St George’s Reef, Amee Shoals of Goa as well as in
Poompuhar, Konark and Lakshadweep waters by the marine archaeology centre at the Goa-based CSIRNational Institute of Oceanography (NIO).
 These studies have vast potential, given the fact that India has a rich maritime history. Archaeological
evidence from the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia shows that Indian maritime voyagers ventured into
western and eastern seas of the Indian Ocean some 4000 years ago.
Lothal
 Lothal is located between Sabarmati river and its tributary Bhogavo, in Saurasthra region of Gujarat.
 It was a major maritime activities center of Harappan civilization dating from 3700 BC. And has world’s
oldest man-made dockyard.
The National Institute of Oceanography, founded on 1 January 1966 as one of 37 constituent laboratories of the
CSIR, is an autonomous research organization in India to undertake scientific research and studies of special
oceanographic features of the Northern Indian Ocean. Headquartered in Goa, it has regional centres in Kochi,
Mumbai and Vizag.
NIO (oceanography) as well as ASI (archaeology), BSI (botany), FSI (forests), FiSI (fisheries), GSI (geology),
IIEE (ecology), RGCCI (Census of India), SI (cartography) and ZSI (zoology) are key national survey
organisations of India.
JNANPITH AWARD
Eminent Malayalam poet Akkitham has been chosen for 55th Jnanpith Award for the year 2019.
About Jnanpith Award
 It is an Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their
"outstanding contribution towards literature".
 Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian writers writing in Indian languages included in the
Constitution of India and English, with no posthumous conferral.
 From 1965 till 1981, the award was given to the authors for their "most outstanding work" and consisted of
a citation plaque, a cash prize of ₹1 lakh and a bronze replica of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of
knowledge and wisdom.
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 The first recipient of the award was the Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup who received the award in
1965 for his collection of poems, Odakkuzhal (The Bamboo Flute), published in 1950.
 The rules were revised in subsequent years to consider only works published during the preceding twenty
years, excluding the year for which the award was to be given and the cash prize was increased to ₹1.5 lakh
from 1981.
 As of now, the cash prize has been revised to ₹11 lakh and out of twenty-three eligible languages the
award has been presented for works in sixteen languages: Hindi (eleven), Kannada (eight), Bengali and
Malayalam (six each), Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, and Urdu (four each), Telugu (three), Assamese, Punjabi,
and Tamil (two each), English, Kashmiri, Konkani, and Sanskrit (one each).
 The award has been conferred upon fifty-eight writers including seven women authors.
 In 1976, Bengali novelist Ashapoorna Devi became the first woman to win the award and was honoured for
the 1965 novel Pratham Pratishruti (The First Promise), the first in a trilogy.
Puerto Williams
 Puerto Williams in Chile has become world’s southernmost city after its status upgraded from hamlet to
city.
 It took over the title from Ushuaia in Argentina which was world’s southernmost city till recently.
 It is the main settlement, port and naval base on Navarino Island in Chile.
 It faces the Beagle Channel, which is a strait in Tierra del Fuego Archipelago (shared by Chile and
Argentina) on South America’s extreme southern tip.
IMPHAL PEACE MUSEUM
 The Imphal Peace Museum has been set up at Red Hill outside Imphal to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of the Battle of Imphal that saw some of the fiercest fighting of World War II at Maibam
Lokpa Ching popularly known as Red Hill.
 The Imphal Peace Museum (IPM), 20 km Southwest of Imphal, has been developed on 10 acres of land at
the foothill of Red Hill with the support of the Nippon Foundation (TNF), a non-profit grant-making
organization in collaboration with Manipur Tourism Forum and Manipur Government.
 Red Hill was among the places where the tide began to turn against the Japanese after their invasion of
India.
 Imphal peace museum is a living memory of this tragic war and will be a bridge to pass a peaceful world to
the next generation.
 This thematic museum will give you a glimpse into the past right from the World War II (March-July 1944)
to the present Manipur.
 This is a kind of unique museum and it could the first of its kind in the country as we divided the museum
into three sections.
 The first section of the museum exhibits a timeline of the Battle of Imphal, along with names of casualties
in the war. It also features names of the local people of Manipur who joined the Indian National Army.
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 The second section depicts the post-war scenarios in Manipur highlighting the impact of war and the
recovery process. Displays such as antique television sets, photographs, cameras, etc are part of this section
highlighting the entry of the modern era into Manipur as a consequence of the Second World War.
 Another section displays the arts and cultural life of Manipur through photographs, audio-visual features,
and still models.
Kutiyattam
News: Kapila Venu recently played a composition “Parvati Viraham”, part of the age-old repertoire of Kutiyattam,
at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
About Kutiyattam
 Kutiyattam is one of the oldest traditional theatre forms of Kerala and is based on Sanskrit theatre
traditions.
 The word “kuti” in Malayalam language primarily means “combined” or “together”, and “attam” means
“acting”: therefore, the word “kutiyattam” means “combined acting".
 In its stylized and codified theatrical language, netra abhinaya (eye expression) and hasta abhinaya (the
language of gestures) are prominent. They focus on the thoughts and feelings of the main character.
 It is traditionally performed in theatres called Kuttampalams, which are located in the Hindu temples.
 Kutiyattam is performed by a community of male actors called Chakyars and female performers called
Nangiars, assisted by drummers called Nambiars.
 Pakarnattam is an aspect of Kutiyattam that involves embodying and emoting male and female roles.
Switching between the masculine and feminine and interpreting multiple roles at the same time is
considered a challenging skill within the repertoire.
 Nangiar Koothu is the solo section of female performance in Kutiyattam.
 Kutiyattam includes the plays of almost all the major playwrights in Sanskrit, including Bhasa, Harsha,
Saktibhadra, Kulasekhara, Neelakantha, Bodhayana and Mahendravikramavarman. However, notable
exceptions are Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti, whose plays are not traditionally part of its repertoire.
 Kutiyattam has been declared as among the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
by UNESCO.
UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage:
 The list is made up of those intangible heritage elements that help demonstrate diversity of cultural heritage
and raise awareness about its importance.
 The list was established in 2008 when Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
came into effect.
 UNESCO maintains three lists under its “Intangible Cultural Heritage” banner: the list of intangible
cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity and
the register of good safeguarding practices.
 Some of the criteria for inclusion in the representative list are if the inscription of the element will ensure
visibility and awareness of it and if the element has been nominated after having “the widest possible
participation” of the community, group or individuals concerned and with their free, prior and informed
consent.
India
 The Ministry of Culture has appointed the Sangeet Natak Akademi, an autonomous organisation under the
Ministry of Culture, as nodal office for matters relating to the intangible cultural heritage including for
preparation of the nomination dossiers for the Representative List of UNESCO.
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 The Ministry of Culture makes regular Schemes as well as organisations make efforts towards preservation,
protection and promotion of intangible cultural heritage in the country.
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
 Tradition of Vedic chanting.
 Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana.
 Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre.
 Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas.
 Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala.
 Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan.
 Chhau dance.
 Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region,
Jammu and Kashmir.
 Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur.
 Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab.
 Yoga
 Nawroz
 Kumbh Mela.
International Yoga Day
 The fifth annual International Yoga Day will be observed on June 21.
 June 21 is observed as International Day of Yoga every year since the United Nations declared it in 2015.
Background
 The idea of International Day of Yoga was first proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his
speech at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), on September 27, 2014.
 A draft resolution on 'International Day of Yoga' introduced by India's Ambassador to UN received support
from 177 nations, the highest number of co-sponsors for any UNGA resolution.
 Thereafter, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.
International Yoga Day 2019
 The theme for fifth International yoga 2019 day is 'Yoga for Heart'.
 Jharkhand's capital Ranchi will be hosting the main yoga day event.
 International yoga day coincides with the summer solstice.
 Yoga is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.
Washi Paper
 Washi is a type of paper produced in Japan and the word is derived from the Japanese words “Wa” which
means “Japanese” and “Shi” which means “paper”. This handmade paper is also known as Wagami and is
made from three major constituents:
1. Kozo or ‘mulberry bark’
2. Mitsumata shrubs
3. Gampi tree
 Washi is an ultra-thin paper which was once used for everything from writing and painting to lampshades,
umbrellas, and sliding doors.
 Due to its flexible and durable characteristics, it is used to preserve ancient text and documentaries in
Japan.
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 Washi paper has a 1,300-year history and it has received UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
Sahitya Akademi Award
News
 The Sahitya Akademi announced Bal Sahitya Puraskar and Yuva Puraskar 2019.
 Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar relates to books first published during the five years immediately
preceding the year of Award.
 During the initial ten years (i.e. from 2010 to 2019), the award may also be given to an author based on
his/her total contribution to children literature.
 Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar relates to books published by an author of the age of 35 and below as on
1st January of the year of the award.
 The winners of both the awards will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of
Rs 50,000.
About Sahitya Akademi Awards
 The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National
Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published
in any of the major Indian languages (24 languages i.e. English, Rajasthani, and the 22 listed languages in
the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognised by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.)
 Established in 1954, the award comprises a plaque and a cash prize of ₹ 1,00,000.
 The award's purpose is to recognize and promote excellence in Indian writing and also acknowledge new
trends.
 The annual process of selecting awardees runs for the preceding twelve months.
 The plaque awarded by the Sahitya Akademi was designed by the Indian film-maker Satyajit Ray.
 Prior to this, the plaque occasionally was made of marble, but this practice was discontinued because of
the excessive weight.
 During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the plaque was substituted with national savings bonds.
Kheer Bhawani Mela
News:
 Jammu and Kashmir’s two separated communities, Muslims and Pandits, witnessed a rare union on the
annual festival of Zyeshth Ashtami at the Kheer Bhawani temple in Ganderbal district of Jammu and
Kashmir.
 Keeping the age-old tradition alive, local Muslim shopkeepers were seen selling earthenware lamps,
marigold flowers and other puja paraphernalia at the temple.
Kheer Bhawani
 Kheer Bhawani/Ksheer Bhawani is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Kheer Bhavani (Maharagnya
Bhagwati) constructed over a sacred spring.
 The worship of Kheer Bhawani is universal among the Hindus of Kashmir. The temple is situated at a
distance of 14 miles east of Srinagar near the village of Tul Mul.
 As is the custom with Hindu deities, she has many names: Maharagya Devi, Ragnya Devi, Rajni, Ragnya
Bhagwati, and so on.
 The mention of Kheer Bhawani is found in Kalhana's Rajtarangini. Kalhana writes that the sacred spring of
Tula Mula is situated in a marshy ground. The name of the spring is Mata Ragini Kund.
 Maharagini is the form of Durga Bhagvati. The brahmins of Kashmir worship this spring and pilgrims from
every comer of the country visit to have the darshan of the place.
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 Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak in his book Aini-Akbari mentions the area of Tula Mula extending over a region of
hundred bighas (unit of land area) of land, which used to sink in the marshy lands during the summer
season.
 Swami Rama Tirtha and Swami Vivekananda also visited here to have the darshan of the place.
Valasa Devarlu
 Valasa Devarlu is an age-old rural festival, celebrated in the number of villages of Chittoor district of
Andhra Pradesh.
 It is a traditional ritual, dating back to the reign of emperor Srikrishna Devarayalu or Krishna devaraya.
 It is celebrated in the face of drought conditions. When only a few weeks left for the sowing season to
close.
 During the failure of rains, crops failure and breakout of epidemics, the entire population of a village would
abandon the households at dawn and retreat into the fields or tank bunds till dusk.
 The village elders would initiate special pujas to the goddess ‘Valasa Devaramma’, an idol made of clay,
consecrated under a tent or a tree. After having community lunch, the population would return to their
village. The time is marked by dancing, singing and chit-chatting.
 The male members of the families offered prayers at the famous Gangamma temple atop Boyakonda
hillock nearby, followed by animal sacrifice.
Ottam Thullal
 Ottam Thullal is a dance-drama performing art form of Kerala, created by Kunchan Nambiar, as an
alternative to the Chakyar koothu.
 Kunchan Nambiar used it as a medium to protest against the prevalent socio-political structure and
prejudices of the society in his time. It went on to become the most popular folk art presented in Kerala
temples.
 The distinguishing factor of Ottamthullal is the performer himself singing and playing the story, which is a
tedious task. Another person will recite the same verses. The accompanying instruments for Ottam thullal
are Mridangam and Idakka.
 Ottamthullal is of three types-
1. Parayanthullal
2. Ottanthullal
3. Seetankanthullal.
Chakyar Koothu
 Chakyar Koothu is a performance art from Kerala, India. It is primarily a type of highly refined monologue
where the performer narrates episodes from Hindu epics (such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata) and
stories from the Puranas.
 Sometimes, however, it is also a traditional equivalent of the modern stand-up comedy act, incorporating
commentary on current socio-political events (and personal comments directed at the members of the
audience).
Tiananmen Square
 June 4 marks the 30th anniversary of the massacre of protestors in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square by People’s
Liberation Army of China.
 Tiananmen Square protests began in April 1989 after the death of a pro-reform leader Hu Yaobang.
 Civilian protesters had gathered for weeks in Tiananmen Square, in the center of Beijing, to call for
political reform, in 1989.
 The Tiananmen Square protests are commonly known June Fourth Incident in China.
 The popular national movement inspired by the Beijing protests is sometimes called the '89 Democracy
Movement.
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Rock paintings in Karikiyoor
 The rock paintings in Karikiyoor at Kil Kotagiri in the Nilgiri forests have withstood the forces of nature
for some 5,000 years, but in just the last few years, close to 40% of the paintings have been destroyed by
trekkers, tourists, and vandals.
 Members of the Irula tribal community, who have an ancestral link to the site, said they were “extremely
angered” and “disturbed” at the damage by illegal trekkers, who have painted over religious symbols using
whitener pens and political messages with chalk, while couples have carved their names on the rocks,
permanently disfiguring the priceless pre-historic site. They enter the site without permission.
 The rock paintings in Karikiyoor contain analogous-Indus script, meaning they resemble the script found in
Indus civilization sites of northern India.
About Irula Tribe
 Irula people reside in northern districts of Tamil Nadu and in some parts of Kerala.
 Tribes have their origin from ethnic groups of Southeast Asia and Australia.
 They speak Irula language that is closely related to Dravidian language like Kannada and Tamil.
 Irulas are among the Particularly vulnerable tribal group.
 The PVTGs are the marginalized section of the Scheduled tribes of India and are relatively isolated,
educationally and socio-economically backward, living in a habitat far away from amenities.
 PVTG is not a constitutional category, nor are these constitutionally recognized communities.
 It is a Government of India’s classification created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the
conditions of certain communities with particularly low development.
PREHISTORIC ROCK PAINTINGS
 Prehistoric paintings have been found in many parts of the world.
 In India the earliest paintings have been reported from the Upper Palaeolithic times.
 The subjects of their drawings were human figures, human activities, geometric designs and animal
symbols.
 Some paintings have been reported from the Kumaon hills in Uttarakhand also. The rock shelters on banks
of the River Suyal at Lakhudiyar, Uttarakhand bear these prehistoric paintings.
 Lakhudiyar literally means one lakh caves.The paintings here can be divided into three categories: man,
animal and geometric patterns in white, black and red ochre.
 The granite rocks of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh provided suitable canvases to the Neolithic man for his
paintings. There are several such sites but more famous among them are Kupgallu, Piklihal and Tekkalkota.
 the largest and most spectacular rock-shelter is located in the Vindhya hills at Bhimbetka in Madhya
Pradesh.
 The caves of Bhimbetka were discovered in 1957–58 by eminent archaeologist V.S. Wakankar and later on
many more were discovered
 The themes of paintings found here are of great variety, ranging from mundane events of daily life in those
times to sacred and royal images. These include hunting, dancing, music, horse and elephant riders, animal
fighting, honey collection, decoration of bodies, and other household scenes.
The drawings and paintings can be catagorised into seven historical periods. Period I, Upper Palaeolithic; Period II,
Mesolithic; and Period III, Chalcolithic. After Period III there are four successive periods. But we will confine
ourselves here only to the first three phases.
Upper Palaeolithic Period
 The paintings of the Upper Palaeolithic phase are linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge
animal figures, such as bisons, elephants, tigers, rhinos and boars besides stick-like human figures.
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 A few are wash paintings but mostly they are filled with geometric patterns. The green paintings are of
dancers and the red ones of hunters.
Mesolithic Period
 The largest number of paintings belong to Period II that covers the Mesolithic paintings. During this period
the themes are multiple but the paintings are smaller in size.
 Hunting scenes predominate.
 The Mesolithic artists loved to paint animals. In some pictures, animals are chasing men. In others they are
being chased and hunted by men.
 Though animals were painted in a naturalistic style, humans were depicted only in a stylistic manner.
 The artists of Bhimbetka used many colours, including various shades of white, yellow, orange, red ochre,
purple, brown, green and black. But white and red were their favourite colours.
 The paintings, though from the remote past, do not lack pictorial quality. Despite various limitations such
as acute working conditions, inadequate tools, materials, etc., there is a charm of simple rendering of scenes
of the environment in which the artists lived.
 The men shown in them appear adventurous and rejoicing in their lives. The animals are shown more
youthful and majestic than perhaps they actually were.
 It is interesting to note that at many rock-art sites often a new painting is painted on top of an older
painting. At Bhimbetka, in some places, there are as many as 20 layers of paintings, one on top of another.
Chalcolithic period Art:
 Copper age art.
 The paintings of this period reveal the association, contact and mutual exchange of requirements of the
cave dwellers of this area with settled agricultural communities of the Malwa Plateau.
 Pottery and metal tools can be seen in paintings.
 Similarities with rock paintings: Common motifs (designs/patterns like cross hatched squares, lattices
etc)
 Difference with rock paintings: Vividness and vitality of older periods disappear from these paintings.
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TRIBAL GROUPS
Who are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups(PVTGs)?
 The PVTGs are the marginalized section of the Scheduled tribes of India. They are a section who are
relatively isolated, educationally and socio-economically backward, living in a habitat far away from
amenities.
 PVTG is not a Constitutional category, nor are these constitutionally recognized communities.
 It is a government of India classification created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the
conditions of certain communities with particularly low development
 The criteria followed for determination of PVTGs are as under:
1. A pre-agriculture level of technology;
2. A stagnant or declining population;
3. Extremely low literacy; and
4. A subsistence level of economy.
 75 tribal groups have been categorized by Ministry of Home Affairs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups (PVTG)s.
 PVTGs reside in 18 States and UT of A&N Islands.
 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements the Scheme of “Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups (PVTGs)” exclusively for them .
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 Under the scheme, Conservation-cum-Development (CCD)/Annual Plans are to be prepared by each
State/UT for their PVTGs based on their need assessment, which are then appraised and approved by the
Project Appraisal Committee of the Ministry.
 The Saharia people of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are the largest among the PVTGs with population
more than 4 lakhs.
TIPU SULTAN
 Became the ruler of Mysore in 1782 after death of his father Haider Ali in Second Anglo Mysore War.
 He introduced new calendar, a new system of coinage and news scales of weights and measures.
 He showed a keen interest in the French Revolution. He planted a Tree of Liberty at Srirangapatnam and
became member of the Jacobin club.
 His organizational skills were excellent
 His infantry was armed with the muskets and bayonets in the European fashion which were manufactured
in Mysore.
 HE also made an attempt to build modern navy after 1796. For this purpose he built two dockyards the
models of the ships were supplied by Sultan himself.
 He more than any other 18th century Indian ruler recognized to the full extent the threat that Englsh posed
to the South India as well as to other Indian powers.
 He tried to set up a trading company on the pattern of European companies.
GEOGRPAHICAL INDICATION TAG
NEWS: The rasagola a popular dessert of Odisha has received the Geographical Indication tag from the Registrar of
Geographical Indication after years of controversy around the sweet. Both Odisha and West Bengal have been
contesting the origin of the rasagola.
ABOUT GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION TAG
 A Geographical Indication or a GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin
and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
 GI products can benefit the rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing the incomes of artisans,
farmers, weavers and craftsmen.
 The first product to get a GI tag in India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004.
 There are a total of 325products from India that carry this indication.
 At international level, GI is governed by WTO’s Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS). In India, Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act),
1999 governs it.
 The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
 The registration of GI is valid for 10 years after which it needs to be renewed.
 Violation of GI tags is punishable offence under law.
What are the benefits of a GI Tag?
 Legal protection to the products
 Prevents unauthorised use of a GI tag products by others
 Helps consumers to get quality products of desired traits
 Promotes economic prosperity of producers of GI tag goods by enhancing their demand in national and
international markets.
 The GI tag allows the producers of the objects to claim a premium for their products. Thus, it is financially
beneficial to them.
 The GI tag can also pique interest of consumers and thus raise demand for a product again benefiting the
producer.
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SHIMLA AGREEMENT AND LAHORRE DECLARATION
NEWS: Both these agreements were in news after Trump claimed that Prime Minister Modi has asked him to
mediate on Kashmir issue and India said that it is committed to Shimla Declaration and Lahore Agreement to
resolve all the issues bilaterally.
WHAT IS SHIMLA AGREEMENT?
 The Shimla Agreement signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of
Pakistan on 2nd July 1972.
 It seek to reverse the consequences of the 1971 war i.e. to bring about withdrawals of troops and an
exchange of PoWs (Prisoner of Wars).
 It was a comprehensive blue print for good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan.
 Under the Shimla Agreement both countries undertook to abjure conflict and confrontation which had
marred relations in the past, and to work towards the establishment of durable peace, friendship and
cooperation.
What were the guiding principles of the agreement?
The Shimla Agreement contains a set of guiding principles, mutually agreed to by India and Pakistan, which both
sides would adhere to while managing relations with each other. Few important provisions of the guiding principles
are as follows
 A mutual commitment to the peaceful resolution of all issues through direct bilateral approaches.
 To build the foundations of a cooperative relationship with special focus on people to people contacts.
 To uphold the inviolability of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, was created as a key to durable
peace.
The Lahore Declaration
 It is a bilateral agreement and governance treaty between India and Pakistan.
 The treaty was signed by the then Prime Minister Navaz Sharif and Vajpayee on February 21, 1999, at the
conclusion of a historic summit in Lahore, and ratified by the parliaments of both countries the same year.
 It says both nations are convinced that durable peace and development of harmonious relations and friendly
cooperation will serve the vital interests of the peoples of the two countries, enabling them to devote their
energies for a better future.
 It calls for recognising that the nuclear dimension of the security environment of the two countries adds to
their responsibility for avoidance of conflict between the two countries.
HAMPI
News: The World Heritage Committee (WHC) has flagged some concerns related to the conservation of the heritage
site of Hampi and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR).
Hampi
 Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India located near Hospet town in the Karnataka state, India.
 Hampi is famous for its ruins belonging to the erstwhile medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar The Hindu
style of architecture found at Hampi reflects the splendor of the Vijaynagar Empire.
 Tungabhadra River flows through Hampi.
 Hampi was the capital of the mighty Vijaynagar Empire.
 Two brothers, Harihar and Bukka founded it in 1336.
 Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529) was the greatest ruler and controlled almost all of peninsular India south of
Tungabhadra River.
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 VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE is located in the Hampi, The temple is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a form of
Shiva. The temple was built by Lakkan Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) under the ruler Deva Raya II also
known as Prauda Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire
 WORLD HERITAGE VITTAL TEMPLE, built in the 16th century. The outer pillars of this temple are
said to produce music when tapped. They are also known as the musical pillars. Its garbhagriha had a
Vishnu image in the form of Vitthala to which deity regular worship was offered and various festivals were
celebrated on a grand scale. Vittala Temple was built in the 15th century during the reign of King Devaraya
II (1422- 1446 A.D.) of the Vijayanagara Empire. Several sections of the temple were expanded and
renovated during the reign of Krishnadevaraya (1509- 1529 A.D.), the illustrious ruler of the Vijayanagara
dynasty.
 LOTUS MAHAL OR PALACE This palace is a blend of Indo-Islamic architecture and gets its name
from the lotus bud carved on its domed and vaulted ceiling.
 THE HAZARA RAMA TEMPLE was built in the early part of the 15th century by Devaraya II. The term
Hazara Rama literally means a thousand Rama and refers to the large number of Ramayana panels depicted
on the walls. This temple is believed to be the private temple of the kings and the royal family of
Vijayanagara..
Raja Krishnadevaraya
 Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529.
 He was the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty, and is widely considered to be the greatest ruler of the
empire.
 He was also known for employing Turkic archers.
 Krishna Deva Raya earned the titles Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana (lit, "Lord of the Kannada empire"),
Andhra Bhoja (lit, "Bhoja for Telugu Literature") and Mooru Rayara Ganda (lit, "King of Three Kings").
 He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the
Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha, and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in India.
 Indeed, when the Mughal Emperor Babur was taking stock of the potentates of north India,
Krishnadevaraya was rated the most powerful and had the most extensive empire in the subcontinent.
 Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz also visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his
reign. Travelogues indicate that the king was not only an able administrator but also an excellent general,
leading from the front in battle and even attending to the wounded.
 The south Indian poet Muku Timmana praised him as the destroyer of the Turkics.
 Krishna Deva Raya benefited from the able prime minister Timmarusu, who was regarded by the emperor
as a father figure and was responsible for his coronation.
 Krishnadevaraya was a man of many talents and took keen interest in art, literature and architecture. He
had keen interest in Telgu and Sanskrit literature and wrote several works in these languages.
 His most famous work is Amukta Malyada, which is written in Telgu and describes the wedding of Vishnu
and Andal.
 He wrote a drama in Sanskrit ‘Jambavati Kalyana’ and maintained a personal diary written in Kannada ‘
Krishnadevaraya DInachari’ .
 Apart form Jamabavati Kalyana written in Sanskrit, his works include – Madalasa Charita, Rasamanjari
and Satyavadu Parinaya.
 Krishnadevaraya also patronised poets and scholars with expertise ranging from maths to literature.
 Ashtadiggajas or Eight poets are known to be a part of his court. The 8 poets include :
1. Allasani Peddana
2. Madayagiri Mallana
3. Dhurjati
4. Nandi Timmara
5. Ramaraja Bhushana
6. Pingali Surana
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7. Tenali Ramakrishna
8. Ayyalaraju Rambhara
 He also encouraged women to take up writing. Some of the famous works by women include the
Varadambika Parinaya by Tirumalamba Devi in Sanskrit and Madhurvijayam written by Ganaga Devi
which describes the conquest of Madurai Sultanate.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
 The Mountain Railways of India, the world heritage site, includes three railways:
1. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway located in the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal
(Northeast India),
2. Nilgiri Mountain Railways located in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu (South India) and
3. Kalka Shimla Railway located in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh (Northwest India).
 The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the most outstanding example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in
1881, its design applies bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of establishing an
effective rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC)
 The World Heritage Committee is composed of representatives of 21 States Parties to the World Heritage
Convention who meet annually.
 The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is an international
agreement that was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972.
 It is based on the premise that certain places on Earth are of outstanding universal value and should
therefore form part of the common heritage of humankind.
 It basically defines the kind of natural or cultural sites which can be considered for inscription on the World
Heritage List.
 The Committee is in charge of implementing the Convention.
JALLIANAWALLAH NATIONAL MEMORIAL (AMENDMENT) BILL 2019
NEWS:
 Bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
 Bill seeks to remove the Congress President as a permanent member of trust that runs the Jallianwala Bagh
National Memorial.
 The amendment also paves the way for the leader of the single largest opposition party in Lok Sabha to be
a member of the trust.
 Bill also confers the power t the Centre to terminates the term of nominated trustee before the expiry of the
term without assigning any reason.
 Prime Minister is the Chairman of the Jallianwallah Bagh Trust.
ABOUT JALLIANWALLAH BAGH MASSACRE
 A large but unarmed crowd had gathered on 13 April 1919 at Amritsar (in the Punjab) in the Jallianwala
Bagh to protest against the arrest of their popular leaders, DR SAIFUDDIN KITCHLEW AND DR
SATYAPAL.
 General Dyer, the military commander of Amritsar, decided to terrorise the people of Amritsar into
complete submission.
 General Dyer surrounded the Bagh (garden) with his army unit, closed the exit with his troops and then
ordered his men to shoot into the trapped crowd with rifles and machine-guns. They fired till their
ammunition was exhausted.
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 RABINDRANATH TAGORE who renounced his knighthood in protest.
 HUNTER COMMITTEE was appointed to inquire into the investigations of Jallianwalaah Bagh
committee.
WORLD HERITAGE SITE
NEWS: Jaipur celebrated for its plan based architecture and buildings of pink facades, entered the list of the
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The fortified city was founded in 1727 by the Kachwaha Rajput ruler of Amber, Sawai Jai Singh II. The city was
established on the plains and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture.
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE:
 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of special cultural or physical significance.
 The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO
World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 UNESCO member states which are elected by the General
Assembly.
SELECTION OF A SITE:
To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be
 an already classified landmark,
 unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or
physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest,
island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
 It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history
on the planet.
World Heritage Sites in India
Cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India:
 Agra Fort (1983)
 Ajanta Caves (1983)
 Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
 Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
 Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)
 Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
 Elephanta Caves (1987)
 Ellora Caves (1983)
 Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
 Great Living Chola Temples (1987)
 Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
 Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
 Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
 Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013) – has 6 majestic forts in Chittorgarh; Kumbhalgarh; Sawai Madhopur;
Jhalawar; Jaipur, and Jaisalmer.
 Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993)
 Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
 Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
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 Mountain Railways of India (1999)
 Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
 Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (2014)
 Red Fort Complex (2007)
 Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
 Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
 Taj Mahal (1983)
 Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)
 Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) in Bihar (2016)
 The Capitol Complex in Chandigarh (2016) – which includes the Legislative Assembly, Secretariat and
High Court. It was designed by French architect Le Corbusier, in the 1950s when the city was constructed
as a symbol of independent, modern India.
 The Historic City of Ahmadabad in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (2017)
 The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai(2018)
 Jaipur City (2020)
Natural UNESCO World heritage Sites in India:
 Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014)
 Kaziranga National Park (1985)
 Keoladeo National Park (1985)
 Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
 Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988)
 Sundarbans National Park (1987)
 Western Ghats (2012)
Mixed UNESCO World Heritage site:
Kanchenzanga National Park (2016) – Has both natural and cultural heritage value.
 It’s a unique example of coexistence and exchange between different religious traditions and people. It
combines religious and cultural practices of Buddhism as well as the ecological significance of the region.
Therefore, it stands out as an outstanding example of traditional knowledge and environmental
preservation.
 It also has unique diversity of lowlands, steep valleys and snow-clad mountains, including the world’s third
highest peak, Mt. Khangchendzonga, besides it is home to a significant number of endemic, rare and
threatened plant and animal species.
Markandeshwar group of temples
Why in news?
The Archaeological Survey of India is restoring the Markandeshwar group of temples in the Gadchiroli district of
Maharashtra.
About Temple
 Known as the “Khajuraho of Vidarbha”, the temple of Markandadeo is situated on the bank of River
Wainganga in district Gadchiroli of Maharashtra.
 The temples belong to the Nagara group of temples of North India.
 On stylistic grounds, their date ranges in between 9-12th centuries CE.
 The temples belong to saiva, vaishnava and sakta faith.
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 Most of the temples have a simple plan, with ardhamandapa, mandapa, antarala and garbhagriha forming
the component of the entire set up.
 About 200 years ago the shikhara of the main shrine and mahamandapa was struck by a lightning which led
to the partial collapse of the shikhara (the finial, north and south facade).
 The then Gond Ruler renovated the temple about 120 years ago, trying to restore the fallen portions as
much as possible.
Temple Architecture in India
Early Temples
 While construction of stupas continued, Brahmanical temples and images of gods also started getting
constructed. Often temples were decorated with the images of gods.
 Myths mentioned in the Puranas became part of narrative representation of the Brahmanical religion. Each
temple had a principal image of a god.
 The shrines of the temples were of three kinds—
1. sandhara type (with pradikshinapatha),
2. nirandhara type (without pradakshinapatha), and
3. sarvatobhadra (which can be accessed from all sides).
 Some of the important temple sites of this period are Deogarh in Uttar Pradesh, Eran, Nachna-Kuthara and
Udaygiri near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. These temples are simple structures consisting of a veranda, a
hall and a shrine at the rear.
Two broad orders of temples in the country are known— Nagara in the north and Dravida in the south. At times, the
Vesar style of temples as an independent style created through the selective mixing of the Nagara and Dravida
orders is mentioned by some scholars.
THE NAGARA OR NORTH INDIAN TEMPLE STYLE
 The style of temple architecture that became popular in northern India is known as nagara.
 In North India it is common for an entire temple to be built on a stone platform with steps leading up to it.
Further, unlike in South India it does not usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways.
 While the earliest temples had just one tower, or shikhara, later temples had several.
 The garbhagriha is always located directly under the tallest tower.
 river goddesses (Ganga and Yamuna) are usually found at the entrance of a garbhagriha in a Nagara temple
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Types
 Latina- The most common name for the simple shikhara which is square at the base and whose walls curve
or slope inward to a point on top is called the 'latina' or the rekha-prasada type of shikara.
 Phamsana- The second major type of architectural form in the nagara order is the phamsana. Phamsana
buildings tend to be broader and shorter than latina ones. Their roofs are composed of several slabs that
gently rise to a single point over the centre of the building, unlike the latina ones which look like sharply
rising tall towers.
 Valabhi- The third main sub-type of the nagara building is what is generally called the valabhi type. These
are rectangular buildings with a roof that rises into a vaulted chamber. the ground-plan of many of the
Buddhist rock-cut chaitya caves is like valabhi style.
Nagara temples in Central India
 Ancient temples of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan share many traits. The most visible is
that they are made of sandstone.
 A temple in Deogarh (in Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh) sometimes known as Dashawatar temple was
built in the early sixth century CE. This makes it a classic example of a late Gupta Period type of temple.
This temple is in the panchayatana style of architecture where the main shrine is built on a rectangular
plinth with four smaller subsidiary shrines at the four corners (making it a total number of five shrines,
hence the name, panchayatana). The temple depicts Vishnu in various forms
 The Lakshmana temple of Khajuraho, dedicated to Vishnu, was built in 954 by the Chandela king, Dhanga.
A nagara temple, it is placed on a high platform accessed by stairs. There are four smaller temples in the
corners, depicting panchayatan style and all the towers or shikharas rise high, upward in a curved
pyramidal fashion, emphasising the temple’s vertical thrust ending in a horizontal fluted disc called an
amalak topped with a kalash or vase.
 Kandariya Mahadeo temple at Khajuraho is the epitome of temple architecture in Central India. In the
architecture and the sculptures of this temple, which is a massive structure, we see all features of central
Indian temples of the medival period for which they are known and appreciated all over.
 Khajuraho’s temples are also known for their extensive erotic sculptures; the erotic expression is given
equal importance in human experience as spiritual pursuit, and it is seen as part of a larger cosmic whole.
Many Hindu temples, therefore, feature mithun (embracing couple) sculptures, considered auspicious.
 There are many temples at Khajuraho, most of them devoted to Hindu gods. There are some Jain temples as
well as a Chausanth Yogini temple.
West India
 The stone used to build the temples ranges in colour and type. While sandstone is the commonest, a grey to
black basalt can be seen in some of the tenth to twelveth century temple sculptures.
 Among the most important art-historical sites in the region is Samlaji in Gujarat which shows how earlier
artistic traditions of the region mixed with a post-Gupta style and gave rise to a distinct style of sculpture.
 The Sun temple at Modhera dates back to early eleventh century and was built by Raja Bhimdev I of the
Solanki Dynasty in 1026. There is a massive rectangular stepped tank called the surya kund in front of it.
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 Proximity of sacred architecture to a water body such as a tank, a river or a pond has been noticed right
from the earliest times. By the early eleventh century they had become a part of many temples.
East India
Eastern Indian temples include those found in the North East, Bengal and Odisha. Each of these three areas
produced distinct types of temples.
Assam: By the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, a distinct regional style developed in Assam. The style that came
with the migration of the Tais from Upper Burma mixed with the dominant Pala style of Bengal and led to the
creation of what was later known as the Ahom style in and around Guwahati. Kamakhya temple, a Shakti Peeth, is
dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya and was built in the seventeenth century.
Bengal: The style of the sculptures during the period between the ninth and eleventh centuries in Bengal (including
Bangladesh) and Bihar is known as the Pala style, named after the ruling dynasty at the time, while the style of those
of the mid-eleventh to mid-thirteenth centuries is named after the Sena kings. The temples from that region are
known to express the local Vanga style. The ninth century Siddheshvara Mahadeva temple in Barakar in Burdwan
District, for example, shows a tall curving shikhara crowned by a large amalaka and is an example of the early Pala
style.
Odisha: The main architectural features of Odisha temples are classified in three orders, i.e., rekhapida, pidhadeul
and khakra. Most of the main temple sites are located in ancient Kalinga—modern Puri District, including
Bhubaneswar or ancient Tribhuvanesvara, Puri and Konark.
The temples of Odisha constitute a distinct sub-style within the nagara order. In general, here the shikhara, called
deul in Odisha, is vertical almost until the top when it suddenly curves sharply inwards. Deuls are preceded, as
usual, by mandapas called jagamohana in Odisha.
At Konark, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, lie the majestic ruins of the Surya or Sun temple built in stone
around 1240. Its shikhara was a colossal creation said to have reached 70m, which, proving too heavy for its site,
fell in the nineteenth century.
The Hills
 A unique form of architecture developed in the hills of Kumaon, Garhwal, Himachal and Kashmir.
 At several places in the hills, therefore, you will find that while the main garbhagriha and shikhara are
made in a rekha-prasada or latina style, the mandapa is of an older form of wooden architecture.
Sometimes, the temple itself takes on a pagoda shape.
 The Karkota period of Kashmir is the most significant in terms of architecture. One of the most important
temples is Pandrethan, built during the eighth and ninth centuries. this temple is a Hindu one, possibly
dedicated to Shiva.
 Like the findings at Samlaji, the sculptures at Chamba also show an amalgamation of local traditions with
a post Gupta style. The images of Mahishasuramardini and Narasimha at the Laksna-Devi Mandir are
evidences of the influence of the post-Gupta tradition.
THE DRAVIDA OR SOUTH INDIAN TEMPLE STYLE
 Unlike the nagara temple, the dravida temple is enclosed within a compound wall. The front wall has an
entrance gateway in its centre, which is known as a gopuram.
 The shape of the main temple tower known as vimana in Tamil Nadu is like a stepped pyramid that rises
up geometrically rather than the curving shikhara of North India.
 In the South Indian temple, the word ‘shikhara’ is used only for the crowning element at the top of the
temple which is usually shaped like a small stupika or an octagonal cupola— this is equivalent to the
amlak and kalasha of North Indian temples.
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 Whereas at the entrance to the North Indian temple’s garbhagriha, it would be usual to find images such as
mithunas and the river goddesses, Ganga and Yamuna, in the south you will generally find sculptures of
fierce dvarapalas or the door-keepers guarding the temple.
 It is common to find a large water reservoir, or a temple tank, enclosed within the complex.
 Subsidiary shrines are either incorporated within the main temple tower, or located as distinct, separate
small shrines beside the main temple.
 The North Indian idea of multiple shikharas rising together as a cluster was not popular in South India.
 Kanchipuram, Thanjavur or Tanjore, Madurai and Kumbakonam are the most famous temple towns of
Tamil Nadu, where, during the eighth to twelfth centuries, the role of the temple was not limited to
religious matters alone. Temples became rich administrative centres, controlling vast areas of land.
 Just as there are many subdivisions of the main types of nagara temples, there are subdivisions also of
dravida temples. These are basically of five different shapes.
 The Pallavas were one of the ancient South Indian dynasties that were active in the Andhra region from the
second century CE onwards and moved south to settle in Tamil Nadu.
 Their early buildings, it is generally assumed, were rockcut, while the later ones were structural.
 The early buildings are generally attributed to the reign of Mahendravarman I, a contemporary of the
Chalukyan king, Pulakesin II of Karnataka.
 Narasimhavarman I, also known as Mamalla, who acceded the Pallava throne around 640 CE, is celebrated
for the expansion of the empire, avenging the defeat his father had suffered at the hands of Pulakesin II, and
inaugurating most of the building works at Mahabalipuram which is known after him as Mamallapuram.
 The shore temple at Mahabalipuram was built later, probably in the reign of Narasimhavarman II, also
known as Rajasimha who reigned from 700 to 728 CE. it actually houses three shrines, two to Shiva, one
facing east and the other west, and a middle one to Vishnu who is shown as Anantashayana. This is
unusual, because temples generally have a single main shrine and not three areas of worship.
 The magnificent Shiva temple of Thanjavur, called the Rajarajeswara or Brahadeeshwarar temple, was
completed around 1009 by Rajaraja Chola, and is the largest and tallest of all Indian temple.
Architecture in the Deccan
 Many different styles of temple architecture influenced by both North and South Indian temples were used
in regions like Karnataka.
 While some scholars consider the buildings in this region as being distinctly either nagara or dravida, a
hybridised style that seems to have become popular after the mid-seventh century, is known in some
ancient texts as vesara.
 By the late seventh or the early eighth century, the ambitious projects at Ellora became even grander. By
about 750 CE, the early western Chalukya control of the Deccan was taken by the Rashtrakutas.
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 Their greatest achievement in architecture is the Kailashnath temple at Ellora, a culmination of at least a
millennium-long tradition in rock-cut architecture in India. It is a complete dravida building with a Nandi
shrine.
 Early Chalukyan activity also takes the form of rock-cut caves while later activity is of structural temples.
The earliest is probably the Ravana Phadi cave at Aihole which is known for its distinctive sculptural style.
One of the most important sculptures at the site is of Nataraja, surrounded by larger-than-life-size
depictions of the saptamatrikas: three to Shiva’s left and four to his right.
 The most elaborate of all Chalukyan temples at Pattadakal made in the reign of Vikramaditya II (733-44)
by his chief queen Loka Mahadevi is Virupaksha temple.
 Another important temple from this site is Papnath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is one of
the best early examples of the Dravida tradition.
 By contrast other eastern Chalukyan Temples, like the Mahakuta, five kilometres from Badami, and the
Swarga Brahma temple at Alampur show a greater assimilation of northern styles from Odisha and
Rajasthan.
 At the same time the Durga temple at Aihole is unique having an even earlier style of an apsidal shrine
which is reminiscent of Buddhist chaitya halls and is surrounded by a veranda of a later kind, with a
shikhara that is stylistically like a nagara one.
 Finally, mention must be made of the Lad Khan temple at Aihole in Karnataka. This seems to be inspired
by the wooden-roofed temples of the hills, except that it is constructed out of stone.
 The Hoysaleshvara temple (Lord of the Hoysalas) at Halebid in Karnataka was built in dark schist stone by
the Hoysala king in 1150. Hoysala temples are sometimes called hybrid or vesara as their unique style
seems neither completely dravida nor nagara, but somewhere in between.
 They are easily distinguishable from other medieval temples by their highly original star-like ground-plans
and a profusion of decorative carvings.
 Dedicated to Shiva as Nataraja, the Halebid temple is a double building with a large hall for the mandapa
to facilitate music and dance.
 Vijayanagara synthesises the centuries-old dravida temple architecture with Islamic styles demonstrated by
the neighbouring sultanates. Their sculpture too, although fundamentally derived from, and consciously
seeking to recreate Chola ideals, occasionally shows the presence of foreigners.
BUDDHIST AND JAIN ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENTS
Bodh Gaya
 The pre-eminent Buddhist site is, of course, Bodhgaya. Bodhgaya is a pilgrimage site since Siddhartha
achieved enlightenment here and became Gautama Buddha.
 While the bodhi tree is of immense importance, the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya is an important
reminder of the brickwork of that time.
 The first shrine here, located at the base of the Bodhi tree, is said to have been constructed by King
Ashoka; the vedika around it is said to be post-Mauryan, of about 100 BCE; many of the sculptures in the
niches in the temple are dated to the eighth century Pala Period, while the actual Mahabodhi temple itself as
it stands now is largely a Colonial Period reconstruction of the old seventh century design.
 The design of the temple is unusual. It is, strictly speaking, neither dravida or nagara. It is narrow like a
nagara temple, but it rises without curving, like a dravida one.
Nalanda
 The monastic university of Nalanda is a mahavihara as it is a complex of several monastries of various
sizes.
 Till date, only a small portion of this ancient learning centre has been excavated as most of it lies buried
under contemporary civilisation, making further excavations almost impossible.
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 Most of the information about Nalanda is based on the records of Xuan Zang—previously spelt as ‘Hsuantsang’— which states that the foundation of a monastery was laid by Kumargupta I in the fifth century CE;
and this was carried forward by the later monarchs who built up a fantastic university here.
 There is evidence that all three Buddhist doctrines— Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana—were taught
here and monks made their way to Nalanda and its neighbouring sites of Bodhgaya and Kurkihar from
China, Tibet and Central Asia in the north, and Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma and various other countries
from the south-eastern parts of Asia.
 Monks and pilgrims would take back small sculptures and illustrated manuscripts from here to their own
countries.
 Buddhist monasteries like Nalanda, thus, were prolific centres of art production that had a decisive impact
on the arts of all Buddhist countries in Asia.
Others
 Sirpur in Chhattisgarh is an early-Odisha style site belonging to the period between 550 and 800, with both
Hindu and Buddhist shrines. In many ways the iconographic and stylistic elements of the Buddhist
sculptures here are similar to that of Nalanda.
 The port-town of Nagapattinam was also a major Buddhist centre right until the Chola Period.
Jain
 The oldest Jain pilgrimage sites are to be found in Bihar. Many of these sites are famous for early Buddhist
shrines. In the Deccan, some of the most architecturally important Jain sites can be found in Ellora and
Aihole. In central India, Deogarh, Khajuraho, Chanderi and Gwalior have some excellent examples of Jain
temples.
 Karnataka has a rich heritage of Jain shrines and at Sravana Belagola the famous statue of Gomateshwara,
the granite statue of Lord Bahubali which stands eighteen metres or fifty-seven feet high, is the world’s
tallest monolithic free-standing structure. It was commissioned by Camundaraya, the General-in-Chief and
Prime Minister of the Ganga Kings of Mysore.
 The Jain temples at Mount Abu were constructed by Vimal Shah. Notable for a simplistic exterior in
contrast with the exuberant marble interiors, their rich sculptural decoration with deep undercutting creates
a lace-like appearance. The temple is famous for its unique patterns on every ceiling, and the graceful
bracket figures along the domed ceilings.
 The great Jain pilgrimage site in the Shatrunjay hills near Palitana in Kathiawar, Gujarat, is imposing with
scores of temples clustered together.
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES
Why in news?
 2019 is the United Nations' International Year of Indigenous Languages.
More on news
 Papua New Guinea has the highest number of 'living' indigenous languages in the world (840), while India
stands fourth with 453.
 Among regions, Asia and Africa account for the highest number of indigenous languages (over 70% of the
total).
 According to UNESCO's 'Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger', 228 languages have become extinct
since 1950.
 About 10% of the languages are classified 'vulnerable', while another 10% are 'critically endangered'.
 In India, five languages have become extinct since 1950, while 42 are critically endangered.
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 The Central Government is implementing ‘Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India'
(SPEEL)’ for protection, preservation and documentation of all mother tongues and languages of India,
which are spoken by less than 10,000 people.
1. Dialects are also covered under this programme.
2. It is being implemented by Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) which is
under the MHRD.
Iconic Tourist Sites
The government will develop 17 “Iconic Tourist Sites” in the country as a world class tourist destinations which in
turn would serve as a model for other tourism sites.
“Iconic Tourist Sites” Initiative
The Tourism Ministry is the nodal ministry for the implementation of the initiative. The 17 sites identified by the
are:
 Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh),
 Ajanta & Ellora (Maharashtra),
 Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar (Delhi),
 Colva (Goa),
 Amer Fort (Rajasthan),
 Somnath and Dholavira (Gujarat),
 Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh),
 Hampi (Karnataka),
 Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu),
 Kaziranga (Assam),
 Kumarakom (Kerala) and
 The Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar)
The initiative is aimed at enhancing India’s soft power.
Execution: The monuments taken up for development under the initiative fall under the jurisdiction of
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and State Archaeology Departments. The Ministry will carry out interventions
at these monuments in collaboration with the ASI and State Government, and all development plans will have
elements of universal accessibility, cleanliness at the monuments, use of Green Technology and enhanced security
for the tourists.
Cuban Revolution
News: Aleida Guevara’s (Daughter of Ernesto "Che" Guevara ) visit to India coincides with 60 years of the Cuban
revolution that was carried out by Fiedel castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
About Revolution
 America had been highly influential in Cuba since the early 1900s. Much of Cuba's industry was owned by
United States business and its main export, sugar, was controlled by the USA.
 In the 1950s, Cuba was being led under the corrupt and oppressive military dictatorship of Fulgencio
Batista. However he supported US interests on the island and hence, Washington supported him.
 The Batista regime was extremely unpopular with the Cuban people.
 In 1956, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara gathered a force of guerrilla fighters and started a revolutionary war
against government forces.
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 By 1958, the revolution had spread throughout Cuba, culminating in the fall of Havana in early 1959.
Batista fled the country in 1959 and Castro formed a liberal nationalist government by liberating Cuba from
US influence.
Indian Folk Paintings
Madhubani painting
 Madhubani painting, also known as Mithila painting is an art form popular in the state of Mithila in Nepal
and Bihar in India.
 The art form, kept alive only by women folk, is said to have originated when King Janaka of Nepal
commissioned local artists to paint murals in his palace for the wedding of his daughter Sita to Lord Rama.
 Originally, these paintings were done on the walls of the kohbar ghar or the nuptial chamber of newlyweds,
coated with mud and cow dung.
 Those paintings depicted symbolic images of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in
union to represent fertility.
 Like most ancient art forms, Madhubani art too takes inspiration from nature and Hindu religious motifs,
and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi and
Saraswati.
 Natural objects like the sun, the moon and religious plants like Tulsi are also common.
 Usually, the paintings do not leave any empty space and the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers,
animals, birds and even geometric patterns.
 Characterised by the use of bright colours, Madhubani paintings make use of natural sources like plants and
charcoal soot for their colour.
 Surprisingly, the existence of this art form remained unknown to the outside world until the earthquake of
1934 when houses along the India-Nepal border tumbled down and the then British colonial officer in
Madhubani district of Bihar stumbled upon these paintings on the walls of those homes!
Pattachitra
 More than a thousand years old, Pattachitra is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha.
 The name comes from the Sanskrit words “patta” (meaning canvas) and “chitra” (meaning picture).
 Known for its rich colours, attractive motifs, designs, and depiction of mythological figures or episodes,
Pattachitra is characterised by the following themes: Thia Badhia – depiction of the Jagannath temple;
Krishna Lila – enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna displayed his powers as a child; Dasabatara Patti –
the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Panchamukhi – depiction of Lord Ganesh as a five-headed deity.
Mysore painting
 Mysore painting is an important South Indian art form that comes from the Vijayanagara School of
painting.
 While the origins of the art form can be traced back to the Ajanta times (2nd century BC to 7th century
AD), it actually flourished and evolved under the patronage of the Vijayanagar empire.
 The art form spread to places like Mysore, Tanjore and Surpur after the painters migrated to these areas
post the fall of the Vijayanagar empire in the Battle of Talikota.
 However, these artists found a saviour in Raja Wodeyar I (1578–1617 A.D) who rehabilitated their families
in Srirangapatna.
 The art form continued to flourish under the patronage of Tipu Sultan as well.
 Characterised by use of bright colours and gesso work, Mysore paintings are known to inspire feelings of
devotion and humility in the viewer.
 The themes of these paintings primarily revolve around Hindu gods and goddesses and scenes from Hindu
mythology.
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 Gesso refers to a mixture of white lead powder, gambose and glue that is used as an embossing material
and covered with gold foil. The gesso work in Mysore paintings is more intricate than in Tanjore paintings.
Tanjore painting
 With roots in the Vijayanagara School of painting, Tanjore painting (also known as Thanjavur painting)
originated in the Maratha court of Thanjavur (1676 – 1855).
 Characterised by rich colours, glittering gold foils, extensive gesso work and the use of glass beads or
precious and semi-precious stones, Tanjore painting is an amalgamation of Deccani, Vijayanagar, Maratha
and even European or Company styles of painting.
 Like most art forms of the ancient era, the subjects of most paintings are Hindu gods, goddesses, and saints.
Episodes from Puranas and other religious texts were sketched or traced and painted with the main figure or
figures placed in the central section of the picture mostly within an architecturally delineated space such as
a mantapa or prabhavali surrounded by several subsidiary figures.
 Traditionally, a Tanjore painting was generally made on a canvas pasted over a plank of wood with Arabic
gum.
Cheriyal scroll painting
 With its roots in the ancient art of storytelling, the Cheriyal scroll painting is a stylised version of Nakashi
art.
 The scroll, generally 40 to 45 feet in length was rolled out like a film roll and depicted stories from Indian
mythology and folk traditions.
 The most common themes are Krishna Leela, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shiva Purana, Markandeya Purana
with hints of folk stories of communities like Gauda, Madiga, etc.
 Painted in bright hues, with red dominating the background, Cheriyal paintings are done on a canvas made
of khadi cotton treated with a mixture of rice starch, suddha matti (white mud), a paste of boiled tamarind
seeds and gum water.
 While the colours are made by the artists from natural sources, the brushes are made with squirrel hair.
Rajput painting
 Rajput painting, also popular known as Rajasthani painting is a style of painting that flourished in the royal
courts of Rajputana in India.
 While the most preferred medium of Rajput painting was miniatures in manuscripts or single sheets, a
number of paintings adorned the walls of palaces, forts, havelis, especially the havelis built by Shekhawat
Rajputs.
 Though each Rajput kingdom introduced its distinct style, certain features remain constant throughout such
themes that borrowed heavily from epics like the Ramayana.
 In the late 16th century, Rajput art schools began to develop distinctive styles by combining indigenous as
well as foreign influences such as Persian, Mughal, Chinese and European.
 Another feature Rajput paintings are known for is their use of colours extracted from minerals, plants,
conch shells, precious stones and even gold and silver. Interestingly, these colours sometimes took weeks
to prepare.
Schools of Rajput Painting
Starting from the 16th century, when the Rajput Painting originated, numerous schools emerged, including:
 Bikaner School- Rajasthani paintings of Bikaner were also based on Mughal tradition. Apart from the
Mughal style, the paintings of Bikaner also reflect marked influence of Deccan paintings.
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 Bundi-Kota Kalam School- Wall paintings, dating back to the reign of Rao Ratan Singh (1607-1631), are
good examples of Bundi style of paintings. The time of Rao Chattar Sal (1631-1658) and Bhao Singh
(1658-1681) saw great emphasis on court scenes as themes.
 Kishengarh School- Kishangarh style of painting was basically a fusion of Mughal and regional style. The
most common theme of this style consisted of the depiction of the love between Krishna and Radha.
Kishangarh School is best known for its Bani Thani paintings. With the demise of Savant Singh and his
leading painters, this school lost its glory and started breaking down.
 Marwar School- The earliest example of the Rajasthani paintings of Marwar is that of Ragamala, which
was painted in Pali in 1623. In the 18th century, the most common themes included, the portraitures of
nobles on horses and darbar scenes. With the arrival of artists like Dalchand, Marwar paintings also started
reflecting Mughal influence.
 Mewar School- Mewar school of Rajput paintings concentrated on its conservative style, trying to avoid
the dominance of the Mughals. The earliest example of the Mewar School is that of Chawand Ragamala,
dating back to 1605. One can observe heavy similarity with the Chaurapanchasika style, especially the
flatness, the bright colors, and even common motifs.
 Amber and Jaipur- The paintings of Amber and Jaipur show strong Mughal influence. However, at the
same time, the bold compositions and use of abstractions reflected regional characteristics.
Kalamkari
 The pen art form, Kalamkari has its roots in storytelling by musicians and painters, called chitrakattis.
These artists moved from village to village to tell great stories from Hindu mythology and illustrated their
accounts on a large canvas with dyes extracted from plants.
 To create designs, artists used a bamboo or date palm stick pointed at one end to serve as the brush or pen.
 Kalamkari took shape as an art in the state of Golconda sultanate in Hyderabad in the Middle Ages and
flourished under the patronage of the Mughals, who referred to the artists as qualamkars, giving the art its
name.
 Though traditionally, Kalamkari is known to depict scenes from epics such as the Ramayana or the
Mahabharata, recent applications have been used to depict scenes from the life and times of Lord Buddha.
 Kalamkari has been practised by many families in Andhra Pradesh over the generations and is their primary
source of income.
Kalighat painting
 Kalighat painting or Kalighat Pat is an art form that originated in 19th century Bengal, in and around the
Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata.
 In the nineteenth century, the only school of painting that flourished in Bengal was the traditional art of
scroll paintings. These paintings, done on cloth or patas, depicted images of gods and goddesses and scenes
from epics like Tulsidas’ Rama Charita Manas.
 The artists were villagers who travelled from place to place with their scroll paintings and described the
scenes from the epics depicted in the paintings through songs during village gatherings and festivals.
 These artists, called patuas or ‘painters on cloth’ were said to be half Hindu and half Muslim and practised
Islam.
 Around the same time, the British too introduced the European techniques of painting, and the Kalighat
painting emerged to be a unique blend of both styles.
 The charm of these paintings lie in the fact that they capture the simplicity of daily life very well.
Pahari painting
 As the name suggests, Pahari painting refers to a form of painting done mostly in miniature forms,
originating in Himalayan hill kingdoms such as Basohli, Mankot, Nurpur, Chamba, Kangra, Guler, Mandi,
and Garhwal, between 17th and 19th century.
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 An offshoot of Mughal painting, Pahari painting was patronised mostly by the Rajput kings who ruled
many parts of these regions.
 Each region created unique variations in the genre, giving us the bold Basohli paintings and the intricate
Kangra paintings.
 The Kangra style reached its peak with paintings of Radha and Krishna, inspired by Jayadev’s Gita
Govinda.
Types of Pahari Paintings
 Basohli Paintings- The town of Basohli is situated on the bank of the Ravi River in Himachal. This town
has produced splendid Devi series, magnificent series of the manifestations of the Supreme Goddess. Apart
from that, it is also known for the magnificent depiction of the Rasamanjari text. Artist Devidasa painted it
under the patronage of Raja Kirpal Pal. Gita Govinda of 1730 is also believed to have Basohli origin.
Geometrical patterns, bright colors and glossy enamel characterize Basohli paintings.
 Bilaspur Paintings-Bilaspur town of Himachal witnessed the growth of the Pahari paintings around the
mid-17th century. Apart from the illustrations of the Bhagavata Purana, Ramayana and Ragamala series,
artists also made paintings on rumal (coverlets) for rituals and ceremonies.
 Chamba Paintings- Chamba paintings are quite similar in appearance to Mughal style of paintings, with
strong influences of Deccan and Gujarat style also. The late 17th century witnessed Chamba paintings of
Himachal being dominated by Basohli style, which ultimately gave way to Guler painting tradition.
 Garhwal Paintings- Garhwal Paintings originated in Himachal and were first dominated by the Mughal
style. Later, it started reflecting the cruder version of Kangra traditions.
 Guler Kangra Style Paintings- The nature Guler Kangra style of Himachal developed somewhere around
the year 1800. It was a more naturalized version of painting, with visible difference in the treatment of eyes
and modeling of the face. Landscapes were also commonly used as themes. Along with that, this style also
accentuated the elegance and grace of the Indian women.
 Jammu Paintings- Jammu paintings of the late 18th and early 19th century bear a striking similarity to the
Kangra style. Shangri Ramayana of the late 17th and early 18th century was produced in Jammu itself.
 Jasrota Paintings- Jasrota paintings are mainly found in Jammu and Kashmir and revolve around court
scenes, events from the life of the kings, allegorical scenes, etc.
 Kulu Paintings- The paintings of Kulu style include a Bhagavata Purana, two Madhumalati manuscripts,
etc.
 Mandi Paintings- Mandi, situated in Himachal, witnessed the evolution of a new style under Raja Sidh
Sen (1684-1727). During that time, the portraits depicted the ruler as a massive figure with overstated huge
heads, hands and feet. Other works were characterized by geometric compositions and delicate naturalistic
details.
 Mankot Paintings- Mankot paintings of Jammu and Kashmir bear a resemblance to the Basohli type, with
vivid colors and bold subjects. In the mid-17th century, portraitures became a common theme. With time,
the emphasis shifted to naturalism and subdued colors.
 Nurpur Paintings- Nurpur paintings of Himachal Pradesh usually employ bright colors and flat
backgrounds. However, in the later periods, the dazzling colors were replaced by muted ones.
Warli painting
 An art form practised by Warli tribes from the mountains and coastal regions in and around the borders of
Maharashtra and Gujarat, Warli paintings originated around 3000 BC.
 Traditional Warli paintings are well known for the use of white paint on ochre mud walls.
 This tribal art is characterised by intricate geometric patterns of flowers, wedding rituals, hunting scenes
and other everyday activities.
 An interesting feature of the Warli painting is that there aren’t any straight lines used in these paintings.
They are usually crooked lines, dots, circles and triangles.
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 Essentially ritualistic, Warli paintings were usually made by married women to celebrate a wedding.
 These paintings were also used to decorate the huts of Warli tribes, usually made from a mixture of cow
dung and red mud.
 One of the important aspects of most Warli paintings is the “Tarpa dance” – the tarpa is a trumpet-like
instrument, which is played in turns by different men. While the music plays, men and women join their
hands and move in circles around the tarpa players. This circle of the dancers is also symbolic of the circle
of life.
Gond painting
 Another tribal marvel, Gond painting is an art form practised by the Gonds, one of the the largest tribes
centered in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
 Gonds had a tradition of decorating the walls of their houses with vibrant depictions of local flora, fauna
and gods such as Marahi Devi and Phulvari Devi (Goddess Kali).
 Traditionally made on festive occasions such as Karwa Chauth, Diwali, Ashtami and Nag Panchmi, Gond
paintings capture the essence of celebrations, rituals and man’s relationship with nature.
 Made with natural colours derived from charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, leaves and cow dung, this simple
art form is created with dots and lines.
 The Gonds make these paintings as an offering to Mother Nature, and also to ward off evil.
Jagannath rath yatra
 The annual Lord Jagannath rath yatra began from the Jagannath temple, Puri on 4th July.
 The festival is celebrated on the second day of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh, the third month, according to the
traditional Oriya calendar.
 The Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) is 9 day-long event during which the three holy chariots carrying idols of
Lord Jagannath, his brother Balaram (Balabhadra) and sister Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees
from India and abroad.
 The festival honours the Lord Jagannath’s visit along with his siblings to the temple of Queen Gundicha,
the place of their aunt’s house where they revel in a nine day stay.
 Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of
‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.
 There are four gates to the temple- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ which is the main gate with two crouching lions,
Southern ‘Ashwadwara’, Western ‘Vyaghradwara and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a carving of each
form at each gate.
JAGANNATH TEMPLE
 Located in Jagannath Puri
 Construction started by King Anantavarman of Ganga Dyansaty in the 10th century.
 Famous rath yatra
 Image of Lord is made of wood which is replaced every 12 or 19 years.
 One of the char dham other three being Rameshwaram, Badrinath and Dwarka
Indian classical dances
The Indian classical dances have two basic aspects - Tandava (movement & rhythm) and Lasya (grace, bhava &
rasa).
The three main components are-
 Natya (the dramatic element of the dance i.e. the imitation of characters)
 Nritta (the dance movements in their basic form)
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 Nritya (expressional component i.e. mudras or gestures).
The nine rasas are - Love, Heroism, Pathos, Humour, Anger, Fear, Disgust, Wonder and Peace. The Natya
Shastra written by Bharat Muni is the most prominent source for the Indian aestheticians for establishing the
characteristics of the dances.
Bharatnatyam Dance
 Bharatnatyam Dance is considered to be over 2000 years old. Several texts beginning with Bharata Muni's
Natya Shastra (200 B.C.E. to 200 C.E.) provide information on this dance form.
 The Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikesvara is one of the main sources of textual material, for the study of the
technique and grammar of body movement in Bharatnatyam Dance.
 On the gopurams of the Chidambaram temple, one can see a series of Bharatnatyam poses, frozen in stone
as it were, by the sculptor.
 Bharatnatyam dance is known to be ekaharya, where one dancer takes on many roles in a single
performance.
 The style was kept alive by the devadasis, who were young girls 'gifted' by their parents to the temples and
who were married to the gods.
 The first dance item is the alarippu, literally meaning - to adorn with flowers. It is an abstract piece
combining pure dance with the recitation of sound syllables.
 The next item, the jatiswaram is a short pure dance piece performed to the accompaniment of musical notes
of any raga of Carnatic music.
 Shabdam follows the jatiswaram in a Bharatnatyam dance performance. The accompanying song is
generally in adoration of the Supreme Being.
 After the shabdam, the dancer performs the varnam. The varnam which is the most important composition
of the Bharatnatyam repertoire, encompasses both nritta and nritya and epitomises the essence of this
classical dance form.
 After the strenuous varnam, the dancer performs a number of abhinaya items expressing a variety of
moods.
 A Bharatnatyam performance ends with a tillana which has its origin in the tarana of Hindustani music.
 The performance ends with a mangalam invoking the blessings of the Gods.
Kathakali
 Chakiarkoothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam and Ramanattam are few of the ritual performing arts of Kerala
which have had a direct influence on Kathakali in its form and technique.
 Kathakali is a blend of dance, music and acting and dramatizes stories, which are mostly adapted from the
Indian epics.
 Heavy make-up and stunning costumes (elaborate masks, huge skirts and big head-dresses) are used.
 The dancers enact the roles (kings, gods, demons etc.) of the stories with particular make-up and costume,
the vocalists narrate the legend and the percussionists play the musical instruments.
 Different facial colours indicate different mental stages & character, e.g. green – nobility, black – wicked,
red patches – combining royalty & evil.
 Hand gestures, facial expressions and eye movements are important.
 Weight of the body is on the outer edges of the feet which are slightly bent and curved.
 Ramankutty Nair and Kalamandalam Gopi were the prominent artists.
Kathak (North India)
 The word Kathak has been derived from the word Katha which means a story.
 It was primarily a temple or village performance wherein the dancers narrated stories from ancient
scriptures.
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 Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the spread
of the bhakti movement.
 The legends of Radha-Krishna were enacted in folk plays called rasa lila, which combined folk dance with
the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.
 Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles, Kathak was performed in the court, where it acquired its
present features and developed into a form of dance with a distinctive style.
 Under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, it grew into a major art form.
 Usually a solo performance, the dancer often pauses to recite verses followed by their execution through
movement.
 The focus is more on footwork; the movements are skillfully controlled and performed straight legged by
dancers wearing ankle-bells.
 Kathak is the only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music.
 Lady Leela Sokhey (Menaka) revived the classical style. Some prominent dancers include Birju Maharaj,
Sitara Devi.
Manipuri (Manipur)
 The origin of Manipuri dance can be traced back to ancient times that go beyond recorded history.
 The dance in Manipur is associated with rituals and traditional festivals, there are legendary references to
the dances of Shiva and Parvati and other gods and goddesses who created the universe.
 Lai Haraoba is the earliest form of dance which forms the basis of all stylised dances in Manipur. Literally
meaning - the merrymaking of the gods, it is performed as a ceremonial offering of song and dance.The
principal performers are the maibas and maibis (priests and priestesses) who re-enact the theme of the
creation of the world.
 The popular Rasleela dances of Manipur originated in the reign of 18th century King Bhagyachandra.
 Manipur dance has a large repertoire, however, the most popular forms are the Ras, the Sankirtana and the
Thang-Ta.
 The Kirtan form of congregational singing accompanies the dance which is known as Sankirtana in
Manipur.
 The male dancers play the Pung and Kartal while dancing.
 The dancers do not wear ankle bells to stamp out the rhythms in a theatrical display, as this interferes with
the delicate body movements.
Odissi
 Odissi closely follows the tenets laid down by the Natya Shastra. Facial expressions, hand gestures and
body movements are used to suggest a certain feeling, an emotion or one of the nine rasas.
 The techniques of movement are built around the two basic postures of the Chowkand and Tribhanga. The
chowk is a position imitating a square - a very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally
balanced. The tribhanga is a very feminine stance where the body is deflected at the neck, torso and the
knees.
 The torso movement is very important and is an unique feature of the Odissi style. With the lower half of
the body remaining static, the torso moves from one side to the other along the axis passing through the
centre of the upper half of the body.
 These bhangis, as they are called are really units of movement ending in one particular stance.
 An Odissi orchestra essentially consists of a pakhawaj player (usually the Guru himself), a singer, a flutist,
a sitar or violin player and a manjira player.
 The dancer is adorned in elaborate Odiya silver jewellery and a special hair-do. The sari, usually stitched
nowadays, is unique to the style.
 In each performance, even a modern Odissi dancer still reaffirms the faith of the devadasis ormaharis where
they sought liberation or moksha through the medium of dance.
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Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)
 Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh which has a very long tradition
of dance-drama. It was known under the generic name of Yakshagaana.
 In 17th century Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana was conceived by Siddhendra Yogi. He was steeped in the
literary Yakshagaana tradition being guided by his guru Teerthanaaraayana Yogi who composed the
Krishna-Leelatarangini, a kaavya in Sanskrit.
 It is performed as dance drama i.e. performance in groups and also as solo items.
 Costumes, ornaments and jewellery occupy an important place.
 The solo items are Manduka Shabdam (story of frog maiden), Balgopala Taranga (dance on the edges of
brass plate with a pitcher full of water on head) and Tala Chitra Nritya (drawing pictures with dancing
toes).
 Yamini Krishnamurthy and Raja Reddy are prominent dancers.
Sattriya
 The Sattriya dance form was introduced in the 15th century A.D by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer
of Assam, Mahapurusha Sankaradeva as a powerful medium for propagation of the Vaishnava faith. The
dance form evolved and expanded as a distinctive style of dance later on.
 There were two dance forms prevalent in Assam before the neo-Vaishnava movement such as Ojapali and
Devadasi with many classical elements.
 Sattriya dance tradition is governed by strictly laid down principles in respect of hastamudras, footworks,
aharyas, music etc.
 This tradition, has two distinctly separate streams - the Bhaona-related repertoire starting from the GayanBhayanar Nach to the Kharmanar Nach, secondly the dance numbers which are independent, such as Chali,
Rajagharia Chali, Jhumura, Nadu Bhangi etc.
 Among them the Chali is characterized by gracefulness and elegance, while the Jhumura is marked by
vigor and majestic beauty.
Mohiniyattam Dance
 Mohiniyattam literally interpreted as the dance of ‘Mohini’, the celestial enchantress of the Hindu
mythology, is the classical solo dance form of Kerala.
 According to a Puranic story, Lord Vishnu took on the guise of a ‘Mohini’ to seduce the Asuras, both in
connection with churning of the ocean and episode of the slaying of Bhasmasura.
 The delicate body movements and subtle facial expressions are more feminine in nature and therefore are
ideally suited for performance by women.
 References of Mohiniyattam can be found in the texts Vyavaharamala written in 1709 by Mazhamagalam
Narayanan Namputiri and in Ghoshayatra, written later by great poet Kunjan Nambiar.
 Mohiniyattam is characterized by graceful, swaying body movements with no abrupt jerks or sudden leaps.
It belongs to the lasya style which is feminine, tender and graceful.
 The movements are emphasized by the glides and the up and down movement on toes, like the waves of the
sea and the swaying of the coconut, palm trees and the paddy fields.
 The foot work is not terse and is rendered softly. Importance is given to the hand gestures and
Mukhabhinaya with subtle facial expressions.
 Mohiniyattam lays emphasis on acting. The dancer identifies herself with the character and sentiments
existing in the compositions like the Padams and Pada Varnams which give ample opportunity for facial
expressions.
 The hand gestures, 24 in number, are mainly adopted from Hastalakshana Deepika, a text followed by
Kathakali. Few are also borrowed from NatyaShastra, AbhinayaDarpana and Balarambharatam.
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National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM)
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), during his visit to the National Film Archive of India (NFAI),
said that the government is committed towards implementation of the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) in a
time bound manner.
Background
 In February 1964, the I&B Ministry established the National Film Archive of India in Pune with an aim to
trace, acquire and preserve, for posterity, the heritage of national cinema and a representative collection of
world cinema.
 By the turn of the century, the NFAI had collected as many as 1,32,000 film reels or around 22,500 films.
 However, there was a lack of adequate funding as well as want of sufficient facilities to preserve the films
in an ideal manner.
National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM)
 Launched in the year 2017, NFHM is the prestigious mission of Government of India, for preservation,
conservation, digitization and restoration of rich cinematic heritage of the country.
 The broader objectives under NFHM are to undertake film condition assessment and preventive
conservation of around 150,000 film reels, digitization of around 3500 films, picture & sound restoration of
around 2000 landmark films of Indian cinema, construction of preservation and conservation facilities
(vaults), training and workshops and creating a comprehensive web-based end to end IT solutions.
 National Film Archive of India (NFAI) is the nodal organization for the implementation of this project.
WOMEN IN MUSIC
 Women in Music has opened its Indian chapter in Mumbai
 It is a Not for profit NGO working towards promoting gender parity and womens visibility in the music
industry
 Established: 1985
 HQ: New York
VEER SAVARKAR
 Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was an independence activist, politican, lawyer, writer and formulator of
Hindutva philosophy.
 He was member of the Hindu Mahasabha, India House and founded Abhinava Bharat society and Free
India Society.
 He wrote the famous book Indian War of Independence.
 Arrested in 1910 for his connections with the revolutionary group India House.
 In 1921 under restrictions after signing a plea for clemency he was released on the condition that he
renounce revolutionary activities.
 He opposed the Quit India Movement.
 Airport at Port Blair was renamed as Veer Savarkar International Aiport in 2002.
RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD
NEWS: Senior journalist Ravish Kumar on Friday was awarded this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, regarded as
the Asian version of the Nobel Prize, for harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless. Mr. Kumar, 44, who is
NDTV senior executive editor is one of India’s most influential TV journalists, the award citation by the Ramon
Magsaysay Award Foundation said.
The other winners were Ko Swe Win from Myanmar, Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand, Raymundo Pujante
Cayabyab from the Philippines and Kim Jong-ki from South Korea.
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ABOUT RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD
 The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President
Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic
idealism within a democratic society.
 Awarded: 1958
 AWARDED FOR: Outstanding contributions in Government Service, PUBLIC SERVICE,
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, JOURNALISM, Literature and Creative Communication Arts, PEACE
and International Understanding and Emergent Leadership.
 Five of these were discontinued in 2009.
 Vinoba Bhave was the first Indian to receive.
Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree
News: The Geographical Indications Registry has granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to two products from
Tamil Nadu: Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree.
 The Dindigul locks are known throughout the world for their superior quality and durability, so much so
that even the city (Dindigul) is called Lock City.
 Government institutions such as prisons, godowns, hospitals, and even temples use these locks instead of
other machine-made ones.
 The Kandangi sarees are manufactured in the entire Karaikudi taluk in Sivaganga district.
 Worn in summer, these are characterised by large contrast borders. Some are known to have borders
covering as far as two-thirds of the saree which is usually around 5.10 m-5.60 m in length.
 A GI Tag indicates that the product originates from a definite territory in India and has unique
characteristics or qualities.
3.8-million-year-old skull
 A "remarkably complete" 3.8-million-year-old skull of an early human has been excavated by
Palaeontologists in Ethiopia, a discovery that has the potential to change the understanding of human
evolution.
 The find, known as "MRD", revealed the face of a presumed ancestor of the species famously represented
by Lucy, the celebrated Ethiopian partial skeleton found in 1974.
 The fossil was found in 2016 in what was once sand deposited in a river delta on the shore of a lake.
 It is the oldest-known member of the Australopithecus group.
 Australopithecine, a pivotal group of early human ancestors, lived between 1.5 and 4 million years ago.
 It dates back to a time when our ancestors were emerging from the trees to walk on two legs but still had
distinctly ape-like protruding faces, powerful jaws and small brains.
 MRD’s species, which was bipedal but may also have been able to move around in trees, was much smaller
than modern humans.
 This species is considered the direct ancestor of Australopithecus afarensis, the species are best known
from the famous partial skeleton nicknamed Lucy unearthed in 1974.
 The 3.2-million-year-old Lucy belonged to a species of hominins (which include humans and their
ancestors) called Australopithecus afarensis, the newly investigated skull belongs to the older species
Australopithecus anamensis.
 Also after examining the skull it has been found that MRD’s species could have coexisted with Lucy’s
because of a “speciation event”.
 It is possible that a small group of MRD’s species became genetically isolated from the rest of the
population and evolved into Lucy’s species, whose population eventually out-bred MRD’s species.
 The finding also helps bridge a big gap between the earliest-known human ancestors (about 6 million years
old) and species like Lucy (2-3 million years old).
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 The evolutionary lineage that led to people split from the chimpanzee lineage roughly 6 million to 7 million
years ago, gradually acquiring traits such as bipedal walking, flatter face and increased brain size through a
succession of species.
 Our species, Homo sapiens, appeared roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa.
Tirur Vettila
 Recently Kerala’s tirur vettila has obtained Geographical Indication tag.
 Tirur Vettila is a type of betel leaf which is grown in Tirur and nearby areas of Malappuram district of
Kerala.
 Tirur Vettila is unique for its significantly high content of total chlorophyll and protein in fresh leaves.
 Tirur vettila possess some special biochemical characters like unique flavour and aroma.
 Eugenol is the major essential oil in Tirur betel leaf contributing to its pungency.
 The leaves are nutritive and contain anticarcinogens, showing future opportunities in anticancer drugs
 Betel vine was reported to have immunosuppressive activity and antimicrobial property
 The Intellectual property rights (IPR) Cell of Kerala Agricultural University has received National IP
Award, 2019 of Government of India its efforts in the facilitation of GI Registration.
Arab ki Sarai Baoli
 Arab ki Sarai Baoli is being revived by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Agha Khan Trust for
Culture (AKTC) with the support of German Embassy.
 Arab Ki Sarai Baoli was built in the 1560s by Hamida Banu Begum, who was wife (chief consort) of
Mughal emperor Humayan, to accommodate 300 Arabs whom she had brought from Mecca.
 It is situated within the premise of Humayun's Tomb Complex, Delhi.
 It is a unique ‘L’ shaped baoli.
Baoli
 Baolis or step-wells refer to man-made water tanks.
 The main purpose of baoli is water conservation and groundwater recharge.
 The structures bear witness to the fact that even before the modern world became aware of the threats of
depleting freshwater, people in those times realised the gravity of conservation.
Geographical Indication (GI) tags to four new products
The government has allotted Geographical Indication (GI) tags to four new products from the states of Tamil Nadu,
Mizoram and Kerala. These products are:
 Palani Panchamirtham, is one of the main religious offerings to Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the
presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, situated in palani hills in Dindigul District
of Tamil Nadu. It is a combination of five natural substances, namely, bananas, jaggery sugar, cow ghee,
honey and cardamom in a definite proportion. This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu
has been bestowed with the GI tag.
 Tawlhlohpuan, a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram is known for
warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand.
 Mizo Puanchei, a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram, is considered as the most colourful among
the Mizo textiles. It is an essential possession for every Mizo lady and an important marriage outfit in the
state. The weavers insert the designs and motifs by using supplementary yarns while weaving to create this
beautiful and alluring textile.
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 Tirur betel vine from Kerala, which is mainly cultivated in Tirur, Tanur, Tirurangadi, Kuttippuram,
Malappuram and Vengara block panchayats of Malappuram District, is valued both for its mild stimulant
action and medicinal properties.
Aadi Mahotsav:
 It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India & Tribal Cooperative Marketing
Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
 The theme of the festival is: “A celebration of the spirit of Tribal Craft, Culture and Commerce”. TRIFED
essentially is to play the role of a ‘Service provider’ & ‘Market Developer.
 Mahotsav is also covering to identify:
1. Food and Forest Produces, which can be processed, value added and marketed under the Van
Dhan Scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs ; and
2. Artisans and master craftsmen and women of Ladakh for empanelling them as suppliers of
TRIBES India.
 Significance: Aadi Mahotsav in Leh, Ladakh by showcasing tribal culture, cuisine, art, craft, and herbal
medicines will help spread these in other parts of country and provide opportunities to tribals for economic
growth and prosperity.
 e-transactions: Aadi Mahotsav will also provide an opportunity to take tribal commerce to the next level
of digital and electronic transactions.
TRIFED
 TRIFED came into existence in 1987. It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the
administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India.
 TRIFED has its registered and Head Office located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices
located at various places in the country.
 The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of
marketing development of the tribal products.
Maharshi BadrayanVyas Samman
News: The President of India has awarded the selected scholars with the Maharshi BadrayanVyas Samman for the
year 2019.
About Award
 The Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman was instituted by the Government of India to honour young
scholars, aged 30-45 years, in recognition of their significant contribution in the field of Persian, Arabic,
Pali, Prakrit and Classical Indian languages.
 As of now, six languages i.e. Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia have been given the
status of classical languages.
 The criteria evolved by the Government to determine declaration of a language as a Classical language is as
under:
1. High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years.
2. A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of
speakers.
3. The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
4. The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity
between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
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National Youth Awards
The Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports has conferred the National Youth Awards on individuals and
organizations for excellent work and contribution in different fields of development and social services, such as
health, promotion of human rights, active citizenship, community service etc.
About the Awards
The award is conferred on young men and women and voluntary organization every year in recognition of their
outstanding work in the field of national development and social service.
Objective:
 To motivate young people (aged between 15 – 29 years) to achieve excellence in the field of national
development or social service.
 To encourage young people to develop a sense of responsibility to the community and thus to improve their
own personal potential as good citizens.
 To give recognition to the outstanding work done by voluntary organizations working with the youth for
national development and/or social service.
 Persons employed in any government service i.e. with the Central/State Governments, PSUs/Universities,
Colleges/Schools, etc. are not eligible for the award.
The award is conferred once in a lifetime.
Prize: The individual award comprises of a medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/-. The award to a
youth organisation includes a medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 2,00,000/.
Virasat-e-Khalsa museum
 The Asia Book of Records has listed the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum in Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib as the most
visited museum in the Asian sub-continent (on a single day).
 The museum had witnessed a record footfall of 20,569 visitors on a single day.
 The Limca Book of Records and India Book of Records had also listed ‘Virasat-e-Khalsa’ as the country’s
top-ranked museum in terms of the number of visitors.
 The museum has been conferred an award by the Punjab Energy Development Agency in state-level energy
conservation competition, for cutting down electricity consumption.
 The Virasat-e-Khalsa museum (the second most important Sikh shrine in Anandpur Sahib, after the Golden
Temple complex) was built to commemorate 300 years of the founding of the 'Khalsa Panth' by the Guru
Gobind Singh (10th Sikh guru).
 Museum also helped grow the economy of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award
 ISRO has recently announced the ‘Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and
Research’, as part of the centenary year celebrations of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of Indian space
programme.
 The award has been announced to recognize and reward journalists who have actively contributed towards
the field of space science, applications, and research.The articles published from 2019 to 2020 will be
considered for the award.
 The names of the selected candidates will be announced on August 1st, 2020.
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3600 old year site in Odisha
News: The Archaeological Survey of India, which had discovered ancient artefacts and grain during excavations at
Bharati Huda in Jallarpur village in Odisha’s Cuttack district last year, said a rural settlement had thrived at the site
about 3600 years ago.
More about News
 The age of the settlement was arrived at after radiocarbon dating of charcoal samples found at the site by
the Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in New Delhi using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
(AMS).
 This excavation confirmed that a separate ethnic group that was using non-black-and-red ware might have
existed during the early chalcolithic cultural horizon and a new class of ethnic group might have come into
contact with the rural settlers at Bharati Huda during mature phase of chalcolithic culture
 a new religious belief emerged in the form of nature worship as evident from a single specimen of the Sun
motif found arrayed in chocolate-slipped pottery.
 On the basis of this evidence, It is believed the antiquity of Sun worship dated back to 1099 BCE in the
Prachi valley. Devotees from different parts of Odisha as well as the neighbouring States congregated at
Chandrabhaga on the shore of the Bay of Bengal on the occasion of Magha Saptami to pay homage to Sun
God
 The world famous Sun temple of Konark, located some 30 kilometres from the excavation, was built in the
13th century CE. The tradition of Sun worship seems to have evolved with human settlements in the region
 The excavated remains indicate existence of Chalcolithic culture in the valley as attested by the presence of
mud structural remains, large quantity of potsherds, ground and polished stone tools, bone tools, beads of
semi-precious stones, terracotta objects, huge quantity of faunal remains and carbonized grains.
 According to the archaeologist, the inhabitants practised agriculture and animal husbandry as attested by
the findings of domesticated variety of rice and jute and evidence of domesticated cattle among the faunal
remains as well as terracotta bull figurine.
Chalcolithic Culture
 As the name indicates, during the Chalcolithic (Chalco = Copper and Lithic = Stone) period, both metal
and stone were utilized for the manufacture of the equipment in day-to-day life.
 It spanned around 2500 BC to 700 BC.
 Since this was the first metal age, copper and its alloy bronze which melt at low temperature were used for
the manufacture of various objects during this period.
 By far the most important sites of this period are the Indus Valley Sites.
Radiocarbon Dating
 Radiocarbon dating (usually referred to simply as carbon-14 dating) is a radiometric dating method. It uses
the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 (14C) to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to
about 58,000 to 62,000 years old.
 14C is also used in climate studies, biomedicine applications and many other fields.
 Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is a highly sensitive method of counting atoms. The most widely
used isotope studied with AMS is 14C. It is used to detect very low concentrations of natural isotopic
abundances (typically in the range between 10*(-12) and 10*(-16)) of both radionuclides and stable
nuclides.
Inter University Accelerator Centre
 The Inter University Accelerator Centre was the first Inter-University Centre to be established by the
University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1984.
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 It was formerly known as Nuclear Science Centre.
 The primary objective of the Centre is to establish within the university system a world class facility for
accelerator-based research.
 Its aim is to formulate common research programmes of research and development in collaboration with
universities, IITs and other research institutions.
 It is located in New Delhi.
Deciphering Indus Inscription
 According to the research paper titled ‘Interrogating Indus inscription to unravel their mechanism of
meaning conveyance’, the Indus inscriptions can be compared to the structured messages found on stamps,
coupons, tokens and currency coins of modern times.
 The Indus inscriptions have not been deciphered due to the absence of bilingual texts, extreme brevity of
the inscriptions, and ignorance about the language(s) encoded by Indus script.
Findings
 The majority of the Indus Valley inscriptions were written logo graphically (by using word signs) and not
by using phonograms (speech sounds units), claims a recent research paper published in Palgrave
Communications, a Nature group journal.
 The paper mainly focuses on understanding how Indus inscriptions conveyed meanings, rather than on
deciphering what they conveyed.
 The inscribed seals and tablets were used in some administrative operation that controlled the commercial
transactions of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation.
 According to paper, though many ancient scripts use rebus methods to generate new words, the inscriptions
found on the Indus seals and tablets have not used rebus as the mechanism to convey meaning.
 The researcher also rejected the popular hypothesis that the seals were inscribed with Proto-Dravidian or
Proto-Indo-European names of the seal-owners.
Rebus Method
 A common perception among some scholars is that the Indus script is logo-syllabic, where one symbol can
be used as a word sign at one time and as a syllable-sign at another.
 This method, where a word-symbol also gets sometimes used only for its sound value, is called the rebus
principle. E.g.:
 The pictures of a honey bee can be combined with a leaf to signify the word “belief” (bee+leaf).
MEGALITHIC CULTURE
News: Recently, new menhirs were found on the Pothamala hills on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
More about news
 Pothamala hills houses hundreds of cobbled stone structures, pointing to the existence of a structured
graveyard of a prehistoric civilisation dating back around 3,000 years.
 These menhirs are the largest-ever recorded Menhirs in Kerala.
 Menhirs are monolithic slabs that are erected above the ground and may be small or gigantic in height.
 Menhirs are endemic to certain regions only and are a feature of megalithic culture.
Megalithic culture in India
 Megalithic culture refers to the cultural remains found in the megaliths and from the habitation sites
associated with them.
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 Megaliths include different kind of monuments that have one thing in common-they are made of large,
roughly, dressed slabs of stone.
 Such monuments have been found in many parts of the world in- Europe, Asia, Africa, and in Central and
South America.
 In the Indian subcontinent, Megaliths occur in the far south, the Deccan plateau, the Vindhyan Arravalli
ranges and the north west.
 Megalithic sites in India are dated to period ranging from 1300 BCE to 12 century CE.
 Megaliths in Vindhyas referred to a pre-iron chalcolithic context, peninsular India are associated with iron
period.
 The practice of making megaliths continues among certain tribal communities of India such as the Khasis
of Assam and the Mundas of Chotanagpur.
 Megaliths reflect certain burial styles that emerged at different times in different places and continued for
quite some time.
 The origin of some of these burial practices can be traced to a Neolithic-chalcolithic context. For instance,
pit and urn burials are found in the South Indian neolithic-chalcolithic sites and two burials marked by
stones have been found at Watgal, Karnataka.
 However, unlike burials of the Neolithic chalcolithic phase, which tend to be within the habitation,
megalithic burials are located in a separate area. The separation of abodes of the living and the dead is
significant, and is indicative of a shift in social organization.
Cave Tradition in India
Cave Tradition in Western India
 In western India, many Buddhist caves dating back to the second century BCE onwards have been
excavated. Mainly three architectural types were executed—
1. apsidal vault-roof chaitya halls (found at Ajanta, Pitalkhora, Bhaja);
2. apsidal vault-roof pillarless hall (found at Thana-Nadsur in Maharashtra); and
3. flat-roofed quadrangular hall with a circular chamber at the back (found at Kondivite in
Maharashtra).
 Many cave sites have the standard first type of chaitya halls in the subsequent period. In Karla, the biggest
rock-cut chaitya hall was excavated.
 The viharas are excavated in all the cave sites. The plan of the viharas consists of a veranda, a hall and
cells around the walls of the hall. Some of the important vihara caves are Ajanta Cave No. 12, Bedsa Cave
No. 11, Nashik Cave Nos. 3, 10 and 17.
 One such vihara cave was also excavated at Junnar in Maharashtra, which is popularly known as
Ganeshleni because an image of Ganesha belonging to a later period was installed in it.
 Junnar has the largest cave excavations— more than two hundred caves around the hills of the town—
whereas Kanheri in Mumbai has a hundred and eight excavated caves.
Chaitya were prayer halls, with pillars on both the sides and Stupa placed at the end. Whereas viharas were places
where Buddhist monks stayed for some time during rainy season. These were generally single story building, but
at some places multiple storied viharas have also been found.
Ajanta
 The most famous cave site is Ajanta. It is located in Aurangabad District of Maharashtra State.
 Ajanta has twenty-nine caves.
 It has four chaitya caves datable to the earlier phase, i.e., the second and the first century BCE (Cave Nos.
10 and 9) and the later phase, i.e., the fifth century CE (Cave Nos. 19 and 26).
 It has large chaitya viharas and is decorated with sculptures and paintings.
 Ajanta is the only surviving example of painting of the first century BCE and the fifth century CE.
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 The caves at Ajanta as well as in western Deccan in general have no precise chronology because of the lack
of known dated inscriptions.
 The chaitya Cave Nos. 19 and 26 are elaborately carved. Their facade is decorated with Buddha and,
Boddhisattva images. They are of the apsidal-vault-roof variety.
 Cave No. 26 is very big and the entire interior hall is carved with a variety of Buddha images, the biggest
one being the Mahaparinibbana image.
 The rest of the caves are vihara-chaitya caves. They consist of a pillared veranda, a pillared hall and cells
along the walls.
 Among the important patrons at Ajanta were Varahadeva (patron of Cave No. 16), the prime minister of the
Vakataka king, Harishena; Upendragupta (patron of Cave Nos. 17–20) the local king of the region and
feudatory of the Vakataka king, Harishena; Buddhabhadra (patron of Cave No. 26); and Mathuradasa
(patron of Cave No. 4).
 The themes of the paintings are the events from the life of the Buddha, the Jatakas and the Avadanas. Some
paintings such as Simhala Avadana, Mahajanaka Jataka and Vidhurpundita Jataka cover the entire wall of
the cave. It is worth noting that Chaddanta Jataka has been painted in the early Cave No. 10 with many
details and events grouped according to their geographical locations.
 The other important paintings are the famous Padmapani and Vajrapani in Cave No. 1. However, it may be
observed that the images of Padmapani and Vajrapani are very common in Ajanta but the best preserved
paintings are in Cave No. 1.
 The theme of Mara Vijaya has been painted in the caves of Ajanta. This is the only sculptural
representation sculpted on the right wall of Cave No. 26.
MARA VIJAYA
 The theme of Mara Vijaya has been painted in the caves of Ajanta.
 The event is part of the enlightenment. It is a personification of the commotion of mind which the
Buddha went through at the time of enlightenment.
 Mara represents desire. According to the narrative, there is a dialogue between the Buddha and Mara,
and the Buddha is shown with his right hand indicating towards earth as a witness to his generosity.
 The figure on the right shows Mara coming with his army consisting of various kinds of people
including some with grotesque animal faces. The dancing figures are at the lower base with the
musicians.
 On the left lower end, the image of Mara is shown contemplating how to disturb Siddhartha.
 The army of Mara is shown marching towards the Buddha in the first half of the panel whereas the lower
half of the panel shows the departing army of Mara giving him adorations.
 The centrally placed Buddha is in padmasana and a tree at the back is shown by dense leaves.
 Buddha showing Bhumisparsha Mudra
Ellora
 Another important cave site located in Aurangabad District is Ellora. It is located a hundred kilometres
from Ajanta and has thirty-four Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jain caves.
 It is a unique art-historical site in the country as it has monastries associated with the three religions dating
from the fifth century CE onwards to the eleventh century CE.
 It is also unique in terms of stylistic eclecticism, i.e., confluence of many styles at one place.
 The caves of Ellora and Aurangabad show the ongoing differences between the two religions—Buddhism
and Brahmanical.
 There are twelve Buddhist caves having many images belonging to Vajrayana Buddhism like Tara,
Mahamayuri, Akshobhya, Avalokiteshwara, Maitrya, Amitabha, etc.
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 Buddhist caves are big in size and are of single, double and triple storeys. Their pillars are massive. Ajanta
also has excavated double-storeyed caves but at Ellora, the triple storey is a unique achievement
 Cave No. 12, which is a triple-storey excavation, has images of Tara, Avalokiteshwara, Manushi Buddhas
and the images of Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghsiddhi, Vajrasatva and
Vajraraja.
 The Brahmanical Cave Nos. 13–28 have many sculptures. Many caves are dedicated to Shaivism, but the
images of both Shiva and Vishnu and their various forms according to Puranic narrative are depicted.
 Among the Shaivite themes, Ravana shaking Mount Kailash, Andhakasurvadha, Kalyanasundara are
profusely depicted whereas among the Vaishnavite themes, the different avatars of Vishnu are depicted.
 The images are heavy and show considerable sophistication in the handling of sculptural volume.
 Various guilds at Ellora came from different places like Vidarbha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and carved
the sculptures. Thereby it is the most diverse site in India in terms of the sculptural styles.
 Cave No. 16 is known as Kailash leni. A rock-cut temple has been carved out of a single rock, a unique
achievement of the artisans.
 Among the important Shaivite caves are Cave No. 29 and Cave No. 21.
Bagh Caves
 The Bagh Caves, consisting of Buddhist mural paintings, are located 97 km from Dhar district of Madhya
Pradesh.
 These rock-cut cave monuments are not natural but carved over a period of time during the ancient India
mostly during the Satvahana period.
 The Bagh caves, like those at Ajanta, were excavated by master craftsmen on perpendicular sandstone rock
face of a hill across the seasonal stream of Baghani.
 Out of the original nine caves, only five have survived, all of which are viharas or resting places for monks,
having a quadrangular plan.
 Most significant of the five caves is Cave No. 4, commonly known as the Rang Mahal, meaning the Palace
of Colours,
 To prevent further loss of the values of the Indian art, most paintings were carefully removed in 1982 and
today can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Gwalior.
Elephanta Caves
The Elephanta Caves located near Mumbai are dominated by the Shaivite faith. It is contemporary with Ellora, and
its sculptures show slenderness in the body, with stark light and dark effects.
Cave Tradition in Eastern India
 Like in western India, Buddhist caves have also been excavated in eastern India, mainly in the coastal
region of Andhra Pradesh, and in Odisha.
 One of the main sites in Andhra Pradesh is Guntapalle in Eluru district. The caves have been excavated in
the hills along with the structured monasteries. Perhaps it is among the very unique sites where the
structured stupas, viharas and the caves are excavated at one place.
 Apart from Guntapalle, the other important cave site is Rampaerrampallam which has very moderate small
excavations but there are rock-cut stupas on the hillock.
 At Anakapalli near Vishakhapatnam, caves were excavated and a huge rock-cut stupa was carved out of the
hillock during the fourth–fifth centuries CE. It is a unique site as it has the biggest rock-cut stupas in the
country. Many votive rock-cut stupas all around the hillock have also been excavated.
 The rock-cut cave tradition also existed in Odisha. The earliest examples are the Udaigiri-Khandagiri caves
in the vicinity of Bhubaneswar.
 These caves are scattered and have inscriptions of Kharavela Jain kings. According to the inscriptions, the
caves were meant for Jain monks.
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 There are numerous single-cell excavations. Some have been carved in huge independent boulders and
given the shape of animals. The big caves include a cave with a pillared veranda with cells at the back.
Later Mural Traditions
The tradition of cave excavations continued further at many places where sculpting and painting were done
simultaneously.
Badami
 One such site is Badami in the State of Karnataka. Badami was the capital of the early Chalukyan dynasty
which ruled the region from 543 to 598 CE.
 With the decline of the Vakataka rule, the Chalukyas established their power in the Deccan. The Chalukya
king, Mangalesha, patronised the excavation of the Badami caves. He was the younger son of the
Chalukya king, Pulakesi I, and the brother of Kirtivarman I.
 The inscription in Cave No.4 mentions the date 578–579 CE, describes the beauty of the cave and includes
the dedication of the image of Vishnu. Thus it may be presumed that the cave was excavated in the same
era and the patron records his Vaishnava affiliation. Therefore, the cave is popularly known as the Vishnu
Cave.
 Stylistically speaking, the painting represents an extension of the tradition of mural painting from Ajanta to
Badami in South India.
 The sinuously drawn lines, fluid forms and compact composition exemplify the proficiency and maturity
the artists had achieved in the sixth century CE.
Murals under the Pallava, Pandava and Chola Kings
 The tradition of painting extended further down south in Tamil Nadu in the preceding centuries with
regional variations during the regimes of Pallava, Pandya and Chola dynasties.
Pallavas
 The Pallava kings who succeeded the Chalukya kings in parts of South India, were also patrons of arts.
 Mahendravarma I who ruled in the seventh century was responsible for building temples at Panamalai,
Mandagapattu and Kanchipuram.
 The inscription at Mandagapattu mentions Mahendravarman I with numerous titles such as Vichitrachitta
(curious-minded), Chitrakarapuli (tiger among artists), Chaityakari (temple builder), which show his
interest in art activities.
 The paintings in these temples too were done at his initiative, though only fragments remain. The
Panamalai figure of a female divinity is drawn gracefully.
 Paintings at the Kanchipuram temple were patronised by the Pallava king, Rajsimha. Only traces of
paintings remain now which depict Somaskanda.
 Faces are round and large. Lines are rhythmic with increased ornamentation when compared with the
paintings of an earlier periods. Depiction of torso still remains like the earlier sculptural tradition but is
elongated.
Pandyas
 When the Pandyas came to power, they too patronised art.
 Tirumalaipuram caves and Jaina caves at Sittanvasal are some of the surviving examples.
 A few fragmented layers of paintings can be seen in Tirumalaipuram. In Sittanavasal, the paintings are
visible on the ceilings of shrines, in verandas, and on the brackets.
Cholas
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 The tradition of building temples and embellishing them with carvings and paintings continued during the
reign of the Chola kings who ruled over the region from the ninth to the thirteenth century.
 But it was in the eleventh century, when the Cholas reached their zenith of power, that masterpieces of the
Chola art and architecture began to appear.
 The temples of Brihadeswara at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram in Tamil Nadu were
built during the reigns of Rajaraja Chola, his son, Rajendra Chola and Raj a raja Chola II, respectively.
 Though Chola paintings are seen in Nartamalai, the most important are those in Brihadeswara temple. The
paintings were executed on the walls of the narrow passage surrounding the shrine.
 Two layers of paintings were found when they were discovered. The upper layer was painted during the
Nayak period, in the sixteenth century. Thanks to the cleaning of the surface painting, examples of the great
tradition of painting during the Chola period were unveiled.
 The paintings show narrations and aspects related to Lord Shiva, Shiva in Kailash, Shiva as Tripurantaka,
Shiva as Nataraja, a portrait of the patron Rajaraja and his mentor Kuruvar, dancing figures, etc.
Vijayanagara Murals
 With the decline of power of the Chola dynasty in the thirteenth century, the Vijayanagara Dynasty
(fourteenth-sixteenth centuries) captured and brought under its control the region from Hampi to Trichy
with Hampi serving as its capital.
 Many paintings survive in a number of temples. The paintings at Tiruparakunram, near Trichy, done in the
fourteenth century represent the early phase of the Vijayanagara style.
 In Hampi, the Virupaksha temple has paintings on the ceiling of its mandapa narrating events from dynastic
history and episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
 Among the important panels are the ones which show Vidyaranya, the spiritual teacher of Bukkaraya
Harsha, being carried in a palanquin in a procession and the incarnations of Vishnu. The faces of the
figures are shown in profile, with large frontal eyes. The figures have narrow waists.
 In Lepakshi, near Hindupur, in present Andhra Pradesh, there are glorious examples of Vijayanagara
paintings on the walls of the Shiva temple.
 In keeping with the tradition, the Vijayanagara painters evolved a pictorial language wherein the faces are
shown in profile and figures and objects two-dimensionally. Lines become still but fluid, compositions
appear in rectilinear compartments.
Nayaka Murals
 These stylistic conventions of the preceding centuries were adopted by artists in various centres in South
India as can be seen in the paintings of the Nayaka Period.
 Paintings of the Nayaka dynasty in the seventeenth and eigtheenth centuries are seen in Thiruparakunram,
Sreerangam and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu.
 In Thiruparakunram, paintings are found of two different periods—of the fourteenth and the seventeenth
century. Early paintings depict scenes from the life of Vardhaman Mahavira.
 The Nayaka paintings depict episodes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and also scenes from
Krishna-leela. In Tiruvarur, there is a panel narrating the story of Muchukunda.
 In Chidambaram, there are panels of paintings narrating stories related to Shiva and Vishnu— Shiva as
Bhikshatana Murti, Vishnu as Mohini, etc.
 In the Sri Krishna temple at Chengam in Arcot District there are 60 panels narrating the story of the
Ramayana which represent the late phase of Nayaka paintings.
 The examples cited above suggest that Nayaka paintings were more or less an extension of the
Vijayanagara style with minor regional modifications and incorporations.
Kerala Murals
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 Kerala painters (during the period from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century) evolved a pictorial language
and technique of their own while discriminately adopting certain stylistic elements from Nayaka and
Vijayanagara schools.
 The painters evolved a language taking cues from contemporary traditions, like Kathakali and kalam
ezhuthu (ritual floor painting of Kerala), using vibrant and luminous colours, representing human figures in
three-dimensionality.
 Most of the paintings are seen on the walls of shrines and cloister walls of temples and some inside palaces.
 Thematically too, paintings from Kerala stand apart. Most of the narrations are based on those episodes
from Hindu mythology which were popular in Kerala. The artist seems to have derived sources from oral
traditions and local versions of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata for painted narration.
 More than sixty sites have been found with mural paintings which include three palaces—Dutch palace in
Kochi, Krishnapuram palace in Kayamkulam and Padmanabhapuram palace.
 Among the sites where one can see the mature phase of Kerala’s mural painting tradition are
Pundareekapuram Krishna temple, Panayanarkavu, Thirukodithanam, Triprayar Sri Rama temple and
Trissur Vadakkunathan temple.
Bodhisattvas
 In the main, Buddhism has three kinds
1. Hinayana Buddhism, the original Buddhism evolved by Buddha, also called “Theravada
Buddhism”
2. Mahayana Buddhism that evolved a few centuries after Buddha’s time, in modification of the
Hinayana Buddhism and
3. Vajrayana Buddhism that was the last to evolve based on tantrism.
 Hinayana is prevalent in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Mahayana is prevalent and
practised in China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea and Viet Nam. Vajrayana Buddhism is practised in Tibet,
Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. The three main schools apart, there are hundreds of Buddhist sects in the Asian
countries such as China, Japan etc where local traditions
Bodhisattvas
 Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who postpone their own salvation in order to help all sentient beings.
The bodhisattva is an ideal type, not a depiction of an historical person like the Buddha.
 The concepts behind “Bodhisattvas” seem a latter day accretion to the Buddhist lore sanctioned by the
newly emerged Mahayana school of Buddhism about five centuries after Buddha passed away (483 BC).
 The old Theravadin (Hinayana) school that existed in early Buddhism, considered “Arahants” to be the
ones with the highest achievement of attaining nirvana after death.
 However, the Mahayana school backed the idea of “Bodhisattvas” who had the duty of elevating the people
with their compassion and dedication.
 One major difference between the Hinayana school and the Mahayana school is the importance given to the
Bodhisattvas by the latter school.
 The Tibetan Vajrayana traditions also give importance to the role of Bodhisattvas in the spiritual upliftment
of the people.
 across the Buddhist countries, three names of Bodhisattvas shine like stars – (1) Manjusri (2) Vajrapani
and (3) Avalokitesvara (also called Padmapani) .
BODHISATTVA MANJUSRI:
In iconography, he is seated and holds a sword in his right hand representing wisdom that would cut down
ignorance. On his left hand he holds a lotus. Often, he is shown to sit on a lion or the ski of a lion.
BODHISATTVA VAJRAPANI:
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Vajrapani is regarded as one of the earliest in the Mahayana traditions. The deity holds a thunderbolt in the hand.
“Vajra” means thunderbolt (also diamond) and “pani” means “in the hand”. He is a fierce protector of the Buddha.
Buddha is shown with three “Protectors” around, namely Manjusri (representing Buddha’s wisdom), Vajrapani
(representing Buddha’s power) and Avalokitesvara (representing Buddha’s compassion).
BODHISATTVA AVALOKITESVARA:
“Avalokitesvara” literally means “Lord who looks down” (on the people).The deity is pacific and holds a lotus in the
left hand, and stands for compassion. Thus, Avalokitesvara is also referred to as “Padmapani “(holder of lotus). In
Chinese texts, the deity is called “Guanyin”. It could be represented as male or female.
There are many other Bodhisattvas which are not as widely popular or well-known in the wide Buddhist world, and
some of the names are Akasagarbha, Ksitigarbha, Maitreya, Nagarjuna, Samantabhadra, Shantideva and Tara.
Buddhist Mudras
What is Mudra?
It is a positions of hand oftenly depicted in Buddhist art and used in practice to evoke a particular state of mind.
Buddhist Mudras
Dharmachakra Mudra
It is also called as the gesture of 'Teaching of the Wheel
of Dharma' that describes one of the most important moments in the Buddha's life as he performed the
Dharmachakra mudra in his first sermon in Sarnath after he attained enlightenment. It is performed with the help of
both the hands which are held against the chest, the left facing inward, covering the right facing outward.
Dhyan Mudra
It is also known as Samadhi or Yoga mudra. It is performed
with the help of two hands which are placed on the lap and place the right hand on the left hand with stretched
fingers (thumbs facing upwards and other fingers of both the hand resting on each other.) This is the characteristic
gesture of Buddha Shakyamuni, Dhyani Buddha Amitabh and the Medicine Buddha.
Bhumisparsa Mudra
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This gesture is also known as “touching the Earth” which
represents the moment of the Buddha's awakening as he claims the earth as the witness of his enlightenment. It is
performed with the help of the right hand, which is held above the right knee, reaching toward the ground with the
palm inward while touching the lotus throne.
Varada Mudra
This mudra represents the offering, welcome, charity, giving, compassion and sincerity. It is performed with the help
of both the hands in which palm of right hand facing forward and fingers extended and left hand palm placed near
omphalos with extended fingers.
Karana Mudra
This gesture signifies the warding off evil which is
performed by raising the index and the little finger, and folding the other fingers. It helps in reducing sickness or
negative thoughts.
Vajra Mudra
This gesture denotes the fiery thunderbolt that symbolizes
the five elements, i.e. air, water, fire, earth, and metal. It is performed with the help of right fist, left hand forefinger,
which placed by enclosing the erect forefinger of the left hand in the right fist with the tip of the right forefinger
touching (or curled around) the tip of the left forefinger.
Vitarka Mudra
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It signifies the discussion and transmission of the
teachings of the Buddha. It is performed by joining the tips of the thumb and the index fingers together while
keeping the other fingers straight, which is just like to Abhaya Mundra and varada mudra but in this Mundra the
thumbs touching the index fingers.
Abhaya Mudra
It is a gesture of fearlessness or blessing that represents the
protection, peace, benevolence, and dispelling of fear. It is performed with the help of right hand by raising to
shoulder height with bent arm and the face of palm will be facing outward with fingers upright whereas the left hand
hanging down while standing. This gesture is characteristic of Buddha Shakyamuni and Dhyani Buddha
Amoghasiddhi.
Uttarabodhi Mudra
This gesture denotes the supreme enlightenment
through connecting oneself with divine universal energy. It is performed with the help of both the hand, which
placed at the heart and the index fingers touching and pointing upwards and the remaining fingers intertwined.
Anjali Mudra
It is also called 'Namaskara Mudra' or ‘Hridayanjali
Mudra' that represents the gesture of greeting, prayer and adoration. It is performed by pressing the palms of the
hands together in which the hands are held at the heart chakra with thumbs resting lightly against the sternum.
ISHWAR CHANDRA BIDYASAGAR
News: year 2020 will be 200th birth anniversary of great social reformer Ishwar Chandra Bidyasagar
About
 Great scholar and reformer
 His ideas were blend of Indian and Western Thought
 In 1850 he became the principle of Sanskrit College.
 Opened the Sanskrit College to non Brahmins to break the monopoly of priestly class on rituals
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 Devised a new Bengali primer
 Started a movement in support of WIDOW REMARRIAGE which resulted in legalistation of widow
remarriage.
 Supported women education. As government inspector of schools organized 35 girls schools many at his
own expense
KEELADI
NEWS:
 In a major turning point in the cultural historiography of the ancient Sangam Age, the Tamil Nadu
Archaeology Department (TNAD) has stated that the cultural deposits unearthed during excavations at
Keeladi in Sivaganga district could be safely dated to a period between 6th century BCE and 1st century
CE.
 The report titled, ‘Keeladi-An Urban Settlement of Sangam Age on the Banks of River Vaigai’, was
published by the TNAD. The results from the fourth excavations suggested that the “second urbanisation
[the first being Indus] of the Vaigai plains happened in Tamil Nadu around 6th century BCE as it happened
in the Gangetic plains.
 Society in Keeladi had used animals predominantly for agricultural purpose.
About Sangam Age
Sangam age Polity
 The Tamil country was ruled by three dynasties namely the Chera, Chola and Pandyas, with royal emblem
bow, tiger and carp (fish) respectively.
 Hereditary monarchy was the form of government during the Sangam period.
 The military administration was also efficiently organized during the Sangam Age and each ruler had a
regular army.
Sangam age Society
 Tolkappiyam refers to the fivefold division of lands Kurinji (hilly tracks), Mullai (pastoral), Marudam
(agricultural), Neydal (coastal) and Palai (desert). The people living in these five divisions had their
respective chief occupations as well as gods for worship.
 Tolkappiyam also refers to four castes namely arasar (ruling class), anthanar (priests), vanigar (traders), and
vellalar (agriculturalists).
 The courage of women was also appreciated in many poems, but life of widows was miserable and practice
of Sati was also prevalent.
 Ancient primitive tribes like Thodas, Irulas, Nagas and Vedars lived in this period.
Sangam age Economy
 Agriculture was the chief occupation and Rice was the common with crops like Ragi, sugarcane, cotton,
pepper, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and a variety of fruits.
 Land revenue was the chief source of state’s income while custom duty was also imposed on foreign trade.
 The handicrafts of the Sangam period were popular and include weaving, metal works and carpentry. Also
ship building and ornaments making was prominent.
 The main exports were cotton fabrics, spices, ivory products, pearls and precious stones. While gold, horses
and sweet wine were the chief imports.
Sangam literature
 Sangam literature chiefly consists of Tolkappiyam (earliest), Ettuthokai and Pathuppattu. These works
provide valuable information to know the history of the Sangam Age.
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 Tolkapiyam written by Tolkaapiyar is considered as grammar, it encompasses the political and socioeconomic scenario of that age.
 Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies) comprises of eight works.
 Pathupattu (Ten Idylls) contains ten different literary work.
Five Epics
 The first of the five Tamil epics of the Sangam Age of Tamil Literature is Silappatikaram. Silappatikaram
was a non-religious text of the 1st century CE. The writer of Silappatikaram was Ilango Adigal.
 The second of the five Tamil epics of the Sangam Age of Tamil Literature is Manimegalai. Manimegalai
was a Buddhist religious text composed in around 1st or 2nd century CE. The writer of Manimegalai was
Seethalai Sathanar.
 The third of the five Tamil epics of the Sangam Age of Tamil Literature is Civaka Cintamani . Civaka
Cintamani was a Jain religious text but its date of composition cannot be ascertained. The writer of Civaka
Cintamani was Tirutakkatevar.
 The fourth of the five Tamil epics of the Sangam Age of Tamil Literature is Kundalakesi. Kundalakesi was
a Buddhist religious text composed in around 5th century CE. The writer of Kundalakesi was Nagakuthanar
or Nagasena.
 The fifth and last of the five Tamil epics of the Sangam Age of Tamil Literature is Valayapathiwas a Jain
religious text of 9th century CE. The writer of Valayapathi was some anonymous Jain asectic.
 It is believed that three Sangams existed: First Sangam had flourished at then Madurai, the Second Sangam
at Kapadapuram and the Pandyan kings had established the Third Sangam at Madurai.
BABUR
NEWS: Certain fringe groups defaced the name of Babur in Babur road saying he was invader and foreigner.
ABOUT BABUR
 Founder of Mughal empire in India
 He was a descendant of Timur from the side of his father and Chengiz Khan from the side of his mother.
 First battle of Panipat was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi on 21 April 1526.
 Battle of Khanwa-1527 between Babur and Rana Sanga
 Battle of Chanderi -1528- defeated Medini Rai
 Died 1530 in Agra. His tomb is at Kabul
 He adopted Tughluma and flanking party system and first to use GUN POWDER and artillery in India.
 Autobiography: Tuzuk-i Baburi in Turuki
 Baburnama: translation of this book by Abdur Rahim Khanekhana
Pulikkali
 It is a recreational folk art from the state of Kerala.
 It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival,
celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala.
 On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam), performers painted like tigers and hunters in
bright yellow, red, and black dance to the beats of instruments like Udukku and Thakil.
 Literal meaning of Pulikkali is the 'play of the tigers' hence the performance revolve around the theme of
tiger hunting.
 The folk art is mainly practiced in Thrissur district of Kerala.
BATTLE OF SARAGARHI
 The Battle of Saragarhi was fought before the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between the British
Indian Empire and the Afghan tribesmen.
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 It occurred in the North-West Frontier Province. Sikh soldiers fought on behalf of the British Indian Army
against Pashtun Orakzai tribesmen.
 4th Batallion of Sikh Regiment celebrates it as Saragarhi day
 21 Jat Sikh fought against 10,000 to 12,000 Afghanis.
Guru Ravids
 He was a poet and saint of the Bhakti movement.
 Born in Varanasi to the ‘untouchable’ leather tanners caste.
 He is believed to be a disciple of the bhakti saint-poet Ramananda and a contemporary of the bhakti saintpoet Kabir.
 One of his famous disciples was the saint, Mirabai.
 Ravidas’ devotional songs were included in the Sikh scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib.
 The Panch Vani text of the Dadupanthi tradition within Hinduism also includes numerous poems of
Ravidas.
 Ravidas taught removal of social divisions of caste and gender, and promoted unity in the pursuit of
personal spiritual freedoms.
 Among Ravidas’s moral and intellectual achievements were the conception of “Begampura”, a city that
knows no sorrow; and a society where caste and class have ceased to matter.
Ravidas Jayanti
 Guru Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day in the Hindu calendar
month of Magha.
 People celebrate this day by reading the holy book Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji.
 Some devotees also take a holy bath in Ganga to celebrate this anniversary.
Bhakti movement
 Bhakti movement was a revolution started by the Hindu saints to bring religious reforms by adopting the
method of devotion to achieve salvation.
 This movement resulted in various rites by practising rituals of devotion among the Hindus, Muslims and
Sikhs in the Indian subcontinent.
 Their method of expression was to sing devotional compositions in the temples, Gurudwaras and Masjids.
Shankara (788 - 820 AD)
 Integrated the essence of Buddhism in Hindu thought and interpreted the ancient Vedic religion
 Consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta
 He is reputed to have founded four mathas
 Adi Shankara is believed to be the organiser of the Dashanami monastic order and unified the Shanmata
tradition of worship.
 Shankara is most known for his systematic reviews and commentaries (Bhasyas) on ancient Indian texts.
Shankara's masterpiece of commentary is the Brahmasutrabhasya (literally, commentary on Brahma Sutra),
a fundamental text of the Vedanta school of Hinduism.
Ramanuja (1017-1137 A.D)
 Exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism
 Literary works: Traditionally 9 Sanskrit texts, including Vedartha Sangraham, Sri Bhashyam, Gita
Bhashyam
 Propagator of Vishishtadvaita Vedanta or qualified monism.
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 Prior to Ramanuja, the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya was already an established organization under
Yamunāchārya, and bhakti songs and devotional ideas already a part of tamil culture because of the twelve
Alvārs.
Alvars and Nayannars
In Tamil Nadu, the Bhakti movement was started by Vaishnava saints {Alvars} and Shaiva saints {Nayanars}.
The Alvars sang praises of Vishnu as the moved from place to place. They established shrines such as Srirangam
and spread the ideas of Vaishnavism. The compilation of their poems called Divya Prabandham developed into a
powerful literature of Vaishnavas. The Alvars emphasized on Bhakti and gave reference to Bhagvata Puranas
often, they were called the pioneers of Bhakti Movement.
The same is applicable to the Saiva Nayanar poets. They travelled from places to places and sang songs in praise
of Lord Shiva. The compilation of their songs called Tirumurai, developed into the scripture on Shaivism. Both
the Vishnu and Shiva bhakti saints influenced north India and this Bhakti Movement spread from South to North.
Basava (12th Century)
 Founder of the Lingayats
 Literary works: Vachana Sahitya in Kannada Language
 Propagator of shakthi Visishtadvaita
Madhva (1238-1319 AD)
 Broke away from the doctrine of unity of God and the human soul prevalent at the time
 He preached "Dvaita" or dualism, where the divinity was separate from the human conscience.
 Madhva called his philosophy Tatvavāda meaning "arguments from a realist viewpoint".
Vallabhacharya (1479–1531 CE)
 Vallabhacharya (1479–1531 CE), also known as Vallabha, was an Indian Telugu philosopher who founded
the Krishna-centered Pushti sect of Vaishnavism in the Braj region of India, and the philosophy of Shuddha
advaita
 He authored many texts including the Anubhashya (a commentary on Brahm Sutra), Shodash Granth and
several commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana.
 His legacy is best preserved in the Braj region, and particularly at Nathdwara in Mewar region of India – an
important Krishna pilgrimage center.
Nimbarka
 Nimbarka is known for propagating the Vaishnava Theology of Dvaitadvaita (dvaita-advaita) or “dualistic
non-dualism". It is also known as 'Bhedābheda' (bheda-abheda) philosophy.
 founded the devotional sect called Nimbarkas, Nimandi, or Nimavats, who worshipped the deity Krishna
and his consort, Radha.
Ramanada (15th century)
 Founder of Sant-parampara (literally, the tradition of bhakti saints) in north India
 Disciple(s): 2 poetess-saints and 10 poet-saints including Kabir, Ravidas, Bhagat Pipa, Sukhanand
 Literary works: Gyan-lila and Yog-cintamani (Hindi),Vaisnava Mata Bhajabhaskara and Ramarcana
paddhati (Sanskrit).
Kabir (1440-1510 AD)
 He believed in formless God.
 He was the first to reconcile Hinduism and Islam.
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 Kabir Das was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti
movement and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib.
 he was strongly influenced by his teacher, the Hindu bhakti leader Ramananda.
 Kabir's legacy survives and continues through the Kabir panth ("Path of Kabir"), a religious community
that recognises him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members are known as Kabir panthis
 Literary works with compositions attributed to Kabir include Kabir Bijak, Kabir Parachai, Sakhi Granth,
Adi Granth (Sikh), and Kabir Granthawali (Rajasthan).
Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538 AD)
 Founder of Sikhism religion
 Opposes idol worship and caste system, and taught worship of one God through prayer and meditation.
 His birth is celebrated worldwide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Kartik Pooranmashi, the full-moon day in
the month of Katak, October–November.
Dadu Dayal (1544-1603 AD)
 Disciple of Kabir
 He was a supporter of Hindu-Muslim unity
 His followers were called Dadu Panthis
 Dadu's compositions in Braj language were recorded by his disciple Rajjab and are known as the Dadu
Anubhav Vani, a compilation of 5,000 verses.
Chaitanya (1468-1533 AD)
 Founder of modern Vaishnavism in Bengal
 Popularized Kirtan
 He popularised the chanting of the 'Hare Krishna mantra' and composed the Siksastakam (eight devotional
prayers) in Sanskrit.
 His followers, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, revere him as a Krishna with the mood and complexion of his source
of inspiration Radha.
 His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima.
Surdas (1483-1563 AD)
 Disciple of Vallabhacharya
 Showed intense devotion to Radha and Krishna
 Regarded as the outstanding devotional poet in Brajbhasha
 Surdas is best known for his composition the Sur Sagar. Sur also composed the Sur Saravali and Sahitya
Lahari.
 Sur's compositions are also found in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs.
 His work raised the status of Braj Bhasha from a crude language to that of a literary one.
 Eight disciples of Vallabha Acharya are called the Aṣṭachāp, (Eight seals in Hindi), Sur is considered to be
the foremost among them.
Mirabai (1498-1563 AD)
 Staunch devotee of Lord Krishna
 Composed number of songs and poems in honour of Krishna.
 A number of compositions by Meera Bai continue to be sung today in India, mostly as devotional songs
(bhajans) though nearly all of them have a philosophical connotation.
 Prem Ambodh Pothi, a text attributed to Guru Gobind Singh and completed in 1693 CE, includes poetry of
Mira Bai as one of sixteen historic bhakti sants important to Sikhism.
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Tulasidas (1532-1623 AD)
 Depicted Rama as the incarnation
 Wrote Ramcharitmanas
 Awadhi works – Ramcharitmanas, Ramlala Nahachhu, Barvai Ramayan, Parvati Mangal, Janaki Mangal
and Ramagya Prashna.
 Braja works – Krishna Gitavali, Gitavali, Sahitya Ratna, Dohavali, Vairagya Sandipani and Vinaya
Patrika.
MARATHI SAINTS
Namdeva (1270-1309 AD)
 Disciple of Vishoba Khechar
 He was a devotee of Vittoba (Vishnu)
Jnanesvar (1275-1296 AD)
Wrote "Jnaneswari", a commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita
Eknath
 Wrote commentary on verses of the Bhagavad-Gita
 Devotee of Vithoba
Tukaram
 Contemporary of Maratha king Shivaji
 Devotee of Vithal
 He founded the Varkau sect
 His teachings are contained in Abhangas.
Ram Das
 Author of Dasabodh
 His teachings inspired Shivaji to establish an independent kingdom in Maharashtra.
Sufism
The doctrine of Sufism was based on union with God which can be achieved through love of God, prayers, fasts and
rituals without reference to Hindu or Muslims. It stressed that cultivation of religious experience should be based on
the direct perception of God.
Summary on Sufi Movement in India
 Synthesises variety of ideas and practices from Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism
 It aimed at service of mankind through spiritual self development
 Eager for Hindu-Muslim unity and cultural synthesis
 Opposed to orthodoxy preached faith and devotion to the God.
 Opposes the materialistic life but not in favour of complete renunciation.
 Organised in different orders (Silsilas)
 The Sufi orders were divided into two: Ba-shara those who followed the Islamic law; and Be-shara those
who were not bound by Islamic law.
Chisti Order
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 The Saints of Chisti Order were lived in poverty and lead a hermit life. They did not accept State service.
This order is primarily followed in Afghanistan and Indian Subcontinent.
 The Chisti order in India was established in India by Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti in 1192, shortly after the
death of Prithvi Raj Chauhan.
 He died in 1236 and his tomb in Ajmer was constructed by Ghiasuddin Khalji of Malwa. Mohammed Bin
Tuqlaq visited the tomb and later it came under State Management during Mughal Ruler Akbar’s reign.
 One of the other notable Sufi saints was Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki who organized work in Delhi
and the contemporary Delhi Sultanate Ruler was Illtutmish who was deeply devoted to Chisti Order.
 Another famous Sufi saint was Nizamuddin Auliya and he adopted yogic breathing exercises, so much so
that the yogis called him sidh or ‘perfect.’
 Auliya’s famous disciple was Amir Khusrow who is called as “father of Qawwali” and “Parrot of India”
and introduced the Ghazal Style to India.
 After the death of Nasruddin Chiragh-i-Delhi in the 14th century, the chishtis order declined.
Suharwardi Order
 It entered India at the same time as the Chishtis and its activities were confined to the Punjab and Multan.
 This order was established in India by Bahauddin Zakanya.
 The Most well-known saints were Shaikh shihabuddin Suharwadi and Hamid-ud-din Nagori.
 Another Saint Shaikh Fakhruddin Ibrahim Iraqi composed a treatise called Hamat which is a commentary
on the Unity of Being (Wahdat-al-Wujud) and he was highly respected by the Delhi Sultans from Alauddin
Khilji to Muhammad Bin Tughluq.
 Unlike the Chishtis, the suharwardi saints did not believe in leading a life of Poverty. They accepted the
service of the state and held important posts mainly under Delhi Sultanate ruler Iltutmish.
Qadri Order
 This order was established in India by Niyammad-ulla-Qadiri and was introduced in India over Babur
period.
 A great follower of Qadri Order was Dara Shikoh, who was the eldest son of the Mughal emperor Shah
jahan.
 During Aurangazeb’s reign, the Qadri order lost its patronage.
Nasqabhandi Order
 This order was founded by Bahibillah and the followers were very orthodox compared to all other orders.
 This order was popularized in India by Babur who was deeply devoted to Naqshbandiyya leader Khwaja
Ubaidullah Ahrar.
 One of the disciples of Khwaja was Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi who opposed all those practices and beliefs of
Akbar and demanded re-imposition of Jizyah.
 Later he was imprisoned by Jahangir for claiming a status beyond that of the Prophet.
JYOTIBA PHULE
 Jyotiba Phule (1827-1890), born in Satara, Maharashtra, belonged to the mali (gardener) community and
organised a powerful movement against upper caste domination and brahminical supremacy.
 Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers’ Society) in 1873, with the leadership of the samaj
coming from the backward classes, malis, telis, kunbis, saris and dhangars.
 The main aims of the movement were (i) social service, and (ii) spread of education among women and
lower caste people.
 Phule’s works, Sarvajanik Satyadharma and Gulamgiri, became sources of inspiration for the common
masses.
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 Phule used the symbol of Rajah Bali as opposed to the brahmins’ symbol of Rama.
 Phule aimed at the complete abolition of the caste system and socio-economic inequalities; he was against
Sanskritic Hinduism. This movement gave a sense of identity to the depressed communities as a class
against those brahmins who used religion and the blind faith of the masses to exploit the masses for
personal monetary gain.
 Phule, a firm believer in gender equality, was a pioneer in women’s education; he with the help of his wife,
Savitribai, opened a girls’ school at Poona; he was a pioneer of widow remarriage movement in
Maharashtra and also opened a home for widows in 1854. Phule was awarded the title ‘Mahatma’ for his
social reform work.
NEHRU MEMORIAL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY
The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) established in the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 - 1964) is
an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Located in the majestic Teen Murti
House,the official residence of the first Prime Minister of India, it has four major constituents namely, a Memorial
Museum, a Library on modern India, a Centre for Contemporary Studies and Nehru Planetarium.
Bhaona
 Bhaona is a traditional form of entertainment, with religious messages, prevalent is Assam, India.
 It is a creation of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva, written in the early sixteenth century. He created the
form to convey religious messages to villagers through entertainment.
 Later Srimanta Madhavdeva also wrote some plays.
 The plays of bhaona are popularly known as Ankiya Nats and their staging is known as bhaona.
 Bhaona is generally staged at xatras and namghars in Assam.
 The bhaonas are written in the Assamese and Brajavali languages
 In order to witness the Bhaona culture and traditions, one ought to visit Majuli, the largest river island in
the world.
INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS
NEWS: Following the decision by the Union Cabinet to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak
Dev ji throughout the country and across the globe, in a grand and befitting manner, the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations has invited Heads of Foreign Missions in New Delhi to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
ABOUT THE INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS:
 ICCR is an autonomous organisation of the government of India, tasked with strengthening India’s external
cultural relations through exchanges with other countries and their people.
 The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
independent India’s first Education Minister.
 Its objectives are to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes
pertaining to India’s external cultural relations; to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual
understanding between India and other countries; to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and
people; and to develop relations with nations.
 It also administers the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, established by the
Government of India in 1965.
SHIROMANI GURUDWARA PRABNDHAK COMMITTEE (SGPC)
NEWS: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak
Committee is a democratically elected body and not an organisation of the SAD. Mr. Badal has been facing flak
from the ruling Congress which dubbed the apex gurdwara body as a “tool” in his party’s hands.
ABOUT SGPC
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 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is an organization in India responsible for the
management of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in three states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal
Pradesh and union territory of Chandigarh.
 SGPC also administers Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.
 FOUNDED: 15 November 1920
INDIA’S GOT COLOUR
NEWS:
 UNESCO hosted the launch of the “India’s Got Colour” campaign in New Delhi, followed by a panel
discussion on the issue of colour bias, on 14 October 2019, from 5 pm to 6 pm
 The main objective of the campaign is to spark a conversation around colourism in India.
 UNESCO’s mandate includes the fight against racism and discrimination anytime, anywhere.
 Standing up against racial discrimination is a key component of UNESCO's work aiming to build peace in
the minds of men and women, through education for tolerance, and the rejection of racist stereotypes in our
societies or in the media.
 Founder and Director of Women of Worth, who started the Dark Is Beautiful campaign in 2009. Nandita
Das been supporting the campaign, since 2013. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, the campaign was
reinvented and got a more inclusive name, ‘India’s Got Colour’.
CHALUKYA’S OF VATAPI
NEWS: Graves of Chalukyan rulers have been found in a village near Huligemmanakolla in Pattadakal of
Karnataka’s district.
 Chalukyan kings were famous for building gigantic temples with intricate architecture in places such as
Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal in Bagalkot district.
 Built between the sixth and eighth centuries, these monuments are examples of the best of architecture of
that era in the entire South India,
ABOUT CHALUKYA’S OF VATAPI
 Ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and 12th centuries.
 Capital: Vatapi (modern Badami)
 Golden age in the history of Karnataka
 Founder: Jayasimha
MAMALLAPURAM
News: The second India- China informal summit took place at Mamallapuram owing to its historical link to the
China.
Historical significance of Mamallapuram
 It was one of the major port cities by the 7th century within the Pallava kingdom. The town was named
after Pallava king Narasimhavarman I (AD 630-668), who was also known as Mamalla.
 Architectural heritage of Mamallapuram:
1. Shore Temple: It is a structural temple built between 700–728 AD with granite Blocks. It was
built by Narasimhavarman II in Dravidian Style of Architecture. It has been classified as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Pancharathas (Five Rathas or Chariots): These are monolithic rock cut structures named after the
five Pandava brothers and Draupadi but they neither have anything to do with chariots nor
probably with the Pandavas and these associations are purely of a local character.
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3. Arjuna’s Penance: It is a 27m x 9m world largest bas-relief. It has over 100 sculptures of Gods,
Birds and Beasts and Saints. It is Popularly called as Arjunan Penance (Tapas). It is believed to
illustrate an instance from Mahabharata when Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, performed rigorous
penance with a prayer to Lord Shiva's to obtain the Powerful and Divine Bow to destroy the
Gauravas. It is also known as the “Descent of the Ganges”. It is said in legends that King
“Bhagiratha” standing on one leg posture Praying to the Lord to bring the River Ganges Down to
earth to please the souls of his ancestors.
4. Varaha Cave: It is also called as Adhivaraha Cava Temple. It is a rock-cut cave temple of the late
7th Century. The prominent sculpture in the cave is that of Lord Vishnu in the incarnated form of a
Varaha Swamy (Boar) rescuing Bhudevi (Mother Earth) from Seas. Many mythical charecters
have been sculptured on the temple walls and pillars.
The Chinese connection
 The Pallava Kings had a trade and defence relationship with China, in which the kings agreed to help China
in keeping a check on the growth of Tibet as a powerful nation.
 Various studies by archaeologists and historians show Mamallapuram had commercial links with countries
like China, Sri Lanka, and other South-East Asian countries. Coins from China, Persia and Rome have also
been found in Mamallapuram, which acted as trade centre for the Pallavas.
 The Chinese traveller Huien Tsang visited the region during the rule of the Narasimhavarman I.
 It is also said that Bodhidharma, who is credited with taking Zen Buddhism to China, travelled from the
Tamil Nadu coast to Guangzhou in 527 AD
 Also, the current Chinese President was earlier governor of Fujian, a province to the south-east of China's
mainland and a region that had intense cultural exchanges with Tamil Nadu.
NOBEL PRIZES
Why in news? Nobel Prizes for Literature and Nobel Peace Prize were awarded recently.
Nobel Prize for Literature:
 The Swedish Academy announced two winners - one for 2019 and one for 2018 -because the prize was not
awarded last year.
 Austrian author Peter Handke has won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature. Peter Handke was awarded "for
an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human
experience."
 The Nobel Prize in Literature 2018 was awarded to the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk "for a narrative
imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life." She
also won the Man Booker International Prize, 2018.
Nobel Peace Prize:
The Nobel Peace Prize 2019 is awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali "for his efforts to achieve
peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with
neighbouring Eritrea."
URDU
Why in news?
Recently Punjab University had proposed to merge Department of Urdu language with school of foreign languages,
which led to the criticism that Urdu is an Indian language.
About Urdu
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 Urdu is one of the official languages (under 8th schedule) under the Constitution of India.
 It is among the 15 Indian Languages written on the Indian Currency notes.
 It is one of the official languages in states like Kashmir, Telangana, UP, Bihar, New Delhi and West
Bengal.
 Urdu is closely related to Hindi. They are very similar in phonology and grammar.
 According to experts, the Urdu language originated and evolved in India from 6th to 13th century A.D.
 All the historical references indicate that origin of Urdu had taken place in Punjab state of India.
 Main dialects of Urdu are: Dehlavi, Rekhta etc.
 Despite its Persian script, Urdu is an Indian language because there are several examples of Indian
languages which are written in scripts derived from outside the country (e.g. Punjabi shahmukhi language
is also written from right to left)
 After its origin in Punjab, Urdu got developed and flourished in Delhi along with part of Haryana state an
KHON RAMLILA
 Recently, the Culture Department of Uttar Pradesh government organised the country’s first training
 and performance programme of KHON Ramlila in collaboration with Thailand government.
 Khon Masked Dance Drama in Thailand is a performing art which involve graceful dance movements,
instrumental and vocal renditions and glittering costumes that depict the glory of Rama.
 It has no dialogues and background voices narrate the whole story of Ramayana.
 Khon Ramlila of Thailand is included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage. some states in
South where it was developed in the form of ‘Dakhni (Deccani) language.
Thiruvalluvar
News: Recently, a controversy kicked up in Tamil Nadu after the image of Thiruvalluvar in saffron-coloured attire
was tweeted.
About
 Tiruvalluvar, also spelled Thiruvalluvar, also called Valluvar, (flourished c. 1st century BC or 6th century
AD, India), Tamil poet-saint known as the author of the Tirukkural (“Sacred Couplets”), considered a
masterpiece of human thought, compared in India and abroad to the Bible, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and
the works of Plato.
 A little information about his life are passed on orally. He lived at Mylapore, Chennai, engaged in weaving
as his profession, married to a maid known as Vasuki.
 Thiruvalluvar, the scholarly poet had advocated a life of discipline, self-control, chastity, non-violence,
temperance and devotion.
 He was a visionary of future with ‘Universal Society’ as the core theme.
 The values he advocated were specific, particular and yet universal and hence, eternal.
 His set of codes stipulated in his creation Thirukkural are still applicable to all sections of the world
societies with a modern outlook and a democratic autonomy with ultra-modern living comforts and very far
advanced science and technology of the third millennium.
 It was acclaimed by many as a Universal Code of Ethics.
 Thiruvalluvar’s approach to statecraft was like that of Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Machiavelli’s Prince but
at the same time differed basically on its end and means.
About Tirukkural
 Written in Tamil, it is an ancient treatise on the Code of Ethics and Universal Human Values.
 It is a moral compendium which has been classified under three major headings; aram (righteousness),
porul (wealth), ibam (enjoyment).
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 The ideological implication of these titles is that one must earn wealth through righteous means and
enjoyment becomes imminent through that which leads to enlightenment. This view is similar to the
Sanskrit tradition of dharma, artha, kama and moksa.
 Out of four aspects of life (Purushaarthas) Aram, Porul, Inbam and Veedu (Mokesha) Thirukkural
addresses only the first three and advocates the path to Veedu through the others and hence it is called
Muppal (3 Elements).
 It attempts to provide guidelines for the individuals in the society i.e.- the ascetic, the family members, etc.
who are responsible for themselves and to others.
 The codes are still applicable to all sections of the world societies - with a modern outlook and a
democratic autonomy with ultra-modern living comforts and very far advanced science and technology of
the third millennium. It is thus acclaimed by many as a Universal Code of Ethics.
Ayodhya Verdict- role of travelogues
Why in news?
In the recently delivered Ayodhya judgement, Supreme Court took note of the account of three European travellers
namely Joseph Tieffenthaler, William Finch, and Montgomery Martin.
Joseph Tiefenthaler
 He was an 18th-century missionary hailing from Italy who travelled in India for 27 years.
 In India, he was commissioned at the famous observatory of Sawai Jai Singh, the Raja of Jaipur, and was
later attached at the Jesuit College in Agra
 He also lived in Awadh, where Ayodhya is located, for over five years.
 In his book 'Description Historiqueet Geographique Del‘inde' he gives details about his travels to
Ayodhya.
William Finch
 He is known to have arrived in India in 1608 at Surat with Sir William Hawkins, a representative of the
East India Company.
 He is said to give the earliest English language account of Kashmir, as well as trade routes connecting
Punjab and eastern Turkistan and western China.
 Finch visited Ayodhya between 1608 and 1611, and did not find any building of importance of Islamic
origin.
 William Finch’s account has been recorded in the 1921 book ‘Early Travels in India (1583-1619)’ by the
historiographer Sir William Foster.
Robert Montgomery Martin
 He was an Anglo-Irish author and civil servant. He practised medicine in Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka),
East Africa and Australia.
 Martin then went on to work in Kolkata where he helped found the paper ‘Bengal Herald’. He later
returned to England where he wrote about the British Empire.
 He wrote the three-volume work ‘History, Antiquities, Topography and Statistics of Eastern India’.
 He had written about the worship of Lord Ram in the Ayodhya region and destruction of temples and the
erection of mosques.
Here are some of the documents presented in the Supreme Court and what the different sides have cited from
them to further their arguments:
ANCIENT/MEDIEVAL PERIOD
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 Valmiki Ramayana: The Janmabhoomi is where Vishnu chose to descend in his Ram avatar after the
devatas asked him to kill Ravan.
 Skanda Purana: Provides a description of the holy city of Ayodhya and the rituals of worship in the city
as well as pilgrimages to the site.
 Vashista Samhita: Mentions 7 places of pilgrimage in Ayodhya and mentions Ayodhya as a place of
'salvation'.
 Travelogue of Chinese Traveller Fa Xien from 400 AD: Mentions pilgrimages to the ancient city of
'Ayuta' from Kanauj.
 Travelogue of Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Hiuen Tsang from 600- 670 AD: Mentions the ancient city of
Saketa -- capital of King Dasarata -- during reign of King Harsha.
 Baburnama: No mention of a mosque but mentions city of Ayodhya. Says that Babur crossed the Sarayu
river and reached Ayodhya.
 Ain-i-Akbari: Mentions Lucknow as a city of recent origin and Ayodhya as one of the most sacred places
of antiquity.
 Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri: Traces the lineage of Jahangir and praises the work done and lands conquered. But
does not mention a mosque being built in Ayodhya.
 Travelogue of William Finch (English merchant of the East India Company) from 1608-1611:
Mentions the worship of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. Does not mention the existence of a mosque.
 Travelogues of Jesuit missionary Joseph Teifenthaler from 1740-1770: Mentions several buildings on
the south bank of the Sarayu river built in the memory of Lord ram. Mentions locals who believe that the
house where Ram was born was demolished by Aurangzeb or Babur. Mentions the belief in a 'cradle' of
Lord Ram that existed at the site.
MODERN PERIOD
 Montgomery Martin survey report, 'History, antiquities, topography and statistics of Eastern India',
from 1838: Report notes that the people of the area believed that after the death of Lord Ram and his
descendants, the city of Ayodhya was abandoned. Mentions the belief that Fort of Ramghar and the Ram
Janmabhoomi temple were reconstructed in the 1st century BCE by King Vikrama whose genealogy has
links to Rama's dynasty. The destruction of the fort and Temple was attributed to the invasion of Babur by
local Hindus. Black stones have been found in the area with traces of broken images, said to be of Hindu
Gods.
 Gazetteer of Territories of the East India Company from 1854: Notes that on the banks of the river
Sarayu are ruins said to be of the Court of Rama, King of Ayodhya, hero of the Ramayana and highly
celebrated in the mythological and romantic traditions of India.
 Archaeological Survey of India reports from 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865 by Alexander Cunningham:
Mention pilgrimages to Ayodhya. Tlaks about "oldest inscribed coins' found in Ayodhya, mentions lineage
of King Dasarata.
 Cunningham report from 1864: Mentions the belief that Ayodhya of Rama was destroyed in 1500 BC
and remained desolate till King Vikramaditya rebuilt the city half a century before the birth of Christ.
Vikramaditya rebuilt 368 temples at the site including the place where Ram was born and the place where
Ram died. The ruins are surrounded by Muslim tombs.
 Carneige Report on Eastern India from 1869: Mentions locals' belief that Ayodhya of Ram was
destroyed after the death of his descendant Brihadritha in 1400 BCE and was rebuilt by King Vikramaditya.
UNESCO’S CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK
Why in news?
UNESCO has announced that Mumbai and Hyderabad have been included amongst the 66 cities selected in its
network of 'Creative Cities' on the occasion of World Cities Day 2019.
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More on news
 Mumbai has been designated as Creative City of Films and Hyderabad a Creative City of Gastronomy.
 Earlier, Chennai and Varanasi were selected UNESCO cities of music while Jaipur is the City of Crafts and
Folk Arts.
About UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network
 The initiative was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified
creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
 The 180 cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing
creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating
actively at the international level.
 By joining the Network, cities commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships
involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society to strengthen creation, production,
distribution and dissemination of cultural activities, goods and services.
 The Network covers seven creative fields:
1. Crafts and Folk Arts,
2. Media Arts,
3. Film,
4. Design,
5. Gastronomy,
6. Literature
7. Music.
Pathalgarhi Movement
Why in News
 Recently, the Union government withdrew amendments to the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 which would
have diluted tribal rights over forests. These amendments evoked sustained protests by tribal and
environmental activists.
 The state government of Jharkhand tried to amend the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 and Santhal
Parganas Tenancy Act, 1876 to facilitate easier land acquisition norms which added to the problem. They
were also withdrawn later on.
 However, these decisions gave rise to the Pathalgarhi incidents in the tribal belt demanding implementation
of the FRA and provisions of the Panchayats (Extension of Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996.
 Birsa Munda’s struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to the passing of the
Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908 which restricted the passing of land from the tribal people to non-tribals.
 The Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act, 1876 prohibits the sale of Adivasi land to non-Adivasis in Santhal
Pargana region along Jharkhand's border with Bengal.
Pathalgarhi Rebellion
 It is a protest in which tribal people embed stone slabs (pathals) on the outskirts of a village or area,
demarcating the limits of where their writ runs, prohibiting the entry of any institution connected to the
state.
 It is mainly concentrated in the four districts in the State— namely Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West
Singhbhum.
 In Munda tribal custom, placement of a huge stone marks the death of a person. The Pathalgadi movement
draws on this tradition of honouring the community’s ancestors.
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Kodavas
 The Kodavas, an ethno-lingual community from Karnataka’s Kodagu district, are one of the few in India
that are allowed to possess and carry firearms within the district.
 Now, the Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the special provision that exempts the community from
getting a gun license till October 31, 2029.
 This applies to any person who is ‘Coorg by race’ and every Jamma tenure holder in Kodagu.
 The British had granted the exemption for the people of Coorg to possess firearms in 1861. The exemption
was then issued by the Union government in 1963 under the provisions of the Indian Arms Act, 1959.
About Kodavas
 Kodavas (also known as Kogadu), a well-known martial community of Coorg region in Karnataka.
 They worship weapons during the 'Kailpodh' festival and are the only community in the country who are
exempted from obtaining arm licenses.
 They are known for its outstanding contributions to the country’s defence sector and hence, Coorg is also
called the Land of Generals.
 Another distinguishing characteristic of this community is the high status given to women like no child
marriage, dowry is forbidden and widow remarriage is prevalent.
 Other important festivals celebrated by Kodavas are Puttari (to celebrate the first harvest of paddy) and
Kaveri Sankramana.
Golkonda
 Golkonda, also known as Golconda, Gol konda ("Round shaped hill"), or Golla konda, (Shepherd's Hill).
Golkonda was originally known as Mankal.
 Golconda is a citadel and fort situated near Hyderabad. It is also a tehsil of Hyderabad district, Telangana,
India.
 It was the capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (c.1512–1687). The fort finally fell
into ruin in 1687, after an eight-month-long siege led to its fall at the hands of the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb.
 The region is known for the mines that have produced some of the world's most famous gems, including the
Koh-i-Noor.
 The Golkonda fort is listed as an archaeological treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by
the ASI under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.
CHANDRASHEKHAR AZAD
 Chandra Shekhar Azad (1906, Alirajpur (MP)–27 February 1931) was a great freedom fighter. His fierce
patriotism and courage inspired many others of his generation to enter freedom struggle.
 Chandrasekhar Azad was the mentor of Bhagat Singh, another great freedom fighter.
 Azad was born as Chandra Shekhar Tiwari in Bhavra village, in the present-day Alirajpur district of
Madhya Pradesh.
 On the insistence of her mother Jagrani Devi, Chandra Shekhar Azad went to Kashi Vidyapeeth, Benaras
for studying Sanskrit.
 Azad was deeply troubled by the Jallianwala Bagh incident.
 When Gandhi launched NonCooperation Movement in 1921, Azad participated actively and was also
arrested.
 It is said that on being produced before a judge, he gave his name as ‘Azad’, father’s name as ‘Swatantrata’
(independence) and residence as ‘Jail’. From that day he came to be known as Chandra Shekhar Azad
among the people.
 Azad vowed that he would never be arrested by the British police and would die as free man.
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 After the suspension of non-cooperation movement Chandrashekhar Azad was attracted towards more
aggressive and revolutionary ideals. He came in contact with Ram Prasad Bismil who had formed the
Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a revolutionary organisation. He then became an active member
of HRA and collected funds through robbing government property.
 In 1928, Azad reorganized the HRA into HSRA (the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association), along
with Bhagvati Charan Vohra and other compatriots like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. HRSA was
committed to complete independence for India and socialist principles for India’s future progress.
 Chandrashekhar Azad was involved many revolutionary activities, the most significant of them beingKakori Train Robbery (1926), the attempt to blow up the Viceroy’s train (1926), and the shooting of
Saunders at Lahore (1928) to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpatrai.
 On February 27, 1931 Chandrashekhar Azad went to meet two of his comrades at the Alfred Park,
Allahbad. On this occasion, he was betrayed by an informer. Soon the police surrounded the park and
ordered Chandrashekhar Azad to surrender.
 Azad fought alone valiantly and killed three policemen. But finding himself surrounded and seeing no route
for escape, Azad shot himself dead with his last bullet. Thus he kept his pledge of not being caught alive.
 The Colt pistol of Chandra Shekhar Azad is displayed at the Allahabad Museum.
 His favourite verse was: Dushman ki goliyon ka hum samna karenge, Azad hi rahein hain, azad hi rahenge!
BHIMA KOREGAON
NEWS: Activists, lawyers and literary figures on Monday demanded the release of the nine human rights activists
arrested in the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case, calling the charges and case false and an act of political vendetta.
All nine have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Activist Gautam Navlakha and
academic Anand Teltumbde have also been charged in the same case.
About the Bhima- Koregaon battle:
A battle was fought in Bhima Koregaon, a district in Pune with a strong historical Dalit connection, between the
Peshwa forces and the British on January 1, 1818. The British army, which comprised mainly of Dalit soldiers,
fought the upper caste-dominated Peshwa army. The British troops defeated the Peshwa army.
Outcomes of the battle:
 The victory was seen as a win against caste-based discrimination and oppression. Peshwas were notorious
for their oppression and persecution of Mahar dalits. The victory in the battle over Peshwas gave dalits a
moral victory a victory against caste based discrimination and oppression and sense of identity.
 However, the divide and rule policy of the British created multiple fissures in Indian society which is even
visible today in the way of excessive caste and religious discrimination which needs to be checked keeping
in mind the tenets of the Constitution.
Why Bhima Koregaon is seen as a Dalit symbol?
 The battle has come to be seen as a symbol of Dalit pride because a large number of soldiers in the
Company force were the Mahar Dalits. Since the Peshwas, who were Brahmins, were seen as oppressors of
Dalits, the victory of the Mahar soldiers over the the Peshwa force is seen as Dalit assertion.
 On 1 January 1927, B.R. Ambedkar visited the memorial obelisk erected on the spot which bears the names
of the dead including nearly two dozen Mahar soldiers. The men who fought in the battle of Koregaon were
the Mahars, and the Mahars are Untouchables.
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THIRD BATTLE OF PANIPAT
NEWS: Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh on Sunday demanded a ban on the screening of Ashutosh
Gowariker’s Panipat in north India to avoid a law and order situation, following protest against the film in
Bharatpur. Mr. Singh alleged that the film portrays Bharatpur king Maharaja Surajmal in an unseemly manner.
About Third Battle of Panipat
 The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 at Panipat, about 97 km (60 miles) north of
Delhi, between the Maratha Empire and the invading Afghan army of the King of Afghans, Ahmad Shah
Abdali, supported by three Indian allies — the Rohilla Najib-ud-daulah, Afghans of the Doab region, and
Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh.
 The Maratha army was led by Sadashivrao Bhau who was third in authority after the Chhatrapati (Maratha
King) and the Peshwa (Maratha Prime Minister). The main Maratha army was stationed in Deccan with the
Peshwa.
 Militarily, the battle pitted the artillery and cavalry of the Marathas against the heavy cavalry and mounted
artillery (zamburak and jezail) of the Afghans and Rohillas led by Abdali and Najib-ud-Daulah, both ethnic
Afghans.
 The battle is considered one of the largest and most eventful fought in the 18th century,and it has perhaps
the largest number of fatalities in a single day reported in a classic formation battle between two armies.
 The result of the battle was the temporary halting of further Maratha advances in the north and
destabilisation of their territories for roughly ten years.
Suraj mal
 Maharaja Suraj Mal (February 1707 – 25 December 1763) or Sujan Singh was a Hindu Jat ruler of
Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India.
 Under him, the Jat rule covered the present-day districts of Agra, Aligarh, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Etawa,
Gurgaon, Hathras, Mainpuri, Mathura, Mewat, Meerut, Rewari, and Rohtak.
 A contemporary historian has described him as "the Plato of the Jat tribe" and by a modern writer as the
"Jat Odysseus", because of his "political sagacity, steady intellect and clear vision".
 The Jats, under Suraj Mal, overran the Mughal garrison at Agra.
 Suraj Mal was killed in an ambush by the Mughal Army on the night of 25 December 1763 near Hindon
River, Shahadra, Delhi.
 In addition to the troops stationed at his forts, he had an army of 25,000 infantry and 15,000 cavalry when
he died.
 His court poet Sūdan recorded his biography in Sujān Charitra.
SABRIMALA TEMPLE
NEWS:
 The Supreme Court on Friday advocated patience to women of menstruating age fighting for their right to
enter and worship at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
 The law was in their favour and any judicial order at this time may spark violence. The situation was
already “explosive,” it said.
 On November 14, a Bench of five judges, sitting in review of the judgment, referred the question of
whether a woman’s right to worship was subservient to age-old religious customs, faith and traditions,
however unequal, to a seven-judge Bench.
 The Review Bench, however, did not stay the verdict allowing women in the 10 to 50 age to enter the
temple.
ABOUT SABRIMALA TEMPLE
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 Sabrimala temple is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghat
region of Pathanamthitta District of Kerala.
 The famous pilgirmage is located in the 18 hills.
 The shrine at Sabrimala is ancient temple of Ayyappan.
 Sabarimala deity is a Naishtika Brahmachari
GANDHI PRIZE
NEWS:
 Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Thursday announced the setting up of a Gandhi Citizenship
Education Prize while attending the second meeting of the National Committee for the Commemoration
Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th Birth Anniversary, chaired by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
 The only foreign Prime Minister to be a part of the committee, Mr. Costa said Portugal would launch the
prize in order to promote Gandhi’s ideals, a Union Culture Ministry statement said.
 Every year, the prize would be inspired by Gandhi’s thoughts and quotes, he said, adding that the first
edition of the prize would be dedicated to animal welfare. Gandhi had said “the greatness of a nation can be
judged by the way its animals are treated”.
YAKSHAGANA
NEWS: Tiny Padmanur village, about 30 km away from Mangaluru, is abuzz with excitement ahead of its 60th
annual Yakshagana performance. Christians and Muslims are mandatory members of the committee, which has been
hosting the annual Yakshagana performance in the village for the last 59 years.
ABOUT YAKSHAGANA
 Yakshagana is a theatrical form of presenting Mythological and historical stories. A Yakshagana
performance includes music, dance and dialogues.
 The word Yakshgana means the songs of the Demi-Gods (yaksh ‘meaning Demi-God, and ‘gana’ meaning
song).
 The performers wear interesting and colourful costumes, and elaborate headgears. The stage design and
unique rendering is similar to that of the Western Opera.
 Yakshagana – Dance, Drama and Music
 Yakshagana is a theatrical form of presenting Mythological and historical stories.
 A Yakshagana performance includes music, dance and dialogues.
 The word Yakshgana means the songs of the Demi-Gods (yaksh ‘meaning Demi-God, and ‘gana’ meaning
song). The performers wear interesting and colourful costumes, and elaborate headgears. The stage design
and unique rendering is similar to that of the Western Opera.
 It is believed to have originated in the coastal districts of Karnataka. The true representation of the poems
enacted in these plays is attributed to have started during the Vaishnav Bhakti movement in the 11th
century.
 In 13th century, a Sage named Narahari Thirtha started Dashavathara performance in Udupi, which later
developed into the Yakshagana of today.
EARLIEST SANSKRIT INSCRIPTION IN SOUTH INDIA
 In a significant find, the Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India has discovered the
earliest epigraphic evidence so far for the Saptamatrika cult.
 It is also the earliest Sanskrit inscription to have been discovered in South India as on date.
 Saptamatrikas are a group of seven female deities worshipped in Hinduism as personifying the energy of
their respective consorts. The inscription is in Sanskrit and in Brahmi characters and was issued by
Satavahana king Vijaya in 207 A.D.
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 The inscription was first copied and studied and it transpired that it records the construction of a prasada
(temple), a mandapa and consecration of images on the southern side of the temple by a person named
Kartika for the merit of the king at the temple of Bhagavathi (Goddess) Saktimatruka (Saptamatrika) at
Tambrape; Tambrape being the ancient name of Chebrolou.
 So far the Nagarjunakonda inscription of Ikshavaku king Ehavala Chantamula issued in his 11th regnal
year corresponding to the 4th century A.D. was considered the earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India,
he added. In Yakshagana the men portray both male and female characters.
INDIAN HISTORY CONGRESS
NEWS:
 The inaugural session of the 80th Indian History Congress (IHC) here on Saturday was marred by protests
staged by a section of delegates against Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan over his comments
backing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
 The protesters alleged that Mr. Khan had raised the Kashmir issue and the CAA to provoke them.
 In his address, the Governor tried to defend the BJP-led government and discredit the protests against the
CAA and the NRC. He said the anti-CAA protesters in the State had failed to respond to his invitation to
hold talks on the issue.
ABOUT INDIAN HISTORY CONGRESS
 Indian History Congress is the largest professional and academic body of Indian historians with over
10,000 members.
 It was established in 1935.
 The lead to establish an all-India national congress of historians was taken by Poona historians during the
period of British colonial rule. The first session took place in Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, Poona, in
1935.
 Historians such as Datto Vaman Potdar, Surendra Nath Sen (who later became the first director of National
Archives of India), and Sir Shafaat Ahmad Khan attended the first session.
DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD
NEWS: For 2019 Dada Saheb Phalke Award has been given to Amitabh Bachan. It is the country’s highest film
honour conferred for “Outstanding contribution for the growth and development of Indian cinema”.
 Dadasaheb Phalke Award was introduced by the government in 1969 and it was awarded for the first time
to Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema”.
 Dadasaheb Phalke directed India's first feature film Raja Harischandra (1913).
 He was an Indian producer, director, and screenwriter.
 He is known as “Father of Indian Cinema”.
 The government of India instituted Dadasaheb Phalke Award in his honour for a lifetime contribution to
Indian cinema.
PAIKA REBELLION
Why in news?
Recently, President of India laid the foundation stone for the Paika Memorial in Odisha's Khurda district to mark
200 years of the Paika Rebellion.
About Rebellion
 The Paika Rebellion, also called the Paika Bidroha. It was an armed rebellion against the British East India
Company's rule in Odisha in 1817.
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 The Paikas rose in rebellion under their leader Bakshi Jagabandhu and, projecting Jagannath as the symbol
of Odia unity, the rebellion quickly spread across most of Odisha before being ruthlessly put down by the
company's forces.
 It is the first war of independence that started in 1817 much before the Sepoy mutiny of 1857.
 The Paikas were the traditional militia of Odisha. They served as warriors and were charged with policing
functions during peacetime.
 With the conquest of Odisha by the East India Company in 1803 and the dethronement of the Raja of
Khurda began the fall of the power and prestige of the Paikas.
 The Paikas were alienated by the British regime, who took over the hereditary rent-free lands granted to
them after the conquest of Khurda. They were also subjected to extortion and oppression at the hands of the
company government and its servants.
 By May 1817, the British managed to reestablish their authority over the entire province, but it was a long
while before the tranquility finally returned to it.
NEHRU-LIAQUAT AGREEMENT
Why in news?
The debate on The Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament included multiple references to the Nehru-Liaquat
Agreement that was signed in Delhi in 1950.
About Nehru Liaquat agreement
 The Nehru-Liaquat agreement signed by Jawahar Lal Nehru and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Liaquat Ali
Khan, is also known as the Delhi Pact.
 It was a bilateral agreement signed between India and Pakistan in order to provide a framework for the
treatment of minorities in the two countries.
 The agreement was signed in the backdrop of large-scale migration of people belonging to minority
communities between the two countries in the wake of attacks by the majority communities in their
respective territories.
Key provisions of the Agreement
 Governments of both the countries agreed to provide and protect Minority rights including political,
cultural and economic rights like - complete equality of citizenship, irrespective of religion, freedom of
movement within each country, freedom of occupation, speech and worship etc.
 Both Governments declared these rights to be fundamental and agreed to take suitable measures to enforce
them effectively.
 Setting up of Commission of Enquiry to look into the causes of disturbances and to suggest measures to
prevent them in future.
 Refugees were allowed to return unharmed to dispose of their property.
 Measures were to be taken for safe return of abducted women and recovery of looted property.
 Forced conversions were unrecognized.
INDIAN CULTURE PORTAL
 The Ministry of Culture (MoC) recently launched the Indian Culture web portal.
 It is the first government authorized portal where knowledge and cultural resources of various
organizations of MoC are now available in public domain on a single platform.
 It was developed by a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay while the curation of the
data has been done by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
 This project is a part of the Prime Minister’s Digital India initiative to showcase information about the rich
tangible and intangible cultural heritage of India both at home and abroad.
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 Content available on the portal comprises mainly of rare books, e-books, virtual galleries, Indian National
Bibliography, cuisine, UNESCO world heritage sites, Musical Instruments of India etc.
 The content on the portal is currently available in English and Hindi, with a vision to expand it in other
regional languages in future.
NATIONAL FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARD
 Recently, the National Florence Nightingale Award 2019 was awarded to 36 awardees.
 Lini Puthuserry was awarded posthumously who passed away while on duty caring for a NIPAH infected
patient in Kerala.
 These awards were instituted in the year 1973 by the Government as a mark of recognition for the
meritorious services rendered by nurses to the society.
 The 2019 awards have been transferred by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (Nursing Section) to
Indian Nursing Council.
 Florence Nightingale, (also called as Lady with the Lamp), was a British nurse, statistician, and social
reformer who was the foundational philosopher of modern nursing.
 The WHO has also announced 2020 as the year of the nurse and mid-wife. 2020 will also mark the 200th
birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
SURAJKUND FESTIVAL: The World’s Largest International Crafts Fair
NEWS:
 Location: Surajkund, Faridabad
 Organised By: Surajkund Mela Authority in collaboration with the Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles,
Culture, External Affairs, Department of Tourism, Government of Haryana and Haryana Tourism
Corporation First Hosted In: 1987
 The Surajkund Mela is unique as it showcases the richness and diversity of the handicrafts, handlooms and
cultural fabric of India, & is the largest crafts fair in the world.
 The Mela was initiated in 1987 to promote the pool of skilled artisans, who used indigenous technology,
but were suffering due to the cheaper machine-made imitations.
 The fair was upgraded to an international level in 2013.
 Himachal Pradesh is the ‘Theme State’ and Uzbekistan is the ‘Partner Nation’ for the Year 2020.
 A record number of 20 countries participated in the Mela in 2015 when Lebanon was the partner nation and
Chhattisgarh was the theme state.
 Every year, each theme state constructs a replica of one of the most popular monuments of its state to be
displayed as a Commemorative Structure in the Mela Grounds.
 England will participate for the first time in the Surajkund mela.
PEN GAURI LANKESH AWARD
NEWS:
 Senior journalist from Jammu and Kashmir Yusuf Jameel has been selected for the 2019-2020 PEN Gauri
Lankesh Award for democratic idealism.
 “His work in journalism shows an exemplary commitment to professional integrity and the ideals of
democracy,” reads the citation of the award.
 PEN South India and PEN Delhi have instituted the award “to cherish the idealism and commitment of
Gauri Lankesh,” the editor-activist murdered in 2017. It carries a purse of ₹1 lakh.
Nagoba Jatara
 Nagoba Jatara is a Hindu tribal festival held in Keslapur village, Inderavelly Mandal Adilabad district,
Telangana, India.
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 It is the second biggest tribal carnival and celebrated by Mesaram clan of Gond tribes for 10 days.
 Tribal people from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh belonging to the Mesram clan
offer prayers at the festival.
 It's Starts in pushya masam, of Hindu lunar month.
 A ceremony of 'bheting' is it's integral part where the new brides are introduced to the clan god during first
jatra afer their marriage.
INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL CENTER OF ARTS
NEWS:
 The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is not only set to be relocated from its current
home on Man Singh Road as a part of the government’s redevelopment of Central Vista, but an expansion
of its role as a cultural space was also being considered, according to Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel.
 IGNCA’s existing role, that of a centre for research, publication, events and training, would remain, but
additional facilities could be added.
ABOUT IGNCA
IGNCA, which was set up in 1985 under the Culture Ministry in honour of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after
her death in 1984, is meant to be a resource centre for the arts and to provide a forum for creative and critical
dialogue, according to its stated aims and objectives.
PADMA SHRI FOR CONSERVATION
NEWS:
 Radha Mohan, a retired economics professor, and his conservationist daughter, Sabarmatee, have been
conferred with the Padma Shri — a recognition for their decades-long efforts to transform a barren land
into a lush food forest in Odisha’s Nayagarh district.
 Founded by the duo in 1990, Sambhav, the resource centre, has become a torch-bearer in the field of
conservation, agriculture and organic farming.
 While Prof. Radha Mohan, a former information commissioner of Odisha, often shuttles between
Bhubaneswar and the farm in Nayagarh district, his daughter, Sabarmatee, has been dedicatedly
experimenting with different conservation models to improve the lives of the local farmers.
REPUBLIC DAY TABLEAUX
NEWS:
 Religious themes were a common thread in the tableaux showcased by the States in the Republic Day
parade on Sunday, with at least 10 of the 15 displays carrying such symbolism.
 The tableau presented by Gujarat focussed on Rani ki Vav, a stepwell with a unique architectural style, that
had images of Vishnu, Buddha, Kalki and Devi.
 While Odisha’s tableau was themed on Lord Lingaraja’s Rukuna Ratha Yatara, Goa’s float carried a replica
of the famous Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji and a statue of a large frog holding
a guitar, a symbol of its campaign to “save the frogs”.
 Himachal Pradesh showcased its version of the Dasara, the Kullu Dasara;
 Telangana showcased a flower festival celebrated in honour of a patron goddess of womanhood.
 Tamil Nadu highlighted certain folk culture and presented the statue of Ayyanar, a guardian folk deity.
 Chhattisgarh focussed on crafts and ornaments and carried a statue of Nandi, Lord Shiva’s vehicle.
 Among the States that did not put up any religious symbolism included Rajasthan, which displayed its
architecture and crafts; Assam that displayed bamboo and cane craftsmanship;
 Madhya Pradesh that themed its tableau around the Tribal Museum in Bhopal;
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 Meghalaya that showcased its rich environment; and
 Jammu and Kashmir that highlighted the Back to Village programme
Cultural Themes at the Parade
 Kaksar folk Dance: It is performed by Abhujmaria tribe in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, to invoke the
blessings of the deity and to enjoy a rich harvest. It allows the dancers to choose their life partners from the
same dance troupe.
 Gramiya Kalai (folk arts): Tamil Nadu’s tableau showcased these folk arts and statue of Ayyanar, the
guardian folk deity.
 Bathukamma Festival: This floral festival celebrated in Telangana region during Durga Navratri.
Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack of different seasonal flowers, arranged in seven concentric layers
in the shape of a temple gopuram. Goddess Gauri is worshipped in the form of Bathukamma.
 Bhortal Nritya- It comes from Barpeta region of Assam. It was developed by Sattriya artist Narahari
Burha Bhakat. Dancers equipped with cymbals perform on fast beats known as ‘Zhiya Nom’.
 Tribal Museum of Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh’s tableau was based on the Tribal Museum of Bhopal
showcasing Gond, Baiga, Korku, Rajwar, Sahariya, Bhil, Bharia tribes.
 Lord Lingaraj’s Rukuna Rath Yatra- Lord Lingaraja is worshipped as both Lord Shiva and Lord
Vishnu (Harihara) at the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
 Brahmotsavam- This festival is celebrated in Tirumala Tirupati temple. Andhra Pradesh tableau also
showcased classical Kuchipudi dance, Kondapalli handicrafts and Kalamkari paintings using natural
colours.
 Anubhav Mantapa- It is the Center for Experiences founded by Basavaveshwara, showcasing the first
Socioreligious centre of the 12th century Kalyana Karnataka.
 Living Root Bridges: Meghalaya is famous for Double-decker (located at Nongriat in Cherrapunji) living
root bridge shaped from roots of rubber trees. It is a unique natural phenomenon shaped by human
ingenuity.
 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev: Punjab tableau depicted principles of Kirat Karo, Naam Japo
and Vand Chhako, which form the cornerstone of Sikhism.
 'Save the frog' campaign of the Goa Government and Jammu and Kashmir’s ‘Back to village’ programme
was also featured in tableaux.
 Rani ki Vav – Jal Mandir: Gujarat presented a tableau based on the unique theme of Rani ki Vav – Jal
Mandir located in Patan city. It is a unique architectural marvel that stands as testimony to ancient
construction work and craftsmanship.
1. Built in 1083 by Rani Udayamati in memory of her husband King Bhimdev-I, son of Mulraj,
founder of the Solanki dynasty; Rani Ki Vav also holds the distinction of being a UNESCO World
Heritage Site
Padma Awards
 Padma Awards were instituted in 1954
 Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories,
namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
 The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs,
science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
 ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for
distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field.
 The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
 These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati
Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.
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 This year the President has approved conferment of 141 Padma Awards including 4 duo cases (in a duo
case, the Award is counted as one) .
 The list comprises of 7 Padma Vibhushan, 16 Padma Bhushan and 118 Padma Shri Awards. 33 of the
awardees are women and the list also includes 18 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI
and 12 Posthumous awardees.
 Most recently on 25 January 2020, the Padma Vibhushan has been bestowed upon seven recipients George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley, Anerood Jugnauth, Mary Kom, Chhannulal Mishra, Sushma Swaraj and
Vishwesha Teertha.
Bharat Ratna
 The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted in 2 January 1954, the
award is conferred "in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without
distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.
 The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but the
government expanded the criteria to include "any field of human endeavour" in December 2011.
 The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President, with a
maximum of three nominees being awarded per year.
 Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a peepal-leaf–shaped medallion; there
is no monetary grant associated with the award.
 Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.
 The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna were politician C. Rajagopalachari, philosopher Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan, and scientist C. V. Raman, who was honoured in 1954.
 Since then, the award has been bestowed upon 48 individuals, including 16 who were awarded
posthumously. The original statutes did not provide for posthumous awards but were amended in January
1955 to permit them.
 Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first individual to be honoured posthumously.
 In 2014, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, then aged 40, became the youngest recipient; while social reformer
Dhondo Keshav Karve was awarded on his 100th birthday.
 Though usually conferred on India-born citizens, the Bharat Ratna has been awarded to one naturalised
citizen, Mother Teresa, and to two non-Indians, Pakistan national Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and former
South African President Nelson Mandela.
 On 25 January 2019, the government announced the award to social activist Nanaji Deshmukh
(posthumously), singer-music director Bhupen Hazarika (posthumously) and to former President of India
Pranab Mukherjee.
 The Bharat Ratna, along with other personal civil honours, was briefly suspended from July 1977 to
January 1980, during the change in the national government; and for a second time from August 1992 to
December 1995, when several public-interest litigations challenged the constitutional validity of the
awards.
GALLANTRY AWARDS
NEWS:
 Squadron Leaders Siddharth Vashisht and Ninad Mandavgane, pilots of an Indian Air Force Mi-17
helicopter accidentally shot down in Budgam on February 27 last year, were posthumously selected for the
Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) on the eve of Republic Day by President Ram Nath Kovind. Four personnel
on board were honoured with “Mention-in-Despatches”.
 The President approved nine Shaurya Chakras, of which four were posthumous. Six Shaurya Chakras were
to Army personnel, while three were to security forces personnel under the Home Ministry.
Description of Indian Gallantry Awards:
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 War Time Awards: Param Vir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Vir Chakra
 Peace Time Awards: Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra
 Distinguished Service Medals: Sena Medal (Army), Nausena Medal (Navy), Vayusena medal
Param Vir Chakra (Pvc)-
 This is the highest gallantry award for officers and other enlisted personnel of all military branches of India
for the highest degree of valor in the presence of the enemy.
 It is introduced on January 26, 1950; this award may be given posthumously. Literally, Param Vir Chakra
means ‘wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate Brave'.
 In Sanskrit, ‘Param' means Ultimate, ‘vir (pronounced veer) means Brave and Chakra' means wheel.
Mahavir Chakra-
 The Mahavir Chakra (MVC) is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of
conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air.
 It may be awarded posthumously. As of 2017 more than 218 acts of bravery and selfless courage have been
recognized since the inception of the medal.
 The most MVCs awarded in a single conflict was in the lndo-Pakistan War of 1971, when eleven were
given to the Indian Air Force.
Vir Chakra-
 Vir Chakra is an lndian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battle field. Award of the
decoration carried with it the right to use Vr.C.as a post nominal abbreviations (note the care to distinguish
this abbreviation from that for the Victoria Cross (V.C.).
 It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha
Vir Chakra.
Ashok Chakra-
 The Ashok Chakra series of awards are open to civilians also.
 It is the Peacetime equivalent of Paramvir Chakra and is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery or
some daring or preeminent valour of sacrifice other than in the face of enemy.
 The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel and may be awarded posthumously
 Recommendations received in respect of civilians from the State Governments/Union Territory
Administrations and Ministries/Departments of the Central Government are processed by the Ministry of
Defence for the consideration of the Central Honour and Awards Committee chaired by the Defence
Minister.
 These awards are biannual and are given on the Republic Day and Independence Day.
Kirti Chakra-
 Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self sacrifice away
from the battlefield.
 It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards.
 It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra.
 It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards: it comes after Ashoka Chakra and
before Shaurya Chakra. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class II.
Shaurya Chakra-
 Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self- sacrifice
while not engaged in direct action with the enemy.
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 It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously.
 It is the peacetime equivalent of the Vir Chakra. it is generally awarded for Counter-Insurgency operations
and actions against the enemy during peace-time.
 It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after Ashoka Chakra and Kirti
Chakra. It precedes the Sena Medal. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class III.
MOGHALMARI
 A study of inscriptions on clay tablets recovered from recent excavations at Moghalmari, a Buddhist
monastic site of the early medieval period in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district, have confirmed
the presence of two monasteries — Mugalayikaviharika and Yajñapindikamahavihara.
 The presence of two monasteries dating to the same period within a single compound is unique in eastern
India. Earlier excavations had indicated the presence of two monasteries on the basis of the structural plan.
 The monasteries at Moghalmari date from 6th century CE and were functional till the 12th century CE.
 The inscriptions are in Sanskrit and the script is a transitional phase between later north Indian Brahmi and
early Siddhamatrika.
 The first name Yajñapindikamahavihara, implying etymologically ‘a place of sacrificial offering’ is of
special significance. The second name on the seals, Mugalayikaviharika, bears a phonetic resemblance to
the modern name of the site, Moghalmari.
 Archaeologists and historians point out that famous Chinese traveller Xuanzang (more widely identified as
Huen Tsang), who visited India in the 7th century CE, referred to the existence of ‘ten monasteries’ within
the limits of Tamralipta (modern day Tamluk in adjoining Purba Medinipur district). However, he did not
refer to any specific name or location.
 With the discovery of the site and the deciphering of the inscriptions, at least two of these monasteries are
now identified, Prof. Sanyal said. He added that it was known from Buddhist texts that Buddhist
monasteries have a definite hierarchy — Mahavihara, Vihara and Viharika — which is reflected in the
inscriptions found.
PONGAL
NEWS:
 With Kaanum Pongal, the fourth and final day of the harvest festival, less than a week away, Forest
Department officials in Salem are gearing up to prevent an unusual jallikattu — one that uses foxes instead
of bulls.
 The jallikattu-like event using foxes, or vanga nari in Tamil, is usually organised on Kaanum Pongal on the
outskirts of the district as villagers believe it will bring bountiful rain and good fortune.
 The animals are muzzled and their hind legs tied with rope. After special rituals are conducted, the hapless
animals are chased through the streets, much like bulls in the more conventional jallikattu. After the event,
the animals are released into the forest.
ABOUT PONGAL
 Pongal festival is the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu that falls in the month of Thai (January-February
season).
 The term 'Pongal' is derived from the Tamil literature which means 'to boil'. It is an ancient festival of
South India, particularly Tamils.
 It is basically a harvest festival which is celebrated for four-day long in Tamil Nadu in the month of
January-February (Thai) during the solar equinox after harvesting of crops like rice, sugarcane, turmeric
etc.
 This festival is celebrated in four day long and each day marked by different festivities- First day is called
Bhogi festival; Second day is called Thai Pongal; Third day is called Mattu Pongal; Fourth day is called
Kaanum Pongal.
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STONE THROWING RITUAL AT BUDDHIST SITE
NEWS:
 After a sustained campaign, heritage lovers and officials have been successful in almost stopping the stonepelting ritual at Bojjannakonda, a famous Buddhist site at Sankaram, 3.5 km from Anakapalle and 41 km
from here.
 The villagers, as a part of an ancient ritual, would throw stones at a belly-shaped object at the site,
believing it to be a part of a demon.
 Bojjannakonda and Lingalametta are twin Buddhist monasteries dating back to the 3rd century BC. These
sites have seen three forms of Buddhism — the Theravada period when Lord Buddha was considered a
teacher; the Mahayana, where Buddhism was more devotional; and Vajrayana, where Buddhist tradition
was more practised as Tantra and in esoteric form.
 The main stupa was carved out of rock and then covered with bricks, and a number of images of the
Buddha are seen sculpted on the rock face all over the hill.
AKBAR PADMASEE
NEWS:
 Noted painter and artist Akbar Padamsee died at the Isha Yoga Center near Coimbatore late on Monday
night. He was 91.
 Padamsee refused to be restricted to any artistic categories. He had once said, “Do not label me or my art.”
His paintings extensively depicted the elements and senses.
 Though Akbar Padamsee was known for his radical paintings, he was also a photographer, sculptor,
filmmaker, engraver and lithographer.
 But Padamsee was most recognized and decorated for his paintings which have found a place of
prominence in eminent galleries in India and around the world. His brother was the late filmmaker and
adman Alyque Padamsee.
JALLIKATTU
NEWS: Gone are the days when organisers, afraid of the police in the Kuppam area, hesitated to hold “cattle
festivals”, considered an “inferior” version of Tamil Nadu’s macho bull taming sport jallikattu. Now, the festival is
being held on par with jallikattu at several places in the Kuppam Assembly constituency.
ABOUT JALLIKATTU
 Jallikattu is referred to as bull taming event typically practiced in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal
celebrations.
 The person participating in the event has to pluck bundles of money or gold tied to the animal's horns.
 The term 'jallikattu' is derived from the Tamil words 'jalli' and 'kattu'. Jalli refers to gold or silver coins.
Kattu means 'tied'.
 It is an ancient 'sport', believed to have been practiced some 2500 years ago. It also found mentioned in the
Sangam literature.
 It is controversial because the sport often results in major injuries and even deaths of both bulls and
humans.
BIBI KA MAQBARA
NEWS:
 The marble domes of Bibi Ka Maqbara, the famous 17th century Mughal-era monument in the city, are set
to get a new shine.
 The domes and other marble parts of the mausoleum will undergo scientific conservation, an
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official said. The work is estimated to cost ₹45 lakh.
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 The structure, known as the ‘Taj of the Deccan’ because of its striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, was
commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1660 in the memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum.
ABOUT BIBI KA MAQBARA
 Bibi ka Maqbara or the Tomb of the Lady was built by Aurangzeb as a memorial for his wife Dilras Banu
Begum. She was the chief wife of the emperor.
 The structure of the tomb is same like that of Taj Mahal and so it is called Dakkhani Taj or the Taj of the
Deccan. Aurangzeb did not build many monuments as he had no interest in architecture.
Aurangabad
 Aurangabad was established by Malik Amber in 1610.
 The city is popular for Ajanta caves, Ellora caves, Bibi ka Maqbara and other structures. The city got its
name after it was captured by Aurangzeb. The original name of the city was Khadki and Malik Amber
made it his capital.
ASHFAQULLAH KHAN
Why in news?
Recently, Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved a proposal to set aside Rs 234 crore for a zoological garden, in Gorakhpur,
to be named after the freedom fighter and revolutionary Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan.
About Ashfaqullah Khan
 Ashfaqullah Khan along with Ram Prasad Bismil, was sentenced to death for the Kakori conspiracy of
1925. He was born on October 22, 1900, in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
 He was among the dejected youth that was disappointed when Gandhi called off the non-cooperation
movement.
 He felt a “dwindling faith in non-violent strategies” and started to believe that freedom from the shackles of
colonialism called for more “radical methods”.
 Ashfaq composed poems mostly in Urdu and a few in Hindi, under the pen names Varasi and Hazarat.
 In the mid-1920s, Ashfaqullah Khan and Ram Prasad Bismil went on to found the Hindustan Socialist
Republican Association (HSRA).
 HSRA published its manifesto titled “The Revolutionary” in 1925, which, stated that “The immediate
object of the revolutionary party in the domain of politics is to establish a federal Republic of United State
of India by an organized and armed revolution.
Lai Haraoba
 Lai Haraoba means ‘Festivity of the Gods’ or merry making of Gods. This festival is marked to celebrate
the creation of the universe and the recollection of the evolution of plants, animals and human beings
 The festival is observed to honour Umang Lai deity of the state.
 During the festival, men and women dance in front of the idols of gods and goddesses and also perform
dance drama, enactment of Khamba and Thoibi, the hero and the heroine of a popular folklore.
 It is celebrated through oral literature, music, dance and rituals.
About Meiteis:
 Meiteis are the majority ethnic groups of the state of Manipur.
 A significant population of the Meitei also are settled in domestic neighbouring states such as Assam,
Meghalaya and Tripura and contiguous areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
 They speak Meiteilon (Manipuri), a Tibeto-Burman language. It is one of the officially recognized
languages of India which was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 1992.
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Zo Kutpui
 The event will witness various cultural programmes by different Mizo tribes.
 The exercise is an attempt to unify and strengthen the brotherhood among various Mizo tribes living in
different parts of the world.
 Other important festivals of Mizoram: Mim Kut (celebrated in the months of August and September, when
the maize crop is ready for harvesting), Chapchar Kut (celebrated in the month of March), Thalfavang Kut
etc.
About Mizos
 Mizo people are an ethnic group native to north-eastern India, western Burma and eastern Bangladesh.
 This term covers several ethnic peoples who speak various Kuki-Chin languages.
 The Mizo traditionally practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, moving their villages frequently.
 Among the most prominent of the Mizo groups are the Lushai, Pawi (Lai), Lakher (Mara), and Hmar
NARI SHAKTI PURASKAR
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development recently invited applications for the Nari Shakti Puraskar
for the year 2019.
 They were formerly known as Stree Shakti Puraskar.
 They are conferred by the President of India every year on 8th March, the International Women’s Day to
individuals, groups, institutions or NGOs in recognition of their exceptional and outstanding work in
economic and social empowerment of women.
 It may be awarded to individuals, groups, institutions or NGOs who have:
i) Encouraged women to participate in decision making roles.
ii) Encouraged women’s skill development in traditional and non-traditional sectors.
iii) Facilitated basic amenities for rural women.
iv) Promoted women in sectors like science and technology, sports, art, culture etc.
v) Significantly worked towards safety and security, education, health and wellness etc for women.
Dara Shikoh (1615-59)
The Ministry of Culture recently set up a 7-member panel of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to locate the
grave of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh (1615-59), who is believed to be buried somewhere in the Humayun’s
Tomb complex in Delhi.
About
 Dara Shikoh, (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659) was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal
emperor Shah Jahan.
 Dara was designated with the title Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba ("Prince of High Rank") and was
favoured as a successor by his father and his older sister, Princess Jahanara Begum.
 Dara Shikoh was defeated by Aurangzeb and Murad during the Battle of Samugarh, 13 km from Agra on
30 May 1658. Subsequently, Aurangzeb took over Agra fort and deposed emperor Shah Jahan on 8 June
1658
 Dara Shikoh was a follower of the Persian "perennialist" mystic Sarmad Kashani, as well as Lahore's
famous Qadiri Sufi saint Mian Mir.
 Mian Mir was so widely respected among all communities that he was invited to lay the foundation stone
of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Sikhs.
 He completed the translation of fifty Upanishads from their original Sanskrit into Persian in 1657 so that
they could be studied by Muslim scholars. His translation is often called Sirr-e-Akbar ("The Greatest
Mystery")
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 His most famous work, Majma-ul-Bahrain ("The Confluence of the Two Seas"), was also devoted to a
revelation of the mystical and pluralistic affinities between Sufic and Vedantic speculation.
 The library established by Dara Shikoh still exists on the grounds of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha
University, Kashmiri Gate, Delhi, and is now run as a museum by Archaeological Survey of India after
being renovated.
 He was also a patron of fine arts, music and dancing, a trait frowned upon by his younger sibling
Muhiuddin, later the Emperor Aurangzeb. The 'Dara Shikoh' is a collection of paintings and calligraphy
assembled from the 1630s until his death.
 Dara Shikoh is also credited with the commissioning of several exquisite, still extant, examples of Mughal
architecture – among them the tomb of his wife Nadira Begum in Lahore, the Shrine of Mian Mir also in
Lahore, the Dara Shikoh Library in Delhi, the Akhun Mullah Shah Mosque in Srinagar in Kashmir and the
Pari Mahal garden palace (also in Srinagar in Kashmir).
PAYYANUR
Why in news?
Kerala plans to set up a Mahatma Gandhi Smriti Museum at Payyanur, situated on the banks of the Perumba river in
Kerala’s Kannur district.
Historical Significance of the place
 The Simon Commission Protest in 1928: Moyarath Sankaran, A. Lakshmana Shenoy and Subrahmanyam
Thirumunpu were the leaders of ‘Simon Go Back’ protest in Payyanur.
 The Salt Satyagraha in 1930: Under the leadership of ‘Kerala Gandhi’ K. Kelappan, the satyagraha saw a
procession of 33 satyagrahis from Kozhikode to Payyannur which earned Payyanur the distinction of
“Second Bardoli”.
 Anti-untouchability movement: Payyanur was also an epicentre of the anti-untouchability movement.
Great
 leaders of the movement at Payyanur — A.K. Gopalan, K.A. Keraliyan and Vishnu Bharatiyan —
ushered boys from the oppressed Pulaya community into the Kurumba Bhagavathi Temple.
 One of the first crusaders against casteism in Payyanur was Swami Anandatheertha, a Konkani Brahmin by
birth, who was consecrated as ‘Swami Anandatheertha’ by Narayana Guru and fought lifelong for the
rights of Dalits.
 Gandhi’s connection: Gandhiji visited Kerala in 1934 to call on Swami Anandatheertha. He planted a
mango tree in his Ashram, which still thrives at that site.
Poompuhar
 The Chola Dynasty port city in Tamil Nadu that vanished from maritime history around 1,000 years ago
will be digitally reconstructed by a consortium led by the Department of Science and Technology.
 The city was established initially in the Cauvery Delta-A about 30km away from the present Poompuhar
town around 15,000 years ago.
 .Despite several studies on Tamil literature, archaeology, history, epigraphy, underwater exploration and
geosciences, the mystery of the exact location of initial establishment of Poompuhar, its age, later shifts,
along with periods, time-series spatial evolution in the present location at the mouth of river Cauvery, and
the reasons and periods of its extinction, remain unresolved.
 The study involves underwater surveys and photography by remotely operated vehicles and sea bed
drilling, remote sensing-based geodynamic studies to bring out comprehensive information on the time
series evolution and extinction.
 It also involves the visualisation of geodynamic processes of the last 20,000 years like land subsidence,
sea-level rise, Cauvery’s migration, floods, tsunami, cyclones and erosion. The information extracted from
the studies will help digitally reconstruct the life history of Poompuhar.
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 The reconstruction of Poompuhar is part of DST’s Indian Digital Heritage project — an exhibition of its
first project ‘Digital Hampi’ is currently on display at the National Museum. DST looked into heritage
documentation and works with technologies that can be applied to digitally convert our monuments into
virtual spaces.
KUMBHABISHEGAM CEREMONY AT BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE
Why in news?
Recently, ‘Kumbhabishegam’ ceremony was held at ‘Brihadeshwara temple’ after 23 years.
About Kumbhabhishekham
 Kumbhabhishekham is part of the consecration ceremony of Hindu temples.
 Kumbha means the Head and denotes the Shikhara or Crown of the Temple(usually in the gopuram) and
abhishekam is ritual bathing.
About Brihadeshwara Temple
 Brihadeshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu at the South bank of
Kaveri river.
 It is also known as Periya Kovil, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajeswaram.
 The temple was built between 1003 AD and 1010 AD by the great Chola emperor Raja Raja I. It is one of
the largest temples in India and is an example of Dravidian architecture.
 The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the ‘Great Living Chola Temples’ with
other two being the ‘Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram’ and ‘Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram’.
Bill to include more Tribes in ST category
 The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019 by
voice vote. The Bill seeks to include the Parivara and the Talawara communities in the ST category to
ensure they get reservation and other benefits provided by the government.
 The Siddi tribes of Belagavi and Dharwad would also be included in the category apart from those living in
the Uttar Kannada districts. The amendments had been made in the list of the STs in Karnataka.
 STs have been defined in clause (25) of article 366 of the Constitution as ‘‘such tribes or tribal
communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under article 342
to be STs for the purposes of this Constitution.
 Under Article 342 of the Constitution, the first specification of STs in relation to a particular State/ UTs is
by a notified order of the President, after consultation with the governor of the State concerned. These
orders can be modified subsequently only through an Act of Parliament.
 The criterion followed for specification of a community, as scheduled tribes are indications of primitive
traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the community at large, and
backwardness.
 This criterion is not spelt out in the Constitution but has become well established.
 It subsumes various definitions contained in 1931 Census, the reports of first Backward Classes
Commission 1955 etc.
 The list of STs is State/UT specific and a community declared as a ST in a State need not be so in another
State.
PARSI POPULATION
 Recent data show that Parsi population in the country has gone up by 233 since the launch of the Jiyo Parsi
Scheme.
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 The population of Parsis, a notified minority community under National Commission of Minorities Act
1992, had declined from 1,14,000 in 1941 to 57,264 in 2011.
 In this backdrop the scheme was introduced.
 Jiyo Parsi scheme, launched in 2013, aims to arrest the decline in population of the Parsi Community in
India.
 It comprises of three components: Advocacy Component, Health of the Community Component and
Medical Component.
 The scheme adopts a scientific protocol and structured interventions to stabilise the Parsi population.
 Some reasons identified by National Commission for Minorities (NCM) for decline in population of
Parsis:
a) Late and non-marriages
b) Fertility decline
c) Emigration
d) Out-Marriages; and
e) Separation and divorces.
About Parsis (Zoroastrians)
 Parsis follow Zoroastrianism, which was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra) in ancient Iran.
 They emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by Muslims in around 8th century.
 They live chiefly in Mumbai and also in Karachi (Pakistan) and Bengaluru (Karnataka, India).
NEOLITHIC AGE SIVA LINGA
 Recently, an 18-foot Siva linga has been discovered by at the Bhairaveswara Swamy Temple atop the
Mopuru hillock, in Andhra Pradesh.
 The linga was believed to have been naturally formed during the Neolithic age dated back to 3,000 - 2,800
B.C.
 The discovery of the Siva linga has thrown light on the religious practices of Neolithic civilisations during
which people used to worship idols of Gods and Goddesses in standing posture.
About Neolithic Age
 Neolithic (New Stone Age) followed the Paleolithic Period, or age of chipped-stone tools, and preceded
the Bronze Age.
 It was characterized by stone tools shaped by polishing or grinding, dependence on domesticated plants or
animals, settlement in permanent villages, and the appearance of such crafts as pottery and weaving.
 Important Neolithic sites in India: Burzahom and Gufkaral (Kashmir), Chopani Mando( U.P), Brahmgiri
and Tekkalkota (Karnataka), Chirand (Bihar).
Qutub Minar
 A voter awareness programme organised by the South Delhi district administration at Qutub Minar on
February 1 has irked Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials, who say they had allowed cultural
activities outside the monument but not the cooking and serving of food at the event.
 In a letter on January 31 granting permission for the programme ahead of the February 8 Delhi Assembly
polls, the ASI said the competent authority had approved the “proposal for organising a cultural programme
outside the premise of Qutb Minar” on February 1 and 2.
 The official said the ASI refused to allow this as such activities are not allowed in protected monuments,
including the 12th Century Qutub Minar, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Siteas well. With the ASI
officials refusing permission, the official said the district election authorities returned with an order for
taking over the site.
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ABOUT QUTUB MINAR
 Qutub-Minar in red and buff sandstone is the highest tower in India.
 The complex has a number of other important monuments such as the gateway built in 1310, the Alai
Darwaza, Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque; the tombs of Altamish, Ala-ud-din Khalji and Imam Zamin; the Alai
Minar, a 7m high Iron Pillar, etc.
 Qutub-ud-Din Aibak of Slave Dynasty laid the foundation of Minar in A.D. 1199 for the use of mu'azzin
(crier) to give calls for prayer and raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by his
successor and son-in-law, Shams-ud-Din Itutmish (A.D. 1211-36).
 All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by stone
brackets, which are decorated with honey-comb design, more conspicuously in the first storey.
 Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, to the north-east of minar was built by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak in A.D. 1198.
 The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of fourth century A.D.,
according to which the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of god Vishnu) on the hill known as
Vishnupada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra.
 Alai- Darwaza, the southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was constructed by Ala-ud-Din
Khalji in A.H. 710 (A.D. 1311) as recorded in the inscriptions engraved on it. This is the first building
employing Islamic principles of construction and ornamentation.
 Alai Minar, which stands to the north of Qutub-Minar, was commenced by Ala-ud-Din Khalji, with the
intention of making it twice the size of earlier Minar. He could complete only the first storey, which now
has an extant height of 25 m. The other remains in the Qutub complex comprise madrasa, graves, tombs,
mosque and architectural members.
 UNESCO has declared the highest stone tower in India as a world heritage.
RAKHIGARHI
 The residents on Sunday welcomed the announcement to develop the Harappan site at Hisar’sRakhigarhi
village, as an iconic site and set up a national museum, in the Union Budget on Saturday.
 Spread across 500 hectares, Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site in the Indian sub-continent.
 Besides Rakhigarhi, Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Shivsagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat and
Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu will also be developed as iconic sites with national museums.
 Rakhigarhi is one of the largest sites of the Harappan civilisation and the major objectives behind the
excavation there were to trace its beginnings and to study its gradual evolution from 6000 BCE to 2500
BCE, besides protecting it from encroachment by the locals since the village is settled exactly on top of it.
MEDARAM JATRA
NEWS:
 Governors of Telangana and Himachal Pradesh Tamilisai Soundararajan and BandaruDattatreya and Chief
Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao visited Medaram village in Mulugu district and offered prayers to the tribal
deities at the Sammakka-SarakkaJatara on Friday.
 The four-day mega tribal festival began on February 5.
About MedaramJatara
 MedaramJatara is a festival of tribal origin in Telangana.
 It is a festival of honouring the goddesses Sarakka celebrated in the state of Telangana.
 The festival is held every two years at in Medaram Village in the heart of the thick forests of Jayashankar
Bhupalpally district.
 The festival honors tribal folk goddess Sammakka and Saralamma.
 It has become a major pilgrimage in the recent decade and is believed to attract the largest number of
devotees in the country after Kumbha Mela.
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SUN TEMPLE RESTORATION
NEWS:
 A plan to restore and preserve the nearly 800-year-old Konark Sun temple in Odisha would be drawn up
soon, after a two-day conference of experts at the end of the month, Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh
Patel said.
 The 13th century temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, had been filled with sand and sealed by the
British authorities in 1903 to stabilise the structure, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official said.
 An ASI official said the scaffolding at the Sun temple in Konark would be taken down by the end of the
month.
 A scientific study was carried out by the Roorkee-based Central Building Research Institute from 2013 till
2018 to ascertain the temple’s structural stability as well as the status of the filled-in sand, the official said.
ABOUT SUN TEMPLE
 Konark Sun Temple, located in the eastern State of Odisha near the sacred city of Puri, is dedicated to the
sun God or Surya. It is a monumental representation of the sun God Surya's chariot; its 24 wheels are
decorated with symbolic designs and it is led by a team of six horses. It is a masterpiece of Odisha's
medieval architecture and one of India's most famous Brahman sanctuaries.
 The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and
profusion of sculptural work. It marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture depicting
the grace, the joy and the rhythm of life all its wondrous variety.
 The temple declared a world heritage by UNESCO was built in A.D. 1250, during the reign of the Eastern
Ganga King Narasimhadeva-I (A.D. 1238-64). There are two rows of 12 wheels on each side of the Konark
sun temple. Some say the wheels represent the 24 hours in a day and others say the 12 months. The seven
horses are said to symbolize the seven days of the week.
 Sailors once called this Sun Temple of Konarak, the Black Pagoda because it was supposed to draw ships
into the shore and cause shipwrecks.
KAMBALA
 Kambala is an annual traditional Buffalo Race (he-buffalo) held in coastal districts of Karnataka to
entertain rural people of the area.
 Slushy/marshy paddy field track is used for Kambala.
 The sports season generally starts in November and lasts till March.
 The contest generally takes place between two pairs of buffaloes, each pair race in two separate wet rice
fields tracks, controlled by a whip-lashing farmer.
 In the traditional form of Kambala, buffalo racing is non-competitive and buffalo pairs run one by one in
paddy fields.
 Besides, there is also ritualistic approach also as some agriculturists race their he-buffaloes for thanks
giving to god for protecting their animals from diseases.
SHIVAJI
NEWS:
 The MahaVikasAghadi (MVA) government will allot ₹23 crore for the preservation and development of
Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Maratha king ChhatrapatiShivaji,said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister
and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader AjitPawar on Wednesday.
 When Uddhav Thackeray assumed office as Chief Minister, his first decision following the swearing-in
was to allot ₹20 crore for the preservation of Raigad Fort [Shivaji’s capital].
ABOUT SHIVAJI
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 Shivaji was born to Shahaji Bhonsle, a Maratha general who held the jagirs of Pune under the Bijapur
Sultanate. Shivaji’s mother was Jijabai, a pious woman whose religious qualities had a profound influence
on him. Shahaji had also served the Ahmednagar and Deccan sultanates.
 Shivaji displayed his military zeal for the first time in 1645, when as a teenager, he successfully got control
of the Torna Fort which was under Bijapur.
 He also acquired the Kondana Fort. Both these forts were under Adil Shah of Bijapur.
 Shah then got Shahaji imprisoned in a bid to contain Shivaji. Some accounts say that Shivaji surrendered
these forts to get his father released. Shahaji died in 1664-65 in an accident. After this, Shivaji resumed his
raids and extended his territories.
 He achieved great name when he defeated Afzal Khan, a veteran general of Adil Shah.
 In the Battle of Pratapgarh in 1659, Shivaji’s forces vanquished the Bijapur Sultanate’s army. From this
victory, he acquired a large quantity of weapons and horses which greatly added to his growing Maratha
army’s strength.
 In the same year, another battle was fought with the Adilshahi camp at Kolhapur where Shivaji’s
outnumbered army defeated the enemy force. Shivaji displayed great military prowess during this battle.
This victory now alarmed Aurangzeb.
 Shivaji raided Mughal territory near Ahmednagar and in Junnar. Aurangzeb’s forces under Nasiri Khan did
defeat Shivaji at Ahmednagar in 1657 but the Mughal prince soon became engaged with his own battles
with his brothers for the possession of the Mughal throne upon his father’s illness.
 Shivaji defeated a large force of Shaista Khan (Aurangzeb’s maternal uncle) and the Bijapur army in Pune.
In 1664, the wealthy Mughal trading port of Surat was sacked by Shivaji.
 In June 1665, the Treaty of Purandar was signed between Shivaji and Raja Jai Singh I (representing
Aurangzeb). Shivaji signed this agreement realising that a war with the Mughals would cost him men and
money. As per this treaty, many forts were relinquished to the Mughals and it was agreed that Shivaji
would meet Aurangzeb at Agra. Shivaji also agreed to send his son Sambhaji as a Mughal general.
 At Agra in 1666, when Shivaji went to meet the Mughal emperor, the Maratha warrior felt he was insulted
by Aurangzeb and stormed out of the court. He was arrested and kept prisoner. The clever escape of Shivaji
and his son from imprisonment in disguise out of Agra is legendary today.
 After that there was peace between the Marathas and the Mughals until 1670. After that, the jagir of Berar
which was granted to Sambhaji by the Mughals was taken back from him. Shivaji in response, attacked and
recovered many territories from the Mughals in a short span of four months.
 In October 1670, he also harassed the English forces at Bombay for their support of the Mughals.
 Through his military tactics, Shivaji now acquired large part of land in the Deccan and western India. He
was crowned as the king of the Marathas on June 6, 1674 at Raigad.
 He took on the title of Chhatrapati, Shakakarta, Kshatriya Kulavantas and HaindavaDharmodhhaarak.
 Shivaji fell ill and died of ill-health on 3 April 1680 at Raigad.
 Shivaji laid the foundations of a great empire which played significant parts in modern Indian history. He
established a strong army and a navy across the Konkan coast. His admiral Kanhoji Angre is called the
‘Father of Indian Navy’. Shivaji was also considered a master of the guerrilla warfare.
Gond Tribe and Corona
Why in News
 While people are struggling for masks and sanitizers in the urban areas, Gond tribal people living in Panna,
Madhya Pradesh have devised their own way to make masks to fight coronavirus.
 Tribal people are making masks with medicinal leaves and following traditional ways to prevent the spread
of the coronavirus.
Gond Tribe
 Gonds are one of the largest tribal groups in the world.
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 They mostly live in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha.
 Gonds are subdivided into four tribes:
a) Raj Gonds
b) Madia Gonds
c) Dhurve Gonds
d) Khatulwar Gonds
 Their staple food is two kinds of millet: kodo and kutki.
 Rice is mostly consumed during festival feasts.
 Gonds believe that earth, water and air are ruled by Gods.
 They majorly speak Gondi which is an unwritten language of the Dravidian family.
 It has been notified as a Scheduled Tribe.
Corona Studies Series: NBT
Why in News
 The National Book Trust (NBT) is going to launch a publishing series titled ‘Corona Studies Series’.
 The Corona Studies Series is being launched to prepare and engage readers with the various aspects of the
Corona.
 It will bring out affordable books in various Indian languages in the identified subject areas such as PsychoSocial Impact of Corona Pandemic.
 The series will document and provide relevant reading materials for all age-groups for the post-Corona
readership needs.
 Books focused on art, literature, folklore, economic and sociological aspects, science/health awareness
emerging out of the Corona pandemic, and the lockdown, are also being prepared.
 #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks initiative was also started by the NBT.
 The pdfs of some of the select and bestselling books have been provided for free download. This is to
encourage people to stay in/home to contain the spread of COVID-19.
National Book Trust
 NBT, India is an apex body established by the Government of India (Department of Higher Education,
Ministry of Human Resource Development) in the year 1957.
 The objectives of the NBT are
a) to produce and encourage the production of good literature in English, Hindi and other Indian
languages.
b) to make such literature available at moderate prices to the public.
c) to bring out book catalogues, arrange book fairs/exhibitions and seminars and take all necessary
steps to make the people book minded.
Tribal lockdown ritual
A tribal lockdown ritual has staged a comeback in Arunachal Pradesh, the State geographically closest to China’s
Hubei province where the COVID-19 outbreak began.
Galos
 The Galos, one of the 26 major tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, dominate West Siang district.
 Arr-Rinam is the Galo equivalent of lockdown imposed by consensus for 48 hours whenever an epidemic
strikes.
 Arr-Rinam were last performed almost four decades ago when a water-borne disease had affected many
members of the community.
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 Tribe has been performing these rituals periodically for livestock, primarily the semi-wild mithun, that are
prone to contagious diseases.
 This is for the first time in 30-40 years that tribe performed the rituals for the safety of humans
 Two Bos or deputy priests, who performed the Ali-Ternam under the guidance of a Nyibo (shaman)
Adi
 The Adi community inhabiting East Siang and Lower Dibang Valley districts too performed a similar ritual
called Motor that they believe lets shamans with legendary powers to locate wild herbs to combat an
epidemic.
 The Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh is believed to have come from southern China in the 16th century.
 They are the Tibeto-Burman language speaking population..
 The Adis are experts at making cane and bamboo items.
 Solung (harvesting festival where animal sacrifices and rituals are performed) and Aran ( a hunting festival
where all the male members of the family go for hunting) are two major festivals of the Adi tribes.
Nyishi
 In districts such as Papum Pare and East Kameng, the dominant Nyishi community observed Arrue
involving self-quarantine.
 Tribe have rituals such as Khyasang-Ratar and Merii for preventing the entry of an epidemic to a village.
 Nyishi Tribes also called Bangni are the tribal people of eastern Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh (formerly
North East Frontier Agency).
 Nyishi is a Scheduled Tribe. It is the single largest tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
 They speak the Tibeto-Burman language of the Sino-Tibetan family.
 The Nyishi support themselves with slash-and-burn agriculture and with hunting and fishing.
 They live together in a longhouse without partitions but with a separate fireplace for each conjugal family.
 Aside from a patrilineal household there is no formal social organization or village government.
 Their religion involves belief in spirits associated with nature.
New Year Festivals of India
The President of India has greeted the people on the eve of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Cheti
Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba. These festivals of the spring season mark the beginning of the traditional new
year in India.
Chaitra Shukla Pratipada
 It marks the beginning of the new year of the Vikram Samvat also known as the Vedic [Hindu] calendar.
 Vikram Samvat is based on the day when the emperor Vikramaditya defeated Sakas, invaded Ujjain and
called for a new era.
 Under his supervision, astronomers formed a new calendar based on the luni-solar system that is still
followed in the northern regions of India.
 It is the first day during the waxing phase (in which the visible side of moon is getting bigger every night)
of the moon in the Chaitra (first month of Hindu calendar).
Gudi Padwa and Ugadi
 These festivals are celebrated by the people in the Deccan region including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and
Maharashtra.
 The common practice in the celebrations of both the festivals is the festive food that is prepared with a mix
of sweet and bitter.
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 A famous concoction served is jaggery (sweet) and neem (bitter), called bevu-bella in the South, signifying
that life brings both happiness and sorrows.
 Gudi is a doll prepared in Maharashtrian homes.
 A bamboo stick is adorned with green or red brocade to make the gudi. This gudi is placed prominently in
the house or outside a window/ door for all to see.
 For Ugadi, doors in homes are adorned with mango leaf decorations called toranalu or Torana in Kannada.
Cheti Chand
 Sindhis celebrate the new year as Cheti Chand. Chaitra month is called 'Chet' in Sindhi.
 The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Uderolal/Jhulelal, the patron saint of Sindhis.
Navreh
 It is the lunar new year that is celebrated in Kashmir.
 It is the Sanskrit word ‘Nav-Varsha’ from where the word ‘Navreh’ has been derived.
 It falls on the first day of the Chaitra Navratri.
 On this day, Kashmiri pandits look at a bowl of rice which is considered as a symbol of riches and fertility.
Sajibu Cheiraoba
 It is a ritual festival of Meiteis which is observed on the first day of Manipur lunar month Shajibu, which
falls in March/April every year.
 On the day of the festival, people arrange a joint family feast in which traditional cuisines are offered to
local deities at the entrance gates of the houses.
Meities
 The Meiteis are one of the most eminent ethnic groups of Manipur, hailing from the Manipur Valley.
 They speak Tibeto-Burman language and most of the people belonging to the group, follow Hindu customs.
Navroz
 Navroz is the new year celebrations for Parsis (Zoroastrians) and Muslims (both Shia and Sunni).
 It is celebrated on 21st March every year.
 In 1079 AD, a Persian (Iranian) king named Jalaluddin Malekshah introduced this festival to generate
revenue and collect taxes from people.
 It was observed on March 21 to mark the beginning of spring and the day of equinox.
 It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.
 In India it is known as Jamshed Navroz.
Tara Tarini Temple
Why in News
 The annual Chaitra Jatra festival scheduled to be held on 17th March, 2020 at Odisha’s Tara Tarini hill
shrine has been cancelled as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 infection.
 The festival is held on each Tuesday in the month of Chaitra, which falls in March-April as per the English
calendar.
About Temple
 Taratarini Temple on the Kumari hills at the bank of the River Rushikulya near Brahmapur city in Ganjam
District, Odisha, India is worshiped as the Breast Shrine (Sthana Peetha) and manifestations of Adi Shakti.
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 The Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha is one of the oldest pilgrimage centers of the Mother Goddess and is one of
four major ancient Tantra Peetha and Shakti Peethas in India.
 Tara is an important deity of Mahayana Buddhist Sect.
 This temple had been built as per traditional Rekha style of Odia temple architecture, as per which famous
Jagannath temple of Puri and Lingaraj temple of Bhubaneswar have been built.
 Unlike other temples, it wasn’t built under the patronage of a King or a Noble, the temple was set up by a
Brahmin named Basu Praharaj as per popular legend.
 Since its inception it has been an established seat of Tantrism.
 Indian Navy’s sailboat INSV Tarini was named after Tara Tarini hill shrine.The first Indian all-woman
crew had circumnavigated the globe in INSV Tarini.
Shakti Peethas
 The Shakti Peetha are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-focused
Hindu tradition. There are 51 or 108 Shakti peethas by various accounts.
 Most of these historic places of goddess worship are in India, but there are seven in Bangladesh, three in
Pakistan, three in Nepal, and one each in Tibet and Sri Lanka
 The legends behind the Shakti Peethas is based on the story of the death of the goddess Sati. Out of grief
and sorrow, Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the
universe with it.
 Vishnu had cut her body into 51 body parts, using his Sudarshana Chakra, which fell on Earth to become
sacred sites where all the people can pay homage to the Goddess. To complete this massively long task,
Lord Shiva took the form of Bhairava.
 The only exceptional Shakti Peethas is the Vindhyavasini Shakti Peetha. As it is believed that the
Shaktipeeths were created on earth, where the body parts of Sati fell. But this is the place where Devi chose
to reside after her birth in Dwapar Yuga as the sister of Krishna.
Adi Shakti Peethas
Some of the great religious texts recognize four major Shakti Peethas (centers):
 Bimala Temple (Pada Khanda) inside the Jagannath Temple of Puri, Odisha;
 Tara Tarini (Sthana Khanda, Purnagiri, Breasts), near Berhampur, Odisha;
 Kamakhya Temple (Yoni Khanda), near Guwahati, Assam; and
 Dakshina Kalika (Mukha Khanda) in Kolkata, West Bengal, all originating from the parts of the corpse of
Mata Sati in the Satya Yuga.
Attukal Pongala Festival
News: In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerela, the annual “Attukal Pongala”, one of the largest all-women religious
congregations, began recently amid the COVID-19 virus threat.
About Festival
 Attukal Pongala Festival is celebrated religiously every year at the famous Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in
Trivandrum.
 The main highlight is that this festival is exclusively for women and has even won the Guinness World
Record for being the largest single gathering of women for religious activity in the world.
 The festival lasts for ten days which commences on the Bharani day of the Malayalam month of Makaram
or Kumbham that concludes with the sacrificial offering known as Kuruthitharpanam at night. It usually
falls in February or March.
 Regardless of the scorching heat of the sun, lakhs of women in traditional attires line up on either side of
the roads around the Attukal Temple, making offerings of Pongala to appease the Goddess Attukalamma.
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 Pongala is actually a mix of rice with jaggery and grated coconut which is cooked for about two hours in
fresh earthen or metal pots.
 The ritualistic preparation of Pongala takes place on the ninth day of the festival.
Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
 The Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is a Hindu religious shrine at Attukal in Kerala, India.
 Goddess Bhadrakali (Kannaki), mounted over 'vethala', is the main deity in this temple.
 Bhadrakali, a form of Mahakali, who killed the demon king Daruka, believed to be born from the third eye
of lord Shiva.
 Bhadrakali is considered as the goddess of prosperity and salvation.
 Goddess 'Attukal devi', itself is the supreme mother 'Bhaadrkali devi', (in soumya aspect) the goddess of
power and courage. She is often referred as Kannaki, the heroine of Ilanko Adikal's 'Silapathikaaram'.
Foundation Day National Archives of India
Why In News?
 Recently, on the occasion of 130th Foundation Day of National Archives of India, an exhibition
“Jallianwala Bagh” was inaugurated, to mark the Jallianwala Bagh massacre centenary.
 The present exhibition is primarily presented with the help of original and digital copies of archival
documents relating to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre available in National Archives of India.
 This is an attempt to portray the relentless struggle of the Indian people against the British tyranny through
our record holdings.
National Archives of India
 The National Archives of India is an attached office under the Ministry of Culture. It was established on 11
March 1891 at Kolkata (Calcutta) as the Imperial Record Department.
 Following the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, the present building of the National
Archives of India was constructed in 1926 which was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
 The transfer of all records from Calcutta to New Delhi was completed in 1937. It is the nodal agency for
the implementation of the Public Records Act, 1993 and Public Record Rules, 1997.
Warli Adivasi Revolt
 There is no memorial at the banyan tree around which the Warli Adivasi Revolt of 1945 began in Talasari
taluka’s Zari village.
 Nearly 5,000 indentured tribals who gathered here from Thane, Vikramgad, Dahanu and Palghar had
refused to work on landlords’ fields until they received 12 annas a day in wages, their resistance sowing the
first seeds of rights-based movements among the region’s indigenous communities.
 For over a hundred years, practically every tribal in Talasari and nearby worked as bonded labourers,
almost owned by upper caste Maharashtrians or Parsi landlords — this was then Umbergaon taluka, in
present day Gujarat. It was Godavari Parulekar’s call for rebellion in May 1945 that changed their lives.
 Women played an important role in the revolt and helped the men in all possible aspects.
Warli Tribe
 They are spread across Thane, Nashik and Dhule districts of Maharashtra, Valsad district of Gujarat,
Karnataka, Goa and the Union Territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
 They are small-scale cultivators and cultivate rice, pulses and vegetables. They also sell toddy, mahua and
fuelwood to their tribesmen and neighbouring communities for a living.
 Warli are nature worshippers.
 Warli art stems from their belief system shaped by their centuries-old subsistence on forest land.
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 They did not have a written word until recent times and their art was a way of transmitting their belief
systems from one generation to the next.
 Their drawings revolve around community traditions, the tools they use and their association with nature.
Indian Music – Hindustani and Carnatic Music
Carnatic music is a system of music associated with the southern part of Indian sub continent. Hindustani music is
associated with North India and is deeply influenced by Persian and Islamic music system.
Hindustani Music
 Assimilated some features of the music of the Persian and Arabic musicians
 Traced back to Delhi Sultanate → Amir Khusrau (AD 1253-1325)
a) invented sitar and table
b) invented new Ragas like ghora & Sanam
c) Evolved Qawwali mixing Indian & Iranian music
 New music instruments such as Sarangi & Rabab were introduced in this period
 Most of the Hindustani musicians trace their descent to Tansen
 Prominent Styles → Dhrupad, Dhamar-Hori, Khayal, Tappa, Chaturang, Ragasagar, Tarana, Sargam,
Thumri & Ghazal
Dhrupad
 Oldest and perhaps the grandest form of Hindustani vocal music
 Traditionally performed by male singers in verse form of the poetry Tansen
 A poetic form incorporated into an extended presentation style marked by precise & orderly elaboration of
a raga
 The exposition preceding the composed verses is calledalap, and is usually the longest portion of the
performance
Khayal
 Most prominent genre of Hindustani vocal music depicting a romantic style of singing
 Dependent to a large extent on the imagination of the performer & the improvisations he is able to
incorporate
 Khayal is also composed in a particular raga andtala and has a brief text
 Texts mainly includes Praise of kings, Description of seasons, Pranks of Lord Krishna, Divine love &
Sorrow of separation
 There are six main gharanas in khayal Delhi, Patiala, Agra, Gwalior, Kirana and Atrauli-Jaipur
 Gwalior Gharana is the oldest and is also considered the mother of all other gharanas
Thumri
 Originated in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, mainly in Lucknow & Benares, around 18th century
 A romantic & erotic style of singing; also called “the lyric of Indian classical music”
 Compositions are mostly on love, separation and devotion
 Distinct feature → Erotic subject matter portrayed picturesquely from the various episodes of the lives of
Lord Krishna & Radha
 Lyrics are typically in Brij Bhasha and are usually romantic & religious
 A Thumri is usually performed as the last item of a Khayal concert.
 There are three main gharanas of thumri — Benaras, Lucknow and Patiala.
Tappa
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 Tappa literally means ‘jump’ in Persian
 Marked by Quick turn of phase
 Developed in the late 18th Century AD from the folk songs of camel drivers of Punjab
 They are essentially folklore of love & passion and are written in Punjabi
 Developed as a form of classical music by Mian Ghulam Nabi Shori
Carnatic Music
 Tamil classic of the 2nd century “Silappadhikaram” contains a vivid description of the music of that period
 Tolkappiyam, Kalladam & contributions of Saivite &Vaishnavite saints of 7th & 8th centuries also serve as
musical history resource material
 South Indian Music, as known today, flourished in Deogiri, the capital city of the Yadavas in middle ages
 After the invasion of the city by the Muslims, the entire cultural life of the city took shelter in Carnatic
Empire of Vijayanagar under the reign of Krishnadevaraya
 Thereafter, the music of South India came to be known as Carnatic Music
 Purandar Dasa: Credited with having founded today’s Carnatic music → elevated Carnatic music from
religious and devotional form to realm of performing art
 Musical Trinity – Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar & Syama Sastri (Tiruvarur 1750 – 1850 AD) ushered
in an era of dynamic development in Carnatic music
Similarities and difference between the Hindustani and the Carnatic styles of classic music
Similarities
 Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of swara, raga and tala as foundation of both
Carnatic and Hindustani are same.
 Hindustani music originated in the Vedic period, while Carnatic music originated during the Bhakti
movement. Thus both are having great association with religion.
 Carnatic is one of two main sub-genres of India classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu traditions,
the other sub-genre being Hindustani music, which emerged as a distinct form due to Persian and Islamic
influences in North India.
 Both the music evolved with Sanskrit language scripts in itself and through Vedic traditions.
 The central notions in both these system is that of a melodic mode or raga, sug to a rhythmic cycle or tala.
Differences
 Origin of Hindustani music is earlier than Carnatic music. It synthesizes with Vedic chants, Islamic
traditions and Persian Musiqu-e-Assil style.
 Carnatic is Comparatively pure and was developed in 15th 16th century during Bhakti movement and also
get boost in 19th -20th century.
 Main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music and most compositions are to be sung, involving gayaki
style. In Hindustani music vocal- centric group is required. Many instruments are designed to accompany
the singer.
 The major vocal forms of Hindustani music are Dhrupad, khayal, Tarana, Thumri, Dadra and Gazals.
While Carnatic music embraces several varieties of improvisation consist of Alpana, Niraval,
kalpnaswaram and Ragam Thana pallavi.
Folk Dance and Music
Dumhal and Rouff of Jammu and Kashmir
 Dumhal is performed by men belonging to the Wattal tribe of Kashmir to celebrate special occasions. The
group of dancers moves in a procession, ceremoniously carrying a banner which is dug in the ground and
the men dance around it in circles.
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 Rouff is a much loved customary dance of Kashmir performed by girls. It involves simple footwork and is
mostly performed on celebrated occasions such as Ramzan and Id. Rouff has been an element of Kashmiri
life since primeval times, and it was a welcoming dance performed by women on the onset of spring
season.
Bhangra of Punjab
 One of the most popular dances, not just in the state of Punjab, but in the country as a whole.
 It was performed originally during the harvest season, wearing a traditional Punjabi dress and with
instruments including a Dhol, Chimta, Algoza and others.
 Other folk dance of Punjab like Jhummar and Sammi, are also included in Bhangra.
Raas Leela of Uttar Pradesh
 It is popular in the region of Mathura and Vrindavan of Uttar Pradesh, and is associated with the festival of
Holi and Janmashtami.
 It is a part of the mythological stories of Lord Krishna where he dances with Radha and sakhis. It is
regarded as the “dance of the divine love.”
 The Indian classical dance Kathak evolved from Raas Leela of Braj and Manipuri classical dance. Raas
Leela has been a popular theme in many other classical dance forms.
Garba of Gujarat
 Traditional Garba is performed around a clay lantern known as the Garba Deep or around the statue of
Goddess Shakti.
 Symbolically the Garba Deep represents a body within which the divine energy of the Goddess resides. The
dance is performed in groups to celebrate the nine days Hindu festival of Navratri.
 It is performed in rings and concentric circles representing the cycle of birth and death in Hinduism,
leaving only one constant which is the divinity of God symbolized by the idol of the Goddess or the Garba
Deep.
Ghoomar of Rajasthan
 Ghoomar was developed by the Bhil tribe and was later adopted by Rajasthani communities.
 The beauty of this folk dance is in the swirling colorful robes of the women as the pirouetting displays the
vibrant colors of the flowing ghagra (long heavily embroidered colorful skirt).
Bihu of Assam
 Characterized by brisk steps and rapid hand movements, this is a folk dance performed by both men and
women of Assam.
 The musical instruments mostly used in the dance are Dhol (drum), Pepa (horn), Gagana (an instrument
made of bamboo).
 Usually, the ladies wear a mustard and red colored saree while the men are dressed in a dhoti and a
headband of red and mustard color.
Lavani of Maharashtra
 Performed on the beats of the instrument Dholki, Lavani is characterized by powerful rhythms. It
contributes majorly to Marathi folk theatre.
 It is performed by females dressed in a nine-yard-long saree on songs in a quick tempo.
Ghumura of Odisha
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 One of the most sought after dances in Odisha, Ghumura is similar to a tribal dance, because of the dress
that is worn while performing it.
 Research suggests that it was regarded as a war dance in ancient India, and was performed by Ravana in the
Ramayana.
 Its roots in the Medieval period are confirmed by the fact that this dance is depicted in the Sun Temple,
Konark. The movements and expressions used in the dance make it a “heroic dance.”
Yakshagana of Karnataka
 This is a classical dance drama with music, dance depicting a story with dialogues and unique costumes.
Yakshagana is also known as aataā in Kannada and Tulu (‘play’).
 Yakshagana literally means the song (gana) of a yaksha. Yakshas were an exotic tribe mentioned in the
Sanskrit literature of ancient India.
Karagattam of Tamil Nadu
 Traditionally performed by the villagers in praise of the Rain Goddess Mari Amman, it showcases the
performers balancing water pots on their heads in a beautiful fashion.
 This dance was performed in two forms and occasions – the Aatta Karagam is danced with decorated pots
on the head and symbolizes joy and happiness, while the Sakthi Karagam is performed only in temples and
is mainly danced for entertainment.
 The pots used in the dance are decorated with flowers and is topped by a moving paper parrot. The parrot
rotates as the dancer takes swings, which adds to the beauty of this dance.
Kalikapatadi of West Bengal
 This Bengali folk dance revolves around the mythological story of how Lord Shiva calms down Goddess
Kali after killing Asura.
 The dance is more prevalent in Howrah. Before the coronation of Shiva on Neelpuja Day (Chaitra
Sankranti), the performance of this dance is considered a must.
 The green leaves of water hyacinth are used to make the hair of Kali and the black ash to decorate the body.
Clay mask is used for Mahadeva.
 Palm leaves reddened with alta are used to symbolize the tongue of Kali. The performers usually go on a
fast for the day as a form of worship.
Giddha
 It is a popular folk dance of Punjab that is performed only by the ladies.
 This dance is the female counterpart of the Bhangra, and has the same tempo of high-spirited revelry.
 Gidha is performed during festive or social occasions, especially during the sowing and reaping of the
harvest.
Ghoomar
 Ghoomar, a traditional Bhil tribe folk dance is not just an act of singing and dancing, but is a symbol of
womanhood, a rite of passage in which young girls participate to declare that they are now stepping into the
shoes of a woman.
Bhavai
 Bhawai is a folk dance with swaying and twirling movements that is performed by women from certain
tribes from the state of Rajasthan.
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 This folk dance is one of the state’s most exciting dance performances as it involves tricky balancing acts,
right from balancing seven to nine brass pots on the head to balancing oneself (along with the pots) on
narrow and unstable objects like a glass bottle, brass plate or the edge of a sword.
Kalbelia
 The Kalbelia or Kalbeliya or Karberia, as it is sometimes spelled is a dance form that is associated with a
Rajasthani tribe of the same name.
 The dance form consists of swirling, graceful movements that make this dance a treat to behold.
 The movements associated with the Kalbelia also make it one of the most sensuous forms of folk dance in
India.
 The Kalbelia dance is generally performed for any joyous celebration and is considered to be an integral
part of the Kalbelia culture.
 Another unique aspect of the Kalbelia dance is that it is only performed by women while the men play the
instruments and provide the music.
Dandi Gair: Rajasthani Folk Dance
 Dandi Gair is a variation of the Gair dance performed in the Marwar region of Rajasthan.
 This folk dance is performed by the men and women of the Bhil community.
 The word Gair means ‘circle’ in the regional language and therefore is performed within circular
formations.
Chhau
 The Chhau Dance is a popular form of tribal dance in India that incorporates elements of martial arts into
its movements.
 This dance form is predominantly seen in the states of Odissa, West Bengal and Jharkhand.
 According to certain literary scholars, the word Chhau is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Chhaya’ which
essentially means masks, shadow or image while other scholars believe that the word is derived from
‘Chhauni‘which means military camp.
 There are three subtypes of this dance form; namely Purulia Chhau, Mayurbanj Chhau and Seraikella
Chhau. Differences between the three are dependent on their regions of origin.
Important Theatrical Forms of India
Bhand Pather: Jammu & Kashmir
 This is a traditional satirical theatre form of Kashmir with unique combination of dance, music and acting.
Biting satire, wit and parody characterize the form.
 The actors of Bhand Pather are mainly from the farming community and the impact of their way of living,
ideals and sensitivity in the drama is discernible.
Swang
 Swang is a folk dance drama of Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.
 It incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry accompanied by song and dialogue. It is dialogue-oriented
rather than movement-oriented.
 Religious stories and folk tales are enacted by a group of ten or twelve persons in an open area or an open
air theatre surrounded by the audience.
 The themes draw variously from themes of morality, folk tales, lives of inspiring personalities, stories from
Indian mythology and in recent times, more current themes like health and hygiene, literacy, etc.
 The two important styles of Swang are from Rohtak and Haathras. In the style belonging to Rohtak, the
language used is Haryanvi (Bangru) and in Haathras, it is Brajbhasha.
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Nautanki
 In entire north India, it was the most popular entertainment art before arrival of Cinema.
 The most popular centres of this traditional theatre form are Kanpur, Lucknow and Haathras.
 This popular art from has now dwindled and its existence is in threat. In contemporary times, the street
plays resemble to the Nautankis.
Raasleela
 Rāsleela is a theatre form of Uttar Pradesh. It is based exclusively on Lord Krishna legends.
 It is believed that Nand Das wrote the initial plays based on the life of Krishna. The dialogues in prose
combined beautifully with songs and scenes from Krishna’s pranks.
Maach
 Maach is a traditional theatre form of Madhya Pradesh. The term Maach is used for the stage itself as also
for the play.
 In this theatre form songs are given prominence in between the dialogues.
 The term for dialogue in this form is bol and rhyme in narration is termed vanag. The tunes of this theatre
form are known as rangat.
Ramman
 Ramman is a folk theatre of Uttarakhand. It is a multiform cultural event combining theatre, music,
historical reconstructions, and traditional oral and written tales.
 It is celebrated every year in Baisakh month (april) in the courtyard of the temple of Bhumiyal Devta
situated in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.
 Mask dance performed exclusively by the Bhandaris (Ksatriya caste).
 Ramman has been also included in the UNESCO Representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity.
Jatra, Bengal
 Jatra refers to the musical plays performed at fairs in honour of gods, or religious rituals and ceremonies.
This dance-drama born and flourished in Bengal.
 Krishna Jatra became popular due to Chaitanya’s influence. Later, however, worldly love stories too, found
a place in Jatra.
 The earlier form of Jatra has been musical. Dialogues were added at later stage.The actors themselves
describe the change of scene, the place of action, etc.
Tamāsha
 Tamāsha is a traditional folk theatre form of Maharashtra. It has evolved from the folk forms such as
Gondhal, Jagran and Kirtan.
 Unlike other theatre forms, in Tamaasha the female actress is the chief exponent of dance movements in the
play. She is known as Murki.
 Classical music, footwork at lightning-speed, and vivid gestures make it possible to portray all the emotions
through dance.
 The themes of Tamasha have been used in some Marathi films also.
Dashavatar
 Dashavatar is a popular theatre form of the Konkan and Goa regions. The performers personify the ten
incarnations of Lord Vishnu-the god of preservation and creativity.
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 Apart from stylized make-up, the Dashavatar performers wear masks of wood and papier mache.
Krishnattam
 Krishanattam is the folk theatre of Kerala. It came into existence in 17th century under the patronage of
King Manavada of Calicut.
 Krishnattam is a cycle of eight plays performed for eight consecutive days, presenting the story of lord
Krishna.
 The plays are Avataram, Kaliamandana, Rasa krida, kamasavadha, Swayamvaram, Bana Yudham, Vivida
Vadham, and Swargarohana.
Mudiyettu
 Mudiyettu is a traditional ritual theatre and folk dance drama from Kerala that enacts the mythological tale
of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika.
 The ritual is a part of the Bhagavathi or bhadrakali cult. It is performed in Kerala’s Bhagvati Kavus, the
temples of the Mother Goddess, between February and May after the harvesting season.
 In 2010 Mudiyettu was inscribed in the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity, becoming the second art form from Kerala after Koodiyattam.
Theyyam
 Theyyam is a traditional and extremely popular folk theatre form of Kerala. The word ‘Theyyam’ is
derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Daivam’ meaning God. Hence it is called God’s dance.
 Theyyam is performed by various castes to appease and worship spirits of ancestors, folk heroes.
 One of the distinguishing features of Theyyam is the colourful costume and awe-inspiring headgears
(mudi) nearly 5 to 6 feet high made of arecanut splices, bamboos, leaf sheaths of arecanut and wooden
planks and dyed into different strong colours using turmeric, wax and arac.
Koodiyaattam/ Kuttiyaattam
 Koodiyattam is one of the oldest traditional theatre forms of Kerala and is based on Sanskrit theatre
traditions. The characters of this theatre form are: Chakyaar or actor, Naambiyaar, the instrumentalists and
Naangyaar, those taking on women’s roles.
 The Sutradhar or narrator and the Vidushak or jesters are the protagonists. It is the Vidushak alone who
delivers the dialogues.
 Emphasis on hand gestures and eye movements makes this dance and theatre form unique.
 It was UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Therukoothu
 Theukoothu, literally meaning street play, is the most popular form of folk drama of Tamil Nadu. It is
mostly performed at the time of annual temple festivals of Mariamman (Rain goddess) to achieve rich
harvest.
 At the core of the extensive repertoire of Therukoothu there is a cycle of eight plays based on the life of
Draupadi. Kattiakaran, the Sutradhara of the Therukoothu performance, gives the gist of the play to the
audience and Komali entertains the audience with his buffoonery.
Veedhi Natakam
 In Telugu, ‘Veedhi’ means ‘street or an open place’. Since the plays on Bhagavan were performed in an
open place, therefore, they were called Veedhi Natakam.
 The plays were performed by Bhagathas, who were devotees of Bhagwan, so they were sometimes also
referred as Veedhi Bhagavathams.
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 It is the most popular folk theatre form of Andhra Pradesh.
Burrakatha/ Harikatha
 Harikatha is a storytelling play used in villages of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The term
‘burra’ is used for tambura, a musical string instrument with a hollow shell and ‘katha’ means story.
 It is a narrative entertainment that consists of prayers, solo drama, dance, songs, poems and jokes.
Burrakatha tellers are called as budagajangalu.
 The topic will be either a Hindu mythological story or a contemporary social problem.
 It played an effective role in conveying message to people and awakening them during Indian
Independence Movement.
Puppetry In India
Puppetry is one of the oldest forms of entertainment in India. There are many different forms of puppetry in the
country and each region has it’s own style in terms of movement, costumes and musical accompaniments.
Style and Variety
There are 4 different styles of puppets that are used in puppetry, namely glove, rod, shadow and string. Their name
alludes to the way that they are manipulated. In India, all four styles can be found.
Glove Puppets
As the name suggests, glove puppets are worn on the hands just like a glove. Usually, the middle-finger and the
thumb act as the hands of the puppet while the index finger acts as the head. Since it only requires one hand, one
puppeteer can simultaneously perform with two puppets.
Rod Puppets
Rod puppets are manipulated by rods as the name suggests, and usually have 3 main joints. Due to their design, rod
puppets usually do not have legs and hence the movements made by them are quite dramatic. The themes of the
performances are usually based on the Ramayana and the Satee Behula.
Shadow Puppets
The puppets that are used in shadow puppetry are flat and are performed against a white cloth screen that is tightly
stretched. Shadow puppets are made of leather which is specially treated to make it translucent. This puppetry is
performed by pressing the puppets against the screen and placing a strong light source behind the screen.
String Puppets
The tradition of marionettes or string puppets in India is ancient. String puppets are quite versatile and can be made
using wood, wire or even cloth that is stuffed with cotton, rags or saw dust. The puppet is suspended from control
strings that are attached to different parts of the puppeteer’s body. Since the joints are controlled by strings, they
have much greater flexibility than others and are hence, more articulate. Control is achieved by either loosening or
pulling the corresponding strings.

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