Vision Ias PT 365 Art and Culture 2020

CULTURE
Table of Contents
1. SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE ______ 3 7.3. Mamallapuram ___________________ 24
1.1. Megalithic Culture __________________ 3 7.4. Earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India
____________________________________ 25
1.2. Chaukhandi Stupa __________________ 3
7.5. Poompuhar to be digitally Reconstructed
1.3. Amaravati School of Art _____________ 5
____________________________________ 25
1.4. Stucco Sculpture ___________________ 5
7.6. Early Humans Lived in Northern India
1.5. Mini Khajuraho ____________________ 6 80,000 Years Ago _____________________ 26
1.6. Brihadisvara Temple ________________ 6 7.7. Neolithic Age Siva Linga Discovered ___ 27
1.7. Other architecture forms in news _____ 7 7.8. Nagardhan Excavations _____________ 27
2. PAINTINGS & OTHER ART FORMS ______ 9 7.9. Buddhist Monastries in News ________ 28
2.1. Pattachitra ________________________ 9 8. PERSONALITIES ___________________ 29
2.2. Bagru Block Printing ________________ 9 8.1. Guru Nanak ______________________ 29
2.3. Other Art Forms ___________________ 9 8.2. Tipu Sultan _______________________ 29
3. DANCES & MUSIC _________________ 11 8.3. Maharaja Ranjit Singh ______________ 30
3.1. Assamese Bhaona _________________ 11 8.4. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar__________ 30
3.2. Other performing Art Forms in News __ 11 8.5. Ashfaqullah Khan__________________ 32
4. LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE _______ 13 8.6. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar __________ 32
4.1. Classical Language _________________ 13 8.7. Muhammad Iqbal _________________ 33
4.2. Urdu ____________________________ 13 8.8. Dara Shikoh ______________________ 33
4.3. Indigenous Languages ______________ 13 8.9. Adi Shankar ______________________ 34
5. INITIATIVES OF UNESCO ____________ 15 8.10. Thiruvalluvar ____________________ 34
5.1. UNESCO World Heritage Sites _______ 15 8.11. Guru Ravidas Jayanti ______________ 35
5.1.1. Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage 8.12. Vedanta Desikan _________________ 35
Sites __________________________________ 16
5.1.2. Iran’s Cultural Heritage ______________ 16 8.13. Travelogues in Decoding Indian History
____________________________________ 35
5.2. UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network ____ 17
8.14. Other Personalities in News ________ 36
6. FESTIVALS________________________ 18
9. HISTORICAL EVENTS _______________ 38
6.1. Ambubachi Mela __________________ 18
9.1. Paika Rebellion ___________________ 38
6.2. Lai Haraoba ______________________ 18
9.2. Payyanur ________________________ 38
6.3. Zo Kutpui ________________________ 19
9.3. Jallianwala Bagh __________________ 39
6.4. Aadi Mahotsav ___________________ 19
9.4. Azad Hind Government _____________ 40
6.5. Cultural Festival in News____________ 19
9.5. Nehru-Liaquat Agreement __________ 41
7. ANCIENT HISTORY _________________ 22
9.6. Privy Purse Abolition _______________ 41
7.1. New Findings on the Decline of Harappan
Civilization __________________________ 22 9.7. Other events _____________________ 41
7.2. Sangam Age ______________________ 23 10. PRIZES AND AWARDS _____________ 43
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DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH 8468022022
10.1. Nobel Prizes _____________________ 43 11.2. Republic Day Parade 2020 _________ 47
10.2. Awards by Sangeet Natak Akademi __ 43 11.3. Parsi Population _________________ 48
10.3. Portugal Sets up Gandhi Prize_______ 43 11.4. Kodavas Community of Coorg_______ 48
10.4. Sahitya Akademi Awards 2019 ______ 44 11.5. Pashmina Products Receive BIS
Certification _________________________ 48
10.5. Padma Awards __________________ 44
11.6. Travel and Tourism Competitiveness
10.6. Jnanpith Award __________________ 45
Index (TTCI) __________________________ 49
11. MISCELLANEOUS _________________ 46
11.7. Government Initiatives ____________ 49
11.1. GI Tags _________________________ 46
11.8. Tribes in News ___________________ 50
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8468022022 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH
1. SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE
o However, unlike burials of the Neolithic
1.1. MEGALITHIC CULTURE chalcolithic phase, which tend to be within
Why in News? the habitation, megalithic burials are
located in a separate area. The separation
Recently, new menhirs were found on the of abodes of the living and the dead is
Pothamala hills on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. significant, and is indicative of a shift in
More about news social organization.
o The three basic types of Megaliths are the
• Menhirs are monolithic slabs that are erected chamber tombs, unchambered tombs,
above the ground and may be small or gigantic and megaliths not connected with burials.
in height. o Various types of megalithic monuments
• Pothamala hills houses hundreds of cobbled found are menhirs, dolmenoid
stone structures, pointing to the existence of cist/dolmen, topikal etc. (See infographic).
a structured graveyard of a prehistoric • Megaliths in India cannot be treated as
civilisation dating back around 3,000 years. representing a single, homogenous or
• These menhirs are the largest-ever recorded contemporaneous culture.
Menhirs in Kerala.
• 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.
o Megaliths include different kind of
monuments that have one thing in
common-they are made of large, roughly,
dressed slabs of stone.
o Such monuments have been found in
many parts of the world in- Europe, Asia, 1.2. CHAUKHANDI STUPA
Africa, and in Central and South America.
• In the Indian subcontinent, Megaliths occur in Why in news?
the far south, the Deccan plateau, the
Recently, Chaukhandi Stupa has been declared site
Vindhyan Arravalli ranges and the north west.
of national importance by the Archeological Survey
o Megalithic sites in India are dated to a
of India (ASI).
period ranging from 1300 BCE to 12 century
CE. About Chaukhandi Stupa
o Megaliths in Vindhyas referred to a pre-
• It is an ancient Buddhist site in Sarnath (Uttar
iron chalcolithic context, peninsular India
Pradesh), with a lofty brick structure crowned
are associated with iron period.
with an octagonal tower.
o The practice of making megaliths
• Originally stupa is said to be built by Emperor
continues among certain tribal
Ashoka.
communities of India such as the Khasis of
Assam and the Mundas of Chotanagpur. • The octagonal tower on top is a Mughal
• Megaliths reflect certain burial styles that monument built in 1588 to commemorate
emerged at different times in different places Humanyu’s visit to this place.
and continued for quite some time. About Sarnath
o The origin of some of these burial practices
• Sarnath had been referred as 'Mrigadava'
can be traced to a Neolithic-chalcolithic
meaning 'deer park' and 'Isipatana' denoting
context. For instance, pit and urn burials
the place where holy men fell to earth.
are found in the South Indian neolithic-
chalcolithic sites and two burials marked • Site for Buddhism: Lord Buddha delivered his
by stones have been found at Watgal, first sermon after attaining enlightenment in
Karnataka. Sarnath called dharmachakra – pravartana.
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o Dhamekh Stupa (Dharma Chakra Stupa): It • The protection and maintenance of monuments
is the place where Lord Buddha had given declared as site of national importance is taken
his first sermon of Dharma. It is said to up by ASI by way of structural repairs, chemical
have been built in the year 500 CE while preservation and environmental development
around the monument which is a regular and on-
the construction was ordered by Emperor
going process.
Ashoka in the 3rd Century BC.
o Mulagandhakuti Vihara: This is the place Other important Stupas
where Lord Buddha lived when he visited • Sanchi Stupa
Sarnath. o It is one of the oldest structures in India and
o Bodhi Tree: It is located near to the was commissioned in 3rd century BCE by
Emperor Ashoka.
Mulagandhakuti Vihara, planted by taking
o It is believed that during the reign of Shunga
a branch from the Sri Maha Bodhi tree of
Emperor Pushyamitra Shunga it was
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. vandalised. While under Agnimitra Shunga,
• Ashoka Pillar: Emblem of the country. son of Pushyamitra, it was refurbished.
o Ashoka Pillar marks the visit of King o During the Satavahanas Period the
Ashoka to Sarnath. This 50m long pillar has gateways and the balustrade (design
four lions on top of it and four animals at between the railings) were built and highly
below viz. bull, lion, elephant and horse. decorated. The gateways commissioned
These four represent the phases of Lord were covered with narrative structures. The
figure of Lord Buddha was carved in these
Buddha’s life.
structures as canopy under the Bodhi Tree at
• Site for Jainism: It is the birthplace of 11th the point of Enlightenment. Various events
teerthankar, Shreyansanath. of life of Lord Buddha were carved.
o The Sanchi Stupa has four beautifully carved
Toranas or the gateways which depict
various events of Buddhas’ life and Jatakas.
o It was enlisted as UNESCO world heritage
site in 1989.
• Bharhut stupa
o The stupa of Bharhut is between Allahabad
and Jabalpur situated in the erstwhile
Nagod state of Madhya Pradesh. It was
probably built around 150 B.C during
Shunga period.
o It is carved out of red stone.
o The site was discovered by sir Alexander
Cunningham in 1873.
o Narrative reliefs at Bharhut show how
artisans used the pictorial language very
About Archeological Survey of India (ASI) effectively to communicate stories.
• Under the Ministry of Culture, it is the premier ✓ Folded hands in the narratives as well as
organization for the archaeological researches single figures of the Yakhshas and
and protection of the cultural heritage of the Yakshinis are shown flat clinging to the
nation. chest.
• It regulates all archaeological activities in the ✓ carved panels depict Buddhist
country as per the provisions of the Ancient narratives such as the dream of Maya;
Monuments and Archaeological Sites and celestials celebrating Buddha's
Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958. enlightenment, the worship of
• It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, Buddha's throne and the Bodhi tree;
1972. elephants paying homage to the
• It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Buddha throne and also Jataka story.
Cunningham who also became its first Director- • Amravati Stupa
General. o It is a famous specimen of the Buddhist art
About National Importance Site and architecture of ancient India. It is
• Under Section 4 of the Ancient Monuments and located at Amravati in Andhra Pradesh,
Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, o The stupa was built in 3rd century BC, and
1958, ancient monuments or archaeological sites was in vogue as an important monastic
which are of historical, archaeological or artistic centre till the 14th century AD and was
interest and which have been in existence for not discovered by Colin Mackenzie in 1797.
less than 100 years may be declared as site of
national importance.
4
o The stupa was earlier a simple structure with medallion depicts a whole story of ‘taming of
limestone crossbars and simple carvings, an elephant by the Buddha’.
but when renovated by the Satavahana • There is prominence of human figures rather
rulers, became a highly marked architectural
than figures drawn from nature.
monument.
o The stupa is made of brick with a circular Differences between Gandhara, Mathura and
vedika and depicts Lord Buddha in a human Amravati Schools of Art
form, subduing an elephant. It is adorned
with 95 ft high platforms, protruding in four School of Gandhara Mathura Amravati
cardinal directions. Art
• Bairat Stupa in Rajasthan: It is a Mauryan circular Influence Had It is It is
stupa-shrine (by Ashoka) made of lime-plastered influence indigenous indigenous
panels of brickwork alternating with twenty-six of in in character
octagonal pillars of wood, preceded by monastic helenistic character
remains with a double row of cells arranged and greek
around an open square courtyard. art
o Bairat or ancient Viratnagar, the capital of features
Matsyadesa, is said to have been founded by Material Grey Red White
king Virat, in whose kingdom the five Used Sandstone Sandstone Marble
Pandavas spent the thirteenth year of exile Religious Mainly Buddhist, Mainly
in disguise. tones Buddhist Hindu and Buddhist
o The place is well-known for two Asokan Jain
inscriptions and important ancient Buddhist Patrons Kushana Kushana Satavahanas
relics are found here. Description Spiritual Delighted Depiction of
• Devnimori stupa in Gujarat: Located on the frills of images image of image of Jataka
of River Meshwo near Shamlaji, this mammoth Buddha Buddha stories
site boasts of several viharas, stupas, small caves with wavy without
and chaityas. hair, beard beard and
• Jagayyapetta, Bhattiprolu, Nagarjunkonda, Goli: and moustache
Andhra Pradesh. moustache
1.3. AMARAVATI SCHOOL OF ART 1.4. STUCCO SCULPTURE

Why in News? Why in news?
Recently, a Buddhist relic, having features Recently, archaeologists have unearthed a life-size
belonging to Amravati school of Art, has been stucco sculpture (one of the Bodhisattvas) from a
unearthed by a group of indologists on the banks Buddhist site in Phanigiri, Telangana making it the
of River Gundlakamma in Andhra Pradesh. largest found in the country so far.
More on news Phanigiri Hillock
• The unearthed Buddhist relic is a local • It is a prominent Buddhist site in Telangana and
limestone pillar, which is carved with half lotus has relics dating back to 1st Century AD which
medallions at the centre and top portions on all were unearthed during excavations in 2001.
the four sides. Such features have striking • The sculptural wealth from the site shows a
similarities with Amaravati School of Art of the gradual transition between the Satavahana
Ikshwaku times. period and Ikshvaku period.
• The Amravati School of Art flourished in the • Efforts are ongoing to place Phanigiri on the
region of Andhra Pradesh between the lower tourist map of Buddhist circuit by the State
valleys of rivers Krishna and Godavari. government.
• The main patrons of this art form were the • A Mahastupa, apsidal chaitya grihas, votive
Satavahanas but it carried on even later, stupas and pillared congregation halls
patronized by their successor Ikshavaku belonging to the Satavahana period from the
rulers. This art is said to have flourished first century BC have been found here.
between 150 BC and 350 AD. • The site was one of the biggest training and
• An important characteristic of the Amravati Dhyana Kendra for Buddhist monks as 200
school is the ‘narrative art’. The medallions Viharas in which Buddhist monks are believed
were carved in such a manner that they depict to have resided, were located on the hillock.
an incident in a natural way. For example one
5
About Stucco Art • The temples belong to the Nagara group of
• Stucco is used as a decorative coating for walls temples of North India.
and ceilings, and as a sculptural and artistic • It is believed that a lightning strike about 200
material in architecture.
years ago led to the partial collapse of the
• Traditional stucco is made of lime, sand, and
shikhara. Then a Gond ruler about 120 years
water, whereas modern stucco is made of
portland cement, sand, and water.
ago tried to restore the temple.
• As a plastering material it is applied wet which
hardens to a very dense solid. 1.6. BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE
• Indian architecture used stucco as a material for
sculpture in an architectural context. Why in news?
• Stucco art was earliest seen in the Gandhara Recently, ‘Kumbhabhishekham’ ceremony was
region (around Peshawar and northern Pakistan) held at ‘Brihadeshwara temple’ after 23 years.
• It was used mainly in the monastery complex. For
example: In the sculptural art of Nalanda and About Brihadeshwara Temple
Vikramshila monasteries stucco was used
• Kumbhabhishekham is part of the
extensively.
• In the Dravida architecture hundreds of stucco consecration ceremony of Hindu temples.
figures used to decorate the vimana. o Kumbha means the Head and denotes
the Shikhara or Crown of the Temple
1.5. MINI KHAJURAHO (usually in the gopuram) and abhishekam
is ritual bathing.
Why in news? • Brihadeshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord
Shiva, is located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu at
The Archaeological Survey of India is restoring the
the South bank of Kaveri river.
Markandeshwar group of temples in the
Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. • It is also known as Periya Kovil, RajaRajeswara
Temple and Rajarajeswaram.
• It is a Dravida style temple 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’.
Details
• This group of temples were built between the
9th and 12th centuries and may have had up to
24 different temples.
• It gets its name from the main temple
dedicated to Lord Shiva called
Markandeshwar or Markandadeo temple,
which lies in Markanda village on the banks of
the Wainganga river.
• They are famously known as the ‘mini
Khajuraho’ or ‘Khajuraho of Vidarbha’. They
belong to saiva, vaishnava and sakti faith.
6
o His hair locks fly on both the sides touching
the circular jvala mala or garland of flames
which surrounds entire dancing figuration.
Chola Art
• Dance: Bharathanatyam and kathakali were two
types of dances performed during the Chola
period. Lord Siva was represented as the
exponent of Karana dance.
o Natarajar temple at Chidamparam and
Sarangapani temple at Kumbakonam have
dancing poses of Lord Nataraja.
• Drama: Rajarajeswara natakam and
Rajarajavijayam were the dramas enacted during
festival times.
Chola Architecture • Paintings: scenes of Periyapuranam are
• Dravidian style of art and architecture reached beautifully depicted Kailasanathar temple at
its perfection under the Cholas. The Cholas Kanchipuram, Vishnu temple at Malaiyadipatti
followed the Pallava style of architecture. contain fine specimen of the Chola paintings.
Sanctum of the Chola temples are both circular
and square in size 1.7. OTHER ARCHITECTURE
o Famous temples include: Siva temple at
Gangaikondacholapuram built by Rajendra I;
FORMS IN NEWS
Narthamalai and Kodumbalur in Pudukottai
Suranga • The monument has been selected
district and at Srinivasanallur in
Bawadi under the "Ancient Water System
Tiruchirappalli district etc.
of the Deccan Plateau" by the
• Dome shaped sikhara and kalasa were also there
World Monuments Fund (an
on the top of Gopurams. Chola temples are
NGO), which monitors restoration
noted for sculptures and ornamental works.
of ancient monuments across the
• Many temples are having pillared mandapams globe.
namely arthamandapa, mahamandapa and
• Suranga Bawadi was an integral
nandi mandpa. Sculptures and inscriptions are
part of the ancient Karez system
also fixed on the walls of these temples.
of supplying water through
• Stone and metal sculptures are found in plenty subterranean tunnels built during
in Chola temples. Adil Shahi era in Karnataka.
o Scenes from Ramayanam Mahabharatam,
• Karez is found mostly in the
Puranas and lives of the 63 Nayanmars are
Middle East region. In India, Karez
sculptured in narrative panels on the walls of
system was found in Bidar,
temples.
Gulbarg and Bijapur in Karnataka
• Nataraja sculpture is famous from Chola period and also in Burhanpur in Madhya
around 12th Century. Pradesh.
o Shiva is associated with the end of the
• The Adil Shahi dynasty, founded
cosmic world with which this dancing
by Yusuf Adil Shah, ruled the
position in Nataraja is associated.
Sultanate of Bijapur in the
o Shiva shows balancing himself on his right
Western Deccan region of
leg and suppressing the apasmara, the
Southern India from 1489 to 1686.
demon of ignorance or forgetfulness, with
Belum • Belum Caves, also known as
foot of same leg.
Caves Belum Guhalu in Andhra Pradesh
o At the same time he raises his left leg in
is the second longest cave in the
bhujangatrasita stance, which represents
Indian subcontinent, only after
tirobhava, that is kicking away the veil of
Krem Liat Prah caves in
maya or illusion from the devotee’s mind.
Meghalaya.
o His four arms are outstretched and the main
right hand is posed in abhaya hasta or the
Jahaz • It is a two-storey ‘ship- palace’
Mahal between two reservoirs built by
gesture suggesting.
✓ The upper right holds the damaru his Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khilji (1469-
favourite musical instrument to keep 1500).
on the beat tala. • It was possibly used as his harem
✓ The upper left hand carries a flame and as pleasure and recreational
while main left hand is held in dola resort.
hasta and connects with the abhaya • It is located in Mandu in Madhya
hasta of right hand. Pradesh.
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'Bibi Ka • It is a mausoleum, believed to be Sirsa’s Ther • Sirsa, a district in Haryana, houses
Maqbara' constructed by Prince Azam Shah, Mound a mound which is believed to
son of Aurangzeb in memory of unravel some clues about the
his mother Dilras Banu Begum ancient city ‘Sarishika’.
(also known as Rabia-ul-Daurani) • Sirsa is believed to be one of the
during 1651-1661 A.D. oldest towns located in Haryana
• It is in Aurangabad in on the ancient route leading to
Maharashtra. Taxila.
• It is also known as 'Taj of the
Deccan' because of its striking
resemblance to the Taj Mahal.
8
2. PAINTINGS & OTHER ART FORMS
leaves, and being created as wall hangings and
2.1. PATTACHITRA showpieces.
Why in news? Related Information
Raghurajpur (Puri, Odisha) has been identified as a
Many pieces of Pattachitra art have been damaged
heritage village due to the traditional works ranging
due to cyclone Fani in the coastal villages of from Pattachitra to paper mask and wooden carvings
Odisha. to dolls that are made here.
About Pattachitra Other important Scroll Paintings:
• It is a traditional cloth-based scroll painting • Kalamkari: Andhra Pradesh
from Odisha, which derives its unique place • Kalighat Pats: Bengal
• Phad Paintings: Rajasthan
because of its pictorial conception, technique
• Cheriyal Paintings: Telangana
of painting, line formation and colour scheme.
• Pichwai: Rajasthan
• These paintings were traditionally drawn by
the mahapatras, an original artiste caste in
Odisha.
2.2. BAGRU BLOCK PRINTING
• It became an important art form with the Why in news?
ornamentation of Lord Jagannath in the
innermost sanctum. Union Textiles Minister inaugurated the 'Titanwala
Museum' in Bagru that showcases the Chhipa
Features community's hand-block printing.
• The artist does not use a pencil or charcoal for About Bagru Block printing
the preliminary drawings.
• In Pattachitra, it is a tradition to complete the • It is a traditional technique of printing with
borders of the painting first. natural colour done by the Chippa community
• When the painting is completed it is held over in Bagru village of Rajsthan.
a charcoal fire and lacquer is applied to the • Traditionally, motifs printed at Bagru are large
surface. This makes the painting water with bold lines. The motifs include wild
resistant and durable, besides giving it a flowers, buds, leaves and printed geometrical
shining finish. patterns.
• It is a disciplined art form where painters • The main colors used in Bagru are Red and
maintain rigidity in their use of colours and Black.
patterns, restricting the colours to a single Some other important traditional block printing
tone. techniques in India
• Themes: Depiction of temple of Lord • Gujarat: Ajrakh Print
Jagannath, his brother Balram and sister • Rajasthan: Sanganeri, Ajrakh, Dabu
Subhadra, Krishna Lila, incarnations of Lord • Madhya Pradesh: Bagh Print, Bherogarh Print
Vishnu, mythological and folk stories from the (Batik)
Panchatantra, Puranas, Ramayana- • Andhra Pradesh: Kalamkari
Calcutta, Serampur (West Bengal), Varanasi and
Mahabharata and the Geet Govind.
Farrukabad (Uttar Pradesh) are also important
• Craft material and colours: The materials used centres of block printing in India.
in the paint are from vegetable, earth, and
mineral sources. 2.3. OTHER ART FORMS
o The gum of the kaitha tree is the chief
ingredient, and is used as a base for Pithora • Recently, Pithora paintings artist
making different pigments. paintings conducted his first-ever workshop
o White is prepared from conch-shells, Red on the art form for students from
from Hingula (a mineral), Yellow from over 45 schools in Delhi.
Haritala stone, Blue from Ramaraja (a • Pithora is a ritualistic painting
variety of indigo) and Black is obtained done on walls by tribes of
Rathwas, Bhils, and Naykas of
from lamp-black or coconut shells.
Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
• With the passage of time, the Pattachitra art
• They are characterised by seven
has gone through a commendable transition, horses representing the seven hills
and have been painted on tussar silk and palm
9
that surround the area bordering • It is cave painting found on
Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Indonesia’s island of Sulawesi,
• They also have imagery from their depicting human-like figures
everyday life such as weddings, hunting animals.
festivals and celebrations. • The painting, found in a limestone
Sulawesi • Recently, a cave painting on cave in 2017, was dated to nearly
Art Sulawesi island in Indonesia was 44,000 years ago using uranium-
discovered which may cast new series analysis.
light on the beginnings of modern
religious culture.
10
3. DANCES & MUSIC
• Sankardev enriched Assamese language and
3.1. ASSAMESE BHAONA literature through his poetry, dramas (ankia
naat) and songs (borgeet & bhatima).
Why in news?
• He was also the father of Assamese classical
Recently, a group Bhaona artist performed in Abu dance – Sattriya Dance.
Dhabi in English language contrary to the
traditional language of Brajawali. 3.2. OTHER PERFORMING ART
About Bhaona FORMS IN NEWS
• Bhaona is a mythology-based theatrical Gatka • It is an ancient martial art from
performance created by Sankardeva. Punjab.
o The plays of bhaona are popularly known • The word Gatka actually refers
as Ankiya Nats and their staging is known to the wooden stick called
as bhaona. ‘Khutka’ used in training.
• A Bhaona usually involves 40-50 people and • It is believed to have originated
when sixth Sikh guru
has dialogues, songs and dances by
Hargobind adopted ‘Kirpan’ for
performers in costumes and ornaments. self-defence during Mughal era.
• In a Bhaona, the orchestral attire is stark white Kalaripayattu • Kalaripayattu is one of the
and the actors wear glittering costumes oldest martial art forms that
representing various kings, queens, demon originated in Kerala and dates
and animals. back to the 3rd century B.C.
• The performers pass through an archway of • Kalaripayattu techniques
lights, which is called 'Agni Garh'. They speak include a combination
dialogues in Brajawali often in lyrical form. of steps and postures.
• The main drama is generally proceeded by a Yakshagana • It is a traditional theatre form of
Karnataka, based on
performance of the Gayan-Bayan.
mythological stories and
o It’s a musical, performed with traditional
Puranas. The most popular
instruments (Khol, Taal, Doba and Nagara; episodes are from Mahabharata
all the instruments were also created by and Ramayana.
Sankardeva); with different hard and fast • It combines dance, music,
sequences, and formulas, which are also dialogue, costume, make-up,
named differently. and stage techniques with a
• About Brajawali unique style and form.
o Brajawali is special language used in • ‘Yaksha’ means Demi-God, and
Bhaona which was created by Sankardeva. ‘gana’ means song.
• It is believed to be originated
o It was created because the Sanskrit, which
during Bhakti movement in
was the original language used in the
between 11th and 15th century.
Hindu religious texts, was difficult for Khon Ramlila • Recently, the Culture
common people. Department of Uttar Pradesh
o Also, Sankardeva wanted language spoken government organised the
in the drama to be somewhat different, to country’s first training and
connect with his Assamese masses, who performance programme of
did not expect divine characters of his KHON Ramlila in collaboration
plays to speak in the common man’s with Thailand government.
language. • Khon Masked Dance Drama in
Thailand is a performing art
Sankaradeva which involve graceful dance
• Srimanta Sankaradev (1449 – 1568) was a great movements, instrumental and
Assamese saint, scholar, poet, playwright, social vocal renditions and glittering
reformer and founder of Vaishnavism in Assam. costumes that depict the glory
o He inspired the Bhakti movement in Assam of Rama.
and united people through his neo- • It has no dialogues and
vaishnavite movement – Ekasaran Naam background voices narrate the
Dharma. whole story of Ramayana.
11
• Khon Ramlila of Thailand is where it is mentioned in Manas-
included in the list of UNESCO’s Olhas - a classic by Chalukya in
Intangible cultural heritage. 1135 A.D.
Mallakhamba • It is a traditional Indian sport in • It was revived after seven
which a gymnast performs feats centuries (during the first half of
and poses in concert with a the 19th century for about) by
vertical wooden pole or rope. Balambhattadada Deodhar, the
The word also refers to the pole renowned teacher of Peshwa
used in the sport. Bajirao-II.
• The origin of Mallakhamb can be • It is state sport of Madhya
traced to the 12th century, Pradesh.
12
4. LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE
foreign languages, which led to the criticism that
4.1. CLASSICAL LANGUAGE Urdu is an Indian language.
Why in News? About Urdu
Recently, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya • Urdu is one of the official languages (under 8th
Sammelan, passed a resolution demanding the schedule) under the Constitution of India.
declaration of Marathi as a ‘Classical’ language. • It is among the 15 Indian Languages written on
Details the Indian Currency notes.
• It is one of the official languages in states like
• The Sammelan, is an annual conference of Kashmir, Telangana, UP, Bihar, New Delhi and
Marathi writers and was started in 1878. West Bengal.
o It has been headed by leading Marathi • Urdu is closely related to Hindi. They are very
intellectuals, including Justice Mahadev similar in phonology and grammar.
Govind Ranade, Maharaja Sayajirao
• According to experts, the Urdu language
Gaekwad III of Baroda, and Prahlad Keshav
originated and evolved in India from 6th to 13th
“Acharya” Atre.
century A.D.
• Currently, six languages enjoy the ‘Classical’
• All the historical references indicate that origin
status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit
of Urdu had taken place in Punjab state of
(2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008),
India.
Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
• Main dialects of Urdu are: Dehlavi, Rekhta etc.
• As per Ministry of Culture, the guidelines for
• Despite its Persian script, Urdu is an Indian
declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:
language because there are several examples
o High antiquity of its early texts/recorded
of Indian languages which are written in scripts
history over a period of 1500-2000 years;
derived from outside the country (e.g. Punjabi
o A body of ancient literature/texts, which is
shahmukhi language is also written from right
considered a valuable heritage by
to left).
generations of speakers;
• After its origin in Punjab, Urdu got developed
o The literary tradition be original and not
and flourished in Delhi along with part of
borrowed from another speech
Haryana state and some states in South where
community;
it was developed in the form of ‘Dakhni
o The classical language and literature being
(Deccani) language.
distinct from modern, there may also be a
discontinuity between the classical
language and its later forms or its
4.3. INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES
offshoots.” Why in news?
• Benefits accrued to a classical language are:
o Two major annual international awards for 2019 is the United Nations' International Year of
scholars of eminence in classical Indian Indigenous Languages.
languages are given. More on news
o A Centre of Excellence for studies in
Classical Languages is set up. • Papua New Guinea has the highest number of
o The University Grant Commission (UGC) 'living' indigenous languages in the world
awards research projects for promoting (840), while India stands fourth with 453.
these languages and create a certain • Among regions, Asia and Africa account for the
number of Professional Chairs for the highest number of indigenous languages (over
Classical Languages in the Central 70% of the total).
Universities. • According to UNESCO's 'Atlas of the World's
Languages in Danger', 228 languages have
4.2. URDU become extinct since 1950.
• About 10% of the languages are classified
Why in news? 'vulnerable', while another 10% are 'critically
Recently Punjab University had proposed to merge endangered'.
Department of Urdu language with school of • In India, five languages have become extinct
since 1950, while 42 are critically endangered.
13
• The Central Government is implementing • UGC has also invited proposals from universities
‘Protection and Preservation of Endangered for establishment of Department of Devanagari
Languages of India' (SPEEL)’ for protection, Lipi (script) in universities with a view to
preservation and documentation of all mother preserve dialects, which do not have a written
tongues and languages of India, which are script in Devanagari.
spoken by less than 10,000 people. Related Information
o Dialects are also covered under this Most widely spoken Language
programme. • According to the online database Ethnologue,
o It is being implemented by Mysore-based Globally, English remains the most widely
Central Institute of Indian Languages spoken language, followed by Mandari while
(CIIL). Hindi is third and Bengali is seventh.
• In India, as per the Census 2011, Hindi is the most
Related Information spoken language with over 528 million, Bengali
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has a had 97.2 million speakers, Marathi (83 million),
scheme for 'Establishment of Centres for Telugu (81 million), Tamil (69 million), Gujarati
Endangered Languages' under which centres (55.5 million) and Urdu (50.8 million).
were approved in respect of nine Central
universities.
14
5. INITIATIVES OF UNESCO
cultural heritage considered to be of
5.1. UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Outstanding Universal Value
SITES • Strategic Objectives Of the convention is based
on the "Five Cs":
Why in news? Credibility, Conservation, Capacity-building,
Communication, Communities
Recently, the Pink City, Jaipur got the UNESCO • The Convention serves as a catalyst to raising
World Heritage status. awareness for heritage preservation.
Background • The World Heritage Fund, setup under
convention, provides financial assistance to
• In 2017, old Ahmedabad was India’s first city to States Parties in identifying, preserving and
win the ‘heritage city’ tag. promoting World Heritage sites.
• With Jaipur's inclusion, the number of heritage • For a city to be designated as world heritage
sites across India that are on the UNESCO under UNESCO, it has to
World Heritage list, has grown to 38, including o Be of ‘outstanding universal value’,
o Needs to commit to protect and conserve its
30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties
heritage.
and 1 mixed site. UNESCO
• India had proposed the nomination of Jaipur as • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations
an "exceptional urban example in indigenous based in Paris.
city planning and construction in South Asia". • Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace
About Jaipur- City Planning and security by promoting international
collaboration through educational, scientific,
• The fortified city of Jaipur, in India's north and cultural reforms in order to increase
western state of Rajasthan was founded in universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and
1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II. human rights along with fundamental freedom
o Jaipur is distinguished for its exemplary proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.
development in town planning and • United States and Israel left UNESCO on 31
architecture of the late medieval period. December 2018.
o Unlike other cities in the region located in
Other India’s World Heritage Sites in News
hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the
plain and built according to a grid plan Shore Temple, • It is a structural temple built
interpreted in the light of Vedic Mamallapuram between 700–728 AD with
architecture. granite Blocks. It was built by
o The city's urban planning shows an Narasimhavarman II in
Dravidian Style of
exchange of ideas from ancient Hindu and
Architecture.
modern Mughal as well as Western
Ajanta And • Ajanta Caves are rock-cut
cultures. Ellora Caves in Buddhist cave monuments
• Designed to be a commercial capital, the city Aurangabad, dating from the 2nd century
has maintained its local commercial, artisanal Maharashtra BCE to about 480 CE.
and cooperative traditions to this day. • Ellora caves is one of the
• Jaipur boasts of vibrant intangible culture and largest rock-cut monastery-
heritage reflected in it being preferred tourism temple cave complexes in the
destination owing to its iconic monuments world, featuring Buddhist,
such as the Govind Dev temple, Amer Fort, Hindu and Jain monuments
dating from the 600–1000 CE
City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal
period.
among many. Maha Bodhi • The Mahabodhi Temple
Related information Temple at Bodh Complex is one of the four
World Heritage Committee Gaya holy sites related to the life of
• It is the executive body responsible for the the Lord Buddha, and
implementation of the World Heritage particularly to the attainment
Convention. of Enlightenment.
• The Convention is an international agreement • The first temple was built by
adopted in 1972 by the Member States of the Emperor Asoka in the 3rd
UNESCO. century B.C., and the present
• The primary mission of the Convention is to temple dates from the 5th or
identify and protect the world's natural and 6th centuries.
15
• It is one of the earliest o It is the only place in India where Lord Ram
Buddhist temples built is worshipped as a king (not in God form)
entirely in brick. with a dedicated temple in his name called
Stone Chariot • The chariot is a shrine Sri Ram Raja Mandir.
at Hampi dedicated to Garuda, built • About Kailash Mansarovar
inside the Vittala Temple
o It is considered in the mixed category —
Complex (UNESCO World
Heritage Site). The temple is both as a natural as well as a cultural
located in Hampi, near the heritage.
banks of the Tungabhadra o Site share landscape in the east with Nepal
River in Karnataka. and bordered by China on the north.
• Hampi Chariot has earned its o Indian site is part of the larger landscape of
name among the other three 31,000 sq km referred to as the 'Kailash
famous stone chariots in Sacred Landscape' constituting the Mount
India- One in Konark, Odissa, Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in the
and the other in remote south-western portion of the Tibet
Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu).
Autonomous Region of China and adjacent
• The chariot was built by King
Krishnadevaraya of the
districts in the far-western region of Nepal.
Vijayanagara Empire during o Four rivers originate from Mount Kailash:
the 16th century, who got the Indus, the Brahamputra, the Karnali
fascinated with the Konark and the Sutlej.
Sun temple chariot while o Ministry of External Affairs organizes this
fighting a battle in Odissa. Kailash Yatra each year through two
different routes - Lipulekh Pass
5.1.1. TENTATIVE LIST OF UNESCO (Uttarakhand)and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).
WORLD HERITAGE SITES
5.1.2. IRAN’S CULTURAL HERITAGE
Why in News?
Why in News?
Recently, UNESCO has included the Orchha city
(MP) and Indian part of Kailash Mansarovar in its Recently US President warned Iran that if it strikes
tentative list of world heritage sites on the any American assets in retaliation, the US would
proposal sent by Archaeological Survey of India target its 52 sites which are important to Iran &
(ASI). the Iranian culture.
More on News Details
• About Orchha • Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest
o It’s considered in the list of cultural civilisations dating back to 10,000 BC.
heritage. • Important world heritage sites in Iran:
o The historical settlement derived its name Meidan Emam and Masjed-e-Jame in Isfahan,
from the phrase ‘Ondo chhe’ meaning Golestan Palace in Tehran, Pasargadae and
‘low’ or ‘hidden’. Persepolis (capitals of the Achaemenid
o Situated on the banks of the Betwa river, Empire, founded in the 6th BC) and Takht-e
Orchha was built by king Rudra Pratap Soleyman (ancient Zoroastrian sanctuary).
Singh of Bundela dynasty in the 16th • Convention for the Protection of Cultural
century. Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954)
o Bundela architecture has Mughal is an international treaty focused exclusively
influence. on the protection of cultural heritage during
o It is famous for its Chaturbhuj Temple, war and armed conflict.
Orchha fort complex, Raja Mahal. o Convention defines cultural property as
o Orchha is also famous for its two elevated “movable or immovable property of great
minarets called Saavan and Bhadon and its importance to the cultural heritage of
four palaces — Jahangir Palace, Raj Mahal, every people, such as monuments of
Sheesh Mahal and Rai Praveen Mahal — architecture, art or history, whether
and for its concept of open bungalows, religious or secular; archaeological sites.
stone work windows, animal statues o There are currently 133 signatories to
depicting the culture of Bundelkhand. Convention. Both the United States and
Iran (as well as India) are signatories.
16
• Rome Statute of 1998, the founding treaty of About UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network
the International Criminal Court, describes as a
• The initiative was created in 2004 to promote
“war crime” any intentional attack against a
cooperation with and among cities that have
historical monument, or a building dedicated
identified creativity as a strategic factor for
to religion, education, art, or science.
sustainable urban development.
o 122 countries are States Parties to the
• The cities which currently make up this
Rome Statute of the International Criminal
network work together towards a common
Court. US is a signatory that has not
objective:
ratified the Statute. India has neither
o placing creativity and cultural industries at
signed nor ratified the Statute.
the heart of their development plans at the
local level and cooperating actively at the
5.2. UNESCO’S CREATIVE CITIES
international level.
NETWORK • By joining the Network, cities commit to
sharing their best practices and developing
Why in news?
partnerships involving the public and private
UNESCO has announced that Mumbai and sectors as well as civil society to strengthen
Hyderabad have been included amongst the 66 creation, production, distribution and
cities (making the total cities under the network dissemination of cultural activities, goods and
264) selected in its network of 'Creative Cities' on services.
the occasion of World Cities Day 2019.
• The Network covers seven creative
More on news fields: Crafts and Folk Arts; Design; Film;
Gastronomy; Music; Media Arts; Literature.
• Mumbai has been designated as Creative City
of Films and Hyderabad a Creative City of • Previously, 3 Indian cities were recognized as
members of UCCN- Jaipur-Crafts and Folk Arts
Gastronomy.
(2015); Varanasi-Creative city of Music (2015);
• Earlier, Chennai and Varanasi were selected
Chennai-Creative city of Music (2017).
UNESCO cities of music while Jaipur is the City
of Crafts and Folk Arts. • Ministry of Culture is the nodal Ministry for all
matters in UNESCO relating to culture.
17
6. FESTIVALS
• They were intended to satisfy the material
6.1. AMBUBACHI MELA desires of the, devotees for physical possessions
and to cure the day-to-day diseases and injuries.
Why in News?
• The brahmanas adopted many of the tribal
Ambubachi Mela, which is one of the biggest rituals and charms, which were now officially
religious festivals of eastern India in the border compiled, sponsored and fostered by them.
state of Assam was celebrated recently. • Tantricism permeated Jainism, Buddhism,
Christianity, Saivism and Vaishnavism.
About Ambubachi Mela o Mandalas are works of sacred art in Tantric
(Tibetan) Buddhism.
• It is an annual festival held for 4 days at
• The understanding of modern Tantra Yoga was
Kamakhya temple, atop Nilachal hills of first detailed in a Vedc scripture known as
Guwahati, Assam on the bank of Brahmaputra Agama.
river.
• Kamakhya Temple is one of the 51 shakti 6.2. LAI HARAOBA
shrines representing the different body parts
of Shiva's consort Sati. It is considered as one Why in News?
of the prime seats of Tantric cult.
Recently, Lai Haraoba was celebrated.
• Temple is believed to be the site where Hindu
deity Sati’s womb and genitals fell after she About Lai Haraoba
burned to death. Temple’s sanctum sanctorum • It is a five-day long ritualistic festival observed
houses the yoni — female genital — by Manipuri Meitei communities, was
symbolised by a rock. celebrated.
• During the four-day event, it is believed that • Lai Haraoba means ‘Festivity of the Gods’ or
the presiding goddess of the temple, Devi merry making of Gods.
Kamakhya (Goddess of fertility), goes through
• This festival is marked to celebrate the
her annual cycle of menstruation.
creation of the universe and the recollection
Related information of the evolution of plants, animals and human
Kharchi festival beings.
• It is a week-long festival celebrated at • The festival is observed to honour Umang Lai
Chaturdash Devata Mandir (14 Gods temple), deity of the state.
Old Agartala, Tripura to worship fourteen gods
• During the festival, men and women dance in
and mother earth.
front of the idols of gods and goddesses and
• The Puja is performed to wash out the sins and
to clean the post menstrual phase of mother also perform dance drama, enactment of
earth’s menstruation. Khamba and Thoibi, the hero and the heroine
• It is performed 15 days after Ambubachi mela. of a popular folklore.
• On the day of the Puja, the fourteen gods are • It is celebrated through oral literature, music,
carried to river Saidra . dance and rituals.
• Earlier, the kings of Tripura offered pujas to the • About Meiteis:
14 Gods and Goddesses, but later it became the o Meiteis are the majority ethnic groups of
festival of common people. the state of Manipur.
• Animal sacrifice is also an important part of this o A significant population of the Meitei also
festival and includes sacrificing of goats and
are settled in domestic neighbouring
pigeons.
states such as Assam, Meghalaya and
Tantrism in India
Tripura and contiguous areas of
• The origin of Tantrism can be dated to the Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Harappan Civilization, which existed between o They speak Meiteilon (Manipuri), a Tibeto-
approximately 2,700 and 1,750 B.C.E. Burman language. It is one of the officially
• However, it was the most -remarkable recognized languages of India which was
development in the religious field in India from included in the Eighth Schedule of the
about the sixth century A.D. was the spread of Constitution in 1992.
tantricism.
• Tantrism admitted both women and sudras into
its ranks, and laid great stress on the use of
magic rituals.
18
6.3. ZO KUTPUI 6.4. AADI MAHOTSAV
Why in News? Why in News?
Mizoram government organised Zo Kutpui National Tribal festival 'Aadi Mahotsav' was
(festival) in at least 10 states across India and organised recently.
countries such as US, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Details
Details
• It is a joint initiative of Union Ministry of Tribal
• The event witnesssed various cultural Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing
programmes by different Mizo tribes. Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
• The exercise is an attempt to unify and • The festival features exhibition-cum-sale of
strengthen the brotherhood among various tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric,
Mizo tribes living in different parts of the jewellery etc.
world. • Theme of the Mahotsav: “A Celebration of the
• Other important festivals of Mizoram: Mim Spirit of Tribal Culture, Craft, Cuisine and
Kut (celebrated in the months of August and Commerce”.
September, when the maize crop is ready for • It was an effort to take tribal commerce to the
harvesting), Chapchar Kut (celebrated in the next level of digital and electronic
month of March), Thalfavang Kut etc. transactions and it also showcased the
• About Mizos electronic and digital skills of the tribals as a
o Mizo people are an ethnic group native to special attraction.
north-eastern India, western Burma and
About TRIFED
eastern Bangladesh. • It works under Ministry of Tribal Affairs
o This term covers several ethnic peoples established in 1987.
who speak various Kuki-Chin languages. • It is engaged in marketing development of tribal
o The Mizo traditionally practiced slash-and- products including tribal art and craft under the
burn agriculture, moving their villages brand name “TRIBES INDIA”.
frequently. • It acts as an agency for canalisation of export
o Among the most prominent of the Mizo and import and facilitate, inter-State trade of
groups are the Lushai, Pawi (Lai), Lakher tribal products.
(Mara), and Hmar. • It promotes creation of supply/market
infrastructure like Warehouses, Marketing Yards
related to tribal products etc.
• It also implements- Van Dhan Vikas Kendra
scheme.
6.5. CULTURAL FESTIVAL IN NEWS

Festival State Details
Ashadhi Bij Gujarat • Ashadh Bij or Kutchi New Year is a distinguished culture where arrival of
rain is celebrated.
• Kutchi community in Kutch region (desert area) of Gujarat observes Kutchi
New Year as per an indigenous calendar.
• Ganesha, Lakshmi and other regional deities are worshipped on this
occasion.
• During Ashadhi-beej, they check the moisture in the atmosphere to help
predict which crop would do best in coming monsoon.
Bhogali Bihu Assam • Bhogali Bihu or Magh bihu is a harvest festival that marks the end of
harvesting season (January- February) in Assam.
• Other Harvest festival in different parts of the country- Baisakhi in Punjab,
Poila Baisakh in Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Vishu in Kerala etc.
• Gogona is a type of jaw harp, a vibrating reed instrument that is used
primarily in the traditional Bihu music in Assam.
19
Mela Kheerbhawani Jammu and • The Kheer Bhawani mela starting on Zeasht Astami is one of the biggest
Kashmir religious functions of the displaced community Kashmiri Pundit who fled
their homes for their life in the 1990s.
• It was held at the famous Ragnya Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir's
Ganderbal district.
• During this Kashmiri Pandits visit five other temples of Tulmulla in
Ganderbal district, Tikker in Kupwara, Laktipora Aishmuqam in Anantnag
and Mata Tripursundri Devsar and Mata Kheerbhawani Manzgam in
Kulgam district.
Chamliyal Mela Jammu and • It is celebrated at Chamliyal border shrine along the International Border.
Kashmir • The fair takes place at the shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, a saint
popularly known as Baba Chamliyal, in Samba district.
Lui-Ngai-Ni Manipur • It is seed sowing festival celebrated by Naga tribes of Manipur.
• It reflects the rich cultural heritage of the Nagas and expresses the hope
that the festival usher joy, prosperity and strengthen the bond of oneness
and brotherhood among all communities.
Chhath Pooja Bihar • It is a festival of Bihar and neighbouring states UP, Jharkhand and Madhesh
region Nepal Chhath Pooja in which devotees worship sun, rivers, water
bodies and extol the virtues of the nature.
Hornbill Festival Nagaland • It is one of the largest celebrations of the indigenous warrior tribes of
Nagaland.
• The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland
and display its extravaganza and traditions.
• It is organized every year in the first week of December.
• The festival is named after Hornbill, one of the most venerated bird
species in the state whose importance is reflected in a number of tribal
cultural expressions, songs and dances.
Nagoba Jatara Telangana • It is a tribal festival held in Adilabad district, Telangana.
• It is the second biggest tribal carnival and celebrated by Mesaram clan of
Gond tribe.
• Gusadi Dance performance by dancers from the Gond tribe is a major
special attraction of the event.
Surajkund Haryana • The largest crafts fair in the world, it is being organized since 1987 to
International Crafts showcase the richness and diversity of handicrafts, handlooms and
Mela cultural heritage of India.
• It is organized at Surajkund, District Faridabad, Haryana.
• For the 34th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2020, the state
of Himachal Pradesh has been chosen to be the Theme State.
• Since 2013, the fair was upgraded to an international level and around 20
countries participate in the fair.
• It is organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority & Haryana Tourism in
collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and
External Affairs.
Murajapam rituals Kerala • The rituals were initiated in the 18th century by Travancare king Marthanda
at Varma and is conducted, once in six years.
Padmanabhaswamy • It involves chanting of Rigveda, Vajurveda and Samveda by scholars.
Temple Kerala
Animal Sports in • Jallikattu
India o It is a traditional bull-chasing sport of Tamil Nadu which is organised
during the harvest festival Pongal.
o There are references to Jallikattu in Sangam literature too.
• Kambala
o Its local name for bull race in Tamil Nadu. During the race bulls are
made to run and the fastest wins the prize.
• Eruthu Vidum Vizha
o It is an annual buffalo race held in Karnataka.
Porag Festival Assam • This festival is also known as Nara Singha Bihu festival and is harvest
festival celebrated by the Misings.
• In this farmers seek the blessings of the Mother Earth for them and their
corps.
20
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Vasanthotsavam Andhra • It is celebrated in Tirumala and mark the arrival of Spring Season and was
Pradesh started during the period of King Achyutaraya in 1460's.
• It is celebrated for 3days on Trayodasi, Chaturdasi and Pournami in the
month of Chaitra (March/April) every year.
Makaravillakku Kerala • It is two months long annual festival of Sabarimala temple celebrated on
Festival the occasion of Makara Sankranti.
Bathukamma Telangana • It is a nine day floral festival celebrated during Durga Navratri
Festival • Bathukamma means 'Mother Goddess come alive' and the festival
represents the cultural spirit of Telangana, symbolizing the patron Goddess
of womanhood.
• The festival is also regarded as the Spring Festival of Goddess Gauri.
Pandharpur Wari Maharashtra • It is a special Yatra during the Ashada month which starts from Alandi
village and continues for 250 kms until the pilgrims reach Vithoba temple,
Pandharpur in Maharashtra.
• Several palanquins are carried during this which contain the padukas of
famous sages and total duration is 21 days, ending on Ashada Ekadashi.
• The Wari tradition was started by Saint Dnyaneshwar’s great grandfather
Tryambakpant Kulkarni. Dnyaneshwar himself along with other saints like
Namdev, Sawta Mali and Tukaram had also participated in the Wari Yatra
during their lifetimes.
• Its participants are known as warkaris.
21
7. ANCIENT HISTORY
About Aryan Invasion Theory
7.1. NEW FINDINGS ON THE
DECLINE OF HARAPPAN • According to theory by British archaeologist
Mortimer Wheeler, a nomadic, Indo-European
CIVILIZATION tribe (Steppe pastoralists or from Anatolian
and Iranian farmers), called the Aryans,
Why in news?
suddenly overwhelmed and conquered the
Recently, a DNA analysis of some skeletal remains Indus River Valley, causing the decline of Indus
at the Rakhigarhi site, have questioned the Aryan Valley civilization.
invasion theory. • He posited that many unburied corpses found
Rakhigarhi Site in Haryana in the top levels of the Mohenjo-Daro
• It is one of the five known biggest townships of archaeological site were victims of war.
Harappan civilization on Indian sub-continent. • The theory suggested that by using horses and
• Important findings from this site: more advanced weapons against the peaceful
o Five interconnected mounds Harappan people, the Aryans may have easily
o planned township having mud-brick as well defeated them.
as burnt-brick houses with proper drainage • Evidence from Rig Veda:
system
o The Rig Veda time and again refers to the
o ceramic industry represented by red ware
fortresses of the Dasas and Dasyus. The
o ritual system of Harappans (Animal
sacrificial pit) Vedic god Indra is called 'Purandara'
• Recently, Centre is moving ahead with its plan to meaning 'the destroyer of forts'.
develop Rakhigarhi as a tourist hub and set up a o The geographical area of the habitation of
museum. the Rig Vedic Aryans included the Punjab
Lothal and the Ghaggar-Hakra region.
• Lothal is located between Sabarmati river and its o Since there are no remains of other
tributary Bhogavo, in Saurasthra region of cultural groups having forts in this area in
Gujarat. this historical phase, Wheeler believed
• It was a major maritime activities center of that it was the Harappan cities that were
Harappan civilization dating from 3700 BC. and
being described in the Rig Veda.
has world’s oldest man-made dockyard.
o In fact, the Rig Veda mentions a place
• India and Portugal will cooperate in the setting
up of a national maritime heritage museum at called Hariyupiya. This place was located
Lothal in Gujarat. on the bank of the river Ravi. The Aryans
• The National Maritime Heritage Complex fought a battle here. The name of the place
(NMHC) is likely to be built in public-private sounds very similar to that of Harappa.
partnership and will have a huge museum o These evidences led Wheeler to conclude
displaying India’s heritage of inland waterways that it was the Aryan invaders who
and trade through water route. destroyed the cities of Harappa.
• The project is being implemented by the
Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala Facts given by the new study
programme, with the involvement of the
• Inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC)
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the State
government and other stakeholders.
were a distinct indigenous people and the
DNA of the skeletal remains matches with the
More on news local population.
• A paper titled “An Ancient Harappan Genome o The skeleton remains found in the upper
Lacks Ancestry from Steppe Pastoralists and part of the Citadel area of Mohenjo Daro
Iranian Farmers” was published recently, belonged to those who died due to floods
which has challenged many noted points of and were not massacred by Aryans as
Aryan Invasion Theory. hypothesised by Sir Mortimer Wheeler.
o There was some small movement of
• The paper indicates that there was no Aryan
people from Central Asia and mixing of
invasion and no Aryan migration and that all
their gene with the population here. But it
the developments right from the hunting-
doesn't change the ancestry of the IVC
gathering stage to modern times in South Asia
people.
were done by indigenous people.
22
o There was no attack that replaced the
entire population.
7.2. SANGAM AGE
o A genome from the Indus Valley Why in News?
Civilisation is from a population that is the
largest source for South Asians. Recently, excavations at Keeladi in Tamil Nadu
o The population has no detectable ancestry have pointed that the time period of Sangam Age
from Steppe pastoralists or from Anatolian could be between 6th century BCE and 1st century
and Iranian farmers. AD (earlier believed to be 3rd BCE and 3rd AD).
• Farming- It was brought to the region through Details
migrations from Iran, and, most significantly,
that Harappan genes are present in varying • Sangam era refers to period when earliest
quantities in all south Asians. works in Tamil, known as Sangam literature,
were composed.
Other Theories of Decline of Harappan Civilization • These texts were called Sangam because they
• There have been various other theories were supposed to have been composed and
surrounding the decline of Harappan compiled in assemblies (known as sangams) of
civilization. Some of them are- poets that were held in the city of Madurai.
o Floods and Earthquakes- There were • The results from the excavations suggest that
evidence such as houses and streets were the second urbanisation (the first during Indus
covered by large silt deposits and Indus civilisation) of Vaigai plains (Keezhadi site
area is a disturbed earthquake zone. belongs from this plain) happened in Tamil
✓ Criticism- Decline of settlements Nadu around 6th Century BCE as it happened in
outside Indus Valley will not be ‘Gangetic plain’.
explained by this theory and a river o ‘Vaigai plains’ attained literacy or learned
cannot be dammed by tectonic the art of writing as early as 6th Century
effects. BCE.
o Shifting Away of the Indus- There was o There are also evidence of presence of
evidence that silt is there in Harappa agrarian society, cattle rearing and
because of wind action, which brought weaving industry.
sand and silt, rather than floods. • Various Sources of Evidences which
✓ Criticism- This can explain only determine the Sangam Age:
desertion of Mohenjodaro but not its o Stone Inscription: Ashokan Edicts (Chera,
decline. Chola and Pandya kingdoms), Hadikumba
o Increased Aridity and Drying Up of the Inscriptions (Kalinga king), inscriptions at
Ghaggar- There were various evidence Velvikudi & Thirukoviloor etc.
such as increased arid conditions led to o Coins found near Madurai indicates the
decline of agriculture and tectonic Trade and Merchandise dealings with
movements would have led to drying up of Tamils and Romans.
Ghaggar river. o Archaeological Evidences confirm the
✓ Criticism- Drying up of river Ghaggar trade relations between Rome and Tamil
has not been dated yet. Nadu during Sangam Age are found in
Arikkamedu near Pondicherry.
Related news
o Foreign Accounts: In addition to the
Sadikpur Sinauli: likely to get National Importance
tag
Sangam literature, foreign literary
• Sinauli, supposed to be a largest necropolis of accounts like Greek and Roman writers
the late Harappan period, is located on the left remain useful sources for the study of the
bank of the River Yamuna. Sangam Age.
• ASI Excavation: They found chariots, swords and ✓ Megasthanes in his book Indica also
other objects pointing to the presence of a referred to the three Tamil Kingdoms.
warrior class of people in the region during the o Sangam literature chiefly consists of
Copper-Bronze Age (3300 BC –1200 BC). Tolkappiyam (earliest), Ettuthokai and
• They also unearthed underground sacred Pathuppattu. These works provide
chambers, decorated legged coffins as well as valuable information to know the history
rice and dal in pots and animal bones buried with
of the Sangam Age.
the bodies.
✓ Tolkapiyam written by Tolkaapiyar is
considered as grammar, it
23
encompasses the political and socio- Related information
economic scenario of that age. Avvaiyar
✓ Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies) • Avvaiyar literally ‘Respectable Woman’ is a
comprises of eight works. household name in Tamil Nadu.
✓ Pathupattu (Ten Idylls) contains ten • It was the title of more than one female
poets who were active during different periods
different literary works. of Tamil literature. There were at least four
✓ The twin epics – Silappathigaram (by Avvais.
Ilango Adigal) and Manimegalai (by • They were some of the most famous and
Chithalai Chathanar)- also belonged to important female poets of the Tamil canon. The
the post- Sangam period. most famous Avvai existed during Sangam age.
✓ It is believed that three Sangams
existed: First Sangam had flourished at 7.3. MAMALLAPURAM
then Madurai, the Second Sangam at
Kapadapuram and the Pandyan kings Why in news?
had established the Third Sangam at The second India- China informal summit took
Madurai. place at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) owing to
About Sangam Age its historical link to the China.
Sangam age Polity Historical significance of Mamallapuram
• The Tamil country was ruled by three dynasties
namely the Chera, Chola and Pandyas, with royal • It was one of the major port cities by the 7th
emblem bow, tiger and carp (fish) respectively. century within the Pallava kingdom. The town
• Hereditary monarchy was the form of was named after Pallava
government during the Sangam period. king Narasimhavarman I (AD 630-668), who
• The military administration was also efficiently was also known as Mamalla.
organized during the Sangam Age and each ruler
• Architectural heritage of Mamallapuram:
had a regular army.
Sangam age Society o Shore Temple: It is a structural temple
• Tolkappiyam refers to the fivefold division of built between 700–728 AD with granite
lands Kurinji (hilly tracks), Mullai (pastoral), blocks. It was built by Narasimhavarman II
Marudam (agricultural), Neydal (coastal) and in Dravidian Style of Architecture.
Palai (desert). The people living in these five ✓ It has been classified as a UNESCO
divisions had their respective chief occupations World Heritage Site.
as well as gods for worship. o Pancharathas (Five Rathas or Chariots):
• Tolkappiyam also refers to four castes namely These are monolithic rock cut structures
arasar (ruling class), anthanar (priests), vanigar named after the five Pandava brothers and
(traders), and vellalar (agriculturalists).
Draupadi but they neither have anything to
• The courage of women was also appreciated in
do with chariots nor probably with the
many poems, but life of widows was miserable
and practice of Sati was also prevalent. Pandavas and these associations are
• Ancient primitive tribes like Thodas, Irulas, Nagas purely of a local character.
and Vedars lived in this period. o Arjuna’s Penance: It is a 27m x 9m world
Sangam age Economy largest bas-relief. It has over 100
• Agriculture was the chief occupation and Rice sculptures of Gods, Birds and Beasts and
was the common with crops like Ragi, sugarcane, Saints. It is popularly called as Arjunan
cotton, pepper, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and Penance (Tapas).
a variety of fruits. ✓ It is believed to illustrate an instance
• Land revenue was the chief source of state’s from Mahabharata when Arjuna, one
income while custom duty was also imposed on
of the Pandavas, performed rigorous
foreign trade.
penance with a prayer to Lord Shiva's
• The handicrafts of the Sangam period were
popular and include weaving, metal works and to obtain the Powerful and Divine
carpentry. Also ship building and ornaments Bow to destroy the Gauravas.
making was prominent. ✓ It is also known as the “Descent of the
• The main exports were cotton fabrics, spices, Ganges”. It is said in legends that
ivory products, pearls and precious stones. While King “Bhagiratha” standing on one
gold, horses and sweet wine were the chief leg posture Praying to the Lord to
imports. bring the River Ganges Down to
earth to please the souls of his
ancestors.
24
o Varaha Cave: It is also called as Adhivaraha Chalukyas of Badami (6th to 8th century A.D.),
Cava Temple. It is a rock-cut cave temple though the worship of the goddesses is
of the late 7th Century. traceable at Nagarjunakonda from 4th century
✓ The prominent sculpture in the cave is A.D.
that of Lord Vishnu in the incarnated o The new discovery predates the earlier
form of a Varaha Swamy references of Saptamatrika worship found
(Boar) rescuing Bhudevi (Mother in the early Kadamba copper plates and
Earth) from Seas. the early Chalukya and Eastern Chalukya
copper plates by 200 years.
The Chinese connection
• The concept of seven Mothers or Saptamatrika
• The Pallava Kings had a trade and defence also finds reference in texts like the Rig Veda,
relationship with China, in which the kings Puranas and Shilpasastras.
agreed to help China in keeping a check on the
Other Sanskrit inscriptions
growth of Tibet as a powerful nation.
• Sanskrit began to come into epigraphic use only
• Various studies by archaeologists and in the first century B.C with oldest Sanskrit
historians show Mamallapuram had inscriptions, namely, Ayodhya, Ghosundi and
commercial links with countries like China, Sri Hathibada stone inscriptions.
Lanka, and other South-East Asian countries. • The earliest of the Sanskrit inscriptions from
Coins from China, Persia and Rome have also Mathura are probably those of the time of the
been found in Mamallapuram, which acted as Ksatrapa Sodasa, who is dated with reasonable
trade centre for the Pallavas. certainty to the early years of the first century
• The Chinese traveller Huien Tsang visited the A.D.
• The Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman,
region during the rule of the
the greatest king of the second Western
Narasimhavarman I. Ksatrapa line of Castana, was written shortly
• It is also said that Bodhidharma, who is after A.D. 150 and represents a turning point in
credited with taking Zen Buddhism to China, the history of epigraphic Sanskrit.
travelled from the Tamil Nadu coast to o This is the first long inscription recorded
Guangzhou in 527 AD. entirely in more or less standard Sanskrit, as
well as the first extensive record in the
7.4. EARLIEST SANSKRIT poetic style.
o It was during the reign of the early Gupta
INSCRIPTION IN SOUTH INDIA emperors in the fourth century A.D. that
Sanskrit was finally established as the
Why in News? epigraphic language par excellence of the
Archaeological Survey of India has discovered the Indian world.
earliest Sanskrit inscription in South India. • The turning point appears in the inscriptions of
Samudragupta (middle to late fourth century),
More on News especially the Allahabad pillar inscription, which,
despite a few trivial orthographic irregularities, is
• This inscription was discovered in Chebrolu often held up as a model of high classical literary
village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. style of the mixed prose and verse (campu) class.
o It was issued by Satavahana king Vijaya in
207 A.D. 7.5. POOMPUHAR TO BE
o It is also the earliest epigraphic evidence
so far for the Saptamatrika cult.
DIGITALLY RECONSTRUCTED
o It also predates Nagarjunakonda Why in news?
inscription of Ikshavaku king Ehavala
Chantamula issued in 4th century A.D. Poompuhar, a port city in Tamilnadu, submerged
which was considered the earliest Sanskrit under Sea 1000 years ago is being digitally
inscription in South India previously. reconstructed under Indian Digital Heritage
project.
Saptamarika cult
About Poompuhar
• Saptamatrikas are a group of seven female
deities worshipped in Hinduism. • Poompuhar (Puhar or Kaveripattinam) served
• Matrikas are the personified powers (shakti) of Early Chola Dynasty around 600 BC to 300 BC.
different Devas. • It is located at the mouth of Cauvery river.
• In Andhra Pradesh, the Saptamatrika cult was • Sangam literature, especially the Tamil classic
widely prevalent during the rule of the early Silappathikaram scripted by Jain poet Ilango
25
Adigal, makes several mentions about this • Muziris: It was ancient Indo-Roman port of
town. Muziris or Musiri on the Malabar Coast, Kerala
• It also finds mention even in the accounts of dating back to 1st century BC.
Pliny and Ptolemy and the Periplus of the • Korkai: It was situated in Thoothukudi district of
Erythraean Sea. Tamil Nadu. It dates back more than 2000 years
and was also the early capital of the Pandyas. It
• It was submerged due to “kadalkol” or rising
was one of the greatest centres of pearl fishing
sea levels around 1000 years ago. in the ancient world.
• Poduca: Poduca or Arikamedu or Poduke
(Puducherry) is the name of a port city
mentioned in the 1st century Periplus Maris
Erythraei in connection with overseas trading in
ancient India.
• Tamralipti: This port was located in the present
day town of Tamluk, in Midnapur, West Bengal.
The name 'Tamralipta' comes from tamra or
copper, which was mined nearby at Ghatsila in
Singbhum district of Bihar and exported through
this port.
• Sopatama/Marakkanam: It is situated in Tamil
Nadu
About Indian Digital Heritage project • Masulipatnam situated in Andhra Pradesh.
• Dasarna in Orissa.
• It is initiative of the Department of Science & • Tagara: Situated in Maharashtra connecting
Technology (DST), for the digital Kalyana with Vengi.
documentation and interpretation of our
tangible and intangible heritage. 7.6. EARLY HUMANS LIVED IN
• The basic goal of the IDH project was to bring
fine synergy of Geospatial technologies with
NORTHERN INDIA 80,000 YEARS
matured ICT technologies to help preserve, AGO
use, and experience India's vast heritage in
digital form. Why in news?
• It also aimed to provide analytic tools for the An archaeological excavation carried out in the
art-historian, the architect or any scientist in trenches at Dhaba in the upper Son river valley in
conducting scholarly studies of Indian Madhya Pradesh has found evidence of the
heritage. continuous human occupation in this area almost
• First project under it was ‘Digital Hampi’. 80,000 years ago.
Some important Ancient port cities More on news
• Surat: Situated in Bihar, it was the emporium of
western trade during the Mughal period. • The excavation unearthed a large tool industry
• Kanchi: Today known as Kanchipuram (Tamil (Lithic Industry) spanning the period of the
Nadu), it was here around 600 BC to 300 BC that Toba super-eruption.
the Chinese used to come in foreign ships to o The large Megalithic tools were dated
purchase pearls, glass and rare stones and in between approximately 80,000 years and
return they sold gold and silk. 65,000 years and the small tools were
• Madura (Madurai, Tamil Nadu): It was the capital dated at approximately 50,000 years.
of the Pandayas who controlled the pearl
o Therefore, suggesting a continuous
fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar.
inhabiting of this region by humans
• Broach: Today known as Bharuch/ Barygaza
(Gujarat) it was situated on the banks of river
undisturbed by the super-eruption.
Narmada and was linked with all important marts o The tools strongly resemble stone tool
by roadways. assemblages from the African Middle
• Syrastrene/ Saurashtra: Today known as Soratha Stone Age (MSA) and Arabia, and the
District in Gujarat, it was important trading earliest artefacts from Australia,
centre for Indo Greek. suggesting that it is likely the product
• Suppara/Soppara: Present day Nala Sopara, it is of Homo sapiens as they dispersed
situated in Palghar district of Maharashtra. The eastward out of Africa.
ancient port of Sopara was an important port in
western India trading with Mesopotamia, Egypt,
Cochin, Arabia and Eastern Africa.
26
Significance of the findings with respect to appearance of such crafts as pottery and
Human Population Dispersal weaving.
• Important Neolithic sites in India: Burzahom
• This finding is important in the face of
and Gufkaral (Kashmir), Chopani Mando (U.P.),
competing theories on the first presence of
Brahmgiri and Tekkalkota (Karnataka), Chirand
human populations in different regions of the
(Bihar).
world and on human dispersal from Africa.
o The common view with respect to Homo
sapiens migration was that modern
7.8. NAGARDHAN EXCAVATIONS
humans spread out of Africa only in the last Why in news?
50,000 years.
o In recent times, the fossil evidences have Recent archaeological excavations at
also suggested that, modern humans were Nagardhan in Ramtek taluka, near Nagpur, have
already out of Africa by 200,000 years ago provided concrete evidence on the life, religious
in Greece, in Arabia and China by 80- affiliations and trade practices of the Vakataka
100,000 years ago etc. dynasty.
• It also rules out the volcanic winter hypothesis. Findings of the excavation
o About 74,000 years ago, the Toba volcanic
super-eruption, centred around Sumatra, • Place: Nagardhan was urban centre and called
is believed to have caused an almost Nandhivardhan and it served as the capital of
decade-long spell of cold weather — a the eastern branch of Vakataka kingdom.
volcanic winter — across many parts of • Avout Queen Prabhavatigupta: She took over
the Earth. the Vakataka kingdom, after the sudden
o There is an argument that this induced demise of Rudrasena II.
winter not only led to the cooling of the • Clay sealings: These sealings have been
Earth’s surface for almost a thousand excavated for the first time, showing that
years since the eruption, but also there was a successor female ruler within the
destroyed huge populations across Asia. Vakataka dynasty.
o These sealings bear her name in the
7.7. NEOLITHIC AGE SIVA LINGA Brahmi script, along with the depiction of
a conch, which is a sign of the Vaishnava
DISCOVERED affiliation held by the Guptas.
Why in News? o These sealings could have been used as an
official royal permission issued from the
Recently, an 18-foot Siva linga has been discovered capital city.
by at the Bhairaveswara Swamy Temple atop the o Vakataka people traded with Iran and
Mopuru hillock, in Andhra Pradesh. beyond through the Mediterranean Sea.
• Religion: The Vakataka rulers followed the
Details Shaiva sect of Hinduism, but the queen’s
powers allowed her to choose a deity of
• The linga was believed to have been naturally
worship.
formed during the Neolithic age dated back to
o The practice of worshipping Narasimha in
3,000 - 2,800 B.C.
Maharashtra emerged from Ramtek, and
• The discovery of the Siva linga has thrown light
that Queen Prabhavatigupta had a pivotal
on the religious practices of Neolithic
role in propagation of Vaishnava practices
civilisations during which people used to
in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
worship idols of Gods and Goddesses in
• Temples: Many temples indicating affinity to
standing posture.
the Vaishnava sect, such as Keval Narsimha,
About Neolithic Age Rudra Narsimha are traced to Ramtek, and
were built during the reign of Queen
• Neolithic (New Stone Age) followed
Prabhavatigupta.
the Paleolithic Period, or age of chipped-stone
tools, and preceded the Bronze Age. • Occupation: Animal rearing was one of the
main occupations. Remains of seven species of
• It was characterized by stone tools shaped by
domestic animals — cattle, goat, sheep, pig,
polishing or grinding, dependence
cat, horse and fowl — were traced.
on domesticated plants or animals,
settlement in permanent villages, and the • The copperplate issued by Queen
Prabhavatigupta has also been excavated. It
27
shows a genealogy of the Guptas, mentioning o Visakhapatnam is also famous for Buddhist
the Queen’s grandfather Samudragupta and sites at Thotlakonda, Appikonda, and
her father Chandragupta II. Bavikonda.
• An intact idol of Lord Ganesha, which had no • Moghalmari Monastery
ornaments adorned, too was found from the o A study of inscriptions on clay tablets
site. This confirmed that the elephant god was recovered recently from the Buddhist
a commonly worshipped deity in those times. monastic site at Moghalmari in West
Bengal confirmed the presence of two
About Vakataka Dynasty
• Vakataka Empire succeeded the Satvahanas in
monasteries — Mugalayikaviharika and
the Deccan between 3rd and 5th centuries CE. Yajñapindikamahavihara.
They were contemporary to the Guptas ruling in ✓ The monasteries date back to 6th
the Northern India at the time. century CE and were functional till the
• Their kingdom extended from the southern 12th century CE.
edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to ✓ The presence of two monasteries
the Tungabhadra River in the south as well as dating to the same period within a
from the Arabian Sea in the west to the edges single compound is unique in eastern
of Chhattisgarh in the east. India.
• Vindhyashakti, a Brahmin chieftain, founded the
o Moghalmari is located on the left bank of
Vakataka empire.
Subarnarekha River in the district of West
• Vakataka rulers forged many matrimonial
alliances with other dynasties of their times. Medinipur, West Bengal.
The daughter of Gupta emperor Chandragupta o The site is considered the largest and
II, Prabhavatigupta was married to Vakataka oldest archaeological excavation in West
king, Rudrasena II. Bengal.
• The Vakatakas were patrons of arts, architecture o It is also known as Dantapur Buddhist
and literature. They followed the Shaivite faith. Monastery and was documented in the
• The rock-cut Buddhist Viharas and Chaityas travel journal (called Si-yuki) of the Chinese
of Ajanta Caves were built under the patronage Buddhist monk and scholar Xuanzang
of Vakataka King, Harishena. (Huen Tsang) who visited India in the 7th
century CE.
7.9. BUDDHIST MONASTRIES IN • Kirti Jheypa Monastery
NEWS o It is Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in
Dharamshala.
• Bojjannakonda and Lingalametta Monastries: o It was built in 1992 to house Tibetan exile
These are the twin rock cut Buddhist monks from Tibet.
monasteries at Sankaram village in • Lamayuru Monastery
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. They date o Yungdrung Tharpaling Monastery, known
back to the 3rd century BC. as Lamayuru, is the most ancient
o These sites have seen three forms of monastery of Ladakh.
Buddhism – Theravada period when Lord o It is the main seat of Drikung Kagyu
Buddha was considered a teacher, the tradition (Tibetan Buddhism) in the lower
Mahayana, where Buddhism was more part of Ladakh.
devotional, and Vajrayana, where Buddhist o Its history dates back to the 11th century,
tradition was more practised as Tantra and when a scholar named Mahasiddhacharya
esoteric form. Naropa laid the foundation stone of this
monastery.
28
8. PERSONALITIES
can have direct access to God without the need
8.1. GURU NANAK of any rituals or priests.
• Setting up a unique spiritual, social and political
Why in news?
platform based on equality and fraternal love,
Recently 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak was Guru Nanak attacked the citadel of the Hindu
celebrated. Caste System, and condemned the theocracy of
Mughal rulers.
About Guru Nanak • His idea of liberation was not that of a state of
inert bliss but rather the pursuit of active life
• Guru Nanak is the founder and first Guru of
with a strong sense of social commitment.
Sikhism. • His followers ate together in the common
• He was born in 1469 at Talwandi Rai Bhoe kitchen (langar), irrespective of their former
(renamed later as Nankana Sahib) near Lahore. creed, caste or gender.
• It is said that in 1499 he got enlightenment and • Guru Nanak founded and formalised the 3 pillars
heard ‘God’s Call’ to dedicate himself of Sikhism.
completely to the service of humanity. o Naam Japna- meditation on God through
o He undertook preaching tours (Udasis) to reciting, chanting, singing, and constant
spread his message. remembrance followed by deep study &
comprehension of God’s Name and virtues.
o He undertook five such udasis from 1500-
o Kirat karni- To honestly earn by ones
1524 AD in which he not only covered most physical and mental effort while accepting
parts of India but also travelled to places both pains and pleasures as god’s gifts and
like Mecca, Sri Lanka, Nepal etc. blessings.
• In the later years of his life, Guru Nanak settled o Vand Chakna- The Sikhs were asked to share
down at the township of Kartarpur ("creator's their wealth within the community by
town"), on the banks of river Ravi in Punjab. practising Vand Chakna- “Share and
o The recently inaugurated Kartarpur Consume together”.
Corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak
Sahib Gurdwara in India's state of Punjab 8.2. TIPU SULTAN
to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur
Why in News?
shrine in Narowal district of Pakistan's
Punjab province. Karnataka government has announced to remove
o It runs across over Ravi River. Tipu Sultan’s history lessons from textbooks in the
o The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib was ordered state and also public celebrations of Tipu Jayanti
by Maharaja of Patiala between 1921-1929. will not be held.
• Guru Nanak died at the age of 70. He appointed
About Tipu Sultan
Bhai Lena as his successor and renamed him as
Guru Angad. • Tipu Sultan became the ruler of the Kingdom
• Guru Angad compiled the compositions of of Mysore after the death of his father Hyder
Guru Nanak, to which he added his own in a Ali in 1782 during 2nd Anglo-Mysore War.
new script known as Gurmukhi. • Tipu Sultan is seen as the fearless “Tiger of
• Compositions of Guru Nanak and other Sikh Mysore” and a brilliant military strategist who,
gurus and the writings of other figures like in a short reign of 17 years, mounted the most
Shaikh Farid, Sant Kabir, Bhagat Namdev were serious challenge that the East India Company
compiled in Guru Granth Sahib, the holy faced in India.
scripture of the Sikhs. • However, because of the help given by Nizam
• Most of the biographical accounts of Nanak’s of Hyderabad and Marathas, in 4th Anglo-
life come from the Janamshakhis(literally birth Mysore War, Tipu was defeated and killed on
stories). 4 May 1799 while defending his fort of
• These are writings which profess to be Seringapatam.
biographies of Guru Nanak, written at various • With Tipu gone, Wellesley imposed the
stages after his death. Subsidiary Alliance on the reinstated Wodeyar
king, and Mysore became a client state of the
Teachings
East India Company.
• He believed that God is Formless (Nirankar), and
there is ‘One God’ (Ek Onkar) that dwells in every
one of his creations, and that all human beings
29
• Achievements of Tipu Sultan- o Ranjit Singh belonged to the Sukerchakia
o Trade- He built a navy to support trade and misl.
commissioned a “state commercial • He ruled over a region spanning the border
corporation” to set up factories. into modern-day China and Afghanistan. His
o Agriculture- modernized agriculture, gave rule was called 'Sarka-i-Khalsa'.
tax breaks for developing wasteland, built o He was given the title Lion of Punjab (Sher-
irrigation infrastructure and repaired old e-Punjab) because he stemmed the tide of
dams, and promoted agricultural Afghan invaders in Lahore.
manufacturing and sericulture. • Secular Character of state: Under his tenure,
o Diplomacy- He earned the trust of various the Sikh Empire was very secular and allowed
international allies such as the French, the men from different religions as well, to rise to
Amir of Afghanistan and the Sultan of commanding positions of authority.
Turkey, to assist him in his fight against the • Modernization of Army: He modernized his
British. Moreover, he was the founder- army using services of European officers, to
member of the ‘Jacobin Club of Mysore’ train the infantry and the artillery.
that served allegiance to the French. o He appointed French General Jean
o Administration- He planted a LIBERTY Franquis Allard to modernise his army.
TREE in Seringapatnam and declared o Sikh Khalsa Army was formed, to prevent
himself Citizen Tipoo. Just as there is the British from colonizing Punjab during
evidence that Tipu persecuted Hindus and his lifetime.
Christians, there is also evidence that he • Social and Cultural Contribution: The gold and
patronized Hindu temples and priests, and marble work of the iconic Golden Temple in
gave them grants and gifts. Amritsar was done under his patronage.
Reasons for his image as a tyrant o He is also credited with funding Hazoor
• British accounts- British authors like James Sahib gurudwara at the final resting place
Kirkpatrick and Mark Wilks have presented an of Guru Gobind Singh in Nanded,
account of Tipu Sultan as a tyrant. Maharashtra.
o However, various historians like Irfan o He had coins struck in the name of the
Habib and Mohibbul Hasan have argued that Sikh Gurus, the revered line of Sikh
these authors had a strong vested interest in leaders, and proceeded to administer the
presenting him as a tyrant as both authors state in the name of the Sikh
had taken part in the wars against Tipu
commonwealth.
Sultan and were closely connected to the
administrations of Lord
o The Kohinoor diamond, which is currently
Cornwallis and Richard Wellesley. in the possession of the Queen of England,
• Territorial ambitions and religious policy- Tipu was once a part of Ranjit Singh's treasure.
raided Kodagu, Mangaluru, and Kochi. In all Treaty of Amritsar of 1809
these places, he is seen as a tyrant who burnt • It was signed between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and
down entire towns and villages, razed hundreds the British East India Company (Lord Minto) in
of temples and churches, and forcibly converted 1809 which stipulated that perpetual friendship
Hindus. subsist between the British government and the
State of Lahore.
8.3. MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH o It fixed the Sutlej River as the eastern
boundary of his territories.
Why in News? o Treaty is said to have shattered Ranjit
Singh's dream of establishing Sikh
Recently statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780- supremacy over the territories between
1839 AD) was unveiled on his 180th death Jamuna and Satluj rivers as the extension of
anniversary at the Lahore Fort, Pakistan. his power beyond river Satluj was
prevented.
About Maharaja Ranjit Singh
• He was a Sikh leader who ruled Punjab in 19th 8.4. ISHWAR CHANDRA
century.
• Punjab during 1700s was ruled by powerful
VIDYASAGAR
chieftains who had divided the territory into Why in news?
Misls.
o Ranjit Singh overthrew the warring Misls Recently the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
and established a unified Sikh empire after was vandalised during the violent clashes that
he conquered Lahore in 1799. broke out in Kolkata.
30
About Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891) o Child Marriage: By vigorously challenging
the barbaric practice of child marriage he
• He, received the title Vidyasagar (ocean of
demanded raising of the marriageable age
knowledge) for his outstanding academic
of the girl child. British administration
performance, was a legendary educationist, a
passed the Age of Consent Act in 1891,
Sanskrit scholar and a social reformer who
which legally abolished child marriage.
questioned oppressive social traditions of
Hindu society. Education Reforms
• He was invited by the Fort William College to
• He is credited with the role of thoroughly
teach Bengali to the European recruits and
remodeling medieval scholastic system
later he went on to become the head of the
prevailing in Sanskrit College and bringing
Sanskrit Department. In 1846, he joined the
about modern insights. He introduced:
Sanskrit College.
o Inclusion of English and Bengali as the
• He came to the conclusion that merging of medium of learning, besides Sanskrit.
Eastern and Western culture would remove o Courses of European History, Philosophy
superstition and prejudice. and Science alongside of Vedic scriptures.
A Social Reformer o Modern concepts like class routine and
weekly off day as part of the School
• Making of the modern Bengali society: reforms.
Though a Sanskritist, he interpreted custom o Concepts of Admission fee and tuition fee
and tradition in the language of logic and for the first time.
rationality and upheld the rights of the
• Women’s education:
individual over collective identities. As a part
o He lobbied for opening of school for girls
of larger social movement called the Bengal
and outlined suitable curriculum that also
Renaissance, his contributions are:
enabled them to be self-reliant through
o Campaign for Widow remarriage: It was in
vocations.
1854 that he began the campaign for
o He initiated Nari Siksha Bhandar, a fund to
widow remarriage by writing against the
lend support for the cause of women
practice in the Tattvabodhini Patrika.
education.
✓ He challenged the Brahminical
o He opened 35 schools for women
authorities and proved that widow
throughout Bengal and was successful in
remarriage is sanctioned by Vedic
enrolling 1300 students.
scriptures (he discovered a stanza
o He maintained his support to John
from the Parashara Samhita, an
Bethune to establish the first permanent
ancient legal text which favoured
girls’ school in India, the Bethune School in
widow remarriage).
1849.
✓ In 1855, he filed a petition before the
o He spent the last two decades with the
government, seeking legislation that
Santhal tribes in Jharkhand, where he
would allow widow remarriage, which
opened the first school for tribal girls.
finally resulted in the passing of the
• Contribution to literature:
Widow Remarriage Act, 1856.
o Bringing a revolution in the way Bengali
✓ He even married his son Narayan
language was written and taught, his
Chandra to an adolescent widow in
book, ‘Borno Porichoy’ (Introduction to
1870 to set an example.
the letter), is still used as the introductory
o Admissions to backward castes: After
text to learn Bengali alphabets.
joining the Sanskrit College in 1846, he
o Wrote student-friendly Sanskrit grammars
went against convention to admit
Upakramonika’ and ‘Byakaran Koumudi’ in
students from lower castes to study
Bengali.
Sanskrit. He cited the Bhagavata Puran to
o Translation of several Sanskrit books into
argue that there was “no direct
Bengali, including Kalidas’s Shankuntala.
prohibition in the Shastras against
o Wrote two volumes on the mistreatment
the Shudras studying Sanskrit”.
of widows, which set the tone for major
o Campaign against Polygamy among Kulin
social reform in the state.
Brahmins. Though the movement did not
• Contributions to Journalism: He was
result in legislation, its social impact was
associated with journals like ‘Tattwabodhini
considerable.
Patrika’, ‘Somprakash’, and ‘Hindu Patriot’ etc.
31
• He set up the Normal School for training
8.6. VINAYAK DAMODAR
teachers enabling uniformity in teaching
methods and founded the Metropolitan SAVARKAR
Institution in 1872.
Why in news?
• He established the Sanskrit Press to publish
school text books at affordable prices. Recently, the 136th birth anniversary of Vinayak
Damodar Savarkar, the renowned philosopher,
8.5. ASHFAQULLAH KHAN was observed.
Why in news? About Veer Savarkar (1883-1966)
Recently, Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved a • He was an independence activist, politician,

proposal to set aside Rs 234 crore for a zoological lawyer, writer, and the formulator of the
garden, in Gorakhpur, to be named after the Hindutva philosophy.
freedom fighter and revolutionary Shaheed • Major works: The Indian War of Independence
Ashfaqullah Khan. 1857 (It was banned by British), Hindutva
(written in Ratnagiri Jail), Hindu-pad paatshahi,
About Ashfaqullah Khan Joseph Mazzini.
• Ashfaqullah Khan along with Ram Prasad Various aspects of Savarkar:
Bismil, was sentenced to death for the Kakori
conspiracy of 1925. • Freedom fighter:
• He was born on October 22, 1900, in o He established an organization named
Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. ‘Mitra Mela’ later renamed as ‘Abhinav
• He was among the dejected youth that was Bharat’ which influenced the members to
disappointed when Gandhi called off the non- fight for ‘absolute political independence’
cooperation movement. of India.
• He felt a “dwindling faith in non-violent o He was associated with the India House
strategies” and started to believe that (England) for which he was arrested in
freedom from the shackles of colonialism 1910 and later moved to the Cellular Jail in
called for more “radical methods”. the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
• Ashfaq composed poems mostly in Urdu and a (released in 1921).
few in Hindi, under the pen names Varasi and o He later founded the Ratnagiri Hindu
Hazarat. Sabha to preserve ancient Indian culture
and worked in the direction of social
• In the mid-1920s, Ashfaqullah Khan and Ram
welfare. Later he joined Swaraj Party,
Prasad Bismil went on to found the Hindustan
Republican Association, later renamed formed by Tilak.
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association o He became a fierce critic of the Indian
National Congress and its acceptance
(HSRA).
of India's partition.
o HSRA published its manifesto titled “The
Revolutionary” in 1925, which, stated that • Hindutva ideologue:
“The immediate object of the o As a response to Muslim league, Savarkar
revolutionary party in the domain of joined the Hindu Mahasabha and
politics is to establish a federal Republic of popularized the term Hindutva to create a
United State of India by an organized and collective "Hindu" identity as an essence
armed revolution”. of Bharat (India).
o Advocated for validating religious
About the Kakori Conspiracy myths/blind faith against the test of
• In August 1925, an armed robbery took place on modern science, therefore was a
board the Kakori Express, carrying money. rationalist and reformer.
• The robbery was carried out to fund the activities
o Serving as the president of the Hindu
of the HSRA in which Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan
and over 10 other revolutionaries stopped the
Mahasabha in 1937, he endorsed the idea
train and fled with the cash they found in it. of India as a Hindu Rashtra and opposed
• In a trial which went on for about 1.5 years and the Quit India struggle in 1942.
ended in 1927, Bismil, Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and • Social reformer:
Roshan Singh were sentenced to death, and the o He was a strong critic of the caste system,
others were given life sentences. which was decided on the basis of birth.
32
o In 1930, he started the first pan-Hindu • In 1930, Iqbal delivered a Presidential Address
Ganeshotsav. The festivities would be to the 25th Session of the All-India Muslim
marked by ‘kirtans’ rendered by the League in Allahabad (popularly referred as
untouchables. ‘Allahabad Address’) where he expressed his
o Initiated several temple movements of thoughts on Islam and nationalism, unity of
Maharashtra, where the untouchables the Indian nation and on the problem of
were encouraged to pray (eg in Patitpavan defence.
temple in Ratnagiri). • In the year 1931-1932 he participated in second
About Hindu Mahasabha and third session of Round Table Conference
• Formed in 1907, it is a party established for held in London.
safeguarding issues of Hindus. • He later believed that the enforcement and
• Eminent Hindu leaders extended this development of the Shariat of Islam is
Organization in 1915 on all India basis. They were: impossible in the country without a free
Madan Mohan Malaviya, N.C.Kelkar , Lala Lajpat Muslim state or states.
Rai ,Veer Savarkar, Dr S.P. Mukherjee, Dr • Iqbal is considered to have given the vision for
N.B.Khare; the creation of Pakistan and Two-nation
• While not supportive of British rule, the
theory, and is called as ‘Spiritual father of
Mahasabha did not offer its full support to the
Pakistan’. Whereas Jinnah is considered to be
nationalist movement either, abstaining from
participating in the Civil Disobedience movement the one who shaped this vision.
of 1930 and the Quit India movement of 1942.
• It celebrates January 30, as Shaurya Diwas. 8.8. DARA SHIKOH
8.7. MUHAMMAD IQBAL Why in news?
The Ministry of Culture recently set up a 7-member
Why in news? panel of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to
A headmaster of a government primary school in locate the grave of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh
Uttar Pradesh was recently suspended after his (1615-59), who is believed to be buried somewhere
students recited a poem written by Muhammad in the Humayun’s Tomb complex in Delhi.
Iqbal. About Dara Shikoh
About Muhammad Iqbal • Dara Shikoh, was the eldest son of Mughal
• Sir Muhammad Iqbal is also known as Allama emperor Shah Jahan, who in 1642, formally
Iqbal and has written, “Saare jahan se acha” confirmed Dara Shikoh as his heir, granting him
(known alternatively as Tarana-e-Hind). the title of Shahzada-e-Buland Iqbal.
o The poem was published in the weekly • He was killed after losing the war of succession
journal Ittehad in 1904. against his brother Aurangzeb.
• He was born in 1877 in Sialkot Punjab (now in o Battle of Samugarh was decisive struggle
Pakistan) into a family with Kashmiri Brahmin in a contest for the throne between the
ancestry. sons (Aurangzeb and Murād Bakhsh, on
• Iqbal was a poet-philosopher whose work one side, and, Dara Shikoh on other) of the
promoted the philosophy of self-hood and Mughal emperor Shah Jahān after the
dealt with the intellectual and cultural emperor’s serious illness in 1657.
reconstruction of the Islamic world. • He was liberal in outlook and tried to find
• He wrote mostly in Urdu and Persian. commonalities between Hindu and Islamic
• Iqbal’s first published collection of poems traditions.
came out in 1923 and is titled, “Bang-e-Dara” Contributions to Art and Culture
(Call of the Marching Bell).
• Some of his other works include: • He translated the Bhagavad Gita as well as
o Zabur-i-Ajam, Bal-i-Jibril (The Gabriel’s Upanishads from their
Wings), original Sanskrit into Persian in 1657 so that
o Musafir (The Wayfarer), they could be studied by Muslim scholars.
o Mysteries of the Selflessness, o His translation is often called Sirr-e-
o Secrets of the Self: Asrar-i-Khudi and Akbar ("The Greatest Mystery"), where he
o The Reconstruction of Religious Thought states that the work referred to in
in Islam. the Quran is none other than
the Upanishads.
33
o Majma-ul-Bahrain, a short treatise written Hinduism, he condemned the ‘Mimamsa
in Persian, was also devoted to a revelation school of Hinduism’ which was purely based on
of the mystical and pluralistic affinities ritual practices.
between Sufic and Vedantic speculation. • He founded four monasteries (mathas) that
• 'Dara Shikoh Album' is a collection of paintings continue to spread his teachings which are
and calligraphy assembled during 1630s by Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Dvaraka Pitha,
Dara Shikoh and presented to his wife Nadira Jyotirmatha Peetham and Govardhana matha.
Banu Begum in 1641-42. • He also composed the famous
• He is credited with the commissioning of ‘Upadesasahasri’ which literally translates to ‘a
several exquisite examples of Mughal thousand teachings.’
architecture such as, the tomb of his wife
Nadira Begum (Lahore), the Shrine of Mian Mir 8.10. THIRUVALLUVAR
(Lahore), the Dara Shikoh Library (Delhi),
the Akhun Mullah Shah Mosque (Srinagar) Why in news?
and the Pari Mahal garden palace (Srinagar) Recently, a controversy kicked up in Tamil Nadu
• Some historians argue that Dara Shikoh, was after the image of Thiruvalluvar in saffron-
the total antithesis of Aurangzeb, in that he coloured attire was tweeted.
was deeply syncretic, warm-hearted and
generous — but at the same time, he was also About Thiruvalluvar
an indifferent administrator and ineffectual in • Thiruvalluvar, commonly known as Valluvar,
the field of battle. was a Tamil saint, poet, and a philosopher. He
• Italian traveller Niccolao Manucci has written is usually shown with a white shawl in the
down the details of Dara Shikoh's death in his images.
book Travels of Manucci. • Details about Thiruvalluvar’s real name, date
and place of birth, religious affiliation and
8.9. ADI SHANKAR family background are not available. Many
researchers put his birth date between 1st
Why in News?
century BC and 2nd century AD.
Govardhan Mutt set up by Adi Shankara at Puri will • Thiruvalluvar’s moral philosophy is anthropo-
be out of Odisha government's purview. centric since it focuses on life on this earth
About Adi Shankara rather than aspiring for heavenly abode.
o Moreover, he opposed absolutizing and
• Adi Shankara was an early 8th century Indian idealizing the problems and making them
philosopher and theologian who expounded other-worldly affairs.
the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. • He boldly advocated a life of discipline, self-
o Advaita Vedanta is a non-dualistic school of control, chastity, non-violence, temperance
Hinduism with its roots in the Vedas and and devotion.
Upanishads which recognizes one reality • He is best known as the author of Thirukkural,
and one God. a collection of 1330 couplets on ethics, political
• He explained the basic ideas of Upanishads and and economic matters, and love.
advocated the oldest concept of Hinduism • In Thirukkural, through the phrase 'Aadhi
which explains the unification of the soul Bhagavan’, Thiruvalluvar asserted that the
(atman) with the Supreme Soul (Nirguna Omnipotent and Omnipresent God was
Brahman). Universal.
o He advocated the existence of the soul and
About Tirukkural
the Supreme Soul.
• Written in Tamil, it is an ancient treatise on the
o He believed that the Supreme Soul alone is Code of Ethics and Universal Human Values.
real and unchanging while the soul is a • It is a moral compendium which has been
changing entity and that it does not have classified under three major headings; aram
absolute existence. (righteousness), porul (wealth), ibam
• The most important works is his efforts to (enjoyment).
synthesize the six sub-sects, known as o The ideological implication of these titles is
‘Shanmata.’ that one must earn wealth through
• He also founded ‘Dashanami Sampradaya,’ righteous means and enjoyment becomes
imminent through that which leads to
which talks about leading a monastic life. While
enlightenment.
Shankaracharya was a firm believer in ancient
34
o This view is similar to the Sanskrit tradition • Philosophy-
of dharma, artha, kama and moksa. o The Srivaishnava philosophy got a much
• Out of four aspects of life (Purushaarthas) Aram, wider audience with Vedanta Desikan’s
Porul, Inbam and Veedu (Mokesha) Thirukkural writings and preaching.
addresses only the first three and advocates the
o One of the essential features of his
path to Veedu through the others and hence it is
called Muppal (3 Elements).
philosophy was the aspect of inclusion
• It attempts to provide guidelines for the that is anyone, irrespective of caste and
individuals in the society i.e.- the ascetic, the creed could join the Sri Vaishnava fold,
family members, etc. who are responsible for obliterating caste distinctions and thus
themselves and to others. making it a truly democratic movement.
o He illuminated the paths of devotion and
8.11. GURU RAVIDAS JAYANTI dedication, of selfless love and affection
for humanity and a total submergence in
Why in news? divine ambience.
Recently, the birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas was Srivaishnava tradition
celebrated across the country. • A denomination within
the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism.
About Sant Ravidas
• Though Nathamuni (10th century CE) is
• Sant Ravidas was a 14th-century poet-saint, attributed as the founder, its central philosopher
social reformer and a spiritual figure and was Ramanuja (11th C) who developed
founder of the Bhakti movement in North the Vishishtadvaita philosophy.
• The most striking difference between
India.
Srivaishnavas and other Vaishnava groups lies in
• His parents belonged to a leather-working their interpretation of Vedas.
untouchable community. • While other Vaishnava groups interpret Vedic
• His devotional songs were included in the Sikh deities like Indra, Rudra, etc. to be same as their
scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib. He was Puranic counterparts, Srivaishnavas consider
contemporary of Kabir and Guru Nanak Dev. these to be different names and forms of Lord
• He was a cobbler by caste. Ravidas taught Narayan thus claiming that the entire Veda is
removal of social divisions of caste and dedicated for Vishnu worship alone.
gender, and promoted unity in the pursuit of • In this tradition, the ultimate reality and truth
are considered to be the divine sharing of the
personal spiritual freedoms.
feminine and the masculine, the goddess and the
• Mirabai became a disciple of Ravidas. The god.
Panch Vani text of the Dadupanthi tradition • The prefix Sri is used for this sect because they
also includes numerous poems of Ravidas. give special importance to the worship of the
• He is considered as the founder of the Goddess Lakshmi, who they believe to act as a
Ravidassia religion, by a group who previously mediator between God Vishnu and man.
were associated with Sikhism. • Acharyas: Yamunacharya, Ramanujacharya,
• The songs of Ravidas discuss Nirguna-Saguna Parasara Bhattar,Pillai Lokacharya, Vedanta
themes, as well as ideas that are at the Desikan.
foundation of Nath Yoga philosophy of
Hinduism. 8.13. TRAVELOGUES IN DECODING
INDIAN HISTORY
8.12. VEDANTA DESIKAN
Why in news?
Why in news?
In the recently delivered Ayodhya judgement,
Recently, a postage stamp was launched to Supreme Court took note of the account of three
commemorate the 750th birth anniversary of Sri European travellers namely Joseph Tieffenthaler,
Vedanta Desikan. William Finch, and Montgomery Martin.
About Vedanta Desikan More about the travellers
• One of the most prominent preceptors in the Joseph Tiefenthaler
Sri Vaishnava tradition, he was a multi-faceted
• He was an 18th-century missionary hailing
personality.
from Italy who travelled in India for 27 years.
• He is celebrated as ‘Sarva-Tantra-Svatantra’ or
• In India, he was commissioned at the famous
master of all arts and crafts and awarded the
observatory of Sawai Jai Singh, the Raja of
title ‘Kavi Tarkika-Kesari’.
35
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Jaipur, and was later attached at the Jesuit text to be the eternal Guru for
College in Agra. Sikhs.
• He also lived in Awadh, where Ayodhya is Thyagaraja • He was a renowned composer
located, for over five years. of Carnatic music. He composed
mostly devotional compositions,
• In his book 'Description Historiqueet
most in Telugu and in praise of
Geographique Del‘inde' he gives details about Lord Rama.
his travels to Ayodhya. • Of special mention are five of his
William Finch compositions called
the Pancharatna Kritis (five
• He is known to have arrived in India in 1608 at gems).
Surat with Sir William Hawkins, a • He is one among the most
representative of the East India Company. revered 18th Century Trinity of
• He is said to give the earliest English language composers–the others being
account of Kashmir, as well as trade routes Shyama Sastry and Sri
Muthuswami Dikshithar.
connecting Punjab and eastern Turkistan and
Subramania • He was a poet, journalist,
western China.
Bharathi freedom fighter and social
• Finch visited Ayodhya between 1608 and 1611, reformer from Tamil Nadu.
and did not find any building of importance of • “Kannan Pattu” “Nilavum
Islamic origin. Vanminum Katrum” “Panchali
• William Finch’s account has been recorded in Sabatam” “Kuyil Pattu” are
the 1921 book ‘Early Travels in India (1583- examples of Bharathi’s great
1619)’ by the historiographer Sir William Foster. poetic output.
• He was closely associated with
Robert Montgomery Martin the editorship of Vijaya and India
• He was an Anglo-Irish author and civil servant. (Tamil weekly).
Savitribai • She was a social reformer of the
He practised medicine in Ceylon (present day
Phule 19th century.
Sri Lanka), East Africa and Australia.
• She is especially remembered for
• Martin then went on to work in Kolkata where being India’s first female teacher
he helped found the paper ‘Bengal Herald’. He who worked for the upliftment
later returned to England where he wrote of women and untouchables in
about the British Empire. the field of education and
• He wrote the three-volume work ‘History, literacy.
Antiquities, Topography and Statistics of • She started Mahila Seva
Eastern India’. Mandal(1852) to raise awareness
about women’s rights and
• He had written about the worship of Lord Ram
campaigned against child
in the Ayodhya region and destruction of marriage, while supporting
temples and the erection of mosques. widow remarriage.
Amritlal • Popularly known as Thakkar Bapa
8.14. OTHER PERSONALITIES IN Vithaldas (1869 –1951), he was an Indian
NEWS Thakkar social worker who worked for
upliftment of tribal people.
Guru Gobind • Guru Gobind Singh (1666 – 1708), • He founded Bhil Seva Mandal in
Singh born in Patna, was the tenth Sikh 1922 and Bharatiya Adim Jati
Guru. Sevak Sangh in 1948 and was also
• He founded the Sikh warrior associated with Servants of India
community called Khalsa in 1699. Society and Harijan Sevak Sangh.
• He became the Sikh guru at the • He became the general secretary
age of nine, following the demise of the Harijan Sevak Sangh
of father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the founded by Mahatma Gandhi in
ninth Sikh Guru. 1932.
• He introduced the Five Ks (Kesh, 100th Birth • He was a trade union leader and
Kangha, Kara, Kirpan and Anniversary founder of the Swadeshi Jagaran
Kacchera), the five articles of of Manch, Bharatiya Mazdoor
faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all Oattopanth Sangh and the Bharatiya Kisan
times. Thengri Sangh.
• He finalized the Guru Granth V. M. • He was a prominent Indian
Sahib in 1706 and declared this Tarkunde lawyer, civil rights activist, and
36
has been referred to as the between 1003 and approximately
“Father of the Civil Liberties 1320 CE.
movement” in India. Azhvar And • Alvars (also called as Azhvars)
• The founding conference of Nayanars were the famous Tamil Poet
People’s Union for Civil Liberties Saints. They praised the Hindu
(PUCL), one of the largest human God Vishnu and his Avatar
rights organization in the Krishna with their own
country, elected him as the composed songs.
President in 1980. • Nayanars were the sincere and
Kota Rani • She is remembered as the last ardent devotees of Lord Siva.
ruler belonging to Hindu Lohara • Nalayira Divyaprabandham
dynasty in Kashmir and died in (“Four Thousand Sacred
1339. Compositions”) – one of the
• She was daughter of major anthologies of
Ramchandra, commander-in- compositions of the 12 Alvars
chief of Suhadev, who was the was compiled by Nathamuni in
king of Kashmir belonging to 10th Century. It was frequently
Lohara dynasty. described as the Tamil Veda.
• Lohara dynasty were Hindu rulers
of Kashmir from Khasa tribe
37
9. HISTORICAL EVENTS
new currency and they were grossly exploited
9.1. PAIKA REBELLION by the local mahajanas.
Why in news? • British salt policy: The long sea coast of Odisha
produced a huge quantity of salt which was
Recently, President of India laid the foundation used by the people of this land freely.
stone for the Paika Memorial in Odisha's Khurda However, the British authority deprived the
district to mark 200 years of the Paika Rebellion. zamindars and the local people of coastal
About Paika rebellion region of their traditional rights to
manufacture salt.
• It was an armed rebellion that took place in
Odisha against the British East India Company. Paika Rebellion as the First war of Independence
• Paikas were the traditional landed militia of • The uprising is said to be an expression against
the disruption of traditional way of life of the
the Gajapati rulers of Odisha.
region due to advent of British.
• Paikas owned rent-free land that had been • It was directly against the colonial masters and
given to them for their military service to due to the large-scale participation of all the
Kingdom of Khurda. section of the society it is sometimes referred as
• The British, having established their sway over the “First war of Independence”.
Bengal Province and Madras Province to the
Suppression of the revolt
north and south of Odisha, occupied it in 1803.
o The King of Odisha Mukunda Deva-ll was a • The British were initially taken aback and then
minor then and initial resistance by Jai suppression followed with many killed and
Rajguru, the custodian of Mukunda Deva- imprisoned. Many more were tortured.
II, was put down brutally. • Some rebels fought a guerilla war till 1819 but
o Rulers of Khurda were traditionally the were captured and killed.
custodians of Jagannath Temple and ruled • Baxi Jagabandhu was finally arrested in 1825
as the deputy of lord Jagannath on earth. and died in captivity in 1829.
They symbolised the political and cultural • After the suppression:
freedom of the people of Odisha. o Paikas were forced to leave the
• A few years later, the Paikas under Baxi profession of militia men of the king and
Jagabandhu, the hereditary chief of the militia to adopt cultivation and other works as
army of the Gajapati King, rose in rebellion, means to earn livelihood.
taking support of tribals and other sections of o The price of the salt was reduced and
society. more salt was made available for the
• They attacked British symbols of power, smooth purchase of the people.
setting ablaze police stations, administrative o When Raja Mukundadeva II died on 30
offices and the treasury during their march November 1817, his son Ramachandradeva
towards Khurda, from where the British fled. III was allowed to move to Puri. He was
• They were supported by the zamindars, village allowed an annual pension and to take
heads and ordinary peasants. over the charge of the management of the
Jagannath temple of Puri. By this
Causes of Paika Rebellion
arrangement, the British government won
• Contemporary political condition of Khurda: the mind and sentiment of the people of
The hanging of Jayi Rajaguru, the deposition of Odisha.
Raja Mukundadeva II and the reorganization of
administration in Khurda by the British, 9.2. PAYYANUR
enraged the people of Khurda.
• Faulty revenue policy: Colonial rule brought Why in news?
new land revenue settlements in the region Kerala plans to set up a Mahatma Gandhi Smriti
which led to the Paikas losing their estates and Museum at Payyanur, situated on the banks of the
land was transferred to Bengali absentee Perumba river in Kerala’s Kannur district.
landlords.
• The new currency system: The British changed Historical Significance of the place
the currency system from cowrie to rupee. The • The Simon Commission Protest in 1928:
villagers faced a lot of problems in handling the Moyarath Sankaran, A. Lakshmana Shenoy and
38
Subrahmanyam Thirumunpu were the leaders Details
of ‘Simon Go Back’ protest in Payyanur.
• The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act
• The Salt Satyagraha in 1930: Under the
of 1919, better known as the Rowlatt Act, came
leadership of ‘Kerala Gandhi’ K. Kelappan, the
into force in March 1919, even though every
satyagraha saw a procession of 33 satyagrahis
single Indian member of the Central Legislative
from Kozhikode to Payyannur which earned
Council opposed it.
Payyanur the distinction of “Second Bardoli”.
• The Rowlatt Act bestowed on the Government
• Anti-untouchability movement: Payyanur was
the power :
also an epicentre of the anti-untouchability
o to set up special courts consisting of three
movement. Great leaders of the movement at
High Court Judges for specified offences;
Payyanur — A.K. Gopalan, K.A. Keraliyan and
o to direct execution of bond for good
Vishnu Bharatiyan — ushered boys from the
behaviour; internment within city
oppressed Pulaya community into the
reporting at police station; and abstention
Kurumba Bhagavathi Temple.
from specific acts; and
o One of the first crusaders against casteism
o to arrest anybody suspected of terrorist
in Payyanur was Swami Anandatheertha, a
activities, detain them for up to 2 years
Konkani Brahmin by birth, who was
without trial, search a place without a
consecrated as ‘Swami Anandatheertha’
warrant, and impose severe restrictions on
by Narayana Guru and fought lifelong for
the freedom of the press.
the rights of Dalits.
• It shocked most Indians who had expected to
• Gandhi’s connection: Gandhiji visited Kerala in
1934 to call on Swami Anandatheertha. He be rewarded, not punished, for willingly
fighting alongside the British in the First World
planted a mango tree in his Ashram, which still
War.
thrives at that site.
• Immediately after the passage of the Rowlatt
9.3. JALLIANWALA BAGH Act, B.N.Sarma resigned his office as member
of the Imperial Legislative Council.
Why in News? • The Madras Satyagraha Sabha under the
leadership of C. Rajagopalachari, A.
Recently, Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Rangaswamy Iyengar, G. Harisarvottama Rao
(Amendment) Act 2019 was enacted. and T. Andhinarayana Chetty opposed the
Rowlatt Act.
More about News
• Mahatma Gandhi called for a satyagraha
• The Act seeks to amend the Jallianwala Bagh against the act (Rowlatt Satyagraha). The
National Memorial Act, 1951. hartal was observed on 6 April 1919 after the
• It seeks to make apolitical the trust that runs Viceroy gave his assent to the Rowlatt Bill.
Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial by • But even before the satyagraha there were
removing the clause pertaining to the large-scale violent, anti-British demonstrations
President of Indian National Congress as a in Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Ahmedabad, etc.
permanent member of the trust. • In Punjab, the situation was tense under the
• It clarifies that when there is no Leader of the oppressive regime of lieutenant governor Sir
Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the leader of the Michael O' Dwyer who had imposed martial
single largest Opposition party will be the law.
trustee. o It was under his orders that Gandhi was
• It also allows the Central government to arrested at Palwal near Delhi and
terminate the term of a nominated trustee prevented from entering Punjab.
before the expiry of the period of his term, o He also directed that Amritsar's popular
without assigning any reason. leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew
• Under the 1951 Act, the Trustees of the be deported to some ''unknown place''.
Memorial include: the Prime Minister as They had been agitating against the
Chairperson, President of the Indian National implementation of Rowlatt Act.
Congress, Minister in-charge of Culture, Leader o On Baisakhi day, people gathered in the
of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Governor of small park for peaceful protest against
Punjab, Chief Minister of Punjab, and three arrest of their leaders.
eminent persons nominated by the central o The army surrounded the gathering under
government. orders from General Reginald Dyer, who
was given a free hand by Governor
39
Michael O’ Dwyer. The only exit point was
blocked, and army opened fire on the
9.4. AZAD HIND GOVERNMENT
unarmed crowd, killing more than 1000. Why in News?
Aftermath
This year marked 76th anniversary of the formation
• Mahatma Gandhi was overwhelmed by the of Azad Hind Government.
atmosphere of violence and withdrew the
Rowlatt satyagraha on 18th April, 1919. Azad Hind Government
• Rabindranath Tagore renounced his • Subhas Chandra Bose on October 21, 1943,
knighthood in protest. established the provisional Azad Hind
• On 14 October 1919, after orders issued by government in Singapore. He was the leader
the Secretary of State for India, Edwin of Azad Hind Government and also the Head of
Montagu, the Government of India announced State of this Provisional Indian Government-in-
the formation of a committee of inquiry into exile.
the events in Punjab. • It was a part of the freedom movement,
o Referred to as the Disorders Inquiry originating in 1940s outside India with a
Committee, it was later more widely purpose of allying with Axis powers to free
known as the Hunter Commission. India from British rule.
o Congress boycotted this committee. • The existence of the Azad Hind Government
o The Hunter Committee did not impose any gave a greater legitimacy to the independence
penal or disciplinary action because Dyer's struggle against the British.
actions were condoned by various • The role of Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian
superiors (later upheld by the Army National Army (INA) had been crucial in
Council). bequeathing a much needed impetus to India’s
o Dyer was initially lauded by conservatives struggle for Independence.
in the empire, but in July 1920 he was
censured and forced to retire by the House Indian National Army (INA)
of Commons. He was disciplined by being • The idea of INA was first conceived in Malaya
removed from his appointment, was by Mohan Singh.
passed over for promotion and was • The Indian National Army was founded by
prohibited from further employment in prisoners of wars of British Indian Army
India. captured by the Japanese in Singapore,
• Mahatma Gandhi, in 1920, returned the Kaiser- Malaysia and other countries of Southeast Asia
i-Hind medal awarded to him after the Boer during the World War II.
War by the British Government as a part of his • On 1 September 1942, the first division of INA
movement against Punjab and khilafat was formed.
injustice.
• The main task of gathering them and forming
• The corrupt mahants of the Golden temple the INA was carried out by Rashbehari Bose,
honoured General Dyer with a saropa (robe of one of the stalwarts of the freedom
honour), which led to the agitation that movement. Later it was reconsolidated as an
resulted in the formation of a committee army by Subhas Chandra Bose.
known as Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak
• The INA was also at the forefront of women's
Committee (SGPC), which was given the
equality, and the formation of a women's
control and management of the Golden
regiment, the Rani of Jhansi Regiment
Temple, the Akal Takht, and other Gurudwaras.
(headed by Captain Laxmi Sehgal) was formed
• Accepting the report of the Repressive Laws as an all-volunteer women's unit to fight the
Committee, the Government of India repealed British Raj as well as provide medical services
the Rowlatt Act, the Press Act, and twenty-two to the INA.
other laws in March 1922.
• Udham Singh, a revolutionary belonging to the INA Trials
Ghadar Party assassinated Michael O' Dwyer in • A joint court-martial of hundreds of captured INA
London, on 13 March 1940. soldiers, led by Colonel Prem Sehgal, Colonel
Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, Major General Shah
Nawaz Khan, was held during 1945- 46 at the Red
Fort.
• Leaders of independence movement Jawaharlal
Nehru, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Kailashnath Katju,
40
Bhulabhai Desai, Asaf Ali, along with Muslim • Measures were to be taken for safe return of
league defended the comrades of Bose despite abducted women and recovery of looted
difference of ideology. property.
• The famous INA trial sparked off massive unrest
• Forced conversions were unrecognized.
across the country, including the strike by the
ratings (sailors) and officers of the Royal Indian
Navy and Air Force -- from the ports of Mumbai
9.6. PRIVY PURSE ABOLITION
and Karachi to Madras, Vishakhapatnam and
Why in News?
Calcutta in February 1946. The airmen too struck
work at various places including Karachi and This year marks 50 Years to Privy Purse Abolition.
Kalaikunda (now in West Bengal).
• Historians termed this unrest as "the last nail in Details
the coffin" of the British Empire. • In December 1971, by the 26th Amendment
Indira Gandhi abolished India’s princely order,
9.5. NEHRU-LIAQUAT terminating the privileges enjoyed by retired
AGREEMENT maharajas and nawabs since the integration of
their states in 1949.
Why in news? • The Privy Purse was a payment made to the
The debate on The Citizenship Amendment Bill in ruling families of erstwhile princely states as
Parliament included multiple references to the part of their agreements to first integrate with
Nehru-Liaquat Agreement that was signed in Delhi India in 1947 after the independence of India
in 1950. and later to merge their states in 1949 whereby
they lost all ruling rights.
About Nehru Liaquat agreement • As defined from 1949 under Article 291 of the
• The Nehru-Liaquat agreement signed by Indian Constitution, a privy purse would be a
Jawahar Lal Nehru and Pakistan’s Prime fixed, tax-free sum guaranteed to the former
Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, is also known as the princely rulers and their successors. The sum
Delhi Pact. was intended to cover all expenses of the
• It was a bilateral agreement signed between former ruling families, including those incurred
India and Pakistan in order to provide a for religious and other ceremonies, and would
framework for the treatment of minorities in be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
the two countries. • It was stated that the concept of rulership,
• The agreement was signed in the backdrop of with privy purses and special privileges
large-scale migration of people belonging to unrelated to any current functions and social
minority communities between the two purposes, is incompatible with an egalitarian
countries in the wake of attacks by the social order. Government have, therefore,
majority communities in their respective decided to terminate the privy.
territories.
Key provisions of the Agreement 9.7. OTHER EVENTS
• Governments of both the countries agreed to Treaty of • June 28th marked the 100th
provide and protect Minority rights including Versailles anniversary of Treaty of Versailles,
political, cultural and economic rights like - signed on 28th June 1919 between
complete equality of citizenship, irrespective Germany & Allied Powers that
brought World War I to an end.
of religion, freedom of movement within each
• The treaty was a consequence of 6
country, freedom of occupation, speech and
months of Allied negotiations at
worship etc. Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
• Both Governments declared these rights to be • The provisions of the treaty were
fundamental and agreed to take suitable majorly decided by Britain (under
measures to enforce them effectively. David Lloyd George), France (under
• Setting up of Commission of Enquiry to look Georges Clemenceau) and USA
into the causes of disturbances and to suggest (under Woodrow Wilson). Both
measures to prevent them in future. Russia and Germany were not given
representation at the conference.
• Refugees were allowed to return unharmed to
75th • During World War II, government
dispose of their property.
Anniversar of Nazi Germany killed approx. 17
y of the million people in camps specifically
Liberation designated for killings. Of these,
41
of camp at Auschwitz, Poland was (Manipur) to commemorate the
Auschwitz largest in size. 75th anniversary of the Battle of
• In 1979, UNESCO added the Imphal (during Second World War
Auschwitz memorial to its list of 1939-45).
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. • Battle of Imphal was fought
• In 2005, the UN-designated January between armies of Japan and Allied
27 as the International Holocaust forces (British). It was at this battle
Remembrance Day. that the Japnese march through
• Holocaust was a period during Asia was stopped.
World War II, when millions of Jews Cellular • It is also known as Kālā Pānī (Hindi
and other people were killed Jail for black waters), was a colonial
because of their identity. prison in the Andaman and Nicobar
Battle of • It is also called as Dardanelles Islands.
Çanakkale/ campaign. In World War I, during • The prison was used by the British
Gallipoli this campaign Ottoman army faced especially to exile political
off against the Allied forces on prisoners.
Gallipoli peninsula (Turkey) from • Many distinguished people were
1915 to 1916. imprisoned in the Cellular Jail. Some
• It was an unsuccessful attempt by of them are Diwan Singh Kalepani,
the Allied Powers to control the sea Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, Yogendra
route from Europe to Russia by Shukla, Batukeshwar Dutt, Maulana
taking control of Dardanelles, Ahmadullah, Movli Abdul Rahim
strategic strait connecting Sea of Sadiqpuri, Ali Ahmed Siddiqui,
Marmara to Aegean Sea and Maulvi Liaquat Ali, Vinayak
Mediterranean Sea. Damodar Savarkar, Babarao
Battle of • It was fought on 1 January 1818 Savarkar, Sachindra Nath Sanyal.
Bhima between British East India Visva- • Located in Shantiniketan (West
Koregaon Company and the Peshwa faction bharti Bengal), it was founded by
of the Maratha Confederacy led by University Rabindranath Tagore in 1921.
Peshwa Baji Rao II. It was part of • It was declared to be a central
Third Anglo Maratha war. university and an Institution of
• Dalit-dominated (Mahars) British National Importance by an Act of
Army had defeated a Peshwa army Parliament in 1951.
in Koregaon. Gujarat • Gujarat Vidyapith was established
• The battle attained a legendary Vidyapeet by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
stature for Dalits, who consider the h Gandhiji was its life-long chancellor.
win as a victory of the Mahars • It is one of the Vidyapiths
against the injustices perpetuated established during the Non-
by the Peshwas. Cooperation movement. Others
Battle of • Imphal Peace Museum has been set include Kashi Vidyapith and Bihar
Imphal up at Red Hill outside Imphal Vidyapith.
42
10. PRIZES AND AWARDS
• A second agreement was signed between the
10.1. NOBEL PRIZES
two countries in September 2018 in Jeddah,
Why in news? Saudi Arabia.
Nobel Prizes for Literature and Nobel Peace Prize 10.2. AWARDS BY SANGEET
were awarded recently.
NATAK AKADEMI
Nobel Prize for Literature: The Swedish
Academy announced two winners - one for 2019 Why in news?
and one for 2018 - because the prize was not Recently, the Sangeet Natak Akademi has
awarded last year. announced multiple awards.
• Austrian author Peter Handke has won the About Sangeet Natak Akademi
2019 Nobel Prize in Literature. Peter Handke
was awarded "for an influential work that with • It was the first national academy of arts setup
linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery by the Government of India in 1952. It is
and the specificity of human experience." registered as a society under the Societies
• The Nobel Prize in Literature 2018 was Registration Act, 1986.
awarded to the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk • It functions as the apex body of the
"for a narrative imagination that with performing arts in the country, preserving and
encyclopedic passion represents the crossing promoting the vast intangible heritage of
of boundaries as a form of life." India's diverse culture expressed in the forms
o She also won the Man Booker of music, dance and drama.
International Prize, 2018. • The academy also collaborates with
international organisation like the UNESCO to
Nobel Peace Prize: The Nobel Peace Prize 2019 is
save the cultural heritage of the country.
awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
• Awards by Sangeet Natak Akademi
Ali "for his efforts to achieve peace and
o The Fellowship of the Akademi is the most
international cooperation, and in particular for his
prestigious and rare honor, which is
decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict
restricted to 40 numbers at any given time.
with neighboring Eritrea."
This year it has been awarded to: Zakir
Hussain (Tabla), Sonal Mansingh
(Bharatnatyam and odissi), Jatin Goswami
(Sattriya) and K.Kalyanasundaram Pillai
(Bharatnatyam).
o Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards: forty-
four artists from the field of Music, Dance,
Theatre, Traditional/ arts forms etc. have
been awarded this year.
o The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar is
conferred upon artists with the objective
of identifying and encouraging
outstanding young talents in diverse fields
of performing arts and giving them
national recognition early in their life. It is
Resolution of the conflict
open to all Indian nationals upto 40 years
• Ethiopia and Eritrea, long-time foes, restored of age. It is not given posthumously.
relations in July 2018 after years of hostility.
• Abiy Ahmed Ali signed a “Joint Declaration of 10.3. PORTUGAL SETS UP GANDHI
Peace and Friendship,” with Eritrean President PRIZE
Isaias Afwerki. They announced the
resumption of trade, diplomatic, and travel ties Why in News?
between their two countries, and “a new era
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa recently
of peace and friendship” in the war-bloodied
announced setting up of a Gandhi Citizenship
Horn of Africa.
Education Prize.
43
Details for her long poem, 'Sunehade'
• The announcement was made while attending (Messages).
the second meeting of the National • About Sahitya Akademi, India's National
Committee for the Commemoration Mahatma Academy of Letters:
Gandhi’s 150th Birth Anniversary. o It is the central institution for literary
• The prize would be inspired by Gandhi’s dialogue, publication and promotion in
thoughts and quotes and will be given every the country and the only institution that
year. undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian
languages, including English.
• The first edition of the prize would be
o It was setup by the Government of India in
dedicated to animal welfare.
1954 but it functions autonomously.
• Prime Minister of Portugal is the only foreign
o It is registered as a society under the
Prime Minister to be a member of the National
Societies Registration Act, 1860.
Committee for Commemoration of 150th Birth
o It also undertakes literary exchange
Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
programmes with various countries to
• The National Committee was constituted for promote Indian literature beyond the
commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of shores of India.
Mahatma Gandhi at the national and
international level. 10.5. PADMA AWARDS
o This Committee is chaired by the President
and includes Vice-President, Prime Why in News?
Minister, Chief Ministers of all states,
representatives from across the political Padma awards were announced recently on the
spectrum, Gandhians, thinkers, and occasion of Republic day.
eminent persons from all walks of life. About Padma Awards
o The Committee also has two former
• Padma Awards is one of the highest civilian
Secretaries-General of the United Nations -
Awards of the country, are conferred in three
Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon as its
categories, namely,
member.
o ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for
10.4. SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARDS exceptional and distinguished service;
o ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service
2019 of high order and
o ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in
Why in News?
any field.
Recently, Sahitya Akademi announced its annual • The awards were instituted in 1954 to
Sahitya Akademi Awards in 23 languages. Award recognize achievements in all fields of
for Nepali will be declared later. activities or disciplines where an element of
Details public service is involved.
• Sahitya Akademi Awards are given only to o They are given in various disciplines/ fields
Indian citizens for the most outstanding of activities, viz.- art, social work, public
books of literary merit published in India in last affairs, science and engineering, trade and
5 years in any of the major Indian languages industry, medicine, literature and
recognised by the Akademi. education, sports, civil service, etc.
o Besides the 22 languages enumerated in • They are conferred on the recommendations
the Constitution of India, the Sahitya made by the Padma Awards Committee, which
Akademi has recognised English and is constituted by the Prime Minister every year
Rajasthani language. and headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
o The winners will be honored with an o The nomination process is open to the
engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and prize public. Even self-nomination can be made.
money of Rs 1 lakh. • All persons without distinction of race,
o Sahitya Akademi award is the second- occupation, position or sex are eligible for
highest literary honour by the these awards.
Government of India, after Jananpith o However, Government servants including
award. those working with PSUs, except doctors
o In 1956, Amrita Pritam became the first and scientists, are not eligible for these
woman to win the Sahitya Akademi Award Awards.
44
• The total number of awards to be given in a Details
year (excluding posthumous awards and to
• He is known for various works like Shadow
NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than
Lines, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide, and
120.
Ibis Trilogy — Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke,
• The award does not amount to a title and
and Flood of Fire.
cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the
• Jnanpith Award is presented annually by the
awardees’ name.
Bharatiya Jnanpith (a literary and research
• The awards are announced on the occasion of
organisation) to an author for their
Republic Day every year.
"outstanding contribution towards literature".
• The awardees are presented a Sanad o It was instituted in 1961 and is awarded to
(certificate) signed by the President and a Indian citizens (no posthumous conferral)
medallion. There is no cash prize. writing in Indian languages included in 8th
Schedule of the Constitution of India and
10.6. JNANPITH AWARD English (added after 49th Jnanpith Award).
Why in News? o A language which receives the Award in a
particular year is not eligible for
Recently, Author Amitav Ghosh was felicitated consideration for the next two years.
with the 54th Jnanpith Award for his “outstanding o The first recipient of the award was the
contribution to the enrichment of Indian Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup.
Literature in English”.
45
11. MISCELLANEOUS
Mizo Puanchei • It is a colourful Mizo
11.1. GI TAGS shawl/textile, from Mizoram.
• It is an important marriage
Why in news?
outfit in the state.
Kala Kumbh- Handicrafts Thematic Exhibition was • It is also used in Mizo festive
organised by Ministry of Textiles in various major dances and official
cities to promote Geographical Indication (GI) ceremonies.
crafts and heritage of India. Tirur Betel leaf • Tirur betel vine is mainly
cultivated in Kerala.
About GI Tags • It is valued both for its mild
stimulant action and
• GI is an indication for agricultural, natural and
medicinal properties (remedy
manufactured product which correspond to a for bad breath and digestive
specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a disorders).
town, region, or country). • It is unique for its significantly
• Geographical Indications of Goods high content of total
(Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 chlorophyll and protein in
provides for registration of GI goods in India. fresh leaves.
• GI Tag acts as a certificate and it is a way of • Eugenol is the major essential
ensuring that similar products from elsewhere oil in Tirur betel leaf
contributing to its pungency.
cannot be sold under this name.
Dindigul lock • The Dindigul locks (Tamil
• Darjeeling Tea was the first Indian product to
Nadu) are known for their
get the geographical indication tag. superior quality and
• A GI Tag is valid for a decade, after which it can durability.
be renewed for another 10 years. • The locks are made of iron
and brass and are entirely
Recent GI Tags in News
handmade.
Name Salient Features • It is unique as each lock is
Palani • It is an ‘abhishega prasadam’ designed with different lever
Panchamirtham (food that is a religious pattern.
offering) for Lord • The Dindigul city is also called
Dhandayuthapani Swamy, as Lock City.
the presiding deity of • Despite unique features, the
Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani lock industry for the last few
Swamy Temple, situated on years has been gradually
Palani Hills in Dindigul District dying due to stiff competition
of Tamil Nadu. from lock industries in Aligarh
• It is prepared in a natural and Rajapalayam.
method without addition of Kandangi Saree • Kandangi sarees are hand-
any preservatives or artificial woven cotton sarees
ingredients. manufactured in Tamil Nadu.
• This is the first time a temple • They are made up of high
‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu quality cotton from
has been bestowed with the Coimbatore.
GI tag. • Kandangi cotton sarees are
• It is prepared under the made by weavers of Devanga
guidance given by the CFTRI Chettiars for women of
(Central Food Technological Chettiar community also
Research Institute) Mysore, a referred to as Nakarathars or
government of India Nattukottai Chettiars.
undertaking. • The main characteristic of
Tawlhlohpuan • It is a medium to heavy, these sarees are its bright
compactly woven, good colours that hold strong.
quality fabric from Mizoram • They are also characterised by
and is known for warp yarns, large contrast borders
warping, weaving & intricate covering as far as two-thirds
designs that are made by of the saree.
hand.
46
Kolhapuri • GI tag has been granted to • 22 tableaux comprising of 16 States/UTs and 6
chappal Kolhapuri chappal from Ministries/Departments were presented at the
Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and parade.
Solapur districts of
• Prime minister paid homage at the National
Maharashtra and Dharwad,
War Memorial and the first tri-service
Belgaum, Bagalkot and
Bijapur of Karnataka. formation took part in the celebrations this
• These are eco-friendly year.
handcrafted footwear, Cultural Themes at the Parade
famous for its durability and
strength. • Kaksar folk Dance: It is performed by
• It’s made from processed Abhujmaria tribe in Bastar region of
leather in the villages of Chhattisgarh, to invoke the blessings of the
Maharashtra. deity and to enjoy a rich harvest. It allows the
• In 20th century Chhatrapati dancers to choose their life partners from the
Shahu Maharaj (1874-1922) of
same dance troupe.
Kolhapur encouraged its
production and 29 tanning
• Gramiya Kalai (folk arts): Tamil Nadu’s tableau
centres were opened during showcased these folk arts and statue of
his rule in Kolhapur and Ayyanar, the guardian folk deity.
footwear began to be traded • Bathukamma Festival: This floral festival
in Kolhapur. celebrated in Telangana region during Durga
Idu Mishmi • Textiles made by the Idu Navratri. Bathukamma is a beautiful flower
Textiles Mishmi, a sub-tribe of the stack of different seasonal flowers, arranged in
Mishmi tribe (Arunanchal seven concentric layers in the shape of a
Prades), are prized temple gopuram. Goddess Gauri is worshipped
possessions with the
in the form of Bathukamma.
traditional motifs, usually
woven by the women of the
• Bhortal Nritya- It comes from Barpeta region
community to supplement the of Assam. It was developed by Sattriya artist
family income Narahari Burha Bhakat. Dancers equipped with
Kaji Nemu • It is a lemon variety belonging cymbals perform on fast beats known as ‘Zhiya
to Assam which has high juice Nom’.
content. • Tribal Museum of Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh’s
Khola Chilli • It is the first agriculture tableau was based on the Tribal Museum of
produce of Goa to get the GI Bhopal showcasing Gond, Baiga, Korku,
tag. Rajwar, Sahariya, Bhil, Bharia tribes.
• The unique Khola Chillies are
• Lord Lingaraj’s Rukuna Rath Yatra- It is an
grown on the hill slopes
annual festival. Lord Lingaraja is worshipped as
under rainfed conditions only.
• Local soil and climate play a
both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu (Harihara) at
crucial role in maintaining the the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
quality of this Chilli variety, • Brahmotsavam- This festival is celebrated in
which is known for its brilliant Tirumala Tirupati temple. Andhra Pradesh
red color and medium- tableau also showcased classical Kuchipudi
pungent taste. dance, Kondapalli handicrafts and Kalamkari
Irish Whiskey • The protection means that paintings using natural colours.
only spirits produced in • Anubhav Mantapa- It is the Center for
Ireland can use ‘Irish Whiskey’
Experiences founded by Basavaveshwara,
on their labels.
showcasing the first Socio-religious centre of
the 12th century Kalyana Karnataka.
11.2. REPUBLIC DAY PARADE 2020 • Living Root Bridges: Meghalaya is famous for
Why in news? Double-decker (located at Nongriat in
Cherrapunji) living root bridge shaped from
India celebrated its 71st Republic Day on 26th roots of rubber trees. It is a unique natural
January, 2020. phenomenon shaped by human ingenuity.
More on news • 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev: Punjab
tableau depicted principles of Kirat
• Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the Karo, Naam Japo and Vand Chhako, which
chief guest for this year's ceremony. form the cornerstone of Sikhism.
47
• 'Save the frog' campaign of the Goa
11.4. KODAVAS COMMUNITY OF
Government and Jammu and Kashmir’s ‘Back
to village’ programme was also featured in COORG
tableaux.
Why in News?
• Rani ki Vav – Jal Mandir: Gujarat presented a
tableau based on the unique theme of Rani ki Recently, Central government decided to continue
Vav – JalMandir located in Patan city. It is a a British-era rule of exempting the Kodava
unique architectural marvel that stands as community, from obtaining license for firearms
testimony to ancient construction work and such as pistols, revolvers and double-barreled
craftsmanship. shotguns. The current exemption has been given
o Built in 1083 by Rani Udayamati in memory for a tenure of 10 years, till 2029.
of her husband King Bhimdev-I, son of
About Kodavas
Mulraj, founder of the Solanki dynasty;
Rani Ki Vav also holds the distinction of • Kodavas (also known as Kogadu), a well-
being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. known martial community of Coorg region in
Karnataka.
11.3. PARSI POPULATION • They worship weapons during the 'Kailpodh'
festival and are the only community in the
Why in News? country who are exempted from obtaining
Recent data show that Parsi population in the arm licenses.
country has gone up by 233 since the launch of the • They are known for its outstanding
Jiyo Parsi Scheme. contributions to the country’s defence sector
and hence, Coorg is also called the Land of
Details Generals.
• The population of Parsis, a notified minority • Another distinguishing characteristic of this
community under National Commission of community is the high status given to women
Minorities Act 1992, had declined from like no child marriage, dowry is forbidden and
1,14,000 in 1941 to 57,264 in 2011. In this widow remarriage is prevalent.
backdrop the scheme was introduced. • Other important festivals celebrated by
• Jiyo Parsi scheme, launched in 2013, aims to Kodavas are Puttari (to celebrate the first
arrest the decline in population of the Parsi harvest of paddy) and Kaveri Sankramana.
Community in India.
• It comprises of three components: Advocacy 11.5. PASHMINA PRODUCTS
Component, Health of the Community RECEIVE BIS CERTIFICATION
Component and Medical Component.
• The scheme adopts a scientific protocol and Why in news?
structured interventions to stabilise the Parsi Recently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has
population. published an Indian Standard for identification,
• Some reasons identified by National marking and labelling of Pashmina products to
Commission for Minorities (NCM) for decline in certify its purity.
population of Parsis:
o Late and non-marriages Details
o Fertility decline • The Changthangi or Pashmina goat is a special
o Emigration breed of goat indigenous to Ladakh.
o Out-Marriages (marriage outside one’s • They are raised for ultra-fine cashmere wool
own sect); and (which grows as a thick, warm undercoat on
o Separation and divorces. the goat), known as Pashmina once woven.
About Parsis (Zoroastrians)
• The textiles are handspun and were first
• Parsis follow Zoroastrianism, which was
woven in Kashmir.
founded by the Prophet Zoroaster
(Zarathustra) in ancient Iran. o The nomadic Pashmina herders (called
• In the Zoroastrian religion, fire and clean water Changpa) live in the hostile and tough
are agents of ritual purity. terrain of Changthang and are solely
• They emigrated to India to avoid religious dependent on Pashmina for their
persecution by Muslims in around 8th century. livelihood.
• They live chiefly in Mumbai and also in Karachi
(Pakistan) and Bengaluru (Karnataka, India).
48
• For this initiative, CCRT has tied up
11.6. TRAVEL AND TOURISM with Routes 2 Roots, an NGO, for
COMPETITIVENESS INDEX (TTCI) connecting seamlessly all the CCRT
Regional Centres
Why in News? Indian • The Ministry of Culture (MoC)
Culture recently launched the Indian
India has moved up six places to rank 34th on world Portal Culture web portal.
TTCI 2019. • It is the first government authorized
Details portal where knowledge and
cultural resources of various
• It is produced by the World Economic Forum organizations of MoC are now
(WEF). available in public domain on a
• It covers 140 economies, measures the set of single platform.
factors and policies that enable sustainable • It was developed by a team from the
development of travel and tourism sector Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),
which contributes to the development and Bombay while the curation of the
data has been done by Indira
competitiveness of a country.
Gandhi National Open University
• Ministry of Tourism has taken several steps for (IGNOU).
creation of tourism infrastructure in the • This project is a part of the Prime
country so as to attract more tourists, which Minister’s Digital India initiative to
inter-alia include: Swadesh Darshan - showcase information about the
Integrated Development of Theme-Based rich tangible and intangible cultural
Tourist Circuits and PRASHAD- Pilgrimage heritage of India both at home and
Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage abroad.
Augmentation Drive, Iconic Tourist Sites, • Content available on the portal
comprises mainly of rare books, e-
Adopt A Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni
books, virtual galleries, Indian
Pehchaan etc.
National Bibliography, cuisine,
About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) UNESCO world heritage sites,
• BIS is the National Standard Body of India Musical Instruments of India etc.
established under the BIS Act 2016 for the • The content on the portal is
harmonious development of the activities of currently available in English and
standardization, marking and quality Hindi, with a vision to expand it in
certification of goods and for matters connected other regional languages in future.
therewith or incidental thereto. Zonal • Ministry of Culture has set up seven
• BIS has been providing traceability and Cultural ‘Zonal Cultural Centres’ (ZCCs)
tangibility benefits to the national economy in a Centres across the country, having
number of ways – providing safe reliable quality headquarters at Patiala, Udaipur,
goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; Allahabad, Kolkata, Dimapur,
promoting exports and imports substitute; Nagpur and Thanjavur.
control over proliferation of varieties etc. • The main objective of these Centres
through standardization, certification and is the development, preservation,
testing. promotion and dissemination of
• It was formerly known as Indian Standards the traditional arts of the country.
Institution (ISI), Ek Bharat • Department of Sports organised
• It is under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Shrestha events under EBSB in various parts
Food & Public Distribution. Bharat of the country to promote the spirit
(EBSB) of National integration through
11.7. GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES sports.
• EBSB aims to enhance interaction
‘Digital • Union Minister of State for Culture between people of diverse cultures
Bharat and Tourism recently launched the living in different States and UTs in
Digital e-Portal of Centre for Cultural India, with the objective of
Sanskriti’ Resources and Training (CCRT) promoting greater mutual
‘Digital Bharat Digital Sanskriti’ and understanding amongst them.
CCRT YouTube Channel with an aim • Under EBSB, each year, every
to take India to a newer digital State/UT would be paired with
pinnacle and to promote Indian another State/UT for reciprocal
culture. interaction between the people.
49
Swachh • It is a special clean-up initiative • Central theme of Bharat Parv 2020
Iconic under the Swachh Bharat Mission. is ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and
Places • It is focused on select iconic ‘Celebrating 150 Years of Mahatma
(SIP) heritage, spiritual and cultural Gandhi’.
places in the country. • It is organized by Ministry of
• It is coordinated by Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other
Drinking Water and Sanitation in central Ministries.
association with Ministry of Urban
Development, Ministry of Culture, 11.8. TRIBES IN NEWS
Ministry of Tourism & concerned
State governments. Brus • Bru tribes migrated from Mizoram to
Paryatan • It is organised by the Ministry of tribes Tripura in 1997 due to ethnic violence
Parv 2019 Tourism, and was held in October, in their home Brus tribes state.
2019 across the country. Displaced Brus from Mizoram are
• The idea of Paryatan Parv is to living at the refugee camps in Tripura.
propagate the message of ‘Dekho • Bru Tribes, also known as Riang are
Apna Desh’, with the objective to spread across the states of Tripura,
encourage Indians to visit various Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram.
tourist destinations of the country. Rabha • The Rabhas are one of nine Schedule
• Paryatan Parv 2019 is dedicated to and Tribes from the districts on the plains
150th Birth Anniversary of Garo of Assam.
Mahatma Gandhi. Tribes • Garos are one of the matrilineal
• It is being organized with the societies living in Garo Hills of
objective of drawing focus on the Meghalaya.
benefits of tourism, showcasing the Juang • It is a particularly vulnerable tribal
cultural diversity of the country and tribe group found mainly in the Gonsaika
reinforcing the principle of hills of Keonjhar district of Odisha.
“Tourism for All”. • Their major occupations include:
• The three components of Paryatan shifting cultivation, hunting and food
Parv are: gathering.
o Dekho Apna Desh: To Asur • Asur is among the nine Particularly
encourage Indians to visit their Tribes Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
own country. found in Jharkhand.
o Tourism for All: Tourism • Asur language figures in the list of
Events at sites across all States UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the
in the country are being World’s Languages in Danger.
organized. Korku • Korku are an Adivasi ethnic group
o Tourism & Governance: Tribes predominantly found in the
Interactive Sessions & Khandwa, Burhanpur, Betul and
Workshops with Stakeholders Chhindwara districts of Madhya
on varied themes have been Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and adjoining
organized. areas near the Melghat Tiger Reserve
Bharat • Bharat Parv is being celebrated as of Maharashtra.
parv 2020 part of Republic Day celebrations • They speak Korku language, which is
since 2016. one of the languages listed in
• It seeks to encourage Indians to UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the
visit different tourism places of World’s Languages in Danger.
India and to inculcate the spirit of • They are excellent agriculturists and
‘Dekho Apna Desh’. have pioneered the cultivation of
potato and coffee.
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CULTURE

5. INITIATIVES OF UNESCO 15 8.10. Thiruvalluvar ________ 34

1.3. AMARAVATI SCHOOL OF ART 1.4. STUCCO SCULPTURE

More on news Phanigiri Hillock

6.5. CULTURAL FESTIVAL IN NEWS

Why in news? About Veer Savarkar (1883-1966)

Recently, Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved a • He was an independence activist, politician,

Copyright © by Vision IAS

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