ART

&
CULTURE
(Supplementary Material)

Byju’s Classes:
9873643487
 INDIAN DANCE FORMS
Sangrai Dance
In News
 Traditional Sangrai dance of Tripura was
presented in Republic Day parade for the first
time.
Related Information
 Maharashtra won the best tableau award on
Republic Day Parade which was based on
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation who
introduced Ashtapradhan mandal (Council of
Eight Ministers) consisting of
 Peshwa (chief minister),
 Amatya or majumdar (finance),
 Sachiv or shuru nawis(correspondence),
 Sumant or dabir(foreign minister)
 Senapati or san-i-naubat (recruitment, training
and discipline of the army)
 Mantri or waqia nawis: (personal safety of the
king)
 Nyayadhish (administration of justice)
 Dhanadhyaksha or the pundit rao (looking after
charitable work)
 Himachal Pradesh’s tableau depicted a model of
Kye Gompa, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery
established in the 11th century located in the Spiti
Valley.
 Chhattisgarh’s displayed artists performing dance
based on Kalidasa’s Meghadootam (a lyric poem
which tells the story of a yaksha who has been
exiled from his kingdom).
Details
 It is performed by the Mog tribal community on
the occasion of Sangrai festival during the month
of Chaitra (in April) of the Bengali calendar year.
The day is celebrated to welcome the New Year.
 The Mog are the Arakanese descendants who live
in the Indian state of Tripura.
 Mogs are Buddhists and have close affinity with
Burmese Buddhism in all socio-cultural and
religious aspects. They are dependent on Jhum
Cultivation.
 Their language is grouped under Tibeto-Chinese
family which is also linked with Assam-Burmese
section of language.
Nongkrem Dance Festival
 Recently, this dance festival was celebrated at Smit
village in Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.
 This dance festival celebrated for the harvest
thanks giving and for peace and property for all
the community people.
 It is the one of the most important festival of
Kharitribe – Hima Khyrim during which men,
women and the children dance to the tunes of
drums and pipes
 The celebration begins with the sacrifice of a goat.
In fact, the word Nongkrem means “goat killing
ceremony, special dance is performed by the men
called” kashad Mastieh’ in which they hold sword
in their right hand and a whisks in left hand.
Art & Culture_001
2
Theatre Olympics in India
In News:
 Starting in Greece in 1995, Theatre Olympics fest
has since been held across the world every few
years since 1995.
 The 2018 edition will be hosted by India (the first
time in the country) and Preparations for the same
are on in full swing.
Theatre Olympics
 Greek theatre director ‘Theodoros Terzopoulos’
conceptualized Theatre Olympics and it was held
for the first time in Delphi, Greece.
 The idea was to gather the best theatre
practitioners from around the world and create a
forum for exchange — of ideas, cultures, forms
and practices.
 It was also to be another kind of exchange,
between eras, trying to find a continuum between
the past, present and future of theatre.
 The current edition in India is being organized by
the National School for Drama (NSD), which is an
autonomous body under the ministry of culture.
 This event will see numerous Indian and foreign
drama troops performing across multiple cities
over the course of the fest.
History of Indian theatre
 India has had a rich theatre history as early as
200 BCE and saw the likes of Kalidasa and
Bhavabhuti, Sudraka and Bhasa producing
masterpieces.
 Simultaneously, there is an equally fertile
landscape produced tribal, subaltern and folk
theatre that morphed and thrived down the ages.
 The anti-colonial theatre of the mid-19th century
brought in the draconian Dramatic Performances
(Prevention) Act of 1876.
 Later, the pre-Independence Left movement
generated vital critical energy through the Indian
Peoples Theatre Association.
 But our long theatrical tradition hasn’t been
sufficiently exhibited to our own people and the
“Indian theatre needs a push, to become vibrant
again.
 Thus, the Olympics being envisaged is not just
about bringing international theatre to India but
also about brining Indian theatre to Indians.
Initiatives Taken
 The itinerary for the program looks huge with 465
productions from 35 countries in 51 days across
17 cities.
 Each production will get up to Rs.1.5 lakh per
show besides travel, accommodation and other
costs.
 There is also technical support such as sets,
lighting, sound and subtitles along with
photography, videography and publications.
 Apart from the main plays, there will be ambient
performances — tribal, folk, street, puppetry,
magic shows — before each show.
 In total, the fest is expected to present roughly
35,000 artistes across India.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Concerns
 There is considerable concern on how the festival
will respond to political dissent, Dalit concerns or
other controversial topics.
 Notably, there is no censorship and a mere
guideline against “nudity and anti-nationalism”
has been provided.
 Plays were selected through a two-tier process and
most plays were submitted on DVD, many of
which were of poor quality (due to small regional
groups).
 The sheer numbers and content diversity often
hindered the review process, and also language
and cultural barriers got aggravated by distance.
 The review format also tends to neglect thoughtful,
text-based plays and also results in loss of context
and local traditions, which are lost in translation.
 Notably, Germany has a hefty theatre culture, and
each play usually comes with a booklet that gives
an overview of the contextual setting and its
customs.
TRIBALS
Battle of Koregaon
In News: Recently, on the 200th anniversary of
the Battle of Koregaon clashes broke out in
Maharastra.
 Mahars are a caste cluster living maily in
Maharashtra and adjoining states.
 The Mahars, though untouchables, had been
valued for their military skills for centuries and
formed a significant portion of Shivaji’s army.
 However under the Peshwas they were ill-treated
and lost their military glory.
 The Mahar were unified by B R Ambedkar, who
urged them to militant political consciousness and
to great educational improvement
Battle of Koregaon
 It was the last of the Anglo-Maratha battle that
took place on 1 January 1818 in Bhima, Koregaon
between the troops of Maratha Ruler Baji Rao
Peshwa II and the British East India Company
(EIC).
 In the battle the EIC represented by majority of
Mahar soldiers successfully resisted Peshwa
troops in which Peshwa lost 600 of his soldiers
after which he withdrew and gave up plans to
attack Pune.
 British constructed a tower to commemorate
victory with an inscription stating, “Accomplished
one of the proudest triumphs of the British Army
in the East.”
 The Mahars celebrate this day as the day when
they regained their former status of military glory.
Moidams - the Mound - Burial System
of the Ahom Dynasty, Assam
 Moidams are vaulted chamber (chow-chali), often
double storied entered through an arched passage,
used for burying the royals in Choraideo landscape
of the foothill of Patkai hills.
 The Changrung Phukan (canonical text developed
by the Ahoms) discusses that Moidams were made
Art & Culture_001
3
Hoped out of the Festival
 Theatre Olympic is a massive effort, but mere
massiveness alone can do little to help theatre,
although it need not be dismissed completely.
 This event can potentially become the very first
theatre census conducted in the country, and can
serve as an invaluable research project.
 There will be Catalogues, brochures, papers,
videos, a documentary, and live streaming of the
recordings of thousands of hours of performances.
 The extensive documentation planned around the
Olympics, thus, stands to become its single most
significant legacy.
 This will also help in increasing networking of
various drama teams and provide the much
needed oxygen for the currently struggling art
form.
 This event will also boost awareness and therefore
theatre infrastructure.
of woods, and later of burnt bricks.
Vakataka Dynasty
In News
 A team of archaeologists have confirmed that the
Vakataka dynasty ruled from its capital
Nandivardhan, or the present day Nagardhan
 It is a large village discovered near Ramtek taluka
in Nagpur district.
About Vakataka Dynasty:
 The Vakataka Empire originated from the Deccan
in the mid-3rd century CE.
 They were the most important successors of the
Satavahanas in the Deccan and
contemporaneous with the Guptas in northern
India.
 The Vakataka dynasty was a Brahmin dynasty.
Little is known about Vindhyashakti, the founder
of the family.
 Territorial expansion began in the reign of his son
Pravarasena I.
 The Vakatakas are noted for having been patrons
of the arts, architecture and literature.
 The rock-cut Buddhist viharas and chaityas of
Ajanta Caves (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) were
built under the patronage of Vakataka emperor,
Harishena.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487

Significance of this Discovery
 Till now, researchers have only managed to get
written inscriptions and copper plates, all featuring
the Vataka king Prithvisena. It is the first traces
sealing the fact that the king shifted his capital from
Padmapura to Nandivardhan in Vidarbha.
 They have unearthed some vital signs and remains
in the form of typical artefacts including ceramics,
ear studs made of glass were excavated belonging
to the period during the Vakataka rule.
 Terracotta objects depicting images of gods,
animals, humans along with amulets, scotches,
wheels, skin rubbers, spindle whorls were
discovered.
 Some of the ceramics, according to the
researchers, dates back to 3-4th century BCE.
 A near-intact clay sealing of the Vakataka empress
Prabhavatigupta, the chief queen of the Vakataka
king Rudrasena II has also been unearthed.
Badshahi Ashoorkhana
In News: Telangana government and Aga Khan
Trust are working to restore the Badshahi
Ashoorkhana monument.
About Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
 He was the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty
of Golkonda who ascended to the throne in 1580.
 He founded the city of Hyderabad and built its
architectural centerpiece, the Charminar. He also
built Charkaman archways.
 He is a contemporary of Tulsidas, Mirabai and
Surdas. His poetry is bound to earth and revels in
the universality of love and mystic experiences.
 During his reign, Jean Baptiste Tavernier visited
and wrote about walking into the Qutb Shahi
tombs complex where carpets were laid out and
whoever walked in was served pulao.
Battle of Karbala
 It took place in 680 A.D. Ashoora or 10th day of
Muharram. brief military engagement in a place
called Karbala in Iraq, in which a small party led
Art & Culture_001
4
by al-hussain , grandson of the Prophet was
defeated and massacred by an army sent by the
Umayyad caliph Yazid I.
 The battle among Shiaite Muslims (followers of al-
hussain) the 10th of Muharram became an annual
holy day of public mourning.
About Badshahi Ashoorkhana
 Badshahi Ashoorkhana is a Shia Muslim
mourning place, near Charminar in Hyderabad,
India. It was constructed in memory of martyrdom
of Imam Hussain in the battle of karbala, and is
used during the festival of Moharram.
 It was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in
1611, three years after building the Charminar.
 Ashoorkhana is famous for its resplendent tile work
that have retained their lustre and vibrant colours
even after four centuries.
Battle Of Haifa
In News: The Embassy of India held a ceremony
in Haifa to mark the Centenary of the Battle of
Haifa when on 23 Sep 1918, Indian soldiers from
the Jodhpur, Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers
liberated the city of Haifa.
Haifa
 It is third largest city in Israel.
 It is home to the Bahá'í World Centre, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site and a destination for Bahá'í
pilgrims (one of the religious group in Israel).
 The Indian cavalry brigades fighting under the
leadership of British General Edmund Allenby
helped liberate Haifa from the clutches of the
Turkish-German forces inn 1918
Indian Participation in World War I
 In World War I the Indian Army (alongside Britain)
fought against the German Empire on the Western
Front, in East Africa, Mesopotamia, Egypt and
Gallipoli.
 It included 3.7 million tonnes of supplies, over
10,000 nurses, 1,70,000 animals, £146m of Indian
revenue, and political support including that of
Gandhi, who helped recruit Indian volunteers in
the face of nationalist opposition.
 The Indian Army was the largest volunteer force
in the world, which provided 1.5 million troops to
serve overseas from regions such as the Punjab,
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and
Bihar.
 Of these men, around 50,000 died, 65,000 were
wounded, and 10,000 were reported missing, while
98 Indian army nurses were killed.
 Volunteering offered a chance to break through
the caste system, because becoming a soldier
paid well and it meant becoming part of the
‘warrior’ caste, which gave high status in society.
 Indian forces had their greatest impact in West
Asia, with 60 per cent of all Indian troops serving
in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), and another 10
per cent in Egypt and Palestine.
 India Gate in New Delhi commemorates the
70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting
for the British Army during the World War I. The
memorial bears the names of more than 13,516
British and Indian soldiers killed in the
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.
 India’s contribution to the British became one of
the reasons for passing the Montague-Chelmsford
Reforms which introduced dyarchy to the
provinces (meaning Indian representatives would
be elected and would represent the province to the
British Crown.)
 Following this period, Gandhi launched his first
India-wide campaign of civil disobedience against
British authority in February 1919. It was not
driven by anti-Western or anti-British sentiment
per se, but by the pursuit of self-determination.
Understanding the Tribes of Andaman
In News: An American National was allegedly
killed recently by Sentinelese tribes of A&N
Islands, when he trespassed into their restricted
island.
Demographics of A&N islands
 The Andaman Island has dived into four different
regions namely North, Middle, South and Little
Andaman.
 The four major tribes of Andaman are as follows
1. Great Andamanese -Strait Island is the part of
North and Middle Andaman district which is the
home to Great Andamanese tribe, Fewer than 50
Great Andamanese are alive today.
2. Jarawa - South Andaman and Middle Andaman
Islands is inhabited by the Jarawa tribes, there are
only 300-400 people of this community alive today.
3. Sentinelese -North Sentinel Island is part of North
Andaman region which is home to the Sentinelese
tribe, only 50-100 tribes are alive today.
4. Onge - The Little Andaman Island is home to Onge
tribes, these tribes are fewer than 100.
 Apart from there are nine Nicobar Islands that are
home to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
(PVTGs).
Characteristic features of A&N tribes
Race
 The Andaman tribes including the Sentinelese are
Negrito, where the Nicobar tribes are Mongoloid.
 The A&N tribes are short stature possibly due to
the “island effect” that causes genetic limitation
over time.
Habitat
 The Sentinelese is a pre-Neolithic people who have
inhabited North Sentinel Island for an estimated
55,000 years without contact with the outside
world.
 The reclusive Sentinelese still holds their tiny fort
and all remain animistic in faith.
 What makes these tribes special is that they are
protected by coral reefs that make landing on their
island dangerous, and by the tribe’s unwavering
hostility towards outsiders.
Occupation
 Seafaring, Hunting, Forest dwelling are the
predominant occupation of these tribes.
 In recent times most tribes have abandoned
hunting-gathering and depend entirely on
government help.
Art & Culture_001
5
Problems faced by A&N tribes
Intrusion
 Missionaries had greater success on the Nicobar
Islands to the south, which lie on the ancient
marine trade route between Europe and the Far
East.
 But missionaries have been historically unwelcome
in the Andamans, and the tribes of the Islands
have resisted every occupation force with bows
and arrows.
 Even recently an American missionary was killed
by Sentinelese tribes in north sentinel Island when
he violated the law and tried to contact the tribes.
Diseases
 Due to their isolation it is unlikely the Sentinelese
have immunity against even common diseases.
 A large chunk of the population of the 10 Great
Andamanese tribes was wiped out after the
indigenous peoples caught syphilis, measles, and
influenza on an epidemic scale following contact
with the early settlers.
Natural Disasters
 The habitats of the A&N tribes are prone to natural
disasters like tsunami and earth quakes.
 Global warming has a high toll on these poor
tribes, who are less resilient to recent climatic
changes.
Developmental Projects
 When NH 223 was being built in the 1980s, the
Jarawa repeatedly attacked workers, the state
power-fenced the construction site and several
tribal were electrocuted.
 In recent times local touts and policemen
conducting human safaris on NH 223 that cuts
through the Jarawa reserve.
 The highway continues to bring the world and
sexual exploitation, substance abuse and disease
into their shrinking sanctuary.
Government measures
 The Sentinelese and other aboriginal tribes of the
archipelago are protected under The Andaman and
Nicobar (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes)
Regulation, 1956.
 According to the regulations,
1. Traditional areas occupied by the tribes are
declared as Reserves.
2. It prohibited entry of all persons to reserves except
those with authorization.
3. Photographing or filming the tribe members is also
an offence.
 Under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order,
1963, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a
“Restricted Area” in which foreigners with a
restricted area permit (RAP) can stay on 13
islands, and make day visits to another 11.
 The government gave up in the mid-1990s, and in
order to safeguard their health and sovereignty,
decided that no one could enter a 5-km buffer zone
around their island, which was already out of
bounds.
 Between 1998 and 2004, when the Jarawa started
to respond to the state, all government hospitals
bordering their reserve opened special wards to
treat them for infections.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 In 2014, the A&N administration announced a
change of policy from “hands off” to “hands off but
eyes on” to protect the Sentinelese.
Government’s Measure
 In recent years, the Andaman Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and the Andaman
Association of Tour Operators have pressed to
have the RAP restrictions relaxed.
 In 2018, the Home Ministry dropped the RAP
requirement for visiting 29 inhabited islands until
2022.
FESTIVALS OF INDIA
Medaram’s Jatara
In News
 Central government is likely to declare Medaram’s
Sammakka-Sarakka/Saralamma Jatara a national
festival this year.
 Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram
Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the
largest surviving forest belt in the Deccan.
About the Festival
 It is held bi-annually in Medaram village, Telegana
to honour the twin goddesses - Sammakka and
her daughter Sarakka.
 It is held by forest dwelling Koya Tribe of the
region and is the biggest tribal festival in Asia
attracting non- adivasis as well.
Significance of National Tag
 Apart from getting recognition, national tag would
also make Medaram eligible for central funds.
 Once declared a national festival, Jatara can be
considered for ‘intangible cultural heritage of
humanity’ tag of UNESCO.
 Union government had in 2015 declared Vanaj, a
tribal dance and music festival, as national
festival.
Mahamastakabhisheka
In News: The President recently inaugurated the
Mahamastakabhisheka, which is the largest
gathering of Jains in the world, in Shravanbelgola,
Karnataka.
Mahamastakabhisheka
 It is the head anointing ceremony of the
Bahubali which is observed once every 12 years
in the Digambar Jain tradition.
 The Gomateshwar statute is dedicated to
Bahubali, the son of Rishabhanath, the first in the
line of the 24 Jain tirthankaras.
 The statue has been depicted in kayotsarga
posture. Kayotsarga means to give up one's
physical comfort and body movements, thus
staying steady, either in a standing or other
posture, and concentrating upon the true nature
of the soul.
 The statue is said to be built by Chavundaraya
who was the commander-in-chief as well as the
Prime Minister of the Ganga King Rachamalla
during the later period of 10th century A.D.
About Shravanbelgola
 A group of Jain monks under the leadership of
Art & Culture_001
6
 Even though “separate approvals continue to be
required for visiting Reserve Forests, Wildlife
Sanctuaries and Tribal Reserves.
 But this move compromised the safety of the tribes
and ecology of the islands.
 Following this the UT Administration clarified that
Indian nationals would continue to require a pass
issued by the Deputy Commissioner for entering a
tribal reserve.
 Apart from this foreigners would need prior
approval from the Principal Secretary (Tribal
Welfare), from various instances it is found that
these rules are being compromised.
Bhadrabahu migrated from Ujjain to
Shravanbelgola in response to a serious famine
during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya.
 The group of monks that migrated came to be
known as Digambaras (sky clad or naked) and the
group of monks who stayed in the north under
Sthulabhadra came to be known as Shvetambara
(White-robed)
 Later Chandragupta Maurya handed over his
kingdom to his son Bindusara and chose to spend
his last days at Sravanbelagola.
Kuthiyottam
In News:
 Kerala State Commission for the Protection of
Child Rights registered a suo motu case in
connection with the Kuthiyottam ritual.
Background
 The Kuthiyottam ritual has been under scanner for
violating child’s rights and not taking child’s
consent into account.
 Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (KSCPCR) banned the ritual at
Chettikulangara temple in Alappuzha district in
2016 citing violation of child rights.
Pongala is a harvest festival of Tamil Nadu and
Kerela. One of the most famous of them is
Attukal Pongala. It is also considered as the
largest religious congregation of women in the
world.
Pongala meaning 'to boil over’, is a ritual in
which women prepare a pudding made from rice,
jaggery, coconut and plantains cooked together,
and offer it to the goddess. The ritual can only be
performed by women.
About Kuthiyottam Ritual
 The Kuthiyottam ritual is usually performed every
year during the Pongala festival at the Attukal
Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala.
 Nearly 1,000 young boys undertake a seven-day
penance before Pongala day. These boys are said to
represent the wounded soldiers of the goddess.
 The boys have to observe strict discipline and stay
inside the temple for seven days. They are made to
wear thin towels (thorthu).
 They have to sleep on the floor, have measly meals
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 and bathe three times a day. They also have to
prostrate 1,008 times before the deity
 The ritual also involves piercing the child’s side
with a small hook and knotting a thread through it
to symbolise their bond with the Goddess.
 This ritual is performed at various temples all
across Kerela. It is also called choral muriyal in
several parts of the state.
Madhavpur Mela
In News
Recently, the famous Madhavpur Mela saw its
first-ever cultural integration with the North-East.
About the Mela
 The Madhavpur Mela is an annual event at
Madhavpur Ghed of Porbandar district in Gujarat.
 Madhavpur in Gujarat has its historical identity as
a place where Lord Krisha married Rukmini.
 Madhavpur Mela shares its connect to the Mishmi
Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. The Mishmi Tribe
traces its ancestry to the legendary King Bhishmak
and through him to his daughter Rukmini.
 During the event, a jatha (group of people) of 150
people from North-East will visit the Mela as
representatives of Rukmini’s family.
Nabakalebar Festival
In News
 Recently, the President released Rs 1,000 and Rs
10 commemorative coins on the occasion of
Nabakalebar festival.
About the Festival
 This festival is symbolic recreation of wooden forms
of the four deities at Jagannath Temple, Puri.
Naba means new and the Kalebar is body.
 In Jagannath cult, there is a periodical renewal of
the wooden forms of Jagannath, Balabhadra,
Subhadra and Sudarshana.
 The soul or the Brahma is transferred from the old
idols to their new bodies in a highly technical
prescribed and secret method.
 The Nabakalebar festival is observed in a gap of 12
to 19 years.
 During this festival the annual Rathyatra becomes
the Nabakalebar Ratha Yatra.
Silver Jubilee of Losar Festival
 Buddhist community of Itanagar celebrated the
silver jubilee of the Losar festival.
 For the Buddhist community, the festival is termed
as the New Year according to their Buddhist
calendar.
 This festival was full of cultural presentations
across the state, it include the colourful
Bhutanese and the Gorkha Cultural programs.
 The three-day festival, organized by the (IBCS)
itanagar Buddhist cultural society was celebrated
with a lot of enthusiasm and traditional zeal.
Manipur’s Shirui Lily Festival Began
 Manipur’s five day Shirui Lily Festival, celebrated
in the Ukhrul district head quarters.
 The festival organised by the state tourism
department, aims to spread awareness.
 It conserve the endangered state flower Shirui Lily,
Art & Culture_001
7
while also promote the hill district as a potential
tourist destination.
 It is indeed a pride for the govt to organise Shirui
Lily Festival.
 The campaign is organised by the Giving Tree and
this wild.
Bisket Jatra being celebrated in Nepal
 The famous bisket Jatra is being celebrated in
Bhaktapur and other parts of Kathmandu Valley.
 It is the beginning of the Nepali New Year.
 It is a nine-day long festival starting four days
before and continuing for 4 days after.
 The festival holds both cultural and historical
significance.
 The main attraction of Bisket Jatra is Chariot
procession of Lord Bhairavanath.
Ambubachi Mela
In News: Ambubachi Mela, a four day annual fair
was held recently at Kamakhya Temple in
Guwahati, Assam.
About the Fair
 It is celebrated to mark the annual menstruation of
Goddess at Kamakhya temple.
 The fair takes place in June every year and this
year it was held from 22 June to 26 June.
Significance of the Fair
 It is considered as an auspicious period when
women pray for fertility and celebrate child bearing
capabilities of women.
 It also marks as an occasion to promote awareness
about menstrual hygiene.
 Tuloni Biya Ritual: meaning ‘small wedding’, it is
the celebration of attainment of womanhood of
Girls in Assam.
About Kamakhya Temple
 Situated on the Nilanchal Hills in Guwahati,
Assam, it is one of the 52 Shakti peeths or Seat of
Shakti followers
 It is believed to be the site where Hindu deity Sati’s
womb and genitals fell after she burned to death
 Kamakhya Devi, the reigning deity, is also
worshipped as the Goddess of fertility
 It is also considered as one of the prime seats of
Tantric rituals.
Behdiengkhlam Festival
In News: Behdiengkhlam festival was recently
celebrated at Jowai, Jaintia Hills District in
Meghalaya.
Details
 Behdiengkhlam is a traditional festival clebrated
after sowing is done seeking a good harvest and to
drive away plague and diseases. ("beh dien" means
to drive away with sticks and “khlam" means
plague or pestilence.)
 The festival is observed by 'Pnars' who believe in
the traditional faith of "Niamtre".
 During the festival young men symbolically drive
away evil spirits by beating the roof of every house
with bamboo poles.
 Women do not participate in the dancing, and
have an important function of offering sacrificial
food to the spirits of the forefathers.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 The main feature of the festival is the making of
the "Dein Khlam", "Symlend" and "Khnong",
which are rounded, polished and tall trunks of
trees.
 The people also display their artistic skills by
erecting ‘rots’ (tall bamboo structures decorated
with colour paper and tinsel).
 As part of the celebration, a game similar to
football called dat la wakor is also held with each
team trying to score a goal with a wooden ball. The
one to score first is the winner and it is also
believed that the winner would have a bumper
harvest.
The Jaintia Tribe
 They are also known as Syntengs and Pnars.
 They reside in the east part of Meghalaya and they
are of an Austrio-Asiatic origin.
 They are a matrilineal society as the children
take the identity or family title solely from the
mother.
 Amongst the Jaintias, it is the youngest daughter
who inherits property and has the obligation to
take care and look after the family.
 The tribe is famous for artistic weaving, wood-
carving and cane and bamboo work.
 Jaintia men wear Jymphong and dhoti while the
women wrap several pieces of clothes so as to give
a cylindrical shape. During functions they wear
crowns of silver and gold with peak attached at the
back of it.
 Apart from Behdiengkhlam festival, the Laho
Dance festivals also an important festivals of the
Jaintias.
Festival of Naukhai being celebrated in
Odisha
 It is celebrated in Odisha on 14 Sep, 2018.
 During this harvest festival of western Odisha,
season’s first crop (nabanna) is offered to presiding
deities.
Paryatan Parv 2018
In News: The Union Ministry of Tourism recently
organized the second edition of “Paryatan Parv”- a
nation-wide celebration of Tourism.
About Paryatan Parv
 Paryatan Parv is being organized with the
objective of drawing focus on the benefits of
tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the
country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism
for All”.
 Components of Paryatan Parv
 Dekho Apna Desh: It will encourage Indians to
visit their own country. It will include video,
photograph and blog competitions visited during
event, stories of India through Travelers’ Eyes to
promote tourism.
 Tourism for All: It will promote tourism events at
sites across all States in country.
 These will mainly be People’s events with large
scale public participation.
 The activities at these sites will include Cultural
Programmes of Dance, Music, Theatre, Tourism
Exhibitions showcasing culture, cuisine and
handicrafts and handlooms etc.
Art & Culture_001
8
 Tourism & Governance: It will have interactive
sessions and workshops with stakeholders on
varied themes like Skill Development in Tourism
Sector, Innovation in Tourism, and Developing
Rural Tourism in locations near established
destinations.
 India Tourism Mart 2018(IMT-2018): The
Tourism Ministry in partnership with the
Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and
Hospitality (FAITH) will organize the first ever ITM
2018 during Paryatan Parv.
 FAITH is the apex organization of all the
important trade and hospitality associations of the
country.
 The objective of the event is to create an annual
Global Tourism Mart for India in line with major
international travel marts being held in countries
across the world.
 The Mart will provide a platform for all
stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality
industries to interact and transact business
opportunities.
Bathukamma Festival
In News
 For the first time ever the New South Wales
Parliament in Sydney, Australia celebrated the
ethnic festival of Bathukamma.
 Pochampally Handloom Weavers also got a chance
to promote their sarees in this celebration.
About Bathukamma
 Bathukamma that means ‘Mother Goddess come
Alive’ is a colourful floral festival of Telangana
celebrated towards the end of monsoon.
 Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack of different
unique seasonal flowers most of them with
medicinal value, arranged in seven concentric
layers in the shape of temple gopuram.
 The final day of Bathukamma, known as Pedha or
Saddula Bathukamma falls two days before
Dussehra.
About Pochampalli Sarees
 The art originated in 18th Century in Pochampally
town of Telangana and is locally called as Chit-ku.
The town is popularly known as the silk city of
India.
 These sarees are culturally popular for the Ikat
styling and designs (geometrical) imprinted on this
fabric.
 The Poochampalli Ikat Sarees also have GI tag in
their name.
Amarnath Yatra
In News: Terrorist recently attacked pilgrims on
Amarnath Yatra.
Significance of Amaranth yatra
 The Amaranth cave deep is in the Himalayas in
south Kashmir.
 The cave is 3,888 m above sea level, can be
reached only on foot or by pony.
 Each year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims
make the trek up to the shrine.
Formation of deity shrine
 The ice lingam is formed by a trickle of water from
a cleft in the cave’s roof.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 The Shiva lingam gets its full shape in May, after
which it begins to melt by August.
 The water freezes as it drips, forming, over time, a
tall, smooth ice stalagmite.
 A stalactite is an icicle-shaped formation that
hangs from the ceiling of a cave, and is produced
by precipitation of minerals from water dripping
through the cave ceiling.
 Most stalactites have pointed tips.
 A stalagmite is an upward-growing that have
precipitated from water dripping onto the floor of a
cave.
 Most stalagmites have rounded or flattened tips.
Other Pilgrimages in J & K
Vaishno Devi
 Vaishno Devi Mandir is a very popular Hindu
temple dedicated to the Hindu Goddess
 It is located in the Trikuta Mountains of Jammu
and Kashmir.
 It is at an altitude of 5200 ft. above the sea level.
 The Temple is 13.5 km from Katra.
 Various modes of transportation are available from
katra including Ponies, Electric vehicles.
 A person who visits Amarnath also visits this
shrine.
Shankracharya Temple
 Situated on the Zabarwan Mountain in Srinagar,
Kashmir.
 Shankracharya Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
 Visiting this temple involves the devotees to trek to
the top of the hill on which it stands, about 1100
feet above the plains.
 Built in 371 BC, the great saint Shankracharya is
said to have stayed there during his visit to
Kashmir.
Raghunath Temple
 Raghunath Temple is one of the largest temples in
North India and is located in Jammu.
 It was built by Maharaja Gulab Singh (founder of
the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir) and his son
Ranbir Singh.
 There are seven shrines, each having its own
Shikhara, present at the site of the temple.
 Raghunath Temple enshrines many idols of the
Hindu gods and goddesses but its presiding deity
is Lord Rama.
Makaravilakku Festival
 Makaravilakku is the religious practice performed
by the tribes in the forest of Ponnambalamedu.
 Once the Cyrus star (Makara Jyothi) appears in
the sky during the day of the Makara Sankranti
festival, the tribes perform their rituals in a temple
at Ponnambalamedu forest.
Art & Culture_001
9
 As part of the ritual, the tribes perform aarathi by
lighting camphor and ghee in a vessel and circling
around the idol at the temple in the
Ponnambalamedu forest 3 times.
 This Aarathi performed by the tribes is referred to
as Makaravilakku
India International Cherry Blossom
Festival in Shillong
 India International Cherry Blossom festival is
scheduled to be held from November 14 to 17 in
Shillong, Meghalaya.
 This festival is the world’s only autumn cherry
blossom festival.
 The festival is organized by Government of
Meghalaya’s Forest & Environment Department as
well as by the Institute of Bio resources &
Sustainable Development (IBSD) in collaboration
with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
 The aim of the festival is to celebrate the unique
autumn flowering of Himalayan Cherry Blossoms.
 The Cherry Blossom tree flowers only for a short
period in a year.
 The festival will showcase full pink and white
cherry blossoms found all along the roadside of the
famous Ward Lake.
 Alongside, the festival will also showcase the
region’s food, wine and crafts in addition with
several cultural events.
Strategic Importance
 Japan’s Participation The main highlight of the
festival will be the exposition of Japanese cultural
events and cuisine.
 Embassy of Japan is a strategic partner for the
festival. There will be several cultural events
showcasing Japanese cultural and cuisine.
 The festival in a way will act as a channel to
deepen and strengthen the connections with the
Government of Japan.
 The tradition of planting cherry blossoms, also
called Sakura, was first begun by Japan.
 In fact, Japan has been celebrating the Sakura
Festival from the 3 rd century and it continues till
date.
 Economic Importance
 The cherry blossom festivals are being celebrated
by around 28 countries across the world including
India.
 The other countries that celebrate this festival
include Holland, United States of America, and
South Korea.
 This festival generates huge employment
opportunities and generates a lot of revenue as it
attracts lakhs of visitors from across the world.
 Last year, the festival boosted the local economy of
Meghalaya by 300%.
 The festival is also likely to promote sustainable
tourism in the northeast.
 Meghalaya is the home to 5,538 species of fauna
and about 3,128 species of flowering plants.
 It accounts for 18% of India’s total oral wealth.
Also, Meghalaya is the home to the country’s only
two species of true apes.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Dwijing Festival
 An annual river festival, Dwijing Festival has
begun on 27th December on the bank of River Aie
at Chirang district. It is the third edition of the
festival.
 Dwijing Festival is an annual river festival
celebrated in the Bodoland Territorial Area
Districts (BTAD) region of Assam with various
colorful events viz. ethnic trade and food festival,
exhibition, games & sports, river campaign &
adventure and various culture programs to make it
a center of attraction for the visitors as a New Year
Festival.
 The festival provides a platform of earning for the
people in the region by putting in to focus the
business activities for the better economy
generation through rural tourism.
 The festival also aims to provide help to the food
victim families through charity generation and
distribution.
 River Aie (Mother) River “Mother” originates from
the Himalayan Mountains of Bhutan and flows
through the Chirang and Bongaigaon districts of
Assam before joining the river Brahmaputra.
 The River Aie is the lifeline of the region as about
30000 families in the region are dependent on the
river for their daily livelihoods through Crops,
Fishing, Stone & Sand Collection and many other
activities.
 The River creates a massive attraction for many
tourists (locals/visiting) for picnic and weekend
activities during the winter season and in summer
the river creates massive damages to both the
UNESCO’S LIST OF INTANGIBLE
More Than 40 Languages In UNESCO’S
Endangered List
In News
 According to a list prepared by the UNESCO, 42
languages in India are endangered and maybe be
headed for extinction. These languages are spoken
by less than 10, 000 people.
Facts
 There are 22 scheduled languages in India
mentioned in the Eighth Schedule (Article 344(1)
and 351) of the Indian Constitution.
 Apart from the 22 languages, there are 31
languages that have been given the status of
official language by state governments and union
territories.
 According to a Census Directorate report, there are
100 non-scheduled languages which are spoken by
one lakh or more people
Government Initiatives
 Government of India launched a scheme known
as “Protection and Preservation of Endangered
Languages of India” in 2014.
 Under this Scheme, the Central Institute of
Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore works on
protection, preservation and documentation of all
the mother tongues/languages of India spoken by
less than 10,000 speakers keeping in mind the
degree of endangerment and reduction in the
Art & Culture_001
10
sideways due to heavy rainfall resulting in loss of
properties and lives of many families.
Kambala
 Kambala is traditional slush track buffalo race
that is held annually in coastal districts of
Karnataka.
 These bullock cart races are held in parts of north
Karnataka and in the coastal districts of Udupi
and Dakshina Kannada.
 The race, held between November and March,
involves a pair of buffaloes tied to a plough and
anchored by one person.
 They are made to run in parallel muddy tracks in a
competition in which the fastest team wins.
 It is believed to be held to propitiate the gods for a
good harvest, besides being a recreational sport for
farmers.
Background
 The Karnataka HC had stayed these traditional
sports in view of Supreme Court’s ban on
jallikattu, a traditional bull taming sport of Tamil
Nadu.
 However, Karnataka Assembly had passed an
ordinance Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017 to allow
Kambala to circumvent ban imposed by Karnataka
High Court.
 The ordinance had received Central Government
(Ministry of Law and Justice) and Presidential
assent.
Now PETA has opposed the upcoming Kambala
festival on grounds of cruelty to animals.
domains of usage.
 Under the programme, grammatical descriptions,
monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, language
primers, anthologies of folklore, encyclopedias of
all languages or dialects especially those spoken
by less than 10,000 people are being prepared.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization) is responsible for
coordinating international cooperation in
education, science, culture and communication.
The UNESCO has categorized languages on basis
of endangerment as follows:-
 Vulnerable
 Definitely Endangered
 Severely Endangered
 Critically Endangered
UNESCO adds Jamaican Reggae, Georgian
Wrestling and Japanese rituals in coveted
list of intangible heritage.
 UN cultural agency UNESCO has added six new
elements viz Jamaican reggae, geogian wrestling
and Japanese ritual into its coveted list of
“intangible heritage”.
Six new elements added in list are
 Chidaoba – It is geongia’s traditional wrestling, it
combinese elements of wrestling, music, dance
and special garments.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Hurling – It is field game from Ireland it is played
by 2 teams using wooden ‘hurley’ stick and small
‘sliotar’ ball.
 Reggae – It is Jamacian music originating from
marginalized groups, mainly in western Kingston.
 Raiho – Shin – They are Japanese rituals used to
admonish laziness and teach children good
behavior.
 AS Samer – It consist mainly of dancing and
singing and practiced across many areas of
Jordan, it is performed on various occasions, most
commonly during weddings.
 Spring Festive rites of Kazakhstan’s horse
breeders: It marks end of the old and beginning of
a new annual horse – breeding cycle. It is rooted in
traditional knowledge of nature and an age-old
relation between man and horse.
UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage
 This coveted list is made up of those intangible
heritage elements that help demonstrate diversity
of cultural heritage and raise awareness about its
importance.
 This list was established in 2008 when convention
for safeguard of the Intangible cultural heritage
came into effect.
UNESCO Atlas of the World’s
Languages in Danger
In News
 Recently, first ever dictionary of Gondi language
was launched.
More on News
 The project aims to create a standardized and
unified language and was supported by Indira
Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, an
autonomous body under ministry of culture.
 At present, Gondi is spoken by two million people
INDIAN PAINTINGS
Saora Paintings
In News: Recently, it was reported that the
demand for Saora paintings of Odisha has been
rising in international and domestic markets.
Saura Tribe
 Saura (also called Saora or Lanjia Saora) are
one of the tribal communities who inhabit
remote ranges near Bansadhara River in
southern Odisha.
 They have their racial affinity with the proto-
Australoid.
 They speak an ancient Mundari dialect of their
own called ‘saora’.
 Saoras depend on land and forest for their
subsistence and practice shifting cultivation.
 They are enumerated as one among the 13
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in
Odisha.
Saora Paintings
 Saora Paintings are traditional murals (made on
walls) and are locally called as Idital and the
painters are known as iditalmar.
Art & Culture_001
11
in 6 states (Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana,
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh).
It has six different dialects but can be written by
only 100 people.
 UNESCO has put it in the ‘vulnerable’ category in
its Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.
UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages
in Danger
 The Atlas aims to raise awareness about
language endangerment and the need to
safeguard the world’s linguistic diversity.
 It also serves as a tool to monitor the status of
endangered languages and the trends in
linguistic diversity at the global level.
 It uses nine factors to determine the vitality of a
language.
 It segregates language based on Degree of
Endangerment as Safe, Vulnerable, Definitely
endangered, Severely endangered, Critically
endangered and Extinct.
 Features of Saora Paintings –
 They are painted with figurative patterns and
figures which are drawn in stylized manner.
 Each painting has a rectangular frame and has
icons of deities and motifs from nature.
 Purpose of the painting – to please Gods and
ancestors, averting diseases, promoting fertility,
honour deceased etc.
 Central theme – Idital is a house which is
represented by a circle. The figures are placed in
panels like circles, triangular around the Idital.
 Process of making Saora Painting
 Before painting the walls are cleaned and smeared
with locally available red soil and the rice paste is
applied as white colour. The Iditalmars follow a
stringent ritual by eating one meal a day for 10-15
days till the painting is complete.
 For paintings, a brush is made from a bamboo
split, black color from soot generated from the
lamp. Sun dried rice powder for white, all these are
mixed with water and juice from roots and herbs to
make a paste.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Neanderthals - The Artistic Humans
In News: A recent study found that Europe’s cave
paintings might have been drawn by Neanderthals.
Neanderthals
 Neanderthals were archaic humans that became
extinct about 40,000 years ago.
 They seem to have appeared in Europe and later
expanded into Southwest, Central and Northern
Asia.
 Neanderthals were long thought to have been the
archetypal cavemen, brutish and intellectually un-
evolved.
 In early 1900s, scientific findings described
Neanderthals as gorilla-like beasts, an extinct
branch of humanity that could not compete with
slender, brilliant humans.
Findings of the recent study
 Earlier research shows that modern man and
Neanderthals mated may have had the “cognitive
capacity to create art”.
 It is also believed that they were capable of using
sophisticated technology (for prehistoric times) and
showed social behavior previously thought
complicated for them to exhibit.
 Recent studies show that they were much more
intellectually capable, the first cave-paintings, it
turns out, could have been made by them.
 Dating experts and archaeologists now agree that
the simple paintings from three caves in Spain,
outline of a hand, an array of lines and a painted
cave formation are more than 64,800 years old.
 Thus, these pre-date the arrival of the H. sapiens
in Europe by at least 20,000 years.
 The cave paintings and their possible link to
Neanderthals means that the gap between human
and Neanderthal intellectual faculties may not be
as wide as believed.
Counter Arguments
 While some believe humans and their extinct
cousins were cognitive equivalents, others believe
that the latter definitely had sophisticated
intelligence but their “cultural achievements fell
short of modern humans”.
 Cave art, with certain exceptions, was notoriously
difficult to date until very recently and thus
modern humans have been historically assumed to
have created them.
 Neanderthal art may be comparable to the art and
symbolism of modern man across Africa, painted
egg shells and minerals attributed to “our direct
ancestors” have been found and these date back
some 80,000 years.
Madhubani Painting
In News
 Recently, Madhubani/Mithila Painting was used to
decorate Madhubani railway station in Bihar
which also became one of the cleanest railway
stations in India.
About Madhubani Paintings
 It derives its name from the Madhubani town in
Bihar where this art form was done traditionally.
 Its origin is believed to be during the period of
Art & Culture_001
12
Ramayana.
 Characteristic features
 line drawings filled in by bright colours and
contrasts or patterns.
 Major theme: geometric patterns; religious motifs
of Hindu such as Krishna, Rama, Tulasi plant,
Durga, Sun and Moon etc.; auspicious occasions
like marriages, birth etc.
 Floral, animal and bird motifs are also drawn
and symbolic in nature, for example- fish depicts
good luck and fertility.
 commonly includes double line border, bold use
of colours, ornate floral patterns and
exaggerated facial features.
 Two-dimesional with no shading.
 It is done on freshly plastered walls using rice
paste and vegetable colours on a base of cow
dung and mud. For commercial purposes, the
work is now being done on paper, cloth, canvas
etc. and men have also got involved along with
women.
 It has been given Geographical Indication (GI)
tag.
Thanjavur Paintings
In News: Raman Spectroscopy been is now being
used to ascertain if gold or gemstones on
Thanjavur paintings are fake or not.
More on News
 Thanjavur painting is a form of miniature
painting that flourished during the late 18th and
19th centuries. However, its origin can be traced
back to early 9th century.
 It is characterised by bold drawing, techniques of
shading and the use of pure and brilliant colours
along with semi-precious stones, pearls and glass
pieces.
 The conical crown appearing in the miniature is a
typical feature of the Tanjore painting.
 Gold is extensively used in Thanjavur paintings as
the glitter makes it more attractive as well as
prolongs the life of the painting.
 It has also been granted Geographical
identification tag.
Raman Spectroscopy
 Raman spectroscopy is one of the vibrational
spectroscopic techniques used to provide
information on molecular vibrations and crystal
structures.
 This technique uses a laser light source to
irradiate a sample, and generates an infinitesimal
amount of Raman scattered light, which is
detected as a Raman spectrum.
Raman Scattering (Raman Effect)
 When light is scattered by matter, almost all of the
scattering is an elastic process (Rayleigh
scattering) due to which there is no change in
energy.
 However, a very small percentage of scattering is
an inelastic process (Raman scattering), thus a
scattered light has different energy from incident
light.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 UNESCO’S LIST OF TANGIBLE WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN INDIA

World Heritage Sites

In news: 6 monuments/historical sites in the
North Eastern states have been identified
tentatively for listing under World Heritage Site.
World Heritage Site
 Under Convention concerning the protection of the
world culture and natural heritage, 1972,
UNESCO encourages identification, protection and
preservation of cultural and natural heritage
around the world considered to be of outstanding
value to humanity.
 Such heritages are listed under world heritage site
list.
 The WHS helps in raising awareness, getting
expert advices and financial assistance as well.
 WHS are categorised into Cultural sites, Natural
sites and Mixed sites.
 The World Heritage Day is observed on 18th of
April every year.
Details
 Apatani Cultural Landscape, Arunachal Pradesh:
o Apatani civilisation existed in Zero Valley,
Arunachal Pradesh.
o The hallmark of the valley is judicious utilization
of limited land area. The relatively flat land in the
valley is used for wet-rice cultivation where fish is
also reared.
o The Apatanis are also known for their effective
traditional village council called bulyañ, which
supervises, guides and have legal oversight over
the activities of individuals that affect the
community as a whole.

 Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of India: This pan-

India cluster comprises of sites from five
Indian states: Madhya Pradesh (Chanderi, the
13th cent. Moroccan traveler Ibn Batuta also
visited here), Uttar Pradesh (Banaras and
Mubarakpur), Maharashtra (Paithan and Yeola),
Andhra Pradesh (Koyyalagudem and Pochampalli,
the silk city of India famous for Ikat sarees) and
Assam (Sualkuchi for muga and mulberry silk).

Namdapha National Park, Arunachal

Pradesh
 It is only park in the World to have the four Feline
species of big cat namely the Tiger, Leopard, Snow
Leopard and Clouded Leopard.
 The area lies close to the Indo-Myanmar-China tri-
junction.
River Island of Majuli in midstream of
Brahmaputra River in Assam
 The Majuli Island is a fluvial landform (a riverine
delta).
 The formation of islets locally called as Chaporis
around the majuli island is its another significant
feature.
It is the largest mid river delta system in the world.
Thembang Fortified Village, Arunachal
Pradesh
 Thembang bears an exceptional testimony to the
living cultural traditions of the Monpa tribe, which
depicts influences of diverse cultures - the
Bhutanese, the Tibetans and the indigenous North
East Indian.
 This includes their social structure and practices,
rites, rituals and their vernacular building
knowledge systems such as Dzongs or the fortress
which are also found in Bhutan and Tibet.

Art & Culture_001 Byju’s Classes: 9873643487

13
 37th UNESCO World Heritage Site in the decorative arts and architecture. The Art
In News: India’s nomination of the architectures Deco edifices, with their cinemas and residential
of "Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai” buildings, blend Indian design with Art Deco
has been included in UNESCO's World Heritage imagery, creating a unique style that has been
list. described as Indo-Deco.
Selection criteria (ii) and (iv)
(ii) To exhibit an important interchange of human Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan
values on developments in architecture or In News: Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan
technology, monumental arts, town-planning or (VSAS) 2018 took place in Mangi-Tungi in Satana
landscape design. Taluka of Nashik District, Maharashtra.
(iv) To be an outstanding example of a type of
building, architectural or technological ensemble
or landscape which illustrates a significant stage
in human history.
More about News
 It has been included in the list under Criteria (ii)
and (iv) of the UNESCO's Operational Guidelines.
 India accepted the renaming of the ensemble as
Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of
Mumbai as recommended by the World Heritage
Committee.
 This is the third site from Mumbai after the
Elephanta Caves and Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus railway station.
 Across India, there are now 37 world heritage
sites. With five sites, Maharashtra has the
maximum number of sites in India.
 India stands second largest in number after
China in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region. It is
overall sixth in the world.
World Heritage Committee
 It is the executive body responsible for the
implementation of the world Heritage Convention.
 The Convention is an international agreement
About Mangi Tungi Hills
adopted in 1972 by the Member States of the  These are the two hills of Sahyadri range.
UNESCO.  The hills have about 10 cave temples belonging to
Jainism.
 The primary mission of the Convention is to
identify and protect the world's natural and  These two peaks have special significance in
cultural heritage considered to be of Jainism because around 990 million Digambar
Outstanding Universal Value Jains achieved salvation on these two hills.
Therefore, the area is called ‘Siddha Kshtera’
 Strategic Objectives Of the convention is based on
(gateway to the state of enlightenment).
the "Five Cs": Credibility, Conservation,
 Mangi Tungi is also the site of the 108-feet tall
Capacity- building, Communication,
statue of Jain Tirthankar Bhagwan Rishabhdev.
Communities
This is the tallest monolithic Jain statue in the
 The Convention serves as a catalyst to raising world, erected in 2016.
awareness for heritage preservation.  Before that 57-feet tall Gommateswar statue of
 The World Heritage Fund, setup under Bahubali (Son of Lord Rishabhdev) at Sravan
convention, provides financial assistance to States Belagola was the tallest single-rock Jain statue in
Parties in identifying, preserving and promoting the world.
World Heritage sites. About Lord Rishabhdev
About the sites  He is the first Jain Tirthankara (spiritual teacher).
 This collection of Victorian and Art Deco He is also called Adi Nath.
landmarks is the largest such conglomeration  He introduced the philosophy of Non-Violence.
and first of the combination of these two genres of
architecture in the world to be included in world
 His symbol or emblem is Bull.
heritage list.  He is considered as the founder of Ikshvaku
dynasty to which Lord Rama belonged.
 The Ensemble consists of 94 buildings primarily of
19th century Victorian Gothic revival and Tirthankara (ford-maker): Also called Jina
early 20th century Art Deco style of architecture (victor), is a great human being who attains
with the Oval Maidan in the centre. liberation by destroying all his karmas and
becomes a role model for every living being. A
 Some characteristics of Victorian art are: Use of
Tirthankara not only attains salvation himself but
pointed arches, Heavy stone and brick work,
also helps all those who are sincerely trying to seek
Use of polychromes (contrasting colors) and Bold
nirvana by preaching and guiding them.
forms like towers, massive hip and gabled roofs.
 Art Deco, also called style modern was movement

Art & Culture_001 Byju’s Classes: 9873643487

14
 Unesco Global Geopark Network Geoparks in 38 countries.
Status  An aspiring Global Geopark must have a dedicated
In News: Recently Geological Survey of India website, a corporate identity, comprehensive
(GSI) chose heritage locations in Maharashtra and management plan, protection plans, finance, and
Karnataka for UNESCO Global Geopark Network partnerships for it to be accepted.
site status.  As of now there is no geo-heritage site from
What is UNESCO Global Geopark Network India is included under UNESCO Geo park
Network.
Status?
 UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified About the Sites Chosen
geographical areas where sites and landscapes of  Lonar Lake, Maharashtra:
international geological significance are managed  It is the world's oldest meteoric crater formed
with a holistic concept of protection, education and around 50,000 years ago and the only one formed
sustainable development. in basalt rock.
 It aims to enhance awareness and  It is a salt water lake.
understanding of key issues facing society, such  It became a national geo-heritage site in 1979.
as using our earth’s resources sustainably,  St. Mary’s Island and Malpe Beach, Karnataka:
mitigating the effects of climate change and  It is a hexagonal mosaic of basaltic rocks in an
reducing natural disasters-related risks. island off Udupi.
 The Global Geoparks Network (GGN), is a legally  It is estimated to be an 88-million-year-old
constituted not-for-profit organisation. Its formation that goes back to a time when Greater
membership is obligatory for UNESCO Global India broke away from Madagascar.
Geoparks.  It was declared a national geo-heritage site in
1975
 At present, there are 140 UNESCO Global

RELIGION

International Buddhist conference held in
Lumbini, Nepal
 The theme of the conference was ‘Lumbini Nepal’
the birth place of Lord Buddha and the fountain of
Buddhism and world peace.
 The conference aims to disseminate teachings of
Buddha and spread the message of non-violence,
brotherhood, co-existence love and peace to the
international community.
Art & Culture_001
15
 It also aimed to help to propagate and enhance the
importance and the glory of Lumbini in the
international arena.
 Representatives from 16 countries including US,
Japan, India, China, Indonesia and Sri Lanka has
attend the conference.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Government to set up Ist national
institute of inter-faith studies in Punjab
 Union govt will set up first of its kind institution.
 It promote brotherhood and diversity.
 This institute will set up on lines of teaching of
Guru Nanak Dev ji who preached qualities of
brotherhood, diversity and the concept of unity in
diversity.
Approval on Kartarpur Corridor
In News: The Cabinet approved the development
of a corridor to enable smooth passage of pilgrims
seeking to visit Pakistan’s Kartarpur Sahib.
Kartarpur Corridor
 Kartarpur Sahib - The gurdwara in Kartarpur
stands on the bank of River Ravi, about 120 km
northeast of Lahore.
 Kartarpur Sahib is revered as Guru Nanak’s final
resting place.
 It was here that Guru Nanak assembled a Sikh
community and lived for 18 years until his death
in 1539.
 Corridor - It is a long-standing demand from the
Sikh community for easy access to the revered
shrine across the border.
 The Kartarpur corridor was first proposed in 1999
when PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a bus ride to
Lahore.
 It is now conceived as a visa-free corridor for Sikhs
from India to Pakistan’s Kartarpur Sahib.
 It will be developed from Dera Baba Nanak village
in Gurdaspur, Punjab to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib,
Kartarpur.
 The length of the corridor is about 4 km, 2 km on
either side of the International Border.
How did the Decision come about?
 Few months back, Punjab minister Navjot Singh
Sidhu attended the swearing-in ceremony of PM
Imran Khan in Pakistan.
INDIAN ARCHITECT, SCULPTURE AND POTTERY
Manipur based black pottery gains
prominence
 The Manipur based indigenous “Longpi Thanupai
Pottery”.
 The ancient art has originated from two longpi
village in Manipur namely Longpi Khullen and
Longpi Kajui near Ukhrul district.
Art & Culture_001
16
 Pakistan’s Army Chief General had then told Sidhu
that Pakistan hoped to build the corridor.
 But the Indian government refused to respond to
this informal proposal.
 However, the Punjab government moved a
resolution in the Punjab Assembly.
 It adopted unanimously, seeking an uninterrupted
corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to Kartarpur
Sahib.
 Indian government has now announced that it
would develop a corridor up to the International
Border.
 The government also asked Pakistan to develop a
corridor with suitable facilities in its territory.
 It comes at the time of the start of 550th birth
anniversary year of Guru Nanak.
 The Pakistan government responded that it has
already decided to open the corridor for the
anniversary.
India's Rationale
 The announcements were a coordinated step by
the two countries, despite the big chill in the
relationship.
 India decided to go ahead because it did not want
to be upstaged by Pakistan, which proposed it
first.
 This is despite the misgivings in the security
establishment with the Kartarpur corridor.
 As, it may be another attempt by Pakistan to woo
the Sikh community, aimed eventually at creating
unrest in Punjab.
 India could not be seen denying its Sikh
community what Pakistan was ready to roll out for
it.
 In all, the corridor is seen to be a big leap forward
for people-to-people relations.
 It will facilitate easier access and smooth passage
of Indian pilgrims throughout the year.
Way Forward
 Pilgrimages between India and Pakistan are
governed by the 1974 Protocol on Visits to
Religious Shrines.
 It includes a list of shrines in Pakistan and India
open for visitors from the other country, and for
which visas are required.
 The Kartarpur Corridor, which will provide visa-
free access from India to the shrine inside
Pakistan, may need a separate treaty.
 Also, officials from India and Pakistan will meet
soon to discuss the logistics of the corridor and
point of border crossing.
World’s largest Bird Sculpture ‘Jatayu’
 Kerala tourism will soon inaugurate the world’s
largest bird sculpture Jatayu Earth’s centre in
Kollam, Kerala.
 The replica of the bird ‘Jatayu’ a character in the
Ramayana – is 200 feet long, 150 feet wide, 65 feet
tall and is positioned right at the top of a rock
situated 1000 feet above sea level.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 The rock, ‘Jatayupura’ where the structure is
based, is the place where Jatayu fell after its wings
were claim by Ravana.
Statue of Ramanujacharya
In News: A 216-foot tall statue of Vaishnavite
saint Sri Ramanujacharya is set to be unveiled in
Hyderabad soon.
About the Statue
 It will become the world’s second tallest statue
and will be called as Statue of Equality, after the
statue of the Great Buddha of Thailand (302 feet).
 It is made of panchaloha (an alloy of gold, silver,
copper, brass and tin/lead) and its base depicts 36
elephants and 27-feet-high lotus petals.
 Near the statue will be another idol of the saint
made of gold, weighing 120 kg for regular
worshipping.
According to Vishishtadwaita (Qualified
Monism)
 The living entities are believed to be qualitatively
one with the Supreme and at the same time
quantitatively different. Ramanuja's assertion
was that the quantitative difference means that the
fragmentary parts of the Supreme are dependent
on the Supreme but they cannot become the
Supreme.
 According to this philosophy the living entities are
individual personalities, so too is the Supreme also
a personality-the Ultimate Personality.
 The material world is the energy of Godhead, and
the subjective reality does not undergo any change
of substance in the matter of material
manifestation.
 About the end of the tenth century, the
Visishtadvaita system of philosophy was well
established in Southern India and the followers of
this creed were in charge of important Vaishnavite
temples.
About Ramanujacharya
 Ramanujacharya, or Ilaiya Perumal is a South
Indian Brahman theologian and philosopher, the
single most influential thinker of devotional
Hinduism.
 He was a bhakti saint and also spread the message
of equality. His philosophy became known as
vishishtadwaita or qualified non-dualism. His
philosophical foundations for devotionalism were
influential to the Bhakti movement.
 His disciples were likely authors of texts such as
the Shatyayaniya Upanishad. himself wrote
influential texts, such as bhāsya on the Brahma
Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, all in Sanskrit.
 He provided an intellectual basis for the practice of
bhakti (devotional worship) in three major
commentaries: the Vedartha-Samgraha, the Shri-
Bhashya and the Bhagavadgita-Bhashya.
Monuments of National Importance
 The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has
declared 6 monuments as Monuments of national
importance in 2018.
 The six monuments declared as Monuments as
Monuments of national importance in 2018 are:
Old High Court Building in Nagpur,
 Maharashtra Haveli of Agha Khan in Agra
 Haveli of Hathi Khana in Agra
 Neemrana Baori in Rajasthan’s Alwar district
 Group of Temples at Ranipur Jharail in Odisha’s
Bolangir district
 Vishnu Temple in Kotali, Pithoragarh district,
Uttarkhand.
 Criterion for the declaration of Monument of
National Importance
 The Archaeological Survey of India declares a site
as Monument of National importance based on the
following criterion:
1. The remains of an ancient monument
2. The site of an ancient monument
 The land on which there are fences or protective
covering structures for preserving the monument
Land by means of which people can freely access
the monument
 Ancient Monument: The Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
defines Ancient Monument as any structure,
erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of
interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription
or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or
artistic interest and which has been in existence
for not less than 100 years.
My Son Temple Complex
 It is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined
Hindu temple in Vietnam
 It is constructed between the 4 th and the 14 th
century AD by the Champa Kings of Vietnam.
 It has been recognized by UNESCO as a world
heritage site.

Other Famous Sun Temples in India

Name of Temple Other Details
Sun Temple, Modhera  Gujarat
 Situated on the bank of the Pushpavati river
Surya Narayan Temple,  Andhra Pradesh
Arasavalli  Constructed during 7 th Century by Kalinga king Devendra Varma
Sun Temple, Martand  Jammu and Kashmir
 Listed as national importance in Jammu and Kashmir and protected
monuments of India
Sun Temple, Gwalior  Madhya Pradesh
 Architecture is inspired by the Sun temple in Konark

Art & Culture_001 Byju’s Classes: 9873643487

17
 Brahmanya DevTemple, Unao
Sun Temple, Ranchi
Sun Temple, Khatarmal
Surya Pahar Temple, Assam
Surya Narayan Temple, Domlu
Dakshinaarka Temple, Gaya
Suryanar Temple, 
Kumbakonam
 Madhya Pradesh
 known for unique architecture and design
 Jharkhand
 Uttrakhand
 Noted for its magnificent carved pillars and wooden doors
 Assam
 Has rock-cut Shivalingas, sculpture of twelve-armed Vishnu and
remains of the Ganesha and Hari Hara
 Karnataka
 Bihar
 Images of Sun God Aditya are found here
Tamil Nadu
 One of the nine Navagraha temples in Tamil Nadu

Konark Temple seven horses.

In News: A state-of-the-art interpretation and
tourist facilitation centre was recently inaugurated
at the Sun temple at Konark, Odisha.
About Sun Temple, Konark
 The Temple was built in the 13th century by King
Narasimhadeva I of the Ganga dynasty.
 It has a gigantic chariot of the Sun god, with 12
pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by
 It is a UNESCO World Heritage site under Cultural
category.
 is the third link of Odisha's Golden Triangle. The
first link is Jagannath Puri and the second link is
Bhubaneswar (Capital city of Odisha).
It is also known as 'Black Pagoda' due to its dark
color.

INDIAN THEATER
Tholu Bommalata
In News: Tholu Bommalata’, the shadow puppet
theatre tradition of Andhra Pradesh has been
declining.
Other Shadow Puppets
 Ravanachhaya, Odisha
 Chamadyache Bahulya, Maharashtra
 Togalu Gombeyaata, Karnataka
 Tolpava Kuthu Vellalachetti, Kerala
More about the Tholu Bommalatam
 It literally means "the dance of puppets" (tholu –
leather and bommalata – puppet dance).
 The puppets are large in size and have jointed
waist, shoulders, elbows and knees.
 The puppets are mostly made of skin of antelope,
spotted deer and goat. Auspicious characters are
made of antelope skin and deer skin.
 They are coloured on both sides. Hence, these
puppets throw coloured shadows on the screen.
 Puppeteers narrate stories from the twin-epics of
Ramanayana and Mahabharata with animated
movement of arms and hands to give a three-
dimensional effect.

FAMOUS PERSONALITY OF INDIA

Saint Kabir
In News: PM offered floral tributes at Sant Kabir
Samadhi, on the occasion of the 500th death
anniversary of the great saint and poet, Kabir.
Nirguna bhakti and Saguna bhakti
 The nirguna bhaktas were devotees of a formless
God even while calling him variously as Rama,
Govinda, Hari or Raghunatha. The most
conspicuous among them were Kabir and Nanak.
 The saguna bhaktas were devotees of god with
attributes or in human form. Vishnu in its
incarnations as Rama, or Krishna, are most
popular deities that were worshipped by Saguna
Bhakti saints.
 Thus, Saguna bhakti movement of North India was
essentially vaishnavite in character as compared to
Southern Bhakti movement which had both
Vashnav as well as Shaiv streams.
About Saint Kabir
 Kabir Das, a mystical poet and great Saint of India,
was born in the year 1440 and died in the year
1518.
 He is the most important Nirguna Bhakti saint.
 Kabir’s teachings were based on a complete, indeed
vehement, rejection of the major religious traditions
and vouched for Nirguna form of Bhakti.
 His teachings openly ridiculed all forms of external
worship of both Brahmanical, Hinduism and Islam,
the pre- eminence of the priestly classes and the
caste system.
 It is considered that he got all his spiritual training
from his Guru named, Ramananda, in his early
childhood.
 Kabir Panth is the huge religious community which
identifies the Kabir as the originator of the Sant
Mat sects.
 Kabir Das is the first Indian saint who has

Art & Culture_001 Byju’s Classes: 9873643487

18
 coordinated the Hinduism and Islam by giving a
universal path which could be followed by both
Hindus and Muslims.
 According to him every life has relationship with
two spiritual principles, Jivatma and Paramatma.
His view about the moksha that, it is the process
of uniting these two divine principles.
 Some of the great writings of the Kabir Das are
Bijak, Kabir Granthawali, Anurag Sagar, Sakhi
Granth etc.
Pingali Venkayya
In News: Recently, 142nd birth anniversary of
Pingali Venkayya was observed.
About Pingali Venkayya
 He was a freedom fighter who was the brain behind
designing of our National Flag – Tiranga.
 He also served in the British Army in South Africa
during the Anglo Boer war in Africa and during
this time he met Mahatma Gandhi.
 Between 1918 and 1921 Venkayya relentlessly
campaigned for having our own national flag in
every session of Congress. He even published a
book in 1916 with over 30 designs.
 He was a nationalist, an ardent believer of
Gandhian principles, linguist and a writer.
 After Venkyya returned from South Africa, he stated
researching about farming andcultivation of cotton
which earned him the nickname of Patti (cotton)
Venkayya. He was also known as Japan Venkayya
and Jhanda Venkayya.
Swami Vivekananda
In News
This year marks the 125th anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda’s address at Parliament of the
World's Religions in 1893 held in Chicago.
Ramakrishna Mission
 The Mission, founded by Vivekananda in 1897 is a
humanitarian organization which carries out
medical, relief and educational programs.
 Two main purposes of mission are to spread the
teachings of Vedanta as embodied in the life of the
Hindu saint Ramakrishna (1836–86) and to
improve the social conditions of people.
 The ideals propagated by the mission include work
as worship, the inherent divinity of every soul and
the harmony of religions.
About Swami Vivekananda
 He was one of the prominent Hindu leaders who
carried the Indian philosophies to the West
including Vedanta and Yoga.
 His teachings and philosophy stressed on
different aspects of religion, youth, education,
faith, character building as well as social issues
pertaining to India.
 He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in
India, and contributed to the concept of
nationalism in colonial India.
 He was a disciple of Ramakrishna, from whom
he learned of
 the Divine and spiritual part of oneself as well
as the importance of kindness and service to
mankind.
 Some of great literary works of Swami Vivekananda
Art & Culture_001
19
are Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana
Yoga, My Master, Lectures from Colombo to
Almora.
Philosophy on Nationalism
 Vivekananda played a major role in the growing
Indian nationalism in the late 19th and the 20th
century, encouraging many Indians with his
success and appeal in the west.
 Swami Vivekananda’s nationalism is deeply rooted
in Indian spirituality and morality. He linked
India’s regeneration to her age-old tradition of
spiritual goal.
 Unlike western nationalism which is secular in
nature, Swami Vivekananda’s nationalism was
based on religion which is life blood of the Indian
people.
 He galvanized the National Spirit by exposing the
British policy of profiteering in complete disregard
to the Indian interests and taught people to get rid
first of self-inflicted bondages and resultant
miseries.
 Like Vivekananda, Aurbindo Ghosh and Mahatma
Gandhi also realized that religion and spirituality
are in the veins of Indians and worked for India’s
unification through awakening the force of religion
and spirituality.
Advaita Vedantism
 Advaita Vedanta is a non-dualistic school of
Hinduism with its roots in the Vedas and
Upanishads which recognizes one reality and one
God.
 Swami Vivekananda was a great lover of Vedantic
philosophy and he spread Advaita Vedanta to the
west via the Ramakrishna Mission.
 He presented karma, bhakti, jnana and raja yoga
as equal means to attain moksha, to present
Vedanta as a liberal and universal religion, in
contrast to the exclusivism of other religions.
Philosophy on Religion
 His philosophy was assimilation of ideals
prescribed in all religions and he believed that all
the religions of the world have the same value and
importance.
 He told that though the paths are different for
different religions but the goal is same.
 He attached great importance to the unity of all
religions and their fusion into one universal
religion.
 Swami Vivekananda represented India and
Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's
Religions (1893) in Chicago.
 Swami Vivekananda said in his speech ‘not only
tolerate other religions, but positively embrace
them, as truth is the basis of all religions.’
 He spoke about tolerance and universality of
India’s spiritual traditions. He denounced
narrow-mindedness and fanaticism.
 He promoted with equal zeal the idea of the
equality of all human beings.
Philosophy on Education
 Swami Vivekananda laid the greatest emphasis on
education for the regeneration of our motherland
and a nation is advanced in proportion as
education is spread among the masses.
 According to him “education is the manifestation
of perfection already in man and that what a man
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 ‘learns’ is really what he ‘discovers’ by taking the
cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite
knowledge.”
 He advocated a man-making character-building
education.
 He said that education must make the students
self-reliant and help them face the challenges of
life.
 He believed if young boys and girls are encouraged
and are not unnecessarily criticized all the time,
they are bound to improve in time.
Relevance of Swami Vivekananda’s
philosophy
 The message of Swami Vivekananda promoting
FREEDOM AND CULTURAL MOVEMENT
Azad Hind Government
In News: On 21-October-2018, Government
celebrates the 75th Anniversary of formation of
Azad Hind Government.
Azad Hind Government
 Subhas Chandra Bose on October 21, 1943,
established the provisional Azad Hind
government in Singapore. He was the leader of
Azad Hind Government and also the Head of State
of this Provisional Indian Government-in-exile.
 It was a part of the freedom movement,
originating in 1940s outside India with a purpose
of allying with Axis powers to free India from
British rule.
 The existence of the Azad Hind Government gave a
greater legitimacy to the independence struggle
against the British.
 The role of Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian
National Army (INA) had been crucial in
bequeathing a much needed impetus to India’s
struggle for Independence.
INA Trials
 A joint court-martial of hundreds of captured INA
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,
Bhulabhai Desai, Asaf Ali, along with Muslim
league defended the comrades of Bose despite
difference of ideology.
 The famous INA trial sparked off massive
unrest 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
and Karachi to Madras, Vishakhapatnam and
Calcutta in February 1946. The airmen too struck
work at various places including Karachi and
Kalaikunda (now in West Bengal).
 Historians termed this unrest as "the last nail in
the coffin" of the British Empire.
Indian National Army (INA)
 The idea of INA was first conceived in Malaya by
Mohan Singh.
 The Indian National Army was founded by
prisoners of wars of British Indian Army captured
by the Japanese in Singapore, Malaysia and other
Art & Culture_001
20
spiritual integration of the nation and world on the
basis of universal brotherhood and goodwill
becomes all the more relevant in these times.
 It has the potential to avert wars ensuring peaceful
co-existence of individuals and nations.
 Several Government schemes like ‘Start Up India’,
‘Stand Up India’, Atal Innovation Mission schemes
as are based on his philosophy that the future of
India lay in the hands of youth.
 The philosophy of 'Ek Bharat-Shrestha Bharat' is
the essence of Swami Vivekananda's.
countries of Southeast Asia during the World War
II.
 On 1 September 1942, the first division of INA
was formed.
 The main task of gathering them and forming the
INA was carried out by Rashbehari Bose, one of the
stalwarts of the freedom movement. Later it was
reconsolidated as an army by Subhas Chandra
Bose.
 The INA was also at the forefront of women's
equality, and the formation of a women's regiment,
the Rani of Jhansi Regiment was formed as an all-
volunteer women's unit to fight the British Raj as
well as provide medical services to the INA.
Sir Chhotu Ram
In News: Recently, Prime Minister unveiled a
statue of Sir Chhotu Ram (1881-1945) in Rohtak
district.
Political Activities of Sir Chhotu Ram
 He founded the Jat Sabha, followed by the launch
of the Jat Gazette in 1915.
 He joined the Congress in 1916. In 1920, he
launched Zamindaran Party, which later became
the Unionist Party in 1923 in alliance with Fazl-e-
Hussain and Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan.
 His party won the general elections of 1936 and
formed a coalition government along with the
Congress and Sikh Akali Dal. He became the
Revenue Minister.
Reforms Initiated by Sir Chhotu Ram
 He conceived the Bhakra Dam project way back in
1923. He, along with the King of Bilaspur, signed
the Bhakra Dam project.
 He was considered as an agrarian reformer. Under
him, various legislations were passed such as
Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Act, 1929,
Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act was
passed in 1939 (Mandi Act), Punjab Relief of
Indebtedness Act, 1943.
 For his work, the peasantry rewarded him with the
titles of Deen-bandhu and Rahbar-e-Azam. Also,
the British honoured him with a knighthood in
1937.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Paika Rebellion Chair
 PM Modi announced setting up of a Chair on the
Paika Rebellion, in Utkal University,
Bhubaneswar.
 He also released a commemorative stamp and coin
on the Paika Rebellion.
 Paika Rebellion
 The Paika Rebellion of 1817 in Odisha briey shook
the foundations of British rule in the eastern part
of India.
 Paikas were the peasant militias of the Gajapati
rulers of Odisha and rendered military service to
the king during times of war while taking up
cultivation during times of peace.
 The British had established their sway over Bengal
Province and Madras Province to the north and
south of Odisha and occupied Odhisa in 1803.
 The Gajapati Ruler of Odisha Mukunda Deva-ll
was a minor then and the resistance by Jai
Rajguru, the custodian of Mukunda DevaII, was
put down brutally.
 As British began consolidating their rule and
started tinkering with the revenue system, they
faced the anger of the people of Odhisa.
 A few years later Paikas under Baxi Jagabandhu,
the hereditary chief of the militia army of the
Gajapati King rose in rebellion by taking the
support of tribal and other sections of society in
March 1817.
 Paikas attacked British symbols of power, setting
ablaze police stations, administrative offices and
the treasury during their march towards Khurda,
from where the British ed.
 The Paikas were supported by the rajas of Kanika,
Kujang, Nayagarh and Ghumusar and zamindars,
village heads and ordinary peasants.
 The Rebellion spread quickly. British were initially
taken aback and then tried to regain lost ground
but faced stiff resistance from the Paikas.
 There was a widespread suppression. Rebels
fought a guerilla war till 1819 but were captured
and killed. Baxi Jagabandhu was nally arrested in
1825 and died in captivity in 1829.
 The Paika Rebellion enjoys a cult status in Odisha.
Children in Odhisa grow up with hearing stories of
the brave fight against the British.
EXCAVATIONS
Harappan Excavations in Haryana
In News: Near-complete skeletal remains of a
young male and female have recently been
discovered at an archaeological site in Rakhigarhi
village in Haryana.
Brief Account of Harappa Studies
 Indus Valley Civilization had been spread across a
vast area of land in present day India and Pakistan
(around 12 lakh sq.km).
 It is called Harappa civilization after the place
(Harappa in Pakistan) where first archaeological
evidences for the civilization have been found.
 Harappa studies are focused primarily on urban
design, crafts and trade, funeral customs say a lot
Art & Culture_001
21
Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
In News: Recently, governing bodies of eight
colleges of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj (SBS), has
been dissolved by the West Bengal government.
More on News
 The government stated that SBS is not a “separate
minority religion”, the related colleges
administered by it Should be treated as “non-
minority Government-aided Colleges.
About Brahmo Samaj
 Founded in 1828 as Brahmo Sabha, by Raja
Ram Mohan Roy. Later it become Brahmo
Samaj.
 Doctrine: Believe in existence of one God,
o No revelation, prophet or holy book is infallible
or to be considered as authority.
o Human being is created from Singularity
 Social and Religious reform: abolition of
caste system, child marriage and practice of
Sati, opposed idolatry, condemned polygamy,
and dowry system.
About Sadharna Bhramo Samaj (SBS)
 It is a general community of worshipers of one
God, formed in May 1878, traces back its roots to
The Brahmo Samaj.
 It was formed by the followers of Keshav Chandra
Sen (Brahmo Samaj) after he violated the Brahmo
Marriage Act by marrying his 13 year old daughter
with Maharaja of Cooch-Bihar.
 Anandamohan Bose was its first President.
 In 1891, it opened the Das Ashram, a welfare
institution of untouchables, the Brahmo Girls
School of Calcutta, and also founded small
hospitals, orphanages, a leper asylum.
 Its basic principles are-
o It believes in the existence and personality of God,
o It believes in the immortality of the human soul.
o It does not believe in any particular book or
collections of books as the one infallible revelation
of divine truth, love, and final authority.
o It does not believe in specific incarnation the Deity.
o It accepts, respects, and uses of scriptures of the
world, (not as infallible) as ancient records of the
moral and spiritual experiences.
 It is involved in various educational, social,
medical and other welfare activities.
about a community, what its people value, its
social hierarchy, gender relations, and how it
treats its children.
 There are five big known centers of the Harappan
civilization of which three are in Pakistan namely
Harappa and Ganweriwala in Punjab and Mohenjo
Daro in Sindh).
 The other two important in sites are found in India
namely Dholavira and Rakhigarhi.
 Some important burial grounds have been
discovered in Lothal (Gujarat), Kalibangan
(Rajasthan), Farmana (Haryana), Sanauli (UP).
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487

About Recent Excavation
 The excavations have been carried out in place
called Rakhigarhi in Haryana by Indian
archaeologists, and a South Korean team.
 The necropolis, dated to between 2,500 BC and
2,000 BC, or the Mature Harappan Period, sprawls
under a 1 hectare patch of land that has long been
under cultivation by present-day residents of
Rakhigarhi.
 The excavation yielded graves contained full
skeletal remains classified as Primary burials.
 The researchers subcategorized the primary
burials into “typical” and “atypical” cases.
1. Typical cases - Single bodies buried in supine
position inside a plain pit
2. Atypical cases - These have brick-lined graves,
multiple bodies, or prone-positioned burials.
 In others, only a few human bones were found
along with votive pots classified as Secondary
burials.
 In yet others, only pots were found, Symbolic
burials that suggest that the person died
elsewhere.
About the finding
 Rakhigarhi was one of the most prominent sites of
the Harappan civilization.
 A team of Indian and South Korean researchers
carried out excavations in Rakhigarhi between
2013 and 2016.
 The skeletal remains of the couple were discovered
from a site where nine graves were unearthed in
one trench.
 Except for the foot bones, the two skeletons have
been found almost entirely intact.
 Of the 62 graves discovered in Rakhigarhi, only
this one had more than one skeleton and of
individuals of the opposite sex, together.
 The researchers believe the couples were buried at
almost the same time, perhaps even together,
following their deaths which could have occurred
about 4,700 years ago.
Site reveal on marriage
 Most archaeological recoveries show individuals
were buried separately in Harappan times.
 Joint graves have been very rare, and almost none
have been found containing a couple.
Art & Culture_001
22
 The only joint burial of a couple discovered earlier
has been from Lothal in Gujarat.
 But there, the skeletal remains of the male and
female were found placed over one other,
indicating that they may have been buried at the
same place, but at different times.
 In addition, the female skeletal remains were
found to have lesions or injury marks.
 This has made archaeologists to conclude that her
death could have been the result of a social
practice such as Sati.
 Remains of pots and stone-bead jewellery found
close to the burial site of the couple point to the
possibility of a ceremonial burial with rituals.
 These remains also suggest they belonged to
a middle-class family.
 The Harappa people were generally known to
strictly adhere to only legal relations.
 Thus, the fact that the couple was buried in the
same pit together could be an indication of societal
acceptance of their relationship.
 The researchers were inclined to believe that they
could have been married.
 This which would in turn suggest the possibility
that the institution of marriage originated in the
Harappan civilization.
Other findings
 Broadly, three types of graves have been
discovered at Harappan sites.
1. Primary grave, the most common type, where
archaeologists have found full-body remains of the
person placed inside a pit.
2. Secondary pits were those that contained partial
remains of a few bones placed in the pit.
3. In the third type, instead of skeletal remains there
were just some accessories, presumably the
belongings of the deceased person. (Perhaps the
body could not be ever retrieved, due to deaths
caused by wild animals or during wars.)
 Most of the graves at the Harappa sites have been
that of men, with only 20% of graves are of women,
while fewer than that of 1% is of children.
 However, excavations of cemeteries so far have
found that graves of women were positioned in the
center of the cemetery, and surrounded with
bangles, jewellery, and other ornaments.
 This could mean that the Harappan society gave
a higher status to women.
Mapping IVC’s Rainfall Patterns
In News:
 Indus Valley Civilization flourished along the
course of river Indus and was one highly depended
on a perennial water source for sustenance.
 While there are varying claims on civilizations’
climate, a recent research has asserted that the
civilization was at its peak during its wettest
phase.
Indus Valley civilization (IVC)
 Indus Valley civilization (IVC) is one of the earliest
known organized urban human settlements, which
flourished around 2000 BCE.
 It flourished in the north-western parts of the
Indian subcontinent, in the region around north
Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Pakistan.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Its settlements are estimated to have flourished for
1,500 years between 3000 and 1500 BCE, and is
said to have had its zenith between 2600-1900
BCE.
 Those glorious 700 years is when the most modern
townships of that era namely - Harappa, Mohenjo-
daro, and Rakhigarhi is said to have flourished.
 The decline of the IVC is attributed to several
reasons - climatic, tectonic, and even social – all of
which have varying degrees of evidence to support
them.
Importance of water in IVC’s progress
 Most scientists and archaeologists agree that the
availability of abundant water was the most
crucial enabler for the sustenance of the
civilization – just like most other contemporary
ancient civilizations.
 The presence of buried water channels and other
archaeological evidence suggests the dependence
of Indus people on a perennial source of water.
 Many geological and climatic studies have
indicated good rainfall patterns in IVC region
during the civilizations’ existence (although some
disagree).
Researchers Reliance
 Gypsum deposits at an ancient lake “Karsandi”
(now dry) on the margins of the Thar Desert in
northern Rajasthan were studied by the
researchers.
 Notably, Karsandi is about 120 km northeast of
Rakhigarhi, an important IVC settlement that has
seen some exciting excavations very recently.
 It is also near Kalibangan and Karanpura, which
were also important centres of the Indus
civilisation.
 The scientists collected samples of different layers
of gypsum and studied them in detail and carbon
dated the fossils in them to establish dispositional
age.
 While many such paleo-lakes in the region have
been studied before, this is the first time that
scientists were able to devise a chronology of
rainfall variations.
 This analysis has asserted a clearly asserted that
rainfall had a bearing on the expansion and
contraction of Indus urbanism (more rain more
prosperity).
Concept employed
 Chemical analysis of the layers of deposits in a
paleo-lake gives indications about the composition
of water at different times.
 It thereby also gives indications on the
environmental condition at the time of
precipitation as the quantum of rainfall has a
bearing on the deposits.
 Gypsum is a common mineral deposits that
remain after the evaporation of saline water bodies
and usually found at the cites of paleo-lakes.
 If deposits in a particular layer are pure gypsum, it
is an indication of scanty rainfall and
predominance of evaporation during that phase of
deposition.
 This is because the surrounding areas in the
region are all very sandy, and if there was rainfall,
Art & Culture_001
23
the rains-fed streams would have brought sand to
the lake.
 Contrarily, if there was considerable rainfall, the
deposits would have a mixture of gypsum
(evaporation precipitate) and sand (run-off
deposit).
 Similarly, pure sand can be an indication of very
good rainfall as erosion and deposition is likely to
have dominated over the miniscule gypsum
deposits.
Specific conclusions
 These scientists have managed to establish a high
resolution chronology of the wet and dry phases in
the area between 9000 and 2000 BCE.
 They have inferred that this region, northern part
of Rajasthan, was largely dry till about 9000 BCE,
which is 11,000 years ago from the present.
 But between 9000 and 3000 BCE, there was
substantial precipitation in the area, making it
conducive for human settlements.
 Further, monsoon is said to have intensified
between 3000 and 2400 BCE, at the end of which
a dry spell set in (which is continuing even today).
 This showed that the peak of the civilization
almost coincided with the wet phase when
monsoon intensified for about 600 years about
5000 years ago.
 As the dispersal of the civilization also coincides
with the onset of the dry phase, this strengthens
the climatic theory for its rise and fall of IVC.
 The study has implications for modern society as
well, as we are witnessing climate change and
perceptible variations in precipitation and
temperature.
Excavations in Mythical towns
In News: The Department of Science and
Technology (DST) is planning to send robotic
vehicles into the sea near Dwaraka in Gujarat, and
Puhar in Tamil Nadu.
About the programme
 The programme is expected to involve
organizations such as the National Institute of
Ocean Technology and the National Institute of
Oceanography (NIO).
 It is aimed to look for submerged structures that
may point to evidence on the ancient cities.
 It is also to test several technologies such as
sophisticated imaging technology which helps to
map the ocean floor with sonar.
 It will also help to date old stones and recoverable
implements using the latest techniques.
 Earlier an expert committee had found evidence of
the course of the Saraswati, a river mentioned in
the Rig Veda and in Hindu mythology.
History of Dwaraka
 Excavations at Dwaraka, a coastal town in
Jamnagar district of Gujarat, have a long history.
 Dwaraka, a port city, finds mention in ancient
Greek texts from the 1st millennium and,
according to legend, was a rich city that sank into
the sea.
 It is one of the foremost Chardhams i.e four sacred
Hindu pilgrimage sites
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Nearly a decade ago, Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) found copper coins and segments of
granite structures.
 Pottery found here suggests that the city could be
over 3,000 years old.
 Dwarka is often identified with the Dwarka
Kingdom, the ancient kingdom of Krishna, and is
believed to have been the first capital of Gujarat.
History of Puhar
 Puhar is a town in the Nagapattinam district of
Tamil Nadu.
MISCELLANEOUS
World’s first hand-painted film eyes an
Oscar (Indian Painting)
 Loving Vincent is the world’s first animated feature
film entirely painted by hand.
 With 65,000 frames to be exact, all paintings are
in the distinct style of Dutch Post – impressionist
painter Vincent van Gogh.
 The film is based on a probe into Van Gogh’s
untimely death.
National Culture Fund
In News
 A total of 34 projects have been successfully
completed under National Culture Fund (NCF)
scheme since its inception.
About National Culture Fund
 It was established as a funding mechanism
distinct from the existing sources and patterns
of funding for the arts and culture in India.
 It was created as a Trust under the Charitable
Endowment Act, 1890.
 It aims at inviting individuals as well as private
institutions in the task of promoting, protecting
and
Preserving India’s Cultural Heritage
 A council headed by Union Culture Minister
manages and administers the Fund and decides
the policies while an Executive Committee
headed by Secretary, Ministry of Culture
actualizes those policies.
 The Government granted a one-time corpus fund
to NCF. Apart from this, there is no fund allocated
by the Government to National Culture Fund. It
receives contributions and voluntary donations as
endowments from many other sources.
 All the projects undertaken by the NCF are
completed within a specified period, in
accordance with an MoU signed by NCF with the
concerned donor organization.
Seva Bhoj Scheme
In News: Recently, Ministry of Culture launched
a new scheme “Seva Bhoj Yojna”.
More about the Scheme
 It is a central sector scheme to reduce financial
burden of Charitable Religious Institutions.
 It envisages reimbursing the Central Government
share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST)
and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) of
such Charitable Religious Institutions who provide
Art & Culture_001
24
 It was once a flourishing ancient port city known
as Kaveri poompattinam.
 It is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean
Sea.
 Tamil and Buddhist literature also have references
to Poompuhar, or Puhar, as being the port capital
of the Chola dynasty.
 The ancient Tamil poem Manimekalai by the poet
Seethalai Saathanar is set in the town of
Kaveripattanam.
Food/Prasad/Langar/Bhandara free of cost
without any discrimination to Public/Devotees.
 It is applicable to all Charitable Religious
Institutions such as Temples, Gurudwara,
Mosque, Church, Dharmik Ashram, Dargah,
Matth, Monasteries etc. which follows following
norms:
 Which have been in existence for preceding five
years before applying for financial
assistance/grant.
 Which have been distributing free food, langar and
prasad to public for at least past three years on the
day of application.
 Which serve free food to at least 5000 people in a
month.
 which should not be blacklisted under provisions of
FCRA or any other Act/Rules of the Central/State
Government.
 The ministry will register the eligible charitable
religious institutions for a time period ending with
finance commission period and subsequently the
registration may be renewed subject to the
performance evaluation of the institutions.
‘Arth: Art for Earth’ Exhibition
 Union Minister of State for Culture Dr. Mahesh
Sharma inaugurated exhibition titled “Arth-art for
Earth” at IGNCA, New Delhi.
 It consist of “Excavations is Hymns of Clay” – a
suite of environmental art installations by Manav
Gupta weaving all of them with a storyline and
poetry.
 The exhibition is available for public viewing until
the 22nd of Oct 2018.
Need for a New Antique Law
In News: The recent happenings over antique
collecting across India draw attention to the
shortfalls in the related laws and understanding.
Anomaly
 A civilizational history cannot be constructed
purely by an archaeological agency, despite it
being an important component.
 Other groups such as littérateurs, historians,
anthropologists and curators also contribute
valuable insights into the material culture.
 However, the framing of laws has not happened in
conjunction with any of these disciplines.
 This was because at the time of framing law, the
agenda was to preserve India’s material culture.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 But that rationality at the time of India's
Independence, no longer fits in with the present
requirements.
 The reality and needs of a modern-day state that
seeks to understand its past is different.
Concerns
 The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 has
long outlived the purpose for which it was drafted.
 A promised amendment has been floated on the
website of the Union Ministry of Culture, but its
status is still largely unknown.
Understanding
 Importance is ascribed by virtue of religious
sentiment, age or provenance to every significant
and insignificant work of art.
 But this hampers purposes of scholarship or
understanding of what constitutes a beautiful
work of art or a national treasure.
 The view that once-sacred objects today only
belong to temples is a myopic view and stems from
a lack of understanding of -
 the role and purpose of these objects
 the temple economy that maintained them
 the constant process of renewal that occurred
within historic sites
 It thus denies the process of regeneration of these
living cultural sites.
Ownership
 Every object in a private collection is now seen as
the result of temple desecration and robbery.
 The laws that govern the ownership of historical
objects, their purchase and sale have been a
disincentive for the average collector.
 Registering antiquities with the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) is a cumbersome and difficult
procedure for most collectors.
 Cultural vigilantism, the presumption of guilt
without trial, public shaming and the resultant
media trial have led to a dangerous state of affairs.
 Vigilante movements neither follow the rule of law
nor do they respect the ASI’s time-honoured
process of registration of such artifacts.
 It is casting a long shadow on the production of
knowledge of the country's past.
Limitations
 The rule is that every object over 100 years is an
antique.
 With every passing year, the number of objects
that shift from 99th year to a 100 year status will
increase.
 This would soon result in the transfer of vast
numbers of objects to a status of national
antiquity.
 But is the state geared to handle and maintain this
vast emerging enterprise remains uncertain.
 The state is also not equipped to handle the needs
of a growing populace of collectors.
Way Forward
 It is well within the rights of every citizen to
acquire and collect objects of their past.
 Nevertheless, this acquisition should definitely be
governed by a legal process of buying.
Art & Culture_001
25
 With changing ideas, the role of private
connoisseurship, individual collectors, trusts and
foundations should also be considered.
 Their proactive agency has safeguarded the
ancient Indian art from being channelled abroad or
being destroyed.
 An urgent amendment to existing laws is essential
to save the material culture from being examined
purely from the prism of religious sentiment.
 It should foster the creation of secular spaces
where everyone can enjoy and appreciate the past.
Climate Change and World Heritage Sites
In News: A recent study reveals that the World
Heritage sites were threatened by climate change.
Key highlights
 The study assesses the risk due to sea level rise by
the end of the century at 49 UNESCO coastal
Heritage sites.
 It presents a risk index that ranks the sites
according to the threat they face from today until
the end of the century.
 The sites featuring highest on this index in current
conditions include Venice and its Lagoon, Ferrara,
City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta and the
Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia.
 All these sites are located along the northern
Adriatic Sea in Italy where extreme sea levels are
the highest.
 This is because high storm surges coincide with
high regional sea-level rises here.
 Dozens of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the
Mediterranean are under severe threat of coastal
erosion and flooding.
 By the next century flood risk may increase by
50% and erosion risk by 13% across the region.
Challenges
 The Mediterranean region has a high
concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
 Many of these are in coastal locations as human
activity has historically concentrated around these
areas.
 The steep landscape and small tidal range in the
area has meant settlements often located close to
the waterfront.
 So rising sea levels pose a threat to these sites and
settlements.
 But more information on the risk at a local level is
needed.
 Also, the approaches to adaption and protection
vary across the region due to large social and
economic differences.
 Besides, Heritage sites face many challenges to
adapt to the effects of sea-level rise as it changes
the value and ‘spirit of place’ for each site.
Way Forward
 Further monitoring is required to better
understand the effects of climate change on
heritage sites and other natural hazards.
 The study has identified areas with urgent need for
adaptation planning.
 The iconic nature of such sites can be used to
promote awareness of the need to take action to
mitigate climate change.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 In some cases, relocation of individual monuments
may be technically possible too.
Conserving Taj Mahal
In News
 The iconic Taj Mahal is losing its shiny whiteness
due to pollution.
 Despite about 3 decades of conservation efforts,
there seems little improvement, which is worrying.
Taj preservation proceeding
 Petitions for the conservation of Taj has been
hovering the corridors of Supreme Court for over 3
decades now.
 In a 1996 case, the SC ordered a slew of measures,
including the closure of factories in the vicinity, to
protect the monument.
 But successive government haven’t implemented
these in spirit, which has resulted in the
monument turning from “Whitish to yellowish” and
then to the current state of brownish-green.
 Recently, the SC criticised “Archaeological Survey
of India” for its dismal performance in preserving
the monument.
 The union government has recently stated that it
is mulling options for getting international experts
to aid the conservation effort.
Change of color of the Taj Mahal’s marble?
 Firstly, the polluting industries and the vehicular
emissions in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) area
are a major source of pollution.
 Notably, Agra (location of Taj) has been rated the
world’s eighth most polluted city in terms of PM
2.5 levels as per a recent WHO Report.
 Rampant construction and encroachments along
with air pollution only compound the problem
 The second reason is that the Yamuna River,
which flows behind the Taj, has become highly
polluted (due to Agra’s drains).
 The pollution has destroyed all aquatic life in the
river, and has also proliferated insects around the
river, which swarm the monument at night.
 Fishes that would’ve eaten water breeding insects
and their larvae have now been wiped out, which
has led to the increase in population of the latter.
 This insect swarming has led to algal growth on
the surface of the monument.
Indigenous Rationalism in India
In News
 Hindu rightwing groups tend to portray
rationalism as a western concept which is alien to
Indian ethos and way of life.
 But a look at India’s deep rooted philosophical
tradition reveals that there has been a vibrant
spirit of rationalist throughout.
Rationalist tradition shaped up in India
 It is believed that faith rules in India and that the
number of Indians who didn’t state their religion
was only 3 million in the 2011 census.
 Nonetheless, this is a massive increase from the
2001 census where just about 700,000 had not
declared a religion.
Art & Culture_001
26
Ancient India:
 Rationalists and skeptics who held out for
scientific ideas have been a part of the Indian
tradition since at least the 6th century BC.
 “Ajita Kesakambalin”, a contemporary of the
Buddha, was the earliest known teacher of
complete materialism (stripped of any spiritual
pursuit in life).
 The “Charvakas Philosophical Tradition”, is largely
a product of his thinking that prioritised
empiricism and skepticism over Vedic ritualism.
 The original texts of the Charvakas have not
survived, but references to their rationalist
tradition are found in Buddhist and Jain works.
 The Buddha himself cautioned against accepting
“what has been acquired by repeated hearing”, and
encouraged independent study and thinking.
 Even within the wider Brahminical tradition,
shades of opinion prevailed between the
Brahmanas and the Shramanas, and active debate
prevailed.
 Notably, even in Chhandogya Upanishad, one
Uddalaka Aruni speaks of the importance
observing the surrounding rather than being
superstitious.
Modern Times
 In the early modern period in Bengal, Raja Ram
Mohan Roy and the Brahmo Samaj led the charge
against regressive tradition.
 The regions of present day Maharashtra has a long
history of radical thought that challenged several
ideas embedded in the caste hierarchies.
 It was here that Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced
Buddhism, and the Republican parties carry
forward his legacy in their own ways.
 Jyotiba Phule and Savitri Phule rejected caste and
gender inequalities.
 The first recorded reservation in educational
institutes for backward castes was in Maharashtra
by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur (1894-
1922).
 Narayana Guru in Kerala and E V Ramasamy
(Periyar) in Tamil Nadu were early advocates of
progress, and their ideas impacted politics deeply.
 The Self-Respect movement in Tamil Nadu and the
Leftist movement in Kerala and West Bengal made
a strong case for rationalism and egalitarianism.
Way Forward
 Article 51A (H) of the Constitution of India gives a
call “to develop the scientific temper, humanism
and the spirit of inquiry and reform”.
 The leaders of the national movement hoped that
the lofty ideals of the emerging Indian state would
encourage a modern and progressive outlook.
 Rationalism would also help in undoing the feudal
setup that has been in place since long and put us
strongly on a path towards social and economic
equality.
 In this context, it is important for the state to
ensure that vested interests don’t succeed in
stifling the voices of progressivism.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Traditional Water Conservation Systems
In News: The historic Taj bawadi , built during
the Adil Shahi era (1490-1686) in Vijayapura in
Karnataka was recently restored.
traditional water conservation systems
around India
 Phad – It is a community-managed irrigation
system in the tapi river basin in Maharashtra. It
starts with check dam built across a river and
canals to carry water to agricultural blocks with
outlets to ensure excess water is removed from the
canals.
 Zing – It is found in Ladakh, are small tanks that
collect melting glacier water. A network of guiding
channels brings water from the glacier to the tank.
 Kuhls – They are surface water channels found in
the mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh.
The channels carry glacial waters from rivers and
streams into the fields.
 Zabo or Ruza System– It is practised in Nagaland.
Rainwater that falls on forested hilltops is collected
by channels that deposit the run-off water in
pond-like structures created on the terraced
hillsides.
 Jackwells - The Shompen tribe of the Great
Nicobar Islands uses this system, in which
bamboos are placed under trees to collect runoff
water from leaves and carries it to jackwells which
are pits encircled by bunds made from logs of hard
wood.
 Pat system – It is developed in Madhya Pradesh,
in which the water is diverted from hill streams
into irrigation channels by diversion bunds. They
are made across the stream by piling up stones
and teak leaves and mud.
 Eri – It is tank system, widely used in Tamil Nadu
which acts as flood-control systems, prevent soil
erosion and wastage of runoff during periods of
heavy rainfall, and also recharge the groundwater.
 Johads – They are small earthern check dams
used to conserve and recharge ground water,
mainly constructed in an area with naturally high
elevation.
 Panam keni – The Kuruma tribe (a native tribe of
Wayanad) uses wooden cylinders as a special type
of well, which are made by soaking the stems of
toddy palms and immersed in groundwater
springs.
 Ahar Pynes – They are traditional floodwater
harvesting systems indigenous to South Bihar.
Ahars are reservoirs with embankments on three
sides and Pynes are artificial rivulets led off from
rivers to collect water in the ahars for irrigation in
the dry months.
 Jhalara - Jhalaras are typically rectangular-
shaped stepwells that have tiered steps on three or
four sides in the city of Jodhpur.
 Bawari - Bawaris are unique stepwells that were
once a part of the ancient networks of water
storage in the cities of Rajasthan.
 Taanka - It is a cylindrical paved underground pit
into which rainwater from rooftops, courtyards or
artificially prepared catchments flows. It is
indigenous to the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan.
Art & Culture_001
27
 Khadin – Also called dhora, is a long earthen
embankment that is built across the hill slopes of
gravelly uplands. It is indigenous to Jaisalmer
region and similar to the irrigation methods of Ur
region (Present Iraq).
 Kund – It is a saucer-shaped catchment area that
gently slopes towards the central circular
underground well. It is found in the sandier tracts
of western Rajasthan and Gujarat.
India’s first music museum to be set up in
Thiruvaiyaru
 Tamil Nadu has announced the setting up of
country’s Ist music museum in Thiruvaiyaru
which is the birthplace of saint Tyagaraja, one of
the Trinities of Carnatic music.
Saint Tyagaraja
 He was a renowned composer of Carnatic music
 He composed thousands of devotionals
compositions.
Ministry of culture releases National
Museum Research Bulletin
 This bulletin was revived after gap of 16 years.
 The bulletin has number of research paper that
highlight collection, display and education aspect
that National Museum engages with.
 It has been illustrated by coloured photographs,
some of which belong to reserve collection of
national museum to make it appealing to wider
audience.
 The bulletin generates awareness about activities
of national museum.
Panini Language Laboratory
 Panini language laboratory was recently
inaugurated at Mahatma Gandhi institute in
Mauritius to promote reading and writing Hindi
amongst young and its further development.
 It was launched by External Affairs minister
Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of 11th World
Hindi Conference held in Mauritius.
 Panini language lab aims to promote reading and
writing Hindi amongst young generation and its
further development.
 It will serve as medium to generate more interest
in learning Hindi amongst youngsters thereby
strengthening language.
Pāṇini
 Pāṇini was an ancient Sanskrit philologist,
grammarian, and a revered scholar in ancient
India. He was Considered as the father of
linguistics,
 Pāṇini likely lived in the northwest Indian
subcontinent during the Mahajanapada era.
 He is said to have been born in Shalatula of
ancient Gandhara, which likely was near modern
Lahor, a small town at the junction of the Indus
and Kabul rivers, which falls in the Swabi District
of modern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
 The area was then a satrapy of the Achaemenid
Empire following the Achaemenid conquest of the
Indus Valley, which technically made him in all
probability an Achaemenid Persian subject.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 Ashtadhyayi
 Pāṇini is known for his text Ashtadhyayi, a sutra-
style treatise on Sanskrit grammar, 3,959 "verses"
or rules on linguistics, syntax and semantics in
"eight chapters" which is the foundational text of
the Vyākaraṇa branch of the Vedanga, the
auxiliary scholarly disciplines of the Vedic period.
 His aphoristic text attracted numerous bhashya
(commentaries), of which Patanjali's Mahābhāṣya
is the most famous in Hindu traditions.
 His ideas influenced and attracted commentaries
from scholars of other Indian religions such as
Buddhism.
 Pāṇini's analysis of noun compounds still forms
the basis of modern linguistic theories of
compounding in Indian languages.
 Pāṇini's comprehensive and scientific theory of
grammar is conventionally taken to mark the start
of Classical Sanskrit.
 His systematic treatise inspired and made Sanskrit
the preeminent Indian language of learning and
literature for two millennia.
India-Vietnam Mou On Postal Stamp
In News: Recently, Union Cabinet has signed a
MoU with Vietnam on postal stamp.
What is the difference between a Stupa
and Pagoda?
 In general, however, "stupa" is the term used for a
Buddhist structure in India or Southeast Asia
while "pagoda" refers to temple or a sacred
building in East Asia which can be entered, and
which may be secular in purpose.
 Stupa is a hemispherical dome shaped structure
which contains relics of remains of Buddha or a
Bodhistava, whereas Pagodas have sets of multiple
discs.
 Unlike the typical stupa, the pagoda actually has
interior space, sometimes on several levels.
 Pagodas are found in Nepal, China, Japan, Korea,
Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka etc.
Background
 The Postal department of Vietnam and Indian had
signed an agreement in December 2017 to issue a
joint stamp on “India-Vietnam: Joint Issue on the
theme ‘Ancient Architecture’”.
 The Agreement has been approved now by the
Cabinet.
 The Joint commemorative stamp depicts Sanchi
Stupa and Pho Minh Pagoda of Vietnam which
was released on January 25.
Sanchi Stupa
 It is one of the oldest structures in India and was
Art & Culture_001
28
commission by 3rd century BCE by Emperor
Ashoka.
 It is believed that during the reign of Shunga
Emperor Pushyamitra Shunga it was vandalised.
While under Agnimitra Shunga, son of
Pushyamitra, it was refurbished.
 During the Satavahans Period the gateways, and
the balustrade were built and highly decorated. The
gateways commissioned were covered with
narrative structures. The figure of Lord Buddha
was carved in these structures as canopy under
the Bodhi Tree at the point of Enlightenment.
Various events of life of Lord Buddha were
carved.
 As seen in the figure the main parts of the Stupa
are – Anda, Harmika, Chatri, Pradakshinapatha,
Medhi, Vedika and Torana.
 The Sanchi Stupa has four beautifully carved
Toranas or the gateways which depict various
events of Buddhas’ life and Jatakas.
 It has been enlisted as UNESCO world heritage
site in 1989. Pho Minh Pagoda of Vietnam
 It was built originally during the Ly Dynasty and
was later expanded in 1262 during Tran Dynasty.
 It was a place for high-ranking mandarins and the
aristocracy of the Tran Royal Court to worship and
lead their religious life.
Adopt A Heritage
In News: Recently, the Red Fort has been leased
out to Dalmia group.
Archeological Survey of India (ASI)
 Founded in 1861, it is an attached office of the
Ministry of Culture.
 It is the premier organization for the
archaeological research, scientific analysis,
excavation of archaeological sites, etc.
 Under the provisions of the Ancient
Monuments and Archeological Sites Remains
Act of 1958, the ASI administers more than
3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites
and remains of national importance.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487
 More about Such Lease
 The monument has been adopted under 'Adopt a
Heritage' Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, wherein
a company utilises its CSR to develop and upkeep
the monument.
 The legal status of the monument does not
change after adoption.
 The company does not collect any money from the
public unless allowed by the government, and
profits, if any, are used to maintain and upgrade
tourism facilities.
Arguments for Involving Private
Enterprises
 The ASI is responsible for the upkeep of these
monuments. However, it faces various issues like
lack of funds and expertise, inability in policing
entry and warding off encroachers, etc.
 Outsourcing is already being done to restore
monuments e.g. The Agha Khan and the Dorabji
Tata Trusts were recently involved in the
restoration of the Humayun’s Tomb.
 Corporates frequently sponsor the development
and upkeep of sites across the world, especially
in Europe e.g. in restoration of the Colosseum,
Trevi Fountain, management in Angkorvat Temple,
etc.
 Along with the government, corporates can be
allowed to take some responsibility with proper
monitoring and safeguards.
Arguments against their Involvement
 The heritage of a country is national. It should be
available to everybody and should not represent
the agenda or interests of a private company.
 Many of the sites advertised for adoption are
religious or of religious importance, pushing them
further into the consumption-ruled private market
can be seen questionable.
Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar Apni
Pehchan
 It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tourism,
Ministry of Culture, ASI and State/UT
Governments.
 It aims to involve public sector companies,
private sector companies and corporate
citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility
for making heritage and tourism more sustainable
through development, operation and maintenance
of world-class tourist infrastructure and amenities
at the Indian heritage sites.
 The program outlines concrete responsibilities
for the private companies, such as creating new
infrastructure, new amenities and new levels of
cleanliness, maintaining the existing operations,
making the monument more popular, and taking
better care of tourists.
 The firm will, among others, have a responsibility
to better advertise the site but will also be able to
Art & Culture_001
29
advertise itself through the site.
 The companies are selected through Vision
Bidding (i.e. company with best vision for the
heritage site gets the opportunity), and are called
Monument Mitras.
 The Project envisages limited ‘access’ to non-core
areas and ‘no handing over of monuments’ are
involved.
 To know more about the scheme, Please go
through Government Schemes, 2018 of Vision IAS
(under Ministry of Tourism).
Deendayal Hastkala Sankul
In News: Prime Minister recently laid the
foundation stone for Deendayal Hastkala Sankul –
a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts in
Varanasi.
 The Sankul will facilitate the
weavers/artisans/exporters in promotion of
handlooms/handicrafts in both domestic and
international markets.
 The Crafts Museum in the Sankul will preserve the
traditional handloom/handicrafts products of
Varanasi and showcase the handloom &
handicraft products, which will be an inspiration
for the new generation, scholars, designers and
tourists.
Background
 The Finance Minister in the Budget 2014-15 had
announced setting up of a Trade Facilitation Centre
and a Crafts Museum to develop and promote
handlooms, handicrafts and silk products of
Varanasi and to provide necessary help to weavers,
artisans and entrepreneurs of Varanasi in
strengthening their marketing activities in domestic
as well as international markets and in carrying
forward the rich tradition of handlooms at
Varanasi.
World Cities Cultural Forum
In News: Recently, Mumbai became the first
Indian city to be a member of World Cities Cultural
Forum (WCCF).
More form News
 Mumbai is a cultural centre which promotes
culture through its entertainment and fashion
industry, museums, temples etc.
 It would allow Mumbai to share ideas, technology,
challenges and access cultures and art of other
cities and broaden its perspective.
World Cities Cultural Forum
WCCF is the biggest forum of global network which
provides a platform for 33 cities to share their
culture, data-driven research and intelligence
while exploring the vital role and impact of culture
in future prosperity.
Byju’s Classes: 9873643487