Indian Culture

TOPICS COVERED: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Context: During her address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, President of India paid tributes to women freedom fighters. Matangini Hazra: She was born in a village …

Syllabus: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Context A portion of a circular brick structure has been unearthed at Porpanaikottai, a Sangam- age site, in Pudukottai district. Studies had indicated that a fort existed there. What we find …

Context:  Shaligrams, the sacred fossils that have been worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists for over 2,000 years, are becoming rarer because of climate change Key details: For more than 2,000 years, Hinduism, Buddhism and the shamanic Himalayan religion of Bon have venerated Shaligrams. What are Shaligrams? These are ancient fossils of ammonites, a class of extinct sea …

Context:  Artists from Rajasthan perform ‘Kalbelia’ dance during the National Folk and Tribal Art Festival in Bhopal. Key details: Kalbelia dance is a folk dance of Rajasthan. It is well known by other names like ‘Sapera Dance’ or ‘Snake Charmer Dance’. Kalbelia dance is particularly performed by a Rajasthani tribe called ‘Kalbelia’. Rajasthan’s Kalbelia dance and songs are …

Context:  In northern Italy, palm manuscripts from the 18th Century, titled Gnanamuyarchi, have been discovered in an Armenian monastery. About Findings: This significant finding sheds light on the rich history and cultural exchange between different regions during that time. This translation is most likely by Michele Bertoldi, known in Tamil as Gnanaprakasasamy. This is a prose text from …

In California, members of an under-the-radar, minority religious community called the Ravidassia are stepping into the public eye to advocate for making the state the first in the nation to outlaw caste bias. Who are the Ravidassias? The Ravidassias are the followers of Ravidass, a 14th century Indian guru who preached caste and class equality. …

From among the excavations of the Keezhadi archaeological site, situated 13 km from Madurai, ivory chess pieces, ivory dice and terracotta hopscotch stones were found Speaking on “Keezhadi: Sangam Age Site Excavations” at an event organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Chennai Chapter, at …

In C.S. Chellappa’s Tamil novel, Vaadivaasal (the place of entry for bulls in an arena), there is a scene which captures the spirit of bull tamers in Tamil Nadu. After being gored by the invincible bull ‘Kaari’, Picchi’s father Ambuli would tell him, “Swear on your father. After me, this arena will …

A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a press conference in Delhi explaining the importance of the sceptre (sengol) to be installed in the new Parliament building, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed presspersons in Chennai on Thursday, explaining how it is a matter of pride for Tamil …

A tribal council’s order not to issue a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate to any Khasi person who adopts the surname of his/her father. The Khasi is an indigenous tribe of Meghalaya numbering about 1.39 lakh. They are of the three matrilineal communities of North-east besides the Garo and Jaintias. Following the matrilineal law of inheritance, …