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, …

Context: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural heritage (INTACH) has objected to the demolition of the Paralakhemundi railway station built in 1899 and has sought heritage status for it. The Paralakhemundi railway station: Located in the Gajapati district, Paralakhemundi railway station, is one of the oldest stations of Odisha. …

The Khooni Darwaza is a key piece of the India’s history, as it has witnessed the events of the revolts of 1857. It was built by Sher Shah in the 16th century. Ronald Vivian Smith in his book ‘Delhi: Unknown Tales of a City’ has mentioned “Lal Darwaza” built by Sher Shah in his new …

The Indian Railways has taken up the renovation of the historic Paralakhemundi railway station, one of India’s oldest and the first in Odisha’s Gajapati district. Paralakhemundi Light Railway (PLR) Naupada (a small town, now in Andhra Pradesh) got rail lines in 1894, as part of construction of Cuttack-Khurda Road railway line extending up to …

MyGov, in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, launches ‘YUVA PRATIBHA – Singing Talent Hunt. To promote Indian music at the grassroots level on a national scale by identifying and recognising the new and young talent in various singing genres. Genres:  Folk Songs Patriotic Songs Contemporary Songs Eligibility: The contest is open to all Indian citizens. …

Delhi’s first ‘Haunted Heritage Walk’ to kick off from Malcha Mahal. Organized by Delhi Tourism department. Among the other sites that the walk will cover include: Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal, Feroze Shah Kotla and the Tughlaqabad Fort. Aim: The Tourism department is identifying “haunted” sites in the national capital to conduct heritage walks. A detailed plan on …

Since 2019, members of the Kondh tribe in Odisha have added one more event to their calendar of festivals and celebrations called Bihan Mela It is literally the seed festival. It includes both hybrid and indigenous varieties of paddy, millets, maize and sorghum. How is it celebrated? Women, who are at the helm of this festival, carefully collect seeds of the indigenous varieties and store …

Researchers recently embarked on a mission after which they claim to have shed new light on Shilabhattarika. The celebrated Sanskrit poetess of ancient India was established as the daughter of the famed Chalukyan emperor Pulakeshin II of Badami (in modern Karnataka). Shila-bhattarika was a Sanskrit poet. One of her poems mentions the Narmada River (Reva) and the Vindhya mountains. The …

Prime Minister of India praises “Abhilekh patal” a portal with over 1 Crore Pages of Historical Records of the National Archives Abhilekh is a Sanskrit term used in India for records since ancient times and Patal is a Sanskrit word meaning a board, platform, or a surface. A combination of both these words has been adopted as an acronym for Portal for Access to Archives and Learning. It is …

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission launches National Campaign “Sangathan se Samriddhi”. Nodal ministry: The Ministry of Rural Development’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). “Sangathan Se Samridhhi– Leaving no Rural Woman Behind” is a national campaign aimed at mobilizing 10 crore women from eligible rural households. This special drive aspires to bring all the …

Utsa Patnaik, an economist of national and international repute, has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award, 2023. The award is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust. The prestigious national award honours outstanding social scientists selected by a national-level jury specially constituted for this purpose, from the nominations received. The award will …