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GS Paper: GS1-01.Indian Culture- Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

  • Who are the Nihangs?

    The Patiala incident in which a group of Nihangs attacked a Punjab police officer has put the spotlight on the Nihangs.

    This newscard focuses on Nihang cult of Sikhism. Though in news for a different purpose, it is significant for prelims.

    Who is a Nihang?

    • Nihang is an order of Sikh warriors, characterized by blue robes, antiquated arms such as swords and spears, and decorated turbans surmounted by steel quoits.
    • Etymologically the word Nihang stems more from the Sanskrit word nihshank which means without fear, unblemished, pure, carefree and indifferent to worldly gains and comfort.
    • The word Nihang also occurs in a hymn in the Guru Granth Sahib, where it alludes to a fearless and unrestrained person.

    When was the order formed?

    • Formation of Nihang order can be traced back to the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

    How were Nihangs different from other Sikhs, and other Sikh warriors?

    • As per an account by the East India Company’s Colonel James Skinner (1778-1841), Khalsa Sikhs were divided into two groups.
    • Those who put on blue attire which Guru Gobind Singh used to wear at the time of battle and those who do not follow any restrictions on the colour of their dress.
    • Both of them follow the profession of soldiery and are brave without peer in the art of musketry and chakarbazi, and the use of quoits.
    • Nihangs observe the Khalsa code of conduct in its strictest sense.
    • They do not profess any allegiance to an earthly master. Instead of saffron they hoist a blue Nishan Sahib (flag) atop their shrines.

    What is their role in history?

    • Nihangs had a major role in defending the Sikh panth after the fall of the first Sikh rule (1710-15) when Mughal governors were killing Sikhs, and during the onslaught of Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Durrani (1748-65).
    • Nihangs also took control of the religious affairs of the Sikhs at Akal Takht in Amritsar.
    • They did not consider themselves subordinate to any Sikh chief and thus maintained their independent existence.
    • At Akal Takht, they held the grand council (Sarbat Khalsa) of Sikhs and pronounced the resolution (Gurmata) passed.
    • During Operation Bluestar in June 1984, some Nihangs, namely Ajit Singh Poohla, collaborated with the Punjab police to eliminate militants.

  • Meru Jatra Festival

    Odisha’s Ganjam district administration has banned the Meru Jatra festival and congregations related to it at temples on the occasion of Mahavishub Sankranti.

    Festive fairs in India are known for their age-old traditions and some historic background.  Meru Jatra is one of such fairs. We can expect a match the pairs question on such fairs.

    Meru Jatra

    • In Southern Odisha, the Meru Yatra festival is celebrated as the end of the month-long Danda nata dance festival.
    • Thousands of devotees gather at the Shakti Pitha shrine in the Taratarini Temple because it is one of the auspicious days during the Chaitra Yatra.
    • People from all over the state eat festive chhatua and drink Bel Pana to mark the occasion.

    What is Danda nata?

    • Danda as the name implies, is self-inflicted pain, which the danduas (people who participate in the festival) undergo to pay their obeisance to the lord Kali.
    • It is also a form of worshipping the lord Shiva and his consort Parvati.
    • The origin of the festival is generally traced to 8th and 9th AD after the decadence of Buddhism in Orissa.

  • [pib] Diverse names of harvesting festival

    The nation today celebrates the festival of harvest, Vaishakhi under diverse names. Vaisakhi celebrates the solar new year, based on the Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar.

    Vaishakhi

    • Vaisakhi also known as Baisakhi is a historical and religious festival in Sikhism.
    • It is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year which commemorates the formation of Khalsa panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
    • In Sikhism, Vaisakhi marks the start of the Khalsa in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh.

    Other names

    • Maha Bishuba Pana Sankranti (Odisha)
    • Bikhu or Bikhauti (Kumaon region of Uttarakhand)
    • Bisu (Tulu region of Karnataka)
    • Bohag Bihu (Assam)
    • Puthandu (Tamil Nadu)
    • Vishu (Kerala)

    Note: Harvest festivals are significant events. Do try to remember their names as one can expect a match the pair question.

  • Assamese Gamosa 

    The COVID-19 pandemic has made the Assamese gamosa, a decorative cotton towel, evolve from memento to mask.

    Gamosa

    • The Gamosa is an article of significance for the people of Assam.
    • It is generally a white rectangular piece of cloth with primarily a red border on three sides and red woven motifs on the fourth (in addition to red, other colors are also used).
    • Although cotton yarn is the most common material for making/weaving gamosas, there are special occasion ones made from Pat silk.

    Types

    • Assam has traditionally had two types of gamosas the uka and the phulam.
    • The uka or plain kind is used to wipe sweat or dry the body after a bath.
    • The phulam is decorated with floral motifs to be gifted as a memento or during festivals such as Bihu.

    Significance

    • Cultural historians say the gamosa came to symbolise Assamese nationalism in 1916 when the Asom Chatra Sanmilan, a students’ organisation was formed, followed by the Assam Sahitya Sabha, a literary body.
    • Wearing the phulam gamosa around the neck became a standard for cultural identity.
    • Thegamosa’s graph as a symbol of protest rose during the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation from 1979 to 1985.
    • The gamosa staged a comeback as a political statement with the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act from mid-December 2019.

  • Pyramid of Djoser

     

     

    Last week, Egypt reopened the Pyramid of Djoser, the first pyramid ever built, after a 14-year restoration. The structure is believed to be designed by Imhotep, described by some as the first architect of the world.

    The Pyramid of Djoser

    • The 4,700-year-old pyramid is 60 metres tall, and consists of six stacked steps over a burial shaft tomb 28 metres deep and seven metres wide.
    • It is located at the Saqqara archaeological site, 24 km southwest of Cairo, outside the royal capital of Memphis. A complex of halls and courts is located around the pyramid.
    • It is the world’s oldest monumental stone building.
    • Today a UNESCO world heritage site, the pyramid was constructed during the era of Pharaoh Djoser, the second king of Ancient Egypt’s Third Dynasty (2650 BC– 2575 BC).
    • The Pharaoh’s 19-year reign saw significant technical innovations in stone architecture.
    • The pyramid’s architect, Imhotep, was also a physician and astrologer, and served as Djoser’s minister.

  • The Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019

     

     

    The Union Minister of HRD has introduced The Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha.

    Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019

    The Bill is intended to convert India’s three deemed-to-be Sanskrit universities — (i) Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, (ii) Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi, and (iii) Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati — into Central Sanskrit Universities.

    The following are the salient features of the Bill:

    What the universities will do

    The proposed central universities will:

    1. disseminate and advance knowledge for the promotion of Sanskrit,
    2. make special provisions for integrated courses in humanities, social sciences, and science, and
    3. train manpower for the overall development and preservation of Sanskrit and allied subjects.

    Powers and functions

    These include:

    1. prescribing courses of study and conducting training programmes,
    2. granting degrees, diplomas, and certificates,
    3. providing facilities through a distance education system,
    4. conferring autonomous status on a college or an institution,
    5. providing instructions for education in Sanskrit and allied subjects.

    University authorities

    Some of the authorities that the universities will have:

    • A court, which will review the policies of the university and suggest measures for its development.
    • An Executive Council, which will be the principal executive body. The 15-member council will include the Vice-Chancellor appointed by the Centre, who will be the chairperson; a joint secretary of the Ministry of HRD, and two eminent academics from the field of Sanskrit or allied subjects.
    • The council will, among other functions, create teaching and academic posts and their appointment, and manage the revenue and property of the university.
    • An Academic and Activity Council, which will supervise academic policies.
    • A Board of Studies, which will approve the subjects for research and recommend measures to improve standards of teaching.

    Visitor of the universities

    • Like at all central universities, the President of India will be the Visitor of the central Sanskrit universities.
    • He may appoint persons to review and inspect the functioning of the University.
    • The Executive Council may take action based on the findings of the inspection.

  • [pib] Various schemes implemented by Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)

    The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has informed about its various schemes in the Lok Sabha.

    Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)

    • To preserve & promote various forms of folk art and culture of the tribals throughout the country including West Bengal, the govt. has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs).
    • These are headquartered at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur.
    • These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes all over the country on regular basis.

    These ZCCs under Ministry of Culture are also implementing a number of schemes for promoting the folk/tribal art and culture, details of which are as below –

    1) Award to Young Talented Artists:

    • The Scheme “Young Talented Artists” is carried out to encourage and recognize the young talents especially in the field of rare art forms.
    • Talented youngsters of the age group of 18-30 years are selected and given a one-time  cash award of Rs. 10,000/-.

    2) Guru Shishya Parampara:

    • This scheme envisages transmitting our valued traditions to the coming generations. Disciples are trained under veterans in art forms which are rare and vanishing.
    • Rare and vanishing art forms of the region are identified and eminent exponents are selected to carry out the training programmes in ‘Gurukula’ tradition.
    • The monthly remuneration for Guru – Rs. 7,500/-, Accompanist – Rs. 3,750/- and        Pupils – Rs. 1,500/- each for the period of six month to maximum 1 year for one scheme.
    • The names of the Gurus are recommended by the State Cultural Affairs Departments.

    3) National Cultural Exchange Programme (NCEP):

    • It can be termed as the lifeline of the Zonal Cultural Centers. Under this scheme, various festivals of performing arts, exhibitions, yatras etc are organized in member States.
    • Artists from other zones/states are invited to participate in these programmes. Participation of artists from the Zone in festivals held in other parts of the country are also facilitated.
    • Zonal centres also participate in Major festivals happening in member States by arranging performances during these festivals where large number of audience get chance to enjoy and understand art forms of other regions.
    • These festivals provide opportunity to taste and understand various cultures of our country.

    4) Preservation of Languages

    • Sahitya Akademi, an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, encourages the preservation and promotion of languages, especially the unrecognized and tribal languages.
    • The Akademi periodically organizes language conventions throughout the country in this regard.

    5) Theatre Rejuvenation:

    • To promote theatre activities including stage shows and Production oriented workshops, etc. Honorarium Up to Rs. 30,000/- per show excluding TA & DA is paid.
    • The groups finalized on the basis their credentials as well as the merit of project submitted by them.

    6) Research & Documentation:

    • To preserve promote and propagate vanishing visual and performing art forms including folk, tribal and classical in the field of music, dance, theatre, literature, fine arts etc. in print/ audio – visual media.
    • The art form is finalized in consultation with state Cultural Department.

    7) Shilpgram:  To promote folk and tribal art and crafts of the zone by organizing seminar, workshops, exhibitions, craft fairs, design development and marketing support to the artisans living in the rural areas.

    8) Octave:  To promote and propagate the rich cultural heritage of North East region comprising of eight States namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura to the rest of India.

  • [pib] India’s nominations for 2020 World Heritage List

    Government of India has submitted two nomination dossiers namely ‘Dholavira: A Harappan City’ and ‘Monuments and Forts of Deccan Sultanate’ for inclusion in the World Heritage List for the year 2020.  Govt. of Madhya Pradesh has submitted the proposal of ‘Group of Monuments at Mandu’ in the year 2019.

    What are World Heritage Sites?

    • A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
    • The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
    • To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
    • It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
    • The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
    • The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.

    UNESCO World Heritage Committee

    • The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    • It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
    • It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
    • India is NOT a member of this Committee.
    • Recently, its 42nd meeting in 2018 was held in Manama Bahrain.

    Also read:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/pib-india-gets-its-37th-unesco-world-heritage-site/

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/jaipur-gets-unesco-world-heritage-tag/

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/orchha-on-unesco-world-heritage-sites-tentative-list/

     

    Read more about the Tentative lists from India at:

    http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/IN

  • Taj Mahal Complex

    The Taj Mahal complex has been spruced up for the visit of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

    About Taj

    • The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the city of Agra.
    • It was commissioned in 1632 by Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658) to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself.
    • The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.
    • The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (U.S. $827 million).
    • The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
    • The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”.

    Various threats to Taj

    • The Supreme Court had earlier expressed concern over the marble of the Taj changing colour, and asked how the white marble, which had first become yellowish, was now turning brownish and greenish.
    • Firstly, the polluting industries and the vehicular emissions in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) area are a major source of pollution.
    • The second reason is that the Yamuna River, which flows behind the Taj, has become highly polluted.
    • There is no aquatic life in it, and has caused insect and algae infestation on the Taj Mahal and other monuments situated on its banks.

    Use of mud packs

    • Increasing pollution in the air over the Gangetic Valley affecting the Taj has been a reason for concern for archaeologists and conservationists for long now.
    • Mud packs were applied on the surface of the monument first in 1994, and then again in 2001, 2008, and, most recently, beginning 2014.
    • Mud packs have been one of the ASI’s favoured ways to remove the yellow stains that have appeared over the years on the Taj Mahal’s white marble facade.
    • The clay is applied in the form of a thick paste that absorbs the grime, grease and bird droppings on the marble, before being washed off using distilled water.
    • The process is slow and tortuous, but is believed to leave the marble cleaner and shinier.
    • The intricate parts are applied with special “multani mitti’ (Fuller’s clay) treatment.

  • International Mother Language Day

     

    Friday, February 21 was International Mother Language Day.

    International Mother Language Day

    • It has been observed since 1999 to promote “linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism”, according to the UN.
    • Of the world’s 6,000 languages, 43% are estimated as endangered, according to the UN.
    • On the other hand, just 10 languages account for as many as 4.8 billion speakers — over 60% of the world population.
    • Globally, English remains the most widely spoken language with 1.13 billion speakers in 2019, followed by Mandarin with 1.17 billion, according to the online database Ethnologue.

    Why February 21?

    • UNESCO declared International Mother Language Day in 1999, to commemorate a 1952 protest against West Pakistan’s imposition of Urdu as the official language of East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh).
    • According to a report, police opened fire on demonstrating Dhaka University students and “some people were killed”.
    • When thousands thronged the university the next day, police fired again, killing more people.
    • In Bangladesh, since 1953, February 21 is observed as Ekushe Day, after the Bengali word for twenty-one.
    • According to the South Asia Democratic Forum, five among those killed were recognised as “language martyrs — Abul Barkat, Abdul Jabbar, Rafiquddin Ahmad, Abdus Salman and Shafiur Rahman.

    Data on Indian languages

    • Hindi is third with 615 million speakers while Bengali is seventh with 265 million.
    • In India, Hindi is the most spoken language with over 528 million speakers in 2011, as per the Census.
    • Bengali had 97.2 million speakers in 2011, followed by Marathi (83 million), while other languages with over 50 million speakers are Telugu (81 million), Tamil (69 million), Gujarati (55.5 million) and Urdu (50.8 million).
    • Percentage trends from 1991 to 2011 underline the growth of the most widely spoken language, Hindi, which was spoken by 39.29% of the Indian population in 1991, and whose share grew to 43.63% in 2011.
    • For other languages in India’s top 12, the 2011 percentage share has fallen when compared to that in 1991.