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  • Earth’s inner core rotating slower than surface: Study

    earth

    Earth’s inner core, a hot iron ball the size of Pluto, has stopped spinning faster than the planet’s surface and might now be rotating slower than it, research suggested.

    A quick recap of Earth’s Interior

    earth

    Structure of earth’s interior is fundamentally divided into three layers – crust, mantle and core.

    [A] Crust

    • It is the outermost solid part of the earth, normally about 8-40 kms thick.
    • It is brittle in nature.
    • Nearly 1% of the earth’s volume and 0.5% of earth’s mass are made of the crust.
    • The thickness of the crust under the oceanic and continental areas are different. Oceanic crust is thinner (about 5kms) as compared to the continental crust (about 30kms).
    • Major constituent elements of crust are Silica (Si) and Aluminium (Al) and thus, it is often termed as SIAL(Sometimes SIAL is used to refer Lithosphere, which is the region comprising the crust and uppermost solid mantle, also).
    • The mean density of the materials in the crust is 3g/cm3.
    • The discontinuity between the hydrosphere and crustis termed as the Conrad Discontinuity.

     [B] Mantle

    • The portion of the interior beyond the crust is called as the mantle.
    • The discontinuity between the crust and mantleis called as the Mohorovich Discontinuity or Moho discontinuity.
    • The mantle is about 2900kms in thickness.
    • Nearly 84% of the earth’s volume and 67% of the earth’s mass is occupied by the mantle.
    • The major constituent elements of the mantle are Silicon and Magnesium and hence it is also termed as SIMA.
    • The density of the layer is higher than the crust and varies from 3.3 – 5.4g/cm3.
    • The uppermost solid part of the mantle and the entire crust constitute the Lithosphere.
    • The asthenosphere (in between 80-200km) is a highly viscous, mechanically weak and ductile, deforming region of the upper mantle which lies just below the lithosphere.
    • The asthenosphere is the main source of magma and it is the layer over which the lithospheric plates/ continental plates move (plate tectonics).
    • The discontinuity between the upper mantle and the lower mantleis known as Repetti Discontinuity.
    • The portion of the mantle which is just below the lithosphere and asthenosphere, but above the core is called as Mesosphere.

    [C] Core

    • It is the innermost layer surrounding the earth’s centre.
    • The core is separated from the mantle by Guttenberg’s Discontinuity.
    • It is composed mainly of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) and hence it is also called as NIFE.
    • It constitutes nearly 15% of earth’s volume and 32.5% of earth’s mass.
    • It is the densest layer of the earth with its density ranges between 9.5-14.5g/cm3.
    • It spins independently because it floats in the liquid metal outer core. One cycle of the swing is about seven decades approximately.
    • It consists of two sub-layers: the inner core and the outer core.
    • The inner core is in solid state and the outer core is in the liquid state (or semi-liquid).
    • The discontinuity between the upper core and the lower core is called as Lehmann Discontinuity.
    • Barysphere is sometimes used to refer the core of the earth or sometimes the whole interior.

    What should one understand about the interior of the earth?

    • It is not possible to know about the earth’s interior by direct observations because of the huge size and the changing nature of its interior composition.
    • It is an almost impossible distance for the humans to reach till the centre of the earth (The earth’s radius is 6,370 km).
    • The rapid increase in temperature below the earth’s surface is mainly responsible for setting a limit to direct observations inside the earth.

    Sources of Information about the interior of the earth

    Direct Sources:

    1. Rocks from mining area
    2. Volcanic eruptions

    Indirect Sources

    1. By analyzing the rate of change of temperature and pressurefrom the surface towards the interior.
    2. Meteors, as they belong to the same type of materials earth is made of.
    3. Gravitation, which is greater near poles and less at the equator.
    4. Gravity anomaly, which is the change in gravity value according to the mass of material, gives us information about the materials in the earth’s interior.
    5. Magnetic sources.
    6. Seismic Waves: the shadow zones of body waves (Primary and secondary waves) give us information about the state of materials in the interior.

    What is the new study about?

    • Exactly how the inner core rotates has been a matter of debate between scientists— and the latest research is expected to prove controversial.
    • A new research has analyzed seismic waves from repeating earthquakes over the last six decades.
    • It shows that- the inner core started rotating slightly faster than the rest of the planet in the early 1970s, the study said.
    • But it had been slowing down before coming in sync with Earth’s rotation around 2009.

    What made the core spin slower?

    • So far there is little to indicate that what the inner core does has many effects on surface dwellers.
    • The researchers said this rotation timeline roughly lines up with changes in what is called the “length of day”— small variations in the exact time it takes Earth to rotate on its axis.
    • But the researchers said they believed there were physical links between all of Earth’s layers, from the inner core to the surface.

     

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  • In news: Etikoppaka Toy Craft

    etikoppaka

    The Union conferred Padma Shri to Mr. Raju in the art category as an honour to the Etikoppaka wooden toy craft.

    Etikoppaka Toys

    • Etikoppaka is a small village on the banks of Varaha River at a distance of 64 Kms away from the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.
    • The name Etikoppaka is synonymous with beautiful wooden artifacts and lacquer colours.
    • The toys are made with lacquer color and are traditionally known as Etikoppaka toys or Etikoppaka Bommalu.
    • The village is very famous for its toys made of wood. The toys are also called as lacquer toys because of application of lacquer coating.
    • Etikoppaka Toys have obtained their GI tag under the Handicrafts category in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

    How are they made?

    • The toys are made out of wood and are coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer, bark, roots and leaves.
    • The wood used to make the toys is soft in nature and the art of toy making is also known as Turned wood Lacquer craft.
    • While making the Etikoppaka toys, lac, a colourless resinous secretion of numerous insects, is used.
    • The already prepared vegetable dyes are further mixed to the lac, during the process of oxidation.
    • After this process, the end product obtained is rich and colored lacquer.
    • The lac dye is used for decorating the Etikoppaka toys, which are exported all over the world.

     

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  • Excavations reveal Buddhist monastery complex at Bharatpur of Bengal

    buddh

    Recent excavations at Bharatpur in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district have revealed the presence of a Buddhist monastery.

    Bharatpur Buddhist Monastery Complex

    • The Kolkata Circle of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) started excavating the site in the second week of January and a structural complex of a monastery has now been partially exposed.
    • The site was initially excavated almost fifty years ago between 1972 and 1975 when archeologists from ASI found a Buddhist stupa at the site.

    Uniqueness of this site

    • This place hosts a large stupa along with a monastery complex and black and red ware pottery from the Chalcolithic or Copper Age.
    • In other sites across West Bengal, such as Karnasubarna in Murshidabad, Moghalamari in Paschim Medinipur and Jagjivanpur in Malda, archeologists have found only smaller votive stupas.
    • Further excavation is likely to shed more light to understand the earliest occupation of the site and its continuity till the establishment of a Buddhist monastery.

    Key findings

    • In the 1970s when the site was excavated along with the stupa, five beautiful seated sculptures of the Buddha in Bhumisparsha Mudra -with all five fingers of the right hand extended to touch the ground — were found.
    • These miniature sculptures, each about 30 cm in height, were most likely used for worship in the monastery.

    Back2Basics: Mudras of Buddha

    buddh

    (1) Dharmachakra Mudra

    • It is also called as the gesture of ‘Teaching of the Wheel of Dharma’ that describes one of the most important moments in the Buddha’s life as he performed the Dharmachakra mudra in his first sermon in Sarnath after he attained enlightenment.
    • It is performed with the help of both the hands which are held against the chest, the left facing inward, covering the right facing outward.

    (2) Dhyan Mudra

    • It is also known as Samadhi or Yoga Mudra.
    • It is performed with the help of two hands, which are placed on the lap and place the right hand on the left hand with stretched fingers (thumbs facing upwards and other fingers of both the hand resting on each other.)
    • This is the characteristic gesture of Buddha Shakyamuni, Dhyani Buddha Amitabh and the Medicine Buddha.

    (3) Bhumisparsa Mudra

    • This gesture is also known as ‘touching the Earth’, which represents the moment of the Buddha’s awakening as he claims the earth as the witness of his enlightenment.
    • It is performed with the help of the right hand, which is held above the right knee, reaching toward the ground with the palm inward while touching the lotus throne.

    (4) Varada Mudra

    • This mudra represents the offering, welcome, charity, giving, compassion and sincerity.
    • It is performed with the help of both the hands in which palm of right hand is facing forward and fingers extended and left hand palm placed near centre with extended fingers.

    (5) Karana Mudra

    • It signifies the warding off of evil which is performed by raising the index and the little finger, and folding the other fingers.
    • It helps in reducing sickness or negative thoughts.

    (6) Vajra Mudra

    • This gesture denotes the fiery thunderbolt that symbolises the five elements—air, water, fire, earth, and metal.
    • It is performed with the help of right fist and left forefinger, which is placed by enclosing the erect forefinger of the left hand in the right fist with the tip of the right forefinger touching (or curled around) the tip of the left forefinger.

    (7) Vitarka Mudra

    • It signifies the discussion and transmission of the teachings of the Buddha.
    • It is performed by joining the tips of the thumb and the index fingers together while keeping the other fingers straight, which is just like the Abhaya Mudra and Varada Mudra but in this mudra the thumbs touch the index fingers.

    (8) Abhaya Mudra

    • It is a gesture of fearlessness or blessing that represents the protection, peace, benevolence, and dispelling of fear.
    • It is performed with the help of right hand by raising to shoulder height with bent arm, and the face of palm will be facing outward with fingers upright whereas the left hand hanging down while standing.

    (9) Uttarabodhi Mudra

    • This denotes the supreme enlightenment through connecting oneself with divine universal energy.
    • It is performed with the help of both the hands, which are placed at the heart with the index fingers touching and pointing upwards and the remaining fingers intertwined.

    (10) Anjali Mudra

    • It is also called Namaskara Mudra or Hridayanjali Mudra that represents the gesture of greeting, prayer and adoration.
    • It is performed by pressing the palms of the hands together in which the hands are held at the heart chakra with thumbs resting lightly against the sternum.

     

    Answer this PYQ from CSP 2014 in the comment box:

    Q.Lord Buddha’s image is sometimes shown with a hand gesture called ‘Bhumisparsha Mudra’. It symbolizes-

    a) Buddha’s calling of the Earth to watch over Mara and to prevent Mara from disturbing his meditation

    b) Buddha’s calling of the Earth to witness his purity and chastity despite the temptations of Mara

    c) Buddha’s reminder to his followers that they all arise from the Earth and finally dissolve into the Earth and thus this life is transitory

    d) Both the statements ‘a’ and ‘b’ are correct in this context

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”i3wwnob4og” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • Places in news: Jagannath Puri Temple

    Odisha Governor’s suggestion that foreigners and non-Hindus should be allowed to enter Puri’s famed Jagannath temple has not gone down well with traditionalists and political leaders alike.

    Why in news?

    • It has been the practice for centuries — even though there is no clearly articulated reason for it.
    • Some historians believe that multiple attacks on the Temple by foreign invaders might have led the servitors to impose restrictions on the entry of non-Hindus.
    • Others have said that this was the practice from the time the Temple was built.
    • In 1984, the servitors famously opposed the entry of Indira Gandhi inside the Temple, saying she had married a non-Hindu.

    About Jagannath Temple

    • The Jagannath Temple is an important Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Sri Krishna in Puri in Odisha.
    • The present temple was rebuilt from the 10th century onwards, on the site of an earlier temple, and begun by Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, the first king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
    • The Puri temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three principal deities are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars.

    Its architecture

    • With its sculptural richness and fluidity of the Oriya style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India.
    • The huge temple complex covers an area of over 400,000 square feet and is surrounded by a high fortified wall.
    • This 20 feet high wall is known as Meghanada Pacheri.
    • Another wall known as kurma bedha surrounds the main temple.

    The temple has four distinct sectional structures, namely:

    1. Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls). In Rekha Deula style;
    2. Mukhashala (Frontal porch);
    3. Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and
    4. Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall)

  • Assam’s Charaideo Maidams nominated for UNESCO tag

    maidam

    The Centre has decided to nominate Assam’s Charaideo Maidams — the Ahom equivalent of the ancient Egyptian pyramids — for the UNESCO World Heritage Centre this year.

    Why in news?

    • The nomination has attained significance at a time when the country is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan.

    Charaideo Maidams

    • The Charaideo maidams represents the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam.
    • The Ahoms preferred to place the departed family members at Charaideo where the first king Sukapha was laid to rest.
    • The historical chronicles inform that wives, attendants, pet animals and huge quantity of valuables were buried with the departed kings.
    • The Charaideo Maidams enshrine the mortal remains of the members of the Ahom royalty, who used to be buried with their paraphernalia.
    • After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo.
    • Out of 386 Maidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative of and the most complete examples of mound burial tradition of the Ahoms.

    Architecture details

    • Architecturally it comprises a massive underground vault with one or more chambers having domical superstructure.
    • It is covered by a heap of earthen mound and externally it appears a hemispherical mound.
    • At the top of the mound a small open pavilion chow-chali is provided.
    • An octagonal dwarf wall encloses whole maidam.

     

    Ahoms Dynasty

    • The Ahom, also known as the Tai-Ahom, are an ethnic group from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in India.
    • This ethnic group is made up of interbred descendants of the Tai people, who first came to Assam’s Brahmaputra valley in 1228, and indigenous people who later joined them.
    • Sukaphaa, the Tai group’s leader, and his 9000 supporters founded the Ahom empire (1228–1826 CE), which ruled over part of modern-day Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley until 1826.
    • Charaideo, more than 400 km east of Guwahati, was the first capital of the Ahom dynasty founded by Chao Lung Sukaphaa in 1253.
    • The current Ahom people and culture are a mix of the ancient Tai people and culture, as well as indigenous Tibeto-Burman people and cultures that they assimilated in Assam.

     

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  • What is Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and how it impacts the climate?

    lng

    The EU is weaning itself off piped Russian gas by rapidly expanding imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from US.

    What is Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG?

    • LNG is natural gas reduced to a liquid state (liquefaction) through intense cooling to around -161 degrees Celsius (-259 Fahrenheit).
    • It is constituted almost wholly of methane — a potent greenhouse gas and can be transported around the world by ship.
    • This liquid gas is 600 times smaller than the original volume and is half the weight of water.
    • After arriving at its destination, the cargo is regasified in a floating terminal and redistributed through pipelines.

    Economic feasibility of LNG

    • High cost of liquefaction: despite LNG’s export potential, the high cost of liquefaction and producing LNG has limited its market.
    • Losses: Between 10-25% of the energy of the gas is being lost during the liquefaction process.
    • Costly transport: The cooling, liquefying and transport processes, as well as the post-transport regasification procedures, also require a lot of energy.

    What’s the climate impact of LNG?

    • Emission: With LNG creating almost 10 times more emissions than piped gas by one estimate, its rapid expansion will likely compromise climate targets.
    • Risks of methane leakages: Methane loss across the supply chain risks also contributes to LNG’s high emissions.
    • Huge carbon equivalence: Meanwhile, LNG emits 14 times as much carbon as solar power when producing the equivalent amount of energy, and 50 times as much carbon as wind power.

     

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  • [pib] Channapatna Toys

    channapatna

    Augmented Reality of Channapatna Toys were displayed at First Movers Coalition (FMC) Leadership Meeting of the World Economic Forum.

    Channapatna Toys

    • Channapatna toys are a particular form of wooden toys (and dolls) that are manufactured in the town of Channapatna in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
    • This traditional craft is protected as a geographical indication (GI) under the World Trade Organization, administered by the state govt.
    • As a result of the popularity of these toys, Channapatna is known as Gombegala Ooru (toy-town) of Karnataka.
    • Traditionally, the work involved lacquering the wood of the Wrightia tinctoria tree, colloquially called Aale mara (ivory-wood).
    • Their manufacture goes back at least 200 years according to most accounts and it has been traced to the era of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the 18th century.
    • The toys are laced with vegetable dyes and colours devoid of chemicals and hence they are safe for children.

    Back2Basics: Geographical Indication (GI)

    • A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
    • Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
    • India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
    • GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
    • The tag stands valid for 10 years.

     

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  • Supreme Court to hear petitions for Criminalization of Marital Rape

    marital rape

    The Supreme Court is set to begin hearing a series of petitions seeking to criminalize marital rape from March 14.

    What is Marital Rape?

    • Marital rape is the act of sexual intercourse with one’s spouse without her consent.
    • It is no different manifestation of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
    • It is often a chronic form of violence for the victim which takes place within abusive relations.

    Status in India

    • Historically considered as right of the spouses, this is now widely classified as rape by many societies around the world.
    • In India, marital rape is not a criminal offense (as protected under IPC section 375).
    • India is one of fifty countries that have not yet outlawed marital rape.

    Reasons for disapproval of this concept

    • The reluctance to define non-consensual sex between married couples as a crime and to prosecute has been attributed to:
    1. Traditional views of marriage
    2. Interpretations of religious doctrines
    3. Ideas about male and female sexuality
    4. Cultural expectations of subordination of a wife to her husband
    • It is widely held that a husband cannot be guilty of any sexual act committed by himself upon his lawful wife on account of their mutual matrimonial consent.

    Why it must be a crime?

    • Associated physical violence: Rape by a spouse, partner or ex-partner is more often associated with physical violence and sexual mutilation.
    • Mental harassment: There is research showing that marital rape can be more emotionally and physically damaging than rape by a stranger.
    • Compulsive relationship: Marital rape may occur as part of an abusive relationship.
    • Revengeful nature: Furthermore, marital rape is rarely a one-time event, but a repeated if not frequent occurrence.
    • Obligation on women: In the case of marital rape the victim often has no choice but to continue living with their spouse.

    Violation of fundamental rights

    • Marital rape is considered as a violation of FR guaranteed under Article 14 of the Indian constitution which guarantees the equal protection of laws to all persons.
    • By depriving married women of an effective penal remedy against forced sexual intercourse, it violates their right to privacy and bodily integrity, aspects of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21.

    Problems in prosecuting marital rape

    • Lack of awareness: A lack of public awareness, as well as reluctance or outright refusal of authorities to prosecute is common globally.
    • Gender norms: Additionally, gender norms that place wives in subservient positions to their husbands, make it more difficult for women to recognize such rape.
    • Acceptability of the concept: Another problem results from prevailing social norms that exist.

    Present regulations in India

    • Indian Penal Code criminalizes rape in most cases, although marital rape is not illegal when the woman is over the age of 18.
    • However, until 2017, men married to those between 15 and 18 could not be convicted of rape.
    • Marital rape of an adult wife, who is unofficially or officially separated, is a criminal offence punishable by 2 to 7 year in prison; it is not dealt by normal rape laws which stipulate the possibility of a death sentence.
    • According to the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act (2005), other married women subject to such crime by their husband may demand for financial compensation.
    • They also have the right to continue to live in their marital household if they wish, or may approach shelter or aid homes.

    However, marital rape is still not a criminal offense in this case and is only a misdemeanor.

    Arguments against criminalization

    • Subjective: It is very subjective and intricate to determine whether consent was acquired or not.
    • Prone to Misuse: If marital rape is criminalized without adequate safeguards it could be misused like the current dowry law by the dissatisfied wives to harass and torture their Husbands.
    • Burden on Judiciary: It will increase the burden of judiciary which otherwise may serve other more important causes.

    Way forward

    • Sanctioning marital rape is an acknowledgment of the woman’s right to self-determination (i.e., control) of all matters relating to her body.
    • In the absence of any concrete law, the judiciary always finds it difficult to decide the matter of domestic rape in the absence of solid evidence.
    • The main purpose of marriage is procreation, and sometimes divorce is sought on the ground of non-consummation of marriage.
    • Before giving a final interpretation, the judiciary must balance the rights and duties of both partners.

     

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  • Ancient Votive Stupas found near Nalanda

    stupa

    The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered two 1200-year-old miniature votive stupas during landscaping activities near Sarai Tila mound on the premises of ‘Nalanda Mahavihara’, a world heritage site in Nalanda district.

    What has ASI found?

    • The stupas, carved from stone, depict Buddha figures.
    • These two votive stupas (offered in fulfillment of a vow) were discovered by the ASI officials during landscaping near Sarai Tila mound within the premises of ‘Nalanda Mahavihara on January 4.
    • These, carved from stone depicting Buddha figures, must be around 1200 year old.

    What are Stupas?

    • The Sanskrit word stupa signifies “heap, mound, and pile” and is derived from the root ‘stup’ “to pile up.”
    • The ashes of Buddha collected were divided into eight parts and stupa was erected on them.
    • The legend of relic sharing has been imagined latter on, after the establishment of relic worship and stupa.
    • This belief was raised only when the Buddha was considered as a God, a Chakravartin.

    Types of Stupa

    • Buddha himself distinguished three kinds of stupa (Chaitya): (i) Sariraka, (ii) Paribhogika and (iii) Uddesika (according to Mahaparinibbanasutta).
    • Beside all these, there are also the sculpted, engraved painted stupas intended to procure merit for the donors.
    • Mostly stupa is containing a relic, that the stupa must have been considered from ancient times as a substitute of the Buddha.
    • In Buddhist history, the Buddha was considered to be a Chakravartin, a universal monarch.

    How votive stupas were erected?

    • As his ashes were no longer available, they were replaced by his written law –i.e. factitious body of the Buddha (Niramanakaya), the relic stupas contain the spiritual relics (Dharama Sarira) and the body of law (Dharamakaya) of these represented as Buddha.
    • These stupas erected over relics are called Sariraka Stupas.
    • Other stupas called Paribhogika were erected over objects used by the Buddha, such as his bowl, girdle, clothes etc.
    • Others called Uddesika(votive) were raised over places which were made famous by the presence of Buddha (Buddha’s presence). These are commemorative stupas.

     

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  • Maghi Mela in Punjab

    maghi mela

    Maghi Mela is being celebrated from January 14.

    Maghi Mela

    • Maghi Mela is held in the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib every year in January, or on the month of Magh according to the Nanakshahi calendar.
    • It is one of the most important festivals for Sikhs.
    • Today, the Mela starts on Maghi day and continues for another day or two.
    • People from different parts of the state and even outside come to Muktsar to take a holy dip in the sarovar (lake) of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib and enjoy the festivities.
    • The festival marks the martyrdom of 40 Sikh soldiers in the Battle of Khidrana against the Mughals.
    • In the 1700s, the Mughals and Sikhs were at constant war with each other.

    About Battle of Khidrana

    • In 1704, during the siege of Anandpur Sahib by the Mughals, 40 Sikh soldiers deserted their posts and fled.
    • Upon arriving at their village near Amritsar, a woman named Mai Bhago scolded them and rallied the fighters to return to Anandpur Sahib in the service of their Guru.
    • The freshly motivated soldiers along with Mai Bhago set off towards Anandpur Sahib to help Guru Gobind Singh hold fort against the Mughals.
    • They met the Guru at Khidrana where they took on a large Mughal army, sacrificing their lives in the process.

    Political significance of the Maghi Mela

    • Back in the day, people would arrive in the city days before the actual Maghi day.
    • In the evenings, there would be kavi darbars (poetry sessions) where politicians would speak.
    • This is likely how the political conferences, which can be traced back to the mid-1950s, started.

     

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