Physiography of India

The Northern Mountains / Himalayan Mountains

• Young and structurally fold mountains stretch over thenorthern borders of India
• Run in a west-east direction fromthe Indus to the Brahmaputra formed by the tectonic collision of the Indian plateau with the Eurasian plateau
• Loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the world
• form an arc, which covers a distance of about 2,400 Km in length with varying width from 400 Km in Kashmir to 160 Km Arunachal Pradesh
• The altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern part than in the western

The Trans Himalayas

• Himalayan Ranges immediately to the north of the The Great Himalayan Range are called the Trans Himalayas.
• Most of the part of this Himalayan range lies in the Tibet and hence also called Tibetan Himalaya
• The Zaskar, K2 (Godwin austin), the Ladakh, the Kailash and the Karakoram are the main ranges of the trans Himalayan system

Greater or Inner Himalayas / Himadri

• Most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres
• Contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks with core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite
• Perennially snow bound, and a number of glaciers descend from this range
• Prominent Ranges include Mt. Everest, Kamet, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Annapurna

The Lesser Himalaya or Himachal

• Altitude varies between 3,700 to 4,500 metres and the average width is of 50 Km
• While the Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most important range, the Dhaula Dhar & the Mahabharat ranges are also prominent ones
• Consists of the famous valley of Kashmir and the Kangra & Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh (Majority of hill stations lies in this range)

The Shiwaliks

• The altitude varies between 900 to 1100 km and the width varies between 10 to 50 km
• The longitudinal valleys lying between the Himachal and Shiwaliks are called ‘Dun’ for ex. DehraDun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun

Eastern hills and mountains

• The Brahmaputra marks the eastern border of the Himalayas. Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply towards south and form the Eastern hills or Purvanchal.
• These hills run through the north eastern states of India & are mostly composed of sandstones for ex. Patkai Hills, Naga Hills, Manipuri Hills and Mizo Hills

Himalayan Regions from East to West

 The Northern Plain

• Formed by the interplay of the three major river systems, namely– the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries
• Composed of alluvial soil which has been deposited over millions of years, about 2400 km long and about 240 to 320 km broad.
• With a rich soil cover combined with adequate water supply and favourable climate it is agriculturally a very productive part of India
• Divided into three sections, viz. the Punjab Plain, the Ganga Plain and the Brahmaputra Plain.

Based on the relief features; the northern plain can be divided into four regions, viz. bhabar, terai, bhangar and khadar.

The Peninsular Plateau

• The peninsular plateau is triangular in shape & surrounded by hills, composed of the oldest rocks as it was formed from the drifted part of the Gondwana land
• Broad & shallow valleys and rounded hills are the characteristic features of this plateau.
• The plateau can be broadly divided into two regions, viz. the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.

The Central Highlands

• The Central Highlands lies to the north of the Narmada River & covers the major portion of the Malwa plateau.
• The rivers in this region flow from southwest to northeast; which indicates the slope of this region.
• It is wider in the west and narrower in the east.
• Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand mark the eastward extension of this plateau.
• The plateau further extends eastwards into the Chhotanagpur plateau

The Deccan Plateau

• Largest plateau in India, making up most of the southern part of the country, lies to the south of the Naramada River & shaped as downward-pointing triangle.
• It is located between two mountain ranges, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.
• Each rises from its respective nearby coastal plain almost meet at the southern tip of India.
• The average elevation of Western Ghats is 900 – 1600 metres; compared to 600 metres in case of Eastern Ghats.
• It is separated from the Gangetic plain to the north by the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges, which form its northern boundary
• Home of thick dark soil (called regur), suitable for cotton cultivation

The Indian Desert

• The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills.
• This region gets scanty rainfall which is less than 150 mm in a year, Hence they climate is arid and vegetation is scanty.
• Luni is the only prominent river but some streams appear during rainy season.

The Coastal Plains

The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal strips which run along the Arabian Sea on the west and along the Bay of Bengal on the east.

Western Coastal Plains

• The Western Coastal Plainsis a thin strip of coastal plain 50 kilometres in width,  much less than its eastern counterpart, between the west coast of India and the Western Ghats hills, which starts near the south of river Tapi
• The plains begin at Gujarat in the north and end at Kerala in the south including the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka
• The Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambat lie on the northern part
• Western coastal plane is mainly divided into following sections
• Kathiawar Coast → Kutch to Daman (Tapti, Narmada, Sabarmati & Mahi river deposit huge load of sediments in the Gulf of Cambay & form estuaries)
• Konkan Coast →  Between Daman & Goa
• Kannada Coast →  Between Goa to Cannanore
• Kanyakumari Coast →  Between Cannanore to Cape Camorin
• Malabar coast à Kannada Coast + Kanyakumari Coast

Eastern Coastal Plains

• Refer to a wide stretch of landmass of India, lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.
• These plains are wider and level as compared to the western coastal plains.
• It stretches from Tamil Nadu in the south to West Bengal in the north.
• Eastern coastal plane is mainly divided into following sections
• Utkal coast →  Deltaic plains of Ganga to Mahanadi delta (Famous Chilka lake is located in this plain)
• Andhra Coast →  Utkal plains to Pulicat lake (Contains deltas of Godavari & Krishna Rivers, & famous Kolleru lake)
• Northern Circars → Utkal Coast + Andhra Coast (Between Mahanadi & Krishna)
• Coromandal Coast → Between Krishna & Kanyakumari (Consist of Kaveri Delta)

The Islands

• Total 247 islands in India → 204 islands in Bay of Bengal and 43 in the Arabian Sea
• Few coral islands in the Gulf of Mannar also
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal consist of hard volcanic rocks
• The middle Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the largest islands of India
• Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea are formed by corals
• The southern – most point of India is in Nicobar Island, known as Indira Point
• Formerly Indira point was called Pygmalion Point, it is submerged now, after 2004 Tsunami

1.Hornbill Festival 2018

1. The Hornbill Festival is a celebration held every year from 1 – 10 December, in Kohima, Nagaland.
2. The first festival was held in the year 2000.
3. The festival is named after the Indian hornbill, the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in the folklore of most of the state’s tribes.
4. Organized by the Nagaland State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, the Festival showcases a mélange of cultural displays under one roof.
5. Festival highlights include the traditional Naga Morungs exhibition and the sale of arts and crafts, food stalls, herbal medicine stalls, flower shows and sales, cultural medley – songs and dances, fashion shows etc.

About Great Indian Hornbill

1. The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) also known as the great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family.
2. The great hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in captivity.
3. It is predominantly fruit eating, but is an opportunist and preys on small mammals, reptiles and birds.
4. Its impressive size and colour have made it important in many tribal cultures and rituals.
5. IUCN status: Vulnerable (uplisted from Near Threatened in 2018). It is also listed in Appendix I of CITES.

2.UNESCO lists wrestling, reggae and raiho-shin rituals under “intangible heritage”

• amaican reggae, Georgian wrestling and Japanese rituals are among the six new elements added by UN cultural agency UNESCO to its list of “intangible heritage” for the world to treasure.

Chidaoba Wrestling

1. From the border between Asia and Europe, in Georgia, it added Chidaoba, which combines elements of wrestling, music, dance and special garments.
2. The practice encourages a healthy lifestyle and plays an important role in intercultural dialogue, according to UNESCO, which called its code of conduct “chivalric”.
3. It noted that occasionally the wrestlers leave the arena with a Georgian folk dance.

Jamaican Reggae

1. It is a style of popular music with a strongly accented subsidiary beat, originating in Jamaica.
2. It became widely known in the 1970s through the work of Bob Marley; its lyrics are much influenced by Rastafarian ideas.
3. Reggae contributes to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual.

Japan’s Raiho-shin rituals

1. They are used to admonish laziness and teach children good behavior.
2. Stemming from folk beliefs that deities visit communities and usher in the new year or season, local people dress in outlandish costumes and visit houses as deities.
3. By performing the rituals, local people — notably children — have their identities moulded, develop a sense of affiliation to their community, and strengthen ties among themselves.

3.9 Indian Arts forms which found their way into the UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

#1. Koodiyattam, Sanskrit Theatre, Kerala

1. Koodiyattam is the oldest existing classical theatre form in the entire world, having originated much before Kathakali and most other theatrical forms
2. Koodiyattam was traditionally a part of the temple rituals
3. Traditionally, Koodiyattam is presented by Chakyars, a temple caste of Kerala, and Nangiars, the women of Nambiar caste

#2. Mudiyett: a ritual theatre of Kerala

Kerala again!

1. A traditional ritual theatre and folk dance drama from Kerala that enacts the mythological tale of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika
2. Mudiyettu is a communal undertaking in which each caste of the village plays a specific role
3. Being a community based art form it is the community that has traditionally encouraged and trained the next generation to preserve the art form

#3. The Tradition of Vedic Chanting

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The traditional way of reciting the Vedas is called Vedic chanting. Vedas are the primary source of knowledge on Hindu traditions. They comprise of the Hindu philosophy, myth, poetry and dialogue. The Vedas go back to about 3,500 years to the time of the Aryans, though they were written down much later. There are four chief Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.

#4. Ramlila – the Traditional Performance of the Ramayana

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#5. Ramman: religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas

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The Ramman is a religious festival manifested in the form of ritual theatre annually held at Saloor Dungra village, in the Painkhanda Valley of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India.

The Ramman is not replicated or performed at any other site in the Himalayas, being specific to both location and time.

#6. Kalbelia: folk songs and dances of Rajasthan

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1. Kalbelia is actually an untouchable community from Rajasthan who has always lived on the outskirts of villages and relied on entertaining people for their livelihood
2. They are also the community who are traditionally snake charmers
3. Most famous for their sensuous form of dancing, also called Kalbelia, which mimics the movements of snakes in some sense

#7. Buddhist chanting of Ladakh

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#8. Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur

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Performed to mark religious occasions and various stages in the life of the Vaishnava people of the Manipur plains

#9. Traditional brass and copper craft – Thatheras

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The craft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru constitutes the traditional technique of manufacturing brass and copper utensils in Punjab.

4.17th World Sanskrit Conference in Vancouver, Canada

Aim & Objective

To promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language all over the world by the people.

Particulars of the Conference

1. The World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in every three years and so far it has been held thrice in India.
2. The Delhi International Sanskrit Conference of 1972 is considered to be the first World Sanskrit Conference.
3. This year more than 500 scholars and delegates from over 40 countries will be participating and exchange their knowledge by presenting papers on various subjects followed by discussions from amongst the members.
4. There will be a special panel discussion on over a dozen topics like;

• History & Education of Women in Vedic Literature;
• Sanskrit Buddhist Manuscripts;
• Mimamsa Beyond the Yagasala;
• The Yuktidipika Forging a Place for Sankhya;
• Introducing Bhagavata Purana Commentaries;
• Research on the Gargiyajyotisa.

5.Four-day Ambubachi Mela begins in Guwahati

1. Ambubachi Mela, a four-day fair to mark the annual menstruation of the goddess at Kamakhya temple in Guwahati has begun.
2. Ambubachi Mela is also an occasion to promote awareness on menstrual hygiene.
3. Priests at the temple said doors of the temple were shut for visitors at 4 p.m. to let the goddess go through her period.

About Kamakhya Temple

1. Kamakhya, atop Nilachal Hills in Guwahati, is one of 51 shaktipeeths or seat of Shakti followers, each representing a body part of the Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion.
2. The temple’s sanctum sanctorum (garbhgriha) houses the yoni — female genital — symbolized by a rock.

6.The Vaishnav monks of Assam’s Majuli island

History of Vaishnavism in Assam

1. Vaishnava saint Srimanta Sankardev came to Majuli island in the 15th century
2. He along with his disciples, set up 65 sattras—which is said to translate to “unique monasteries”
3. Sankardev developed an equally unique way of worship through dance and drama, called the Sattriya Nritya
4. The neo-Vaishnavite movement, held together by Sankardev, saw a division into four sub-sects after his passing

About Sattriya Nritya

1. It is a dazzling retelling of the Ramayan and Mahabharat—complete with comedy, action, suspense and make-up to match
2. Until the 20th century, it was the preserve of male monks but has since brought women into the fold
3. In the year 2000, the Sangeet Natak Akademi recognized this dance form as classical

Majuli Island

1. It is the world’s biggest river island in the Brahmaputra River, Assam
2. In 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India
3. The island is formed by the Brahmaputra river in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of the Brahmaputra, joined by the Subansiri River in the north
4. Hidden chars (temporary islands formed by sedimentary deposits) and sandbars are features of this island

7. India to host European Union Film Festival

1. Putting a spotlight on the latest European cinema, the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will premiere in New Delhi on 18^th June, 2018 at the Siri Fort Auditorium.
2. 24 latest European movies from 23 European countries are to be screened.
3. Slovakian Movie Little Harbour to be the opening film for the festival
4. The festival will traverse through 11 cities in India including New Delhi, Chennai, Port Blair, Pune, Puducherry, Kolkata, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Thrissur, Hyderabad and Goa from 18^th June till 31^st
5. Celebrating diversity, the EUFF will screen movies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
6. The European Union Film Festival, organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, and European Union will be hosted at the Sirifort Auditorium Complex.

8. Modi honours Tibetan institute

Honoring Buddhist Institute

1. PM Modi honored a prominent institute of Tibetan studies as part of celebrations to mark Buddha Purnima
2. He awarded Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS) with the Vaisakh Samman Prasasti Patra
3. This was done at the Buddha Jayanti celebrations organized by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC)

Buddhist Circuit

1. The government has also initiated the process for the development of the Buddhist circuit
2. This will help in developing Buddhist spots in U.P., Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and A.P.
3. The Buddhist Circuits are the Places of all High Significance Holy Sites of Buddhism; where Lord Buddha was born, attained Enlightenment, preached the first Sermon and reached Nirvana

9.Over 40 Indian languages, dialects heading to extinction

Endangered dialects

1. More than 40 languages or dialects in India are considered to be endangered
2. They are believed to be heading towards extinction as only a few thousand people speak them

Languages in the country

1. According to a report of the Census Directorate, there are 22 scheduled languages and 100 non-scheduled languages in the country
2. These are spoken by a large number of people — one lakh or more
3. There are 42 languages which are spoken by less than 10,000 people
4. A list prepared by UNESCO has also mentioned about the 42 languages or dialects in India are endangered and they may be heading towards extinction