Subject: History

Why in the News?

The Charaideo Moidams, a unique 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty from Assam, has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

About Charaideo Moidams

• The Charaideo moidams represents the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam.
  • Charaideo, more than 400 km east of Guwahati, was the first capital of the Ahom dynasty founded by Chao Lung Sukaphaa in 1253.
• The Ahoms preferred to place the deceased 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.
• After 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.

Significance of this addition:

• Moidams has become the 43rd property from India to be included in the UNESCO List.
• India now stands at the 6th position globally for the most number of World Heritage Properties.
• The Moidams are the first site from the North East to be recognized as a World Heritage Site in the cultural category.
• Assam has 2 other World Heritage Sites in the natural category: Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park, both upgraded to tiger reserves.

Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites 

Why in the News?

• Finance Minister announced during her Union Budget speech that corridor projects will be built for the Vishnupad Temple at Gaya and the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar.
  • These will be modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor, to transform them into world-class pilgrim and tourist destinations.

About the Vishnupad Temple at Gaya

About the Mahabodhi Temple Complex:

Why in the News?

After 46 years, the sacred treasury of Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri, known as Ratna Bhandar, was reopened amid years of legal battles, controversies, and debates.

About the Ratna Bhandar

• The Ratna Bhandar stores the gold and jewels offered by devotees to the deities Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra.
• It is located adjacent to the prayer hall on the north side of the temple.
• It consists of two sections: the ‘Bhitar Bhandar’ (Inner Treasury) and the ‘Bahar Bhandar’ (Outer Treasury), with the last inventory in 1978 noting significant amounts of gold and silver items in both chambers.
• Legend says, Odisha’s King Anangabhima Dev (1211 to 1238) donated 2.5 lakh madhas of gold to prepare jewellery for the almighty.
• The Odisha government passed the Jagannath Temple Act, 1952 to have a greater role in the temple’s management, which included maintaining an inventory of the offerings in the Puri collectorate’s Record Room.

Recent Developments:

• The safety of the Ratna Bhandar is managed by the Temple’s Committee, chaired by the titular ‘King of Puri’ and includes IAS officers and other state-appointed members.
• Originally, keys to the Ratna Bhandar were held by the Puri royal family, temple committee, and collectorate, with significant changes in ownership and access protocols over the years due to legal rulings.
• The recent reopening involved breaking the locks of the inner chamber as they could not be opened traditionally, following strict procedures.

Why in the News?

The Leader of Opposition invoked the Abhaya Mudra in his inaugural address as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

What is Abhay Mudra?

• Abhaya mudra, the motif of an open palm (gesturing to stop), is prevalent across many South Asian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
• Known as the ‘fearlessness gesture’, ‘abhaya’ in Sanskrit means fearlessness. The gesture symbolizes protection and peace.
• In yoga circles, the abhaya mudra is believed to promote courage and reduce fear and anxiety.
• While common across many religions, the abhaya mudra is most prominently featured in Buddhism, especially in Thailand and Laos, where it is associated with images of the walking Buddha.

Origins of the Gesture

• According to Stanford University, the gesture of an open palm pointed outwards appears to be a natural gesture used since prehistoric times as a sign of good intentions and peace.
• The gesture also asserted power in antiquity, similar to the magna manus of the Roman Emperors who legislated and gave peace simultaneously.
• The motif likely originated from a universal gesture associated with human communication, eventually integrating into major South Asian religions.

Evolution of Mudras in Buddhism

• For about 500 years after the Buddha, he was not depicted in physical form.
• Early representations appeared around the first millennium, influenced by Gandhara and Gupta art.
• With the evolution of these Buddhist traditions, hundreds of mudras entered Buddhist iconography.
• In tantric Buddhist traditions, mudras symbolized material offerings, enacted forms of worship, or relationships with visualized deities. (as shown in the above diagram)

Significance of ‘Abhaya Mudra’ in Buddhism: 

• In Buddhism, the abhaya mudra is linked to a legend involving Devadatta, a cousin of the Buddha, who tried to murder the Buddha by losing a rampaging elephant into his path.
• The Buddha calmed the elephant by displaying the abhaya mudra, indicating appeasement of the senses and the absence of fear.
• The gesture is popularly pronounced in Buddhist cultures, symbolizing fearlessness and peace.

Significance of ‘Abhaya Mudra’ in Hindu Religion:

• The Buddha was absorbed into the Hindu pantheon as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu.
• Hindus regarded the Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu between AD 450 and the sixth century, with the first mention in the Vishnu Purana (400-500 CE).
• The abhaya mudra appears in depictions of Hindu deities, commonly seen in images of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Ganesha.