Type: Prelims Only

Central idea: The article talks about the discovery of new information on the celebrated ancient Sanskrit poetess Shilabhattarika through the decoding of copper plates by the Pune-based Bhandarkar Institute.

Who was Shilabhattarika?

• Shilabhattarika was a 9th-century Sanskrit poet from India.
• She lived near the Narmada River and the Vindhya mountains.
• Her poetic skills were praised by medieval Sanskrit literary critics.
• It is speculated that she may be the same as Shilamahadevi, the queen of 8th-century Rashtrakuta ruler Dhruv.
• According to recent research, she was the daughter of Chalukya ruler Pulakeshin II.

Her literary works

• Shilabhattarika is known to have written at least 46 poems on various topics, such as love, morality, politics, nature, beauty, the seasons, insects, anger, indignation, codes of conduct, and the characteristic features of various kinds of heroines.
• Shilabhattarika is considered a leading figure of the Panchali literary style, which maintains “a balance between words and meaning”.
• According to Rajashekhara, the Panchali style can be traced to the works of Shilabhattarika, and possibly in some of the works of the 7th-century poet Bana.
• Sharangadhara-paddhati, a 14th-century anthology, praises her and three other female poets for their great poetic genius and erudition.
• One of the most iconic songs of the noted Marathi poetess Shanta Shelke, “toch chandrama nabhat” (it is the same moon in the sky), draws inspiration from the verses of Shilabhattarika.

Key findings of the recent research

• The research analyzed a copperplate charter consisting of 5 copper plates dating back to the reign of Badami Chalukyan ruler Vijayaditya (696-733 CE).
• The plates were held together by a copper ring that bore the varaha (boar) seal, which is the trademark of the Badami Chalukyas.
• The Sanskrit text inscribed in late-Brahmi script contained a total of 65 lines.
• The charter revealed that King Vijayaditya Chalukya had donated the village of Chigateri to a scholar named Vishnu Sharma, based on the recommendation of Mahendravarma, Shilabhattarika’s son.
• Shilabhattarika’s husband, Dadiga, was deputed as the governor of Kogali, while his elder brother Polavira succeeded their father Mokkara as the ruler of the Western Ganga dynasty, which acted as subordinates to the Chalukyas of Badami and fought against the Pallavas of Kanchi.
• The plates also mentioned the names of Shilabhattarika’s father-in-law, Mokkara (or Mushkara), and his father, Durvinita, who was a proficient composer and had patronized Bharavi, the author of the classical epic Kiratarjuniya.

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Central idea: Since 2019, the Kondh tribe in Nayagarh district, Odisha has been celebrating the Bihan Mela, or the seed festival, to promote the revival of indigenous farming.

Bihan Mela

• This event involves the collection and preservation of indigenous seeds, and farmers from 40 villages in Dasapalla block participate in the festival.
• After harvesting kharif crops, women collect the seeds of indigenous varieties and store them in earthen pots.
• On a designated day in December, they decorate the pots with red and white motifs, place them in a bamboo basket and carry them on their heads to the village where the fair is being organized.
• Men accompany them, beating drums and other traditional instruments.

Objectives

• The seed festival was introduced to help farmers return to their traditional ways of farming, like mixed-cropping, which is more resilient to erratic rainfall and pest attacks.
• In recent years, farmers have abandoned native crops and varieties that are naturally resistant to pests and better suited to the region’s climate.

Commercialization through this festival: Seed Bank

• To facilitate access to indigenous seeds, Nirman, a non-profit that works with the tribe on forest rights and agro-ecological farming, set up a seed bank in Raisar village in 2019.
• The bank collects and preserves indigenous seeds from across Kondh villages and lends those out to farmers.
• The bank now boasts of 62 varieties of paddy, four varieties of millets, five varieties of pulses, and eight vegetables.
• The bank is open to all Kondh farmers and has benefitted 750 families so far.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is set to initiate conservation works at Zafar Mahal in south Delhi’s Mehrauli.

Zafar Mahal

• Zafar Mahal, located in Mehrauli village, South Delhi, India, is considered the last monumental structure built during the fading years of the Mughal era.
• The palace was built in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a forlorn history due to the deportation of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar II, by the British.
• The monument is now in a neglected and ruined state and locals often play cricket and gamble inside the protected monument.

History

• The Mughal dynasty ended after 332 years when the last Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II (1837–1857) was deported to Rangoon, Burma, now Myanmar from the imperial city of Delhi.
• The palace had graves in the precincts of Zafar Mahal built within a marble screen enclosure by Jahandar Shah for his father Bahadur Shah I and others who followed, and is a minor reflection of the history of the place.
• Bahadur Shah Zafar II, who wished to be buried in the precincts of the palace, was buried in Rangoon.
• The palace used to be visited by Bahadur Shah Zafar II for hunting during the monsoon season, and he was honoured here during the Phool Walon Ki Sair festival held in February/March.

Key Structures

• Zafar Mahal consists of the Mahal or the palace, built in the 18th century, and the entrance gate, reconstructed in the 19th century.
• The palace is a three-storied structure in red sandstone embellished with marble, and the gate is imposing with an 11.75 feet opening at the entrance.
• A masjid called the Moti Masjid, built by Bahadur Shah I, was also located within the palace precincts.
• The palace now sits in a dilapidated condition and its restoration is limited by the inadequate documents to deduce the original construction details.

Demolished or Illegally Occupied Structures

• Zafar Mahal used to be a huge palace consisting of many other structures that are no longer present or occupied by local residents.
• These structures include the Diwan-e-Khaas of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the house of Mirza Babur, the Baoli of Aurangzeb, the house of Mirza Nili, the Thana of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the house of Mirza Salim, and the Khwas Pura.

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