Type: Prelims Only

Work is going apace on the 216-ft tall ‘Statue of Equality’ of the 11th century reformer and Vaishnavite saint, Sri Ramanuja, to be unveiled by PM Modi next month in Hyderabad.

Statue of Equality

• The ‘Statue of Equality’, as it is called, is being installed to mark the 1,000th birth anniversary of Sri Ramanuja.
• It was built of panchaloha, a combination of gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc, by the Aerospun Corporation in China and shipped to India.
• It is the second largest in the world in sitting position of the saint.
• The monument will be surrounded by 108 “Divya Desams” of Sri Vaishnavite tradition (model temples) like Tirumala, Srirangam, Kanchi, Ahobhilam, Badrinath, Muktinath, Ayodhya, Brindavan, Kumbakonam and others.
• The idols of deities and structures were constructed in the shape at the existing temples.

Who was Sri Ramanuja?

Ramanuja or Ramanujacharya (1017–1137 CE) was a philosopher, Hindu theologian, social reformer, and one of the most important exponents of Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.

• His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.

His works

• Ramanuja’s philosophical foundation was qualified monism and is called Vishishtadvaita in the Hindu tradition.
• His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedanta, the other two are known as Adi Shankara’s Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya’s Dvaita (dualism)
• Important writings include:

1. Vedarthasangraha (literally, “Summary of the Vedas meaning”),
2. Sri Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Brahma Sutras),
3. Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita), and

• The minor works titled Vedantapida, Vedantasara, Gadya Trayam (which is a compilation of three texts called the Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and the Srivaikunta Gadyam), and Nitya Grantham.

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Medaram, a tiny village in Telangana’s tribal heartland of Mulugu district, is getting ready to host the Sammakka-Sarakka jatara, billed as the country’s biggest tribal fair.

Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara

• The mega four-day jatara, scheduled to begin on February 16 in Medaram. It takes place once in two years.
• It is perhaps the only tribal fair devoted to pay tribute to tribal warriors who made supreme sacrifices defending the rights of aboriginal tribal people.
• It symbolises the traditions and heritage of the Koya tribal people.
• The sacred site in Medaram and its surrounding Jampanna vagu, named after tribal martyr Jampanna, son of Sammakka, comes alive with lakhs of devotees during the four-day jatara.

Why do tribals come to Medaram?

• This festival commemorates a tribal revolt led by Sammakka and Saralamma, a mother-daughter duo, against levy of taxes on tribal people during drought conditions by the then Kakatiya rulers in the 12th century.
• Tribals (and others) flock to Medaram during the jatara not just from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh but also from as far as Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
• Sammakka and Saralamma are revered by devotees as tribal goddesses, and devotees make offerings to propitiate them to bestow health and wealth.
• All the rituals at the jatara site are held in tune with tribal traditions under the aegis of tribal priests.

Features of the celebrations

• One of the striking features of the tribal fair is the offering of jaggery to the tribal goddess at the altars (bamboo poles).
• It encompasses common features of tribal fairs – die-hard devotees going into a trance, the sacrifice of fowls and goats, besides pulsating traditional drum beats accompanying folk songs.

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The Andhra Pradesh government has brought the curtains down on the popular Telugu play ‘Chintamani Padya Natakam’, which has enthralled people for almost 100 years.

Chintamani Padya Natakam

• It is a stage play penned by social reformer, writer and poet Kallakuri Narayana Rao about 100 years ago.
• In the play, the writer explains how people neglect their families by falling prey to certain social evils.
• It was aimed to create awareness on the Devadasi system and how the flesh trade was ruining many families at that particular period.
• Subbisetty, Chintamani, Bilvamangaludu, Bhavani Shankaram, and Srihari are some of the characters in the play.

Its performance

• The play is named after the main character, Chintamani, a woman born into a family involved in the flesh trade.
• The play focuses on how she attained salvation after repentance.
• Subbi Shetty, a character in the play, loses his wealth to Chintamani and his character is utilised in a way that engages the audience.
• Chintamani play is popular across the state. It has been performed at thousands of places.
• The play continues to engage the audience even today and has become a must stage play in villages during Dasara celebrations.

Why it got banned?

• Began as a social sermon, this play has been increasingly going vulgar.
• Subbi Shetty, who resembles a person of a transgender community, is used to portray the social group in a bad way.
• Obscene dialogues are added to the play in the name of creativity.

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