Oil PSUs for Development of Badrinath Dham
Context: Five state-owned oil and gas PSUs have committed Rs 100 crore for the redevelopment of the Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand as a spiritual smart city. Relevance: GS-I: Art and Culture, GS-III: Industry and Infrastructure Dimensions of the Article: Badrinath Temple Char Dham Project About the move by Oil PSUs Other support extended by Oil […]
Films Division Presents Concluding Part of NRITYANJALI – An Ode To Indian Classical Dance.
Focus: GS 1 ; Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Why in News? After the overwhelming response to the first part of Nrityanjali, an online festival of documentary films on the life and work of some of the leading Indian classical dance exponents, Films […]
NEW CIRCLES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture Why in news? The Ministry of Culture has announced 7 new circles of Archaeological Survey of India. Details Ministry of Culture has taken this step, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s call to facilitate and strengthen the process of preservation and registration of archaeological monuments along with registration of artefacts […]
NATESA OF RAJASTHAN TEMPLE RETURNS TO INDIA
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture, Prelims Why in news? A long-pending case of idol theft finally saw an important development as Natesa, a rare sandstone idol in the 9th century Prathihara style of Rajasthan, is returning to India after 22 years. Details The Natesa icon, currently at the Indian High Commission, London, was originally from […]
PROTECTING ARTISTS AND THE ARTS
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture Introduction Although there is tremendous diversity and excellence of fine arts, performance arts and crafts — folk, classical, and contemporary — there are neither authoritative definitions nor data on the size or shape of “Creative economy”. Troubled times for the creative sector A large section of artists and artisans are […]
NEPAL’S ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO STUDY POSSIBLE RAMAYANA SITE
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture Why in news? Nepal’s Department of Archaeology is holding cross-ministerial meetings to explore an archaeological site in Thori near the border town of Birgunj. Details Nepalese historian said that according to the geographical descriptions in Valmiki’s Ramayana, it appears that Lord Ram’s Ayodhya was located nearer to Janakpur. Nepal’s foreign […]
SC ON PADMANABHASWAMY TEMPLE ADMINISTRATION
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture Why in news? The Supreme Court held that the erstwhile Travancore royal family is the “human ministrant” or the shebait (manager) of the properties belonging to Sri Padmanabha, chief deity of the famed and fabulously rich Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala. Details Arguments were raised both to and fro on […]
RE-PRINTED VOLUMES OF MONGOLIAN KANJUR MANUSCRIPTS
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture Why in news? The Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM). Mongolian Kanjur Kanjur / Kangyur The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various schools of Tibetan […]
PANCHARATRA AGAMA
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture Introduction Temples like Srirangam and the Varadaraja temple in Kanchi are governed by the Pancharatra agama. Ratra denotes ajnana, and pancha denotes that which destroys ajnana. Lord Narayana has five forms — Para, vyuha, vibhava, antaryami and archa — and hence the name Pancharatra. Ratra also means jnana (knowledge). Jnana […]
DHARMA CHAKRA DAY ON JULY 4
Focus: GS-I Art and Culture Why in news? International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in partnership with Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is celebrating the upcoming Asadha Poornima on July 4, 2020 as Dhamma Chakra Day. Dhamma Chakra day This dhamma Chakra day celebration aims to keep with the historical legacy of India being the land […]