New Year Festivals
Focus: GS I- Festivals, Facts for Prelims Why in News? The President of India greeted the people on the eve of “ Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Cheti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba.”. These festivals of the spring season mark the beginning of the traditional new year in India. Chaitra Sukladi: It is the start of […]
What is Theyyam?
Context: Recently, Kerala Tourism department have started live streaming of an annual temple festival called Theyyam performances, to promote cultural tourism. Relevance: GS I- Art and Culture What is Theyyam? Theyyam is a popular ritual form of dance worship in Kerala and Karnataka, India. It is also performed during the ‘Kaliyattam festival’. It is a popular tradition of thousands of […]
Konark Sun Temple
Context: Konark, which occupies a prominent place in India’s tourism map due to the Sun Temple, is going to be the first model town in Odisha to shift from grid dependency to green energy. Relevance Focus: GSI – Architecture Dimensions of the Article: About Konark Temple Achieving Net Zero About Konark Temple Konark was built […]
Narsinh Mehta
Context: Recently, researchers of Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University (BKNMU), Junagadh, discovered a new species of spider and named it Narsinhmehtai in honour of Narsinh Mehta, the 15th century poet who was a devotee of Lord Krishna, and ‘to put his name on global map.’ However, members of Nagar sub-caste group of Brahmin community, in which Mehta was […]
Sri Ramanujacharya
Context: President has expressed confidence that Srirama Nagaram, the venue of the Statue of Equality — the 216-ft pancha loha statue of poet saint Sri Ramanujacharya — would become a renowned spiritual destination for people from across the country and abroad. Relevance: GS I- Art and Culture, History Dimensions of the article: About Statue of Equality About […]
Chintamani Padya Natakam
Context: Andhra Pradesh government banned a 100-year-old play named ‘Chintamani Padya Natakam’ The Arya Vysya community has been petitioning governments for several years to ban the play, saying it portrays them in a negative light. The play is exhibited across the state, mainly in rural areas, during festivals and fairs. Relevance: GS I- Art and Culture Dimensions of […]
Sri Ramanujacharya
Context: The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Statue of Equality, 216-ft tall statue of the 11th century reformer and Vaishnavite saint, Sri Ramanuja, at the sprawling 40-acre ashram of Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeer Swamy in Muchintal on the outskirts of Hyderabad . India is celebrating his 1,000th birth anniversary as the ‘Festival of Equality’, upholding the view that the […]
100 % SOLARISATION OF KONARK SUN TEMPLE
Why in news? The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has taken up the Complete Solarisation of Konark sun temple and Konark town in Odisha. Details Government of India launched the Scheme with an objective to develop the historical Sun temple town of Konark in Odisha as ‘Surya Nagri’, to convey a message of […]
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY
Why in news? The Ministry of Culture’s Development of Museums and Cultural Spaces hosts a webinar on ‘Revitalising Museums and Cultural Spaces’ on the International Museum Day, on 18th May 2020. The objective of the videoconference is to identify the possible policy actions that will help alleviate the short- and long-term effects of the crisis on […]
NOMINATIONS FOR THE GANDHI PEACE PRIZE 2020
Why in news? The Ministry of Culture invites nominations for awarding Gandhi Peace Prize and for the year 2020, last date for receiving the nominations been extended. Gandhi Peace Prize The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Government of India. Government of India launched the International Gandhi Peace […]