Category: Art & Culture

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has urged the government to protect historically significant structures such as the 600-year-old ‘Vilakkumadom,’ a magnificent granite edifice at the Sree Mahavishnu Temple in Thirunelly, Wayanad district.

About Thirunelly Temple

• The temple, also known as Sahyamala Kshetram, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• It is also known as the ‘Kashi of the South’ and is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus.
• It is situated at the junction of three rivers: the holy river Papanasini, which is said to have the capacity to wash away sins, the Kudamurutti, and the Koothappuzha.
• The temple has a one-of-a-kind circular edifice made of granite stones that is thought to have been built by Lord Brahma himself.
• It contains lovely architecture with elaborate carvings, mural paintings, and sculptures.
• Several festivals are held in the temple throughout the year, including Vishu, Navaratri, and the Thirunelli festival.

Renovation strategy

• Except for the balikkalpura structure on the front side, the renovation works include the reconstruction of the chuttambalam or structure surrounding the sanctum sanctorum.
• The vilakkumadam, a magnificent granite edifice with a history reaching back to the 15th century AD, will also be completed as part of the rehabilitation work.
• The panchatheertham pond and the walkway to the papanasini bath ghat, where worshippers perform the bali rite, are also being renovated.

Why is this in the news?

• The temple edifice has a history that dates back to the 15th century AD, and stories about the temple’s architecture and style are associated with it.
• There is concern over the loss of valuable precincts and the degradation of heritage under the pretence of renovation.
• The incomplete structure, which stood as a testament to a rich cultural legacy, was redesigned insensitively.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/call-to-protect-historically-significant-structures-at-thirunelly-temple/article66777877.ece

Madhya Pradesh’s Gond art has been designated as a Geographical Indication (GI).

Gond Art

• Gond painting is a traditional Madhya Pradesh art form associated with the Gond tribe.
• Patangarh village in Dindori district is famed for Gond paintings, and every house has an artist.
• Their work is well-known both in the state and beyond for its distinct style, theme, and motifs.
• Gond art has been passed down through generations, and it has historically adorned the walls of each artist’s Patangarh home.

Gond Painting Characteristics

• The beauty of nature is depicted in Gond paintings, which include trees, plants, animals, the moon, sun, river, drains, Gods, and Goddesses.
• The paintings also depict everyday activities such as cooking, ploughing, and even how the king used to battle.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/after-banarsi-paan-madhya-pradeshs-gond-painting-gets-gi-tag-heres-what-it-is-article-99407640

Basohli Painting, renowned for its miniature art style from Kathua district, has been designated as a Geographical Indication (GI).

Basohli Artwork

• Basohli Paintings are a type of miniature painting that developed in the town of Basohli in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district.
• They are famous for their vivid colors, intricate details, and depictions of Hindu mythology and tales.
• Basohli paintings, which originate from the 17th and 18th centuries, are thought to be the earliest examples of Pahari paintings.

Other J&K GI goods

• The Jammu and Kashmir UT has included 33 goods on the list that will have the GI tag on March 31, 2023.
• Basohli Pashmina Woolen Products (Kathua), Chikri Wood Craft (Rajouri), Bhaderwah Rajma (Doda), Mushkbudji Rice (Anantnag), Kaladi (Udhampur), Sulai Honey (Ramban), Anardana (Ramban), and Ladakh Wood Carving are among the products that have gotten GI tags. (Ladakh).

Source: https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/famous-basohli-painting-from-jammu-and-kashmir-s-kathua-gets-gi-tagging-123040300958_1.html

A Telugu film with a story and characters based on the lives of Indian freedom fighters Alluri Sitharama Raju and Komaram Bheem is gaining international attention.

Who was Alluri Sitharama Raju?

• Raju was born in Andhra Pradesh in 1897 or 1898, according to legend.
• With his austerity, knowledge of astrology and medicine, and ability to tame wild animals, he is said to have become a sanyasi at the age of 18 and gained a mystical aura among the hill and tribal peoples.
• Raju channelled the discontent of the hill people in Ganjam, Visakhapatnam, and Godavari into an effective guerrilla resistance against the British at a young age.

Beginning revolutionary activities

• As the government sought to secure forest lands, colonial rule threatened the tribals’ traditional podu (shifting) cultivation.
• The Forest Act of 1882 prohibited the collection of minor forest produce such as roots and leaves, and the colonial government forced tribal people to work.
• While the tribals were exploited by muttadars, village headmen hired by the colonial government to extract rent, new laws and systems threatened their very way of life.
• Strong anti-government sentiment, shared by muttadars who were dissatisfied with the British curtailment of their powers, erupted into armed resistance in August 1922.

Contribution to the fight for liberty

• The Rampa or Manyam Rebellion lasted until May 1924, when Raju, the charismatic ‘Manyam Veerudu’ or Hero of the Jungle, was finally apprehended and executed.
• The Rampa Rebellion took place at the same time as Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement.
• Raju frequently praised Mahatma Gandhi, claiming that the Non-Cooperation Movement inspired him to wear khadi and abstain from alcohol.
• At the same time, he claimed that India could only be liberated through the use of force, not nonviolence.

What was Alluri Sitharama Raju?

• Raju was born in Andhra Pradesh in 1897 or 1898, according to legend.
• With his austerity, knowledge of astrology and medicine, and ability to tame wild animals, he is said to have become a sanyasi at the age of 18 and gained a mystical aura among the hill and tribal peoples.
• Raju channelled the discontent of the hill people in Ganjam, Visakhapatnam, and Godavari into an effective guerrilla resistance against the British at a young age.

Beginning revolutionary activities

• As the government sought to secure forest lands, colonial rule threatened the tribals’ traditional podu (shifting) cultivation.
• The Forest Act of 1882 prohibited the collection of minor forest produce such as roots and leaves, and the colonial government forced tribal people to work.
• While the tribals were exploited by muttadars, village headmen hired by the colonial government to extract rent, new laws and systems threatened their very way of life.
• Strong anti-government sentiment, shared by muttadars who were dissatisfied with the British curtailment of their powers, erupted into armed resistance in August 1922.

Contribution to the fight for liberty

• The Rampa or Manyam Rebellion lasted until May 1924, when Raju, the charismatic ‘Manyam Veerudu’ or Hero of the Jungle, was finally apprehended and executed.
• The Rampa Rebellion took place at the same time as Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement.
• Raju frequently praised Mahatma Gandhi, claiming that the Non-Cooperation Movement inspired him to wear khadi and abstain from alcohol.
• At the same time, he claimed that India could only be liberated through the use of force, not nonviolence.

And who exactly was Komaram Bheem?

• Komram Bheem was born in the Gond tribal community of Sankepally village, which was renamed after him in 2016.
• Bheem’s family’s land was taken over by a jagirdar who was an informer for the Nizam, prompting him to kill the jagirdar in a fit of rage.
• To avoid authorities, he went to Assam and worked for five years as a labourer in coffee and tea plantations.
• Bheem learned to read and write despite his illiteracy and became aware of movements such as Birsa Munda’s.

Opposition to the Nizam government

• The Nizam government levied “Bambram” and “Dupapetti” taxes on people who grazed cattle and collected firewood for cooking.
• In opposition to this tax collection, Bheem spread the message “Jal, Jangal, Zameen” among tribal people.
• He taught tribal people how to fight with weapons, and villages in Adilabad were prepared with the help of a guerrilla army made up of men from the Gond and Koya communities.

Legacy and death

• Despite their best efforts, Nizam’s army easily defeated the tribal resistance.
• Bheem was killed by them in the Jodeghat forest.
• Bheem’s message of “Jal, Jangal, Zameen” has become a rallying cry for indigenous peoples’ rights to natural resources, and is still used in many parts of India today.

Source: https://www.indiatimes.com/explainers/news/rajmoulis-rrr-freedom-fighters-alluri-sitarama-raju-and-komaram-bheem-565552.html

• Recently, a notable Indian song and a documentary has won the Oscar Award this year.
• The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence in the film industry.
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a professional honorary organisation with over 9,000 members, bestows the awards.
• The first Oscar ceremony took place in 1929, and the awards are now widely regarded as the most prestigious in the film industry.
• The ceremony is typically held in late February or early March and is live broadcast on television in over 225 countries and territories around the world.

How are the winners chosen?

• There are numerous categories for awards, such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and many more.
• AMPAS members who work in the film industry, such as actors, directors, writers, and producers, choose the nominees and winners.
• Winning an Oscar can make or break a filmmaker’s career because it is widely regarded as a mark of prestige and can lead to increased funding and opportunities for future projects.

Source: https://www.oscars.org/

• Manipur’s version of Holi, the Yaoshang festival, has begun.
• Every year on the full moon of Lamta (February-March) in the Meitei lunar calendar, the Yaoshang festival is held.
• It begins shortly after sunset and is followed by Yaosang Mei thaba, also known as the Straw Hut Burning.
• Children, known as nakatheng, go door to door asking for monetary donations.
• In contrast to Holi, Yaoshang is celebrated in Manipur with a traditional twist.
• Manipur comes alive during these five days with sporting events during the day and traditional “thabal chongba” dance at night.

The Thabal Chongba Dance is the main attraction

• The thabal chongba is a Meitei traditional dance in which boys and girls gather in an open field and dance in a circle.
• However, thabal chongba is now performed throughout the month of Lamta.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/manipur/yaoshang-festival-begins-in-manipur-8484747/

Scientists discovered a hidden corridor inside the Great Pyramid of Giza using a non-invasive technique known as cosmic-ray muon radiography.

What is CMR (Cosmic-Ray Muon Radiography)?

• CMR is a technique for studying the density and composition of materials hidden within large and dense objects like geological formations, archaeological sites, and industrial facilities.
• Muons, a type of cosmic-ray particle, are used in the technique to generate images of the interiors of such objects.
• When cosmic rays, mostly protons and atomic nuclei, collide with atoms in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, muon particles are produced.
• These muons travel through the atmosphere and into the ground, passing through objects along the way.
• Muons are highly penetrating particles that can penetrate several metres of rock or other materials, making them ideal for imaging an object’s internal structure.

Working principle

• CMR works on the principle of measuring the flux of muons passing through an object and comparing it to the expected flux based on the geometry and composition of the object.
• Differences between measured and expected flux indicate variations in the object’s density or composition, which can be used to construct an image of the object’s internal structure.

Applications

• Among the most important applications of cosmic-ray muon radiography are:
• Volcano monitoring: Scientists can better understand the structure and potential eruption hazards of volcanoes by using muon radiography to create images of their interiors.
• Muon radiography can be used to explore the interiors of pyramids and other ancient structures without causing damage to them.
• Muon radiography can be used to detect the presence of nuclear materials within reactors and to track their condition over time.

Great Pyramid of Giza

• The Great Pyramid is the largest of Giza’s three pyramids, standing approximately 147 metres above the Giza plateau.
• Construction began in 2550 BC, during the reign of Khufu, widely regarded as Egypt’s greatest pharaoh.
• It is estimated that 2.5 million stone blocks weighing between 2.5 and 15 tonnes were used to construct the pyramid.

Source: https://www.abcactionnews.com/cosmic-rays-uncover-hidden-corridor-in-great-pyramid#:~:text=The%20corridor%20was%20first%20found,published%20in%20the%20journal%20Nature.