Category: Art & Culture

• Kalbeliya Dance is a traditional Indian dance form from the state of Rajasthan.
• Members of the Kalbeliya, a nomadic tribe of snake charmers in Rajasthan, perform this vibrant, energetic dance.
• It is a sensual dance in which the dancers perform intricate footwork and sway their arms and bodies.
• UNESCO inscribed Rajasthan’s Kalbelia folk songs and dances on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2010.

Specifics about performance

• The dancers are women in flowing black skirts who twirl and dance in the manner of a serpent.
• They wear an angrakhi as an upper body cloth and an odhani as a headcloth; a lehenga as a lower body cloth.
• All of these garments are embroidered and have a red and black colour scheme.
• The male participants create the rhythm for the dancers by playing musical instruments such as the ‘pungi,’ dufli, been, khanjari – a percussion instrument, morchang, khuralio, and dholak.
• The dancers have traditional designs tattooed on their bodies and wear jewellery and garments richly embroidered with small mirrors and silver threads.
• As the performance progresses, the rhythm and dance become faster and faster.

The Kalbeliya Dance’s Characteristics

• Quick footwork: The Kalbeliya dance’s fast, intricate footwork is the highlight of this folk dance. The dancers move their feet quickly and sharply, creating intricate patterns on the floor.
• Swirling skirts: The female dancers’ colourful skirts swirl gracefully as they move, adding to the beauty of the dance.
• Hand and arm movements: The dancers’ hands and arms are used to create graceful, fluid movements that are essential to the dance.
• Singing: Kalbeliya dancers frequently sing along to the music as they perform, adding to the atmosphere of the show.
• Traditional Kalbeliya music is accompanied by drums and cymbals, which contribute to the lively, energising atmosphere.

Source: https://www.rajasthandirect.com/culture/dance/kalbelia

On the eve of the birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas, India’s President addressed the nation.

Guru Ravidas

• Ravidas was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement and founder of the Ravidassia religion during the 15th to 16th century CE.
• Venerable as a guru (teacher) in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and, most notably, Punjab and Haryana. He was a poet-saint, social reformer, and spiritual figure all rolled into one.
• Ravidas’ life details are murky and contested. Scholars believe he was born in the cobbler caste in 1450 CE.
• Ravidas’ devotional verses were included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scriptures.
• Ravidas’ poems are included in the Panch Vani text of the Dadupanthi tradition of Hinduism.
• He preached the abolition of caste and gender divisions and the promotion of unity in the pursuit of personal spiritual freedoms.

Why is his preaching significant?

• Sant Ravidas’ philosophy and values, such as social justice, equality, and fraternity, have been infused into our constitutional values.
• He envisioned a society based on equality and free of all forms of discrimination.
• He named it ‘Be-gampura’ (a city near Lahore) because there is no place for sorrow or fear there.
• Such a perfect city would be free of fear, vulnerability, and scarcity. The principle for governance would be the rule of law based on right ideas such as equality and the welfare of all.

Source: https://m.timesofindia.com/life-style/events/guru-ravidas-jayanti-2023-top-25-wishes-messages-and-quotes-to-share-with-your-friends-and-family/articleshow/97607251.cms

• Two sacred Shaligram stones arrived in Ayodhya to be used in the creation of the Lord Ram and Janaki idols at the Ram Temple.
• Shaligram stones are ammonite fossils, which are mollusks that lived between 400 million and 65 million years ago.
• They can be found on the Shaligram Pilgrimage in the Himalayas of Nepal.
• They are specifically from the Early Oxfordian to the Late Tithonian Age, roughly 165-140 million years ago, near the end of the Jurassic Period.
• This stone, which is mostly found in the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in Nepal, is revered as a representation of Lord Vishnu.
• The stone is thought to have divine powers and is a symbol of good fortune and prosperity.

The significance of mythology

• The use of shaligrama shilas in worship can be traced back to Adi Shankara’s time through his works.
• It is specifically mentioned in the Taittiriya Upanishad.
• The statues of Vishnu in Thiruvananthapuram’s Padmanabhaswamy Temple and Garhwal’s Badrinath Temple, as well as Krishna in Udupi’s Krishna Matha and Vrindavana’s Radha Raman Temple, are also thought to be made of shaligrama shilas.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-shaligram-stone-ram-temple-8422356/

Tulsidas has sparked debate because some of his verses (Chaupai) are mentioned in the Ramcharitmanas.

Tulsidas, who was he?

• Tulsidas, a Brahmin whose real name was Ram Bola Dubey, is thought to have been born in Rajapur by the Yamuna, which is now part of the Banda district.
• He wrote the Ramcharitmanas on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, starting on Ram Navami day in 1574 and finishing it over the next few years.
• Tulsidas lived during the reign of Emperor Akbar, and some believe he corresponded with Abdurrahim Khan-e-Khanan, Akbar’s commander Bairam Khan’s son.

The Ramcharitmanas

• The poem was written in the 16th century in the Awadhi dialect, which is primarily spoken in the districts of Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya today.
• It was written in the Avdhi language. The sacred chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ is included.
• It is divided into seven chapters (Kand), which tell the story of Lord Ram from his birth to his ascension to the throne of Ayodhya.

Why is Ramcharitmanas so famous?

• The Ramcharitmanas is based on the Ramayana, the great epic of sage Valmiki.
• It is the holiest book in the Indo-Gangetic region, as well as one of the world’s most widely read holy books — according to one estimate, Geeta Press (Gorakhpur) has sold nearly 7 crore copies.
• Throughout the Hindi heartland, “Ramayan” often refers to Ramcharitmanas.
• Tulsidas popularised the story of Lord Ram because he wrote in the regional dialect that most people understood.

Tulisdas and political squabbles

• While Lord Ram is described in the Ramcharitmanas as maryada purushottam, the epitome of righteousness, his actions have been criticised by anti-Brahmin activists such as E V Ramasamy Periyar.
• “I shall have no faith in Rama and Krishna, who are believed to be incarnations of God, nor shall I worship them,” one of the 22 pledges Dr. B R Ambedkar administered to his followers while embracing Buddhism in October 1956.
• In politics, non-upper caste assertion has occasionally manifested itself in criticism of the Ramcharitmanas.
• Critics have used these sections of the poem to accuse Tulsidas of being anti-upper castes and women, as well as a proponent of Brahminical superiority.

Source: https://m.economictimes.com/news/new-updates/tulsidas-jayanti-here-are-some-interesting-facts-about-tuslidas/articleshow/93344481.cms

• The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has decided to nominate Assam’s Charaideo Maidams — the Ahom equivalent of the ancient Egyptian pyramids — this year.
• The nomination is significant because it comes at a time when the country is commemorating the 400th birthday of Lachit Barphukan.

Charaideo Maidams

• The Charaideo maidams represents the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam.
• The Ahoms preferred to bury their ancestors at Charaideo, where the first king Sukapha was buried.
• According to historical records, wives, attendants, pet animals, and a large amount of valuables were buried with the departed kings.
• The Charaideo Maidams enshrine the mortal remains of Ahom royalty, who were previously buried with their paraphernalia.
• After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu cremation method and began burying cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo.
• Out of the 386 Maidams discovered thus far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative, and complete examples of the Ahoms’ mound burial tradition.

Architectural specifics

• It is designed as a massive underground vault with one or more chambers with domical superstructures.
• It is surrounded by an earthen mound heap and appears to be a hemispherical mound from the outside.
• A small open pavilion chow-chali is provided at the top of the mound.
• The entire maidam is surrounded by an octagonal dwarf wall.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/assams-charaideo-maidam-nominated-for-unesco-world-heritage-tag-himanta-biswa-sarma/articleshow/97202429.cms#:~:text=Assam%20chief%20minister%20Himanta%20Biswa%20Sarma%20said%20that%20Charaideo%20Moidams,by%20the%20government%20of%20India.

• Channapatna toys are a type of wooden toy (and doll) made in the town of Channapatna in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
• The state government protects this traditional craft as a geographical indication (GI) under the World Trade Organization.
• Because of the popularity of these toys, Channapatna is known as Karnataka’s Gombegala Ooru (toy-town).
• Traditionally, the job entailed lacquering the wood of the Wrightia tinctoria tree, also known as Aale mara (ivory-wood).
• According to most accounts, their production dates back at least 200 years, to the era of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the 18th century.
• The toys are made with vegetable dyes and non-toxic colours, making them suitable for children.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/things-to-do/channapatna-toys-little-joyful-things-that-you-must-bring-back-from-karnataka/articleshow/90932880.cms

• Maghi Mela is being celebrated from January 14.
• ·      Every year in January, or in the month of Magh according to the Nanakshahi calendar, the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib hosts the Maghi Mela.
• It is one of the most important Sikh festivals.
• Today, the Mela begins on Maghi day and lasts for a day or two.
• People come from all over the state and even from outside the state to take a holy dip in the sarovar (lake) of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib and enjoy the festivities.
• The festival marks the martyrdom of 40 Sikh soldiers in the Battle of Khidrana against the Mughals.
• The Mughals and Sikhs were constantly at odds in the 1700s.

About Battle of Khidrana

• During the Mughal siege of Anandpur Sahib in 1704, 40 Sikh soldiers deserted and fled.
• Upon arriving at their village near Amritsar, a woman named Mai Bhago scolded them and rallied the fighters to return to Anandpur Sahib in the service of their Guru.
• The newly energised soldiers, along with Mai Bhago, set out for Anandpur Sahib to assist Guru Gobind Singh in holding the fort against the Mughals.
• They met the Guru at Khidrana, where they defeated a large Mughal army while sacrificing their lives.

Political significance of the Maghi Mela

• People used to arrive in the city days before the actual Maghi day.
• In the evenings, there would be kavi darbars (poetry sessions) where politicians would speak.
• This is most likely how the political conferences, which date back to the mid-1950s, began.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-culture/maghi-mela-punjab-political-importance-explained-8381252/#:~:text=Maghi%20Mela%20has%20been%20celebrated,or%20the%20pool%20of%20liberation.

Lakhs of pilgrims are flocking to Sagar Island in West Bengal’s southernmost tip for the annual Gangasagar Mela, which takes place between January 12 and 14, to commemorate Makar Sankranti.

What is Gangasagar Mela?

• Devotees from all over the country gather at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal every year during Gangasagar mela to take a sacred dip during Makar Sankranti (mid-January).
• After the Kumbh Mela, the mela is said to be India’s second largest pilgrimage gathering.
• Gangasagar, Bengal’s largest and oldest living tradition, has been mentioned in Indian epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, dating back to 400 BCE.
• According to legend, Queen Satyabhama built the first Kapil Muni’s temple in 430 AD, and Swami Ramanand established the current idol in 1437, ushering in a pilgrimage that continues to this day.

About Sagar Island

• Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the Continental Shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km (54 nautical miles) south of Kolkata.
• This island is part of the Sagar CD Block in the Kakdwip subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India.
• Although Sagar Island is part of the Sundarbans, it lacks the tiger habitat, mangrove forests, and small river tributaries that characterise the Sundarban delta as a whole.
• This island is a Hindu pilgrimage site.
• Every year on the 14th of January, hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal and to offer prayers (puja) at the Kapil Muni Temple.

Source: https://www.gangasagar.in/