Current Affairs Questions

Explanation :

• Gudhi Padwa is a spring-time festival that marks the traditional New Year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus celebrated in and near Maharashtra and Goa on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar.
• The word Padwa comes from the Sanskrit word pratipada, which refers to the first day of a lunar fortnight.
• The festival is observed with colorful floor decorations called rangoli, a special Gudhi flag (garlanded with flowers, mango and neem leaves, topped with upturned silver or copper vessel), street processions, dancing and festive foods,
• Cheti Chand is a festival that marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year for Sindhi Hindus.
• The date of the festival is based on the lunar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, falling on the first day of the year, in the Sindhi month of Chet (Chaitra).
• It typically falls in late March or early April in the Gregorian calendar on or about the same day as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Ugadi in other parts of the Deccan region of India.
• Navreh is a Hindu Festival, which is celebrated by the Kashmiri Pandits as the New Year's Day.

Explanation :

• Namda is a type of traditional Kashmiri carpet made from sheep wool.
• The Namda carpets are made by felting sheep wool rather than by weaving. Many layers of sheep wool are flattened over each other using a tool called ‘‘pinjra’ and pressed with application of water.
• They are then embroidered with colored threads by the Kashmiri Aari Embroidery technique.
• The art consists of floral patterns which provide the themes for these masterpieces and flowers, leaves, buds and fruits are the essence of the designs.
• It is practiced as a craft in several cultures especially the countries throughout Asia such as Iran, Afghanistan and several places in Ladakh, Kutch and Kashmir and Rajasthan in India.

Explanation :

• ChapcharKut is an annual harvest festival of the Mizo Community in Mizoram state of India which marks the beginning of Spring Season.
• It is celebrated during March after completion of their most arduous task of jhum operation i.e., jungle-clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning).
• One of the greatest highlights of ChapcharKut is the popular bamboo dance called Cheraw, which features men tapping the bamboo sticks according to the rhythm of the dance and women adjust their dance moves with moving sticks.

Explanation :

• Kambala is an annual festival celebrated in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.
• Traditionally, it is sponsored by local Tuluva landlords and households in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi of Karnataka and Kasaragod of Kerala, a region collectively known as Tulu Nadu.
• The festival involves the traditional buffalo race, a popular and unique sport among the farming community of the state.
• During the early days of the festival it was known as Karaga celebrations. Later it came to be known as Kambala celebrations.

Types

• There are four types of Kambala: Bare Kambala, Pokare Kambala, Arasu Kambala and Modern Kambala.
• In the first type, the man holding the rope of bulls also runs the race from behind. But the plough is not tied in this type.
• In the second type, the man though holds the rope doesn’t run from behind, rather he ties a plank to the plough and stands on the plough.
• In the third type, a plough is tied to both the bulls and the man holding the rope runs from behind.
• The fourth type is called Kane halage race: In this format, reaching the goal is not important. A cloth is tied at two meters height on the both sides of the running track. While running, the sludge should touch and stain the cloth....Prize is given based on the proportion of stains on the cloth.

Explanation :

• Located in Puri, Odisha, the thirteenth-century Sun Temple, was built by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1236-1264) of the Ganga dynasty.
• Three kinds of stones were used in its construction, namely Chlorite, Laterite, and Khondalite rocks. The original temple consisted of the main sanctuary, called Bada Deul or Rekha Deul, which was surrounded by other smaller structures. In front of the main sanctuary stood another smaller sanctum called the Bhadra Deul or the assembly hall of the people.
• It exhibits the traditional Odisha style of architecture, also known as Kalinga architecture, on a grand scale.
• The temple is constructed as a gigantic chariot with 24 wheels about three meters high and pulled by 7 horses, housing the Sun God within.
• The entrance is guarded by two huge lions, each killing a war elephant and beneath the elephant is a man. The lions represent pride, elephants represent wealth and both of them consume man.
• This temple is also known as 'Black Pagoda' due to its dark color and used as a navigational landmark by ancient sailors to Odisha coast.

Explanation :

• The Chindu Yakshaganam is an age-old art form popular in Armur, Bodhan, Nizamabad, Makloor, Balkonda and Morthad areas in the district of Telangana state.
• The art form dates back to second century BC, is derived from the artiste’s caste Chindu Madiga, a sub-caste of Madiga in Telangana.
• The word ‘Chindu’ in Telugu means ‘jump’. As their presentation is interspersed with leaps and jumps, gaining its name.
• Also called Chindu Bhagavatam, it is similar to Yakshaganam, a traditional theatre form particular to Karnataka State.
• The ancient art form combines dance, music, dialogues between the characters, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form and such was the aura of these artists.

Explanation :

• Brihadishvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in South bank of Kaveri River in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
• It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Dravidian architecture. It is called as Dhakshina Meru (Meru of South).
• Built by Tamil king Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with the Chola dynasty era Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple.
• The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India.
• It is also famed for the quality of its sculpture, as well as being the location that commissioned the brass Nataraja – Shiva as the lord of dance, in 11th century.

Explanation :

• Nagoba Jatara is a tribal festival of Gonds held in Keslapur village, Inderavelly Mandal Adilabad district, Telangana.
• It is the second-largest festival in Telangana after Sammakka Sarakka Jatra which is a biennial festival organized at Medaram.
• Before the start of the pujas, the Gonds continue to ‘purify’ the temple with Ganga Jal or water from the Godavari drawn at a spot called ‘Hastina Madugu’ where Nagoba is believed to have quenched his thirst after partaking the ‘naivedyam’.
• The Gusadi Dance performance by dancers from the Gond tribe is a major special attraction of the event.
• The event also includes a ceremony called ‘bheting’, which incorporates new brides into the clan.
• The ceremony of Betal puja, which involves display of martial art, constitutes the last of the rituals in the event.

Explanation :

• Jallikattu or Eruthazhuvuthal, the traditional bull taming event, dates back to the Tamil Classic period (400-100 CE). Jallikattu is an annual event where men try to tame and hug the bull and has been a part of the traditional celebrations of the four-day Tamil Nadu harvest festival, Pongal.
• The word Jallikattu has two components, Jalli also known as salli or kasu, which translates into coins, and kattu which means bundle or pouch. This is a reference to a yellow pouch of coins, which is tied to the bull’s horns.

There are three versions of Jallikattu:

Manju Virattu

• This version takes place mostly in the districts of Madurai, Pudukottai, Theni, Thanjavur and Salem and has been popularised by television and movies.

Vaeli Virattu

• This version is more popular in the districts of Sivagangai, Manamadurai, and Madurai. The bulls are released into open ground without any restrictions (no rope or determined path).

Vadam Manju Virattu

• Vadam means rope in Tamil. The bull is tied to a 50 feet long rope and is free to move within this space. A team of 7 or 9 members attempt to subdue the bull within 30 minutes. This version is very safe for spectators as the bull is tied and spectators are shielded by barricades.

Explanation :

• Till date, six languages have been conferred the status of ‘Classical Language’ in India.The first language to be accorded with that status is Tamil in 2004. In 2005 Sanskrit was accorded with this status.
• In 2008, Telugu and Kannada were conferred with the status followed by Malayalam in 2013. Odia is the latest addition to the list and received the status in 2014.
• Of the six classical languages, five of them are regional languages except for Sanskrit which is not specific to any region. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam are Dravidian languages while Sanskrit and Odia are Indo-Aryan languages.

Criteria for Classical Language in India

• High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years
• A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
• The literary tradition to be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
• The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.