Chaitra Sukladi: It marks the beginning of the new year of the Vikram Samvat also known as the Vedic [Hindu] calendar. Vikram Samvat is based on the day when the emperor Vikramaditya defeated Sakas, invaded Ujjain and called for a new era. Under his supervision, astronomers formed a new calendar based on the luni-solar system that is still followed …
New Year in different Parts of the Country – UPSC Prelims Read More »
Buddhism: Buddhism is 2,500 years old. It is one of the important religions of South and South-Eastern Asian countries. Buddhism arose as a result of Siddhartha Gautama’s quest for Enlightenment in around the 6th Century BC. There is no belief in a personal God. It is not centred on the relationship between humanity and God. Buddhists believe that nothing is …
Bamiyan Buddhas: The Bamiyan Buddha statues, cut from sandstone cliffs, are said to have dated back to the 5th century AD, and were once the tallest standing Buddhas in the world. They are located in Mes Ayank, Afghanistan. In their Roman draperies and with two different mudras, the statues were great examples of a confluence of Gupta, …
Hampi Stone Chariot: It is an iconic monument located in front of Vijaya Vittala Temple in Hampi, Karnataka. Stone Chariot is a shrine dedicated to Garuda, the official vehicle of Lord Vishnu Stone Chariot in Hampi is one of the three most popular stone chariots in India. Other two are in Konark (Odisha) and Mahabalipuram …
The makers of the Thanjavur Art Plate, with its roots in a craft that dates back to the Marathas of the 1800s, are banding together for its cultural and commercial rejuvenation. Thanjavur Art Plates The Thanjavur Art Plate is an artefact which is exclusively made in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is a circular plate …
Who are the Renati Cholas? The Telugu Cholas of Renadu (also called as Renati Cholas) ruled over Renadu region, the present-day Kadapa district. They were originally independent, later forced to the suzerainty of the Eastern Chalukyas. They had the unique honour of using the Telugu language in their inscriptions belonging to the 6th and …
Madhubani Paintings Madhubani art (or Mithila painting) is a style of Indian painting, practised in the Mithila region of Bihar. This painting is done with a variety of tools, including fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks and using natural dyes and pigments. It is characterized by its eye-catching geometrical patterns. It was traditionally created by …
Sindhu Darshan Puja: Sindhu Darshan Festival is a festival of India held every year on full moon day (on Guru Purnima) in the month of June. It is held at Leh, in Ladakh District of Ladakh. It stretches for three days. It was first started in the October by veteran politician L.K. Advani, 1997 and …
Nuakhai Juhar Nuakhai or Nuakhai is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Odisha and Southern Chhattisgarh. It is celebrated at the time when the newly grown Kharif crop (autumn crop) of rice started ripening. According to the calendar it is observed on Panchami tithi (the fifth day) of the lunar fortnight of …
Turkish Coffee made it to the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. It is celebrated in literature and songs and is an important part of ceremonies and festivals. Turkish Coffee To make Turkish Coffee, Arabica beans are ground manually and boiled with water and sugar in a special pot called cezve …