Traditions

New Year in different Parts of the Country – UPSC Prelims

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 …

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Durga Puja – UPSC Prelims

Durga Puja Festival: Durga Puja is an annual festival celebrated in September or October, most notably in Kolkata, West Bengal. The festival marks the ten-day worship of the Hindu mother-goddess Durga. In the months preceding the festival, small artisanal workshops sculpt images of Durga using unfired clay pulled from the Ganga River. The worship of the goddess then begins …

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Sattras – UPSC Prelims

What are Sattras? Sattras are monastic institutions in Assam. They were created as part of the 16th century Neo-Vaishnavite reformist movement. Movements started by the Vaishnavite saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva(1449-1596). Why were they established? They were established to spread the Sankardeva’s unique “worship through art” approach. They are doing it presently with music (borgeet), dance (sattriya), and theatre …

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