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 …
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 …
Dwijing Festival is an annual river festival celebrated in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) region of Assam with various colorful events viz. ethnic trade and food festival, exhibition, games & sports, river campaign & adventure and various culture programs to make it a centre of attraction for the visitors as a New Year Festival. …
Theyyam: Theyyam is a popular ritual form of dance worship in Kerala and Karnataka, India. It consisted of thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs. The people consider Theyyam itself as a channel to a god and they thus seek blessings from Theyyam. Each Theyyam is a man or a woman who attained divine status by performing heroic deeds or by leading …
What is Jallikattu? Jallikattu is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu on Mattu Pongal day as a part of Pongal celebrations i.e. harvest festival. It is one of the oldest (about 2000 years) living ancient tradition practiced in the modern era. Jallikattu has been derived from the words ‘calli’ (coins) and ‘kattu’ (tie), …
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 …
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 …
Monpa Handmade Paper: It is an heritage hand paper art form of Arunachal Pradesh. This handmade paper is also called as Mon Shugu in the local dialect and is integral to the vibrant culture of the local tribes in Tawang. Origin: This art originated among the Monpas over 1000 years ago. Gradually this art became an …