Current Context : The government of India under Ministry of Culture has initiated the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM). OBJECTIVES OF NMCM: To raise awareness about the strengths of cultural heritage and its role in development and cultural identity. Cultural Mapping of5 Lakh villages including their geographical, demographic profiles, and cultural capitals. Creation of National Registers of Artists and Art practices. Development of a web portal and mobile app to function as a National Cultural Work Place (NCWP). Aim : to cover all the inhabited villages of India which is marked as ‘village’, in the Census List, 2011 published....Read More

Current Context : Sawan officially begins (July 16th) with the lively Harela festival celebrated throughout Uttarakhand. This traditional celebration, which symbolises wealth and well-being, is very important to the area's agriculture and culture. About Festival : Harela, which translates to "day of greenery," is celebrated in the fifth month of the lunar calendar. It honours Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati while highlighting the link between wealth and flora, which is particularly dear to the Kumaon community. Prior to the onset of Sawan, a dikori (sacred pot) was chosen for sowing Harela seeds. Over nine days, wheat, barley, and other seeds....Read More

Magji Ladoo (Odisha's Dhenkanal district), one of the ‘chappan bhog’ prasad at Shree Jagannath Temple got Geographical Indication (GI) Tag. ABOUT SHREE JAGANNATH TEMPLE : The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, or Lord Vishnu in Puri, Odisha. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites in India. The other three Dham are Badrinath, Dwarka, and Rameswaram. Architecture style: Kalinga Architecture The temple stands in the center of an inner courtyard on a high-raised platform. It has four components: Vimana or Deula (Garbhagriha): Built in style of nagara type Rekha deula characterized by curvilinear tower....Read More

Current Context : Recently, Second phase of construction of the “world’s largest Ramayan temple” began in East Champaran district of Bihar. About Temple : With a length of 1080 feet, Viraat Ramayan Mandir will be three times bigger than the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Being built at a cost of ₹500 crore. The architecture of the temple is inspired by the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, and the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai. Area 3.76 lakh sq.ft. Temple will house a 33-foot-tall Shivling in the arghya (sanctum sanctorum) world’s largest shivling. The temple....Read More

Current Context : Annual Ambubachi Mela (fair) has started in Kamakhya temple of Guwahati, Assam. The festival commemorates the yearly menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya. Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu fair organised at Kamakhya Temple.. ABOUT KAMAKHYA TEMPLE It is located on the Nilachal hills (or Kamagiri). It was reconstructed in mid 16th century by the Koch dynasty (original temple was destroyed by Kala Pahar). It is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths. It is a centre of Tantrik worship. Here the beliefs and practices of the Aryan and non-Aryan communitiesRead More

Current Context: The President of India attended the Raja Parb celebration at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is the first occasion when the Raja Parb was celebrated at Rashtrapati Bhavan. ABOUT RAJA PARB CELEBRATION It is an agriculture-based festival of Odisha and it is one of the most celebrated festivals. The three-day-long agricultural festival is celebrated during the onset of monsoons. Women and children celebrate this festival with immense fervour.Read More

Current Context : A Portion of Hampi’s Virupaksha temple  in Karnataka collapsed due to heavy rain. The damaged part is temple’s pavilion or the saalu mantap. The temple is believed to have its origins in the 7th century. It is a nationally protected monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ABOUT TEMPLE: Virupaksha temple gained prominence and underwent extensive expansion in the 14th century during the Vijayanagara Empire (1336 to 1646). The temple flourished under the patronage of the Vijayanagara rulers, who were great builders and patrons of art. It is a prime example of Dravidian temple architecture, characterised by....Read More

‘Bharat Parv’ to be celebrated at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. It will be for the first time that the country will host a “Bharat Parv” at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, for eminent dignitaries and delegates from around the world participating in the festival, to engage with film celebrities, filmmakers, directors, producers, buyers and sales agents from across the world. The official poster & trailer of the 55th India International Film Festival (IFFI) to be held in Goa on 20-28 November, 2024 will be unveiled at the Bharat Parv. The Bharat Pavilion which serves as a platform for the....Read More

The Nyishi community celebrated Longte festival with traditional fervour in the capital complex. The Longte festival is a significant cultural event for the Nyishi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. It is marked by its unique tradition of abstaining from animal sacrifice, opting instead for symbolic decorations using feathers and bamboo. The Longte is one of the oldest and agriculturally significant festivals of the Nyishi tribe. It is a harbinger of a new season after which the sowing of seeds begins on cultivated fields. ABOUT NYISHI TRIBE The largest ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh is the Nyishis community. They have a rich....Read More

The Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) is organizing the festival ‘Shakti – A Festival of Music and Dance’ from April 9 to 17, 2024. The festival is celebrated in seven different Shaktipeeths (sacred sites) across the country. The event is being organized under the Kala Pravah series to revive the temple traditions in the country during the auspicious Navratri periodRead More