MOST PROBABLE TOPICS – PART 11

1. Sowa-Rigpa (Knowledge of Healing or Science of Healing)

The term Sowa-Rigpa is derived from Bhoti language which means “Knowledge of Healing’. It is an ancient Indian medical system conceived and propounded by Lord Buddha in India.
The principle medical text “rGyud-bZi” (Chatush Tantra-a textbook of fundamental principles of Sowa-Rigpa in Sanskrit language) was pioneered by Lord Buddha and translated into Bhoti language around 8-12th Century and amended by Yuthok Yontan Gombo and other scholars of Trans Himalayan region according to the socio-climatic conditions.
The fundamental principles of Sowa-Rigpa is based on Jung-wa-nga (Panchmahabutha), Nespa-sum (Tridosha), Luszung-dun(Saptadhatu) etc.
According to Sowa-Rigpa health is an equation of balance of tridosha and five cosmophysical energies (Panchmahabuta), balance within the body, balance with the environment, and with the Universe.
Pulse examination and astrological evaluation/analysis of an individual are the unique diagnostic tools in Sowa-Rigpa.

2. Rangkholi – Meghalaya

Rangkholi or ‘Tiger Festival’ is a religious festival celebrated by the people of Nongtalang village in the War-Jaintia region of Meghalaya. The War-Jaintias lives on the slopes of the west Jaintia hills district bordering Bangladesh.
As per tradition, whenever any person from the village catches a tiger or its feline like, rituals have to be performed. The festival is mainly held in the month of January to March.

Chokri Naga Folk Songs – Nagaland

The Chokri community is a sub community under the tribe Chakesang (Naga).
Chakhesang tribe as a whole have a Chakesang cultural research center situated at Chethba town in Phek district. They cherish the folk song culture as their proud heritage.

3. Classical Dances of India

Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, a dance-drama tradition, it is known for its grace and fluid movements,
Bharatnatyam, a more than 2000 years old dance from Tamil Nadu.
Kathakali, Kerala, a stylised art form, it is a blend of dance, music and acting and dramatises stories from epics.
Sattriya, Assam, the dance is an artistic way of presenting mythological teachings in an enjoyable manner.
Mohiniyattam, Kerala, performed by women, it is known for its delicate body movements and subtle facial expressions.
Odissi from Odisha, it is a dance of love and passion touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the mundane.
Kathak popular in North India, represents a unique synthesis of Hindu and Muslim genius in art.

4. Kalaripayattu – Kerala

Kalaripayattu is the martial art originated and popularly practiced in Kerala. Mythology has it that the warrior sage Parashurama is the promulgator of Kalaripayattu.

Asked in past Prelims.

5. Zadipatti Folk Theatre Form

Zadipatti is practised in the rice cultivating region/Eastern region of Maharashtra (Chandrapur Bhandar and Gadchiroli district) during the harvest season and derives its name from the local name zadi for rice.
It is a blend of commercial and folk theatre form. Live music is a vital part of the form and the actors are singers as well.

Dashavatar: Traditional Folk Theatre Form

Dashavatar is a folk theatre form practised by farmers in the Sindhudurg district of the South Konkan region of Maharashtra and the North Goa district of Goa.
Dashavatar is popular form of drama in the rural areas.

Nazhu Festival – Nagaland

The Nazhu Festival of the Pochury-Naga merits attention as it continues to be observed by a small group of people who barely keep alive the ritualistic practices.
The most symbolic and unique element common to all is heralding of Nazhu, with the erection of a bamboo totem Awuthruu, that resembles a giant wind chime hung from a tall bamboo.

6. Warli Paintings

The Warli art is a painting style of the tribals who predominantly inhabit Dahanu, Talaseri, Jawhar, Palghar etc. The art uses very basic representation-a circle, a triangle and a square-to depict nature and daily activities of the tribals.
The central motif in these ritual paintings is surrounded by scenes portraying hunting, fishing and farming, festivals and dances, trees and animals.
Only white colour is used in Warli paintings. The white pigment is a mixture of rice paste and water with gum as a binder.

7. Sattriya- Assam

The Sattriya dance form was introduced in the 15th century A.D by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer of Assam, Mahapurusha Sankaradeva as a powerful medium for propagation of the Vaishnava faith.
The dance form evolved and expanded as a distinctive style of dance later on. This neo-Vaishnava treasure of Assamese dance and drama has been, for centuries, nurtured and preserved with great commitment by the Sattras i.e. Vaishnava maths or monasteries.

Sattriya has been asked in past Prelims.

All above have been shortlisted from Yojana August .

8. String Puppets of India- CCRT India

Kathputli- Rajasthan
Kundhei – Odisha
Gombeyatta- Karnataka
Bommalattam- Tamil Nadu

9. Shadow Puppets of India- CCRT India

Togalu Gombeyatta- Karnataka
Tholu Bommalata- Andhra Pradesh
Ravanachhaya- Odisha

10. Rod Puppets of India- CCRT India

Putul Nautch- West Bengal
Odisha
Yampuri – Bihar

Glove puppets

Pavakoothu- Kerala

11. Different Forms of Traditional theatre- CCRT India

Bhand Pather – Kashmir
Swang – Rohtak and Hathras
Nautanki – UP
Rasleela -UP
Bhavai – Gujarat
Jatra – West Bengal
Maach – Madhya Pradesh
Bhaona-Ankia Naat – Assam
Tamasha- Maharashtra’
Dashavtar – Goa and Konkan region
Krishnattam – Kerala
Mudiyettu – Kerala
Koodiyattam – Kerala
Yakshagaana- Karnataka (asked earlier in prelims)
Therukoothu – Tamil Nadu

12. Classical Languages of India

Criteria for Declaring Classical Language – 4 criterias

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 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.

6 Classical Languages

Tamil
Sanskrit
Kannada
Telugu
Malayalam
Odia

The Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan recently demanded that Marathi be given the status of a ‘classical language’.

13. Block Printings

Gujarat: Ajrakh Print
Rajasthan: Sanganeri, Ajrakh, Dabu
Madhya Pradesh: Bagh Print, Bherogarh Print (Batik)
Andhra Pradesh: Kalamkari
Rajasthan : Bagru

14.

Zardozi Art

In this embroidery, gold coils and beads are tucked onto fabric using a needle and thread.
Metals like gold and silver are transformed into a zari (thin thread) that is used to adorn motifs onto rich fabrics like silk, velvet, organza, chiffon, etc.
In 2013 the Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) registration to the Lucknow Zardozi.

Koftgari

It is the term for a type of silver and gold damascene work produced in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. In ordinary damascene (tari-nishan), a technique used frequently to adorn the blades of swords, a chiselled groove is first made into which precious metal wire is hammered. The koftgari process is simpler and less time consuming, and allows for much freer decoration.

Bidri

a technique named after its place of origin, Bidar, Andhra Pradesh, is the application of inlay (mainly silver) to objects cast in a relatively soft alloy of zinc, copper and lead. After the inlay work is completed, the ground is stained black using chemicals, thus creating a splendid contrast to the silver decoration

Meenakari or Enamel Work

One of the most sophisticated forms of jewellery developed in North India is meenakari. Jaipur is the main centre, but some craftsmen practise this art in Delhi, Lucknow and Varanasi as well. Meenakari is combined with kundan to produce a delicate and rich effect. The meenakari or enamelled patterns are so fine and intricate that they need to be examined with a magnifying glass. This tradition continues even today.

Phulkari

Punjab is famed for its traditional embroidery called phulkari— flowering work. Using threads in brilliant colours like flaming pinks, oranges, mustard yellows and creams, the reverse satin stitch is done on a brick-red khadi cloth. An allover embroidered shawl (dupatta) is called a bagh, literally resembling a garden of flowers.

Sujni – Bihar

is a form of quilted embroidery with mainly narrative themes.

Chikan-work from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

It has many different stitches worked on cotton mull, creating a textured relief of flowers, paisleys and stars. The stitches have wonderful names—ghas-ki-patti as delicate as grass, murri which looks just like a grain of rice, and keel, the tip of a nail.

Kantha, embroidery from Bengal

It is made of thousands of fine stitches, giving the fabric a puckered quilted look. In Bangladesh and India kantha was used to make quilts and coverlets.

Zardozi, Phulkari etc have been asked in past Prelims exams.

15.

Kalamkari or vrathapani from Andhra Pradesh demonstrates the variety of natural materials used to create a work of art. Kalamkari means ‘pen work’ in Persian and refers to both printed and painted cloth. In the seventeenth century Persian influences led to artists experimenting with the depiction of trees, fruits, flowers and ornamental birds.
The patachitra of Orissa depicts stories from the famous poem, the Geet Govind, and devotional stanzas by ancient poets, singers and writers. The pat was earlier made as a temple offering. Stories are drawn in sections on palm leaf as etchings or as paintings on paper and silk. Deep red, ochre, black and rich blue colours from minerals, shell and organic lac are used in these paintings. Modern developments have encouraged them to paint on wooden boxes, picture frames etc. for contemporary use.
The jharnapatachitra of West Bengal is a long vertical paper scroll used to tell stories from religious epics.

Kalamkari has been asked in past Prelims exams.

16. Talamaddale

The traditional art of ‘talamaddale’, a variant of Yakshagana theatre, was virtual in times of COVID-19.
It is an ancient form of performance dialogue or debate performance in Southern India in the Karavali and Malnad regions of Karnataka and Kerala.
The plot and content of the conversation is drawn from popular mythology but the performance mainly consists of an impromptu debate between characters involving sarcasm, puns, philosophy positions and humour.

Yakshgana has been asked in past Prelims.

17. Konark Sun Temple To Be Solarised

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has launched a scheme for solarisation of Konark Sun Temple and Konark town in Odisha.
Built in 13^th century by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1238-1264). Its scale, refinement and conception represent the strength and stability of the Ganga Empire as well as the value systems of the historic milieu.
The temple is designed in the shape of a colossal chariot. It is dedicated to the sun God. In this sense, it is directly and materially linked to Brahmanism and tantric belief systems.
The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work.
It marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture depicting the grace, the joy and the rhythm of life all its wondrous variety.
It was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984.

18. McMohan Line and India China – Disputed Areas

Background:

McMahon Line was drawn at the Shimla Conference in 1914. It was mentioned as the LAC in the eastern sector by China’s Premier Zhou Enlai in his 7 November, 1959 letter to the then India’s PM Nehru.
However, China’s swap principle—that is India retaining areas south of McMahon Line while China retaining Aksai Chin-was not acceptable to the Indian leadership.

Western Sector

These include eight areas including Pangong Tso, Trig Heights, Samar Lungpa, Demchok, Chushul, Depsang Bulge and in the last decade as well at Chumar in the Himachal, Uttarakhand borders. Chumar is considered to be an “extended claim” area as the Chinese never raised this dispute before.
Also, while Galwan area has not been mentioned in the above areas of contention, both in 1962 and in 2020 that region have become contentious and violent.

Middle Sector

It has three areas in dispute, viz., Barahoti, Kauril and Shipki, although this sector is considered to be less contentious.

Eastern Sector

It has 6 areas in dispute, viz., Longju, Asaphila, Namka Chu, Samdurong Chu, Chantze and Migyutun. India emphasises on the McMahon Line in this sector, while the Chinese side had asked for concession in Tawang sector based on religious reasons of being the 16th century Dalai Lama’s birthplace.
Sikkim region has been the place for some violent clashes as in 1967 Nathu La- Cho La -Jelep La incident where nearly 400 Chinese soldiers were killed. It is also the region where the Doklam incident happened in 2017.
Sikkim region was never considered to be a disputed region as the 1890 treaty with the Qing dynasty legitimised the borders, although it was never ratified by the respective legislatures.

19. Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Founder of the Deccan Education Society (1884) along with his associate Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and others.
One of the founders of the Fergusson College (1885) in Pune through the Deccan Education Society.
Slogan: “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!”
A book ‘Indian Unrest’ written by Valentine Chirol, an English journalist, stated Tilak the ‘father of Indian unrest’.
Popularised the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and celebration of Shiv Jayanti .
Surat Split: It was the splitting of the INC into two groups – the Extremists and the Moderates – at the Surat session in 1907.
Reason: The extremists wanted either Tilak or Lajpat Rai to be president, so when Rasbehari Ghose was announced as president, the extremist resorted to violence. Hence Surat Split happened.
The Extremist camp was led by Lal Bal and Pal and the moderate camp was led by Gopal Krishna Gokhle.
Lucknow Pact (1916): Between the INC headed by Tilak and All-India Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah for hindu-muslim unity in nationalist struggle.
Jail: Between 1908 and 1914, he spent 6 years in Mandalay Prison for defending the actions of revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki.
Newspapers: Weeklies Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English)
Books: Gita Rhasya and Arctic Home of the Vedas

20. Indian Home Rule Movement

It was a movement in British India on the lines of Irish Home Rule movement.
Started in 1916, it is believed to have set the stage for the independence movement under the leadership of Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak for the educated English speaking upper class Indians.
All India Home Rule League: Founded by Tilak in April 1916 at Belgaum.
- It worked in Maharashtra (except Bombay), the Central Provinces, Karnataka and Berar.

21. Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Rowlatt Act

This act was passed on the recommendations of Sedition Committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt.
This act had been hurriedly passed in the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members.
It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

On April 9, 1919, two nationalist leaders, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal, were arrested by the British officials without any provocation except that they had addressed protest meetings, and taken to some unknown destination.
This caused resentment among the Indian protestors who came out in thousands on April 10 to show their solidarity with their leaders.
Soon the protests turned violent because the police resorted to firing in which some of the protestors were killed.To curb any future protest government put martial law in place and law and order in Punjab was handed over to Brigadier-General Dyer.
On 13th April, Baisakhi day, a large crowd of people mostly from neighboring villages, unaware of the prohibitory orders in the Amritsar gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh.
Brigadier- General Dyer arrived on the scene with his men. The troops surrounded the gathering under orders from General Dyer and blocked the only exit point and opened fire on the unarmed crowd killing more than 1000 unarmed men, women, and children.

22. Purandaradasa

Purandara Dasa (1484–1564) was a Haridasa, great devotee of Lord Krishna and a saint.
He was a disciple of the celebrated Madhwa philosopher-saint Vyasatirtha, and a contemporary of yet another great Haridasa, Kanakadasa.
Purandaradasa was the pioneer who blended the rich musical streams, namely the Dravidian and Aryan music, into a single stream known as Carnatic music.
Prior to his initiation to Haridasa tradition, Purandara Dasa was a rich merchant and was called as Srinivasa Nayaka.
Purandara Dasa, regarded as the pitamaha of Carnatic music.

23.Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD)

Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to South India.
The disease is caused by a virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae, which also includes yellow fever and dengue fever.
The symptoms of the disease : include a high fever with frontal headaches, followed by haemorrhagic symptoms, such as bleeding from the nasal cavity, throat, and gums, as well as gastrointestinal bleeding.Other symptoms include vomiting, muscle stiffness, tremors, absent reflexes, and mental disturbances.
There are a variety of animals thought to be reservoir hosts for the disease, including porcupines, rats, squirrels, mice and shrews.
The vector for disease transmission is Haemaphysalis spinigera, a forest tick. Humans contract infection from the bite of nymphs of the tick.
The disease was first reported from Kyasanur Forest of Karnataka in India in March 1957. The disease is also locally known as “monkey disease” or “monkey fever”.

24. Bhaona- Assam

Bhaona is a traditional form of entertainment- a mythology-based theatrical performance
It was the creation of saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva (a Vaishnava saint born in 1449 A.D in Nagaon district of Assam. He started the neo-Vaishnavite movement).
The actors who perform it are known as Bhaoriya.

25. Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an NGO that is dedicated to the promotion and protection of internationally regarded human rights as declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Their goals, as described on their website, are to:-
Stop violence against women
Defend the rights and dignity of those trapped in poverty
Abolish the death penalty
Oppose torture and combat terror with justice
Free prisoners of conscience
Protect the rights of refugees and migrants
Regulate the global arms trade