60 Days Plan: UPSC IAS Prelims 2019- History and Current Affairs (Day 44)

• Kuchipudi is one of the classical dance forms of the South India. Kuchipudi derives its name from the Kuchipudi village of Andhra Pradesh.

• In the seventeenth century the Kuchipudi village was presented to the Brahmins, who were experts in staging dance and drama.

• Kuchipudi exhibits scenes from the Hindu Epics, legends and mythological tales through a combination of music, dance and acting.

• Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics but it is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi’s presentation as dance drama.

• Bharatnatyam – Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
• Kathak – North India and western India
• Kathakali – Kerala
• Kuchipudi  – Andhra Pradesh.
• Manipuri – Manipur
• Mohiniattam – Kerala
• Odissi  – Orissa
• Sattriya – Assam

• The Sattriya dance dramas were written by the great saint Samanta Sankardev who was the founder of this dance, and the celibate monks performed on various mythological stories through this technique.
• It was in the year 2002 that the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy recognized the Sattriya dance as part of the 8 Indian classical dance forms.
• There are various musical instruments used in this dance, some of which include Khol (drum), Bahi (flute), Violin, Tanpura, Harmonium and Shankha (Conch Shell).
• The Sattriya dance form can be placed under 2 categories; Paurashik Bhangi, which is the masculine style and ‘Stri Bhangi’, which is the feminine style.
• Pat Silk saree is the most popular kind of saree used in this dance, which represents the locality through its various colorful motifs and designs.
• This is the only classical Assamese dance which has stayed true to its original technique and style.

• Both the Carnatic and Hindustani styles give principal prominence to the melody.
• Both has one leading swara or Vadi swar in every Raga
• Both use Sampoorna Scale (with all 7 notes) to describe Janak Thaat or Raga to make Janya Raga.
• Both use a Tanpura or Drone with one or two notes to signify Pitch and base in Raga version.

• Kelucharan Mahapatra, Gangadhar Pradhan, Pankaj Charan Das etc.revived this dance form in the late forties and early fifties.
• Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh, Kumkum Mohanty, Anita Babu, Sujata Mohapatra etc. contributed to the upliftment and popularization of Odissi.
• Recently, the Odissi has now been included in the syllabus of IIT Bhubaneswar’s B.Tech syllabus since 2015. It became the first national technical institute to introduce any Indian Classical Dance form in their syllabus. 

• Dhrupad This is the oldest and grandest form of Hindustani music. It is essentially poetic and it is presented in a style marked with precise and orderly elaboration of Raga.  Exposition proceedings composed verses is called Alap.  
• Khayal Khayal means imagination. This is the most prominent style in Hindustani depicting romantic style of singing. It largely depends on the imagination and improvisation of the performer. It is also composed of particular raga and tala. It ranges from praise of kings description of seasons and pranks of Lord Sri Krishna. 
• Thumri Thumri originated in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. It is influenced by hori, kajri, Dadra. Tumhri is supposed to be romantic and erotic style of singing and is also called “lyric of Indian classical music”. The song composition mainly on love and devotion.  
• Tappa Tappa developed around the 18th century. It means jump in Persian, it is developed on folk songs of camel riders.    

• Gatkais weapon-based Indian martial art basically created by the Sikhs of Punjab.
• There are many weapons used in Gatka like, Stick, Talwar, kirpan and kataar. 
• The attacking and defense methods are based upon the positions of the hands feet and nature of weapons used. 
• It is also displayed during the different celebrations or at fairs in Punjab.
• The sport form is played by two opponents wielding wooden staves called gatka. These sticks may be paired with a shield. Points are scored for making contact with the stick. 
• The other weapons are not used for sparring, but their techniques are taught through forms training.
• It is based on the basic principle of unification of the mind, body and spirit in a rhythm of life to train a saint-soldier to be able to defend himself/herself.

• It is unarmed martial art from the oldest city of India “Varanasi“. 
• Techniques used in these martial arts are punches, kicks, knees and elbow strikes. 
• This style is a complete art of physical, mental and spiritual development. 
• This art is very rarely visible but was very popular in middle age.

• Kalarippayattu is a famous Indian martial art from land of attraction Kerala and one of the oldest fighting systems in existence. 
• It is practiced in most of the part of south India. 
• A kalari is the school or training hall where martial arts are taught. 
• It includes strikes, kicks and some weapon based practiced, 
• Footwork patterns are most important key in Kalarippayattu. 
• It is the best Indian martial art that has been used in many movies to make it popular, like Asoka and The myth.

• Lathi is an ancient armed martial art of India. It also refers one of the world’s oldest weapons used in martial arts. Lathi or stick martial arts practiced in Punjab and Bengal region of India. Lathi still remains a popular sport in Indian villages.
• Mardani Khel is an armed method of martial art created by the Maratha. This traditional martial art of Maharashtra is practiced in Kolhapur.
• Pari-khandaa style of sword and shield fighting from Bihar. This art is created by the rajputs. Pari-khanda steps and techniques are also used in Chau dance.

• Bihu: The Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Indian State of Assam related to the festival of Bihu. This Jogous dance is performed by both   young men   and   women  and   is characterized by brisk dance steps, and rapid hand movement. Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing.
• Bhangra is a folk dance conducted by Punjab Sikh farmers to celebrate the coming of the harvest season.  The folk dance has been popularized in the western world by Punjab.
• Garba is a dance form that originated in the Gujarat region. Traditionally it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navaratri. Either the lamp (the Garba Deep) or an image of the Goddess Durga is placed in the middle of concentric rings and the people dance around the centre, bending sideways at every step, their arms making sweeping gestures, each movement ending in a clap.

• In 2004, the Government of India declared that languages that met certain requirements could be accorded the status of a “Classical Language in India”. Languages so far declared to be Classical are Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia.
• Criteria to determine the eligibility of languages to be considered for classification as a “Classical Language”:
• 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 should 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.

• Changu dance is a popular dance form from Orissa. It derives its name from a kind of drum called Changu, which invariably accompanies   the dance.   The dance is performed only by women. Men only sing songs, play on the Changu and move with the female dancers with simple steps. The female dancers dance in a half sitting position with swaying and sometimes jerky movements.
• Therukoothu is   a widely popular folk dance of Tamil Nadu. Therukoothu commonly occur during the village festivities and become the centre of all fun, frolic and attention of the folk people. Therukoothu is performed in junctions of the villages. Only men take part in Therukoothu even female roles are played by the men folk.
• Cheraw dance or Bamboo Dance is a traditional cultural dance performed in Mizoram, India, consisting of mostly six to eight people holding a pairs of bamboo staves on another horizontally placed bamboo on the ground. The male performers then clap the bamboos rhythmically while groups of beautiful girls dance in intricate steps between the beating bamboos . It is the most famous and beautiful dance in Mizoram, and is the center of attraction during festive occasions. Similar dances are found in the Far East and in the Philippines. In 2010, a Guinness World Record of largest number of cheraw dancers dancing at the same time was made.

• ‘Religious paintings with a royal heritage’ is the best definition for Thanjavur paintings, now better known as Tanjore paintings.
• Tanjore painting ranks among the greatest traditional art forms for which India is noted worldwide. Their themes are fundamentally mythological.
• These religious paintings demonstrate that spirituality is the essence of creative work. Few art forms match the beauty and grace of Tanjore paintings.
• Originating in Tanjavur about 300 kms from Chennai, this form of art developed at the height of cultural evolvement achieved during the rule of mighty Chola Empire. The art form evolved and flourished under the patronage of successive rulers. These magnificent paintings adorned the royal dwellings and later found their way into every household.
• An extraordinary visual amalgamation of both art and craft, Tanjore paintings mainly consist of themes on Hindu gods and goddesses, with figures of Lord Krishna in various poses and depicting various stages of his life being the favorite.
• The characteristics of the Tanjore paintings are their brilliant color schemes, decorative jewellery with stones and cut glasses and remarkable gold leaf work.

• Kathputli – Rajasthan. These are carved from a single piece of wood and are colorfully dressed in Rajasthani style of clothing. The show is accompanied with dramatized version of the traditional Rajasthani music. The puppets do not have legs and are maneuvered using 5 strings.
• Kundhei – Orissa. The string puppets of Orissa are made up of light wood and are dressed in long flowy skirts. They have many joints and are easy to maneuver. The costumes of Kundhei resemble those worn by actors of the Jatra traditional theatre. The music is often drawn from the popular tunes of the region and also is inspired by Odissi.
• Gombeyatta – Karnataka. The dolls resemble the characters of Yakshagana- the regional traditional theatre form. Theatre performances are a glimpse of prasangas in Yakshagana. The puppets are maneuvered using strings attached.
• Bommalattam – Tamil Nadu. These are a combination of string and rod puppets. The dolls are made of wood and strings. The strings are tied to an Iron ring which the artist wears on his head. Bommalattam theatre has elaborate preliminaries which are divided into four parts – Vinayak Puja, Komali, Amanattam and Pusenkanattam.

• Maharashtra is known for its Warli folk paintings. Warli is the name of the largest tribe found on the northern outskirts of Mumbai, in Western India.
• Despite being in such close proximity of the largest metropolis in India, Warli tribesmen shun all influences of modern urbanization. Warli Art was first discovered in the early seventies.
• While there are no records of the exact origins of this art, its roots may be traced to as early as the 10th century A.D. Warli is the vivid expression of daily and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, used by them to embellish the walls of village houses.
• This was the only means of transmitting folklore to a populace not acquainted with the written word. This art form is simple in comparison to the vibrant paintings of Madhubani.

• This movement began in Karnataka in the 12th century during reign of Kalachuya kings. Their reign was marked by dominance of traditional Brahminical Hindu values, a social system based on caste and a polity and economy governed by feudal principles. Virashaiva movement emerged a kind of militant movement initiated by Basavanna/Basavesvara and his companions like Allamaprabhu and Akkamaha Devi.
• The term ‘Akka’ (elder Sister) is an honorific given to her by great Veerashaiva saints like Basavanna.
• They wanted to replace the conservative Shaivism by a more egalitarian and free order. Their followers were known as – Virshaiva (heroes of Shiva) and Lingyats (wearers of Linga). The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the ‘pollution’ attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. The Virashaivas argued strongly for the equality of all human beings and against Brahmanical ideas about caste and the treatment of women. They were also against all forms of ritual and idol worship.
• They also produced literary works which are now known as ‘vachnas’.

• Togalu Gombeyatta – Karnataka. The shadow puppet art practiced in Karnataka is called Togalu Gombeyatta. The size of the puppets used is relatively small. The size of the puppets generally defines the social status of the character. Larger the size of the puppet, greater is the social status of the character. For example, large sized puppets are used for Kings and religious characters while smaller sized puppets for servants and common man.
• Tholu Bommalata – Andhra Pradesh. The shadow theatre of Andhra Pradesh, Tholu Bommalata is known for its strongest and richest tradition. The shoulders, wait, elbows and knees of the puppets are jointed and are colored on both the sides. The size of the puppets is large. The themes for the show are usually drawn from the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana or from the Puranas. The background music for the theatre show is influenced by the classical music of the region.
• Ravanachhaya – Orissa. The shadow puppet form practiced in Orissa, is the most theatrically exiting form of shadow puppetry prevalent in India. The puppets do not have joints and are in one single piece. They are not colored on either sides, therefore opaque shadows are thrown on the screen. The manipulation and movements of puppets requires great dexterity as there are no joints. The puppets are conceived in bold dramatic poses and are made of Deer skin. Apart from human and animal character, various props such as mountains, trees, chariots, houses are also used. The puppets create very sensitive, lyrical shadows on the screen.  The Ravanachayya puppets are not more than two feet tall and are relatively smaller.

• Pashupata Shaivism was one of the main Shaivite schools. The Pashupatas are the oldest named Shaivite group.
• The Pasupata doctrine gave rise to two extreme schools, the Kalamukha and the Kapalika, known as Atimargika (schools away from the path), as well as a moderate sect, the Saivas (also called the Siddhanta school), which developed into modern Saivism.

• Pattachitra style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha. The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words patta, meaning canvas, and chitra, meaning picture.
• Pattachitra is thus a painting done on canvas, and is manifested by rich colorful application, creative motifs and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction.
• Some of the popular themes represented through this art form are Thia Badhia – depiction of the temple of Jagannath; Krishna Lila – enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna displaying his powers as a child; Dasabatara Patti – the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu; Panchamukhi – depiction of Lord Ganesh as a five-headed deity.
• More than anything, the themes are clearly the essence of the art form, conceptualizing the meaning of the paintings. It is no surprise therefore that the process of preparing the paintings engages undeterred concentration and careful craftsmanship, stretching the preparation time of the patta alone to around five days.

Kelp thrives in cold, nutrient-rich waters and relies on sunlight to generate food and energy. They occur worldwide throughout temperate and polar coastal oceans. They were also discovered in tropical waters near Ecuador.

The Geneva Conventions have a system of “Protecting Powers” who ensure that the provisions of the conventions are being followed by the parties in a conflict. In theory, each side must designate states that are not party to the conflict as their “Protecting Powers”. In practice, the International Committee of the Red Cross usually plays this role.

Conventions

• The First Geneva Convention “for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field” (first adopted in 1864, revised in 1906, 1929 and finally 1949);
• The Second Geneva Convention “for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea” (first adopted in 1949, successor of the Hague Convention (X) 1907);
• The Third Geneva Convention “relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War” (first adopted in 1929, last revision in 1949);
• The Fourth Geneva Convention “relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War” (first adopted in 1949, based on parts of the Hague Convention (II) of 1899 and Hague Convention (IV) 1907).

The 1949 conventions have been modified with three amendment protocols:

• Protocol I (1977) relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts
• Protocol II (1977) relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts
• Protocol III (2005) relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem

Note – India is party to the four conventions but not the additional protocols

Phen Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is a popular buffer zone of Kanha national park.
• It is located near Mukki entrance gate of Kanha tiger reserve.

The GDHP was initiated by the Australian Digital Health Agency, who will provide the first 18 months of secretariat services for the GDHP and was the host country for the inaugural summit in 2018.

India hosted the ‘4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit’.

It is a large species of frog found in mainland Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal. It has been introduced in Madagascar and India’s Andaman Islands, where it is now a widespread invasive species.

Its tadpoles are carnivorous and eat other tadpoles (including their own species).

IUCN – Least Concern

Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary is a national park in Uttarakhand, India established initially as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, and later converted into a national park.

It is named after a prominent Indian freedom fighter and politician Govind Ballabh Pant.

The park lies in the higher reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas.

The Snow Leopard Project started by the Government of India is being managed at this sanctuary.

Also, it is one of the remaining strongholds in the Himalayas of the bearded vulture, a vital ecological catalyst.

The Bandar Poonch massif in the Garhwal Himalaya consists of three peaks  Bandar Poonch I, (6,316 m), Bandar Poonch II (6,102m.) and the Kala Nag, Black Cobra or Black Peak (6,387m).

The River Yamuna originates on the West end of the Bandarpoonch cirque Glacier. The Eastern slopes of the Bandarpoonch Mountain feed the River Ganga.

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/peak-named-after-anjaneya/article26267895.ece

Source:

https://sdg.iisd.org/news/adb-unep-report-examines-challenges-in-sdg-implementation-on-sdgs-12-14-and-15/

Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) is a “key pillar” of the EU’s efforts to enhance the positive impact and increase effectiveness of development cooperation, and is different from, while contributing to the objectives of, policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD).

The 2019 report is based on contributions from EU member States, the EC and the European External Action Service (EEAS). It is also closely linked to the EC Reflection Paper titled, ‘Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030.’

Source:

https://sdg.iisd.org/news/ec-reports-on-policy-coherence-for-2030-agenda-implementation/

Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced in Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Only natural dyes are used in Kalamkari and it involves twenty three steps.

Kalamkari is an ancient style of hand painting done on cotton or silk fabric with a tamarind pen, using natural dyes. The word Kalamkari is derived from a Persian word where ‘kalam‘ means pen and ‘kari‘ refers to craftsmanship. This art involves 23 tedious steps of dyeing, bleaching, hand painting, block printing, starching, cleaning and more. Motifs drawn in Kalamkari spans from flowers, peacock, paisleys to divine characters of Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. Nowadays, this art is primarily done to create Kalamkari sarees.

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/prasoona-anand-on-her-venture-maggam-that-works-to-revive-original-kalmakari/article26289161.ece

The Baluchar is famous as one of India’s most beautiful sarees, its intricate craft and history interwoven into its stunning folds.

This particular type of sari originated in Bengal and is known for depictions of mythological scenes on the pallu of the sari. It was mainly produced in Murshidabad but presently Bishnupur and its surrounding places of West Bengal is the only place where authentic Baluchuri saris are produced. It takes approximately one week to produce one such sari.

The Baluchari Sari has been granted the status of geographical indication in India.

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/the-timeless-beauty-of-baluchari/article26203192.ece