Year End Review | Ministry of Culture

• A separate ministry for culture was established in 2006.
• Primary mandate- Preservation and conservation of ancient cultural heritage and promotion of tangible and intangible art and culture.
• Union Minister- Shri G. Kishan Reddy

WORLD HERITAGE SITES

• New Inclusion- Santiniketan and Hoysala temples (Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas) from India were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Santiniketan-It is a university in West Bengal set up by the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore.
• It is based on ancient Indian traditions, reflecting his vision and philosophy of recognizing unity of humanity or ‘Visva Bharati’.
• It is the first tangible cultural heritage site from West Bengal.
• Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas- It comprise 3 magnificent 13^th century temples of the Hoysala Dynasty in Karnataka, namely
  • Hoysalesvara Temple Helebidu,
  • Channakeshava Temple Belur,
  • Keshava Temple Somnathapur.

India is in the 6^th position for maximum number of sites on the World Heritage List of UNESCO

• UNESCO Creative Cities Network- Newly included in 2023 are
  • Gwalior- Music
  • Kozhikode- Literature
• UNESCO’s Representive List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity- ‘Garba of Gujarat’ has been inscribed newly in 2023.

• Launch year- 2021
• Theme- Nation first, always first
• Meaning- Great Celebration for the Amirtham (nectar) of Independence.
• It is an embodiment of all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural, political and economic identity.

Important events

• Meri Maati Mera Desh- Maati Ko Naman Veeron ka Vandan- Unified celebration to pay tribute to the ‘Veers’ who laid down their lives for the country.
  • Amrit Kalash Yatra- Carrying soil from all corners of the country in 7500 kalash to create an 'Amrit Vatika' in Delhi.
  • Amrit Mahotsav Memorial- At the memorial site, people will take a solemn pledge covering Panch Pran, affirming their commitment to the country.
  • Rastragaan- Hoisting of flags and singing of National Anthem at sites.
  • Vasudheva vandhan- Panchayats, villages and urban local bodies will replenish Mother Earth by planting 75 saplings of indigenous species and develop the ‘Amrit Vatika’
• Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar- Culturally map India's 6.5 lakh villages, spanning 29 States and 7 Union Territories, on a comprehensive virtual platform under National Mission on Cultural Mapping.
• Har Ghar Tiranga- Encourages people to bring the tricolour flag home and to hoist it to mark the 75^th year of India’s independence.
• Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2.0 -To revive the bonds between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu through cultural exchange and knowledge sharing
• Swantatra Swar- Revolutionary poetry banned during British Raj is published.
• Vande Bharatam programme- An initiative as part of Republic Day Celebrations 2023 along with Ministry of Defence, to promote the spirit of 'Jan Bhagidari', while showcasing India's vibrancy thorough its dance.
  • Shakti Rupen Sansthita- It was the title of the tableau of the Ministry of Culture that was showcased at the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path.

G20 2023- INDIA PRESIDENCY

• Theme- Vasudheiva Kudumbakam (One Earth One Family One Future)
• Events held
  • G-20 March for World Peace
  • G-20 Run for Women Power
  • Culture All Unites, the largest display of Lambani embroidery patches was organised at Hampi, Karnataka
• Kashi Culture Pathway- It reflects the consensus and commitment of the G20 member based on 4 thematic priorities.
• Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property
• Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future
• Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries, and Creative Economy
• Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Promotion and Protection of Culture

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL RELATIONS

• Global engagement schemes
  • Festivals of India Abroad- Tools of cultural diplomacy that project India’s rich cultural heritage and its soft power
  • Grant-in aid to Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies- To promote Indian culture abroad, fostering closer friendship and cultural contacts
• Cultural Exchange Programme- It has been signed with Egypt, Colombia, Italy, Mauritius, Slovakia and Belarus to foster bilateral cooperation.
• Shared Buddhist Heritage- Organized in association with Ministry of External Affairs, it is an international conference with Shanghai Cooperation Organization Nations at New Delhi with focus on India’s civilization connect.
• Global Buddhist Summit- It is hosted in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation with the theme “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis”.
• India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale, 2023- To invigorate the cultural space and creative industries and leverage the Arts for Global Cultural Diplomacy and Connect.

OTHER INITIATIVES

• Atmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design- Launched at Delhi to pave the way for a sustainable cultural economy derived from the indigenous crafts of India by empowering the artisan communities with new designs and innovations.
• Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav- Organised in Mumbai to promote National Unity and integrity through cultural exchange.
• Kala Samantar- An art gala uniting visual and performing arts in a beautiful symphony organised by National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.
• Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava- Festival on Karnataka’s culture, traditions and history.
• Vitasta- Festival to celebrate the vibrant cultural traditions of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Utkarsh- India’s largest folk and tribal cultural event organised in Madhya Pradesh.
• Samskrita Samunmesha- National Sanskrit Convention to carry Sanskrit to the grassroot level.
• Festival of libraries- To promote development and digitization of libraries and cultivate the culture of reading.
• International Museum Expo 2023- To celebrate the International Museum Day and to institutionalize this in its annual calendar.

BIRTH AND DEATH ANNIVERSARIES

200^th Birth Anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati

• Dayanand Saraswati was one of the most influential figures of 19th-century India.
• A believer in the supreme authority of the Vedas, he established the Arya Samaj in 1875, leading a reform movement within orthodox Hinduism.
• Arya Samaj means “Make this world noble”. He gave the clarion call “Go back to Vedas”.
• Shuddhi Movement- It was introduced by him to bring back the individuals to Hinduism who were either voluntarily or involuntarily converted to other religions like Islam or Christianity.
• Publications- Satyarth Prakash, Sanskarvidhi and Yajurved Bhashyam.
• Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan called Dayanand Saraswati as “a maker of modern India”.

125^th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

• Subhash Chandra Bose is an Indian revolutionary prominent in the independence movement against British rule of India.
• He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, but later broke away from them due to ideological differences.
• In 1939, he formed the Forward Bloc, an organization aimed at unifying all anti-British forces in India.
• He also led an Indian National Force from abroad against the Western powers during World War II.
• He was a charismatic influencer of the youth and earned the epithet ‘Netaji’ by establishing and leading the Indian National Army (INA) during India’s struggle for independence.

150^th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

• He is an Indian nationalist, poet, philosopher, and yogi.
• He played an active role in the Indian Freedom Movement till 1910, after which he became a spiritual reformer.
• Tagore painted him as the Messiah of Indian Culture and Civilization and C R Das hailed him as the ‘poet of patriotism, the prophet of nationalism and the lover of humanity.’
• He associated himself with journals and periodicals namely Jugantar, Bande Mataram and the Karmayogi, through which he criticised British imperialism and preached revolutionary concept of nationalism.
• In 1908, he was arrested on the charge of the Alipore Bomb Conspiracy Case and was acquitted in 1909 after a long trial.
• Important writings- The Life Divine, Savitri, Essay on the Gita, Defense of Indian Culture, etc.,

250^th Birth Anniversary of Raja Ram Mohan Roy

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy is considered as the father of modern Indian Renaissance for his remarkable reforms such as abolition of Sati.
• In 1828, Ram Mohan Roy formed the Brahmo Samaj, which had no faith in idol-worship and were against the caste restrictions.
• The title 'Raja' was bestowed upon him by the Mughal emperor Akbar II, in 1831.
• He brought out a newspaper in Persian called 'Miratul- Akhbar' (the Mirror of News) and a Bengali weekly called 'Sambad Kaumudi' (the Moon of Intelligence).

400^th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur

• Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti is celebrated to mark the auspicious occasion of the birth of the 9^th Guru of Sikhism, Guru Tegh Bahadur.
• He is often called as the “Protector of Humanity” by Sikhs.
• He founded the town of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became a part of Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib.
• His writings are housed in the sacred text, ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ in the form of 116 poetic hymns
• He opposed the forced conversion of the Hindu Kashmiri Pandits by Mughal ruler Aurangazeb and was persecuted.

150^th birth anniversary of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Sureshwar

• Vallabhsuri, also known as Punjab Kesari led an austere life as a Jain Saint to spread the message of Lord Mahavira.
• He placed emphasis on education and inspired Jains to build more educational institutions.
• He also participated in the Swadeshi movement led by Mahatma Gandhi for independence of India.
• Statute of Peace is dedicated to him in Rajasthan by Government of India in 2021.

125^th Birth Anniversary of Sri Alluri Sitarama Raju

• Alluri is also referred to as Manyam Veerudu (Jungle Warrior).
• Initially, Sitarama Raju, under the influence of Gandhiji’s Non-cooperation movement, inspired the tribals to seek justice in the local panchayat courts and boycott the colonial courts.
• The Madras Forest Act, 1882 restricted the free movement of the tribal communities and prohibiting them from engaging in their traditional Podu agricultural system.
• This oppressive order was the beginning of the tribal revolt, also known as the Manyam Rebellion or Rampa Rebellion.

525th Birth Anniversary of Saint Meera Bai

• Mirabai, a 16th century Indian royal, was a great Bhakti saint, Hindu mystic poet and a devotee of the Lord Krishna.
• Bhaktmal, a poetry collection that describes the biography of Meera Bai, is written by Guru Nabha Dass ji in 1585 CE in Braja language.
• She became a follower of Ravidas, a saint who was said to be untouchable.

500th birth centenary celebrations of Rani Durgavati

• Rani Durgavati is said to have been born in 1524, in Mahoba’s Chandela dynasty (Uttar Pradesh).
• She was married to Dalpat Shah, son of King Sangram Shah of Gondwana.
• After her husband’s death, Rani Durgavati ascended the throne of Gondwana.
• She fought the Mughal emperor Akbar and his commander Asaf Khan and gave the ultimate sacrifice.
• The day of her martyrdom is commemorated as ‘Balidan Diwas’.