Kolkata’s Durga Puja Gets UNESCO heritage status

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added Kolkata's Durga Puja to its 'Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.' 

The decision was taken during the sixteenth session of the of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, chaired by Punchi Nilame Meegaswatte, Secretary General of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO.

Durga Puja is an annual festival marks the ten-day worship of the Hindu mother-goddess Durga. In West Bengal Bengal the festival is celebrated in honour of Goddess Durga’s killing of demon Mahishasur and is called the Durga Puja. Huge pandals are set-up housing the idols of Goddess Durga and her four children - Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya. 

India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the UNESCO list. Other Indian entries that were previously inscribed include Ramlila (2008), Yoga (2016) and Kumbh Mela (2017).

In 2017, the Kumbh Mela was accorded this recognition. Yoga was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016, traditional brass and copper craft of Punjab in 2014, Manipur's Sankirtana ritual singing in 2013 and the dance forms of Chhau, Kalbelia and Mudiyettu in 2010.

The preparations for Durga Puja start well in advance but things really hot up when the idols of Goddess Durga and her four children - Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya finally arrives and are installed in the pandals.

The worship of Goddess Durga starts on the inaugural day of Mahalaya. The next ten days are marked by prayers, dancing, merrymaking, ethnic clothing and meeting the neighbours. The Vijayadasmi day marks the end of the puja festivities. The beautifully decorated deities being carried in splendid processions with attractive backdrops, and the frenzied processions dancing to the beat of drums and music are a treat to watch. 

Centre refuses to accept Paika revolution as first war of independence

The Centre has recently refused to accept Paika rebellion as the first war of independence. In 2017, the Odisha Government demanded that the Odisha rebellion be declared as the first war of independence. Currently, the Revolt of 1857, known variously as First War of Independence and Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 is called the first war of independence against British Rule. The Revolt of 1857 shook the very foundation of the British Empire in India.

Paika Rebellion took place from 1817 to 1825 in Odisha.

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What is the Paika Rebellion?

The Paikas were a warrior class who were given rent-free lands by the Gajapat kings in Odisha in lieu of the military services they would render to the Kingdom of Khurda.

.In 1804, the King of Khurda, Raja Mukunda Deva, who was dethroned by the British in the previous year, organized a rebellion against the British with the help of his Paiks. However, the rebellion ended in a fiasco and the British confiscated his entire territory.

As the new land revenue settlements of the British came into force the Paikas lost their estates. The oppression of the British in the following years caused a resentment among the Paikas who under the leadership of Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar confronted the British on April 2, 1817. Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar was the military chief of the King of Khurda. 

All government buildings in Banapur in Khurda districts were set on fire and the British treasury was looted. Many policemen lost their lives.

The revolt was ultimately suppressed with brutality by the British. Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar [Bidyadhar Mohapatra] surrendered to the British in 1825 and died while still in jail in 1829. 

Delhi’s Nizamuddin Basti conservation project wins two UNESCO awards

The UNESCO has conferred two awards for conservation efforts at Nizamuddin Basti in Delhi. 

The Nizamuddin Basti has received two awards at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation this year. The conservation initiative at Nizamuddin area has bagged the prestigious Award of Excellence and another award in the Special Recognition for Sustainable Development category. 

Conservation efforts at Nizamuddin Basti are being undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in partnership with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation and the Dargah Committee and resident community groups of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti since 2007.

Nizamuddin Basti Project encompasses restoration of over 20 historic monuments clustered around the 14th century mausoleum of the revered Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the most prominent Sufi saint of the Chisti order.

• The Nizamuddin area consists of Humayun Tomb and the 16th century Batashewala Tomb-Garden Complex and tomb of 16th century poet Rahim (Khan I Khanan) and the Mughal-period caravanserai of Azimganj Serai. These regions were segregated and damaged. They were also renewed by the Nizamuddin Basti Project.

• The project was started in 2007 by the Aga Kahn Trust for Culture, Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Objectives of Nizamuddin Basti Project

• The Nizamuddin Basti Project is an Urban Renewal Project. It successfully unified the segregated zones of the seven-century old settlement of the Nizamuddin Basti and its surrounding 70 acres.

• It integrated socio – economic development, conservation and environmental development objectives in these areas.

• It unified three major sites namely Sundar Nursery, Nizamuddin Basti and Humayun Tomb.

Humayun Tomb

A brilliant example of early Mughal architecture, Humayun Tomb was commissioned by his first wife Bega Begum or Haji Begum. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1993. Since then, it has undergone extensive restoration work. The tomb is placed in the centre of a thirty-acre garden called “Char Bagh”. The last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured by the British in Humayun Tomb in 1857.

Mattancherry Palace

                            Mattancherry palace at night/ Image Source

The Mattancherry Palace in Cochin in the Indian state of Kerala is a magnificent two -story building with its vividly executed vibrant murals.  

Also known as the Dutch Palace, the palace was originally built in the 16th century by the Portuguese who presented the palace to the ruler of Kochi with a view to ease the tension caused due to the plunder of Palluruthi temple by the Portuguese. 

When Cochin fell to the Dutch in 1663 AD, the palace came under their control who gave this beautiful architecture a makeover.   

Khudiram Bose Anniversary

                                                        Freedom fighter Khudiram Bose (Photo: Twitter)

Today is the birth anniversary of Khudiram Bose [1889-1908], a revolutionary born in the Midnapore district of West Bengal. 

One of India’s earliest revolutionaries to die on the gallows on August 11, 1908 at the age of 18, Khudiram Bose was a member of the revolutionary society Anushilan Samiti. He along with Prufulla Chaki threw a bomb at the carriage of Kingsford, an English Judge at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. 

Bose was arrested in the Muzaffarpur Conspiracy case and sentenced to death while Prufulla Chaki committed himself before police could arrest him. 

Khudiram Bose was executed in Muzaffarpur jail on 11 August 1908. 

Rajgir, First Capital of Magadha

   Vulture’s Peak, Rajagriha|Wikimedia Commons

In ancient times, Rajgir or Raagriha, as it was called, was the capital of 6th century BC Magadhan ruler Bimbisara who was deposed, imprisoned and murdered by his son Ajatashatru in about 494 B.C. 

Situated in the state of Bihar, Rajgir is one of the most sacred -- and atmospheric – places in India. Rajgir measures its history in millennia. Today a pool of serenity and tranquillity, Rajgir is littered with the ancient remnants of the past. Rajgir is a holy place, a centre of pilgrimage, and an object of devotion for three faiths: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Griddhakuta or Vulture's Peak, Bimbisara's Jail and World Peace Pagoda are some of the attractions in Rajgir, 15 km from the world famous Buddhist site of Nalanda.  

Griddhakuta (Vulture's Peak)
The well-known Buddhist site of Griddhakuta Hill is deservedly an attraction in Rajgir not to be missed. During the rainy season the Buddha used to climb up to his mountain retreat atop the Griddhakuta Hill and deliver sermons to his disciples. The brilliant shine of the Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda), built on the top of the hill by the Buddha Sangha of Japan in 1965, is a feast for the eyes. Though you can reach the hill by following a bridle path, it would be an experience of a lifetime to use the aerial single-person chairlift. A ride on the chairlift commands a panoramic view of the hills of Rajgir and some Jain temples dotting the landscape. 

Venuvana
One of the famous attractions of Rajgir, Venuvana is the site of the monastery Venuvana Vihar where Gautama Buddha used to reside while he was in Rajgir. Venuvana Vihar was built by Bimbisara for use by Buddha. 

Saptaparni Cave
Saptaparni Cave is the place where Buddha used to meditate. It is said to be the venue for the First Buddhist Council, held six months after Buddha's death. The Saptparni cave is also the source of the various hot water springs the waters of which are known to provide cure for the chronic ailments. The therapeutic baths at these springs have been famous for their medicinal powers for centuries. 

Rajgir Mahotsav Festival
Rajgir Mahotsav, a compelling attraction for the cultural cognoscenti, is a three –day festival of classical dances and music held annually at Quila Maidan against the spectacular backdrop of the Ratnagiri hills in Rajgir.

Since its inception in 1986, this unmissable annual event has grown into a major attraction for cultural cognoscenti. Spectators from different parts of the world attend the demonstration of art in the dance and music form. 

Apart from dance and music, the list of attractions to treat the tourists during the three-day extravaganza also include Tonga race, mehndi contest, martial arts competitions,  mahila utsav, food plaza and gramshree mela. 

Ghositarama monastery of Kaushambi

                        Ghoshitaram monastery in Kosambi/ Image source

Kaushambi was a thriving centre of Buddhism in ancient times and was one of the six greatest cities during Buddha’s time besides serving as the capital of the Vatsa kingdom. 

Kaushambi which was visited by the Buddha several times finds mention in the accounts of seventh century Chinese scholar and traveler Huen Tsang who records that the place was home to 10 monasteries when he visited it. 

The archaeological excavations have led to the discovery of the remains of the Ghositarama monastery which played host to the Buddha during his stay in the city.

Ghositarama monastery was built by one of the leading Shreshti (bankers) of Kaushambi, Ghosita whose daughter Samavati was the wife of  Udayana, the most famous king of the Vatsa kingdom who ruled in the 6th century BC.