Art & culture

CURRENT AFFAIRS 18 oct

Nihangs

Issue
The Nihangs have been accused of chopping limb of a man and later
lynching him for allegedly showing disrespect to scriptures.

Background
The incident comes one and half year later of a similar incident when
Nihangs had chopped off a hand of police official.

Details
This incident took place at the Singhu border protest site and the victim
belongs to a group that has been protesting against three farm laws.

The group
 The Nihangs are an order of Sikhs who wear blue dress, carry arms
such as swords and spears. They also wear a decorated turbans surmounted
by steel quoits.
 The word Nihang stands for alligator, sword and pen in Persian. The
word may have originated from Sanskrit word nihshank which means without
fear, unblemished, pure, and carefree.

Formation
 The Nihang order was formed when the Khalsa was formed by Guru
Gobind Singh in 1699. The word also finds mention in Guru Granth Sahib.
 Some historians trace the order’s history to Guru Gobind Singh’s son
Fateh Singh when he dressed up in a blue chola and blue turban with a
dumala.
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Difference with other Sikhs

 Nihangs observe the Khalsa code of conduct in its strictest sense. They
do not profess any allegiance to an earthly master.
 Instead of saffron they hoist a blue Nishan Sahib (flag) atop their
shrines. The Nihangs consume a popular drink called shardai or sharbati
degh (sacrament drink).

Role in Sikh history

 Nihangs defended Sikh faith during the onslaught of Mughals and also
during the invasion of Ahmed Shah Durrani.
 They had their independent existence in Akal Takht. After the fall of Sikh
Empire in 1849, they lost their powers.

Current status
 Nihangs stay in their respective deras and take part in pilgrimage of
Anandpur Sahib, Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sabo and Amritsar.
 They are known to possess martial skills and today constitute a small
community headed by a leader known as jathedar.

Becoming a Nihang
 Following Sikh traditions
 Remembers five banis
 Performs daily ablutions by waking up at 1 am
 Performs morning and evening prayers
 Individual can belong to any caste or creed
 He should be a baptized Sikh

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 21 oct

Nebra Sky Disc

Issue
The world’s oldest concrete depiction of stars, known as Nebra Sky Disc, will
be displayed by British Museum in London.

Background
The object is owned by the Germany’s State Museum of Prehistory and has
loaned it to British museum for exhibition on Stonehenge.

Details
 The Nebra Sky Disc was ritually buried along with two swords, axes,
two spiral arm-rings and one bronze chisel about 3,600 years ago in Nebra
Germany.
 The objects were buried as a dedication to gods. In recent times the
date of origin of the disc has been questioned.

Doubts on its age

A research paper had stated that the disc was at least 1,000 years younger
than the assumed age. It belonged to Iron Age and not Bronze.

Depiction
The disc depicts the night sky with 32 gold stars, including the Pleiades, a
hold orb that represents the sun or a full moon and a crescent moon.

Purpose

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The exact purpose is yet to be figured out. There are assumptions that it is an
astronomical clock, a work of art and a religious symbol.

Other information
 The materials required to make the disc was imported from as far as
Cornwall in England but the technique and knowledge was entirely local.
 The map of astronomical sky was made by observation from Mittelberg
Mountain, which is near the modern village of Nebra.

Discovery
The disc was discovered in 1999 by treasure hunters, who had sold it in black
market. It was subsequently recovered to become one of the most important
archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Cultural significance
 It represents the Unetice culture of early Bronze Age communities in
central Europe including in Bohemia, Bavaria, southeastern Germany and
western Poland.
 The culture was known to use tin-bronze metallurgy. They are known to
have produced many metallic artifacts.
NOTES

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Art & culture
CURRENT AFFAIRS 22 oct

Kushinagar

Issue
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Kushinagar International
Airport in Uttar Pradesh.

Background
The inauguration ceremony was attended by representatives from 12
countries including a special delegation from Sri Lanka.

Details
Kushinagar Airport is located in Purvanchal area of Uttar Pradesh and will be
the third international airport of the state.

Historical importance
 Kushinagar is the place where Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana
(ultimate salvation) in c. 483 BC. It is one of the major pilgrimage centers of
Buddhism in the world.
 Kushinagar is identified with Kushinara city of ancient Malla republic. It
was one of the 16 mahajanapadas of ancient India.
 The area has been part of many kingdoms including Mauryas, Shungas,
Kushanas, Guptas, Harshavardhana, and the Palas.

Excavations
Alexander Cunningham and ACL Carlleyle were the first ones to excavate
Kushinagar. They found out the statue of the Reclining Buddha in 1876.

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Buddhist tourism
 The Buddhist tourism circuit involves various sites from India, Nepal and
Sri Lanka. Eventhough India hosts major sites associated with Buddha, it gets
less than 1 percent Buddhist pilgrims in the world.
 The tourism circuit passes through Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, and Rajgir in
Bihar, Kushinagar, Sarnath, and Shravasti in UP, and Lumbini in Nepal.

Diplomacy
 Buddhism is a part of India’s cultural diplomacy. The country loses on
potential soft power and influence due to non-development of Buddhist
places.
 The better creation of facilities will attract Buddhist tourists to India, and
boost revenues and employment generation.

Significance
The aim of developing infrastructure is to strengthen India’s position as the
original centre of Buddhism, against the claims from China.

NOTES

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 22 oct

Mt Manipur

Issue
The union government has renamed the historic Mount Harriet in Andaman
and Nicobar as Mount Manipur.

Background
The renaming was conducted in order to honour the contribution of the
Northeastern state in resisting the British.

Details
 The resistance by the Manipuris to British rule was displayed during the
historic 1891 Anglo-Manipur war.
 After the end of the war, many Manipuris were captured and sent to
British penal colony in the Andaman Islands. This also included the King of
Manipur, Maharaja Kulachandra Dhwaja Singh.
 The cellular jail in Andaman and Nicobar was yet to be constructed and
thus the prisoners were kept on Mount Harriet.
 Mt Harriet is a hillock which is located in the Ferragunj tehsil of South
Andaman district. The prisoners were transported for life to the Andamans.

The Anglo-Manipur War of 1891

 The kingdom of Manipur and the British were involved in the Anglo-
Manipur War of 1891. It was fought for over a month.
 The main reason for the battle was the British interference in state of
affairs of the kingdom after a coup in the palace of Manipur.

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Start of conflict
 The King of Manipur named Surachandra as the heir to the throne. A
rebel faction led by his brothers Kulachandra and Tikendrajit deposed him
and made Kulachandra the King.
 The deposed King Surachandra asked the British to help him to get back
the throne. The British sent the Chief Commissioner of Assam for the mission.
 The aim of the mission was to recognise Kulachandra the King of
Manipur only if Tikendrajit was handed over to British and deported from
Manipur. This was strongly opposed.

The consequences of War

 During the first phase, the British surrendered and their officers were
publicly executed. During the second phase, Manipur was attacked from
three sides.
 The Kangla Fort in Imphal was captured and Prince Tikendrajit along
with four others was hanged. King Kulachandra was banished to Andamans.

Significance
 Eventhough the British won the war, they lost five important officers. It
was a big blow for their prestige.
 The war came to be known as a part of general uprising against British
rule in the country after the 1857 revolt of Sepoys.
 The renaming of Mt Harriet was long due to recognise the role of
Manipuris in opposing British rule in India.

Mt Harriet
 Mt Harriet is the third highest peak of Andaman and Nicobar Island. It
was the summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner.
 The mountain is named after Harriet Christina Tytler, who was a well-
known British artist and photographer.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 27 oct

Queen Heo Hwang-ok

Issue
The Ram Katha Park of Ayodhya will now be known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok
Memorial Park, named after the Korean Queen having Indian roots.

Background
A musical performance was also carried out on the story of the queen at
Kamani Auditorium. It was undertaken by Korean Centre for Culture.

Details
 Korean queen Heo Hwang-ok was born as Princess Suriratna of
Ayodhya. She was the daughter of King Padmasen and queen Indumati.
 The ancient kingdom of Kaushala was ruled by the king. The kingdom
extended from present-day UP to Odisha.
 The story of the queen is depicted in Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of
Three Kingdoms). The memorabilia includes legends, folktales and history of
Korea’s three kingdoms — Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla.

The queen’s journey

 The queen travelled to Korea and married Kim Suro, founder and King
of Geumgwan Gaya in south-eastern Korea in 48 BC.
 The king of Ayodhya had sent his daughter after having a dream about
her marrying Suro. She was the first queen of Geumgwan Gaya.

Legacy of the queen

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 In modern day Korea, more than 6 million people trace their lineage to
queen Heo Hwang-ok. The clans they belong include Gimhae Kim, Heo and
Lee.
 The King Suro and the queen gave rise to the Karak dynasty. The
decedents of this dynasty include former South Korean President Kim Dae-
Jung and former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil.
 The queen has a significant presence in popular culture of Korea. There
are many plays and music based on her life.
 Many Koreans visit Ayodhya to pay homage to the queen. In Korea, the
tombs of the King and queen are maintained as memorial park.

Cultural ties with Korea based on queen’s legacy

 An agreement was signed between India and South Korea to develop
Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister cities.
 The existing memorial was refurbished in 2016 and the first Lady of
South Korea attended the inauguration of the beautification work in 2018.

Validity of the legend

 The story and legend of the queen has helped boost the relationship
between India and South Korea. However, there are different versions of
same story.
 The legends mention her kingdom as Ayuta and popular culture
considers it Ayodhya. In India there are no records of the queen.
 Some say that the mentioned kingdom is Thailand’s Ayutthaya kingdom.
The Thai kingdom same into existence in 1350, decades after the story was
written.
NOTES

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