Cultural and Civilisational Digest: July-2024

Potsherds adorned with fish motifs; copper objects excavated from Tamil Nadu's Keeladi- Deccan Herald

In the previous week, archaeologists unearthed a potsherd with the Tamil letter 'Tha' inscribed on it from Keeladi, a Sangam-era urban settlement site on the banks of river Vaigai in Madurai, a broken Neolithic hand axe and a terracotta female figurine from Chennanur in Krishnagiri district and Vembakkottai in Virudhunagar district respectively. Click here to read... [2]

Restoration of UNESCO world heritage site Vat Phou showcases India-Laos shared culture- ANI

In the deepening of India-Laos ties, apart from years of bilateral engagements, the two nations shared cultural linkages and heritage have played a significant role. In order to foster cultural ties further with Laos, India’s role in restoring the Vat Phou UNESCO World Heritage site is seen as an exemplary move. Click here to read... [3]

How India can leverage its cultural riches to stimulate its economy- The Economic Times

India's cultural heritage is being recognized as a potential driver for economic growth, with efforts being made to leverage traditional industries and tourism. Government initiatives, like the redevelopment of Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath Temple, are yielding positive results in terms of increased visitors and revenue. Prime Minister Modi's focus on promoting Indian culture globally through initiatives like Tamil Cultural Centres and showcasing heritage on the G20 platform is notable. The goal of developing a comprehensive Cultural Economic Model to propel India's economy towards development by 2047 is being emphasized, with the potential to serve as a blueprint for other countries. Click here to read... [4]

Mysuru Literature Festival inaugurated- The Hindu

The 8th edition of the two-day Mysuru Literature Festival began here on Saturday with actor-director Ramesh Aravind underlining how ideas in books tend to be interpreted differently based on individual’s life experience. The Mysuru Literature Festival is being organised by the Mysuru Literary Forum Charitable Trust and Mysuru Book Club-2015, at Hotel Southern Star. Click here to read... [5]

Odisha: Large number of devotees gather in Puri to celebrate second day of Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra- The Hindu

A large number of devotees from across the country gathered on July 8 in Odisha’s Puri to take the blessings of Lord Jagannath to celebrate the second day of Rath Yatra. The annual Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra began in Odisha’s Puri on Sunday. Click here to read... [6]

JNU to introduce centres on Hindu, Buddhist and Jain studies- The Hindu

Jawaharlal Nehru University is in the process of establishing three new centres — Centre for Hindu Studies, Centre for Buddhist Studies and Centre for Jain Studies — under the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, said Vice-Chancellor Santishree D. Pandit on Friday. Click here to read... [7]

India must take a leaf out of China's cultural diplomacy and strengthen research on Beijing- The Week

The interconnected history of India and China and the circulatory movement of ideas, people, technologies and commodities are well recorded in the textual as well as oral traditions of both countries. Its footprints could be found throughout the geographical landscapes of present-day India, China and beyond, whether it was the birth of Chinese Buddhism or the dissemination of ancient India’s astronomy, literature, music and languages into China, or technologies such as sugar making, paper manufacturing and silk production coming from China to India and other countries. All of it enriched knowledge systems across the world. The translation industry in China, for example, had people from India and many Central Asian polities supporting it, along with hundreds of Chinese scholar monks. Even today, there are 35,000 Sanskrit words in the Chinese language. The Dai, a minority nationality in the Yunnan province, had its own version of the Ramayana. Click here to read... [8]

Rock carvings of ancient Egyptian pharaohs found underwater near Aswan- Live Science

During a diving expedition in the Nile River, archaeologists in Egypt discovered rock carvings featuring depictions of several ancient Egyptian pharaohs, along with hieroglyphic inscriptions. A joint French-Egyptian team found the carvings underwater south of Aswan in an area that was flooded when the Aswan High Dam was built between 1960 and 1970. Prior to the flooding, there was a large effort led by UNESCO to record and move as many archaeological remains as possible from the area. However, many artifacts could not be relocated in time and were soon submerged by the construction project. Click here to read... [9]

Ladakh’s ancient rock art is being demolished for development. Few hidden trails remain- The Print

Zanskar is not just the name of the region, but also of the vast rocky range and the river that flows through it. Unlike with other rivers in Ladakh, the Zanskar travels through a tough canyon for a large portion of its length, with no river banks to allow trespass into or out of the region. This gorge is only accessible in the summer through inflatable rafts, or in the winter via a walk down its icy chadar (sheet). Today, additional road routes are fast encroaching on its remoteness, but this hidden Shangri-La remains as enticing as it was when Ladakh first opened up in 1974. The same cannot be said for the petroglyph sites in this region, as most of the sites detailed here have been destroyed. In 2015, the Nimu-Chilling sites were cleared for road development, while its rocks were likely picked for construction in mainland Zanskar. Click here to read... [10]

PM Modi Inaugurates 46th Session of World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam- NDTV World

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that India will contribute one million dollars to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to provide support for heritage conservation in countries, especially of the Global South.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today, PM Modi said that India considers the preservation of global heritage as its responsibility, and hence, is providing support for heritage conservation not only in India but also in countries of the Global South. Click here to read... [11]

India, U.S. sign agreement to protect cultural heritage- The Hindu

India and the U.S. on July 26 signed a cultural property agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation to protect cultural heritage of the two countries. Cultural property agreements prevent the illegal trade of cultural property and simplify the process by which looted and stolen antiquities may be returned to their country of origin. Click here to read... [12]

Assam’s Charaideo Maidam in UNESCO World Heritage list- The Hindu

The Charaideo Maidam, also spelt moidam, in eastern Assam has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list under the category of cultural property. Similar to the pyramids of Egypt, the maidams are earthen burial mounds of the members of the Ahom royalty whose 600-year rule was ended by the British takeover of the region. Click here to read... [13]

Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024: Know the date, history, and significance behind the day- The Indian Express

Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024 Date and History: Kargil Vijay Diwas, celebrated every year, is a significant day in the history of India. It is observed to pay tribute to the bravery of Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country during the Kargil War of 1999.

Additionally, it also commemorates the country’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War of 1999 and marks the successful culmination of Operation Vijay. In this operation, the Indian Armed Forces reclaimed the territories in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir that had been infiltrated by Pakistani soldiers and militants. Click here to read... [14]

Terracotta pipeline dating back to 6th century BCE unearthed in Tamil Nadu's Keeladi- Deccan Herald

Archaeologists have unearthed a terracotta pipeline in the 10th phase of the excavation in Keeladi, a Sangam Era site, in yet another evidence of the effective water management practices followed by those who inhabited the settlement at least 2,600 years ago. Click here to read... [15]