Culture and Civilisational Digest: August-2024

3-day State Museum Conclave held in Delhi- The Statesman

The Union Ministry of Culture organised a three-day State Museum Conclave, Stakeholder Consultation, and Capacity Building Workshop for the upcoming Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum in the national capital. This museum is being developed in the North and South Block as part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project.

The State Museum Conclave was held from August 1 to 3 at Bharat Mandapam here and it included engagement between key actors in the state and Central Museum ecosystems, initiative fostering robust collaboration between Central and state governments in museum management and capacity building led by experts from both India and abroad. Click here to read... [2]

Bangladesh protesters attack Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Bangabandhu Memorial Museum- The Time of India

On Monday afternoon, protesters set fire to several prominent locations in Dhaka, including Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, and Bangabandhu Bhaban, also known as the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, according to an eye-witness. The Bangabandhu Memorial Museum was dedicated to former president and Sheikh Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Click here to read... [3]

Hindu temples damaged amid Bangladesh unrest; Indian cultural centre vandalised- India Today

An Indian cultural centre was vandalised by an unruly mob in Bangladesh's capital and four Hindu temples suffered damages across the country on Monday, eyewitnesses and a community leader said. Kajol Debnath, Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council leader, said he has received reports that at least 4 Hindu temples were damaged across the country. Hindu community leaders are afraid in the wake of the tense situation after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster. Click here to read... [4]

India’s textile heritage on display at Crafts Museum- The Times of India

From block-printed and dye-printed fabrics to brocades, embroideries and various resist-dyed fabrics from different regions, India’s rich textile heritage is on display at National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy. As part of the Handloom Week celebrations, the ‘Textiles Gallery II: Tradition & Innovation’, curated by Sunil Sethi, Chairman, FDCI, and art historian Jyotindra Jain, was inaugurated on Thursday by the Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh. “This exhibition has brought to life the fast-disappearing crafts of India and for the young generation it will be a great source of inspiration. They will understand the nuances of how rich our culture was and witness the innovation,” said Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh. Click here to read... [5]

Archaeologists uncover 2,600-year-old terracotta pipeline in India- Archaeology News

In the latest phase of archaeological excavations at Keeladi, an ancient site in Tamil Nadu, India, researchers have uncovered a terracotta pipeline, highlighting the advanced water management practices of a civilization that thrived over 2,600 years ago. This discovery adds to the growing body of evidence that the people of the Sangam era, who inhabited this region, were not only literate but also highly skilled in urban planning and engineering. Click here to read... [6]

What’s missing in the new Humayun Museum of Mughal history? A key decade of India- The Print

The word ‘invasion’, which has come to be so closely tagged to the Mughals, is conspicuously missing. Instead, the museum speaks of the Mughal ‘legacy’. At the outset, an exhibit titled ‘Where the Emperor Rests’ features an impressive audio-visual presentation that innocuously calls Humayun’s military conquests “Humayun’s journey 1508-1556”. Click here to read... [7]

Humans of Bandhavgarh- India Today

Historically, archaeological research into India’s ancient past has invariably tended to focus on urban centres. This extensive project marked a departure—for the first time, it took the tools of archaeology right into the core area of a designated tiger reserve. The results were fascinating: numerous sites yielded prehistoric stone tools, evidence of habitation from circa 5000 BC or even earlier. The material record from Bandhavgarh had been scanty—only going back to 200 AD—but the dating was by itself not a cause of astonishment. The Narmada basin to its south shows very early human presence, so do other sites on the Kaimur range, in which the reserve falls. Click here to read... [8]

Musician Ramkumar Vasudevan Traces Back 1,500-Year-Old Indo-Javanese Roots with Fusion Ballet Prambanan- The Free Press Journal

The Alliance Francaise Theatre in Singapore will play host to Prambanan, a Javanese-Indian fusion dance ballet on August 25, 2024. The piece was created after two-year research on the history, art and architecture that linked the two countries — India and Indonesia — and dates back to over 1500 years. Artistic director Ramkumar Vasudevan, an accomplished veena player, shared details about Prambanan. "The Temple of Prambanan has an interesting folklore and we present it as a musical treat,” he said. “In Prambanan Temple, we can see reliefs of many Hindu gods, demi-gods, apsaras, musical instruments and scenes from the Ramayana, especially sculptures of karanas of the 2nd century AD’s Natya Shastra! Our first dance presents these karanas, probably the first time performed in Singapore. On the north side of this temple stands a statue of Durga – a Hindu goddess. However, locals say it is Roro Jonggrang, a slender maiden and the heroine of a famous folklore. So, what’s the story of Roro? We present it in a dance ballet”. Click here to read... [9]

JGU to Establish India’s First Constitution Museum for 75th Anniversary of Constitution- Hindustan Times

O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is set to launch India's first Constitution Museum, marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India. The museum, named "The Constitution Academy and The Rights & Freedoms Museum," will be inaugurated on November 26, 2024, at the JGU campus. Founding VC of JGU C. Raj Kumar described the museum as a platform to showcase the Constitution as a "living, breathing and growing document." Click here to read... [10]

India, Poland connected by Kabaddi: PM Narendra Modi- India Today

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, currently visiting Poland to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Poland, highlighted an unexpected yet significant link between the two nations: Kabaddi. During his keynote address, PM Modi emphasized the growing popularity of Kabaddi in Poland, a sport deeply rooted in Indian culture but now gaining traction globally. "We are connected through the game of Kabaddi. This game reached Poland through India, and they took it to great heights. Poland is going to host the Kabaddi Championship for the first time. I want to wish good luck to their team," the Prime Minister stated. Click here to read... [11]

Maharashtra’s geoglyphs discovery is citizen archaeology at its best. It put India on the map- The Print

Under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1960, the Maharashtra government last week declared 1,500 geoglyphs spread across 70 locations in 210 square-kilometre area of the Ratnagiri district as ‘protected monument’. These rock art specimens, scattered across the Konkan region, date back to prehistory, at least to the Mesolithic period. Through their anthropomorphic and zoomorphic depictions, they reflect intricate and complex interactions between humans and their environment as well as the ancient ecosystem. This recognition did not come easily. It took local people over two decades to undertake an extraordinary citizen archaeology endeavour and explore over 45 such sites even before the government’s involvement. Today, with about 52 sites with 1,500 geoglyphs recorded in the 900 km Konkan coastline, this is a remarkable fleet. Click here to read... [12]

Heritage under attack: Ukrainians revive interest in culture- BBC

It was late at night on 7 May 2022 when a Russian missile hit a museum that was once home to Ukraine’s 18th-Century poet and philosopher Hryhory Skovoroda. "The roof was completely blown off; the walls are burnt and only Skovoroda's statue survived. It's a miracle that it did," says Nastya Ishchenko, deputy director of the museum in the Kharkiv region of north-eastern Ukraine. It is one of 432 cultural sites damaged in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, according to the UN’s cultural organisation UNESCO. In total, 139 religious sites have been hit, 214 buildings of historical or artistic interest, 31 museums, 32 monuments, 15 libraries and one archive. Click here to read... [13]

Telugu Language Day 2024: History, significance, celebrations and more- Business Standard

Every year, Telugu Language Day, or Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam, is observed to celebrate the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Telugu language. It serves to acknowledge the importance of the Telugu language, which is one of the oldest and most vibrant languages in the country. The day also promotes its usage while honouring and acknowledging the role of Telugu in shaping regional and national identity. Click here to read... [14]