Question Discussion & Solution

The festival of Uttarayan is celebrated in Gujarat.

• This festival is also known as Makar Sankranti.
• It is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, devoted to the God of Surya (Sun).
• It is celebrated every year in the lunar month of Magha, which corresponds to the month of January according to the Gregorian calendar, and is the day when the people of India celebrate their harvest.
• It is the first day of the transit of the sun to Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the beginning of longer days.
• In other states this festival is also known as Magh Bihu in Assam, Maghi (preceded by Lohri) in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

The correct answer is the festival of harvesting.

• Makar Sankranthi is an important festival celebrated in most parts of India under different names. It is a festival of harvesting.

Key Points

• Makar Sankranti:
  • It is celebrated in January every year and marks the end of the Winter season and the beginning of a new harvest season.
  • The festival is dedicated to Lord Sun.
  • On this day, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn or Makar which marks the end of winter months and the beginning of longer days.
• In different parts of the country, Makar Sankranti is celebrated by different names:
  • Lohri: Celebrated in Haryana and Punjab one day before Makar Sankranti.
  • Khichdi: Celebrated in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Pongal: Tamil Nadu
  • Kite Festival: Gujarat.
• Holi is called the festival of colours
• Diwali is called the festival of lights.

The correct answer is Tamil Nadu.

In News

• Karuppur Kalamkari Paintings and Kallakurichi Wood Carvings from Tamil Nadu get the GI tags. Hence, option 2 is correct.

Key Points

• Kallakuruchi wood carvings are done using pens, palm stems, date trees, brushes made of bamboo sticks and coconut tree stems.
• This certificate was issued by the Geographical Indications Registry on the basis of an application filed by Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation (Poompuhar).
• These carvings are done for designs and ornaments. These are indigenous to the Madurai region.

The correct answer is Dholavira.

Key Points

• In July 2021, the Indus valley site Dholavira was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List.
  • Now Gujarat has three world heritage sites, Champaner near Pavagadh, Rani ki Vav in Patan and the historic city of Ahmedabad.
  • Dholavira is now the 40^th treasure in India to be recognized as a World Heritage site.
  • According to a press release by the Ministry of Culture, India submitted the nomination for Dholavira to the World Heritage Centre in January 2020. The site was on the UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014.
  • UNESCO has already given India a new world heritage site in the form of the Rudreswara/ Ramappa Temple in Telangana in the ongoing 44th session of the World Heritage Committee.
  • Ramappa Temple dates back to the 13^th century.
  • This session of the World Heritage Committee is being chaired from Fuzhou in China.

Additional Information

• Gujarat Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani.
• Gujarat Governor: Acharya Devvrat.

The Correct Answer is Vaigai River.

Key Points

• Meenakshi Amman Temple is located on the Southern Bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai., Tamil Nadu. 
• This temple dedicated to Thirukamakottam Udaya Aaludaiya Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.
• In this temple, both God and Goddess are worshipped together in separate chambers.
• The temple is at the centre of the ancient temple city Madurai.
• It was built by King Kulasekara Pandya.
• It is a complex made in accordance with the Shilpa Shastra and has 5 main entrances with 14  gateway towers or 'gopurams', golden 'Vimanas', holy sanctums and shrines dedicated to the revered Goddess Meenakshi and many others. 
• It is a major tourist attraction, with thousands of devotees visiting the shrines every day.

Additional Information