In News:

• Four replicas of the Konark wheels, made of sandstone, have been installed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre and Amrit Udyan.
• This initiative is aimed at showcasing India’s rich cultural heritage and promoting traditional historical elements among visitors to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Significance of the Konark Sun Temple:

• Historical Background: The Konark Sun Temple was built in the 13th century under King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in Konark, Odisha.
• Architectural Design: The temple is a colossal stone chariot with twelve pairs of intricately carved wheels, symbolizing the chariot of the Sun God.
• Materials Used: Constructed using Khondalite stones, the temple features detailed carvings that depict mythology and cultural life.
• Astronomical Significance: The temple's orientation is designed to capture the first light of the sun, reflecting ancient Indian knowledge of astronomy.
• UNESCO World Heritage Status: The Konark Sun Temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, recognizing its architectural and historical importance.

Symbolism of the Konark Wheel:

• Time and Progression: The Konark wheel represents time (Kalachakra), progression, and democracy. Its 24 spokes symbolize ancient Indian wisdom and the passage of time.
• Sundial Function: The wheel was historically used as a sundial in the temple, marking the passage of time and symbolizing India’s commitment to progress and resilience.
• National Emblem: The Konark wheel's design is also reflected in the Ashoka Chakra, the wheel on the national flag of India, symbolizing the nation’s resolve towards progress.

Cultural Heritage at Rashtrapati Bhavan:

• The installation of these replicas is part of a broader effort to introduce and promote traditional cultural and historical elements at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre and Amrit Udyan serve as platforms to exhibit India’s diverse artistic legacy to visitors, allowing them to experience the grandeur of ancient Indian architecture and its cultural significance.

In News:

• The Union Ministry of Culture plans to revive and relaunch the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) to enhance the preservation and accessibility of India’s ancient texts.
• The mission’s objective is to document, conserve, digitize, and disseminate India’s rich manuscript heritage, ensuring their protection and public access.

Formation of a New Autonomous Body:

• The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) is likely to be restructured into an autonomous body called the National Manuscripts Authority, which will be under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
• The new body will address the challenges and gaps in manuscript preservation and management, offering more focused and flexible governance.

Background and Achievements:

• Established in 2003, the NMM has been part of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA).
• Key achievements:
  • 52 lakh manuscripts have had metadata prepared.
  • Over 3 lakh manuscripts have been digitized, though only one-third have been uploaded for public access.
  • Preventive and curative conservation of over 9 crore folios of manuscripts has been undertaken over the last 21 years.
  • The NMM has set up 100 Manuscripts Resource Centres and Manuscripts Conservation Centres across India.

Current Challenges and Gaps:

• Data Uploading and Access:
  • Of the 130,000 digitized manuscripts, only 70,000 are accessible online due to the absence of a comprehensive access policy.
  • A significant portion (around 80%) of manuscripts areprivately owned, restricting public access and usage.
• Digitization Mismatch:
  • There have been concerns about discrepancies between the digitized data and the original manuscripts, which requires correction to ensure authenticity and accuracy.
• Lack of Comprehensive Access Policy:
  • Limited public access to manuscripts due to policy restrictions hinders further research and public engagement with this rich heritage.

Scope and Future of NMM:

• India's Manuscript Heritage: India is believed to have around 10 million manuscripts, spread across various regions, languages, scripts, and topics.
• Digitization and Accessibility: Moving forward, the key challenge will be ensuring that a larger proportion of the manuscripts are digitized, uploaded, and made publicly available, particularly from private collections.
• The establishment of the National Manuscripts Authority is expected to streamline efforts and enhance coordination between government bodies, private institutions, and scholars.

In News:

The Thanjavur Veena has the distinction of being the first musical instrument in India to receive the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, highlighting its cultural and artistic significance. Here’s an overview of its features, types, and craftsmanship:

About Thanjavur Veena

1. Construction:
   • The Thanjavur Veena is known for its unique construction, which comes in two main types:
     • Ekantha Veena: Carved from a single block of wood.
     • Sada Veena: Composed of three sections—resonator (kudam), neck (dandi), and head—with joints.
2. Design Features:
   • The instrument features 24 fixed frets (mettu), enabling musicians to play a wide range of ragas.
   • Traditionally made from the bark of the Jackfruit tree, the bark undergoes extensive testing to ensure quality and durability.
3. Craftsmanship:
   • The process of crafting a Thanjavur Veena can take 15-20 days, involving cutting, intricate carving, shaping, and assembly of the wood to form the integral parts of the instrument.

Types of Veena

The Thanjavur Veena is one of several types of veenas used in Indian classical music:

• Rudra Veena and Vichitra Veena: Predominantly used in Hindustani classical music.
• Saraswati Veena and Chitra Veena: Associated with Carnatic classical music, with the Saraswati Veena being unique to Thanjavur.

Cultural Significance

• The Saraswati Veena is particularly notable as it is often associated with Goddess Saraswati, the deity of learning and arts, who is frequently depicted holding a veena. This connection emphasizes the instrument's importance in Indian culture and music.

Why is it in the News?

The NCERT has proposed updates to school textbooks, including adding findings from DNA analysis of skeletal remains at the Rakhigarhi archaeological site in Haryana and removing references to the Narmada Dam project's impact on tribals, leading to displacement and destitution.

About the Ancient Site of Rakhigarhi:

• The site of Rakhigarhi is one of the five known biggest townships of the Harappan civilization on the Indian subcontinent.
• The other four are:
  • Harappa
  • Mohenjodaro and Ganveriwala in Pakistan and
  • Dholavira (Gujrat) in India
• Five interconnected mounds spread over a huge area from the Rakhigarhi's unique site.
  • Two mounds, out of five, were thickly populated.
  • This site was excavated by Shri Amarendra Nath of Archeological Survey of India.
• The archaeological excavations revealed a mature Harappan phase represented by a planned township having mud-brick as well as burnt-brick houses with proper drainage systems.
• The ceramic industry is represented by redware, which includes dish-on-stands, vases, jars, bowls, beakers, perforated jars, goblets, and hands.
• Animal sacrificial pits lined with mud brick and triangular and circular fire alters on the mud floor have also been excavated signifying the ritual system of Harappans.
• A cylindrical seal with five Harappan characters on one side and a symbol of an alligator on the other is an important find from this site.
• Other antiquities included blades; terracotta and shell bangles; beads of semiprecious stones, terracotta, shell, and copper objects; animal figurines, toy cart frame and wheel of terracotta; bone points; inscribed steatite seals and sealings.
• The excavations have yielded a few extended burials, which certainly belong to a very late stage, maybe the medieval times.

About Harappan Civilization:

• The Harappan civilization is believed to be one of the oldest world civilizations together with Egypt and Mesopotamia.
• It flourished around 2,500 BC, in the western part of South Asia, in contemporary Pakistan and Western India.
• The Harappan civilization developed along the mighty river, the Indus, and for that reason, it is also known as the Indus Valley Civilization.
• The Harappan civilization is identified as a Bronze-age civilization because many objects have been found that are made up of copper-based alloys. 
  • For example, the famous ‘dancing girl,’ a bronze figurine that provides an insight into the advances made in art and metallurgy, as well as the hairstyle and ornaments prevalent during the period.
• In the 1920s, the Archaeological Department of India carried out excavations in the Indus Valley wherein the ruins of the two old cities, viz. Mohenjodaro and Harappa were unearthed.

Why is it in the News?

The study by ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI), Izatnagar, Bareilly has found the exact status of EEHV and its subtypes circulating among the Asian elephant population in India.

What is Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV)?

• Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) is responsible for one of the most devastating viral infectious diseases in elephants worldwide, especially young Asian elephants.
• EEHV is a double-stranded DNA virus that is classified in the family Herpesviridae.
• The mortality rate is very high (70-85%) and death occurs within a short period (2-4 days).
• In India, the incidence of EEHV-HD was first reported in 1997.
• 9 of 15 potential cases were confirmed from Southern India in wild free-ranging calves in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu forest reserves, and Madras Zoo.
• Transmission of the disease: EEHV is mostly spread through mucosal secretions which include:
• Saliva, Breast milk, Nasal secretions, Trunk to trunk contacts etc
• The disease can only affect elephants and is not infectious to humans or other animals.
• Symptoms: Some elephants show symptoms such as reduced appetite, nasal discharge and swollen glands.
• Treatment: Treatment involves a combination of strategies such as antiviral therapy, aggressive fluid therapy to counter haemorrhaging, immuno-stimulant drugs like selenium and Vitamins C and E, as well as antipyretics and analgesics to manage fever.
• It's important to note that there is no definitive cure for herpesviruses in animals or humans since these viruses typically enter a latent state.

Why is it in the News?

Recently, scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) have detected seismogenic liquefaction characteristics within the dynamically active Kopili Fault (KF) zone.

About Kopili Fault Zone:

• The Kopili Fault extends from the western part of Manipur up to the tri-junction of Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
• It covers a distance of about 400 km and is closer to the Himalayan Frontal Thrust.
• The Kopili fault bisects the Meghalaya Plateau and isolates the Mishmi block from the main part of the plateau.
• The Kopili fault is almost passing through the Kopili River.
• The river Kopili rises in the North Cachar Hills District in Borail Range at an altitude of 1525 meters.
• From a field study, it is observed that the Kopili Fault region is moving in the northeast direction at an average velocity of 28.397N mm/yr and 40.227E mm/yr.
• This region is characterized by heightened seismic activity, classified within the most critical Seismic Hazard Zone V.
• The geological dynamics are attributed to collisional tectonics, where the Indian Plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate.
• The fault itself is a transpressional fracture, producing dextral strike-slip earthquakes in the lower crust.
• The Kopili fault zone, a tectonic depression filled by the alluvium of the Kopili River and its tributaries, has experienced numerous seismic events, notable among them being the 1869 earthquake (magnitude 7.8) and the 1943 earthquake (magnitude 7.3).