UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/15/2025, 6:38:55 AM

🔆Painting: Ladies Attending Parvathy 📍 Monument Era/Dynasty ✅ Lepakshi Temple, Vijayanagara Period 📍 Subject Matter ✅ Ladies attending Parvathy in mural paintings are typically dressed in their traditional best, reflecting the festive and auspicious nature of the occasion. ✅ Ladies represent the embodiment of feminine grace, beauty, and devotion. ✅ Signifies their connection to the divine feminine and their role in upholding the sacred traditions associated with Parvathy. #art_and_culture

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/15/2025, 12:45:35 PM

🔆 Dadasaheb Phalke Award 📍 Context ✅ Actor Mithun Chakraborty has been awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award. 📍 About the Award ✅ Established: 1969, named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, regarded as the father of Indian cinema. ✅ Honors: Recipients receive: 1.A shawl 2.The Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion 3.A cash prize of ₹10 lakh 📍 Notable Recipients ✅ Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, among other celebrated awardees. ✅ First Awardee (1969): Devika Rani, honored for her contributions to Indian cinema. 📍 About Dadasaheb Phalke ✅ Born on 30 April 1870 in Trimbak, Bombay Presidency. ✅ Education: Attended Sir J. J. School of Art, Bombay, completed a one-year drawing course. ✅ Legacy: Directed India’s first full-length silent feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913). Produced 95 feature-length & 27 short films, including: Mohini Bhasmasur Satyavan Savitri Lanka Dahan Shri Krishna Janma Kaliya Mardan #art_and_culture

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/20/2025, 1:54:07 PM

🔆 Gupta Sculptures (4th–6th Century CE) 🎯 Peak of Indian classical art—noted for its grace, balance, serenity, and idealized beauty. A key feature of India’s Golden Age, blending Hindu and Buddhist themes. 📍 Key Characteristics: ✅ Material: • Mainly cream-colored stone (sandstone) • Some use of bronze (esp. in Buddhist art) • Nudity avoided—emphasis on modesty ✅ Graceful & Idealized Figures: • Striking balance of realism and idealism • Slim waists, sensuous forms, proportioned anatomy ✅ Spiritual Serenity: • Calm Buddhas in dhyana mudra • Half-closed eyes, meditative expressions show deep spiritual transcendence ✅ Softness & Fluidity: • Smooth curves and flowing drapery • Drapery clings lightly, adding elegance ✅ Iconography: • Buddha: Abhaya & Bhumisparsha mudras • Hindu deities: Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi with conch, lotus, etc. ✅ Detailed Ornamentation: • Intricate jewelry, crowns, robes • Balanced aesthetics, avoids over-decoration ✅ Famous Examples: • Seated Buddha (Sarnath) • Standing Buddha (Mathura) • Vishnu (Udayagiri Caves) • Maheshvara, Terracotta art 🔚 Legacy: Gupta sculptures are hailed for ideal form, serene expression, and refined technique—marking them as models of classical Indian sculpture.

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/14/2025, 4:13:17 PM

🔆 Iconic Art: Nataraja – The Cosmic Dancer 📍 Era & Style ✅ Chola Dynasty ✅ Found in Brihadeeswarar Temple ✅ Sculpted from a single granite monolith Symbolism in Stone ✅ Lord Shiva as Nataraja, performing the Tandava Nritya ✅ Depicts the cosmic cycle — creation, preservation & destruction ✅ His dance reflects the rhythm of the universe Divine Attributes ✅ Drum → Origin of sound & creation ✅ Fire → Destruction of ignorance ✅ Abhaya Mudra → Protection & reassurance ✅ Rope → Control over illusion (Maya) #art_and_culture #CholaMarvel #Nataraja #IndianHeritage

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/17/2025, 2:10:20 PM

🔆 Famous Sculpture/Painting: Manjira Player 📍 Monument Era/Dynasty ✅ Surya Mandir, Odisha, Ganga Dynasty 📍 Subject Matter ✅ Manjira player sitting cross-legged on a lotus pedestal. ✅ Wearing a simple garment and is adorned with a few pieces of jewelry. ✅ Holding a pair of manjiras in his hands and is playing them with great skill and dexterity. ✅ Carved from sandstone and is approximately 3 feet tall. ✅ Believed to have been created in the 13th century CE. #art_and_culture

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/19/2025, 1:45:11 PM

🔆 Key Features of Jain Sculptures in the Mathura School 📍 Depiction of Tirthankaras ✅ Jain sculptures portray 24 Tirthankaras, especially Parshvanatha, Rishabhanatha, and Mahavira. ✅ Seated Jina: In padmasana (lotus pose), dhyana mudra (meditative), nude to symbolize renunciation. ✅ Standing Jina: In Kayotsarga posture—upright, hands down to knees. 📍 Emblems and Symbols ✅ Each Tirthankara is identified by unique symbols—e.g., lion for Mahavira, bull for Rishabhanatha. ✅ Ayagapatas: Square slabs with symbols like Jina stupa, swastika, twin fish, etc. Essence: These sculptures reflect Jain spiritual values—detachment, symbolism, and devotional art.

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/18/2025, 3:40:33 PM

🔆 Why Pottery Matters in Ancient Indian History 📍1. Archaeological Evidence ✅ Acts as a dating tool to trace cultural phases. ✅ Example: Painted Grey Ware → Early Iron Age, North India. 📍2. Cultural Insights ✅ Pottery styles reflect beliefs, lifestyles, and aesthetics. ✅ Design shifts show cultural transitions. 📍3. Technological Development ✅ Shift from handmade to wheel-made pottery indicates tech advancement. 📍4. Economic Activities ✅ Pottery hints at settled agriculture, used in storage, trade, cooking. 📍5. Religious and Ritualistic Use ✅ Pots used in rituals and burials, indicating spiritual beliefs on life & death. 📍6. Regional and Chronological Markers ✅ Specific types (e.g. Black and Red Ware, NBP Ware) help identify periods & regions. 📍7. Trade & Social Organization ✅ Mass pottery production = organized craft + trade networks.

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/16/2025, 2:42:51 PM

📍 Theyyam ✅ Place of Origin: Kerala ✅ Cultural Significance: • UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage of India. • A captivating blend of dance, music, and storytelling, performed to honor deities and ancestral spirits. • Particularly popular during the harvest season. ✅ Unique Features: • Dancers wear intricate masks, colorful costumes, and headdresses, with their bodies adorned with vibrant body paint. • Traditional Keralan instruments such as the chenda, ilathalam, and maddalam are used during performances.

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/13/2025, 4:09:12 PM

🔆 Kheer Bhawani Mandir (Highlighted during Pahalgam attack) 📍 Festival & Occasion ✅ Celebrated on Zyestha Ashtami, an annual festival observed by Kashmiri Pandits. ✅ Held at Kheer Bhawani Temple, mainly in Tulmulla, Ganderbal district, and also in Kupwara, Kulgam, Anantnag, and Manzgam. 📍 Devotee Footfall (2024) ✅ First batch of pilgrims: 2,500 (down from 4,500 in 2023). ✅ Last year, 30,000 devotees paid obeisance at the temple. 📍 Security & Arrangements ✅ Extra security measures and elaborate facilities arranged:  • Langar services, water points, health teams & ambulances deployed. 📍 Cultural Importance ✅ The temple has been a symbol of communal harmony in Kashmir. ✅ Celebrated as a shared space of peace, co-existence, and inter-community respect.

UPSC Art & Culture UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc Upsc UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC UPSC Upsc UPSC™

6/13/2025, 6:41:42 AM

🔆 Ravana Shaking Mount Kailasha - Ellora, Rashtrakuta Period 📍 Characteristics of the Sculpture: ✅ Scale and Grandeur: - Carved into the side of a sheer rock face, reaching a height of approximately 30 meters (98 feet) and stretching over 40 meters (131 feet) in length. - This impressive scale conveys the immense power and determination of Ravana. ✅ Dynamic Composition: - The sculpture captures the chaos and energy of the scene, with Ravana’s muscular arms straining as he lifts Mount Kailasha, the abode of the gods. - The swirling movement of the figures and the use of negative space add to the dynamism of the composition. ✅ Symbolic Elements: - The sculpture is rich in symbolism, reflecting the Hindu worldview and the narrative of Ravana’s attempt to impress Shiva. - The presence of celestial beings, animals, and mythical creatures adds to the mystical and otherworldly atmosphere of the scene. #art_and_culture