Art and culture

2022-08-23 17:56:01 Pandurang Khankhoje?

Birth:

Pandurang Khankhoje was born in Wardha, Maharashtra, in the late 19th century.

Revolutionary Connections:
Pandurang Khankhoje came in contact with other revolutionaries early on.

Hindu reformer Swami Dayanand and his Arya Samaj movement, which called for a spirit of reform and social change, became the hero to a young student group led by Khankhoje.

Khankhoje was an ardent admirer of the French revolution and of the American War of Independence.
Before leaving India for training in abroad, he visited Bal Gangadhar Tilak, by who he was inspired.

Life Abroad:

Khankhoje decided to go abroad for further training in revolutionary methods and militaristic strategy.
After spending time with nationalists from Japan and China, Khankhoje eventually moved to the US, where he enrolled in college as a student of agriculture.

A year later, he joined the Mount Tamalpais Military Academy in California to fulfil his original purpose of leaving India Open / Comment

2022-08-22 18:28:22 Sir Aurobindo

Aurobindo Ghose was born in Calcutta on 15th August 1872. He was a yogi, seer, philosopher, poet, and Indian nationalist who propounded a philosophy of divine life on earth through spiritual evolution.

He died on 5th December 1950 in Pondicherry.

Aurobindo’s pragmatic strategies to get rid of British rule marked him as “the Prophet of Indian Nationalism”.

Education:

His education began in a Christian convent school in Darjeeling.
He entered the University of Cambridge, where he became proficient in two classical and several modern European languages.

In 1892, he held various administrative posts in Baroda (Vadodara) and Calcutta (Kolkata).
He began the study of Yoga and Indian languages, including classical Sanskrit.

Indian Revolutionary Movement:

From 1902 to 1910 he partook in the struggle to free India from the British.

The partition of Bengal in 1905 provoked Aurobindo to leave his job in Baroda and plunge into the nationalist movement. He started the patriotic journal Bande Mataram to propagate radical methods and revolutionary tactics instead of supplication.

He was arrested thrice by the British — twice for sedition and once for conspiring to “wage war”.
He was imprisoned in 1908 (Alipore Bomb case).

Two years later he fled British India and found refuge in the French colony of Pondichéry (Puducherry), gave up overt political activities and embraced spiritual pursuits, soon to emerge as one of the most original thinkers, philosophers and spiritual masters.

He met Mirra Alfassa in Pondicherry, and their spiritual collaboration led to “Integral Yoga”.

Integral Yoga, is a yoga of Earth transformation. The aim of this yoga is not an escape from life or a shunning of worldly existence, but a radical change in our life even while living amidst it.

Aurobindo’s Ideas on Second World War

Several Indians saw the Second World War as an opportune moment to get rid of colonial occupation; Aurobindo, asked his compatriots to support the Allies and ensure Hitler’s defeat.

Spirituality:

In Pondichéry he founded a community of spiritual seekers, which took shape as the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1926.

He believed that the basic principles of matter, life, and mind would be succeeded through terrestrial evolution by the principle of supermind as an intermediate power between the two spheres of the infinite and the finite.

Literary Works:

An English newspaper called Bande Mataram (in 1905)

Bases of Yoga

Bhagavad Gita and Its Message

The Future Evolution of Man

Rebirth and Karma

Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol

Hour of God Open / Comment

2022-08-22 09:46:01 Rani gaidinliu

Born in 1915 in present-day Manipur, Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga spiritual and political leader who fought the British.

She joined the Heraka religious movement which later became a movement to drive out the British.

She rebelled against the Empire and refused to pay taxes, asking people to do the same

The British launched a manhunt, but she evaded arrest, moving from village to village.

Gaidinliu was finally arrested in 1932 when she was just 16 and later sentenced for life.

She was released in 1947.
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru described Gaidinliu as the “daughter of the hills”, and gave her the title of ‘Rani’ for her courage. Open / Comment

2022-08-21 10:07:37 Female contribution on freedom struggle

Velu nachiyar

Many years before the revolt of 1857, Velu Nachiyar waged a war against the British and emerged victorious.

Born in Ramanathapuram in 1780, she was married to the king of Sivagangai.

After her husband was killed in battle with the East India Company, she entered the conflict, and won with support of neighbouring kings.

She went on to produce the first human bomb as well as establish the first army of trained women soldiers in the late 1700s.

Her army commander Kuyili is believed to have set herself ablaze and walked into a British ammunition dump Open / Comment

2022-08-20 15:42:49 Origin of Jainism

Jainism is derived from the Sanskrit term ji, which means "to conquer."

It refers to the ascetic battle that Jain renunciants (monks and nuns) are said to wage against their passions and corporeal senses in order to achieve enlightenment, or omniscience and soul purity.

Jainism is a religion that dates back thousands of years. According to certain traditions, it predates the Vedic faith.

Jains believe that their religion has no historical founder.

In the Jain religion, there are a series of renowned instructors known as Tirthankaras.

Vardhamana, the 24th and final Tirthankara of that era, was known as Mahavira and is thought to be the last teacher of "correct" knowledge, faith, and practice.

Although Mahavira is typically dated to 599–527 BCE, he must be considered a close contemporary of the Buddha (who is traditionally dated to 563–483 BCE but lived roughly a century later).

The Jain scriptures' mythical descriptions of Mahavira's life serve as the foundation for his biography and allow certain inferences to be drawn about the nature of the early community he formed.l.

Rishabhanath or Rishabhdev is thought to be the first Tirthankara.

Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, was born in Varanasi. He lived in the eighth or seventh centuries BC.

By birth, all of the Tirthankaras were Kshatriyas. Open / Comment

2022-08-19 10:10:11 Durga bhabhi

Durgawati Devi, who was popularly known as Durga Bhabhi, was a revolutionary who joined the armed struggle against colonial rule.

A member of the Naujawan bahart sabha, she helped bhahat singh escape in disguise from Lahore after the 1928 killing of British police officer John P Saunders.

During the train journey that followed, Durgawati and Bhagat Singh posed as a couple and Rajguru as their servant.


Later, as revenge for the hanging of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, she made an unsuccessful attempt to kill the former Punjab Governor, Lord Hailey.

Born in Allahabad in 1907 and married to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) member Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Durgawati, along with other revolutionaries, also ran a bomb factory in Delhi. Open / Comment

2022-08-18 14:31:16 Female freedom fighter

1.Jhalkari Bai

A soldier in Rani Laxmibai’s women’s army, Durga Dal, rose to become one of the queen’s most trusted advisers.

She is known for putting her own life at risk to keep the queen out of harm’s way.

Till date, the story of her valor is recalled by the people of Bundelkhand, and she is often presented as a representative of Bundeli identity.

Many Dalit communities of the region look up to her as an incarnation of God and also celebrate Jhalkaribai Jayanti every year in her honour. Open / Comment

2022-08-17 16:49:39 Rani Lakshmi Bai-

Rani Lakshmi bai was also known as Jhansi ki Rani.
She was one of the greatest and first women to fight for the freedom of India. She single-handedly fought with the British army without any fear in her eyes.

At a young age, she was married to Raja Gangadhar Rao, who was the king of Jhansi. They both adopted a son, but after the tragic demise of Gangadhar Rao, the British government didn’t allow her to make her son the king of Jhansi as he was an adopted child.

Along with the consequences, the British took over Jhansi under its control.
Rani Lakshmi bai did not accept this kind of rule against her and her son. She took the armies and revolted against the British government.

She fought against all odds and during her last time, she tied her son around her chest and fought against the Britishers.

The Britishers tried their best but couldn’t catch Jhansi ki, Rani, at the end.
When she got no way further, she set herself on fire and took her own life. The fire of courage and bravery was enough to make her name into golden history.

2. Sarojini Naidu-

She is known as the Nightingale of India.
She was one of the most impactful and prominent women freedom fighters who fought against the British government.

She was an independent poet and activist. She played a very significant role in the Civil disobedience movement and the Quit India movement, for which she was even jailed.


She traveled to several cities and delivered lectures about women’s empowerment, social welfare, and the importance of freedom.

Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to become the governor of an Indian state and the second woman to become the president of the Indian National Congress.

Though she died due to a heart attack in 1949, her contribution to the freedom struggle of India will always be remembered. Open / Comment

2022-08-17 04:25:31 Cave tradition in Eastern India

Buddhist caves have been discovered in eastern India, primarily in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, similar to those found in western India.

Guntapalle in the Eluru district is one of the most important places in Andhra Pradesh.

Guntapalle is one of the few locations where structural stupas, viharas, and caverns have all been unearthed in one location.

Rampa Yerrampalem, in addition to Guntapalle, is an important location.

A massive rock-cut stupa was carved out of the hillock in Anakapalli, near Visakhapatnam, during the 4th-5th century CE.

It is a remarkable location since it contains the country's largest rock-cut stupas.

The Udayagiri-Khandagiri caves in Odisha are another notable cave location.

These caverns are distributed around the area and contain inscriptions from the Kaharvela Kings.

The caves were intended for Jain monks, according to the inscription.

Numerous single-cell excavations can be seen here.

The upper half of the cell is embellished with a succession of Chaitya arches and legends that are still told in the region's folklore Open / Comment

2022-08-15 17:30:45 Flag Code of India

It allowed the unrestricted display of the Tricolour as long as the honour and dignity of the flag were being respected.

The flag code did not replace the pre-existing rules governing the correct display of the flag.

It was, however, an effort to bring together all the previous laws, conventions and practices.

It is divided into three parts -

General description of the tricolour.

Rules on display of the flag by public and private bodies and educational institutions.

Rules for display of the flag by governments and government bodies.

It mentions that the tricolour cannot be used for commercial purposes and cannot be dipped in salute to any person or thing.

Moreover, the flag should not be used as a festoon, or for any kind of decoration purposes.

For official display, only flags that conform to the specifications as laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards and bearing their mark can be used. Open / Comment