General Awareness

ART AND CULTURE - September 2020

Sep 2020

Jan 21, 2022

800-year-old Afghan Minaret in Danger of Collapse after Quakes

An 800-year-old minaret considered one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in Afghanistan was damaged by two earthquakes this week and is in danger of collapse.
The Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO world heritage monument in the central province of Ghor, was in desperate need of repair even before the quakes, but provincial official Abdul Hai Zaeem said the 65-metre (213-foot) structure had weakened further.
Some of the bricks have come off and the minaret itself has tilted more.
Built in the 12th Century during the reign of Sultan Ghiyasuddin, the Minaret of Jam has weathered earthquakes, floods and harsh desert storms -- and the years have taken their toll.

Jan 20, 2022

Dubai Opens Its Infinity Bridge for Traffic for the First Time

Iconic 'Infinity Bridge' in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was opened to traffic for the first time in January 2022. Its design resembles a mathematical sign for infinity (∞). It represents the limitless, infinite goals of Dubai. It consists of six lanes in each direction and a combined 3-metre track for pedestrians and cyclists. It is 300 meters long and 22 meters wide.
The bridge consists of six lanes and improves the link between Deira and Bur Dubai. It features a combined 3-metre track for pedestrians and cyclists. First announced in 2018, the Infinity Bridge is part of an Al Shindagha Corridor Project. Consisting of six lanes in each direction, the bridge has an arch-shaped like the infinity symbol – which symbolises Dubai's unlimited ambitions.

Jan 18, 2022

Sumit Bhale Wins Gold Medal at the International Folk Art Festival

Lavni artist from Maharashtra, Sumit Bhale of Fulbari taluka won a gold medal at the International Folk Art Festival in Dubai. With his splendid performance, Maharashtra's splendour was widely appreciated at the international platform. Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and is a combination of traditional song and dance, which is particularly performed to the beats of Dholki, a percussion instrument.

Vast 4,500-year-old Network of 'Funerary Avenues' Discovered in Saudi Arabia

Archaeologists in northwest Saudi Arabia discovered 4,500-year-old funerary avenues, the longest running for 105 miles (170 km), alongside thousands of pendant-shaped stone tombs.
They are called funerary avenues because tombs are located beside them. While funeral processions could have taken place on them this is uncertain. They would have linked oases together and formed an ancient highway network of sorts.

Oct 25, 2021

Tamil Movie "Koozhangal" is India's Official Entry for 94th Academy Awards

The movie follows an alcoholic abusive husband who, after his long-suffering wife runs off, sets out with his young son to find her and bring her back.
Tamil movie Koozhangal (Pebbles), directed by filmmaker Vinothraj PS, has been selected as India's official entry for the 94th Academy Awards.
It stars newcomers – Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan – and is produced by Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara.
India's official entry for Oscars this year 'Koozhangal' was picked by a 15-member jury, headed by filmmaker Shaji N Karun, in a unanimous decision.

Jun 20, 2021

A Mesopotamian War Memorial Found in Syria

In northern Syria, researchers have discovered a burial mound that may be the world's oldest war memorial, according to a new study. Known as the White Monument, or Tell Banat North, the 72-foot high mound dates to the third millennium B.C.E. and derives its name from the material that was used to build it: gypsum, which glistens in sunlight.
The White Monument was long thought to contain the bodies of dead enemies—a practice well documented in ancient Mesopotamia. The idea was to bury enemy corpses in a large mound after battle so that "their corpses reach the base of heaven" as a symbol of both punishment and victory, according to the study, which was led by Anne Porter, a professor at the University of Toronto.

Germans Returns Pre-Columbian Artifacts to Mexico

Mexico revealed that it had received 34 pre-Columbian artifacts that were owned by two German citizens. The two citizens, who were not identified but who live in western Germany, contacted the Mexican Embassy in Germany about returning the objects that had been owned by their families. The objects were handed over to the embassy.
The objects returned come from a vast spread of ancient cultures that once inhabited the lands of present-day Mexico, including ones based along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the Central Highlands, Colima and southern Nayarit, and Mayan lands. Among the objects that were returned are bowls, vases, stamps, and various anthropomorphic sculptures. Those sculptures include a mask in metamorphic rock that most likely comes from the Olmec culture and dates to Mesoamerica's Preclassic Period (1200–600 B.C.E.) and two heads done in the Totonac style, dating to the Classic period (250–900 C.E.).

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