Art and Culture Current Affairs

Indian Art and Culture for Competitive Affairs

President of India presents Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships & Akademi Awards in New Delhi.

  • The President of India, Smt. Draupadi Murmu presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 in New Delhi on 23 February 2023.
  • On the occasion, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships were awarded to eight eminent personalities in the field of performing arts.
  • A total of 128 artists from the fields of music, dance, theatre, traditional, folk and puppetry were honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards. These Academy Awards include three joint awards.
  • Fellowship of the Akademi (Akademi Ratna) carries prize money of Rs.3,00,000/- (Rupees Three Lakh) and Akademi Award (Akademi Puraskar) carries prize money of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh).
  • The award also carries a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

Click here for the full list of Awards :

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 2023 at Mumbai from 11th to 19th February 2023

The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 2023 is being held in Mumbai from 11th to 19th February, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The event was inaugurated by the Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy. The aim of the event is to promote national unity and cultural exchange.

About 350 folk and tribal artists from all over India, along with local artists and classical performers, will entertain the audience with their performances. Additionally, 150 craftsmen and artists will be exhibiting their art and craft work at 70 stalls, and 25 stalls will be set up for the Maharashtra State Handloom department and startups.

The Union Minister of Culture & Tourism, G. Kishan Reddy, also announced the inauguration of a special tourist Babasaheb Ambedkar Circuit train on April 14th, the birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is held in different states of India every year and was held in Madhya Pradesh in 2019, and in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 2022.

PM inaugurates 200th Jayanti celebrations of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati

On February 12, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the beginning of the year-long celebration of the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi. During the event, the Prime Minister unveiled the official logo for the commemoration and and also offered Ahuti Arpan in the ongoing Yagya. The Prime Minister also symbolically passed on the torch of Maharishi Dayanand’s message to young representatives by handing over a LED torch.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister called the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati historic, an occasion to create a future and inspiration for the entire world. Referring to  Maharishi Dayanand’s ideal of making the world a better place, the Prime Minister said in this era of discord, violence and instability, the path shown by Maharishi Dayanand gives hope.  

Governor of Gujarat, Shri Acharya Devvrat, Union Minister for Culture, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Ministers of State for Culture, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Smt Meenakshi Lekhi, President of Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Shri Daram Pal Arya, Mahamantri of Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Shri Vinay Arya, and President, Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Shri Suresh Chandra Arya, MP Satpal Singh, Swami Yajmuni were present on the occasion among others.

Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati

Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, born on February 12, 1824, was a revered social reformer and founder of the Arya Samaj. His mission was to challenge the widespread social injustices of his time. Through the teachings and practices of the Arya Samaj, he aimed to promote education and bring about cultural and social change in India. The organization, established in 1875, has had a significant impact on India’s cultural and social landscape, playing a vital role in promoting education and advocating for social reforms.

Grammy Award 2023 : Beyonce scripts history for most Grammy wins.

  • On 6 February 2023, At the Grammys 2023 ceremony, Beyoncé won a record-breaking 32nd Grammy Award, while Harry Styles won Album of the Year.
  • She won an award each in Best traditional R&B performance, Best R&B song, Best Dance/Electronic Music Album category and Best Dance/Electronic recording category.
  • Beyoncé became the most awarded artist in Grammy history during a historic evening in Los Angeles.

National School of Drama (NSD) will organize the 22nd edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2023 from 14 to 26 Feb.

  • National School of Drama (NSD) will organize the 22nd edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) from 14 to 26 February 2023.
  • This prestigious International Theater Festival will be held in Delhi, Jaipur, Rajahmundry, Ranchi, Guwahati, Jammu, Srinagar, Bhopal, Nashik and Kevadia.
  • The 22nd Bharat Rang Mahotsav will witness a scintillating display of drama and cultural performances and several thematic panel discussions on the global and strategic importance of theater in a global context.
  • Along with the plays, other allied activities will also be organized. These include book releases, directors’ meet, national and international seminars and master classes by stalwarts from the theater fraternity.
  • With more than 100 theater companies participating in the festival every year, Bharat Rang Mahotsav has carved a niche for itself.

Bengaluru musician Ricky Kej won Grammy Award 2023.

  • India’s Ricky Kej has won a Grammy Award 2023 for his album “Divine Tides”.
  • His album was nominated in the Best Immersive Audio Album category. With this achievement, Kej became the first Indian to win 3 Grammy Awards.
  • In 2022, Ricky Kej won a Grammy at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for his album “Divine Tides”, a collaboration with rock and roll legend Stewart Copeland, in the Best New Age Album category.
  • In 2015, he won a Grammy at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for his album “Winds of Samsara” in the Best New Age Album category.
  • Ricky is only the fourth Indian and the youngest person from India to win a Grammy Award.

Grammy Award 2023 :

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is a music award ceremony currently taking place on 5th February 2023 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. South African comedian Trevor Noah, who hosted the 63rd and 64th ceremony, hosted for the third time.

Beating Retreat ceremony : at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on 29 January 2023

The Beating Retreat ceremony will be held on 29 January 2023 at the historic Vijay Chowk in New Delhi, marking the end of four-day-long Republic Day celebrations.

  • Twenty-nine Indian tunes based on classical ragas will be played by the music bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force and State Police, and Central Armed Police Force.
  • President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh will witness the ceremony.
  • The ceremony will also feature the country’s biggest Drone Show, comprising three thousand 500 indigenous drones.
  • The drone show will light up the evening sky over the Raisina hills, depicting the success of the start-up ecosystem and the technological prowess of the country’s youth.
  • For the first time, a 3-D anamorphic projection will be organised during the Beating Retreat Ceremony on the façade of North and South Block.
  • The Ceremony will begin with the massed band’s Agniveer tune and will end with the ever-popular tune of Sare Jahan se Acha.

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Amrit Udyan: The Renamed Mughal Gardens Open to the Public up to 26 March 2023

The Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens, popularly known as the Mughal Gardens, have been renamed as Amrit Udyan on January 28, 2023. The gardens are open to the public for a limited period during spring each year. The opening of the Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan – Udyan Utsav 2023 gardens, is schedule on January 29, 2023, in the presence of President Ms. Murmu, will remain open to the public until March 26th, 2023.

About Amrit Udyan (Mugal Garden)

  • Designed by Edwin Lutyens, the 15-acre garden features a combination of Mughal and English landscaping styles
  • The garden layout includes a Charbagh and six lotus-shaped fountains
  • The gardens house an impressive collection of 2500 Dahlia varieties and 120 rose varieties

Garden Visiting Hours and Booking

  • Visitors can tour the gardens during six hourly slots between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM
  • The capacity for the two forenoon slots will be 7,500 visitors during weekdays and 10,000 visitors in each slot on weekends
  • Advance online booking is available on www.rashtrapatisachivalaya.gov.in

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Bharat Parv Celebration Kicks Off at Red Fort in New Delhi

  • Union Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Development of North Eastern Region G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the Bharat Parv at Red Fort in New Delhi on January 26th 2023
  • The six-day event is being celebrated as part of the Republic Day Celebrations and will run till January 31st 2023
  • The event will be open to the public from January 27th from afternoon to 10 PM daily
  • The event will showcase some of the best Republic Day Parade tableaux
  • Indian Food Court, folk and tribal dance performances, and a Crafts Bazaar with 65 handicraft stalls have been set up
  • Branding and promotion of Dekho Apna Desh, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, G20, and Mission LIFE will also be undertaken
  • Bharat Parv is a government initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the history of India’s people, culture, and achievements
  • The event is being organized after a gap of two years in physical mode at the Lawns and Gyan Path in front of Red Fort.

Archaeological Survey of India is ready to dig once again in Purana Qila.

  • The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is all set to start excavations at Purana Qila in Delhi once again.
  • The excavation will be led by Shri Vasant Swarnkar and will be the third excavation at Purana Qila after the excavations carried out in the years 2013-14 and 2017-18.
  • The aim of the latest excavation is to expose and preserve the trenches dug in the previous years (2013-14 and 2017-18).
  • During the last time the excavations were closed, evidence of pre-Mauryan layers was found. This season’s excavation, focuses to accomplish the traces of Painted Grey Ware finding in stratigraphical context.
  • The old fort, dating back to the 16th century, was built by Sher Shah Suri and Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. The fort stands at a place covering thousands of years of history. Padma Vibhushan Prof. B B Lal also carried out excavation work inside the fort and its precincts in the years 1954 and 1969-73.
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