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Hindu-Buddhist sculptures in Assam

GS- I >> Art & Culture>> Sculptures

Context: A professor of Assam University have claimed that they have discovered some 1500-years-old (8th century) Hindu and Buddhist-influenced sculptures at a hill area near Assam-Mizoram border.

Key details of Hindu-Buddhist sculptures:

• The sculptures were found at Kolalian village at Mizoram’s Mamit district which is adjacent to Hailakandi district.
• These stone works have similarities with the sculptures found in Tripura’s Unakoti and Pilak, which are believed to be created between 7th and 9th century.
• Only one full-sized idol was found which looks like Lord Buddha (with the dress and style) but it seems like a female structure.
• As per The Rajmala (the history of the Manikya Kings of Tripura), Maharaja Dhanya Manikya sent his General, Rai Kachak to this part of the land to control some Reang rebels and he did a Durga Puja at this place.
• Dhanya Manikya was the Maharaja of Tripura between 1490 and 1515 CE and Rai Kachak was his general.
• Many temples with beautiful stone works including Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaypur were constructed during Dhanya Manikyas reign.

Geographical history:

• In the early centuries, the civilization on this plain land was large and there was a triangle at Tripura, Srihatta (Sylhet) and Dimasa Kingdom’s connecting area.
• Kolalian stands near that triangle which was once part of Surma Valley. It is very much possible that the sculptures found in Kolalian, are more than 1000 years old.

Source: www.hindustantimes.com

Guyana

GS- I >> Geography >> Mapping

Context: Venezuela, Guyana saw tensions over a border dispute around the Esequibo river, and an offshore area.

About Guyana:

Political features:

• North eastern corner of South America.
• Not landlocked.
• Bordered by Atlantic Ocean (north), Suriname (east), Brazil (south), and Venezuela (west).

Geographical features:

• Mountains: Acaraí Mountains, Pakaraima Mountains, Kanuku Mountains.
• Highest point: Mount Roraima (2,772 metres).
• Main rivers: Courantyne, Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo (all empty into Atlantic).

Source: www.reuters.com

Dodo

GS- III >> Environment >> Flora & Fauna

Context: Geneticists and conservationists have joined forces to re-introduce the Dodo, extinct since the late 17th century.

About Dodo:

• It is a flightless bird that primarily inhabited the island of Mauritius.
• It is listed as extinct on the IUCN Red List of species.
• The lifespan of a Dodo bird was 10 to 30 years.
• It was a large, plump bird covered in soft, grey feathers, with a plume of white at its tail.
• It had small wings that were far too weak to ever lift the dodo off the ground.
• The dodo’s legs were short and stubby and yellow in colour.
• The closest relative of the dodo bird is the Nicobar pigeon, lives on the ground.
• Initially, the Dodo’s extinction was attributed to human overhunting, but recent research indicates that a combination of human actions and the introduction of animals like dogs, pigs, cats, rats, and macaques led to habitat destruction and nesting ground loss for the Dodo.

Source: indianexpress.com

River Cities Alliance

GS- III >> Environment >> River Conservation

Context: Recently, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on behalf of River Cities Alliance (RCA), has signed a Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP) with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), USA.

About River Cities Alliance:

• It is a first-of-its-kind Alliance in the world, symbolising the successful partnership of the two ministries viz. the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Objective: To provide the member cities with a platform to discuss and exchange information on aspects that are vital for sustainable management of urban rivers, sharing best practices and supporting innovation.
• The Alliance is open to all river cities of India. Any river city can join the Alliance at any time.
• It focuses on three broad themes viz. Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support.
• The Secretariat of the Alliance is set up at the National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA).

Source: pib.gov.in