Musical Instruments of Assam

  

Musical Instruments of the Assam add to the rhythm of the festivals of the state. Assam is land of beautiful culture and tradition. To enrich the culture of this land, the traditional music of different tribes and sub-tribes of the state has played a major role. Music is an integral part of Assam and there are various musical instruments. It is the music of Assam through which everybody celebrates any festival or occasion and that is why there are abundance of musical instruments available across the state.

A list of some of the popular musical instruments of the Assamese and also the Bodo people from the state are given below;

Gogona - Gogona is a type of Jew’s harp, a reed instrument that is used for traditional music especially for Bihu. The Gogona is made of a piece of bamboo that has a bifurcation on one end. The solid end is gripped with teeth and the free end is struck repeatedly with fingers to emit the distinctive sound of the instrument.

Dhol - Dhol is an important part of the folk culture of Assam. This drum like instrument is used to maintain the merry rhythm of Bihu. People of Assam consider the Dhol to be the instrument of the Gods.

Singa or Pepa - The Singa or Pepa is an integral part of Bihu and hence an integral part of Assamese culture. The word Singa has come from Sing or horn and is made of a buffalo horn with a bamboo pipe thrust into it.

Khol - Khol is also known as Mridanga in Bengali language. It is a terracotta two-sided drum for devotional music. The khol is an integral part of Vaishnava music in Assam.

Tokari - The Tokari is a kind of musical instrument with a single string which is played with fingers. It is mainly used for Tokari Geet.

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Types of Odissi Music

  

Types of Odissi Music cover a rather large spectrum. The various forms of this classical music style include Champu, Chhanda, Chautisa, Geeta Gobinda, Janan and Bhajan. These different types of Odissi Music are briefly discussed below.

Champu
Kavya with admixture of both prose and poem are known as Champu. In a Champu composition every stanza starts with the same alphabet. This is sung in Raaga and Tala. Instead of Anibadha Alapa there is Rupak Alapa. There is Pada Vinayas, short Swara Uinyas and no Taan.

Chhanda
The main characteristic of these verses is the stress on rhythm. It is set to a definite melody and Raaga. No steps of Raaganga are followed but the traditional technique and colourful Gamaka used here make it a special and very popular style. It is sung in a particular Brutta or Vani. Every Pada of a Chhanda is sung in the same Swara. Singers sing from the Oriya language epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana and from the Indian Puranas.

Chautisa
There are 34 (Chautrisha) Padas in such a composition. Hence it is called Chautisha. Like Chhanda this is based on Brutta or Vani and all the Padas are sung in the same swara. But unlike Chhanda it is always composed with 34 Padas. Every Pada begins with one alphabet of Oriya language and in the 34 Padas 34 alphabets are used in Proper sequence. Among all the Chautisa songs written in Oriya 'Manabodha Chautisa' is most popular.

Chaupadi
It consists of four stanzas. This variety of songs is songs of love. The language of the songs is lyrical, simple and direct.

Chaturang
This type of singing is not in popular practice but it comes under the traditional singing style. This type of song is not very old in origin. It consists of four parts, namely, Khayal, Tarana, Saraagam and Tirvat. In the first part, the words of the song are there, the second consists of syllables of Tarana, in the third part a small piece of Sargam is sung in the same Raaga in which Chaturang is sung, and in the last part, the Bols of Mridang or Pakhavaj are recited.

Geeta Gobinda
The Geeta Gobinda is one of the most beautiful works of the performing arts. It is an admixture of song and drama. Through millions of devotees who visited the Jagannath temple from various parts of India, Gitagovindams popularity spread all over India. There are a total of 24 Astapadas and these songs describe the various moods, shades and various episodes of love between Radha and Lord Krishna. They were written in 12th century in Sanskrit language. These verses exude at once spiritualism and eroticism. Oriya music as well as literature bears distinct marks of Jayadeva's style.

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Sangeet Natak Academy

  

The Sangeet Natak Akademi was set up in 1953 for the encouragement of performing arts. A surrounding up of Sangeet Natak Akademi is one of the chief recommendations of the National conference on Dance, Drama, and Music, held in New Delhi in 1951. The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India's nationalized academy for music, dance and drama and is the first National Academy of the arts set-up by the Republic of India. The Akademi became well-designed the next year, with the meeting of its first Chairman, Dr P.V. Rajamannar, and the arrangement of its all-India committee of representatives, the General Council.

History of Sangeet Natak Academy
The first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, inaugurated it on 28th January 1953 in a special function held in the Parliament House. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was then the Union Minister for Education at the inauguration of the Academy said -- "…It will be the aim of this Akademi to preserve our traditions by offering them an institutional form...”.

The Akademi's license of functions was prolonged along with the original lines in 1961, when the Sangeet Natak Akademi was reconstituted by the Government as a society and registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 (as amended in 1957).

Aims and Objectives of Sangeet Natak Academy
It acts as the national level for the following reasons:

Encouragement and development of Indian music, dance and drama.

To persuade the switch of ideas and enhancement of techniques among the dissimilar regions in observance to the arts of music, dance and drama.

Preservation of standards of training in the performing arts.

Revitalization, protection, documentation and spreading of materials as well as instruments connecting to various forms of music, dance and drama.

To publish literature on Indian music, dance and drama counting orientation works such as an illustrated dictionary or handbook of technical conditions.

To give acknowledgment to and if not assist praiseworthy, theatrical organizations.

To revive folk music, folk dance and folk drama in dissimilar regions of the country and to give confidence in the development of community music, martial music and other types of music.

To award prizes and feature and to give gratitude to individual artistes for outstanding achievement in the fields of music, dance and drama.

Functions of Sangeet Natak Academy
The academy functions as the head body of the performing arts in the country to protect and endorse the huge cultural inheritance of India expressed in music, dance and drama. It also works with governments and art academies in states and territories of the country. SNA recognized quite a few institutions over the years and these are as follows:

Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal.

Sattriya Centre.

Kathak Kendra, New Delhi.

Ravindra Rangshala.

Centre for Kutiyattam, Thiruvananthapuram.

Chhau Centre, Jamshedpur.

Northeast centre.

Felicitations of Sangeet Natak Academy
SNA also offers felicitations or scholarships to deserving organisations in the same field.

Scholarship to Cultural Institutions
This scheme is proposed to allow the Sangeet Natak Akademi to tender grants-in-aid to select cultural institutions occupied in the endorsement of performing arts, namely, music, dance and drama. The grants-in-aid scheme is to hand out chiefly two objectives, explicitly, to offer financial support to institutions engaged in training in the fields of music, dance and drama and to encourage production of new plays and ballets, etc.

Schooling and Preservation
The Sangeet Natak Akademi extends support to identify forms of Indian music, dance and theatre and also crafts associated with performing arts, mainly through specialized training program under renowned masters.

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Ayurvedic Recipes

 

Ayurvedic Recipes are the most exquisite in its exotic taste, aroma, textures and colours. Ayurveda advocates eating food according to the three doshas of body - Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These recipes are prepared to provide you maximum health benefits by achieving detoxification and providing essential nutrients and nourishment. Ayurveda is a balanced approach to eating that suggests eating mindfully, healthfully and with gratitude.

Health Benefits of Ayurvedic Recipes
When people try Ayurvedic recipes, they discover a, deep sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. Their whole system responds to the nourishment that comes from the subtle tastes and aromas of the special blend of spices. These subtle spices and aromas play a vital role in bringing us to a deeper level of health and well-being. According to Ayurveda, a good food habit helps to improves ones physical and mental wellbeing.

Method of Cooking Ayurvedic Recipes
Ayurvedic Recipes are personalized to the different physical constitutions and Ayurvedic principles. Indian cooking is based upon the therapeutic principles of the ancient Ayurvedic science of life. Ayurvedic recipes are free of the excess use of spices, sugars and oils that characterize the commercial line of modern Indian cooking. Ways of preparing food to alter certain properties, or to antidote possible side-effects, are also covered in Ayurvedic recipes. The art of using spices, cooking not only to make the food taste better, but to enhance therapeutic value is the magic behind the healthy Ayurvedic Recipes.

Food Combinations in Ayurvedic Recipes
Proper food combination is a key to reducing potential aama and enhancing absorption. Lightening a heavy food will aid its digestion, absorption and assimilation. Moistening a dry food through soaking and thorough cooking will give the digestive tract a better chance of absorbing its vital nutrients without excessive elimination of gas. Warming a cold food promotes nourishment and minimizes the creation of aama, toxic wastes. Ayurvedic recipes are specifically designed to enhance digestion and promote absorption using these principles.

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Mangrove in India

  

Mangrove in India is world famous for its rich variety of flora and fauna and also for its huge area. The Mangroves are actually salt-tolerant plants of tropical and subtropical inter-tidal regions and they are mainly found in the Godavari-Krishna and Sunderban regions in India. In the regions where these plants grows are termed as "Mangrove Ecosystem". These plants are extremely sensitive and fragile. The Sunderban comprise the principal portion of Mangrove in India. The ‘Sunderban Mangroves’ occupy a huge area followed by the Andaman-Nicobar Islands and Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat. Compared to the Sunderban, the rest of the mangrove ecosystems are comparatively smaller.

Etymology of Mangrove
The word 'Mangrove' is considered to be a combination of the Portuguese word ‘Mangue’ and the English word ‘Grove’. The word is broadly used to refer to the habitat and entire plant assemblage or mangal, for which the terms mangrove swamp and mangrove forest are also used. Apart from that, Mangrove is also used to refer to all trees and large shrubs in the mangal. It is narrowly used to refer to the mangrove family of plants, the Rhizophoraceae, or even more specifically just to mangrove trees of the genus Rhizophora, as well.

Flora and Fauna of Mangrove Ecosystem
The Mangrove in India is home to numerous species of flora and fauna and the presence of Mangrove ecosystems on coastline can save lives and property during natural hazards like cyclones, storm surges and erosion, as well. The Mangrove in India is home to a large number of over 1600 plant and 3700 animal species. The most notable species of Mangrove in India include the major components like "Acanthaceae", "Avicenniaceae" or "Verbenaceae" (Black mangrove), "Combretaceae" (Buttonwood, White Mangrove), "Arecaceae" (Mangrove Palm), "Rhizophoraceae" (Red Mangrove), "Lythraceae" (Mangrove Apple) etc. families.

Mangrove in India includes numerous species that helps maintaining the balance of ecosystem in India. The Mangrove in India is breeding, feeding and providing nursery grounds for many estuarine and marine organisms. The ecosystem has quite a large potential for natural products that can be used for medicinal purposes and also for salt production, apiculture, fuel and fodder, etc.

Significance of Mangrove in India
Mangrove in India protects the coast from erosion, surge storms especially during hurricanes and tsunamis and their massive root system is efficient in breaking up the wave energy. Similarly, the mangroves also slow down tidal water enough so that its sediment is deposited as the tide comes in and is not re-suspended when the tide leaves, except for fine particles. By doing so, the mangroves build their own environment. This uniqueness of the mangrove ecosystems and their protection against erosion often makes Mangrove the object of conservation programs including national ‘Biodiversity Action Plans’. It has been found several times that the wave energy is typically low in the areas where mangroves grow. The Mangrove in India also supports ecosystems, adapt low oxygen, limits salt intake and water loss, and also increase survival of offspring.

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Indian Athletes

  

In India, athletics is counted among the most popular form of sports and is played extensively throughout the country. India has so far produced several eminent athletes, who have excelled in the international arena. Indian athletes started playing in the international athletic meets for the first time in 1948, when they took part in the London Olympic Games. The Indian team comprised 8 athletes in the 1948 Olympics, out of which 6 were men and 2 women. It was also the first time that the Indian women athletes participated in the Olympic Games.

Dalip Singh
Dalip Singh is a well known athlete who was the first sportsperson to represent India at the Olympics. He was also a good hockey player. He also owns the pride of being the first person from India who became the torchbearer at the inaugural Asian Games held at Delhi in the year 1951.

P.T. Usha
P. T. Usha is another prominent athlete of India who is also popularly known as "Golden Girl", "Running Machine", "Sprint Queen", "Payyoli Express" and by many other titles. Through her admirable career she had inspired a number of young woman athletes. She is the owner of seven national awards and had won a number of gold and silver medals in different tournaments.

Jyotirmoyee Sikdar
Jyotirmoyee Sikdar carved a distinct niche for herself in Indian athletics by bagging one silver medal and two gold medals at Bangkok Asian Games in 1998. She also won Arjuna Award in the year 1995. In 1998 she also became the first athlete to receive the honour of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1998.

Devendra Jhajharia
Devendra Jhajharia was the winner of first gold medal in Paralympics from India. He is a one armed javelin thrower who lost one of his arms in childhood in an accident. He was also honoured with the most prestigious sports award, the Arjuna Awards. He also won gold medals at Athens in 2004 and the 8th FESPIC Games of Korea in 2002.

Shiny Abraham
Shiny Abraham was another famous athlete of India who, for fourteen long years, remained the National Champion in 800 metres. She had also won a number of gold medals. In the year 1995 at the SAF games in Chennai, she was also declared as the best woman athlete. She was awarded with the Arjuna Award and the Chinese Journalist Award.

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Ramayana, Indian Epic

  

Ramayana is one of the greatest Indian epics ever written and it forms an important part of Indian religious and literary history. Ramayana, even in the form in which it is read today, is still a fairly unified heroic poem. It is believed to have been written by a poet named Valmiki, and there is no doubt to believe that a poet of this name really lived and first shaped the ballads, which were scattered in the mouths of the bards, into the form of a unified poem. In fact, Valmiki is often said to be the first 'Kavi' or author of ornate poetry, Adikavi, and Ramayana is said to be the first ornate poem.

Origin of Ramayana
The great epic of Ramayana is traditionally attributed to Valmiki, who is considered to be the first poet of India. The Indian tradition believes that the great epic has been written by a single poet, the great sage Valmiki, who was also a contemporary of Lord Rama and also a marginal actor in the great epic. The original version of the story in Sanskrit language is called the Valmiki Ramayana, which dates back to the 4th century B.C. As per the Hindu tradition, the Ramayana was considered to have taken place during the period known as Treta Yuga. The beginnings of ornate epic poetry do indeed lead back to the Ramayana, and Valmiki has always remained the pattern to which all later Indian poets admiringly aspired.

Composition of Ramayana
In the composition of the Ramayana, as in all Kavyas, greater importance is attached to the form than to the matter and contents of the poem, and that so-called 'alankaras', i.e. embellishments such as similes, poetic figures, puns, and so on, are used largely, even to excess. Similes are heaped on similes, and descriptions, especially of nature, are spun out interminably with ever new metaphors and comparisons. Ramayana appears as a work that is a popular epic and ornate poetry at the same time.

Story of Ramayana
Ramayana presents the story of Lord Rama, who is also the main character in this epic. This great epic comprises of 24000 couplets in seven books which give an account of the royal birth of Rama and his other three brothers, the loss of his throne and his victory over evil. Dasaratha was Rama's father and was the king of Ayodhya. He had three queens named Kaikeyi, Kaushalya and Sumitra. Bharata was the second son of Dasaratha and Queen Kaikeyi. As a result of the jealously of Kaikeyi, Rama went into exile for fourteen years. Rama was accompanied voluntarily into the forest by his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. Lakshmana protected and served Rama and Sita in the forest. However, during their exile, Ravana abducted Sita with the help of an evil plot. Lord Hanuman also plays an important role in this epic by finding Sita and helping Rama to fight the battle against Ravana. The great monkey Sugriva and his alliance with Rama were also fruitful as he regained his wife and his kingdom and he in turn helped Rama in finding out Sita and employed his army of monkeys to fight for Rama against Ravana. After defeating Ravana, the victorious Rama returned to Ayodhya with his wife and was coronated as the new monarch. However owing to the long captivity of Sita the people of the kingdom could not accept her and she was forced to undergo an ordeal of fire, Agnipariksha, to prove her chastity. Even after Sita succeeds in proving her chastity through Agnipariksha, she remains as the subject of suspicion due to which Rama reluctantly abandons her while she was pregnant. Sita takes refuge in Valmiki's Ashram where she gives birth to twins Lava and Kusha. After the twin grows up and reunites with their father, Sita seeks refuge in the arms of her mother, the Earth, and frees herself from the unjust world.

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