Category: Art & Culture
NOMINATIONS FOR WORLD HERITAGE LIST FOR THE YEAR 2020
03, Mar 2020
Why in News?
- Nomination dossiers of ‘Dholavira: A Harappan City’ and ‘Monuments and Forts of Deccan Sultanate’ have been submitted for inclusion in the World Heritage List for the year 2020 – Culture Minister.
UNESCO World Heritage List:
- This list comprises the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A World Heritage Site is a landmark or an area selected by the UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
- The sites are regarded important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
- To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance.
- The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
- The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.
- As of July 2019, a total of 1,121 World Heritage Sites exist across 167 countries. The maximum number of sites in one country is 55, both China and Italy having 55 each. India is in fifth position with 38 sites.
- The first place to be declared a World Heritage Site: City of Quito (capital of Ecuador) in 1978.
Tentative Lists:
- States Parties are encouraged to submit Tentative Lists to the UNESCO.
- This list consists of properties which they consider to be cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List.
- The Tentative List should be submitted at least one year prior to the submission of any nomination.
- Nominations to the World Heritage List will not be considered unless the nominated property has already been included on the State Party’s Tentative List.
- Both Dholavira and the Deccan Sultanate forts and monuments are included in India’s Tentative List. There are another 40 sites in the Indian list.
- Both were submitted in 2014.
Dholavira: A Harappan City:
- Dholavira is located in the Khadir Island in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
- It belonged to the Mature Harappan Phase.
- It is a fortified quadrangular city set in a harsh and arid land. It was once a thriving metropolis for 1200 years between 3000 BCE and 1800 BCE.
- It had access to the sea.
- The city’s ruins show large-scale use of dressed stone in construction.
- Highly polished stone pillars of square or circular section having a central hole are also seen.
- To create a pillar, such segments were piled to attain the requisite height and a wooden pole was inserted to ensure stability. This method of constructing a column was an ingenious alternative to a monolithic column.
- The city also had an excellent water conservation system that ensured regular water supply to the parched land.
- Many antiquities have also been found during excavations.
Why is it included in the List?
- The excavated site demonstrates the ingenuity of the Harappan people to evolve a highly organised system of town planning with perfected proportions, interrelation of functional areas, street pattern and an efficient water conservation system that supported life for more than 1200 years in a hot and arid climate.
- Its water management system was one of the most efficient in the ancient world.
- The city had a three-tier zonation comprising of distinct upper (citadel, bailey) and middle (having a distinct street-pattern, large scale enclosure and a ceremonial ground) towns enclosed by a lower town (with narrower streets, smaller enclosures and industrial area – this feature distinguishes it from the other metropolises of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
- The importance of Dholavira’s planning was furthered with the excavation of Kampilya in Uttar Pradesh, a city considered of mythical origin in the Gangetic plains. Belonging to the Gangetic Civilization, which is considered the second phase of urbanization of the Indian subcontinent, Kampilya adopted the town planning principles (in terms of scale, hierarchy of space and road network) established in Dholavira.
- The area is protected and managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- Globally, Dholavira can be compared to the cities of the Ancient River Valley Civilization, the urban metropolises of the Egyptian, Chinese and Mesopotamian civilisations.
- In the region, Dholavira can be compared to the other major cities of Harappan culture like Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Banavali and Lothal. The excavated remains of the complete water system distinguish this site from others.
Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate:
- The ‘Monuments of the Deccan Sultanate’ is a serial property comprising of four components.
- They constitute the most representative, most authentic and best-conserved examples of Deccani Sultanate monuments in India.
- The series demonstrates the exemplary convergence of national and international styles of Islamic architecture and their intersections with the prevalent Hindu architecture of the period in southern India, in present-day Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
- The contributions of Deccan Sultanate to the arts and architecture of India is impressive with iconic Indo-Islamic monuments constructed in Gulbarga, Bidar, Bijapur and Hyderabad.
- These sites emerged as important medieval fortifications and walled cities of the Deccan Sultanates with a vigorous new architectural style of the sultanate that emerged from encounters with the Deccan Hindu heartland of the period.
- Individually, each of the components of the Deccan Sultanate cover important aspects of Sultanate history with Gulbarga evolving as the first capital of the Bahmani Kingdoms in mid-14thcentury CE including its impressive fortifications, Jami Masjid and royal tombs
- Bidar emerged as the next Bahmani capital in the mid-15thCentury CE.
- Further evolution of the Deccani Sultanate style was done by the Adil Shahi dynasty in the monuments at Bijapur such as the Gol Gumbaz that stands as the 2nd largest dome in world history.
- The final diversification and manifestation of the style is seen in the Qutub Shahi monuments of Golconda fort, tombs and the Charminar at Hyderabad. The iconic Charminar is a ceremonial gateway built to celebrate the foundation of Hyderabad in 1591 A.D.
- Subtly blending influences from Iran, West Asia, southern India, and sometimes Europe, as well as southern and northern India, the arts produced under these Deccan sultanates are markedly different from those of the rest of India and especially from those created under the Mughal patronage.
- The monuments and citadels provide a unique testimony to the social, economic, cultural, political and technological landscape of the period as well as unique expressions of the religious and artistic flowering of the Islamic Sultanate in Southern India.
- The monuments were also accompanied by the development of syncretic forms of art, architecture, language, literature, music, cuisine and costume.
India bans Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh terror outfit
27, May 2019
- 27 May 2019 Current Affairs: Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh also called as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan declared as a banned terrorist organization by the government, the Home Ministry
- In a notification, the home ministry said the outfit has committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and has been engaged in radicalization and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India.
- The Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan and all its manifestations have been inserted in the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
CHENCHUS BELIEVE THE FOX USHERS IN FORTUNE
18, Apr 2019
Why in News:
The nomadic tribal families have succeeded in domesticating the animal
Details: / An offence: official
- Senior official at the Srisailam Nagarjuna Sagar Tiger Reserve Nageswara Rao said: “The conservation of fox falls under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972,
- according to which hunting or domesticating it is an offence and attracts punishment.
Chenchu Tribes:
- Chenchus are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group whose hamlets or Pentas dot the Nallamala forest range spread across four to five districts in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states. They are inveterate forest dwellers, who have, over centuries, steadfastly refused to move out of their woods regardless of the perils of such life.
- If patriotism be defined as love for the land, Chenchus are patriots in true spirit.
- The non-resident war cries on social media over imagined boundaries are no match for their raw affinity to forests where they live without basic facilities.
- They are among the oldest living aboriginals of south India.
JAT VOTES
18, Apr 2019
Why in News:
- In Which way will the Jat votes swings-the question hangs in the air.
Background:
- The Jats are a dominant farming community who own their land. The Jats have a reputation of being a feisty, hardworking people who are dedicated to community service. The word Jat is derived from Jatta, a generic term for cattle grazers and camel breeders, moving in a group or federation – jatha.
- They have been known as zamindars (landowner) since the Mugul emperor, Akbar’s reign in the 16th century. Other occupations pursued by the Jat are animal husbandry, transport business, trade, and government and private service, and are teachers, doctors, engineers and surveyors.
Origin
- There are many theories about the history of the Jat. Classical Greek historians Pliny and Ptolemy, trace the migration of the Jat from the banks of the Oxus River to India about a century before Christ. Colonial historians Vincent Smith and James Todd identify them as belonging to the Indo-Scythian hordes that invaded India between 200 BC and 600 AD, and finally settled there. Other scholars such as Ibbetson, Rose and William Crooke believe the Jat to be one of the Rajput tribes. Current research suggests that the Jat migrated from central Asia in the 2nd millennium BC onwards. They spoke Indo-Aryan languages and are believed to be one of the most ancient people in India. They settled along the Indus River in the fertile plains of the Punjab and became a pastoral and peasant community. They united to form a network of councils that linked the clans into villages. Some Jats in Gujarat are Muslim and are pastoral people.
Location
- The largest concentrations of Jat are in the districts of Gujranwala Multan, Muzzaffargarh, Manipuri, Bahawalpur, Patiala and Faridkot in Punjab and Rohtak and Mahendranagar in Haryana. They also live in Mirpur in Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and the union territory of Chandigarh.
What Are Their Lives Like?
- As farmers, the Jat’s main natural resource is the land that they own. During the second half of the nineteenth century the British laid an extensive canal irrigation system in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab which greatly benefited the Jat. Since India’s independence, in 1947, they have become the countries chief producer and supplier of food grains. Their links with local and regional markets are direct and fully regulated.
- The Jats also practice animal husbandry and work in the transport business and trade. They work as bus conductors, truck and taxi drivers or as professionals. The strong presence of the Jat in the Indian army, paramilitary and police forces reinforces their reputation as courageous people. A few Jat, as those in Himachal Pradesh, practice sericulture (the production of raw silk by raising silk worms) as a supplementary occupation.
- The Jat is traditionally vegetarians whose staple food consists of wheat, maize, lentils, vegetables, milk and milk products. Lassi, a yoghurt drink is part of their daily diet. Meat mainly chicken and lamb is eaten on special occasions. They do not eat pork or beef. Muslim Jats eat female buffalo meat. Men drink alcohol.
Customs
- Both extended and smaller families exist. Married women used and sometimes still observe purdah (cover their face with a veil) with their elder brother-in law and father-in-law. The Jat women are consulted in all important matters but men make the final decision. In rural areas they assist the men in the fields, look after the animals along with household duties. City women work in a variety of professions.
- The women are good at embroidery (they are famous for phulkari – embroidered sheet that brides were wrapped in), weave, sew, crotchet and knotting. Charpais (bed) are intricately strung. Jhumar and gidda are energetic folk dances performed by women at weddings. Another dance, the bhangra has been made famous by Bollywood.
What Are Their Beliefs?
- The Jat are predominantly Sikh and also Hindu or Muslim, the last being a small number mainly living in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The Hindu Jat worship all Hindu gods and goddesses, but Shiva is considered to be one of their most ancient ancestors and is the Jat’s most venerated deities. Shiva’s son, Kartikeya, whose mount is a peacock is also worshipped. They participate in all Hindu festivals, as well as visit Hindu sacred places such as Haridwar, Varanasi and Badrinath. Most of the Hindu Jat invariably touch mother earth when they get up in the morning, wish Ram Ram to others, and invoke the sun god (Surya) when they start ploughing their fields.
- The Jat Sikhs were converted to Sikhism in the 16th century during the time of the fifth Sikh Guru Arjun Dev. Though the Jat Sikh worship the Sikh religious book, Guru Granth Sahib, and staunchly adhere to all the tenets of Sikhism, many of them also visit Hindu pilgrimage centres. Sikhs believe in a universal god who is not worshipped as an idol.
- Among the Hindu and Sikh Jat a form of ancestor worship, called Jathera is quite common. The name given to the Jathera is generally of an influential ancestor or the founder of the clan who was a martyr. This place identified with the ancestor is marked by a mound of earth or perhaps a concrete shrine. The Hindu revivalist, as well as purification movement, Arya Samaj, with its protestant ethic and democratic functioning gave the Jat unfettered access to the sacred Hindu scriptures (Vedas) without the mediation of priests, and has been a major factor in the modernisation of the Jat. The egalitarian Radhasoami sect has many followers with many prayer halls scattered throughout Jat inhabited regions.
What are their Needs?
- The Jats of India need clean drinking water and proper health care facilities. Medical teams and aid workers are needed to work among them. The Jat are a relatively affluent community. They have an active social conscience which they put into practice by helping the community. They can be very influential in bringing about change in communities.
CATHEDRAL BLAZE
17, Apr 2019
Why in News:
- Notre-Dame cathedral got fire; it was probably by accident says French prosecutors.
Background:
- Notre-Dame in Paris is famous for its intricate gothic-style design and for its aesthetic grandeur and harmony.
Neo-Gothic Style:
- The neo-Gothic style was a revival of the early Gothic style of architecture which had its roots in buildings, especially churches, built in northern Europe during the medieval period. It was characterised by high-pitched roofs, pointed arches and detailed decoration.
In India-gothic style
- This style was adapted for building infrastructure in Bombay. An impressive group of buildings facing the seafront including the Secretariat, University of Bombay and High Court were all built in this style.
- Many Indians merchants gave money for some of these buildings. They were happy to adopt the neo-Gothic style since they believed it was progressive and would help make Bombay, a modern city.
- The British invested a lot in the design and construction of railway stations in this style, an example of which is Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai.
Important Holy Relics In The Cathedral:
- Holy Crown of thorns-crown as well as tunic is worn by 13th centur7y king, louis IX A piece of the cross on which Jesus was nailed and one his nails.
History behind this church:
- Construction began in 1163 after Pope Alexander III laid the cornerstone for the new cathedral.
- By the time of Bishop Maurice de Sully’s death in 1196, the apse, choir and the new High Altar were all finished, while the nave itself was nearing completion. In 1200, work began on the western facade, including the west rose window and the towers, all of which were completed around 1250, along with a new north rose window.
- Also during the 1250s, the transepts were remodelled in the latest gothic style
Gothic Cathedral Builders:
- With the aid of only elementary drawings and templates, master stone masons meticulously directed the construction of the great medieval cathedrals of Europe. The practices of intuitive calculation, largely based on simple mathematical ratios and structural precedent, were closely guarded and passed between successive generations of masons. Specific site conditions and the insatiable demand by church authorities for higher and lighter buildings provided the impetus for continual development.
LIPSTICK SEED’S GROWN BY TRIBAL’S
15, Apr 2019
Why in news:
- The coloured cosmetic that they adorn on their lips can be manufactured from the non- carcinogenic lipstick seed cultivated in the backyard of Adivasi habitations in Rampachodavaram, Chaparai, and Maredumilli in Andhra Pradesh.
Background: / Who are Adivasis?
- Adivasis are not a homogeneous group; there are over 200 distinct peoples speaking more than 100 languages, and varying greatly in ethnicity and culture. However, there are similarities in their way of life and generally perceived oppressed position within Indian society. According to the official Census held in 2001, Adivasis constitute 8 per cent of the nation’s total population, over 84 million people. Unofficial figures vary significantly but represent a much higher proportion of India’s population. Adivasis live throughout India but are primarily based in the mountain and hill areas, away from the fertile plains.
- According to the 2001 census, the greatest concentration is in Chattisgrah (38%), Jharkahand (26%) Madhya Pradesh (20%), Orisssa (22%), Andhra Pradesh (6%) Gujarat(15%) Rajasthan (12%), Maharashtra (9%) and Bihar (0.9%).
Problems Faced By Adivasis
- Many governments sign MoU’s with big mining corporations without the consent of the tribals who live on the land. Setting up mines and factories inside jungles requires displacing and relocating the tribal population. Most Adivasis do not want to relocate to a different place and prefer living in the jungles. They generally do not value money. Their refusal to vacate the land leads to the government deploying armed forces like the CRPF against them – often burning villages, harassing people, killing tribals – all in an attempt to get them to vacate. This conflict leads to Maoists leading an armed struggle against the government. They claim to be fighting for the rights of the tribals.
- Governments should make public all MoU’s signed with all the mining corporations. This information should be available publicly, with details like the exact location of the proposed mine/factory, which mineral is being mined, which corporation has been awarded the contract, how much money the government and the corporation stand to make etc Governments must take consent of the tribals living on the land before signing any MoU with any corporation. The method of consent must be transparent, without coercion and documented. The government must give up any proposed projects for minerals if tribals do not consent to the mining. The Tribals often are malnourished and lack access to basic healthcare. Anaemia is a common disease among the tribal populations.
- Tribals are often considered “low”, “dirty” by people from the towns, cities, upper castes. They lack social prestige in Indian society. India is a very racist country which is heavily judgmental.
Medicinal benefits of lipstick seeds:
The seeds have healing properties and used in
Treating digestive disorders, Weak bones, Headache, Neural tube defects, Eye ailments and respiratory problems.
Other Uses:
- The plant’s seed extract is used as a natural colouring agent in cheese, food preparations, bakery products and sweets across the world. These rare seeds have no fixed price as there is no organised trade in the tribal areas. The seeds command much higher value in the international market.
75th ANNIVERSARY OF AZAD HIND GOVERNMENT
20, Oct 2018
- Union government is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government on 21st October, 2018, at the Red Fort, Delhi by hoisting the National flag and unveiling the plaque.
- Traditionally, the prime minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort on Independence Day.
- The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of a museum dedicated to the Azad Hind Fauj.It is located in special barrack of the Red Fort where Indian National Army soldiers faced trials by British authorities
- The Azad Hind Government, founded on 21st October, 1943 was inspired by Neta ji Subhash Chandra Bose who was the leader of Azad Hind Government and also the Head of State of this Provisional Indian Government-in-exile. It was a part of the freedom movement, originating in 1940s outside India with a purpose of allying with Axis powers to free India from British rule. The existence of the Azad Hind Government gave a greater legitimacy to the independence struggle against the British.
- Pertinently, the role of Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army (INA) had been crucial in bequeathing a much-needed impetus to India’s struggle for Independence.
- Although it was short-lived, some historians consider it an important milestone in India’s journeys to independence.
Background:
Global Language Park
11, Sep 2018
Why in News?
- A Global Language Park in Pune will celebrate and promote linguistic diversity.
About the news:
- The first such experiment in the country, and perhaps the world, the eminent linguist Ganesh Devy plans to setup a Global Language Park (bhasha van in Hindi) in Pune.
- It will be located on a one-acre plot on the premises of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
- Conceptualised as part of the 84th PEN(Poets, Essayists, Novelists)International Congress that is under way in the city, the park will have about 80 ‘language trees.’
- Akin to the concept of a language tree in English grammar, each of the 80 trees will symbolise a major or minor language tree sprouting from the important language families.
- Each tree represents the languages and dialects derived from the family or parent tree, explaining the connection between natural trees and languages in the Linguists estimate that the world has more than 140 language families, each with its member-languages and dialects.
- Set to open in January 2019, the park will have a tree-lined walkway. Each plant will be equipped with a ‘bespoke audio tour’ to aid visitors. Audio samples of songs, poems, folk tales, sayings, and jokes will be drawn from different world languages.
Kartarpur Sahib Corridor
06, Sep 2018
- The Sikh community has been lobbying for the Kartarpur sahib corridor that would allow Indian pilgrims to travel to the shrine located in Pakistan Lahore without a visa.
- It is built on the historic site where Guru Nanak settled and assembled a Sikh community after his missionary travels. The present gurdwara is built on the site where Guru Nanak died.
Virtual visit to Indian Museum
05, Sep 2018
Why in news?
- Museum enthusiasts can now admire the rare collections of jewels, antiques, fossils, andbiological specimens in India’s oldest and biggest museum without stirring out of their homes.
Background:
- The initiative, titled ‘Online Exhibition: Rare & Precious Antiques from Indian MuseumKolkata Collection’, has over 40 artefacts, with photographs and captions explaining their significance. These include, among others, an emerald bow ring of Shah Jahan, a golden goblet studded with precious stones that belonged to Jehangir, a terracotta vase from Baluchistan dating back to 4,000-3,000 BCE, and a third century crystal casket that is said to have contained the relics of the Buddha.
- The artefacts are priceless. There is a need to display them with a lot of caution, under strong security surveillance. Until there makes to upgrade our security, the digital interface provides us an opportunity to make more people aware of the collection.
Indian Museum Kolkata:
- Founded in 1814 at the cradle of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (at the present building of the Asiatic Society, 1 Park Street, Kolkata), Indian Museum is the earliest and the largest multipurpose Museum not only in the Indian subcontinent but also in the Asia-Pacific region of the world.
- With the foundation of Indian Museum in 1814, the Museum movement started rolling in India and through the years from then, got a new fillip and great momentum. Since then, it has so magnificently developed and culminated into the fruitful existence of more than 400 museums in the country.
J & K artists Weave life back into Antique shawl
05, Sep 2018
Why in news?
- The Jammu & Kashmir government is now making efforts to revive this dwindling breed of craftsmen whose rare ability to repair expensive antique shawls is in great demand across the country and abroad.
Rafoogars:
- Rafoogars of India, who are specialists in Textile restoration and The darning has to be so beautiful that it has to merge with the cloth, the damage becoming invisible. It is perfection not visible.
- Darners from Kashmir once impressed the Mughal emperors, who hired them to keep their shatoosh and pashmina shawls intact.
- This exhibition aims to highlight their important role in the preservation, restoration and renewal of these precious shawls by recognising the highly intricate and laborious work.
Shatoosh shawl:
- Shahtoosh shawls are so fine and light they can be passed through a wedding ring and are warm enough to hatch a pigeon egg. Its name was given by the Mughal Emperors and it means “king of wools” in Persian.
- It is made of the exceptionally fine underfur of the Tibetan antelope or chiru, which insulates this rare animal against the harsh climate of the Tibetan plateau.
- The antelope must be killed for the fur to be collected, and it takes around 4 chiru to make a single shawl.
- Woven by highly skilled Kashmiri artisans, Shahtoosh shawls are a status symbol in India and Pakistan and one of the most valuable dowry gifts a person can However, processing or wearing shahtoosh is a punishable offence in these countries and anyone selling them face prison sentences of up to two years and fine.
- International trade in the Tibetan antelope is also banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
- According to Wold Wildlife Fund(WWF), the population of chiru is estimated to have declined by more than 50% during the last 20 years of the 20th century.
Pashmina shawl:
- Pashmina is a fine type of Kashmiri wool. The textiles made from it were first wovenin Kashmir. The name comes from Persian meaning “made from wool” and literally translates to “Soft Gold” in Kashmiri.
- The wool comes from four distinct breeds of the Cashmere goat; namely the Changthangi or Kashmir Pashmina goat from the Changthang Plateau in Kashmir region, the Malra from Kargil area in Kashmir region, the Chegu from Himachal Pradesh in northern India, and Chyangara or Nepalese Pashmina goat from Nepal.
- These shawls are hand spun, and woven in Kashmir and Nepal, and made from fine cashmere fibre.
MAQOM Art Inter’L Forum
05, Sep 2018
Indian vocalist wins second prize in the Maqom Art International Forum in Uzbekistan
About:
- Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan from India won second prize worth of USD 7000 for his performance in the solo category in the first Maqom Art International Forum in Shakhrisabz city of Uzbekistan this month.
- Serving the Indian Classical Music for more than 50 years, vocalist Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan from Delhi Gharana is well known for his versatility and solid vocal expression.
- His expertise in a number of forms of music like Khayal, Thumris, Dadras, Bhajans, and Ghazals makes his range very wide. His style of classical singing has won him great acclaim. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to classical music, known as the khalifa or head of the Dilli gharana of Hindustani music.
Background:
- The international forum is organized on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to broadly promote the Oriental Maqom art, affirm respect among the younger generation and increase interest in national classical music.
- More than 300 international guests from 71 countries of the world visited Shakhrisabz to take part in the event. Among them 162 maqom performers participated in the festival that was covered by journalists from 30 countries.
- The forum itself was preceded by large-scale preparations in the form of various exhibitions, academic round tables dedicated to maqom.
- Scientific-practical conference on the topic “Music art of maqom and its role in the world civilization”
- Various exhibitions dedicated to maqom, showcases and sales of national musical instruments, textiles, handicrafts, works of fine and applied art, sculpture, art and plays of documentary films, books and albums were organized on Oqsaroy square in Shakhrisabz.
- This event will be held every two years. The coordination is in the hands of the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek National Center of the Maqom Art, other stakeholders. The Forum is held under the patronage of UNESCO.
- It is to popularize widely one of the famous genres of classical and musical art of East people, to preserve maqom culture contemporarily with modern life, learn and investigate them, develop and encourage professional maqom performers and support them.
- Expand public attitude of youth to maqom art in generation’s soul, to perform rich, artistic and esthetic opportunities of musical heritage, strengthen relations of friendship between nations regularly.
- Encompass Uzbek maqom and music genres of East people, exchange cultural-scientific information, make scientific and creative cooperation, expand cultural and spiritual relations.