Shalban Buddhist Vihar
- The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, visited the Shalban Buddhist Vihar in the Cumilla District of Bangladesh on October 2.
- He also paid a visit to the Mainamati Museum, situated to the south of Shalban Vihara.
- The Shalban Buddhist Vihar, an important archaeological site in the Lalmai-Mainamati region of the Cumilla district, houses remains from the ancient civilization of undivided India.
- This site, known as ‘Shalban Vihara,’ has seen the unearthing of ancient Buddhist temples and viharas during various archaeological digs.
- The original name of Shalban Vihara is ‘Sri Bhabadeva Mohavihara’.
- This Mohavihara was constructed by King Shri Bhabadeva, the fourth ruler of the Deva dynasty, between the mid-seventh to eighth century CE.
- Shalban Vihara is a square-shaped temple with each side measuring 168 meters.
- It houses 115 rooms for monks distributed amongst its four arms.
- There is a central temple surrounded by multiple smaller temples and stupa ruins.
- A unique feature is the large arcade ruins discovered on the north side.
- Archaeological digs have unveiled four stages of construction, reconstruction, and renovation at Shalban Vihara.
- This site exemplifies the full progression of seventh to eighth-century Buddhist temple architecture in Bengal.
- Numerous artifacts have been unearthed during archaeological digs.
- These include terracotta plaques, pottery, and beads, as well as bronze and clay figurines.
- Decorated bricks, copperplate inscriptions, seals, and gold and silver coins were also found.
- These items are kept at the Mainamati Museum, south of Shalbon Vihara.
- The artifacts found in Shalban Vihara reflect the history of ancient Bengal and Samatata towns.
- These relics date back to the period from the seventh to the twelfth century CE.
Source: News On Air
India’s First Solar Roof Cycling Track
- The state Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K Tarakarama Rao inaugurated a new cycling track yesterday.
- Named Healthway, this track is the second of its kind in the world.
- It’s situated on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), available to users 24×7.
- The initiative aims to make Hyderabad the active mobility capital of the country.
- The Minister indicated plans for similar tracks around Gandipet Lake and in the Financial District.
- The track is 23 km long with two stretches: a pink line (8.5 km) from Nanakramguda to Telangana State Police Academy, and a blue line (14.5 km) from Kollur to Narsingi.
- There are five access points to the track.
- The three-lane track is 4.5 meters wide and surrounded by a meter of green space on either side.
- The track will have facilities like ample parking, surveillance cameras, food courts, drinking water stations, first aid, and restrooms.
- To assist visitors, there will be bicycle repair shops, cycle docking, and rental stations.
- 16,000 solar panels have been installed to produce 16 MW of power.
- This power will be used to light up the track at night and provide shelter from weather conditions.
Source: News On Air
Nobel Prize For Literature 2023
- The 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Jon Fosse, a Norwegian author and dramatist.
- The award was given in recognition of his unique contributions to plays and prose.
- Fosse’s work expresses the inexpressible.
- He writes in Norwegian Nynorsk, a less common version of the Norwegian language.
- Fosse views the Nobel Prize as an acknowledgment of the Norwegian Nynorsk language and its promotion.
- He believes his writing and the award he received are due to the language itself.
- Fosse was born in 1959 and began his literary career writing novels.
- In his 30s, he transitioned to playwriting, becoming one of Norway’s most frequently performed dramatists.
- He is also among the most performed living European dramatists.
- His work has been translated into over 40 different languages.
- Fosse’s book “A New Name: Septology VI-VII” was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2022.
- This book explores the lives of two painters named Asle, each with different life circumstances and obsessions.
- Notable works by Fosse include I Am the Wind, Melancholy, Boathouse, and The Dead Dogs.
- Fosse’s writing style is known for its simplicity, minimalism, and poignant dialogue, drawing comparisons to Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, both previous Nobel laureates.
- His play ‘Nokon kjem til å komme’ (‘Someone Is Going to Come’) is often compared with Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.