3rd, September, 2022

 

Topic: Asian Rafting Championships in Himachal

 

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events

Importance for Mains Exam:

• PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III: Unit III: Topic: Latest Initiatives in Sports .

 

What is the news?

• Asian Rafting Championships will be organized on the Beas river in Kullu from September 16 with participation of 25 teams from the Asian nations.

Why important?

• Asian Rafting Championship to be held for the first time in Kullu, Himachal.

 

Who will organize?

• The event will be organized under the joint aegis of World Rafting Federation and Indian Rafting Association from September 16 to 25.

 

Who will participate?

• The races will be conducted in both men and women categories.

 

Where will be the river rafting area?

• The race will start from Raison and end at Babeli with total length of the course about 20km.

 

How many countries will participate?

• 25 teams from Asian countries will participate in the event in both men and women categories. A team from Himachal will also compete in the event.

(Source: Amar Ujala)

 

 

Topic: Bijli Mahadev ropeway project stuck halfway

 

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events

Importance for Mains Exam:

• PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III: Unit III: Topic: Religious Tourism

 

What is the news?

• The Bijli Mahadev ropeway in Kullu is unlikely to see the light of the day anytime soon as the government has terminated the agreement with the company and the matter is under arbitration.

What is the reason?

• Usha Breco Company, which was allotted the job in 2018 by the Tourism Department, has failed to start the work even after four years.
• As per the MoU signed between the department and the company, the project is supposed to come up under the PPP mode.
• The ropeway was to be built at a cost of Rs 150 crore. At first the officials kept giving excuses about its formalities and later a dispute cropped up over its location. It was decided that the ropeway would be built 70 metre from the Bijli Mahadev Temple Complex. The officials then kept making excuses over the corona outbreak in 2020.
• Kullu District Tourism Development Officer (DTDO) Sunayna Sharma said that a notice had been given to the company. The Law Department has been approached to take back the project from the company so that it can be awarded to some other firm.
• The government has been planning to build the Bijli Mahadev ropeway for a long time. With the construction of the ropeway, the five-kilometer steep trek will be covered in seven minutes.
• Thousands of pilgrims visit Bijli Mahadev to pay obeisance to the Shivlingam situated on the top of the mountain. The construction of the ropeway will boost tourism and create employment opportunities in the region.

 

About Bijli Mahadev temple:

• Bijli Mahadev Temple is located approximately 10km from the town of Kullu. It is located at an altitude of 2460 meters and offers panoramic views of the valleys of Kullu and Parvati.
• The Hindu month of Shravan (sacred month for worshiping Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu) is the best time to visit this temple.
• The temple is situated on the mountain, which is close to the confluence of rivers Parvati and Beas and is dedicated to Lord Shiva (Mahadev).

 

Architecture of Bijli Mahadev Temple:

• The temple of Bijli Mahadev represents the Pahari style of traditional temple architecture in the Kullu Valley. The entrance door frames have intricate wood carvings and there is also a stone statue of Nandi (Lord Shiva’s bull). For darshan (worship), you need to enter the temple sanctum that houses the lingam.
• According to popular beliefs, a 60-foot long shaft on the temple top attracts atmospheric lightning and destroys the lingam at regular intervals. It is believed that divine power saves the world from destruction by absorbing the lightning. This lingam is put together using butter as an adhesive.

(News Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Paragliding, Water and aero sports at one place in Himachal

 

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

Importance for Prelims: Himachal Current Events

Importance for Mains Exam:

• PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III: Unit III: Topic: Types of tourism: Adventure

 

What is the news?

• For the first time in Himachal, tourists will be able to enjoy paragliding, water and aero sports at one place.
• All these three activities will be held in one place in Kutlahar assembly constituency. Notification has been issued after trials for Paragliding and Water Sports.
• Aero Sports also plans to operate here.
• Trials have been conducted for paragliding from Chulhari in Kutlahar assembly constituency. The site got notified after the trial was successful.
• The process of acquisition of private land is being adopted to fly from here. On flying from Chulhari, human birds will be able to take an aerial view of the Gobindsagar lake.

• After landing in Andrauli, tourists will not have to go back to any other place. Tourists will get a chance to enjoy water sports in Gobindsagar Lake in Andrauli itself. Tender has been done for water sports here. At present, water sports are banned till September 15. Water sports activities will be organized by a firm in Andrauli after 15th September. Along with this, successful trials have also been done for power gliding.

 

Why important?

• For the first time in Himachal.

 

Location?

• Kutlehar,Una District.

 

History of Kutlehar:

1) Kutlehar was an independent kingdom dating back to the 10th century. The limits of the kingdom were at their maximum during the rule of Raja JasPal in the 11th century, when it is said that he was the master of all lands between the rivers Satluj and Beas.

2) Numerous wars were fought over the centuries, including in 1337 with Mohammad Bin Tughlak, Timur in 1398, Emperor Akbar in 1556 who levied a tribute upon the Raja of Kutlehar of 1600 rupees along with gifts of jewels, cloth and hill pheasants on the Emperor’s birthday. Also, as a guarantee of loyalty a son of the Raja, ‘a Prince’ of Royal Blood was kept in attendance at the Imperial Court in Delhi and a troop of 500 foot soldiers was stationed with the Mughal Emperor and paid for by the Kutlehar Durbar.

3) In 1700 Guru Gobind SInghji crossed Kutlehar when Anandpur Sahib was attacked by the Mughals. The then Raja defied the Mughal orders and did not attack the Sikh army paying heavily with the wrath of the Mughal Emperor and the Kutlehar territory was cut back and the Raja was left with just a fraction of his old territory. In 1701 the Raja and Rani of Kutlehar met Guru Gibind Singhji at Rewalsar where the Guruji presented the Raja with his sword as a token of gratitude. The Kutlehar Family is still in possession of the sword gifted by Guru Gobind Singhji.

4) In the more recent past, the Kutlehar territory extended to the present areas if District Una, Talhatti in Hoshiarpur, Bassi Bachertoo in Bilaspur and in Hamirpur, till it was annexed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh 1825 and the Raja exiled to the fort in Charatgarh. Punjab was then annexed by the British and the Raja ad allowed to move back in the hills.

5) Originally a princely state with its origins in 750 AD, it was annexed in 1825 and Raja obtained a Jagir worth 10000 Rs.

(News source: Amar Ujala)

 

Some More News:

1)  The world’s largest pen: World’s largest 20-feet-long ink pen installed in Himachal govt school, Nahan (Sirmaur) .

• A pen power with ink measuring 20 feet long, one feet thick and weighing 43 kg was installed at Government High School Naurangabad in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday. The principal of the school claims that this is the world’s largest pen, which will not only write, but will also recite record lectures on behalf of any teacher when he is on leave. Equipped with teaching-learning technology, this pen will monitor the students during the day and guard the school at night.