14-Jan-2020: SCO includes the Statue of Unity among the ‘Eight Wonders of the SCO'

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has included the Statue of Unity among the list of ‘Eight Wonders of the SCO.

At 182 metre, the statue is 23 metre taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha statue and almost double the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 metre tall) in US.

Located on the Sadhu Bet island, near Rajpipla on the Narmada river, the Statue of Unity is located between the Satpura and the Vindhya mountain ranges.

The Eight Wonders of the SCO are:

1. India — the Statue of Unity.

The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world towering over a height of 182 meters. Inaugurated on the 143 birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the monument is a tribute to the first Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of India. Built within 33 months using 90,000 tonnes of cement and 25,000 tonnes of iron, the statue is ably engineered to withstand any harsh acts of nature. It is ideally located on an island called Sadhu Bet in the vicinity of Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River in Gujarat. The statue comprises five zones and three of them are accessible to the public. The interesting components of the statue include a memorial garden, museum, and an audio-visual gallery. The statue and the surroundings span over an area of about 4.9 acres surrounded by a picturesque lake that was created artificially.

2. Kazakhstan — the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly.

One of the most visited heritage places in Kazakhstan, Tamgaly Gorge is a highly unique spot of ancient rock carvings. These are among the oldest monuments of the land identified as petroglyphs. The most striking place of Semirechye, there are around 5000 drawings in this place including the images of gods, soldiers, married couples, and scenes of animal sacrifice and hunting.

A greater part of these drawings are attributed to the Bronze Age. This place also houses a large number of ancient graves. This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3. China — The Daming imperial palace complex.

The Daming Palace is designated as the National Heritage Site of China. This is an imperial palace complex that belonged to the Tang Dynasty and is situated in the capital Chang’an. For over two centuries, this place was the imperial residence of the Tang Emperors. The highlights of the palace include the Three Great Halls namely the Hanyuan Hall, the Xuanzheng Hall, and the Zichen Hall. It has a gate known as Danfeng Gate at the central southern entrance. This is a massive gate comprising five doorways. A series of excavations and conservative works at the palace location followed after the site of the Daming Palace was discovered in 1957. The Daming Palace National Heritage Park was opened to the public on 1 October 2010. In the site of the palace complex, there are a number of exhibition halls that display the cultural relics excavated at the site.

4. Kyrgyzstan — Lake Issyk-Kul.

Deemed as the seventh deepest lake and the tenth largest lake of the world in terms of volume, Issyk-Kul is located in the northern Tian Shan Mountains in the eastern Kyrgyzstan. The term Issy-Kul means a warm lake. Though the lake is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, its waters never freeze. Forming part of the Issyk-Kul Biosphere Reserve, the Issyk-Kul Lake is known for its amazing bio-diversity. The total area of the lake is 6,236 square kilometers. Located at an altitude of 1,607 meters above the sea level, the lake reaches a depth of 668 meters. Around 118 rivers and streams flow into this second largest mountain lake of the world.

5. Pakistan — The Great Mughals’ heritage at Lahore.

The heritage places of the Mughal period in Pakistan is one among the impressive members of the Eight Wonders of SCO. The two distinguished royal complexes we find in Pakistan belonging to the Mughal period are the Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. The fort is located near the Northwest corner of the Lahore walled city. It contains about 21 monuments which date back to the times of Akbar. This fort was destroyed and re-built many times in history. A typical example of Mughal Gardens, the Shalimar Garden was created by Emperor Shahjahan in 1642. The 16 hectare garden featuring Persian and Islamic architecture.

6. Russia — The Golden Ring cities.

Created during the Soviet era, Russia’s Golden Ring is a tourist route that was intended to boost the number of foreign tourists visiting the country. Today, we see the Golden Ring popularly used by visitors as well as the domestic travelers of Russia. The eight main cities that make up the Golden Ring include Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal, Vladimir, Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, and Rostov Veliky. The Golden Ring boasts of picturesque churches, golden domes and many other places of interest both ancient and modern.

7. Tajikistan — The Palace of Nowruz.

Located in the Ismail Somoni Avenue near the Varzob River that runs across the town, the Nowruz Palace is one of the top attractions of Tajikistan. Initially constructed to accommodate a conference of leaders, this palace is now rented out.

The four main halls of the facility include Guliston, Didor, Zarandud and Arzhang. Nowruz palace also has a cinema hall, shopping mall and a nightclub. Lovers of architecture will find this place a great site to admire and relax. Also called as the Kohi Navruz, the idea behind this palace was conceived to make it the national tea house in the Central Asia region. In the course of time, it also ended up as the museum of national handicrafts of Tajikistan. Spanning over four hectares, the palace includes summer pavilions, fountains, art gallery, bowling, billiard, 3D, teahouse, and gardens. It is said about four thousand craftsmen from all over Tajikistan were involved in decorating the palace. Visitors can admire the exquisite wooden carvings on the ceilings, and the walls, paintings on the ceilings, and very tall cupola with the largest measuring forty meters.

8. Uzbekistan — The Poi Kalon complex.

Uzbekistan’s Poi Kalan architectural complex is located in the center of Bukhara. The most impressive feature of this monument is the Kalan Minaret which towers to a height of 50 meters visible from any place in Bukhara. Arabs started constructing this site in 713 when they visited here to spread Islam. Though the complex has been destroyed and built several times, the minaret has outlived Mongol invaders, fires and earthquakes. The minaret’s diameter is 9 meters at the base and 6 meters at the top. The spiral staircase with 104 steps has been polished by the feet of millions of people who have visited it so far. In the past, criminals and unfaithful wives were executed on the site.

1-Jan-2020: 202nd Anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon Battle

The victory pillar (also known as Ransthamb) in Bhima-Koregaon village, Pune celebrated the 202nd anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle of 1818 today.

In 2018, incidents of violence were registered during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle.

Background: A battle was fought in Bhima Koregaon between the Peshwa forces and the British on January 1, 1818. The British army, which comprised mainly of Dalit soldiers, fought the upper caste-dominated Peshwa army. The British troops defeated the Peshwa army. Peshwa Bajirao II had insulted the Mahar community and terminated them from the service of his army. This caused them to side with the English against the Peshwa’s numerically superior army. The defeat of Peshwa army was considered to be a victory against caste-based discrimination and oppression. It was one of the last battles of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, which ended the Peshwa domination. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s visit to the site on January 1, 1927, revitalised the memory of the battle for the Dalit community, making it a rallying point and an assertion of pride.