Latest news with #Ambubachifestival
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on significance of the Ambubachi festival and jet streams (Week 109)
UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today's answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-1 to check your progress. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Discuss the role of Ambubachi festival in shaping religious tourism and local economies in North-East India. Discuss the formation, characteristics, and seasonal variability of jet streams. How does modern aviation strategically utilises these atmospheric currents, citing their benefits and potential hazards? Introduction — The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction. — It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts. Body — It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content. — The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points. — Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse. — Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer. — Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required. Way forward/ conclusion — The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction. — You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers. Self Evaluation — It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers. QUESTION 1: Discuss the role of Ambubachi festival in shaping religious tourism and local economies in North-East India. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — The event takes place during the monsoon season, usually in June, at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, which is a shrine to the Goddess Kamakhya and one of the most prominent Tantrik Shakti centres. — The event is associated with fertility, the beginning of the monsoon season, and the common historical connotation of a fertile woman among nations on Earth. The name 'Ambubachi' literally means 'water flowing.' Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — During Ambubachi, devotees at this spot are said to have access to the creative and nurturing power of mother Earth's'menses' during monsoon rain. During this time, all agricultural activities, including ploughing and sowing, are suspended. — The Kamakhya Temple has a long and complicated history, reaching back at least to the early years of the Common Era, but its beginnings are thought to be far older. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, most notably in the 16th century by Koch monarch Naranarayana, giving the current edifice a mix of ancient and mediaeval architecture. — 'Ambubachi' means 'spoken with water,' and it signifies that the rains expected this month would make the ground fruitful and suitable for conception. Daily worship is halted at this time. All agricultural activities, including digging, ploughing, sowing, and transplanting crops, are outlawed. — The concept of Ambubachi thus has formative effects, as well as components of agricultural, social, and religious beliefs that have led to the phenomenon's emergence. It is thus symbolic and religiously sanctioned. Conclusion: — The Ambubachi period is thought to correspond to the goddess's annual menstruation, and the shrine is shuttered during this time. At the end of the period, the shrine's doors are ceremonially opened, and devotees flock to see the deity. This year, the shrine remained closed from June 22 to 25, then reopened on June 26. (Source: Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple: Significance of major Assam religious festival, Points to Ponder Read about other important festivals of North-East India Related Previous Year Questions How does Indian society maintain continuity in traditional social values? Enumerate the changes taking place in it. (2021) QUESTION 2: Discuss the formation, characteristics, and seasonal variability of jet streams. How does modern aviation strategically utilises these atmospheric currents, citing their benefits and potential hazards? Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — Jet streams are narrow bands of high winds that travel thousands of miles from west to east. Major jet streams are found near the higher regions of the atmosphere, around 9 to 16 kilometres above the earth's surface, and can reach speeds of over 320 kph. — The jet streams move to the north or south depending on the season. During the winter, the wind current is strongest. They are also closer to the equator in the winter. — The three main jet streams are the Polar Front, Subtropical, and Tropical jet streams. In India, the tropical jet stream influences the origin and duration of the summer monsoon. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: Formation of Jet Streams — They are generated because of two key ingredients: rotation and heating. — The earth is unevenly heated due to the disproportionate concentration of solar heating in the tropics and the absence of warmth at the poles. This causes the atmosphere to move, as some particles of air become warmer and more buoyant than others. But the globe also rotates, which limits the resulting fluid flow, notably in the north-south direction. These two elements cause the ensuing flow to spread west-eastward and produce jet streams. Characteristics of Jet Streams — These are narrow bands of strong winds blowing from west to east. — They follow the boundary between hot and cold air. — During the winter months in both the northern and southern hemispheres, jet streams are at their fiercest. Conclusion: How does modern aviation utilise atmospheric currents? — Most commercial flights fly at jet stream altitude, and a strong jet stream can offer a powerful tailwind to a trip heading from west to east, such as the British Airways journey from New York to London. This helps to minimise travel time for such planes by increasing their speeds. — Modern aviation takes advantage of air currents in several important ways: — Jet streams, or high-altitude winds, can considerably cut flight time and fuel consumption when flown with, whereas turbulence, another atmospheric phenomenon, necessitates careful management and mitigation measures. — Airlines intentionally plan routes to use jet streams for eastward trips, decreasing travel time and fuel consumption. They avoid regions of known turbulence to protect passenger comfort and safety. (Source: What is a jet stream, which helped a flight beat speed record?, Points to Ponder Read about polar vortices, and atmospheric rivers What are Rossby waves? Related Previous Year Questions What is the phenomenon of 'Cloudbursts'? Explain. (2024) What is the concept of a 'demographic winter'? Is the world moving towards such a situation? Elaborate. (2024) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 109) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 109) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 108) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 107) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
United News of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Assam's Kamakhya temple readies itself for the annual Ambubachi festival
Guwahati, June 11 (UNI) With the Ambubachi mela nearing, the BJP led government in Assam has made elaborate arrangements to welcome the devotees to the ancient Kamakhya temple located atop the Nilachal Hills here. Known as the Mahakumbh of the East, the Ambubachi festival is a major annual festival of the Kamakhya temple that draws lakhs of devotees from different corners of the state and even from abroad. The Ambubachi festival this year begins on June 22 and will end on June 26. The temple authority will close the main door of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple from June 22 to lock the Mother Goddess in for her annual menstrual period. The temple will reopen on June 26 morning and the lakhs of devotees will be allowed to visit and worship the mother Goddess. During this period, the Hindus do not worship and farmers do not plough their land. Assam tourism minister Ranjit Kumar Dass recently reviewed the preparedness of the district administration for the festival with all the departments and said that adequate measures have been taken to ensure the festival is celebrated without creating inconvenience for anyone. "We have decided certain things this year. There will be no arrangements for VIP passes this year during the Ambubachi festival. Whoever comes to the temple during the festival will be considered a VIP and hence we have decided to do away with the system of VIP passes," said Dass. He also informed that as per the request of the temple authority, it was decided that the entry to the temple will be restricted after 7 am. "Whoever wants to come to the temple has to enter before 7 am. We are also arranging that everyone will leave the temple after 8.30 pm. This is being done to avoid chaos and ensure that the festival passes of smoothly," he said. It may be mentioned here that the district administration has already taken steps to put up camps in the Kamakhya temple premises to house the devotees. UNI ANP SSP
