UPSC Prelims Indian Art, Culture & Heritage
Indian art, culture and heritage notes for UPSC Prelims preparation.
Unit 1. Indian Philosophy and Schools of Thought
Fundamentals of Hindu Philosophy
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Vedic Philosophy
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Philosophy of the Upanishads
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Dharmashastras
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Dharma, Rita and Related Concepts
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Orthodox Schools of Indian Philosophy
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Heterodox Schools of Indian Philosophy
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Samkhya Philosophy
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Yoga Philosophy
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Nyaya Philosophy
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Vaisheshika Philosophy
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Mimamsa Philosophy
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Vedanta Philosophy
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Dvaita Vedanta
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Charvaka (Lokayata) Philosophy
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Jain Philosophy
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Buddhist Philosophy
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Sikh Philosophy
Unit 2. Religious Culture of India
Unit 3. Social Structure and Customs in India
Unit 4. Linguistic Culture of India
Evolution of Indian Languages
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Evolution of Indian Scripts
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Classification of Indian Languages
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Indo-Aryan Language Family
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Dravidian Language Family
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Sino-Tibetan and Austroasiatic Languages
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Scheduled Languages of India
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Official Languages of India
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Classical Languages of India
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Tribal Languages of India
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Endangered Languages of India
Unit 5. Indian Literature
Rig-Vedic Literature
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Later Vedic Literature
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Epics
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Upanishadic Literature
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Puranic Literature
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Sangam Literature
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Buddhist Literature
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Jain Literature
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Classical Sanskrit Literature
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Bhakti Literature
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Sufi Literature
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Sikh Literature
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Tamil Literature
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Telugu Literature
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Kannada Literature
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Malayalam Literature
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Hindi Literature
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Punjabi Literature
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Kashmiri Literature
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Bengali Literature
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Assamese Literature
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Odia Literature
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Marathi Literature
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Gujarati Literature
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Persian and Urdu Literature
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Tribal Literature in India
Unit 6. Indian Architecture
Architecture of Indus Valley Civilization
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Mauryan Architecture
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Post-Mauryan Developments in Architecture
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Gupta Architecture
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Indian Rock-cut Architecture
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Buddhist Architecture
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Jain Architecture
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Evolution of Hindu Temple Architecture
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Nagara Style Architecture
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Dravidian Architecture
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Vesara Architecture
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Badami Chalukya Architecture
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Pallava Architecture
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Kalinga Architecture
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Rashtrakuta Architecture
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Hoysala Architecture
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Vijayanagara Architecture
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Māru-Gurjara Architecture
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Indo-Islamic Architecture
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Deccan Sultanate Architecture
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Mughal Architecture
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Rajput Architecture
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Sikh Architecture
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Maratha Architecture
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Indo-Portuguese Architecture
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Indo-Saracenic Architecture
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Art Deco in India
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Modernist Architecture
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Brutalist Architecture in India
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Contemporary Indian Architecture
Unit 7. Indian Sculpture
Indus Valley Sculpture
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Mauryan Sculpture
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Post-Mauryan Sculpture Art
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Gandhara School of Art
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Mathura School of Sculpture
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Amaravati School of Sculpture
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Kushana Period Sculpture
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Gupta Classical Sculpture
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Sarnath School of Sculpture
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Vakataka Cave Sculpture
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Early Chalukyan Rock-cut Reliefs
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Pallava Rock-cut Sculpture
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Rashtrakuta Monolithic Sculpture
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Chola Sculpture
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Pala and Sena Sculpture
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Kalinga Temple Statuary
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Chandela Sculpture
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Hoysala Sculpture
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Vijayanagara Sculpture
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Mughal Sculpture
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Ivory Carving Traditions of India
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Tribal and Folk Sculpture
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Colonial Sculpture in India
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Modern Indian Sculpture
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Contemporary Indian Sculpture
Unit 8. Indian Painting Traditions
Prehistoric Rock Art in India (Petroglyphs and Geoglyphs)
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Mesolithic Cave Paintings in India
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Indus Valley Pottery Painting
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Shadanga: The Six Limbs of Indian Painting
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Ajanta Mural Tradition
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Post-Ajanta Mural Paintings
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Pala School of Miniature Painting
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Chola and Vijayanagara Temple Murals
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Deccan Sultanate Schools of Paintings
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Mughal Miniature Painting
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Mewar School of Painting
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Marwar and Kishangarh Schools
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Bundi and Kota Painting
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Pahari Painting
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Kangra School of Art
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Ragamala Paintings
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Tanjore Painting
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Mysore Painting
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Company Style Painting
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Kalighat Patachitra
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Pattachitra of Odisha and Bengal
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Madhubani/Mithila Painting
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Warli Tribal Art
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Gond and Bhil Tribal Traditions
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Kalamkari Art
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Bengal School of Art
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Modern Indian Academic Realism
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The Progressive Artists’ Group
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Contextual Modernism at Santiniketan
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Contemporary Indian Painting
Unit 9. Indian Pottery
Neolithic Pottery of India
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Pre-Harappan Ceramic Traditions
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Indus Valley Harappan Pottery
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Indus Valley Pottery
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Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) Culture
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Black and Red Ware (BRW) Culture
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Painted Grey Ware (PGW) Culture
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Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW)
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Mauryan and Shunga Pottery
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Kushana and Gupta Pottery
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Medieval Glazed Pottery
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Blue Pottery of Jaipur
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Khurja Pottery
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Nizamabad Black Pottery
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Kutch Pottery
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Longpi (Black Stone) Pottery
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Karigari and Kagzi Pottery
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Andretta Pottery
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Tribal Clay Traditions in Bastar and Gond Regions
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Ancient South Indian Pottery Traditions
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Studio Pottery in Modern India
Unit 10. Indian Handicrafts
Evolution of Handicrafts in India
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Textile-Based Handicrafts
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Embroidery Traditions in India
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Metal Handicrafts of India
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Stone Handicrafts in India
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Wood Handicrafts in India
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Glass Handicrafts in India
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Ivory Handicrafts in India
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Leather Handicrafts in India
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Toy Handicrafts in India
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Cane, Bamboo, and Grass Handicrafts in India
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Jewellery Handicrafts in India
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Rajput Handicrafts
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Tribal Handicrafts of India
Unit 11. Indian Textiles and Weaving Traditions
Textiles of the Indus Valley
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Vedic Period Textiles and Clothing
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Classical Period (Maurya to Early medieval) Textile Traditions in India
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Evolution of Silk Industry in India
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Medieval and Mughal Textile Traditions
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Textile-Based Handicrafts in India
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Embroidery Traditions of India
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Metal Crafts in Textiles in India
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Stone and Wood Crafts in Textile in India
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Glass and Ivory Crafts in Textile in India
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Leather and Toy Crafts in Textile in India
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Various Sari Traditions in India
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Ikat Traditions of India
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Silk Textiles in India
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Muslin Textiles In India
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Woolen Textiles in India
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Jute Textiles in India
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Cotton Handlooms and Textiles in India
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Textile Printing in India
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Khadi Textile in India
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GI Protected Textiles of India
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Turban Traditions in India
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Tribal Attire of India
Unit 12. Indian Jewellery and Ornamentation
Jewellery of Indus Valley Civilization
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Gemology and Jewellery Tradition in Maurya to Gupta Era
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Gems and Jewelry Evolution and Tradition in Medieval India
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Diamond Mining in India since Ancient times
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Various Jewellery Art Traditions of India
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Tribal Jewellery of India
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GI Protected Jewelries of India
Unit 13. Indian Music
Ancient Foundations of Indian Music
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The Concept of Raga
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The Concept of Tala
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Hindustani Classical Music
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Carnatic Classical Music
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Bhakti Movement and Devotional Music
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Sufi Music Traditions
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Gharana System of Music
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Dhrupad and Dhamar Styles
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Khayal: The Modern Classical Vocal
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Semi-Classical Genres
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Musical Instruments of India
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Folk Music Traditions by States
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Cinema and Music
Unit 14. Indian Dance Forms
Origins of Dance in India
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Natya Shastra
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Concepts of Nritta, Nritya, and Natya
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Navarasas
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Eight Recognized Classical Dances of India
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Bharatanatyam
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Kathak
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Kathakali
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Kuchipudi
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Odissi
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Manipuri Raas Leela
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Mohiniyattam
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Sattriya Dance
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Folk Dances of India
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Indian Dances among Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
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Indian Dance Festivals
Unit 15. Indian Theatre
The Origins of Indian Drama
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Sanskrit Drama and the Classical Age
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Ancient Dramatists of India
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The Aesthetics of Rasa and Bhava
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Ritual Theatre and Sacred Spaces
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The Evolution of the Theatre Stage
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Devotional Theatre of the Bhakti Era
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Folk Theatre of India
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The Parsi Theatre Revolution
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Modernism and the National School of Drama
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Modern Playwrights of India
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Street Theatre and Activism
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Women in Indian Theatre
Unit 16. Indian Puppetry
Unit 17. Traditional Entertainment Forms (including Circus)
Unit 18. Martial Arts and Traditional Sports
Dhanurveda and Origin of Martial Arts in India
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Kalaripayattu: The Mother of Martial Arts
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Silambam: The Art of the Staff
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Gatika and Shastar Vidya
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Thang-Ta and Sarit Sarak
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Musti-Yuddha and Malla-Yuddha
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The Rajput Martial Code
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Mardani Khel of Maharashtra
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Pari-Khanda and Chhau Foundations
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Martial Arts of the North-East
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Traditional Weaponry of India
Unit 19. Tribal and Folk Cultures of India
Geographical Clusters of Tribal India
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Tribal Cosmologies and Animism in India
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Tribal Social Structures in India
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Tribal Architecture and Dwellings in India
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Tribal Visual Arts (Wall and Floor) in India
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Tribal Paintings in India
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Tribal Textiles and Clothing in India
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Tribal Music and Musical Instruments in India
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Tribal Dances in India
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Tribal Festivals and Rituals in India
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Tribal Metallurgy and Craft
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Tribal Languages and Linguistic Heritage
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Tribal Museums and Digital Preservation
Unit 22. Culinary Culture of India
The Harappan Kitchen
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Vedic Diet and Philosophy
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The Concept of Ayurveda in Cooking
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Ancient Culinary Culture in India
·
Islamic Influence on Indian Kitchen
·
Mughal Culinary Culture
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Portuguese Influence on Indian Cuisine
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North Indian Culinary Culture
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South Indian Culinary Culture
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Coastal culinary culture
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Northeast Culinary culture
Unit 24. Education and Knowledge Systems in India
Unit 25. Calendars and Time Reckoning in India
Unit 26. Fairs and Festivals of India
Unit 27. Sacred Geography and Cultural Landscapes
The Concept of Tirtha
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The Body as Geography
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The Himalayas as Devabhumi
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Shakti Peethas of India
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The Jyotirlinga Circuit
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Char Dham: The Four Cardinal Points
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Sacred Groves of India
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The Sangams in India
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Sacred Cities of India
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The Buddhist Circuit
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Jain Tirthas and Mountain Peaks
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The Sufi Landscape and Dargahs
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Sikh Pilgrimage Sites and Five Takhts
Unit 28. Cultural Institutions in India
Ministry of Culture and Its Departments
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Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
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Sahitya Akademi
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Sangeet Natak Akademi
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Lalit Kala Akademi
·
National School of Drama (NSD)
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Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA )
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The National Museum, New Delhi
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Indian Museum, Kolkata
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National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
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National Archives of India (NAI)
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National Library, Kolkata
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Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT)
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Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI)
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Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)
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Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
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Kalakshetra Foundation
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Buddhist and Tibetan Institutes
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Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
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The National Culture Fund (NCF)
Unit 29. Cultural Policies and Heritage Conservation
Indian Constitutional Mandates on Culture
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The Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904
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The AMASR Act, 1958
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Regulated and Prohibited Zones Around Monuments
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Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972
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National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities
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Project Mausam
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Museum Grant Scheme
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Adopt a Heritage Scheme
·
Digitization and Virtual Heritage
Unit 30. Awards and Honours in India
Bharat Ratna
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The Padma Awards
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Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony
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Performing Arts Awards and Honours (India)
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Performing Arts Awards and Honours (States)
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Literary Honours India
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Literary Honours (States)
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Cinema and Visual Arts Awards and Honours
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Gandhi Peace Prize
·
Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration
Unit 31. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (India)
Unit 33. National Symbols and Cultural Identity
India’s The State Emblem
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The National Motto: Satyameva Jayate
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National Flag – Evolution and Features
·
Flag Code of India
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National Anthem of India
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National Song of India
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Other National Insignia (Animal, Bird, Flower, Tree)
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National River
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National Aquatic Animal
·
The Indian Rupee Symbol (₹)