Rapid Fire Current Affairs | 28 Aug 2023

Nataraja Statue Headed to G20 Summit Venue in Delhi

A towering 28-feet Nataraja bronze sculpture, believed to be the world's tallest, is en route to the G20 summit venue in New Delhi, adding a cultural touch to the event.

  • The Nataraja statue, weighing 19 tonnes, is composed of eight metals, including gold, silver, lead, copper, tin, mercury, iron, and zinc (Ashtadhatu). It hails from Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu. The statue represents Lord Shiva (Nataraja) dancing.
  • Swamimalai is believed to be one of the six holy abodes of Lord Murugan, known as the Padai Veedugal (Battle Camps) of Lord Murugan. It is also renowned for its Swamimalai Bronze Icons (Logo), which holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
  • Nataraja statue crafted using the 'lost-wax' casting method, it follows the Chola tradition, with molten bronze poured into clay molds.
  • Chola bronzes hold an esteemed place in the art world for their unique beauty and craftsmanship.

Read more: India to host G20 Summit in 2023

Echolocation

  • Echolocation is a technique used by animals and devices to understand their surroundings Emitting high-frequency sound pulses, they listen for echoes to gauge distances and locate objects.
    • Echolocation is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to determine the location of objects using reflected sound.
    • This allows the animals to navigate, hunt, recognize allies and adversaries, and steer clear of obstacles even in complete darkness.
  • Inspired by nature's echolocation, humans developed sonar (sound navigation and ranging) and radar (radio detection and ranging) technologies.
    • Sonar is widely used for underwater navigation and communication, while radar finds applications in aviation, weather forecasting, and military operations.
  • More recently, engineers have used echolocation to develop smartphone apps that can create a map of a room to help people with visual impairments navigate their environs better.

Durand Cup 2023

  • The Durand Football Tournament was started at Shimla in 1888 by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who was the Foreign Secretary to the Govt of India.
  • Durand is the third oldest football tournament in the world and the oldest in Asia and India.
  • The ongoing 132nd edition (3rd August to 3rd September 2023) is organized by India's Armed Forces.
  • The tournament format comprises two stages: the group stage and the knockout rounds.
  • The Durand Cup tournament is unique wherein the winning team walks away with three trophies, i.e. the Durand Cup (a rolling trophy and the original prize), the Shimla Trophy (also a rolling trophy and first given by the residents of Shimla in 1904) and the President's Cup (for permanent keep and first presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, in 1956).

IAF Joins Ex BRIGHT STAR-23

An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent is participating in Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23, a multilateral, tri-service exercise hosted biennially at Cairo (West) Air Base, Egypt.

  • It marks the IAF's debut in Ex BRIGHT STAR-23, this multinational event features participation from the United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Qatar.
  • Beyond the exercise's primary objective of refining joint operation planning and execution, the event fosters international bonds and bolsters strategic relations among participating nations.

Neeraj Chopra Clinches Gold in World Athletics Championships 2023

Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra has once again etched his name in history, seizing the gold medal in the men's javelin throw event at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He achieved a remarkable throw of 88.17m.

  • Before his recent victory in Budapest, Neeraj Chopra had already claimed the distinction of being the first Indian track and field athlete to clinch gold at the Olympics (Tokyo 2020), secure the Diamond League title (2022), and conquer the junior world championships (2016).

Significant Declarations: Shiv Shakti, Tiranga, and National Space Day 

Recently, Indian Prime Minister offered his felicitations to the ISRO scientists for their remarkable achievement of Chandrayaan-3 and announced that August 23 would be commemorated as the ‘National Space Day’ in India.  

  • Also, the touchdown site of Vikram Lander has been named as ‘Shiv Shakti’ and the crash site of Chandrayaan-2’s lander in 2019 as 'Tiranga’. 

Read more: Chandrayaan-3