Chhattisgarh

• 03 Mar 2023

Historical 27th Bhoramdeo Festival of Chhattisgarh on March 19 and 20

Why In News?

According to the information given by the Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department on March 2, 2023, the Bhoramdeo Festival 2023, to be organized in the name of the famous Bhoramdeo Temple of Chhattisgarh, will be organized on the coming 19^th and 20^th March. This will be the 27^th Bhoramdeo festival.

Key points

• It is known that Bhoramdeo Festival is organized every year during Krishna Paksha Teras of Chaitra month to increase the fame of Bhoramdeo Temple, a place of historical, archaeological, religious, tourist and historical importance of Chhattisgarh.
• This festival is organized by the Culture and Tourism Department of Chhattisgarh Government with the Bhoramdeo Festival Organizing Committee, District Administration, Bhoramdeo Teerth Management Committee and public support.
• Initially, the fair was organized on two dates on Mahashivaratri and Chaitra Krishna Teras at Bhoramdeo. In 1995, the Teras Mela in undivided Madhya Pradesh was given the form of Bhoramdeo Festival. 1998, the fifth event of Bhoramdeo Festival was held in After the formation of Kabirdham district in 1999. After the formation of chhattisgarh new state, the seventh event of Bhoramdeo Festival was held in 2001.
• Bhoramdeo is 18 km from Kawardha in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. Far and 125 km from the capital Raipur. There is a 1000-year-old temple at far away Chauragaon. this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• The temple is artificially located amidst mountain ranges, it was built in the period about 7th from to 11th century. This temple gives a glimpse of Khajuraho temple, so this temple is also called 'Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh'.
• The temple faces east. The temple is a beautiful example of Nagara style. The temple can be entered from three sides. The temple is built on a five feet high platform. One can enter the temple pavilion directly from all the three entrances.
• The length of the mandap is 60 feet and the width is 40 feet. There are 4 pillars in the middle of the mandap and 12 pillars on the sides, which have supported the roof of the mandap. All the pillars are very beautiful and artistic. Kitchen is made on each pillar, which is handling the weight of the roof.

PEN/Nabokov Award to Vinod Kumar Shukla

Why In News?

On March 2, 2023, Chhattisgarh's senior writer and eminent contemporary Hindi litterateur Vinod Kumar Shukla was awarded the prestigious PEN/Nabokov Award for 2023 for achievement in international literature at a ceremony organized by PEN America in New York.

Key points

• Hindi story writer, novelist and poet Vinod Kumar Shukla is the first Indian-Asian origin writer to be conferred with this highest honour. Vinod Kumar Shukla was given an amount of 50 thousand dollars (about 41 lakh rupees) in this award.
• This honor is given to those litterateurs who make a mark in international literature, who look at their traditions, modernity, present and history with a new insight.
• in International LiteratureThe Pen/Nabokov Award for Achievement, commonly known as the Pen/Nabokov Prize, is awarded biennially by Pen America to writers, primarily novelists.
• The award is funded by the Vladimir Nabokov Foundation, established by the American opera singer and translator Dmitri Nabokov. It is said to be one of the most prestigious PEN Awards.
• Born in 1937 in Rajnandgaon in the then Madhya Pradesh and present-day Chhattisgarh, Vinod Kumar Shukla is recognized for his distinctive writing style. His style is often considered closer to 'magical realism', i.e., one that holds 'reality' together with 'imaginativeness'.
• His poetry and his writings describe the irony of the Indian middle class in simple language. His first novel, Naukar Ki Kameez, introduced decades ago to the taste of a new kind of prose. Eminent filmmaker Mani Kaul also made a memorable art film by the same name on 'Naukar Ki Kameez'.
• The main novels of 87-year-old Vinod Kumar Shukla include 'Naukar Ki Kameez' (1979), 'Khilega to Dekhenge' (1996), '"Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rahti Thi" (1997), "Hari Ghas ki Chhapper Wali Jhodi Aur Bauna Pahar" (2011), "Yasi Rasat" (2017), "Ek Chuppi Jagah" (2018) etc.
• Apart from this, Laghbhag Jaihind' (1971), 'Woh Aadmi Chala Gaya Naya Garam Kot Pahinkar Vichar Ki Liye' (1981), 'Sab Kuch Hona Bacha Rahega' (1992), 'Atirikt nahi' (2000), 'Kavita Se Lambi Kavita' (2001), 'Akash Dharti Ko Khatkata Hai' (2006), 'Kabhi Ke Baad Abhi' (2012) etc. are some of his major poetry collections.
• Known for his distinctive linguistic style and emotional depth, Shukla was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999 for 'Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rahti Thi'.
• Apart from the Sahitya Akademi Award, he has received awards like Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh Fellowship (Madhya Pradesh Government), Raza Award (Madhya Pradesh Arts Council), National Maithilisharan Gupta Samman (Madhya Pradesh Government), Hindi Gaurav Samman (Uttar Pradesh Hindi Institute, Uttar Pradesh Government) have met