Table of Contents
Ambubachi festival:
The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu mela held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam. The festival symbolizes the fertility cult of goddess Kamakhya. There is no idol in the temple, the goddess is worshipped in the form of a yoni-like stone over which a natural spring flows. Also known as Siddha Kubjika, the goddess is a Hindu tantric goddess of desire who evolved in the Himalayan hills. She is also identified as Kali and Maha Tripura. Kamakhya, atop Nilachal Hills in Guwahati, is one of 51 shaktipeeths or seat of Shakti followers, each representing a body part of the Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion.
Devanahalli Pomelo:
The Devanahalli pomelo is a variety of the citrus fruit pomelo of the family Rutaceae. In a bid to revive and conserve ‘Devanahalli Pomelo’, an endangered citrus fruit, the operators of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru have started a plantation drive in the region as part of their flagship CSR Programme ‘Namma Ooru’.
Devanahalli Pomelo has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag as it is known for its sweet taste.
e-GramSwaraj Portal and Mobile App:
Launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It will provide the Gram Panchayats with a single interface to prepare and implement their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). The portal will ensure real-time monitoring and accountability. The portal is a major step towards digitization down to the Gram Panchayat level.
Panchayati Raj Diwas:
National Panchayati Raj Day is the national day of India celebrated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj on 24th April annually. The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 came into force with effect from 24th April 1993. It has institutionalized Panchayati Raj through the village, Intermediate, and District level Panchayats. Union government has launched the e-GramSwaraj portal and Swamitva scheme on National Panchayati Raj Day.
Swamitva Scheme:
Swamitva Yojana is aimed to create property ownership records of land in villages and empower the rural populations with the grant of an official document confirming their ownership of land titles. The Swamitva scheme which is launched in pilot mode in 6 states helps to map rural inhabited lands using drones and the latest survey methods. The scheme will ensure streamlined planning, revenue collection, and provide clarity over property rights in rural areas. This will open up avenues for applying for loans from financial institutions by the owners.
Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve:
Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts of Assam and covers an area of 111.19 km² rainforests. Saleki is a part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve that includes the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary covering 111.19 sq km of rainforest and several reserve forests in Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts. It is a part of the elephant reserve in Assam adjoining Arunachal Pradesh’s Deomali Elephant Reserve with “a sizeable population of elephants.”