Carnatic music is built on song, with the kriti at its centre

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Carnatic music is built on song, with the kriti at its centre

the gist

Carnatic music is the classical tradition of South India, covering Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. It emphasises vocal music: even instrumental pieces are played in the style of singing, called gayaki. Most compositions are in Telugu and Sanskrit, and the central form is the kriti, developed between the 14th and 20th centuries. Like its northern cousin Hindustani music, it rests on shruti (pitch), svara (single notes), raga (melodic mode) and tala (rhythmic cycle). It traces its roots to ancient Hindu texts, especially the Samaveda.

so what

Unlike Hindustani music, which leans on long improvisation, Carnatic concerts are built around composed songs, with improvisation wrapped around them. It is performed in concerts and festivals worldwide.

fun fact

The 18th and 19th century composers Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri are known as the 'Trinity' of Carnatic music.

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗