Places in News
Bodh Gaya
▪ Bodh Gaya is witnessing widespread protests by Buddhist groups demanding full control of the Mahabodhi Temple, objecting to Hindu participation in the temple’s administration under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949.
Location:
✓ Situated in Gaya district, Bihar, India, near the Falgu River.
✓ One of the four major Buddhist pilgrimage sites (alongside Lumbini, Sarnath, and Kushinagar).
▪ 6th century BCE: Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree,
becoming Buddha.
▪ 3rd century BCE: Ashoka constructed a diamond throne (Vajrasana) and a shrine.
▪ 12th century CE: Declined due to Islamic invasions but revived in the 19th century under British archaeologists.
▪ Declared a World Heritage Site in 2002 for its outstanding universal value.
Associated Kings:
▪ Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BCE): Built the first temple at the site.
▪ King Harshavardhana (7th century CE): Expanded Buddhist structures.
▪ British Colonial Era (19th century): Restored the temple under Alexander Cunningham.
Defence, National Security and Terrorism
VL-SRSAM
▪ India successfully flight tested the Vertically Launched Short Range Surface To Air Missile (VLSRSAM) from a defence test facility off the Odisha coast recently.
▪ It is an indigenously developed Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SRSAM).
▪ It is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
▪ The missile is now being developed for use by the Indian Air Force to protect its air bases.
▪ It comes as an integrated missile and Weapon Control System (WCS) with a capability to hold multiple missiles in a twin quad-pack canister configuration.
