CONTENTS
- Jagannath Rath Yatra
- Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator
Jagannath Rath Yatra
Focus: GS I- Festivals
Why in News?
Lakhs of devotees thronged the coastal town of Puri town to witness the annual Rath Yatra with three decorated chariots of sibling deities Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra towed in front of the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple.
About Jagannath Rath Yatra
- Ratha Jatra, the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Orissa, on the east coast of India.
- It involves a public procession with a chariot with deities Jagannath (Vishnu avatar), BalaBhadra (his brother), Subhadra (his sister) and Sudarshana Chakra (his weapon) on a ratha, a wooden deula-shaped chariot.
- The huge, colourfully decorated chariots, are drawn by hundreds and thousands of devotees on the bada danda, the grand avenue to the Gundicha temple, some two miles away to the North.
- It attracts over a million Hindu pilgrims who join the procession each year.
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Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator
Focus: GS III- Indigenization Of Technology
Why in News?
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out the maiden test flight of a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), an autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka.
About the Indigenous Drone
- A tiny turbofan engine powers the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
- It is being developed as part of the programme for unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
- It is created and developed by Bengaluru’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a top DRDO research facility.
- The Russian TRDD-50MT engine was intended for cruise missiles initially.
- To fulfil the demand, an indigenously produced tiny turbo fan engine is being created.
Significance of the development
- Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown.
- This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft.
- This is a significant step towards self-reliance in strategic defence technologies.
