15 April - Himachal Day

 

Himachal Day is celebrated on April 15th each year to commemorate the creation of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. On April 15, 1948, Himachal Pradesh was established as a centrally administered territory by integrating several princely states, including Chamba, Bilaspur, Mandi, Sirmaur, and others.

Himachal Pradesh is situated in the western Himalayas and is known for its stunning landscapes, picturesque hill stations, and rich cultural heritage. Himachal Day is an occasion for the people of the state to celebrate their identity, history, and achievements.

On Himachal Day, various cultural events, exhibitions, and parades are organized across the state to showcase its cultural diversity and promote tourism. It is also an opportunity for the government to highlight the developmental progress and initiatives undertaken for the welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Day holds special significance for the residents of the state, as it serves as a reminder of their collective journey towards statehood and their aspirations for the future. It is a day of pride, celebration, and unity for the people of Himachal Pradesh.

15 April - World Art Day

 

World Art Day is an international celebration of the fine arts which was declared by the International Association of Art (IAA) in order to promote awareness of creative activity worldwide

A proposal was put forward at the 17th General Assembly of the International Association of Art in Guadalajara to declare April 15 as World Art Day, with the first celebration held in 2012. This proposal was sponsored by Bedri Baykam of Turkey and co-signed by Rosa Maria Burillo Velasco of Mexico, Anne Pourny of France, Liu Dawei of China, Christos Symeonides of Cyprus, Anders Liden of Sweden, Kan Irie of Japan, Pavel Kral of Slovakia, Dev Chooramun of Mauritius, and Hilde Rognskog of Norway. It was accepted unanimously by the General Assembly.

The date was decided in honor of the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci was chosen as a symbol of world peace, freedom of expression, tolerance, brotherhood and multiculturalism as well as art’s importance to other fields.

15 April - Ayodhyasinh Upadhyay birth anniversary

 

Ayodhyasinh Upadhyay, also known as Ayodhyasing Upadhyay, was indeed a revered poet and literary figure in Hindi literature. He was born on 15 April 1865, in Gujarat, India, and he passed away on 16 March 1947.

Upadhyay is celebrated for his significant contributions to the development and popularization of Khari Boli as a poetic language. Khari Boli is a dialect of Hindi that originated in the Delhi region and later became the standard literary and spoken language of North India.

Upadhyay's poetry reflected the essence of Khari Boli, with its simplicity, lyrical beauty, and accessibility. He composed poems on a wide range of themes, including love, nature, spirituality, and social issues. His verses were characterized by their emotional depth, evocative imagery, and profound philosophical insights.

As a poet, Ayodhyasinh Upadhyay played a crucial role in popularizing Khari Boli among the masses and establishing it as a vibrant and expressive poetic language. His works continue to be celebrated and studied by scholars, poets, and enthusiasts of Hindi literature.

Ayodhyasinh Upadhyay's legacy as a poet of Khari Boli remains influential in the realm of Hindi literature, and he is remembered with great respect for his contributions to the language and its poetic tradition.

15 April - Gurū Nānak birth anniversary

 

Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; , also referred to as Bābā Nānak ('father Nānak'),was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated worldwide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Katak Pooranmashi ('full-moon of Kattak'), i.e. October–November.

Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across Asia teaching people the message of ik onkar (ੴ, 'one God'), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth.With this concept, he would set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue.

Nanak's words are registered in the form of 974 poetic hymns, or shabda, in the holy text of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, with some of the major prayers being the Japji Sahib. It is part of Sikh religious belief that the spirit of Nanak's sanctity, divinity, and religious authority had descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus when the Guruship was devolved on to them.

15 April - RMS Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean

 

April 15th marks the anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The ship, which was considered unsinkable, had insufficient lifeboats for all passengers and crew, leading to a significant loss of life.

The sinking of the Titanic resulted in the deaths of over 1,500 people, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. The tragedy led to widespread changes in maritime safety regulations, including the implementation of stricter safety standards, the requirement for ships to carry enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew, and the establishment of an international ice patrol to monitor iceberg danger in the North Atlantic.

The sinking of the Titanic continues to be remembered and commemorated each year on April 15th through various memorial events, ceremonies, and remembrances around the world.

 

15 April - Universal Day of Culture

 

The Universal Day of Culture under the Banner of Peace, also known as the World Day of Culture, is an observance aimed at promoting cultural diversity, understanding, and cooperation among nations. It is celebrated annually on April 15th.

The World Day of Culture was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize the importance of culture in promoting peace, tolerance, and sustainable development. It serves as an opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of cultures around the world and to highlight the role of culture in fostering dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation among peoples.

On this day, various cultural events, exhibitions, performances, and activities are organized worldwide to celebrate the diversity of cultures and to raise awareness about the importance of preserving and promoting cultural heritage. It is also a time to reflect on the challenges facing cultural diversity and to advocate for policies and initiatives that promote intercultural understanding and harmony.

The World Day of Culture underscores the fundamental principle that cultural diversity is a source of strength and creativity for societies, and that respecting and celebrating cultural differences is essential for building a more inclusive and peaceful world.

15 April - Leonardo da Vinci birth anniversary

 

 

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, he also became known for his notebooks, in which he made drawings and notes on a variety of subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and paleontology. Leonardo is widely regarded to have been a genius who epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal, and his collective works comprise a contribution to later generations of artists matched only by that of his younger contemporary, Michelangelo. Leonardo is identified as one of the greatest painters in the history of art and is often credited as the founder of the High Renaissance.

14 April - Pohela Boishakh celebrations

 

Pohela Boishakh is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam (Barak Valley) by Bengalis regardless of religious faith.

Celebration of Pohela Boishakh traces its roots back to the traditions of Old Dhaka's Muslim community during Mughal rule, as well as the proclamation of tax collection reforms of Akbar.

The festival is celebrated with processions, fairs and family time. The traditional greeting for Bengalis in the new year is "Shubho Noboborsho" which is literally "Happy New Year". The festive Mangal Shobhajatra is organized in Bangladesh. In 2016, the UNESCO declared this festivity organized by the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka as a cultural heritage of humanity.

14 April - Alfredo Volpi birth anniversary

 

Alfredo Volpi (April 14, 1896 – 28 May 1988), was a prominent painter of the artistic and cultural Brazilian modernist movement.He was born in Lucca, Italy but, less than two years later, he was brought by his parents to São Paulo, Brazil, became a Brazilian citizen, and lived for the majority of his life. He was one of the most important artists of the so-called Grupo Santa Helena, formed in the 1930s with Francisco Rebolo, Clóvis Graciano, Mario Zanini, Fulvio Pennacchi, and others.

14 April - Robert Doisneau French photographer birth anniversary

 

 

Robert Doisneau (14 April 1912 – 1 April 1994) was a French photographer. From the 1930s, he photographed the streets of Paris. He was a champion of humanist photography and with Henri Cartier-Bresson a pioneer of photojournalism.

Doisneau is known for his 1950 image Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville (The Kiss by the City Hall), a photograph of a couple kissing on a busy Parisian street.

He was appointed a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour in 1984 by then French president, François Mitterrand.