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Lord Natraja Nataraja (Lord of the Dance),  the Hindu god Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, is represented in metal or stone in many Shaivite temples, particularly in South India. It is an important piece of  Chola sculpture. Some of the features of the Nataraja sculpture are: The upper right-hand holds the drum, which signifies the  sound of creation.  All creations spring from the great sound of the damru. The upper left-hand holds the eternal fire, which represents the  destruction.  Destruction is the precursor and inevitable counterpart of creation. The lower right hand is raised in the gesture of  Abhay mudra  signifying  benediction and reassuring the devotee to not be afraid. The lower left-hand points towards the upraised foot and indicates the  path of salvation. Shiva is dancing on the figure of a  small dwarf.  The dwarf symbolises  ignorance and the ego of an individual. The matted and flowing locks of Shiva represent the  flow of river Ganges. In ornamentation, one

Q2. Explain the different types of corals. Also explain the challenges and threats faced by corals.   Ans: Coral reefs are the underwater colonies of tiny living creatures that are formed of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate & are usually found in shallow waters .                                             Fig: Types of Coral Reefs Types : ●       Fringing Reef : It is a coral line platform lying close to the shore extending outwards from the mainland . E.g. South Florida Reef, Andaman and Nicobar group islands. ●       Barrier Reef : Considered as largest of all the reefs, they develop off the coast and parallel to the shore as a broken and irregular ring . E.g. Great Barrier Reef of Australia, Mannar Barrier Reef. ●       Atoll : It can be defined as a reef that is roughly circular and surrounds a large central lagoon . E.g. Fiji Atolls, Bangaram atoll in Lakshadweep. Threats : When corals face stress by changes in conditions such as temperatur

Q. The vagaries of Indian monsoon are not only a product of meteorological factors but also anthropogenic causes. Illustrate.   Ans : Monsoons are seasonal winds (Rhythmic wind movements, Periodic Winds) which reverse their direction with the change of season. 60% of Indian agriculture remains rain-fed , and agriculture employs about half of India’s population . Thus, Indian economy is dependent on the monsoon to a large extent .                                         Fig-1:- INDIAN MONSOON There are many meteorological/natural factors affecting Indian monsoon: ●       The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) ●       The differential heating and cooling of land and water ●       The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar ●       Intense heating of the Tibetan plateau ●       Westerly jet stream ●       Tropical Easterly Jet ●       Southern Oscillation (SO) ●       El Nino & La Nina ●       ENSO : El Nino +