My First Visit to Darjeeling- The Queen of the Himalayas

Peace Pagoda

Mark Twain said about Darjeeling „The one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once by even a glimpse would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined.“

At Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

wearing traditional Nepali Attire

Enjoy Hot- steamed Momos

Tea

Tea leaves- heavenly beauty 

Fun while posing with didi, kakima and bro (cousin)

Rock Garden

Darjeeling borders Bhutan and Nepal and is situated in the northern region of the West Bengal state in northeastern India. The district’s capital is also named Darjeeling and situated on a long, narrow mountain ridge of the Sikkim Himalayas.
Darjeeling covers an area of about 3.000 square kilometers with 1.6 million inhabitants (for a comparison: The equally big Italian Aosta Valley only has 123.000 residents). The majority of the people living in Darjeeling just came within the last 100 years. Besides the official languages of Bengali and English, Nepali and Tibetan are spoken. The cultural and ethnic diversity is also reflected by the political frictions that characterizes Darjeeling since the 1980s until today.

Geographically Darjeeling can be divided into two areas: Hills and plains. From the four administrative districts Sadar, Kalimpong, Kurseong are located in the hills whereas Siliguri lies on  the plain, which also goes by the name of Terai.
In Darjeeling agricultural use is made of land on heights between 1,000 and 2,000 meters. Above 2,000 meters one finds woods that fall victim to the demand for firewood as all forests in Darjeeling.

For the British Darjeeling became very interesting in the middle of the 19th century due to its strategic location and its climate. They partly conquered and partly leased Darjeeling from the principality of Sikkim. Darjeeling became a sought after hill station for the British to flee the heat and humidity of Kolkata ( Calcutta ).
Famous is Darjeeling famous for its tea, which is often referred to as “the champagne among teas”. Its aroma cannot be replicated elsewhere and is brought about by Darjeeling’s generally cold climate with intensive sunshine and cultivation on steep slopes in high altitudes. Tea has been a cash crop since 1856.

Darjeeling known for the spectacular views it offers on the Himalayas,  earned it the title  “Queen of the Himalayas”. On a clear day from Observatory Hill one can see the whole Himalaya mountain range and Tiger Hill which offers a view on the majestic Kanchenjunga (8.598m). For a long time it was considered the world’s highest mountain. However, when the British took measurements India in 1849 they found out that Mount Everest and K2 were both higher.

Besides tea production tourism plays an important role for Darjeeling’s economy. Promoted by Bollywood film-productions Indian as well as foreign tourists enjoy the treasures Darjeeling has to offer.

Climate/Weather

Darjeeling has mountainous  climate, with the increasing altitude the temperature and absolute humidity drop, temperature fluctuations and rainfall increase as well.

Pani-Puri -Lip Smacking Street Food of India

Pani-Puri also known as Puchka in West Bengal / Gol-Gappa is one of the best street food to have around the beaches,market and outside parks, wedding etc.

Image Source: Wikimedia.org
One of the most loved chaat/fast food in India, we love the tangy and sweet taste of the pani-puri. The flavours differs from place to place, like in Bengal speacially in Suburb Calcutta, the use of potato is must in the filling of panipuri with addition of masalas : Red chilli, coriander powder, jeera (cumin) powder and little bit of tetul(imli) or tamarind and the tok or pani (water) is prepared with tamarind water, tamarind leaves, lemon(gondhoraj lebu- scented one!) while we can see in North India the pani for puchka is made by pudina and other spices like Jaljeera. Still, the love for Panipuri have not reduced. Modern Indian teenager loves fast foods and cafes but the traditional and craving for Panipuri is still high and hope it will never fall. I personally love phuchkas a lot! I also try Doi- Phuchka, its really tasty and heavenly also known as Dahi(Curd) Fuchka.

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Also Read: 

Top 13 Unique And Popular Places To Explore in Indian States

Ten Influential Women of Modern India

Some Interesting facts about India

Indus Valley Civilization- One of the Ancient Civilizations of the World

Holi- festival of colours

Top 13 Unique And Popular Places To Explore in Indian States

There are many place in India which are famous but less explored, these place are located in the majestic mountains, deep forest and desert region of India. Some of the most popular places are Gangtok, Shillong, Ludhiana,Panipat and Nagaland during the Hornbill Festival.

Dead Land of Kutch -Gujarat

The Great Rann of Kutch is located in the Thar Desert of Gujarat and reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world.  Great Rann of Kutch, along with the Little Rann of Kutch and the Banni grasslands between the Gulf of Kutch and the Indus River is complete waste land but home to many wildlife sanctuary and wide variety of flora and fauna. The fauna and avifauna includes greater and lesser flamingos,Indian wild ass,Houbara bustard, desert fox, Caracal and near threatened blackbuck.

Triveni Sangam in Allahabad -Uttar Pradesh

Allahabad is known as Prayaga or the place of sacrifice and Triveni Sangam, where the three holy rivers the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswat meet. It is second-oldest city in India after varanasi and known for its literary, artistic and revolted heritage. Allahabad host largest auspicious religious gathering in the world known as Maha Kumbh Mela , celebrated once in twelve year and Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela every six years. 

Land of Tribes Bastar -Chhattisgarh

The Bastar District of Chhattisgarh state is one of the highly dense forest area along with largest population scheduled tribes in the states. Bastar is also known as the land of tribes,around 70% of the Bastar region is habitat of major tribes such as the Gond, Abhuj Maria, Bhatra Bhatra, Muria and Bison Horn Maria. Chhattisgarh offers a beautiful Tribal Tour and known for its unique and distinctive tribal culture and heritage, traditional Dasara (Dussera) festival and Arts and Crafts along with naxalism in tribal region. Image Source: indiamike

Pilgrimage Centre of Tirupati -Andhra Pradesh

The Tirupati city is one of the most famous and most visited religious place in India, also known as second richest pilgrimage center in India, after the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Tirupati is located at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Apart from the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple other tourist attractions are Zoological Park, Museum,Waterfall and Akasha Ganga.

Red Sandstone Cave Badami -Karnataka

Badami is situated between the rocky hills and surrounded by Agastya tirtha water reservoir at other side in the Bagalkot District in Karnataka. Badami also known as Vatapi is well famous for rock cut,cave temple and other structural temples. Mallikarjuna group of temples,red sandstone caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva,Vishnu and also has religious sign towards Buddhism and Jainism.

Traditional House of Chettinad -Tamil Nadu

Chettinad is most famous its delicious cuisine such as Chicken Chettinad,Veg Chettinad, for its grand mansions, Athangudi tiles, Chettinad Sari and temples. Its located in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu and hold the dynasties of the Cholas. The architecture of house of Chettinad includes wide courtyards, spacious rooms decorative items and furnishings with imported marbles.

Brackish Lagoons of Bekal -Kerala

Bekal is small town in the sea shore of Arabian Sea in Kerala and known for its beautiful beach surrounding the fort, backwaters, hill destinations and adventures water sports. Bekal offers superb view of the Arabian Sea and splendid beach from a Giant keyhole shaped fort also known as Bekal Fort.

Jewel of Desert Bikaner -Rajasthan

Bikaner is jewel of great thar desert located in the middle of the Thar desert with very little rainfall and extreme hot desert temperatures. Bikaner is famous for its Lalgarh Palace,Laxmi Niwas Palace,Karni Mata Temple and most famous Bikaner Camel Festival. Camel festival of Bikaner includes march of decorated camels from the Junagarh fort,Camel dance performances, camels races and Rajasthani folk song and dance.

Palace Of Orchha -Madhya Pradesh

Orchha town is located near to popular tourist destination, Khajuraho in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. It lies next to Betwa River in the Bundelkhand region and famous for its Raja Mahal,the Jahangir Mahal,Lakshmi Temple, Ram Raja Temple and Chaturbhuj Temple. Orchha palace includes Raja Mahal and the Jahangir Mahal and surrounded by a battlement wall on the bank of the river Betwa.

Land of Rhinos in Manas –Assam

The gateway to Manas National Park,one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in India. Barpeta located near to Guwahati, the gateway of North Eastern Region of the country and 44 km away from Manas Wildlife Sanctuary. Manas National Park is a Project Tiger Reserve, a Elephant Reserve and one of the Biosphere Reserve in India, located in the Himalayan foothills. It is famous for Indian rhinoceros, rare wild animals such as Asian Water Buffaloes, Golden Langur,Pygmy Hog, Slow Loris, Hoolock Gibbons and most beautiful black giant squirrel.

Queen of Hill Stations Mussoorie -Uttarakhand

Mussoorie, the beautiful hill station, located at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan ranges in Uttarakhand. The Queen of the Hills offers the breathtaking view of fascinating hills,Snow clad mountains and glittering views of the Doon Valley and Shiwalik ranges. Other places of interest are GunHill,Lake Mist,Bhatta Falls and Goddess Durga-Jwalaji Temple of Benog Hill.

Desert Mountain Valley Spiti -Himachal Pradesh

The Spiti Valley is actually a desert mountain valley also known as The Middle Land, situated between the Tibet and India. Spiti Valley is located at the high Himalayas mountains and forms part of the Lahaul and Spiti. Lahaul and Spiti valley is a major tourist attraction surrounded by high mountain ranges and get separates from Kulu Valley by high mountain pass, Rohtang Pass.

Vast Wetland of Mangalajodi -Orissa

Mangalajodi is a beautiful village on the edge of Chilika Lake in Orissa, the village is known as heaven for tourist and paradise of birds with its scenic beauty of village and vast wetland. The wetland of Mangalajodi attracts many migratory birds mainly during the peak season of November to March and declared as an International Bird Conservation Area. Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary is home to White Ibis bird,Greater flamingos,water fowl,Goliath Heron,White-bellied Sea Eagle and majestic Brahminy Kite.

Ten Influential Women of Modern India

Indian women have always been perceived by the world as the quiet, docile kind of women, with long hair, clad in a saree with lots of gold jewellery, who like to be inside the house, and enjoy taking care of their families. But, in every generation, some woman or the other has always broken the stereotypes, and proven herself to be strong, independent and multi-faceted. While, the Queen of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, led an entire army and died in battle, she was also a great cook at home, and took care of the huge castle library. The beautiful and stylish Indira Gandhi was the prime minister of India. Such are the women of India, and there are several more who lead the path today. Let us look at 10 Most Influential Women of Modern India.

The Most Influential Women of Modern India:

10. Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt is an Indian television journalist and columnist, as well as the group editor with NDTV, noted for her brave reportage in the dangerous conditions of the Kargil War. She has been honoured with several national and international awards, including India’s fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shree. She has become the model for the portrayal of modern female journalists in India. 

9. Medha Patkar

60 year old Medha Patkar is a social activist and reformer turned politician who is best recognized as the founder member of the famous Narmada Bachao Andolan to save the rivers and people of Gujarat. She has always been a prominent name as an active member of welfare movements in India. As a candidate of Aam Aadmi Party in 2014, she received 8.9% votes and forfeited her deposit.

8. Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi, 65, is a retired police officer, and the first woman officer, having joined the Indian Police Service in 1972. A former tennis player, the multi-talented social activist from Amritsar is credited for bringing down the number of crimes against women in West Delhi during her service among other contributions, and became the first woman UN civilian police advisor. She joined BJP in 2015. 

7. Tessy Thomas

1963-born Tessy Thomas from Kerala is a scientist at Defence Research and Development Organization, and is the Project Director for Agni-VI missile which was successfully tested in 2011. Often referred to as the Missile Woman of India, Tessy is the first woman scientist to lead a missile project in India. She was the associate project director of Agni-III, and Project Director of Agni-V.

6. Nirupama Rao

Nirupama Rao, 64, from Kerala, is the Indian Foreign Service officer and former Indian Ambassador to the United States, prior to which, she served for 2 years as the Foreign Secretary of India, the 2nd woman to head the Indian Foreign Service. The first woman spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, she has served as Minister of Press Affairs in Washington, and several such capacities.

5. Sumitra Mahajan

71 year old Sumitra Mahajan is the current Speaker of Lok Sabha, serving since 2014 after preceding Meira Kumar. This Indian politician from Chiplun belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Dal Party. She has been elected to the Lok Sabha eight times, and is the longest servicing woman member, besides being one of three members of the 16th Lok Sabha, where she is the eldest among women, to do so. 

4. Chitra Ramakrishna

1963-born Chitra Ramakrishna is the first woman Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of India’s leading stock exchange National Stock Exchange. Other positions in NSE in her career include Joint managing director, Head of Listing and Deputy managing director, and director, Member of Derivatives Panel of SEBI and Member of Executive Committee at National Securities Depository Ltd.

3. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Indian entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, 61, is the chairperson of Bangalore-based biotechnology company Biocon Limited. She is also the chairperson of IIM Bangalore, one of the leading business schools. She received the Othmer Gold Award in 2014. Forbes named her world’s 92nd most powerful woman, and she features among Financial Times’ top 50 women in business. 

2. Chanda Kochhar

53 year old Chanda Kochhar is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Bank, India’s largest private bank, and the overall second largest in the country. She heads the bank’s Corporate Centre. The woman from Jodhpur is one of the leading ladies in India’s banking sector, ranked world’s 43rd most powerful woman by Forbes, and has led ICICI to win several recognitions. 

1. Arundhati Bhattacharya

58 year old Arundhati Bhattacharya is an Indian banker and the chairperson of State Bank of India, the leading public sector bank of India, the first woman to assume this position, preceding Pratip Chaudhuri and assumed office in 2013. The woman from Kolkata was ranked the world’s 36th MOST by Forbes, and was among FP 200 Global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine.

The list of the influential women of modern India does not end here. There are several other women from different walks of life who hold the power to constantly inspire and influence the youth of India. Sports persons like boxer Mary Komm, badminton player Saina Nehwal, etc., Actresses like Madhuri dixit, Aishwarya Rai. Nandita Das or Shabana Azmi, writer Arundhati Roy, filmmaker Gauri Shinde, etc. do their bit to make nation a better place, every day. India has produced gems like  Indra Nooyi, former Indian cricketer and current Chariperson and CEO of PepsiCo, who have gone out of the country and made massive contributions to the world. The nation has also welcomed and accepted women from other countries, like Italy born - Sonia Gandhi who is now the President of Indian National Congress, as its own. There are many other the influential women of modern India, some celebrated every day, and other who remain the unsung heroes. It is time to open our eyes, and change the perspective with which Indian women are perceived, at every level.

The VedicLiterature

The Vedas

The Word 'veda' comes from th eroot 'vidi', signifying knowledge.
They are four in all- Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

(a)Rig Veda: Oldest religious text in the world.Contains 1028 hymns and is divided into 10 manadalas.

(b) Sama Veda Derived from the  root 'Saman', i.e 'melody'. It is a collection of melodies.

(c) Yjur veda: Delas with the procedure for the performance of sacrifices. 

(d) Atharva Veda: Mostly dealing with magic (along with personal problems of people)

The Upanishads

• called Vedanta

• they are the main source of Indian Philosophy, 108 in numbers.

Later Vedic Period (Painted Grey Ware Phase)

Political Organisastion
Rigvedic popular assemblies lost and royal power increased. The sabha and samiti conntinued to hold the ground out their character changed.

A rudimentary taxation system began with sangrathitri.




Social

• The four fold division of society became a clear-initially basedon occupation, which later became hereditary: Brahmins,(Priests), Kshatriyas(Warriors), Vaishyas(agriculturists, cattle-rearers, traders) and Shudras (servers of the upper three).
• The institution of gotra appeared for the first time in this age.

Economy

• Agriculture remainsmain occupation but methods of cultivation improved.
• The gold bar, 'Nishka' (weight-320 ratis) was the unit of value.
• Indra and Agni lost their importance. 'Prajapati (the creator) became supreme. Vishnu came to be conceived as the preserver and protector of the people.

Vedic Period: The Aryans

The Aryans were semi-nomadic pastoral people and originated from sea around the Caspian  Sea in Central Asia (Many historians have given various theories regarding their original place). The central Asian theory is given by Max Muller.

Entered India probably through the Khyber Pass (Hindukush Mountains)

Early Vedic or Rig Vedic Period

Political Organisation

• Monarchial form. Tribe was known as Jan and its king as Rajan.
• Family was the basic unit of society. The family was partiarchal in nature.
• The samiti was the National Assembly of the People while the Sabha was council of Elders.

Social

• Social Structure was partiarchal.
• Women had a high place in society ans were co-workers and co-partners in the life with their husbands.
• Caste system was not hereditary, but was based on one's own profession.

Economy

• Aryans followed a mixewd economy-pastoral and agricultural in which cattle played a predominant part.
• Standard unit of exchange was cow. At the same time coins were also there.

Religion

• The Aryans personified the natural forces and looked upon them as living beings.
• The most important divinity was Indra who played the role of Warlord(breaker of forts- Purandar).

Culture

Best Travel Destinations in India

If you are planning to come India, you must be thinking about where to go? Lets make it easier for you. I have listed here the Major tourist desnations in India.

1. New Delhi- Capital of India. Offers many places to visit like India Gate, Akshardam Temple, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, oldDelhi Food joints and Jantar Mantar and old Delhi whi h offers many food.
2. Goa
3. The Taj Mahal, Agra
4. Hyderabad
6. Mumbai
7. Ooty
8.Vizakhapatnam
9.Trivandrum
10. Shimla
11. Allahbad
12. Varanas
13. Kolkata
14. Shillong
15. Gangtok
16. Pune
18. Darjeeling
19. Cheerapunji
20. Jaipur
21. Udaipur
22. Kaziranga
23. Manali

24.  Jammu and Kashmir
25. Rahjasthan

Best Indian food to eat in India.

Indian cuisines have many variety, they are not all spicy. The spices that are used in foods are scientific and has proven benefits. Ancient Ayurveda has mentioned many spices are medicines which helps us in many ways like digetion. So Indian foods are good for health actually.

So these arw the following foods which you must have.

1. Biryani( Veg, egg, chicken or mutton)
2. Chicken Tikka
3. Paneer Tikka
4. Palak ( spinach) Paneer( Cottage Cheese)
5. Chicken Tandoori
6. Chicken Masala
10. Tandooru Roti
11. Kabab (veg/ non veg)
12. Kashmiri Pulao
13. Hyderabadi Biryani
14. Idli
15. Masala Dosa
16. Papri Chaat
17. Jhal Muri
18. Panipuri/ Puchka
19. Kheer/ Sewai
20. Kulfi
21. Gulab Jamun ( sweet)
Lastly a Banarasi Pan! ;)

Festivals in India

India has above 28 states and thousand of festivals are celebrated. I have listed the popular festivals in India.

1. Diwali
2. Durga Puja/ Navratri
3. Holi
4. Ganesh Chaturthi
5. Lakshmi Puja
6. Kali Puja
7. Shivatri
8. Vishwakarma Puja
9. Rath Yatra
10. Saraswati Puja
11. Buddha Purnima
12.Eid
13. Guru Nanak Jayanti
14. Christmas
15. Kali Puja
16. Ramnavami
17. Eid  ur Juha
18. Baisakhi/ Nobo Barsha in Bengal
19. Onam
20. Pongal
21. Makar Sankrati/ Lohri
22. Bihu

Holi - The festival of Colours

Holi- The Festival of colours is the biggest and most awaited event and marks the begining of the spring season. In Bengal it is referred as "Dol Jatra'' while Holi in rest part of India. It occurs during Purnima (Full Moon Day) Abirs and colours and 'Pichkari's are used to colour each other. The day starts with wearing a worn out clother or white coloured cloth (Old clothes are preffered as colors may ruin it). Abirs of diffeent colours like Blue, yellow, green, purple, red and green are sold in the market. Some good quality of  abirs are also sold at higher rates. It is one of the major festivals in India.

Legends associated with Holi
It is one of the oldest festivals of India. There are many interesting stories associated with the festival's origin as one moves across the different states from North to South and East to West. The popular one is related to 'Holika Dahan' and  Legends of Radha Krishna.
Holika Dahan is done befor the day of the Holi , a huge bonfire, which marks the end of all evil and the victory of good. It is believed that a demon king named 'Hiranyakashyap' who wished to end his blessed son, Prahlad's Life with the help of siter named Holika, but at the end Prahlad was burnt with no harm while Holika died. Another popular legend associated with Holi is associated with Radha Krishna. Krishna was dark while Radha was fair. In a mischievous mood, he applied colour on Radha's face. Following this ancient legends, lovers till date long to colour their beloved as an expression of love. The Holi is practiced as a major event in Vrindaban and Santiniketan in Bolpur ,West Bengal called as Basanta Utsav.

Holi is celebrated in all over India with much fun and frolic. Even India biggest's entertainment sector i.e Bollywood have made many songs associated with holi. Some of them are huge popular and played during Holi. I have listed some of them so that you can also enjoy the songs and feel the Holi's spirit in India. Thandai or Bhaang  (A local drink made with milk, nuts) little alchoholic is consumed
in holi by mens on this day. During evening time, people gathers in a household party and eat delicious papads, snacks, sweet and most loved ' Gujias'.

Recent Song of Balaam Pichkari from the Movie Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani. I personally love this song and the track is just awesome.Enjoy them!

Tum Taak from the Movie Ranjhana. Its not a Holi Song still the scene of holi have been shown, Shoot in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Some old tracks but most loved by Indians during Holi Season:

Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali from Shilshila

                                         

Hori Khale Raghuveera Awadh mein

Holi ke din from sholay

                             Aaj na chorenge from the movie Kati Patang, old bollywood  famous Holi track

I hope you have enjoyed all the videos. Wishing you a very Happy Holi!

Lifestyle, Values & Beliefs

India is a diverse country, a fact that is visibly prominent in its people, culture and climate. From the eternal snows of the Himalayas to the cultivated peninsula of far South, from the deserts of the West to the humid deltas of the East, from the dry heat and cold of the Central Plateau to the cool forest foothills, Indian lifestyles clearly glorify the geography.

The food, clothing and habits of an Indian differ in accordance to the place of origin.

Culture

The Indian culture varies like its vast geography. People speak in different languages, dress differently, follow different religions, eat different food but are of the same temperament. So whether it is a joyous occasion or a moment of grief, people participate whole-heartedly, feeling the happiness or pain. A festival or a celebration is never constrained to a family or a home. The whole community or neighbourhood is involved in bringing liveliness to an occasion. Likewise, an Indian wedding is a celebration of union, not only of the bride and groom, but also of two families, maybe cultures or religion too! Similarly, in times of sorrow, neighbours and friends play an important part in easing out the grief.

Science

The global image of India is that of an upcoming and progressive nation. True, India has leaped many boundaries in all sectors- commerce, technology and development etc in the recent past, yet she has not neglected her other creative genius. Wondering what it is? Well, it the alternative science that has been continuously practiced in India since times immemorial. Ayurveda, is a distinct form of medicine made purely of herbs and natural weeds, that can cure any ailment of the world. Ayurveda has also been mentioned in the Ancient Indian epics like Ramayana. Even today, when the western concept of medicine has reached its zenith, there are people looking for alternative methods of treatment for its multifarious qualities.

With increasing complexities in one's lives these days, people are perpetually looking for a medium through which they get some peace of mind. This is where another science, that of meditation and spirituality comes into the scene. Meditation and Yoga are synonymous with India and Indian spirituality. Meditation is one of the most important components of Yoga, which is a mind-body therapy involving a series of exercises. The word 'meditation' covers many disparate practices from visualizing situations, focusing on objects or images, thinking through a complex idea, or even getting lost in a provocative book, all qualifying as meditation in the broad sense. However in Yoga, meditation generally refers to the more formal practice of focusing the mind and observing oneself in the moment. Many people from India and abroad are resorting to yoga and meditation to de-stress and rejuvenate their mind.

Another widely followed phenomena in India is the Doctrine of Karma that preaches that every person should behave justly as every act or deed comes back in full circle in one of the births of an individual.

A very important aspect of India in the recent past is the emergence of the New Age woman. Women in India are predominantly homemakers, though this perspective is changing. In many places, especially metros and other cities, women are the bread earners of the house or are at par with their male counterparts. The increase in the cost of living/economy has also contributed to the rise in this aspect.

The beauty of the Indian people lies in their spirit of tolerance, give-and-take and a composition of cultures that can be compared to a garden of flowers of various colours and shades of which, while maintaining their own entity, lend harmony and beauty to the garden - India!

  

History of Indian Tricolor

"A flag is a necessity for all nations. Millions have died for it. It is no doubt a kind of idolatry which would be a sin to destroy. For, a flag represents an Ideal The unfurling of the Union Jack evokes in the English breast sentiments whose strength it is difficult to measure. The Stars and Stripes mean a world to the Americans. The Star and the Crescent will call forth the best bravery in Islam." 

"It will be necessary for us Indians Muslims, Christians Jews, Parsis, and all others to whom India is their home-to recognize a common flag to live and to die for." 

- Mahatma Gandhi

Every free nation of the world has its own flag. It is a symbol of a free country. The National Flag of India was designed by Pingali Venkayyaand and adopted in its present form during the meeting of Constituent Assembly held on the 22 July 1947, a few days before India's independence from the British on 15 August, 1947. It served as the national flag of the Dominion of India between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950 and that of the Republic of India thereafter. In India, the term "tricolour" refers to the Indian national flag.

The National flag of India is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel which represents the chakra. Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.

Indus Valley Civilization- One of the Ancient Civilizations of the World

Indian History is very vast and started around 2500 B.C known as the Indus Valley Civilization. The civilization was one of the ancient civilizations in the world. The two  important cities were Harappa and Mohenjodaro, thus also named as Harapan Civilization.  The civilization developed in Pakistan and Northwest India on the fertile flood plain of the Indus river and its vicinity. In 1922-24, Mr. R.D Banerjee, Mr. Dayaram Sahani and Sir John Marshall unearthed the remains of a very flourishing civilization at Mohenjodaro, Harappa and other adjoining places in Sindh, West Punjab, Baluchistan(Now at Pakistan). The knowledge derived from these excavations has pushed back the antiquity of the Indian Civilization at least to 3000 B.C. Now India can lay claim to be ranked along with the ancient civilizations of Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Egypt and Assyria.


The main centres of the Harappan civilization as revealed by the recent excavations are:
1. Mohenjodaro in Sind. The town was situated on the bank of the Indus
2. Harappa in Punjab and the town was situated on the bank of the Ravi
3. Kalibangan in Rajasthan situated on the bank of the Gharghara.
4. Rupar in Haryana situated on the bank of the Sutlej
5. Lothal in Gujrat situated on the bank of the Bhagawar river.
6. Rangpore in Gujrat
7. The Narmada and the Tapti Belt.

So-called "Priest King" statue, Mohenjo-Daro, 

Town Planning

The fascinating remains of the Indus Civilization belong to the late Neolithic(New Stone Age) and the Chalcolithic (Copper) Age. Iron was not yet known. It is called pre-historic civilization because there is no written historical or literary records of the period. We have to depend upon the information, we can gather from the articles used by the Indus people in order to form our idea about the civilization.

The excavations at Mohenjodaro have revealed seven different layers. Below the seventh there are earlier layers under sub soil water, which if discovered may push back the antiquity of the civilization still further.

The Indus civilization flourished around cities. The ruins of the cities so far unearthered show remarkable town planning and excellent system of drainage and sanitation. The city was the heart of the civilization . The life in the Indus cities gives the impression of "a democratic bourgeois economy" like that of ancient Crete. Both at Harappa and Mohenjodaro and also at Kalibangan, the city was divided into two main parts. The higher and upper portion of the city was protected by a construction which looks like a fort. The ruling class of the towns perhaps lived in the protected area, The other part of the towns were lower in height than the former and common men lived in this area. The lower area of the towns generally spread over one square mile. The main streets were broad varying from 9 feet to 34 feet. They ran straight to a mile. They were suitable for wheeled traffic. Lanes were joined with the streets. Each lane had a public well. Street lamps were provided for welfare of public.

The nature of the buildings at Harappa and Mohenjodaro shows that the town dwellers were divided into various social classes. The rich and the ruling class lived in the multi-roomed spacious houses and the poorer section lived in small tenements.The public building and big houses were situated on the streets.The modest houses were situated on the lanes. Encroachment on public roads or lanes by building houses was not permitted. The houses can be divided into three main groups viz. 

i)dwelling houses, ii)larger buildings, iii)public baths. Smaller houses had two rooms; while larger houses had many rooms.  Most of the houses had baths, wells and covered drains connected with street drains. Ordinary buildings had little ventilation arrangements, as doors and windows were rarely fixed in th eouter walls. 

There were no stone built house in the Indus cities. Most of the houses were built of burnt bricks. But un-burnt sun-dried bricks were also used. That portion of the buildings were contamination with water was possible, burnt brick were used. Most of the bricks were of equal size. There is an impressive building which was used as a public bath. The overall dimension of the Bth is 39 feet by 23 feet with 8 feet depth. There was a device to fill and empty the water of the bathinf pool. There ar e galleries and adjoining rooms which is ingenuous. According to D.D. Kosambi, the drainage plans of the Indus cities definitely establish the separate identity or independent charater of the Indus civilization. Men used to bathe in the tanks as a ritual for the mother goddess to whom the citadel belonged.  The advanced style of the Indus city life found in the earlier layers is absent in the later layers. There is a marked decline in civic life in the later layers. Buildings encroache on the roads. Thus Wheeler has remarked, '' Latter day Mohenjodaro.... and the rest were poor shadows of former selves.Both at Harappa and more clearly, at Mohenjodaro excavation has revealed the general shape of the great cities in their prime and decadence.

Some Interesting facts about India

• Chess was invented in India.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
• The 'place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
• India has the largest democracy in the world, the 7th largest country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
• India has the highest number of post offices in the world.
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind.The fathe rof medicine Charaka, Consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
• India exports software to 90 countries.
• Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
• Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.

• Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
• When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
• The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.