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.
  

Know the real India by its Past

"India is the cradle of human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only!''
                                                                                                             Mark Twain



India has been viewed by many westerners as a poor nation and a developing country, but if you want to know the real India, you must come here once and see the advancement we have made in our past. Definitely, it is developing and economically growing at a faster rate. Once India, I will prefer to call it as 'Bharat', pronounced as 'Bha', 'rat" was regarded as the Golden Bird, it had attracted many countries, and later colonization started and thus the coming of Afghans, Portuguese, Britishers and French etc. The glory of India still remains and it will continue to spark in the future days too. The ancient practices of Yoga and Ayurveda is still practiced and the long lost glory is slowly increasing to attract more people in days to come.

Hi friends! 

I know many of you want to travel India or longing to come your motherland or you are a NRI and going to visit the country for the first time, so before going you must have searched about it the internet! So lets make this easier for you all, this blog is created so that people like you all will get a handful of knowledge about India before coming. Explore India, the land of varied culture and diversity, the largest democracy with a warm hospitality and friendly people. We welcome you all to visit our Country as we always consider our Guest as God i.e ''Athithi Devo Bhava''. Come here and experience the unique diversity, colors, snacks, festivals and most ancient treatments of Ayurveda and Yoga.