INDIA'S  FLAG

India officially the Republic of India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world.

India is a federal constitutional republic with a parliamentary democracy consisting of 28 states and seven union territories. A pluralistic, multilingual and multiethnic society where more than 400 languages are spoken, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

DELHI

Delhi, New Delhi or Dilli as it is popularly known, is the capital of the Republic of India. It is situated in the Northern part of India and forms an angle of the famous Delhi-Jaipur-Agra tourist triangle. Delhi, a major city in Indian sub-continent.












MAHATMA GANDHI

On 15 August 1947, India gained independence from British rule, after a struggle for independence which was marked by a non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi. On 30 January 1948 Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu Nationalist

The Indian economy is the world's eleventh largest economy , but the country still contains the largest concentration of poor people in the world.





The Ganges River is the greatest waterway in India; it is one of the longest rivers in the world. The Ganges river flows through Bangladesh, but the greater part of it flows through India. The river begins high in the Himalayas as a pair of head streams.

The Ganges River has always been known as a religious icon in the world.

The Bengal tiger is the national animal of India. India is home to about half of the world's tiger population.

India is the birth place of four of the world's major religious traditions; namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Throughout its history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture.

 Religious diversity and religious tolerance are both established in the country by law and custom. A vast majority of Indians associate themselves with a religion.



DIWALI FESTIVA

Festivals of India plays a major role in spreading unity in diversity, with emphasis on communal harmony. Some famous religious festivals mark the advent of the seasons, some mark the celebration of cultural events. Famous festivals in India are joyously celebrated all over the country



TAJ MAHAL

India is blessed with number of world heritage monuments , the most popular is The Taj Mahal "crown of buildings", is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

 

MUGHAL



MUMTAZ

It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love.

The cenotaph of  Mughal and Mumtaz  stands in the center of the marble screen, and has Koranic inscriptions written in Persian, but the couple are not buried there.

Indian cuisine is characterised by a wide variety of regional styles and sophisticated use of herbs and spices.

Vegetarianism and religion are strongly linked in a number of religions that originated in ancient India. In Jainism, vegetarianism is mandatory for everyone .India is home to more vegetarians than any other country.

Traditional Indian clothing for women are the saris or the salwar kameez . For men, traditional clothes are the Dhoti, Lungi or Kurta.

 

Bollywood film industry, is the world's most prolific. The name "Bollywood" is derived from Bombay (the former name for Mumbai) and Hollywood, the center of the American film industry. However, unlike Hollywood, Bollywood does not exist as a physical place.

Timeline of Gandhi's Life

Timeline of Gandhi's Life

1869		Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi born in Porbandar in Gujarat.
1893		Gandhi leaves for Johannesburg for practicing law and is thrown out of a first class bogie because he is colored.
1906		Mohandas K. Gandhi, 37, speaks at a mass meeting in the Empire Theater, Johannesburg  on September 11 and launches a campaign of nonviolent resistance (satyagraha) to protest discrimination against Indians. The British Government had just invalidated the Indian Marriage.
1913		Mohandas Gandhi in Transvaal, South Africa leads 2,500 Indians into the in defiance of a law, they are violently arrested, Gandhi refuses to pay a fine, he is jailed, his supporters demonstrate. On November 25, and Natal police fire into the crowd, killing two, injuring 20.
1914		Mohandas Gandhi returns to India at age 45 after 21 years of practicing law in South Africa where he organized a campaign of “passive resistance” to protest his mistreatment by whites for his defense of Asian immigrants. He attracts wide attention in India by conducting a fast --the first of 14 that he will stage as political demonstrations and that will inaugurate the idea of the political fasting.
1930		A civil disobedience campaign against the British in India begins March 12. The All-India Trade Congress has empowered Gandhi to begin the demonstrations (see 1914). Called Mahatma for the past decade, Gandhi leads a 165-mile march to the Gujarat coast of the Arabian Sea and produces salt by evaporation of sea water in violation of the law as a gesture of defiance against the British monopoly in salt production
1932		Gandhi begins a "fast unto death" to protest the British government's treatment of India's lowest caste "untouchables" whom Gandhi calls Harijans -- "God's children." Gandhi's campaign of civil disobedience has brought rioting and has landed him in prison, but he persists in his demands for social reform, he urges a new boycott of British goods, and after 6 days of fasting obtains a pact that improves the status of the "untouchables" (Dalits)
1947		India becomes free from 200 years of British Rule. A major victory for Gandhian principles and non-violence in general.
1948		Gandhi is assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic at a prayer meeting

TIMELINE OF INDIA'S FREEDOM STRUGGLE

Timeline of India's Freedom Struggle
		Tryst With Destiny: The Events The Early Europeans The East India Company 1498 Vasco-da-gama arrives in India 1799 British defeat  Tippu Sultan 1600 East India Company is formed 1805 Anglo-Maratha War 1748 Anglo-French War in India 1846 Anglo-Sikh War- Sikhs Defeated 1757 Battle of Plassey 1857 First Indian War of Independence Indian National Congress 1885 Indian National Congress is formed by Allen Octavian Hume 1930 The Dandi Salt March, The Simon Commission, First Round Table Conference 1915 Home Rule League is founded by Annie Besant 1931 Second Round Table Conference, Gandhi-Irvin Pact 1919 Khilafat Movement, Jalianwala Bagh Massacre, The Rowlat Act 1937 Provincial Autonomy Begins with Congress winning power in many states. WWII breaks out and  political deadlock in India 1921 Rise of Gandhi and his Civil Disobedience Movement 1942 The Quit India Movement, Rise of Subhas Chandra Bose 1922 Gandhi Suspends movement after the Chauri-Chura violence 1946 INA men tried. Muslim League Adamant about Pakistan 1928 Murder of Lala Lajpat Rai and subsequent revolutionary activities 1947 India is Partitioned. British Leave India - Freedom at Midnight.

QUESTIONNAIRE. You know of india?

India

How many of these questions can you answer?

1.           Which of these towns (New Delhi, Calcutta and Mumbai) are in the South of the country?

2.           Which kind of dance is Bharatanatyam?

3.           Can you mention a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple? What about the Taj Mahal?

4.           What is Diwali?

5.           Which is the country highest pick?

6.           When did India become independent from the British Empire?

7.           Did Gandhi died from natural death?

8.           How many castes are there in the Indian caste system?

9.           What’s the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based film industry in India?

10.               Why is the 2^nd of October known worldwide as the International Day of Non-violence?

INDIAN FESTIVALS

Many Indian festivals are religious in origin, although several are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed. Some popular festivals are Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Thai Pongal, Holi, Onam, Vijayadashami, Durga Puja, Eid ul-Fitr, Bakr-Id, Christmas, Buddha Jayanti, Moharram and Vaisakhi. India has three national holidays which are observed in all states and union territories — Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi. This day is referred to in India as Gandhi Jayanti. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially observed in individual states. Religious practices are an integral part of everyday life and are a very public affair

A diya (oil lamp) placed on a rangoli during Deepavali

 Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.Deepavali is an official holiday in India.

ART PRODUCTIONS (music, literature, films, etc.)

MUSIC

The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and, developed over several eras, it remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as sources of spiritual inspiration, cultural expression and pure entertainment. India is made up of several dozen ethnic groups, speaking their own languages and dialects, having very distinct cultural traditions.

The two main traditions of classical music are Carnatic music, found predominantly in the peninsular regions, and Hindustani music, found in the northern and central regions. Both traditions claim Vedic origin, and history indicates that they diverged from a common musical root since about the 13th century.

LITERATURE

Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages.

The earliest works of Indian literature were orally transmitted. Sanskrit literature begins with the Rig Veda a collection of sacred hymns dating to the period 1500–1200 BCE. The Sanskrit epics Ramayana and Mahabharata appeared towards the end of the first millennium BCE. Classical Sanskrit literature flourished in the first few centuries of the first millennium CE, as did the Tamil Sangam literature, and the Pāli Canon.

In the medieval period, literature in Kannada and Telugu appeared in the 9th and 11th centuries respectively. Later, literature in Marathi, Bengali, various dialects of Hindi, Persian and Urdu began to appear as well. Early in the 20th century, Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore became India's first Nobel laureate. In contemporary Indian literature, there are two major literary awards; these are the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship and the Jnanpith Award. Seven Jnanpith awards each have been awarded in Hindi and Kannada, followed by five in Bengali, four in Malayalam and three in Gujarati, Marathi and Urdu.

FILMS

The Indian film industry is the largest in the world. Bollywood, based in Mumbai, makes commercial Hindi films and is the most prolific film industry in the world. Established traditions also exist in Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, and Telugu language cinemas. 

 THEATRE

Theatre in India often incorporates music, dance, and improvised or written dialogue. Often based on Hindu mythology, but also borrowing from medieval romances, and news of social and political events, Indian theatre includes the bhavai of state of Gujarat, the jatra of West Bengal, the nautanki and ramlila of North India, the tamasha of Maharashtra, the burrakatha of Andhra Pradesh, the terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu, and the yakshagana of Karnataka. 

SOCIETY CHARACTERISTICS (lifestyle, food, clothes)

Traditional Indian society is defined by relatively strict social hierarchy. The Indian caste system describes the social stratification and social restrictions in the Indian subcontinent, in which social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups, often termed as jātis or castes. Several influential social reform movements, such as the Bramho Shômaj, the Arya Samāja and the Ramakrishna Mission, have played a pivotal role in the emancipation of Dalits (or "untouchables") and other lower-caste communities in India. However, the majority of Dalits continue to live in segregation and are often persecuted and discriminated against. 

Traditional Indian family values are highly respected, and multi-generational patriarchal joint families have been the norm, although nuclear families are becoming common in urban areas. An overwhelming majority of Indians have their marriages arranged by their parents and other respected family members, with the consent of the bride and groom. Marriage is thought to be for life, and the divorce rate is extremely low. Child marriage is still a common practice, more so in rural India, with half of women in India marrying before the legal age of 18. 

FOOD 

Indian cuisine is characterised by a wide variety of regional styles and sophisticated use of herbs and spices. The staple foods in the region are rice (especially in the south and the east), wheat (predominantly in the north) and lentils. Spices, such as black pepper which are now consumed world wide, are originally native to the Indian subcontinent. Chili pepper, which was introduced by the Portuguese, is also widely used in Indian cuisine.

Vegetarianism and religion are strongly linked in a number of religions that originated in ancient India (Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism). In Jainism, vegetarianism is mandatory for everyone, in Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism it is advocated by some influential scriptures and religious authorities. Comparatively, in the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and in Sikhism, vegetarianism is not promoted by mainstream authorities. India is home to more vegetarians than any other country. About 30% of India's 1.2 billion population practices lacto vegetarianism

Indian cuisine offers a wide range of vegetarian delicacies because Hinduism, practiced by majority of India's populace, encourages vegetarian diet. Shown here is a vegetarian thali.

 CLOTHES

Traditional Indian dress varies across the regions in its colours and styles and depends on various factors, including climate. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for women and dhoti or lungi for men; in addition, stitched clothes such as salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama and European-style trousers and shirts for men, are also popular.

llustration of different styles of Sari & clothing worn by women in India

TRADITIONS (dances, traditional music, religion)

 DANCES, TRADITIONAL MUSIC

Indian music covers a wide range of traditions and regional styles. Classical music largely encompasses the two genres – North Indian Hindustani, South Indian Carnatic traditions and their various offshoots in the form of regional folk music. Regionalised forms of popular music include filmi and folk music; the syncretic tradition of the bauls is a well-known form of the latter.

Indian dance too has diverse folk and classical forms. Among the well-known folk dances are the bhangra of the Punjab, the bihu of Assam, the chhau of West Bengal, Jharkhand , sambalpuri of Orissa , the ghoomar of Rajasthan and the Lavani of Maharashtra. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded classical dance status by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. These are: bharatanatyam of the state of Tamil Nadu, kathak of Uttar Pradesh, kathakali and mohiniyattam of Kerala, kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, manipuri of Manipur, odissi of Orissa and the sattriya of Assam.

Bharata Natyam or Bharatanatyam (Tamil) is a classical dance form originating in Tamil Nadu, nowadays practiced throughout South India by predominantly young females and women. It is held as the national dance of India. The dance is accompanied by the classical Carnatic music. It has its inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Chidambaram

The right hand is in the Bhramara (bumblebee) Hasta. The bumblebee is regarded as auspicious. The left hand's fingers are in Alapadma Hasta, the rotating lotus of spiritual light. The eyes are directed towards the Supreme Lord. The left leg is lifted, symbolizing the swift ascent of the consciousness in one step from the Earth to the Heaven

Hindu Temples

The temples of the Medieval Era were varied architectural styles. The temples and the religious places built then were symbolic of the ruler and his richness and devotion. The seeds of experimentation in religious architecture were sown in medeival temples.

India has many splendid temples that have found a place in World Heritage list. These temples are cynosure of all for their marvellous architecture. These pronounce the age old customs and traditions of India. These include Sun Temple at Konark, Khajuraho Temples, Ajanta Caves, Brihadeswara Temple, and Sanchi Stupas.

Brihadeswara temple

Buddhist temples

For a Buddhist tourist visiting India, monasteries or gompas are the prime attraction. A number of Buddhist monasteries or gompas spread across the length and breadth of India and speak volume about the Buddhist heritage of the country.

Famous Buddhist Monasteries: Bihar, Jammu, Kashmir, Sikkim, Himachal, Pradesh, Arunachal, Pradesh

Famous Buddhist Monasteries in Arunachal Pradesh

Relevant monuments

India is blessed with number of world heritage monuments showcasing the breathtaking architecture and intricate work. The monuments of India are living testimony which pull us back to that particular era and helps us in exploring the history of India. Indian monuments have a rare and astonishing unique architecture which tell us the story of bygone era. Monuments of India are considered as the real treasure and are preserved with great importance. Behind each monument there is an underlying sense of mystery, intrigue and romance. Five thousand years of Indian History has given us the treasure of thousands of monuments across the country, monuments belonging to Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. The monuments of India are not only fairy tales carved out of stones, bricks, and mortar narrating the tales of valor and courage of Indian rulers.

The famous monuments of India lure tourist from all over the globe and these can be classified into the monuments of South, North, West and East India. It should mention here that the seventh wonder of the world the Taj Mahal is an Indian Monument. Each and every monuments of India are an architectural feat in itself, they are splendid sample of amazing artistry, creating a sense of deception and romance. Be it the majestic Taj Mahal in white marvel or stone splendor Red Fort; or spellbinding temples of Khajuraho temple, Konark and Hampi, or the caves of Ajana Ellora. Visit India in order to spectacle the miraculous beauty of Indian monuments.

 

Taj Mahal -A Marvel of Love

Delhi Red Fort

Khajuraho - World Heritage Site of India