Known for its deep spiritual history and unbelievable beauty, India remains one of our customers’ top locations for a reason. No matter the type of vacationer you are, there’s something for you in this superb country — whether it’s the complex and flavourful cuisine or the uniquely colourful culture.
Holidays in India suit a wide variety of tastes and preferences. If you enjoy bustling and vibrant cities then you would be right at home any of their sprawling urban areas. Or if you want to relax outdoors, you can spend your time surrounded by the imposing Himalayas or relaxing on the beaches of Western India. A paradise for foodies, you can experience dining unlike any other in some of Asia’s top restaurants or sample the regional flavours from food carts and street vendors. India’s history runs deep and the entire region is home to some of the most famous UNESCO Heritage sites. There’s so much to see and do in India, where you will encounter some of the richest and long-lasting cultural traditions in the world.
If it’s your first time considering India or even if it has been your dream destination for years, you should always try to learn as much as you can before heading off on your eastern adventure. India is an enormous subcontinent and with so much to do, planning your journey can be a little daunting. To help you along, we’ve assembled this handy list of facts and attractions to consider when looking at this location, so that you can spend your time taking in the sights, rather than on last-minute bookings.
Namaste is a popular greeting in India, Nepal and countries where Hindu population are in large numbers. Like Arabic ‘Salam Aleikum’ or Spanish ‘Adios’, ‘Namaste’ crosses the boundaries of language and region. Irrespective of your location inside India or Nepal, people will know your intentions are not bad if you join your hands and greet them by saying ‘Namaste‘.
If you are travelling to India then the word Namaste would come very handy as the most widely used greeting in India. Let’s take a look at the meaning of the word Namaste.
What does Namaste mean?
Namaste is the corruption of a Sanskrit greeting. In Sanskrit, it is a combination of three words.
“Namah” which means ‘bow’,
“Ast” is a grammatical case of ‘I’ and finally
“Te” which is rendered into English as “you.”
So it literally Namaste translates as “I bow to you.” In ancient India, it was used to show one’s respect to the addressee. The effect of that Hindu old tradition still influences the way ‘Namaste’ is used in contemporary India.
Usage in modern India
Mostly this way of greeting is used by the by the children or young people to greet those who are older. It’s rarely used between friends and people of the same age; with these groups preferring English “Hi!” or “Hello!” Also, when older people greet children or young people, they usually ask “How are you?” It’s rare to find an old person who will greet a child with a Namaste.
Foreigners and Namaste
However, it’s different with foreigners. They are not expected to be familiar with the customs or the culture of India, so they can use ‘Namaste’ when meeting anyone. Rather than making fun of foreigners, Indians will most likely appreciate the effort and reply with a “Namaste.” The US President Barack Obama greeted Indians with a Namaste when he came to India few of years ago, and it went down well with the Indians.
Namaste at any time
Unlike English, where there are special greetings for the morning, afternoon and evening; Namaste can be used at any time of the day, or night. You will often hear children greeting relatives or older people with a Namaste even when they meet them at night.
Types of Namaste
There are two popular ways to say Namaste. A more modern way is to bow a little and just say it. It’s mostly used in the cities. A more traditional way is to place your hands together near your chest, close your eyes, bow a little (not like the Japanese!) and then say Namaste. The latter is a little old fashioned and extremely formal. You may find Indian air-hostesses, or employees at a big hotel greeting you in this manner but outside you will be hard pressed to find someone who closes his eyes while greeting.
There is still a third way to say Namaste. It’s formal in another way. Here after greeting, a person touches the feet of the addressee to show their respect. It’s never used among friends, or people of the same age. You will not encounter it in any hotel. Nonetheless, children greet their parents, grandparents and other relatives this way. Children are expected not to overdo it, as it may appear slavish.
Indian sadhu performing Namaste
Next time you see your Indian friend; don’t be shy to greet them in Namaste.
Holi is the festival of colours, one of the most awaited festivals in the country and celebrated by Hindus all over the country. The festival is celebrated with much joy and vigour all across the country especially in North India. Holi is not just a festival; it’s a tradition which dates back millenniums. It’s one of those festivals that brings out the child in everyone.
The colourful festival of Holi spans over two days and marks the beginning of spring. On the first day, known as day of “Holika Dahan”, fire is lit marking the victory of truth over evil. The second day is “Phag”, when the actual Holi is celebrated with vibrant colours and water. The festival bridges gap between people of different communities and age groups and people hug each other while smearing each other’s face with paint.
The Legend of Holi
Hiranyakashyap’s who was a mighty demon who beat the gods and became the master of the universe. He had a son named Prahalad. Prahalad was hated by his father as Prahalad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu, one of the most worshipped gods among Hindus.
Prahlad was confronted many times by his father for worshipping Vishnu. The king decided to kill Prahlad. Prahlad was thrown off a cliff, attacked by the king’s soldiers, crushed by elephants and many such antics were used by Hiranyakashyap but all these attempts failed. After many failing attempts, Hiranyakashyap thought of a master plan and called his sister Holika. Holika was blessed by gods in a way that she was immune to fire, that she wouldn’t get burned. Hiranyakashyap asked her to kill his child. Holika initially hesitated to kill Prahlad but agreed when forced. Holika held Prahlad in her lap and sat in the middle of fire.
As Holika was immune to fire, they thought it would be a perfect plan, and their motive would be fulfilled. But something unexpected unfolded. As Holika was using her power for evil, her power was taken away by the gods and she was burnt to ashes. Prahalad as always was unharmed who kept chanting the name of Vishnu. Vishnu protected his greatest devotee and Prahalad escaped unhurt.
Later, Vishnu killed Hiranyakashyap by appearing as Narsingh avatar and Prahlad was crowned as the king. Narsingh was half human and half Lion. Lord Vishnu had to appear in a Narsingh avatar as Hiranyakashyap was blessed by powers that he could not be killed by any human or animal or be killed in the sky or on land.
Celebrating Holi
Holi is celebrated in March, every year. Though Holi is a Hindu festival, not much religious practices are attached with the festival. To celebrate the victory of good over evil, bonfires are lit on the first day of festival and a dummy of Holika is burnt.
The festival is welcomed by everyone in great spirits with a lot of singing and dancing involved. Holi is celebrated with much joy in North India and the Holi of Mathura is extremely famous. It starts a week before the actual festival and attracts enthusiastic people from far off places.
The morning of Holi is awaited by much anticipation especially by kids. They throw coloured water with water guns on their friends and family and some almost anyone. You will find youths (their face and hair drenched in colour and in almost unidentifiable state) on their bikes and open jeeps zooming around the cities. In the noon when everyone is done with colours, comes the time of food that has been specially prepared. People on this day usually have sweets and many even drink bhang (marijuana).
The festival of Holi is usually held around March. And the best place to visit during Holi is in Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna and Vrindavan where he spent this childhood, all of which can easily reached from Delhi. Holi is not particularly celebrated in South India.
Those travelling to India will find Holi very interesting. It’s one of its kind! Due to large numbers of Indians living in the USA and Europe, Holi and Diwali have also become popular in the West. The date of the festival changes year after so you need to check if you wish to travel to India during Holi. This year’s Holi (2013) is on the Wednesday, March 27.
Video of people playing the festival of colour, in Delhi, India
Open your heart and enjoy. You will love Holi…
This year in 2019 Holi will be celebrated on March 20 and March 21.
Hindi films are India’s best exports. People from all over the world have shown love and appreciation of Hindi cinema. Great thing about Hindi films is that it still depicts songs in its movies. Many Hindi songs from the movies are known for its melody and lyrical beauty.
If you are on your travels and looking for some melodious Hindi songs to listen to then here’s a pick of some of my favourite melodious Hindi songs. It was very difficult to pick out from a huge list of melodious songs Bollywood has to offer. But nonetheless here’s a few of the ones I would listen to for my next travels. It consists of old and new Hindi songs and all of them are melodious, easy going and pleasing to the ear. So bookmark this page so that you can come back to it later.
Melodious songs in Hindi
1. “Tere Bin” from the recent movie Simmba featuring Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan. This song has been a huge hit. Although this song is mainly in Punjabi some parts are in Hindi as well. The song is mainly directed for the Hindi speaking audience. Let me know if you thing this song is melodious or not. Singers include Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Asees Kaur and Tanishk Bagchi.
2. “Yeh zameen gaa rahi” featuring Kumar Gaurav and Poonam Dhillon from the movie Teri Kasam. It does not have many hits on YouTube but it certainly is a very melodious Hindi song. This song was sung by Amit Kumar, the son of legendary Kishore Kumar. The song got Amit Kumar nominated for the Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award.
3. “Tum ko dekha toh ye khayal aaya” sung by none other than the King of Ghazals Jagjit Singh from the movie Saath Saath. Starcast of the movie includes Farooq Shaikh and Deepti Naval. Jagjit Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 2003. The song has a lovely tune and a great melody.
4. “Thoda sa pyar hua hai” from the movie Maine Dil Tujhko Diya featuring Sohail Khan and Sameera Reddy. The song has been sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. The song has a beautiful melody and is certainly one of my favourites from this list of my best melodious Hindi songs.
5. “Jo waada kiya woh nibhana padega” sung by the legend Mohammed Rafi and India’s nightingale Lata Mangeshkar from the movie Taj Mahal. The movie Taj Mahal (1963) is based on the stories of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who built the monument Taj Mahal in remembrance for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. The movie is mostly remembered for its melodious music.
6. “Aan milo sajna” from the film Gadar starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel. The song has been sung by the Hindustani classical vocalist Ajoy Chakraborty and Parveen Sultana. Ajoy Chakraborty’s father moved to India during the partition in 1947 from now what is Bangladesh. This song is a semi-classical song and is very pleasing to listen to.
7. “Isharon isharon mein” from the film Kashmir Ki Kali featuring Sharmila Tagore and Shammi Kapoor. The music of this film was composed by O.P. Nayyar known for composing melodious Hindi songs. The movie was a huge hit in 1961. The song is still popular today.
8. “Tere mast mast do nain” from the movie Dabangg featuring the popular movie star Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha. The song has been sung by the Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Indian counterpart Shreya Ghoshal. The movie Dabangg and its song was a major box office hit.
9. “Pehla nasha” sung by Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam from the film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) featuring Aamir Khan and Ayesha Jhulka. This song has a beautiful melody and no matter how many times you listen to you it, you still enjoy it. This song is so popular that many singers have re-sung them in their own voice.
10. “Pyar ka dard hai meetha meetha” sung by the legendary singer Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle from the film Dard (1981) featuring Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini. This is a great melodious song that grows on you as you listen to it.
I hope you have enjoyed my list of best melodious Hindi songs. So next time you are on your journey then you might wish to listen to these Hindi melodious songs that I am fond off. Do you have your own list of Hindi melodious songs that you listen to when travelling then feel free to comment below?
If you want a little bit of peace and tranquillity and get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life then why not visit some of the peaceful paces India has to offer. Many people say that you don’t visit India for a holiday but you visit the place for a lifetime experience. The truth is that India is a huge place. If you want hustle and bustle then Mumbai or Delhi would be the appropriate place however if you want some peace, quietness and a bit of spirituality thrown in then you can have them in India too. So let’s take a look at some of the peaceful places to visit in India.
Kasol, Himachal Pradesh
Kasol is a small hamlet in the district of Kullu in the state of Himachal Pradesh situated on the banks of the river Parvati. It has great weather all year round. You will find Kasol very peaceful. If you love nature, wildlife and trekking then this is a very peaceful place to visit in India.
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Rishikesh is a spiritual place for Hindus. Rishikesh is situated in Dehradun district of the Indian state, Uttarakhand. It is considered as the ‘Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas’ and the yoga capital of the world. Lots of people are now visiting Rishikesh in large numbers from all over the world. However you still can get find peace in this wonderful place. You can look for Ayurvedic treatment centres and ashrams to stay. Rishikesh has plenty of camping sites on offer, just look for Rishikesh camping packages without rafting or rafting if you like those kind of things.
Kalimpong, West Bengal
There are plenty of hill stations in India. One of my favourites is Kalimpong in the state of West Bengal. While you are there you can also visit Darjeeling known for its Himalayan Railways and tea plantations. Coming back to Kalimpong; it’s a cultural centre for Buddhists. There are plenty of resorts in kalimpong where you can find yourself in a very peaceful environment. Just look for Kalimpong resorts.
Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh
Ziro is a small town in the north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh about 167 km from the capital Itanagar. In 2012, it was included in the list of UNESCO for inscription in the World Heritage Site. Not many people know about this place hence making it an ideal destination for peace and tranquillity seekers. If you love lush green meadows, green forests and amazing landscapes then Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh is the place to visit. Best time to visit Ziro valley would be in all year round making it an idea destination to get away from the harsh Indian summer. Some of the places to visit in Ziro include Tarin fish farm, Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Namdhapha National Park and the nearby pine groves.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is one of the holiest cities of India. It’s not a place that everyone would like. If you want to experience Hinduism in its raw form then Varanasi is the place to visit. If you walk the banks known as “ghats” you will see beggars, holy men, bodies being cremated and people taking a dip in the River Ganges trying to rid the sins to get moksha. However busy this place may seem, people from all over the world come to this place. If you are looking for spirituality then Varanasi is the place you should be visiting. Just look for ashrams in Varanasi. You will be surprised that there are some free ashrams in Varanasi for those seeking spirituality.
These were some of the few places if you are looking for peaceful places to visit in India in pursuit of happiness. I will be listing a few more so subscribe here for updates. If you are looking for holiday deals, car rentals and hire then try Easyrentcars to find good deals.
I am excited to announce that I have published another book related to India. This one has to be one of my favourites. The book is called, “Introduction to India: Culture and Traditions of India: India Guide Book”. The book is mainly written for those who have never been to India, or those who are travelling to India and wants to learn a few things before they travel to India.
Introduction to India People of India History of India Hinduism- The main religion of India Caste system of India Cricket – The most popular sport in India Indian food – What Indians eat and how Indian women: Arranged marriages and the dowry system Bollywood – The film industry of India The cow – India’s holy animal Best places to visit in India for cultural experience Languages of India Hindi for fun – Learn some basic Hindi Popular Festivals of India Ramayana – Epic story of right and wrong Mahabharata – The ancient epic poem of India The Taj Mahal Traditional dresses of India
You will find plenty of information about India. So if you want a copy of this book then you can buy it on all Amazon stores. Introduction to India is available as kindleebook and paperback.
Rajasthan is an Indian state that is known for its many big celebratory festivals and events that take place there each year. Although people are spread out over the state in small numbers, they all come together and forget about their troubled lives in order to celebrate the occasion. Out of all the festivals that take place in Rajasthan, the most popular one is the Diwali festival. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate light in every sense of the word. That is why it is nicknamed the Festival of Light.
Diwali fireworks
The creation of the Diwali festival can be linked to the ancient Hindu poem entitled “Ramayana.” In this poem, Lord Ram was in exile for 14 years and then finally returned to his kingdom called Ayodhya. As he arrived, there were lamps called diyas that were set up all throughout the kingdom to welcome him back. So, the tradition continued where the people in Rajasthan would set up as many illuminating objects as they could. When you go to Rajasthan on Diwali day, you will see electric lights, candles, diyas, fireworks and anything else that could possibly illuminate at night.
Johari Bazar Jaipur: Photo by Olga
Of course, Rajasthan is a big state so you might be wondering which towns and cities have the most exciting celebratory events to witness. There is no better city than the capital of Rajasthan, which is Jaipur. There you can visit the Johari Bazar at nighttime and just take a walk through this jewelry marketplace that is lit up like Broadway. Every single shop and dwelling along this marketplace will have decorative lights all over it. And if you see a piece of jewelry that catches your eye, you can purchase that too.
The Nahargarh Fort will give you a beautiful view of the entire city of Jaipur as it is lit up at nighttime during Diwali. You will see yellow lights, purple lights, and red lights spread out everywhere. The yellow lights, of course, dominate the city which is why it looks like a gold city from the point at Nahargarh Fort. Also, if you happen to travel near the Jal Mahal palace which lies in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake, then you will see the entire palace lit up out in the water too.
As a tourist, you can fly into Jaipur International Airport to land right in the middle of the festivities. You can also try Rajasthan tour package and let them find you the best places in Rajasthan. There are plenty of buses and taxis that can take you around the city and bring you to these locations where Diwali can be experienced at its best. Two roads in particular that you should travel on are Tonk Road and Mirza Ismail Road. There are so many different colored lights on these roads that it will make you feel like you’re driving down Las Vegas Blvd. The only difference is you’ll see people celebrating in the streets with live music and dancing. You’ll truly get a sense of the culture and historical significance of Diwali as you move throughout Jaipur at nighttime.
If you are in India right now then you are going to see the best fireworks you have ever seen. Every single household in India will be lighting clay lamps and cracking fireworks. Here’s a brief guide to the festival of Diwali.
Diwali (also known as Deepavali) as it is known to the world is the Hindu festival of lights. It is a five day festival but the most important is the day when fireworks are displayed. Generally, it falls between mid October to early November every year. The 2014 Diwali falls on the Thursday 23rd of October. The date is dictated by the Indian lunar calendar. Many a times it coincides with Guy Fawkes Night (5th of November) of Great Britain.
Diwali is supposed to be the celebration of the victory of good over evil. Followers of all principal Indian religions Namely Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism will celebrate Diwali. Sikhs and Jains celebrate Diwali for separate reasons. It is thought that Mahavira the “founder” or the last Jain Tirthankar of the Jain religion attained Mokhsha on Diwali while the Sikhs celebrate because the sixth guru called Guru Hargobind freed himself and other Hindu rulers on this day in October 1619 from the Muslim Mughal ruler Emperor Jahangir.
Hindus consider this the day Lord Ram came back to his kingdom of Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile. It is also the day when “Lakshmi”, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity is worshipped. Not many people know this but this was the night when Lakshmi choose Vishnu as her husband. Diwali is also the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calender.
The way Indians celebrate Diwali is by lighting row of lights all around the house. The lights typically are of clay lamps with oil as fuel but nowadays electric light and candles are used. Special prayers will be done to please “Lakshmi”. It is thought that “Lakshmi” would find her way to a house using these lights.
We eat sweets, buy new clothes and utensils, worship Lakshmi and give presents to friends and family and of course crack the fireworks.
Ask your hotel the best place to see Diwali lights. But the best way to get to know about Diwali would be to spend time with an Indian family. If you can’t, then you can always wonder around the local markets and see what’s going on.
Yoga is huge in India. You think of an ailment and there is a yoga posture for it. But that does mean that you have to do yoga just because you are ill – you just do it. The main aim of yoga is to become one with God by doing exercises related to the Hindu Samkhya philosophy (one of the six systems of doctrine held by the Hindus You can read more about it in my book – Hinduism Made Easy: Hindu Religion, Philosophy and Concepts). It was in the 1980s that yoga became popular as a system of physical exercises across the Western world. In recent years, yoga has become extremely popular in India thanks to one man called Baba Ramdev. He actually single-handedly made some yoga postures (mentioned below) a household name.
Bhang is the another name of marijuana. Bhang has traditionally been associated with the Hindu religion. It has been mentioned in the Vedas, the ancient texts of the Hindus. You will often find Sadhus or Hindu holy men having a “joint” known as the “hookah or chillum”.
The city of Varanasi or Banaras (or Kashi) as most Indians know it, is one of the holiest cities of India. It is here you will find Hinduism in its raw form. Many foreign tourists visit Banaras in large numbers to seek of spirituality. I have spent large parts of my childhood growing up in Banaras. I have seen tourists come to this place from all over India and the world. Indians come here to bathe in the holy river Ganges while foreign tourists come here to get to know about the Hindu religion. Some foreign tourists come here just to consume marijuana, one of the few places in India where you can drink bhang lassi (shake) on the streets.
If you walk on the ghats of Banaras, you simply cannot escape seeing burning pyres. These pyres are bodies of the departed. It is said that if a Hindu is cremated in Banaras, the person attains moksha or liberation from the recycle of birth.
If you do happen to be visiting Banaras, it will change the way you look at life. The majority of the cremation takes place at Manikarnika Ghat. You will see that bodies are burnt here round the clock all round the year. The ashes and remains are the collected and dispersed into the Ganges. Obviously this has damaged the river and now there is a drive to clean the river.
Some of the things will even shock you. I remember taking a walk on one of these ghats with my father and saw one man hitting the head of a dead person so that it would burn. Mind you, this is not the norm and it’s a one-off but the scene was so off putting that I still remember to this day. I do hope you do not have to witness something like this.
Here’s a glimpse of some of the scenes of burning dead bodies (Hindu cremation) at Manikarnika Ghat and this exactly what you will see if you do happen to visit Banaras. You will see something like this only in India and Nepal. Book your trip to Banaras here!
Hindu Cremation in Banaras: Photo by Ben Beiske
Can you see the smoke: Photo by Irene Turner
Manikarnika Burning Ghat, Varanasi India: Photo by Lyle Vincent
I have been to many countries but I have to admit, India has to be one of the coolest countries in the world. Living in India has been a great experience and certainly has its advantages. Basically India prepares you for everything. Here’s why.
In the past, I have mentioned numerous reasons to visit India. But it seems as if I have forgotten to mention Diwali. Thanks to the Indian Diaspora, Diwali is being celebrated around the world and people all over the globe are getting to know about this amazing Indian festival. But why not come to India to witness this amazing festival – the place where it all started.
Visiting India will not be complete without visiting an Indian home. If you intend to visit India and planning to visit someone at their home then here are some do’s and don’ts.
Clothes
If you are a woman then try to dress modestly unless you are going to a rave party in Mumbai. Most Indians are conservative by western standards and they might be offended if they see you in revealing clothes. Why not impress them and wear a salwar kameez. If you really wanted to flatter them then you can wear the saree. Here’s how to wear the saree.
Did you know that cow dung is still used in rural India for cooking? In fact, when I visit my grandparent’s home in the village (Bihar), I still see my relatives using it. If you are thinking that these poor lots are still living in the dark ages, you’ll be surprised how progressive some of these village people are.
In fact, India has produced the best civil servants, doctors and engineers in these very villages. Poor they may be, but the culture of India lies in these very villages. But then, that’s a different story altogether. Let’s talk bull sh*t for the time being.
The Hindu holy man called “sadhu” seen in this picture seems to be smoking a chillum. A chillum is a smoking device invented in India used to smoke cannabis, charas or hashish. Cannabis (often called the bhang or ganja) is illegal in India however the use of this drug is so ingrained in the culture of India that is difficult to ban it completely. You can read more about Bhang here.
You’ll be surprised to see “bhang goli” or bhang balls (cannabis balls) being sold on the streets. There are government approved shops in the holy city of Banaras (also known as Varanasi) and other holy cities where people are able to drink “Bhang Lassi” (cannabis milkshake). Bhang is particularly consumed during the festival of Holi as a yoghurt and milk based drink called “Thandai”. As far as the smoking marijuana is concerned, I have tried a few puffs of my great-granddad’s (lived 102 years) hookah (water pipe for smoking) – Didn’t like it and realised that it was not for me. I have however eaten the “bhang goli” a few times – made me laugh a lot for no apparent reason.
Coming back to the holy man in the picture, he’s wearing rudraksha beads on his wrists and gold ring with a coral stone (called moonga in Hindi) in his index finger. The rudraksha beads or rosaries are used extensively in Hindu prayers and can be worn for good luck. I have worn them as well. I can’t say it has done miracles but I have heard good things from those who wear them. The coral stone is a popular stone used in Indian astrology, it is supposed to provide strength and willingness to meet challenges during critical situations.
SMOKING BABAS – Sadhus smoking Marijuana at the Kumbh Mela
This is a ritual that would terrify most mothers. The worshippers at the shrine of Baba Sheikh Umar Saheb Dargah at the “Musti village” in the district of Solapur, in the state of Maharashtra, Western India have been carrying out this tradition to bring good luck and health to the child. If you want to see this ritual, you must visit Solapur, in the state of Maharashtra on the first of May. The tradition is also carried out in other parts of the state where the babies are tossed off the roof of temple roofs. The people of this village have been practising this for about 500 years. In Bijapur, 550 km west of Bangalore, similar practice is carried out where children between 8 months to 5 year olds are thrown from temple tops.
I think they are shy because they are told from a young age not to associate with boys. I hardly talked to boys as I went to Catholic convent school and then all women’s college. However, we aren’t shy with our family members, just other people. The shyness goes away after a while. But not all Indian women are shy, it’s all about family culture and how an Indian girl is brought up.
Did you know that India has a very vibrant Film Industry? It is considered as the biggest film industry in the world. So much so that, India’s film industry has been popularly dubbed as Bollywood. Although the main language in which the movies are produced is Hindi, almost every regional language of India has its own mini film industry catering for their respective areas.
Most of the Hindi films are produced in Mumbai or previously Bombay, the capital of the famous Maharashtra state of India. It is here that most of the movies are made and where most of the studios are situated apart from cities of Chennai and Kolkata.
Culture of India is a complex phenomenon. In its broadest sense, it includes everything a society does. It can also be limited to a particular social class (working class culture) or genre (literature, music). Still it’s always near to impossible to define what exactly a popular culture constitutes. Contrary to what may appear from outside; to Indians, there is no such thing as Indian culture in sense of a uniform manner of doing something. There is little common between the Punjabi culture with its emphasis on having fun and the Bengali culture with its emphasis on intellectualism. In the south, a person from Kerala finds the food from Andhra too spicy for their tongue. The seven states in the northeast are home to thousands of tribes and regions, each boasting of a rich history and unique culture. So the term ‘culture of India‘ has little meaning, unless it’s used an amalgamation of a score of different cultures within the country. Nonetheless, it is thought that the culture of India stems from its ancient history from the amalgamation of the Aryan nomads that migrated from the Central Asia through Afghanistan and settled in India with the natives of the valley of the Indus River of Dravidian descent.
Curry is probably the most popular Indian cuisine in the west. But its connoisseurs mostly live in the south. Curry is not as special for Indians from other parts of the country, as it is to the people in the south. A Punjabi, who loves their chapattis and a dish made from spinach, often cringes at the sight of dhokla, which is another popular dish in the south specially Gujarat. The cuisine of the omnivorous people in the north east is yet to spread to the rest of the country. The Bengalis love fish and rice, but Gujaratis prefer to stay mainly vegetarian. In Bihar, people are particularly fond of a dish called “litti chokha” stuffed with “sattu” (roasted gram flour). The South Indian “masala dosa” is cherished all over India. The point I want to emphasize is that there is no uniform Indian cuisine; there is much variety to be found here.
