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A Glimpse of India

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A Glimpse of India

India-a Diverse Nation

India is a picture of diversity seen in her people, cultures, colorful festivals, dresses and costumes, religions, flora and fauna and varying landscapes.

India is roughly one third the size of USA with a population of 1.2 Billion.

It has 29 states and 6 union territories. There are 18 official languages, 114 languages, 216 mother tongues and 900 dialects in India.

India-a Diverse Nation

Hindi

India – Major Languages

Kannada

Malyalam

Religions of India

Four major religions of the world have originated from India: Hinduism,Jainism,

Sikhism and Buddhism.

Hindu Temple Jain Temple

Sikh Gurudwara Buddhist Pagoda

Religions of India

Bahai Lotus Temple Parsi Fire Temple Jewish Synagogue

St. Paul's Cathedral Nakhoda Mosque

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

India-the Largest Democracy

India is the largest democracy in the world, seventh largest country and the second most

populous.

India-an Ancient Civilization

India is one of the oldest continuous civilizations. The story of civilization begins in India with the Harrapan civilization which was nurtured by the Sarasvati and Sindhu rivers in Northwestern India in 3000 B.C.

Dances of India

The cultural richness of India is reflected in her numerous classical and

folk dances.

Bharatnatyam is one of the seven major classical dance forms, which originated in India. It originated in the state of

Tamil Nadu.

Bharatnatyam

Kathakali

Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. It originated in

the area of southwestern India now known as the state of Kerala.

Mohiniyattam

This classical style was born

out of a clever fusion of Kathakali

with Bharatnatyam. It shows deep affinities with both

these styles.

Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi was born in a remote village of Andhra Pradesh from which it

derives its name.The style portrays various religious themes in the form of a dance drama.

Odissi

Odissi may be the earliest classical dance style of

India. Natyashastra, the most ancient and authentic text on

Indian Dance and Dramatics,also acknowledges

its existence.

It is nurtured in the famous shrines of Orissa situated at Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar.

.

Manipuri

Manipuri dance originated in Manipur. The love of Lord Krishna and Radha is the dominant theme in this dance form.

Kathak

The Kathak dance form originated in the north and at first was very similar to the Bharatanatyam.  Persian and Muslim influences later altered the dance from a temple ritual to a courtly entertainment. The  influence of the Mughal tradition is evident in this dance form.

Folk DancesDandiya - A folk dance of Gujarat. Its popularity has spread all over India.

Bhangra – This folk dance from Punjab is characterized by vigorous movements. Bhangra is a rage in India.

Folk Dances

Bihu is the folk dance of Assam.

Yakshagana is a folk dance of Karnataka. It has been revived recently.

Classical Music

Indian classical music has a rich tradition. The earliest musical compositions are attributed in the Samveda more than 4000 years ago. Indian musical instruments like sitar, tabla and sarangi are popular throughout the world today.

Yoga

Yoga originated in India more than 5000 years ago. It means union. The part of Yoga dealing with physical exercise, Hathayoga, is widely practiced throughout the world today.

Wildlife

Royal Bengal Tiger. Its habitat is the mangrove forest of the Sunderbans.

Peacock is the national bird of India.

Wildlife

Kaziranga is the home of the one-horned Rhino.

The Red Panda is found in the hills of Darjeeling.

Wildlife

The Indian elephant is smaller than its African counterpart. Elephants were extensively used in warfare in ancient times. They are still used for various temple rituals.

Monuments

The Meenakshi temple of Madurai was built by the

Pandiyan king Kulashekhara in the 14th

century.

Monuments

Jagannath temple at Puri

Monuments

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful constructions in the world.

Monuments

The Red Fort in Delhi was built by Shah Jahan in the 17th century.

The Iron pillar in New Delhi constructed 1600

years ago by Chandragupta Maurya

has been a metallurgical wonder by defying rust and the vagaries of nature.

Monuments

The Hawa Mahal of Jaipur was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in the 18th century.

Monuments

Karnataka State Assembly building, Bangalore.

Mysore Palace.

Gateway of India, Mumbai

Festivals

Ganesha Chaturthi is the most important festival of Mumbai. It is celebrated every year around September.

Festivals

The Durga Puja is celebrated in Kolkata every year around October.

Festivals

Diwali-the festival of lights-is the most popular festival in India. It is celebrated throughout the country in the month of November.

Festivals

Holi–the festival of colors-is celebrated all over India.

Scenic Beauty

Kanchenjungha, the third highest peak in the world(8598m), in the Himalayas, is the highest peak of India.

The Thar desert is located in Rajasthan.

Scenic Beauty

The backwaters of Kerala.

Ladakh is one of the coldest inhabited regions of the world.

Costumes

A lady in a saree.

Costumes

A lady in a Ghagra Choli.

A lady in a Churidar.

Costumes

Costumes

A Sikh in a turban.

Marriage

An Indian marriage ceremony.

Bathing in the Ganges

Possibly the largest religious celebration in the world..Maha Kumbh Mela.

Feb. this year..Over 30 million people attended…mostly Hindu. Every 12 years. Most auspicious time and day for a dip.

Hindu belief of this auspicious time determined by astrologers & holy men, will cleanse sins and a chance at spiritual salvation.

Caste System in India- As old as 2000 BC… evolved from the Hindu Vedic belief

- Class based society to maintain social order

- 4 class hierarchical system associated with the work you did

- Brahmin (Teacher, Priest) - Vaishyas (Merchants, Traders)

- Kshatriya (Protector, Army) - Shudras (Laborers, Skilled & Unskilled)

- Birth determined your caste

- A fifth class or untouchable …largely believed to have been made up by society itself…associated with unclean tasks such as cleaning toilets or handling garbage. Mahatma Gandhi and others fought to remove/erase.

- India is world’s largest democracy where caste subjugation is legally discriminatory.

Major Crops of India

Tea Picking

Rubber

CoconutCotton Fields

Jute

Cashew

Traditional Foods of India

Dosa and Chutney Chapati

Butter Chicken Meal

Masoor Dal

India-the Largest Film Industry

India is the largest film producing nation in the world. Each year India produces

approximately 1000 movies in 14 different languages.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport in

India.

Hockey is the national sport of India.

Sports

The game of Polo originated in

Manipur.

Kabaddi is very popular in the

villages.

Indian Customs & Traditions

Namaskar Namaskar or Namaste is the most popular form of greeting in India. It is a general salutation that is used to welcome somebody and also for bidding farewell. While doing namaskar, both the palms are placed together and raised below the face to greet a person.It is believed that both the hands symbolize one mind, or the self meeting the self. While the right hand represents higher nature, the left hand denotes worldly or lower nature.Other common forms of greetings by various communities and regions in India are - Sat-sri-akal by the Sikhs, Adaab by the Muslims, Vannakkam by the Tamilians, Juley by the Laddhakis and Tashi Delag by the Sikkimese, amongst others.

A bindi is an auspicious mark worn by young girls and women . Bindi is derived from bindu, the Sanskrit word for dot . It is usually a red dot made with vermilion powder which is worn by women between their eyebrows on their forehead. Considered a symbol of Goddess Parvati, a bindi signifies female energy and is believed to protect women and their husbands. Traditionally a symbol of marriage, it has also become decorative and is worn today by unmarried girls and women as well.

No longer restricted in colour or shape, bindis are seen in many bright colours and in different shapes and designs. They are also made of coloured felt and embellished with coloured glass or glitter.

Indian Customs & Traditions: Bindi

Is performed as an act of veneration and love. It is often performed as a mark of worship and to seek blessings from God, to welcome the guests, for children on their birthdays, family members on auspicious occasions or to welcome a newly wedded couple.For performing Arati, five small lamps called niranjanas are filled with ghee or oil and arranged in a small tray made of metal. A wick is made out of cotton wool and placed in the lamps. A conch shell filled with water, auspicious leaves or flowers, incense or lighted camphor are also placed in the tray. The lamps are lit and the tray is rotated in a circular motion in front of the deity or the person to be welcomed. The purpose of performing arati is to ward off evil effects and the malefic influence of the ‘evil eye’.

Indian Customs & Traditions: Arati

Is a necklace made of black beads, worn only by the married women as a mark of being married. It is the Indian equivalent of the western wedding ring.The mangalsutra is tied by the groom around his bride's neck. Mangalsutra is generally made out of two strings of small black beads with a gold pendant. The black beads are believed to act as protection against evil.

The married women wear this to protect their marriage and the

life of their husband. In southern India, the mangalsutra is called 'tali'. It is a small gold ornament, strung on a cotton cord or a gold chain.

Indian Customs & Traditions: Mangalsutra

Flower garlands are generally offered as a mark of respect and honour. They are offered to welcome the visitors or in honour of the Gods and Goddesses. The garlands are generally made with white jasmine and orange marigold flowers. They are weaved in thread tied in the end with a help of a knot.

Indian Customs & Traditions: Garlanding

The End