the topic of national language have always been a raging topic especially here in south for the past century or so.the imposition of an alien language or a culture is always detested by those on whom it is imposed . the world outside the hindi heart land is no exception. hindi which is our national language is spoken by 40% of the population,which again is of different dialects and sub languages.hindi in its present form is one of the youngest languages and in literary content one of the least developed,but many of the regional languages like Tamil or Bengali is rich both historically and in language.even the youngest of the regional languages – Malayalam had evolved into its standard form centuries before Devanagari was adopted for Urdu. the imposition of such a language over these well established ones was one of the greatest mistakes done by the post independent india.hindi after splitting from Urdu started to adopt words from Sanskrit so that it can mask its persianness .but the hindi used in daily life was more or less same as Urdu which is alien to most parts of the country.

english on the other hand is the language of the world.every one needs to study that to succeed in life,its like the modern persian. but the adoption of english as the national language will affect india’s future position as a global power. our use of english as a medium can only make us inferior to the Anglo saxon power block. their  attitude towards india is more evident in the british media and legalization of english can only legitimize their colonial mentality.

in this scenario i would like to propose the use of Sanskrit as the link language between the indian populace .it is the bed rock of all languages including the three of the four southern languages.moreover every one need to learn a second language and there will be a level playing field for all.even tamil have 20-30% of its words from Sanskrit.the use of an indigenous language can act as an advantage when india develops and can act as its soft power as english is doing for america.the use of sanskrit can decrease the fear of extinction or inferiority that may languages face as they can flourish in their own ways.

the religious tone of Sanskrit is the main disadvantage of the language. this can be overcome by developing the language in the secular front , new secular literature can be written in Sanskrit or many of the best secular literature of other languages could be translated to it. this can give an added advantage as people in different parts of the country can get to know about each other. think about this – parts of thirukural being studied in a school in Punjab  or geetanjali taught in Kerala, that too  in Sanskrit.

there will be oppositions to my view but adoption of english can only make us colonial puppets and that of hindi will be a crime done to other  languages which have a huge literary history.

PC users can now enter text in Indian languages, easy and quick. Microsoft recently showcased the set of tools for Indian languages at the Microsoft India Development Center in Hyderabad.

Microsoft To Introduce Input Tools For Indian Languages

These tools have been engineered by the Emerging Markets Labs (EM Labs) team of the Microsoft India Development Center (MSIDC) and the technology can be leveraged to support other syllabic languages beyond Indian languages…Click on for more…….

Courtesy From www.crn.in

We are going to Ujjain.

The word Ujjain brings to mind Mahakavi Kalidas.

In pure lyrical quality, he is way ahead of all the poets of the world. Shakespeare is a better dramatist, a philosopher and an observer of character. But when it comes to poetic charm, I vote for Kalidas. Upama Kalidasassia. His simile is superb. Shakuntalam, a love story, has been translated into several Indian languages.

According to legend, he was an idiot, but was blessed by Kali and became Kalidas. The Kali temple, where the poet received the blessings of the Goddess, is still there. He was one of the nine Jewels who were guests of the King Vikramaditya.

Ujjain is famous for Shiva as Mahakal and is one of the places where Kumbhamela is held.

It is well connected by rail and road.

There are so many languages in India, that scholars are yet to study, catalog and trace the origins of most. It is indeed a tragedy that the source of India’s ancient history and the culture of its people have only been studied in light of religious texts. While Indians themselves often trace their roots and history to the tradition of the Vedas, Western Scholars have viewed it in the light of the bible, a view point that often defeats and even shuns many facts to keep the Bible validated. However, the last two decades have seen a rise in a more objective study of the region and its people.

Most North Indian languages are members of the Indo-European family brought to India by Aryans. And no, we’re not talking about invading hordes of blond, blue-eyed Nazis of Nordic origins here. That was a myth perpetuated to further an agenda that any self-respecting Indian historian and scholar will flatly deny as a European myth. We’re talking about the real deal, a natural human migration that occurred over centuries. Caravans of horse-mounted nomadic tribesmen from Eurasia, accompanied by family and cattle crossed peacefully over into India, back in the stone ages in search of greener pastures and more. Today’s Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Gujrati, Marathi, Oriya, Bengali and Assamese are all descendants of Sanskrit, a language that evolved from Indo-European Aryan-speak.

South India speaks Dravidian languages like Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Tulu. Unrelated to Sanskrit and considered to be a branch that developed independently in India, the 85 Dravidian languages are construed by many to be the true Indian tongues. While these languages do share a few common concepts with Sanskrit (possibly spread by the study of the Vedas), they are entirely different from the Indo-European languages of the north, in syntax, script and origin. It is believed that Dravidian dialects were spoken not only in South India but also in Central, Western and North-east India, and even as far as Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. This reinforces the belief of some schools of thought that claim the Dravidians were the original probably aboriginal inhabitants of India, pushed down south by the arrival of the Aryans from the north. Others believe this proves a relation between the Dravidian languages and the Uralic Languages of Eastern and Central Europe. Whatever the truth be, Dravidian languages have ancient origins that have not been traced in their entirety yet.

Towards the North-east, many Indians speak Tibeto-Burman languages such as Bodo, Newari and Manipuri. And most surprisingly, here and there, scattered across the Indian heartlands, are endangered tribes like the Santhal of West Bengal who speak a near forgotten Munda tongue of the Austro-Asiatic language while the Nicobarese speak a language that descends from the Mon-Khmer branch of the same. Even today, there are unclassified languages like Nihali from Maharastra and in the Himalayas.



There’s this overused cliché about the sub-continent, “India is the land of diversity”. This applies to pretty much everything in India and it is one of the few ways to sum up India in a single line. And why not? No one seems to speak the same language in India and often folks can’t communicate with their neighbors 100 km down the road. Every language has multiple mother-tongues or dialects. Indians speak a sum collective of over 1500 languages and dialects, spread over four linguistic families. Practically everyone is bi-lingual. Many illiterate folks who can’t even read happen to know at least three different languages!

To create a unified national image, the country’s founders voted for a common national language. As Hindi and its dialects (some which are so far from Hindi they are entirely different mother tongues) are spoken by over 40% of India’s total population, it became the national language. But of course, this turned out to be a rather inane idea as the rest of India who had no clue what Hindi was, got queasy about being forced to learn an entirely new language – some were more comfortable with the Queen’s English!

To top it all, by dividing India into states along lingual lines, the new Indian leadership managed to omit the evils of old monarchy, but also managed to create a new faction of divisional politics based on regional pride. In such a scenario, the constitution had to grow to embrace Hindi as the official language with English as a second language to ease the burden on the rest of non-Hindi-speaking India. Despite these gestures of appeasement, regular anti-establishment riots and outbursts by regional political parties take place in support of the mother tongue. The Tamil and Maratha regional parties are especially notorious in this regard. Today the constitution recognizes official regional languages and states are allowed to conduct official business in 22 different languages.

In recent times, there has been a renewed interest in languages undergoing endangerment. Year 2008 being the international year of languages, has put sharper limelight on the plight of these languages. We must be aware here that centuries of our ignorance and marginalization has not only resulted in death of hundreds of these languages but also in the loss of the precious bio-cultural heritage accumulated over several thousands of years. Disciplines of Language documentation and language revitalization has emerged  as a response to this problem.  There has been some new developments recently on this front. UNESCO has been engaged in preparation of a new atlas of the endangered languages of the world.

The project is UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.

This project has been given shape under the leadership of renowned linguist Dr Chris Mosley. Norwegian Government has played a considerable role in this project by being a major fund giver.

Visit this website for more information

http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00139

Recently Center for Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi organized and hosted an enlightening seminar focused on ‘Language Archiving in the 21st Century‘ (27th October 2009). The seminar was attended by Dr.Chris Mosley (UNESCO), Dr Peter Austin (SOAS London), Dr Anvita Abbi (JNU, Chief Organizer and chairperson), Dr Pramod K Pandey (JNU organizer), Dr K Subbarao (Delhi University), Dr Girish Nath Jha (JNU), Dr Veneeta Dayal (Rutgers University), Dr Chaitra Puttaswamy(IIT Kanpur), Ms Kalika Bali (Microsoft Research), Dr Ayesha Kidwai (JNU organizer), Dr Shreenathan (Dravidian University, Kuppam), Mr Pramod Kumar (JNU), Dr Gail Coelho (Australia), Mr Abhishek Avtans (CIH, Agra) and Mr Mayank Jain among others. The seminar was followed by a sumptmous dinner hosted by Center for Linguistics for participants and language lovers at JNU cafeteria.

Prior to seminar day Prof Peter Austin delivered a special public talk on the state of Linguistics and Language Documentation (26th October 2009) at JNU Campus

To view the detailed program of the seminar click below

Program_Language Archiving in the 21st Century

3000 kms of riding through India changes many things in you. Some changes were expected. Many were not.

The most surprising change that happened, was in my opinion of the Indian govt. Surprised?

I got to see many many faces of India on my trip, which existed previously only in my imagination. And with this “actualization” of the many Indias, came a new found respect for the government. Specifically, the Indian Government.

Why, you ask?

Do you know how many people India has?

Do you know how many different people you have met in your ENTIRE life? If you are pretty sociable, a few thousand.

Try and recall the most number of people you have ever seen together, at a single moment. Probably a lakh, if you have been to a live cricket match.

Now multiply that by 10000.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is still less than the population of India. More than 116 crores.

If you met 1000 new people every day, it would take you more than 3194 years to meet them all.

Oh, and thats hoping that they are not reproducing at the rate of 1.548%.

Do you know how many roads there are in India?

Do you know how much you commute from your home to your office/college? 5 kms? 10kms? 15 kms?

Now imagine doing that 10 km commute 6500 times. That will give you the approximate number of National highways in India.

But oh wait! That only constitutes 2% of the entire road network. So that makes it… umm… 3250000 kms of roads all over India.

If you covered 20 kms everyday, and never covered the same road twice, you would have to be on the roads for more than 445 years to cover it all. Assuming of course, that the Indian govt does not build any more roads in the meantime.

Do you know how many villages there are in India?

Do you know how many villages you have ever been to, in your entire life? Zero? 1? 5? 10? 20?

If you visited a new village EVERY SINGLE DAY, it would take you around 1749 YEARS to cover them all.

Yes, there are 638,365 villages in India.

Do you know how many people do not have access to electricity in India?

According to this, 47% of the rural population are still NOT using electricity as their main source of lighting.

If everyday, 1000 more people were given access to electricity, it would still take around 1096 years to reach all of them.

Yes, there are 400 million in India, without access to electricity.

Do you know how many languages are spoken in India?

How much time did it take you to learn a new language, the last time you tried? 1 year? 2 years?

If you learnt 1 new Indian language every year, it would take you more than 262 years. Assuming you already know English.

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And the Indian Government is supposed to take care of ALL of this?! While we, the “intelligentsia”, sit in our comfortable homes, twiddle our thumbs, and accuse it of not-functioning?

Yes, I know it is slow work. But it IS working!

Yes, I know it should do more. But it IS doing SOMETHING!

Yes, I know criticism is just a way of pushing the changes forward. But cannot WE do something more too?

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UPDATE: Really liked this video. Click here.

http://yadusingh.wordpress.com/2009/10/03/ten-point-charter-of-fisai-and-many-disagree-with-this-impractical-charter/

FISA presents itself as an association of Indian students in Australia. It had published a 10 points charter of demands.

 In addition to many impractical demands contained in this 10 point charter, it is canvassing for the help lines or hot lines in all Indian languages.

I am bemused and perplexed with this demand.

What is wrong with help line in English, FISA leaders? After all, students have passed IELTS exam which means they have proficiency in  English and Australia is an English speaking country!

May be, FISA leaders can explain their thought process!

For details on FISA’s charter, please click “FISA” category in this site.

Yadu Singh/Sydney/23rd Oct, 2009

Who amongst the best of men does not desire fluency in all languages?

Since surely he who is rich in knowledge flourishes in a royal court.

Those who are renowned in all places and skilled in all subjects,

they are certainly not ill-educated in any tongue. –Minister Salaksa, 1365 C.E. in Sabdavilasa

(Audrey) This exhortation to learn multiple languages translates well into modern India. No exaggeration, hundreds oflanguages are spoken here and the state officially recognizes 22 of them for administrative and other purposes. Here’s a map that goes some way to illustrating the prevalence of different tongues in different regions.

Perhaps unsurprisingly then, many Indians grow up bilingual or even trilingual (the most common combination being their mother tongue, English, and Hindi). And what do they get for it? Well, according to Mr. Salaksa, they get money, fame, and knowledge. For Salaksa, money was concentrated in royal courts; in modern times, that may have shifted to business, finance, and the IT sector, but knowledge of other languages, now notably English, remains crucial. Fame often comes with money, and enhanced knowledge remains perhaps the greatest reason to delve into another linguistic realm.

Despite the relevance to modern times, Minister Salaksa didn’t direct his words towards modern ears of course. He wrote in the fourteenth century and perhaps more importantly, he wrote in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the ancient literary language of India. Think of Greek and Latin combined, then enhance and expand it, and you’ve got something like the Sanskrit literary realm in fourteenth century India. But one thing about Sanskrit, it was a bit of an exclusivist club. Sanskrit intellectuals wrote on many occasions that the first qualification for producing something worth reading was that it be written in, you guessed it, Sanskrit. No vernaculars, no foreign tongues, just what was often termed “the language of the gods”, who name itself means “perfectly formed” or “pure”, Sanskrit.

This closed doors set-up didn’t exactly suit Mr. Salaksa, who was seeking to write an early version of a dictionary between Persian and Sanskrit. The above verses are part of his justification for doing so. To put his point more bluntly: Sanskrit may be the language of the gods, but the gods don’t pay nearly as well as Persian-speaking rulers, so study up and you won’t regret it.

Personally, I’ve taken Salaksa’s advice quite to heart. But I seem to have come into the game a few centuries too late to capitalize on the golden opportunities of which he speaks. But no matter, I may not receive great amounts money or fame for my efforts to learn both Sanskrit and Persian, but I’ve still got the most valuable reward, the knowledge itself. And, of course, Mr. Salaksa leaves out the best part—it’s a whole lots of fun to travel around learning all this stuff!

Dances of Kerala/Dance Form of Kerala – Kerala Dance is a state that dances to the rhythms of nature. Dance is an integral part of Kerala life-style and Kerala Dance. They reflect their mood, temperaments, believes and adherences through folk dances and Kerala Dance. That is why, these dances always appear in religious patterning. Some dances are exclusive for men and some for women while some of them are performed by both together. Most of the Dance Form of Kerala are performed to the accompaniment of songs and some only with musical instruments in Dance Form of Kerala. They are performed sometimes by a single performer and sometimes in group of Dances in Kerela. Costume and ornaments are the most fascinating aspect which manifests their peculiar cultural and regional identity of Dances in Kerala. There are more than fifty well-known folk dances in Kerala, among them, most popular are:

Kathakali – Kerala in India Travel Tours

Dances in Kerela – The most well known dance drama performed with large, elaborate makeup and costumes in Kerala in India Travel Tours.

Dances of Kerala – It is the classical dance drama of Kerala, which dates from the 17th century and is rooted in the Hindu mythology. It is unique combination of acting, dancing, painting, literature, music and so on. It literally means ‘story-play’, it is means of enacting the story in form of a dance. Kathakali in its origin, is performed even today at the famous Sree Krishna temple in Guruvayoor as an offering to the Lord.

Mohiniattam – Kerala Dances
Mohiniattam is one of the oldest dance form of Kerala in India Travel Tours, exclusively performed by women and known for its very sensual themes in Kerala Dance.

Mohiniyattam is a traditional South Indian dance form from Kerala, India. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The word “Mohiniattam” literally means “dance of the enchantress”. Mohiniattam may have been coined after Lord Vishnu. There are two stories of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini.

Thiruvathirakali
Also known as Thiruvathirakali, a popular symmetric group of dance by the women of kerala often during the festive season of Onam in Kerala Dance.

Kuravar Kali
A performance of lower class of people, who were not permitted to enter the premise of temples in Kerala Dance.

Kaliyattom
Kaliyattom, also called Theyyam, is a sacred dance performed for Kali from an ancient time. It is believed to be effective in the safety of society and family in Kerala Dances Tour.

Padayani
Annual ritualistic festival celebrated in Bhadrakali temples with due dedications, the remains of ancient Dravidian God concept and mode of worship in Kerala Dances Tour.

Kolkali
A mixed dance, men and women both participate, performed in a circle while striking small sticks and keeping rhythm with special steps in Kerala Dances Tour.

Parichamuttukali
It is a martial art form performed by the Christians of northern and central Kerala.

Thumpi Thullal
This is a dance in which only women can participate and it is usually performed in connection with the Onam festival. All the girls are dressed in a special type of dress known as Onakkodi dress and dance in a circle. At the centre of the circle the acting performer sits down and she starts few lines of song while others follow in chorus.

Kummi Dance
This is women dance still famous in many parts of Kerala. The dancers move in a circular direction and the hand gestures denote reaping and harvesting process of work. One of the women from a group leads with a favourite song while the rest of the group repeats it afterwards. Each performer renders a new line as their turn comes and the dance stops when all members get tired or bored.

Temples in Warangal Andhra Pradesh – The quondam capital of the Kakatiya Rulers, Warangal has played a crucial role in development of the Telugu culture. The rulers of the aforementioned dynasty were great patronages of art and architecture. And their artistry is evident today in the historical edifices specially in the temples. The 1000-pillar Warangal Temples India is much popular with tourists. The town has other attractions as museums, gardens and lakes. Ancient City of Temples in Warangal experiences a temperate climate. The pleasant weather of the town makes it an all-the-year-round destination.

Tourist Attractions – Ancient City of Temples
» Warangal Fort : Built by the Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva and his daughter Rudramma during the 13th century, the Warangal Fort remind us of the Kaktiya dynasty and skills of the earlier architects.

» Thousand Pillar Temple (Warangal Temples India): The Thousand Pillar Temple was built by Rudra Deva in 1163 AD. A brilliant representative of the Kaktiya architecture, the temple has three shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Shiva and Surya.

» Bhadra Kali Temple : Sitting on a hilltop, the Bhadra Kali Temple, as the name suggests, is dedicated to goddess Kali. The stone image with eight arms, with a weapon in each, is worth seeing.

» Siddeshwara Temple : The temple dates back to the 3rd century. It is one of Pachimadwara Muka temples meaning a temple that has its entrance from the western side.

Accommodation – Warangal Temples India
Warangal offers stay options ranging from luxury to economy class hotels. The hotels offer air-conditioned rooms that come along with all the modern amenities and are tastefully appointed. Some of the preferred hotels in Warangal include Hotel Ashoka, Hotel Ratna, Maheshwara Lodge, Vijaya Lodge etc.

The rulers of the aforementioned dynasty were great patronages of art and architecture. And their artistry is evident today in the historical edifices specially in the temples. The 1000-pillar Warangal Temples India is much popular with tourists. The town has other attractions as museums, gardens and lakes. Ancient City of Temples in Warangal experiences a temperate climate.

Arts and crafts in Andhra Pradesh has a glorious past and rich present in creativity and achievement as its distinctive identity in historical monuments, sandy beaches, ancient temples, wild life sanctuaries and corporate destinations Andhra Pradesh arts and crafts. There have been generations and skilled craftsmen who worked on the ordinary materials and transformed them into objects of rare beauty. Their creative skills crowned the state with great honor and good name to them Andhra Pradesh arts and crafts.

Andhra Pradesh arts and crafts have a honor of giving world some rarest forms of performing arts, handlooms and curios arts and crafts information on Andhra Pradesh. The world famous classical dance Kuchipudi was born here. The art of dying with vegetable, oils and colors, known as Kalamkari, is growing with wide acceptability in the world arts and crafts information on Andhra Pradesh. Silk sarees woven in the state rank the top position in the world. The handicrafts occupy a special place and has a timeless appeal arts and crafts information on Andhra Pradesh.

The state andrapradesh arts & crafts information guide has its claim on some of the most distinguished crafts like the Kalamkari work, Cherial and Nirmal paintings, Kondapalli Toys, Etikoppaka, and Nirmal Toys and Pembarthi work andrapradesh arts & crafts information guide. The tribal women Banjaras do such magical mirror embroidery that it won as respected name as “Banjara Embroidery”. The craft of Stone sculpture in Lepakshi village has taken a position that refreshes the memories of Vijay Nagar period. Andhra Pradesh has a place of pride in floor coverings also Andhra Pradesh arts & crafts information guide. The carpets of Eluru and Warangal have won national and international acclaim.

Andhra Pradesh holds a rich tradition in handicrafts, with techniques of craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation.

* India has never invaded any country in the last 10,000 years of her history.

* The world’s first university, established in Taxila in 700 B.C., had 10,500 students from all over the world studying more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda, dating from 4th century B.C., is acknowledged as one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

* Sanskrit, through Latin, is accepted as the mother of all European languages. A 1987 report in Forbes magazine said Sanskrit was the most suitable language for computer software.

* Although modern images of India show poverty and underdevelopment, it was the richest country on earth until the arrival of the British. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India’s wealth. According to the Gemological Institute of America, until 1896 India was the world’s only source of diamonds.

* There is no doubt that chess was an Indian invention, in the form of Shatranj or Ashta Pada. Polo originated in Manipur.

* The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 6,000 years ago. The very word navigation has been derived from the Sanskrit naugatih. The earliest dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra. According to the Saka King Rudradaman I, a beautiful lake called Sudarshan was constructed on the hills of Raivataka in Chandragupta Maurya’s time.

* A century-old suspicion that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Chandra Bose and not Marconi now stands proven.

* Ayurveda is the oldest school of medicine, codified by Charaka 2,500 years ago. Sushruta, the father of surgery, conducted complicated procedures dealing with cataracts, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery, caesarian section and brain surgery 2,600 years ago. The use of anesthesia was known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical instruments were in use.

* Algebra, trigonometry and calculus originated here. The quadratic equation was solved by Shridharacharya in the 11th century. The value of pi was first calculated by Bodhayana, who also discovered the Pythagorean theorem in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians. The solar year was calculated as 365.258756484 days by Bhaskaracharya in the 5th century, hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart.

* India contributed the numeral 0 to the number system, innovated by Aryabhatta. The place value system and the decimal system were developed in India in 100 B.C. The Greeks and Romans contented themselves with rather small numbers, while the Hindus (the then inhabitants of the land of Sapta Sindhu) used units as big as 10 to the power of 53 with specific names as early as 5,000 B.C. Today the largest unit is tera, or 10 to the power of 12.

Indian food is different from rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods. It reflects a perfect blend of various cultures and ages. Just like Indian culture, food in India has also been influenced by various civilizations, which have contributed their share in its overall development and the present form.

Foods of India are better known for its spiciness. Throughout India, be it North India or South India, spices are used generously in food. But one must not forget that every single spice used in Indian dishes carries some or the other nutritional as well as medicinal properties.

West Indian Food

In western India, the desert cuisine is famous for its unique taste and varieties of food. Rajasthan and Gujarat are the states that represent the desseert flavor of Indian food. Here an immense variety of dals and achars (pickles/preserves) is used that simply substitutes the relative lack of fresh vegetables in these areas.

In the states like Maharashtra, the food is usually a mix of both north as well as south cooking styles. Here people use both the rice and the wheat with same interest. Along the coastline of Mumbai a wide variety of fishes is available. Some of the delicious preparations include dishes like the Bombay Prawn and Pomfret.

In Goa, that is further down towards south, one can notice Portuguese influence in the cooking style as well as in the dishes. Some of the major dishes of this regiun are the sweet and sour Vindaloo, duck baffad, sorpotel and egg molie etc.

East Indian Food

In the eastern India, the Bengali and Assamese styles of cooking are noticeable. The staple food of Bengalis is the yummy combination of rice and fish. Usually the Bengalis love eating varieties of fishes. A special way of preparing the delicacy known as ‘Hilsa’ is by wrapping it in the pumpkin leaf and then cooking it. Another unusual ingredient that is commonly used in the Bengali cooking is the ‘Bamboo Shoot’. Various sweets prepared in this region, by using milk include the ‘Roshogollas’, ‘Sandesh’, ‘Cham-cham’ and many more.

South Indian Food

In the southern India, the states make great use of spices, fishes and coconuts, as most of them have coastal kitchens. In the foods of Tamil Nadu use of tamarind is frequently made in order to impart sourness to the dishes. It simply distinguishes the Tamil Food from other cuisines.

The cooking style of Andhra Pradesh is supposed to make excessive use of chilies, which is obviously to improve the taste of the dishes.

In Kerala, some of the delicious dishes are thelamb stew and appams, Malabar fried prawns, Idlis, Dosas, fish molie and rice puttu. Another famous item of this region is the sweetened coconut milk. Yet another dish is Puttu, which is glutinous rice powder steamed like a pudding in a bamboo shoot.

Traditional Indian dress varies across the regions in its colors 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 salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama and European-style trousers and shirts for men, are also popular.

Traditional Indian family values are highly respected, although urban families now prefer the nuclear family structure due to the socio-economic constraints imposed by traditional joint family system.

India is a land of colour and diverse cultures, so obvious in the varied dresses that adorn its people. Indian dressing styles are marked by many variations, both religious and regional with a wide choice of textures and styles. The many hued sari draped gracefully in different styles, brightly mirrored cholis, colorful lehangas and the traditional salwar-kameez have all fascinated the traveller to India.

The sari, simple, understated yet supremely elegant is increasingly becoming a fashion statement in urban India. One of the most commonly worn traditional dresses, it is essentially a rectangular cloth measuring about 6 yards, though in Maharashtra, women wear the nine yard sari which is passed through the legs and tucked in at the back. The sari comes in a profusion of colours, textures and designs, determined largely by the region. There are several ways of draping a sari, which is first wound around the waist, before being pleated seven or eight times at the centre and tucked into the waistband. These pleats are called the patli. The remaining sari, called the pallu is then pleated again and draped across the left shoulder to fall gracefully behind. There are regional variations, like in Gujarat, the pallu comes from the back, and drapes across the front over the right shoulder. The sari is worn with a tight-fitting choli or blouse. The style and length of the choli varies according to fashion trends and from region to region.

The traditional dress for women in Rajasthan and Gujarat is the lehenga choli or ghagra choli. These cholis are brightly embroidered, waist-length bare-backed blouses. Ghagras or lehengas are gathered ankle-length skirts secured around the waist. The attire is completed by a veil-cloth called odhni or dupatta draped across the neck or over the head. The lehenga-choli or ghagra choli is extremely colourful, adding verve and colour to the surrounding landscapes. Tribal women in theses area bedeck themselves from head to toe with chunky silver jewellery.

A popular, comfortable and convenient dress is the salwar kameez or churidar kurta. This was traditonally the dress worn in Punjab, but is now worn almost everywhere, particularly among the younger generations. The kameez or the kurta is a knee-length flowing tunic worn over a salwar or churidar. A salwar is a pyjama-like trouser which tapers slightly towards the ankles, while the churidar is a tight-fitting trouser which gathers at the ankles. These gathers at the ankles look like bangles (churis) and hence the name. A dupatta generally completes the ensemble.

Men are considerably less traditional when it comes to dressing.

In villages men generally wear kurtas, a knee length shirt-styled tunic, with lungis, dhotis or pyjamas. The lungi originated in the south but is now worn all over india. It is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. A dhoti is longer than a lungi, has sari style pleats and is draped through the legs. In states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Maharashtra men wear a safa or turban on their heads. Elsewhere too, various kinds of topis are It is a long scarf which is wound round the head in different ways. The Pathani suit is very similar to the salwar-kameez and is generally worn by men in north India. The Achkan is a long collarless jacket worn over a churidar for formal occasions.

In India, as elsewhere, accessories are an integral part of the ritual of dressing. The world over, Indian women are associated with the ‘dot’ in the middle of their forehead, called Kum Kum or bindi. Traditionally round, the bindi is now available in various colours, shapes and sizes. A bindi was traditionally a sign of marriage, or in some states, was worn as soon a s a girl reached young adulthood. Today it is for the most part an adornment. Vermilion or sindoor applied at the parting of the hair indicates a married woman.

A traditional Indian woman is rarely seen without jewellery. A mangal-sutra, a necklace made with black and gold beads is considered sacred, and in many areas is always worn by a married woman. Many women, particularly in the rural areas of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat wear ornately crafted nose-rings. Gold, silver or colourful glass bangles are another favourite, dating from the tradition of never having your hands bare. Women in Rajasthan wear bangles that go all the way to their shoulders. Indian women generally have their ears pierced, and commonly sport ear-rings.

Indian Festivals: Many Indian festivals are religious in origin, although several are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed. Some popular festivals are Diwali, Thai, Holi, Onam, Vijayadasami, Durga Puja, Eid up-Fitr, Bakr-id, Christmas, Buddha Jayanti and Vaisakhi. India has three national holidays. 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.

Diwali

About Diwali-The festival of Diwali reminds us of the festive season of joy, splendor, enthusiasm and happiness. It is the festival of lights and is celebrated with great excitement by all Indians all over the world. The uniqueness of the festival is that it is celebrated for five days and each of the days has a special significance and importance. Each of the five days is based of five varied philosophies, with each day to a special thought or ideal. The first day of Diwali is called the Dhanteras, Dhanwantari Triodasi or Dhantryaodashi, which falls on the thirteenth day of the month of Ashwin. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurveda for mankind. This day marks the beginning of Diwali celebrations. On this day at sunset offerings are made of sweets during worship time to Lord Yama (the Lord of Death) for the protection from untimely death. It is mainly done near a Tulsi tree (basil tree) or any other sacred tree.

Holi

About Holi- The festival of Holi is the celebration of colors in our lives. The festival has different aspects to its celebration. Like it is a celebration of good over evil, a carnival of colors, a community festival, a secular festival and a tradition of ancient spring rites. The main celebration takes place on the full moon day of Phalguna. The real essence behind its celebration is the community flavors of it that bridges the social gap. People of all religion and caste color each other with gulal and other form of dyes. They also visit homes, distribute sweets and greet each other. Men, women, adult and children all take part in dances and other cultural programs. It’s the time of the year when roadside stalls throughout the country bear tables covered with bags of colorful powder, called gulal. Holi, is the exuberant festival of color.

Pongal

About Pongal-India is a land of festivals. It is so rich in culture and traditions that each and every festival has a traditions attached to it. It is regarded as one of the monst important festival of South India. A majority of Indian population depends on agriculture. As a result, most of the festivals are also related to the agricultural activities of the people. Pongal is one such festival. It is also known as harvest festival. These festivals are celebrated with different names and rituals in almost all the states of India. Pongal is one of such highly revered festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu to mark the harvesting of crops by farmers. Held in the middle of the month January, it is the time when the people get ready to thank God, earth and their cattle for the wonderful harvest and celebrate the occasion with joyous festivities and rituals.

Dussehra

About Dussehra-Dussehra is regarded one of the most significant and important Hindu festivals, celebrated across the nation with much fervor and gaiety. The festival marks the victory of Lord Ram over demon king Ravana, which means the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. Beautifully decorated tableaux and processions depicting various episodes from Ram’s life are taken out on the streets. The tenth day or the Vijayadasami, is considered to a very important day. Effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnad are burnt in open spaces. Actors dressed as Ram, his wife Sita and brother Lakshman arrive and shoot arrows of fire at these effigies, which are stuffed with firecrackers. As a part of the celebration Ram Lila (drama depicting the episodes from the lives of Ram, Sita and Lakshman) are staged in different regions of the country. It is celebrated in different manner across the country. Besides Bengal and Central India, Dussehra Parva is celebrated in other Indian states with equal zeal and enthusiasm though with regional differences.

Onam

About Onam-Onam is regardedas the most important the biggest festival of Kerala. But, there is a lot more to Onam than being just a festival. Onam reflects the faith of the people of Kerala; A belief in their legendary past, religion and power of worship. It shows the high spirit of the people who go out of the way to celebrate the festival in the prescribed manner and a grand fashion. It portrays the true cultural heritage and past of Kerala. All the rituals and traditions associated with the festival shows how rich is the heritage of India. Onam is celebrated as a harvest festival. It is celebrated at a time when everything appears so wonderful. The beautiful landscape of Kerala can be seen in its full radiance at this time of the Malayalam New Year. Weather, it seems, also seeks to be a part of the festival. It contributes by becoming pleasantly warm and sunny. Fields look brilliant with a bountiful harvest. Farmers feel on top of the world as they watch the result of their hard labor with pride. The festival showcases the unity among people.

Rakhi

About Rakhi-In every sense Raksha Bandhan is a true Indian festival. Rakhi is all about human emotions it’s a celebration of love and care among siblings. It portrays the true picture of our rich cultural heritage and traditions. With the passage of time it is the celebration styles and perspective that has become contemporary but the customs, traditions and rituals is the same till date. Still today also the rituals are followed with the same respect and enthusiasm. Through out the country the festival is known as Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan but owing to its varied legends and significance RakshaBandhan is known by different names in different states of India, by different communities. The significance and the way it is celebrated also varies with the regions. It is primarily regarded as a North and West Indian Festival but is celebrated in other parts of India as well though the day of Shravan Purnima or Rakshabandhan has a different significance in southern and coastal regions. It is celebrated as Rakhi Purnima in the northern and northwestern parts of India. Here it is celebrated as the bond of love between a brother and a sister.

India is a federal republic of twenty-eight states and seven Union Territories. All states and the two union territories of Pondicherry and the National Capital Territory of Delhi have elected governments. The other five union territories have centrally appointed administrators and hence are under direct rule of the President. In 1956, under the States Reorganization Act, states were formed on a linguistic basis. Since then, this structure has remained largely unchanged. Each state or union territory is divided into basic units of government and administration called districts. There are nearly 600 districts in India. The districts in turn are further divided into tehsils and eventually into villages.

1. Indian State of Andhra Pradesh

The state of Andhra Pradesh is one of the favorable tourist states of India with breathtaking natural beauty, exotic beaches, hill stations, wild life sanctuaries, temples and monuments. Andhra Pradesh is also known as the “Rice Granary of India” is the third largest state of India in terms of area and population and bordered by the Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, Tamil Nadu to the south, the Bay of Bengal in the East and Karnataka to the west. The city of Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh which is becoming one of the Hi-tech cities of India and often called as Cyberabad because of its largest IT Park. Andhra Pradesh has also the largest Film City in Asia

2. Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh has been divided into 15 districts and has Itanagar as its capital. Its economy is mostly agricultural. The forest-products are the next most significant sector of the economy. Its service sector boasts of Real Estate, Consultancies, Travel and Tourism, and Construction. It has many hotels to cater to the needs of tourists.

3. Indian State of Assam

Assam, a northeastern state of India has Dispur as its capital., It is divided into 23 districts and consists of northern Brahmaputra valley, the middle Karbi and Cachar hills and the southern Barak Valley, Assam is a multi-etnic society. Forty Five different languages are spoken by various communities of Assam.The flora, fauna, wildlife and rivers of Assam have great natural beauty to offer to tourists. There are also many lodging facilities and hotels. It is also famous for its finest and some of the most expensive teas in the world. It is also an important producer of natural gas and crude oil. Real estate and Tourism also lend their share in its economy.

4. Indian State of Bihar

Bihar is divided into 9 divisions and 37 districts, and has Patna as its capital. It has a very rich history, and is also an attraction for travelers and tourists. There are various hotels to cater to the needs of tourists. The economy is mainly based on agricultural and trading activities. There have been some attempts to industrialize the state as well. An oil refinery in Barauni, a scooter plant at Fatuha, a power plant at Muzaffarpur and some agriculture-based industries such as sugar and vegetable oil, have been established in Bihar. It is also known for its famous mines at Dhanbad. The service sector comprises of Real estate, Mortgage and Insurance. Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Vikramsila and Sutanganj are a must visit for Buddhist pilgrims. All of these are very popular historical sites as well. Other admired historical sites are Pawapuri, Champaran and Sasaram.

5. Indian State of Chattisgarh

Chattisgarh, the economy of this state benefits from its Bhilai Steel Plant, S.E.C.Railway Zone, BALCO Aluminum Plant, S.E.Coal Ltd.and National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. To add to it all Chattisgarh is a mineral rich state. The service sector boasts of Real estate, Consultancies and Insurance. This state is also enriched with natural beauty and pleasant atmosphere. It is surrounded with dense forests, hilly mountains, streams, waterfalls, natural caves, parks etc. Bastar, also called Kashmir of Chattisgarh, attracts many foreign tourists. Mahanadi, one of the largest rivers in India originates from this state. It has some very good hotels to offer to tourists.

6. Indian State of Goa

Goa is one of the smallest states in India’s map, with a territory of 3,702 sq km. Goan culture is a blend of Indian and Iberian: European style central squares and Indian bazaars, Portuguese churches sharing their walls with Hindu temples. Christianity and Hinduism exist side by side here. Having been ruled by the colonial Portuguese for over 450yrs, there is still a distinctive European flavor that has permeated all aspects of Goa’s Travel life including its food, religion, language, festivals, dances and names. Goa is rich in folk culture with a delightful blend of vigorous Konkani folk songs and remnants of Portuguese dance and music. Goa is best known for its spectacular beaches, but there are many old churches, monuments, temples and museums, that are a must see.

7. Indian State of Gujarat

Gujarat, a state in western India borders Pakistan, and Rajasthan to the north-east, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union territories of Diu. Daman, Dadra abd Nagar Haveli to the south. Gandhinagar is the capital city and other major cities are Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. The state has a flourishing economy. Amul, located at Anand is one of the largest milk product producer co-operatives in the world while Surat is a hub of diamond trade. The state is first in nationwide gas based thermal electricity generation.

8. Indian State of Harayana

Haryana, a state in Northern India, is bounded by Uttar Pradesh in the east, Punjab in the west, Himachal Pradesh in the north and Rajasthan in the south. It has Union territory, Chandigarh as its capital. It is divided into four divisions for administrative purposes – Ambala, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Hissar. It is also a famous tourist spot. The internationally famous Surajkund Crafts Mela is held every year in the month of February, to promote Indian arts and handicrafts. The ‘Mango Festival’ and the ‘Kurukshetra Festival’ are also some of the very popular annual events. Other tourist complexes in Haryana are Badhkal Lake, Dabchik, Jungle Babbler, Karna Lake, Kala teetar and Yadvindra Gardens. The service sector greatly benefits the state economy. Real estate, Consultancies, Travel and Tourism, Educational Institutes, Hotel Industry and Insurance are major economy boosters apart from agriculture.

9. Indian State of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh bordering Jammu and Kashmir to the north and northwest, Punjab to the southwest, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the south and Uttaranchal to the southeast is spread in the area of 55,673 sq km. Shimla is the state capital and other major towns are Dharamstala, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, Hamirpur,Dalhousie and Manali. The state boasts of numerous picturesque tourist destinations, which are responsible for generating much of the revenue for the state. Agriculture, textile and burgeoning hydroelectric power export industry are the other sources of income for the state.

10. Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Indian union consists of three divisions -Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. It has two capitals- Jammu, the winter capital and Srinagar, the summer capital. The state is almost mountainous with stretches of valleys and some mountain lakes.

11. Indian State of Jharkhand

Jharkhand Carved out from the state of Bihar, on 15 November 2000, Jharkhand has Ranchi as its capital. It is located on Chota Nagpur Plateau. It is surrounded by Bihar to the north, Orissa to the south, West Bengal to the east, and Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west. The state has country’s two biggest steel plants, one at Bokaro and TISCO at Jamshedpur. It is also known for its mineral wealth and forestry products. The state is rich in copper, coal, iron, manganese, mica, chromite, bauxite, etc., and has the potential of becoming one of the most prosperous states of India. The tourism industry of this state is slowly flourishing and some luxurious hotels have now started opening in the state.

12. Indian State of Karnataka

Karnataka with its capital at Bangalore is the country’s 8th largest state. It is located at Deccan Plateau, and is surrounded by Maharashtra to the north, Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Kerala to the southwest, Andhra Pradesh to the east and Tamil Nadu to southeast. Karnataka’s economy benefits from gold, manganese, oilseed, coffee, silk and sandalwood production. Over 90% of India’s gold production comes from south Karnataka. Extractions are carried out at manganese ore from the districts of Bellary and Hospet. Karnataka is the largest producer of coffee, raw silk and sandalwood based products. Its service sector boasts of its Real estate, Consultancies, Travel and Tourism, Educational Institutes, Hotel Industry and Insurance.

13. Indian State of Kerala

Kerala is the tropical paradise, God’s own country, recommended by the National Geography Magazine as one of the 50 destinations in the world that one should visit. Situated at the southwest corner of Indian Peninsula, Kerala is one of the smaller states. The Arabian Sea in the west, Tamil Nadu in the South and East and Karnataka in the north surround Kerala. Isolation from the other parts of India by the Western Ghats helped Kerala to retain its culture in its original form for a long time.

14. Indian State of Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh a state in central India borders Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharastra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The state is made up of 48 districts, which are grouped into eight divisions: Bhopal, Chambal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Sagar, and Ujjain. The state capital Bhopal is home to industries such as electrical goods, cotton, chemicals and jewelry. There are several places of attarction in the state such as the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, lakes, National Parks, natural preserves etc.

15. Indian State of Maharashtra

Maharashtra, situated in the western part of India, is the third largest state of India. It is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattusgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Divided into thirty five districts, it has cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nagpur, Thane, Jalgaon and Amravati which have a distinct place on the map of the world.

The state which is home to one of the largest film industries of the world i.e. Bollywood, also boasts of being the largest contributor in India’s national industrial output. With places such as Lonavala, Khandala, Matheran, Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora, Elephanta Caves and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, it is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in India.

16. Indian State of Manipur

Manipur, surrounded by Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam and Mynamar, has Imphal as its capital. As it is a sensitive border area, Tourists who want to travel to Manipur require a Restricted Area Permit, which is valid for 10 days. Literally meaning “the jeweled land”, Manipur is richly endowed with natural splendor and grandeur. It has 9 districts: Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal and Ukhrul. Agriculture is the single largest source of livelihood, for a majority of the rural masses, and the state economy also depends on it. Industry in Manipur is not very well developed. However, the state is striving towards industrialization, with the setting up of many large and small-scale industrial units. The main industries of Manipur are pharmaceuticals, steel re-rolling, plywood, bamboo chipping, cement, vanaspati and electronics and the service sector comprises of Real estate, Consultancies, Travel and Tourism, Hotel Industry and Insurance.

17. Indian State of Meghalaya

Meghalaya, a hilly strip in eastern India, covers a total area of just 22,429 sq km. It was originally part of Assam, but on 21st January 1972, the districts of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills became the new state of Meghalaya. Meghalaya is predominantly an agrarian economy. The important crops of the state are potato, rice, maize, pineapple, banana etc. The service sector comprises of Real estate and Insurance companies. Meghalaya’s gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $1.6 billion in current prices. Shillong the capital of the state is a popular hill station. There are several falls in and around Shillong. The Shillong peak is highest in the state and is good for trekking. It is also known as the ‘abode of the gods’ and has excellent views. If one is not in a mood for camping, the state also offers many good hotels and lodging facilities.

18. Indian State of Mizoram

Mizoram is one of the seven northeastern states of India and is enclosed by Myanmar, Bangladesh, Manipur, Assam, and Tripura. In the local language, Mizoram means “Land of the Highlanders”. The Mizo Hills, which dominate the state’s topography, rise to more than 6560 ft near the Myanmar border. Aizawl, the state capital, is 4000 ft above sea level. About three-fourths of the population earns their livelihood from agriculture. Paddy, maize, mustard, sugarcane, sesame, fiber less ginger and potatoes are the other prominent crops grown in this area. Small-scale irrigation projects are being developed to increase the crop yield. There are no major industries in the state. Small-scale industries include sericulture, handloom and handicrafts industries, sawmills and furniture workshops, oil refining, grain milling, and ginger processing. The service sector comprises of Tourism, Real Estate and Insurance.

19. Indian State of Nagaland

Nagaland, is farthest lying state in northeast, Nagaland, was born on 1st December 1963. The state is divided into seven districts: Kohima, Phek, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheloto, Twensang and Mon. It is a largely mountainous state. Agriculture is the most important economic activity in Nagaland. Principal crops include rice, corn, millets, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and fibres. Other economy boosters are Forestry, Cottage industries, Insurance, Real estate and Tourism.

20. Indian State of Orissa

Orissa, a state situated on the east coast of India, has Bhubaneswar as its capital. It can be divided into three broad regions: The Coastal plains, the middle mountainous range and the plateaus. Orissa has abundant natural resources of coal, bauxite, iron ore and chromite. The state economy is also benefiting from its industrial sector: steel, aluminium, power, refineries and ports. India’s topmost Information Technology consultancies firms, including Satyam Computer Services, Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys have their branches in Orissa. Orissa has several popular tourist destinations. The state is known for its temples, especially in the cities of Konark, Puri, and Bhubaneswar. Chilka Lake, the largest coastal lake in India is also located here. It also has Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary, which houses over 150 species of migratory and resident birds. The other places of tourist interest are the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi and the hydel power station at Machkund. It has state of the art hotels to offer to its tourists.

21. Indian State of Punjab

Punjab is situated in the northwestern corner of the country. It is bounded on the north by the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, on the east by Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, on the south by Haryana and Rajasthan, and on the west by Pakistan. The city of Chandigarh is the administrative capital of Punjab. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Punjab and forms the backbone of the State economy. The principal industries include the manufacture of textiles, sewing machines, sporting goods, starch, fertilizers, bicycles, scientific instruments, electrical goods, and machine tools, and the processing of sugar and pine oil.

22. Indian State of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is a traveler’s paradise. Rajasthan is full of travel places. Most of the districts and cities of Rajasthan is famous for its one or other speciality. Plenty of imperial forts, famed sanctuaries, mythology laden tourist haunts, rippling lakes, engaging monuments- the bustling cities of Rajasthan are simply spectacular. Each city has a different and an engrossing history. A haven for history buffs, you are guaranteed an exciting ride back to those centuries.

23. Indian State of Sikkim

Sikkim is sheer magic. This is not just the most beautiful place in the world but cleanest and safest too. If once the charms of the State were limited to mists, mountains and colourful butterflies, they are now complimented by tangible development and progress. With its unique culture and natural landscape, Sikkim is a picture of perfection and pristine purity. Nestled in the Himalayas and endowed with exceptional natural resources, Sikkim is a hotspot of biodiversity and development. Though small in size, yet Sikkim has been identified world over as an important repository of germplasms of unknown dimensions. Perhaps, there is no part of the world, which offers a spectacular scene with every turn of the road as Sikkim. Though land-locked, Sikkim is one of the most beautiful and strategically important state of the Indian Union.

24. Indian State of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is bounded by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the north and Kerala in the west. The eastern and western tips of the Tamilnadu are defined by the Point Calimere and Mudumalai wildlife sanctuaries while the northern extreme is Pulicat lake and the southernmost tip is Kanyakumari, the land’s end. Tamil Nadu is principally washed by the Cauvery, originating in Coorg in neighbouring Karnataka . Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu is known for its beautiful beach resorts.

25. Indian State of Tripura

Tripura is a state in northeast India and has Agartala as its capital. With an area of 10,486 kms, it is divided into three districts. The principle hill ranges of Tripura are Sakham Tlang, Langtarai, Athara Mura and Bara Mura. The chief occupation of the population in the state is agriculture. The principal crops are paddy, wheat, jute, sugar cane, potato, turmeric, coconut and oil seeds. Handloom weaving is the single largest industry in Tripura. Bamboo Handicrafts also make a major contribution to the state economy. Some quality timber like Sal, Garjan, Teak, Gamar are found abundantly in the forests of the State. The service sector comprises only real estate, insurance and tourism industry.

26. Indian State of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is the kaleidoscopic land where the multi-faceted Indian Culture has flourished from times immemorial. Endowed with a diversified topography and many cultural variance, Uttar Pradesh, has been the area of activity since ancient times. Garlanded by the two sacred rivers of the Hindus – the Ganga and the Yamuna, Uttar Pradesh is one of the most revered holy land of the Hindus. Uttar Pradesh is one of the most ancient and diverse states of India with numerous age old cities. Uttar Pradesh boasts of a rich culture, history and heritage, displaying some most inspiring and exemplary monuments of the world. Whether one is on a spiritual trip, or looking for some adventure, or just on a curiosity trip, Uttar Pradesh has something to offer to every single traveler. Situated in the northern part of India, Uttar Pradesh has the exception of being the most populous state of India. In terms of area, it is the fourth largest, among all the states. The Ganges River, which forms the backbone of Uttar Pradesh, is the sacred river of Hinduism, and four of the religion’s seven holy towns are in the state, including Varanasi, the holiest of them all. Uttar Pradesh is also a place of major importance to Buddhists, for it was at Sarnath, just outside Varanasi, that the Buddha first preached his message of the middle way. The general , what India is probably known for with a lot of people, is located in Agra . From Agra, most people set off for a visit to the ghost town Fatehpur Sikri.

27. Indian State of Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand On the 8th of November 2000, Uttaranchal became a full-fledged state of India with the formal induction of a separate State Government. The State is carved out of the Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest population in India. Uttaranchal consists of 13 districts Pithoragarh, Almora, Nanital, Bageshwar, Champawat, Uttar kashi, Udham Singh, Chamoli, Dehra Dun, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Haridwar.

28. Indian State of West Bengal

West Bengal, a state in east India has its capital as Kolkatta. It stretches from Himalayas in the north to Bay of Bengal in the south. It houses the world famous Sunderbans. It has nineteen districts and the major cities are Kolkatta, Siliguri, Burdwan, Durgapur, Kharagpur, Darjeeling and Malda. West Bengal is one of the most industrialized states. Tea, Steel, Jute, Sugar, Chemical, Fertilizers, Medicines and Pharmaceuticals are some of the important industries in the state. The agriculture of the state mainly constitutes crops such as rice, maize, pulses, oil seeds, wheat, barley, potatoes and vegetables. Kolkatta is a major hub for the Information Technology. Real estate, financial consultancies, travel and tourism and hotel industry are some other services that contribute to the state economy.

Union Territories of India

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India, with Port Blair as its capital. It is located in The Indian Ocean, and has over 570 islands, out of which only 38 are permanently inhabited. Earlier British used them as an isolated prison for the fighters of Indian Independence, but now these ‘Emerald Islands’ are a famous tourist destination. It has various hotels to cater to the demands of tourists. Some of the islands in Andaman and Nicobar are hilly in places, covered with tropical jungle and with flat stretches of beaches. Adventure tourism like trekking, Island camping, snorkeling, SCUBA diving are the real attractions. The places of interest include Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Water Sports Complex, Fisheries Museum, Chidiya Tapu, Mount Harriet and Samudrika Museum. It is also famous for its only active volcano, Barren Island. It also has many state of the art hotels to cater to its ever-booming tourism industry. Spectacular mix of nature’s most prized delights; the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a once in a lifetime holiday experience.

2. Chandigarh

Chandigarh is picturesquely located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in Northwest India and is India’s first planned and green city which is rightly nicknamed as “The City Beautiful”. Chandigarh derived its name from Chandi Mandir, a temple of goddess Chandi, which is located in Haryana. The master plan of this city was designed by the well-known French architect, Le Corbusier and has an unparalleled architecture. Chandigarh is one of the seven Union Territories of India and serves as a capital for two states, Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh has two satellite cities, Panchkula and Mohali.

3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Dadra and Nagar Haveli is spread over an area of 491.00 sq. km and is inhabited by 2.20 lakhs as per the 2001 census. The famous tourist attractions of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are Vanganga Lake Garden in Dadra, Hirwavan garden in Piparia, Tribal Museum in Silvassa, Vanvihar Tourist Complex in Chauda, Tapovan Tourist Complex in Bindrabin, Water Sports Centre in Dudhani and Himaivan Health Resort in Kauncha. Dadra and Nagar Haveli is underdeveloped both economically and industrially. The tribals of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are mainly engaged in agriculture and grow crops like jowar, wheat, oilseeds and sugarcane. Vegetables like brinjal.

4. Daman and Diu

Daman and Diu is the second smallest union territory in India. They are two different parts, enclosed between sea on one side and Gujarat on the other. Daman is situated near Surat: and Diu is located near Junagadh. Till 1987, Goa, Daman and Diu were administered as a single Union Territory. The main occupation for the people of Daman and Diu is fishing. The service sector mainly comprises of Real estate, Tourism and Insurance. It is a beautiful tourist spot, and is famous for its Nagoa Beach. There are some hotels to cater to the lodging needs of tourists.

5. Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep happens to be the smallest union territory of India. Lakshadweep is one of the favorite tourist spot in India. Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep. The total area of Lakshadweep is 32 sq. km. There are ten inhabited islands and 17 uninhabited islands in Lakshadweep. Fishing, coconut cultivation and coir twisting are some of the major occupation of the inhabitants of these islands.

6. National Capital Territory of India

National Capital Territory of Delhi Located on the banks of river Yamuna in northern India, archaeological evidence suggest that Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least 6th century BC. After the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, Delhi emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Indo-Gangetic plains. It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857

7. Pondicherry

Pondicherry was previously known as Pondicherry. It was renamed in September 2006 to the Tamil vernacular original which means “New Village”. This Union Territory of India was a French settlement that comprised Pondy, Yanam, Karaikal, and Mahe. The Union Territory of Pondicherry extends from Latitude 11056′ in the North to Longitude 79053′ in the East.

The Constitution of India, the longest and the most exhaustive constitution of any independent nation in the world, came into force on January 26, 1950. The preambale of the constitution defines India as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. India has a bicameral parliament operating under a Westmister-style parliamentary system. Its form of government was traditionally described as being ‘quasi-federal’ with a strong centre and weak states, but it has grown increasingly federal since the late 1990s as a result of political, economic and social changes.

The President of India is the head of states elected indirectly by an electoral college for a five-year term. The Prime Minister is the head of government and exercises most executive powers. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and, by convention, is the candidate supported by the party or political alliance holding the majority of seats in the lower house of Parliament.

The legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the lower house called the Lok Sabha (House of People). The Rajya Sabha, a permanent body, has 245 members serving staggered six year terms. Most are elected indirectly by the state and territorial legislatures in proportion to the state’s population. 543 of the Lok Sabha’s 545 members are directly elected by popular vote to represent individual constituencies for five year terms. The other two members are nominated by the President from the Anglo-Indian community if, the President is of the opinion that community is not adequately represented.

The executive branch consists of the President, Vice-President, and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet being its executive committee) headed by the Prime Minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament. In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature, with the Prime Minister and his Council being directly responsible to the lower house of the parliament.

India has a unitary three-tier judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India, twenty-one High Courts, and a large number of trial courts. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases involving fundamental rights and over disputes between states and the Centre, and appellate jurisdiction over the High Courts. It is judicially independent, and has the power to declare the law and to strike down union or state laws which contravene the Constitution. The role as the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution is one of the most important functions of the Supreme Court.

India, at the federal level, is the most populous democracy in the world. For most of its democratic history, the federal government has been led by the Indian National Congress (INC). State politics have been dominated by several national parties including the INC, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist Party of India Marxist) (CPI(M)), and various regional parties. From 1950 to 1990, barring two brief periods, the INC enjoyed a parliamentary majority. The INC was out of power between 1977 and 1980, when the Janata Party won the election owing to public discontent with the “Emergency” declared by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In 1989, a Janata Dal-led National Front coalition in alliance with the Left Front coalition won the elections but managed to stay in power for only two years.

The years 1996–1998 were a period of turmoil in the federal government with several short-lived alliances holding sway. The BJP formed a government briefly in 1996, followed by the United Front coalition. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with several regional parties and became the first non-Congress government to complete a full five-year term. In the 2004 Indian elections, the INC won the largest number of Lok Sabha seats and formed a government with a coalition called the United Progressions Allinace (UPA), supported by various left-leaning parties and members opposed to the BJP.

Since its independence in 1947, India has maintained cordial relationships with most nations. It took a leading role in the 1950s by advocating the independence of European colonies in Africa and Asia. India is member of the Commonwealth of Nations and a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement. After the Sino-Indian War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, India’s relationship with the Soviet Union warmed at the expense of ties with the United States and continued to remain so until the end of the Cold War. India has fought three wars with Pakistan, primarily over Kashmir. Additional skirmishes have taken place between the two nations particularly in 1984 over Siachen Glacier and in 1999 over Kargil.

In recent years, India has played an influential role in the ASEAN, SAARC, and the WTO. India is a founding member and long time supporter of the United Nations, with over 55,000 Indian military and police personnel having served in thirty-five UN peace keeping operations deployed across four continents. Despite criticism and military sanctions, India has consistently refused to sign the CTBT and the NPT, preferring instead to maintain sovereignty over its nuclear program. Recent overtures by the Indian government have strengthened relations with the United States, China, and Pakistan. In the economic sphere, India has close relationships with other developing nations in South America, Asia, and Africa.

India maintains the third largest military force in the world, which consists of the India Army, Navy, and Air Force. Auxiliary forces such as the Paramilitary Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Strategic Forces Command also come under the military’s purview. The President of India is the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. India became a nuclear power in 1974 after conducting an initial nuclear test, Operation Smiling Buddha. Further underground testing in 1998 led to international military sanctions against India, that was gradually withdrawn after September 2001. India maintains a “no first use” nuclear policy.

* Dr.Rajendra Prasad
(Jan. 26, 1950 to May 13, 1962)
* Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
(May 13, 1962 to May 13, 1967)
* Dr.Zakir Husain
(May 13, 1967 to May 3, 1969)
* Varahagiri Venkatagiri
(May 3, 1969 to July 20, 1969)(acting)
* Justice Mohammed Hidayatullah
(July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969)(acting)
* Varahagiri Venkatagiri
(August 24, 1969 to August 24, 1974)
* Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
(August 24, 1974 to Feb. 11, 1977)
* B.D.Jatti
(Feb. 12, 1977 to July 25, 1977)(acting)
* Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
(July 25, 1977 to July 25, 1982)
* Giani Zail Singh
(July 25, 1982 to July 25, 1987)
* R.Venkataraman
(July 25, 1987 to July 25, 1992)
* Dr.Shanker Dayal Sharma
(July 25, 1992 to July 25, 1997)
* K. R. Narayanan
(July 25, 1997 – July 25, 2002)
* A P J Abdul Kalam
July 25, 2002 – July 25, 2007
* Pratibha Patil
July 25, 2007 – till date

The Banyan is the National tree of India. The mighty banyan tree commands a great presence in the rural setting of India. The very size of the banyan tree makes it a habitat for a large number of creatures. For centuries the banyan tree has been a central point for the village communities of India.

The banyan tree is massive not only from outside but it also sends new shoots from its roots, making the tree a tangle of branches, roots and trunks. The banyan tree towers magnificently over its neighbors and has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, covering several acres. The life of banyan tree is very long and is thought of as an immortal tree.

Because of its huge size, the banyan tree acts as a good shield and protects the rural folk from the hot sun. Even to this day the banyan tree has remained the focal point and gathering place village councils and meetings. It is due to these qualities, the banyan tree is considered sacred and honored.

The Mango (Mangifera Indica) is the National fruit of India. Mango is one of the most widely grown fruits of the tropical countries. In India, mango is cultivated almost in all parts, with the exception of hilly areas. Mango is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India, we have hundreds of varieties of mangoes. They are of different sizes, shapes and colors. Mangoes have been cultivated in India since time immemorial. Even in our mythology and history there are stories of mangoes- the famous Indian poet Kalidasa sang its praise. Alexander the great, along with Hieun Tsang savored the taste of mangoes. The great Mughal king, Akbar is said to have planted over 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga (modern Bihar). The mango is eaten ripe and is also used for pickles.

The Lotus

Scientifically known as Nelumbo Nucifera is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial. The Lotus symbolizes divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and not to forget enlightenment. Lending to its uniqueness, the flower grows in murky waters and rises on a long stalk above the surface to bloom glorious. It is also a symbol of triumph, since the lotus is rooted in the mud and can survive to regerminate for thousands of years. It represents long life, honor, and good fortune.

Lord of the Indian Jungles, is the National Animal of India. The tiger is the symbol of India’s wealth of wildlife.

The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris (Linnaeus), is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. To check the dwindling population of tigers 1 As published in Volume Eight of Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library Popular Edition 1972.

The Peacock

Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants (typically blue and green) known for their iridescent tails. These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird’s total body length and boast colorful “eye” markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird’s back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains..

Suitable males may gather harems of several females, each of which will lay three to five eggs. In fact, wild peafowl often roost in forest trees and gather in groups called parties.

Peacocks are ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures. There are two familiar peacock species. The blue peacock lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the green peacock is found in Java and Myanmar (Burma). A more distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests.

The Peacock is depicted in picture with the company of Indian Gods and Goddesses. It is the sacred bird of the India, protected not only by a religious sentiment but also by parliamentary statute. It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.