Post on 16-Feb-2017
Incredible India
By - Chavali Raja Sri Harsha
India in a time-capsule
India Encapsulated
• Though as a fervent patriot, I could wax eloquent for hours about the glorious and varied traditions of my country, to fit all of it within a time-capsule would be impossible.
• Let me therefore present those facets of India that are closest to my heart.
• Before I get to that, I’d like to bust a few myths about my country..Let’s get started!
What is commonly believed..
Indians do not respect Women
Indians are very poor and so is India
India is a land of diseases and unhygienic health practices.
Indian film industry is synonymous with Bollywood and people dancing in colorful clothes.
The ground reality..
Indian scriptures accord great respect to women. Ancient Indian history indicates that women had a high standing in society. It is true that women have been at a disadvantage in some aspects in the past few centuries, but the divide is rapidly reducing.
India is the third largest economy in the world, and s home to both the very rich and the very poor.
India has a rich tradition of medicine and healing. This is the country that produced the World’s first surgeon , and introduced Ayurveda to the world. Health practices vary widely between rural and urban areas, and the prevalence of diseases is much higher in poverty-stricken areas.
Indian Film Industry is the largest in the world in terms of movies produced, tickets sold. Besides the Bollywood industry, there are many regional language-specific cine-industries that constitute Indian Cinema.
Debunking Myths About India
The Sacredness of all Things
Authority is respected in India - Parents, Teachers, and other elders are accorded a great deal of respect.
Indians regard various animals, such as cows and snakes, as manifestations of God.
Indians revere plants such as Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) and trees such as Neem and Banyan and worship them as a form of God.
Indians treat Fire, Air, water – the basic elements of life, as forms of god.
The rivers in India are respected and are believed to be holy. The Kumbmela at Ganga, a holy event where millions throng to take a dip in the Holy Ganga, is the largest religious congregation in the world.
Indians follow a spiritual tradition
of seeing all things, animate
and inanimate, as holy
manifestations of God.
The Arts of India : Dance
Anger In Kuchipudi – A dance form in the Indian State of
Andhra Pradesh
Joy expressed in Bharatanatyam A dance form in the Indian State of -
Tamilnadu
Lord Siva(Nataraj) Dancing
Dance is at the heart of Indian culture. We have a dance for every mood and every occasion. Lord Siva(also called Lord Nataraja) – King of Cosmic Dance, according to Hindu Mythology dances according his mood viz. Anger- Siva Tandav, Joy – Ananda Tandav. The dance forms in India are as diverse as the nation.
Sorrow in Kathakali, a dance form in the
Indian state of Kerala.
Lullabies heard from mother and
grandmother when a Child
Alphabets & numbers taught in a rhythm
echoing all throughout the classroom
Every Indian Festival begins and ends with
Music
Music in marriage Ceremony
We find people in the agricultural fields
working comfortably in the scorching sun
singing
Singing devotional songs
The Bhagavad-Gita and holy chants during
death
BirthSchooling
Festivals
Marriage
Death
Later life
At Work
The Arts of India : Music Music in India is coupled tightly with daily life. We have music to mark every phase,celebration & sorrow of life – from birth to death. We have instruments which echo with nature – viz. Sitar, Murali, Shehnoy and Mrudanga.
Architecture: An Amalgamation of various cultures
7500 BCE
Indus Valley Civilization
322 BCE 1526-1857
Mauryan Empire
Satavahana Kingdom
Mughal Empire
230 BCE 1858-1947
British Raj Modern Indian
Post 1947
Indian Architecture has evolved with age. It has been influenced by the various empires that ruled in India and hence is a concoction of various cultures.
Health: Back to the roots
Total Wellness
MIND BODY SOUL
India has introduced Meditation and Vipasana to the world.
The same is being practiced since the times of Lord Gautama Buddha.
Yoga and Ayurveda havebeen few of the manygreat contributions by India.
Millions across the worldpractice them, to achieve holistic health.
India can be aptly Termed the spiritual capital of the world.
Thousands flock to Indiain pursuit of God and peace within.
Sports: Not Just Cricket !!
Hockey is the national sport of India. The Indian Men’s hockey team is the most successful field hockey team in
Olympic history with 8 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Both Indian Kabaddi men and women’s teams are amongst the most successful teams worldwide.
Neither team has ever lost a Kabaddi World championship.
Chess originated in India. Mr. Vishwanathan Anand is a former world champion and a legend in the
world of Chess. Mrs. Sania Mirza has recently attained World No.1 ranking in Women
Doubles Lawn Tennis . Mr.Prakash Padukone and Miss.Saina Nehwal were ranked No.1 in the World
in Men’s and Women’s Badminton Categories
India is indisputably a cricket-crazy country, but there’s more to Indian sports than cricket.
Linguistic driversity:2200
different languages and 22 Official languages
Caste diversity: more than 3000 castes exist in
India
Religious diversity: Four of the world’s
Major Religious (Hinduism,Budhism,Jai
nism,Sikhism)were born in India
Geo-political unity:29 States and 7 Union Territories
Ethnic Diversity: India has more than
200 ethnic groups
The Spirit of India : Unity in Diversity
• Any description of India would be incomplete without a mention of the mind-boggling breadth of diversity that exists across the country.
• A peaceful co-existence amongst such diversity, and a joyous partaking of each others’ cultures, is probably the single most important legacy India and Indians leave to the world!!