INDIA

INTRODUCTION TO INDIA:

India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world's highest mountain chain. Which one is it?

THE HIMALAYAS

Together, the Himalayan mountain system is the planet's highest. And it’s the home of the world's highest peaks, the Eight-thousanders, which include Mount Everest and K2.

INTRODUCTION TO INDIA:

There are three important cities in India.

Which ones are they?

INTRODUCTION TO INDIA:

The capital of India is New Delhi, and the country’s largest cities are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).

India's population is one billion making it the second most populous country after China. 

INTRODUCTION TO INDIA:

India has about 15 major languages and 844 different dialects.

The principal official language of the Republic of India is Standard Hindi, spoken by about 45 per cent of the population while English is the secondary official language.

Why is English, or England so important in India’s History?

When the British first arrived in India around 1600, they came to trade. The British East India Company was formed to facilitate that trade. The French were also there. But at the end of the Seven Years War (1756-1763), the French lost their trading rights in India and the British East India Company began to establish greater control, generally through agreements. By the 1840's the British had control of much of India. In 1857, the Sepoy troops rebelled against the British. Conditions were bad in India. Following the rebellion, the British government took over the management of India, making it a colony. Queen Victoria became the Empress of India. It remained a British colony until 1947. This time period is known as the British Raj.

White represents peace, unity and truth.Green stands for faith and fertility. Saffron represents for courage and sacrifice.Blue symbolizes the sky and the ocean. 

In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law. This center symbol or the 'CHAKRA',  is a Buddhist symbol.

THE INDIAN FLAG:

The customary greeting is done by putting your palms together and with a slight nod of the head, saying “Namaste“. 

WILDLIFE IN INDIA:

But there’s another important animal in India. A sacred animal. Do you know which one it is?

National animal: Tiger National Heritage animal of India: Indian ElephantNational aquatic animal: Ganges River DolphinNational bird: PeacockNational flower: LotusNational tree: Banyan

THE SACRED COW

Indians consume milk daily, and the cow as a provider of milk, is like a mother. Traditionally, Indians had cows in every house. They were part of the family, with names and personalities. Just like one would not hurt or eat their pets, the Indians did not hurt the cows and respected them. The cow has a special role in the Hindu mythologies. A cow is also represented as a vehicle of several deities. Many social movements promove no cruelty to animals. So in India, other animals are also considered holy. Many communities do eat beef in India. But mistreatment of the cows is banned in several states keeping in view the sentiments of hindu religion.

INDIAN FESTIVALS

Diwali: Ravana, who had ten arms and ten heads, was the wicked king of the island of Sri Lanka, who kidnapped the wife of Rama. After a great battle Rama killed the demon and recovered his wife. His return with his wife Sita to his town and his coronation as king is celebrated at Diwali. When Rama and Sita first returned it was a dark moonless night and they couldn't see where they were going. Their people put little lamps outside their houses so that the new king and queen could find their way, beginning like this the tradition of the festival of lights.

Holi: A spring festival that lasts up to five days. Bonfires are lit and coloured powders and water are thrown over people. Hindus remember the story of Lord Krishna. When he was young he loved to play tricks and have fun. Krishna and his friends used to throw coloured water over each other

The most important monument in India…

TAJ MAHAL It stands amid acres of gardens on the banks of the

Yamuna River in the city of Agra in north India.

Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India.

The building of the Taj Mahal began around 1632 and it was completed about 21 years later in 1653. About 22,000 workmen built the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is made from white marble stone with precious gems and stones pressed into its walls.

INDIAN WEDDINGSIndian weddings are very bright events, filled

with ritual and celebration, that continues for several days. They are generally big affairs, with 100 to 10,000 people attending. Oftentimes it is possible that many of the attendees are even unknown to the bride and groom.

The groom mostly wears a Kurta or Sherwani . He wears a turban and his face is covered with a

curtain of flowers called Sehra.

The bride wears a Saree. Red is considered to be the most auspicious color in among

Hindus. She is adorned with Henna patterns all over her

palms, hands, forearms, legs and feet.

The primary witness of a Hindu marriage is the fire-goddess (or the Sacred Fire) Agni, and by law and tradition, no Hindu marriage is complete without the presence of the Sacred Fire, seven encirclements have been made around it by the bride and the groom together.

Though most Indian marriages are arranged, some couples in urban areas have what are known as “love marriages", where the partners decide to marry each other without family involvement . The traditional Indian wedding is more about two families being brought together socially, with there being more interest on the families coming closer, than the individuals involved. My parents had an arranged marriage.

THE GANGES RIVER The Ganges is a sacred river along every

fragment of her length. All along her course, Hindus bathe in her waters. They pay homage to their ancestors and to their gods by getting her water in their hands, lifting it and letting it fall back into her; they offer flowers and rose petals and float clay dishes with candles. On the journey back home from the Ganges, they carry small quantities of her water with them for use in rituals. When a loved one dies, they return to the Ganges to throw the ashes.

Mahatma Gandhi.

Mohandas Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian political thinker who was born on October 2, 1869 and died on January 30, 1948. The appellation Mahatma means "great soul" (“Maha” is "great" and “Atman” means "soul "). He was known as an important social and religious reformer and his defense to Indian nationalism. He started the Salt March in 1930 and he is considered a hero in India.

Thanks to all of you and always remember what Gandhi says:

“Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.”

Namaste.