Kodaikanal - Pristine Beauty of Hill Stations

Kodaikanal - Pristine Beauty of Hill Stations
Kodaikanal is located in the state of Tamil Nadu. The kodaikanal name in Tamil language means “The gift of the God”. Kodaikanal is also called as Princess of hill stations. Kodaikanal is the most famous hill stations in India. It is a most popular tourist destination. This is included in famous tour places in India. Here you can feel the cool climate every time. The beauty of the nature in Kodaikanal mesmerizes the visitors. Other... than the famous in Kodaikanal, the place is pride of ‘Kurinji-flower’(Strobilanthus Kunthanus), which blossoms once in 12 years. The best time to visit Kodaikanal is from April to June and September to October. There is one manmade lake in kodaikanal it is called as Kodai Lake. Pine tree forest and pillar rocks are very famous places for visiting. Not only the locals are visiting this place but also this beauty attracts tourist from all over the worlds.

The fruits and vegetables in kodaikanal are very famous for its quality and freshness. Flower shows and boat races are the main festivals of kodaikanal. Kodaikanal is a must see tourist places in India.
The murmuring sound provided by the lake, waterfalls makes visitors mind cool and fresh.
Temperature is always less here.
http://famoustourplacesinindia.tumblr.com/
Wikipedia

Mysore Maharaja Palace

Impressive Mysore Maharaja Palace
Royal Seat of the Maharajas of Mysore
The Palace of Mysore (also known as the Amba Vilas Palace) is a historical palace in the city of Mysore in Karnataka, southern India. It is the official residence and seat of the Wodeyars — the Maharajas of Mysore, the former royal family of Mysore, who ruled the princely state of Mysore from 1399 to 1950. The palace houses two durbar halls (ceremonial meeting halls of the royal court) and incorporates a mesmerizing and gigantic array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings. The palace is in the central region of inner Mysore, facing the Chamundi Hills eastward.
Mysore is commonly described as the City of Palaces. There are about seven palaces inclusive of this; however, Mysore Palace refers specifically to the one within the Old Fort. Built by the Maharaja Rajarshi H.H. Krishnarajendra Wadiyar IV, Mysore Palace is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India, after the Taj Mahal, and has more than 3 million visitors annually.
King Yaduraya first built a palace inside the Old Fort in Mysore in the 14th century, which was demolished and constructed multiple times. The regent of Mysore, Her Majesty Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhna, and her son, the Maharaja of Mysore His Highness Rajarshi Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, commissioned the British architect Lord Henry Irwin to build a new palace to replace the old one which had been turned into ashes by fire. Meanwhile, the royal family stayed in the nearby Jaganmohan Palace.
Construction of the current palace was commissioned in 1897, completed in 1912,[3] and expanded around 1940 (including the addition of the present Public Durbar Hall wing) during the reign of His Highness Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the last Maharaja of Mysore Kingdom. The construction was completed in 1912, but the fort continued to be beautified and its inhabitants were slowly moved to the newer extension built off the palace.
The architectural style domes of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic and blends Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles. It is a three-stone structure with marble domes and a 145 ft five-story tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. The entrance gate and arch hold the emblem and coat of arms of the kingdom of Mysore, around which is written the kingdom's motto in Sanskrit: "न बिभॆति कदाचन" (never terrified).
Mysore Palace main approach
The palace has three entrances: the East Gate (the front gate, opened only during the Dasara and for VVIPs), the South Entrance (for public), and the West Entrance (usually opened only during the Dasara). In addition, there are numerous secret tunnels from the palace cellar leading to Srirangapatna, other palaces, and confidential areas.
The three-story stone building of fine gray granite with deep pink marble domes has a facade with several expansive arches and two smaller ones flanking the central arch, which is supported by tall pillars. Above the central arch is a sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good luck and abundance with her elephants. There are three major exclusive temple buildings within the Old Fort, and about 18 inside the palace heart building. The Maharajas of Mysore were devotees of Goddess Chamundi, which is why the place faces Chamundi Hills. Besides, head of the Parakala Mutt stays the spiritual rajguru (royal teacher and guide) as a reason of which the palace is built next to an even older Parakala Mutt headquarters

Daulatabad Fort

Daulatabad Fort
Daulatabad is situated around 13 kms away from Aurangabad. This place is known for its majestic fortress which was build in 12th century on top of a hill. The Daulatabad fort emerges dramatically over 600 ft above the Deccan plain. It is one of the world's best preserved forts of medieval times and also one of the few impregnable forts in Maharashtra with excellent architecture. The city was named Daulatabad 'The city of fortune', by Mohammed bin Tughluq, the sultan of Delhi.
Almost 800 years ago, Daulatabad, then called 'Devigiri' was a thriving city. It was founded by Bhillamraja of the Yadava dynasty in 1187 AD. Later, the fort of Daulatabad passed through the hands of several dynasties in the Deccan. Less than 150 years after the Yadava dynasty, Daulatabad also became the capital of India for a short period during the reign of Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughluq, who gave the city its present name. But very soon the charm of this ancient city faded.
The Daulatabad fort is situated on top of a high hill, encircled by thick walls, spiked gates, steep slide ways and a deep trench. The fort has a coiled network of secret, quizzical and subsurface passages.
Situated on a hill and surrounded by a 40 ft. deep trench with mechanical drawbridges and crocodiles, this fascinating fort becomes impossible for intruders to approach. Along with these, a strong 5 kms long wall and complex series of defenses makes Daulatabad fort one the most secure forts.
The defense system of this fort was absolutely full proof with double and even triple rows of massive walls. This fortress was like a maze where the intruders were trapped. There was no way of conquering this majestic fort. The impregnable fort of Daulatabad was only conquered by treachery.
¤ Significant Structures Within The Fort
Daulatabad fort has some outstanding structures like the Chand Minar, Jami Masjid and royal palaces. The royal palaces within the fort consists of spacious halls, pavilions and courtyards.
The Chand Minar within the fort is a 30-metre high tower. It was a tower of victory build by Ala-ud-din Bahmani to commemorate his conquest of the fort in 1435. The Minar is divided into four storeys having glazed tiles and carved motifs. The Minar is supposed to be used as a prayer hall or a victory monument in its time.
The blue tiled Chini Mahal is located a little higher than the Chand Minar. It is where the last king of Golcunda, Abdul Hasan Tana Shah was imprisoned in 1687. He was captivated here for thirteen years until his death, by the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb.
The Jami Masjid within the fort was a mosque built by the Khilji ruler of Delhi, Qutub-ud-din Mubarak in 1318. This mosque is a well-preserved monument, comprising of 106 pillars ransacked from the Hindu and Jain temples, which previously stood on the site. Lately, the Masjid has been converted into a Bharatmata temple, causing dissatisfaction amongst the local Muslims.
There is a large stone-lined Elephant tank in the nearby area. It was once a major part of the fort's extensive water-supply system. There are two giant terracotta pipes, which are the source of channeled water from the hills falling into Deogiri's ( Daulatabad) legendary fruit and vegetable gardens.
There is also an awesome ram-headed Kila Shikan ("Fort Breaker") cannon inscribed with its name in Persian. It lies on a stone platform nearby. From this spot, a series of gruesome traps start, waiting for the incautious intruder.
www.indiasite.com
ImagesL www.india-tour-guide.co.uk

KAMASUTRA:

KAMASUTRA:
Kamasutra is an ancient
Indian text renowned
more for the practical
advice it gives on...
sexual intercourse
(which is just a part of
it). The words “kama”
and “sutra” have
definite meanings.
Kama means desire in
the general sense but
particularly sexual
desire. Sutra literally means
thread but it is
implied in the sense of a thread
to hold a line
going in a direction. In Sanskrit it
refers to a set
of aphorisms or verses that forma manual.

At first Kamasutra was written by
Nandi Maharaj (one of the famous
disciple of lord Shiva)
after so many modifications
through various sages,
Vatsyayana collected all the parts
of Kamasutra, composed by many
sages.......
it is one of the important
collections of ancient Indian
literature....written 2500 years
ago (approximately) ///
The Kamasutra is not exclusively on sex as
popularly believed. It is a guide book or art of
leading a virtuously which touches upon many aspects of social and individual
life such as
nature of love, family life and pleasure oriented
activities with much needed restraint.
With 1250 verses divided in 36 chapters
organized into 7 parts, it offers an excellent
commentary on various aspects of a householder’s life in providing better sex life
and may helps in solving sexual problems.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/sex/kama/

Clothing in India

Clothing in India varies from region to region depending on the ethnicity, geography, climate and cultural traditions of the people of that region. Historically, men and women clothing has evolved from simple Langotas, and loincloths to cover the body to elaborate costumes not only used in daily wear but also on festive occasions as well as rituals and dance performances. In urban areas, western clothing is common and uniformly worn by people of all strata. India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibers, colours and material of clothing. Colour codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual concerned. For instance, Hindu ladies wear white clothes to indicate mourning, while Parsis and Christians wear white to weddings.
India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the 5th millennium BC in the Indus Valley civilization where cotton was spun, woven and dyed. Bone needles and wooden spindles have been unearthed in excavations at the site. The cotton industry in ancient India was well developed, and several of the methods survive until today. Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian described Indian cotton as "a wool exceeding in beauty and goodness that of sheep".[2] Indian cotton clothing was well adapted to the dry, hot summers of the subcontinent. The grand epic Mahabharata, estimated to be written between >10000 BC, has a mention of an uneding saree gifted to Draupadi to protect her dignity. Most of the present knowledge of ancient Indian clothing comes from rock sculptures and paintings in cave monuments such as Ellora. These images show dancers and goddesses wearing what appears to be a dhoti wrap, a predecessor to the modern sari.The upper castes dressed themselves in fine muslin and wore gold ornaments The Indus civilisation also knew the process of silk production. Recent analysis of Harappan silk fibres in beads have shown that silk was made by the process of reeling, a process known only to China until the early centuries AD.
According to the Greek historian Arrian:
The Buddha, in Greco-Buddhist style, 1st–2nd century CE, Gandhara(Modern eastern Afghanistan).
"The Indians use linen clothing, as says Nearchus, made from the flax taken from the trees,.And this flax is either whiter in colour than any other flax, or the people being black make the flax appear whiter. They have a linen frock reaching down halfway between the knee and the ankle, and a garment which is partly thrown round the shoulders and partly rolled round the head. The Indians who are very well-off wear earrings of ivory; for they do not all wear them. Nearchus says that the Indians dye their beards various colours; some that they may appear white as the whitest, others dark blue; others have them red, others purple, and others green. Those who are of any rank have umbrellas held over them in the summer. They wear shoes of white leather, elaborately worked, and the soles of their shoes are many-coloured and raised high, in order that they may appear taller."
During the Maurya and Gupta period, the people continued to wear the three piece unstitched clothing as in Vedic times. The main items of clothing were the Antariya made of white cotton or muslin, tied to the waist by a sash called Kayabandh and a scarf called the Uttariya used to drape the top half of the body.
Our Incredible India, even in attire is colorful, uselful, even elegant, and sophisticated.

Om-mystic sound and sign

Om is a world wide sound.
The origin of the syllable OM is lost in the misty past. Its not being specific to any one country or civilization is indicative of its being an universally perceptible sound for the human race. This reason for this universal perceptibility possibly lies in the fact that AAAH is the most natural sound that issues from the human larynx. This is evident when a man cries out naturally in extreme pain, anger or fear. When emotions reach an extreme pitch the articulate sounds evolved by man are not the ones that are heard, but the syllable natural to man which is AAAH
a devout people we normally do not go into the meaning and interpretation of our many beliefs. It is sufficient for most of us to know that they are part of the heritage handed down to us by our ancestors and in deference to tradition it becomes our duty to scrupulously and meticulously adhere to them. But by doing things without knowing the meaning behind them do we not deprive ourselves of an insight into our heritage?
Culture can be well appreciated and adapted to changing times if the meaning behind its different constituents is well understood. To develop this understanding one has to look upon all human actions as having originated in human society. While answers to all questions cannot be obtained, the acceptance of this approach at least opens the door to inquiry into the circumstances which gave rise to our revered traditions.
An attempt to interpret our religious beliefs and symbols is a challenging task. Many of these issues defy analysis and call for a judicious combination of the study of the social environment, etymology, aesthetics and philosophy. As far as aesthetics and philosophy go there exists a good deal of subjectivism and value judgement. While talking about etymology and the social environment we are on relatively firmer ground. In this chapter we have taken a set of symbols, beliefs and rituals and have attempted to examine the possible meaning behind them and the reasons which could lie behind their origin. The first religious symbol we take up is that of Om or Omkar.
OM or Omkar
The syllable OM is quite familiar to a Hindu. It occurs in every prayer. Invocation to most gods begin with this syllable. For instance we have Om Namaha Shivaya, Hari Om, Om Shanti etc. OM is also pronounced as AUM.
In Arabic the first alphabet is pronounced as aliph. In Greek it is alpha, in the Roman script it is A. Thus in many languages the first letter in the alphabet has the syllable A, with which the word AUM or OM begins. In the Greek alphabet the last letter is Omega which comes very close to OM. Thus the significance of the syllable OM as the beginning and end finds a parallel in many of the scripts associated with ancient languages.
The different ways in which Omkar is depicted. The syllable OM is not specific to Indian culture. It has religious significance in other religions also. The word Amen used among Christians at the end of a prayer is also said to be derived from the the syllable OM. Although OM is not given any specific definition and is considered to be a cosmic sound, a primordial sound, the totality of all sounds etc., Amen is said to mean 'May it be so'.
  In Arabic a similar term 'Ameen' has a religious significance.
This indicates some link between the various symbols and perhaps a common origin. Even in the English language the syllable �m occurs in words having a similar meaning. for instance; Omniscience means infinite knowledge, Omnipotent means having infinite powers Omnivorous means eating or reading every thing. This syllable also occurs in words such as Omen which means a sign of something that is to occur in future, Ombudsman means a person having authority to pronounce a verdict. Thus Om is also used to signify divinity and authority.
The syllable OM is not specific to Indian culture. It has religious significance in other religions also. The word Amen used among Christians at the end of a prayer is also said to be derived from the the syllable OM. Although OM is not given any specific definition and is considered to be a cosmic sound, a primordial sound, the totality of all sounds etc., Amen is said to mean 'May it be so'.
This is believed to be the original depiction of the syllable OM. We can see how similar it is to the English Latin) letter 'M' as also to the Geek letter 'Omega'.
Thus the origin of the syllable OM is lost in the misty past. Its not being specific to any one country or civilization is indicative of its being an universally perceptible sound for the human race. This reason for this universal perceptibility possibly lies in the fact that AAAH is the most natural sound that issues from the human larynx. This is evident when a man cries out naturally in extreme pain, anger or fear. When emotions reach an extreme pitch the articulate sounds evolved by man are not the ones that are heard, but the syllable natural to man which is AAAH.
This sound it can be said would have been associated with man, in absence of articulate speech, as are the various sounds of barking, meowing, bellowing that we associate with different animals. This perhaps is the reason why the syllable beginning with the letter 'A' is the first one in most alphabets. And this perhaps is also the reason for the Deification of the syllable AUM or OM
http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_…/hindu_history/omkar.html

significance of wearing bangles in India

The significance of wearing bangles in India.
Women wearing bracelets,in most countries of the world have no special significance, for Indian women and girls, it is different, even the colors of the bracelets means something.
Bangles were worn as decorative accessories during the pre- and post-Vedic periods, and they had little or no ceremonial association.
The excavated remains of the Indus Valley civilization bear proof to the fact that women wore bangles on their arms and forearms to make themselves look more attractive.
It is said that medieval India included bangles in various customs and gave the ornament a ritualistic significance. As a result, married women and young girls customarily wear bangles today.
It is considered inauspicious, by those who choose to believe so, to have arms bereft of the colourful adornment. and yes, it is coloured bangles that are deemed to be more propitious than the gold or silver ones. Green and red glass bangles are auspicious for married women. In Maharashtra, women wear these on all important and special occasions in the family. As a matter of fact, pregnant women are given green glass bangles to wear on both their arms.
In Northern India and in the South, red assumes ritualistic relevance. In Bengal, married women wear red and white bangles.
The white bangle is beautifully crafted from conch while the red is made either of coral or lac.
While the red and white ones are quite important as a symbol of matrimony, what is crucial is the loha or iron kada that is worn along with them. Some Bengalis get the loha gold-plated rather skillfully, giving it a more contemporary look.
The custom of the bride wearing ivory bangles extends from Punjab to Gujarat and Rajasthan. In Gujarat, the bride receives an ivory bangle from her family just before marriage.
The saptapadi (or the seven rounds around the sacred fire) cannot be carried out without her wearing this bangle. Rajasthani brides wear ivory bangles on their arms and forearms, right up to their shoulders.
In Punjab, the bride is given very slender and delicate red and white bangles in ivory, in multiples of four. These are called choodas. Of course, these have now been replaced with white plastic and red lac bangles, while the Bengalis still stand by tradition.
Bangles are vital not just during weddings, but also on the occasion of baby shower, which in the Indian context can be referred to as the bangle ceremony.
It is believed to be an event held to ward off evil spirits that might be lurking around the mother-to-be or the baby in the womb.
The mother-to-be, full of health and radiance, diverts the evil spirits' attention to her arms full of bangles (glass, silver, conch, or shell bangles, depending on the region and community), thereby deflecting danger to her or the baby.
The only time that a married woman removes her bangles is either at labour while having a baby or when she is widowed.
While the former is significant of an easy delivery, the latter has tragic connotations.
That is why, when glass bangles break, it is thought to portend ill luck.
Bangles (the word having been derived from the Hindi bangri or bangali, which in Sanskrit means the ornament which adorns the arm) have become a fashion statement today. Young women wear bangles for their jingling sound and for value as a trendy accessory. They wear them by the dozen and even match them with their clothes. They do not restrict themselves to glass, gold, or silver, but buy lac, metal, beaded, stone, conch, terracotta, wooden, pearl, and plastic bangles, as well as those studded with gems and precious stones.
Hyderabad and Firozabad are the favourite haunts for those looking for an amazing variety of strikingly beautiful bangles. If you happen to visit these places, you just might chance upon Kasars there, who specialise in the art of making bangles.
So, when you see beautiful arms with strikingly pretty bangles resting delicately on their wrists, make sure you give them a second look. You might just be inspired to wear some yourself.