Amarnath

Amarnath Yatra

The of the most important event during July/ August, is Amarnath Yatra to the Holy Pilgrimage. This is an annual event when thousands of Hindus from different corners of the Globe visit Amarnath caves. The pilgrims trek from Pahalgam to these caves and worship the great ice Lingam. Legend has it that Shiva recounted to Parvati the secret of creation in a cave in Amarnath. Unknow to them, a pair of mating doves eavesdropped on this conversation and having learned the secret, are reborn again and again, and have made the cave their eternal abode.

The Legend about the importance of Amarnath Cave is as follows : • This is The Cave which was chosen by Bhole Shankar for narrating the secrets of immortality and creation of Universe to Maa Parvati ji . The story goes like this . Centuries ago Maa Parvati asked Shiv ji to let her know why and when He started wearing the beads of heads ( Mund Mala) . Bhole Shankar replied when ever you are born I add one more head in my beads . Maa Parvati said ," My Lord, my body is destroyed every time and I die again and again, but you are Immortal. Please let me know the secret of this ." Bhole Shankar replied that it is due to Amar Katha ." • Maa Parvati insisted that she may be told that secret. For long Shiva ji continued postponing . Finally on consistent demand from Maa Parvati He made up his mind to tell the immortal secret . He started for lonely place where no living being could listen it . He choose Amarnath Cave . In preparation to that He left His Nandi ( The Bull which He used to ride ) at Pahalgam (Bail gaon) . At Chandanwari He released Moon from his hairs (Jataon).

Many pilgrims report seeing the doves-pair when they trek the arduous route to pay obeisance before the ice-lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva). This is an event you certainly will talk about for the rest of your life.

• Lord Shiva takes his Samadhi on the Deer Skin and concentrate . To ensure that no living being is able to hear the Immortal Tale , He created Rudra named Kalagni and ordered him to spread fire to eliminate every living thing in and around the Holy Cave . After this He started narrating the secret of immortality to Maa Parvati . But as a matter of chance one egg which was lying beneath the Deer skin remained protected . It is believed to be non living and more over it was protected by Shiva -Parvati Asan (Bed) . The pair of pigeons which were born out of this egg became immortal having listened the secret of immortality (Amar Katha). Many pilgrims report seeing the pair of pigeons when they trek the arduous route to pay their obeisance before the Ice-Lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva).

Ancient Temple

Ancient Temple

India, historically referred to the territory bound by the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas, is a country full of wonderful temples. These unmatched and artistic architectures contribute richly to the Indian cultural heritage. Temples are found everywhere in India, in villages and in towns. The earliest temples are the rock cut and cave temples in India. ; They are traced at Barabar Hills in Bihar, Elephanta, Bhaja, Karla, Kanheri, Nasik and Ellora all in Maharashtra, Badami in Karnataka, and Pallavaram and Mahabalipuram in Tamilnadu. They belong to the 3rd and the 2nd century B.C. These are the caves directly cut out from the mountains. First scooped and then carved, they narrate the stories of the unmatched talents of the very first artists from the dawn of time. Since that very time Hindu temple architecture follows a set of fundamental rules. The sanctum containing the statue or symbol of the deity is a square cella. A pyramidal structure rises above that which symbolizes the Meru Mountain, the abode of the Hindu gods. This part of the temple is the holiest of all. In this part the rituals are performed by the Brahmins. In front of this central tower is a hall open from three sides, held on beautiful pillars carved intricately. In this hall the devotees gather in large number to participate in the rituals and the chants. This is where the dances are also performed. Surrounding the hall is a courtyard with or without boundary wall This courtyard is reached through a gopuram or gateway. The levels of the main sanctum, mandapa or hall, courtyard and gateway are in descending order. The garbha-griha or the sanctum is the highest as it is believed to be the chamber of the deity. To this basic architecture, little variations can be observed but to see a temple totally different in design is not possible. Because above all else, it is the residence of god, that has to bear a common thread of design in all variations.

Indian Temples

Indian Temples

India is known as one of the few countries in the world that has a heritage dating back centuries ago. Well it can be proved till date as the temples stand witness to the rich cultural heritage of our country. Travel to the north of the country or the south there are temples and heritage sites that will take your breath away.

Some are so profound with beauty that they are made tourist spots for people not only in the country but for tourists from abroad too. Some famous temples to mention are the Khajuraho Temple, Badrinath, Pushkar, Tirupati, Kanyakumari, Srimahavirji, Kedarnath, Dwarkadeesh, Ajanta Cave Temples, Kalkaji, Birlamandir, Lotus temple and Meenakshi temple. These however are the very famous ones. But if one loves to take a tour of temples then South India boasts of the best the country has.

They are beautiful with architecture resounding from the tip that rises meters into the sky to its very edge that settles on the ground. Inside, outside there is drama in every window, door, steps and even in the bells that complete the temple. Also the rituals are very simple and temples are less orthodox in the North as compared to the South, where the rituals are elaborate and very long.

The stone deities are dressed in the best and taken for processions during the year. The richer the temple the more elaborate is the festivities. Also the temples in Kerala are starkly different from the temples in the other three states. The temples are so large down south that they become mini complexes and serve as a place to feed people, wedding grounds, conduct festivals, hold kitchen wares and even religious schooling.

Indus civilization

Indus civilization:-

The people of Indus civilization traded with Sumer and sent merchant ships to the island of Tilmun in the Persian Gulf. The main items of exports included pottery, inlays, and wood. Sumerian merchants referred to the Indus Valley as Meluhha. They also traded with Mesopotamia and Egypt. Harrappan civilization was the first to turn cotton into yarn and weaving the yarn into cloth. Cotton was first developed around 2000 B.C.The people used to export surplus grain, pottery vases, ivory combs, pearls, precious woods, and semi-precious stones. Indus Valley farmers grew wheat, barley, field-peas, melons, sesame, and dates. They also domesticated humped cattle, short-horn cattle, and buffaloes, and perhaps even pigs, camels, horses, and donkeys. The land was full of water buffalo, tigers, elephants, rhinoceros and enormous forests. Their unique script consisted of 400 symbolic pictures, has not yet been deciphered. The lack of public inscriptions or written historical documents has hindered other information about the civilization.

The Indus civilization declined in 1900 BC under pressure from a new people, the Aryans. The Indo-European speaking Aryans entered the area from eastern Iran by 1500 BC. The Rig Veda the main religious and socio-economic text was written between 1300 and 1100 BC. They settled in different regions of northwestern India. The tribes were called Gana (literally a "collection" - of people). The chief of each tribe held all the powers and it passed from father to son and so on. The people in the Vedic period lived in straw and wooden huts. Some homes were made of wood, but not until later, during the Epics Period. The social life centered on Yagna .The Aryans ate meat; vegetables etc .They also introduced horse and raced chariots. They were religious and prayed to many gods and goddesses. The caste system has its beginning based on occupations. Education was oral and writing was done on bark and leaves which has not left any records. People enjoyed lavish embroidery and embellishments. From then on new people and races entered India and settled here bringing with them diverse ideas, beliefs and traditions and in course of time amalgamated within the Indian civilization.

History of India

HISTORY OF INDIA

The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from c. 3300 to 1300 BCE, was the first major civilization in India. A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture developed in the Mature Harappan period, from 2600 to 1900 BCE. This Bronze Age civilization collapsed before the end of the second millennium BCE and was followed by the Iron Age Vedic Civilization, which extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic plain and which witnessed the rise of major polities known as the Mahajanapadas. In one of these kingdoms, Magadha, Mahavira andGautama Buddha were born in the 6th or 5th century BCE and propagated their śramanic philosophies.

Almost all of the subcontinent was conquered by the Maurya Empire during the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. It subsequently became fragmented, with various parts ruled by numerous Middle kingdoms for the next 1,500 years. This is known as the classical period of Indian history, during which India has sometimes been estimated to have had the largest economy of the ancient and medieval world, controlling between one third and one fourth of the world's wealth up to the 18th century.

Much of northern and central India was once again united in the 4th century CE, and remained so for two centuries thereafter, under the Gupta Empire. This period, witnessing a Hindu religious and intellectual resurgence, is known among its admirers as the "Golden Age of India". During the same time, and for several centuries afterwards, southern India, under the rule of the Chalukyas, Cholas,Pallavas, and Pandyas, experienced its own golden age. During this period, aspects of Indian civilization, administration, culture, and religion (Hinduism and Buddhism) spread to much of Asia.

The southern state of Kerala had maritime business links with the Roman Empire from around 77 CE. Islam was introduced in Kerala through this route by Muslim traders. Muslim rule in the subcontinent began in 712 CE when the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh and Multan in southern Punjab,^[1] setting the stage for several successive invasions from Central Asia between the 10th and 15th centuries CE, leading to the formation of Muslim empires in the Indian subcontinent such as the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire.

Mughal rule came to cover most of the northern parts of the subcontinent. Mughal rulers introduced Middle Eastern art and architecture to India. In addition to the Mughals and various Rajput kingdoms, several independent Hindu states, such as the Vijayanagara Empire, the Maratha Empire, and theAhom Kingdom, flourished contemporaneously in southern, western, and northeastern India respectively. The Mughal Empire suffered a gradual decline in the early 18th century, which provided opportunities for the Afghans, Balochis, Sikhs, and Marathas to exercise control over large areas in the northwest of the subcontinent until the British East India Company gained ascendancy over South Asia.^[2]

Beginning in the mid-18th century and over the next century, India was gradually annexed by the British East India Company. Dissatisfaction with Company rule led to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, after which India was directly administered by the British Crown and witnessed a period of both rapid development of infrastructure and economic decline. During the first half of the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched by the Indian National Congress and later joined by the Muslim League. The subcontinent gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, after being partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan.