ADVENTURE TOURISM

Trekking

Mountaineering Rock Climbing Safaris

Motorsport Watersport

Aerosport

India the land yet unexplored can easily be the new millennium?s adventure
tourism destination. Its vast geographical diversity and the pristine nature of its
facilities enables all tastes to be catered for, from the gentlest to the fast paced and
for people of every level of competence- the beginner and the expert. From the
daunting Himalayan peaks in the North to the azure coastal areas on the South ,from
the rain forests of the North East to the coral paradise in the South West,
it is variety that is as bewildering as it is diverse.
What is so fascinating and so compelling almost to the point of
addition in adventure sports? It must be the daunting thrill of dashing
down the ski slopes or the landscape trekking or pedalling along sheer
mountain slopes, white water rafting along the dangerous, roaring waters of great
services, hang gliding over enormously deep mountain gorges and climbing serrated
glaciers or, mountain summits is believable only through experience.
And, yet, these aspects form just a small part of the exhilaration and excitement
of the fast developing area, which is increasingly being recognised as adventure
tourism.
Wait that is not all. How can one forget the serenity of scuba diving along the
coral reefs or floating high above terra firma on hot air balloons, yes, even the slow
steady ambling along deserts on the gentle camels or horse riding, elephant riding
safaris - all these would have been dismissed as fanciful had it not been true and
existing on India.
And believe it -India is a perfect destination for adventure
tourism because it is as enjoyable, exciting, thrilling and invigorating
as one makes it .What helps is the destination which is custom
made. In India ,the mighty Himalayan and the never, never ending
coastline and not to forget the two island territories are open invitations to the fun
loving and the adventurous souls.
It is not only India?s vast geographical diversity that provides a huge scope for
the adventure tourist but also that it is relatively unforayed into and comparatively
inexpensive too. Those who want to fancy the wild and see mother- nature in its
original form, to see man and nature surviving in each other?s arms is rediscovering
one?s own self.
The intrigue of age-old monastries and temples, the Himalayan peaks and
slopes, with its dense tropical forests providing diverse fauna and flora and the
3000km of long -long coastline promises the most exciting of sports and adventure
imaginable. The best part is that these facilities exist all year through and in different
places with affordable prices.
Summer has the spotlight on the mountains in the northern most states with its
breath taking, views, winter has the country?s coastline to explore and in between
the shoulder period is covered with a variety of other sports. Season is not the
restriction.

Neither is there a constrain of places to go to. Rock climbing is not restricted to

Himalayan foot hills, it can be done in the adventure park at Lado Sarai in Delhi too.
Similarly kayaking and canoeing is not merely done in the Himalayan slopes or the
sea beaches, but also the Bhulasawa lake on the northern tip of Delhi has a
multisports leisure complex for the purpose. So it is with parasailing and paddling,
boating and fishing ;often such sports are available all over India.

FORTS AND PALACES OF INDIA

India is a country of forts and palaces among others. Most forts were built as a
defence mechanism to keep the enemy at bay. On the other hand, most palaces
were constructed in the name of kings and queens. The best example is the state of
Rajasthan that is home to the forts and palace built in the yester years. And many of
them are beign run as five star hotels in the present times.
The notable feature about each of the palaces is the exquisite carving work that
has survived till date and still receives appreciation from people worldwide.
Andhra Pradesh

Golconda Fort

Karnataka

Mysore Palace

Kerala

Cochin, Krishnapuram, Padmanabhapuram Palace, Puttan

Malika Palace, Mattancherry Palace

Madhya Pradesh

Gwalior Fort

Maharashtra

Maharaja, Panhala, Sinhagad

Uttar Pradesh

Kalinjar Fort

Rajasthan

Hawa Mahal, Jaisalmer, Junagarh, Kumbhalgarh, Lohagarh,

Meherangarh

Tamil Nadu

Vellore Fort
MYTHOLOGY

India is a blend of diverse cultures and religions that have continuously

influenced Indian mythology. Mythology, here is one of the most intriguing and
world's most interesting, as it unveils an amazing plethora of mythical stories, that
astounds the imagination. With richness and complexity as old as the early Indus
Valley civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, which were established around
2400 BC. The Hindus continue to believe in the multitude of gods and goddesses of
the Hindu pantheon.
India unveils a kaleidoscope of various cultures and religions with substantial
influence on the early writings, including Indian mythology. Prominent among these
was the Hindu religion, they belive that the Universe was a single entity and called
it Brahmin. This soon came to be equated with a masculine form of God, named
Brahma, the creator of the Universe, later jioned by Vishnu- the protector, and
Shiva- the destroyer to form the Trinity. The Vedic age, which belongs to the period
of the Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations, established around 2400 BC, has
given an entire body of literature to the world. The hymns sung then were

collectively called the Vedas. The Vedic Age is when Hinduism actually began. The
Vedic Gods were led by India. They got their strength from the drink- Soma, a form
of ambrosia.
The idea of atma, the soul, is an integral part of Hinduism, and the
transmigration of the soul, a fundamental concept. Sacrifice and performing
penance became the chief forms of worship. Certain concepts of the Hindu Indian
mythology are extremely interesting and unique. For example performing a
penance included years of deep meditation, in a state of isolation from the world.
As a result or reward for this penance, a God, usually one from the trinity, would
appear and grant a Boon. This was usually in the form of some power in the form
of protection against certain creatures, or limited power of immortality etc.
Similarly curses too were cast when the rishis or Gods flew into a rage. But in many
instances these curses had antidotes, which was usually related to some specific
incident in the person's future.
A common part of Indian mythology, Wars, between the Asuras (demons) and
the Devas (Gods) were often fought. The Asuras wanted to conquer the territory of
the Devas. Many interesting stories are woven around this theme.
The classical period gave birth two of the most amazing Epics in the history of
the world- the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These great works were compiled
into their present form during thin time, but their origins go back at least to Vedic
times. The Puranas were also composed at this time.
From 500 BC to about 100 AD, the age of Buddhism and Jainism put Hinduism in
decline. Buddha's doctrine took India by storm. Hinduism, however, was able to
survive the storm by renewing itself. Sacrifice went out of favor and the influence
of Jainism and Buddhism led to the composition of the Upanishads. It was also
during this time that Vishnu and Shiva completed their eclipse of India and the
other Vedic gods.

MONUMENTS
India is a country of monuments as rich in its intricate architect as its history.
Its biggest wonder acknowledged worldwide is the Taj which undoubtedly is epitome
of indian culture, heritage and civilisation. Behind each monument is an underlying
sense of mystery, intrigue and romance.
Andhra Pradesh Nagarjunakonda
Delhi
Gujrat
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka

Jamma Masjid -- Qutub Minar -- Red Fort

Buddhist Cave -- Harapan -- Sun Temple -Rani-ni-Vav
Diskit Gompa -- Hemis Gompa -- Sankar Gompa -- Spitok
Gompa -- Stok Palace -- Tikse Gompa
Bhutanatha temples -- Hoysala temples -- The Old Town -- Bidar

Fort -- Mahmud Gawan's Madrasa -- The Badri Shahi Tombs -Chaukhandi (tomb) Of Hazrat Khalil Ullah -- The Bahamani
Tombs -- Golgumbaz -- Ibrahim Roza-- Jame-e-Masjid -- Asar
Mahal -- Citadel -- Malik-e-Maidan -- Vittala Temple -- Royal
Enclosure Area -- Hampi Bazaar -- Lokeshwara or Virupaksha
Temple
Maharashtra

Ajanta Ellora -- Karle Caves

Madhya Pradesh Sanchi

Orissa
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal

Kandagiri -- Udaygiri
Akbar's Tomb -- Deogard -- Khusinagar -- Taj Mahal
Shantiniketan
MYTHOLOGY

India is a blend of diverse cultures and religions that have continuously

influenced Indian mythology. Mythology, here is one of the most intriguing and
world's most interesting, as it unveils an amazing plethora of mythical stories, that
astounds the imagination. With richness and complexity as old as the early Indus
Valley civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, which were established around
2400 BC. The Hindus continue to believe in the multitude of gods and goddesses of
the Hindu pantheon.
India unveils a kaleidoscope of various cultures and religions with substantial
influence on the early writings, including Indian mythology. Prominent among these
was the Hindu religion, they belive that the Universe was a single entity and called
it Brahmin. This soon came to be equated with a masculine form of God, named
Brahma, the creator of the Universe, later jioned by Vishnu- the protector, and
Shiva- the destroyer to form the Trinity. The Vedic age, which belongs to the period
of the Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations, established around 2400 BC, has
given an entire body of literature to the world. The hymns sung then were
collectively called the Vedas. The Vedic Age is when Hinduism actually began. The
Vedic Gods were led by India. They got their strength from the drink- Soma, a form
of ambrosia.
The idea of atma, the soul, is an integral part of Hinduism, and the
transmigration of the soul, a fundamental concept. Sacrifice and performing
penance became the chief forms of worship. Certain concepts of the Hindu Indian
mythology are extremely interesting and unique. For example performing a
penance included years of deep meditation, in a state of isolation from the world.
As a result or reward for this penance, a God, usually one from the trinity, would
appear and grant a Boon. This was usually in the form of some power in the form
of protection against certain creatures, or limited power of immortality etc.
Similarly curses too were cast when the rishis or Gods flew into a rage. But in many
instances these curses had antidotes, which was usually related to some specific
incident in the person's future.
A common part of Indian mythology, Wars, between the Asuras (demons) and
the Devas (Gods) were often fought. The Asuras wanted to conquer the territory of

the Devas. Many interesting stories are woven around this theme.
The classical period gave birth two of the most amazing Epics in the history of
the world- the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These great works were compiled
into their present form during thin time, but their origins go back at least to Vedic
times. The Puranas were also composed at this time.
From 500 BC to about 100 AD, the age of Buddhism and Jainism put Hinduism in
decline. Buddha's doctrine took India by storm. Hinduism, however, was able to
survive the storm by renewing itself. Sacrifice went out of favor and the influence
of Jainism and Buddhism led to the composition of the Upanishads. It was also
during this time that Vishnu and Shiva completed their eclipse of India and the
other Vedic gods.

PLACES OF WORSHIP
Apart from the pilgrim centres that India is known for, a large number of places
of worship are known among devotees for eternal powers and wish fullfilment. Take a
look.
Uttar Pradesh

Baijnath Temple-Kasauni --The Ghats-Varanasi-- Har ki

Pauri -- Chandi Devi(Haridwar) & Mansa Devi (Haridwar)-Mathura -- Vrindavan -- Naina Devi Temple -- Rishikesh-Vindhyachal(Varanasi) -- Kashi Vishwanath Temple -Durga Temple -- Bharat Mata Temple -- Tulsi Manas -Nepali Temple

Punjab

Golden Temple -- Guru Ka Langar & Gurudwaras -Durgiani Temple

Rajasthan

Jain Temples-- Ossian -- Dargah

Delhi

Jama Masjid -- Lotus Temple -- Laxmi Narayan Temple

Himachal
Pradesh

Masrur-Dharamsala -- Jakhu Temple -- Hadimba Temple

Bihar

Bodhi Temple -- Rajgir

Maharashtra

Elephanta Caves -- Ellora Temples -- Ajanta Caves

Gujarat

Somnath Temple -- Dakor

Orrisa

Sri Jagannath Temple -- Ratnagiri UdaygiriLalitagiri -- Sun

Temple -- Lingaraja Temple

Sikkim

Rumtek Monastery(Gangtok)

Jammu &
Kashmir

Vaishnavdevi Temple -- Bhumika Mandir -- Baba Jitto

Mandir -- Pandhrethan -- Amarnath -- Hazaratbal Mosque
-- Shankaracharya Temple

Madhya Pradesh Khajuraho Temples -- Orccha

West Bengal

Kali Temple -- Belur Math

Tamil Nadu

Meenakshi Temple -- Nagercoil -- Ramanathaswamy

Kerala

Guruvayoor -- Vadakkumnathan Temple -- Thrissur Pooram

-- Places of Worship in Trivandrum

Karnataka

Chamundi Temple -- Bull Temple -- Mangaladevi Temple

--Kadri Temple -- Gokarnatheshwara -- Venkatramana

Andhra Pradesh

Tirupati Temple -- Amaravati

Goa

Churches of Goa -- Temples of Goa -- Mosques in Goa

CUISINES OF INDIA

Each country has its own kind of food and tastes to offer. tourists seem to try
the characteristic dishes each country has to offer. India has a variety of dishes and
most of them are prepared using oil and fat. Spices and herbs like corriander,
ginger, garlic, cinamon, cardamoms, cloves, aniseed and asafoetida are used in
different combinations and flavours. Salt and pepper or chillies are added to curries
while they are being cooked and are not sprinkled at the time of serving.
Majority of people in India are vegetarians, A large number of dishes are
made from milk and milk products as cheese, ghee and curds. Cereals like rice,
wheat and maize form part of the staple food. Rice is consumed in large quantities
by South Indians while wheat forms an important part of the diet with the North
Indians. Dal and curry are common to both. However, there is a large variety in
both the preparations.
Eating habits as well as styles differ from place to place.
Beverages
One can experience types in different places.
Desserts
India is a country of sweets, and Indians, if they can afford, would like to have
sweets with almost every meal. Each region has its own specialties.
Regional
There is a whole range of curry dishes from different parts of India each having its
own distinct flavour as for the matter of convenience, we can broadly divide Indian
food into four different regions -- North, West, South and East.
Spices
The most commonly used spices and herbs in Indian cooking are asafoetida (hing),
cardamom (elaichi), clove (laung), cinnamon (Dalchini), cumin seeds (jeera),
corriander (dhania), garlic (lahusan), ginger (adarak), turmeric (haldi), green/red
chilly (mirch), aniseed and various peppers.
Breads
India offers a variety of breads like roti, parantha, puri, nan etc there are over 50
varieties of them you name it and you have it and all of them have a different
taste.
Paan
As the meal comes to an end there is this item 'Paan' which is a betel leaf wrapped

around a variety of ingredients.

Refreshments
The variety of refreshments available is as diverse as the country itself. Each region
has its typical and local speciality but some common features are that they are
ususally spicy, easily available, and inexpensive. The most popular and commonly
known is 'chat', a spicy mix of different ingredients, topped with tangy chutneys
(sauce).
Serving
If the preparation of food is important to Indians, its presentation is no less
significant.

FLORA-FAUNA OF INDIA
The concept of forest and wildlife conservation is very old to India. Our
Indian Culture and literature teach nonviolence and respect for even
lowly animal forms. Since time immemorial, wildlife here has enjoyed
a privileged position of protection through religious ideals and
sentiments.
Many of the gods are associated with certain animals: Brahma with
the deer, Vishnu with the lion and cobra, Siva with the bull, and Ganesh, the
eternal symbol of wisdom, is half man and half elephant. The earliest known
conservation laws come from India in the 3rd century BC, when Emperor

Ashoka wrote the Fifth Pillar Edict, forbidding the slaughter of certain wildlife
and the forests. Unfortunately, during the recent turbulent history of India,
much of this tradition has been lost. Extensive hunting by the British and
Indian rajas, large-scale clearing of forests for agriculture, availability of
guns, poaching, strong pesticides and the ever - increasing population have
had disastrous effects on India's environment. Only around 10% of the
country still has forest cover, and only 4% is protected within national parks
and similar reserves. However, in the past few decades the government has
taken serious steps towards environmental man- agement and has
established over 350 parks, sanctuaries and reserves.
The diversity of India's climate and topography is reflected in its
rich flora & fauna. India is renowned for its tigers, elephants and
rhinoceroses, but these are just three of the more than 500 species of
mammals living in the country. The beautiful land of jungles is the best place
in the world to see. India has for years on attracted the attentions of
wildlife connoisseurs. The last natural home of the majestic tiger is also
known for a number of other species that are almost synonymous just with
India. These include the wild ass, the one-horned rhinoceros, the black buck
and the Indian elephant. The variety of wildlife you can see in India is truly
astonishing, no where else you can find such an fascinating variety and
numbers it possesses.
Conservation projects have been established to preserve them, but
for some species, such as the Indian cheetah, protection has come too late the Indian cheetah was last seen in 1948.
A variety of deer and antelope species can be seen, but these are now
mostly confined to the protected areas because of competition with domestic
animals and the effects of their diseases. They include graceful Indian
gazelles (chinkaras); Indian antelopes (blackbucks); diminutive, four-homed
ante- lopes (chowsinghas); large and ungainly looking blue bulls (nilgais);
rare swamp deer (barasinghas); sambars, India's largest deer; beautiful
spotted deer (chitals); the larger barking deer (muntjacs); and the tiny
mouse deer (chevrotains). Also seen are wild buffaloes, massive Indian
bisons (gaurs), shaggy sloth bears, striped hyenas, wild pigs, jackals, Indian
foxes, wolves, and Indian wild dogs (dhole), which resembles giant foxes but
roam in packs in forests.
Amongst the smaller mammals are mongooses, renowned as snake
killers, and giant squirrels. Cats include leopards, panthers, short- tailed
jungle cats, and beautiful leopard cats. Various monkeys can be seen, with
rhesus macaques, bonnet macaques (in the south only) and long-tailed
common langurs the most likely.
India is blessed with over 2000 species and sub-species of birds.
The diverse birdlife of the forests includes large hornbills, serpent eagles and
fishing owls, as well as the elegant national bird, the peacock. Waterbirds,
such as herons, ibises, storks, cranes, pelicans and others, are seen not only
in parks but at numerous special waterbird sanctuaries. These sanctuaries
contain large breeding colonies, and are of great importance for the
countless numbers of migrating birds which visit India annually.

Among the other wildlife are over 500 species of reptiles and
amphibians, including magnificent king cobras, pythons, crocodiles, large
freshwater tortoises and monitor lizards. There are also 10,000 insect
species. including large and colourful butlerflies.
The vegetation comprises some 15,000 species of plants. Many of the
wildlife sanctuaries, and some national parks, have been established in the
former private hunting reserves of the British and Indian aristocracy. India is
divided into three main regions, each with many suhregions and distinctive
altitudinal climatic variations. Major wildlife sanctuaries include Corbett,
Kanha, Periyar (known for its elephants), Kaziranga (rhinos),
Ranthambore, The little Rann of Kutch (wild asses) and Point Calimere
(Flamingoes).
The jungles are thick and wooded with the flora to back up the fabulous
fauna. Evergreen forests in the north-east and along the Western Ghats,
moist and dry deciduous forests of the plains, swampy marshes of Bengal
and Madhya Pradesh, pinewoods of the Himalayan foothills and the lagoons
and estuaries down south - each pave for a different ecosystem, sheltering
unique forms of plant and animal life.

January
Makar sankranti is a hindu festival.It marks the begining of
the sun's journey towards northern hemishere .People take dip
in the rivers and worship the sun .Gangasagar Mela is being
organised near Calcutta where people come from all over India.
In Gujarat, Makara Sankranti is celebrated by the flying of
kites.
Pongal is celebrated in the southern part of the country. At
dawn on this day families everywhere gather around a new
earthen pot. As the pot of milk boils over, signifying prosperity,
a shout of "Pongal Pongal" rents the air.
Republic Day is India's great national festival. The
celebrations are most colourful in Delhi, the capital.Republic
Day Celebrating the anniversary of India's establishment as a
Republic 26th January 1950, all the state capitals resound with
the beating of drums and parading of the army including the
three armed forces, followed by floats and dancers from all
parts of the country starting from India Gate and ending at the
famous and historical Red Fort.In the evening, there are fire
works and lighting at government buildings.

February-March
Vasant Panchami is a festival in honor of Saraswati, the
goddess of wisdom and learning.This festival is particularly
significant to the people from West Bengal.
Maha Shivaratri This is a day of fasting dedicated to Lord
Shiva, the third deity of the Hindu trinity. Religious people stay
awake and chant prayers the whole night. Processions to the
festivals are followed by chanting of mantras and anointing of
lingams.Usually there are fairs near temples for the
entertainment of villagers during the daytime.
Holi marks the begining of the spring season and the end of
the frosty winters.On the eve of Holi, bonfires are built to
symbolize the destruction of the evil demon Holika.It is
celebrated by throwing colored water and powder at each
other.
Jamshed-i Navroz is the New Year's Day for the Parsi
community according to the Falsi calendar.They greet each
other on this day and celebrate with feasting.They also visit to
their fire temple.
Mahavir Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Mahavira, The
24th and the last jain Tirthankar.It is a major jain festival. It is
a day of prayer. Most of the jains fast on this days .Processions
are carried out and offering are given to the god.There are
celebrations in all Jain temples and pilgrimages to Jain shrines.
Ram Navami is the day of Rama's birth and is celebrated as a
day of great piety, with the chanting of prayers and the singing
of ballads.On this day processions are carried out in
Ayodhya,the birth place of Lord Rama.Temples are decorated
with lights and flowers.

April
Good Friday is a Christian festival and is celebrated with great
enthusiasm in India.Christians observe Good Friday as the day
on which Jesus laid down his life for the good of humanity.
Services and recitals of religious music are held in the
churches.
Easter The Resurrection of Christ is celebrated with fervour by
members of the Christian community. The occasion is
solemnised in some parts of the country by processions being

taken out.
Baisakhi is the harvest festival of the Punjab and is celebrated
with dances and gaiety.The solar new year's day is observed on
this day throughout northern India. For Hindus, it is significant
of the days of the descent of the Ganges to the earth, and
people take holy dips in rivers. The Sikhs attach religious
significance to day, as it is day of the formation of the Singh,
who converted the Sikhs into a martial race. On this day in
1699, Guru GobindSingh organised the Sikhs into the 'Khalsa'.
In Punjab, farmers start their harvesting operations on this day
with great fanfare.
Id-ul-Fitr or Ramazan Id is a day of feasting and rejoicing as
it marks the end of the end of Ramazan (Ramadan), the
Muslim time of fasting.

May-June
Buddha Purnima The three ocassions of the Buddha's birth,
enlightenment and his reaching nirvana are all celebrated on
this day. The Buddha is supposed to have gone through each of
these experiences on the same day, but of different
years.Buddha Purnima.

July
Rath yatra of Lord Jagannath's great temple chariot makes its
stately journey from his temple in Puri, Orissa. Similar, but far
less grandiose festivals take place in other locations.People
offer rice as prasad
Nag Panchami The festival of Nag Panchami is celebrated
throughout the country in the month of Shravana (JulyAugust). This festival is dedicated to Ananata, the serpent
whose coils Lord Vishnu rests between universes. Offerings are
made to snake images. Snakes are supposed to have the
power over the monsoon rainfall and keep evil from
homes.Snakes are worshiped and offered milk.Many hindu
families do pooja at home.

August
Raksha Bandhan, celebrated in India in the month of
Shravana (July-August), is an age old festival which
strengthens the bond of love between brother and sister.
Raksha Bandhan is an integral part of the Hindu family
structure whereby a woman ties a rakhi or decorative thread
on the wrist of her brother to remind him to protect her if the
need arises. The festival is celebrated as Coconut Day in
Maharashtra as the monsoon seas are calmed by coconuts
thrown to Varuna, the god of waters.
Independence Day India attained independence on 15th
August 1947. It is celebrated as the anniversary of India's
independence.The prime Minister delivers an address from the
ramparts of Delhi's Red Fort. The national flag is hoisted on the
red fort. It is celebrated all over the country with meetings and
flag-hosting ceremonies.

September
Janamashtami The birth of lord Krishna, the eighth
incarnation on earth of Lord Vishnu, is celebrated throughout
India. Devotees celebrate it by fasting and prayers, which is
followed by feasting and merriment.The temples remain open
throughout the night and birth of lord krishna is celebrated at
midnight.Scenes of lord Krishna's childhood are enacted in
Mathura and Vrindavan.On the next morning Nand utsav is
celebrated.people distribute prasad and dance with joy.
Earthern pots filled with butter,favourite of lord krishna are tied
to several places at certain heights.People try to break this pot
by forming pyramides. It is also commonly known as 'DAHI
HANDI".
Bakri-id The festival of Bakri Id is also known as Id-ul-Azha. It
is celebrated on the 10th day of the Muslim month Zil-Haj.
Bakrid celebrates the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim, who willingly
agreed to kill his son at the behest of God. To celebrate the
event Muslims sacrifice one animal per family or group of
families. There are prayers in mosques, feasting, and rejoicing.
New clothes are worn and visits and greetings are exchanged.
Onam is Kerala's notable festival. It is celebrated with great
enthusiasm. It is primarily a harvest festival observed not only
in every home but also out in the open, against the backdrop
of lush green tropical vegetation in which the region

abounds.Onam is also celebrated Andhra Pradesh and Tamil

Nadu. The lawns in the houses are decorated with floral motifs,
swings are tied, and delicious food is cooked. Processions of
caparisoned elephants are taken out and snake boat races are
held. People get together for various games, which is followed
by dance and music.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the honour of lord
Ganesha. This festival is dedicated to the popular elephant
headed God, Ganesha. Pune, madras, and Bombay are the
important centers of celebration. The elephant-headed god who
is worshipped is beleived to be the remover of obstacles. In
Maharashtra, huge images of Ganesha are carried in
procession. On specific dates in the following ten days, these
images are immersed in the sea or rivers with thousands of
worshippers dancing and singing after them.
Ladakh Festival The blend of various cultures of Central
Asian, Tibetan, Northern India are found in Ladakh.The
duration of Ladakh festival is of 15 days i.e From the 1st to the
15th of September.Various sports such as polo and archery are
conducted. Folk dances and songs, its age-old social And
cultural ceremonies, its art and handicrafts, all come alive in a
colorful kaleidoscope.

October-November
Navaratri/Dussehra/Durga Pooja. Navaratri, the Festival of
Nine Nights, is celebrated in honor of goddesses Durga,
Lakshmi, and Saraswati.It is celebrated with great enthusiasm
all over the country but specially in gujarat.People wear
traditional outfits like ghagra choli and play garba and dandiya
ras. The tenth day, Dussehra, commemorates the victory of
Rama, of the epic Ramayana, over Ravana. In many places it
culminates with the burning of huge images of Ravana and his
accomplices, celebrating the victory of the good over evil. Reenactments of the epic Ramayana takes place in various
places.it is also known as Vijayadashami.In Mysore in the
hilltop Chamundi temple, Dussera is a picturesque festival. The
godess is the Maharaja's family deity and a procession of
elephants, courtiers and court symbols attracts tourists by the
thousands as it wends its circuituous way to the temple,
decorated splendidly for the festival. With the decline of the
royal family of Mysore however the festival has lost some its
traditional lustre.
Diwali or Deepawali, the festival of " lights", is the most
important of all Hindu festivals. It is celebrated int the month

of Kartika according to the hindu calender.It is believed that it

was on this day that Rama entered Ayodhya after 14 years of
exile.This is perhaps the happiest of Hindu festivals. Diwali is
an occasion of great excitement and rejoicing all over the
country. Every city, town and village is turned into a fairyland
with thousands of flickering oil lamps and electric lights
illuminating homes and public buildings. Countless number of
lamps are lighted at night, giving the impression that the stars
have descended on earth. These lights are symbolic of the
spiritual light dispelling evil and the darkness of ignorance.
Deepavali is also celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi, the day
when the demon of darkness and dirt, Narakasura, was
destroyed by Krishna. The celebrations commence with a
purifying oil bath and the lighting of lamps, symbolic of the
spiritual light pervading the earth and the destruction of
darkness and ignorance.Laxmi pooja is done.People burst
crackers and distribute sweets and greet each other.
Gandhi Jayanthi- Gandhiji is rightly called the father of the
nation.Gandhi jayanti is celebrated on the 2nd of october every
year.Prayer meetings are held at Raj Ghat where he was
cremated. He was a great freedom fighter and the follower of
Non voilence.
Gurupurab or Guru Nanak jayanti is the birth anniversary of
Guru Nanak who founded the Sikh faith. For two days and
nights preceding the festival the Granth Saheb (Scriptures) is
read. On the day of the festival, the Granth Saheb is taken out
in a grand procession. The celebrations at Amritsar are the
most impressive.Prayer meeting and processions are carried
out particularly in punjab.Sikh conduct 'langer' {distribution of
food }in the Guru Dawara November: Govardhan Pooja A Hindu
festival dedicated to the holiest of animals for the Hindus, the
cow.

December
Christmas is widely celebrated all over India and is especially
interesting in Goa and Kerala, where some of the local culture
has been absorbed into the festivities.The birth anniversary of
Jesus Christ is celebrated by Christians and non-Christians
alike, with special enthusiasm in big cities like Delhi, Bombay
and Calcutta, where shops and homes take on a festive air.
Families get together around decorated trees and gifts are
exchanged. On Christmas Eve, midnight services are held in
churches.

RELIGION - HINDUISM
It is the third largest and the oldest religion of the World. No one is actually
certain how old is Hinduism but it can be said with certainity that Indus valley
civilisation contributed some ideas to Hindu religion. The earliest known Hindu
scriptures are the "Vedas". Vedas describe the religion of Aryans, who invaded
India around 1500 B.C. The Vedic religion was not Hinduism although hindus
consider Vedas
as their scriptures. Of the Hindu "Trinity" Brahma the creator, Vishnu the
preserver,
and Mahesh (Shiva) the destroyer only Vishnu's name appears in the oldest Vedas.
The
concept of Trinity dates back to 500 A.D. Around the same time, the importance of
goddess began which appears in many forms of Shakti (Shiva's consort). However,
Upanishads
which were written several hundreds years later have characteristic Hindu ideas of
unity of soul with Brahman, karma, reincarnation, and salvation (Moksha- escape
from
reincarnation). The notion of class and caste which was absent in Vedas starting
appearing
during this period. Hindus are mainly divided into three groups i) Shivites, who are
devoted
to Shiva, whom they consider as their creator and preserver of the universe
ii) Vaishnavas, who assign the above roles to Vishnu and iii) Shaktas, who worship
Shakti.
These divisions of Hinduism are not very rigid as in other faiths and it is not
strange
for people of one belief to mix with others. The Hindus do not form congergations
and mostly
worship at home. They worship other God and Goddesses as well as these are
considered as another
reincarnation of main Hindu Gods. As a result, the major Gods and Goddesses are
worshiped in
many names and forms. Hindus have little missionary feeling because they believe
that the
proper way to become a Hindu is to born one. Hindu rituals cover all areas of a
person's life.
Hindu society has a high standard of conduct, with little immorality, crime, or
violence.
UNIQUENESS OF HINDUISM

There are many definitions of the word 'Hindu' based on geography, religion, or politics etc.
but none of them is perfect. It is a way of life, therefore, there is no need to define Hinduism.
We should simply recognise the fact that Hindu society exists.
Hinduism is universal and contains different schools of philosophy and religion.
Hinduism is the oldest religion of the world but it reforms and changes with the
demands of the time, thus it is ancient but remains moderm.
Every Hindu keeps these four objectives in view and tries to achieve them:
1) Duty (Dharma)
2) Material prosperity (artha)
3) Enjoyment (kama)

4) Salvation (moksha)
Theory of Action (karma): we reap what we sow. We must take responsibility
for all actions we do in this life.
To achieve the above objectives life is divided into four segments:
1) Celibacy (bramacharya)- student life i.e. acquiring knowledge.
2) Family life (grihastha)- enjoyment and prosperity and participation in
running of society and the nation.
3) Retirement (vanaprastha)- delegate responsibility to younger generation to
perform selfless social service.
4) Renunciation (sanyas)- complete renunciation of the world for union with God.

IMPORTANT HINDU PLACES

Four Math
Jyotirmath (Garhwal-Himalaya)
Goverdhan (Jagannath puri)
Shengari (Karnataka)
Sharda (Dawarika-Gujarat)
Four Kumbhasthal
Haridwar (Uttar Pradesh)
Prayag (Allahbad-U.P.)
Avantika (Ujjain-Madhya Pradesh)
Nasik (Maharashtra)
Four dham
Badrinath (Himalaya)
Jagannathpuri (Orissa)
Rameshwar (Tamilnadu)
Dwarika (Gujarat)