South african zulu tribe people life

The Zulu people and their long, proud and violent history have shaped the destinies of all people in the now South African province of KwaZulu-Natal over the past 200 years. The Zulu are the largest ethnic group in South Africa. They are well known for their beautiful brightly colored beads and baskets as well as other small carvings. The Zulu believe that they are descendants from a chief from the Congo area, and in the 16th century migrated south picking up many of the traditions and customs of the San who also inhabited this South African area. Zulu people During the 17th and 18th centuries many of the most powerful chiefs made treaties and gave control of the Zulu villages to the British. This caused much conflict because the Zulu had strong patriarchal village government systems so they fought against the British but couldn'tZulu basket win because of the small strength they possessed.

History of South African Zulu's Tribal life

Zulu villages, found all through the KwaZulu-Natal province, are an integral part of this fiercely proud people's traditional way of life.The AmaZulu believe that they are the direct descendants of the patriarch Zulu, who was born to a Nguni chief in the Congo Basin area. In the 16th century the Zulu migrated southward to their present location, incorporating many of the customs of the San, including the well-known linguistic clicking sounds of the region. Each member of the family has a place within a traditional Zulu village setup in KwaZulu-Natal. Beehive-shaped huts are built around the cattle kraal, the family has its sacred spot for worship and ceremony, visitors are greeted by gatekeepers, girls assist their mothers and boys herd the livestock.

Traditions and Customs and Culture of living

The Zulu women are primarily responsible for the household, including cooking and taking care of elderly relatives. It is said that Zulu men would rather go hungry than to touch a cooking pot, although that has changed somewhat in the urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal. The Reed Dance Festival celebrated every year sees thousands of Zulu virgins collect reeds from the nearby river to present to the king. As described in the Welcome to Zululand website, this festival is intended to celebrate and respect the virtue of young Zulu women. Traditionally, this also is the time when the Zulu king picks his youngest wife.

Zulu tribe art

The Zulu are best known for their beadwork and basketry. There have also been some figural sculpture questionably attributed to them. Zulu architecture is quite complex, and the dress or fashion of the Zulu has been carefully studied.

Social Structure

The Zulu population is divided relatively in half between the rural and urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal. The Zulu men are in charge of the household and represent the family in public meetings. The Zulu are divided into tribes with each having its chief, who in turn owes his allegiance to the king. Zulus practice polygamy and the first wife and grandmother exert more influence over the household than the other wives.

Hajj Facts - Mecca Islamic Pilgrimage

Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group, colour, social status, and culture gather together in Mecca and stand before the Kaaba praising Allah together. It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah. Hajj is no doubt an amazing spiritual journey that every Muslim aspires to embark on.   The Hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of life here on earth, and the afterlife, by stripping away all markers of social status, wealth, and pride. In the Hajj all are truly equal. Hajj is the most religious pilgrimage to Mecca.

History of Hajj

The pilgrimage to Mecca has been going on since pre-Islamic times, as Mecca's economic prosperity during the time of the Prophet Muhammad was largely due to the income from visitors. Muslims believe that the steps of the Hajj correlate to the story of Hagar, the second wife of Abraham whom he married after Sarah was childless. After Abraham left her and her infant son, Ishmael, in the desert, she frantically ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa to look for food and water for her baby after their provisions ran out. As she prayed to God for mercy, Ishmael's heel hit the ground and the well of Zam Zam sprang forth to nourish them. When Abraham returned, he built the Kaaba with Ishmael's help. Study the following historical, fun and interesting facts about the popular holy pilgrimage of mecca in saudi arabia, hajj fifth pillar of islam and symbol of muslim spiritual unity.

1. There are 5 pillars of Islam. Hajj is the 5th.
2. Performing Hajj is compulsory on every Muslim at least once in their life time.
3. Hajj occurs on the 8th to 12th of Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
4. Muslims who have performed Hajj are called Hajjis. Some even add the title in front of their name to denote their accomplishment.
5. The annual haj pilgrimage starts in the holy city of Mecca on Monday. Here are five facts about the event, the largest regular religious gathering in the world.
6. The haj is one of the five basic obligations of a Muslim, along with a short creed, prayer, giving alms, and fasting during the month of Ramadan. Every Muslim who has the means should perform the pilgrimage at least once in his lifetime.
7. The haj is older than Islam and took place annually during the childhood of the Prophet Mohammad when he grew up in Mecca in the late 6th century. Muslims trace its origins to an ancient monotheistic cult associated with the prophet Ibrahim, known to Jews and Christians as the patriarch Abraham.
8. The pilgrimage itself takes at least six days, starting on the 8th day of the lunar month of Dhul Hijja, which falls this year on Monday. But most pilgrims come earlier and first perform the rites of the umra, or lesser pilgrimage, which are confined to central Mecca.
9. Pilgrims perform the Tawaf Al-Wida after Hajj before heading home. Tawaf-al-Wida entails walking around the Holy Kabaa inside Masjid Al-Haram in circle 7 times.
10. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) performed Umrah 4 times and Hajj once. Over 3 million pilgrims performed Hajj last year. This number is expected to grow even further this year.

Most Famous Monuments of India

India is a country with very rich cultural tradition. The recorded history of India, had begun from the cradle of Indus valley (Harappan ) civilization around 5th millennium BC. Since then a number of great cultural changes occurred along with political upheavals. Though India is land of diversities in language, culture, life style and ethnicity, the thread of common cultural and historical stream unites the people of the country which is also the largest democracy in the world check out the following Most Famous Monuments of India .

Mysore Palace (Mysore): known as Mysore Maharaja Palace is situated at the centre of city at Mirza road. It is one of the major and the largest palaces as well monument in India also known as Amba Vilas Palace where Maharaja Wodeyar of Mysore state resided. The original palace which was carved out of wood was accidently burnt in 1897 but was again re-designed on its foundations itself in 1911 by well known architect Henry Irwin. The external structure of the palace is constructed with Indo-Saracenic features along with wonderfully designed square towers at various prime points enclosed by domes made from stones like granite, dark grey, ochre colors.          

Qutub Minar (New Delhi) : Considered to be the highest minaret in the world, Qutub Minar is one of the earliest and most prominent work of Indo-Islamic architecture. This tower was constructed as a tribute to a saint Moulana Qutubuddin Kaki by his follower Sultan Qudubuddin Aibak. But due to his sudden demise, the monument was completed by his son in law and next Sultan Iltuthmish which took him 20 years. The tower features scriptures engraved on its walls which are verses taken from Holy Quran. According to the inscriptions on its surface, Qutub was repaired by Firuz Shah Tughlaq and Sikandar Lodi and again re-repaired and restored by Major R.Smith in 1829.

Hawa Mahal (Jaipur) : click here for more information about Famous Monuments Known as the Palace of Winds, Hawa Mahal is the prominent Indian monument tourist attractions from all over the world located in the heart of pink city Jaipur. It is a complete symbol of Rajputana architecture which was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. But the main architect of the palace was Ustad Lal Chand who used red and pink sandstone and it is believed that palace is constructed in the form of crown of Lord Krishna. This five storey monument has 953 windows called Jharokas which is similar to a beehive honeycomb and is designed with obscure lattice work. Hawa Mahal offers several attraction views such as Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort, Govind Devji temple, Statue circle, Sisodia Rani and list continues.

India Gate (New Delhi) : It is the national monument of India situated in the very heart of New Delhi constructed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in Indo-Saracenic architectural style. India Gate is located on the Eastern side of Rajpath near Yamuna river which is a tribute salute to the 90,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives during World War I and Anglo-Afghan War. The monument which got completed in 1931 with the use of red sandstone and granite, had names of all these martyrs inscribed on its walls. India Gate is always filled with lots of people who come to have a peace of mind or have picnic in the gardens that lie around the gate with beautiful fountains.

Taj Mahal (Agra) : A perfect epitome and symbol of true love, Taj Mahal is a white marble crypt located in Agra, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, situated near the river of Yamuna Bank. This beautiful and integral structure was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his adored wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1654 with the help of 20,000 workers and around 1,000 elephants for carrying the construction material. It is widely recognized as jewel of Muslim architecture in India because of its stone designs, interior wall designs and outer garden area and is the seventh wonder of the world. Around 28 different kinds of semi precious and precious stones were used to make Taj with a exquisite inlay work surrounded by 4 minarets. Taj Mahal has pillars, flora motifs on the walls, lawns, dome, mosques on the sides and floor flourishing gardens with pool and waterways in the centre.

South African Tribes Culture

African culture is incredibly interesting because it is so diverse. Every African country is a mix of tribes each with their own unique language and culture. Countries as small as Uganda have more than 30 tribes. Here are links and articles covering arts, crafts, languages, tribes, religions, food and more which will help make your African trip a richer experience.

South Africa has a traditional tribal structure that does not fit easily into a modern democracy. These ancient tribes and nations represent the culture, customs and values of early African societies and are an important part of South Africa 's traditions. The Constitution of South Africa recognised this by setting up six Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders. These Houses are in Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West.                      

The two Ndebele groups were not only separated geographically but also by differences in their languages and tribes cultures. The Ndebele of the Northern Province consisted mainly of the BagaLanga and the BagaSeleka tribes who, by and large, adopted the language and culture of their Sotho neighbours.

A Ndebele top cultural village, made up of residential units (umuzi), is quite often defined by its striking artwork, which is done by the women. In this way she designates her territory while using art as a form of inspiration for everyday life. The family head (mnumzana) oversees his entire family and, in some cases, his married children and his brothers are permitted to settle in his community; thus expanding the residence into a village.

Indian Culture: Traditions And Customs of India

The culture of India is among the world's oldest, reaching back about 5,000 years. Many sources describe it as "Sa Prathama Sanskrati Vishvavara" — the first and the supreme culture in the world. India is a very diverse country, and different regions have their own distinct cultures. Language, religion, food and the arts are just some of the various aspects of Indian culture. Here is a brief overview of the culture of India.  

Paintings

Painting art play beautiful part in indian cultures and customs.Paintings are the favorite way of expressing some one's feelings. In ancient India it has been even used as a tool to demonstrate someones religious beliefs. Cave Paintings from Ajanata, Elora, Khajurago And Temple Paintings all are the testimony of this truth only. Most Rock art in India is mostly influenced by Hinduism or Buddhism.

Style of Dress

India is a land of color and diverse cultures, so evident in the varied dresses that grace its people. Indian traditional way of dressing is marked by variations, both religious and regional with a wide choice of textures and styles. Simple Sari is draped by the Indian girls of different region in different style. Traditional dress for Rajasthani and Gujarati girls are colorful Ghagra choli. South Indian girls Wear half sari with duppatta. Churidar kurta is worn by the north Indian girls but now a days quite popular with the young generation as well. Western dressing style is gaining its popularity amongst the urban youth.

Dance

The history of Indian traditional dance which traces its origin back in 2 BC is as colorful as it can be possible. Classical, folk and contemporary,all dance items are preformed here in India. Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchipudi and Mohini Attam are the few leading forms of classical dance. Kathak the main dance form in North India comes form the Islamic invasion though in the later years it evolved into the Hindu gharanas like Banaras gharana , Jaipur gharna. Maximum classical dancing originated from the religious feelings . But in addition to these classical dancing there are numerous forms of folk tribal dance which can be found in India.

Film

Popular cinema is how much popular can be understand with this small fact that over 900 films are made and released in India annually. In a country where cine stars get similar treatments like god nobody simply deny that popular cinema is very much an integral part of the Indian society, as we all know cinema is the mirror of the society.