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.