Author: Sanyukta Talukdar

This is a final summary of what we have learnt about India till now. This has been one of my favourite assignments to do till date. I could express my views and concerns about my home country. I am glad that I was able to bring forward some of the most beautiful points of India that many people were unaware of. The blogging has been a rollercoaster ride for me. In fact the sources that I used for writing these are not any search engines but the greatest sources of mine were none other than my own grandmothers, mother and father. I feel that after writing throughout these weeks I have gained more knowledge about my country which I didn’t know earlier. My learning was filled with a lot of fun stories and som serious talks. I am glad I chose this topic as it helped me learn not only about the beauty of my country but also my ancestors who sacrified their lives to give provide me a free country today. I just have covered a small part of India as I am still in the learning process of my beautiful country. Every aspect of India, whether it food, religion, festival, films etc, literally everything brings a different side of the country. India is a nation that celebrates love and culture. Though still in the developing process, this is a country which has fully developed in terms of its culture and heritage. If I get the opportunity, I will continue blogging on this wesite even after the end of the course, so that I can show the true picture of India to the whole world. There are a lot of things that other countries are not aware of and still sometimes they post on objectifying articles on our country which is absolutely fake. So I believe that through my website I can bring some changes in the way the world thinks about us. I am proud to be born here! Jai Hind!

Thank You!

 

One of the most fascinating things about India is their amazing traditional clothes which vary from state to state. Imagine! 29 states and 29 new traditional clothes. Let’s have a look at some:

PUNJAB

Punjab is a place in the Northern part of India. The dress code has a lively and happy touch to it. No matter how sad a person is…once he or she wears it they feel like jumping, dancing and singing around. In Punjab the men where “Punjabi Kurta” and “Tehmat”. The women wear “Punjabi Salwar Suit”.

WEST BENGAL

West Bengal is a place in the east of India. The dress code of this place can catch the eye of anyone. The men wear :Kurta” and “Lungi”. The women wear beautifully tied ” Sari”. The saree is usually in white and red colour and this brings out the purity and gorgeousness all at once.  It is an absolutely stunning costume! This traditional costume is still worn in weddings and the overall look is a treat to the eyes!

GUJRAT

Gujrat is a place in the Western part of India. The costume of this place is still worn in festivals. It looks best during any night function.The men wear ” Dhoti” and “Kurta”. The women wear ” Ghagra” and ” Choli”. It is a costume that stand out and is extremely beautiful and blingy.

MAHARASHTRA

This place is known for it’s unique fishermen style costume! This place has a costume type which is different and unique from the rest of the costumes of other states. The costume was specially designed by all the fishermen and women. (fishermen are people who do fishing to sell in markets). There is also another type of costume that is worn by  the women but this fisherman’s costume just stand out!

(*This is a picture of the people dancing)

KERALA

Kerala is a place in South India. The dress code of this place is extremely soothing and sober. There is something about the costume that reflectts purity and serenity. It can be really soothing for the eyes. The costume of this place for both men and women are always in pure white and gold. The material is extremely refined and calming. It is like an ASMR to the eyes. The men wear ” Lungi” and ” Dhoti”. The women wear “Sari”. But the style of draping is extremely different from the one in West Bengal.( If by chance you got confused!)

Whenever one hears this word the first thing that comes to their mind is glamour, entertainment and dance numbers. India is nothing without Bollywood. It  is one of the largest entertainement industries in the world. Bollywood  earlier known as Bombay Cinema (because the main hub of it is in the metropolitan city Mumbai; then Bombay) makes up for 43% of indian net box office revenue. The whole concept of film in India was started off by Sir Dadasaheb Phalke with the silent film “Raja Harishchandra”. Slowly by the 1930s the films started getting featured with sounds but still they were in black and white and took quite some time to get featured in colours. The lives of the ones involved with this industry is filled with glamour and wealth. One who becomes a part of this industry doesn’t ever have to look back One of the best part about Indian movies is their cinematography and projection. The vibrant colours used in every scene is exceptional. Plus the costumes, set, music, dance numbers, and dialogues makes even a simple movie astounding. There are a lot of genres in the film comedy, drama, romantic, horror, historic etc. One may also observe that with each scene there is always a song attached according to the mood of it. Unlike in Hollywood Films where songs of albums are used to fit the movie scene, in Indian movies the singers don’t usually release their own track; they sing for the films. Everything about the Indian Cinema is so extra and wonderful that everyone gets super attached and involved with the flow of the movie. There is always a moral that is left behind every film which makes these movies much more special. One of the biggest part of these films is the awrd ceremony which is not only awaited by the audience but also by everyone involved in this Industry. This ceremony is known as National Filmfare Awards. This award ceremony is a night filled with dance, music, fun skits, and award distribution( the award is shaped in the form of a beautiful black woman) to all the deserving winners. This industry is a place where every dream can be fulfilled.

Food is one of the most important part of every human being’s life. But it holds a special meaning in every Indian’s life! The variety of food available in India is beyond one’s imagination! Every part of India has their speciality which unique and different from rest of the part of India.

NORTH

The northern part is where wheat is sown the most. So here any wheat product is just a pleasure to your belly!

Let’s talk about the Naans…even writing this made me feel super hungry. Naan is nothing but a fluffy tortilla but made with butter and a special subtance called ghee. It can be eaten with any other side dish.

The next amazing dish is a pulse soup known as Dal Makhani. It is black pulse soup made with spices, butter and cream. This is one of the most famous dishes of nort India and is highly relished by each and every person living here or away.

• Note: Tastes best with Naan

After this comes a dish that every north Indian absolutely loves. That is Butter Chicken. It is soft tender chicken cooked in spices, butter etc. This is a medium level spicy dish. So if you can’t handle the spice, hello! You are most welcome to enhance your taste buds withis this!

EAST

The best thing about east are its seafood and sweets. Nothing can compare to the kind of seafood and sweets available here.

This is a fish that is only available in Bengal. It tastes best when cooked with spices and mustard. Even a small bite of it can rejuvinate your soul….mmm! (lol! I am already drooling)

Note: Never ask a foodie to write food blogs! It can emake them rush to their refrigerator!

Now time for some sweet talks! So the sweet that is loved by almost every Indian comes from Bengal. It is known as Rasgulla. It is awhite fluffy sweet ball filled with sugar syrup. This sweet is served mostly during the festivities like Durga Puja , Diwali etc

This food is originated from Orissa. It is a fluffed up tortilla known as Puri.

This famous dish comes from Bihar. It is mutton curry which a popuar dish available here. It is slow cooked made with various spices.

 

SOUTH

This place is also famous for its seafood and coconut based dishes. But what is unique about this place is that people here eat food on leaves which is scientifally proven to give nutrients especially proteins to your body.

Spicy King fish curry is a famous dish here made in various spices and simmered slowly.

There is a special meal served during the South Indian festival called Onam. This whole dish is just beyong words. It tastes like heaven on Earth! This dish is served on a leaf which shows how artistic the people belonging to this place can be …actually it is believed that banana leaf restores nutients in the food.

Another famous dish here is a rolled long tortilla known as Dosa. This long tortilla has vegies within it which makes it even more tasty. It tastes best when consumed with a special king of pilse and sauce made of coconut.

 

WEST

This place has unique food dishes. It has a very peculiar food type.

The first is a cube shaped soft bread with a chili on its top that has a very different taste. It is known as Dhokla andis a dish of Gujrat. It tastes like sweet bread which is tangy insome of its bites! Weir Right!

The next dish is Khakra. It is a crispy dried tortilla that comes in many flavours.

Another absolutely deadly tasty food is Thepla. It is a little small than a tortilla but looks like one. It is a famous dish from Gujrat.

 

If you are a foodie…India is the place for you!

India is a country with hoge population and with this comes a government that carefully cater to every needs and wants of every sector of people residing inside the nation. The government is highly responsible for the protection of its citizens.  There are a total 8 national parties that  function actively in India. However we will discuss only 5 prevelant ones here.

BJP

SYMPOL: LOTUS

DESCRRIPTION: It was founded by Bhartiya Jana Singh in the year 1980. Thus it is also known as ‘Bhajpa’ or Bhartiya Janta Party (meaning party for the people of India.) Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs to this party. The main goal of the party is to spread Hinduism as India is the only country where the population of Hindus are in majority. In the elections of 2018 it was the party with the highest votes.

 

CONGRESS

SYMBOL : HAND

DESCRIPTION:  This is one of the oldest parties of India. Before BJP, Congress served our country for 70 years. Though the party has gone a lot downhill now, but initially this party had the best objectives, plans and motives for the country. It is the second most popular parties in India. It is headed by Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Manmohan Singh (our ex prime minister), and Mr. Rahul Gandhi. If it keeps on following the guidlines which Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru set at that time then there is no going back for this party.

 

AAP

SYMBOL: BROOM

DESCRIPTION: This party is also very popular. But it has higher demands only in Northern India. It is headed by Mr. Kejriwal who is also the Chief Minister of Delhi, the capital of India. This party has really made major changes in education which have proven to be benificial for the students of India. It aslo gives special concessions to all the teaching staff of India. This party is newly formed. However I firmly believe that within a span of time it will become more popular because of the objectives it has. The full form of the name of this party is ‘”Aam Aadmi Party” (party for common people)

 

TMC

SYMBOL : 3 PETALED FLOWER

DESCRIPTION : This party is headed by a women who has been serving the party for years, she is Ms. Mamata Banerjee. Though this party is always criticed for it’s bad deed; but the best part about this party is the unity between the members of the party. This party only rules in West Bengal as it always wins there. There is no other party that can beat TMC in West Bengal. This is the power of her leadership. she is also the Chief Minister of West Bengal. The full form of the name of the party is ” Trinomool Congress”.

 

SAMAJWADI PARTY

SYMBOL: BICYCLE

DESCRIPTION: To be honest this is the most useless of all the parties in India. This party rules with absolutely no objectives and roles and without having them tries to contest against other parties. The leader of this party is young and needs to work a lot in order to make ths party work.

National Bird

The peacock is the national bird of India. The divine beauty of the peacock is what captures everyone. All eyes are on this super enigmatic living being. There is a story behind the peacock being the national symbol of India. So the story goes around one of the gods of India, named Lord Krishna. He was a young charming boy who had secret powers within him. His evil uncle wanted to kill him so that he could acquire the throne but at the end Lord Krishna became the death sentence of the evil King. Lord Krishna used to wear peacock feather on his head. So from then onwards it became the national symbol.

 

National Animal

The tiger is the national animal of India. The tiger shows power and sense of cnfidence. Thre is a story that rotates around this too. The tiger has often been compared to the mighty King Ashoka. Ashoka was a an emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty. His agility, grace, and prowess was often compared to that of a tiger; fast and furious! This animal is really beautiful with its orange coat and wonderful black stripes. But unfortunately it has become endangered now! But the government is making efforts to protect our national animal.

 

National Flower

Lotus is the national flower of India. Again there is a story behind lotus being our national flower. It is believed that our Indian Goddess Saraswati lives on the lotus. Lotus is a symbol of purity and serenity. The water itself brings a calming effect. If you would ever tough a lotus, you will realise that there is no smell of it! This is because it is believed that all the negative energies are trapped within it and positive energies are given out, thus neutralizing the smell of both the energies.

 

National Song

“VANDE MATARAM” (Long Live Mother India) is the national song of India. It is a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. This poem is in the praise of our Mother, Our India. This was written during the time of the British Rule. When our country was under the atrocities of the Britishers young Indians rose to condemn them and many lives got sacrifices. At the end every human being vanishes in the soil of their motherland. These young indians also reunited with the soil of India whom they consider as their mother. Thus these lines of song have been written in their praise.

 

National Anthem

“Jana Gana Mana” is the national anthem of India. This was composed by Rabindranath Tagore. The anthem brings a sense of belongingness among the people of India. I literally feel goosebumps whenever I sing this song. This was also composed during the time of the British Rule.

 

National Sport

Hockey is the national sport of India. There are some controversies that rule around, whether cricket or hockey should be made the national sport of India. Apparently hockey gave many gold medals to India. But cricket was the very first sport played by Indians as a revenge against the Britishers during the colonial rule.

India is a country which has the second largest population in the world. However the best part of India is that their is no fixed culture or language; it changes within every 1 Km. The north Indian languages belong to the sanskrit community while the south indians belong to the Dravidian family.The Vedic Sanskrit is extracted from the vedas written in praise of gods, incarnIndiaation, etc. Each language is unique and gives an insight to where someone belongs to. We get to know more about their culture and needs. It has been ranked as having the highest linguistic diversity.Now under the Union Government of India 22 languages have been registered.

Now here are some fun facts:

1. Hindi is the 2nd most spoken language in the world
2. Malyalam is the longest palindrome
3. 99% of Urdu verbs have their roots in Sanskrit
4. All Indian script come from the same script that is Brahmi

Thus languages are the heart and soul of India. Earlier before the British rule, countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of India. Imagine, the diversity and the number of languages during that time!. It will be a shocking news for you people…but did you know even within every state of India there are lakhs of villages within wich have their own languages! This series keeps on folding and unfolding. There are many languages that have not even been recorded by the government. There are more than 19,500 languages or dialects that are spoken in India. However there are 121 languages that are registered by the government. The 121 languages are presented in two parts; languages included in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution and the rest 99 fall into the category of other languages. The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution consistes of 22 languages; Assamese, Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, Dogri. Thus India has a rich cultural and language diversity.

I believe that the word India and festivals go side by side. Festivals bring life to the otherwise busy country. Festivals destroy the barriers between the rich and poor. Everyone becomes one during these times. There are infinite festivals in our country. Every festival has a special meaning to them. There are 12 months in a year then there is some or the other festival in every month. Let us have a look at some of them…

HOLI:

This is also known as the festival of colours. This ancient Hindu festival is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil. This is one of the most fun festivals where the people put ‘Gulal’ (powdered colours) on each other thus bringing joy and colour to everyone’s lives. It is celebrated during the spring time.

BAISAKHI

This festival marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. This festival really bring a joy to the heats of the people. The joyful music and tunes of the instruments makes you want to get up from your comfort zone and dance and sing to the fullest. The attires are all colourful and everywhere there is happiness. Also this festival is stronly linked to the farmers. This marks the growth of crops which is the living necessity of these farmers. So these crops are highly valuable to them and they ance and sing in the praise of the lord whom the consider responsible for the reason of the growth of crops.

NAVRATRI AND DURGA PUJA

These two festivals collide on the same days. These are two different ways of celebrations in the name of Goddess Durga. Navratri is celebrated by the North Indians and Gujratis (West) and Durga Puja is celebrated by the Bengalis (West Bengal; East India). On these days there are special party nights where food stalls are set up, infinite functions and Dandiya Nights( dancing with 2 sticks). It is one of the most happening festivals. These 2 festivals I can say are the blingiest  and most fun festivals. The nights are filled with live concerts, food and fun.

 

       

DIWALI

This festival is also known as the festival of lights. The whole country gets lit up by the beautiful lights. This festival is celebrated to banish all the negative energies and marks the homecoming of Lord Rama who killed the demon King Ravana and returned to his home Ayodhya (in Uttar Pradesh). People distribute sweets, decorate their houses and make Rangolis (art with powdered color) on this day.

 

 

CHRISTMAS

This one of of the most loved festivals especially by the kids. The streets of India get filled by the hymns of the Christmas carols and one can smell the amazing scent of freshly baked fruit cakes. Children wait for their beloved Santa Clause on this day. This festival is a perfect end to a heavy year.

India is a the second most populous country with a population of 136.64 crore people having 29 states and 8 union territories. Each of these states have their own culture and  heritage. The country has 22 different languages and many religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Buddhism, Judaism etc. Each state or union territory bring out their own flavour to the nation, making India unique.  India was also under British rule but bravely fought all the odds to become an independent nation on 15th of August 1945. Many Indians bravely sacrificed their lives to protect their motherland. If we would dive deeper into the past we will be able to encounter some of the greatest freedom fighters who are worth mentioning. The national anthem, song, music and national flag all have been masterpieces created by people at that era, during the freedom struggle. Another interesting fact about India is the beauty of each and every festival and the special meanig attached to them. If a person plans to stay in India for a year, I bet that still some of the things would be left uncovered. The monuments of India are the epitome of serenity and explicable beauty. Each monument has its own significance and with every corner of it comes a story of royalty attached. The dress, tradition, dance, music, films, poetries, sports all make India a special country. Not to forget the achievments of Indian Scientist and their discoveries; ISRO which is the Indian space station has made a mark around the world. India’s healthcare and healthcare facilities is beyond superior. With my upcoming posts I would dig deeper into every aspect of India’s culture and heritage.