Indian Music Festivals

  

Indian music festivals have several stories related to it, and speak about the musical culture of India. In India music existed as a form of art since a long time. From past, music is considered as cultural tradition. Classical music in India is not considered as a mode of entertainment, but as a medium to express devotion and love for God. Some musical festival is organized to pay tribute to great popular singer who immensely contributed towards betterment of Indian music.

One of the best parts about these festivals is that, apart from hosting popular musicians, it also promotes young and fresh talents. Indian classical music happens to be one of the oldest music cultures of the world. The importance of music is mentioned in Vedas as well. Role of music is immense towards shaping the culture and tradition of India.

Tansen Music Festival
Tansen music festival is organized in memory of Tansen as a mark of respect and to pay tribute to the immense contribution to the Indian classical music. Tansen was a great personality and was considered as one of the nine gems in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar. This music festival is hosted at the tomb of Tansen in Gwalior District. Popular artists come and present their masterpieces. This festival is organized by the government of Madhya Pradesh.

Thyagaraja Music Festival
Thyagaraja Music Festival is celebrated in memory of Sri Thyagraja, the great saint and musician. This festival is held in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, very place where he spent his entire life and took Samadhi. This festival, organized near his Samadhi at the banks of Kaveri River, is held for 8 days in the month of January. Religious rituals, along with music festival, are conducted for a span of the festival.

For more popular Indian music festivals click the link below:

https://www.indianetzone.com/58/indian_music_festivals.htm

Psychological Disorders, also known as a ‘Mental Disorder’, are abnormalities of the mind that result in persistent behaviour patterns that can seriously affect ones day-to-day function and life. When a person experiences mood or cognitive problems or behavioural issues for a long time, a psychological evaluation may be beneficial, and a diagnosis of a psychological disorder may follow.

Causes of Psychological Disorders
The specific causes of psychological disorders are not known, but contributing factors may include chemical imbalances in the brain, childhood experiences, heredity, illnesses, prenatal exposures and stress.

Symptoms of Psychological Disorders
Symptoms of psychological disorders vary based on the specific disorder, but mood and behavioral symptoms are common. Symptoms can be chronic and relapsing. Some common symptoms include:

Agitation, hostility or aggression

Alcohol or drug abuse

Alterations in energy levels

Anxiety

Confusion or disconnectedness

Erratic behavior

Irritability and mood changes

Perception or thought process disturbances, such as hallucinations and delusions

Persistent or abrupt mood changes that can interfere with day-to-day life

Problem denial

Social withdrawal

Types of Psychological Disorders
Many different Psychological Disorders have been identified and classified, including eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa; mood disorders, such as depression; personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder; psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia; sexual disorders, such as sexual dysfunction; and others. Multiple psychological disorders may exist in one person.

For more visit the page:

https://www.indianetzone.com/37/health_related_ailments.htm

Indian Buddhist Sites

Indian Buddhist sites are numerous in number which are scattered throughout the length and breadth of Asia. A majority of these renowned regions are closely associated with the life of Lord Gautama Buddha and have been visited by Buddha either for preaching Buddhist principles or for meditation. To transform himself from 'Siddhartha' to 'Sakyamuni' and then to Buddha he had travelled far and wide on various purposes. All those places that he went to are considered as Buddhist pilgrimage centres. However at some centres excavations have been carried out to know more about the great teacher. These are the historical Buddhist sites that are related with his early life. There exists four significant centres of Buddhist pilgrimage which include the birthplace of Buddha at Lumbini, the area where he achieved 'Enlightenment' known as Bodhgaya, the region which received His very first teachings called Benaras and the place where He attained 'Parinirvana' at Kushinagara.

Bodhgaya
Bodhgaya is one of the most well known places for Buddhists which lies in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. The most important attraction here is the Bodhi tree under which Gautama attained Enlightenment. Another attraction here is the Mahabodhi Temple. It is believed to have been built by emperor Ashoka.

Sarnath
The Deer Park in Sarnath is the place where Buddha delivered his first discourse, through which he had preached the 'four noble truths' and their associated principles. The place is situated near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Today there are some of most exquisite Buddhist monuments in Sarnath. Probably the most important of them all is the Ashokan Pillar. A Buddhist temple and the ruins of the several monuments add to the beauty of this historical Buddhist site.

Kushinagar
Kushinagar town in Uttar Pradesh is the site where Lord Buddha attained Parinirvana following His demise and it was referred to as 'Kushavati' or 'Jatakas' during ancient periods. Ramayana has mentioned about this region as 'Kusha' city, named after Rama's son. Buddha attained 'Mahaparinirvana' or the 'Final Nirvana', immediately after he had consumed meals prepared with mushrooms. The 'Viharas' and 'stupas' located here belong to the 3rd or 5th century CE and Ashoka had erected several Buddhist monuments here.

Rajgir
Rajgir, situated in Bihar was once a capital of the Magadha kingdom which later developed into Mauryan Empire and is believed to have come into existence during 1000 BC. It is a notable Buddhist site as the 'Atanatiya' conference was held here, at the mountain of the Vulture's Peak. Lord Buddha had been engaged in deep meditation for a considerable amount of time and delivered His lessons at 'Gridha-Kuta' or the Hill of the Vultures. Some of the most famous sermons were taught here and King Bimbisara had converted to Buddhism at Rajgir.

For more read the full article:

https://www.indianetzone.com/22/indian_buddhist_sites.htm

Patanjali Yoga Sutras

  

Patanjali Yoga Sutras is the ancient treasure narrating how to keep the body healthy. This yoga sutra is now one of the most acclaimed elements of everyday life. Yoga is an art, a science and a philosophy that touches the life of man at every level, bodily, intellectually and spiritually.

All yoga as practiced today is based on Patanjali Yoga Sutras, a collection of aphorisms offered more than 2000 years ago by the Indian sage, Patanjali. Patanjali Yoga Sutras by Maharshi Patanjali is the foundational text for Yoga. Historically, it is believed that Maharshi Patanjali may have lived in around 500 BC to 2000 BC and has compiled mainly three subjects of Patanjali Yoga Sutras namely, grammar, medicine and yoga. Patanjali's three works together deal with man's development as a whole in thought, speech and action.

Divisions of Patanjali Yoga Sutras
Patanjali Yoga Sutra consists of 196 sutras which are divided into four chapters or padas. Each sutra consists of Sanskrit words that are written in one or two lines. The 196 sutras are precise, reflective and pious in approach. Each of the sutras contains a wealth of ideas and wisdom towards full knowledge of his real nature. The Patanjali Yoga Sutra state, through proper practice one can radiate grace, disposition and compassion. The four chapters or padas of the yoga sutras correspond to the four stages of life. The ultimate achievement of following the path of Patanjali Yoga Sutra is to experience the effortless, indivisible state of the prophet. The four chapters of Patanjanli Yoga Sutras include, Samadhi Pada, Sadhana Pada, Vibhuti Pada and Kaivalya Pada.

For more read:
https://www.indianetzone.com/5/patanjali_yoga_sutras.htm

Indian Freedom Fighters

 

Indian Freedom Fighters had fought against the British Empire and continued the Indian freedom struggle with their undying spirit and bravery. The valorous Freedom Fighters of India sacrificed their lives to achieve independence for the nation.

The indian freedom fighters faced several tortures, hardships and exploitations to earn national freedom. Independent India was the dream of each and every Indian who lived under the British rule in india. Every individual, during the British rule, fought in some or other way having a common aim of abolishing the British and various other colonial authorities ruling over different parts of India. A century of struggle, revolution, blood shedding, sacrifices and battles followed and finally India became independent on the 15th of August, 1947.

India secured independence from the British rule but the nation lost a large number of men and women who possessed immense bravery and spirit of patriotism. These great people are honoured with the title of Freedom Fighters. The Indian Independence Movement comprised mainly the efforts by Indians to secure political independence from the rule of the British, the Portuguese and the French. This involved a broad range of Indian political organisations, rebellions and philosophies between 1857 and the independence of India on 15th of August, 1947.

Some of the famous Indian freedom fighters were Mangal Pandey, Rani of Jhansi, Tantia Topeand the famous leader Mahatma Gandhi who brought in the weapon of non-violence to fight against the enemy. Some of the other major freedom fighters of India include Lala Lajpat Rai, Annie Besant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Chandrashekhar Azad, Sarojini Naidu, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, Sucheta Kriplani etc. There are a large number of women and men who fought daringly for the independence of India.

For more visit the page:

https://www.indianetzone.com/8/indian_freedom_fighters.htm

Classical Indian Dance Drama

  

Indian drama which began in the ancient days, as a form of humanizing the mass gradually became a rational way of expressing ideas amidst the artistry of "kala", "rupaka", "natya" and "mudraa". Theater bit by bit became an art form to reflect the realities of life. Although Sanskrit theater remained to be popular, yet it is during the medieval period Indian drama gained a whole new facet with the introduction of the style of classical Indian dance drama. It is an authoritative genre of Indian theater and is regarded as one of the most venerated artistic expression of the Hindu classical temple culture. Music, "ragas", "mudraas" coupled with the verve of the "taala" offered a whole new facet in Indian theater which later not only influenced the Indian theater but also added a dimension to Indian classical dance forms. Quite ideally therefore Classical Indian Dance Drama or the "Natya Yoga" as it has been termed, gradually became an effort of depicting the beauties of life and exemplifying the divine celestial elements of the universe amidst the artistry of raga and music. The elegant embodiement and the graceful personification of the "unedited realisms of life, death, law and love" is therefore the very crux of the classical Indian dance drama.

The vibrations of the sanskrit plays gains an articulation with the introduction of the Classical Indian Dance drama. The verve of the different classical dance forms like the Odissi, Kathak, Bharatnatyyam, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Yakshagna, Sattriya further structured the very contour of the Classical Indian dance drama as an elegant way of thanking and revering the Divine. Dance forms here started ruling the theater form. While Bharatnatyyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi prefers to maintain the very orthodox style of the Indian classical dance form, it is the typical saltation form of Kathak that developed as a rather contemporary style in worshipping the elysian. Movement of the legs and the mudraas coupled with the gentle rhythm of the Sura and Raga, aided in weaving that magic in the dance form of Kathak.

The Classical Indian dance drama further gained that overemotional aspect with the introduction of the melodramatic form of the Kathakali dance. Quite ideally therefore Lasya, Natya and Rasas all gained a distinct facet in the Indian classical dance drama amidst the classic accession of the various Indian dance form.

For more visit the page:
https://www.indianetzone.com/5/classical_indian_dance_drama.htm

Satellite Television in India

  

Satellite television in India is delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by a satellite dish and set-top box. Satellite television provides a wide range of channels and services, often to areas that are not serviced by terrestrial or cable providers.

While Doordarshan was expanding rapidly during the 1980s, the cable television industry was mushrooming in the prime cities of India. The VCR greatly multiplied entertainment options for Indian audiences, providing alternatives to Doordarshan's single-channel programming. Video viewing at home and in community-based video parlors increased at a fast pace. The video collection consisted mostly of film-based entertainment, both domestic and imported. By 1984, entrepreneurs in prime cities such as Mumbai and Ahmedabad had begun wiring the prominent apartment buildings to transmit several films a day. Within a few years, this phenomenon became widespread in other urban centers as well. The number of cable operators in India increased from about 100 in 1984 to 1,200 in 1988, 15,000 in 1992, and to about 60,000 in 1999.

The Gulf War of 1991 popularised the news channel CNN, and the launching of STAR-TV in that same year the Whampoa Hutchison Group of Hong Kong, declared the arrival of private satellite channels in India. STAR-TV was initially broadcasted through the Chinese satellite ASIASAT 1 and offered five 24-hour channels in 38 countries of Asia. In 1992, Zee-TV, a Hindi-based satellite entertainment channel also began airing programs to cable television systems in India. Many cable operators installed large satellite dishes to receive these private satellite channels, and offered them to cable subscribers, greatly multiplying the entertainment options in India. By 1995, more than 12 million Indian households were watching cable and satellite channels; by the year 2000, this number had risen to more than 35 million. Over 40 private cable and satellite channels were available to Indian audiences that included several channels that focused exclusively on regional-language broadcasting like Sun-TV, Eenadu-TV, Udaya-TV, Raj - TV and Asianet. By the year 2000, Zee-TV also initiated several regional networks, broadcasting in Marathi, Bengali, and other languages.

For more visit the page:

https://www.indianetzone.com/42/satellite_television_india.htm

The introduction of television in India dates back to 1959 when Doordarshan, the national public service broadcaster, began its operations. Initially, the reach was limited, but over the years, television penetration has grown exponentially, reaching even the most remote areas of the country. This extensive reach has played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and spreading awareness about various social issues, government policies, and developmental initiatives.

Indian Regional Cuisines

Indian Regional Cuisines reflect miscellaneous taste. India is a country with different states that have been demarcated according to language, culture, tradition and most importantly geography. These factors influenced the cuisine of the country too, besides religion and foreign invasions. Though, such contradictions, the basics of an Indian meal are similar. Indian Regional Cuisines is thus myriad, different religions and culture intermingles and produces the taste of India.

Various Influences on Indian Cuisine
With a 3000 year old religious heritage, India is a home to many religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Jainism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and the Baha’i religions. All these faiths demonstrated on the choice of food. Vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism also originated from these beliefs. This dictated in the choice of culinary in the states of India and thus became the Indian Regional Cuisines. The Jains are restricted from eating garlic or any kind of living thing. Besides, Jainism other religious beliefs do not abstain from eating meat. However, different religions have different restrictions on the type of meat. Such as Hindus, Parsis and Sikhs abstain from eating beef and Muslims regard eating of pork going against their religious belief.

North Indian Cuisines
Apart from the religious beliefs, foreign invasions have also played a vital role in deciding the culinary of a particular state. The Punjab was situated in Pakistan. Though, the Punjabis have their own distinct cuisine, as with any other Indian state and region, yet much of their cuisine has been influenced by the refugees who fled to India. It is here in Punjab products like milk and ghee, parathas stuffed with radishes and pomegranate seeds, mustard greens, corn bread, complete the richness of dishes.

Kashmir on the other hand is a Muslim dominated state. It is, therefore, a region reflects Mughal influence. Various Muslim dishes are enjoyed in the region which involves meat and cream dishes.

West Indian Cuisines
Gujarati Cuisine is another example of miscellany. Among the Indian Regional Cuisines, Gujarati cuisine refers primarily vegetarian cuisine. This region is solely influenced by the religious faiths of Hinduism and Jainism. The authentic Gujarati Thali includes Roti, daal or kadhi, rice and sabzi or shaak, which is a dish made up of different combinations of vegetables and spices. Gujarati cuisine varies widely in flavour and heat and is the example of variations.

For more visit the page:

https://www.indianetzone.com/39/indian_regional_cuisines.htm
 

History of Tamil Nadu

  

Tamil Nadu is considered to be very much older than North India. As per the geological time scales North India and the Himalayan ranges appeared on the globe recently. Tamil Nadu is said to exist as part of the continent that linked Africa and Australia together even before that. It was called 'Lemuria' or 'Kumarik Kandam'.

Origination of Tamil Nadu
It is believed that the first man originated somewhere in this continent and later the race might have migrated to various parts of the world. The Tamils or the Dravidians are therefore regarded to be one of the earliest races of the world. Several prehistoric tools and weapons and burial sites have been discovered in various parts of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu in Sangam Era
Sangam age in Tamil Nadu is considered to be the earliest known period of Tamil history, when organised life and history of the inhabitants existed. But still there is confusion regarding the exact date. It is sometimes considered to be pre-Aryan, non-Aryan and probably goes back to 4000 B.C. The first, second and third Sangams flourished during this period and the Tamil poets of these 'Sangams' or Academies produced numerous literary works. Only a few anthologies are now available in printed form although most of them have been lost. Various historical elements like the everyday life of the people of those times and also their culture, polity and social set-up are revealed from these works. Three kingdoms named the Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas ruled Tamil Nadu. Earlier, Chera kingdom is now the modern Kerala state. The Pandyas ruled the south and the Cholas the north of Tamil Nadu. The Sangam Age is considered to be the Golden Age of Tamils.

Post Sangam Era in Tamil Nadu
During Post Sangam period, the Tamil country was dominated by an alien race called the 'Kalabras', which is considered to be a dark period for the region. At this time, the Tamil region became full of chaos and confusion and as a result instability arouse. The historians could not provide much evidence of this period.

For more visit the page:

https://www.indianetzone.com/26/history_tamil_nadu.htm