Folk Music of South India

  

Almost all the states in southern India have developed a unique kind of folk music pattern. These ancient music forms seem to be influenced by the temples in South India. The culture of Southern India is unique, equipped with facets of culture that makes it so remarkable within this country. This culture has highly influenced their folk music which is beyond comparison.

Folk Music of Kerala
Kerala has a rich tradition of folk songs and anthems, a large portion of which are sung in local dialects. With the evolving times, these songs have wound down in fame. Gone down progressively through generations by a vibrant oral tradition, the creation of the vast majority of these songs is obscure. The types of folk music in Kerala are Christian songs, Carnatic, Vadakkanpattu (northern folk), Kathakali and tribal music.

Places like Kochi, Thissur, Varkala, Trivandrum, Kozhikode, Munnar etc. are appropriate to enjoy some folk music. They use Chenda, Edakka, Kombu, Kurum Kuzhal, Maddalam, Mizhavu, Panchvadyam, Pulluvarkkudam, Thayambaka, Thimila, Shankhu etc. during their folk dance or music performances in festivals like Onam, Vishu, Ambalapuzha Arattu, Aranmula Uthrattathi, Attukal Pongala, Adoor Gajamela, Kuthiyottam and Kettukazhcha, Chittoor Konganpada etc.

The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam, a mixture of Malayalam and Sanskrit. Even though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtone-heavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is known as the Sopanam style. Popular folk songs of Kerala are Mappila Pattu, Knanaya Folk Songs, Ottamthullal Songs, Pulluvan Pattu, Villu Pattu and Temple Music.

Folk Music of Karnataka
Karnataka boasts of a fortunate custom in the domain of folk music and traditional music. The rich legacy of the music of Karnataka can be attributed to the Vijayanagara and Woodeyar rulers who themselves were incredible examples of music and writing. These administrations boosted the development of conventional music and energized promising musicians. With that, Karnataka has made a considerable commitment to the development of the type of Indian classical music which today is known as Carnatic music.

Tamil Nadu, a state rich in cultural heritage, has a diverse tapestry of folk music that reflects the traditions, stories, and values of its people. One such significant form of folk music is Villu Pattu, a captivating and ancient art that combines music, storytelling, and performance. Rooted in the rural heartlands of Tamil Nadu, Villu Pattu has been a cherished tradition for generations, preserving the essence of the land's history and social fabric.

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Golden Era of Indian Cinema

  

Golden era of Indian cinema saw the release of some of the excellent and memorable cinemas in Bollywood. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 shifted the spotlight to the actors who were not only heavily paid but also as a result started their own companies. The directors like Mehboob, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor entered the film industry during the 1930s and 1940s, which were traumatic years for the Indian people. The fight for independence, famines, changing social mores, and global fight against fascism all contributed to the ethos in which the directors grew up. However, the 1950s saw the rise of these great directors, who changed the fate of Indian cinema.

It is the post independence period that saw the golden era of Indian cinema with melodious socials and melodramas, which made the Actors and the Actresses a household name. Raj Kapoor (RK Films) was one example. Awara, made by Raj Kapoor set the agenda for popular commercial cinema and was a hit within India as well as overseas. After Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand set up Navketan in 1949 with his brother Chetan Anand. The studio system however was not wiped off and Mehboob Khan (Mehboob Productions), Kidar Sharma and Bimal Roy proudly held aloft the banner.

Films with various themes were now being made. The theme of lost brothers was being repeated (as many as 50 films). Side by side went on the tear-jerking melodrama, mostly in the films of the genre of Meri Behan, Choti Behan and the like. The humble position of the Indian bride was highlighted in pictures like Gumasta (1951) and the decoity aspect in films like Ganga Jammuna, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai and Mujhe Jeena Do. In recent years this has produced a veritable harvest of crude dacoit films, spurred on by the spectacular success of Sholay.

Starting from Nitin Das's Chandidas, the inter-caste issue, especially in relation to the lower, depressed untouchable castes, has found reasonably good expression. Shantaram's Dharmatma, Chandulal Shah's Achhoot, Bombay Talkies Achoot Kanya, Bimal Roy's Sujata, Vasant Joglekar's Prarthna and Abbas Char Dil Char Rahein. The rural urban contrast has provided another theme for numerous films, generally favouring the village over the town.

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Purva Karma in Panchakarma, Ayurveda

  

Purva Karma refers to the preparation of body for Panchakarma therapy. It helps to mobilize and liquefy waste products from the tissues and to move it out towards the intestines, which then allows the Panchakarma treatments to flush them out. This is necessary for the body to achieve the complete benefits of Panchakarma.

Panchakarma is an extensive treatment process of Ayurveda that eliminates toxins and restores the body’s health. This method cleanses the body, and also augments digestive and metabolic abilities. Panchakarma includes three broad sub-categories namely;

i. Purva Karma (preparatory procedures),
ii. Pradhan Karma (main procedures) and
iii. Paschat Karma (follow up treatments).

Methods of Purva Karma in Panchakarma
Before the actual operation of purification begins, there is a need to prepare the body in prescribed methods to encourage the body to let go of the toxins. The two procedures are Snehana and Swedana.

Snehana: Snehana (Oleation) makes the body soft and disintegrates the toxins. Snehan can be of two types, internal snehan and external snehan. In internal snehan, Siddha ghrita (medicated clarified butter) or Siddha Taila (medicated edible oil) is administered orally in accordance with the dose prescribed by the Ayurvedic therapist. This ghee (ghrita) or oil is known as sneha. Acting as a lubricant to the entire body, it helps in reducing dryness. This applied oil finds entry into the dhatu (body tissues) and strotasa (body passages) and eventually purges out the impurities. The applied ghee if prepared from cow milk works best. In external snehan, there are all kinds of body massages with the help of sneha, as instructed by the Ayurvedic physician. Siddha ghrita or Siddha Taila is massaged on the skin. A strict program of body massage according to the need of the patient is carried out to attain the desired level of snehan. A lustrous skin marks external snehan. This type of snehan is beneficial for skin problems or when the patient is in bed ridden condition for a long time.

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Tourism in Puducherry

  

Puducherry, which was known formerly as Pondicherry, is referred to as the French Riviera of the East. It is the union territory of India. Tourism in Puducherry will give the visitors a relief from the busy hustle and bustle of the modern life. The calmness and tranquility of the Puducherry beach is a delight to the travelers. The Aurobindo Ashram is a place where the visitors seek spiritual enlightenment. This union territory is a home to many historical monuments and heritage buildings. The Botanical Gardens of Puducherry is extremely renowned and houses a lot of unusual specimens of plants. The temples, churches and museums form the other places of interest.

Pilgrimage Tourism in Puducherry
Being an erstwhile French colony, the kind of religious sites Puducherry houses is quite impressive. Amazingly, this Indian Union Territory is more famous for the Aurobindo Ashram. It is located north on Rue de la Marine and is one of the wealthiest ashrams in India. It was founded in 1926 by the Bengali philosopher-guru, Aurobindo Ghose and his principal disciple, Mira Alfassa, more popularly known as the Mother. The Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother is covered daily with flowers and usually surrounded by supplicating devotees with their hands and heads placed on the tomb. The Auroville Township is a place which is frequented by numerous pilgrims seeking spiritual solace. The Matrimandir in the middle of the town is the most visited place by the pilgrims. The architecture of the Matrimandir is also quite stunning. In the southwest part of the town, near the railway station, one can hardly miss the huge cream-and-brown Sacred Heart of Jesus, one of Puducherry's finest Catholic churches, built by French missionaries in the 1700s. There are several temples in Puducherry as well. These include the Manakula Vinayagar temple, Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanniga Parameswari Temple, Kamatchiamman Temple and others. The Manakula Vinayagar temple is three hundred years old and attracts a lot of devotees from all over the map of India. The Varadaraja Perumal Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu is a sacred religious site and is visited by thousands of disciples everyday. The Thirunallar temple of Lord Shiva is visited by thousands of devotees who assemble here for a ten-day annual festival, held during the months of May - June along with the appearance of the full moon.

Nature Tourism in Puducherry
The picturesque setting of the Botanical Gardens is bound to cast a magical spell on the visitors. The shady Botanical Gardens were established in the year 1826. The department of tourism in Puducherry has put in a lot of effort in maintaining the garden. The Botanical Garden is home to many rare and beautiful trees and plants. Each and every tree or plants are labeled with scientific, common and Tamil names. The approach to the Botanical gardens, which is in the heart of the city, is evocative of the French Architecture. The French planted 900 species here, experimenting co see how they would do in Indian conditions. One tree, the khaya senegalensis, has grown to a height of 25 meters. This place is bliss for nature lovers and is the best place to experience a lot of peace and calm. The Botanical Gardens in Puducherry have also been endowed with a musical fountain. Colourful musical fountain shows are performed on weekends and holidays. It provides for a wonderful sensory experience. The travelers will also find an extraordinary fossilised tree, found about twenty five kilometers away in Tiravakarai. This is an inseparable part of Pondicherry tourism. Puducherry was a former French colony and so it retains the essence of French flavour. The Government Park in this spectacular Indian Union territory is an exceptionally well planned and well maintained place adorned with some of the most superb parks and gardens a tourist will ever come across. The park, also known as the Bharati Park, with lush green lawn and beautiful flowers serves a typical instance of an eye-catching and aesthetic entertainment park which is frequently visited by nature travelers and tourists who are bewitched by its fascinating tranquility.

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Rowing Clubs in India

  

Rowing clubs in India are affiliated to various rowing association of India, which in turn is affiliated to the Rowing Federation of India. Some of these clubs have long history attached to it as they were set up during the times of British Colonial rule in India.

Bengal Rowing Club
Bengal Rowing Club (BRC) is located in Kolkata in West Bengal. This rowing club is one of the most famous rowing clubs in India. GD Birla, on the site of a former lakeside bank of Rabindra Sarobar, founded the club on 25th August 1929. BRC Students Rowing Championship is the biggest sporting event of Bengal Rowing Club (BRC). It is organized annually in mid May. The championship is organized in several categories, which include 'Junior Girls, Fours’, 'Senior Girls, Fours', 'Junior Boys, Fours' and 'Senior Boys, Fours'.

Calcutta Rowing Club
Calcutta Rowing Club is situated in the city of Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal and founded in the year 1858 and is also one of the oldest rowing clubs of its kinds outside UK. History of Calcutta Rowing Club has not been known. The exact history has been wiped out of Kolkata, after the city experienced the great cyclone in the year 1864. The boat and boat house, along with minute books and all the records have been disappeared. Out of the catastrophe, the only thing that could be preserved were the Accounts of 1858-59 signed by Mr.John Cowle, as the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, and he goes down in history as the first officer on record. Currently the club is located at the 15 Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata-700029, after the construction of the Dhakuria Lake in 1928. Ever since 1979, the CRC has been able to maintain its position and status in the rowing scene.

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Indian Scheduled Tribes

  

Indian Scheduled Tribes are the group of tribal communities and was given the name ‘Scheduled Tribes’ during the post-Independence period, under the rule of Indian Constitution. Since the Independence of India, the Scheduled Tribes were given Reservation status. India can proudly be called the largest tribal population in the world. The scheduled tribes in India constituted 8.2 percent of India’s population, according to 2011 census. In all, 698 scheduled tribes exist at present in India.

The primary criteria adopted for delimiting Indian backward communities as Scheduled Tribes includes, traditional occupation of a definitive geographical area, characteristic culture that includes a whole range of tribal modes of life, i.e., language, customs, traditions, religious beliefs, arts and crafts, etc., archaic traits portraying occupational pattern, economy, etc., and lack of educational and economic development. The people in scheduled castes are essentially the lowest part of Hindu society.

Origin of Indian Scheduled Tribes
Scheduled Tribes in India, also referred to as Adivasis (original inhabitants), are spread all-over India. These various tribes resided in India long before the Aryans had arrived roughly during 1500 B.C.

Society of Indian Scheduled Tribes
More than 650 tribes that make up the Scheduled Tribes speak a multitude of languages. They are also religiously diverse, with some following animism, while others have adopted Hinduism, Islam or Christianity. The social traditions of most tribals make them stand out from the country’s mainstream Hindu population.

Revolutions of Indian Scheduled Tribes
The Indian scheduled tribes collectively owned property in keeping with their tradition. The colonial authorities had introduced a land administration where others infringed into traditional tribal lands on the grounds that such lands were ‘Terra Nullius’ meaning ‘no man’s land’. This led to a series of tribal revolts against British colonial rule. And these tribal revolts have been legendary in Indian history, referring to the Malpahariya uprising in 1772, the turbulence in Kutch in 1815 and 1832, the Bhil revolt of 1818, the uprising of the Mers in Rajputana in 1820, the rebellion of the Hos in Chota Nagpur in 1831, the uprising of the Khonds in Odisha in 1846 and the Santhal rebellion in Bihar in 1855. Heroes like Birsa Munda, Kanhu Santhal and Tantya Bhil stand out valiantly in the chronicles of Indian nationalism.

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Mangalorean Cuisine

  

Mangalorean Cuisine is a collective name given to the cuisine of Tulu Nadu region of India. It comprises of cuisines like Udupi as well as cuisine of other Mangalorean communities like that of the Mogaveeras, Billavas, Bunts, Saraswat Brahmins, Mangalorean Catholics and the Bearys. Mangalorean cuisine is highly influenced by the South Indian cuisine. This cuisine is popular for its distinct flavour. Mangalorean recipes are generally spicy in nature.

Types of Mangalorean Cuisine
Rice is the staple food of the Mangalorean people. Mangaloreans are fond of rice in different forms- red grain rice, sannas (idli fluffed with toddy or yeast), pancakes, Akki Roti, and Neer Dosa. ‘Patrode’, a special dish prepared by steaming stuffed colocasia leaves, is a delicacy not to be missed. ‘Akki Roti’ is a rice roti famous not only in Mangalore but also in Malnad and Kodagu.

Coconut plays an important role in Mangalorean cuisine. The vegetarian cuisine is known as Udupi cuisine. Various ingredients used in Mangalorean Curry are curry leaves, gingers, garlic and chillies. Interestingly, many Mangaloreans also prefer using fruits in their cuisines. Fruits like jackfruits, bamboo shoot, breadfruit, raw banana, spinach, sweet cucumber, etc are highly used to add an authentic taste to the food.

Some of the famous Mangalorean cuisines are ‘idli-sambar’, ‘kori rotti’ and ‘ole bella’ i.e., palm jaggery. The sweet dishes include ‘Gudbud ice-cream’, ‘halwa’ which is available in three flavours i.e., guava, wheat and banana etc.

Mangaloreans are quite health conscious hence they prefer jaggery made of palm instead of sugar. Besides this, three other ingredients namely raw mango, tamarind and kokum are used for adding flavours to any Mangalorean dish.

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Dilwara Temples, Mount Abu, Rajasthan

  

The Dilwara temples are one of the finest Jain temples and are regarded as the epitome of Jain art. It is known for its extraordinary architecture and marvellous marble stone carvings. The temple is located about 2.5 km from Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station. These temples date back from the 11th to 13th century and are world famous for their use of marble. This is a pilgrimage site for the Jains. According to the inscription found at Mount. Abu, it was basically a seat of Shaivism and Jainism and made its appearance only in 11th century.

History of Dilwara Temples
Mount Abu located in the southwest part of Rajasthan is a part of the Aravalli Mouintain Ranges and is separated from the Aravalli by a narrow valley and Guru Shikhar is the highest point at the northern end. The Dilwara temples are dedicated to the Jain Tirthankars and served as storehouses of illustrated manuscripts and treatises. The temples at Mount Abu were constructed between 800 AD and 1200 AD. Vimala Shah, Vastu Pala and Teja Pala contributed a lot toward the development of Jain art and architecture.

Architecture of Dilwara Temple
Dilwara Temples stand as a unique example of perfect architecture with intricately carved ceilings, entryways, pillars and panels that reflect the aesthetic appeal of this temple. The temple is built in the Nagara style of architecture. The temple is spread across a vast area and most of the temples are single-storied structures. There are total 48 pillars in the temples. Even all the parts of the ceiling at bhamati (cloisters) which surrounds Vimana (main shrine) are adorned with carvings such as lotuses, Gods, and abstract patterns. The door opens on to a blend of irresistible beauty and elegance. The temples are surrounded with mango trees and wooded hills and a high wall that shrouds the entire temple complex. The ornamental detail is spread over the minutely carved ceilings, doorways, pillars and panels and is truly stunning. The first of these temples was built in 1032 AD.

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