History of Indian Spices

  

History of Indian spices is recorded from the time of inception before the invasion of Arabs in the year 711 AD. The story of Indian spices is more than 7000 years old. Centuries before Greece and Rome had been discovered, sailing ships were carrying Indian spices, perfumes and textiles to Mesopotamia, Arabia and Egypt. It was the lure of these that brought many seafarers to the shores of India.

In the ancient era, the Greek merchants thronged the markets of south India, buying several expensive items including the spices. Epicurean Rome was spending a fortune on Indian spices, silks, brocades, Dhaka muslin and cloth of gold, etc. It is believed that the Parthian wars were being fought by Rome largely to keep open the trade route to India. It is also said that Indian spices and her famed products were the main lure for crusades and expeditions to the East.

With the arrival of the Muslims the scenario altered further. An assortment of spices was used in Muslim preparations and the usage of such spices was popularised throughout the nation under the Muslim rule. As a result such spices gradually became a part of the Indian cuisines. Indian spice trading underwent changes once again during the colonial rule. As far as trading is concerned the Arabian traders were quite instrumental in popularising the Indian spices in the different corners of the world. In India, Arabian traders got the rare and exotic spices of the Far East from local spice merchants. India had spent the previous two millennia spreading its culture to the Spice Islands of the east. Arabian traders were able to make a considerable amount of money supplying these spices, even with the high prices paid to the Indian middle men, not only to their countrymen back home, but to Europe as well.

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Karma Yoga

  

Karma Yoga is the first step in the spiritual discipline (Sadhana) which is to be adopted for Moksha. Karma yoga can serve as an aid to Jnana Yoga which secures the realization of the self. It can also serve as a direct means to self-realization since the practice of Karma Yoga in the prescribed manner includes in it the Jnana Yoga. The two are interrelated. But it is easier to practice karma yoga as it takes less effort and time to realize the goal because of the divine grace showered on the individual in response to the disinterested performance of karma.

Etymology of Karma Yoga
The term karma bears different meanings. In a general sense it means action or any activity. It also refers to the merits and demerits acquired as a result of the performance of good and bad deeds respectively. It is also understood as the observance of the prescribed religious acts and in this sense the term is used in the present context. Yoga means upaya or method to be adopted to achieve a goal. So the compound word karma yoga means a specific religious act adopted as a means or upaya for self-realization.

Religious Duties for Performing Karma Yoga
There are several religious duties laid down by the sacred texts. The Bhagavad Gita has enumerated the following as illustrative - (1) worship of God (devarchana) (2) performance of the sacrifice (yaga) in the consecrated fire (3) control of the sense organs (indriya-samyama) by arresting their outward movement towards external objects (4) control of the mind (manas-sarityama) (5) giving away the money earned in a righteous way in charity (dana) either for the worship of God or for performance of homa or to deserving persons etc. (6) observance of austerities (tapas) in the form of performance of prescribed rites such as fasting (7) visiting holy religious centres and bathing in sacred waters (punyatirtha-punyasthana-prapti) (8) recitation of the Vedas and study of the teachings of the sacred texts (svadhyaya tadartha jnanabhyasa) and (9) practice of breath control (pranayama). It is not necessary that all of these religious duties have to be observed for the purpose of karma yoga. Any one of them, depending upon the capacity and choice of an individual, adopted as a Sadhana or religious discipline can become karma yoga for self-realization. Each one of these acts is called Yajna in the Gita, thereby implying that it is to be performed with the spirit of a sacrifice (yaga) for the sole purpose of self-realization.

Requirements for Karma Yoga
There are several important requirements to be fulfilled for a successful performance of Karma Yoga by an aspirant. In the first instance, he should acquire adequate philosophic knowledge about the true nature of Jivatman and Paramatman through the study of the sacred texts under the guidance of a qualified preceptor (Guru). The need of such knowledge is obvious because without knowing the true nature of the self, one cannot strive for its realization.

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Performing Arts of Odisha

  

Performing arts of Odisha have undergone a long process of evolution and development. The term Performing Arts mainly encompasses three art forms of dance, music and drama. Odisha has seen a lot of ups and downs, sways and evolutions over the ages which have been of main significance in the history of the nation. The wonderful art notions on the temples and monuments, the beauties of the green valleys and hills and rivers and the Performing Arts of Odisha are certainly the state's superiority.

Different types of Performing Arts of Odisha
Odisha has a prosperous cultural and creative inheritance. Following are the different types of Performing Arts of Odisha:

• Odissi Music: Odissi music is a separate structure of Indian classical music and is having all the necessary and budding features of Indian Classical form. Odisha music is charming, multi-coloured, spotted including various types. The existing musical tradition of Odisha can largely be grouped under five categories such as:

Tribal Music: The tribal music signifies the tribals living mostly in the hilly and jungle regions and lightly in the coastal belt of Odisha. It is interesting to note that Odisha has the third largest attention of tribes constituting about one fourth of the total population. They are allocated over 62 tribal communities.

Folk Music: Folk music is the expression of the culture and traditions of the folk communities. Of the bewildering diversity of folk music of Odisha, state may be made of Geeta, Balipuja Geeta, Kela Keluni Geeta, Dalkhai Geeta, Kendra Geeta, Jaiphula Geeta, Ghumura Geeta, Ghoda Nacha and Danda Nacha Geeta, Gopal Ugala and Osa-Parva-Geeta etc.

Light Music: Bhajan, Janan, Oriya songs based on ragas, Rangila Chaupadi etc. are grouped under Light classical music, which forms an essential part of Odissi music. Sri Geetagovinda, Anirjukta Pravadha, Divya Manusi Prabandha, Chautisa, Chhanda, Chaupadi, Champu, Malasri, Sariman, Vyanjani, Chaturang, Tribhang, Kuduka Geeta, Laxana and Swaramalika are different sub-forms, which separately represent the traditional Odissi music.

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Elements of Indian Classical Dance

  

Elements of Indian classical dance as per ‘Abhinaya Darpana Prakasha’ are divided into three distinct categories, namely, ‘Natya’, ‘Nritya’ and ‘Nritta’. ‘Natya’ is related to drama and ‘Nritya’ to the gesture accompanied by a musical composition. ‘Nritta’ refers to pure dancing where the body movements do not express any meaning. All these aspects use movements of the limbs and poses of the human body as their medium.

Different Elements of Indian Classical Dance
The universal root of all Indian classical dance forms can be related to ‘Bharata’s Natyashastra’. According to the ‘Natyashastra’, Lord Brahma is the originator of the Universe and he has created the drama. The Indian classical dance forms are directed by the essential elements of an act with ‘abhinaya’ and ‘rasa’. Following are the different elements of Indian Classical Dance:

Abhinaya: The ‘Abhinaya’ is general to all the classical Indian dance forms. Throughout the ‘abhinaya’, viewers experience the particular emotions of the character or the situations that are represented by the performers. ‘Abhinaya’ is the expressional characteristic of dance or 'nritya'. There are four types of ‘Abhinaya’ and these are - ‘Angika’, ‘Vachikabhinaya’, ‘Aharyabhinaya’ and ‘Satvikabhinaya’.

Tandava and Lasya: ‘Tandava’ and ‘Lasya’ are the two other major elements. ‘Tandava’ is a dance which is performed for the adoration of the gods and its gentler aspect termed as ‘sukumara-prayoga’. ‘Lasya’ is used as a synonym of ‘Tandava’ occasionally. ‘Lasya’ is one of the forms mentioned in the description of ten types of Drama. ‘Abhinaya Darpana’ and ‘Sangitaratnakara’ describe ‘Tandava’ as the derived from of ‘Tandu’ and ‘Lasya’.

Navarasas: ‘Navarasas’ or the nine emotions of dance complete all the performances. ‘Navarasas’ is very significant in a dance act, since it permits the dancer and the ‘rasikas’ or the audiences to experience the full splendour and meaning of the lyrics. 

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Bhavageete, Folk Music

  

Bhavageete, also spelt as Bhavageethe, is a form of expressionist poetry and light music. Literally meaning "emotion poetry", Bhavageete is a significant part of Indian music, which has represented the devotional and emotional facet of the Indians whilst representing the aura of the philosophy of Hinduism in the truest sense of the term. The emotional poetry sung in this genre pertains to themes of Love, Nature, Philosophy etc. Not much different from Ghazals, the genre involves expressing the deep desire of meeting the ultimate. Experiencing the "Omnipresence of the Omnipotent" is articulated amidst light music and perfect verbiage. The philosophy of life is all united with the strings of Bhavageete, which is a lot more than just being a particular form of expressionist poetry.

The genre of folk music became popular as a form of expressionist lyrics throughout India, notably in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Whilst the verve of the Kannada lyrics enriched the Karnataka Bhavageete, the Maharashtrian Bhavageete was typically based on Marathi poems. As a classical form of folk music, Bhavageete has gained applaud in the rich chronicles of Indian music, which is again exceptionally atmospheric. The elements of both classical music and folk music are ideally interwoven in the genre of Bhavageete. Rustic emotion, native wit and spontaneity form the base of Bhavageete that has pounded a million souls. It still stands as that bridge to connect the high and low with its musical and literary expression.

Bhavageete of Karnataka
The Bhavageete of Karnataka takes inspiration from modern Kannada poetry. Some of the well known modern Kannada poets whose works have been set to Bhavageete music include D. R. Bendre, Kuvempu, Gopalakrishna Adiga, K. S. Narasimhaswamy, K. S. Nissar Ahmed and N. S. Lakshminarayana Bhatta.

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Jatra, Bengali Folk Drama

  

Jatra is a famous folk theatre from Bengali theatre that is spread throughout most of Bengali speaking states of India including West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa and Tripura. Lots of people, actors and actresses are involved in this form of art in West Bengal and other parts of India. Jatra is considered as a famous form of traditional folk theatre from the eastern region of India. It literally means a journey and hence, stylized delivery and exaggerated gestures and orations are some of features of Jatra.

Jatra is believed to have originated from ceremonial functions that are called before starting on a journey. There are also the other legends saying, that it developed from processions brought out in respect of different gods and goddesses. These processions often included songs and dances as its primary part. Jatra is a form of Indian folk drama combining acting, songs and music and dance altogether by the troop that is travelling from one place to another. In the earlier years, the religious values were well communicated with the help of Jatra to the masses. Jatra performances in West Bengal resemble the Tamasha of Maharashtra, the Nautanki of Uttar Pradesh and Bhavai Dance of Gujarat. Even if the birthplace of Jatra lies in religious landscapes, filled with different Bhakticults of Hinduism, but it is replaced by morally educative contents by the end of 19th century. As a result, during Bengal Renaissance, it gained entry into the urban theatres.

Various parts of Hindu epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana was also preformed. Later on, the Jatras were held beside palas, and sometimes even replacing it.

Origin of Jatra
The roots of Jatra may be traced back in at least the 16th century, in Bengal, where there was a famous form of singing called the Carya, which were characterized by the distinct use of language. This was a kind of musical drama, which was possibly prevalent during that time. Even Chaitanya (social reformer) and his followers contributed to a reawakening among the people and were responsible for bringing about a national integration in various parts of India at the cultural level, since Chaitanya himself played role of Rukmini in a drama. This drama was perhaps the beginning of the "Krishna Jatra". So he is respected as the predecessor of the contemporary Jatras of Bengal.

Development of Jatra
Mukunda Das (1878-1934) and his troupe, the Swadeshi Jatra Party, performed Jatras and represented colonial exploitation, patriotism and anti-colonial struggle, oppression of feudal and caste system etc through Jatra. During the 1940s, the socio-political content of Jatra superseded the religious-mythical theme. Apart from theme, major change that took place around this time was in the induction of actresses to enact female roles in the play. But the incident of Partition of India however, seems to have adversely affected Jatra as most of performances were performed related with historical plays, with a vague sense of nationalism and patriotism, or melodramatic social plays. Particularly popular during this period, especially in the southern district of Barisal, was Gunai Jatra. Gunai Jatra was based on the tale of a village maiden named Gunai Bibi. The tradition of religious tales continued, in the form of Bhasan Jatra and Krishna Jatra, both of which were dominated by songs and music in terms of its content.

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Naturopathy Therapy

  Naturopathy Therapy, as an age old healing method, was very much in practice in India when drugs and technology were not much in vogue. Nature provided all the elements, within the range of the natural foods, which man needed in the way of nutrient and medicine. Thus, the healing power by naturopathy was nothing new to the Indian tradition. In Indian homes, home remedies have always come before the even doctor's medicines. This clearly portrays the sheer importance of naturopathy as a trustworthy alternative treatment procedure in ancient India. With passing time, Indian naturopathy gained contour as one of the important health care systems in India, famed for its side effect less treatment.

Raw Juice Therapy
Raw juice therapy which is also known as juice fasting is a method of treatment of ailments through an exclusive diet of juices of fruits and vegetables. This therapy is considered the most effective way to restore health and revitalise the body. In Raw juice therapy, the eliminative and cleansing capacity of the organs of elimination, namely lungs, liver, kidneys and the skin, is greatly increased and masses of accumulated metabolic waste and toxins are quickly removed. Digestion of food and the utilisation of nutrients are greatly improved in this therapy. An exclusive diet of raw juices of fruits and vegetables results in much faster recovery from diseases and more effective cleansing and regeneration of the tissues than the fasting on pure water.

Raw juices of fruits and vegetables are very rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and natural sugars. They exercise advantageous effect in normalising all the body functions. They supply needed elements for the body's own healing activity and cell regeneration, thereby speeding the improvement. Alkaline elements in raw juice is highly beneficial in normalising acid-alkaline balance in the blood and tissues as there is over acidity in most conditions of ill-health. Calcium, potassium and silicon in raw juice help in restoring biochemical and mineral balance in the tissues and cells, thereby preventing premature ageing of cells and disease. Raw juices contain certain natural medicines, vegetal hormones and antibiotics. For instance, string beans are said to contain insulin-like substance.

Sleep Therapy
Sleep Therapy in Naturopathy is a vital element in man's mental as well as physical life, since the loss of sleep exerts seriously detrimental effects upon the nervous system. This involves a periodic rest of the body, which is absolutely essential for its efficient functioning.

Abstaining from sleep for longer periods may cause intense psychological changes such as loss of memory, irritability, hallucination and even schizophrenic manifestations. Sleep is the indispensable condition to the recuperation of energy.

Massage Therapy
Massage therapy in Naturopathy is a therapeutic cure to many diseases. It involves the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body. If correctly done on a bare body, it can be highly stimulating and refreshing. Massage therapy dates back as far as 400 B.C., when the great Hippocrates, the father of medicine, employed massage and manipulation in healing his patients. Since then it has been used as a mode of treatment for many ailments and it has restored many a sufferer to health and vigour.

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Beaches of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

  

Beaches of Andaman and Nicobar Islands attract thousands of tourists every year. The beaches in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Corbyn's Cove and Chirya Tapu, Radhanagar and Vijaynagar beach, Harminder bay beach, Karmatang beach, and Ramnagar beach.

Ramnagar Beach, Diglipur Island
Ramnagar beach is a sandy beach of Andaman situated at Diglipur Island. Diglipur is located at a distance of 180 kilometers from Port Blair.

Harminder Bay Beach, Little Andaman
Harminder Bay Beach attracts one during high tide because there present the rock formations and the white sands. It is known as one best surfing destination in India.

Karmateng Beach, Mayabunder
Karmateng Beach is about 136 km from Port Blair. It is known as the abode of turtle.

Corbyn's Cove, Port Blair
Corbyn's Cove and Chirya Tapu are the charming beaches of Andaman. It is best place for adventure tourism.

Radha Nagar Beach, Havelock Island
Radhnagar Beach is located on Havelock Island, offering the neat tranquility to the visitors.

Elephant Beach, Havelock Island
Elephant Beach can be accessed by a boat ride or a 30-minutes jungle trek. The serene beach is decorated by colour waters, surroundings, and dazzling sandy shore.

Vijaynagar Beach, Havelock Island
Vijaynagar Beach is perfect for swimming and surfing. It is the best place for adventure sports.

Kala Pathar Beach, Havelock Island
Kala Pathar Beach attracts the tourists with silvery sand and aqua green waters.

Wandoor Beach, Port Blair, South Andaman
Wandoor Beach acts as a gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park and Jolly Bouy Island.

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