Capital Cities of India

Capital Cities of India are hubs of infrastructural development and prosperity. Some of these cities are listed as the smart and clean cities in
India. The capital cities of India reflects modern and emerging India with the world class infrastructure, good communication system, rapid transit system and the proper technological advancement with the best foreign investments and best administrative approach to the states.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are called the metropolitan cities of India.

Capital Cities in North India
The capital cities of North India are New Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla, Srinagar, Jaipur, Dehradun and Lucknow.

Capital Cities in Central India
Central India boasts the prospering Indian capital cities like Bhopal and Raipur.

Capital Cities in East India
The capital cities in eastern India include Kolkata, Patna, Bhubaneshwar and Ranchi.

Capital Cities in West India
In western India, the Indian capital cities include Mumbai, Gandhinagar, Panaji, Daman and Silvassa.

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Folk Dances of Himachal Pradesh

It includes folk dances like the Karayila, Namagen and the Losar Shona Chuksam Dance.

The love, joys, sorrows and hopes of the people are reflected in folk art form of Himachal Pradesh through traditional symbolic patterns. 
Namagen
The autumnal hue is celebrated in the month of September in the Himachal and for the celebration of this festival the Namagen dance is performed.

The costumes that are used in this dance are of woolens and women wear richly studded ornaments of silver. The dancing steps & rhythm of the dance is wonderfully mixed with each other.

Karayila
The most interesting and equally popular folk drama of Himachal Pradesh is Karayila.

Losar Shona Chuksam Dance
The Losar Shona Chuksam is an agricultural festival dance performance. Losar refers to the New Year of the Tibetan people and it is performed by the Kinnauris in their typical style.

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Breathing technique

Apt breathing technique plays the most important part in the awakening of the "Kundalini"

On the path to self-realization breath is the bridge between the body and the mind. In Hinduism "breathing" is therefore the life force.

Diaphragmatic breathing:
The diaphragm is a huge muscle that rests horizontally across the base of the rib cage. The diaphragm is connected in the front, along the sides of the lower ribs, and also along the back.

Agni breath or breath of fire:
Breath of Fire is a breathing exercise where one should inhale and exhale rapidly through the nose without pausing, and pump the navel point while using the abdomen as a bellows.

Walking breath:
This is a wonderful practice that can be done in daily life, it integrates body, breath and mind.
Alternate nostril breathing: When energy is not balanced it can be seen in nostrils. Most of the time one or the other nostril is more dominant, allowing air to move more freely.

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North Indian Recipes

North Indian Recipes offer wide assortment of food including both vegetarian and non vegetarian.

Indian cuisine is ancient and has a 2500-3000 years old history. However, the recipes of the country have changed over the years.

According to the North Indian Recipes, a couple of main courses are served. They are usually doled out along with different pickles, chutneys and of course different types of Indian bread, "roti".

Among the North Indian Recipes, Punjabi cooking is exquisite and preparation such as Sarson-Ka-Sag - buttered mustard greens, flavoured with aniseed and asafoetida eaten with Makki-Ki-Roti the crisp, fresh corn bread. Punjabi cookery is the universal favourite item which is spicily stewed chick peas.

The delicious Karhi is another example of elite North Indian Recipes. The combination of protein rich pulses cooked with onions, tomatoes and red-eyed beans, rice and traditional breads, yoghurt whipped with chick pea flour and chick pea dumplings contribute a lot of the recipe of the northern region.

North Indian Recipes also depend on the local variety. In areas with a pastoral tradition, milk and its products are used in cooking.
Himachal Pradesh is one such state in northern India that concentrates on mostly vegetarian dish. They use tubers like potatoes and turnips as well as Green vegetables.

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World Heritage Monuments in India

World Heritage Sites in India comprise religious monuments, cultural heritages and natural sites.

The World Heritage sites are declared by the UNESCO in1972, the General Conference of UNESCO adopted a resolution with overwhelming enthusiasm creating thereby a 'Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage'.

The enlisted sites on the World Heritage list now stands at 830 incorporating both cultural and natural sites, and endowment that is shared by all mankind and the protection of which is our primal concern.

Agra Fort
Agra Fort represents the first major building project of Akbar, with remains of the ruins.

Ajanta Caves
Ajanta Caves including the unfinished ones are thirty in number, of which five) are chaitya-grihas and the rest are viharas (monasteries).

Ellora Caves
The magnificent group of rock-cut shrines of Ellora, demonstrating three diverse faiths, Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jaina were excavated during the period from fifth to the thirteenth century AD.

Taj Mahal
Taj on the right bank of River Yamuna, about 1.5km from the Agra fort, was built to enshrine the remains of Arjumand Banu Begam entitled Mumtaj Mahal, the queen of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Mahabalipuram Group of Monuments
Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram, the city of Mamalla, is named after the title of great
Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman-I (AD 630-668).

Sun Temple
Konark is the Kainapara of the Periplus (first century AD) - an important port of the Orissan coast. The most notable marvel is the stately Sun Temple, built in c.

Fatehpur Sikri
In honour of Saint Shaikh Salim Chishti, the Mughal Emperor Akbar, the great, founded a magnificent city on Sikri ridge.

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Hindu Iconography

Hindu Iconography comprises various primal symbols, images, hand gestures and positions. Spiritualism is deeply rooted in Hindu iconography.

In Hindu iconography, God’s image is a direct symbol of the God himself. The image is worshipped with all the rituals which in turn are a way of serving God.

The significance of the iconography differs according to the regions. Tilak, Rudraksha, Om, Swastika, Vibhuti are some of the symbols. Certain symbols like conch, Shiva lingam, Veena, lotus and Chakra are associated with particular Gods.

Postures in Hindu Iconography
The pose assumed by God shows at a glance whether the God is relaxed or aggressive or in a contemplative mood. Samabhanga, Abhanga, Padasvastika, Alidhapada and Padmasana are some of the body positions assumed by different Gods.

Mudras in Hindu Iconography
Mudras or hand gestures play an important role as it is the language of gestures of the Gods with which their intentions, emotions and qualities are expressed sophisticatedly.

Universal Symbols in Hindu Iconography
Om, Swastika and Chakra Yantra are the common symbols of Hindu iconography. ‘Om’ is a holy symbol that represents the ultimate reality. ‘Swastika’ indicates universal auspiciousness.

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