The Festival of Kites

‘तिळ गुड घ्या आणि गोड गोड बोला’

As the phrase suggests eat sweet and speak sweet the festival of Makar Sankranti has the same significance of eating the sweet and leaving all the grudges behind. The famous phrase is mostly used in Maharashtra on the occasion of Sakraant .

Makar Sankranti , also known as maghi is a festival day celebrated in reference to the Surya (Sun) .

It marks the first day of sun’s transit into Makar (Capricorn) . This harvest festival is actually celebrated in various parts of Indian subcontinents.Being a festival that celebrates the solar cycle, it usually falls on the same date every year on 14 January but sometimes on 15 January.

The festivities associated with Makar Sankranti are known by various names such as Maghi preceded by (Lohri) by north Indian Hindus and Sikhs, Uttarayana in Gujrat , Makara Sankranti (Pedda Pandaga) in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal,Karnataka and Telangana, Sukarat in central India, Magh Bihu by Assamese, and Pongal by Tamils.

This festival is also known to mark the phase of transition of increasingly lengthening days.This basically means that the days start becoming longer and the nights become shorter as the sun starts making a transition towards North.

This holy festival is dedicated to the worshiping of God Sun.

To celebrate this harvest festival devotees take a dip in the sacred rivers to purge their sin of. It is celebrated by worshiping the first crop of the season .

Makar Sankranti is celebrated with a lots of enthusiasm which includes making several delicacies, particularly laddoos made with til (sesame seeds) and gud (jaggery). These laddoos and chikkis are distributed amongst people and symbolise harmony amongst them. In Northern India rewari, gazak, popcorns and peanuts are the celebratory staples. The Devotees in Bihar make khichdi to celebrate this harvest festival.

In Gujarat , It is celebrated as the Uttarayana i.e. the Kite festival . Various kite flying competitions are held with great enthusiasm.

The festival is just around the corner and is all set to be celebrated on 15 January this year. Many fairs are held on this occasion , the most famous is the Kumbh Mela held at every 12 years at one of the holy places Prayagraj, Nashik,Ujjain and Haridwar . This year it is going to be held at Prayagraj . The Kumbh Mela is going to begin with the first shahi snan of Makar Sankranti . Millions of people are gathering at the sacred place to take dip in the sacred sangam on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and thank God Sun for their success and prosperity.

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Cultural Tourism of India

Cultural tourism is a tourism towards the cultural heritage of a place. Culture has always been a major object of travel. Tourism is now a culture. Cultural attractions play a significant role in tourism at all the levels.  Cultural heritage tourism nowadays is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry.

India, a  kaleidoscope of traditions cultures and different geographics speaks for itself. India is famous all over the world for its rich culture and heritage. The country's  cultural diversity and history attracts various tourist from all over the world .  India has a slab of every kind of traveller.
Heritage tourism in india is a treasure as there are several cultural, historical and natural resources. Some cities of the country are known just because of its heritage sites. Cultural tourism of India varies from region to region like Madurai is famous for temples, Mahabalipuram is famous for its carved rock-cut temples and caves while Agra for Taj Mahal and Jaipur for palaces.  Every state of the country is rich in culture and its heritage. There are number of historical places to visit in India .

Some major sites of the cultural tour includes:
Khajurao , Madhya Pradesh
Bikaner, Rajasthan
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Bodhgaya, Bihar
Amritsar, Punjab

KHAJURAO, MADHYAPRADESH
The Khajurao group of monuments is a group of jain and hindu temples in chhatarpur. The temples are famous for their nagara style sculptures . Most of the temples were built in  950 and 1050 by the Chandela dynasty.  Lakshman Temple, Kandariya Mahadeva Temple and Vishvanath Temple are some of the most visited surviving monuments in Khajuraho, and the place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

BIKANER , RAJASTHAN 
The origins of Bikaner can be traced back to 1488 when a Rathore prince, Rao Bikaji, founded the kingdom. As Rajasthan is known for its royal palaces and forts . Bikaner is situated in the  northern region of the state.  Bikaner displays its ancient opulence through palaces and forts, built of red sandstone, that have withstood the passage of time.  The city is nicknamed as the "Camel Country" . It is also known for  having its own unique temple dedicated to Karni Mata at Deshnok, called the Rats Temple.

VARANASI , UTTARPRADESH 
 Varanasi is also known as Banaras or Kashi . The city is on the banks of river Ganga . Varanasi has been a cultural centre of North India for several thousand years,[citation needed] and is closely associated with the Ganges. Hindus believe that death in the city will bring salvation, making it a major centre for pilgrimage. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats, embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead and the Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here.

MADURAI, TAMIL NADU
Madurai is popularly called Thoonga Nagaram meaning the city that never sleeps, on account of the active night life.   The city is located on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai.Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the south side of the Vaigai River in Madurai and is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city. The people of Madurai celebrate numerous festivals, including Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam, the Chittirai Festival and the Car Festival.Madurai is a major cultural hub of South India.

BODHGAYA,BIHAR 
Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the place where Gautama Buddha obtained his enlightment. For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha.The Buddha Statue, the Mahabodhi Temple and several other sites of religious significance are all located in close proximity to each other, visited by both pilgrims and tourists alike.

AMRITSAR,PUNJAB 
Amritsar is a city in the state of Punjab bustling with life. A city offering traditional Indian food, famous for shopping, is  located at the distance of 28 km from the Indo-Pakistan border, the city offers its visitors a chance to witness the famous Wagah Border Ceremony where the troops of both Indian and Pakistani military carry out a joint— and often competitive—  performance in the evening. In terms of culinary favourites, Amritsari Kulcha and Mahi Amritsari are not to be missed.

Prayagraj - City Excursion

The thing about tourism is that the reality of a place is quite different from the mythology of it.
Prayagraj , a city in state of Uttar Pradesh previously known as Allahabad is an important tourist destination attracting huge number of tourists annually . Being one of the oldest cities in the world and enriched with a glorious history , the city has several monuments from different periods of Indian history . The city is also famous worldwide for the Kumbh Mela, a holy religious gathering of Hindu pilgrims which also attracts a large number of tourists and has been taking place in the city from ancient times.

The Major  tourists attractions of the city are :

1. Triveni Sangam
2. Khusro Bagh
3.Aanand Bhavan
4.Allahabad Museum
5. Prayagraj  Fort
6. All Saints Cathedral

 TRIVENI SANGAM :

 Sangam is a sanskrit word meaning confluence. Triveni sangam at prayagraj is the convergence of three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati where saraswati is mythical river. There is a belief that the Saraswati river flows underneath the surface.  The two rivers maintain their visible identity and can be identified by their different colours. The water of the Ganga is clear, while that of the Yamuna is greenish in colour.

The Triveni Sangam is considered to be a very sacred place in India to Hindus, who believe that taking a dip there will wash away sins and free them from the cycle of rebirth, thereby achieving Moksha.  Every 12 years, millions of people are drawn to a spiritual festival in India, the Maha Kumbh Mela, at this Sangam. It’s the largest gathering of humanity on Earth.

KHUSRO BAGH : 

Khusrau Bagh is a large walled garden and burial complex located in muhalla Khuldabad close to the Allahabad Junction Station, in Allahabad, India. It is two miles away from the allahabad fort built by akbar . The garden is quadrangle in shape and is spread over 40 acres. The bagh includes three tombs of Prince Khusru his mother and his sister.

The Sandstones  mausoleums within the garden are the most intense example of mughal architecture . The tomb of Khusrau, is the last of the three tombs in Khusro Bagh. Khusro was first imprisoned within the garden after he rebelled against his father, Jahangir.The garden has now lend its name to the surrounding locality of Khusrobagh, which is now bustling township.

ANAND BHAVAN :

The bhavan is a historic house museum in prayagraj . It is the museum focusing on the nehru family . It was bought by the political leader motilal nehru in 1930s and was transformed into the local headquarters of the Indian National Congress. Jawahar Planetarium, the planetarium is situated here, which has been striving to inculcate scientific temper among masses through its sky shows on astronomy and science.

ALLAHABAD MUSEUM:

The Allahabad Museum located in the picturesque Chandrashekhar Azad Park (company bagh) is among the National level museums of India.It is about 3 kms from Allahabad railway junction and almost equidistant from Prayag and Rambagh Railway Stations and about 12 km from Bamrauli Airport.

The  museum has a diversified collection of art, antiquities, paintings ,sculptures, coins, ceramics, archaeological objects, illustrated manuscripts, farmans, decorative art objects, arm & armours, textiles, natural history specimen, photographs , prints and personalia collections pertaining to Gandhi, Nehru and Literary personalities of Allahabad like Sumitra Nandan Pant,Suryakant Tripathi “Nirala”, Premchand, and Mahadevi Verma.

PRAYAGRAJ  FORT:

The Prayagraj Fort was built at Prayagraj  by the  mughal emperor Akbar in 1583.  The fort is situated at the banks of river Yamuna near its convergence with ganga.

At present it is used by the army and only a limited area is open to visitors.Visitors are allowed to see the Ashokan Pillar and Saraswati Koop, a well said to be the source of the Saraswati river and Jodhabai Palace.
The Patalpuri temple and the much revered Akshaya Vat or immortal Banyan tree are also great attractions for the faithful.

 THE ALL SAINTS CATHEDRAL :

All Saints Cathedral was built in the 19 century . The church was designed by Sir Williams Emerson in 1870 . The designs on the altar marble and stained glass panel makes the building more beautiful .  All Saints Cathedral is also known as the "Patthar Girja". The architecture is a major tourist attraction of the city. The church is situated at the canning town which lies opposite to the junction railway station .

Highlights Of Kumbh

“The fragrance of joss stick, millions of devotees, people bathing in holy water echoes of Sadhus and Babas chanting prayers”, this is how Kumbh Melas look like. With a lot of activities to savor; chances are you might miss out on something or the other but this blog of InheritIndia will be a savior. So here are we to give you highlights of Kumbh so you don’t miss out of anything and take the best memories good way off.  

                                                        

                                                       

Shahi Snan is the royal bath in the holy water taken by the Saints of different Akharas before any other Hindu pilgrims. The devotees wake up as early to take their morning bath and wait until the sadhus take the dip and once they are done with their bath then only the common people are allowed to take the dip in that water.

                                                  

                                             

The Sadhus are said to be followers of Lord Vishnu and Shiva. Akhara is the place of meeting for the religious troop. The Sadhus and Saints being the most integral part of Kumbh Mela increases the holiness of the mela with their presence. The followers can listen to the speeches of these people in order to gain spiritual enlightenment. Amongst the several saints like: NAGAS s, URDHWAVAHURS, KALPVASIS, SHIRSHASINSE, PARIVAJAKASH. Not only this but also Saints and Yogis come from Himalayan caves once in 12 years to bless the people.

Satsangs are very important part of Kumbh mela as devotees listen to prayers for hours. Also, there are a lot of ashrams and halls where people can offer prayers .

The city of Allahabad never sleeps during Kumbh and this is the best time to enjoy city lights and late night experiences .The calm river, glittering ghats, and the cool breeze, everything is so pleasing that you would not want to miss it.

Being in Kumbh is fun but could be better when it comes to hassle free Accommodation. Staying in the camps gives you opportunity to interact with people from different regions which also adds to your lifetime memories.

Food is next best thing in Kumbh. You would not want to miss the mouth-watering langars and prasads (sacred offerings) that are given to the devotees as well as the sadhus during the duration.

The rituals, the colors, and the music all contribute to this striking event giving powerful vibes with devotional singing and hymns.

                                                            

Early mornings are the most sober time of day, as it is always colder than at any other  time but sunrise is also considered to be the most auspicious time of day for spiritual practices, such as yoga and meditation Every day thousands of pilgrims rise, bath and return to their camps to meditate.

At last do not miss to check the local craft markets which have an astonishing collection of painting, sculpturing, hand-crafting of designs on metal, wood, ivory, stone and clay.

                                                                 

                                                                   

India - The Land of Diversity

The tremendous and abstruse land of India is the only nation in the world with a divergency in culture, language,religions and races.
India is a nation known for its various diversifications . Every aspect of the country is phenomenal and beyond any comparison.

The history of India begins with the evolution of Indus valley civilisation which was developed in the western part of South Asia. This was the urban civilisation where people were planned and lived in well-built towns . This was the first civilisation where the world saw its genesis in India . As India was ruled by several dynasties , the battles and foreign invasions and different religions have a well contribution towards the rich history of India .
And this history has contributed well for flourishment of the culture of India .

                   

The culture of a nation resides in the hearts of the people . The culture of India is the oldest culture from the world . Culture of a country is based on its various beliefs, customs , religions , languages etc. In brief it is the way of living of the people. Indian Culture is known for its vast range of diversities , every region of the nation presents an exclusive culture . The culture of India is always classical .

India is considered as the "Land of Festivals" . Festivals of India are the essential part of country's culture . India is a Nation having numerous cultures and religions so many festivals are celebrated throughout the year. Every region has its own way of celebrating a festival with a great amusement. Festivals are the essence of Indian culture.

The traditional dresses of the country are the another result of cultural prestige . The dresses of the people diversify the different diversities of the nation. The common Indian attire of women is sari. The traditional dress for men is dhoti and kurta . As the culture and tradition varies from region to region , the way of dressing up this traditional attires also differs for varient diversities. Indian jewelry is the basic part of clothing itself for women which completes their attire and represents the traditions of every region .

As India is one of the world’s oldest cultures it has been subjected to a flood of language influences. It is a misconception that the majority of people in India speak Hindi. Though many people speak Hindi but also prefer Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu as their first language.

Food of India is as diverse as the country . Like the culture varies from region to region cuisine of India also differs from the method of its preparation to ingredients used in it . the cuisine is differentiated in categories like northern , southern , eastern, western and northeastern . From vegetarian to non vegetarian , deserts , salads and the cuisines of every part of India is popular across the globe.

                                               

 

The Indian art of dance is peculiar in its own way . Each expression and gesture seeks to communicate emotions and ideas.
India has 8 classical dance forms . Each region has its own folk dances and music . Music is an elemental part of the nation .

India is a great destination for tourism . There are centers of attraction of every state of the country. Every monument defines the history and culture of the nation . India is slab of every kind of traveler. From the deserts to the sea every step of the journey of travelling India is worth the travel.

                                           

Paint My City

Life is a big canvas, paint it all and give your imagination a soul to live in. Art is an act of expressing your imagination and visual colors.

Street art is the form of an artwork where the visualization is presented on the publicly viewed surfaces. The main ambition of street art was born out of the need to “control visibility itself". In recent few years, Allahabad has gone under major transformation in public opinion to become a better city to walk in and promoting the slogan " UP nahi dekha toh India nhi dekha".

The Government of Uttar Pradesh is encouraging talent to take street art projects on more than 20 lakh sq.ft area, all over Prayagraj. This campaign will leave a very remarkable and aesthetic value on not only minds but also hearts of people.

Paint my city campaign is an initiative of Kumbh Mela Authority to give Prayagraj a beautiful glimpse with Indian arts covering the cultural diversity and heritage of Uttar Pradesh and Praygraj and also highlighting the mythological background of the Kumbh.

The city is getting all new face and beauty with paint my city campaign with the number of the artist working day and night collectively with wonderful plans and designs.

The campaign will add more colors to various sites and locations of Prayagraj post the completion of Kumbh Mela 2019.

Prayagraj Ardh Kumbh 2019

The culture of a nation is inhabited of its people and their minds. With this culture resides the religious beliefs of those minds. One of these beliefs is the ''Kumbh Mela or Simhastha ''. Kumbh Mela is a huge gathering of people out of faith to bathe in a sacred river. Traditionally, 4 fairs are held in different parts of India named as the Kumbha Mela.

Kumbh 2019 is going to be hosted in one of the 4 sites of the fair, Allahabad “The City of God” recently restored its  as Prayagraj. Kumbha in Prayagraj develops a picturesque vision of the Triveni Sangam, the convergence of sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in the minds of people.This Kumbh Mela is organized in every 12 years at Prayagraj (Allahabad). Millions of people assemble during this fair for the 'Shahi Snaan' at the Sangam ( the confluence of rivers) with a sense of devotion.

The last fair held in 2013 at the state was considered as the largest assembling in the world with 120 million visitors.

Prayagraj Ardh Kumbh Mela 2019, is the forthcoming Kumbha Mela to be held at the Sangam at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh from January to March 2019. A bill is passed by the government of UP to set up an authority to oversee the mela. District officials and the Mela officers are also a part of this authority. The budget assigned by the state government is around ₹2,500 crore which is more than two times the money spent on the last Kumbh. Over 15 crore footfalls are expected by the UP government in the fair 2019. The budget is going to be spent on various areas for the arrangements of the fair to provide prime facilities to the visitors.

The logo of this Simhastha 2019 shows a lot of saints bathing in the convergence of the sacred rivers. The UP government has proclaimed that all the State government documents, letters, advertising, and hoardings must carry the new logo.

Among the so many rituals of the Kumbh, the bathing ritual also termed as Shahi Snaan is the most significant ritual of the fair. Millions of devotees are going to take part in this rituals of taking bath in the holy rivers with a belief that by submerging in the sacred water bodies, one is purged of their sins. Shahi Snaan in the sacred waters in Prayagraj Kumbh beginning from Makar Sankranti. Shahi Snan is the highlight of the simhashtha and an important part of this celebration.