GoodBye, Alvida

This is the end of "Incredible India's" blog journey!

Hope you learned alot and enjoyed even more!
Be sure to travel India for it's places, food and culture!

ALVIDA GUYS!

http://painfighter.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/namaste/

Interesting Facts

Let's finish out with the

TOP  INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT INDIA!

 

 

• India is about 1/3 the size of the United States,India is the seventh largest country in the world, at 1.27 million square miles

• India is the largest democracy in the world.

• Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating.

• To avoid polluting the elements (fire, earth, water, air), followers of Zoroastrianism in India don’t bury their dead, but instead leave bodies in buildings called “Towers of Silence” for the vultures to pick clean. After the bones dry, they are swept into a central well.

• It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India

• India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year

• India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.

• More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line.

• Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind’s seven mothers because they offer milk as does one’s natural mother.

 

info from: http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/07/21_india.html

"Zero"

 

Zero; if removed you can become nothing, if added, you can become known!

http://theosophical.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/is-zero-a-number/

Where was Zero originated?

• The number zero was invented independently in India and by the Maya. In India a decimal system was used, like ours, but they used an empty space for zero up to 3rd Century BC. This was confusing for an empty space was also used to separate numbers, and so they invented the dot for a zero.
• The first evidence for the use of the symbol that we now know as zero stems from the 7th century AD. The Maya invented the number zero for their calendars in the 3rd century AD.
• The number zero reached European civilization through the Arabs after 800 AD. The Greek and Roman did not need the number zero for they did their calculations on an abacus.
• The name 'zero' comes from the Arabic language.

Info from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_the_number_name_zero

Travel India!

We all take vacations right? Some like the busy places while some prefer then nature! Well, next time you make a plan for vacation, be sure to think about visiting India. It's got that liveliness, its got the nature, its got the people, its got the festivals and its got the fun you need.





Some of the placed listed below are a MUST GO places!

1. Agra:  part of India's popular Golden Triangle tourist circuit, Agra is home to the Taj Mahal. Enough said really. It's India's most iconic monument and the top historical attraction in India.



2. Jaisalmer: The city hosts the quirky Jaisalmer Desert Festival every year, and has some very romantic hotels located right in the middle of the desert. And of course the ever popular camel safaris as well.








3. Kerela: The lush green landscape, diverse wildlife, and houses and villages that line the backwaters make a journey along these waterways seem like a journey through another world.

4.Ooty:  the town's economy is based on tourism and agriculture, with manufacturing of medicines and photographic film also present. The town is connected to the rest of India by road and rail, and its historic sites and natural beauty attract tourists.

 

5.Kashmir: HEAVEN ON EARTH!

Cricket- 2nd Love

We all love sports!

As we all know, sports differ from country to country. Just like America loves football & basketball, and Mexico loves soccer...India loves Cricket!

What is Cricket?

 Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on a roughly circular field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cricket_pitch.svg

• Each team takes it in turn to bat, in which they attempt to accumulate as many runs as possible, while the other team fields, attempting to prevent the batting team scoring runs.
• The game progresses as one member of the fielding team known as the bowler delivers the ball to the batsman down the length of the pitch.
• The batsman then attempts to strike the ball with his bat in order so that the ball either reaches the boundary or enables him to run to the other end of the pitch and thus accumulate runs.
• The batsman may continue batting until he is dismissed.
•  Once ten batsmen from the batting side have been dismissed, the team is said to be all out and the two teams change roles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pollock_to_Hussey.jpg

 WHO DECIDES THE WIN OR LOSS?

• The game on the field is regulated by two umpires, one of whom stands behind the wicket at the bowler's end, the other in a position called "square leg", a position 15–20 metres to the side of the "on strike" batsman.
• In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field. 



http://crickettips.hpage.com/umpiring__74834427.html

There is so much craze about cricket in India that the team players are worshiped. Some people keep a picture of their favorite team member next to their god's statues and worship them. Cricket World cup happens every four years. 2011's winners were Indian Team. The next cup is much awited in the year 2015. 



http://www.bollywoodsargam.com/talkingphoto.php?poster=7285263475
 

INFOR FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket

The Big Fat Indian Wedding!

Wedding, that one function we all enjoy!

Indian weddings are a must to experience. It's full of, music, dance, food, glam, laughs...which last for multiple days before and after the wedding takes place.


Ceremony:

• The Ganesh Pooja will occur on the first night of the ceremony. This includes a priest performing a ceremony with only close family members, the bridal party, the bride and the groom.
• The next day is a ceremony for the women called the Mehndi ceremony. This is where henna tattoos will be created on the feet and hands. Later that evening a celebration called Sangeet will occur.

http://mehndialzpk.blogspot.com/2012/07/
indian-mehndi-patterns-hands-2012.html



http://www.theweddingtravelers.com/tag/3/index.html

Main Ceremony:

• The bride and groom,parents of the bride and the priest sit under a canopy called a Mandap.



http://myweddecorations.blogspot.com/2012/
01/indian-wedding-mandap-decorations.html

•  The bride is then given away.
• Holding hands, the couple then circles around a small fire to participate in the ritual of Mangal Phera.
• Next, comes the couple's vows, and the couple takes seven symbolic steps forward together.



http://entryindia.net/travel/blog/2012/10/
09/things-to-do-in-india-in-october-2/

• Red powder, called Sindoor is then applied by the groom to the forehead of the bride.
• Finally, a Mangral Sutra, or black beaded necklace, is tied around the neck of the bride. This symbolizes that she is no longer single, but married.



http://jasmine-hrt3m.wikispaces.com/Arranged
+marriages+within+Hinduism

• Then happens the Kanya Dan: One of the most purest sacrifices ever, the bride's father gives away his daughter to the groom to the accompaniment of chanting of sacred mantras.
• After the wedding ceremony is over, elders come and give the cuople Aashirvadah. The couple receives blessings from all the elders in the family who wish them a successful married life.



http://www.tathastuevent.com/indian.html



Information received from  http://www.ehow.com/about_6718230_indian-wedding-information.html

The Indian Languages!

NAMASTE!

Language is a key concept that differentiates people. While every country has they own language, India's each state has their own language. Languages that are not same in any way which makes it difficut for people to travel.

Some of the famous languges are listed below with their writing.


Nation Language: HINDI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindi

Second Language: ENGLISH

http://trainingegypt.com/articles/TabId/91/ArtMID/
520/ArticleID/15/-ESL-English-Instructors.aspx

GUJRATI from Gujrat:

http://trainingegypt.com/articles/TabId/91/ArtMID/
520/ArticleID/15/-ESL-English-Instructors.aspx

BHOJPURI from Uttar Pradesh:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bhojpuri
_word_in_devanagari_script.jpg
 

TELUGU from Tamil Naddu:

http://tech-wonders.blogspot.com/2010/09/
best-telugu-websites-and-blogs.html

URDU from Pakistan:

 



http://urdu-info-blog.blogspot.com/2011
/01/introduction-to-urdu-language.html

The Country of Festivities!

We all like festivals right? It's a great way to spend family time and get involved in cultural things. It's a part of who we are and where we come from.

 India is full of festivals, you can say ever month has different festival to celebrate. Evey day of a week is celebrated for a different god. Neat huh? The ones listed boloew are some of the MAIN festivals of india!!



http://wahidbukhari.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/
diwali-fireworks-reverberate-the-delhi-skies/

• DIWALI
• "Diwali is a five day festival that represents the start of the Hindu New Year. It's known as the "Festival of Lights" for all the fireworks, small clay lamps, and candles that are lit during the celebrations. These lights are said to represent the victory of good over evil, and brightness over darkness."

• GANESH CHATURTHI




http://www.pratikudeshi.com/

• "The spectacular eleven day Ganesh Chaturthi festival honors the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha. The start of the festival sees huge, elaborately crafted statutes of Ganesha installed in homes and podiums, which have been especially constructed and beautifully decorated. At the end of the festival, the statutes are paraded through the streets, accompanied by much singing and dancing, and then submerged in the ocean."

• HOLI




http://www.escapenormal.com/2011/03/29/50
-greatest-festivals-in-the-world/

• "Holi is a two day festival that also celebrates the victory of good over evil, as well as the abundance of the spring harvest season. It's commonly referred to as the "Festival of Colors". People exuberantly throw colored powder and water all over each other, have parties, and dance under water sprinklers. Bhang (a paste made from cannabis plants) is also traditionally consumed during the celebrations. Holi is a very carefree festival that's great fun to participate in if you don’t mind getting wet and dirty."

• NAVRATRI
• 

  

  http://www.celebrateindia.com/events-festival/navratri

  "The first nine days of this festival are known as Navaratri, and are filled with dance in honor of the Mother Goddess. The tenth day, called Dussehra, is devoted to celebrating the defeat of the demon king Ravana by Lord Rama. It also coincides with the victory of the revered warrior Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. "

Look out for these festivals during the year! I'm sure you'll have a blast!!

  The information is from  http://goindia.about.com/od/festivalsevents/tp/Indiafestivals.htm







Eye poping cultural Dres!!

Namaste Peeps!

Clothing! its never enough.

Actually, for some of us, it a way to present yourself while for others its just an cloth covering your precious body!

Well well, today I bring to you one of the most known sexiest cultural attire and other common dress.

• Saree




http://www.sanginionline.com/

• It is a designed cloth starting from 4 yards to 9 yards draped around the body. It it known as one of the most sexiest cultural dress. It is mostly worn by women in everyday life



• Salwar Kameez




http://booncreation.blogspot.com/2012/08/anarkali-
pattern-salwar-kameez.html

• This outfit is worn by girls on daily biases. It has a long designed top and its pant. Its work with a long scarf around neck or just put on shoulder. Salwar kameeze vary in different types, like arakali, patiyala, chudidaar!

• Ghaghra Choli




http://www.bharatplaza.com/fish-cut-kalidar-ghagra-choli.html

• This dress is mostly worn during an occasion. It's a very fancy 3 piece attire worn mainly by young girls.

 

See you next week for a SURPRISE SURPRISE post!

Till then, Khyal Rakhna! 

*Grawl. --> *Burp!



Hungry Guys?

You won't be after you check out this new post about Indian Food. What food do you think of when you first hear the work "India Food".

Curry! right?

Well, Curry is not as famous at the outsiders think it is. Many people don't even eat curry. In India, every state has its own tradition language, culture, rituals, clothing and food. Hundreds of different food per state & the famouse ones are shown in picture below!



http://www.humanium.org/en/ngo-blog/2010/08/indian-food-diversity/

Keep scrolling down to see some of the most famous & mouth watering foods on India. 





Gujrati Thaali





http://niyasworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/food-court-at-ampa-skywalk-mall-chennai.html

• 3/4 vegetable gravy
• Sweets
• Salad
• Roti (bread)
• drink
• rice
• pickle
• appetizer



http://www.awesomecuisine.com/recipes/81/chicken-biryani.html

Chicken Biriyani


• Spiced Chicken with
• Rice
• Yogurt
• & eaten with salad
   

 

 

 

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/pani%20puri

Pani Puri (Street Food)


• Puri (small round hard bread)
• filled with potato
• Yogurt
• onion/tomato
• Spicy chutney (dip)





Sweets (..something us Indians can't live without)


• There are thousands of sweets in India
• Kaju Katri
• Gulab Jamun
• Barfi
• Halwa
• Ras Malai
• Laddoo
• Jalebi



http://vmlittlethings.blogspot.com/2010/07/houston-chowhounds-event-tour-of-little.html


 

.....goes on & on!

 

[See you next week! Bringing the best designers & show you worlds sexiest cultural dress known]





Bollywood!!!



Welcome back! What brought you back? (leave a comment)




Welcome to Bollywd





Waheeda Rehman

So today we'll focus on one of the five things Indians survive on. It's nothing but their daily dose of movie, songs and drama from BOLLYWOOD! Yes, like Hollywood in US, it' Bollywood in India.




Bollywood is full of :

• songs/dance
• romance
• actions
• ..and a fight to be Famous.



 

 SONGS/DANCE

Left: Madhuri Dixit -- Right: Aishwariya Rai (Dola re, Devdas)

Songs and Dance play a key role in Bollywood. Indians love to dance whether its party, wedding, or just a gathering. Each movie has about 5-6 songs. Sometimes there comes a time that a movie might collect money just because of its songs.



 

ROMANCE



Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in one of the most romantic film ever made in Bollywood industry, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge



They say a movie and ones life is never complete without romance. It's that one aspect that wins every ones heart. Bollywood has delivered over thousands of love stories. The one shown above is one of the best love stories ever seen in India.

 



ACTION



Akshay Kumar: Stuntman, Actor.

Actions bring excitement to move. Action genres require contain types of actors. Akshay Kumar, shown above is known as "Khiladi", a sportsman/player. He is that one actor who is always picked when the film is based on stunts and danger.He is a stuntman himself..

 

 

 

...a fight to be FAMOUS!







Superstar Salman Khan from Daboo Ratnai's Photoshoot.

 

Famous, something that everyone wants to be. But you know what they says, when you time come, you will get everything you want. There is a lot of competition in Bollywood and it says its negative sides. Salman Khan, shown above was in film industry since 1990 and became famous in 2000, exactly after 10 years. He never won any awards nor was he that recognized. Today he stands India's NO.1 Star with the most grossing back to back films.

THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK GUYS!

I'll see you next week..be ready to hold yourselves from the most yummy food you'll ever see!! 

Look Here!!!! It just started & It's Incredible.

 

Namaste Everyone!!!

http://gallery.mobile9.com/f/2149768/



 

Interesting picture huh?

 

Wait!! There's more!!!

 

You know what they say "a picture is worth thousand words." So why not just look the images rather than reading a pile of boring words.

 

 

My blog will be ALL pictures!

I will show pictures that will take you on a ride from your chair to show you some of the most amazing things in India. Get ready to see the pure culture and life of indians which will make you say "Incredible India!"

http://www.indiagrouptours.com/

Keep riding around here...

I'll be back with an eye-popping post again next week!