Archive for January, 2011
Thaipusam Posted by kunthra on Jan 18, 2011
Thaipusam is a festival celebrated by Tamil Hindus, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu. On this day, devotees put themselves under harsh physical tests of endurance. It’s thought that the Lord Murugan will grant the wishes of the devotees who display extraordinary physical feats of endurance. Lord Murugan was able to defeat the demon…
Makar Sankranti Posted by kunthra on Jan 15, 2011
This year Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on January 14th-15th. Makar Sankranti celebrates the beginning of the harvest season. In other words, Makar Sankranti celebrates the termination of winter. In Indian mythology, this is the day that the Sun God Surya is praised. In Gujarat, Makar Sankranti is celebrated by flying a colorful kite. By…
Chaat Posted by kunthra on Jan 12, 2011
Chaat (चाट) refers to a type of Indian snack that is often sold in street carts in the open air. Fast food sold in the street are often fresh, but they are also exposed to the air pollution and the servers don’t always wear gloves to prevent the spread of germs. Here is a video…
Jaipur Literature Festival Posted by kunthra on Jan 6, 2011
This month, the Jaipur Literature Festival took place in Jaipur, which is also called ‘The Pink City’. The main venue was hosted by the Diggi Palace Hotel. The Jaipur festival occurs every year and is the main gathering place for literature critics, authors, and people who just love to read books. It’s a festival where…
A Look Back at 2010 Posted by kunthra on Jan 4, 2011
2010 was an interesting year in India. Let’s look at some of the events that made the Indian news in 2010 : In January of 2010, there were six Uttar Pradesh railroad accidents. The first three accidents were caused by a fog; in which ten people died. The other accidents were caused by derailed trains…
Indian Instruments Posted by kunthra on Jan 1, 2011
There are numerous Indian instruments that produce an amazing array of sounds. Take for example, the bulbul tarang, which uses two sets of strings. One set of strings is for the melody, which is often played by keys striking against each other like the keys of a typewriter. The other set of strings is for…