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Holy Cities of India Posted by kunthra on Feb 28, 2011
There are several Indian cities that are considered holy cities. These cities are widely visited by religious pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Kanchipuram has been dubbed the city of temples because there are at least one hundred and sixteen temples in this city alone. Kanchipuram was also an important center of learning…
Indian Forts Posted by kunthra on Feb 27, 2011
In various parts of India, there are still the strongholds of old forts that have guarded its owners in times of battle. Many of these forts are impressive and contain large and sprawling estates. Gingee Fort is located in Tamil Nadu. The Gingee Fort was built in the 9th century and was famous for fending…
Pariyanampetta Pooram Posted by kunthra on Feb 24, 2011
Pariyanampetta Pooram is a seven day festival held at Pariyanampetta Bhagavathy Temple in Kerala. This is a temple dedicated to Bhagavathy. Bhagavathy is a term that is used to refer to Hindu goddesses. Here is a video of Pariyanampetta Bhagavathy Temple. As you can see, people offer their prayers when they enter this temple. For…
Chinakkathoor Pooram Posted by kunthra on Feb 21, 2011
The Chinakkathoor Pooram is a grand elephant festival that took place on February 18th. The Festival took place in Palappuram, which is a town in Kerala. Crowds gather to witness a parade of elephants adorned in gold and colorful parasols. To prevent the elephants from running amuck, trained elephant riders are placed atop the elephant…
Bhoota Kola Posted by kunthra on Feb 18, 2011
Bhoota Kola is a type of spirit worship practiced in areas like Karnataka and Tulu Nadu. In Bhoota Kola, a person will be designated to be possessed by a spirit. This person will dress in a colorful costume and put on bright makeup made from plant extract. In addition, this person will put on a…
Indian Instruments Posted by kunthra on Feb 15, 2011
There are so many Indian instruments; it’s hard to keep count! India has a long and rich history and culture, and the musical heritage from which Indian epics and love songs derive from are also deep and complex. As a result, many musical forms and instruments were created to narrate an oral tradition of storytelling…
Indian Folk Dances Posted by kunthra on Feb 5, 2011
Indian folk dances are simply a cultural treasure. There are so many and so different from each other. Let’s take a look at some Indian folk dances: Ghoomar is a folk dance from Rajasthan where the women dress in colorful saris and twirl to the sound of music. It’s a very alluring dance because the…