HERITAGE VACATIONS IN INDIA

The Rich Heritage of India will leave you Awestruck

From time since immemorial, India has been considered to be a land with rich cultural heritage. Centuries after centuries, this country has seen rulers like Rajputs, Moughals, English, Portuguese. Besides, various religions also flourished at different times in this country like Buddhism, Jainism etc. All these factors have played their role in making an impact on the culture of this country.

One can find the traces of different cultures in Music, dance, architecture, festivities, languages spoken, traditional beliefs and customs, food and many more like these. It is the development in these aspects of life that makes the heritage of India one of the most vibrant and most exhaustive.

Linguistic Heritage
Language, the effective means of verbal communication not just facilitates easy flow of ideas and feelings but also helps to distinguish people of different regions from each other. Eighteen languages are recognised by the Constitution of India and these fall into two major groups: Indic or Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. Additionally, there are over 1600 minor languages and dialects listed in the latest census. Though Hindi is the official national language, English is widely spoken by the masses and is still the official language of the judiciary.

Music Heritage of India
Classical music of India has its roots beliefs of the people and an amalgamation with other systems has not erased this source. Careful intonation has always been at the core of Indian classical music. The chanting of sacred words and phrases like Om required total precision because these chants were part of what it took to maintain the order of the universe.

Dances
India offers a number of classical dance forms, each of which can be traced to different parts of the country and representing the culture of a certain region or a group of people. The beginning of the contemporary styles of classical dances can be traced to the period 1300-1400 A.D. The dance forms range from temple dances like Bharatnatyam, oddissi and mohiniyattam, to kathakali, symbolizing the victory of truth over falsehood. Kathak and Kuchipudi are means to recite religious and mythological tales to the accompaniment music, mime and dance. Manipuri, and Dandiya Raas represents the celebration of Radha-Krishna's togetherness.

Art and Crafts Heritage of India
The talent of the Indian artisans' is till date visible in the age-old monuments / constructions. The sculptures boast of their creativity and hard work. The numerous sculptures on temple walls are all hewn out of hard rock & last to date. Rock-cut architecture was perfected by the Buddhists, and was followed by several Hindu rulers. In Southern India Pallavas excelled in this art form. The sculptures or idols in temples are made of granite & the Utsava murthis are made of bronze & panchaloha. Apart from these, there are the huge Iyyanar statues & horses exist in South Indian villages.

Customs and beliefs in India
Customs and ceremonies which deal with specific ceremonies for specific occasions; customs appeal because of the grace and beauty they bestow on the routine business of living till death. India is a land of many beliefs and customs. Since birth, the people get influenced and carry on the inherited customs ranging from Namakaran, to house warming Grih Pravesh, to Wedding Vivah. On the religious front, people fast and pray Vrata, Puja, Arti. Even the dead bodies are buried/cremated with all the due honors or Anteyasthi and remembered during the Shradh.

Indian Festivals
The Indian calendar is a yearlong procession of festivals. These are both varied in origin and large in number. There are innumerable national, regional, local, religious, seasonal and social festivities. Owing to the fact that India is the land of gods, goddesses, saints and people who believe in building and maintaining relationships.

Color, gaiety, enthusiasm, feasts and a variety of prayers and rituals characterize all the festivals. Travelers are struck by the scale and multiplicity of the festivities that populate the cultural scene here. If the fireworks of Dussehra symbolize the triumph of good over evil, prayers of Raksha Bandhan are said for a long and happy life of a brother.

Indian Food
The major culinary influences on Indian cuisine resulted from significant historical invasions, including the Greeks, Mughal Portuguese and British. Today, Rich and diverse Indian cuisine, coupled with the celebrated hospitality of the people is the crowning glory of the opulent Indian culture. Simply irresistible and sumptuous, Indian dishes are any gourmet's delight. Various permutations and combinations of various ingredients and the innumerable aromatic spices create magical, mouth watering variety of the same dish, which may be very often different in taste, colour, texture and also appearance, taking into account the regional variations.