ONE OF INDIA'S BEAUTIFUL HERITAGE

The Nilgiri Railway

This Nilgiri Rail system is unique as it is the steepest one in Asia. It is a 46 Km long and runs on 1000 mm gauge railway connecting Mettupalayam to Ooty. Both towns are in the state of Tamil Nadu.

It covers a distance of 46 km in around 5 hours. It is interesting to note that the engine pushes the train from behind when ascending the hills and is in front, while going downhill so that the train does not run amuck. This is a truly amazing journey that takes tourists from a height of 1069 feet to 7228 feet.

The train itself is a charming blue and cream with wooden coaches and large windows. It is hauled up hills by steam engines, designed and built by the Swiss Locomotive Works. Twelve of such locomotive engines survive even today.

The journey itself from Mettupalayam to Ooty is full of scenic beauty enroute. The train passes amidst tranquil and serene views of Coonoor, Wellington, Lovedale to finally reach Ootacamund. It covers a total distance of 116 km and crosses 250 bridges and 16 tunnels.

History

It was in 1854, that the first plans were made to build a mountain Railway from Mettupalaiyam to the Nilgiri Hills. But it took the decision-makers 45 years to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and complete the construction and installation of the line.

The line was completed and opened for traffic in June 1899. It was operated first by the Madras Railway under an agreement with the Government.

The Madras Railway Company continued to manage this railway line on behalf of the government for a long time until the South Indian Railway company purchased it. The line was extended to Ootacamund from Coonoor some time in 1908 on the same gauge over a distance of 11 and 3/4 miles at a cost of Rs. 24,40,000.

THIS IS MY INDIA, EVERY INDIAN IS PROUD OF.(INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNT)

		Agra Fort
		The high red sandstone ramparts of this great monument stretch for almost 2.5 kilometres, dominating a bend in the river Yamuna, northwest of the Taj Mahal. The foundation of this majestic citadel was laid by the Emperor Akbarand it developed as a stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. The curved bastions of the huge walls are interrupted by impressive gates of which only the Amar Singh gate is now open to the public. The original and grandest entrance was through the Delhi Gate, which leads to the inner portal called the Hathi Pol or Elephant Gate. Jantar Mantar, Jaipur An astronomical observatory designed by the astronomer - King Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur, in 1724. It was believed to have been built with masonry instruments for observing the movements of the stars and the planets. The Shore Temples at Mahabalipuram The Shore Temples at Mahabalipuram The shore temples at Mahabalipuram, a coastal village 50 km south of Madras, were built in the 7th century, during the reign of Rajasimha, and they depict the final flowering of Pallava art. These temples are refreshingly uncluttered, unlike later grandiose Dravidian architecture and they tower over the waves, behind a protective breakwater. The temple with its beautiful polygonal dome enshrines Lord Vishnu and Shiva. These beautiful temples, ravaged by wind and sea, were listed among the World Heritage sites, a few years ago and they are probably the most photographed monuments in India. Red Fort (Lal Quila) The largest of Old Delhi's monuments is Lal Quila or Red Fort. The Lal Quila rises above a wide dry moat in the northeast corner of the original city of Shahjahanabad. Mughal Emperor Shahjahan started construction of the massive fort in 1638 and work was completed in 1648.The Fort houses the Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audiences where the Emperor would sit and hear complaints of the common folks. His alcove in the wall was marble-paneled and was set with precious stones. The Diwan-i-Khas is the hall of private audiences. This hall is made of marble and its center-piece used to be the Peacock Thr Deserts of Rajasthan Some areas of Rajasthan, like the Dhar, are deep deserts.

the beauty of india

		Taj mahal
		An extravagant marble monument of love, built by Shahjahan in 1653 as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to their 14th child. White marble and red sandstone, silver and gold, carenelian and jasper, moonstone and jade, lapiz lazuli and coral were fashioned by 20, 000 skilled workers to make the emperor's dream a reality. It took 22 years to complete - a poignant symbol of eternal love where Shahjahan too lies buried, reunited at last with his beloved Mumtaz. Architecture of the Taj Mahal It took 20,000 workmen twenty-two years (6132-1654) to build this marvel of a marble tomb. Ustad Isa, a Persian architect is said to have been the main designer of the Taj. Many others have figured as designers and craftsmen for the Taj Mahal: Geronimo Veroneo the venetian goldsmith; the silversmith Austin of Bordeaux, the Persians Ustad Ahmad and Ustad Hamid and so on. But the biggest influence was Shah Jahan himself. The Sun Temple at Konark The Sun Temple , Built by Raja Narsimhadeva of the Ganga dynasty, in the 13th century AD, the temple is a tribute to human grandeur, in its perception, and in the execution of even the finest details. It resembles a huge chariot, with 24 wheels, pulled by seven straining horses, and has a three-tiered pyramidal roof topped off by a fine spire. The Sun - God's chariot, also represents the seven days of the week, and the 24 hours of the day, in its concept. The temple is a brilliant story in stone, with impressive sculptures. Every aspect of life is represented here and the erotic imagery, depicts the sublimation of human love manifested in countless forms. Scenes from court, civic life and war are also done with great precision. A temple in Khajuraho Khajuraho Khajuraho, a quiet village in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, is home to one of India's major attractions - the superb temples of Indo-Aryan architecture. These temples were built during the Chandella period, a dynasty which survived for five centuries before falling to the onslaught of Islam. Khajuraho's temples, almost all, date from one century long burst of creative genius from 950-1050 AD. Qutab Minar The emblem of Delhi, the 72.55 meter high Qutab Minar was erected in the 13th century by Qutab-Ud-Din Aibak. The monument tapers from a 15-meter diameter base to just 2� metres at the top. Beautiful calligraphy adorns the adjacent edifices. The tower has five distinct stories, each marked by a projecting balcony. The first three stories are made of red sandstone, the fourth and fifth of marble and sandstone. Hawa mahal Built in 1799, the Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, is one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. This five storey building, which looks out over the main street of the old city, is a stunning example of Rajput artistry, with its pink semi octagonal and delicately honeycombed sandstone windows. It was originally built to enable ladies of the royal household, to watch the everyday life and processions of the city. The palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and is part of the City Palace complex.

FESTIVALS OF INDIA

FESTIVALS OF INDIA

.. Durgapuja .. Janmashtami .. Christmas Festivals .. Holi .. Pushkar Fair .. Karvachauth .. Diwali .. Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) .. Basant Panchami .. Mahavirjayanti .. Raksha Bandhan .. Bhai-Dooj .. Dussehra .. Ganesh .. Kumbh .. Navratri .. Independenceday .. Buddhist Festivals .. Eid Ul Fitr

ART OF INDIA-- INFORMATION INTERNET

The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco is one of the great Museums of the world. Indian artist Anjolie Ela Menon has been honoured with a six month solo at the Museum featuring her large triptych entitled Yatra – the exhibition opens on the 20^th of May 2006.

This large work is inspired by the annual march of the Kavadiyas to the holy sites on the Ganga, where they gather in their millions each year during Shravan to collect water in pots to carry back to their village shrines for the worship of Shiva, sometimes walking barefoot 500 miles. A simultaneous exhibition of her work will be held at Gallery Artsindia, Palo Alto.

Menon who has been awarded the Padmashree is amongst the most important artists in the current scene in contemporary Indian art.

Quotes

Isana Murti writes in the portfolio published by Lalit Kala Akademi in 2006 ‘Anjolie Ela Menon, one of India’s best known artists’ had her first solo exhibition in 1958 where renowned critic Richard Barthlomew wrote, ‘I have no doubt that before long this gifted young woman will be joining the ranks of our very best painters’. These words have been truly prophetic and Menon’s trajectory over the last five decades is testimony to the evolution of an artist who has defied easy classification and who has broken fresh ground with confident panache.

Ranjit Hoskote writes ‘Menon has always prized what she terms the ‘aura’ of the paintings. This aura has been achieved in her finest works.’

Gayatri Sinha writes ‘Her panoply of figures, as they appear, signify non-space and non-time…Like a wanton fabulist, Menon brings accretion, division, conjunction to play upon the conventional image…. Menon insists on the location of the past in the present. Her painting argues against cultural amnesia.’

“If this exhibition brings some honour to India and creates an awareness about Indian Contemporary Art it will be an important milestone for me”-Menon.

Maqbool Fida Husain, (born 1915, Pandharpur, Maharashtra) popularly known as M F Husain, is one of India's best known artists and his work over a career of over seven decades has been prolific. One of the most highly rated artists in the world today, his work sells at astonishing prices and are grabbed almost instantly by international art collectors.

According to Forbes magazine, he has been called the "Picasso of India".[1] After a long, successful career his work suddenly became controversial in 1996, when he was 81 years old, following the publication of an article about nude images of Hindu deities painted in the 1970s.

Husain comes from a Sulaimani Bohra Indian family. His mother died when he was one and a half years old. His father remarried and moved to Indore, where Husain went to school. In 1935, he moved to Mumbai and was admitted to the Sir J. J. School of Art.

He started off by painting cinema hoardings.

Husain first became well-known as an artist in the late 1940s. In 1947, he joined the Progressive Artists' Group, founded by Francis Newton Souza. This was a clique of young artists who wished to break with the nationalist traditions established by the Bengal school of art and to encourage an Indian avant-garde, engaged at an international level. In 1952, his first solo exhibition was held at Zürich and over the next few years, his work was widely seen in Europe and U.S.. In 1955, he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree prize by the Government of India.[4]

In 1967, he made his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter. It was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and won a Golden Bear.[5][6]

M. F. Husain was a special invitee along with Pablo Picasso at the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1971.[6] He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1973 and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1986.[6] He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1991.

[edit] 1990-Present

Husain went on to become the highest paid painter in India. His single canvases have fetched up to $2 million at a recent Christie's auction.[7]

He has also worked (produced & directed) on few movies, including Gaja Gamini (with his muse Madhuri Dixit who was the subject of a series of his paintings which he signed Fida). The film was intended as a tribute to Ms. Dixit herself.[8] In this film she can be seen portraying various forms and manifestations of womanhood including the muse of Kalidasa, the Mona Lisa, a rebel, and musical euphoria. He went on to make Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (with Tabu). His autobiography is being made into a movie tentatively titled "The Making of the Painter.", starring Shreyas Talpade as the young Husain.[9]

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) (USA, Massachusetts) showed a solo exhibition from 4 November 2006 to 3 June 2007. It exhibited Husain’s paintings inspired by the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.

At the age of 92 Husain was to be given the prestigious Raja Ravi Varma award by the government of Kerala.[10] The announcement led to controversy in Kerala and some Sangh Parivar organisations campaigned against the granting of the award and petitioned the Kerala courts. The Kerala High Court granted an intermin order to stay the granting of the award until the petition had been disposed of.[11]

In early 2008, Husain’s Battle of Ganga and Jamuna: Mahabharata 12, a large diptych, from the Hindu epic, fetched $1.6 million, setting a world record at Christie's South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale.[3]

THE DANCE ARTS

ODISSI DANCER

A Kathakali performer as Krishna.


"South Indian classical dance, in its highest moment, is the embodiment of music in its visual form.... For more than thousand years, the sastra's have confirmed that an individual dedicated to dance must be equally dedicated to music and must receive thorough training in both the arts.



south Indian classical dance

Indian Classical dance: the origins

Indian dances

classical indian dance classical indian dance

Classical Indian dance, in particularly Bharatanatyam and Odissi, as Balasaraswati puts it, is an artistic yoga (natya yoga), for revealing the spiritual through the corporeal. Bharatanatyam is the most widely practised of Indian classical dances worldwide, as it is the style that most faithfully adheres to the Bible of the classical Indian dance, the Natya Shastra, and most comrehensively embodies it. It is also the most ancient of all the classical dance forms in India.

The legend and the inspiration

Gods and Godesses pleaded with Lord Brahma for another Veda to be created that would be simple for the common man to understand, which is particularly important in Kali Yuga. Granting their wish, Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, the Fifth Veda, or NatyaVeda, a quintessence of the main four Vedas. Brahma took pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (communicative elements of the body movements, cf. mime) from the Yajurveda, geeth (music and chant) from Samaveda, and rasa (vital sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth Veda, NatyaVeda. After creating this Veda, Lord Brahma handed it to sage Bharata and asked him to propagate it on earth. Obeying the fiat of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote down Natyashastra. Bharata together with groups of the Gandharavas and Apsaras performed natya, nrtta and nrtya before Siva. It became the most authoritative text on the artistic technique of classical Indian dances, especially classical Indian dances of Bharatanatyam and Odissi.

INFORMATION FROM TH NET