A Glimpse of India Indian Students Association (ISA) proudly presents Hindu Students Council (HSC) – NCSU and MAITRI

India-a Diverse Nation India is a picture of diversity seen in her people, cultures, colorful festivals, dresses and costumes, religions, flora and fauna and varying landscapes.

 India is roughly one third the size of USA.  It has 29 states and 6 union territories.  There are 18 official languages, 114 languages, 216 mother tongues and 900 dialects in India. India-a Diverse Nation

Religions of India Four major religions of the world have originated from India: Hinduism,Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Hindu TempleJain Temple Sikh GurudwaraBuddhist Pagoda

Religions of India Bahai Lotus TempleParsi Fire TempleJewish Synagogue St. Paul's Cathedral Nakhoda Mosque

India-the Largest Democracy India is the largest democracy in the world, seventh largest country and the second most populous.

India-an Ancient Civilization India is one of the oldest continuous civilizations. The story of civilization begins in India with the Harrapan civilization which was nurtured by the Sarasvati and Sindhu rivers in Northwestern India in 3000 B.C.

Dances of India The cultural richness of India is reflected in her numerous classical and folk dances.

Bharatnatyam is one of the seven major classical dance forms, which originated in India. It originated in the state of Tamil Nadu. Bharatnatyam

Kathakali Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. It originated in the area of southwestern India now known as the state of Kerala.

Mohiniyattam This classical style was born out of a clever fusion of Kathakali with Bharatnatyam. It shows deep affinities with both these styles.

Kuchipudi Kuchipudi was born in a remote village of Andhra Pradesh from which it derives its name. The style portrays various religious themes in the form of a dance drama.

Odissi Odissi may be the earliest classical dance style of India. Natyashastra, the most ancient and authentic text on Indian Dance and Dramatics,also acknowledges its existence. It is nurtured in the famous shrines of Orissa situated at Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar..

Manipuri Manipuri dance originated in Manipur. The love of Lord Krishna and Radha is the dominant theme in this dance form.

Kathak The Kathak dance form originated in the north and at first was very similar to the Bharatanatyam. Persian and Muslim influences later altered the dance from a temple ritual to a courtly entertainment. The influence of the Mughal tradition is evident in this dance form.

Folk Dances Dandiya - A folk dance of Gujarat. Its popularity has spread all over India. Bhangra – This folk dance from Punjab is characterized by vigorous movements. Bhangra is a rage in India.

Folk Dances Bihu is the folk dance of Assam. Yakshagana is a folk dance of Karnataka. It has been revived recently.

Classical Music Indian classical music has a rich tradition. The earliest musical compositions are attributed in the Samveda more than 4000 years ago. Indian musical instruments like sitar, tabla and sarangi are popular throughout the world today.

Yoga Yoga originated in India more than 5000 years ago. It means union. The part of Yoga dealing with physical exercise, Hathayoga, is widely practiced throughout the world today.

Wildlife Royal Bengal Tiger. Its habitat is the mangrove forest of the Sunderbans. Peacock is the national bird of India.

Wildlife Kaziranga is the home of the one-horned Rhino. The Red Panda is found in the hills of Darjeeling.

Wildlife The Indian elephant is smaller than its African counterpart. Elephants were extensively used in warfare in ancient times. They are still used for various temple rituals.

Monuments The Meenakshi temple of Madurai was built by the Pandiyan king Kulashekhara in the 14 th century.

Monuments Jagannath temple at Puri

Monuments The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17 th century. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful constructions in the world.

Monuments The Red Fort in Delhi was built by Shah Jahan in the 17 th century. The Iron pillar in New Delhi constructed 1600 years ago by Chandragupta Maurya has been a metallurgical wonder by defying rust and the vagaries of nature.

Monuments The Hawa Mahal of Jaipur was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in the 18 th century.

Monuments Karnataka State Assembly building, Bangalore. Mysore Place. Statue of Mahavira, at Gomteshwara.

Festivals Ganesha Chaturthi is one of the most important festivals of India. It is celebrated every year around September.

Festivals The Durga Puja is celebrated in Kolkata every year around October.

Festivals Diwali-the festival of lights-is the most popular festival in India. It is celebrated throughout the country either in the last week of October or in the first week of November.

Festivals Holi–the festival of colors-is celebrated all over India. The above picture shows Indian students celebrating Holi at NCSU.

Festivals The above picture shows my friends and me celebrating Holi at JNTU, Hyderabad, India back in 2000.

Scenic Beauty Kanchenjungha, the third highest peak in the world(8598m), in the Himalayas, is the highest peak of India. The Thar desert is located in Rajasthan.

Scenic Beauty The backwaters of Kerala. Ladakh is one of the coldest inhabited regions of the world.

Costumes A lady in a saree.

Costumes A lady in a Ghagra Choli.

A lady in a Churidar. Costumes

A Sikh in a turban.

Marriage An Indian marriage ceremony.

Technology  India developed her own supercomputer in the mid eighties.  India successfully launched her Geostationary Satellite in  India is the leading nation in the world in professional software development.

India-the Largest Film Industry India is the largest film producing nation in the world. Each year India produces approximately 1000 movies in 14 different languages.

Sports Cricket is the most popular sport in India. Hockey is the national sport of India.

Sports The game of Polo originated in Manipur. Kabaddi is very popular in the villages.

The End Brought to you by: Sreedhar Manchu Made by: Hindu Students Council (HSC) – NCSU and Maitri