Heritage of India

Heritage of India

The roots of Indian civilization stretch back in time to pre-recorded history. The earliest human activity in the Indian sub-continent can be traced back to the Early, Middle and Late Stone Ages through 400,000-200,000 BC. Throughout its history armies, traders, and immigrants from all over the world have invaded India. India's heritage is like a rainbow of multiple facets like performing arts, crafts, religion, customs, traditions, beliefs, philosophy, history, health, medicine, travel, cuisine, monuments, literature, painting and languages. Each one of these heritages of India reflects the influence of prevailing cultures. These were the cultures primarily taken birth from the amalgamation of migrating cultures with the Indian ones. Nevertheless today its medical, scientific and philosophical heritage has made a mark of its own in the world.
While some of this heritage is well documented and commonly known, much of it still needs to be unveiled. HeritageinIndia.com would provide you with all the information that you need on Indian Heritage in order to understand this great country and prepare yourself for the tour of India. To understand the heritage and culture of India and a much better way, select one of our Heritage Tours of India. These are the most comprehensive and visitor friendly tours coming out of India. Our heritage tours capture the essence of India in all forms and colors.
The cultural heritage of India has its roots in the different components of culture i.e. musical heritage, dances, sculpturing and other fine arts, 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.
Traditional health and medicines of India have their roots in the ancient treatise like Ayurveda, Charak Sanhita, and the experiments done by ancient Indian gurus. These health systems not only aimed at curing people from different diseases, they were also aimed at cleaning your body and mind. In fact, these systems give more emphasis on protection than the cure. Traditional health sciences of different parts of India mainly originate from Ayurvedic System of Medicines. Another important way of keeping your body and soul fit was Yoga, practiced by the great souls of ancient India.


India's artistic heritage:
Indian culture has intrigued and sometimes awed visitors through the ages, from megasthenes, a Greek traveler of the third century BC, hsuan tsang, the Chinese pilgrim of the seventh century, Arab travelers of the 13th century like ibn bat Utah, and the British and other Europeans, down to our own day. For Indians, too Indian civilization remains elusive, too vast and varied to comprehend in its entirety. Art histories characterize Indian art as the handmaiden of religion. But it is perhaps more appropriate to credit geography with being the dominant influence in the development of Indian culture. The high mountain ranges in north have inspired poets and philosophers and, in mythology, the Himalayas are the abode of the god. The forest and river valleys, the desert and coastal plains, have been home to people for thousands of years. The elephant, lion and bull, as well as numerous flowers and plants, became motifs in sculpture, painting and poetry. In India's monochrome desert, the inhabitants of rajastan and Gujarat adorn themselves in a rainbow of colors; in the tropical forest, people wear white, perhaps reluctant to compete with the exuberant colors of nature.
One feature of Indian civilization is its antiquity and the continuity of its age-old tradition and aesthetic principles, which even today influence artistic activity. in Madhya Pradesh , at bhimbetka , near Bhopal , are some natural caves , their walls and ceilings covered with painting of running deer, stags with magnificent antlers and delightful drawings of hunting , dancing and merry-making , dating back to stone age , some 8,000 years ago. The dancers in the pictures are often shown wearing ritual masks and there are depictions of flutes and blades found in these caves represent the beginnings of India's rich and diverse material culture.

Ancient city cultures:
In the early 20th century, archaeologists unearthed ruined cities over 5,000 years old: Harappa and mohenjodaro (now in Pakistan), kalibangan and lothal. This urban cultures are knows as the harappan or Indus civilization, as the cities were concentrated on the banks of the Indus River. Lothal (Gujarat) is a well-pre-served site with brick building laid out along broad streets. Each house has a 'living room'. Kitchen, well and bathing area. This civilization produced elegantly shaped well-thrown pottery with painted designs, which still serve as models for pottery produced in India today. clay toys in the form of animals, birds an bullock-carts found at the sites display a sense of artistry and hum our . Tiny seals bearing an undeciphered pictographic script and emblems, possibly used as traders and merchant, have long fascinated histories. Tools and bronze images, such as the celebrated dancing girl and the bullock cart and bulls, testify to the harappans'skill in metallurgy. The national museum in New Delhi and Indian museum in kolkata have sizeable collection of artifacts from this period, contemporary with the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Prosperous villages along the Ganges and Indus rivers supported these large cities and supplied them with food. It was in these villages that artifacts in clay, wood and others perishable materials were produced. As new techniques developed, it happened most dramatically around the second century BC and accompanied the spread of Buddhism.


Taj Mahal
The greater significance of a monument like Taj Mahal to the world is much more than being a part of the Seven Wonders of the World. Taj Mahal has become a symbol of endless love and devotion. Taj has been a visual delight for viewers over the ages.

Taj Mahal - The Symbol of Love in Agra IndiaHistory Of The Taj Mahal
Set against the backdrop of Yamuna River, this tribute of love was built by the third Mughal emperor of India, Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. Although it is not known for sure who planned the Taj Mahal, the name of an Indian architect of Persian descent, Ustad Ahmad Lahori, has been cited in many sources. As soon as construction began in 1630, masons, craftsmen, sculptors, and calligraphers were summoned from Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Europe to work on the masterpiece.
It took 12 years of hard labour and 20,000 labourers to build the mausoleum. The architectural complex is comprised of five main elements: the 'Darwaza' or main gateway, the 'Bageecha' or garden, the Masjid or mosque, the 'Naqqar Khana' or rest house, and the 'Rauza' or the Taj Mahal mausoleum. The actual Tomb is situated inside the Taj.
The marble stature memorial has got embellishments of beautiful marble inlay work known as "Pietra Dura" that is a very integral part of Agra's art culture and traditions. But the most fascinating feature in this wonder is the garden with its water channels, lotus pools and colourful flowerbeds and trees.
Various Moods Of Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal travel is a joy forever and for any imaginative visitor rare experience. Internationally, Taj Mahal represents India; designed like a palace and finished like a jewel. Pure, gloriously perfect and superbly lovely, and like a jewel made of white marble, the Taj sparkles under the moonlight. During the early morning hours its white beauty takes a blushing soft pinkish colour and in the dusk hours Taj Mahal reflects the fiery shades of the setting sun. Nicely depicting the different moods of a woman, right!
Taj Mahal India Travel
Taj Mahal travel brings you within the close proximity of one of the most celebrated monument and heritage site of India - the Taj Mahal. Visit Agra city, the home of Taj that encloses some of the best monumental grandeur of the Mughal era, beside the Taj Mahal.

Khajuraho Temples India

Even if situated in the middle of nowhere, the Khajuraho temple complex site is one the most popular places both foreign and Indian tourists. Temples of Khajuraho hold the attention of a visitor with their sculptural art, which is so exquisite and intricate, that one cannot even dream of cloning it now. Perfect in execution and sublime in expressions these Khajuraho temples are a dedication to the womanhood. The artist's creative instincts have beautifully captured various facets and moods of life in stone.World known Khajuraho Temples in M.P., India
Khajuraho, the ancient "Kharjjuravahaka", was the principal seat of authority of the Chandella rulers who adorned it with numerous tanks, scores of lofty temples of sculptural grace and architectural splendour. The local tradition lists eighty-five temples but now only twenty-five are standing examples in various stages of preservation. But for Chausath-Yogini, Brahma and Mahadeva, which are of granite, all the other temples are of fine-grained sandstone, buff, pink or pale yellow in colour.
Khajuraho Temples - A Celebration Of Life
The existing temple of Khajuraho can be divided into three groups, Western, Eastern and Southern. The famous Western Group, designated a World Heritage site, is enclosed within a beautifully laid-out park. Yasovarman (AD 954) built the temple of Lord Vishnu, now famous as Lakshmana temple is an ornate and evolved example of its time proclaiming the prestige of the Chandellas.
The Vishvanatha, Parsvanatha and Vaidyanatha temples in Khajuraho belong to the time of king Dhanga, the successor of Yasovarman. The Jagadambi, Chitragupta, are noteworthy among the western group of royal temples of Khajuraho. The largest and grandest temple of Khajuraho is the immortal Kandariya Mahadeva, which is attributed to king Ganda (AD 1017-29).
The other examples that followed viz., Vamana, Adinatha, Javari, Chaturbhuj and Duladeo, are smaller but elaborately designed. The Khajuraho group of temples are noted for lofty terraces (jagati) and functionally effective plans. The sculptural embellishments include, besides the cult images; 'Parivara', 'Parsva', 'Avarana' 'Devatas', 'Dikpalas', the 'Apsaras' and 'Sura-Sundaris' which win universal admiration for their delicate, youthful female forms of ravishing beauty. The attire and ornamentation embrace the winsome grace and charm.