Found 51 Articles for Culture

Before getting into a deep discussion about, when people started using edible oils for cooking, you need to first understand what is cooking oil and what are its sources.Cooking oil is basically processed from the animal, plant, or synthetic fat which is used in frying, baking and other types of cooking. It is also used in the preparation of food items and developing flavor in which heat is not involved, such as dressing of salad, bread dips, and that is why it might be termed as more accurately edible oil.Edible Oils for CookingAt around 250, 000 BC, when man learned ... Read More

The biggest cultural shock I faced was related to English speaking. Hindi is the first language of Indians, but when someone in India is not able to speak or reply to someone else in English especially when they are out to a restaurant or some cafe, they feel embarrassed.Sometimes people even feel cringeworthy for not being able to speak English. What makes it even worse is that people in India sometimes judge the intelligence of someone by their English spoken skills.How could language speaking define someone’s intelligence in Maths, Physics, Chemistry, etc? A language is meant to communicate and every ... Read More

Rani-ki-Vav (literally translated as Queen’s step-well) is a UNESCO world heritage site located in Patan which is about 140 kilometers from Ahmadabad City. Rani-ki-Vav is an example of magnificence in architecture with equal importance given to intricate details. Today, Rani-ki-Vav attracts a major footfall of tourists from India and aboard.Rani-ki-Vav holds a great amount of historical and architectural significance which can be understood through these points:Step-well Culture − Due to the scarcity of water and irregular rainfall patterns, there was a need to construct to wells that could help people fetch water in greater depths. Hence, the step-well culture developed ... Read More

In India, the tradition of excavating caves began during the period of Ashoka and the earliest examples of these have been the Lomasha Rishi Caves in the Barabar Hills. There are various sites like Ajanta, Ellora, Kanheri, Karla, Bhaje, Mangi-Tungi, Udaygiri-Khandagiri where one can find fine examples of Jain, Buddhist and Hindu Cave Architecture.The Elephanta Caves are considered to be a contribution by the Kalachuris and the latest rules to contribute were the Rashtrakutas. The caves are located about 10 kilometers away from Mumbai. It is one of the UNESCO recognized World Heritage Site in India.Elephanta Caves holds its significance ... Read More

The Guru-Disciple tradition is a unique feature of Indian culture since ancient times. India celebrates Guru Poornima with utmost reverence to Vyasa Maharshi every year. It is the festival that keeps the spirit of the teacher-student relationship alive and this tradition has continued for many generations. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping the young and fertile minds. Great teachers can be life-changers for their students.Every year 5th September is celebrated as teacher's day in all the schools and educational institutes all over India. We remember Dr.Radhakrishnan as a great teacher rather than a great President of India. This shows ... Read More

Champaner Pavagadh was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2004. This medieval city is filled with monuments and various artifacts of historical significance. Champaner- Pavagadh has located about 45 km from Vadodara in the Godhra district. The site is actually situated in the spectacular views of Pavagadh Hills.Significant featuresArchitectural structures of the site − Champaner Pavagadh is a site with a variety of architectural structures like water tanks, temples, other secular structures, etc. Some of the important monuments include Lakulisha Temple, Jain temples dedicated to Suparsvanatha, Chandraprabha and Parsvanatha, the famous Kalika Mata Temple situated at the ... Read More

Puppetry is basically a form of art where figures of paper, cloth or wood are created for story-telling which can be either string puppets or shadow puppets. They actually serve the purpose of enacting the story being told.Puppets for many generations have been a part of cultural activities in India and in fact, they are a part of our living culture with puppetry practiced in different parts of the country. Puppets are mostly based on the themes of epics, puranas, legendary stories etc., Kathputhali − The Kathputhali shows are popular not just in India but worldwide for their mesmerizing performances ... Read More

Khajuraho is popular for its group of artistic temples which were built by the Chandela rulers between the 10th and 12th Century. Chandela rulers were the great patrons of art and this is the reason that the Khajuraho group of temples is known for its sculptural wealth. There were some 85 temples constructed during the aforementioned period but only 25 temples remain in the complex today.The Khajuraho temples are even mentioned in the records of Al Biruni and Ibn Battuta. All the temples are built out of fine sandstone except Chausath Yogini, Brahma and Lalguan-Mahadeva temples constructed out of granite.Categories ... Read More

Aarati in the India tradition is a part of worship in which fire is lit on Diya or using camphor pieces. This is offered to the deities that are worshiped. It generally marks to end of the ceremony or Pooja that is performed. Here are some important points related to Aarati:PanchamahabhutasIn the Indian tradition since the Vedic times, the five elements of nature- Panchamahabhutas have played a very important role to keep the proper balance in nature. These five elements are Prithvi, Ap, Vaayu, Agni, and Akasha. In a Pooja that is conducted, Aarati invokes fire (light) i.e. the Agni ... Read More

Located near the banks of River Tungabhadra, Hampi is an ancient village that has remained important for its variety of religious and secular structures. In the epic Ramayana, it is identified as Kishkinda. Hampi remained in central importance in the medieval times as the second capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.Virupaksha TempleFor the Vijayanagar kings, Virupaksha was the family God and their crest was the Boar or Varaha. It is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and was constructed during the reign of Vijayanagara ruler Krishna Deva Raya II. It remains an important center of pilgrimage in the site of Hampi ... Read More