Nilgiri Langur / Nilgiri leaf monkey

The Nilgiri Langur is a lutung (a type of Old World monkey) found in the Nilgiri hills of the Western Ghats in South India.

Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep meaning 'A Hundred Thousand Islands' is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands, 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks in the Arabian Sea.

The islands look like emeralds in the vast expanse of blue sea. Varying hues of turquoise blue translucent water surround them.

Indian Independence

India's Independence Day is August 15th each year. At midnight, on 15 August 1947, India became an independent nation.

Read about the Indian Independence Movement.

Ramayana रामायण

Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the poet Valmiki

In his Ramayana, Valmiki expresses his view of human code of conduct through Rama: life is evanescent and the hedonistic approach to it is meaningless. However, that should not allow one to be indifferent to one's own rights and duties laid down in the ancient texts. He thus adopts the view that Dharma is what is proclaimed in the Veda and it should be followed for its own sake, not for what it brings you in pain or pleasure. Doing this will ensure one's welfare in this and the next world. In addition, Ramayana also reinforces the need for thinking about the consequences before making promises, for if you make them you must keep them, no matter how hard it may be.

Backwaters of Kerala

The Kerala Backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India.

Travel information is here.

Himalayas

The Himalaya mountain range is the highest on earth and is often referred to culturally as the "roof of the world". The range is home to the world's highest peaks, including Mount Everest.

Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit भगवद्‌ गीता Bhagavad Gītā, "Song of God") is a Sanskrit text from the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata epic.

Quoting from Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
"Bhagavad-gita is also known as Gitopanishad. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upanishads in Vedic literature."

The Bhagavad Gita elaborates on a number of different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life.

In summary the main philosophical subject matter of the Bhagavad-gita is the explanation of five basic concepts or truths:

• Ishvara (The Supreme Controller)


• Jiva (Living beings/the soul)


• Prakrti (Matter)


• Karma (Action)


• Kala (Time)

Wikisource has the Bhagavad Gita text in Sanskrit and English. Currently the English version is not complete.

Royal Bengal Tiger

The Bengal Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a subspecies of tiger primarily found in Bangladesh and India and also in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and in southern Tibet. It is the most common tiger subspecies, and lives in a variety of habitats.

Read about this species here.

Bhimbetka rock shelters

The Bhimbetka rock shelters compose an archaeological site and World Heritage Site located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The Bhimbetka shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India; its Stone Age rock paintings are approximately 9,000 years old, making them among the world's oldest.

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of Satyagraha — the resistance of tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence — which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is commonly known in India and across the world as Mahatma Gandhi. In India, he is recognized as the Father of the Nation and October 2nd, his birthday, is commemorated each year as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday. On 15 June 2007, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution declaring October 2 to be the "International Day of Non-Violence."

Nalanda

Nālānda is the name of an ancient university in India.

Nalanda was one of the world's first residential universities, i.e., it had dormitories for students. In its heyday it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an "architectural masterpiece," and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate.

Malgudi, Malgudi Days

Malgudi is a fictitious town in India created by R.K. Narayan in his novels and short stories. It forms the setting for most of Narayan's works. Starting with his first novel, Swami and Friends, all but one of his fifteen novels and most of his short stories take place here. Narayan has successfully portrayed Malgudi as a microcosm of India.

Malgudi Days, based on the collection of short stories penned by R.K.Narayan, was a television serial which left an indelible mark on the Indian television scenario.

One can watch the episodes (for free) online at Rajshri.com - Malgudi Days online.

Vidhana Soudha

The Vidhana Soudha, located in Bangalore, is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing building, constructed in a style, sometimes described as 'Neo-Dravidian', incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles.

ताज महल Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is the most sought after tourist destination in India. Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as a "universally admired masterpiece of the world's heritage."

ताजमहल दुनिया के ७ आश्चर्यो मे से एक है। शहंशाह शाहजहाँ ने अपनी बेगम मुमताज महल के प्रेम की अभिव्यक्ति की ख़ातिर इस खूबसूरत स्मारक का निर्माण करवाया था। यह उत्तर प्रदेश">उत्तर प्रदेश के आगरा शहर मे स्थित है।