Very Interesting Trivias - 3

The lake of Periyar flows through a narrow gorge between two tall hills (known as Kuravan and Kurathi). Kuravan means a tribal and Kurathi his spouse and mala meaning mountain. These two hills have been joined to form the biggest dam in the state which is five hundred and fifty feet in height and six hundred and fifty feet in width.

Stone sculpture of Kuravan and Kurathi, Kerala, India

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The Ghoomar Dance of Rajasthan India, ranks 4th amongst all the local folk dances of the world!!

Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan, India and southern Asia. Ghoomar was developed by the Bhil tribe and was then adopted by other Rajasthani communities. It is performed by women in swirling robes, and accompanied by men and women singing together.
This folk dance gets its name from ‘ghoomna’, the pirouetting which displays the spectacular colors of the flowing ‘ghaghara’, the long skirt of the Rajasthani women. There is an amazing grace as the skirts flair slowly while the women twirl in circles, their faces covered with the help of veils. They use measured steps and various graceful inclinations of the body, beating palms or snapping fingers at particular cadences while singing lilting songs. Mostly Goddess Saraswati is worshiped during this dance. This dance is usually done in a circle.

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The Maharaja Express was voted "The World's Leading Luxury Train" at The World Travel Awards, 2012. This Indian luxury train offers a royal ride and features state of the art amenities like Wi-Fi internet, Plasma TVs, DVD players and individual climate control. All passenger cars of this luxury train have been named after a precious stone or the Navratnas. Each coach incorporates as its motif the gemstone after which they are named.

The Maharaja Express is owned and operated by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and is the most expensive luxury train of the WORLD.. It runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered around Rajasthan. 

Seeing the picture below.. can you seriously believe that its a train??

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Most of us know Barakhamba Road in Connaught Place and have walked and driven upon it. It has so many landmark buildings on both its sides including the prestigious Modern School. How many of us, however, know about Barakhamba monument?

Barakhamba monument is a Lodhi era building located in Nizamuddin. The monument is graded A in terms of heritage value by INTACH Delhi Chapter. The tomb has twelve pillars and has three arched openings on each face. The verandah (passage), laid around the central chamber, has four domed apartments at each corner. The structure is located in an open park and is easily visible and accessible to public. It lies on the opposite side of 7th Hole of the Delhi Golf Club course and on the main road from Neel Gumbad (Blue Dome) circle or Nizamuddin circle to the World Heritage Monument – the Humayun tomb.

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The Corridor of 1000 pillars inside Rameswaram Temple, Tamlinadu, India. The temple comprises of the longest corridor in the world which is 197 metres long from East to West and is 133 metres wide from South-North.
 

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Shukratal is the place where Sukadeva Goswami spoke the sacred Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) to Maharaja Pariksit 5000 years ago. It is located about half way between Delhi and Haridwar, a four to five hour drive, and about 86 kilometers before you get to Haridwar. The little town sits on the banks of the holy Ganga River, where it has cut a swathe through the rocky region.

The 5100 year old Banyan Tree known as the Akshay Vat.

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The International Kite Festival- The three-four days International Kite Festival is held every year during the second/third week end of January at Ahmadabad during Uttarayan festival (14-January). Visitors come from around India for the celebration and international visitors have come from countless countries, including Japan, Italy, the UK, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, the USA, Malaysia, Singapore, France, China, and many more.  

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Silvassa, the capital of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, is a sylvan paradise that derives the name “Silvassa” from the Portuguese word “silva”, which means wood. Silvassa is a place of spectacular beauty - it is surrounded by nature and there is a rare purity in the air of Silvassa. For lovers of history, travel to Silvassa to see the century-old church of Our Lady of Piety and the ruins of the Tadkeshwar Mahadev Temple at Bindrabin.

Tribal Dance, Dadra and Nagar Haveli

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Indian coracles are commonly found on the rivers in Southern India. Coracles are primitive, light, bowl-shaped boats with a frame of woven grasses, reeds, or saplings covered with hides. Indian coracles are considered to have been in existence since prehistoric times, and are a major tourist attraction at the Hogenakkal falls on the Kaveri river. Although these boats were originally designed for general transport, they have recently been used mostly for giving tourists rides.

Locals on a caracle on the Kabini River, Karnataka, India.

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Mithila painting is a style of Indian painting practised in the Mithila Darbhanga, Madhubani region of Bihar, where powdered rice is coloured and is stuck. Tradition states that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. Mithila painting mostly depict men and its association with Nature & scene and deities from ancient epics like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no space is left empty. 

Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that was passed down from generation to generation in the families of the Mithila Region, mainly by women. The painting was usually done on walls during festivals, religious events, and other milestones of the life-cycle such as birth, Upanayanam (Sacred thread ceremony), and marriage. This painting is in fact the simplistic manifestation of philosophical heights achieved by our Nation in yesteryears.

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