“Preserving the heritage – promoting the future.”
I visited Ghum and Darjeeling with my family. It was a wonderful trip. We enjoyed the scenic views of the Himalayas, the tea gardens, and the toy train ride. Ghum is the highest railway station in India and has a famous monastery. Darjeeling is a charming hill station with a rich cultural heritage. We had a memorable time there.
We went to the Paryavaran Mela in Ranchi and saw a lovely Chhau dance in the evening. Chhau binds together people from different social strata and ethnic backgrounds with diverse social practices, beliefs, professions, and languages. This semi-classical dance form originated at the royal court of Saraikela, now in Jharkhand. However, increasing industrialization, economic pressures, and new media are leading to a decrease in collective participation with communities becoming disconnected from their roots.
Megalithic monuments are among the earliest and most permanent of archaeological structures, and so many of them were used, or more properly, have been used and reused for thousands of years. Their original intent is likely lost to the ages, but they may have had multiple functions as they were used by different cultural groups over the centuries and millennia.
Isko Cave is a natural cave located in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, India. It is considered to be a site of archaeological significance, with evidence of human habitation dating back to the Stone Age. These Isko caves and rock art needs protection and maintenance. The ASI and the state government must take immediate steps to protect this heritage. This will promote tourism and bolster the local economy too.
The prominence of the worship of Durga dates back to a time in history that can best be described as the hoary past often considered to be similar in nature to the gradual development of mother and nature worship across the globe. The ornamentation is evolving through the ages. There were mainly two kinds of embellishments or saaj that used to be made then – sholar saaj and daker saaj. But nothing remains forever. Now, Durga idols are decorated with colourful sarees and ornaments.
Agatha Christie doesn't need any introduction. We grew up reading the detective novels of the British writer, who authored 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. According to UNESCO's Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author. After a devastating divorce, she took a trip to Baghdad in 1928 and lost her heart — to the ancient sites of Iraq and archaeologist Max Mallowan.
Nobody is quite sure how Chowringhee, one of Kolkata’s most iconic roads, got its name. Chowringhee, not quite an arterial road but one of the city’s longest thoroughfares today, connects two parts of the city — Kalighat and Dharmatolla — to each other. Chowringhee is one of the best addresses in Kolkata. It still oozes of the imperial heritage. The building nearby are majestic and imposing and reminds of the British raj.
We visited the Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand after a long gap of 20 years. It was a plaseant experience this time. We felt blessed after completing thr rituals and praying at the temples of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati.
The Mundeshwari Temple is located at Ramgarh village of Bhagwanpur block in Kaimur district in the Indian state of Bihar on the Mundeshwari Hills. It is an ancient temple dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and Shakti. It is believed that rituals and worship have been performed here without a break, hence the Mundeshwari temple is considered as the oldest functional Hindu temple of India. The temple is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monument since 1915.
Tarangambadi is the land of singing waves in Tamil Nadu, India. The place dates back to the 14th century. From 1620 to 1845 it was a Danish settlement ruled by Governors, till the British took over its administration. Tarangambadi became Tranquebar for the Danes. It's the place where the first printing press was established in India. The beach in Tarangambadi has been identified as the one of the most Ozone-rich beaches in the world by various studies conducted by the Danes in 1960’s and Indian researchers. This place has an ancient Shiva temple, churches, fort, museums, and a tranquil beach where sea waves sing. This is a nice place for a quick getaway in South India.
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