Regional Differences: India

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For many of us, India is an image of Maharajas and Mughals, strange sounding names, adventure, exotic settings, a place where the gods are beyond number. India has retained the memory of its grandeur in its fortified cities, palaces, tombs, gardens and temples.

The magnificent Himalayas formed 65 million years ago. Its lofty peaks have been the stairways to the heavens for many saints and godmen since time immemorial. The Indian Himalayas are found in the north of the province of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Ladakh. Most of the great rivers of India have their sources in the Himalayas, the Gangotri glacier being the source of the sacred river Ganges.

At Kedarnath, about 3,300 m above sea level, thousands of varieties of wild flowers bloom each summer as if to adorn the gods who haunt this place. In this magic world, one can view the mountains on one side and the vast plains on the other. By contrast, the sky is a deep blue, almost black.

Kashmir, the much disputed paradise of snow-clad mountains, sparkling water-falls and fields of vibrant flowers, where the water-taxis called the Shikharas ferry people from the house-boats across the still, carpet-covered waters of the Dal lake. A region abounding in handicrafts like papier-mache, wood-work, stone jewelry, Pashmina shawls and silver ware. The population here, is mostly Muslim with a sprinkling of Hindus, Jains and Christians.

The state of Meghalaya is the land of rain, waterfalls, gorges, ravines, but above all it is a land of caves, formed on a 200 km long belt of lime stone and sand stone. About 500 caves have been listed so far, with hundreds more yet to be discovered.

The land of 5 rivers, Punjab in the North happens to be one of the most affluent states in the country. The mainstay of the economy, agriculture, has contributed to it's per capita income being nearly twice the all-India average. The Sikhs belong here. The men grow their hair long and tie them in colorful turbans. However, the women are allowed to grow/cut their hair to any length and style.

In the west, Rajasthan is the home to the great Indian desert, the Thar. The Rajputs, the warrior-kings who ruled here built fortified cities(Jaipur) of ochre- sandstone, which remain intact even today. The famous Hawa-Mahal(The palace of the wind) and the Lake Palace have been converted to hotels.

The valiant Rajputs preferred 'death to dishonor', therefore women who lost their menfolk in battles, gave up their lives by walking into a pyre. This practice called 'Jauhar' later developed into the infamous 'Sati'. Any widowed woman was expected to give up her life in this gruesome manner. 'Sati' has been abolished now, but one does hear of the occasional incident once in a while.

Tucked away snugly between the hills of the Western ghats and the Arabian sea is Goa, the land of sun-drenched beaches, myriads of churches, Spanish-type villas, churches, vindaloo, feni and the hippies. This 131 km long Konkan coast line is one of India's most dazzling tourist mosaics. Down beyond the Deccan plateau, at the southern most point, is Kerala. Touted as god's own country, with it's beautiful back-waters and fishing villages, these backwaters or 'arms of the sea' have been used by seamen since the IX century. Boats covered with woven mats of coconut fibre move up and down these canals. Lush rice-fields create a green mosaic pattern when viewed from a distance. One-fourth of the population here is Christian.

Few countries in the world have as many celebrations each year as has India. Almost all of these festivals are religious even though the Indian government has instituted many civil ones, the largest of these being the Republic Day on January 26th. In Delhi, this is the occasion of a spectacular parade in which all ethnic groups of India are represented. It includes theatre performances and dances typical of each region, and ends with a splendid fire-works display in the evening.

There are almost 400 other traditional celebrations that have been happening for centuries, the Hindu ones being the most numerous. Not a single day goes by without a festival in some region or another. An occasion for men to put on a new kurta-pyjama or a new pair of trousers. Women bring out their most radiant sarees, salwar-kurtas and jewels. The saree is draped in many styles in different parts of India. Embroidered or dyed in iridescent colors, sarees are the pride of Indian women and they alone, seem to have the knack of draping them elegantly over their bodies, outlining curves and giving them a special and exotic femininity.

The Rathyatra or the 'Festival of Floats' in Puri, Orissa draws devotees from all over the country. Wooden floats carrying statues of deities are covered with bright colored canopies and pulled by devotees in a procession. Diwali or the 'Festival of Lights' happens around November every year. Homes, shops, offices and factories are decorated with neon tubes, wreaths of tiny electric lights and simple earthen lamps. For those who follow the Indian calendar, this is the beginning of the new year.

The 'Pooram' festival in Trichur, Kerala has elephants competing with each other, not in terms of physical prowess, but in decoration. Their heads and trunks are covered with many hued pieces of cloth studded with stones and jewelry. The harvest festivals are celebrated as 'Pongal' in Tamil Nadu and 'Sankranthi' in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Muslim festivals like Ramadan and Christian ones like Easter and Christmas are celebrated with equal enthusiasm and gaiety.

Indian celebrations are always colorful and noisy, sometimes out of proportion, yet they reflect the country where sometimes everything seems excessive: the height of the mountains, the devastating monsoons, the unbearable heat, the incalculable number of worshipping places and the uncontrollable crowds.

An enduring symbol of the sub-continent is the elephant. Worship of the elephant god Ganesha(depicted as human with the head of an elephant) dates back two thousand years and presumably originated in regions where elephants were numerous. His gentle nature has made him the most popular deity here. He provides the strength to remove obstacles, while the monkey god Hanuman provides the speed, agility and cunning to overcome them.

Deities are omnipresent here, not only in temples, but in villages and city streets too. But, beneath this apparent diversity of forms is hidden a fundamental belief in the oneness of divinity. Politicians have often attempted to take advantage of this underlying ever-present religious devotion in the Indian spirit and to use it for dubious purposes.

Among all the sanctuaries honoring a deity, the oldest remaining ones belong to the Buddhist faith, the stupas. The most famous one being the one at Sanchi. Some Buddhists dug grottos in the cliffs of Ajanta and decorated them with paintings(Sistine Chapel of Buddhism), while some Hindus and Jains followed their example and excavated grottos in nearby Ellora.

The sun temple in Konark symbolically represents the chariot of the sun. It is sculpted in pink sandstone and makes up a gigantic solar calendar. Khajuraho, India's gift of love to the world has 25 temples with unique sculpted scenes believed to be an expression of love and oneness with the divine. The temples in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu are monolithic in nature and have sculptures depicting mythological scenes(from the epic Mahabharatha).

The outer walls of the Hoysaleshwara temple in Karnataka have their foundations sculpted with rows of friezes showing battles, scenes of everyday life, animals and foliated scroll.

When Hindu India became in part Muslim it witnessed numerous mosques constructed next to temples and sometimes even replacing temples. Certain sultans imported the Persian style, others like the great Mughal Akbar established a city Fatehpur-Sikhri, calling upon talents of Indian and Muslim architects. Such structures remain a great example of the spirit of tolerance, which Akbar tried to implement.

The pride of Agra, the Taj Mahal, the tomb erected on the banks of the Yamuna river is a white marbled monument dedicated with love by Shah Jahan a great Mughal to his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Goa's churches are the finest examples of Indo-European architectural fusion. The cathedral of St. Catherine is the largest Christian church in Asia built in the baroque style of the Renaissance period. The church of Bom Jesus(Doric and Corinthian style) houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier.

The temples of India are where most of Indian art and dance forms originated. The temple dancers or devadasis in the southern state of Tamil Nadu used to perform Bharatha Natyam as part of the religious rituals. This dance form, which is one of the most popular dance forms(especially in the south)today, is danced to the accompaniment of Carnatic music. Carnatic music songs are about gods and godesses, their lives and also the various moods of human beings. There are 7 basic notes called the Sapthaswaras, which in their various permutations and combinations give rise to 72 'ragas'. Also, compositions and improvisations play a major role here. Thus, thousands of songs have been handed down to generations(verbally) and are still being composed. Andhra Pradesh has it's own dance form Kuchipudi(named after a village), which is similar to Bharathanatyam but involves more fleet-footed movements. A special number is called tarangam, where the dancer balances herself on the rim of a plate and sometimes, carries a pot of water on her head and executes steps to the beat of a drum.

In Kerala, no celebration is complete without the presentation of Kathakali, a drama in dance and mime performed at night in the open-air by the light of torches and oil-lamps. Actors potraying characters from the epics(Ramayana and Mahabharatha) wear astonishing make-up of paper and colored rice pastes(some of which takes hours to put on). Stories enacted usually show the triumph of good over evil. Macro and micro movements of the face, eyebrows, eyeballs and cheek are minutely worked out and various emotions are registered in a flash. Men play female roles too.

Hindustani classical music has traces of Persian and Arab influences. Kathak, a popular dance form of northern India, is performed to this music. Kathak means a story-teller. These stories have developed as a dance form, usually performed solo, involving delicate glances of the eye and swift foot movements and twirls.

Another dance form from the Northeastern state of Manipur, Manipuri, is presented in a group with colorful costumes and gentle swaying movements. Silken veils, cylindrical mirrored skirts and ornaments dazzle the audience inducing a dream-like effect.

The oldest Indian dance form archived is the Odissi, which originated in the state of Orissa. It is also closely associated with temples and it's striking feature is it's strong resemblance with temple sculpture. It is usually danced to songs from the Geet Govind sung by Jayadeva in the 12th century. Goans are musically inclined people too. Among their musical creations is the Mando, which is a fusion of western music, Indian folk music and church music. Apart from the many dance forms described, there are many ethnic, tribal and folk dance and music forms.

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