The sun rises over the Ganges River. Like the Nile in Egypt, the Ganges is very important to the natives of India. The people of India believe the Ganges to be their mother. The Ganges River is the longest river in India and is the main source of water and nourishment to the people, the animals and the plants of India. It is seen as being sacred and holy and every morning people come to the Ganges to bathe in the water and pray as well as to do their laundry
The Indian region of Ladakh has one of the most photographed and architecturally impressive gompas in the city Tikse. Founded in the fifteenth century, its whitewashed chortens and cubic monk's quarters rise in ranks up the sides of a craggy sun-bleached bluff, crowned by an imposing ochre-and red-painted temple complex whose gleaming golden finials are visible for miles in every direction. Tikse's reincarnation as a major tourist attraction has brought it mixed blessings: the income generated has enabled the monks to invest in major refurbishments, among them the new Maitreya temple inaugurated in 1980 by the Dalai Lama.
India is filled with dramatic environmental changes. These changes are evident in Rajasthan. Rajasthan seems like a different world compared to the Himalayan Mountains just a few hundred kilometers away. Dramatic desert scenery, some of the most colorful people on the sub-continent, and the legacy of one of the most utterly extravagant empires in history - the Mughals, make Rajasthan their home.
Completed in 1653, this tomb for the wife of the extravagant & eccentric Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India. The Taj Mahal also has major importance in the Islamic religion, as well as in the Hindu religion. It is one of the major focal points in Muslim prayer. Because of this importance to the two religions, those that enter the Taj Mahal must first take off their shoes and are ask to make an offering.
Mendhi has been practiced throughout India for more then 5,000 years. It is in the Rajasthan area of India that the Henna grows. It is this plant that provides the dye used for Mendhi. Mendhi was worn for special occasions. It is believed that the designs hold good fortune and bare happy results. They also ward off the evil eye and dangerous supernatural fortune. Girls and boys adorned mendhi during their rights of passage into society and women were painted head to toe before their wedding. Ancient tradition holds that the man's name was drawn somewhere on the woman's body and if he could find it before the wedding, then the woman would have the power and control in the household. Also, as long as the new bride wore her mendhi (until it faded), she did not have to do house hold chores. The people of India believe that the darker the coloring of the henna on a woman, the stronger the love would be in the marriage.
Calcutta is India's largest city and is jokingly called the city of Joy because every second person is an Ajoy, Bijoy or a Sujoy. The location of the city was selected partly because of its easily defensible position and partly because of its favorable trading location. Its elevation is about 30 feet above sea level and the city slopes eastward from the river to marshes and swampland and on the west bank of the river the city has been confined to a metropolitan area of three to five miles wide. The principal suburbs of Calcutta are Howrah (on the west bank), Baranagar to the north, South Dum Dum to the northeast, the South Suburban Municipality (Behala) to the south, and Garden Reach in the southwest. Close socioeconomic ties hold Indiaís complex urban culture together.
On the outskirts of Jaisalmer, India there is a sign of human growth. In the middle of a lake stands what appears to be a forgotten "tank". This tank was once the source of the city's water, but for some unknown reason they no longer pull water from this lake. Instead the well has been turned into a place of worship. It is been decorated with several shrines and temples.
This magnificent show of human engineering was the predecessor to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The Royal Palace was built in the 17th century. It overlooks the old town of Leh and out across the Indus Valley towards the Zanzkar Mountains.
These ruins of stone and clay are what are left of an ancient fort. The Kagbeni Fort no longer protects its village from enemy attacks. Its job now, consists of being the foundation blocks for much of the present village. Beyond the fort, lays the trail to Muktinath, which devout Hindus pilgrimage to at least once in their lifetime.
Submitted by Carolina Kellenberger on 10-19-00.