sábado, 9 de julho de 2011

Taj Mahal, a love symbol.



It's a mausoleum, build in Agra, in 1630 to 1652, for 20 thousand men.
That's the most known mausoleum of the country, is considered for UNESCO as the heritage of humanity.
And in 2007, was classified as one of seven wonder of the world.

The emperor Shah Jahan, ordered to build this mausoleum, for his favorite wife, Aryumand Banu Began.
It was build, above her grave, next of Yamuna river.
She died after giving birth for your 14º son.
Inside, have precious stones, and gold wires.

Taj Mahal means Mahal crown.
They lived together for 19 years, and she was called Mumtaz Mahal, that means the "preffered of the palace", because was common they call the empress of another name.

So, Taj Mahal was considered the biggest proof of love.



Hinduism. A polytheistic religion.

people pratice yoga near shiva statue, the renewal god.


Hinduism, have a very important influence in whole world.
The Yoga, Tantra, Mantra, an a lot of beliefs came from this religion.
They are polytheistic: believe that there is more than on god. One god for each need.
They pratice Yoga, becauwse they believe, that this way they can get their life goal in this world.


They make a lot of festivals for love in their gods, and pratice a lot of daily rituals. The photograph above shows diyas and another items used at hindu wedding. And below, Diwali, the lights festival, the most important of India.





Pilgrimage isn't required at hinduism, but a lot of people make it.
They go to holy cities, like Allahabad, Haridwar, Varanasi, and Vrindavan. The most known city is Puri, that have the most important temple.



Another important caracteristic of hinduism, is that they doesn't eat cow meat. 30% of indian people is vegetarian, it's a habit purifier. The cow, have a  maternal figure, because she give milk, and fertilizes the land, so they consider ungrateful eat her meat.


Ganesha, the most known god of India




Shiva and Parvati's son, Ganesha, is the "god of obstacles".
He is the first-born, considered symbol of wisdom. Your devotees are called Ganapatyas.
He has twelve names:
1. Sumukha: "The Lord full of grace"
2. Ekadanta: "The Lord who has only one prey"
3. Kapila: "The Lord of tawny color"
4. Gajakarna: "The Lord with elephant ears"
5. Lambadar: "The Lord with a prominent belly"
6. Vikata: "The Twisted"
7. Vighnanâsaka: "The Lord destroyer of obstacles"
8. Ganâdhipa: "The Lord Protector of Ghana"
9. Dhûmraketu: "The Lord of smoky color" with two arms riding a blue horse, Ruler of the Kali Yuga
10.Ganâdhyaksha: "The Minister of Ghana"
11.Bhâlachandra: "The Lord who uses the crescent moon on its head"
12.Gajânana: "The Sennhor with an elephant-faced".


These myths are from Hinduism.
He have an elephant's head. The history tells that he was created for Parvati, your mother, from her bath's paste, for protect her while she was bathed.
He loved his mother, and just obeyed her. Then, Parvati's husband (Shiva) wanted to enter, but Ganesha doesn't obeyed him, just your mother. Shiva was so angry, that cut off Ganesha's head.
Parvati was so unhappy and angry with the dead of his son, that asked Shiva for return Ganesha's life.
But, unfortunally, Shiva couldn't find Ganesha's head, and asked help for Brahma (god of creation).
Brahma told him, that he could return his life, if he give him a new head, the first head that he find.
And this head, was an elephant's head.
This way, he returned the life for Ganesha, and became his father.
That's the reason that Ganesha is represented with an elephant's head.
And now, he have to be consulted for all the decisions that people want to make.


Above, one of the ganesha statue.

quinta-feira, 7 de julho de 2011

Some important things

Languages;

At India, they speak more than 440 languages and dialects. Including hindu, english and indo-arian.
English is included in the languages, because this country was in domain of english people in a lot of years. in other words,suffered a colonization. The indian people won english by the insistence and civil disobedience So, the culture take english as one of their languages.

Temperature;

At summer, temperature is 45 °. It's really hot.

Clothes;

People who trip for India, have to wear clothes that cover their shoulders and knees. Because it's their religion. And there, religion it's their life's essence.




















Aboe, some indian costumes.

Kajal, an indian eye liner.

Known as Kajal at South Asia, but at Middle East, your name is Kohl.
It makes indian's eyes so pretty, and it's used at whole world.
But Kajal is used at India, for protect their eyes of the dust.
The true eye liner, was made with sandalwood paste, castor oil, ghee and soot or ash.
It's medicinal, so it's used by children and men.





















Actually, it's known in the world by eye liner, have a lot of forms of application, but isn't medicinal, it's just for make women prettier.