TRADITIONAL INDIAN SWEETS🍥.

Consuming traditional Indian Sweets is a significant part of the Indian way of life.

In the diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent, sweets are called by numerous names,one common name being MITHAI🍥. They include sugar and other ingredients such as different flours, milk, raw and roasted seeds, seasonal fruits and dry fruits. The composition and recipes of the sweets and other ingredients vary by religion. Mithai are sometimes served with a meal and often included as a form of greetings, celebration, religious offering, gift giving, parties and hospitality in the Indian subcontinent. On south Asian festivals such as HOLI, DIWALI, EID or RAKSHA BANDHAN_sweets are homemade or purchased and then shared. Many social gatherings, wedding ceremonies and religious festivals often include a social celebration of food and the flavours of Sweets are an essential element of such a celebration.

KOZHUKATTAI:

Kozhukatta or kozhukattai is a popular south Indian sweet. Traditionally, kozhukattai has a special importance in the rituals of Lord Ganesha. It is believed to be Lord Ganesha’s favourite food.

VIJAYADHARSHINI.J✨

IMPORTANCE OF MANGALSUTRA

Normally we see women wearing gold ornaments on the upper part of the body and silver ornaments on the lower part of the body. According to scientific principles, silver reacts well with the Earth energy, while gold reacts well with body’s energy. Therefore silver is worn as anklets or toe ring while gold or toe rings while gold is used to adorn the upper parts of the body

Shobana. M

A CLASSICAL FOLK ART: THAPPATTAM.

India is a land of diverse culture and traditions. Among many popular folk art forms in India, Thappattam was one among them. According to the Tamil Sangam Literature, the art form was earlier known as “PARAIATTAM”. ‘ Parai’ is a percussion instrument which is played using two wooden sticks. It is the very first instrument which produced sounds.

Thappattam is a very old traditional folk dance more popular in the villages of Tamilnadu. The performers beat a handheld drum, known as Thappu, and dance to its rhythm. Here, the dancer himself is the musician, who dances to his music. The drum has a booming sound and it is believed that in the ancient times it was used to gather the villagers to convey some important messages like the beginning of a war, announcement of victory, warning about wild animals, forthcoming celebrations, etc. It is performed during temple festivals in Tamilnadu. It can be seen during festivals in palani temple. While performing Thappattam, the beat of the drums and intricate movement of the dancers are so exciting that the audience get mesmerized through the performance 😍.

VIJAYADHARSHINI.J✨

SCIENCE BEHIND IN THE HINDU ORNAMENTS

SCIENTIFIC REASON FOR WEARING ORNAMENTS:-

In olden days , without any medicine or x-rays or scanners people knew much about our body .similarly ,every jewelry that we wear or used to wear decades ago,had a scientific significance and affected in someway or other on our body.

ANKLETS:-

• Anklets are an integral part of women’s adornment . Wearing anklets one to re-vibrate the energy to their own body and it flows the positive energy in our body.

• Mostly women prefer to wear a silver anklets not a gold .because Indians believe in gold to be the metals of god’s .to wear on it the feet, they considered to be disrespectful to the god so they don’t prefer gold to wear on it.

BANGLES:-

• Friction between the bangles increases the blood circulation
• The electricity passes out through the outer skin again reverts to the body because of the circular shape of the bangles ,which permits no exit point.

BINDHI:-

• The area between the eyebrows which is also the “6th chakra” is known as ‘agna’ is the seat of concealed wisdom .
• It is said to retain the energy in human body and control the various level of concentration.

EAR PIERCING AND NOSE PIERCING:-

• Ear piercing ritual is very significant for boys and girls .it regulate the menstrual cycle in girls and prevents hysteria and other diseases. The nerves connected to the reproductive organs.
• Wearing an earning provides friction which result in better eyesight.

• Nose piercing can control the respiratory problems and blood pressure. It is preferred to wear a nose ring in left nostril as they linked with the female reproductive organs.

But nowadays, people are changed they don’t know the values of wearing ornaments they think that it is out of trend . As they are dependent to the western culture they forget the value of their own culture.

“Our culture ,our tradition, our language are the foundations upon which we build our identity”

~u Swathi priya

TRADITIONAL DANCE FORM:KARAKATTAM

The dance form that I found quite interesting is karakattam😍.Karakattam is an ancient folk dance of Tamil Nadu performed in praise of the rain goddess Mariamman.The offering of this dance is to the goddess to bless Rain. The song accompanies be of any song like folk,carnatic etc.The performers balance a pot on their head. Traditionally, this dance is of two types- Aatta Karakam is danced with decorated pots on the head and symbolizes joy and happiness. It is mainly performed to entertain the audience. The Sakthi Karakam is performed only in temples as a spiritual offering.
There is a myth that karakattam dance would invoke rain.The song commonly composed in Amrithavarshini Ragam that invoke rain.Tamils believed that the mother nature gives bountiful rain and protect the harvest.

-Subiksha.I.U❤

INDIA ARTS AND CRAFTS

India is famous for its crafts. The craft of each state in India reflect the influences of different empires. Indian Institute of Crafts and Designs which is established the crafts and their existence with designs.

Handicrafts made in India like the Kashmiri, wollen carpets, zari, embroidered, fabrics… etc have maintained their exclusiveness. Handicrafts are a mirror of the cultural identity of the ethnic people.

~S.Kaviya.

INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE

Dance in India comprises numerous styles of dances, generally classified as classical or folk. Classical dance of India has many types based on their states.

Bharatnatyam is a dance from the South Indian state of Tamilnadu. Kathakali is originated from Kerala in 17th century. Kathak is traditionally attributed from north India of Jaipur and Lucknow. Kuchipudi is originated in modern era of Indian state of Andhra pradesh.

~S.Kaviya.

SOUTH INDIAN FOOD RECIPES

The South Indian food usually starts with rice serving with paruppu and ghee. On some festive days, we have at least two such main courses with one sambar in which these are many variety such as puli sambhar, vatha sambhar and curry sambhar.

Following this we have Rasam. At the last, we must have a mixture of curd with rice, this is usually taken with different pickles such as mango pickle, pundu pickle… etc.

This meal is accompanied with many side dishes like kootu, kari, poriyal, pickles, papadsfall…. etc. The final dish serve to be sweet such as payasam and kesari.

~S.Kaviya.

TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL:SAVITHRI VIRATHAM

Savithri viratham is a traditional festival where Married Hindu women observe fast with great dedication, and pray for their husband to have a long life.this fast is dedicated to savithri who saved her husband satyavan from the god of death,yama.The Savithri Vratham is observed on the day that the Tamil month of Maasi changes to Panguni, usually around March 15.

The customs followed during this day is as follows:
In the early morning, women take purifying baths, wear new clothes and bangles, and apply In the early morning, women take purifying baths, wear new clothes and bangles, and apply vermilion to their foreheads. Nine types of fruits and nine types of flowers are offered to theGoddess.Wet pulses, rice, mangos, jackfruits, palm fruits, kendu, bananas and several other fruits are offered as Bhoga and observe the festival with Savitri brata katha. After fasting for the whole day, the fasting is over and the women have the Bhogal. In the afternoon, when formalities of worship are over, they bow to their husbands and elderly people.

-Subiksha.I.U❤

GOPURAM

Gopuram in temples:-

A gopuram is a monumental entrance tower usually ornate ,at the entrance of a Hindu temple . Gopurams are heavily ornamental pyramidal gateways to temple.

In Gopuram, the top portion is called as “kalasam”. Another towering structure located towards the centre of temple is called “vimanam”. Both of them are constructed as per the rules given in the vaastu shastra. The temple compound is generally square or rectangular in shape with at least the outermost wall having gopuras ,often from the four cardinal directions.

The tamil derrivation “kopuram” which means ( ko -king) and ( puram- exterior). Later, it derived in sanskrit as “Gopuram”.

Dr sthapathi explain the word “Gopuram” as “gawa” and “puram” which means the place from which all the energy that exists in all human beings.

TALLEST GOPURAM:-

TALLEST GOPURAM:-

• Murudeshwara temple has the tallest Gopuram in Tamilnadu. It has the height of 249 feet and it is located in the state of Karnataka.
• It’s a temple of lord Shiva and surrounded by the water of Arabian sea .
• Murudeshwara houses a huge towering statue of lord Shiva and the second largest statue of lord shiva in the world.

~ u Swathi Priya