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Stories from Mahabharata
Shantanu
This is not a recent story. It is a very ancient story, which occurred thousands of years ago.

Shantanu was the king of Hastinapur. He was wise, kind and just. All the citizens loved him and respected him. The river Goddess Ganga was his first wife. Shantanu had met Ganga at the riverbank, fallen in love with her. But then, Ganga had laid down certain conditions to say «Yes» to his proposal and had warned him that whatever she did, he was not counter — question her. So desperate was the to marry her that without a moment’s hesitation, he agreed to obey her conditions. Читать далее «Mahabharata»

Holi is the most colorful Festival of India. It is celebrated on the full moon of Faagun month according to Indian Hindu calendar, which generally falls in the month of March. Although all over the world one way or another Festival of water is celebrated. In India Holi has its own mythological as well as natural background.

During this period of year India spring season starts, nature spreads her flowery cover all over the earth. Actual Holi start on the full moon of Vasant season (spring season). Even now a days in rural areas people wears yellow and orange colour cloths to welcome spring season. That day they pray goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) and offer her the fresh wheat and rice grains. On Holi people prepare different natural color out of flowers. As modern trend chemicals are also in use in abundance to prepare different colour. These colour are mixed with the water and throw on each other. Читать далее «Holi is the most colorful Festival of India.»

India is the country of festival. It has many festivals, which are of their own style. Like Holi, festival of colour, Rakhi festival of relation, Dusshera, festival of war and Diwali, festival of love and achievement. Diwali is also famous as the festival of fire, which celebrated on bezloona of Kartik Month as per Indian calendar. Normally Kartik Month comes on October or November month as per english calendar.

To understand Diwali one should know much before the festival. It has many reasons for celebration. One, which is the most famous, is that on this day Lord Ram returned back to Ayodhya, his home town, after 14 years of exile. People of Ayodhya lighted lamp with ‘Ghee’ out of happiness. Deepawali or Diwali mean line of light lamps. From that onwards this day was called Deepawali which later on also known as Diwali. Читать далее «Diwali»

This dance has no such historic evidence. Although many stories are famous for the start of this dance but as such there is no solid or written evidence that when this dance came in to existence. This dance regains its name around 1779s by the efforts of King Bhagyachandra Jai Singh. Manipur was the center where this dance was much often and in big scale performed that is why it named ‘Manipuri Dance’. It is folk as well as classical dance in Assam and east Bangal states of India.

This dance is generally performed in-group. Mostly religious or mythological stories or Krishna devoted poems are preferred in performance. Raslila is the specialty of this dance. Mostly in all festival of eastern India this Raslila is performed. This dance is the softest in all the classical dances of India. Girls perform this dance generally but boys may also take part in performance as well. Читать далее «Manipuri Dance»

It is very ancient classical dance from south India. This classical dance style is famous for its face make up and costume. It is the main dance form of Keral State where this style started by Nambudripad Brahman. It is basically a dance drama, which is developed from the ancient tradition of ‘Krishnattam’.

People often confronted with mistake Kathak and Kathakali. Kathak is from the north and Kathakali is from the state of Kerala and no styles could be more different than each other. Kathakali artist has perhaps been one of the most exploited ones in modern media and propaganda campaigns as the symbol of India because of its make-up. The green mask painted on a face which is almost shadowed by the huge crown on top of the head, which is used to represent Indian art is well known all over the world. However the grandeur of this art form can be felt only if one sees a live performance in an open-air theatre with huge oil lamps lighting the artists and sounds of the drums. Читать далее «Kathakali»

Who ever see the Konrak Sun Temple immediately the question strikes in mind why in such a deserted place this enormously beautiful and outstanding sculpturing took place.

Konark Sun Temple should not be evaluated an extraordinary monument as Tajmahal but it should be taken as one of the most elegant, beautiful and exotic monument sculpture of Orissa. This temple was built in the span of 16 years while about 1200 major sculpture with their uncounted labour helpers around the clock worked in the 13th century under the kingdom of king Narsingh Dev. Читать далее «Konark Poem on Stone»

Tradition of Odissi dance is also as old as Bharatnatyam. It is connected with the Buddha devotees who developed this art as a method of praying the God. In the 7th century in Mehri tradition of Buddha devotee combined dance with the Yoga-Tantra and used the related Hast-Mudra in this dance form. This Lasya oriented dance style got popular in 1950s.

Slow and soft hand and body movements are the specialty of this style. Although earlier this dance was performed only by male dancers, in this Lasya or feminine feelings is more prominent then Taandav. In this style influence of Bharatnatyam and Kathak can be observed. During this dance was regaining its present shape after a long period of silence, archeological sculpture helps a lot to accelerate the fantasies of the dancers. That is why in this dance instead of depth of the body one can see the extra bents and poses of the body then any other classical dance style. Читать далее «Odissi Dance»

Musical Instrument is the best expression of the agricultural and biographical situation of a place. One can find similarity between the instruments of desert of Sahara of Africa and desert of Rajesthan India or Middle East.

This is a great science, which still not known to general mass. By listening the music or the instrument one can tell the geographical location of the place and other condition like nearest water point i.e. ocean, river, pond or spring. Height of the place i.e. mountain, Plane, desert etc. or the climate of the place like cold, Hot, dry or wet. Читать далее «Musical Instrument»

Ashwani Nigam born in a typical Indian Kayastha family, where music and dance is an important part of life. He watched his elders and followed their footsteps. His mother was a graduate of Sitar (Indian String instrument). Family atmosphere always promotes him to learn music.

Ashwani Nigam is a gifted Kathak Dancer. From very tender age his parents recognize his talent and took him to music school. He started learning Tabla (an Indian percussion instrument) when he was only seven. His first teacher Late Shri Fakir Chand Mathur invited him to learn Kathak Dance after feeling his ambition to learn dance. He Passed Prabhakar Degree in Tabla from Prayag Sangeet Samiti Allahabad in 1980 in first division and Kathak dance in 1981 also first division with distinction in Practical Examination in both subjects. Читать далее «Ashwani Nigam»