Dhoti Kurta

Dhoti kurta is the most traditional of all dresses worn by the men in India. If you ever see photographs of Indians, before, during and soon-after the independence era, you will find most of them wearing either the dhoti kurta or kurta pajama. Earlier dhoti kurta used to be a casual daily wear of the Indian men. But with the modernization of our society, it steadily got relegated to just formal clothing. However, there are still people, especially in the rural belts, who wear the dhoti-kurta on a regular basis.

Dhoti is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth about five yards long, wrapped about the waist and legs and knotted at the waist. It is known by different names in different languages, like Mundu in Malayalam, Dhuti in Bangla, Veshti in Tamil, Pancha in Telugu, Dhotar in Marathi and Panche in Kannada. In North India, dhoti is worn in combination with a kurta top, which a long loose fitting shirt. The traditional wear of dhoti kurta is called Dhuti Panjabi in east India. This dress is different from a lungi, as in the latter, the cloth is stitched to form a circle.

Dhoti kurta may have lost its popularity in the modern day India, but it is still worn with a lot of dignity by the many prominent senior citizens, politicians, musicians, dancers and others. Worn on all important government and family occasions, the dhoti kurta is also allowed to be donned in post upscale clubs, which normally stipulate very stern dress code for guests. The one prominent Indian citizen who gets all credit for popularizing this attire beyond the Indian borders is Mahatma Gandhi.

How to Wear/ Tie a Dhoti
There are various styles of wearing the Indian dhoti. For instance, Bengali men usually make pleats in their dhoti. In South India, the dhoti wearers add the angavastram to their attire, which is an extra piece of unstitched cloth kept on the shoulders. For convenience purpose, many South Indian men fold their dhoti in half and tuck it at the waist so that it reaches only till the knees. In certain communities of Rajasthan, wearing the dhoti-kurta is mandatory.

How to wear a Sari

The Indian women have been wearing the sari or saree for centuries now and it looks as dignified as it looks seductive. This is because most of them wear it almost on a daily basis and have, thus, mastered the art of wearing sari. This is important because just as a nicely worn saree can make you look very elegant, a clumsily worn one can destroy the whole appearance. So read the information given below to learn how to wear a sari.

There are few important things you need to keep in mind here. For instance, there are many types of sari available in the market. So select one keeping in mind the occasion you require it for. For formal purposes, always pinup the saree as it is more manageable this way and also looks smart. This is the style in which all Indian airhostesses drape their sari. For parties and casual occasions, just pin the tip of the sari to the blouse and hold the rest of it in the crook of the arm.

Also ensure that you have a matching blouse and petticoat to wear with the sari you have selected. The blouse should be well stitched and of a close fit, whereas the petticoat should not be very flared. The best feature of a saree is that if draped properly, it will look good on women of all height, shape and size. All over India, you will find women wearing the sari in different styles. Read the tips below to learn how to drape / tie a sari nicely.

Step One -
The length of the petticoat to be worn underneath the sari should be from the waist down to your ankle. It should have a drawstring so that it can be fastened around the waist. The blouse that you will wear with the saree should be close-fitted and its length should end just below the bust. It can be with or without sleeves. There are various types of blouse necklines you can choose from prior getting it stitched.

Step Two-
After wearing the petticoat and blouse, take one end of the sari and neatly tuck into the petticoat around the waist from right to left. Make sure that the lower end of the saree is touching the floor slightly. Resume from the place where the sari tucking has just ended and now start making pleats in the sari from there. About five to six pleats in the sari, each of them with a width of five inches should be enough.

Step Three -
Make sure that the pleats you have made is neat and of equal length. Hold them all together so that they fall straight and even. Then tuck the pleats into the petticoat slightly left to the navel. Also make sure that the pleats are turned in the left direction. Pleating the sari is the most difficult aspect for those learning how to drape the sari. But once you master the method of sari wearing, you will hardly require more than few minutes to make pleats.

Step Four -
The portion of the sari left after the pleating is called the Pallav. Now gather the pallav and place it over the left shoulder. The upper border of the sari should slant across the bust from under the right arm to over the left shoulder. The pallav should be about 90 cms in length and should touch your finger-tips as it falls evenly behind you. You can prevent it from slipping off by fixing it at the shoulder to the blouse with a small safety pin.

http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-clothing/wearing-sari.html

Bangles

Indian Names: Chudi, Kangan

Known as a universal fashion accessory, Bangles are worn by women of any age group irrespective of race, caste, religion, etc. Bangles are considered to be traditional jewelry in India and are known as "Chudi". Typically, a bangle is worn in the arms and it adorns the area between the elbow and the wrist. Bangles are made of many different materials. Gold and silver are the most popular choices for making this jewelry. Other popular choices for making a bangle are glass, ceramic, lac, oxidized metal, plastic, wood, ivory, etc.

Since ancient times, bangles have been an integral part of the Indian jewellery set. Bangles go with every occasion and sometimes, it is inauspicious to attend a cultural event with bare hands. Bangles can be worn in groups, different colors or even singly. A thick bangle that is worn as a single piece is known as a "Kangan". Usually, a Kangan is made in gold or silver while thin bangles are made out of glass. The glass bangles can be worn in groups and in different colors that can be matched with your attire. A Kangan looks ethnic as well as elegant when worn with just about any dress.

The bangle has evolved from a mere adorning piece of ornament to an important social symbol since ancient times. During the Pre-Vedic period, the bangle was merely used for adorning oneself. With the arrival of Vedas and other holy scriptures, the bangle was raised to the level of an important symbol of marriage and wedlock. A newly wed woman and a bride to be never leave their hands bare and wear either red glass bangles or a pair of gold bangles.

With fashion and style taking the center stage these days, the trend of wearing bangles has gone through a sea change. Though the tradition of wearing bangles still remains as strong as oak, the contemporary times have changed the very look of a bangle. These days we get bangles made of wood, platinum, shell, beads, etc. with decorative motifs like leaves, flowers, stars, etc. Some bangles have little chains dangling from them and some designs given them a very royal look. With plenty of designs, colors and styles to choose from, what could you possibly leave!
http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-jewelry/types-of-jewelry/bangles.html

Bollywood

History of Bollywood

Alam Arya

Bollywood is the name given to India’s film making industry much as Americans associate Hollywood with film production. What most people don’t realize, however, is that Bollywood has a long and rich history that goes almost as far back as that of Hollywood.

The first films every produced in India’s Bollywood were soundless short films. The Lumiere Brothers created them in 1896 at the Watson Hotel. It wasn’t until May of 1913 when the first movie filmed by an Indian was released for viewing in Bombay. This film was called, “Raja Harishchandra”. Because of technological limitations, it took a bit longer for ‘talkies’, or movies with sound, to reach India.

The first talkie was released for viewing in India in March of 1931 and was named, “Alam Ara”. The films produced in the 1930s in Bollywood were used to raise awareness to what filmmakers saw as the social ills of the day. By this time, the industry was booming. Several well-known filmmakers and producers from all over India were producing films with dialogue in most of India’s diverse language groups. The first color film, “Kisan Kanya”, was released during this time.

World War II and Indian independence from Britain did nothing to slow down India’s film industry. The industry in India was fast becoming known as India’s obsession. Post independence Indian cinema gained a wide recognition. The creation of the Film and Television Institute of India, FTII, a national cinema awards show, and India’s first International Film Festival rocketed Bollywood to the world stage.

Kisan Kanya

Indian filmmakers widely expanded movie genres from the 1960s through the 1990s to include action films, thrillers, musicals, and love stories. Currently, many new Indian directors are gaining world prominence with movies such as “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Bheja Fry”.

The Masala Film – Bollywood As We Know It Today

Manmohan Desai, one of the more successful Bollywood directors of the 1970s who is considered by many to be the father of the Masala film, defended his approach thusly: “I want people to forget their misery. I want to take them into a dream world where there is no poverty, where there are no beggars, where fate is kind and god is busy looking after his flock.” The hodgepodge of action, romance, comedy and of course musical numbers is a model that still dominates the Bollywood industry, and though greater attention is now paid to plot, character development, and dramatic tension, it is, in most cases, sheer star power that accounts for a film’s success.
With the recent success of films like Slumdog Millionaire and the injection of foreign capital into the Indian film industry, Bollywood is perhaps entering a new chapter in its history, one in which the eyes of the world are now paying closer attention. But the question remains – will a Bollywood film ever find crossover success with mainstream American audiences?

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. Although suppressed during years of foreign occupation, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major resurgence in both its native land and throughout the world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced many concepts originally described in the classical ayurvedic medical texts dating back thousands of years.
More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.
Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.
For each element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. When Vata is balanced, a person is lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the system, a person tends to experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty focusing. When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance, a person tends to be compulsive and irritable and may suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition. When Kapha is balanced, a person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a person may experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.
An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.http://www.chopra.com/ayurveda

Elephants

The Symbolism of Elephants in Indian Culture
    The elephant has enjoyed the charismatic status in South Asia from the earliest times, and its representations in stone and painting are ubiquitous. The Indus Valley seals depict the elephant in graceful aspects standing over a manger, creating the impression that it was already a domesticated animal and of artistic and possibly religious importance. The Vedic poets were impressed by the massive strength of the elephant, as when they sang of Indra, filled with Soma, smashing the cities of his enemies "as a wild elephant rushes on this way and that, mad with heat" (Rg Veda 1.64.7). Huge and gray, that elephant also resembled the dark clouds of refreshing and violent rain that fed and replenished the parched land. Another name for Airavata, Indra's elephant steed was Abhranu or Abhramatanga, "the one who knits or binds the clouds".
   The association of elephants with rain and water finds expression in the myth of the anointing of the goddess Laksmi or Gajalaksmi, wife of Vishnu and giver of well-being, at the time of the churning of the ocean of milk. As Laksmi rose out of the ocean seated on a lotus, Ganga and the other sacred rivers stood there performing ambulations. And the elephants of the quarters of the sky took up their pure waters in golden vessels and poured them over the goddess, the queen of the universe.
    The connection of elephants with water and rain is further emphasized in the mythology of Indra, who rides the elephant Airavata when he defeats Vrta. This mighty elephant reaches down his trunk into the watery underworld, sucks up its water, and then sprays it into the clouds, which Indra then causes to rain forth cool water, thereby linking the waters of the sky with those of the underworld. Although there appears to be no direct association in the classical texts between Laksmi and Ganesa, the connection has not been lost in contemporary Hinduism as indicated by a popular lithograph that depicts Ganesa and Laksmi out of the same lotus. They are linked by the common figure of the elephant, but they share another important feature. Both are bringers of well-being, deities to who Hindus turn to, seeking the fulfillment of their wishes and goals.
  http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/spring99/Karmegam/symbol.html

Mango

The mango is the national fruit. It has been cultivated in India since time immemorial. There are over 100 varieties of mangos in India, in a range of colors, sizes, and shapes. Common in the tropical part of the world, mangos are savored for their sweet juice and bright colors.

People in India eat mangos ripe, or prepare them green as pickles or chutneys. They are rich in vitamin A, C, and D.