India like no other
Source : Google photo of Peacock in India
Synopsis : There is a very unique country called India that is vastly misrepresented by the Western press that routinely depicts it as poor and backward and ignores its rich heritage but India is neither poor nor backward. If you visit India, it will mesmerize you with its beauty and history . These seven power points only show you just a glimpse of what awaits you that will change you forever and your perception.
One can never cover India in its entirety in just one blog. It is a vast country with many facets that twinkle like a diamond. It is a country that is so beautiful physically, geographically, ethnically, philosophically and in its diversity that boggles your mind.
I can show you only a glimpse in just one blog so I will present here only seven power points that I made over a long period of time for your enjoyment and knowledge.
( See the blogs on India starting with Why I love India as told by Karolina Goswami )
The link below brings you to One drive to see the following power points
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One : Incredible India
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This power point will present India as a country where all religions are represented, where numerous ethnic groups live in harmony, where you will see a blend of culture and all its pageantry in all its color and glory, where the landscape varies from the Thar desert to the lofty snow capped peaks of Kanchanjangha. It is a country studded with jewels of architecture everywhere you go. It is also a country with the most ancient civilization on the planet that manifests itself in every aspect of its life.
Two : Khajuraho
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I was so fascinated by Khajuraho when I visited with my wife that I took numerous photos I put together in this power point for you. Initially Khajuraho contained over eighty intricately carved temples of majestic proportions but the vandals, intolerant Moslem invaders and thieves took a toll so now only a few temples remain standing that remind you of its glorious past. There is no such place like Khajuraho in the world because it is so unique.
Not too far from Khajuraho lies the ruins of a kingdom and its numerous temples and forts of the kings who ruled there in the 7th century who built Khajuraho .Their sad demise is attributed to invaders and time so all you will find there are broken statuaries and the vast ruins of what once was their forts ,palaces and temples there. It is over grown with weeds and the forest is reclaiming the land .
You can fly to Khajuraho from many cities but we took the train to Satna from where you can take a bus to Khajuraho that is in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The erotic carvings of Khajuraho should be seen and understood in the context of the period when they were built. The idea was that one should be devoid of all carnal feelings before entering the temples although sex and the depiction of it was not considered immoral or degrading in those days. Women dressed scantily as you will notice in the carvings.
Three : The birds of India Part one
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India is home to numerous bird species but many more roost there annually coming from Siberia and other parts of Europe making India a bird lover’s paradise. There are numerous bird sanctuaries everywhere but a famous sanctuary is found on the way from Agra to Jaipur called Sur Sarovar but further down the road is another called Bharatpur bird sanctuary. Further down the road near Jaipur you can go on a leopard safari tour.
The national bird of India is the glorious peacock that can be seen in many parks and cities where they roost and move about freely. It is a protected bird so capturing or hunting for its colorful feathers is unlawful. There are so many bird species so I have split the power point into four parts to represent just some of the birds found in India.
Four :The birds of India Part two
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Five : Birds of India , Part three
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Six: Birds of India Part four
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Seven : Wild life in India
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There are numerous wildlife sanctuaries in India where you can see the lions in the Gir forest or the famous tigers of Bengal found in Bandhavgarh sanctuary. In the Tarai forest , you can see the rhinoceros and wild elephants while leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, bears and numerous types of deers, antelopes can be found in many such sanctuaries scattered all over India.
Source : Google photo of Gir forest Lion in India
I used to hear the calls of hyenas near our home town and the howls of wolves but now they have vanished or moved away farther due to the population growth and rapid expansions of cities that encroach on their territories. Still leopards are often found in the suburbs of Mumbai or other cities that are caught and relocated to the forested areas.
You will also find numerous bears that the nomad tribes capture and train as dancing bears to earn a living but now an NGO has built a sanctuary for such bears rescued from the nomads near Agra where the bears are given veterinary care and are protected. The nomads are given alternative skills to earn a living. Similarly there are elephant sanctuaries in South India where rescued elephants are kept and protected. The days of animal cruelty and dancing bears in the streets of India are numbered as people are more aware of them and are conscious of protecting them.
Still poaching goes on in some parts where people kill the tigers and leopards for their skins to be sold illegally or exported out to other countries. I once found a French fellow on a flight to Paris who had smuggled a tiger skin out of India to make a fur coat out of it in France.
The country side in India is full of big antelopes called Nil Gai and wolves , hyenas and crocodiles called Gharials . There is now a gharial sanctuary in Lucknow where they are raised and bred. The baby crocs are later released in the wilderness.
Source : Google photo of Ganga river dolphins
I used to see numerous river dolphins in Ganga in my home town but now they have all been killed by the poachers for their oil but some survive in the river downstream in Benares where you can see them playing not too far from your boat. Sadly the awareness and the beauty of such wildlife has come only lately in India to the detriment of the animals that are on the verge of extinction in many parts.
But many wild animals are found in cities. Mongoose is one such animal that thrives in cities and numerous species of monkeys abound everywhere. The hills of lower Himalayas are full of tigers, panthers, bears , cheetahs , red pandas, mountain lions and numerous bird species that are all included in the power point below.
There was a time during the British colonial period when tiger hunting was the fashion so hundreds of animals were killed. Their patrons were the Maharajas who took them on hunting trips but those days are gone. Only the poachers remain so the government fights them to protect these majestic animals.
On our trip through South India we passed through the wild life sanctuary on our way to Kerala from Mysore and saw a herd of wild elephants calmly munching grass and were warned by our guide not to approach them or make noise. You can see a lot more tame elephants in the south than in the north where all the temples keep them. The elephants take the coins from the pilgrims and bless them with their trunk as my wife was blessed to her great delight. A very large number of elephants are brought out during the Annam festival in Kerala every year sometime in October when you will see the elephants richly decorated and paraded. It is a festival of rich pageantry and color that is quite famous in India.
Source : Google photo of decorated elephants in the Annam festival in Kerala
During the Moghul period , the kings kept thousands of elephants that were trained to fight during the war and carried soldiers on their back. Emperor Akbar used a massive elephant as an executioner in FatehPur Sikri that was his capital for a while where the convicted criminals were crushed by the elephant on command.
If you have enjoyed these power points then feel free to share them with anyone in any social media so that more people may learn how beautiful India really is. I may post some more power points on India in the future.
Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links :
http://achtrjee.wixsite.com/mysite/blog
