Kolkata the cultural capital of India

Kolkata is very well known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. Kolkata which was the former capital of India was considered as the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought. Kolkata has often been called as the cultural capital of India.




Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Oriental and Indo-Islamic motifs. The Indian Museum that was established in 1814 is the oldest museum in Asia and houses vast collection of Indian natural history and Indian art.

Kolkata's cuisine include rice and fish curry, with rasagolla, sandesh and mishti doi i.e.sweet yoghurt that is a dessert. Street foods includes dishes like fried battered eggplant slices, flatbread roll with vegetable or chicken, mutton, or egg stuffing, deep fried crepe that is also addressed as phuchka with tamarind and lentil sauce and Chinese food from China Town in the eastern parts of the city are quite popular.

Durga Puja is the most important and the most glamourous event in Kolkata that in a way shows the cultural heritage of Kolkata. Other notable festivals that are celebrated with pomp and show are Jagaddhatri Puja, Diwali, Eid, Holi, Christmas, poila boishak (new year), Saraswati puja, Rath Yatra and Poush parbon (harvest festival).

Book Fair, Dover Lane music festival, Kolkata Film Festival and National Theatre Festival are the cultural festivals of Kolkata. Mostly appreciated for Indian classical music as well as Bengali folk music, the city is also rich in literary traditions.

Explore the cultural heritage of Kolkata and get soaked in the festivals, traditions and culture of the city.

Chittaurgarh Fort

Rajasthan which is considered as the land of royals, has a past that is rich in heritage. Forts in Rajasthan are it's identity. Every city of Rajasthan has forts be it Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur or Bikaner.

Chittaurgarh reveals the real pride and glory of Rajasthan in the form of its various forts and monuments. Chittaurgarh is a ruined citadel where the royal past lives in the imposing forts, graceful palaces and spectacular chhatris. The entire Chittaurgarh echoes with the tales of romance and valor which is very much unique to the Rajput tradition.




The fort is located on a hill that dominates the modern township of Chittor. The fort was sacked three times between 15th century and 16th century. Each time the men fought bravely rushing out of the fort walls charging the enemy but lost every time. The fort has seven gates, the Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jodla Pol, Laxman Pol and the main entry gate of Ram Pol.

Main attractions of this fort are-

Kirti Stambh which is a seven-storied structure with a cramped stairway of 54 steps.

Vijay Stambh is also called as the Victory Tower. This tower can even be seen from the town, which is located below the fort. The tower was built around the 15th century AD.




Sammidheshwara Temple is near this tower. Gaumukh reservoir and the palace of Queen Padmini are important spots to the south of the Rana Kumbha Palace.

The fort with its impressive location and colourful history is the main source of attraction in Chittor town.

Dunagiri- Heritage Destination

Dunagiri is an historic area in the Indian hill state of Uttarakhand. Dunagiri is 250 miles away from Delhi. Dunagiri is a mixture of six small villages. Dunagiri is also a living example for the cultural heritage of India as it has been regularly visited by Rishi-Munis of India who established their ashrams here in the midst of nature.



Dunagiri’s Cultural Heritage tours will amaze the tourists in a richly layered experience, at the same time tourists can explore the beauty of nature, history, culture, people and places of India. Surrounded with mountain belt, Dunagiri leaves you thrilled with the pristine, tranquil and calm environment.

An experience like no other, Dunagiri Cultural Heritage tour will take you direct on a journey that is really relaxing for your mind, body and soul, which will stay with you forever. Dunagiri is a heaven itself.

Hinduism

The very rich and complex religion Hinduism is known as the oldest living religion or the oldest living major tradition in India. This is the world's third largest religion after Christianity and Islam.




Also known as "Sanatan Dharma" or the everlasting religion Hinduism is mainly based on the concept that human and animal spirits come back to earth to live many times in different forms. The Hindu culture is a combination of love, respect, honor.

According to Hindu religion a person is born into the higher class because he or she must have done good deeds in past life whereas a person taking birth into poverty and shame because of misdeeds in past life. Hinduism believes in the concepts of reincarnation, the caste system, merging with Brahman, finding morality, and reaching Nirvana which means the peaceful escape from the cycle of reincarnation.

Hindu religion purely beliefs that the paths to salvation include rituals, devotion and the way of knowledge. Some popular Hindu deities include Durga, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, Kali, Murugan, Venkateshwara, Nataraja, Rama, and Lakshmi.

The main Hindu scriptures are Sruti (what is heard), Smriti (what is remembered) the Vedas, the Brahmanas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and epics. According to Hindu religion there are 330 million Gods worshipped in various Hindu traditions.

Srikalahasthi Temple

Srikalahasthi is a small holy town which is also known as the Dakshin Kasi of India is situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh that is a tributary of pennar river. It is believed that Lord Shiva hailed in 12 different forms and the one here is called the Vayu Lingam which means hailing in the form of Air. The linga is in white color and is considered as Swayambhu.




The name of the Srikalahasthi comes from SRI - Spider , KALA- Snake and HASTHI which means Elephant. The whole beauty of animals worshiping can be seen on the shrine.

It is believed these three animals worshipped lord shiva and attained salvation. The main entrance to the temple is crowned with a smaller tower. The amazing architecture of this temple represents the Chola, Pallava, Pandya and Krishnadevaraya style of architecture.

Goddess Bramarambhika Devi who is said to bestow divya gyan to the devotees is the goddess of welfare and education. The Goddess Brahmarambhika holds a lotus flower in her hand which can be seen no where in india. This flower is considered as the symbol of Wisdom.

Srikalahasthi is also surrounded with number of places of interest:

Sri Kanaka Durga Temple which is situated on the hillock of the north of the temple.

Sri Subramanyaeshwara Swamy Temple is found on the hillock along the east side of the Srikalahasthi temple.

Sri Baktha Kannapa Temple is situated on the hillock along the south side of the mail temple.

Situated adjacent to the main temple is the Pancha Mukeshwara Temple.

Timings for darshan to this temple are every day morning 6.00 to night 8.00.

Devigarh Fort

India is well established with the rich culture and traditions. The Indian culture helps to know more about Indian cultural heritage through fairs and festivals, arts and crafts, language and literature, Indian cuisine and diverse religions.




Devigarh is a fort palace which is situated in the old Aravali Hills of Rajasthan. Devigarh is an 18th century fort palace in the village of Delwara near Udaipur in Rajasthan. The city has a rich cultural heritage.

The village of Delwara, which comprises of the Devigarh Fort takes pride in housing four 14th Century Jain temples. It is a 450 year old village and consists of Muslims, Jains, Rajput and tribal people.

Devigarh palace is about 45 minutes drive from Udaipur and has good transportation networks. Udaipur has road, rail and air network with all major cities in India. The major attractions to Devigarh palace include:

Bapparawal which is a small lake which is about 3 km from Devigarh Fort.

Udaipur is about 40 minutes drive from Devigarh Fort and is one of the most beautiful cities in India.

Eklingji being a temple complex it consists of 108 temples made of sandstone and marble and is only 5 km away from Devigarh.

Ranakpur city is situated about 110 km from Devigarh has some of the beautiful Jain temples with excellent carvings that with no doubts depicts the beauty of Indian craftsmanship.

Nathdwara has a 18th Century Temple that is dedicated to Shti Nathji and Nathdwara is just 24 km away from Devigarh fort.

Nagda near Devigarh has a cluster of temples with stone carvings. It is situated about 6 km from Devigarh.

Devigarh fort palace has turned into a luxury hotel today and it gives a clear picture of the cultural heritage of Rajasthan.

Cultural heritage of City Of Nawabs

Lucknow very well known as the City Of Nawabs is famous for its traditional cuisine, arts and people you will ever find in India. The Bara Imambara was built in the year 1784. The fourth Nawab of Awadh, Asaf-ud-Daula built this monument. The Bara Imambara of Lucknow is one of the most famous monuments whose central hall is said to be the largest arched hall in the world. The monument remains open from morning 6am to evening 5pm.

The famous historical landmark of Lucknow is the British Residency. Today, the British Residency of Lucknow serves as a government office. It also has a museum that is well-maintained by the authorities.

Chattar Manzil is a very famous tourist attraction which has been remodeled to serve as an office for the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI).



The Jami Masjid is located in the heart of the city of Lucknow. The structure has a combination of Hindu and Muslim architecture.

The Rumi Darwaza of Lucknow is one of the most impressive architectural structures in India.

The culture of Lucknow is still very much alive and retains its old world charm even today. Lucknow is a wonderful place that can be visited just about anytime through the year. Best time to visit Lucknow is between October to March. Feel the touch of royal splendor that very well in it's own way reveals the heritage of the city.