A very popular tourist attraction in Munnar

Tata Tea Museum is located around 2 km from Munnar in Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea. The museum showcases various antiquities and the most famous among them is the burial urn excavated from the vicinity of Periakanal Estate, dating back to 2nd century. Curious, old photographs and machinery are also displayed in the museum. For the tourists, to get a glimpse into the history and culture of the region, a video presentation is screened here.

The History of Lord Shiva

Lord Shiva and his birth

According to hindu mythology LORD SHIVA is the destroyer in the main three supreme god. There are three supreme gods 1^st one is Lord Shiva, Second one is Brahma and third one Vishnu.LORD SHIVA is the destroyer and also have a positive side in that destruction usual leads to new forms of existence.LORD SHIVA is described in art with four hand, four faces and three eyes. The third eye always keep this power to destroy the creation, not only creation including gods and humans. In the Vedas, a collection of ancient sacred texts,LORD SHIVA is identified with the storm god Rudra.

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History of King Sagara

King Sagar  is one of the greatest kings of the  Suryavansha in the Satya Yug, also known as the Ikshvaku dynasty,he has two wives, one a princess of the vidarbha, and the other from royal lineage of Sivi . He was an ancestor to King Dashratha and Lord Rama (Incarnation of Sree Vishnu).

Ashwamedha yajna

The King Sagar performed a horse sacrifice (Ashwamedha yajna) to prove his supremacy. Lord Indra, the leader of the demigods, became fearful over the results of the yajna, so he decided to steal the horse. He left the horse at the ashram of Kapila, who was in deep meditation. King Sagar’s 60,000 sons, (born of Queen Sumati), and his son Asamanja (born of Queen Keshini) were then sent to find the horse. When the 60,000 sons found the horse at Kapiladeva’s ashram, they thought he had stolen it. When they prepared to attack the meditating rishi (sage), Kapila opened his eyes. Because the sons of King Sagara had disrespected such a great personality, consequently, fire emanated from their own bodies, and they were immediately burned to ashes.


                                             Ganga avtaran

Later, King Sagara sent his grandson Amshuman to retrieve the horse. Kapiladeva returned the horse and told Anshuman that the sons of King Sagar could be delivered if the Ganges descended to earth and bathed them in her waters. King Sagar’s great-great-grandson, Bhagiratha, eventually pleased Mother Ganga, and asked her to come to earth. Mother Ganga told Bhagiratha that the force of the Ganges falling from heaven would be too great for the earth to sustain, and that she needed someone to break the fall. Bhagiratha then worshiped Lord Siva, who then agreed to accept the descending river upon his head. After the Ganga fell down on the ashes of the 60,000 sons of King Sagara they came alive and got their eternal position

The History Of Indian God

ABOUT SHREE GANESHA :

      Ganesha is a popular figure in Ind Unlike those of some deities, representations of Ganesha show wide variations and distinct patterns changing over time. He may be portrayed standing, dancing, heroically taking action against demons, playing with his family as a boy, sitting down or on an elevated seat, or engaging in a range of contemporary situations.

                                Shreee  Ganesha  is a also spelled Ganesa and Ganesh,also known as  Ganpati Vinayaka,Vighnavinashaka, Gajanana, Ekadantha, Vigneshwara and Pillaiyar is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu Pantheon. His image is found throughout The India  and Nepal .Hindu Sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to jains Buddhists and beyond India 

                                           Ganesha's elephant head

            

Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him particularly easy to identify.Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles.

 The Lord Ganesha is patron of arts and sciences, and the DEVA  of intellect and wisdom.He is honored at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.

 GANESHA PURANA                                             

Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in clearly recognizable form in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period although he inherited traits from  pre-Vedic precursors. His popularity rose quickly, and he was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the GANAPATYA, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity, arose during this period. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the GANESHA PURANA, the MUDGALA PURANA, and the GANAPATI ATHARVASHIRSA.

Ganesha has many other titles and epithets, including Ganapati and Vighneshvara. The Hindu title of respect Shri (श्री), also spelled (Shree) is often added before his name. One popular way Ganesha is worshipped is by chanting a Ganesha Sahasranama  a litany of "a thousand names of Ganesha". Each name in the Sahasranama conveys a different meaning and symbolises a different aspect of Ganesha. At least two different versions of the Ganesha Sahasranama exist; one version is drawn from the Ganesha Purana, a Hindu Scripture venerating Ganesha.

The name Ganesha is a Sanskrit compound, joining the words gana, meaning a group, multitude, or categorical system andisha meaning lord or master. The word gaņa when associated with Ganesha is often taken to refer to the gaņas, a troop of semi-divine beings that form part of the retinue of Shiva. The term more generally means a category, class, community, association, or corporation. Some commentators interpret the name "Lord of the Gaņas" to mean "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of created categories", such as the elements. Ganapati (गणपति), a synonym for Ganesha, is a compound composed of gaṇa, meaning "group", and pati, meaning "ruler" or "lord". The Amarakosha, an early Sanskrit lexicon, lists eight synonyms of Ganesha : Vinayaka, Vighnarāja (equivalent toVighnesha), Dvaimātura (one who has two mothers), Gaṇādhipa (equivalent to Ganapati and Ganesha), Ekadanta (one who has one tusk), Heramba,Lambodara (one who has a pot belly, or, literally, one who has a hanging belly), and Gajanana having the face of an elephant).

Vinayaka in snskrit (विनायक) is a common name for Ganesha that appears in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. This name is reflected in the naming of the eight famous Ganesha temples in Maharashtra known as the Aṣṭavināyaka. The names Vighnesha (विघ्नेश) and Vighneshvara (विघ्नेश्वर)(Lord of Obstacles) refers to his primary function in Hindu mythology as the master and remover of obstacles (vighna).          In Maharashtra 

        In Tamil 

A prominent name for Ganesha in the Tamil language is Pille (பிள்ளை) or Pillaiyar (பிள்ளையார்) (Little Child). A. K. Narain differentiates these terms by saying that pille means a "child" while pillaiyar means a "noble child". He adds that the words pallu, pella, and pell in the Dravidian family of  languages  signify "tooth or tusk", also "elephant tooth or tusk". Anita Raina Thapan notes that the root word pille in the name Pillaiyar might have originally meant "the young of the elephant", because the Pali  word pillaka means "a young elephant".

                                              In Thailand 

In the Burmese  language, Ganesha is known as Maha Peinn, derived from Pali  Mahā Wināyaka,  The widespread name of Ganesha in Thailand is Phra Phikhanet or Phra Phikhanesuan, both of which are derived fromVara Vighnesha and Vara Vighneshvara respectively, whereas the name Khanet (from Ganesha) is rather rare.

In Sri lanka in the North Center  and North Western areas with pre dominantly Buddhist population, Ganesha is known as Aiyanayaka  Deviyo while in other Singhala buddhist areas he is known as Gana deviyo.

India is a land with deep-rooted history

India is a land with deep-rooted history. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the country is covered with various historical monuments. Even the modernized form of India is under the deep influence of history. The history of our country dates back to 325 B.C. when Hindu dynasties used to rule this place. The country has been a witness to various kingdoms like Mauryas, Chalukyas, Cholas, Pallavas, Pandayas, Rajputs, Marathas, Guptas, Mughals and then the British Empire

Dynasties after dynasties, it is no surprise that each ruler had built a few forts to show his succession, resulting into a large assortment of historical monuments in India. These monuments are the silent witness of previous era.

Each ruler had his own taste and thus every monument is different from the other. Mughals had a certain style in architecture as they belonged to a Muslim dynasty. Similarly, Rajputs had a complete different sense being a Hindu dynasty. In return, India has earned a rich cultural and architectural heritage.

British people for their own convenience built a lot of buildings in India which are the finest examples of modern architecture. Though they gave us a lot, historical monuments were ruled by them in a ruthless way. Indians have emotional feelings attached to all these monuments and wanted them to be free from the shackles of British.

British ruled the country for almost 200 years. For this long period, there was continuous struggle to make the country free from their strong clutches. Indians wanted freedom to enjoy their own cultural heritage rather than living at the mercy of British people. But what after 63 years of independence, are Indians really enjoying their cultural heritage?  

Every monument in India has a long history attached to it but does anyone know about it is the real question. Indians attained freedom but their minds are still under the deep influence of westernization. Indians will go visit other countries and study about them being ignorant from their own history. Today, monuments are mere picnic spots and no one is interested in their history.

Old Fort in Delhi, once built to provide security to the city from outside invaders has been merely reduced to a dating place. One visits this place and finds couples chit-chatting under the shade of trees. People go to these places for family picnics and litter eatables. The real sense of these historical places has lost in the contemporary times. The struggle of freedom fighters seems worthless.

Taj Mahal is known for its impeccable image. It was one of the wonders of the world. Its marble is turning black day by day due to the increasing population in the city of Agra but no one cares.

The Government of India takes hardly any measures for the preservation and maintenance of these monuments. Urban life is evolving at a fast pace around these monuments leading to their decay. There is a huge lack of appreciation towards heritage. Government considers it to be the responsibility of the public and vice-versa.

Various organisations are working towards the goal of the maintenance of these buildings but one has to understand that it is a collective responsibility. 

Today, the question is that even after 63 years of independence, people are not free in their thinking. The heritage of the country is not the property of the Government but it belongs to every individual equally. One must think about it in a deeper sense and should realize its importance. People from various parts of the world are so keen to know about the history of India and its monuments then why the countrymen are so negligent about it?

Is it the lack of love for one’s own country or a lure towards westernization?

The History of Indian Agriculture

The History of Indian Agriculture  

The villagers live in the midst of natural surroundings. The charms of nature justify the remark of famous English poet Cowper that “God made the country and man made town.” In a village, as we rise early in the morning we can listen to the sweet songs of birds, enjoy the beauty of the rising sun and the sweet breeze of day's dawn, the flowing of the river with a murmuring sound; the beauty of the greenery of fields. These are the various pleasures that abound in the countryside.

The villagers pass a healthy and peaceful life. There is no smoke and noise of the city factories. They breathe fresh air which promotes their health. They also get pure milk, milk products and other fresh eatables. There is no hustle and bustle and no worry as in the modern city life. The villagers therefore are happy and healthy. They lead a simple life and their desires are few. They are satisfied with what they have and they usually never dream of those luxuries and comforts provided by modern science, this makes their life even more happier.

Most of the people who live in villages are farmers. They cultivate their farms situated in the neighborhood of the village. They go to their fields early in the morning where they work till evening plowing, sowing or reaping their fields according to the season. Weaving is one of the most important industries of villagers. It helps them to increase their meager income. Besides this, some people keep shops and keep the necessities of life of the villagers. Other works as pottery, carpentry etc. are the sources of livelihood in villages.

The villagers are socially bounded together. Their life is corporate and independent. They depend on each other for the supply of their daily wants. They always share the joys and sorrows of each other. They help each other in the time of need and they all combine as a single unit in times of troubles and obstacles. Their social sense is so strong that the guest of one is considered as the guest of all. In a town or city, one does not care to know even one's neighbors. But each villager is familiar even with the family histories of the other villagers. In the evening they assemble in the village Chopalwith their Hukkas (cigars) and talking goes on till late night. This is their simple recreation.

But village life has some serious drawbacks. The villagers are extremely poor. They live in one room mud houses which often fall to the ground in the rains. In the way they are put to great hardship. In spite of their hard work they are not able to earn enough to provide themselves with even two square meals a day. They are ill-clad and ill fed. As they are not able to serve anything in times of need they have to borrow from the village moneylender. They are frequently in debt which they are often never able to return. There is no doubt that much improvement has been made in this respect in recent times but it is not enough. 

The life in an Indian village comprises majorly of farmers. Agriculture is their main occupation. They work on the fields that are around the village. Indian economy is an agricultural one. So the importance of a farmer is very great. So, let's discuss, in brief, the life of an Indian farmer
.

Hard Working :

 An Indian farmer is very hard working . He gets up early in the morning, takes his plow, and with his cattle goes to his field even before it is full daylight. E works there all day without caring for the hardships of weather. Winter, summer or rain, it is all the same for him. We find him working on his field sowing, plowing or reaping in biting cold as well as in the hot winds of summer.

He works till noon, when his wife or children bring mid-day meal for him. He takes his meal under the shade of some tree. After having is food and having washed it down with a glass of cool water of a flowing brook, he again resumes his work. He often sings a song or listens to the radio to break the monotony of his hard labor.

Village Chaupal :

 It is only with the approach of darkness that he returns back to home. At the door of his humble cottage, he is greeted by his children, some young and some bit grown up. Then he rests for a while and smokes his 'hukka' (a type of cigar). This is the happiest time of the day for him. Now he is the king of his humble cottage. After taking his dinner he goes to the village chaupal.

 There, he smoke, gossips and plays cards with his fellow farmers, who have also gathered there for some recreation. Many jokes and stories are narrated there. In this way, having passed an hour or two in laughing, talking and playing he returns home for his well earned rest.

Life : full of difficulties 

 Such is a typical day in the life in an Indian village. The life of an Indian farmer is full of difficulties too. In spite of his hard labor, he lives a life of extreme poverty. 'He is born in debt, lives in debt and dies in debt'. His crops are at the mercy of rains. Famines or floods often take away the fruits of his hard labor. Still he his contended and god fearing. When he falls ill, he finds that there are no medical facilities (but there is an exponentially rise in medical facilities at Indian villages nowadays and more work has been going on) for his treatment. Often he dies untreated and uncared and there are also only a few schools for the education of his children. Though the 'Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan' (Education for All mission) is doing very good, but still it will take some time to cover all the rural regions of India. The mud huts in which he lives are very vulnerable to natural disasters and they often fall down during rain and his humble belongings are all ruined.We, who live in cities, can not even imagine the hardships of hard life in an Indian Village .

Enjoys Nature's gifts : 

But the above mentioned was only one side of the picture. The life in an Indian village has a brighter side also. The inhabitants of a village enjoys fresh pollution free air and sunshine. Which the the two great blessings of god. Village people gets more wholesome food than those who live in cities. Moreover, the villagers are sympathetic and extend greater co-operation to each other in times of distress. Such fellow feeling and brotherhood are not heard of in the city, where even the next door neighbors do not know each other. They are far away from the stress and tensions of the thoughts of being richer, famous and popular. They just live their routine life in a happy manner despite of their hardships. This makes their life full with positive energy.

Need of Reforms – A number of reforms are needed to make the life in an Indian village happier and healthier. It is a good sign that the government is giving its utmost attention to the problem. Various programs of village upliftment have been taken in hand. Through the spread of education and awareness about the usage of scientific methods of agriculture, poverty is being removed and farmers are obtaining more profits. The prosperity of the farmer means the prosperity of the nation. In the near future, the conditions of the life in an Indian Village would surely be enhanced and improved.

The 'Jawahar Rozgar Yojna' was launched to improve the condition of the life in Indian villages and rural areas. 'Panchayati Raj' seeks to give power to the people to work out their own destiny. The central government promised that the loans of up to Rs 10,000 would be waived to the farmers. So, after 10-20 years the life in a Indian village would be completely different from the life pattern present today.

 Village people would be healthy, happy and prosperous. They would no longer be in debt, as at present, but would walk with their heads raised high. Good quality seeds, fertilizers and pesticides are already being provided to the Indian farmers. Tractors and other modern machinery have now become a common sight in villages of India. Improvements are day by day exponentially rising in the rural areas of India. So, the future of life in an Indian village is surely www.google.co.inHistory Of India