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Culture in India
Kerala
Kerala is a land of colors and festivity enjoys a distinct
flavor of its own from the rest of the country. It is a land of dance,
drama and music where one can catch the very essence of original form of
classical dance and music. The famous classical dance form Kathakali –a
300 year old dance form, which is very theatrical in its presentation, is
extremely colorful with billowing costumes, flowing scarves, ornaments and
crowns belongs to Kerala. Kerala enjoys extremely rich culture, which was
mellowed by centuries old rich heritage. The very famous and centuries old
Champakulam snake boat race takes place in July marks the beginning of a
month of festivities. The snake boats are 50 m long, hugely decorated with
flowers, shells and coconut leaves, carrying not less than 15 musicians in
a single boat, an event to remember.
One of the most important festivals is Onam, which is celebrated
throughout the state irrespective of culture, cast, creed or religion.
Onam falls between the months of August and September and is celebrated as
the harvest festival. Christmas is also celebrated with much vigor and
enthusiasm in the state.
Kerala has a rich history of culture and tradition and numerous festivals
are celebrated through out the year so it can be described as a land of
festivals as well. Kerala is a state of vibrant colour and varied moods,
which reflects through the different festivals year around.
The land of temples and architectural magnificence, Kerala gives one the
opportunity to experience the millennia-old fascinating heritage of this
temple city.
Kerala takes pride in offering mouth-watering cuisine and is famous for
its hot and spicy food. Due to the abundance of coconut, one can strongly
feel the presence of coconut in every food cooked here and spices give it
a special aromatic flavor. The location of Kozhikode has correctly been
chosen for the TESOL Course Kerala, where the enticing aroma of Keralite
cuisine and the trendy modern fusion food would take away the day’s
fatigue and make your taste buds thank you several times for pleasing your
palate.
There is only one thing to do after all the avid exploring of Kerala and
that is shopping; without which a trip really would not be complete.
Shopping is the most thrilling and delightful experience for all kinds of
tourists and shopaholics. Kerala is ready to welcome all in order to
quench their thirst for shopping. Shopping in Kerala mostly comprises of
woodwork, carved statues, and most definitely aromatic oils and spices.
Rose woodcarvings of Kerala are famous worldwide.
Kolkata
Calcutta served as the capital of India during the British
Rule until 1911. Once the centre of modern education, industry, science,
culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed intense political
violence, clashes and economic stagnation from the years starting 1954 and
continued till recent past.
Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary
heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of
modern Indian literary and artistic thought. Kolkatans tend to have a
special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming
new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy.
Being basically an agricultural region, it has a rich tradition of folk
music, dance, art and craft. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had
created his own style of music and dance which had a profound influence on
the Bengali psyche and still continues to do so today. The cultural scene
of Kolkata will not be complete if western music is not mentioned. This
city was already rocking to jazz, blues, country, rock and roll and pop
western music when the rest of the country wasn’t even aware of their
existence. This city appreciates Indian classical music as much as it
appreciates the works of western classical maestros. Every musician worth
his salt acknowledges the fact that Kolkata knows its music and has the
most knowledgeable audience.
Bengali culture is magnificent. In the Year 1913 Rabindranath Tagore won
the Nobel Prize for his epic verse Gitanjali that he wrote in Bengali. One
can read Tagore's works in English translation.
Many prominent artists of the country come from this part of the country.
The Bengal School of Art founded by Abanindranath Tagore has a distinct
and unique style. Jamini Roy, Ganesh Pyne, Bikash Bhattacharya, Nanda Lal
Bose and Ramanada Bandopadhay, to mention a few, belong to this genre.
Satyajit Ray made his wonderful films in Bengali which are still
considered to be a part of international film festivals.
The Kolkata Book fair is an annual event which is observed like a ritual.
The Bengalis are avid book lovers and read both Bengali and English books
with equal enthusiasm. Poetry reading, theatre, book reading sessions,
seminars, debates are a part of the literary circle in Kolkata.
Kolkata has become a busy & flourishing city, the center of cultural as
well as political and economic life of Bengal. For the traveler in
Calcutta, the best way to enjoy the culture of the city is to find a
friend there and sit down for an adda - local parlance for a chat session.
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