| Few countries in the
world have such an ancient and diverse culture as India's. Stretching back
in an unbroken sweep over 5000 years, India's culture has been enriched by
successive waves of migration which were absorbed into the Indian way of
life. It is this variety which is a special hallmark of India.
The Indus Valley civilization, one of
the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes
from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier
inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting
in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by European
traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain
had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Strong
resistance to British colonialism led to independence in 1947.
The subcontinent of India lies in
south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered
by the world's highest mountain chain, where foothill valleys cover the
northernmost of the country's 26 states. Further south, plateaus, tropical
rain forests and sandy deserts are bordered by palm fringed beaches. Side
by side with the country's staggering topographical variations is its
cultural diversity, the result of the coexistence of a number of religions
as well as local tradition. Thus, the towering temples of south India,
easily identifiable by their ornately sculptured surface, are associated
with a great many crafts and performing arts of the region.
Modern India is home alike to the
tribal with his anachronistic lifestyle and to the sophisticated urban
jetsetter. It is a land where temple elephants exist amicably with the
microchip. Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for the world's largest
democracy where atomic energy is generated and industrial development has
brought the country within the world's top ten nations. Today, fishermen
along the country's coastline fashion simple fishing boats in a centuries
old tradition while, a few miles away. motor vehicles glide off conveyor
belts in state-of-the-art factories
Garima Gupta, Garima Rana, Hemendra Rana,
garimagupta, garimarana, shreyas rana
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