A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

This is a scene from the daily lives of numerous children who live along the Ganges in Kolkata, West Bengal. The ghats of the Ganges also have cremation grounds where the Hindus burn their dead & perform their last rites before throwing the ashes into the Ganges, hoping for a reprieve of the departed soul.

These kids often end up following these cremations & hooks up any of the remnants from the ashes. Most of the time they return empty handed, rarely getting a few pennies that may have drowned with the ashes of the dead.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Children of Kolkata first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

The word Adivasi is synonymous to aboriginal, native & original dwellers. They lived on the land & persisted with their way of living on & living with nature for hundred of centuries in India till the subcontinent became prone to invasions from the western looters & pillagers. While most of the European & Chinese invaders looted & killed, the British, Spanish & Portuguese colonists expanded their rules over these Adivasis. Over time, the decimation of their cultures & the ruthless killings of their people, brought the tribal communities to the brink of extinction.

Chhattisgarh still has remnants of tribal communities, struggling to co-exist with the intrusion we have come to call by various names – civilization, modernization, industrialization et all. All that such terms translated to were the eviction of these tribal communities, usurpation of their land & exploitation of their cultures & humanity for decades. Today, most of them live with perennial fear of being termed criminal, at the mercy of the so called rich & powerful landlords, politicians & industrial exploiters.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Tribal Mother & Child first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

The Dhankar Monastery is one of the many that you would see in the Leh Ladakh region of India. Deeply influenced by Tibetian Buddhism, many of these monasteries existed for hundreds of years. Very recently many of them have come under the aegis of the Archaeological Survey of India for their restoration & maintenances. Many are also part of the diverse Indian Heritage sites & monuments.

The Dhankar Monastery lies in the Spiti valley. The word Dhankar means “Fort on a Cliff” & rightfully so, this one too is built on the cliff side of the Himalayas at a height of 3,894 metres above the sea level in the Spiti Valley above Dhankar Village, between the towns of Kaza and Tabo.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Dhankar Gompa first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

Kerala is beautiful in more ways than one. From tea & coffee plantations on hill tops to miles of pristine shores along the Arabian Sea merging into the Indian Ocean at the Southern tip of Indian mainland. This is a great picture of fishermen along the coastal area of Fort Kochi in Kerala, India

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Fishermen of Kerala first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

India is so diverse in her cultures & lifestyles, that today almost all aspects in some way or the other, intermingles with other core philosophies that drive life in this country. Religion for one has united India, divided India, evolved India and even challenged India. But most of all, religion has established it’s presence in almost everything that Indians do in their daily life.

In this picture, young kids are dressed up to play in local street theaters various religious dramas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Child Gods first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

This is a scene from the daily lives of numerous fishermen who live along the Ganges in Kolkata, West Bengal. Many of them live with their families on the boat, only getting off to buy or sell goods. Most of them catch the fish early morning, mostly before sunrise, only to be back to sell their catch to the wholesale buyers.

Kolkata is one of the biggest consumers of fish and fish products. Even then, pollution and degraded water of the Ganges near Kolkata have significantly reduced the fish population in the region, challenging the lives & livelihood of hundreds of fishermen who have for generations depended on the river for sustenance.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Kolkata Fishermen first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Woman first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

Nestled in the beautiful region of Paro in Bhutan is one of the thirteen of the monasteries where the Vajrayana Buddhism teacher Guru Padmasambhava practiced his methods of spiritual liberation. Numerous legends surround this monastery, ranging from the woman who transformed herself into a tiger to carry Guru Padmasambhava on her back to this temple to others.

This Paro monastery is built into the rock face overlooking the valley at a height of over 3100 meters. It is now a popular tourist destination & hikers take pleasure taking the beautiful but strenuous trail.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Tigers Nest Monastery first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

The Baiga tribe, one of the oldest known Indian tribal community, is spread mostly around the mid-central regions of the country, with the largest population found in Baiga-chuk in Madhya Pradesh. Traditionally the Baiga tribe has been associated with natural curing, herbal medicines and even, in some rare cases, sorcery.

The Baiga tribe practices shifting cultivation & holds Mother Nature is the one that provides, protects & shows them the way to live in harmony. The tribe, and their lifestyles, have been denominated as “Particularly Vulnerable” by the Indian government in the recent assessments, and one of the main reasons for such classification is their extreme low levels of literacy.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Baiga Tribal Women first appeared on Explore India TV.

A photographic journey from the past to the present, from the tribal regions deep in India to the beautiful destinations that shows the veracity of the largest democracy in the world today.

Incredible India in pictures depicting Indian diversity in cultures, heritage, history, archaeology, literature & religion, from tribal communities to popular settlements.

Originating in Thrikkariyoor in Ernakulam, Kerala, Theeyattu is a ritualistic fire dance symbolizing the killing of the demon Darika by Bhadrakali, thus defeating evil & protecting the people from the dark forces. This fire dance is also known as Deepattom & Theeyattom & done in celebration of Ayyappan & Bhadrakali.

Over 5000 years of human civilization, prosperity in arts, science, philosophy and non-materialistic sciences have also harbored religions, rituals & various customs in India. Very often we follow these rituals mechanically these days without completely knowing the purpose or completely following the processes as prescribed in the Vedas.

More such incredible India in our Pictures gallery.

The post Incredible India – Fire Dance Theeyattu first appeared on Explore India TV.