Liena Štālberga III VA

Snake charmers conjure up images of the ancient and exotic for tourists, but are a bane for average Indian who feels that they portray the country in a backwards light. The reality is that snake charming is illegal in India and has been for a number of years, although snake charmers do still exist.

The movie Slumdog Millionaire had a huge impact on the way India was perceived around the world. The amount of baggars in India doesn't help the situation either. But what usually strikes foreigner visitors is that although many people in India have very few possessions, they still smile. Indeed, there is a lot of poverty in India. However, India also holds a significant proportion of the world's riches.

Many foreign tourists come to India looking to have what they term a "real India experience". They like to live as frugally as possible, and delve into India's dirt and chaos.

India has 28 states and seven territories, and each has at least one official language. While the national languages are Hindi and English, there are about 22 official languages and nearly 400 living languages spoken in various parts of the country. Most of the languages of India belong to two families, Aryan and Dravidian.

This stereotype is actually true. It won't take you long to spot your first cow. They can even be found chilling on the beaches in Goa! Cows wandering the streets do pose a problem though. They will fearlessly walk out in front of traffic, so drivers need to be extra cautious.

While Hindus do believe that god is in everything, it's all manifestations of the one source and creator of reality –Brahman. Therefore every living and non-living thing is viewed as sacred. Each of Hinduism's many gods and goddesses also represent individual aspects of Brahman. For example, Sarawati is the Goddess of knowledge and the arts

It is nothing more than a forced alliance that hardly leaves any space for personal freedom. It is often the target of satire amongst the more liberated and individualistic counterparts. However, ironically, Indian marriages are highly successful.

Each region in India has its own style of cooking. In Kerala, the use of coconut is popular. In Kolkata, the menu commonly features seafood such as fish or prawns. Down south, rice is favored. In the north, people prefer Indian bread such as naan cooked in the tandoor.

 South Indians can't do without rice. It's the staple in their diet. In Kerela, most dishes are coconut based and seafood is a specialty. In Tamil Nadu, watch out for Chettinad cuisine, perhaps the most fiery of all Indian food. This style is largely vegetarian.

India is well known for its film industry, which is based in Mumbai and is often referred to as Bollywood. The country began as a major producer of movies in the 1930s. Today the films are known for their elaborate singing and dancing and Bollywood produces more films per year than Hollywood.

Indian dance has a tradition of more than 2,000 years. The major classical dance traditions — Bharata Natyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and Kathakali — draw on themes from mythology and literature and have rigid presentation rules.

The Western view of the caste system is much more brutal than the reality, although the reality is far from pleasant for the lower castes. Jobs, schooling, marriage, and advancement are all dictated for each person virtually from birth. The election of an “untouchable” for the largely ceremonial presidency of the country in 1997 was little more than symbolic

India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people.

It is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage

 Indian clothing is closely identified with the colorful silk saris worn by many of the country’s women. The traditional clothing for men is the dhoti, an unstitched piece of cloth about 5 yards long that is tied around the waist and legs. Men also wear a kurta, a loose shirt that is worn about knee-length. For special occasions, men wear a sherwani, which is a long coat that is buttoned up to the collar and down to the knees.

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