Tiger Dance of India

 By Felix Francis [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

 A pulikkali procession during Onam in Thrissur City

India is a land of varied cultures and traditions. It is said that, there is no better way to explore the vast cultural landscape of India than through its folk dance and song. Folk dances are performed to express joy and happiness. Some are performed for festivals and some to celebrate the arrival of seasons. On most occasions, the dancers sing themselves, while being accompanied by artists on the instruments. Many of such traditional folk dances have emerged centuries ago and gradually evolved in form. One such majestic folk dance is ‘Tiger Dance of India’. It is performed in Indian state of Odisha and southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. But it is known by different names and is performed at different occasions. Let’s dance through this folk dance of India.

Gates of Vadodara

An old photograph of old Baroda around Mandvi

Vadodara (Baroda), a cultural capital of Indian state of Gujarat, was once a walled city. The old walled city has four gates on four sides for entering the city and the old city is settled inside those gates. Each gates has its own story to tell. Let me take you through the brief history of 'Gates of Vadodara'.

Shankar’s International Doll Museum

Shankar’s International Doll Museum

Shankar’s International Doll Museum, is one of the most popular museum in New Delhi. There are both Indian dolls, as well as international dolls, in this museum.

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets

Want to trace evolution of toilets throughout human history? Then visit India's Sulabh International Museum of Toilets. It has been ranked third among the world’s 10 weirdest museums by Time magazine.

Rats rule this Indian temple

By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France (Le temple de Karni Mata (Deshnoke)) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Karni Mata Temple, Bikaneer, Rajasthan

If you see a rat in your house, you shall become restless and try to get rid of them as soon as possible. Rats are considered as deadly pests. They are known to spread various diseases like leptospirosis, Salmonellosis, plague etc.  Though many consider them dirty and dangerous, on contrary, they can also be cute and cuddly. 

Top 10 Tallest Statues of Lord Shiva in India

||  Om Namah Shivaya || 

“Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner self of all beings.”  

- Anonymous, The Upanishads

Lord Shiva is worshipped since time immemorial.  Lord Shiva is known by several names, Shankar, Shambu, Mahadev, Mahakal, Murdeshwara, Siddeshwara, Nageshwar and many (There are 1008 names of Lord Shiva listed in Shiva Sahasranama). The Trimurti (hindu trinity) is a concept in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer.

In this review article, we are going to cover the Tallest Lord Shiva statues in India, including pics of the statue, height in meters and feet, and the location of the statue.

1. Murudeshwara Statue

      Location : Murudeshwara, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka

      Height    : 123 feet (37 m)

Murdeshwar, Karnataka (Source)