T For Travel

India is second country in the world as far being the most populated.  More than one billion people live in the country and there is not one single culture, but many with the cultural and societal continuities that hold the people together.  For the world of politics and the business world, English is the spoken language, however officially, fourteen languages are recognized.  Unofficially throughout the country there are twenty-four, with more changes in the regions, more dialects.  This diversity is one of the aspects of the country that draws tourist year round and has them booking their reservations in the luxury hotels Rajasthan state offers.

There are six major ethnic groups living in the cities, there are festivals occurring year round for the seven different main religions, and countless other smaller religions, and a large number of holidays, which makes anytime of year the perfect time to visit.  Of the celebrations, the ones that are partaken in for religious purposes, and with spiritual meaning, are some of the most wondrous sights and experiences for those traveling from other parts of the world.  Regardless of which religion on practices in India, the religion is the central part of one’s life.  Close to eighty percent of Indian populations practice Hinduism.  Other religions that make up the spiritual map of India include Jainism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam.

There is really no other place in the world quite like this country.  The creativity of the various religions and cultures has lead to some of the finest of artworks.  Every characteristic of the cities seem to be exaggerated, in the way that just seeing photos or film footage, the colors appear brighter, more vivid in the country more than others.  This country is also geographically stunning, borders by the Himalayan Mountain range and by the Bay of Bengal,  this Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea.  Just as the people of the country are diverse, so to is the terrain, another draw for travelers wishing tremendous outdoor experiences and adventures.  There is so much to this country to enjoy.

Festivals occur throughout the year in the country of India.  Tourists and locals alike participate in the events, many traveling to the cities for extending periods of time and staying in the Rajasthan luxury hotels,  in order to experience as much as possible.  Many of the festivals are colorful events such as the Elephanta Festival or festivals honoring Lord Ganesh.  Some however are quiet and celebrated without ceremony, and without pomp and circumstance.  Such is the Jain festival of Mahavira Jayanti. This is celebrated each year, on the birthday of the founder of the Jain religion, Vardhmana Mahavira.

Another festival that surrounds the founder is that of Deep Diwali.  This is the celebration of the liberation from the cycle of life and the cycle of death obtained by Mahavira.  This is a festival of the lights, similar to the festival celebrated by the Hindus ten day previous each year, the Diwali Festival.  For that Jains, the lights are a symbol of the illumination of the world that occurred during his liberation.  Most find that the best place to view the events is near the city of Junagadh, on Mount Girnar. The third festival of the Jain religion occurs only each fifteen years.  This is a ceremony of anointment center around the sculpture of Gomateshwara, and is located in Karnataka at Shravana Belgola.  The statue is cleaned during this time, using traditional substances that are considered precious.  There are sixteen such substances used including gold, rare gems, silver, saffron, milk and ghee.

The Jains practice rituals throughout the year as well, daily rituals that involve the saying of the prayer universal to all those practitioners of the religion, bowing and repeating the Navkar Mantra.  Many of the temples throughout the city contain various images and the Jains usually attend each day in order to worship those images.  The elaborate rituals involve songs, music and the offerings of objects of symbolic significance.  However, not all Jains practice the worship of objects nor attend temples.  These groups regard the temples, the structures, the sculptures, and the offerings to those as unnecessary.  The public festivals are spectacular, yet calm and peaceful and are a beautiful look into one of the cultures in the country of India.