Sidi Dancers – The Lost Africans of India

Sidi Goma – the lost tribe of Africa, still exists in India. The most prominent feature of these Negroid tribe is their curly caespitose hair. They are very fond of wearing junk jewelery and designing their faces with different colors. The Sidi dancers are actually the African Sufis of Gujarat who served as slaves to the rajah's and maharajah's of the 13^th century. Slowly with the time, they lost their culture, traditions, language and the knowledge of their country's content. However they have kept alive certain African attributes and some of their cultural rites and rituals of worship.

Today there are around thirty thousand Sidi's in Indian residing in Junagadh district of Gujarat and primarily in Jambur deep within the Gir Wildlife forests – home to the largest population of Asiatic Lions. Sidi's mainly worship African Sufi saint called Bara Gor who was also known as Sidi Mubarak Nobi. The term Sidi is derived from the word ‘Saiyed’ meaning the descendant of the Prophet Mohammad. Surprisingly, they are not aware of their native language and their only cultural link to Africa is through the dance, music and certain cultural practices. They use African derived movements, rhymes and instruments.

Their performance is happy and high spirited dance sequence, yet mythological as it is dedicated to Baba Gor. Very often in their lyrics they use the word lahar/mauj which Baba Gor used to describe ecstasy and joy of the sea voyage on the way to India. They dis this as nomadic fakirs, accepting contribution for their bringing of the dance from village to village. They pledge of poverty to exhibit their devotion and dedication.

One of their popular dance prayer is zikr. Virtuostic drumming accompanies rapturous dancing that is nimble and lively.It increases and intensifies rhythmic music becoming more and more phrenetic. Animal Mimicry is quite popular Sidi's. They love to wear costumes made of peacock feathers instead of ostrich ones that their ancestors might have used in Africa.

The groups' lyrics recounts Islamic history and praises Prophet Mohammad though the musical forms of dhamal, baithi and qawwali. By various plays and dance, the Sidi's eulogises and celebrate lehar/mauj. The Sidi's perform with four lead drummers and eight dancers and singers who play and perform zikr, a tribute to saint Baba Gor.

Aparana Chauhan

Read more...

Siddha

Siddha is one of the alternative system of medicines originated in India thousands of years ago. It is infact considered as the oldest medical systems in the universe. The term Siddha is the Tamil word which means 'one who is accomplished' and refers to 'Siddhars' – the saintly persons who according to the Hindu belief have surpassed ahamkara (ego), have repressed their minds to be subordinate to their awareness and have modified their bodies composed mainly of dense Rajo tama gunas into a different kind of bodies dominated by sattva. This can actually be achieved by those who have been practicing meditation for centuries.

Siddha is considered as the crown of all traditional system of medicines. Unlike Ayurveda, Siddha also deals with the spiritual path of discipline, which aims at mastering the mind and senses through various practices and teachings. Though it originated thousand of years ago, but it is totally reliable and appropriate for present day society, where so many people suffer from depression and stress related condition which conventional medicines has been unable to solve.

It's logical approach to living and health is combined with philosophy, psychology and spiritual guidance. According to Siddha's teachings if humans do not live their lives according to the right principles of mind and body, than it can create imbalance in the body that can cause sufferings and diseases.

Siddha medicine revitalizes the body by maintains the ratio of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. It does not involve any artificial chemicals or the use of drugs, so it is completely safe. Siddha was initially initiated by Siddhars to make the body strong and powerful that is unaffected by the diseases, old age or even the death.

This traditional system of medicine is capable of treating almost all type of diseases. It is found effective in treating the liver problems, diabetics, skin diseases especially “Psoriasis”, rheumatic problems, anaemia, prostate enlargement, bleeding piles and peptic ulcer.

Since Siddha aims at disciplinary lifestyle, so it is very necessary to abide consumption of drugs, smoking and alcohol that can weaken your lungs and liver respectively.

Read more...

Exploring Mount Everest

Geographical Location : Mount Everest is the rocky snow cladded peak of the Himalayas. It is located on the Nepal Tibet border and stands at the height of 29, 028 feet. It is the highest mountain in the world.

Mount Everest is popularly known as 'Sagarmatha' meaning Goddess of the Sky in Nepal and 'Chomolungma' meaning Goddess of the Universe in Tibet. People of the Khumbhu valley also call it Jomolangma, as according to them, a goddess, one of the five sisters of long life resides here.

Mount Everest the highest mountain in the world, is named after Sir George Everest, the surveyor general of India. It made its presence known on earth over 60 million years ago. The first expedition to the Mount Everest was made in the year 1924, since than several attempts were made to the summits. The expedition till now has taken more then 400 lives. It was declared as the world's tallest mountain in 1852.

Mount Everest : From 1830 to 1843 Sir George Everest, the Surveyor General of India, made attempts to record the location of the the Everest. In the year 1856, Andrew Waugh identified Mount Everest to be 8840 meters high. Than exact after the 10 years, in 1865 Peak XV, was renamed as Mt. Everest in the honour of Sir George Everest.

Later on in the 19th century George Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted the summit. The men were last seen heading towards the top of Mount Everest but thereafter they were completely engulfed by the clouds. In the year 1999, Mallory's body was found, but no such evidence, that could reveal weather they completed their journey to the Everest or not.

The first ones who broke all the records and reach the top of Mount Everest, were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who received immense popularity overnight. Another most interesting historical record was made in May, 1978 by Habeler and Messner who made the heroic effort to reach the top without using any supplemental oxygen. More than 600 climbers from 20 countries have climbed to the summit by various routes.

Trekking and Hiking : Mount Everest is the never ending adventure for the trekkers lovers and hikers too. Trekking at Mount Everest is quite a challenging one. You may face several difficulties while climbing, so you need to be physically fit and fine. The trekking route provides you the most beautiful sceneries and unparalleled views, which are quite amazing. The most appropriate time to trek the base camp of the Mount Everest is pre- monsoon springtime and post monsoon autumn.

Wildlife Exploration : Explore the exotic flora and fauna of the Mount Everest. You can make a visit to the popular Sagarmatha National Park, declared as the world Heritage Site in 1979. The park is known for its rare species of snow leopard and red pandas. Juniper, blue pines, firs, bamboo and rhododendron contribute to the rich floral system of the park. The main attractions of the park include musk deer, wild yak, Himalayan black beer, langur monkeys, hares, mountain foxes, Himalayan wolves and red panda.

Birding :The Sagarmatha National Park is also the birding paradise. You can carry the pair of binoculars to engage in Bird watching. It is home to 118 species of birds. The most important among them include Danphe, Blood Pheasant, Red billed chough and Yellow billed chough. Sagarmatha is one of the most beautiful place you will find on earth.

Visit to Khumbu Valley :The Khumbu valley mostly inhabited by the Sherpas, has marvelous, incomparable beauty. Beautifully surrounded by the snowy peaks, the valley is the zenith of natural beauty. The people in the valley are quite religious, who have been following Tibetan Buddhism from generations. The people here are engaged in various occupations such as trekking, mountaineering, portering and other religious practices.

Read more...

Kerala Backwaters, Rajasthan eclipse Taj Mahal as dream Destination

Rajasthan with its ornate palaces and impressive havelis amidst the glorious sand dunes and the pristine backwaters of Kerala have obscured India's iconic Taj Mahal in an international survey that was that rated the top most 133 tourists attractions all around the globe.

The survey was conducted by National Geographic Society's Center for sustainable eco locations, has published in the latest issue of Traveler Magazine.

Rajasthan has been declared as the world's 19^th dream destination; while beautiful backwaters of Kerala has been rated 23^rd.

The Taj Mahal – 'Seventh Wonder of the World' along with Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri have been alloted 30^th place in the survey.

One of the panelists opined that Rajasthan looks like Tuscany, a region in north central Itlay known for its landscapes and its artistic bequest.

As per the survey reports, Rajasthan has a "strong sense of cultural identity" and "remarkable appeal and mystique".

However, the survey expressed its concern about the tourism benefits not reaching the local communities.

"Improved tourist facilities fuelled an eight-point jump from five years ago, though concerns remain that tourism benefits are not reaching local communities," it said.

The lakes, rivers and canals in the southern Indian state of Kerala, "on which visitors ply aboard houseboats, present a unique travel and cultural experience".

However, the survey said "the number of boats is not so large" that environmental degradation is feared.

The survey said, Agra, the host of three iconic World Heritage sites - Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri - is "in dire need of environmental planning".

"Things are getting better for these historic sites mainly through the hard efforts of local heritage protection activists."

Read more...

Fatwa issued against 'Vande Mataram'

Jamiat-e-ulema Hind (JEU) has passed a fatwa against 'Vande Mataram' - the national song of India, citing that some verses in the song is against the tenets of Islam. The decision was taken in Deoband National convention meet held on Tuesday, Nov 3 in which the JEU leaders and the organisers of the event urged Muslims not to sing ' Vande Mataram'.

The issue of Fatwa also found a strong support from Rajya Sabha MP Mahmood Madani who is reported to have objection to some of the lines in the patriotic song.

The meeting which was covened as part of the ongoing meeting between Muslim Scholars of different schools to discuss the exclusiveness of Islam and terror of Jihad turned into a debate between a section of scholars on whether or not a fatwa has to issued on the patriotic song.

Aparana Chauhan

Read more...

Kerala Eco Tourism

Kerala is one the most famous eco destination in Kerala. Experience and enjoy the travel to land of beaches, wildlife parks, hill stations, rivers, house boats and backwaters with excellent tailor made tour packages provided by meditripkerala.com

Kerala Eco Tourism aims to let people have insight of the of the local culture and gain personal growth. Comprising of all eco activities like backwater tours, wildlife tours, cruising, birding etc, eco tour to Kerala is the most favorable way to enjoy holidays. Kerala fortunately with its affluent cultural, traditional and natural diversity enables vacationers from all over to enjoy eco vacation in its best way.

Kerala is the most vacationed destination in India. People from all over India come here to treasure its awe inspiring beauty and enjoy the numerous eco activities it offers. Eco tourism in Kerala has become quite popular among the tourists who are interested in environmental conservation and sustainable development.

Government of India is taking its best initiatives to promote tourism in the undeveloped areas and saves the wildlife preserved in the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks of the state. Letting the eco travelers enjoy the best possible joy of being in complete equanimity with nature, are the tranquil backwaters of Kerala.

Eco tours in Kerala are conducted to the areas of natural and ecological interest, typically under the guidance of a naturalist, for the purpose learning about the exotic flora and fauna of Kerala as well as observing and understanding the environment. It only involves traveling to the eco region but also conserving them. The aim is to minimize the impact, built cultural and environmental awareness and provide financial benefits to the local people.

If you are interested in eco trip to Kerala, than just tell us where to go, when to go and what is your budget, we will do the rest for you. We present you the enchanting Kerala tourism in the form of various tour packages. We assure you that the eco tours provided by us cover all the major venues from destination replete with natural bounties to places enriched with cultural and historical significance. You can opt any of the Kerala tour itinerary provided by us or you can also plan the tour according to your specific needs and requirements.

Read more...

Unani

Unani is one of the ancient system of medicine in the world. It is the alternative medicine that derives its name from Greek word 'Ionia'. Unani system of medicine originated in Greece, is based on the principles propounded by Galen, Hippocrates and Avicenna. It is still practiced in Indian sub continent and other parts of the world. The practices and theories of the Unani system of medicine are quite similar to that of Ayurveda. It has now become the integral part of the Indian system of medicine. In India, there are about hundred of Unani Medical Colleges and Institutes where Unani is taught.

Unani gave birth to the new theory of science according to which disease in a body was a natural process and that symptoms were the reactions of the body to the disease. The study of Unani is based on the four humours namely :- Phlegm (Balgham), Blood (Dam), Yellow bile (Safra), and Black Bile (Sauda).

The identification of diseases in Unani system of medicine is through examination of pulse, urine and stool. Unani detect the influence of environment and ecological conditions such as air, food, drinks, body movement, psychic movement, excretion and retention on the state of health.Each individual's unique mixture of these substances ascertain his temperament : predominance of blood gives a sanguine temperament, a predominance of phlegm makes one phlegmatic, black bile – melancholic and yellow bile bilious. Any sort of imbalance in these substances can cause disease in the human body otherwise he remains healthy.

Unani Treatment :

Regimental Therapy : the regimental therapy includes procedures like venesection, cupping, diaphoresis, cauterisation, diuresis, turkish bath, puging, emesis, exercise and leeching. All these theories are based on the specific body reflexes, through various massages. But in the several musculoskeletal problems like back pain and arthritis, application of cold, heat or suction cups is also done. In rare cases, some of the serious diseases are treated by puncturing certain reflex points, in this whole process few drops of blood are released.

Dietotherapy : Dietotherapy deals with certain diseases by modulating and administering the quantity and quality of food.

Pharmacotherapy : Pharmacotherapy deals with the administration of naturally occurring drugs mostly herbal drugs derived from the plant and mineral sources.

Aparana Chauhan

Read more...