Exotic India

The people of Andhra Pradesh are enthusiasts who display heart warming hospitality and chivalry. The state tops the international charts for being an ideal hub for IT companies, with its capital Hyderabad transformed into one of the best destinations for IT projects and missions.

Apparently, global investors find Andhra Pradesh as an excellent location for setting up their firms. Many global giants like Infosys, MIcrosoft, IBM, Patni Computer Systems, Wipro, Yahoo, Google and others have stationed themselves in the Hi-tech city of Hyderabad and its periphery, forming Cyberabad-the IT hub.

History

The exhilarating state has a rich cultural background, wherein life dates to the Palaeolithic age, which existed about 3 lakhs years ago. The historical records hint the existence of civilization in the region even in the early sixth century BC, specially in and around the Godavari and Krishna valleys.

According to historians, the regular history of Andhra Pradesh begins from 236 BC, the year in which Ashoka died. In the following centuries, the land was ruled by dynasties like Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas, Sakas and Kakatiyas. Some other dynasties that ruled over the Andhra region were Qutub Shahi and Mir Qumruddin and his successors, who were called as the Nizams.

From the seventeenth century onwards, the Britishers started taking over the territories of the Nizams and formed a single province named Madras. India achieved its freedom from British rule in the year 1947. After a period of three years, the Telugu speaking regions of the Hyderabad state were integrated with the Telugu speaking regions of the Madras state, which formed the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Geography & Climate

The third largest state in India, Andhra Pradesh covers an area of 275,000 sq. km. Located in the southern region of the country, it is surrounded by states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The northern region of the state is covered with mountains, with its highest peak Mahendragiri rising 1500 m above the sea level. The climate here stays hot and humid. The place receives an annual rainfall of 125 cm and is drained by Krishna and Godavari rivers.

Demographics

Hyderabad is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. The official language of the state is Telugu, which is spoken by 71.5% of the population. Telugu has been designated as a classical and ancient language by the Government of India. The primary ethnic group of the state is that of Telugu people who originally are Dravidians. In terms of Human Development Index, Andhra Pradesh ranks tenth with a score of 0.416. The people of Andhra Pradesh generally observe religion of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.

Heritage & Culture

Emanating from authentic Telugu or Andhra culture, the natives of the state have absorbed the graces of Turkish and Persian cultures drawn in by Muslim dynasties. The coming together of different cultures has given an exclusive 'Deccani' culture to the land that is a melange of grace, hospitality and passion. Kuchipudi is the most famous classical dance form of the state. Some of the prime festivals celebrated by the people are Sankranthi, Maha Shivaratri, Holi, Ugadi or the Telugu New Year, Sri Rama Navami, Varalakshmi Vratham, Rakhi poornima, Vinayaka Chavithi, Dasara, Atla Tadde, Deepavali, Eid ul-Fitr, Bakr-Id, Muharram, Milad-un-Nabi, Bonalu and Batukamma.

India has a diverse geographical, topographical and climatic features that present a varied and rich vegetation. The sundry natural ecosystems of the regions result variety of vegetation ranging from evergreen tropical rain forests to dry alpine scrub high in the Himalayas. Nearly 67.83 million hectares and constitute 20.64 percent of geographical area is covered by forest. It is the second largest land use in India next to agriculture. India forest areas are principally divided into eight distinct floristic regions - the Western Himalayas (extend from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh through Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Meghalaya and Nagaland and the Deccan Peninsula); the Eastern Himalayas (eastward Sikkim to Darjeeling, Kurseong and the adjacent tract); the Indus plain that are the plains of Punjab, western Rajasthan and northern Gujarat; the Ganga plain; the Deccan (Indian Peninsular), Malabar (humid belt parallel to the west coast of the peninsular); the Andamans (rich in evergreen, mangrove, beach and diluvial forests)

Types Of Forest

Evergreen Forests (Tropical) - These type of forests are predominant where rainfall is higher and between 200-300 cm. Western Ghats and Sub Himalayan regions are covered with evergreen tropical forest. These are coniferous forests with trees having needle-shaped leaves and provide Teak, Rosewood, Ebony and Bamboo.

Deciduous Forests (Monsoon) - Deciduous forests are found where the rainfall is around 150-200 cm. Most of the Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are places where deciduous forests are dominant. Most of the trees are Sal, Teak and Sandalwood.

Dry Forests - Rajasthan deserts and south of Punjab are covered by dry forests where rainfall ranges between 75-100 cms.

Hill Forests - Hill forests are mainly found in southern India and the Himalayan regions and provide timber like Oak, Deodar, Pines and Chi.

Tidal Forests (Mangrove) - Tidal forests are dominant in coastal plains, generally submerged on river deltas on the east coast, (the Ganga, the Mahanadi and the Godavari). The forests on the Gangetic delta in Bengal are called Sunderbans named after the Sundari trees in the forests.

Flora And Fauna In Indian Forests

In many parts of India forests enjoy a privileged position of religious significance and the wildlife gets a secure position. Although in last 3 decades India has seen a pathetic poaching that destroyed a large number of animals especially tigers and rhinos. The diverse India's climate and topography is reflected in its rich flora and fauna and famed for tigers, elephants, rhinoceros and varieties of birds and other species. India captivates the wildlife enthusiasts for long and attract overland travelers to experience the rich flora and fauna. India holds 80 national parks and 441 wildlife sanctuaries of which 19 fall under the purview of Project Tiger. India is blessed with over 2,000 species of birds over 500 species of reptiles and amphibians and 30,000 species of insects.

History Of Arts And Handicrafts

Indian crafts history dates back to Vedas when people involved in pottery making, weaving, wood crafting and crafted their artistic skills on the daily routine of their lives. During the Mauryan period India saw an uprising of spectacular artistic brilliance, which reflects on the relics of Stupas and Sculptures of Bharhut, Mathura, Amravati and Vaishali. In the Gupta Age rock cut temples of Ajanta and Ellora caves showcases the incredible perseverance and brilliance of artistic skills. Apart from that, artists were involved in jewelry making, woodcarving, sculpture, stone carving and weaving.

The Medieval period of Indian history saw a makeshift of art from north India to the Deccan and southern parts of the country. However, the artisan brilliance of northern India still flourished at its fullest. Under the Delhi Sultanate the art and crafts in the sphere of pottery, weaving, wood carving, metal working, jewelry saw a highest level of artistic brilliance of that era. The contribution of the Cholas and the Vijaynagar Empire in the medieval times saw an aesthetic inventiveness in the field of bronze sculpture, silk weaving, jewelry, temple carving etc. Rich and fantastic wood and stone carving can be found in medieval temple of Jagannath at Puri in Orissa.

Folk And Tribal Art

Indian diverse cultural and social dimensions are perfectly displayed through various forms of art and craft of the regions. Every region has a unique specialized artistic style and pattern, which originated in the villages. These are known as folk art. Another form of traditional art is very popular in India, practiced by different tribal called Tribal art. The folk and tribal arts and crafts are simple yet exquisite and showcases a colorful and vibrant artistic brilliance of tribes of India.

The folk arts and crafts has a great demand in international market because of its traditional aesthetic sensibility and authenticity. The simple yet eye catching painting of Madhubani, Bihar or Patachitra paintings of Orissa gives a strong impression of artistic creativity of rural people. Folk art is however not confined only to paintings, but also expands to various other forms such as pottery, home decorations, ornaments, cloths-making, jewelry and so on. Due to its popularity among foreigners, many fairs and festivals display folk and tribal arts.

Indian government emphasizes on rural and tribal arts and handicrafts and give proper support to the people who are engaged in the art. However, many tribal art forms are still to be unleashed properly. They have a huge potential in international market and display a wide range of art forms such as wall paintings, tribal dances, tribal music, and so on.

Click on the following links to know more about some of the famous Folk and Tribal Art of India:

Tanjore Art
Madhubani Painting
Warli Folk Painting
Pattachitra Painting
Rajasthani Miniature Painting
Kalamezhuthu

Further Read:

Ethnic Miniature Paintings

West Bengal Handicraft Association

Study Fine Arts In India

New Delhi Art Galleries

Wildlife of India is diverse and fascinating. The picturesque hills and homely plains of central and southern India act as haven to a host of signature species like monkeys, tigers, elephants, leopards, rhinos and antelopes. With a remarkable figure of 89,451 recorded species of fauna, the country has some of the richest biodiversity in the world. Apparently, wildlife watching is one of the prime tourist activities in India. There are a number of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries offering opportunities to spot some of the rarest and unusual wildlife.

India has a substantial populations of panthers, leopards, snow leopards and jungle cats, Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion and many more. Some of the Indian animals are ingrained in culture, generally associated with deities. There are about 2546 species of fishes thriving in Indian waters, which counts to about 11% of the world species. Around 197 species of amphibians and above 408 reptile species are found in the country.

Endangered Species Of India

India has an amazing biodiversity but Indian wildlife is exposed to tough challenge from the exploding human population of the country. As per the last census, India had 569 threatened species comprising 89 species of mammals, 26 species of reptiles, 82 species of birds, 35 species of fish, 68 species of amphibians, 22 species of invertebrates and 247 species of plants.

Listed below are few of the critically endangered and endangered species of Indian Wildlife:

Critically Endangered

• Jenkin's Shrew
• Ganges Shark
• Himalayan Wolf
• Indian Vulture
• Malabar Large-spotted Civet
• Namdapha Flying Squirrel
• Pygmy Hog
• Salim Ali's Fruit Bat
  

Endangered

• Asiatic Black Bear
• Asiatic Lion
• Blue Whale
• Chiru (Tibetan Antelope)
• Nilgiri Leaf Monkey
• Snow Leopard

Conservation Of Wildlife In India

In India the need for conservation of wildlife is often questioned against the vast spread poverty of the people. The Wildlife Protection Act was passed in the year 1972 to check the abuse of wildlife, followed by a series of similar pieces of legislation with high objectives but low enthusiasm to actually take any action in that direction. Amongst the very few success stories, one has been of Project Tiger, which was launched in 1972 to conserve India's big mammals.The tiger is of particular importance and Project Tiger was a major effort to protect the tiger and preserve its habitats. Project Elephant, though not as popular as Project Tiger, started in 1992 and works for the protection of elephants.

Famous Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks

About 4.7% of Indian territory is dedicated to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. India has 486 wildlife sanctuaries, 93 national parks and 14 biosphere reserves that overlap many of the national parks and sanctuaries. The biosphere reserves provide safe migration channels for wildlife and allow easy monitoring of biodiversity by the scientists. Some of the world renowned wildlife sanctuaries and national parks of India are listed below:

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Location: Kumily, Kerala
Nearest Access: Kumily (4 kms)
Main Wildlife Found: Elephants, Nilgiri Tahr, Tiger, Nilgiri Langur
Coverage Area: 777sq kms

Gir Sanctuary
Location: Gir, 42-kms from Junagadh, Gujarat
Nearest Access: Junagadh (42 kms)
Main Wildlife Found: Asiatic Lions, Leopards, Chowsingha
Coverage Area: 1412.13 sq kms

Kaziranga National Park
Location: Bokakhat (23 kms), Assam
Nearest Access: Bokakhat
Main Wildlife Found: Tigers, Rhinos, Leopards
Coverage Area: 430 sq kms

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
Location: Assam, North East India
Nearest Access: Guwahari (176 kms)
Main Wildlife Found: Tigers, Rhinos, Elephants
Coverage Area: 391 sq kms

Corbett National Park
Location: Uttarakhand
Nearest Access: Ramnagar
Main Wildlife Found: Tigers, Leopards, Crocodiles
Coverage Area: 1,200 sq kms

Sundarbans National Park
Location: Piyali, West Bengal
Nearest Access: Gosaba (50 kms)
Main Wildlife Found: Bengal Tiger, Ridley Sea Turtle
Coverage Area: 1330.10 sq kms.

Read More about wildlife..

Balpakram National Park In Meghalaya

Wildlife In Rajasthan- Ranthambore National Park

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary