IW Mardi Gras: Saturday 1 July 2017

Classic India

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• Famous mausoleum in Agra. Built as the final resting place for Mumtaz Mahal, the third wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

• Construction took around 20 years, beginning in 1632 and finishing around 1653.

• The Taj Mahal is one of India’s most admired works of art, as well as a famous landmark and tourist attraction.

• The name Taj Mahal means “crown of palaces”. It is made of white marble

The Taj Mahal

Classic India

• Indian elephants are decorated for religious and ceremonial reasons.

• Elephants are a significant animal in Hinduism, and most temples keep elephants for use in rituals and festivals.

• These elephants are said to bless visitors and are a popular tourist attraction.

The Ceremonial Elephant

Classic India

• Ancient Hindu epic of The Ramayana

• Sita is kidnapped by

Ravana a 10 headed demon and Rama goes to rescue her.

• Rama is helped by Lord Hanuman and an army of monkeys.

• In the end, Rama and Sita are reunited.

Gods and Demons

Classic India

The National Animal of

India

The largest of the big cats, can reach up to 10 feet tall

Inhabits India’s tropical plains and mangrove forests

See Sher Khan in the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Bengal Tiger

Classic India

• The National Flower of India

• Grows on murky water in ponds and lakes.

• Has a beautiful smell.

• Most commonly pink or white.

• Symbolises purity grace and serenity.

The Lotus Flower

Classic India

• The National Bird of India.

• The male of the species is more colourful than the female.

• A peacock represents the very essence of Indian philosophy. It is protected by law.

• In India people believe that whenever the cock spread its tails in an ornamental fashion, it indicates that rain is imminent.

The Peacock

Classic India

• Temples are a wonderful showcase of art and architecture with amazing carvings and paintings.

• Hindu Temples are generally committed to one essential god, and different gods connected to the main god.

• The famous Golden Temple in Amritsar is a Sikh temple in Punjab. The outside is covered with real gold leaf. 35,000 people are fed here each day for free.

Temples of India

Classic India

• One of the world’s great rivers. It is 1569 miles long.

• It starts in the Himalayas and ends at Bay of Bengal.

• It is heavily polluted with human and industrial waste.

• It is a sacred river to Hindus, who bathe in its waters. The Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world, which 120 million people attend.

The River Ganges

Heritage project. ‘Colour and Chaos’. Our Indian Heritage through Queen Victoria and Osborne House.

Imperial India

• Set up in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth 1 for trading with Asia, mainly in textiles.

• Established ports in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras.

• Made its fortune by shipping tea from China through India. Was the biggest drug trafficker of all time (opium).

• The Indian Rebellion of 1857 led to abolition of the company.

The East India Company

Imperial India

• 1869 opening of the Suez • Canal and steam powered

liners reduce journey times.

• Trading in

Silks and Cottons

Spices

Jute and rubber

Tea

• Trade exhibitions and the 1924 Wembley Empire Exhibition (Indian Pavilion).

Trade

Imperial India

• Means ‘Court of India.’

• 1877. Held in Delhi to mark the succession of Victoria as Empress of India. She did not attend herself.

• Marked transfer of control from EIC to the Crown.

• Controversial, as it directed funds away from ‘the Great Famine.’

The Delhi Durbar

Imperial India

• Queen Victoria’s passion for all things Indian.

• Her new found love of curry.

• Abdul Karim, her Munshi and confidant.

• Jealousy and discontent among the other members of the Royal Household.

• Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja, and the Koh-I-Noor diamond.

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Colour and Chaos in the Court

Imperial India

1887 = 50 years of her reign. Public display of Britain as a global power. A troop of Indian cavalry accompany the Queen’s carriage in London procession. Gives birth to the Isle of Wight Carnival Tradition.

The Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations

Imperial India

• State banqueting room at Osborne, constructed 1890/91.

• Designed by Bhai Ram Singh using Sikh decorative techniques.

• • Supervised by Lockwood

Kipling from the Lahore School of Art.

• Contains fine Plasterwork and Carton Pierre - paper mache.

• Fine Carpets from Agra

The Durbar Room

Imperial India

• Collection of exquisite gifts on display in the Durbar Room presented to Queen Victoria by the Indian people.

• Lots of stories to unpack in this section:

• Where from?

• Who?

• Why? •

Gifts from India

Imperial India

• Austrian painter Rudolf Swoboda was commissioned to paint the portraits in the Durbar corridor.

• He travelled the country for two years, painting a cross section of Indian society.

• Indian Dignitaries, craftsmen, soldiers and servants are represented here.

People and Portraits

Imperial India

• Leader of the Indian Independence movement - Indian National Congress.

• A man of peace. Encouraged non-violent civil disobedience.

• Studied law in London. Worked in S Africa under Apartheid. Campaigned for human rights.

• The Salt March for freedom.

• The Mountbatten Plan and Partition.

• Gandhi visited Ventnor, Isle of Wight in 1890

Gandhi

Modern India

• Idea first proposed by Gandhi in 1921.Adopted on 22 July 1947.

• Saffron represents strength and courage.

• White represents peace and truth.

• Green represents the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.

• The Dharma Chakra depicted the "wheel of the law" The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

• The Flag Code. Respect the dignity and honour of the flag.

National Pride: The Indian Flag

Modern India

• Public transport is the predominant mode of local travel in cities.

• Indian Railways is the biggest employer in the world with over 1.376 million employees.

• Trains carry 22 million passengers a day.

• Tuk-Tuks or Auto Rickshaws are one of the most recognised icons of modern India.

Transport

Modern India

• Cricket is the most played sport.

• Kabaddi, an indigenous sport, is popular in rural India.

• Kite flying is common, especially around festivals.

• Snakes and ladders and Ludo originated in ancient India.

• Chess also comes from ancient India.

Indian Pastimes

Modern India

• Software producing capital of the world.

• Exports to almost 100 countries.

• Bangalore is India’s ‘silicon valley.’

• India is a world leader in digital gaming and gaming technology.

Information technology

Modern India

• Hindi language film industry based in Mumbai. Over 100 years old.

• Produces more than a thousand movies each year.

• Bollywood refers to the origins of Indian cinema in Bombay and Hollywood.

• Usually contains all of : singing, dancing, romance, comedy and action. Songs are the most important and are released ahead of the movie to grow audience.

Bollywood

Modern India

• Hindu festival to herald in the spring in early March.

• Symbolises love and a new beginning.

• In Hindu legend, Lord Krishna covered Radha and her friends in coloured water and ran off with their clothes!

• Celebrated with a Bonfire on the eve of Holi (Holika Dahan) and the next morning with the throwing of coloured powders.

Holi: Festival of Colours

Modern India

• India’s most important holiday, gifts are exchanged and homes are decorated.

• Diya lamps are lit, representing the victory of good over evil.

• Rangoli patterns decorate floors and pavements

• People make offerings to Lakshmi and Ganesh for wealth and good luck.

Diwali: Festival of Lights

Modern India

• The Catholic tradition of Carnival , brought to Goa by the Portuguese in 1510.

• It is celebrated 4 days before Ash Wednesday.

• Latin flavours, dancers, drummers, floats, masks.

• King Momo presides over the carnival, ordering people to party.

• Grand Balls in evenings.

Carnaval

Thankyou!

Classic India The Taj Mahal The Ceremonial Elephant Gods and Demons The Bengal Tiger The Lotus Flower The Peacock Temples of India The River Ganges

Imperial India The East India Company Trade The Delhi Durbar Colour and Chaos Jubilee Celebrations The Durbar Room Gifts from India People and Portraits Gandhi

Modern India The Indian Flag Transport Indian Pastimes Information Technology Bollywood Holi: Festival of Colours Diwali: Festival of Lights Carnaval!