The Himalayas have played a crucial role in the destiny of India. Toghter with the Karakoram and Hindukush ranges to the north-west, and the Arakan mountains to the north-east, they have stood sentinel over the subcontinent,separating it from the Asian landmass, and allowing its peoples and cultures to flow together over the centuries,to form an organic composite entity.
Formidable though the mountains barrier is, it is not impregnable. Over the centuries nomadic herdsmen, traders and pilgrims have filtered through its high passes in both directions, allowing a cross-cultural fertilisation of ethnic groups, languages, ideas and lifestyle. Thus the exquisite calligraphic scripts of tibet are derived from Devanagiri, a north Indian script: conversely, the architecture and religious iconography of the independent Hindu Kingdom of Nepal is heavily influenced by Tibetan imagery. The passes have also been the gateway to successive waves of invaders seeking the fabulous treasures of India. Some merely came to loot and pillage; others stayed behind to found empires that shaped the destiny of the land.
The genius of India lies in its ability to absorb and encompass the many cultures with which it has come into contact; at the same time it has allowed these cultures to flourish as distinct entities. Both host and guest have subtly altered and have themselves been  altered by this contact, to mutual benefit. The separate evolution of all these strands, and their continuing interaction, have produced a complex cultural kaleidoscope. India is home to communities from human races-Australoid, Negroid, Caucasian, Mongol and Semite. All the world's major religions are practiced and respected; Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism & Sikhism were born here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism were brought by settlers.

In the process of development India developed with the tradition of great cultural  heritage that is reflected through its religions, fairs and festivals, the concept of different gods and goddesses, also in different art forms such as music, dance, architecture, sculpture, calligraphy, theatre and painting.

Dance and music are an integral part of Indian life. The Natya Shastra, written by Baratha between 2 B.C. and 2 A.D., is the source for all forms of Indian classical dance. It is regarded as the fifth Veda. more.....

Countless festivals pepper the Indian calendar. They maybe devoted to Gods, seasonal, agricultural celebrations or the anniversary of a philosopher. These festivals offer mesmerizing images drawn from India's deep-rooted beliefs. more.....

Religion in India is a part of life. Though Hinduism is the dominant religion, Indians have learnt to co-exist with people of other faiths. Whether it is the ancient shlokas of the Hindu prayers, the aazaans of the Muslim prayers, the gurvani of the Sikhs or the chanting of the Buddhist monks - all fill the sky simultaneously. The main religious communities in India are Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis. more.....

India has continuous civilization of over 5000 years. The country derived its name from the river Indus. It is too vast a country with too long a history. The period of Indian History is divided into three parts :

• Ancient Period
• Medieval Period
• Modern Period

The earliest literature is the Vedic, with all its branches. There are four Vedas- Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. Of these the Rigveda is the earliest, and contains description of the life of the people during that period. We get some information from the other three Vedas, especially the fourth one which is said to be a sort of an encyclopedia. It contains information on various topics, These are the primary sources for the history of the early period which is known as the Vedic for the history of the early period which is known as the vedic pariod. Next to these are commentaries on the Vedic hymns. These are again of three types -(i) Brahmanas .,(ii) Aranyakas and (iii) Upanishads.  more.....