“In India, the calendar of every state is full of only religious events and festivals.” If you think so, you are not absolutely right. Indian states boast of culturally rich dance and music festivals, held in different times of the year. The most celebrated music and dance festivals of India are held at seaside temples, historical sites of architecture ruins and shrines in the cave. The interface between art and history, these festivals are cultural celebrations, ceremonious galas and spectacular events, in the open air atmosphere. Indian Eagle offers an ode to the most famous dance festivals of India.

Soorya Dance Festival, Kerala

Interwoven with the cultural fabric of Kerala, the Soorya Classical Dance Festival is held in the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, for 10 days every year. The festival is accompanied by some other cultural programs including theatre, photography, painting and seminars. Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Kathakali, Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi are some of the celebrated forms of Indian classical dance which are staged by eminent artists, during the festival. Organized by Soorya Stage and Film Society, this dance festival of India continues from October 1 to 10.

Elephanta Dane Festival, Maharashtra

Among the dance and music festivals of India, Elephanta Festival is a cultural pride of Maharashtra. The festival is held in the cave shrine of Lord Shiva on Elephanta Island, a 10 km boat drive from the Gateway of India in Mumbai Harbor. Illumined with the interplay of various lights, the Lord Shiva temple in the caves of Elephanta Island comes alive as a seat of art and culture, in the month of March every year. Since its inception in 1989 by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Elephanta Dance Festival celebrates the folk dance form of each Indian state.

Khajuraho Dance Festival, Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho, situated in Madhya Pradesh, holds the cultural traditions of Central India. A small village in Bundalkhand, Khajuraho is famous for its legendary temples where the dance festival is held ceremoniously, in the month of February every year. The festival is a gripping celebration of Indian classical dances, performed in the backdrop of flamboyantly illumined temples – the Chitragupta Temple and the Vishwanatha Temple under the evening sky. Once upon a time the capital of the Chandela Dynasty, Khajuraho is a dedicated chapter in the thousands-year old Indian history.

Konark Dance Festival, Orissa

One of the most spectacular dance and music festivals of India, Konark Dance Festival is held at an open air auditorium in the backdrop of the Sun Temple which is also known as the Black Pagoda. The marvelous architecture of the Konark Sun Temple is shaped like a chariot with wheels drawn by seven horses. On the Chandrabhaga beach of Konark, near the holy city of Puri, the Konark Temple offers a wonderful ambience when lit colorfully during the festival in the month of December. Odissi Dance, an age-old cultural identity of Orissa, is an exclusive highlight of the festival. Other dance performances such as Chau dance, Manipuri, Kathak and Bharathnatyam make it a lavish feast for the eyes.

READ MORE Interesting Facts of Konark Sun Temple

Ellora Ajanta Dance Festival, Maharashtra

Held in the month of January, Ellora Ajanta Dance Festival is an interface between culture and history of India. The historic Ajanta and Ellora caves of Aurangabad are in the spotlight during the festival. Organized by Aurangabad Festival Committee in collaboration with Maharashtra Tourism Development at Soneri Mahal, the festival presents the best of classical and folk dance forms in a blend. The glittering beauty of the festival and the splendid architecture of Soneri Mahal make a rare spectacle to behold with wonder. The regional art and craft of Maharashtra is also exhibited at the festival site.

Mamallapuram Dance Festival, Tamil Nadu

Mamallapuram, a seaside temple town in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, prides itself on the popularity of the dance festival. The most important port in the Pallava Dynasty of the 7th and 8th centuries, Mamallapuram is a tourist destination known for its stone temples and monolithic rock sculptures. Arjuna’s Penance, a mammoth architecture with finely carved rock sculptures, serves as venue of the Mamallapuram Dance Festival, in the backdrop of the Bay of Bengal. Lulled by gentle breezes blowing over the sea, the atmosphere of the town is suitable for the festive mood. The festival begins in the last week of December and continues for three weeks in January every year.

Modhera Dance Festival, Gujarat

Gujarat does not lag behind other states of India when it comes to claiming fame for art, culture and history. Modhera Dance Festival, an annual cultural phenomenon in Mehsana district of the state, is held at the Sun Temple, an architectural excellence that belongs to the regime of the Solanki King Bhimdev I. Though lying in ruins, the temple exudes its historical charms when the surrounding is illumined for the festival. Dance and music performances by traditionally clad artists add to the spell of the atmosphere. Modhera Dance Festival is held in the month of January.

Book your trip to India and explore the cultural heritage. There is no best time to get the best flight. Indian Eagle offers cheap airfare deals round the year!

BOOK My Trip to India

The post India’s Most Celebrated Music and Dance Festivals at Cave Shrines, Seaside Temples, Historical Ruins appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Are you traveling from the USA or Canada in search of ancient India? Age-old temples and monuments stand for the ancient art, architecture and heritage of India. Let’s explore the history of ancient India in the state of Orissa on the coastline of the Bay of Bengal. The Orissa tourism, an important part of India travel, is known for not only the Chariot Festival but also the Konark Sun Temple.

Konark Temple – an interface between Indian history & mythology

Let’s turn over the pages of the Indian history to learn about the Konark Sun Temple. The temple is a piece of marvelous architecture, an embodiment of engineering excellence, a living account of the Islamic rule in the 13th century India, a beautiful work of the Hindu art and an emblem of victory over the Muslim invasion on India. Evidently, Konark is a must visit during travel to India from the USA.

The Konark Temple is a rare testimony to both – the history and the mythology of India. The history of the temple dates back to the 13th century when the Muslim rulers were waving their flags of victory all over the northern India. Driven by the ambition to conquer the whole country, they began to advance towards the Indian states in the east. Having incorporated Bengal into their dynasty, they targeted Orissa which was a Hindu Kingdom at that time.

The death of Sultan Iltutmish caused a setback to the Muslim regime in India. Then, Nasiruddin Mahammad sat on the throne of Delhi. Ordered by him, Tughan Khan, the then Governor of Bengal, led the army against Narasimhadeva the First, the ruling King of Orissa in the mid-13th century. The latter fought hard and defeated the former. The Konark Temple was built as tribute to the Sun on the occasion of Narasimhadeva I’s triumph over the Muslim rule.

The Sun is the god of power and strength in the Hindu mythology of India. The Sun is revered as an emblem of victory in Indian culture. A reference to it is also found in the Ramayana, one of the greatest epics of India. Offerings were made to please the Sun god and receive his blessings for success, in the eras gone by. Following the tradition, King Narasimhadeva the First dedicated the Konark Temple to the Sun.

Konark Temple architecture – wonderful beauty & beautiful wonder

One of the grandest architectures in India, the Konark Temple is known as Pancha Rath as well. The delicacy of ornamental work on the inner surface and the intricacy of sculptural work on the outer surface made the temple a subject of research on the architectural heritage of India. Modeled as a chariot of the Sun on 24 wheels, drawn by 7 horses, the temple is a massive edifice of stone work. The diameter of each wheel is 10 feet, and the spokes of the wheels feature intricate carvings. The entrance on a flight of steps from the ground level is guarded by two lions and elephants on both sides.

Some facts about the Konark  Sun Temple to share with you

The temple basement is ornate with delicate figures of 1452 elephants curved in different poses. The temple walls are beautified with sculptures of male and female figures in intimate poses. Figures of lions sitting on elephants and men are meticulously engraved on the sand rock walls. The temple structure is said to symbolize the Sun’s supremacy over the power of time. The seven horses pulling the chariot of the Sun seem to symbolize the seven days of the week. Twelve pairs of wheels are supposed to refer to the twelve months of the year. The imposing statue of the Sun god (Surya) in the sanctum is made of green chlorite stone. The tower of the temple is believed to have two powerful magnets attributing an enigma to the ambience.

Exploring the history of ancient India by a visit to the Konark Sun Temple in Orissa is many times more exciting than by leafing through the books in libraries. Indian Eagle is on a mission to promote Indian tourist by offering cheap flight tickets to travelers from the USA and Canada. Book your trip to Orissa at guaranteed low airfare on IndianEagle.com.

The post Konark Sun Temple: An Interface between Indian History & Indian Mythology appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.