Germany and India

well people this blog post is not about any travel related information. This post is about a Gentleman who hails from Germany and loves to write about India and its culture. The Gentleman i am talking about lives in Germany and writes blogs on India, its culture, political conditions, etc.

The Blog is Called My India, and it features all information about India, its people and almost everything about India. Well i only want to thank this person for giving such a beautiful insight to India.

Hilton Head South Carolina

A perfect Island Getaway is waiting for you at the Hilton Head, the one of the most exotic and romantic beaches of South Carolina. Hilton Head Island is a dream come true for children, with a variety of fun and safe activities, they can see Hilton Head’s numerous dolphins on one of the many boating tours offered or go parasailing over the open waters. Tennis, golf, kayaking and even surfing are just a handful of the activities to choose from. Children can enjoy their summer vacations with enjoying at the numerous activity parlors and could relish the taste of the many delicacies and varieties of ice cream offered in the Ice Cream Parlors.

Hilton Head South Carolina is an amazing place for having your perfect holiday and summer vacation. The staff is well mannered and trained, its a very cozy ambiance with special treatments given to the guests. You can also get complimentary massages and spa. There is also a gym where you can workout.

So go ahead and plan a vacation with your family or friends to Hilton Head SC for one of that memorable fun filled vacation.

THE PRESIDENT'S SILVER TRUMPET AND TRUMPET BANNER (INDIA)

Over the years, the notes of the trumpet have always heralded the triumphant passage, the ceremonial and splendour of emperors, kings and victors. The clarion call of the trumpet has stirred men through the ages, to greater feats of valour in the battlefield, and so, traditionally, all cavalry units carry a trumpet. The various trumpet calls hence, are an essential part of regimental life and tradition. In the case of The President's Bodyguard, the presentation of a Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner was started in 1923, by Lord Reading, when the Bodyguard had completed 150 years of honorable service. Each succeeding Viceroy thereafter continued the tradition, presenting his Banner to the Bodyguard. Today the President's Bodyguard has the unique distinction of being the only military unit in the Indian Army, privileged to carry the President's Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner.

The President's Bodyguard was raised in 1773 at Benaras by the then Governor General of India, Warren Hasting and is the senior most Regiment of the Indian Army. The Regiment has completed 235 years of distinguished service. It is the senior most unit of the Indian Army, whose distinction, is in its position as 'Right of the Line' on all official and ceremonial occasions. The President's Bodyguard thus, takes precedence over all other Regiments and Corps. Col Ali Adil Mahmood, VSM is presently commanding the Regiment with Lt Col Ravinder Narwal, SM as Second-in-Command, Maj Mohit Vaishnava as Technical Adjutant and Maj Rahul Ranjan as the Medical Officer. Lt Gen Vinod Chopra, AVSM and Bar, Military Secretary to the President, is the Colonel of the Regiment.

The role of The President's Bodyguard is twofold - Ceremonial and Operational. They are the personal troops of The President of India and hence form an integral part of all state functions. Operationally, The President's Bodyguard has always responded to the call of duty. The Regiment has seen action in various roles and battlefields ever since it was raised. Post Independence, the Bodyguard Armoured Cars were the first to be air lifted to Chushul. In 1965, the Regiment participated in 'OPERATIONAL ABLAZE'. Detachments of the Bodyguard have served in 'OPERATION PAWAN' in Sri Lanka with the Indian Peace Keeping Force and in 'OPERATION MEGHDOOT' on the Siachen Glacier. Detachments of the Bodyguard have also served overseas with the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces in Somalia, Angola and Sierra Leone.

In the field of sports, the Regiment has performed admirably and has set standards of excellence which are difficult to match by others. The Regiment boasts of having two Arjuna Awardees for Polo and Equestrian sports, namely, Brig (Retd) VP Singh and Col (Retd) HS Sodhi, VSM. Ex Ris Maj & Hony Capt Milkha Singh won a Gold Medal for India in the 1982 Asian Games and Nb Ris Sajjan Kumar represented the Country in the Busan Asiad 2002. Astride Fariyad, the first Army horse to receive a Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card, Nb Ris Sajjan Kumar broke the 32 years old National Record of Open Jumping Puissance in 2004 by clearing a height of 195 cms. Till today, the officers, JCOs and other ranks are outstanding riders and polo players who participate in various national and international equestrian competitions and polo tournaments.

The Presentation by Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil on 01 March 2008, was the 11th that the Regiment received since Independence. The glittering ceremony was held at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Presentation Parade was followed by an audio visual show depicting the Regiment's exalted past. There were also trick riding and jumping displays where riders exhibited excellent riding skill and daredevilry. The finale was a musical ride, with horses and riders carrying out complex movements in harmony with the music of a live band.

Rashtrapati Bhavan : Ceremonial Functions(INDIA)

CEREMONIAL CHANGING OF THE GUARD - An Unforgettable Spectacle

'Changing of the Guard' is a military tradition whose origins are lost in antiquity. From time immemorial, guards and sentries at Forts, Palaces and Defence Establishments change periodically to enable a fresh body of soldiers take charge.

Come Saturday and the Forecourt of the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan- the official residence of the President since Independence, resounds to the hoof beats of horses and the tune of soul-lifting music. Every Saturday, it's time for the Ceremonial Changing of the Guard - a traditional ceremony in which Infantry Army Guards and the President's Bodyguard, in spectacular red, riding well - bred horses, change guard with clock-work precision, demonstrating time honoured military ethos and discipline of both animal and man. This tradition of Ceremonial Changing of Guard dates back to the raising of the President's Bodyguards with 50 handpicked Horsemen in 1773, then called 'The Guards of Moguls'.

The 40-minute Ceremony includes inspection of the New Guard, nomination of sentries, a formal march to take post and an exchange of compliments by the Guards. A formal military ritual, the Ceremony is a coming together of smartly-attired soldiers of the impressive Army Guard and statuesque President's Bodyguard Troopers, astride their caparisoned, sleekly muscled, powerful and exquisitely groomed steeds. The regal bearing and hard training of the noble mounts of the President's Bodyguard, greatly enhanced by their superb ceremonial equipage, heavily embroidered saddle cloths, ceremonial bridles and bits, lend a regal dignity and spectacle of incomparable colour and pageantry at this Ceremonial Parade. A zestful Band and the impressive arrival and dispersal of the guard, makes the Ceremony an unforgettable spectacle.

The New Guard marches from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Dominion Columns lining the two wings of the Central Secretariat in perfect military tandem. After inspection, Officers of the guards take salute, and march past smartly. Upon entering the driveway, just inside the Iron Gate of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the New Guard takes position alongside the Old Guard for formal salutation. After exchanging salutes, the sentries of the Old Guard hand-over the keys to the New Guard. Sentries of the New Guard on duty take post and the remainder troops march off to the tune of "Saare Jahan Se Achcha".

The Ceremony-Every Saturday

The MajesticTAJ MAHAL

Taj Mahal

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Location: Uttar Pradesh, Agra District

Brief Description

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

A flawless architectural creation For centuries, the Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, colour and son. Since the 17th century, travelers have crossed continents to come and see this ultimate memorial to love, and few have been unmoved by its incomparable beauty. Taj Mahal stands in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna river. It was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir's third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad: in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps.

A memorial to his beloved In AD 1628, Khurram became king after a bloody battle of succession; he took the name Shahjahan or King of the World and showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She became Mumtaz Mahal, the Exalted of the Palace and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, the Exalted of the Age. But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be queen for long. In 1631, Shahjahan went on an expedition to the South and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal accompanied him. But she died in childbirth at Burhanpur. She had borne Shahjahan fourteen children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived. When Mumtaz Mahal died, she was just 39 years old. Shahjahan was inconsolable and contemporary chronicles tell of the royal court mourning for two years. There was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind. Shahjahan, who was a passionate builder, now decided to erect a memorial marble that the world would never forget. The site selected for the tomb was a garden by the Yamuna river, unshadowed by any other structure. The garden had been laid by Raja Man Singh of Amber and now belonged to his grandson, Raja Jai Singh. By a royal firman, Shahjahan gave Jai Singh four havelis in exchange for the garden. The site was also chosen because it was located on a bend in the river, and so could be seen from Shahjahan's personal palace in Agra Fort, further upstream. A labor of love Work on the mausoleum began in 1633 and 20,000 workers laboured for 17 years to build it. The most skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers and masons came from all across India and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. The master mason was from Baghdad, an expert in building the double dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi. The tomb was completed in AD 1650. But, Shahjahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb in 1658 and imprisioned in the Agra Fort. He spent his last years in the Mussalman Burj looking downstream at the Taj where his beloved Mumtaz Mahal lay. Sixteen years later he, too, was laid to rest beside her. The bejewelled Palace Shahjahan's two biggest passions were architecture and jewelery and both are reflected in the Taj Mahal. He visualized a building in marble and then had it decorated with semi-precious stones inlaid with the delicacy of handcrafted jewelery. Marble in purest white was brought from Makrana in Rajasthan, yellow marble and rockspar from the banks of the Narmada river, lack marble from Charkoh and red sandstone from Sikri. For the intricate pietra dura the finest gems were collected - crystal and jade from China, lapis lazuli and sapphires from Sri Lanka, jasper from Punja, carnelian from Baghdad and turquoise from Tibet. Yemen sent agates, the corals came from Arabia, the garnets from Bundelkhand, onyx and amethyst from Persia. Mumtaz Mahal's final resting-place was ornamented like a queen's jewel-box. The Complex You enter the Taj complex through an arcaded forecourt where some of Shahjahan's other queens lie buried. The forecourt also has the Jilau Kana, a bazaar with cloisters leading to the main entrance of the tomb. The imposing gateway is made of red sandstone highlighted with marble and has octagonal kiosks on top. The gateway is an imposing 30 metres high and a fitting entrance to the Taj Mahal. The soaring arch is inscribed with a beautiful design of inlaid flowers and calligraphy. As you enter the dark octagonal chamber under the gateway, the light streaming in from the opposite doorway draws you towards it. Here, framed by the arch of the doorway, the Taj Mahal reveals itself to the viewer with dramatic power. It stands at the end of a long walkway, framed by landscaped gardens and an ever-changing sky, its snowy marble glittering in the sunlight. Taj Mahal stands at one side of a garden laid in the tradition charbagh style, with its square lawns bisected by pathways, water channels and rows of fountains. Halfway down the path there is a square pool, its limpid waters reflecting the marble tomb. Unlike other tombs, Taj Mahal stands at one end of the garden instead the centre. This was done deliberately, to leave its vista uncluttered by any other building. The Main Building The tomb stands on a marble plinth six-metres high. The four minarets at each corner beautifully frame the tomb. The plinth stands on a high standstone platform and at the far ends of this base are two identical sandstone structures, a mosque to the west and its jawab, or echo, to the east. This was the mehman khana or guesthouse. Thus, the main building is not just of great size but beautifully proportioned and balanced in design. The octagonal central hall has four smaller octagonal halls round it and is decorated with magnificent inlay and dado panels done in high relief. The bulbous, perfectly-balanced double dome rises to a height of 45 metres and the four chhattris flanking and balancing the high drum give it added height. Taj Mahal rises 75 metres high and is, in fact, taller than the Qutb Minar. An ornate marble screen, carved so fine that it almost has the texture of lace surrounds the cenotaphs in the central hall. However, as was the tradition during Mughal times, the actual graves lie in an underground crypt directly below the cenotaphs. Intricacy in design What is most amazing about the Taj Mahal is the fine detailing. The coloured inlay is never allowed to overwhelm the design, as carvings done in relief sensitively balance it. The ornate pietra dura and relief carvings are of floral, calligraphic and geometric designs. However, flowers remain the main decorative element as the tomb depicts a paradise garden. The skill of the inlay worker is so fine that it is impossible to find the joints, even when as many as 40 tiny pieces of semi-precious stones have been used in the petals of a single flower. Some of the best calligraphy of Koranic verses can be seen around the entrance arches and on the two headstones. The colours of the Taj Taj Mahal changes its moods with the seasons and the different times of the day. At dawn, the marble has a delicate bloom in shell pink, by noon it glitters majestically white, turning to a soft pearly grey at dusk. On full-moon away against the star-spangled sky. Monsoon clouds give it a moody blue tint and it appears and disappears like a mirage in the drifting mists of winter. It can be solid and earthbound, fragile and ethereal, white, amber, grey and gold. The many faces of Taj Mahal display the seductive power of architecture at its best.