Where is India. Location of Ancient India

The culture of India is one of the most colorful and original in the world. The diversity of spiritual and philosophical teachings, ancient architecture, the beauty of nature attracts. There is a desire to visit the territory where India is located - the country of the ancient Vedas. This is a country in which the beauty and grandeur of temples amaze, and music and a magical atmosphere are immersed in a world of mystery and sensuality.

India on the world map

Where is India on the world map? Geographically, the country adjoins South Asia and occupies a significant part of the Indian subcontinent. India has a lot of neighbors - states. In the northwest the country borders on Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the northeast - with China, Nepal and Bhutan. The Indian-Chinese border is the longest and it passes along the main Himalayan ridge. In the east it borders on the states of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The sea borders in the southwest of India have with the Maldives, in the south - with Sri Lanka and in the southeast - with Indonesia.

The area of the country is quite large and amounts to 3.3 million square meters. Km. In the east, south and west the peninsula is washed by the Bay of Bengal, the Lakadiv and the Arabian Sea. The major rivers of India are the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Godavari, Indus, Krishna, Sabarmati.

Since the country's territory is large in size, different topography, the climate in different regions is different.

Where is India covered with snow? In the northern part of the country are the Himalayas - one of the highest mountain systems. Here the tops of mountains and valleys are covered with snow. In the east of the country is the Ganges valley. In the eastern and central part of the country there is the Indo-Gangetic plain, from the west to it is the Tar desert.

Name of State

Where is India, whose name has changed several times? In ancient times it was called "the country of the Aryans", "the country of the brahmanas", "the country of the wise." The modern name of the state of India comes from the name of the Indus River, the word "sindu" in the translation from the Old Persian means "river". The country has a second name, in Sanskrit it sounds like Bharat. This name is associated with the history of the ancient Indian king, which is described in the Mahabharata. Hindustan - the third name of the country, has been using it since the reign of the Empire of the Great Moguls, but it has not been given official status. The Republic of India is the official name of the country, it appeared in the XIX century.

Ancient India

On the territory where ancient India was, one of the oldest civilizations of the world was born. Its history includes two periods. The first is the period of the Harapp civilization, which began its development in the valley of the Indus River. The second period is the Aryan civilization associated with the appearance of Aryan tribes in the valleys of the Ganges and Indus rivers .

In the Harappan civilization, the main centers were the cities of Harappa (modern Pakistan) and Mohenjo-Daro ("Hill of the Dead"). The level of civilization was very high, as evidenced by the construction of cities with a slender planning and drainage system. Writing was developed, small plastic arts developed in artistic culture: statuettes of small size, prints with reliefs. But the Harap culture has fallen into decay, related to climate change, flooding and epidemics.

After the Harappan civilization ended its existence, the Aryan tribes entered the valleys of the Ganges and the Indus. Their appearance breathed new life into the Indian ethnos. From this period, the Indo-Aryan period begins.

The main asset created by the arias of that period was a collection of texts - the Vedas. They are written in Vedic language - the oldest form of Sanskrit.

The Vedas contain information about the whole life of ancient Indians and are the foundation of the country's spiritual culture.

Culture of Ancient India

The territory where India is located is the place where the religious and philosophical teachings originated and developed. The culture of the ancient country is closely connected with the secrets of the universe. Since ancient times, people have been asking questions to the universe, trying to unravel the meaning of life. A separate place is occupied by the yoga teaching, where self-immersion takes place in the world of the human soul. The uniqueness of culture is also in the fact that music and dance are the companion of any event or event. The identity and diversity of culture is largely due to the fact that in its formation involved both the local people, and newcomers.

The culture of Ancient India dates back to the middle of the III millennium BC. And until the VI century. AD

The architecture of this period has its own characteristics. Not a single monument of ancient Indian culture has survived. It is caused by the fact that the building material of that period was a tree, which by our time has not survived. And since the III century. BC. In construction they begin to use stone. The architectural buildings of this period have survived to the present day. The main religion of this period was Buddhism, and therefore erected characteristic structures: stupas, stambhi, cave temples.

The culture of Ancient India in world history occupies an important place. It has had more influence on the whole world development.

Agra

The ancient city of Agra was founded in the 15th century. It is located on the bank of the Yamuna River. The city of Agra is very large, and to avoid getting lost, you need a map. Where India is located during the reign of the Mughals, will tell the walls of the ancient city. In the capital of the empire of the Great Moguls there were a lot of palaces, parks, beautiful gardens.

Agra is an ancient city saturated with national color. Here you can see and learn the traditions of the Indian people, plunge into the world of national cuisine, buy souvenirs, made in the technique of the Florentine mosaic - Pietra Dura, which is a national craft from the time of the Great Moguls.

The center of Agra, like many Indian cities, is a huge market. In the city there is one of the largest in the whole Asia spa Kaya Kalp.

Taj Mahal

India is one of the seven wonders of the world . Taj Mahal, where the mausoleum of one of Shah Jahan's most beloved wives - Mumtaz Mahal, is one of the attractions of Agra. Such an architectural structure has not been seen in the last 400 years.

Taj Mahal is a monument of love and in translation from Hindi means "Crown of Palaces". He was the last gift for the beloved. The palace was built for 22 years, marble for it was mined for 300 km. The walls of the tomb are decorated with mosaics of precious and semiprecious stones, although if you look from afar, the color of the mausoleum seems white. The proportions of the structure are perfect. Even the fact that his minarets are rejected is not accidental. This is done so that in case of an earthquake the minarets do not fall on the mausoleum.

Taj Mahal is a pearl of Indian culture, in which the love and wealth of the Emperor of the Great Moguls Shah Jahan is embodied.