Damayanti and Nala

Damayanti and Nala — page 1
Welcome to India Welcome to India You have entered a land that is overflowing with vibrant hues and contrasts and teeming with life India is the seventh largest country in the world and its population of over a billion people is second only in size to that of China Stretching from the majestic Himalayan mountains of the north to the tropical peninsula of the south it offers a dazzling variety of languages landscapes customs beliefs and lifestyles This is a country where old and new come together as nowhere else on earth and you can’t help but notice it Here old is very old indeed Prehistoric sites in India date back to many thousands of years BC The Indus Valley society flourished in the northwest between 2600 and 1500 BC and was one of the first urban cultures in the world Its major cities were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro Later the Vedic age 1500 600 BC saw the development of Sanskrit writing one of the oldest scripts in the world During this period the ancient Vedas were recorded These texts include hymns prayers rituals chants and even magic spells Together with the great epics that followed these texts shaped the understanding of life that we know as Hinduism India’s most widespread religion The great epic the Mahabharata from which the story Damayanti and Nala comes was composed during this period and the Ramayana the source for Hanuman’s Adventures also has ancient origins In later centuries many dynasties rose and fell India is rich in resources so trade both within and beyond its borders has always flourished and influences from overseas as well as inland have shaped the art and culture of different eras Of these influences the arrival of Islam first through Arab traders in the 7th century and then through the Mughals in the 16th century has had a huge and lasting impact on art literature and society 2